Chapter 9: Brothers Rivalry

HEADLESS KNIGHT POV: 

To give myself a quick recap, I wake up in this beautiful place, which happens to be some kind of prison that makes you lose the will to ever leave. Then, I get attacked by two muscular brutes called Magni and Modi, and now a talking bird called Odin wants me to help him kill his son, due to family conflicts, and apparently, this son of his has my head. 

I know I lost my memories, but boy does it seem I'm in a fever dream. 

"I know all this information was thrown at you all at once, so allow me to give you time until I hear your answer, my friend," Odin declared solemnly as he soared away. 

Phew! At least I have some time to think now. I haven't even had a moment to rest since I arrived here. Despite this place being some sort of prison, it's hard to perceive it as such. 

"Art thou seeking another brawl with me?!" Magni's voice boomed with stern irritation. 

"Art thou witless? Dost thou seek to provoke me?!" Modi retorted with a fiercer tone. 

As I cautiously approached the two, their imposing presence sent shivers down my spine. Yet, my curiosity compelled me to understand the cause of their dispute. 

"Art thou feigning ignorance?!" Magni's voice thundered. 

"Dost thou dare insult me?!" Modi shot back. 

"Uh, um, why are you guys arguing?" I stammered nervously, my words barely audible. 

"This foolish red-haired knave hath trampled upon my shadow!" Magni exclaimed, his anger palpable in his tone. 

Confused, I glanced at the ground to see Modi standing over Magni's shadow. Yet, I struggled to understand their situation. 

"Whaaaaaaaaa? I didn't realize I was stepping on thy shadow," Modi retorted sarcastically, his tone dripping with insincerity. 

In fact, judging by the goofy expression on his face and his awkward posture, it seems as though he's intentionally stepping on his brother's shadow—an observation that I'm only just beginning to realize. 

"See?! He's lying, headless knight! Grrrr! I'm gonna kill you!" Magni whined like a child as his anger flared. 

"Kill me? Ha! Try if you dare!" Modi rebutted, the tension escalating as both brothers drew their weapons, ready to clash. 

Watching them act like big babies, I couldn't help but wonder if they were actually grown-ups or just really tall kids. Weirdly enough, I wasn't even bothered by their silly fights. It was like I'd seen it all before and just got used to it. Did I used to have kids? I'll have to ask Odin about that later. But it's funny how these two men, who once showed me nothing but bloodlust and murder, are now so comfortable or oblivious to have a stupid argument in front of me. Either they're just comfortable or, as their grandfather would say, total idiots, hehe. 

Rapidly, both brothers' eyes' pupils automatically locked onto me, filled with the once-familiar bloodlust. My legs began to shiver, and I broke into a nervous sweat. What's with the sudden change in vibe? Did I say or do something wrong? Or do they not respect me anymore due to my earlier performance in the fight? 

"Get your hands off my weapon!" they exclaimed simultaneously, prompting me to quickly retract my hands from their prized possessions. 

Realizing my mistake, I bowed my head and offered a sincere apology. To my surprise, both brothers seemed momentarily speechless, their expressions shifting to one of awkwardness. It dawned on me that perhaps they weren't accustomed to receiving apologies. 

As I lifted my head, I noticed their perplexed faces and seized the opportunity to shift the conversation. "Those weapons are important to you, aren't they? Mind telling me where you got them? They look awesome," I inquired. 

"Awesome? What strange words thou dost speak," Magni replied. 

"Awesome? Haha! You guys can't be serious." I laughed. 

"Thou art mocking me!" he continued, his irritation evident. 

"No! No! No! I don't mean it like that, I was just surprised that you didn't know what it means." I hastily clarified. 

"Art thou implying I am ignorant?" Magni retorted, his temper flaring once more. 

"Hahaha! Even he thinks thou art stupid! Grandfather's old companion deems thee foolish! Thou art deemed stupid! Hahaha!" 

Magni's face is turning red as Modi's intentional provoking is not helping the situation. I've got to do something quick or they'll just go back to arguing. 

But then it kind of dawned on me. Why do I care so much if they argue? I don't know them like that. 

"So, did your father give you guys those weapons?" I swiftly changed the topic. 

Hearing this question, Magni's red face slowly turned back to its original color, and a smile cracked on his face. I also began to chuckle lightly at how predictable this child is; he's really just like a kid. 

"Aye! My father Thor, the god of lightning, hath bestowed upon me this very weapon, which he arranged to be crafted by someone he knew, forged solely for my use," Magni declared with pride as he brandished his weapon. 

I responded by giving him sounds of praise and clapping dramatically which filled up his ego as he flaunted it more, but as I looked beside him, Modi looked like he was starting to get jealous. 

"And what about you, Modi? Did your father do the same for you?" 

There was silence, for some reason Modi didn't have the same energy as his brother but rather he looked at the ground, ashamed to answer. 

"Pffft! Bwahahaha!" 

Sudden laughter came from Magni which had me confused. 

"By the gods, of course not! Father didn't bother with the trouble of having a weapon crafted for him. Nay, he stumbled upon it lying around while battling foes, and simply handed it over to Modi! What a jest, wouldn't you say?" Magni scoffed, his tone dripping with mockery. 

For the first time, Modi didn't even argue or rebuttal but had the face of a slightly defeated man. Something triggered in me, I snapped. 

"Magni! You shouldn't be making fun of your little brother! As a big brother, you should be encouraging and setting an example for him to follow." 

Instantly, I shut myself up. Why did I say that?! I began to tremble in fear as I just spoke back to Magni. As I looked up, I see that Modi is staring at me but he's not angry but shockingly has a surprised expression, whereas Magni, predictably, is filled with rage that he wants to snap my body in half. 

"Big brother? Encourage him? Just because thou art my grandfather's aged comrade dost not grant thee leave to disrespect me!" Magni retorted, his voice laced with the authority. 

He found what I said disrespectful? Does Magni not like correction? Has he lived his whole life with people always praising him, and from the way Modi looks, it seems like he's been living in his brother's shadow. 

Although I was scared to confront Modi, isn't this a great time to redeem myself from looking wimpy in front of them before? Odin did say I'm his friend, and I guess it's time to make that happen with his grandsons. 

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my trembling body and calm the anxious feeling weighing on my heart. Despite my fear, I pressed on. 

"Hey Magni, I don't appreciate you-" 

But before I could finish, Magni cut me off, showing no ounce of respect. "In Asgard, the eldest son is deemed the worthiest, and it was fate that I am it! Encourage? The oldest brother dominates his youngest siblings and demonstrates power. Power is everything in Asgard. I love my grandfather, but isn't it because of power he lost? My father had more power than him and he ended up being overthrown. It's just that simple!" 

As Magni continued with his speech, a wave of anger surged within me. Not only did he cut me off despite my sense of seniority, but also he dared to speak ill of my friend, Odin. 

"Magni! When I speak, you listen!" 

Suddenly, these words halted Magni, a surprise evident on his face as he begrudgingly obeyed. I could see the anger simmering beneath his surface, but I didn't care at that moment. I needed to press on. 

"In Asgard, you say? What the hell is even Asgard? Look around here, does it look like we're in Asgard?" 

If I didn't command respect now, these boys would continue to bully me. And that would dishonor Odin, who had spoken so highly of me. Despite his trials, I couldn't allow that. 

"I asked you a question, Magni! Does this place look like Asgard?" I demanded sternly. 

Magni, his veins bulging in frustration, looked up at me, his expression one of extreme annoyance. 

"N-no" Magni grunted in frustration. Modi had an astonised expression in his face. 

"Exactly! This place isn't Asgard! Right now, you're with me! And my rule is that as an older brother, you're meant to take care, love, and help your younger brother! Ca piche!" 

Both Magni and Modi tilted their heads to the side, confused. 

"Ca?" Magni stated, bewildered. 

"Piche?" Modi added, puzzled. 

Modi still looked confused by the sudden word, while Magni was filled with turmoil. I could understand his perspective; he probably felt insulted. It's not like my intention is to hurt his pride, but I can't allow him to think he always runs the place, especially given how childish he has been so far. I blame his parents and the environment he grew up in. 

Gently, I placed my hands on both Magni and Modi's heads as I gave them a gentle pat. Their expressions were filled with total embarrassment and shock, their faces turning red as they blushed in utmost awkwardness, caught off guard. Now that I think about it, did I just get taller? Or was I always taller than both of them? 

"Hey! Hey! What in the realms are you doing? Are you attempting to attack me?" Magni bellows out, stiffened with awkwardness. 

"Hey! Don't you dare lay your hands upon our heads!" Modi retorts, also feeling unnerved. 

"Exactly like this, brothers shouldn't be against each other. Instead, as you're doing now, you should both be on the same side, united against whatever opposes you." 

As I thought I'd said something cute and heartwarming, the two brothers, in perfect sync, both bit my hand simultaneously. "Owwwwww ow ow ow ow!" I screamed in pain, quickly retracting my hand. 

Okay, maybe I took things too far by touching them, but at least they're not biting against each other, so I'll take it as a win. Also, when did I become so good at dealing with kids? Now I'm sure I definitely had kids in the past, and if I did, I wonder where they are? I hope I raised them right. 

"Alright, guys, since we've got nothing to do, how about you show me that awesome move of yours," I suggested. 

"Awesome?" Magni queried. 

"What move?" Modi asked. 

"I'm talking about that move where you create some sort of blue electric ball and slam it towards me," I clarified. 

Both brothers looked at each other with confused expressions, then turned their attention back to me. 

"Zerchlagen?"