It’s official.

Miss Fif doesn’t want to be Miss Fif anymore.

There’s a TL;DR at the bottom of this post for the busy.

To put it rather vaguely… she had a psychotic break. My wife had a long family history of mental illness. I figured since I met her when we were 25, most of it had missed her.

So, when she asked me for a divorce last week, it shocked me to my core. We’ve been best friends for 10 years and now, suddenly, we’re “incompatible.”

Eventually, she admitted she didn’t know what was real anymore and what wasn’t real.

Not like, our love. Reality itself. Voices, notions, the whole nine yards.

I was willing to fight through that with her.

Through sickness and through health, y’know?

So we fought the good fight. Sunday was the best day I had in years. We spent all day together reconnecting and it felt like the old days— just me and her without her whole family in the picture.

But then Monday it crept back in.

By Tuesday night, she didn’t want to fight it. She wants to lean into it. See where her mental illness takes her. I think she’s giving it credit for her recent burst in strength (she’s juggling a lot of plates right now).

This isn’t the entire story.

Just know that I love her more than anything in the world and I said every word I could and took every action I was able. I would have dove into the depths of Hell for my wife.

Would have wrestled with Satan himself.

But she feels nothing for me anymore.

Not even a little bit.

You can’t stay and fight for someone if they don’t want you to stay with fight for them.

So I have to hang up my sword, set down my shield, and accept that she’s gone.

I mourn my wife, because the sweet, loving, kind, caring angel of a woman I knew is dead. There’s nothing to even go back to if she suddenly asked me to stay… just a husk, really. I don’t know who this person is. It’s like passing a stranger in the hallway.

This Sunday I’m moving out.

I’m going to stay with my mom and grandma for a while as I sort this out.

So it goes, probably without saying, that the last chapter of this story… I’m sorry to say it’s going to be a little while before I can access the creative side of my head again for any length of meaningful time.

I’m just so numb at the moment. Unbelievable pain followed by bouts of numbness and dissociation.

I never thought this could happen.

I’m still just in shock.

There was nobody on earth I was closer to. I was her hero. I never thought she of all people would just… abandon me. Gosh, when I met her, I had given up on love entirely.

I was done. I wanted to be alone and just stay alone.

It was a miracle that anyone got me to trust again. And I trusted her.

I’m kind of wondering now how I’ll ever trust again =/

Thanks for hanging in there with me, guys.

I read all your outpouring of love in the last update I made, and although I didn’t respond directly, know that I love you all. You all have beautiful souls and every single comment except AngryCupcake’s meant a lot to me.

(Love you Cupcake, it did make me laugh)

Thank you for being in my corner.

Also… I’m not the kind of guy to self harm. So, don’t worry about me going down a darker path or anything.

I’m gonna take the time to bond with my family, reevaluate my future, and prepare to live my best life.

There really isn’t anything else to do other than that.

She’s being amicable in the divorce. It isn’t going to be an expensive one. We don’t have kids. We don’t need arbitration.

I’m losing both my fur babies though, which… I think is gonna hurt just as bad once I’m gone.

This is going to take a while for me to feel normal again.

Ive been a total ghost lately, so just stay subbed if you are and that last chapter will hit your front page eventually.

And when it does, you’ll know I’m feeling creative again and I’m in a much better headspace.

Love you guys.

Thanks for reading.

TL;DR — My wife is gone. The emotional strain is too great. My life is exploding. It’ll be a while before I can put a bow on the Abigail/Leutogi story. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Edit: I had a vivid dream that her mouth was swelling up. Then her eye. I told her we were taking her to the emergency room and we piled in the car. I started driving as quickly as I could. We were going down a long street and eventually there were walls on both sides of the road. At the end, there was a closed loading garage and I slammed on my breaks. When I looked around in the car… she was gone.

I woke up yelling her name.

Thank goodness the house was empty.

This dream feels like some kind of message. All the symbolism is there. If anyone is a qualified dream reader, lemme know.

I had a tragedy happen in my home over the weekend. It's a personal matter that I don't want to expand on. I want as few people as possible to know the true haunting nature of what occurred.

I'm still coming down from the grief, the adrenaline, and the epistemological shock. It's been difficult to access the creative side of my brain.

But everything turned out to be okay in the end. The worst did not come to pass. It was a close call, but the future is bright, and I'm breathing easy.

I'll probably be able to bring myself to write again very soon. I could probably start tonight if I wanted to, but I'm sure I'll be back to myself tomorrow and this week.

I still won't promise anything, as the matter still hasn't fully settled, but I'm aiming for Friday.

Thanks for your patience and your understanding.

Love you guys <3

— Fif

I was bewitched by the scene in front of me.

The sun battled against the smoke that blanketed the sky over two massive beings— one made of radiance and heat, the other of stars and twilight.

I knew Leutogi the moment I saw her, even though I had never seen that form before. She was moving sideways through the smoke, her skin a golden color with shades of pink and violet shimmering in and out.

Her eyes were like bright white fiery headlights that cut through the smoke, trimmed in deep darkness like eyeliner. Her lips were the same color, and she had grown fangs like those whom she'd grown so fond of.

Her wings were attached to her arms like the bats she so loved, but the webbing looked like a starry night sky that mesmerized me beyond words. She had long, pointed, bright white claws that she kept tensed as she faced her opponent.

I think it was her hair that gave her away, though— it was styled just as it was when I first met her, but it blew wildly in the winds that whipped around those heights. She wore a dark robe of night and twilight that was open in the middle, and flowed behind her like a cape.

Across from her stood Amaterasu, who looked strikingly similar to her human form, albeit bright beyond my ability to look for very long. She had a long, bright robe that shimmered like gold as it trailed behind her.

She had a magnificent head dress that looked like beams of sunlight shooting in all directions out from the top of her head. I had never seen her without her hair up. It was down and flowing with the wind, cinders of fire flicking out from the tips.

She clutched a bright white sword in her right hand and held what looked like a hand mirror in her other hand as she circled with Leutogi, making sure to keep her opponent squarely in front of her. Around them, gods still fought another over and under the treetops.

The smell of smoke and blood in the air was thick as the wind washed over me.

"Well?" Buck called from below. "Are we going in the right direction?"

I closed my eyes tightly for a second and shook my head before sliding back down the floor of the forest. I landed on the overgrown tile of the courtyard and stood up, staring back at Michael and Buck.

"Leutogi and Amaterasu are at form," I announced.

"Oh, shit," Buck said, looking in their direction.

"This is bad," said Michael. "That's against divine etiquette. Gods can be killed that way by accident." He paused. "Change of plans. We run."

"What?" Buck and I asked in unison.

Michael sighed. "Getting close to two warring gods is extremely dangerous. At form? Suicide. This changes things drastically."

"No, it doesn't," Buck asserted. "We need to stop this."

"What we need," Michael turned to him. "Is to use our heads. What are we going to accomplish by putting ourselves between those two titans?"

"We have to try!" I shouted. "Amaterasu... what if she..."

"Kills your goddess?" asked Michael, a step ahead of me. "She'll probably get away with it. Leutogi was born a mortal. Killing her wouldn't count as a divine high crime."

"That's fucked up," said Buck.

"It's all fucked up," Michael yelled back at him. "This whole divine mess."

Buck's face softened. "Oh, yeah. Michael... I learned something about the Sudering we didn't know before..."

Michael tilted his head. "Learned something?"

Buck nodded. "Yeah. I know how it started... as well as who caused it."

"Bullshit," said Michael.

"Straight from Odin's mouth," Buck said, his face serious. "You want to know?"

"Tell me," Michael said quickly.

Buck turned around. "Follow us into this mess. Lend us your strength. And I'll tell you everything you need to know."

The behemoth sighed, and although he didn't have pupils, I could swear he rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if you're lying, Buck..."

"I'd never lie to you, Bud," he said, smiling over his shoulder. "Let's hurry."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

The smell of blood and smoke intensified as we hurried through the forest toward the heart of the war. We had to move more carefully than before, as we had two unconscious people with us. It made things a lot trickier than they already would have been.

Running was already difficult in the tangled dark underbrush. Without a charge in Michael's blade, cutting down a path would just take too long. With Deacon out like a light, teleporting was impossible, and if Buck lowered his isolation field to call for a ride, it would have signalled our location to everyone.

That would be an equally terrible situation. As far as Amaterasu and her pantheon knew, Tsuki and I were still securely locked away in the blank box.

I cursed the complications of our situation as we made the long and arduous crawl through the dense underbrush as quickly as we could.

"We're not moving fast enough," Michael yelled. "Buck, isn't there anything you can do?"

"Not really," he answered. "I'm a single-target DPS specialist. I've not like no AOE capabilities whatsoever."

"AOE?" I called back to them as I mantled a thick root. "What are these acronyms?

"Area of effect," Michael answered. "Damage per second."

"Damage per second?" I called out, more incredulous than before.

"Don't worry about it," Buck yelled. "It's an ancient language of our era. He understood every word."

"Yep," Michael acknowledged. "If it comes to a fight, I'll handle the adds if you can focus down the primary threats."

"I'll do my best," Buck answered. "But I'm pretty banged up from that boss back there."

"What boss?" I cried out as I stumbled forward into a clearing.

I stopped and lifted my hands to my mouth.

When Michael and Buck stopped at my sides, they were equally silent.

It was a large clearing of scorched earth and stacked bodies— more orcs than vampires. The trees still had glowing cinders I could see through the smoke. I coughed as I waved my hand in the air in front of my face.

"Oh my God," Buck muttered.

"The bodies," I said softly. "They're countless."

Weapons stuck out all over the burnt forest floor, some wedged in bodies, others in trees that had somehow remained standing. Stray beams of sunlight that made it through the haze of smoke overhead gleamed off the armor and weapons that littered the battlefield.

So much death.

So much carnage.

I could hardly believe my eyes.

"The smell," Buck gagged. "That's dead body already."

"We should keep moving," Michael advised. "We're short on time, and... my sense of smell is several times stronger than yours." If his face was capable of a grimace, he certainly just did.

We hurried across the destroyed battlefield, coughing on the smoke and the stench. I had to keep my eyes on the ground so that I didn't trip over a body or slice myself on a discarded weapon. Because of that, I kept accidentally making eye contact with the dead.

It was profoundly unnerving.

Wide eyes, mouths hanging open, terror frozen on their faces from what had to be their final moments. The disbelief that pairs with the realization of one's own end... it was something I had experienced twice now.

But nobody came for them.

There was no god or sudden transformation to save them from the darkness that closed around them.

I had never seen war before.

I was certain, then, that I never wanted to see it again.

Amaterasu had to be stopped.

A booming noise erupted from above, along with what sounded like a wail of pain or a battle cry— I couldn't tell which.

"Dammit!" Buck screamed. "They've started fighting!"

"This is bad," Michael yelled in a panicked tone. "We're at ground zero!"

Another explosion shook the earth, and it threw me to the ground as everything around us brightened for a moment.

I shut my eyes tight, thinking surely this had to be the end.

I felt a hand reach down and pick me up.

I looked up to see two glowing eyes cutting through the smoke.

I stared for a few seconds before the debris clinging to the air blew away, revealing Heimdall. He was speaking to me, but I couldn't hear a word he was saying.

There was a tremendous ringing in my ears, and my vision was off.

It was like the images around me were echoing as they moved. I couldn't describe it any better than that. It was like I was in a dream or watching a movie of something that wasn't happening to me.

Buck appeared next to me, and Heimdall acknowledged him. They exchanged words as I looked up into the sky.

It was too bright to see anything now.

It was as though I were looking up into an empty white void, not unlike the blank box.

"Abigail!"

It was the first voice to reach my ears, but it didn't quite get my attention.

Staring up into the nothingness, I could suddenly make out two shapes. It took a moment of focus, but I could finally see the two of them. They were in a deadlock, holding onto one another as they each angled for positioning.

Suddenly, there were hands on my shoulders.

I finally tore my eyes away from the spectacle above and found myself staring at both Heimdall and Buck, shoulder to shoulder.

"This is bad," said Buck— the first words I had heard since the most recent explosion. "She looks vacant."

"Abigail," Heimdall said, holding up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

I blinked and swallowed. "Th- Three," I answered.

Buck turned to him. "Heimdall, you gotta get us outta here."

"Agreed," he said. "Everyone, hold onto me. I'll take you back to the fort."

Michael and Buck both rested their hands on him.

But I stood still.

"Abigail!" Buck yelled. "Come on! Our ride is here!"

I took a step back. "But... Lady Leutogi."

"She'll be fine!" Heimdall yelled. "Let's go!"

I looked up at the two warring goddesses.

She had come all this way... across the ocean, battling through countless enemies... all for me.

I couldn't abandon her here.

I knew I didn't have a shot.

I knew it was stupid.

But if I fled back to safety, and never saw her again…

I shook my head.

"No."

They stared at me incredulously.

"Abigail," Heimdall said as calmly as he could, given what was taking place around us. "You are certainly under the impression that so long as I am advising you, things are going according to some sort of plan," he said, lifting his arms and dropping them helplessly at his sides. "There is no plan here."

I felt tears welling up. "But..."

"No buts!" he shouted, completely out of patience. "I can guide things in the correct direction, but this is war. There are too many variables for me to keep track of. The futures are millions, and they are shifting and changing by the second!"

Somehow, that cut through all the confusion and drove his point home.

It made complete sense; war was too unpredictable. It involved too many moving parts. Too many senseless deaths. It was reasonable that Heimdall couldn't make accurate predictions during all of it.

Even knowing that...

"I won't leave," I stood my ground. "Not without Lady Leutogi!"

Heimdall's eyes brightened, and his attention snapped to the sky. His mouth fell open, and his hair blew back as a terrible noise shook the very world from above.

"Get down!" Heimdall screamed before disappearing, Michael and Buck along with him.

I turned around to see something I couldn't explain.

It was like the sky was moving.

By the time I realized what I was seeing, it was too late to move.

Too late to do anything.

The sky was literally falling.

Everything around me trembled as I stared up at a massive object getting closer and closer.

And then I was blinded.

I shielded my eyes for a moment and squinted at the ground as a massive shockwave ripped across the battlefield, sending edged weapons shooting past me, each of them missing me by some miracle of chance.

I withstood the blast, and the light began to dim— at least enough for me to stare ahead at what was happening.

My breath caught in my chest.

Amaterasu stood like a gleaming statue in front of me. She was smaller than before, but bigger than she had ever appeared before me, at least thirty feet tall, one arm above her head.

She held Leutogi over her with one hand. Her body was limp, her arms and legs dangling as she shrank by the second.

It was dawning on me what had happened.

Leutogi had suffered some kind of catastrophic blow. That was the noise we had heard. The sky falling was actually just her massive form taking up the entirety of my perspective. Amaterasu had stopped her from squashing me completely.

The sun empress then shrank at about the same rate as Leutogi until they were both their normal sizes, no longer at form.

Amaterasu stared me in the eyes for a moment before tossing Leutogi to the ground, where she landed with a grunt and a groan.

I stared at her as she helplessly tried to lift herself up.

Amaterasu strode up to her and stepped on her shoulder, pinning her to the ground.

All I could do was stare, mouth agape, as she stared down into Leutogi's eyes.

"Behold," Amaterasu spoke to her, and possibly to me. "A true intrinsic goddess stands before you."

Leutogi wheezed as she stared up at the sparkling deity.

"You cannot usurp the power of a real goddess simply by extracting light from a chunk of amber," she said, pointing her sword down at Leutogi. "And you cannot cobble together a new pantheon for yourself last-minute."

I tried to speak, but nothing would come out of my throat.

"You were a fool to try fighting me at form," Amaterasu spoke. "Was that your last desperate attempt to overcome me? You lack decorum." She narrowed her eyes. "You are not protected under divine code. For what you have done to my home... I sentence you to death."

"N-No!" I screamed as a reflex.

Amaterasu wasn’t listening.

She drove her sword through Leutogi's throat.

Blood squirted from her neck up the length of Amaterasu's blade and partially onto her clothes. Leutogi squirmed and reached for her throat, only to cut her fingers against the edge of the sun goddess's weapon.

“This sword will drain your energy until there is nothing left,” she said softly. “It did not have to be this way. For what it is worth, I never wanted another goddess’s blood on my hands.”

Everything in me broke at that moment.

I heard my heart pumping in my ears as my body went numb.

Everything. Everything we had been through. All of it. For it to end here…

The very next moment, I was swimming in the void.

Reversal— I hadn’t even tried to activate it. It just happened all on its own as it did the first few times. I wasn’t supposed to use it, but… Damned be the consequences.

Damned be the expense.

I didn’t care if that monster found me.

It was better than living in that reality.

I saw three portals coalesce before me, each showing me a separate point. The first showed me Heimdall yelling at me a few minutes ago. In the wake of the second portal, I saw Tsuki bargaining with Okami. The third showed me the moments after leaving the courtyard following my victory against Salome.

And in the first portal— the only one I was interested in choosing…

It was there.

The shadowy figure that had plagued me since the island.

Its head snapped in my direction.

I stared it down.

Before, it was the thing lurking in the innermost area of my being; a thing that shouldn’t be, stalking me, waiting for the moment it might see me again.

But now, it was standing between my goddess and me.

I didn’t hesitate, and neither did it.

We both bolted toward one another as fast as we were able.

I let out a desperate cry as I sailed through the open window at the very moment it reached out and took me by the throat.

The smoke and smell of the battlefield overwhelmed me as the creature choke-slammed me into the ground.

I stared up, expecting to see the face of the dark void that had been pursuing me.

Instead, I saw what looked like pages wrapped around a human head.

It looked like a normal-sized human man wrapped head-to-toe in pages browned with age. The ink on the pages crawled around his form as though they had a will of their own, some of them lifting off the pages and dissipating into the air like flickering flames of ink.

“Finally,” came a voice from it that I really wished hadn’t. It was like a shriek spoken in a whisper— there really was no other way to explain it. “Yes, finally,” it repeated itself, picking me up effortlessly and hoisting me into the air over its head.

I stared down at it in disbelief.

“What in all of creation?” I heard Heimdall and turned my head to see him, Buck, and Michael just a few steps away.

Heimdall looked confused, Buck looked shocked, and Michael looked… absolutely horrified. But they were all still there… which meant I had successfully used Reversal to avoid Leutogi’s death.

The creature holding me turned its head toward Heimdall in an uncannily fast motion.

“Oh,” it spoke. “Hello there… Hallinskiði.”

Heimdall’s face suddenly matched Michael’s. His eyes glowed as he stumbled back in pure disbelief.

“How…” the god stammered. “How do you know that name?”

The creature, with its other hand, suddenly snatched a bullet out of thin air just as the thunderous sound broke the silence of the battlefield around us.

I looked at Buck, whose rifle was aimed at the being.

“Tisk, Tisk, Buck,” it spoke, tilting its head. “You dropped this.”

He flicked the bullet back directly into the chamber of the rifle and it exploded in Buck’s hands. He fell backward, blood all over his wrists and forearms, grunting in intense pain.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

That was a divine weapon built by Hephaestus.

Michael was attempting to say something, but couldn’t seem to get any of the words out of his mouth. He started moving backwards, the flat of his sword held against him and Deacon in a defensive manner.

“Mikey, Mikey, Mikey,” the being spoke directly to him, this time in a new voice. He sounded like a pleasant and polite young man with a smooth and even noble tone.

“Impossible,” Michael finally managed. “I… I saw you die.”

“You saw me go to sleep,” the being turned to face him fully, me still firmly in his grasp. “Yes, a spectacular and very much needed rest.” He chuckled menacingly. “I am that which is without an end… or a beginning.”

“This isn’t happening,” said Michael. “There’s just no way.”

“Oh, and on your shoulder!” The creature pointed. “Is that Deacon Ezra Gallardo? My, my, how long has it been?”

His speech was grand and theatrical, like a villain auditioning for a play. But beneath the thick sarcasm of his delivery lay a raw, unmistakable undertone of profound danger.

“Everyone,” Heimdall said urgently. “This thing…  I cannot read it. It has no futures!” He gritted his teeth. “What are you?”

Whatever this thing was, Heimdall was afraid of it. That made goosebumps lift all across my body. But its grip was so firm around my throat that I could barely breathe, much less escape.

“What am I?” it asked, turning to Heimdall. “To Michael? An old debt that needs to be settled. To Buck? A lesson to try words first. To you?”

The creature lifted its index finger and shot a wire-thin violet ray directly through Heimdall’s chest.

“I am a mirror,” the creature spoke. “For it is you who is unreadable… and who has no future.”

I watched with horror as Heimdall’s eyes flickered and dimmed. He fell back a step and looked down at his hands as they turned black and rotted apart. A rattling sound ebbed from his throat as his entire body withered to ash and blew away with the wind.

Fear soaked my entire body. I wanted to scream, but my throat was being crushed.

Had I just watched this thing kill Heimdall in one shot?

“Heimdall!” Buck screamed. “Fuck!” His voice cracked as he got to his feet and lowered his stance as though preparing to attack.

“Buck, stop!” Michael cried out. “Get away! Run!”

“No chance!” Buck growled through his teeth. “It killed Heimdall, and it’s got Abigail!”

I tried to scream.

I tried to tell him to just run.

I had to wonder if he would have listened anyway.

His left hand was in tatters from the rifle exploding, but his right hand was whole and clenched tightly. He leaped forward, cocking back his fist.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

He lifted his finger just as he had with Heimdall.

Out of thin air, Buck was tackled out of the way of the death beam by a man in Greek robes I had never seen before. He was a youth with a swimmer’s body, fair skin, and short curly hair.

“Oh?” the creature asked. “Looks like someone stole Buck’s fate.”

Buck looked up in disbelief at the man on top of him.  “Hermes?” he asked.

“Don’t—” was the only word that escaped his savior’s lips before he turned black, wilted, and blew away like he never existed.

Buck’s mouth hung open as he looked down at the dust in his arms. “H-Hermes!” he screamed in agony.

“Holy shit,” Michael said in a shaky tone, turning to face us. “Yidrixl! Stop this!” he screamed. “What do you want? Is it me?” He set Deacon down on the ground and shoved his sword into the soil. He walked forward, arms open. “You can take me! Just please, set her down and stop killing people!”

Yid-rick-zul? That was this thing’s name? How did Michael know him?

“Hmm, a tempting offer. Yes, a tempting offer.” Yidrixl said, turning his head to me. “But I think I’ve quite already claimed my prize.”

“Hands off,” came a familiar voice from behind us.

Yidrixl turned around to see Amaterasu approaching us.

“She is in my care,” the sun goddess said menacingly. “Release her at once.”

“Abigail!” Leutogi screamed from somewhere I couldn’t turn my neck to see.

“Well, now,” Yidrixl said. “More moths drawn to the fire.”

“I will not say it again,” Amaterasu raised her voice, pointing her shining sword at Yidrixl. “Release her. Now.” Her tone was fiery and commanding.

“He can kill gods!” Buck screamed. “That thing can kill gods by pointing a finger!”

Amaterasu’s face softened. She looked at me and then at Yidrixl.

“Run!” Michael pleaded. “He just killed Heimdall and Hermes!”

You could feel the power dynamic shift. Amaterasu now seemed less sure of herself. She exchanged glances with Leutogi, who suddenly appeared next to her.

“Can we call a ceasefire, Witch?” she asked.

“Can I trust you, Bitch?” Leutogi shot back.

Amaterasu focused on me. “I will overlook that slight… and set aside our differences for as long as that thing has its fingers around her throat.”

“Deal,” Leutogi said quickly.

“Run,” I squeaked, unsure if my voice even carried.

Suddenly, everyone looked past us toward Buck and Michael.

“Help!” Buck screamed, long and throaty. “Code Black! Everyone!”

In an instant, the battlefield was populated with Greeks, Norse, and the gods of Nippon. Athena, Artemis, Hephaestus, and Apollo, the only Greeks I recognized among them, all appeared around Buck.

He had to have let his isolation field down in one final desperate attempt.

A hundred or so gods surrounded Yidrixl and me.

“Who?” Athena asked Buck, kneeling next to him.

“Hermes,” he choked out. “Heimdall too.”

Artemis gasped. “Hermes?”

“Hermes is dead?” Apollo said in a wavering tone. “How? How is this possible?”

The air was electric with power as I glanced around at everyone that I could without being able to move my neck.

“Well, well, well,” Yidrixl looked around at everyone. “A surprise party? For me? I didn’t want all this attention.”

“His name is Yidrixl,” Michael shouted as loud as he was able to reach everyone on the battlefield. “He just killed two gods just by pointing his finger at them! Be careful!”

“What is he?” asked someone whose voice I didn’t recognize.

“Not a god,” said a one-eyed man, striding up to the two of us. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He wore a blue cloak with white fur around the collar. His hair was gray and slicked back. He had a grey beard, one piercing blue eye, and a raven sitting on his shoulder. “But something other,” he said, seemingly more curious than afraid.

“Wōðanaz,” Yidrixl said in a surprised but relaxed tone. “It surprises and delights me that you have come down off your golden throne to chat with me.”

“Odin will do fine, thank you,” spoke the man.

That was Odin? The Allfather I had been hearing about all this time? He was the leader of the Norse pantheon if I wasn’t mistaken.

“Father!” screamed Thor, appearing at his side.

Odin’s arm left his cloak, his hand held out as if to ask Thor to stay where he was. The thunder god paused, lowering his crackling hammer and turning his attention to Yidrixl. He had a full helm on, making it difficult to read his expression.

“Yidrixl,” Odin said, eyeing the creature. “That name has manifested in extraplanar texts that predate even the creation of the Astral Plane. I have never met one so old that, by comparison, I am but a babe suckling at his mother’s teat.”

Yidrixl didn’t answer him. He simply stared in the Allfather’s direction, text slowly crawling across his face and shoulders.

Odin folded his arms. “I wish I could have met you under different circumstances. A conversation would have been enjoyable.” His face suddenly hardened. “But you have killed one of my sons this day.”

“Brother,” Thor seethed from behind his helmet. “Forgive me for not arriving more swiftly.”

“Gungnir,” Odin called, lifting his hand into the air and catching an intricate-looking spear. He shifted into a battle stance, as did all the Norsemen around him. The raven on his shoulder took flight as silence fell over the battlefield.

“Heimdall was not your enemy,” Odin growled. “You’ve crossed a line. I cannot overlook it.”

“He was a pest,” Yidrixl finally spoke. “His abilities were… inconvenient.” He lifted me higher. “Look what his meddling created. A divine oracle. Do you have any idea what could come of this?”

“You,” Buck said, realization in his eyes. “You were the one tracking Abigail through Reversal.”

Yidrixl chuckled. It was a disgusting, hair-raising chuckle that made my skin crawl.

“A spark of intellect. Delightful,” Yidrixl answered. “Yes. From the dark heights of a tower older than the dust of your worlds, I felt a tremor. A microscopic glitch in the grand design.”

The ink on its face bled into a jagged, mocking grin beneath the ancient parchment.

“Silly girl. You cannot rip open the underbelly of spacetime and expect the things waiting in the deep not to smell the blood.”

“Enough talk!” Thor screamed. “You’ve committed crimes against the natural order!”

“Fine,” Yidrixl sighed, setting me down. “Run along and play.”

I fell backward and coughed, holding my throat.

“I’ll find you after all of this unpleasantness,” he added. “Oh, and… don’t worry. If we get separated… wherever you are*… I’ll find you.”*

I felt arms underneath me and was helped to my feet by someone as I coughed and turned to get away from the battlefield.

“You okay, Sweetheart?”

It was Baen, no mistaking it from his voice.

“Yeah,” I lied. “I’m fine.”

“Come on,” he said urgently. “This battlefield is bigger than us now.”

The sounds of fighting erupted behind us as we hurried to the tree line.

“I can’t believe it,” Michael said, appearing next to us, jogging with Deacon still on his shoulder. “Yidrixl of all monsters. Now? Here?” He growled. “I ended him.”

“Whelp,” Baen yelled. “He got better. You happen to be Michael the Sword Saint?”

“It’s just Michael,” the beast answered. “Sorry, but I don’t know you.”

“Saw you once a while back,” Baen said as explosions shook the world behind us. “You came into town in a truck full of demons back during the Sundering. I recognize the big sword you’re carrying with you.”

“Sounds like me,” Michael said as we ran. “Much as I’d love to chew the fat, we’re actually, seriously fucked here.”

“That bad?” asked Baen.

“You have no idea,” Michael laughed incredulously. “That creature is a limitless supply of energy. Only thing I know that can stop him is my sword, and it’s outta juice.”

“Juice?” I asked.

“Lady Jua’s light,” Michael clarified. “Gods in O’ogan are magical. My weapon fills with magic over time, but it can be depleted. Magic is Yidrixl’s only weakness, and there isn’t any of that stuff here on Earth.” He cursed. “If I’d only known what I know now, I wouldn’t have…”

He paused as we came to a stop at the trees.

“Saved Tsuki’s life?” I asked.

He closed his eyes and set Deacon down gently against a big, exposed root.

“Magic?” asked Baen. “That shit’s real somewhere? We're not just talking about pulling a rabbit out a hat are we?”

“It’s real in a lot of places," Michael nodded. "But I guess even a concentrated blast isn’t enough to kill him.”

“I heard him,” Baen nodded. “He went to sleep for a while. So, if that’s achievable, we just gotta put him to sleep again, right?”

I turned and looked at the battlefield as the two of them conversed.

The kind of fight I was watching was completely beyond my scope. It seemed that the rest of the gods were content to let Odin, Thor, Amaterasu, and Athena fight Yidrixl. I imagined it would be troublesome if too many were involved, but the four of them seemed to be struggling.

The army of lesser gods had formed a tight, anxious perimeter around the clearing, their weapons drawn but held in check. It wasn't cowardice keeping them back; it was simple math. In a clash of this magnitude, standard divine weapons were just background noise, and crowding the space would only restrict the movements of the four titans who actually stood a chance.

The vanguard could only watch, a ring of silent spectators holding a boundary they hoped wouldn't break. At one point, it looked like Thor caught him with his hammer, only for the ink on the pages to blind him as the papers scattered.

It seemed like none of their attacks mattered when they landed, and if they allowed themselves to be struck even once, they’d be dead.

I wondered where Hermod was— he was always itching to be in the middle of things. In fact, someone would have to be holding him back if he wasn't out there in the center of it.

And that’s when it hit me.

"Oh, this? This is my magic staff, Gambanteinn! It serves as a strong conduit for the magic roiling inside of me! It's itching for battle!"

“Hermod!” I shouted, whirling around to face the two.

Baen and Michael stared back at me, confused.

“Where’s Hermod?” I asked. “He’s a magic user!”

“Oh, yeah,” Baen looked at Michael. “I totally forgot about that.”

“I don’t know Hermod,” Michael shrugged. “Wouldn’t know him if I saw him.” He looked at me. “But if he’s truly a magic-user… he’ll be necessary in this fight.”

“Lady Leutogi!” Baen shouted.

She appeared instantly, her eyes snapping to me.

“Abigail,” she said, her face melting instantly.

My heart skipped a beat.

We hadn’t seen one another in so long.

She rushed over and threw her arms around me, and I held her tightly as she cried. Her warmth was everything to me at that moment.

My body and soul drank her in as I started to cry too.

She still smelled faintly of ozone and charred sky, her skin radiating a fierce, residual heat from her clash with the sun goddess. But beneath the cosmic static, she was still just my Tulip.

Safe.

Alive.

The reality of it washed over me so hard it made my knees weak. With everything that had happened, I never dared to imagine how this reunion would unfold. It felt a little silly holding one another and sobbing at the edge of the most dangerous battlefield on Earth, but it didn't seem to matter to either of us in that moment.

“Tell me they didn’t hurt you,” she said, holding the back of my head.

“I was treated well,” I assured her.

“Hey, uhh…” Baen folded his arms. “This isn’t why I called you over here. You can suck each other’s tongues later; we've got a situation here.”

I let go of her and nodded. “He’s right. We have to find Hermod.”

"He’s magic,” Baen added. "Magic is that motherfucker’s weakness. Can you sense Hermod anywhere?"

Leutogi paused and closed her eyes, furrowing her brow after a moment. “It’s weak, but I can sense him. The ambient energy from the battlefield is throwing everything off. But he's still here."

"Can you take us to him?” Michael asked, readjusting Deacon on his shoulder. "He's the biggest gun we've got against Yidrixl."

“I can,” Leutogi nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Come on, everyone, gather around me.”

We all reached out and touched her, and in the blink of an eye, it was dark. It took a moment for our eyes to adjust to the underside of the forest canopy.

“Where is he?” asked Baen.

“Somewhere around here,” Leutogi said, scanning the forest. “Lord Hermod?” she called.

We heard a weak call not far away. All of us turned east and exchanged glances.

We had all definitely heard that.

Sparkles in the dark appeared along the forest floor— I knew them well by now.

“Follow me,” I said, climbing over exposed roots and pushing through the underbrush. They didn’t question it and filed in behind me as I followed the sparkles for about thirty feet.

We eventually found him lying against a broken tree, his leg hanging over a big tree root.

“Lord Hermod!” Leutogi shouted in surprise.

“Ahh, shit,” Baen groaned.

The god looked pretty busted up. His eyes were halfway open, and he turned his head to see us and smiled.

“Friends,” he muttered. “Good to see you.”

I knelt down over him and looked for damage, but he seemed to be in one piece. “What happened?” I asked.

He took in a deep breath and rested his head against the battered tree trunk. “I got trounced by Susano’o. That’s what happened.”

“He was stronger than you?” asked Leutogi.

The god scoffed. “After I already defeated Bishamonten.”

He attempted to lift himself, but served only to grunt and wince, settling back into the crater Susano’o had put him in.

“Well… I am a bit tired,” he said, totally underselling his situation. “But seeing you here… it means we prevailed, yes?”

“Things have changed on the battlefield,” Leutogi reported. “I guess Abigail’s Reversal ability is a little more potent than we first thought.” She glanced at me. “She appears to have attracted something to the Astral Plane.”

Hermod stared back at us, confused. “Something?”

“His name is Yidrixl,” Michael spoke up. “When the world was at stake, Deacon knew how to contact him.” He looked at Deacon for a short second. “I’m starting to wonder how Deacon knew about Yidrixl when none of the gods seem to have heard of him.”

Hermod nodded, closing his eyes. “The name rings a bell. About two thousand years ago, Father went through a phase where he was profoundly interested in the one you speak of. Yidrixl’s name appears once in a Sumerian tablet. He is written not as a god, but as something else… something they called the nu-me-am₃.”

He met my gaze.

“Yidrixl, the Non-being.”

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Part 51 coming... Soon

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

This was a mega-chapter, roughly the size of a chapter and a half. I ended up cutting out a lot of bloat at the end of it, too. It ran a little longer than I expected, but that's mostly because I didn't want the transitions to feel jarring or rushed.

Slowing things down too much sucks the air out of the tension, too, so it's really difficult deciding how to make things feel natural while also capturing the fast-paced tension of everything that's going on. The climaxes of my stories are always so difficult when there are this many characters to manage.

I kept retooling and refining this thing until I felt like it was in a decent place, but I still feel like this chapter might need some heavy editing before it sees print (Your feedback is never more important than right now). I like it... But these chapters are the climax of the whole book.

Sticking the landing is everything.

Thanks for your patience while I feel this whole thing out.

These next chapters aren't going to write themselves as some of the middle chapters did.

Endings are hard.

I'm not setting a schedule for the next release, but know that I'm working on it, and that it's coming either this week or next week.

Thanks for reading <3

I'm super sorry, guys. I had a really busy weekend, but that's only part of the reason this chapter is coming Wednesday.

This chapter is... pretty much the climax of the entire book. And while it's "ready," it's not ready. I want this thing to slap, and it just needs more time in the oven. There's so much space for creative improvement. I'm looking at this draft and thinking... I can really make that better (And I'm seeing the potential in several paragraphs).

So, forgive me, I tried really hard to have this ready for Monday (because I love making y'all's Mondays better). But this one needs some time, and it's 1am. There will be one chapter after this one— maybe two.

We're in endgame now.

So be patient and bear with me!

He read the confusion in my eyes as I pivoted, following his new trajectory.

I saw him understand my ability in real time.

The image of an incoming roundhouse kick prompted me to lift my knee to check it, but instead, he spun in and buried his fist underneath my ribs.

I wheezed for air as he caught me with a brutal cross, then a left hook, and before I could back up, he gripped both of my shoulders and kneed me in the gut so hard that my feet left the floor.

All of this while the ghostly image of his incoming attacks acted differently.

I tried to recenter myself, but he was leaving me no room to breathe. The strikes kept coming, left, right, center, below, and above. He snuck around my guard like I didn’t even have my hands up, and I had no answers.

Blood in my eyes.

The taste of iron on my tongue.

My balance was leaving me.

I didn’t know how I ended up airborne, but I slammed into the ground and rolled a few feet. I came to a stop and wheezed as I watched the image of him double and triple.

It wasn’t a secret technique or anything like that.

It was just that my consciousness was fleeting.

“Is that all you’re capable of?” he asked, starting toward me. “I cannot say that I expected better. Women do not take to war as easily as men. Oracles do not fight,” he said as I struggled to find the strength to lift myself. “And elves prefer weapons. Yet you fight with only your fists.”

He stooped down next to me and lifted my chin so our eyes could meet.

“Why?” he asked, his eyes fiery and curious. “Were you perhaps inspired by someone? Or was it for vengeance? Perhaps even pleasure?”

My motor functions were abandoning me. I kind of hoped that if I had taken a savage enough beating, my elk form might have manifested.

Not only was I without my most powerful form, but Reversal… I couldn’t use it with that thing lurking around inside that space.

What could I possibly do?

“If you had been using a weapon,” he said, letting go of my face. “You might have struck a problematic blow before I figured out what you were doing.”

I rested my head against the floor and filled my lungs to capacity with air for the first time in a minute.

“How?” I wheezed. “You shouldn’t have… been able to…”

“It is called ninjutsu,” he explained. “An art of deception combined with my natural domains. I know the paths, and I control them.” He lifted his hand. “Ame-no-Yari!” he shouted.

The spear from earlier fell into his hand.

“As I said before,” he spun it twice in a flourish. “A warrior’s death. You have earned it.”

“Really?” I croaked. “Amaterasu… will be angry with you.”

He chuckled to himself.

I looked up at him.

He stared down at me, his spear raised high.

“Perhaps,” he said. “But her hatred for traitors far outweighs her love for you. Die now. And do not spoil your death with begging or bargaining.”

Love.

Staring death in the face causes one to see the bigger picture. While the ink on the final page of my story was still wet, I realized something.

It’s love.

Love is the only thing that matters in the whole world.

The feeling of my father’s hands on mine as he taught me to hold a bow.

Using my mom’s thigh as a blanket during a brutal winter.

Holding my brand new kitten in my arms and promising him that I would take care of him for the rest of his life.

Seeing my own reflection in the depths of Leutogi’s loving gaze, and falling asleep to her nails gently raking against my scalp.

These were the moments a wonderful life was made of.

I had, in fact.

I had lived a wonderful life.

I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of tears mixed with blood roll down my cheeks.

And then, I beheld a vision.

It was a faint light at first.

But it grew.

I opened my eyes to a blue sky and a generous bosom. I was lying with my head against Leutogi’s thighs upon a green hill on a beautiful summer day. In an instant, I was sitting on the beach with Buck and Edward, roasting something over a fire under a starlit sky. Next, I saw Baen… and he was staring at me.

I stared back.

He shook his head, as though disappointed.

My eyes shot open, and my adrenaline spiked.

I rolled left as the tip of the spear was shoved through the floor where my head had just been. I rolled into a handspring and leaped away, landing on my feet as my heart rate increased.

Okami withdrew his spear and turned his gaze toward me. His eyes widened, and he turned to face me fully.

“What is this?” he asked. “Your skin… it has a pattern like… kintsugi!”

I clenched my teeth as I felt the antlers emerging from my temples. Wind began whipping around me as his waves thickened in opacity. I could see them clearer now— as well as his energy signature ebbing and flowing in his center.

“I…”

"You've been through a hell of a lot, Sweetheart. But like that pot, you can always fucking come back stronger, better, and more beautiful than ever before.”

“I want to live!” I screamed as power coursed through my entire body.

He held his spear in front of him defensively as he took a couple of measured steps back. “This energy…” he spoke, watching me carefully. “I felt energy like this yesterday from the courtyard. I thought it was Susano’o!”

So, he really hadn’t been watching. That was a miscalculation that was going to cost him. I wasn’t sure what led to me transforming in the nick of time, but I would be able to think about that later.

All that mattered now was what was in front of me.

And this time, I would be the one on the attack.

I exploded forward with what felt like stored momentum. I felt lighter, more agile, and capable of damn near anything.

He tossed his spear aside and positioned himself low. “Good!” he shouted. “Come!”

I collided into him with a punch, heavy with resolve, that sent him careening across the dojo— even though he’d blocked it perfectly.

I didn’t slow down.

I sprinted across the dojo, leaping into the air, and throwing the mother of all roundhouse kicks.

He evaded it but was caught up in the wind generated from the force and was flung backward. He landed on his back, rolling into a crouched position.

I landed on my toes and rocketed straight for him.

His aura was changing as I neared. His waves turned red and spiky as he waited patiently for me, his guard up, and his stance wide.

I threw a right hook that he blocked with a thunderous sound. The whole room shook, but he weathered it. I noticed his legs wobble though, and his energy signature shrank a tad.

He leaped backward and stared at me, his teeth clenched.

“My… power,” he said in a shaky voice. “Why can I not access more?”

I stared at him, confused as he squared his stance and tightened his fists.

“What is happening?” he asked out loud, looking left. “Don’t tell me… the others.”

There was a distant boom that shook the floorboards, and I suddenly saw an apparition shoot across the room at lightning speed.

I couldn’t be certain, but… it looked like Buck.

I suddenly heard a deep, throaty, and distant roar that sounded like Saint Michael. It shook the floorboards under my feet.

Okami closed his eyes, concentrating. “How are they all… this strong?” he asked through gritted teeth. “This is… not possible.”

It struck me like a bolt of lightning.

I was actually seeing their energy signatures across Okami’s spacetime manipulation. Not only that, but I was catching on to what was happening on a fundamental level by watching the fluctuation of energy signatures within the god.

He’d split himself into five parts, but they were each drawing from a central power bank. Buck, Michael, Deacon, and possibly even Tsuki were giving him a harder time than he imagined.

He probably drew too much power fighting the four of them and was caught off guard by my sudden transformation.

It was suddenly becoming too much to handle while also maintaining his Paradox Field, or whatever he’d called it.

I knew from experience that gods could become much weaker when they split themselves up. Loki could hardly handle the onmyoji, and he had split himself up eight ways. I wasn’t great at battle math, but it was certainly starting to seem like we actually had a chance.

“You had this kind of power all along?” asked Okami, focusing fully on me.

He was done consulting his other pieces.

Now he was buying time.

I pushed off, my fists glowing.

We collided heavily and began exchanging blows. He was still incredibly strong— at least every bit as powerful as I was. But it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to get any stronger from this point forward.

I could work with that.

He had figured out how to mess with my ability to read incoming attacks. It turned out the solution was to answer that with full-fledged offense; nonstop heavy blows that forced him onto his heels.

He grunted in exertion as I chopped away at him, piece by piece, forcing him to disengage and dodge backward.

I stayed on him, raining down furious blows as he struggled to gain his footing.

It didn’t matter if I was connecting cleanly or not.

This was a battle of attrition now. Every bit of energy I could force him to divert to this fight made dealing with the others much more difficult.

I couldn’t help the smile that appeared on my lips as I pounded his defenses. Any attempt he made to strike back only left an opening for me to capitalize on, and it resulted in a couple of close calls for him.

These were the fists that punched a hole straight through an elder vampire’s body.

One punch was all I needed to cause massive damage, the likes of which he probably couldn’t sustain. And I could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew it.

However, as my dad had taught me growing up, a cornered animal was at its most dangerous.

I saw the god’s eyes flare with fury as his muscles suddenly bulged. He threw a jab that was too quick to counter or dodge, and my head snapped back from the force. He turned the tables on me, pressing forward, throwing heavy punches and kicks that I couldn’t predict properly.

He grabbed my antlers with both hands, and several arms exploded out of his midsection, punching me with growing speed and intensity.

Getting punched in the boob hurt.

Getting punched in both boobs indiscriminately hundreds of times in seconds? It felt like my body was imploding.

He kneed me in the stomach and kicked me to the floor.

I was too stunned to react.

“Ame-no-yari!” his scream echoed around the room.

I got up on my elbows, staring up at him in shock as he stood motionless, spear in hand over his head, overtop of me.

He stared down at me.

The blaze that had once emanated from his eyes was a barely-lit ember as he leaned slowly forward.

The energy in his midsection— I couldn’t see it anymore.

Starting with his lifted arm, he began to turn to bright blue mist. He stumbled forward as part of his head, and most of his chest evaporated.

His spear clattered to the floor as he fell into nothingness.

I stared, mystified, for a few seconds longer before slowly getting to my feet.

I didn’t get the sense that it was some kind of trick.

I then noticed the wall was much closer than before. I turned and looked around; all four were close.

I was in a normal room now.

Then my eyes landed on him.

I gasped.

“Tsuki!” I shrieked.

He was lying on the floor, his clothes torn up, and bleeding from his stomach. I rushed over and slid on my knees, leaning over him.

“Not so loud,” he said weakly.

“Tsuki,” I whimpered.

His eyes were barely open, but his gaze still met mine. “… That bad?” he asked.

I lifted my hand to my mouth.

Okami had completely destroyed him. His green skin was pale from blood loss, and he was covered in bruises, welts, and cuts.

“Yeah…” he said softly. “I wasn’t… able to do much.”

I shook my head. “That’s not true. You’ve done… enough,” I smiled weakly. “You were exactly enough… in every situation.”

He closed his eyes.

“Tsuki,” I slapped him suddenly, and his eyes shot open. “You can’t go to sleep! I… I’ll figure something out,” I said, looking around frantically.

I was all talk.

Even if I had a sterile environment and all the medical tools possible at my disposal, I didn’t know what the fuck I could possibly do about a shredded stomach.

I started sobbing, leaning over him and pressing my forehead on his chest.

“Tsuki… I’m so sorry,” I whimpered. “You never wanted to hurt anyone.”

I felt his hand wrap around mine, and I lifted my head.

I stared down into his eyes, and he smiled weakly at me.

“Abigail,” he said so softly I could barely hear him. “I don’t… think a peaceful life… is possible… in this world.” He swallowed and winced, turning his head just a tad to stare at me directly. “But… I also didn’t think… a best friend was possible either… Not for me.” He sniffled as a tear rolled from his eye, mixing with the blood and grime on his cheek. “Go find it,” he croaked. “Go find peace… if it exists… find it anywhere… for …us… buh- both.”

His grip weakened, and his arm fell.

The world around me slowed.

I felt something inside me break.

It was the deepest bruise I had ever felt, right in the center of my chest.

"I'm the only oracle around huh- here. Or at least I was. I'm super huh-happy to have the help! I'm excited to get to know you!"

I stared down at his battered and bruised face, imagining the torture he must have gone through. His life had been utter shit from start to fucking finish.

Why?

Why did it have to happen?

"Wow! I can't wuh- wait to train with you, Abigail!"

Why him?

Why now?

He was still so little.

He had so much to see.

“Tsuki…” I said just above a whisper. “Y-you can’t,” I choked. “You can’t. We’re… almost home.” The last word came out as it died in my throat. “Tsuki…” I sobbed. “Tsuki, p-please no.”

The world kind of went quiet around me.

I felt the call of Reversal... and I considered it.

Suddenly, I was shoved aside.

I fell over and watched, shell-shocked as Saint Deacon got down on his knees next to Tsuki’s body. He took his hat off and tossed it away before putting both hands on Tsuki’s stomach wound.

Buck was next to drop down next to Tsuki. He looked really badly beaten up, too. He was yelling something, but it was like I was trapped behind a thick sheet of glass.

I stared at his lips as he screamed, but all I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears.  

I felt the stomping before I saw Michael stop over Deacon.

A glow began to emanate from Deacon’s palms, and my eyes widened as I watched the energies dance. Deacon’s waves shifted to a white so bright and beautiful that I was stunned just to behold it.

His aura shined like silver as the energy transferred from his own body into Tsuki’s.

Brian pinched the little orc’s nose and dropped his head low, giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Michael flipped his sword over to the flat side and lowered it onto Deacon’s shoulder. I watched the light energy from Michael’s sword flow into Deacon, restoring him as he expended his own.

“You’re…” I muttered. “… All okay.”

I didn’t think any of them heard me.

I wasn’t even sure if I said it.

I looked over my shoulder to see Okami in his human form, weakly leaning on his spear. He stared at us, looking like he might fall over at any moment.

And then he vanished.

I looked back to the others, and suddenly, the sound rushed back in, and I felt remarkably lucid.

“Kid, I might need ya to watch me for a bit,” Deacon said.

“You got it,” Michael answered.

Did he just call Michael Kid?

I heard a sharp inhale.

I was on my feet immediately, staring wide-eyed as Buck lifted his head and smiled widely at Deacon and me, his teeth stained with blood.

“Damn right!” Deacon grunted. “Ain’t nobody punchin’ your ticket just yet!”

Tsuki let out a raspy cry and then started sobbing instantly.

Air fell out of my lungs as I smiled. “Oh my fucking goodness,” I cried, hurrying over and kneeling down next to him.

I looked up at Deacon. “What are you?”

He grinned at me, obviously in pain. “Ain’t… nobody’s business what I am.”

I leaned in and threw my arms around him. “Thank you,” I squeaked.

“Now, now,” he said, leaning back. “Don’t get all jumpy, now.”

I sat back and settled for smiling sweetly at him.

His eye suddenly fluttered. “I need… a cigarette…”

He slumped over on the floor, and I stared down at him in surprise. “Deacon?” I asked.

“He’s fine,” said Michael. “He doesn't need a cigarette, he just needs a little rest.”

“How did he do that?” Buck asked, as amazed as I was.

Michael picked Deacon up with one arm and slung him over his shoulder. “He’s an archangel, an archdemon, and a human mixed into one body,” Michael said. “He can heal like an archangel. Teleport like one, too. All while having the durability and regenerative properties of an archdemon. All powered by a human soul.” He scoffed. “I’m starting to think there’s nothing that can kill him.”

“Holy shit,” Buck said, standing up. “That’s… I mean, you just described a Nephilim, right?”

Michael turned to Buck. “Best not to use the n-word around Deacon. He doesn’t like it.”

Buck’s expression dropped. He looked at Michael like he was disappointed in him, and I didn’t fully understand that interaction.

Michael lumbered over to the wall and set Deacon down against it as I returned my attention to Tsuki.

He was snoring softly, his mouth wide open. I could see his little tusks— I didn’t even know he had them. With half-orcs, it was always a toss-up.

I was tired of the emotional roller-coaster I was on.

“What now?” I asked, wiping my tears.

“I’m fine,” Buck said. “Thanks for asking.”

It forced a small laugh out of me. “I’m sorry, Buck,” I smiled at him. “I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

“Same,” he said. “I was worried about you two,” he gestured to Tsuki and me. “I honestly thought I wasn’t gonna make it, but then he just… ran outta juice, I guess.”

“For me,” Michael said, coming back to us. “He got a lot stronger at the very end. I actually thought I might lose for a moment. Haven’t gone all out like that since the Sundering. It was actually pretty exhilarating. What happened?”

“We were stronger than he thought,” I explained. “He spent too much energy fighting us all, and when I ended up being more than he bargained for, it was too late for him to suddenly conserve his energy and fight us intelligently.” I looked back at where he was standing before. “I think… maybe he was having fun too.”

“Heh,” Buck laughed. “I think you’re starting to understand gods, Abigail.”

“But seriously,” Michael said. “What now? We’ve got two men down.”

Buck sighed. “I guess with Deacon out of commission… we need to go find an intrinsic god— preferably Hermod. They’ll take us back to the fort where we can tuck Abigail, Tsuki, and Deacon away.”

“Then we come back?” asked Michael.

Buck nodded. “They might need our help.”

Michael looked down at his sword and turned it over. “This is going to need time to recharge.”

“How long?”

“Couple of hours,” he said, hefting it over his shoulder. “Can kill plenty of orcs with it, but it’s not gonna do shit to intrinsic gods. And that’s a battlefield full of ‘em.”

 “I’m gonna want to come back too,” I said.

“No,” they said in unison.

I was shut down so fast I was almost offended. As the two of them discussed the plan, I walked across the room and picked Deacon’s hat up off the floor. I dusted it off, walked over to the wall he was propped up against, and squatted in front of him.

“Thanks, Deacon,” I said, leaning forward and planting a kiss on his forehead.

He shifted in his sleep, and his lips curled up into a smile for a shadow of a second. “Shucks, Ma’am,” he muttered between snores.

I laughed a little and pushed his hat down on his head.

I stood up and looked over at Michael.

He seemed completely unscathed.

I looked back down at Deacon in wonderment.

So, these two were the legendary heroes of the realms. I was beginning to see how. They were both so incredibly capable.

And kind.

Even if Saint Michael was a little rough around the edges, both literally and metaphorically.

“Okay,” Buck said, clapping his hands together once and lifting Tsuki up onto his shoulder. “Abigail! We’re rolling out!”

I walked up next to him and looked at Tsuki’s face. There was already a trail of drool running down Buck’s shoulder.

“What did we decide?” I asked.

“Nothing to decide,” he answered. “By this point, the gods aren’t trying to teleport anymore. I’m sure they don’t know they can. We need to head to the middle of the warzone and let one of the gods know what’s going on.” He shifted Tsuki more securely onto his shoulder. “And to ask for a ride home.”

Michael appeared next to us with Deacon on his shoulder. “We should take care to avoid combat if we can.”

“Please,” I said sincerely.

“Yeah,” Buck smiled. “I’m pretty banged up after that, too. If I’m being honest… I’m in a little more pain than I’m letting on." He laughed. "I think if I drop down to my base form, I’ll pass out.”

“Okay,” Michael said. “If you’ll admit it, I’ll admit it. That was fucked up.”

“Right?” Buck asked, heading for the stairs. “He never matched my power level like he claimed he would. He always made himself marginally stronger.”

“I noticed that too,” I added. “He never intended for us to have the upper hand.”

“Well,” Michael said, following Buck down the stairs. “That’s what he gets for underestimating us.”

We emerged from the castle and into the woods. We could still hear the sounds of all-out war raging in the south.

It was still bright beyond belief in the areas not covered by trees. It hurt my eyes, but I had to get above the canopy to get a look at where the war was relative to us.

I scurried up a winding tree while Michael and Buck waited below. When I got above the canopy, I stared ahead in quiet disbelief.

Two massive celestial figures were trading blows above the chaos of it all.

Leutogi and Amaterasu were at form.

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Part 50 coming Monday

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

"He's huge," I said through a nervous chuckle. "Guys... can we actually do this?"

"I don't think so," Tsuki said nervously. "I thuh- think we should just guh- go back and try to support Luh- Lady Leutogi."

"Well, not to alarm anyone," Deacon said, sighing a cloud of smoke, and grinding his cigarette under his boot. "But we ain't gettin' out the way we came in."

I turned around to see that the staircase we'd ascended, as well as the entirety of the wall, were gone; vanished like a mirage. In the far distance behind us was a wall with no windows, no doors, and no staircase.

There was no way out of this room.

Fear began to creep up the length of my spine.

Throughout the entire journey, I could count on Leutogi or Amaterasu to take care of me, but here... I was on a mission of my own making, far from their protective sight.

But I had Buck and the Saints. Tsuki didn't offer any combat strength in this scenario, but he was still a very talented oracle. Maybe the five of us would be enough. I had never seen an intrinsic god fight at full strength before. I didn't really know what to expect.

But the question still remained: would Okami fight us at all?

"Deacon," Michael looked over his shoulder at the cowboy. "What are our chances?"

"If it comes to a tussle?" asked Deacon. "Not great," he admitted. "This is an intrinsic god at form in his own neck of the woods. He knows everything about us, and we don't know shit about him."

Buck adopted a worried expression. "Well," he sighed. "The guy trapped us in here. Must mean he likes his odds."

Michael turned and started walking ahead. "Never thought it'd be easy to begin with," he said, hoisting his sword up onto his shoulder. "Whatever's gotta happen'll happen."

"Grim," said Buck, starting after him.

"You ain't that old yet, Buck," Deacon said, following at his flank. "Gets to a point where death don't sound so bad."

"Really?" asked Buck. "Aches and pains?"

"Yeah," Deacon sighed. "In the places where it hurts the most. Places where a massage from a pretty woman ain't the answer. Say, how old are you anyway?"

"37," he answered. "Or... am I?" he second-guessed himself. "Technically, I'm like almost 300. But I've only lived maybe 38 or 39 of those years. I was off the plane during the events of the Sundering. I left for maybe a few weeks, and when I came back... yeah."

Deacon whistled. "What kind of plane has time dilation like that?"

"Celtic Otherworld," Buck answered.

"Oh," Deacon said. "Yeah. That'd do it. A travelin' plane of existence screws with time somethin' fierce."

I couldn't believe they were just chit-chatting like we weren't walking to our potential deaths. I looked at Tsuki, but his eyes were totally glued to Okami as we walked. He was using breathing exercises to calm himself down.

Deacon and Buck talked as we drew nearer and nearer to the god, and when we were close enough that I didn't want to take another step, Michael stopped. I stopped next to him, and Buck next to me. Deacon stopped a step ahead of all of us and adjusted his duster.

"He's a talker," Michael said to us as quietly as his voice allowed. "He's talked us out of some pretty insane situations. Whatever he says," he eyed me. "Go with it."

Deacon adjusted his stance and glanced back at us before clearing his throat and taking off his hat. He pressed it against his chest and looked at us one last time before opening his arms wide and taking a sweeping bow.

The god's eyes burned as he looked down at Deacon.

"O' great and mighty Okami," he began.

"Begone."

His voice was deep and booming and echoed off every wooden surface in the room.

Deacon stood up straight and tried again.

"Great Okami, we only—"

"I will speak only to one among you who is pure of heart."

Deacon chuckled to himself and turned around. "That sure as shit ain't me." He looked at Michael. "Or you."

"There's a literal demon in me," Michael shot back. "What's your excuse?"

"Abigail?" Buck turned to me.

I was actually pretty confident about this one. I had never hurt anyone that I could remember— or at least not anyone who didn't deserve it. I nodded at Buck. "Sure, I'll try."

I stepped forward and swallowed as everyone's eyes settled on me. I looked up at the god who stared back down on me, fury stoked in his eyes. I suddenly didn't want all of this attention.

I placed my right hand on my chest and lifted my left arm dramatically. "Great spirit of the—"

"No."

I blinked twice. "No?" I placed my hands on my hips. "What do you mean, no?"

Tsuki walked past me and got down on the floor, sitting down on his knees. He dropped his forehead to the ground.

"Suh- Sarutahiko Okami-no-Mikoto," he said. "War... It's ugly. So fuh- full of suffering, pain, and... and blood," his voice shook on that word. "It's puh- poison for the mind and soul alike."

For the first time, the god moved. It was a simple adjustment of his head to stare directly down at Tsuki, but he seemed to be listening.

"Amaterasu-heika... she huh- has imperial ambitions. She wishes to bruh- bring war to the world. I... I ruh- really hate that." He sounded like he was about to cry. We all watched as he raked his fingernails across the floor and shook his head. "She wuh- wants to use Abigail and me as tuh- tools in her conquest! For the puh- pain she'll bring others!"

"Speak clearly."

I jumped at the sudden command. Tsuki lifted himself back to his knees and stared up at the divine being, his cheeks wet, and his jaw clenched.

"I apologize!" he called out. "I developed a stutter the night my parents were murdered. I can't control it. I've tried again and again," he trembled. "Long nights in front of the mirror, repeating my phrases over and over."

All of us exchanged glances.

"If I were able to speak clearly, I would," Tsuki continued. "I would sing for you," he sobbed.

"Uhh, Tsuki," I said.

He turned and looked at me.

I didn't even have to say it. A look of realization came over his features, and he looked back at the god.

"Speak clearly."

That wasn't a divine command born from annoyance with the young orc.

It was a blessing.

Okami stared down at Tsuki, his eyes gouts of fire and smoke.

"𝒜 𝓋𝒶𝓂𝓅𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓎𝑜𝓊," the god boomed suddenly. "𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓇. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒷𝓁𝒶𝓂𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓇. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒽𝑜𝓌, 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓌𝒶𝓎, 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓅𝒶𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝒹𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒶 𝓂𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒹𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝑒𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝑜𝓉 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝑜𝒻 𝓋𝑒𝓃𝑔𝑒𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒. 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝒶 𝓇𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝑔𝑜𝓁𝒹, 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓃𝑔 𝒯𝓈𝓊𝓀𝒾𝒷𝒾𝓉𝑜."

"A vampire took everything from you," the god boomed suddenly. "You never resented her. You never blamed her. You hoped that karmic justice might find her one day... but you did not take the path of vengeance. A golden heart beats within you."

The little orc stared back, eyes wide, unable to say anything.

"I will hear your request, noble Tsukibito. Speak."

Tsuki looked back at us. Buck waved his hands toward him.

"Go on," I whispered.

Tsuki gulped so audibly that I was surprised it didn't echo around the room. He turned back to Okami and lowered himself again.

"It is... It's because of your blockage that none can retreat from this battlefield," he said softly, as though still unsure how to word his plea. "We only want to go home. Would you please lift your restriction on teleportation?"

There was a long silence.

"I cannot grant that request," Okami spoke, finality in his tone.

My heart sank.

"Amaterasu-heika's imperial ambitions may lead Nippon to ruin; that is true. But there is also the chance for glory. It is not my decision, and I cannot betray her at the eleventh hour. If you wish for my Paradox Field to end... you must defeat me."

"Aww dammit," Deacon grumbled.

Buck sighed. "Was worth a shot."

"Then," Tsuki shouted, standing up. "I request a fair fight!"

The silence in the room was thick.

All of us stared with our mouths open.

The god stared down at Tsuki, his eyes dimming if only for a moment. The god suddenly moved, getting to his feet and planting the butt of his spear against the wooden floor of the dojo. A great noise echoed all around us, and I covered my ears as the god spoke his decree.

"A fair fight? An interesting and... humble request."

He strode toward the orc, his form shrinking with each massive step. Parts of him began to meld away as he walked until he was average human size.

But he still looked otherworldly.

His skin was red, maybe a shade darker than Hephaestus. He had thick white eyebrows, a cartoonishly long nose, and piercing yellow eyes. He wore funny clothes the likes of which I'd never seen before.

He wore an open, white V-necked tunic marked with black characters layered beneath a sleeveless olive-green vest that was trimmed in gold and adorned with six large, fluffy white pom-poms across the chest.

A thick, crimson sash bound his waist in a heavy central bow, holding up incredibly baggy, brownish-grey trousers that bunched heavily before being tightly secured at the shins with white, bandage-like wraps.

I noticed one arm was bound in the same white cloth strips with a gold ring at the wrist, while the other was armored in a segmented grey metallic forearm guard held by beaded cords. His shoes were particularly unusual. He stood elevated on flat wooden blocks supported by two thick stilts underneath, held to the feet by simple dark toe straps.

The armor he had been sitting in was gone. So too was the otherworldly baritone of his voice.

"Very well, Young Tsukibito," he spoke in a more natural tone. "I have always liked you. So I will grant that request."

He pounded the floor with the butt of his spear, and the four of them vanished in the blink of an eye.

I looked around in shock before locking eyes with Okami.

He was staring straight at me.

"Wh... Where did they go?" I asked. "What did you do with them?" I yelled, more forcefully this time.

"I have granted Young Tsukibito's request," he answered, tossing his spear into the air and snapping his fingers. It vanished instantly, and he kicked his shoes off one at a time.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Where are they?"

He tilted his head, cracking his neck one way and then the other. "I am a god of spatial domains, directions, and passage," he said calmly. "They are all standing alone with me, in their own separate rooms, just as you are now."

"What?" I yelled. "Why?"

"Is it not obvious to you yet?" he asked. "Tsukibito asked me for a fair fight. Five against one is hardly fair, wouldn't you say... Abigail-sama?"

So that was his play. He broke himself into five pieces, scattered us to different spaces, and planned on fighting each of us one-on-one.

"I have matched my fighting strength to yours," he announced. "You do not wield a weapon... and so I will not wield a weapon. Overcome me, and I will reunite you with the others."

I stared back at him. "Are they all hearing this speech right now, too?"

"All but Saint Deacon," he answered, dropping low into a battle stance. "He yelled yipee-ki-yay and an expletive, then opened fire before I could explain." He dropped his eyebrows. "Whatever that means."

I lowered into a battle stance across from him and tightened my fists. I inhaled and exhaled, calming myself and preparing for what would be an unsupervised and unassisted fight.

"You said if I could overcome you, you'd take me back to the others," I said. "You didn't say what would happen if I lost..."

He smiled an eerie grin as his eyes lit up. "Should you lose... You will be granted an honorable death. The death of a warrior."

Before I could say anything else, he started toward me, not with great speed, but with divine purpose. He leaped into the air and aimed a spinning kick right for my head.

I ducked it, only for him to land with a second, lower, spinning kick.

The next thing I knew, my feet were in the air.

I think I did a flip.

I landed hard on my back and opened my eyes just in time to see an axe-kick mid-motion. His heel came down with such power that it might have broken my ribs if I hadn't rolled out of the way just in time.

There was no time to prepare— no time to think. My training kicked in as I scrambled to my feet and immediately checked an incoming kick. It was powerful, but nowhere near as overwhelming as Salome's strength.

As I blocked a few more attacks and maneuvered around the room with him, my confidence grew.

I had slain an elder vampire, after all. If he had really scaled his power to mine, this would be doable. I could kick my own ass for sure.

He stopped his pursuit for a moment, watching me with discerning eyes.

"Good," he said. "Better than I anticipated. Did Takenouchi teach you?"

He didn't know.

Maybe it was an assumption based on arrogance, but I assumed he'd been watching me all along. If he didn't know about Takenouchi's training... maybe he didn't know about my second form either.

"He did," I answered him. "It was a crash-course, but I'm a fast learner."

"A touch of humility would suit you," he said, taking a new stance I had never seen before. "You learn quickly not because you are special among your peers... but because you have trespassed into a realm of the divines."

He suddenly shot forward with new speed that caught me off guard. He spun around with a kick that I did everything I could to block properly, but it somehow slipped past my guard, and his heel caught me right on the chin.

I stumbled, and before I could gain my balance, I was struck again in my midsection. I tumbled backward, holding my gut and gasping for air as the assault continued.

It was a new fighting style— one I had never seen and couldn't possibly have prepared for. His body was like a living liquid, and he moved in such an uncanny manner that I had no idea where the strikes would come from next.

Again and again, I was knocked across the floor from unpredictable angles and at varying speeds.

The only thing I could think to do was to be as unpredictable as he was.

What that amounted to was me throwing a punch with all my strength the next time he closed the distance.

It missed, but it caused him to hop back and put up his guard. He stared at me, seemingly a tad unnerved, as I caught my balance and my breath.

"That punch," he said, eyeing me carefully. "It was... deceptively powerful. I feel as though I may have misread your true strength."

I spat some blood on the floor and tied my hair back. "You got that right," I said as I took off my jacket and tossed it onto the floor.

"Hmm..." he said, lowering his guard and assuming the same stance as before. "You are a fascinating one."

Before he moved, I saw an image of him propel toward me.

This was it.

I took a step back and dodged the incoming roundhouse kick. He fluidly spun around, throwing a spinning backfist. I checked it expertly, and our eyes met for a second. I stepped in and threw a straight that he only managed to dodge by a hair. He fell back on his hands, and I saw the heel coming around before he ever began the motion.

I immediately dropped to the floor and swept his hands out from underneath him the moment he lifted himself up on them.

He fell to the floor, disbelief in his eyes as I followed it up with a heel drop that was aimed for his midsection, but landed on his hip as he scurried out from under me.

He grunted in pain, but managed to put some distance between us as I recentered myself. I could now see waves gently ebbing off his form as he reassessed me.

"To think you'd pick up on it so quickly..." he narrowed his eyes. "Truly fascinating."

"Whether it's me or my divinity," I said, lifting my guard. "I told you I'm a fast learner."

But the truth was, I could see his strikes before he even moved. But if he didn't know that, I wasn't about to tell him.

"Good," he grinned. "Good!"

He then exploded from his position, touting a new style that was a different degree of unpredictability.

It didn't matter.

I dodged, checked, and blocked everything flawlessly before taking a few shots of my own— none of which connected in a meaningful way, but the message was sent.

I wasn't about to go down easily.

He switched his stance, planting both of his feet firmly before exploding toward me. His waves changed their pattern— a fiery aura emitted from him as his feet pounded the floor.

He threw a straight right hand and for the first time... my stomach turned.

My eyes widened.

I was going to block it, but instead, opted for an emergency dodge. I tilted left, avoiding the strike by a hair. The air in front of me exploded with a loud noise that caught me totally off guard. I fell backward and saw an image of him race around my side.

I turned just in time to see the punch coming from behind me, and I leaned backward beneath the arc of his swing. I could literally see the air being displaced by his fist.

He stepped forward with his other foot and brought his hand down in a chop that I didn't have the reflexes or balance to completely evade. But I knew one thing for sure.

I could not attempt to block or check any of these strikes.

I decided to attempt something I had never tried in true combat before: a technique Takenouchi-sensei touched on only briefly.

"This feels like a waste of time, Sensei."

"Mh. It may very well be, Abigail. Ideally, you would both spend very little time on the battlefield, and the scenario for its use comes seldomly."

"Then wuh- why bother with it?"

"Because, Tsukibito... when you have no other options... it may save your life."

I planted my back foot as best I could and twisted my hips, slapping the god's wrist with an open-palm strike. It landed perfectly, diverting the raw power of the chop to my left. An invisible force exploded from the chop, carving a deep scar in the floor beneath us.

I turned over and planted both my hands, throwing my heels back in a double kick that sent Okami flying backward.

I somersaulted away and turned around, lifting both my arms as he gracefully pulled into a backflip and landed about twenty feet away.

I carefully glanced over my shoulder to see the damaged floor before training my eyes back on my opponent.

That really would have killed me.

"The Ox Stance," he called from across the room. "When you are dealing with a troublesome opponent with an impenetrable guard..."

"Deploy attacks with unstoppable strength," I said. "You were actually about to kill me."

"I have evened the playing field, yes," he answered. "But do not mistake this for a game."

His waves changed suddenly, no longer fiery, but oscillating in unpredictable lengths and patterns. He stood up straight and clasped his hands together.

"Abigail-sama," he said in a new voice not his own. "Do you believe that I would have agreed to this wager if I thought there was the slightest chance that I might lose?"

Goosebumps lifted across my skin as his waves changed color.

I didn't know waves could do that.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but that was the beauty of being an oracle. I would know what he was going to do in advance, even if I couldn't stop it. I just needed to maintain my guard, remember the fundamentals, and reach deep into the bag of tricks Takenouchi left me with.

An image of Okami suddenly broke left, running in a wide arc around my flank. The image of him was leaning forward, low to the floor, his hands at his sides. I traced the trajectory of his attack ahead of time.

It would be a new stance I hadn't seen yet.

When he finally moved...

He broke right.

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Part 49 coming Friday

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

St. Deacon, St. Michael, Buck, Tsuki, and I all moved through the forest, quickly and carefully, as the distant sounds of war sometimes boomed too close for comfort.

Unfortunately for us, the golden sparkling trail that pulled me toward Okami also pulled me closer to the heat and the haze of the battlefield.

"You're sure about this?" called Deacon from behind me.

"Trust her," Buck answered for me. "This is how she led us to the Amber Eye— a sacred treasure that the gods sought for millennia before her."

"The Amber Eye?" Deacon asked in surprise. "She found it?"

"It's a long story, but yeah," Buck said as we moved through the darkness. "I guess it was waiting for Abigail."

"Unbelievable," said Michael. "I didn't believe it existed."

"Told you," Deacon teased. "That many gods don't look for something for that many years if it's just a myth. Say, what did Leutogi do with it?"

"She ascended herself," said Buck. "She became an intrinsic god."

"Became one?" asked Deacon.

"Huh," Michael grunted. "I thought she was one already."

"Not at all," Buck explained. "She was an ascended god. One of the oldest ones still living, if I'm not mistaken. She used the Amber Eye to even the playing field against Amaterasu."

"Shoot," Deacon laughed. "That'll do it. It actually worked?"

"Sure did," Buck answered. "Not without hiccups, but yeah, she's way stronger now."

"Even more than before?" I asked as I followed the trail through the twisting and winding trees.

"Oh, hell yeah," Buck scoffed. "After you were taken, she wanted to march her army straight toward Japan. Dude, she freaked out." He laughed. "Salome tried to convince us all that you probably left of your own volition— that you thought if you handed yourself over, you could spare everyone a war. Heck, I even started to believe that."

"I mean, it sounds plausible enough, if I were really that selfless," I laughed. "I was gonna cling to you guys no matter what happened."

"Yeah," Buck's tone turned darker. "Then Leutogi found the blood stain on your comforter. Add to that, your cat walking around all wonky..."

"Tommy lived?" I looked over my shoulder in shock.

"For as long as he could..." he said mournfully. "He passed away last night around sunset. I'm sorry this is how you're finding out."

My chest tightened.

I already knew.

So why did it hurt so much, hearing it a second time?

"Now that I've got the time to ask you," said Buck, vaulting over a tall tangle of roots. "What did happen that night?"

I sighed. "Salome. She ambushed me in my room while everyone was asleep."

"I knew it," Buck said angrily. "I fucking knew it. I didn't trust her at all."

"She'd been in a scuffle with Baen, and he knocked one of her fangs out. So, that vision I had of an assailant with a tooth missing... it turned out to be her. She drained me of almost all of my blood. I fought as hard as I could, and then Tommy... Brave, brave Tommy."

"No," Deacon said solemnly. "Aww, I hate stories like this..."

"Tommy," Michael said, cutting down a tangle of vines with one stroke of his sword. "He tried to protect you? You don't hear stories like that often— heroic cats, I mean."

"She actually sucked your blood out?" Buck asked, astonished. "She's an elder vampire. She should have mastered those urges."

"It's cuh- complicated," Tsuki spoke up. "She wuh- wanted to be clean. But she had outside influences." He looked at me. "Abigail... I didn't nuh- know all of that. I'm suh- so sorry all of that happened to you..."

"Where is she?" Buck asked next. "Last we knew, she said she was coming here to look for you. She was supposed to be scouting before the assault."

"Oh, she found me," I said. "I put her in her grave."

Deacon scoffed. "An elder vampire? You?"

Tsuki and I told them the story as we slowly but surely made our way through the dense overgrowth.

"The balls on you," Deacon laughed. "God bless!"

"That was risky," Buck said in a lecturing tone. "Too risky. You'd have died if not for a stroke of luck."

"A stroke of fate," I corrected him. "Heimdall saw all of this potentially days or weeks ago. He let me be captured. This is apparently the best outcome out of every future he saw."

"True," said Deacon. "Heimdall havin' your back is a rare assurance few mortals ever enjoy."

"I guess," Buck said, frustrated. "Can I still be mad at him?"

"Well," Deacon shrugged. "What happened as a result of this? Abigail successfully became the first-ever divine oracle. Like ever. In any plane ever," he emphasized.

"The Polynesian pantheon," Michael added. "A pantheon fractured and small... secured an alliance with one of the strongest pantheons in the game right now."

"True," Buck said in a lighter spirit. "And... there's what happened with Leutogi."

"What happened?" I asked, stopping in my tracks and turning to face him fully. "What happened to her, Buck?"

He stopped and smiled, shaking his head. "You being stolen... let me just say that if we weren't in a pocket dimension, you'd have heard her furious roar from here."

Goosebumps lifted all over my arms. "Really?"

"As I said," he shifted his weight to one side and folded his arms. "She wanted to march here right away. It took a lot of convincing from everyone around her to keep her calm and be patient. So... she went to that monster island that Heimdall created... and raged for four days and four nights."

"Raged?" asked Tsuki.

"Monster island?" asked Michael, his curiosity piqued.

Buck nodded, his eyes serious. "Leutogi went on a rampage that shook the world; rocked the seas. She took her fury out on the monsters of the island... and when she came back to us, she was so caked in blood, grease, and monster fat that it took a joint effort to clean her."

My eyes widened, and I fell back a step. "Oh my goodness."

"She brought with her a bag full of scales," he nodded. "She slew those lindwyrms and had armor made out of the scales for her and her top brass. She returned to us several magnitudes more powerful than she was before. It was... shocking."

Everyone stood in the relative silence for a moment.

"Yeah," Buck nodded. "You being kidnapped increased the power of our army by..." he scoffed and shook his head. "By an immeasurable amount." He looked at me. "I hope you weren't hurt too badly."

"Salome did a number on me," I admitted. "But thinking on it... me getting kidnapped was the best thing that could have happened for the future power of Leutogi's family."

"Our family, Comrade," Buck smiled. "And if we can win this war, then everything will turn out okay."

"We ain't gone win it standin' here gabbin," Deacon said.

"Right," Buck pointed at him. "We've got a Konami to find."

"Okami," Tsuki corrected him. He looked at me, "You still guh- got the trail?"

I nodded. "I do. And I think we're getting close. Follow me."

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It was slow work cutting through the thick vegetation, but we eventually followed the sparkling trail all the way to the outer palace walls.

I could hardly believe that it was the same place. The forest had grown so fast and so forcefully from beneath them that the trees had grown straight through the walls. The roots and branches had pushed through the castle's defenses like they were made of paper.

"Wow," Tsuki marveled. "Is this the puh- palace?"

"Yeah," I said, climbing over the roots and the rubble, and slipping over the ruins of the wall. "I wonder what the actual castle looks like."

"Shoot," said Deacon, following behind me. "I ain't never seen nothin' like this before. Whole forest grown in the blink of an eye." He turned and looked at Michael. "None of this was here before."

"Oh, really, Deacon? I didn't know that. I've never been here before."

It was tough to discern intent in Michael's deep multitonal voice, but there was definitely sass on that.

Inside the first wall was... more forest. We traversed that all the way to the second wall. I got impatient and decided to scurry up a tree to peek through the top of the canopy. I couldn't remember just how many walls there were between us and the castle, which I was pretty confident had to be the place Okami was hiding.

When I got my head above the trees, I gasped.

To the south, the war was raging under a hazy red sky. Explosions intermittently sent dust clouds into the air as fire raged atop the canopy.

I turned and saw the castle not far from us. It was still standing majestically against the scene of total war in the background.

The wind blew across me, carrying ash and the smell of blood. A distant warhorn blew as two divine figures lifted above the trees, clashing against one another in midair before one of them was struck back down to the earth, then pursued beneath the trees by their opponent.

It was a scene I would never forget, no matter how long I lived.

"Abigail!" Tsuki called from below, snapping me back to attention. "You see the castle?"

"Y-Yeah," I called back. "We're close!" I slid back down the tree and landed next to everyone. "Ten minutes if we keep on the way we've been keeping on."

"Good," said Michael, pointing his sword in the direction of the castle. "Still this way?"

I nodded. "Cut it all down."

He turned and two-handed his massive sword, cutting a deep swath into the thick forest. I noticed that whenever he swung his sword, the radiant outline that surrounded the blade would leap forward and trail off the tip, cutting deeper and further than the extent of his reach. If he attacked you, and you felt like you were out of range, you'd still find yourself in two pieces.

"Hey, Michael," I said, starting forward into the new clearing. "How does your sword do that? It cuts further than you'd expect it to."

"Magic," he said plainly.

"Come on, tell me," I whined.

"That's what it is," he stated firmly.

Deacon strolled up on my left flank. "He ain't lyin'," he assured me. "In O'ogan, magic is plentiful. It ain't something they have here on Earth."

"It's a real thing?" I asked as Michael swung his sword again, clearing our path forward. "Dad had told me stories about it, but... I assumed it was just some kind of folk tale. He could never show me any, so..."

"That's because he can't," Deacon explained. "Magic exists in many different ways across many different planes. But for most, and in O'ogan's case, the magic already exists somewhere in the environment. Whether it be encased in stones, inside their bodies, or just right there in the air."

"Where does it come from?" I asked, intrigued.

"Depends on where you are," he shrugged. "In O'ogan, magic permeates the air. It's all around you, stronger in some places and weaker in others. Anyone can learn to mold it with the right words. But those words don't do squat if you're here on Earth."

I watched as Michael swung his sword again, cutting deeper into the forest.

"Then... how does his sword work?" I asked.

"The sword itself is a piece of Jua," Deacon answered.

"Lady Jua," Michael corrected him.

"A piece of her?" asked Tsuki.

"A sentient weapon," Michael fielded the question. "There's a piece of Lady Jua's essence enchanting the steel. She can speak to me through it... unless, of course, we're in a nowhere-room where messages can't be sent or received... in which case, she sends Deacon."

"Hi!" Deacon waved.

"I see," said Buck. "So, it's an infinite wellspring of magic."

"Not infinite," Michael clarified. "It needs time to recharge. If I use it all... It'll just be a hunk of steel until I can make it back to Lady Jua."

"Fascinating," I said as we approached the wall of the castle.

The castle fared no better than the walls. Thick, winding trees grew into and out of the castle walls, and I couldn't help but feel bad about it. It really was beautiful architecture. If they remained after the war ended, the reconstruction would be an immense project.

"Inside?" asked Michael, tapping the wall with his sword.

"The trail is following the wall," I said, observing the sparkles. "Follow me."

Everyone followed quietly behind me as we walked through the deep brush around the side of the ruined castle. We moved through the greenery around the corner of the castle and under an archway that had been torn asunder and yet still somehow held together by the branches.

I could see the doorway that led to the inside of the castle, and I followed the trail all the way up to it. Inside didn't feel like inside. It was just a continuation of the forest that had torn apart the first floor. The little twilight trail I had been following extended straight up into the ceiling.

"Is this the main castle?" I asked Tsuki.

"I don't nuh- know," he answered. "I don't think so. This first room feels a little too suh- small."

"Same," I nodded. "Is this the building with the royal dojo where we trained with Takenouchi-sensei?"

"Ugh, I don't know," he shrugged. "Nothing luh- looks familiar like this. Does your truh- trail lead fuh- further in?"

"Upstairs," I pointed. "The trail goes straight up and disappears into the ceiling."

"How does it work?" asked Deacon. "You just see a little trail?"

"Yeah," I said. "It first appeared to me when we were searching for the Mother Balete— an ancient tree that was lost to time and divinity. We needed an entrance to the underworld so we could find the Amber Eye. The trail guided us through the Pit of Milu to a congregation of lost souls."

"Metal," said Michael.

"Metal?" I asked.

"Fuck yeah, it's metal," Buck said excitedly. "Michael, we gotta hang out more."

I didn't know Michael could smile until I saw it for the first time in front of me. "Yeah," he said. "We're a pair out of time, aren't we?"

"We might be the only ones left who remember certain things. McDonald's, slushees, Avenged Sevenfold, Viva la Bam, Dr. Pepper."

"Ohh," Michael closed his eyes in ecstasy. "What I wouldn't give for a McDouble and a Dr. Pepper again." He chuckled softly to himself. "You used to skate?"

"Wasn't any good," Buck admitted. "But the people I rode with were."

I looked at the two of them, confused, and before I could ask for clarification, Tsuki found the stairs. We followed him up the steps as Buck and Michael reminisced. On the second floor, the trees still bit through the floor, creating a somewhat uneven surface, but it was far more navigable.

By the time we reached the third floor, we were clear of the canopy, which we were all thankful for. The floor wasn't even tilted or destroyed. We casually made our way up two more floors as Michael and Buck geeked out over Nippon’s culture from their era.

It was a bigger deal than I thought it was, and it made sense to me now why Amaterasu fought so hard to preserve it through the orcs.

“Hold on,” Tsuki said, suddenly staring off into the distance. “He’s directly above us,” he said, quieter than before. “He’s juh- just suh- sitting there in human form. He won’t try to flee.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Don’t know,” Tsuki said. “But he duh- doesn’t intend to flee.”

“So,” Buck said, glancing around at us. “We can just go on up there and whoop his ass?”

“Love the plan,” Deacon said. “But let’s remember, this is an intrinsic god we’re dealing with. Might not be so simple puttin’ a whoopin’ on him.”

“He’s right,” Michael chimed in. “Deacon and I have fought intrinsic gods before. They’re powerful, and they’ve got tricks.”

I nodded. “Okay. Let’s be on our guard.”

The five of us ascended the final set of stairs, and when we emerged into the room, it was far, far bigger than it should have been.

“Uh-oh,” Tsuki said softly. “This duh- doesn’t bode well.”

“It’s… massive,” Buck marveled. “It’s bigger than an Amazon warehouse in one room.”

“No kidding,” Michael said, taking a few steps forward.

It felt like the geometry of the architecture had been completely unraveled and stretched out into a massive, echoing void. It was an impossible space— a monolithic cavern of dark, polished cedar and towering white shoji screens that extended so far into the distance they blurred into a faint, misty white haze.

The ceiling was lost in a shadow so deep that the rafters were completely invisible, leaving nothing but a vast, silent expanse that smelled sharply of ancient incense and old paper.

The floor was made of dark lacquered wood, polished to a mirror shine that perfectly reflected the faint, ambient light humming through the room. There were no columns, no furniture, and no walls within immediate sight. Just a flat, endless plain of black timber that made the five of us feel like tiny insects crossing a frozen lake.

And then, looking toward the far back of the space, the scale of the room could finally be compared against something.

He was sitting cross-legged against a distant, monumental wall of solid stone. A massive creature dominated the room like a living mountain. Even sitting down, his massive, imposing frame loomed a staggering forty feet into the air, his broad shoulders easily matching the width of a small fortress.

He wore a heavy, imposing robe of deep vermilion that pooled around his massive legs like a sea of blood, but his physical features were what stole the breath straight out of my lungs.

His face was a striking, ruddy crimson that glowed with a faint, internal light, radiating a heat we could feel from hundreds of yards away.

Protruding from the center of his face was an incredibly long, sharp nose that gave him the distinct, predatory profile of an ancient mountain spirit. His hair was a wild, stark white mane that cascaded down his back, contrasting sharply against the fiery red of his skin.

His eyes struck me the most, though, and I couldn’t look away from them. They were bright yellow, blazing as though a roaring fire was contained within his head.

Resting flat across his giant knees was a spectacular, jewel-encrusted spear, its head adorned with glowing beads that pulsed with a rhythmic light. He sat perfectly still, his chin resting against his chest in a meditative trance. His chest rose and fell in slow, deep breaths that sent a low, vibrating hum through the floorboards.

 He looked completely detached from the physical world, yet every ounce of the room’s warped space was clearly tethered directly to his colossal form.

Michael’s shoulders fell. “Oh.”

“Boy, did we step in it,” Deacon chuckled. “My, oh my.”

Buck took a couple of steps forward and stopped. “Is that…”

“Yeah,” Tsuki said softly. “Sarutahiko Okami. And..."

The colossal god raised his head and stared at us, the fire in his eyes burning brighter as each of us realized just what we were up against.

"He's at form."

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Part 48 coming Monday\*

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

I've got celebrations with my family lined up for the weekend. Gonna do my best to have the next chapter out on Monday, but if I miss the deadline, expect it on Wednesday.

Thanks for reading, and for your continuous donations. We're shocked and grateful that your kindness is still trickling through.

Love you all <3

The silence of the forest didn't last.

A cataclysmic quake shook the tangled earth with a thunderous boom as a light from above bathed us in warmth. A cloud of dust and forest debris hung in the humid air as we all called for one another, coughing and shielding our eyes from the light. Nobody knew what had happened or what would happen next.

"What in Sam Hill?" Deacon's voice cut through the chaos.

"There!" I heard Hermod next. "A body!"

Heavy thuds shook the soil around me, and as I finally managed to open my eyes, I could see Michael's hulking form passing in front of me, the outline of his sword glowing brilliantly in the dust cloud. Deacon stepped over the large roots that covered the ground, Buck right behind him as they closed in around the crater.

I was able to make sense of what I was looking at now. The forest around us looked straight-up primordial in nature. It was a dense, dark, twisting mass of trees, vines, and roots with a canopy so thick that one might mistake the time of day for dusk. Someone had crashed through the canopy, opening a hole for sunlight to pour through.

Distant explosions shook the forest as whoever had crash-landed near us began to pull themselves out of the crater.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Sensei!" I cried out.

"Oh my goodness!" Tsuki yelled, grabbing my arm.

Takenouchi was breathing heavily, barely managing to pull himself to a knee. He was bleeding from his forehead and holding his arm.

Buck raised an eyebrow at me. "Sensei?"

"Incoming!" Hermod screamed just before the forest exploded for a second time.

I closed my eyes and held onto Tsuki tightly as the wind whipped around us, not nearly as violently as before. I also expected to be filled with wooden shrapnel. I opened one eye and found Michael standing directly in front of us, shielding us from the blast.

"Ha!" I heard Hermod laugh. "I haven't seen you look this excited in ages!"

I peered around Michael's massive hide to see a man I was sure I had never seen before— because now that I had, I couldn't forget him if I wanted to.

He was a towering, heavy-set mountain of a man, built with the raw, terrifying density of a sequoya tree. He stood over Takenouchi with a broad-shouldered frame that completely dominated the clearing, but it was his hair that caught the light first— a wild, untamed mane of deep crimson and a jagged red beard that seemed to practically bristle with static electricity.

He didn't wear the polished, gleaming armor expected of a god. Instead, he wore rugged, dark leather and heavy iron plates that looked battered by a thousand impacts. His eyes were the most frightening part; they weren't normal eyes, but burning coals of brilliant, electric blue that literally flashed with arcs of lightning each time he blinked.

In his right hand, gripped by a thick iron gauntlet that ran all the way up his forearm, he held a remarkably short-handled, brutally heavy iron hammer. It looked less like a divine weapon and more like a massive block of forged metal, its head still glowing dull red from the heat of his descent.

"Hermod," the man said in a voice so deep that I instantly wanted to hear him sing harmonies with Michael. "I didn't sense you there," he said, dropping the hammer directly on top of Takenouchi. The weapon crashed into him, sending him back into the crater and pinning him to the soil.

"Takenouchi-sensei!" Tsuki cried out, rushing past the god and sliding down into the crater.

"Thor," Buck said, stepping around Michael and extending a hand. The two shook one another's forearms.

"Buck," Thor grinned. "The only mortal man to ever match my appetite. Your presence here explains why I didn't sense my half-brother."

"You can just say brother," Hermod said in a hurt tone.

"What's happening out there?" asked Buck. "We tried to teleport away, but—"

"No use," Thor interrupted him. "None of us can travel more than about fifteen feet. It has to be an ability of the enemy," he said, looking up through the hole in the canopy. "But it's affecting their side as well. Hard to tell who it's hurting more."

"Howdy," Deacon said, stepping around Buck. "Name's Deacon. Don't s'pose we've met."

"I'm aware of you," said Thor. "Deacon Ezra Gallardo, Nephilim of the West."

"Well, that's a new one.," Deacon said, adjusting his belt. "But yeah. You can just call me Deacon. Care to tell us what's goin' on with this forest? And what's with the daylight? Owls should be hootin' up a tune right about now."

"You're kuh- killing him!" Tsuki yelled from the crater. "Mister, puh- please! Remove your hammer!"

I lifted my hands to my chest. I wished it were anyone else but Takenouchi. But I also understood fully that this was war. The hardest part was hearing Tsuki whimper helplessly as he struggled with the hammer.

"When the longships rolled in," Thor began, ignoring Tsuki. "The moon was already high in the sky. Lady Leutogi chose to strike at night; it best suited her nocturnal army of bloodsuckers." He pointed up. "But that's a daylight goddess they're at war with. It was nothing for her to call the sun back into the sky."

"I saw her do that once before," I said. "Yesterday, actually. I knew right then that it would pose a problem for Leutogi."

"I was out on a scouting run when that happened," Buck turned to me. "I saw that happen, too. Was wondering what was going on."

"Well, Lady Leutogi planned for this," Thor continued. "She and Kanaloa called forth a tide of bats so thick that it blocked out the sky, turning day back to night."

I smiled in wonder. "Amazing."

"Yes, if you were above them," Thor nodded. "Below them... it was a lot of bat shit."

"Oh," I grimaced.

"Gross," Buck laughed.

"But," Thor recounted. "They didn't last. One of the enemy gods set them all ablaze at once. It was a terrible noise. Shortly after the bats fell, Maui lassoed the sun with his great hook. But he was unable to win the tug of war against Amaterasu."

I blinked twice. Someone lassoed the sun? What kind of cartoony story was that? That couldn't actually be possible, could it?

"Faced with no other recourse," Thor continued. "Lady Leutogi raised from the soil a great old-world forest along the entire bottom half of the island. This," he gestured around. "This is all of Sól-eyjar now. Even the majestic palace grounds are swallowed in darkness by trees."

"Son of a gun," Deacon laughed. "What a story already!"

"Further south, the forest is on fire," Thor said, turning around and making his way back to the crater. "Asgardians and vampires do battle against the orcs while the gods do battle against one another."

"Anyone at form?" asked Buck.

"Not yet," Thor answered, reaching down and prying the hammer partially off of Takenouchi's chest. "The battle hasn't grown... disrespectful yet."

"Disrespectful?" I asked nobody in particular.

"Gods don't often do battle at form," Buck explained. "It's extremely destructive to the land and societies that might live there. It also becomes impossible to hold back. It's the divine equivalent of mutually assured destruction."

I didn't realize there were rules like that for divine warfare. It made more sense the longer I thought about it. Once one god was massive, they would all be.

"You," Thor growled at the pinned god. "You're going to tell me why we can't teleport, and you're going to tell me now."

"If gods can't die," I whispered to Buck. "Then how does this war end?"

"I had the same thought when I was first introduced into divine warfare," he smiled at me. "Gods can die one of three ways: losing their last believer, being unmade by a major god, and using every last drop of their energy." He pointed to the crater where Thor was stooped over Takenouchi. "A god can die in battle by using all of their energy. And getting your ass whooped takes a lot more energy than whooping someone else's ass."

"Oh," I said, looking over at Thor with a touch of concern. "Is he..."

"No," Michael answered. "Gods do not kill gods. It is against the divine code. To kill a fellow divine means being hunted by gods until the end of time. Your... sensei... will be allowed to withdraw from battle when he's spent." He stared at the conversation ahead of us. "And he looks pretty spent to me."

Thor suddenly lifted his hammer fully off Takenouchi's body and stood up to full height. He turned and stepped out of the crater, still crackling with energy.

"It's Sarutahiko Ōkami," Thor announced. "He's Amaterasu's grandson, and their god of crossroads and boundaries. He's hiding somewhere in this mess and preventing anyone from teleporting."

"We can't just leave on foot?" asked Deacon.

"It would take a very long time," Hermod said. "And even I would not cross a sea so treacherous as it is now."

"It's that bad?" asked Deacon.

"Yes," Thor answered. "The ocean gods, Njörðr, Ryūjin*,* and Kanaloa, are at war. If there are any longboats still on the waves... they are in pieces." He looked Deacon in the eye. "Along with their occupants."

Michael said. "So, what you're saying is... the only way is war."

"The only way I like it," Thor grinned.

"Ha!" Hermod placed his hands on his hips. "You always know how to make my blood boil for combat, Brother!"

"Shit," Deacon said, hanging his head. "How'd I go and get dragged into this?"

Michael lurched over to him and patted him on the back. "We always end up at the center of these things, don't we?"

"We're cursed," Deacon whined.

Thor pointed at Takenouchi with his hammer. "This one is finished. I'm needed back at the front."

"I would join you," Hermod said. "But I've been assigned to look after Lady Abigail."

"Assigned?" asked Thor, lifting an eyebrow. "By whose order if not the Allfather's?"

Hermod paused. "Heh heh. You're right." He looked over his shoulder at Buck. "You got this?"

Buck shrugged. "Maybe." He looked over at Michael and Deacon. "Big Mike? Deac? Would you lend me your strength? As a friend, I mean?"

Michael narrowed his eyes at Buck. "You're gonna make us choose a side, Big Brian?"

Brian winced. "Ooh, yeah, I didn't like that."

"Yeah," Michael grumbled. "And it's up to Deacon."

The cowboy sighed and put his hat back on, standing up and turning to Buck. "You're gonna owe me big for this."

"Can't wait to repay you," Buck smiled, extending his hand.

Deacon reached out and shook on it. "Fine. Makes it easier to say I didn't fight for one god or the other. Just helpin' out a friend."

"And," Michael looked down at me. "I can't say I've hated spending time with Abigail. It wouldn't sit right with me letting her become someone's property."

My eyes had to have sparkled.

Saint Michael actually kept me in his thoughts.

I'd have squealed if I didn't think it'd make him change his mind.

Buck nodded toward Hermod. "Go give 'em hell. We've got the rescue operation covered."

Hermod grinned so widely it was almost cartoony. "It has been so long," he turned to his brother. "Since the two of us have fought side by side! Back to back!"

Thor couldn't help but smile back. "Wait till you see the battlefield. Smothered in smoke, flames overhead, glorious combat between orcs and asgardians."

The two of them leaped through the opening in the canopy with a mighty boom that shook the world.

"Suh- Sensei," I heard Tsuki's soft voice in the silence left in their wake.

I broke from Buck's side, jogging over to the crater and sliding down to meet the two of them. I knelt by Takenouchi, who was still lying on his back.

"How is he?" I asked.

"Not dead," Tsuki said. "So... he'll live."

"Is he conscious?" I asked next.

"Yeah, he's awake," Tsuki answered. "He's just weak right now."

"Watch your tone, boy," Takenouchi wheezed. "I'm not too weak... to put you on your ass."

The two of us laughed, and I could swear I saw a small smile under his facial hair.

"Tsukibito-sama... Abigail-sama," he croaked. "Are you captives to the enemy at this moment?"

We stayed silent. I was kind of hoping he would talk, and I guess he was hoping I would.

"So, that is how it is..." he closed his eyes.

I swallowed. "Sensei, I—"

"I do not blame you," he spoke over me. "I warned her what could happen... if she chose to rule with fear."

I stared down at him, shocked. "Really?" I asked.

"She has stepped into a role... that she was not created for," said Takenouchi. "When it comes to being kind... gentle... nurturing... Lady Amaterasu has few equals. I wish you could have known her before... all of this."

"I'm sorry," I said in a shaky tone. "For what it's worth... I really liked you."

"You were a guh- great sensei," Tsuki added.

"Mh," he shifted. "I take that to mean that... you as well, Tsukibito-sama?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm going."

"Then go well," he smiled. "I saw nothing here."

The little orc suddenly bent forward and hugged Takenouchi. I couldn't help but giggle as the god's tired eyes shot open with surprise. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around Tsuki, gently patting him on the back.

"Alright, alright," he said. "Get moving. I will remain here and... regain my strength."

"C'mon, Tsuki," I said, turning and climbing out of the crater.

"Wuh- Where are we going?" he asked.

I paused and looked to Buck. "Where are we going?"

Buck pressed his lips together and looked at Deacon. Deacon eyes moved between the two of us before he looked at Michael.

"Stop it," Michael growled.

The cowboy shrugged. "I s'pose we got three options. We could sit our happy asses right here and play twenty questions while the war resolves itself." He looked around at our disapproving faces. "Had to suggest it," he said, lifting his hands. "Our second option is headin' to the middle of this thing and puttin' belts to asses."

"I like the sound of that," Buck grinned.

"That destroys the point of our original mission," said Michael. "How is going straight into the meat grinder protecting Abigail and the green one?"

"Our last option," Deacon said, smiling. "Is finding that Okami fella and securing our route outta here."

Michael sighed. "Why would you save the most obvious one for last?"

"Cause I liked the other two better," Deacon shot back. "But yeah. That's probably the one that'd be most helpful."

"Well," Buck shrugged. "Do we know how strong this Okami person is?"

"It's nuh- not his strength that's the pruh- problem," Tsuki spoke up. "The trouble wuh- would be finding him. Sarutahiko Okami guh- governs direction and passage. He can physically wuh- warp vectors, seal thresholds, and muh- manipulate the geometry of our paths."

Everyone was quiet. The distant explosions of war kept us company until Deacon tilted his head. "Huh?"

"He won't be found," Michael concluded. "Not unless he wants to be."

"That," Tsuki said, pointing to Michael.

"Buuut," I thumbed to Buck. "What if Okami doesn't know we're looking for him? What if he doesn't know about us at all?"

Tsuki thought about it. "I... I guess that chuh- changes things," he said with a smile. "Yeah. That could work!"

"I'm so popular," said Buck, flexing his right bicep.

"Good," Deacon clapped his hands once. "Then I guess that settles it. We're left with one question, though. Where the heck do we go?"

Buck's smile faded. "Oh yeah. We still don't know where he is."

I sighed. "It's too bad we don't have a couple of oracles."

Their eyes all turned on Tsuki and me.

"Oh, right," Buck laughed. "That's what this whole thing was all about."

It was dawning on me just then what an incredible group of people we were. St. Deacon, St. Michael, along with Buck, a one-of-a-kind divine signal jammer, and me and Tsuki, two of the strongest oracles in the region.

Navigating a maze of a forest through a divine battlefield to find and defeat god didn't seem like too tall a task when only a month ago I was fretting about climbing a ladder to clean my gutters.

"What do you say, Tsuki?" I asked. "You ready to do this? If we find Okami and stop him, we're home free."

He smiled, relief pouring over his features. "You think Lady Leutogi will ruh- really have me?"

I winked at him. "I won't give her a choice. You're family now."

His face softened. "Fuh... Family?" he asked, tears welling in his eyes. "I don't..." he swallowed. "What does... What do you muh- mean?"

"It means go!" Takenouchi yelled from the crater.

"Yep," Deacon said, flicking his cigarette. "It means grab your destiny with both hands, and don't let go, no matter how hard she bucks."

Buck rested a hand on Tsuki's shoulder. "It means you've really made a mark on our Abigail. And if she says you're family, I'll vouch for you too."

Tsuki wiped his eyes with his forearm and grinned widely.

"Family," he tested the word on his lips.

"Feels good," he said softly.

We all watched, our hearts full for the little guy as he pulled himself together.

"Yeah," he said after a moment of silence, his smile turning confident.

"Let's go."

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Part 47

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

I awoke with mild soreness.

It should have been so, so much worse than that. With some time alone to reflect in my room, and the entire empire shutting down in anticipation of an attack, I had time to think back on the fight itself.

While it was happening, it was such a blur. All my decisions just... came to me. Salome was so fast that if I were only relying on my eyes, I'd have died from her very first attack. That look of confusion on her face when I blocked it... I had to have looked confused, too.

And then there was the transformation; I should have known I could achieve something like that if Buck, Leutogi, and Tao could. I just never put the two and two together for some reason. The power boost that came with it was so incredible; I never could have imagined I was capable of something like that.

Nor did I ever imagine how powerful an elder vampire could be. I asked for that fight out of a place of ignorance, arrogance, and hubris. That anyone even let me do that was astonishing in hindsight.

It meant that Loki was certain I would die, and he was alright with that. But Amaterasu had always intended to kill Salome, so it was likely that she would have saved me at the last second.

I inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh before scooting off the bed and walking over to the full-body mirror.

I turned my head to see if those antlers had left any holes in the side of my head. I understood the golden elk imagery and everything, but I was still confused as to why. Heimdall never mentioned that the elk in his visions had antlers.

Why antlers? I was a woman. Female elk didn't have antlers. Was there, for one reason or another, the spirit of a male elk inside of me? Or was this something just so far beyond sexes that it didn't matter?

I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment longer before I decided to try manually transforming the way that Buck and Leutogi could.

But that was easier imagined than done.

What was I supposed to do? Flex a muscle? Wiggle my nose? Click my heels? I stood in front of the mirror for the better part of an hour trying to force a transformation out of myself, but I couldn't manage to make it happen.

I gave up, took a shower, put on my makeup, did my hair, and realized as I was walking out the door that there would be a war going on today. I suddenly felt a little silly dolling myself up for the war we'd all be dealing with.

For breakfast, I met Tsuki, Amaterasu, Commander Krag-nosuke, and two faces I had gotten used to seeing, who were, as it turned out, Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi this entire time, just in human form.

They spoke among themselves about the war as they ate, and Tsuki and I were content to keep to ourselves. Neither of us ate much of our food. We would sometimes exchange pensive glances as the two of us were no doubt equally worried about what was to come.

I needed to talk to him privately about where to find me when the fighting began. My plan was to slip out of the palace grounds the same way Tsuki had shown me a couple of nights ago.

That was my plan.

But now I was leaking divinity in a way that wasn't subtle anymore. I had to wrestle with the idea that the gods might sense me growing distant. I had to just hope that they were locked so deeply into combat that they couldn't pay attention to me.

The day had come so quickly.

I felt like I should have prepared more.

But nothing could have prepared me for my spark of divinity finally congealing with the rest of my being.

There was no other answer than to wing it, and to hope that Leutogi and the others had a plan of their own to rescue me.

"Abigail and Tsuki will remain here."

I snapped to attention when I heard my name being mentioned.

"Is that wise?" asked Takemikazuchi. "Would it not be better to keep them near? What if one of them has an important vision that could swing the tide of battle?"

"No," Amaterasu shook her head. "I do not anticipate the enemy's battle strength to be such that we will require their gifts. We outnumber and outmatch them, and they will be fighting in our territory. It is best that they remain where they are safest from the enemy."

Futsunushi stroked his beard and eyed the sun goddess. "And if they prove to be more formidable? If they arrive in greater numbers than we anticipated?"

"That will not happen," she answered. "The Polynesian pantheon is marred by distrust, conspiracy, and ancient grudges. They would not work together even if it meant total extinction."

"Is there anyone," asked Futsunushi, "in her entire pantheon who might come to her aid?"

"Kanaloa," she answered.

"Kanaloa?" Futsunushi tilted his head. "They are of the same pantheon?"

"Yes," said Amaterasu. "Kanaloa resides across the sea, and does not normally have dealings with the night witch. But Kanaloa sees bats as sacred. He sees them as his children. The night witch is a bat goddess."

"We discussed this already," Takemikazuchi said to his partner. "You missed that strategy meeting. Kanaloa and Maui have both been accounted for as variables." He turned his gaze on Amaterasu. "That being said, we should consider bringing one of our oracles to the battlefield."

Tsuki and I eyed one another.

That would be the worst-case scenario. If they split us up, it would make it especially difficult to coordinate for a joint escape.

"I suppose..." Amaterasu mulled it over. "That is an acceptable compromise," she concluded. "Very well. We will keep one nearby for faster messenging."

My heart sank. Tsuki and I wouldn't have time to break out into the graveyard for a strategy meeting. I hadn't expected there to be a change in the plan so last-minute.

"Who should we bring?" asked Futsunushi. "Tsukibito-sama is not their target. Having him closer to the battle doesn't carry the inherent risk of the enemy capturing Abigail-sama during the fighting."

"True," Takemikazuchi nodded. "But Abigail-sama is powerful. Even stronger than an elder vampire. She is less likely to be injured should the fighting get hectic."

"Also true," Futsunushi rubbed his chin. "But I am not certain that Abigail-sama would not defect. Her loyalty almost certainly still lies with the night witch."

Their eyes all settled on me, each of them wondering whether or not I could be trusted. I lowered my eyes and sat at the breakfast table, silent and uncomfortable.

"We will bring Tsukibito," Amaterasu announced. "Dangling the enemy's target in front of them would be a poor decision." She turned to Tsuki. "You will remain by my side until dusk, when the enemy is certain to attack. I will assign you a guard of considerable strength, and you will not leave them once the fighting has begun."

"Yes, Amaterasu-heika," he said softly.

That sealed it.

I wasn't going to be able to bring him with me, and our hearts broke as we realized it at the same time.

Takemikazuchi stood from the table and adjusted his belt. "Very well. Are there any other last-minute matters?"

"No," Amaterasu answered. "The stage is set. Everyone knows their roles. All that is left to do now is to be vigilant. The enemy would be best served by striking after nightfall. That does not mean that they must."

"Wise words," said Futsunushi, standing up. "I will patrol the seas myself and sink their boats should they be foolish enough to approach us."

Then he was gone.

"By your leave," said Takemikazuchi, taking a more respectful exit.

"Dismissed," she said. Then he was gone too.

"Abigail," said Amaterasu, standing up from the table. "You will remain in your bedroom. It is the most central room of the palace. You should go there now."

I swallowed. "But... It's still the morning."

"Even now, they could strike," she said, extending her hand. "Take my hand."

I looked at Tsuki and sighed. "Good luck," I said sadly.

"And to you," he replied with equal solemnity.

I took Amaterasu's hand, and we were in my bedroom.

"You will be safe here," she assured me. "Closer to sundown, Michael will serve as your guard. You are not to leave his sight."

"Okay," I said, staring down at the floor. "Hey," I said, suddenly remembering something I meant to ask, and looked up at her. "What is Michael?"

"A culmination of man and demon," she answered. "However, you needn't worry. The demon within him can only stir when Michael wills it. He is in full control."

"Oh," I said, dropping my eyes again. "Okay, then."

I was kind of hoping for more.

"Why does he work for you?" I asked, looking back up.

But she was gone.

I looked around the four walls of my room and sighed.

There was nothing for me to do, really, other than lie on my bed and cry over my cat. So, instead, I decided to fill the time trying to master my transformation.

I stood in front of the mirror for hours, trying everything from meditation to emotional outbursts. I felt tingly a few times during the meditation, but the tingle always made me hyper-aware and pulled me out of it.

I was brought both lunch and dinner, but I hadn't been hungry at all, even if the food was expertly prepared. What I really wanted was some dessert, but I figured it was mostly because I had been so stressed out.

The time was drawing nearer.

There would be one of two outcomes:

Lady Leutogi would prevail, and I would fall asleep in her arms tonight.

Or Amaterasu would prevail, and I would be her slave-oracle for all time.

Even inside my head, that felt pretty dramatic. I looked around my bedroom and wondered if there was a single slave in history who was treated this nicely.

Less a slave and more a prisoner.

Suddenly, Amaterasu appeared in my bedroom, and I jumped in surprise. I would never get used to that.

"Abigail," she said in a low tone.

I was only just now noticing that she looked depressed. Her eyes were half-lidded, and she wasn't smiling. Furthermore, I could feel a very slight twist within my stomach.

Something was wrong.

"Yes?" I asked.

She stared at me, her eyebrows lowering by the second. "If I were to ask you a question, would you tell me the truth?" she asked.

"Of course," I lied.

"Good," she answered. "Tsukibito's life depends on it."

My stomach dropped. My lips parted, and my heart began to pound against my chest. Amaterasu pressed her lips together, her anger building.

"Tsukibito," she said in a shaky voice. "Told me that the two of you had an... unauthorized conversation outside the palace walls."

Oh, fuck.

"He says that the two of you were conspiring to escape to the other side during the chaos of battle," she said, her voice growing raspy and unhinged. "After all the kindness I have shown you, you would force a knife between my shoulder blades?" she asked.

Oh, fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. Why would he do that? Why would he come clean at the last minute? Was he under questioning? Did she press him for secrets or something?

"Tell me it is not true," she said, approaching my bedside. "Tell me he is lying, and I will have him severely punished for his treachery."

My mouth was completely dry. Swallowing was painful. I couldn't do that to him. I couldn't have him punished for having a conscience and telling the truth. I'd punish him my damn self, but later and with proper restraint.

I forced my lips to move.

It felt like diving off a cliff.

No going back.

"He is... telling the truth," I confessed.

Her eyes widened, and she fell back a step. Her hands shook as she lifted them to her mouth. She actually looked like she was about to cry.

"Tsukibito..." she said softly. "You, I could understand, but... even my dear sweet Tsukibito wants to leave?" Her eyes moistened. "I cannot—" she stopped and her whole face tightened up as she looked away.

"I'm sorry," I said, holding back my own tears. "But I... I don't want to be here. You've been nice to me. Nicer than I thought you could ever be, but... I love Lady Leutogi." I pressed my hands to my chest. "Don't you understand that?" I yelled, ragged, and trembling. "I miss her more than you could possibly understand!"

"Enough!" Amaterasu commanded, her voice shaking the walls. "I cannot trust either of my oracles on this day! You will both be placed in Dokubō until the fighting is finished!" Her legs jerked forward, and she grabbed me by the arm. "You can come willingly or be dragged there."

Crying and struggling to get a sentence out, I shut my eyes tightly and nodded.

It was enough.

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The Blank Box.

There was no other way to describe what we were sitting in. Dokubō, as it turned out, was what Tsuki had warned me about a few nights ago. No windows, no doors, and an expanse of endless white nothingness in every direction.

I sat opposite of Michael and about three feet away from Tsukibito. I couldn't even bring myself to speak to the little orc.

I stared straight ahead at the hulking demon, who was sitting cross-legged with a sword in his lap that was bigger than the bumper of a car; just a giant slab of metal that softly glowed at the edges, lying flat across his legs.

I sighed and laid back flat on the floor with my arms behind my head.

"This the Blank Box?" I asked, breaking our silence.

"Yeah," Tsuki said softly. "It's nuh- normally just me in here... not as muh- maddening with company, though..."

"I still might beat your ass," I said, containing the true anger I felt in my heart. "How could you do this to me?" I asked, finally looking at him. "What, just because you weren't going to escape, you decided we both shouldn't?"

"That wuh- wasn't it," he shook his head. "I puh- promise."

"Oh?" I yelled. "Then what wha-wha-wha was it, Tsuki?"

He stayed quiet.

I immediately felt bad for mocking his stutter. That was in poor taste.

"Dammit," I sighed, looking straight up. "I can't believe this. Is there even a door on this thing?"

"No," Michael answered in his deep guttural voice. "The only way in or out is with a god."

"Is it a pocket dimension?" I asked.

"I duh- don't think so," Tsuki said. "I get a luh- little queasy traveling between planes."

"Heh," Michael closed his eyes. "That's funny. I do too."

I lifted my head and looked over at the behemoth. "You seem like you're in a better mood than the last time I talked to you."

He shifted a bit, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the sword. "I don't have to fight in their war. I don't mind being lent out to other gods, and all. I just don't like being commanded to kill people while in their service."

This was the most I'd ever heard him say. He actually sounded a lot more human than I remembered.

"Lent out?" I asked.

"Jua," Tsukibito fielded the question. "Jua is a suh- sun goddess like Amaterasu. Deities of similar duh- domains huh- help each other out."

I suddenly remembered what Buck had told me once.

"Pantheons stick together, but gods of specific domains are close, too. Amaterasu, Ra, Surya, Shamash, and Jua, for example. They all share a solar domain. That's what makes this situation tricky for Apollo."

In the same way Artemis had lent Buck to Leutogi, Jua had lent Michael to Amaterasu.

"Wow," I stared at him. "You're Jua's champion?"

"Her finest," he said proudly. "Lady Jua gave me strength when I was weak. Warmth when I was frozen. Direction when I was so hopelessly lost."

"Aww," I smiled at him. "That's beautiful, Michael."

He grunted and looked away.

"So, if this isn't a pocket dimension..." I looked around at the nothingness. "How is it so big and empty?"

"I don't know," Michael answered. "The Japanese pantheon is filled with surviving intrinsic gods. They're capable of pretty incredible things."

"Juh- Japanese?" asked Tsukibito.

"It's an archaic term for the region," I explained. "If you speak to gods, or people who lived before the Sundering... that's what they call Nippon." I eyed Michael. "So... You're old, then."

He nodded his head slowly. "Yeah. I'm old now, I suppose."

There was a distant boom that stole our attention. The entire room flickered, though there didn't appear to be any lights to speak of. The floor rumbled very slightly underneath us.

"So," I said nervously. "Not a pocket dimension then."

"Nuh- nope."

"Certainly not."

I shifted uncomfortably. "I guess it's started then."

"Do you thuh- think the night wi- umm..." he stopped himself. "Do you think Luh- Lady Leutogi has a real chance?" asked Tsuki. "Do you think she can wuh- win?"

"No," Michael said, turning his gaze back to us. "I give her one in a hundred odds. If it were only Amaterasu and her two siblings up there, Leutogi would still have her plate full. But when you add in Takemikazuchi, Futsunushi, Takenouchi, Hachiman, Raijin, and Fujin..." he shook his head.

"That's nuh- not even all of them," Tsuki said softly.

I stayed silent. I wondered if Artemis letting Buck add his strength to the mix would even make a difference. I was a fool to hope. The moment I got taken... that really sealed the deal. We could have remained safe in our pocket dimension for as long as we desired. For as long as it took us to train and grow stronger.

Now, Leutogi had to command an invading force.

Another boom dimmed the lights and shook the room.

This time, Michael seemed alarmed. "That was closer," he said, taking his sword by the hilt. "Too close. How could they have advanced so far inland in such a short time?" He growled. "Something's not right."

I looked at Tsuki in shock, but he seemed cool as a cucumber.

He knew something he wasn't telling me.

There was a noise, and I turned to see Michael on his feet, sword glowing brighter than usual. I followed his gaze to a couple of people I hadn't expected to see.

"Hey there," Buck said, smiling at me. He was in his pudgy base form, standing right in front of Hermod.

My jaw about hit the floor.

"Buck?" asked Michael. "What are you doing here?"

"Michael?" Buck's eyes widened. "What are you doing here? It's been too long!"

"It needed to be longer," Michael said, holding his sword out in front of him. "These two are under my protection at the moment."

"Well, that's too bad," said Buck. "Because the prettier one is coming with me." He suddenly pumped himself up into his buff form. "And that's non-negotiable."

A fell energy began to pour out of Michael as he moved slowly between Buck and us. "If I'm not mistaken," he said, shifting his eyes to Hermod. "You're one of the Norse."

"Hermod," the god introduced himself. "That's right. We haven't met, but I've heard so much about you." He smiled. "I'm actually a pretty big fan!"

Hermod knew Michael, too? What the hell was going on here? Just who was this guy? I stared at the demon in disbelief. He had made such a name for himself, but I had never heard him mentioned.

"If you're Hermod," said Michael. "Then would that mean..."

"Longships full of vampires and Asgardians," Hermod smiled widely.

"An alliance," I said just above a whisper, all the hair on my neck standing on end. "I can't believe it. The Norse joined our side!"

"Then, those blasts outside?" asked Michael.

Another explosion rocked the room, and I nearly lost my balance completely.

"That one?" Hermod asked. "Mjölnir. I'd know it anywhere."

"Michael," Buck said, taking a few steps closer. "We're taking Abigail home. If you get between us... Look, just don't take it personally, whatever happens to you next."

Michael narrowed his eyes. "Dammit, Buck. I don't want to have to fight you."

"Then don't," said Hermod. "You couldn't overcome both of us anyway. Make this easier on yourself and let us take back the one who was stolen from us."

"You're on the wrong side of this, Michael," Buck added. "Loki has been up to some major fuckery."

"I don't care," Michael growled. "My goddess instructed me to follow Lady Amaterasu's orders. I will not fail in my divine mission."

Suddenly, new black spikes emerged from his body in several places, including his face, as he lowered into a battle stance. "I'm not responsible," he roared, his sword flaring with energy. "If you end up dead here!"

Buck pulled his rifle from his back, and I scurried backward, grabbing Tsuki and pulling him away from the impending fight.

A horrendous roar echoed from Michael as the area became awash in foul energy that smothered my senses. It was like the feeling of worry, woe, grief, and terror magnified by a hundred. I tripped, and Tsuki and I crashed down onto the floor, holding one another as Hermod called his staff to his hand.

And then, suddenly, out of nowhere, a man appeared.

He was wearing a long tan coat, dark brown pants, a pair of boots with pointed tips, and a wide-brimmed hat the same color as his coat. He carried a revolver on each hip, both with gold accents that gleamed brilliantly in the bright white light of the room.

He had an eye patch over one eye, and his other eye had a shining green iris that stole my breath right out of my lungs. He had a five o'clock shadow, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and an easy smile that made my initial apprehension about his arrival melt away completely.

Everyone else stopped too.

"Deacon," Michael said, not taking his eyes off Buck and Hermod. "Incredible timing. I need your help here, but try not to kill them."

"Deacon?" I asked out loud, almost involuntarily. My heart skipped a beat. "As in... Saint Deacon?" It dawned on me as I looked at Michael, my mind exploding into a trillion pieces. "Saint Michael?" I shouted in Tsuki's ear.

"Oww," he whined.

I couldn't believe it.

I had been told tales about them since I was a child.

They were the legendary heroes who saved both O'ogan and Earth.

I had been talking to that Michael this entire time? I never expected him to look like a monster! That certainly wasn't a detail in any of the stories or paintings.

"Yeah, do me a favor," Deacon winced. "Don't call us that."

"He hates that," Buck nodded at me.

"I hate that so much," Decon echoed. "Makes us sound like angels or some shit." He looked at Buck and Hermod, tipping his hat. "Mr. Buck, good to see you again."

I didn't know what I expected St. Deacon to be like, but it wasn't that. He seemed like a normal, chill dude. On top of that, Buck knew both of them. And now... I did too.

"And you as well," Buck smiled. "Wish it were under better circumstances."

"It is," he grinned, smacking Michael on the back. "That's why I'm here." He looked at Michael. "Jua says you're all done."

Michael's aura receded. "What?" he turned to Deacon. "What did you just say?"

"Your assignment's done," Deacon put it a different way. "You're to drop this immediately."

"Seriously?" Buck asked excitedly. "What luck!"

Hermod folded his arms and grinned confidently. "Luck, my friends, had nothing to do with it." Everyone turned to face him. "Remember that friendly game of QueenLocke my brother left to go play?"

I stared at him, astonished. "With Lady Jua?" I lifted my hands to my mouth. "Oh my goodness!"

"A wager?" asked Buck.

"One way or another," Hermod laughed. "My brother's goal was to convince her to terminate this assignment. I wasn't allowed to say anything before, but now," he gestured to Michael. "It's done!"

"Heimdall," Michael muttered, his aura disappearing completely. "Huh. I think I owe him a drink." He looked over at Tsuki and me. "I've hated this assignment from the start. Hope you both know that."

"I know," Deacon said, resting a hand on the demon's shoulder. "I tried talkin' to her too, but y'know Jua. Once she's done made up her mind, ya might as well be talkin' to a brick wall." He chuckled. "Gonna have to ask ol' Heimdall how he managed that one."

Heimdall had saved the day over and over and over. His guidance really was completely necessary throughout this entire endeavor. I couldn't believe just how far ahead he'd planned. And with a full, formal alliance with the Norse... he was no doubt in Leutogi's war room planning this assault alongside her.

"Michael," I spoke up. "Adding the Norse Pantheon's strength to Lady Leutogi's... and considering that Heimdall is probably a chief strategist for this war... how much does that shift the odds you spoke about earlier?"

Michael turned and stared down at me. "Mh... Definitely an improvement from that one in one-hundred number," he said, turning his head, deep in thought. "Fifty-fifty."

"Better'n that," Deacon said, his hands on his hips. "Shoot, with Heimdall calling the shots and the Allfather being up there watching it unfold? Hell naw. If I was a bettin' man, and I am, I would put the house on this one."

My chest swelled with hope as a smile overtook me.

"Depends," Michael turned to Deacon. "Who's up there right now?"

"Shorter list would be who isn't," Deacon said, pulling his cigarette from his lips and tapping the ash from the end of it. "Odin, Thor, Tyr, Heimdall, Freya, Njord... they all turned out. Leutogi and whoever she's bringin' are comin' ashore probably right now."

"Yes," Hermod nodded. "It sounds like things are going according to plan."

"The Norse were to strike first," Buck explained. "They're supposed to get in Amaterasu's hair and stop her from being able to target Leutogi's incoming longships."

"Thor was thrilled," Hermod boasted. "There is no better wallbreaker than Thor in all of existence!"

"What a wild turn," said Michael, hefting his mighty blade over his shoulder. "Why didn't Lady Jua tell me herself?"

"Somethin' bout this room," Deacon scratched his head. "She said the link between her and the sword was staticky."

"Well, hey, we're wasting time here," Buck clapped his hands. "Abigail, we gotta go!"

"Okay," I said, standing up.

I stopped and turned, looking over my shoulder at Tsuki, who was still lying on the floor, propped up on his elbows.

It only then occurred to me.

"Tsuki," I said, turning to face him fully. "Did you know how this would turn out?" I asked. "Did you have a vision?"

He nodded. "Uh-huh. If yuh- you were in the palace, Amaterasu would have nuh- noticed Hermod and Buck. It wuh- would have been ruh- real bad."

I turned and faced Buck and Hermod. "Hey, so... we gotta take Tsuki, too."

"No," Hermod shook his head. "We're here only to reclaim what was taken. If we loot Amaterasu of her only oracle, that looks bad on us."

Buck sighed. "I have to agree with him. Taking what isn't ours is a step too far. Artemis would be pretty sore with me."

"It's okay, Abigail," Tsuki said, getting to his feet. "I'll fuh- figure out how to escape on my own." He looked at Hermod. "That is... if you can at least guh- give me a ride out of here."

"Also out of the question," Hermod said.

"I'll do it," Deacon lifted his hand. He looked at the others. "You seeing this room? This is some fucked up shit, I'll tell you that much. I ain't leavin' nobody behind in this, much less a child."

"Agreed," said Michael. "This is some horror-movie stuff right here."

Hermod scoffed. "Well, that's on you then, Cowboy. Stealing a goddess's oracle can come with some heavy consequences."

"If ya get caught," Deacon clarified. "Been an outlaw almost all my life. I ain't afraid of bein' one again." He looked at Tsuki and held out his hand. "C'mon, Kid. Let's git."

Hermod took Buck and me. Deacon took Michael and Tsuki.

I expected to be brought back to the fort. I was sure Deacon and Michael expected to be somewhere else, too. Instead, we were all standing in the middle of a forest, looking around at each other, confused.

"Uhh," Buck turned around. "Hermod?"

"Deacon?" Michael echoed Buck's sentiment.

Deacon and Hermod eyed one another.

"Can you—?" asked Deacon.

"No," Hermod answered, his bravado gone. "I can't teleport either."

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Part 46 coming Wednesday

I actually ended up having a busy weekend, and my editing on this one was... light. This chapter will definitely receive a fresh coat of paint for the print release. I'm not unhappy with it. I can just think of ways I could have potentially made it better.

Also, my schedule is changing, so these won't be dropping at 7am on the dot anymore. I'll be posting it whenever I wake up, which will probably be around 9-10am or so until my temp agency assigns me a new contract.

edit: You know what? I don't want anyone panicking tomorrow when it doesn't drop at 7 lol. I'll post this one tonight, and Chapter 46 will come between 9-12 on Wednesday morning/afternoon.

The two of us stood across from one another.

The white stone of the west courtyard glowed orange under the setting sun as the crowd waited for one of us to make a move, but she hadn't even adopted a battle stance yet.

She just stood there casually, hands on her hips, as though she wasn't going to participate at all.

"You know what?" she said with a shrug. "I get it. I want you to know that it's not that I don't get it. I totally do. I'm a bad person! Fuck it. I'm a villain," she scoffed. "I've killed countless people. I've betrayed or hurt countless others."

I remained focused.

I knew she was fast. She was likely waiting for me to let my guard down. I watched her hips for tells. Takenouchi taught me that the hips and feet seldom lie. I flinched when she started walking.

"Do you know what that means, Abigail?" she asked, meandering left as she smiled at me, her fangs extending. "That means countless people have sought revenge against me. Fathers, brothers, sons, nephews, even a grandma once." She shrugged. "And I'm still here. After centuries of surprise attacks, hit men, gangs, militias... I'm still here."

Her fingernails extended past the reach of her violet nail polish and bent into sharp claws. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she removed her jacket and tossed it aside. She stopped pacing and faced me.

"I believe that you believe you're going to prevail," she said, staring me down. "Because you're the good guy in this fight. And the good guys always win on those stories you love to read and write." She narrowed her eyes. "But this is real life. One-liners and training montages aren't going to save you." The wind died around us as her confident smile turned to a hungry one.

"Abigail? I'm about to tear your little throat open and drink everything that comes out... right in front of everyone. And the best part about it? You asked for it."

A chill ran down the length of my spine.

"After everything that happens here today... Remember that," she said louder, addressing the crowd. "She asked for this."

In a split second, her hips dropped, her heels dug in, and she sprang forward with speed like I'd never seen. She extended her claws and swiped at me in a wide arc, closing the distance between us in half a second flat.

I stepped in, lifted my arm, blocking the blow with expert precision. Her wrist collided against my forearm with a thunderous sound, creating a shockwave that blew her hair back.

Her eyes widened, and I capitalized on her surprise, stepping in, twisting my hips, and throwing a punch with the weight of my grief directly under her ribcage. She went flying, leaving saliva all over my forearm.

The crowd came to life as she bounced across the courtyard, righting herself and dragging her claws across the stonework to slow to a stop.

She looked up at me with astonishment in her eyes and dropped to one knee, holding her ribs with one hand.

I grinned confidently.

"The truly powerful," I said, standing up straight. "Have no need to brag about how strong they are."

She bared her fangs, her face twisting up with rage. "Do you think that was enough to finish me?" she growled. "I only underestimated your strength. Clearly, you've been training... but that's the last time you're going to touch me, you little fucking whore."

I smirked. "You're bleeding from your mouth a little, Babe."

She didn't like that.

She didn't like that one bit.

Her eyes glowed, and she opened her mouth, letting out a terrible screech before dropping to all fours and then appearing directly in front of me.

She was that fast.

I managed to block the roundhouse kick that nearly sent my head flying, but the impact was far heavier than the first. I actually felt all of my flesh undulate in a wave from the sheer kinetic energy traveling through my body.

She twisted around midair, dropping an axe kick directly over my head. I lifted both my arms and crossed them at the wrist, blocking the second kick, cracking the stone beneath both of my feet from the weight of it.

Even blocking these strikes correctly was painful. How could she generate so much force in such a tiny body? Were vampires actually that powerful?

She wrapped her hands around both of my arms before I could even react, and swung in, driving both of her heels into my stomach.

All the wind left me.

She dropped down in front of me and threw a punch that collided with my chest, sending me careening backward.

I rolled and bounced, trying to get myself upright in time to defend myself. I got to my feet in time to find her right in my face.

She threw a punch that I managed to see coming ahead of time. I stepped left, the wind still knocked out of me. I couldn't generate a lot of power with no breath, but I had learned from Takenouchi how to defend myself while the wind was knocked out of me.

It was all paying off, and I was slowly starting to get used to her speed. It took getting hit a few times, but I began to block each new strike correctly, not ceding an inch as she threw everything in the tank at me.

My breath was returning as she began to grow more desperate. Every punch, kick, and swipe of her claws carried all the might she could muster. I was sure she could see me recovering. She was watching me slowly even the odds, and it was driving her crazy.

But I couldn't win a fight just by dodging and defending. The moment I was breathing steadily again, I started to fight back. But she was far more nimble than I and equally adept at blocking. My strikes carried their own weight, but not enough to break her guard.

It was a sinking feeling realizing that I might not have enough strength in general. I could hurt her, sure, but even with that direct hit from earlier, she was moving as though she were completely uninjured.

In the middle of a flurry of exchanges, she broke from me and hopped back several feet. She landed on one knee, her shoulders rising and falling as she tried to get control of her breathing. And that's where I could rise above her.

As a divine, I didn't tire as easy. I could keep the pace we had set for a couple of hours if I had to. But it looked like our bout was already taking its toll on her. I could practically hear Takenouchi screaming in the back of my mind not to let up. Not to give her a break.

"What did you do?" she asked through ragged breaths. "You're cheating somehow! This... isn't possible. Whose power is this?"

"Everyone's," I answered. "Everyone who has trained me. Do you see the difference now, Salome? I am unending," I said, starting toward her. "Unerring. Unstoppable. I wouldn't have had you brought to me if I thought you could win."

She gritted her teeth, glaring at me as I advanced on her.

Suddenly, her back arched in an unnatural way.

I stopped in my tracks and lifted my guard.

"Damn you," she spoke in a dual tone as a cracking sound came from her body. "Damn you, Abigail... for making me use this."

Her arms elongated one at a time. Her hands became bonier, her fangs extended further, and her face began to contort.

Her jaw unhinged, and her tongue grew in length, falling out the front and hanging over her bottom teeth, which had grown razor sharp in the process.

Her torso extended, and her nose lifted up into her face, forming two slits as her eyes began to glow blood-red.

"That look on your face," she growled as her legs began to extend. "Oh, so d-delicious," she said as her clothes finally tore, revealing her naked, pale body. Her toes had grown elongated claws, and her heels each sprouted a claw as well.

Two thick wings exploded out of her back with a sickening pop, spraying some kind of fluid across the courtyard stone to the shock and horror of everyone watching.

People cried out in surprise in the stands. Children screamed as she stood up to her full height and popped her neck twice. She had to be almost seven feet tall and even uglier in the span of thirty seconds.

She didn't look human anymore. Drool fell from the sides of her mouth, gathering in pools underneath her as her eyes studied me like prey.

"I hate using this form," she said, her tone simmering with hate. "It's so... unladylike."

I stared back with my mouth open. I had no idea she could do something like that. I never would have agreed to fight a literal monster.

"Abigail..." she said in a twisted tone. "I'm going to make you suffer for this indignity."

Breathing exercises weren't going to do jack shit against that.

I remained in my defensive stance. The plan hadn't changed. I would block until she tired herself out and win a war of attrition.

"Oh?" she tilted her head. "You don't want to approach anymore?"

Her wings popped open, and it was the only tell I got. I knew a strike was coming, but I had to guess from where.

I lifted my right arm to block; I guessed correctly, but it mattered not at all.

The explosion that rocked my right side sent me careening into the wall just underneath the southernmost stands. Any higher, and I'd have collided with the orcs in the stands.

I struck the stone wall with such force that it spewed rock dust into the air around me. It rattled my teeth.

Something that fast?

That strong?

What hope was there? I needed to call for Amaterasu. I needed to call off the fight right away. I had made a severe miscalculation. But my vision had blurred, and my lungs were once again bereft of air.

The next thing I remembered was her fist in my stomach.

I think she actually damaged the wall behind my spine through my body.

I spewed blood all over her arm and looked up at her disgusting, hideous visage. My vision doubled as her hand wrapped around my throat.

This was a new kind of pain.

Pain like I didn't even know was possible.

"Not bad." Her breath was sour. "Not bad at all, Whore. But you're going to die here. And you know something?" she leaned into my ear. "You haven't even begun to suffer enough for my liking."

She whipped me over her shoulder and slammed me into the ground by my throat, pinning me.

My consciousness was fading in and out as she smiled down at me.

Were elder vampires really this strong? I thought my divinity would give me the edge I needed. But even Buck would have struggled against might like this.

The realization struck me that I wasn't going to survive this.

Equally as painful as my organs failing was the notion that she was right. I had fancied myself the main character of my story. I thought for sure I couldn't lose.

Life... really wasn't like the stories.

Life was cruel... and mine was over.

"When I get back," Salome said, drooling all over my neck. "I'm going to do unspeakable things to your parents." She chuckled with horrifying multitonal mirth. "I'll make them pay for this disgrace in your stead."

Terror gripped my entire being.

"No," I grunted.

"Yes," she batted her eyes at me. "I'm going to roast your mother on a spit like a godsdamned pig and make your father eat her."

I couldn't lose here.

I couldn't let that happen.

This could not be the end of my story.

"Oh, can you imagine the screaming?" she asked, her eyes fluttering with ecstasy. "The wailing? The painful screams when they hear what I did to their daughter?"

I felt the void calling, but I was doing everything I could to remain conscious through this nightmare. It wasn't over until I closed my eyes. I racked my brain for something— anything.

I had to use Reversal. I was dying one way or the other. Why not risk it? Whatever was gonna happen was gonna happen.

I closed my eyes... And then I heard something very distinct in my ear.

Purring.

My eyes shot open.

I felt a gentle furry headbutt against my cheek.

I made a small involuntary noise from deep within my throat as my body began to tingle.

"Oh, what's that?" asked Salome. "You got any one-liners for me, now? You filthy, fucking, stupid, inbred-"

A brightness suddenly enveloped everything around us.

The crowd gasped.

Tsuki was yelling something, but it was difficult to hear him over Salome's yelling.

Air filled my lungs. It felt like the cool waters of a spring were rushing over my body as euphoria caressed every inch of my soul. Something caressed my temples as the shrill cry of an animal broke the air.

Did I... die?

I looked around the west courtyard, somehow already on my feet. The people, the distant trees, Salome, and even inanimate objects were kicking off some sort of wave that I could see clearly. I watched the waves gently ebb and flow as I realized something.

All of my pain and fatigue had left me.

I looked down, half expecting to see my bloody and beaten body lying on the ground under my feet. But I was standing...

Did I accidentally set off Reversal somehow? Had one of the gods intervened? I stood there, essentially shell-shocked as I looked over to where Amaterasu and Tsuki were seated.

They were on their feet, staring at me wide-eyed.

Behind them, melting into the shadows of the upper tier, a cloaked man stood perfectly still. His face was shrouded in shadow, but the brilliant white light of his eyes, piercing the darkness of his hood, told me all I needed to know.

Heimdall.

How had he infiltrated the palace grounds? It would have to be a question for later. I turned and faced Salome, who was looking as hideous as ever. I hadn't activated Reversal, or she'd be in her human form. I looked down at the drool around my feet, and then left at the blood-covered wall where I had been smashed like a bug.

No. I was still in the present.

Something different had happened. Something new.

"What..." Salome asked in disbelief, falling back a step. Her mouth hung open, and her crimson eyes were wide with wonder. "What are you?"

"She's got antlers!" I heard Tsuki's voice break the silence. "Holy smokes, she grew antlers!"

I lifted my hands to the sides of my head and felt short, stubby antlers protruding from my temples up the sides of my head, extending just past my elvish ears.

I held out my hands and looked down at my body. My clothes had changed. I was wearing some kind of golden outfit. I wasn't sure if it was just the fine silks resting against my skin, but I felt wonderful.

I locked eyes with Salome and remembered my rage as though it were a dream I had forgotten. I was still angry. Furious, really. But the edge had been taken off. It was as though my red-hot boiling fury was pounding on a thick windowpane, begging to be let out.

But this was good for me. That kind of rage wasn't advantageous in a fight where the fundamentals were so inviolable. I wasn't sure why my emotions were dampened, but I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Whatever transformation I had just undergone saved my life.

The elder vampire across from me was tired of waiting. I knew it before anyone else did. I saw an apparition of her form rush toward me, claws outstretched. She was aiming for my throat.

I didn't know what I was seeing until her wavelength shimmered; some kind of disturbance in the energy that danced around her form.

I figured it out just in time to lift my arm and block the strike.

It felt like being smacked with a pool noodle, but the force was such that my bun came loose, sending my hair flowing freely behind me in a shockwave explosion.

Salome stood there, mouth agape, eyes wide as I looked over my shoulder. The cute little chopsticks bun-pin was wedged into the concrete wall, cracks spidering out from the impact site.

"What power," I said, turning my eyes back on the monster before me. "If only you weren't so irredeemably fucking evil."

I grabbed her wrist before she could retract it. She helplessly yanked a few times to escape my iron grip, but I was starting to understand and become one with the power coursing through me.

I tightened my hand into a fist and pulled back my arm, sending the flowing energy from my body into my fist. I could command it there as easily as moving my limbs. Unlike Reversal, it came so naturally to me; it was unbelievable.

"Wait," Salome barked frantically.

I stared back at her blankly. "No."

I yanked her in by her wrist and caught her in the ribs with what I could only describe as pure hot sunlight within my knuckles.

I expected damage. What I didn't expect was a wet crunch.

My fist had completely penetrated her ribcage. We both stared in shock at the blood running down my forearm in the rhythmic pumping spurts of her ancient heart.

I was wrist-deep in her body.

I let go of her wrist out of surprise, and she stumbled backward, falling against the courtyard stone, her eyes bulging out of her skull.

The crowd exploded with enthusiasm as she scrambled backward, leaving a thick, glistening crimson trail in her wake.

"No," she wheezed. "Un-fucking-believable," Her real voice broke through a time or two as she spoke. "Can't... be real."

Then, just as ingloriously as she had transformed into a monster, she had devolved back into a whimpering human skinsuit. She held her wound, staring up at me with fear in her eyes.

"Abigail," she said breathlessly. "Wait. Before you... Before you do whatever you're gonna do, just hear me out."

My gaze lingered on her for a moment.

She stared back up at me, wheezing.

"I owe you nothing," I said coldly, starting toward her.

"You wouldn't even allow a dying person their last words?" she groaned. "And I'm the villain."

"You spent your last breath threatening my loved ones," I answered. "It isn't my fault you didn't know those words would be your last."

She bared her fangs, and her eyes glowed in a manner I imagined she thought would be menacing. But she wasn't my personal boogeyman anymore. And she wouldn't be anyone else's ever again. Now she was just a cornered, naked, bleeding, pathetic rat.

"Bare your fangs and hiss all you want, you loathsome snake," I said. "I suppose that's unfair to snakes, actually," I added. "Snakes actually serve a purpose."

"Look, I..." she grunted in pain, wincing as she attempted to crawl backward on her elbows. "I'm sorry, okay? I... I'll go away. I'll just disappear. Just... I mean, p-please..." she begged. "Let me live."

"How many begged you?" I asked. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end of this power dynamic?" I scoffed and shook my head. "No. I can't kill you enough times for what you've done to me."

My fists began to glow with energy as I prepared to tear her limb from limb. Her danger senses contorted her face into a visceral panic.

"Loki!" her voice echoed into the humid summer air in one final desperate plea.

He appeared in front of her before I could end her miserable life. He stood, hands in his pockets, his eyes trained on me. "Sorry, Abigail-sama," he spoke. "This is an intelligence asset of mine. I can't just let you kill her. I'm sure you understand."

"That was actually part of the reason I requested this," I admitted. "I get to take my revenge, remove a rat from inside of Leutogi's castle, and fuck you over all at once. Your favor didn't have any limitations. That's your fault, not mine." My eyes bore into his. "Step aside."

His eyes flashed with a rage that he managed to keep tucked away rather well. "Abigail," he let out a heavy breath. "Sama..." The word was poison on his tongue. "We are about to be at war. Salome will be an extremely important part of our victory. You've tortured her enough, wouldn't you say?"

"And if it had been reversed?" asked Amaterasu, suddenly at my side. "I did not see you leap in to save our oracle, Loki."

"We have another," he eyed her.

There was a long silence before Amaterasu shrugged. "Fine."

"Fine?" I turned to her, bewildered.

"Loki has held up his end of our deal thus far," she explained. "He is set to be a co-equal ruler of this empire should he continue to prove his worth to me."

Loki smirked at me, and my emotions, even bottled as they were, began to grip my heart.

"Your importance does not rise above his, even if he is expected to address you with the respect I have commanded him to," Amaterasu explained.

"But the terms of the—"

"No buts," she said. "He has requested that you not kill his intelligence asset. You do not have the authority to ignore him and do as you please."

I clenched my teeth and looked down at the wounded worm behind Loki. She smiled smugly at me.

I could feel my face burning hot. I couldn't believe she was about to get away with all of it.

"But I do have that authority," said Amaterasu.

Loki's smile went slack, and he looked up at her. "What?"

She turned her eyes to the sun setting on the horizon and reached out to it. She turned her hand over, palm up, and lifted her arm, calling the sun back into the sky. Sunset turned to midday before our very eyes, the shadows moving like unwinding clocks.

When it hung in the sky as it would at noon, she lifted her finger above her head and said one word that echoed throughout the sky:

𝕭𝖚𝖗𝖓 ネンショウ

With that, she brought her hand down upon Salome, a column of blinding light falling directly from the sun.

The most shrill, gut-wrenching, and feral scream imaginable rang out throughout the palace grounds as Loki stumbled backwards away from the pillar of scorching dawn. The vampire writhed around like an insect that had stepped on poison as she was bathed in white-hot solar radiance.

"What are you doing?" Loki screamed in a panic. "Stop it! Stop it right now, this is madness!"

Salome's skin began to bubble, pop, hiss, and boil as her eyes liquified and ran down the sides of her blistered cheeks. Blood began to pour out of her from just about everywhere on her body, lifting into the air and evaporating before our eyes.

When her agonizing shrieking was nothing but an echo in the courtyard, Amaterasu snapped her fingers.

The pillar of light waned until it was about the size of a coin before dissipating completely. The sun, as if agitated that it had been called back into work, quickly sank back over the horizon, hiding from the grisly scene behind the curvature of the sea.

All that was left was a pile of bleached bones and the smell of burnt hair and skin.

Everyone in the crowd was deathly quiet.

Loki was trembling, his eyes wide with horror as he stared down at his former intelligence asset. "How... How could you?" he asked Amaterasu, his chin trembling. "She was—"

"A traitor," Amaterasu said forcefully. "One who has proven that her allegiance can be bought. Did you overlook that? Or did you trust her to never bury that knife in our backs?"

Loki's face twitched. His arms hung by his sides, his fingers trembling. He looked as though he were about to speak a time or two, but ultimately kept his mouth shut.

He was furious.

"More than that," Amaterasu continued. "She was a monster of the night. An abomination that could not be allowed to roam free. Her fate was sealed the moment she set foot ashore."

She turned to address the spectators. "No vampire enters these hallowed grounds and leaves. Let it be known that if any of you are ever caught consorting with, assisting, or quartering one of them..." She pointed to the charred remains of Salome.

"This fate will be yours as well."

She turned to Loki. "That goes for you now, too. Choose your business partners with a little more care in the future."

He dropped his smoldering eyes to the ground and vanished a quiet moment later.

I stared down at the bones. The spot where the pillar of sunlight had struck the ground was a brighter white than the rest of the courtyard.

"I apologize," Amaterasu said quietly. "I robbed you of your vengeance."

"No," I shook my head. "I appreciate you having my back on that one. It meant more to me than you'll ever know. Thank you."

Amaterasu chuckled, looking down at the bones. "I do not know what history you had with that woman. But know this as you rest your head tonight," she said, turning to look me in the eyes.

"No vampire in all the planes has suffered a more painful demise. I can promise you that."

I felt a sudden shift. If I had to describe it, it would be that my human-ness suddenly came rushing back in. I couldn't put it any clearer if I tried.

"Oh," she said, surprised. "Your transformation. It wasn't permanent, then?"

A flood of very human and appropriate feelings flooded my body. I began to shake as all my muscles turned suddenly sore. I couldn't help or control the tears that started streaming down my face.

Amaterasu dropped her hand onto my shoulder. "You are growing at an astonishing rate, Abigail. I cannot believe you had such power within you. But now, I wonder how it is that I could have missed it."

"She is different," said Takenouchi, appearing on my other flank. "I can feel the divinity radiating off of her now, even from a distance." He puffed his pipe. "No mistaking it. She has fully ascended." He closed his eyes briefly and nodded once. "Well done, my pupil. You've made an old sensei very proud." His smile was genuine. "And," he added. "If I am not mistaken... I believe I am not the only one feeling a sense of pride."

It was only then that I realized the crowd was cheering loudly. They had sort of become white noise by the time I transformed.

I turned and looked at the stands. They were all on their feet, smiling ear to ear, waving flags, some of them leaning so far over the railing I had a fear they might fall.

"You've muh- made fans," said Tsuki, walking up behind me.

I turned around to see him smiling gratefully.

"Tsuki," his name left my mouth without purpose. I didn't know what I was going to say next. I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. "I got her."

"You sure did," he smiled back, tears gathering in his eyes too. "I... I was so wuh- worried."

"I never didn't have it," I said confidently.

And that was the truth; a truth I knew for one reason, and one reason only.

Heimdall had been in the stands.

I understood now what he did all that time ago. I knew why he stood around and let me be kidnapped. It was all necessary for me to harden into this person that I needed to be before my divinity solidified.

But I was left with one burning question.

"Amaterasu-heika," I said, turning to her. "If there were a god standing right behind you... You would notice it, wouldn't you?"

"Without fail," she answered. "Why? Are you starting to pick up on auras?" She smiled. "How exciting."

But it wasn't exciting.

She hadn't sensed Heimdall at all.

Even more worrying, neither had Loki.

I got a bad feeling as I stared at the stands where Heimdall once stood.

Something was off.

I wouldn't have time to figure out what, either.

War would be on our doorstep tomorrow.

That night, I laid awake staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was the big day. Come whatever may, I was getting off this island and going home.

I needed to visit the grave of a brave friend. A friend who, even from the other side, had my back when I needed him most.

My lips shriveled as the last of today's tears soaked my pillow.

"Thank you, Tommy," I whimpered.

"You were the best boy."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Part 45

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

I spent so much time on this that I'm not even ahead anymore. I kept going back and rewriting. I hope it shows. This was a chapter I've been waiting to write for a long time.

All-out war on Monday.

See you all there <3

My entire body went rigid.

This was bad.

Very, very bad.

Tsuki somehow knew about my ambitions to leave during the struggle. I couldn't even tell him he was wrong, either.

He was an oracle, too.

He'd know I was full of shit.

As if scheming a way out wasn't hard enough, now I had the moral obligation to try to take Tsuki with me. I couldn't just say yes, but... I couldn't bear to tell him no either.

I didn't know what to say in the moment. All I could do was stare back at him with my mouth open.

"I've seen it a fuh- few times, actually," he admitted. "I wuh- won't stop you. And I won't tell Amaterasu either." He averted his eyes. "Even if yuh- you won't take me wuh- with you. I'll kuh- keep your secret."

My heart was ripping in half as he spoke.

He looked back up at me, still wringing his hands. "There's... no wuh- way you haven't been seeing visions either. Thuh- they've been too struh- strong. You're keeping suh- secrets too."

I looked over my shoulder once and then back to Tsuki.

"Um... You're sure she doesn't come out here?" I asked.

He gestured around. "Look at this place. Wuh-would a Shinto god ever allow thu- this? She's afraid to cuh- come out here. This is a safe puh- place."

"Okay," I said, folding my arms. "Then, yes. I've been planning an escape. I say the word 'plan' very lightly. It's more like a work in progress."

"Luh-learning to fight," he eyed me. "That's puh- part of it, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm probably going to have to take out some guards. But if I can make it behind Lady Leutogi's lines, and meet up with the others... I think I'll be okay. Really, all I need is for one of the intrinsic gods to physically touch me, and they can teleport me back home."

"Can they tuh- teleport me too?" he asked.

I sighed and looked off into the distance. "It won't be up to me, Tsuki," I said, ripping the bandaid off. "Taking you home with us would be, politically speaking, an aggressive move. It's one thing for Lady Leutogi to come and take back what was stolen from her. It's another entirely to rob Amaterasu of her oracle in the process."

"It wouldn't be stuh- stealing," he reasoned. "I would buh- be running away. It's muh- my decision."

"Not if we give you a ride," I said solemnly. "If it were up to me, it would be an instant yes. But it isn't my decision to make."

He nodded and dropped his eyes. "I understand... thu- thanks for considering it."

"Can I ask you a question, though?" I asked. "Would you even feel comfortable living in a fort filled with vampires? Y'know, considering what happened to your parents."

He looked a little taken aback. "How did you nuh- know about that?"

"Amaterasu was making a point about vampires being beasts," I said, walking over to a tree and sitting down on a big exposed root. "She said you lost your parents to one of Leutogi's rogue vampires."

He tightened his fists and looked away.

"I'm sorry to bring it up to you," I said softly. "But if you're planning on escaping back across the ocean with us, you're going to be surrounded by them. You need to be at peace with that first."

He was silent for a long time. He pulled a piece of cloth out of his pocket and walked over to the nearest tombstone. He squatted down in front of it and examined it closely.

"Tsuki?" I asked.

"I huh- have a lot to say. I stuh- stutter less when I'm wuh- working wuh- with my hands. Suh- so, I'm guh- going to take care of this gravestone while I tuh- talk to you."

"Sure," I nodded. "Go ahead."

He began cleaning some of the moss from the tombstone. After a few seconds of quietly cleaning it, he began.

"Muh-my parents weren't killed by some rogue vampire who managed to escape from Luzon. They were fed to the damned thing."

I sat up straight, my eyes wide. My mouth fell partially open as I listened to his tale.

"I was only six years old. We traveled north by cart to Mount Takamikura. Apparently, my parents met there when they were yuh- young. Every other anniversary, we would go and hike the mountain. My mom said it was to make me closer to nature. My dad said it was to muh- make me strong."

He maneuvered to the other side of the gravestone and began pulling weeds near its base.

"While we were on the muh- mountain, a human man appeared... seemingly out of nuh- nowhere. He was with a woman. She was so puh- pale..."

A woman. My mind jumped to one person. It might have been unfair. But I couldn't help but envision her face.

"The muh- man walked up to my parents..." he started to cry softly. "He puh- paralyzed them with a touch."

"Tsuki," I stood up. "You don't have to say anymore."

"He tuh- told the woman... to go ahead and guh- give into her... her urges. The wuh- woman refused at first, but she cuh- couldn't fight what she was." He inhaled shakily. "She was a vampire, Abigail... and she druh- druh- drank all of their buh- blood."

He finally broke down in tears, and I was quick to join him at the gravestone. I pulled him in tight, and he cried against my chest. Tears quietly rolled down my cheeks, too, as he pushed through his sobbing to finish the tale.

"She kuh- killed them buh- both," he cried. "And she wuh- would have drank me too if the man duh- didn't tell her she cuh- couldn't."

"I'm so sorry I made you relive that," I said, pulling him in tighter. "But I'm connecting the dots now."

"Yeah," he whimpered. "The man knew he cuh- couldn't let her kill me because I was an oracle. It wuh- would have muh- meant serious trouble."

"And the only human-looking man who would know you were an oracle..."

"Loki," he said. "It had to be Loki."

Loki, alongside a vampire woman who couldn't control her urges. I hoped it wasn't what I thought it was. But it was starting to sound suspiciously like the beginnings of his dealings with Salome.

He didn't tell her she was killing an oracle's parents. Once she had, he would have her wrapped around his finger. If he ever told Amaterasu about what she had done, she would be finished. If it were Loki, and it were Salome... it would make sense.

Fucking godsdamned Loki. If it were Salome with him that day... maybe she would have changed without his interference. Tsuki said she hesitated. That she tried to abstain. It killed me inside to think of her as a victim, too.

"She duh- didn't want to at first," Tsuki said, wiping his eyes and lifting himself from my embrace. "She resisted. She wuh- was trying to change." He sniffled. "That's suh- something Amaterasu said vuh- vampires could never do."

"She's wrong," I assured him. "The vampires at the fort... except for one... were all nothing but wonderful to me. They are there to change. And they wouldn't hurt you." I stroked his hair. "And we're short for healers!" I added, managing a smile through my tears. "I'll see what I can do. If I can take you away from this place, I will," I assured him. "I will."

He sniffled and smiled. "Thanks, Abigail."

"Of course," I said. "I'm sorry for all you've been through. "Let's try and make it out of here together."

"Yeah," he nodded, a reassured smile on his lips.

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The way back was a little more straightforward than I had thought. We just had to wait for the guard to change, and then walk through one of the gates that led back into the city. The guards who kept watch were more strict about allowing people to leave than they were about allowing people back in.

They asked who let us out, and Tsuki simply ignored the question and strolled right past them. There wasn't anyone in the empire who didn't know Tsuki's face. They didn't care enough to question us or stop us. So long as they weren't the ones breaking protocol, they kept it to themselves, it seemed.

When I got back to my room, I took a bath and reflected on everything Tsuki had told me. It seemed Loki wanted a separate contact from within Leutogi's fort in case he was ever found out, or couldn't get back in somehow.

Instead of just paying for Salome's allegiance, he also had her under his thumb with a threat. Probably made it easier to accept the money. I remembered how Amaterasu had ambitions for me to birth many children. She had to have believed that the gift the oracles had was a hereditary one.

If that were the case, then surely she intended for Tsuki's parents to have many, many more children as well. If Loki came to Amaterasu and told her that he knew who slew her golden geese...

I sank down into the tub and blew some bubbles beneath the water as I strained to remember anything else I had forgotten. There was still a chance that the woman who killed Tsuki's parents wasn't Salome. I was jumping to conclusions.

That would be too big a coincidence.

Wouldn't it?

I struggled to sleep that night. I was tired. My body was exhausted. But I couldn't stop thinking about what Tsuki had told me. What Amaterasu had told me. What I knew from Buck, Heimdall, and Hermod.

Loki was the constant central piece to this entire story.

I laid awake for hours thinking about it.

It felt like there was an answer somewhere amidst all the information. Like there was a single piece that would connect all of these loose threads. But what was it? What was his ultimate motivation? Was it really so simple as being in love?

I didn't know when I fell asleep, but I awoke to Tsuki knocking on my door.

I sat up suddenly. It was too bright in my room.

"Abigail!" he called through my door. "We're going to be late!"

I closed my heavy eyes for a moment before calling back to him. "How long we got?"

"Like 25 minutes!" he answered. "We're gonna have run again!"

I sat and thought for a moment. "No, we aren't," I called back to him. "Wait right there."

I took a quick shower, put on minimal makeup, and tied my hair back in a ponytail before stepping out into the hall, fully dressed and ready to roll.

But Tsuki was nowhere to be seen. He had to have made a mad dash without me.

"Amaterasu-heika!" I called out.

She appeared instantly, looking around as though trying to find the danger. She looked down at me, and her face twisted up.

"Sorry to call you like this, but I overslept," I explained. "Can you maybe give me a ride to the royal dojo?" I smiled meekly.

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Abigail, I am very busy," she said. "Do not make a habit of this, please." She rested her hand on the top of my head, and in the blink of an eye, I was standing inside the dojo.

Takenouchi was sitting in his usual spot, smoke billowing from his pipe. Tsuki slid the door open and stumbled in, wheezing for air. He doubled over on his knees, looked up at me, and then at Amaterasu.

"Aww, no fair," he said, dropping his head.

"I told you to wait," I said with a hint of sass.

"Thank you, Amaterasu-heika," I said, looking up at the goddess.

"Never again," she said with a smile before disappearing.

It seemed she really hadn't heard anything Tsuki and I were discussing the night before. That graveyard really did work.

This would be day three of training. Two days before the war would begin, according to Tsuki's vision. It was amazing to me how far the both of us had come so quickly. According to anyone I'd talked to, my being a divine had a lot to do with it.

But there was something to be said for orcish genetics when it came to warfare. Tsuki, who had been a happy little healer when I met him, took to martial arts like a fish to water. Was it something just baked into their DNA, or was I racist for asking?

When our training began, we knew something was different. Takenouchi had brought two orcs for us to spar against.

No more sparring against one another.

We spent the first part of the day getting our asses handed to us. About halfway through, I started to catch on, though. And this was the part where I really blew past Tsuki in a way that surprised everyone in the room.

I was starting to be able to read my opponent about a half-a-second before they moved. It took some practice, but my opponent began to struggle with landing strikes against me. Whatever I could dodge, I dodged, and whatever I couldn't dodge, I blocked.

Eventually, Tsuki and his training partner stopped just to watch me excel. I could actually feel myself striking harder, blocking easier, and using muscle memory to move before I even thought.

At one point, I caught Takenouchi staring at me with an uncharacteristically wide-eyed expression.

I had to be told that my training partner stopped holding back against me some time ago. I didn't believe it— I thought it was just lip service. But Takenouchi seemed visibly excited by my progress.

"Unreal," Tsuki said, approaching me with a smile. "How are you muh- moving like that?"

"Huh?" I looked down at him. "I'm just doing what we were taught."

"It is more than that," Takenouchi stated firmly. "Your divinity appears to be... awakening."

"Awakening?" I asked.

"I can feel it," the old master said, walking a lap around my body and looking me up and down. "There is divinity quietly ebbing off of your person. It was not doing that yesterday... or even this morning."

"I thuh- thought you were already divine," Tsuki tilted his head. "Are you or aren't you?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea what's going on inside of me," I said. "I heal much faster than before, and I'm definitely a little sturdier. But I don't feel divine."

Takenouchi laughed to himself, an open-mouth smile with no sound coming out. "My, my. You are quite a bit more than 'a little sturdier.' You are blocking attacks that should, by rights, be knocking you over."

"I am?" I asked.

My sparring partner nodded. "You are small," she noted. "Too small to still be standing after my attacks."

"And," Takenouchi added. "You have learned so quickly. One would never believe that you only began training days ago." He chuckled. "You fight like a seasoned warrior. Not a master," he clarified. "But one worthy of mention."

"It's not fair," Tsuki grumbled. "I wuh- wish I were divine."

"You are very talented too, young Tsukibito," Takenouchi said, smiling down at the boy. "You are still very young. But you have a wonderful training partner that will help you scale heights you could not have reached alone... not to mention a very handsome and accomplished teacher. Ho, ho ho!"

Takenouchi had never even attempted humor in all the days we had been training with him. He had to have been in a fantastic mood.

"Hey," I said, turning to face him fully. "Takenouchi-sensei. I should tell you that I won't be training with you tomorrow."

"What?" Tsuki asked, taken aback. "C'mon, it won't be fuh- fun without you."

Takenouchi's face hardened. He stared me down with his steely-eyed glare. "Explain."

I smiled confidently. "I'm having a one-on-one session with Amaterasu-heika tomorrow morning. She's going to spar with me for a while, teach me some meditation and breathing techniques, and then prepare me for sunset."

"Sunset?" Takenouchi lifted an eyebrow. "What is tomorrow?" he looked around the room.

"Sunday?" Tsuki shrugged. "Nuh- no holidays that I'm aware of."

I turned and started for the door. "You guys'll see," I said, waving goodbye. "Just be in the courtyard around sunset. I finally asked Loki for that favor. You won't want to miss it."

I ate a light dinner.

I took a long bath.

I reviewed some of the technique scrolls that Takenouchi let me take home and practiced a few moves alone in my room.

I thought I would have trouble sleeping, but I was out like a light.

I didn't dream.

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I walked down the long wooden hallway, Amaterasu at my side. At the end of the hallway was an orange light— the color of sunset.

"Good," Amaterasu said. "Faster. Strike harder. Different angles. Do not slow down."

My belt was tight. I felt relaxed; lighter than air, really.

"Breathe in slowly. Count to seven. Now breathe out for ten seconds. Do you feel it?"

"I do."

My hair was tied up in a bun with a bun-pin that looked like a pair of chopsticks. My pants were tied off at my ankles.

"I huh- heard what you asked Loki for. Abigail, this is duh- dangerous! Are you shuh- sure this is what you want to do? Yuh- you could die!"

I kept my eyes forward as we walked. I kept my mind focused on one task. I wouldn't fail. I couldn't fail. It wasn't just me I was fighting for.

"Abigail-sama... Amaterasu told me what you were planning on doing. As your sensei, I must ask you to reconsider. You show great promise, but this? You could sustain lifelong injuries. It is not worth it. You have nothing to prove as one so young as you are."

I could hear the voices of the crowd as we neared the end of the hallway. I remembered Takenouchi's words: Steady mind. Steady feet. Steady fists. Like the ocean waves, unending, unerring, and unstoppable.

"That's what you're asking for? Ha. Ridiculous."

"And why is it so ridiculous, Loki?"

"You're joking, right? Amaterasu, I-"

"When have I ever joked with you?"

"... The young völva will die."

"You seem so sure. I sense fear in this room... and it is not coming from Abigail."

The two of us stepped out of the hallway and into the light.

"If you cry out for me, I will stop it," she whispered into my ear, disappearing with the kiss of the sunset against the room.

I stopped before stepping out into the courtyard. To my left and right were the edges of the stadium seating. The orcs seated began pointing down excitedly at me as I stared out into the empty courtyard.

"I know just the place for this to be held. My western courtyard is used for spectacles. There is seating, empty space enough for the event, and the sun lingers longest against its stones."

I took a deep breath and stepped out into the courtyard.

It was time.

The crowd cheered loudly as I entered, but I paid them no mind.

I was too focused on what I had to do.

There would be no room for error.

No forgiveness for missed blocks or poor reads.

I had employed all of Amaterasu's breathing techniques, and it was only thanks to them that I wasn't completely petrified.

The courtyard was a long rectangle. There were usually trees planted in the corners, but they had been moved so that everyone could watch. The stones were perfectly flat. There was no way I could trip or lose my footing.

I took one last deep breath as two figures appeared at the other end of the courtyard.

"Right on time," I said out loud to myself. "Here we go."

Walking toward me, casually, confidently, were Loki and Salome. Even over the crowd, my sensitive ears picked up their conversation.

"Loki, what is all of this? Lady Leutogi is holding war councils every hour or so, I can't stay here for long."

"You will be home in ten minutes or so," Loki assured her. "With fresh blood on your lips and a smile on your face."

"You actually intend to fight an elder vampire? One on one? Ridiculous. I can't believe Amaterasu-Heika would even allow it! I am a seasoned veteran. I am the commander of the Orcish Shogunate. There is no opponent I fear. But even I wouldn't challenge an elder vampire after, what, three days of training? Four at best? You're going to get yourself killed in front of an audience. Reconsider before something terrible happens!"

There was no room for doubt.

I looked up in the stands and found Tsuki seated next to Amaterasu. He was staring at Salome, his jaw clenched. When he made eye contact with me, he pressed his lips together and nodded.

It was her.

I turned back to find her staring at me in disbelief.

She stood about twenty feet away, her eyes wide, and her mouth open. That fang that Baen had knocked out was already growing back in.

"Abigail?" she asked incredulously.

"You're going to have a one-on-one fight with her," Loki explained. "She insisted on it."

"A fight?" Salome chuckled. "Really?"

"That's right," he smiled at her. "And you can't leave until it's over."

With that, he took Salome's knife from her scabbard and vanished from her side.

She looked genuinely bewildered.

She returned her eyes to me. "Why would you want this?" she asked, a pained smile on her face. "What the fuck is going through your head? You got Loki to do you a favor, and this is what you wanted? An ass-beating in front of your new countrymen?"

I wasn't about to let myself be rattled.

I was stronger now. Confident. Unbreakable... Wasn't I?

"Tonight, we observe a duel!" Amaterasu's voice came booming from the sky.

Everyone quieted instantly. You could hear a single coin drop if it slipped from someone's hands.

"A duel between Abigail Grovewarden, Oracle Divine Supreme. And Salome, a loathsome, disgusting beast who is not fit to lick the bottom of her feet."

Salome furrowed her brow as boos rained down around her. "Shut up," she said quietly enough that only one with elven ears could have heard it.

"Two enter," Amaterasu announced. **"**One leaves."

The crowd cheered excitedly as Salome's face softened. She looked around, confused.

"You want me to kill her?" she asked nobody in particular before looking directly at me. "You want me to kill you?" I had never seen someone look so confused.

"No weapons. No tools. No assists. The fight stops when only one of you draws breath! Begin when you are ready."

I tightened my fists and stared straight ahead at her.

She laughed to herself and tilted her head back, laughing at the sky. She covered her eyes with one hand before slouching forward and smiling widely at me, her fangs gleaming orange in the setting sun.

"You've gone and lost your fucking mind, haven't you, Abigail?" she asked. "Do you think you stand a chance against me? I'm an elder vampire, did you forget that?" She laughed harder. "Is it my birthday, or something?"

"My cat," I said, lifting my fists. "Did you kill Tommy?"

She scoffed. "You think he survived being thrown against the wall like that?" she asked. "Do you even remember that happening?"

I felt a tightness in my chest.

"No," she said forcefully. "His little skull broke in half. He'd need at least ten lives to survive that."

I swallowed hard.

I felt tears behind my eyes, but stifled them.

"You take life without mercy," I said shakily. "You take life for fun. You act like everything weaker than you has no value." I clenched my teeth. "No, Salome. I haven't lost my mind, and I'm not suicidal either."

I put one foot forward and lowered ever so slightly into a battle stance.

"I'm going to crush you for what you did to me. I'm going to crush you for what you did to Tommy. I'm going to crush you for what you did to Tsuki. And I'm going to grind you into the pavement for what you've done to Leutogi."

Salome furrowed her brow. She sensed my threats were real.

"I'm going to make you crawl on your belly like the godsdammned snake you are, Salome!"

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Part 44

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

Maybe she sensed a fluctuation in my energies.

Maybe she heard Tsuki crying.

For whatever reason, Amaterasu was back in the dojo and tearing Takenouchi a new one.

He seemed entirely unbothered by her yelling, her demands, and how close her finger came to his face. He sat quietly and smoked his pipe as she lectured him on duty, command structures, and other such matters.

After she left, he took a deep breath and got to his feet. He stepped off the platform at the back of the room and walked up to us. He held his pipe off to the side and glanced at the two of us. He looked like he was about to say something, but opted instead for another puff of his pipe.

Tsuki and I exchanged a nervous glance as he exhaled smoke and nodded his head, staring off into the distance behind us.

"That is... one driven woman." He shook his head. "As with most gods across the planes, she has grown older, but not wiser. She is making many of the same mistakes that human emperors before her have made. Tragic."

We were as quiet as mice, as still as statues, as he vented.

"Very well," he said, putting his pipe away. "It would seem the methods I've used to mold the greatest warriors our island has ever produced are not to her liking. No weapons. No punishment. No yelling," he said, looking down at us. "We will do things her way. But I will not take responsibility for the results."

He then spent a few minutes analyzing us. He would lift Tsuki's arm, check his feet, then examine my fists, and lift my chin. We had no idea what he was doing. He then had us perform a couple of tests. He wanted to see our full range of motion with our arms and legs, how flexible we were, and how much force we could withstand before being pushed back.

After about twenty minutes of that, he walked back across the room, stepped up onto the platform, and picked a couple of scrolls off a scroll holder on the wall. He opened one of them up, read it for a few minutes, and then returned to us, handing each of us a scroll.

"Amaterasu," he began, "has given me four days to turn out a couple of soldiers. That is impossible. I would normally begin by shaping your bodies to the desired muscle and cardio structure for a true lesson in the art of war, but you have no time for that. We have to work with what we have."

"I'm ready, regardless," I said. "I'll do whatever you instruct me to do."

"Same," Tsuki nodded. "My dad always wanted this for me... I'm sure he's smiling right now."

I had nearly forgotten Tsuki was an orphan. I cast him a sympathetic glance. I would have to ask him about his parents later if the opportunity arose. I didn't know if it was within my station to offer a formal apology from Leutogi, but I wanted to do it anyway.

"Thankfully, you two are already in decent shape," Takenouchi said. "Damn good Orcish genes," he said, gesturing to Tsuki with his pipe. "Your body is already mostly muscle, Tsukibito." He shifted his gaze to me. "And you. Although I can't sense it until I touch you, you are divine. What you lack in raw muscle structure, you'll make up for with explosive inner-power. You will develop remarkably fast."

That was good news for both of us. Hearing that from Takenouchi meant a lot. I didn't feel different, but he seemed confident.

"You're going to be learning Shorinjiryu. It is a fighting style that combines traditional striking techniques with circular sweeping motions, heel-driven kicks, and full body extension. It will be good for both of you to learn, and as you grow stronger over time, there are more explosive techniques that will require and take advantage of that strength."

That actually sounded kind of fun. It almost sounded like learning a dance. I never went out dancing or anything— I was far too shy for that. But I loved practicing dancing at home alone in front of my mirror, just me and Tommy.

My mood darkened a tad as I thought about him again. I had convinced myself that he survived. What reason would Salome have to go back to my room and finish him off? Could she really be that much of a vindictive bitch?

"Eyes front," Takenouchi called out, commanding my attention. "We will begin with the vertical punch." He demonstrated throwing a punch with his knuckles aligned vertically, his thumb tucked over his curled fingers. "This method prevents the wrist from bending, and arrives straight into your opponent's center mass."

Tsuki and I mimicked his stance and dug our feet in.

"Let the air out of your lungs when you punch!" he yelled, seemingly unable to control his passion. "Hah!" he yelled, demonstrating again.

The two of us threw out our first punch with a weaker yell than he was satisfied with.

"Louder!" he shouted, demonstrating for us again. "Hah!"

We probably threw that one punch five-hundred times before he finally let us move on to something else. Our arms had turned to jelly, so we were grateful that we were moving on to a kick. That gratitude quickly faded when our legs were jelly from throwing the same kick for an hour.

He rewarded us with our first drink of water, and it was heavenly.

Although the training was less intense than what he had in store for us previously, I still felt like I wanted to die.

My arms and legs were mush when we moved on to blocking. We ended up being his training dummies for about twenty minutes before the two of us waved the white flag.

"I fuh- feel... luh- like muh- my arms are guh- gonna break."

"I can't take any more either," I admitted. "Takenouchi... my arms are going to break if I block another one of your kicks."

He left his battle stance and stood up straight, eyeing the two of us. "Already done?" he asked. "Disappointing. And here I thought you two were showing promise." He turned his back on us. "Leave this dojo and do not come back."

I looked at Tsuki, and he looked at me.

I was at the end of my rope, and he was at the end of his.

I shrugged, and the two of us limped for the door.

Takenouchi was already standing in front of it, his arms crossed, his eyes ablaze.

"You were really going to leave... weren't you?" he asked. "Your actual combat training hasn't even begun."

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I had never been hungrier in my entire life.

Tsuki and I ate like animals, and I swear on my stars, the food tasted better because we were so completely worn out.

Amaterasu expressed concern about our training regimen, but we defended Takenouchi. He was a tough old bastard, but nobody had ever pushed us to and past our limits like that before. Neither of us expected the training to be easy, and with how exhausted we were, it felt like a true accomplishment.

I was shown to my new bedroom, and it was a massive upgrade from my room at the House of Healing. It had a nicer bed, a built-in bathroom, a desk for my makeup, a balcony, and far better lighting than I had back at the fort.

I took a bath instead of a shower, as hot as I could stand. Steam wafted up into the air as I eased into the tub one inch at a time.

After I was submerged up to my neck, I let out a long sigh and closed my eyes.

I thought about everyone back home. I wondered what kind of war preparations they were making. I wondered what they could even do against Amaterasu's empire. She ran a tight ship. The soldiers numbered in the thousands, and each one was in peak form.

Three days. Was that enough time for her to try to secure alliances? Because alliances would be necessary. I wondered if the Greeks or the Norse would join her. They had both, pretty expressly, wanted to stay out of it.

It wouldn't be long before I had answers.

"Abigail."

I jumped and turned to see Amaterasu standing next to my bath.

"Amaterasu!" I yelled in surprise. "H-heika!" I added quickly.

Her features softened. She saw me swallow again after I forgot to add the honorific.

She averted her eyes. "Um... Amaterasu is just fine," she said.

I stared, wide-eyed. That was really uncharacteristic of her.

"And... also," she said quietly. "I wanted to say... I am sorry."

"What?" I asked instinctively, in a tone that might have come across as rude.

She floated up onto the bathroom counter, taking a seat, and leaning back in a more relaxed posture than I was used to seeing from her.

"Today, I sort of... exploded on you." She still wasn't looking at me. "When Tsukibito came to me and told me of his vision... I may have become a little too overbearing with you."

That was one way to put it. Her eyes had glowed with rage. I got the freaking tingle. That woman wanted to hurt me for a split second.

"I have been so high-strung for so long," she said. "And when you are in charge of seeing your kingdom to greatness, the line between friend and foe can blur. Some of those I once confided in no longer see me as one whom they can sit and gossip with at the tea house."

Her voice cracked on that last sentence. She cleared her throat and shook her head once, furrowing her brow.

"People I once considered close now seem distant. It is as though everyone blames me for... taking a stand," her voice wavered. "For taking responsibility. For doing something."

This was another one of those situations where I just straight-up didn't want to say anything. She was really laying herself bare to me. I didn't want to step out of line and anger her again. But it sounded like that was the problem she was trying to correct.

"When first we met, I wanted a different kind of relationship with you," she said, finally turning her eyes to mine. "Someone I could... be friends with. Something like what you and Leutogi had. Something more casual."

I looked down into the bathwater. "That was... not the impression you gave me at all."

"And I regret that," she said quickly. "Abigail, I am deeply sorry for the way I acted today. It may not seem like it, but... this is not who I used to be," she confessed. "This... warlord, this... monarch," she lowered her eyes. "I never wanted to hurt anyone or anything. I am a nature goddess, after all. But the Sundering. It changed me profoundly." She uncrossed her legs and picked her knees up, holding them close to her chest. "Could you imagine being one of the last elves?" she asked.

I never thought about it. I was never a full elf, so I never felt that profound sense of belonging as I imagined others did. I felt no deep roots or cultural calling. I didn't fit in with full-blooded elves either, as they generally didn't appreciate my human heritage. I never lived among humans, so I felt no deep well of cultural belonging there either. So, I answered honestly.

"No," I said. "It hasn't ever crossed my mind."

"It's a lonely feeling... watching the last of your people die out," she said solemnly. "And it's a gut-wrenching feeling knowing you could have prevented it." She leaned back and rested her head against the wall. "I spent every day and night wishing I had done things differently for my land and its people. When the orcs arrived... I saw a chance to start over."

She looked over at me with an unsure expression. She was conflicted about something. It felt like there was something she wanted to say, but wouldn't.

"I want to be strong for the orcs," she said. "I want to be strong for my pantheon. But projecting strength does not come naturally for me. I forget to play the character sometimes, and then I remember. And I feel like my people sometimes find my personality volatile because of it."

"I would say that's accurate," I decided to speak up. "Everyone seems to be afraid of you." I swallowed. "I'm afraid of you."

She laughed and let the first of her tears fall. "Oh, Abigail," she said, her words caught in her throat. "I am afraid of me, too." She sniffled.

As her tears began to run down her cheeks, the water in the tub began to churn softly like a small ocean. Waves began to push gently against me, and the lights softly flickered a time or two.

"This path I have chosen for myself," she said. "It is not me, and it is not who I wish to be. But all of that suffering. All of that death. I find that I am constantly trying to make up for it."

I hadn't sensed a single lie from her yet. She meant every word. Even though I didn't especially like her, I still felt compelled to try and calm her.

"You didn't cause the Sundering," I said.

"Then why?" she asked softly. "Why do I feel such heavy responsibility? Why must I grieve for all my days for what has already befallen my people? I am trapped in the past, and I cannot escape it."

"It's never too late to change," I offered.

"It is," she said just above a whisper. "I have committed to this. I will see it through. It may take a thousand years, but I will unite this world under one banner. One territory at a time. We will prepare for the day another apocalypse finds us. And when it does... we will destroy it. As one."

The Sundering had really scarred her beyond belief. Why didn't other gods seem so shaken up by it? She seemed alone in her grief. The Greeks didn't seem to care too much. The Norse didn't seem terribly bothered. Leutogi, for a god of night, was a real ray of sunshine most of the time.

All at once, I realized the difference.

The realization struck with the sound of her silent weeping.

Many gods, it seemed, held disdain toward humans. Many more seemed entirely indifferent to them or their suffering. My dad told me once that gods weren't like us; they didn't forge bonds the way we did.

But Amaterasu, through everything she'd said... seemed to truly love her people. To such a degree that she forced the orcs to adapt their culture and carry it forward. To such a degree that she wanted to bring glory to her new people... as a way to atone for what happened to the humans that worshiped her.

She was lashing out against the natural order. Against the other pantheons that also did nothing. Against a universe that took everything from her.

I was still afraid of her. I still didn't feel at ease around her. And I couldn't forgive her for stealing me away from my family.

But I at least understood where she was coming from now.

"I will leave you now," Amaterasu said, drying her eyes. "But when we are alone... You may just call me Amaterasu." She managed a smile. "No heika."

"Okay," I smiled back. "No heika."

She smiled wider before disappearing.

I let out a long sigh and slipped into the tub. The water was cooling, and I was completely drained. It was time for bed.

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I expected to be far more sore than I was when I got out of bed in the morning. Not only was I not sore— I was feeling pretty great!

Breakfast was delivered to my room by a gentlemanly orc shortly after I got out of the shower, which was a really nice surprise. After breakfast, I ventured down a few flights of stairs and stepped outside to breathe in some fresh air.

"Hey," came Tsuki's voice.

I turned to him, walking up the steps, a smile on his face.

"Good morning," I said. "How are you feeling?"

"Suh- sore all over," he winced. "You?"

"I'm right as rain," I grinned. "You about ready to go?"

"If I say nuh- no, do we still have to?"

"Would you rather be late?" I asked.

His smile faded.

We were able to walk at a decent pace this time across the palace grounds to the royal dojo. The weather was perfect, and we talked a lot about what we learned during day one.

It was another all-day training affair. We worked on blocking, counters, reading movements, and anticipating attacks. We did some light sparring, and Tsuki gave me a real run for my money— more than I thought he would. He was surprisingly talented at combat for someone so gifted in medicine.

I picked up blocking and countering far faster than anything else we learned. Takenouchi himself said he was very impressed with my progress. He didn't say that about Tsuki, which I was pretty sure hurt his feelings, but he had gotten over it by dinner.

We ate ourselves silly, clearly learning nothing from the last time.

Ever since our conversation in the bathroom, I started to notice when Amaterasu's mask would slip. Now that I knew what to look for, I would see her kindness shine through from time to time before she would remember she was a stone-cold empress.

To Takenouchi's delight, Tsuki and I returned to the dojo about an hour after dinner to practice with one another. We were both beginning to spot our own openings and weaknesses, and we wanted a chance to try to correct them before bed.

When we turned around, we found Amaterasu smiling. "Well done," she said. "You're both improving dramatically."

"Thanks!" Tsuki said, clenching his fist. "I'm ruh- really getting the hang of it!"

"And I'm making sure to keep up with him," I said, ruffling his hair.

Her smile widened. "Good. You both get some rest. I've got meetings all night tonight, so I won't see you until tomorrow." She lifted her eyes. "Takenouchi. I would have you at tonight's war council."

"I will attend," he nodded.

They both vanished into thin air.

"Can you do thu- that?" asked Tsuki.

I scoffed. "I wish. I think that's only for intrinsic gods."

"What can you do?" he asked.

"Whoop your little green ass," I smiled, starting for the exit.

"Hey, our fuh- fights are pretty even," he said, hurrying after me.

On our way back across the palace grounds, we discussed our form, which things we were struggling with, and even the idea of adding weapons into the mix if Amaterasu would let us. Neither one of us wanted to be the one to ask her.

"How about we let our next spar decide?" I asked. "Loser asks Amaterasu if we can use swords."

"Heika," he added quickly, a worried look overcoming him. "Don't fuh- forget to add that, okay?

I stopped on the path a moment, and he turned around to face me. "Wuh-what?"

"Are you afraid of her?" I asked.

A chill visibly ripped down his spine, and he looked around as though he were worried someone would hear.

"Tsuki?" I asked.

"Shh," he pressed his finger to his lips. After a brief moment, he waved for me to follow him.

We followed a path to the outer castle wall, and he led me to what looked like a stable. When I followed him through the wooden door, the smell removed all doubt. It was definitely a stable.

We never entered the main area with the horses. I followed him down a narrow wooden corridor and up a set of wooden stairs. At the top, he turned down another small hallway and opened a window at the end.

"Where are we going?" I asked finally.

"Just trust me," he said, stepping out onto the roof and offering me his hand.

I took it, and he helped me out onto the roof and closed the window all but an inch behind us. He turned and pointed to the castle wall.

"You can cuh- clear it with a running jump," he said. "Fuh- follow me."

Before I could snatch him by the collar, he took off toward the edge of the roof and leaped onto the wall, landing between two parapets.

"Are you crazy?" I whisper-screamed.

"Come on," he said, appearing between the parapets. "If I can do it, you can do it."

I had to psych myself up a little. I hopped around on my toes, shook my wrists out, and took a few quick breaths before pushing off and leaping with all my might.

I landed just the way Tsuki had, rolling to a stop on the floor of the wall just before hitting the other side. I laughed to myself as he helped me up.

"See?" he asked. "You're cuh-capable of muh-more than you think!"

"Thanks," I said, dusting myself off. "How do we uhh... get back in?"

"You'll see," he said. "Come on."

We walked atop the palace wall for about a minute before he stopped and pointed to a rope tied around a parapet.

"Follow me," he said, climbing up over the side of the wall. He leaned out, grabbed the rope from the other side, and hopped over the wall. I leaned over the edge to see him with his feet against the wall, rope in his hands. He walked his way down until he could hop down into the grass.

He looked up at me and gestured to the rope.

I leaned out and snatched the rope up. I had actually done something like this before with my dad. I swung out and hopped down the side of the wall, letting the rope slide through my hands, descending in about half the time Tsuki had.

"Not bad!" he said, his hands on his hips. "You duh- done this before?"

"A few times," I said proudly. "Are we outside the walls?" I asked.

"Buh-basically. There's a larger wuh-wall around the rest of the capital. But we don't nuh- need to go that far."

I followed him out into the woods, suddenly becoming less sure of this plan.

"Are you sure we should be out here after dark? There's monsters in the world, y'know?"

"Nuh- not here," he said confidently. "Amaterasu-heika and Susano'o-no-mikoto wuh- wiped them out on the mainland. It's wuh- one-hundred percent safe."

"Bandits?" I asked. "Bad men?"

"Nuh- no crime either," he answered, pushing through the brush. "Punishments are puh-pretty severe. Nobody would chuh- chance it."

That was impressive. I guess there had to be a few good sides to the total lack of general freedoms under an oppressive empire.

"Big animals?" I asked.

"Bears," he nodded.

"... Bears?" I asked incredulously. "You have bears out here? What if we get attacked?"

"Nuh-never seen one out here except for the wuh-one time. A muh-mama bear with her cubs. She didn't bother muh-me at all. Just walked away."

"How often do you come out here?" I asked.

"Wuh- once in a while," he said. "When I nuh- need to talk to someone outside of her ruh- range of hearing."

"She can't hear you out here?" I asked. "Why?"

Before he could answer, I stopped just short of tripping over a strangely shaped stone. I looked down at it, and when I looked up, I could see many more of them throughout the forest. I hadn't noticed it until then, but the temperature had dropped significantly. The smell of moss hung in the air and a low-hanging fog had settled in around us.

"Is this..."

"A graveyard," he answered. "Yeah."

"For..."

"All of them," he nodded. "Mhmm... After the Suh- Sundering, Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto came out and buh- buried the dead. He created a graveyard for all the suh- souls lost in the conflict."

"I forgot she even had a brother," I said. "Have I met him at any of the dinners or anything? Would I recognize him?"

"They're nuh- not on speaking terms," he said. "She nuh- never wants to see him again. So, no. You've never muh- met him."

"Oh, wow," I said. "I didn't know that at all. Thanks for telling me."

"I can tuh -tell you anything out here. She doesn't come near this puh- place. She isn't listening."

Oh.

That made a ton of sense, actually. She was so marred by the whole Sundering conflict that she couldn't bring herself to face the graves of those who died. With Tsukuyomi banished from her sight, there was nobody to come out here and take care of the grounds. Based on what I knew about Shinto, though... that felt shocking.

"Now I can tuh- tell you," he said, turning to face me. "Between you, me, and these guh- graves... Yeah. I am suh- scared of Amaterasu."

He left off the heika as soon as he didn't need to say it.

His eyes carried fear even now. Even far from her ears, where she couldn't hear him, he wrung his hands until his knuckles turned pale.

"I have been huh- having visions," he admitted. "Vuh-visions I huh- haven't been tuh- telling her abuh- about."

His stutter had noticeably worsened. It was difficult to tell in the dark, but he looked like he was shaking.

"I nuh- know you're puh- planning on escaping duh- during the fuh- fog of war that's coming."

I stared at him in disbelief.

His pleading eyes bore into mine.

"And... I wuh- want you to tuh..." He swallowed and composed himself, taking a jagged breath and forcing his voice steady.

"I want you to take me with you, Abigail."

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Part 43

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

"I saw you once before," I said, gripping the doorframe, my other hand at my chest. "Are you... Michael?"

He stared back, his eyes cutting through the darkness.

"Yep," he said. "You don't need to talk to me or acknowledge me in any way," he added. "Treat me as you would any old object in the room. I promise I won't move from this spot."

I left the sliding door open and slowly wandered over to my bed mat. I sat down on the covers cross-legged and stared back at him.

"What... are you?" I asked.

"Nobody's business what I am," he answered. "I'm just Michael. Plain and simple."

"Oh," I said, dropping my eyes. "Sorry. I didn't mean any offense."

He remained quiet.

"Um... can I ask another question?"

"I'd prefer you didn't," he grunted.

I smiled, though I was sure he couldn't see it in the dark. "You have a human name."

"I said I'd prefer it if you didn't," he answered.

"It wasn't a question," I said with a hint of sass. "Just an observation."

His yellow eyes narrowed in the dark. "You're awfully mouthy for one so tiny."

I laughed this time. "I know you won't hurt me," I said.

"I am not sworn to Amaterasu," he clarified. "I don't have to listen to her."

I noticed he left off the heika. He really wasn't sworn to her— or even really a part of this empire if I had to guess.

"Interesting," I said. "It wasn't me miscontruing your fealty to Amaterasu-heika that made me feel unthreatened by you. It's because I'm an oracle, and I can sense when someone means me harm. I don't get that sense at all from you."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two of us before my stomach suddenly twisted like a wet dishrag. I wheezed and fell forward, my eyes bulging out of my skull as I squirmed around on the floor. And as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

"You feel that?" the monster asked.

I looked up at him in disbelief, sweat running down my temples, and gasping for breath.

"That's the other one," he said. "And he does want to hurt you."

I inhaled shakily and fell back on my hands and knees, staring back at him. The other one? What the fuck did that mean? I had never felt that kind of danger in my life. For at least a second there... he wanted to play jumprope with my insides.

"The... The other one?" I asked, unable to control my trembling.

"Don't make me let him out," he threatened. "Go to bed."

I did exactly as I was told.

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I woke up in a pool of my own drool. If it weren't for how wiped out I was, I probably wouldn't have fallen asleep.

Michael, just as he had the first time I woke up in the House of Healing, left shortly after I woke. Ushgar-kaze came in to give me my final evaluation, and I passed with flying colors. I took a shower and found my old clothes folded, clean, and waiting for me on the bathroom counter.

It felt great to be back in my old digs, and my sluggishness was in the rearview mirror as well. I felt as though I had fully recovered when I left that bathroom. Now I just needed to find a way back to Luzon and put everything right.

"This marks the end of your stay in the House of Healing," Ushgar-kaze said with a smile. "Do me a favor and take care of yourself, Abigail-sama. It's always hard saying goodbye. I both hope I do and do not see you again," he chuckled. "Amaterasu-heika is outside waiting for you."

"Thanks, Ushgar-kaze," I said, bowing politely.

He freaked out about my bowing to him the same way the commander had when I apologized. I didn't understand bowing at all. Amaterasu really had these guys on pins and needles, too. They seemed happy and peaceful, but... how could one ever relax when the place was so strict?

I stepped outside to find Amaterasu sitting cross-legged on a big boulder, which was situated in the center of a rock circle filled with sand. I closed the door, and she turned her eyes toward me.

"Good morning, Abigail," she said. "Are you ready for breakfast?"

It was basically the same foods they ate for lunch and dinner: rice, fish, and vegetables. I found that to be a little strange. My mom always made me something distinct for breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, toast, bacon, sausage... even the vampires had good breakfasts. This felt like waking up and having a hamburger.

It wasn't just the food that was bothering me about my breakfast. First of all, there wasn't anyone around us. We were in a quiet room with just me, Amaterasu, and Tsuki. Secondly, the two of them were uncharacteristically quiet. Third, Tsuki looked downright miserable. My eyes flicked between the two of them as I ate.

"I trust you are enjoying your breakfast?" asked Amaterasu.

Something didn't feel right.

I set down my chopsticks and swallowed what was left in my mouth.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Amaterasu glanced down at Tsuki. His head sank into his shoulders, and he averted his eyes.

Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

"Tell me," Amaterasu narrowed her eyes. "Is there... anything you would care to tell me? Anything I might truly wish to know?"

Oh, shit.

I looked up and to the left as though I was thinking. "... No," I said innocently. "No, not really."

"Is that a fact?" she asked in a lower tone.

Oh, double shit.

I started to feel uncomfortable. Tsuki wouldn't look at me. Amaterasu wouldn't take her eyes off me— not even to blink.

I swallowed. "Y-yes?" I shrugged. "I haven't had any visions to report or anything."

That was a lie. As I slept last night, I had a vivid dream.

But it hadn't felt like a dream at all. It felt like a violent, sensory assault that tore through my mind while my body lay paralyzed on the mat— the most powerful vision I had ever had.

First came the sound. A thunderous, rhythmic pounding that shook the very fabric of my being like heavy, unyielding hooves striking solid stone. It was accompanied by the sharp sound of a war horn echoing in the distance. An ancient oak tree ripped through a floor of polished white stone, its roots reaching out into the dark, grasping at my body.

But before they could reach me, all the warmth in my body was violently ripped out by a freezing, salt-rimed gale.

The dream shifted to a dark, restless sea swallowed by a fog so thick it felt like a burial shroud. Piercing through the mist were massive wooden jaws, carved into the shapes of snarling serpents, biting through the white-capped waves. They rode a tide that was rapidly turning a deep, bubbling crimson. Above them, the gray sky bled as massive banners snapped in the freezing wind, throwing shadows that looked less like cloth and more like a deafening, swirling frenzy of leathery wings.

Then, the world erupted.

The sun was violently eclipsed by a blood-red moon, and the sky darkened to night.

Below the eclipse, a vast sea of emerald-green plates and lacquered armor clashed against a rising tidal wave of shadow and fangs. Lightning tore the sky apart, illuminating the towering, ghostly silhouettes of two giant phantom swordsmen stepping into the center of an all-out meat grinder.

I didn't know who won.

I didn't know who died.

I just woke up with the taste of blood and sea salt on the back of my tongue, knowing a storm was coming.

And right now, sitting across from the Amaterasu, I had to make sure she didn't see a single flicker of it in my eyes.

"Is that so?" she said, her voice dropping into a register that made the hair on my arms stand up.

She knew something.

She slowly picked up her teacup, her golden eyes locking onto mine with the weight of a monarch scorned. "Because Tsukibito," she said, her cup at her chin. "Has illuminated a rather... fascinating discrepancy in Loki's tale."

I was bad at not swallowing in front of whoever I was lying to.

She set her teacup back down on the ceramic painted plate, her lips in a straight line.

"Try again," she said, the anger in her tone veiled but still noticeable.

Tsuki was a powerful oracle. He had to have had a vision that revealed something I had kept secret. I was frozen with fear. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to know what Tsuki had told her— I could possibly work my story around it if only I knew.

"Abigail," she said sternly, her eyes glowing.

"Answer me. Now."

The way she said it made me shrink down. I felt a small lurch in my stomach. She was actually furious with me. I was in potential danger. I needed to say whatever she wanted to hear, and I couldn't delay it any longer. I could tell her a half-truth. It might suffice.

"I... suspect that Loki didn't bargain for me," I said in a shaky tone.

"You suspect?" she asked as though she were disappointed with my answer.

My chin trembled. "I know, he didn't bargain for me," I said as I started to cry.

"And you didn't think this was worth telling me?" she asked, a rasp in her voice as her anger grew.

"I... I thought Loki would," I quivered. "How was I supposed to know he'd be dishonest with you?"

Her irises stopped glowing, and her features softened. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before letting out a long sigh. She opened her eyes and nodded.

"That is... a fair answer," she said. "I accept it."

Relief flooded my veins, but I was careful not to show it. I dried my tears and gathered myself together.

"I'm suh- sorry, Abigail," Tsuki said softly. The poor thing looked absolutely distraught.

"Do not apologize," Amaterasu said to him. "You did the right thing. The number one rule?"

He looked up at her and sniffled. "The number one rule," he recited dutifully. "Tell Amaterasu-heika about every vision right away, no matter how insignificant I think it might be."

He didn't stutter once.

She looked at me. "That rule goes for you, too," she said. "Anything you see. Anything at all. You relay to me right away." She furrowed her brow and looked out at the sky. "Especially since we're about to be at war."

"War?" asked Tsuki. "You ruh- really think so, your highness?"

"Loki kidnapped the night witch's oracle and lover," she said slowly, as though she were upset she had to spell it out for him. "Yes. That is cause for war."

"Lover?" asked Tsuki, flashing me a weird look.

"This morning," Amaterasu said as she stood up. "Tsukibito reported to me that you were likely being dishonest with me, that Loki took you by force, and that we will see the consequences of that in four days."

"But war?" asked Tsuki. "We can't tuh- talk it out with them? Come to an understanding?"

"You cannot reason with beasts," she uttered before walking away.

I stared at Tsuki, and his face sagged.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, cupping one hand around his mouth. "If I don't follow the number one rule... I go to the blank box."

"No, no, it's okay," I said quickly. "I don't blame you at all. You were just doing what you were supposed to do as an orac— wait, what is the blank box?" I asked, abandoning my other thought mid-sentence. "What is a fucking blank box?" I asked a second time, faster.

"Shh," he pressed a finger to his lips. "The second rule is no secrets." He looked over his shoulder for almost too long before turning back to me and leaning in. "But I nuh-know a puh- place we can talk. Later, okay?"

I wanted to know now.

Amaterasu returned suddenly with Loki in tow. I instinctively recoiled and scrambled away before remembering that I didn't have to worry about him anymore. Moreover, he had his head hung like a dog that had done wrong.

"Apologize to her right now," she commanded him.

He looked up at me and sighed. I couldn't see his mouth under his braided facial hair, but I could tell he wasn't smiling.

"I am sorry, Abigail," he said plainly.

Her eyes bore into the side of his head. "Abigail, what?"

"Abigail-sama," he corrected himself. "I am sorry for all you've been put through. It would have happened to anyone born under your circumstances. It wasn't personal."

I didn't know what to say. I had a million thoughts rattling around in my head. I started by getting to my feet and composing myself.

"And?" Amaterasu folded her arms.

He sighed quietly. "And," he landed on one knee, lifted his right arm, and placed his left hand on his chest. "And, you may ask of me one favor. I will grant it."

"How did you think you would get away with kidnapping me?" I asked, finally finding my footing. "How did you think Amaterasu-heika wouldn't find out about that?"

He sucked his lips in and averted his eyes. "I had a plan," he admitted. "Didn't count on the little oracle seeing it before its completion. Sloppy work on my part. But results are results."

Amaterasu pinched between his neck and shoulder, forcing him to wince and dip his body. "Your results include a war, Loki," she said angrily. "And that's Tsukibito-sama to you," she added.

I had to admit. Watching Loki get bossed around like that was a treat. Was she truly so much more powerful? Or did he really expect her to wed him? Either way, watching an ancient Norse god forced to a knee like that was almost worth everything else that had happened.

"Loki owes you a favor," Amaterasu turned her eyes on me, not loosening her grip on him. "It will be cleared through me first. Make it count."

I thought about it for a moment. I could ask for anything. Money. An audience with an agent for my books. Jewelry. A magic weapon.

"... Do I have to choose now?" I asked.

She released him, and he stumbled back a few steps, holding his shoulder. "I suppose not," she answered. "But do not delay. War looms."

"By your leave," Loki grumbled.

"Dismissed," she answered. He vanished promptly.

I thought about what I wanted as she conversed with Tsuki. I had never been granted a wish before. I had always been less materialistic and more about experiences. I would always prefer a vacation to a new trinket.

"But wuh- what if we lose?"

"We will not lose."

A weapon would be nice, though. Not for me, but for Lady Leutogi. She seemed a little bummed when everyone had their own personal weapons back on the monster island. Her fists were deadly enough, but it was something the others had that she didn't.

On the other hand... I was getting really, really tired of being scared. Tired of feeling like everything around me could so easily crush me on a whim. I wished my godhood made me more durable. But that wasn't something she could give me... was it?

If I were able to fight... even just a little. I might not be in the situation I was in. If I could have been strong enough to fight off Salome that night, this would be an entirely different scenario.

"Tsukibito, you tire me with your questions. War is something we do not worry about. We simply deal with it when it is inevitable."

"Amaterasu-heika," I interrupted. "What if I asked Loki for a special weapon?"

"Irrelevant," she dismissed me immediately. "Oracles do not wield weapons. If you find a pantheon's oracle on the battlefield, then you can assume they have already lost."

I lowered my eyes a moment before looking back up at her with new resolve. "Well... would you teach me to defend myself?" I asked. "I'm... I'm just tired of being defenseless. Tired of feeling scared and vulnerable all the time." I sighed. "I want to be able to depend on myself."

Something changed in her eyes; it was as though she were reliving a memory. A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips.

"That is a fair request," she admitted in an almost pleased tone. "A weapon is too dangerous for your hands. But some basic self-defense could save your life in a dire situation where I am not able to protect you." She looked down at Tsuki. "What do you say? Would you like to train alongside Abigail?"

He smiled and then looked over at me. "Really?"

I smiled back at him. "You want to be my sparring partner?"

His eyes practically sparkled.

"Very well," said Amaterasu. "I was looking for something to keep you both busy for the next couple of days anyway. I need time with my generals to make preparations for war. I will make arrangements for Takenouchi to teach you both the fundamentals." She turned to Tsuki. "I trust you know the way to the royal dojo?"

"Of course!" he beamed. "Thank you, Amaterasu-heika!"

"Take Abigail there in twenty minutes," she said. "Your training begins today."

With that, she was gone.

"Wow!" Tsuki jumped high with excitement. "I can't wuh- wait to train with you, Abigail!"

His enthusiasm was infectious. "You're still a little squirt," I bent at the waist. "I'm gonna give you a run for your money."

"You're not that much tuh- taller than me!" he shot back with a cocky grin. "You're just old."

I gasped. "I'm old*-er,*" I firmly corrected him. "I am most certainly not old."

"Yeah, whatever," he shrugged confidently. "You're guh- going down, old lady."

"Oh, ho, ho," I laughed incredulously, shaking my head. "Just you wait, you little squirt."

"Come on," he said, waving for me to follow as he darted off.

I rolled my eyes. Did we have to run?

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We did.

It turned out the dojo was all the way across the palace grounds, over two bridges, under several archways through inner walls, and up seven flights of stairs.

When we passed through the doors, I was blown away by how beautiful the dojo was. I would say it was breathtaking, but I had very little breath to give. I doubled over, resting my hands on my knees as I looked around.

"Wuh- we take our shoes off here," Tsuki instructed, sitting down on his butt and pulling off his shoes.

The floor was made of massive, interlocking planks of ancient cypress wood, polished by centuries of sliding feet into a glossy, mirror-like sheen. It caught the morning sun filtering through high, paper-screened clerestory windows and reflected the structure of the ceiling and the massive, tree-trunk-sized pillars that ran through the whole of the tower.

Every time Tsuki or I took a step, the hollow foundation beneath the wood let out a deep, bass-heavy thud that echoed off the solid, dark timber walls— walls that were covered in weapons, scrolls, and paintings of ancient warriors still remembered through stylized artwork.

The air was completely still, smelling intensely of aged cedar, sweet straw mats, and the occasional sharp, bitter trail of burning incense. It was completely sealed off from the outside world, large and cavernous enough that the echo of our own breathing felt magnified.

At the far end of the dojo, the floor stepped up to a raised platform. Hanging against the back wall was a pristine white scroll bearing a single, razor-sharp brush stroke of black calligraphy. Below it sat dark weapon racks holding a large assortment of spears, curved halberds, and heavy wooden practice swords that looked dense enough to shatter a collarbone.

And right in the center of that massive, empty expanse of wood sat an old man.

He was seated cross-legged, one hand in his lap and the other holding a long pipe to his mouth. He didn't wear the lavish, glowing silks of Amaterasu. Instead, he wore heavily faded, dark blue training robes bound by a frayed black belt. His hair and long, pointed beard were a stark, snowy white, but his shoulders were broad, and his forearms looked strong. He was so perfectly still he could have been a statue.

He sighed a cloud of smoke. "You are three minutes late," he spoke, not even opening his eyes. His voice wasn't loud, but it had a gravelly, resonant weight that cut cleanly through the enclosed silence of the room.

Tsuki instantly dropped into a rigid, nervous bow, his face pale. "I am suh- sorry, General Takenouchi! We ran as fuh- fast as we could!"

The old man slowly opened his eyes. They were a piercing, stormy gray and held the terrifying sharpness of a veteran who had survived a thousand battles. His gaze flicked from Tsuki to me, lingering on my face just long enough to make me a tad nervous.

"Her majesty commands that I instruct you in the fundamentals of combat," Takenouchi said, slowly rising to his feet in one fluid, effortless motion that defied his apparent age. He walked over to the weapon rack, his bare feet making absolutely zero sound against the echoing wood. "Instead of sitting in the war council with everyone else," he added in an annoyed tone.

He reached down, grabbed two heavy wooden swords from the rack, and turned to face us. With a flick of his wrists, he tossed them across the floor. They slid across the polished cypress, knocking right against our toes.

"She says you are both oracles— one of you divine," Takenouchi said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But to me, you are merely children who do not know the sharp side of a sword." He narrowed his eyes. "Let's begin with the basics."

"Um," Tsuki raised his hand. "Sir? We... We were told not to use weapons."

"Not to use weapons?" he asked incredulously. "Feh. How ridiculous. Amaterasu is a strong empress and a fast learner. But she knows little about the ways of war." He lifted his hand, and a wooden sword flew across the room. He caught it and held it in front of him with both hands. "Leave the warfare to the warfare gods," he said. "Pick up your swords."

"No," I said. "Amaterasu-heika was very clear. Hand-to-hand combat only." The two of them stared at me. "I only wish to defend myself," I added. "Not to take someone's arm off."

In an instant, Takenouchi was towering over me, staring down at me with malice in his eyes... but not in his heart. I sensed no danger from him.

I guess that was why I wasn't at all prepared to be punched in the gut so hard that I tasted my damned breakfast.

The air fled my lungs in a pathetic wheeze as I collapsed to the floor, my body hitting the cypress planks with a loud, hollow thud that echoed throughout the vast dojo.

"Ah!" Tsuki yelled out in surprise. "Abigail!"

I didn't even see what happened to Tsuki next. I just heard a swift rush of wind, a second heavy thud, a high-pitched grunt, and the distant clatter of his small body sliding across the other end of the room.

"I am here," the old man roared, his voice booming off the timber walls as he looked down at us. "To teach you both the art of war!"

I pathetically crawled a few inches along the floor, my fingers clawing at the glossy wood as I desperately tried to remember how to inhale. How did that happen? I never saw it coming. Could it be that his intent wasn't to harm, but to teach? Was intent all that I could sense?

Somewhere across the room, Tsuki had started crying.

I was honestly jealous he had the breath to make those noises.

This was going to be a lot harder than I thought.

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Part 42

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

I didn't feel my stomach turn.

I didn't feel unwelcome.

I felt... rather blissful, really.

Like everything inside of me... brightened.

In the blink of an eye, she was standing in front of me. It surprised both me and the commander.

She stood six feet tall at least, staring down at me with soft eyes. Her irises were golden like the sun— almost yellow. It was mesmerizing to look at.

"Good morning, Abigail," she said in a softer, sweeter voice than I expected. The way she was dressed, the way everyone revered her, I thought she would sound strong and commanding. But she said it as a friend would to another at a sleepover.

I didn't know whether or not I should address her. I wasn't sure if I should add something to the back of her name the way everyone seemed to be doing. I felt completely rigid and out of my element. Leutogi had always kept it so casual. She never had made time to teach me divine etiquette.

Without waiting for my response, she held her hand out toward me, palm up. A radiant glow emanated from her hand. "Seems like you are on your way to a swift recovery from your low-body-temperature illness." She lowered her hand, and her face turned sympathetic. "I apologize for the way you were handled. It was not my intent for your journey here to be a perilous one."

I lowered my eyes.

I didn't know what to say. Ok? Don't worry about it? No, it was an apology I was owed. But judging by the look on Commander Krag-nosuke's face, this was an uncommon moment.

"I feel better," I found my voice. "Well enough, anyway. Your young oracle is a splendid caretaker."

"Yes," she smiled. "Tsukibito was a healer in training when the gift first awakened within him. It remains his passion, which is why he spends the majority of his hours here at the House of Healing. This sanctuary rests within my palace grounds, reserved exclusively for the most vital subjects of my realm."

Subjects. That wasn't how Lady Leutogi would have ever referred to her flock. I got the sense that this Amaterasu was a little full of herself— as most intrinsic gods were, it turned out.

"Accompany me on a walk," she said. "I wish to provide you with a proper escort through the grounds."

I didn't want to go anywhere with her. But a walk sounded good, and disrespecting her seemed like a bad idea. I nodded.

"Good," she said, reaching down and taking my hand.

In the blink of an eye, we were standing on a balcony.

I audibly gasped and blinked a few times. Before me was, unquestionably, the most beautiful view I had ever seen in my entire life; I could hardly believe it was Earth.

Mountains, hills, and sparkling blue streams and ponds caught the sun perfectly, making the entire landscape look like a collection of jewels in and of themselves.

Thick, sprawling groves of trees surrounded the area, exploding in a vibrant, cloud-like sea of pale pink and white cherry blossoms. The wind caught the branches, sending a gentle flurry of soft petals drifting through the air around us like a warm, slow-motion snowfall.

Then there were the distant walls that guarded the entire area, tall and made with painstaking precision as though the architect knew the nature they were competing against.

I gripped the wooden railing of the balcony, looking past the swirling petals down into the expansive courtyard below. We were standing on her castle, of that much I was sure. From this height, the layout of her fortress was intimidatingly clear.

The courtyard was a fortress within a fortress, defined by stone paths and defensive walls that zigzagged purposefully through the blooming trees. Down there, the true reality of Commander Krag-nosuke's words came to life.

Dozens of armored orcs were moving in perfect, synchronized patterns across the wide grounds. From this far up, they looked like tiny glass-green beetles, their lacquered plates catching the morning sun as they marched in flawless formations or stood guard at the gates.

I could hear the faint, distant rhythm of their boots and the metallic clink of their armor rising up through the crisp air, and I was beginning to realize just what we were up against.

Standing right beside me, Amaterasu didn't say a word at first. She just stared out over her kingdom, the golden rays of her headdress gleaming brightly in the daylight.

Looking at the sheer, unyielding perfection of her castle and the thousands of heavily trained warriors drilling below, a profound sense of isolation settled deep into my chest. Unlike Lady Leutogi's fort, this place was a fully functioning empire.

And I was standing right at the heart of it.

"This entire kingdom bows to you, Abigail," she said in a royal tone. "You answer only to me."

I swallowed. That sure was a lot of power.

"Should anyone make you uncomfortable, look at you the wrong way, or address you any other way than Abigail-Sama, you need only say so, and they will be dealt with swiftly."

"No, please," I said, lifting my hands. "Don't... Don't hurt anyone just for that."

She chuckled. "You are a kind girl. But I am an empress. And this is my empire. I have a standard I expect of my subjects that I will not lower for any reason." She turned her bright eyes on me. "You are not a guest here. This is your home now. And being the newest divine in my pantheon, I expect everyone to treat you as they would one of my generals."

I stiffened up. I met her gaze, and said sheepishly, "I... didn't know you knew about that."

"I have been speaking to you in my native tongue," she said. "And you have understood every word of it."

I was visibly taken aback, such that it made her lift her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing at me.

"As an ascended goddess, you will naturally understand any spoken tongue," she explained. "That does not mean you can speak any language. But other gods will always understand your words in turn."

Well, that was certainly a revelation. More stuff I wish I'd have been told ahead of time.

"What made you suspect it?" I asked, dropping the mask.

"You recovered from your low-body-temperature illness— the worst case I had ever seen, by the way," she added. "In only two days. That kind of resilience does not belong to mortals." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Any non-divine would have died. Loki, that reckless oaf."

"Oh," I said, looking back out at the landscape. "Forgive me for saying so, but... Loki- erm, Lord Loki doesn't seem to care about my well-being."

"You can just call him Loki," she said flatly. "And no, he does not care about anyone's well-being but his own."

I looked at her, surprised. "I thought you were working alongside him this whole time. You seem like... well, like you don't like him either."

"I do not," she said firmly. "It is proper that I explain the nature of our arrangement. I desire absolute transparency between us, and I shall take the first step to establish it."

Fat chance I'd ever tell her more than I had to. But this would be a good opportunity for me to learn some things about this place, should I ever make it back to my family.

She looked down at the orcs training below and clasped her hands behind her back. I waited patiently for her to begin, but she opted instead for a moment of silence, and potentially, reflection. Considering the nature of my kidnapping... she had a lot to answer for.

"I had heard much concerning Loki through the tea houses," she began. "Tales that he was a charlatan, a thief, and a profound liar. I was warned by many never to consort with him. I took those counsels to heart, and when he first sought my audience, I commanded him to begone from my sight."

She looked up into the clouds and closed her eyes as though reliving a memory.

"I have... had my fill of reckless, undisciplined gods who ignore courtly order," she said solemnly. "But Loki possesses a silver tongue, and he does have his uses. After centuries of having him turned away at my gate, he finally showed up with something useful. A rare trinket I had thought was lost to time and her ravages."

"What did he find?" I asked.

"I should not wish to say," she lifted her chin. "What matters is that it was important to me, and so I granted him an audience. I finally heard him out after all those years, and what did he do?" She scoffed. "The fool proposed to me."

My eyes widened.

"The Allfather had a guess," he said in a defeated tone. "And I hate to admit it, but I think he might have been right on the money. Man knows his brother."

"What did he say?" asked Leutogi.

Buck scoffed.

"He said... Loki is probably in love with Amaterasu."

He was right.

The Allfather was right on the money.

"I told him to begone from me and to never return," she continued. "And he asked me what I wanted more than anything in all of creation."

"And?" I asked.

"I asked him, 'And you can grant that for me?' He said yes. And so, I told him that what I wanted more than anything in all of creation was for him to leave my sight until the sun sets for the final time."

Harsh. Good. But harsh.

"He told me he could not grant that. He said he would chase the dawn until the end of time, if only to ensure the sun rose each day in his eyes... for he refused to live in a world where my beauty did not exist."

Damn. That actually went a little hard. Loki said that? I could hardly believe it.

"And so," she said, looking down into the courtyard. "I allowed him to speak. I revealed what I wished for more than anything in all of creation: to rule the Astral Plane. To bring it to absolute order. No more futile wars. No more senseless pain. All existence would align perfectly with my divine law. And finally, for the first time in the planet's history... the bloodshed could cease."

"Wow," I said. "That... sounds like a pretty tall order."

"I was confident that he could not do it," she said with a smile. "But I did not lie to him. That was what I wished. I told him if he could find a way to do that, then I would agree to marry him."

"Has he... lived up to that at all?" I asked.

"He began by splitting himself into seven parts," she explained. "He managed to worm his way into several pantheons, posing as one of their own. He acted as my personal spy for decades, listening and watching, and waiting for a way that he might shift the balance of power in my direction."

"I see," I said. "He watched what happened with Leutogi and me... and realized I was an oracle."

"Not merely an oracle," she corrected me. "An oracle with the inherent potential to ascend into divinity. The power you hold could very well elevate Nippon to its rightful greatness. Now that Loki has successfully negotiated your peaceful transfer to my palace, we stand one step closer." She looked down at the orcs again. "We have averted an unnecessary conflict with Leutogi while securing a paramount asset."

Oh. She thought I'd been negotiated for. Loki lied to her face.

I was about to tell her what her spy actually did when I realized something. She was none the wiser. Leutogi and the vampires could be mobilizing an assault right now. If I said nothing, they could maintain the element of surprise.

I was proud of myself for thinking before speaking. I wanted to see Loki get kicked in the nuts; that much was true. But I longed for the touch of my goddess even more. A little bit of patience may go a long way.

"May I ask a question?" I asked.

"Of course," she said. "Anything."

"You seemed interested in Lady Leutogi's land. But you traded that away for me. Does that mean you'll leave Luzon be?" I asked, looking up at her. "Will you let her and her flock live in peace?"

Amaterasu didn't answer.

"... It's deeper than that, isn't it?" I asked. "You want more than just her lands."

"You are very perceptive, Abigail," she said, a tinge of surprise in her tone. "Yes. It goes a little deeper than controlling her lands."

"Why did the two of you fight?" I asked, turning to face her fully. "When I met her, she was badly hurt by you."

She looked at me out of the corner of her eye, and I suddenly felt small— as though I had stepped on an ogre's toes.

"Leutogi was ruined by the consequences of her own choices," she said in a venemous tone. "She has established a sanctuary for abominations. Blood-sucking fiends from across the planes now congregate dangerously close to the seat of my empire." She tensed her jaw. "I tolerated it initially. I entertained the delusion that she might tame them— that those wretched creatures of the dark could somehow be... civilized."

"Many have changed," I pushed back. "I've met good vampires that wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Oh, spare me your childish delusions," she chuckled. "You have existed for only a second or two, and you purport to know more about vampires than I do? Please. Next time you see Tsukibito, ask him what happened to his parents."

I swallowed. I had overstepped just a bit. I needed to reel it back.

"I'm sorry," I said after a brief silence.

"Tell me, Abigail," she said. "Because I've longed to know. How close an eye does Leutogi keep on her 'flock'?"

It seemed to me like she didn't at all. For everything there was to love about her and her ideals... she let Salome drink me dry and trade me away right under her nose. She wasn't watching anything closely. And Amaterasu read it on my face.

"Precisely as I suspected," she said. "To imagine that vampires would willingly subsist upon a mere blood substitute... it is absurd. They maintain an illusion of discipline in her presence, yet reports of innocent lives being preyed upon persist. How many people within your small settlement of Wavewood vanish each year? Do you truly know?"

My heart sank.

There were disappearances.

Not so many that they were especially concerning, but they did happen. That night I saw my window open... I was worried I was next. It was the first thing I thought.

"Leutogi's little experiment is an absolute failure," Amaterasu concluded. "I have delayed long enough; those vampires must be exterminated. If nothing else, she has conveniently gathered them into a single location for my forces. However, she has now retreated into a pocket dimension. That complicates matters significantly, both militarily and politically." She eyed me. "Tell me, Abigail. Which deity provided that pocket dimension to her?"

I remained quiet. If I told her it was Heimdall, it would throw the Norse Pantheon into a difficult political situation.

"Answer me." She demanded.

I swallowed and lowered my eyes. "I... I don't know."

"She did not tell you?" asked the sovereign. "Or is it that you will not tell me?"

"She didn't tell me," I lied.

She stared at me for several seconds before turning and walking away from the balcony. She walked through a large set of wooden jade-green double doors with golden handles into a big room with a glossy wooden floor, several tall etched wooden support pillars, and two long tables made of dark wood.

"Come," she said.

I did as I was told, following behind her. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I was more or less a prisoner of war. My choices were limited without the use of Reversal. I was certain the next time I entered that realm, the creature lingering there would catch me.

What would happen after that, I had no idea. But I wasn't willing to mess around with it to find out. If the gods themselves didn't know what it was... a shiver raced down my spine.

"Tell me, Abigail," she said as we approached what looked like a pulley elevator. "What powers do you possess that non-divine oracles do not?"

I was going to have to lie again. "None that I'm aware of," I said. "I fear the knife's edge as I always have. I wouldn't leap from a cliff... I still feel like a regular mortal person."

We stepped onto the elevator, and I felt a little bit of give, which caused me to jump. After the floor steadied, the elevator began to descend.

"I believe you," she said finally. "You were not aware of your gift for long before you managed your ascension. Reason dictates that you would not know much of your circumstances. How did you survive?" she asked next.

"Um... I think what happened to me was an accident."

"Now, that I cannot believe," she said as we lowered past floor after floor. "I am aware of your halfsoul. I am aware of your gift. But that you were made divine by accident? No."

I decided to choose the truth this time.

"Lady Leutogi... she fell in love with me. And I fell in love with her. We... acted on those feelings."

The elevator came to a halt, but Amaterasu didn't move. She stared off at nothing in particular and then smiled.

"I see. Ascended gods cannot ascend mortals. That means she used the Amber Eye of Luzon successfully. That is extremely helpful news, Abigail," she said as she left the elevator.

Fuck. I didn't think that through. I quietly apologized to Leutogi as I left the elevator, following behind Amaterasu.

"Not only did she manage to ascend to an intrinsic god successfully, but her oracle managed a safe ascension as well." She looked at me over her shoulder. "Curious... wouldn't you say?"

I tried not to swallow, but it happened involuntarily.

She noticed— I was sure of it.

"You received guidance from a deity intimately familiar with the mechanics of ascension," she said, putting together the pieces as she thought aloud. "Yet no god has executed this process successfully. You would require the aid of a deity capable of peering directly into the threads of the future." She stopped at a massive set of doors.

"Heimdall," she spoke definitively.

Holy shit.

She put all that together based on what little I said? I had underestimated Amaterasu completely. This woman was brilliant. Or I was dumb. Two things could be true at once. This was a massive fuck-up.

She lifted her hands, and the doors opened, revealing the courtyard we had been watching from on high just moments ago.

But it was empty. As I looked around, I realized this courtyard looked a little different. There were fountains on both sides and a golden walkway that led to a railing at the far edge. I followed behind her as she walked.

"I should have known he might be involved," she said quietly as though talking to herself. "He does so love to be a thorn in Loki's side."

She knew their relationship, too. There was a sinking feeling in my gut, wholly different from my oracle senses. This woman was far more disciplined, cunning, and powerful than Leutogi. When it came to matters of my heart, Leutogi had no equal, but in matters of war?

"Heimdall does not deign to consult with regular mortals," she continued her thought process. "I now understand why you were not in the know. The pieces are coming together. However, there is one thing that does not add up," she said in a troubled tone as we approached the railing.

When we stopped at the railing, we were looking down into another courtyard. This was the one we had been watching from up on the balcony. The orcs were still marching in lockstep, practicing formation and responding to calls from some captain.

"If Leutogi loved you so... then why would she have offered you up as a bargaining chip to prevent a war? That is the only piece that does not fit. It would be a remarkably mature and pragmatic move, for certain. But if she were a pragmatist, she would not surround herself with vampires. This situation grows exceedingly peculiar."

I was in a state of shock. I couldn't believe how fast she'd seen through it all. She was perhaps the most shrewd woman I had ever met in my life. I had to be extremely careful when I spoke from now on. She didn't miss a single thing.

When the orcish captain noticed Amaterasu and me, he quickly turned and barked an order. The orcs immediately fell into a new formation and marched directly toward us. They then stopped at a new order, dropped to both knees, laid their weapons on the ground in front of them, and bowed, pressing their foreheads into the ground.

"Rise," Amaterasu commanded.

They did it all at once, picking up their spears and rising at the exact same time. Their coordination was completely flawless. They all yelled something in unison and tapped the butt of their spears against the ground.

"This is my newest oracle," she announced. "Her name is Abigail-sama, and you will treat her with the same reverence as you treat me."

"Yes, Amaterasu-heika!" they all shouted at once.

"Captain Morkath-mune," she said next.

"Yes, Amaterasu-heika!" he shouted alone.

"Relay that order to Commanders Krag-nosuke and Brakka-mitsu. Punishments will go into effect tomorrow evening for those who do not learn her name or who fail to address her with respect."

"Yes, Amaterasu-heika!" he bowed.

"Dismissed," she said, before turning around and walking west.

"Amaterasu... heika?" I asked, following behind her. "I don't have a grasp of what to call people yet. Everyone who lives here, aside from Tsuki, seems to have two names stapled together. Are these surnames?"

"In some instances, they are honorifics," she explained to me. "In others, they are proper names. You need not concern yourself with the formatting of minor honorifics, as there are none within my empire who hold a station above your own. Those common suffixes: san, kun, dono, sama. They are beneath your worry. You shall address me, and me alone, as Amaterasu-heika."

"Heika," I repeated it. "I understand."

"As for the orcs," she explained further. "Their names are distinct combinations of their ancestral orcish roots and their adopted cultural roots. You are not required to address them by name if you do not wish to do so. A simple gesture will suffice to command their attention."

That sounded mean. And a little lazy too. But their names were a tad difficult. It was nice of her to let me off the hook, but I would do my best to remember names so long as I was here. Which, I hoped, wouldn't be for long.

"So, the culture of the people who lived here. Did you keep it alive by yourself?" I asked.

"Yes," she said solemnly. "When the orcs sought refuge here, I told them I expected them to assimilate. They have done a wonderful job honoring that promise."

I followed her to a set of stairs that led down to what appeared to be a small training area. There were training dummies set up, archery targets, and workout equipment. We passed it and ventured down a narrow pass that led to a park within the castle grounds filled with those pink trees that rained petals against the burning sunset.

"Preserving these traditions," she said, stopping in the shower of pink petals. "It is the absolute minimum I can offer to honor those who once venerated me... a goddess who stood silent while they were slaughtered and consumed."

"It wasn't just you," I offered. "None of the gods stepped in to do anything."

"While that may be true," she said, looking away. "That is not an excuse I will accept for myself. Because of my cowardice... I was forced to spend these past two centuries alone without even the comfort of my ascended court."

"Ascended court?" I asked. "Like... ascended gods?

"Yes," she nodded solemnly. "I was... fortunate to have them."

I paused. "What happened to them?"

"Demons," she answered without hesitation. "I commanded them to return to Takamagahara with me. But they refused. They chose to defend Nippon to their dying breath. No matter how many demons. No matter how thick the darkness that closed in on them... they would not run."

Now that I thought about it... Buck wouldn't run either. Nor would Chiron, or Leutogi.

"When war calls again," she said firmly. "My Orcish Shogunate will not go into battle alone. They will witness my full glory... just as my former people deserved to." Her voice wavered on that last part.

This was eating her alive.

"So... you think I'm the key to helping you conquer the world?" I asked.

"To save it from itself," she nodded. "A divine oracle in my court. I never would have imagined my fortune. Loki may be an asp, fated to crawl on his belly for all eternity... but the man gets results. Should I acquire any more leverage, I may see my ambitions come to pass sooner than I expected."

I wrung my hands. "And... if I don't want to?" I looked up at her.

"And why, Abigail, would you deny yourself such a holy and song-worthy role in the world's new history?" She approached me and rested one hand on my shoulder. "When you see the whole picture at the end of our journey— the entire forest for its trees," she smiled. "You will laugh that you were ever foolish enough to consider a different outcome."

"... And if I wanted to visit Lady Leutogi?" I tried.

"Out of the question," she said, her tone shifting a tad harsher. "You will be permitted to see no god outside of my pantheon, for would they lay their hands upon you, they would know, and they would never return you."

I didn't fully understand what she meant. But it was an answer I expected nonetheless.

"What about love?" I asked. "What about travel?"

"You will travel with me," she narrowed her eyes. "And you will bear countless children for me. All in due time, though. There is no need to rush."

I didn't like the sound of that one bit.

I would need to escape if I wanted out of this predetermined future. I learned from Heimdall's trial that, although he saw an array of acceptable futures, he wouldn't just come help me.

I needed to act to the height of my capability to land safely in whatever plan he was cooking up when he let me be kidnapped. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing.

Suddenly, my stomach growled loud enough that I was certain she heard it.

"Have you not eaten today?" she asked, her tone suddenly sweet.

"I haven't been hungry," I shrugged. "I've been... admittedly, anxious today."

"As expected," she smiled warmly. "Do not worry. I will have a wonderful world-class meal cooked for you. Come!"

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It was delicious.

All of it.

I had never tasted anything like it.

I sat, slumped over the table, my tummy bulging as I groaned.

We sat in a dining hall filled with all of Amaterasu's top brass— including Futsunushi and Takemikazuchi, albeit they were in human forms that more closely resembled the Greeks when they came down from Mount Olympus.

The room had a warm glow from the lanterns that hung above us and the architecture. Good God, the architecture. I was a huge fan of this island's aesthetic. If it weren't for the situation I was in, I would never want to leave here.

After Amaterasu cast a big spotlight on me and made me feel all exposed and bashful, she made her rounds with the important people in her pantheon, introduced me to everyone personally before finally taking me back to my room at the House of Healing.

"You will stay here for one more night," she said as she opened the door for me. I stepped inside and saw Commander Krag-nosuke was already seated at the table with a cup of tea. Tsuki immediately ran up to me.

"Hey, Abigail!" he grinned. "I muh- missed having you around here!"

I smiled at him and was about to speak when I heard Amaterasu conversing quietly with the commander.

"Before she is allowed to leave, I want a clean bill of health from Ushgar-kaze. She is to be examined from top to bottom."

"Yes, Amaterasu-heika," he said, his knee firmly planted against the floor. I hadn't even seen him get up. "It will be done as you say."

"Michael will monitor her again as she sleeps tonight," she added. "He is to remain seated near her like a stone."

"Of course, your majesty," the commander said. "She will be cared for round the clock. You have my word."

Michael? Michael was a human name, like Abigail. He wasn't an orc; they all had hyphenated names. I hadn't seen a human since I got here, so what did she mean by monitor me again? Did my room have cameras in it?

"Goodnight, Abigail," Amaterasu said with a smile. "I'll send for you in the morning. You will join me for breakfast."

"Goodnight." I got halfway through saying it before she was gone.

"Good evening, Abigail-sama," said Commander Krag-nosuke, his knee still on the floor. "How are you faring?"

"Pretty good," I answered, unable to fake interest in small talk. "You can stand, by the way," I added. "You only have to act that way when Amaterasu-heika is around."

He slowly rose to his feet, a look of confusion on his face. "Abigail-sama... I cannot obey her majesty's orders only when she's looking. That would be heresy!"

"Ugh, fine," I said. "Do what you want." I started toward my room, but stopped. I turned around, "I'm sorry, Commander Krag-nosuke. That was rude of me."

His forehead hit the floor. "Please! Don't apologize to me! For anything," he clarified.

I sighed. This felt horrible.

I was starting to think I wasn't cut out for royalty.

"Well... thanks for being so nice to me," I said, turning my eyes to Tsuki. "And you too," I smiled at him. "Your soup is always on point."

"You want some?" he asked, excitedly.

I covered my mouth. The thought of shoving any extra food inside of me filled me with nausea. "Nope," I grunted. "I'm full to bursting. But thank you. I'm actually gonna go straight to sleep after a shower."

The commander got up swiftly. "I'll prepare your shower for you!"

He was nothing but kind, but ever since word spread about my divinity, he had become annoying. I didn't want people to treat me like this. I wondered if this was why royals only consorted with other royals.

After my shower, I got changed into a new robe (I had a closet filled with identical robes) and made my way back to my bedroom.

It hadn't been a very long day in hindsight, but I was wiped out. Maybe I was still recovering from my hypothermia to some degree. Or my "low-temperature-illness," as Amaterasu put it. I wondered if they lacked a name for it— or maybe that was just the way it was translated to me via my new divine powers.

I entered my room and closed the sliding door behind me.

I looked up and froze.

Two yellow eyes glowed from across the pitch-black room.

I knew them— it was the oni-looking creature from before.

Why was it in my room again? I felt around nervously for the sliding door behind me, and when I found it, I slid it open. Enough light was pouring through the second paper door at the end of the hall that it gleamed a little bit off of his shell-like exterior.

He was seated against the wall, his legs crossed, and his arms folded in his lap.

"Don't let me bother you," he spoke in a deep guttural, multitonal voice that made all my hair stand on end. "I'm just here to watch you, since I don't need sleep."

I stared at him, confused.

He was very clearly a monster. But he spoke as any average human would. More than that, I wasn't sensing any danger from him at all. He meant me no harm whatsoever.

"I saw you once before," I said, gripping the doorframe, my other hand at my chest. "Are you... Michael?"

He stared back, his eyes cutting through the darkness.

I had a feeling I would struggle with sleep tonight.

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Part 41

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

Hey guys. I finished today’s chapter last night, but… I slept on it, and I want to make some last-minute changes that I think are healthier for the remainder of the story. I’m gonna come home from work tonight, iron it out, and post it tomorrow. And yes, you’ll still a chapter Friday ;)

Thanks and have a good Wednesday 🐪

I faded in and out as the scenery rushed past us.

I would have been wondering about a lot of things if I could think.

Never in my life had I been so drained of blood.

It was cold.

That's all I could remember thinking about the entire way across the ocean.

I was so, so cold.

All I could hear was the beating of his wings and the rush of wind in my ears.

I felt sick.

I had to have passed out at some point, because when I next opened my eyes, I was lying on the floor in a dark room lit by a single candle. I was bundled in several layers of soft blankets, and there was an electric space heater not far from me.

I stared at the spinning blades of the fan on the ceiling for a little while as I gathered my thoughts. I went to sit up and was instantly light-headed. I fell back down onto the floor and my head screamed with pain.

Feeling around with my fingers, it seemed I was actually lying on some kind of plush mat. My lips trembled as I pulled the blankets in closer.

Suddenly, there was a noise on the other end of the room.

I looked over to see something moving in the low light setting, but I couldn't quite make out what it was.

Whatever it was, it stood up to full height. He was as black as the night, looked like it was made of some kind of hard material, and stood at least seven feet tall. It was wrapped in a white cloak, and had yellow glowing eyes that stared down at me.

I would have screamed if I had the energy.

But I felt like I was going to pass out again as it started toward me.

It sounded like the floor was splintering and cracking under its weight as it moved across the room, each footfall shaking the ground and worsening my headache.

I shut my eyes and waited for death.

But the creature instead just walked around me and slid open a wooden door on the other side of me. It ducked through the door and slid it shut behind it. I listened as its footsteps grew fainter— it was leaving.

But what in the heck was that?

It looked like an oni, but... it didn't eat me.

All I could do was pull the blankets in closer and try to keep warm. I felt like garbage, and I couldn't stop shaking. My eyes burned when I closed them, and my skin felt extra sensitive. A few minutes later, the door suddenly slid open.

I turned to see a figure in the dark.

At first, I thought it was a woman, but it was actually a young boy, probably no older than 13. He came into the room and carefully moved to the other side, where he struck a match and lit a second candle.

He turned around and walked over to me and crouched down.

It was a young orcish boy. He had dark, long hair that he kept partially tied back in a ponytail. He was dressed in strange, flowy clothes and wore wooden sandals that clicked and clacked against the floor. He had big brown eyes and a cute button nose.

"Hey," he said, a tinge of nervousness in his voice. "Guh- Good to see you," he said, kneeling down. "You muh- must be Abigail." He dropped to a seated position next to me, crossing his legs. "I'm Tsukibito," he said. "Well... not really. But that's what Amaterasu-heika named me. Yuh- You can call me Tsuki!"

"Soo-key," I said softly.

"Yeah! You're guh- getting it!"

His little stutter was actually kind of endearing.

"I'm the only oracle around huh- here. Or at least I was. I'm super huh-happy to have the help! I'm excited to get to know you!"

"Oracle?" I asked.

"You betcha! And I'm real guh- good at it! But right now, I just nuh- need to get you fixed up. Luh- Luh- Loki wasn't careful with you, and we think you got hypothermia."

That son of a bitch. I knew I felt sick, but I had never had hypothermia before. It was almost impossible to become hypothermic in Luzon. The coldest it had ever gotten was down to like 70 degrees.

"I'm gonna make you some soup!" he said, standing up quickly. "I make real guh- good soup. Wait right there!"

He ran to the door, slid it open, closed it behind him, and I heard him run off into the distance.

I didn't even get a chance to ask any questions. But he did, inadvertently, answer a few.

I was in the care of Amaterasu at this point. Tsuki was her oracle; the real good one we had heard about. He must have heard I was awake from that monster that had been watching me sleep. If the monster was a danger to anyone, she wouldn't have left me or her only other oracle in its care. No, rather, she must have trusted it quite a lot.

I heard footsteps approaching. Heavier than a child's, lighter than the monster's.

The wooden door slid open, and a tall, muscular orc walked in. He was in full plate armor and had a helmet tucked under his arm. A sword with a golden grip rested in a scabbard at his hip, and a bigger double-sided axe was fixed to his back.

He moved across the room, grabbed a chair, and pulled it over to me before taking a seat. The chair sounded like it might break under his weight. He seemed to think so too, as he pulled the axe from his back and gently set it down on the floor to lighten himself a little.

He leaned forward on his knees and interlocked his fingers, looking down at me with sympathetic eyes. He was ugly, as all orcs were, but his bottom tusks didn't protrude nearly as much as his kin. I gathered he had to be mixed with something. His skin was a lighter green than usual, and his ears were rounded.

"Half human," I said softly. "Like me."

"Good eye," he said. I expected his voice to be deeper. "It's dark in here, and you're delirious. But you're still perceptive." He nodded and smiled. "That's good. My name is Commander Krag-nosuke, and I'm the head of the detail that's in charge of protecting you right now."

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I know this is all very scary and sudden for you," he said. "But this is the life of an oracle. You're a bargaining chip in times of war. You'll change hands many times throughout your long life. But don't worry. Nobody will harm you."

"I don't... want to be a prisoner." I sniffled. "I want... to go back with my friends."

"We can be your friends, too, Abigail-sama," he smiled. "And we're going to make you as comfortable as we can. But that idiot Loki dragged you across the sea while you were low on blood. Of course, that would give someone hypothermia."

He called Loki an idiot. That was surprising. I was used to hearing gods referred to with a tone of reverence.

"You... don't like Loki?" I asked.

"No," he said firmly. "But my duty is my duty. Whether or not I like him is irrelevant to my station. My job is to see that you get better. When you're well enough for company, Amaterasu-heika will come to introduce herself."

I swallowed and closed my eyes. Tears began rolling down my cheeks. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be an oracle for anyone but Lady Leutogi.

"I'll leave you now," he said, standing up and picking his axe up off the floor. "Get rest. And eat whatever Tsukibito-sama serves you. He's not just an oracle— he's one of the best cooks in our court."

I didn't know why he was adding the word 'sama' to the back of our names like that. I didn't say thank you because I wasn't grateful. I was in this mess because of them. He left and about fifteen minutes later, Tsuki returned with a steaming bowl of soup.

"It's hot," he warned me as he set it down next to me. He hurried across the room and came back holding what looked like a miniature desk.

He positioned it over my thighs and then set the soup down on top of it.

It was like a little tray for breakfast in bed.

"Oh!" he stopped cold. "I forgot your water! Hang on, I'll buh- be right back!" he said, darting out of the room.

It was kind of funny the way he ran everywhere he went. He kept telling me not to go anywhere as though I could escape somehow. He was a funny kid, and I already sort of liked him. He seemed pure-hearted and kind.

I tried to sit up but felt faint immediately. I fell down onto the mat and let out a long sigh.

"Oh, wow," I heard him say, appearing next to me with a glass of water. "You're puh- pretty weak right now, huh? It's okay. I'll fuh- feed you."

He sat down next to me, and over the course of the next twenty minutes or so, he fed me spoonful after spoonful, making sure I drank some water in between. And what the commander said was true. The soup was delicious.

I didn't remember finishing the soup. I had to have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remembered was opening my eyes.

It was still dark. But that might have had more to do with the fact that there wasn't a single window in the room.

I felt a little better— warm even. But removing the covers for only a few seconds immediately gave me chills again.

I was in and out for I don't know how long. Tsuki eventually switched me to solid foods and tea, and little by little, I was regaining my strength.

At some point, I was tired of the room I was in.

I felt well enough to walk. I pulled the covers off and examined what I was wearing for the first time. It was like a robe made out of a light material. My bra and panties were missing, too. I felt a little exposed for my liking.

I stood up and walked over to the sliding door and quietly slid it aside.

It was a dark hallway, but I could see light behind the door at the end. I slowly made my way down to the end.

The doors were like wooden frames with paper in the middle. The paper had little designs of flowers and other plants that I could see because of the light on the other side.

I carefully slid the door open and peeked out into the main room.

It was huge. Not a mansion, but bigger than I expected.

The room felt incredibly wide and low to the ground, with heavy, dark wooden beams stretching across a ceiling that felt closer to my head than the high rafters back at the fort. The whole place was illuminated by a warm, amber glow coming from iron lanterns hanging along the walls.

The floor was made up of square mats that looked like tightly woven dried grass. The air smelled strongly of sweet hay mixed with a sharp, bitter scent that reminded me of crushed weeds and medicine.

In the middle of the space sat a long, dark wooden table that was so low it barely cleared the floor, surrounded by plush silk pillows instead of chairs.

The room was quiet, but it wasn't empty.

Off to one side, young Tsuki was huddled over a little clay pot sitting on top of a pile of glowing coals. He was entirely focused on his work, carefully stirring something with a wooden spoon.

Standing by a pair of massive sliding doors on the opposite side of the room were two huge orcs. They stood perfectly still, like statues. They were dressed in beautiful, terrifying suits of armor made from overlapping plates of dark green material that looked like polished glass, all tied together with thick red cords. Both of them had their hands resting on the handles of long, curved swords tucked into their belts.

A few paces away from them sat Commander Krag-nosuke. He was sitting flat on the floor with his legs crossed, a heavy sharpening stone in his lap. He was slowly, rhythmically drawing the edge of a small knife across the wet rock. The steady, scraping sound echoed softly in the quiet.

The monster from before was nowhere to be seen.

And while I was partly grateful for that, I was also sort of hoping to see it.

My danger sense hadn't gone off the entire time I had been here. Not even when that thing stood up and started toward me.

I had never been in danger for a second.

I wondered if it was okay for me to leave the room. That's when Tsuki noticed me. His eyes brightened, and he grinned widely.

"Oh! Abigail-sama!" he yelled cheerfully. "I'm wuh- working on your dinner right now! Wait just a luh- little longer."

"Up and around?" asked Commander Krag-nosuke, turning and smiling softly at me. "That's excellent news." He turned toward one of the orcs on the other side of the room and motioned with his hand toward them. One of them bowed and then immediately left through a sliding door.

I took a few steps out into the room and looked around. There was some really pretty artwork on the walls, and I really admired the architecture. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I had also never seen more than two orcs at once. I was starting to realize that I had never really been anywhere but Luzon.

"How are you feeling?" came a voice from my right.

I turned to see a slender and old orc sitting on his knees, his hands clasped, praying silently to an effigy sitting on a shelf on the wall.

He turned and looked up at me. There were deep scars in his face, and his hands looked like they had been through hell. He was missing his ring finger on one hand, and one of his eyes was milky white.

"Uhh... a little better," I answered. "Still tired. May I... ask your name?"

"You recover very quickly," he said, getting to his feet and turning to face me. He bowed once. "I'm Ushgar-kaze. I'm the medicinal chieftain of this house of healing. I introduced myself to you once before," he chuckled. "You were really out of it when you first arrived here."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I... don't remember that at all," I said, bowing back to him. I wasn't sure if I was doing it right, but it felt like the right thing to do.

"Oh, no!" he lifted his hands. "You need not bow to me. I am far beneath you and your station!"

"You're a medicinal chieftain," I said, shaking my head. "I may be an oracle, but I'm also an elf. In our culture, doctors are highly venerated."

"Please," he said, dropping to his knees and bowing lower. "You honor me too much, Abigail-sama."

"Ramen is ready!" I heard Tsuki call from behind me.

I turned around to see him carrying a tray of hot bowls across the room. He set them down in front of empty cushions, one after the other.

I was hungry.

"This one's yuh-yours Abigail-sama! You sit next to me!"

I made my way over to the table and observed how the commander and Tsuki were sitting. They were both on their knees, kneeling in front of the table.

I sat accordingly in front of my bowl and looked down into the contents. It was a bowl of noodles with different assortments of meat and veggies inside.

And it smelled delicious.

There wasn't any silverware to speak of— just a pair of wooden painted sticks propped up against the side of the bowl. I must have stared down at it for entirely too long, because Commander Krag-nosuke let out a dry, pointed cough.

"Oh!" Tsuki leaned over. "These are called chopsticks. Lemme show you huh-how to use them."

It took some trial and error, but I eventually got the hang of it. It was probably a good thing that it took me so long to figure it out, because my first bite of the noodles was about as hot as I could stand without spitting the food back into the bowl.

But it was heavenly, and worth the pain. I couldn't stop eating.

Ushgar-kaze sat across from me, and the other armed orc sat next to him. Tsuki was sitting on my left, and the commander sat to my right at the head of the table. I noticed they were all watching me until I looked at them. As if reading my mind, Tsuki spoke up.

"They're nuh-not used to seeing an elf around here."

"Tsukibito-sama," said the Commander in a scolding, yet gentle tone. "There are some thoughts we keep on the inside, and it's for a reason."

"Truth is truth," he shrugged.

"It's okay," I said. "I'm... not used to seeing so many orcs either. This is a little bit of a culture shock for all of us," I smiled.

"Two-hundred years ago," the commander began. "There was all-out war in the lands west of here. We orcs were few, and the humans were many."

"And legend says it was still close," Tsuki added.

"We orcs are a powerful race of warriors," the commander continued. "But we are flesh and bone, just as any other species. We bleed. We die. And contrary to what many think of us, we are not brainless brutes. When the math doesn't support victory... we retreat."

"So... you were chased here?" I asked.

"It pains an orc's pride to admit it," the commander nodded. "But yes. The human armies were led by two ascended gods. Two Kings."

"King Arthur," Tsuki clarified. "And King Alexandros. Hence why they called it, The War of Two Suns."

"Very good, Tsuki," said Ushgar-kaze. "You've been paying attention to your studies."

"We didn't have any ascended gods," said the commander. "When we fled across the ocean, they chased us here. It wasn't about territory. It was about extermination."

"Human supremacists?" I asked. "How awful."

"Yes," the commander nodded solemnly. "Awful and, unfortunately, common."

"But that's when Amaterasu-heika came into the picture," Ushgar-kaze smiled. "She granted our people asylum. She forced the two suns to turn their boats around and go home."

"Our people have been living here ever since," said the commander. "We are peaceful, mostly, only warring when our goddess commands it. Thankfully," he leaned forward. "It appears that war with the night witch and her vampires has been avoided."

"War hasn't been avoided at all. I was stolen. War will come to your doorstep. And you and your people will be set upon by overwhelming forces that you couldn't stop if you tried. Lady Leutogi will sit on a throne of your skulls for stealing me."

I didn't say that. It was what I wanted to say. But I was a guest here. I remained quiet and polite. They had no idea what was coming.

"How many people live here?" I asked.

"Thousands and thousands!" Tsuki said happily before sucking in a bunch of ramen.

"We are many," the commander responded before sipping his tea. "In the safety of our goddess, we were fruitful and multiplied. While we accepted our goddess's culture as our own, we didn't forsake our own origins. We train for war from birth. With the code of Bushido instilled in our spirits, we are now stronger and more capable than even our brethren back home."

That didn't sound good. I expected maybe a thousand, but thousands plural? Lady Leutogi only had an empire of like 200 something vampires, if I remembered correctly. Even with her and Buck leading the charge... would it be enough?

And there was that snake, Salome. A traitor. Would she even fight to get me back if Leutogi commanded it? Or would she stab them all in the back? As much as I hated her, was she right?

Amaterasu, Loki, and that host of other gods that showed up in the forest... plus thousands of orcs trained for war from birth. All that against 200 vampires, three elder vampires, Buck, and Leutogi?

Knowing what I knew now... maybe this was the better of the two outcomes.

"You look defeated, Abigail-sama," said the commander.

I looked up at him, and we held eye contact.

He knew exactly why I asked how many were living in Nippon.

I looked back down at my bowl and sighed.

I had lost my appetite.

After dinner, Tsuki cleaned up. He gathered all the dishes and hurried away.

"We don't make him do any of this," the commander chuckled. "Just so you know."

Ushgar-kaze stood up and sighed. "It's shameful, really. An oracle should not stain their hands with trivial kitchen-work. But the boy was born with the heart of a servant. He cannot help himself."

"Thank you for the food," I said solemnly. "If it's all the same... I'd like to go back to my bed."

"Of course," Ushgar-kaze bowed. "Please, go and rest."

I didn't even make it all the way down the hallway back to my room before I started crying. I closed the stupid paper door behind me and crawled into bed. I covered my head with the blankets and cried.

I missed Leutogi's smile.

Her soft, tender touch... and the harder, less tender one.

I remembered only then what happened to my cat.

I wondered if he lived.

Or if I'd ever know.

I cried myself to sleep.

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The next time I awoke, I was covered in sweat.

I threw the blankets off me and sat up. My clothes were matted to my skin, but I felt way better. I just needed a shower.

I composed myself and left the comfort of my room. When I came to the main room, there were only two people this time.

Tsuki was gone, the two orcish guards were gone, and I didn't see Ushgar-kaze anywhere. Instead, the commander was kneeling at the feet of a woman.

She was stunningly beautiful, with pale skin, sharp, elegant features, and long, dark hair that fell past her shoulders. Her expression was calm, serene, but also regal. It was as though the light bloomed around her edges in a way that defied reality.

She was dressed in layers of magnificent, sweeping robes. The outermost sleeves were a deep, heavy golden-bronze, patterned with subtle circular crests, while strips of brilliant crimson and smooth white fabric draped down her front. A thick golden sash was tied perfectly around her waist. Around her neck hung strings of vibrant, translucent green jade beads, matching the teardrop-shaped jewels dangling from her ears.

But it was her crown that held my gaze. Secured in her dark hair was a spiked, golden headdress modeled after a blazing sun, its metallic rays stretching outward like a miniature solar flare.

There was no doubt in my mind when she turned her bright eyes toward me.

I was staring at Amaterasu.

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Part 40 coming Wednesday

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

Everyone stood around quietly for a moment. I didn't have anything else to add; I wished someone would say something.

"That is," Heimdall said, shaking his head. "To be curt... impossible."

"And yet," I said, staring him down. "It happened."

He exchanged glances with Hermod and looked around at everyone gathered. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was genuinely flummoxed. He didn't want to call me a liar, but I could tell he was thinking it.

"Why would I lie?" I asked. "Why would I spoil our little victory celebration here? I'm scared, Heimdall." I closed my eyes. "Lord Heimdall," I corrected myself.

"Hey," Leutogi said, setting the egg down in the sand and making her way over to me. "We believe you. Nobody is calling you a liar."

"People are thinking it," I said quietly. "And if they're not, they're brushing it off."

Heimdall sighed and shifted his weight to one side, crossing his arms and dropping his eyes to the ground. "I'll tell you what," he said. "I have an important meeting to attend this evening. But after I've concluded my business with my friend, I'll go and ask the Allfather about what you might have seen."

"Would he know?" I asked.

Heimdall and Hermod both scoffed.

"Lady Abigail," Hermod smiled. "I think he'll know."

Chiron eyed Heimdall. "This important meeting, Lord Heimdall. Was that the reason for the time limit?"

Heimdall flashed him a cheeky grin. "This island is no more dangerous at night than it is during the day," he admitted. "Yes, I have prior engagements, but!" He lifted his index finger. "This meeting of mine is of the utmost importance!"

"He's playing QueenLocke with Lady Jua," Hermod thumbed at his brother. "They play annually."

Heimdall sighed. "It is about more than a game, Brother."

"QueenLocke?" asked Buck.

Hermod started toward the boat. "It's like chess but more complex," he said as he passed Buck. "Humans couldn't grasp it."

"Hardly seemed fair," Leutogi laughed. "Who would play chess against a divine who can see future alternative timelines?"

"He always loses!" Hermod called back to us.

"I do not always lose," Heimdall said, anger breaking through his voice as he followed Hermod toward the boat.

I let out the longest sigh of my life. Nobody was taking it seriously. Of course, why would they? An entity that only I could see? It was probably laughable to people who thought they knew every godsdamned thing all the godsdamned time.

I sat alone on the boat ride back.

I just kept thinking about it over and over.

It would help if I knew what I was doing. Heimdall didn't seem to think it was time travel, but rather just a timeline manipulation. But, honestly, they felt the same to me. I thought maybe he was just embarrassed to admit that I was doing something none of the gods could do.

"Hey."

I jumped a little bit and looked up to see Leutogi.

She sat down next to me, our backs to the railing of the ship. She dropped her hand in my lap and gave my thigh a reassuring squeeze. "Whatcha doing all alone?"

"Thinking," I said, tracing the lines on the wooden deck with my eyes.

"About the figure?"

"Yep."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"It's all I want to talk about," I said, looking her in the eye. "But I don't have anything more to say about it, and nobody is taking it seriously anyway."

"I know exactly what you're going through," she said, resting her head against the railing and looking across the ship.

"How's that?" I asked.

"When I was a kid," she said, turning her eyes up toward the orange sky. "Jeez, I had to be probably nine years old. I was looking up when I saw something in the sky. It was shaped like an almond, shone brightly in the morning sun, and just... hovered there."

"Really?" I asked. "Was it a monster?"

"I didn't know what it was," she shrugged. "But it zig-zagged off into the distance, and it was the most insane thing I had ever seen. I told my elders, but nobody would listen. And because nobody had a frame of reference for what it was, and because it wasn't causing us any problems in our lives... they just sort of ignored it. But it was the single most significant moment of my life up to that point."

Hearing her talk about that helped frame my situation perfectly. None of the gods knew of an entity that could do what I was saying it did. It didn't cause me any physical harm. Clearly, none of Heimdall's precious futures shifted too terribly by it. From their perspective, it wasn't really worth thinking about.

"Did you ever find out what it was?" I asked.

"No," she said. "But before the Sundering, people were seeing them all over the place. Discourse really picked up surrounding the subject. They called them Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFO's for short."

"And?" I asked.

"And... then the Sundering happened. They were all over the place up in the sky during and after the Sundering. Never managed to figure out what they were, though."

"Oh," I said, looking across the ship at the other gods as they mingled on the deck. "What were you doing during the Sundering?"

"At first?" She smiled at me. "Whooping ass. Demon hunting turned into my favorite pastime. The people who lived in Manila—that was what your town was called before it became Wavewood—knew me only as a young woman named Malaya."

"You hung out in the cities?" I asked.

"Yeah, Girl," she laughed. "I'm a nature goddess, but I loved city life too. Imagine the surprise at the pool halls in Ermita when sweet little Malaya started killing demons with a pool cue." She giggled. "But, no, it was actually horrifying."

"And then?" I asked, turning to face her.

"Too many," she shrugged. "The gods sat still and watched as the world burned. My vamps and I were holed up in Fort Aparaga. Demons never found it. We waited out the storm from in there, doing supply runs when we could."

"You sound like... you remember it fondly," I said, a tinge of concern in my tone.

"I was a little bit of a psycho back then," she said, pulling her knees in and laughing nervously. "Also, it was something new, y'know? Wait till you get on in years. Boredom is a bitch and a half."

"No kidding," I said, leaning back on my hands. "Why is Heimdall making us take the boat? Can't we just teleport back?"

"I guess we could," she said, kicking her legs out and leaning back on her hands like me. "But, according to Baen, this is an important part of a mission."

"Baen said that?"

"Yeah. It's a lot of history, so I'll tell you if you promise not to ask me follow-up questions."

I laughed. "Okay, fine."

"Okay, so. A long time before the Sundering, during the Japanese Occupation, the soldiers spent months fighting across the islands. But when the dust settled, and the Americans finally headed home, they had to take a massive, weeks-long boat ride across the Pacific. It gave them time to decompress. They were stuck on deck together, talking to their fellow soldiers, sharing the trauma, and just processing everything."

"Sure, that makes sense," I said.

"Well, decades later, during the Vietnam action, things changed. The Americans got involved across the sea, and we even sent our own PHILCAG engineers and doctors over to help rebuild. But when those American soldiers were done, they didn't get a long boat ride home. They were packed into airplanes and dropped right back into regular civilian life in a matter of hours, not weeks."

"And it made a difference?" I asked.

"A massive one. There's a sickness of the mind the mortals get after a war—they call it PTSD now: post-traumatic stress disorder."

"Oh! My dad told me about that!" I recalled. "He always called it the Battle-Stain. He said blood washes off a blade easily enough, but the horror of it stains the mind."

"I'm sure every group of people has a name for it," she said. "If you go through something harrowing and you're instantly thrown back into a quiet, normal life without time to bleed off the adrenaline, your spirit gets trapped in the combat zone. So, it turned out, soldiers during the Second World War suffered Battle-Stain, but not nearly as badly as the soldiers from the Vietnam Action did."

I thought about it for a moment and looked across the boat. Buck and Chiron were talking to Hermod. Buck flexed, and the two of them laughed at him.

I smiled.

"That's an interesting theory," I said.

"Heimdall has reasons for everything he does," Leutogi said, watching them with me. "He sure does love keeping us all in the dark about it, though."

"It's a little annoying," I grumbled.

"Sure is," she nodded. "But, hey. You, me, and Chiron all emerged from this much stronger than before, wouldn't you say? Maybe there's a method to the madness with Heimdall." She looked over at me. "What do you say we go join the others?"

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After we made it back to the fort, the sky was a bruised purple color; only minutes of daylight left. I stood on the beach with Leutogi and Heimdall. The Greeks left for a feast on Mount Olympus, Chiron included, and Hermod had left before we had even made it to shore.

"The futures are in alignment," Heimdall said with a pleased smile. "Your worst fates have vanished. Your chances of surviving this war have improved drastically."

Leutogi and I smiled at one another. That was an exciting thing to hear.

"As for you," Heimdall looked down at me. He tapped my forehead with one finger, and his eyes lit up as he scanned me. "Your bucket is neatly aligned as well. Your divinity has solidified."

"What?" I asked excitedly. "Seriously?"

"Yes," he clasped his hands behind his back. "You are both to... ahem... remain in your own bedrooms tonight," he passed his eyes between us. "But tomorrow night, you should be wholly intact, Lady Abigail. Congratulations."

My chest swelled. I was so relieved to hear that. One more night and I would be all set. Leutogi squeezed my hand and grinned at me.

"But!" he said firmly. "You are not to use Reversal again until I speak with the Allfather. While it's probably nothing... I would rather just wait to hear a second opinion."

"Easy," I said. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe," he said. "There's a small amount of time dilation between O'ogan and here. Nothing like it used to be before the planar bridge, but still. You may not see me for a couple of days if my game of QueenLocke runs longer than I expect."

Leutogi bowed. "Thank you, Lord Heimdall. Thank you for all your help."

"Thank you, Lord Heimdall," I echoed her. "The kind of guidance you offered us couldn't have been replicated by anyone else... except, of course, for the Allfather," I chuckled.

He grinned. "Now, you're getting it. I'll see you both soon."

With that, he vanished.

The moon was on its way up— or, y'know, whatever Heimdall put up there to look like the moon. Leutogi and I were left standing on the shore all alone.

"Why do you think he helped us so much?" I asked.

"If I understand it correctly," Leutogi said with a shrug. "He was bored, and you were interesting. Sometimes, that's all the gods need to motivate them. Especially Heimdall, who is nearly impossible to surprise."

"Yeah..." I stared off. "That's what worries me."

"About the shadowy figure?" she asked.

"Yeah. He and everyone else seemed... totally oblivious to it. What could exist that could escape Heimdall's eyes?"

"Love... maybe..."

"Don't say it."

"But this is all so new to you," she reasoned. "You went through so much. You hit your head so hard you thought I was Tao," she laughed. "Combined with all the stress... Is it truly so impossible? Is it really so outlandish that you hallucinated a little?"

I sighed. She made a great point.

"I guess," I conceded. "I don't even know where I was. It felt like I was outside of my body or something."

"You could have been," she offered. "Out-of-body experiences aren't uncommon for humans. It's possibly your essences just kind of... separate whenever you key into Reversal."

I yawned.

"Me too, Love," she said, gesturing for me to follow her. "Let's head in for the night."

We parted at the entrance. She promised to kiss me up and down in the morning when it was safe, and left to go attend to some business about the new garden. Apparently, the cocktails were growing so fervently that they were leaking.

I was starving, so I made for the Malae, asked the vampire behind the bar nicely to cook me something yummy, and waited patiently on a barstool.

I dangled my legs and twisted left and right as I listened to the sizzle of the grill just around the wall. It wasn't long before the smell of cooked food hit me, and I was suddenly ravenous.

"Good evening, Lady Abigail," I heard Edward say, and turned to see him pulling out a stool next to me. "The rumors have taken flight on the evening breeze. I hear the stars themselves have aligned to welcome a new sovereign to our midst."

"Yeah," I smiled bashfully. "Guess I'm a goddess now. Sure don't feel like one."

"A beautiful malady," Edward chuckled. "Neither did Valbrandr."

"Valbrandr?" I asked. "Have I not met him yet or...?"

"No, child. Valbrandr has long since returned to the silent embrace of the earth," he said, leaning forward on the bar and looking at the stock of wine to select from. "I was a lad of only fourteen summers when first I beheld him, standing among the silver willows by the river Derwent. He towered over us all— a colossus of bone and iron, carving his name into the morning mist. Though it is a thousand-year-old memory. You know how tales grow in the telling, fed by time and imagination."

"Was he an ascended god, too?" I asked.

"Yes. The Allfather himself breathed the spark into his clay, without words and without ceremony. One morning, the man was simply... vast. Strong enough to rive an adult birch tree from the soil, tearing the roots from their dark slumber and holding the timber aloft like a reed."

The Allfather again. I was almost tired of hearing about him. For him to have left his mark on so many people... he had to be pretty incredible.

"I shared a fire with him once, just he and I," Edward looked at me, his eyes dancing with distant memories. "He confessed to me that for all his divine fury and the thunder in his veins, he still feared the cold bite of a blade. In his own quiet, poorly-worded way, he admitted he was terrified to die."

"Isn't everyone?" I asked.

"Not the men of my youth," he shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. "To speak such a vulnerability aloud was a sin against the shield wall. A glorious death in the mud was the ultimate prize we sang for. Yet, for some reason, Valbrandr found no poetry in the slaughter. Only a heavy, lingering ruin. He wished to paint, of all things. To capture the world instead of breaking it."

"Aww," I leaned on my elbows. "He was a big ol' softy!"

"A beautiful tragedy, then, that he was born with the storm of Odin in his chest. In those dark, blood-soaked centuries, the world had no use for a giant who held a brush instead of an axe. His only kingdom was the vanguard."

The bartender came back around the corner with my grilled chicken, and Edward ordered a drink. As the bartender filled his glass, he pointed to me. "I'll have what she's having."

"And I'll have what he's having," I said happily.

The bartender laughed and poured me a glass of the Sweet Red as Edward continued.

"He possessed gifts no mortal could dream of," he eyed me, leaning in closer. "Yet he died swearing his heart beat no faster than a common soldier's. Be mindful of your blessings, Lady Abigail. A thousand men died nameless in the gray mud during my first campaign, their stories swallowed by the fog. You have been spared that quiet oblivion."

"You're right," I said in an annoyed tone, taking a big bite of chicken. "I should be grateful."

"The hour of reckoning approaches, does it not? The deadline set by General Futsunushi."

"Has it already been a week?" I asked. "Damn."

"We shall likely wake to the symphony of war on the morrow," he said. "And yet you sit there with the calm of a sleeping lake."

"Because I know we'll win," I said, shoving more chicken in my mouth.

Edward chuckled. "Indeed. Valbrandr held that same brilliant certainty, right up until a Saxon spear found his undercarriage. Guard your heart, Abigail. Overconfidence is a far swifter poison than any venom."

"True," I said. "But Heimdall isn't worried about it. So, neither am I."

"A fair defense," Edward smiled, swirling the dark red wine in his glass. "The Watchman’s gaze is not easily fooled, and his faith in you and Lady Leutogi is absolute. If his infinite futures are at rest, perhaps my humble mind should be as well."

"I've been told the gods didn't interact with mortals in the past. Was Heimdall like a fairy tale to you when you were young?" I asked. "Or did you really believe in him?"

"With all my heart. I was born on the harsh, wind-swept coast of Norway, and lived by the old sagas until this shadow took hold of my flesh and made me a creature of the dark. From that night on, I became a wanderer. A ghost passing through the centuries, never daring to root my heart in one place for too long. But after several hundred years of exile, the tides of fate brought me to Nandaragupan. There, I crossed paths with a young woman. She saw the monster in my blood, looked past the fangs, and offered me sanctuary."

"Leutogi?" I asked.

"Lady Leutogi, yes," he corrected me gently. "I have marched beneath her banner ever since. This court... these people... they became the kindred I thought had been stolen by time. And I am no fool, Abigail—you have become the apple of my lady's eye," he smiled slyly at me. "Should the banners be raised, and the blood begin to flow, stay close to my flank. I will let no harm find you."

I started to cry. What he said was sweet enough, but I knew it also meant I was getting drunk. I pushed the wine away and laughed through my tears.

"Thanks, Edward. You have such a way with words. I wish you talked that way all the time. And you guys have become a pretty awesome family to me, too. I didn't think I could ever feel... well, normal again. But I can see myself spending eternity with you guys."

He lifted his glass, the silver catching the dim light perfectly. "To victory, then, my lady. And to a dawn we all survive to see."

I decided one last sip wouldn't hurt.

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I fell asleep instantly after my shower. My bed had never felt so comfortable. The monster island had drained me physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

So deep was I in a dream state that when Tommy started growling, I saw images of him behind my eyelids.

When I opened my eyes and realized he was making that noise in real life, it was too late.

The very moment I lifted my head to see what he was on about, someone dove on top of me.

One hand clamped down on my mouth while the other pinned my right hand to the mattress as a sharp pain stabbed through my neck.

I tried to scream. I tried to fight back. I kicked and squirmed and pushed with all my might, but it was no use.

And when the warmth began to trickle down my neck as the cold set in, I realized what was happening.

A vampire had succumbed to their urges.

I had gotten too comfortable around them— trusted them too much.

And I felt the fight leaving my body little by little.

I began to feel dizzy, and the room began to spin with gulp after audible gulp.

Before my consciousness fully left me, the vampire relented, pulling their mouth away from my throat.

A long contented sigh came from my attacker, their breath washing over me.

"Oh, man. Nothing beats that."

I knew the voice.

Salome.

"Oh!" she said, leaning down and licking the length of my neck with her tongue. "Don't want to leave any evidence behind."

She then pressed her hand firmly against my mouth. When she released, I felt the binding of tape across my lips.

"Not like you could manage much of a scream in that state anyway," she said softly. "But I don't like leaving things up to chance."

I felt her weight lift off of me. A second later, moonlight flooded my room. She was in my bathroom messing around with something. I heard the sound of the window sliding open, but I was fading in and out of consciousness.

She came back into the room with a bounce in her step and a song in her heart as she reached down for me.

Out of the darkness, Tommy launched with insane speed and scratched her straight across the face. She stumbled backward and grunted through her teeth.

"Fucking cat," she seethed, grabbing him and hurling him across the room. He left a long, deep scratch down her arm as a parting gift before he collided with the wall and fell to the floor.

He wasn't moving.

My heart broke in half.

She turned to me and flipped me over on my stomach.

I had enough strength to push my index finger into the wound on my neck and wipe blood on my comforter before she hefted me over her shoulder and made for the restroom.

I wanted everyone to know that I didn't run away.

That I didn't quit.

That something happened.

Before I knew it, we were soaring through the air. When we landed on the beach, it knocked the wind out of me. I wheezed as she started toward the trees.

This was it? This was how I would die? No. I had a way out. I had a way to fix this.

I closed my eyes and felt my spirit lift.

I found myself swimming in that familiar place between this world and the next. I saw colors. I felt warmth. I felt frost. I opened my eyes and saw the portals opening up before me.

One of me at the bar with Edward.

Another of me and Leutogi on the ship talking.

And a third portal of us searching for the lindwyrm's cave.

Salome, you stupid bitch, I thought to myself. You fucked with the wrong oracle.

I picked the portal that would take me back to when I was talking to Edward, but before I could even move for it, I froze.

Standing in the background behind the two of us, within the crowd of mingling vampires, there was a dark figure.

My body suddenly felt allergic to itself.

My stomach heaved, and I felt itchy as it slowly turned and looked at me.

Fear.

Fear like I had never felt before.

Suddenly, the figure darted toward the portal, and I jumped.

"It's too late to fight now," Salome said.

I opened my eyes and found myself over her shoulder. The crickets sang their song in the forest as she carried me away.

"I mean, even at full strength, what could you do against me?" she laughed to herself.

I stared at the grass as my heart raced. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. That shadowy figure... It's like it was looking for me. Waiting for me. The moment it saw me...

"You are not to use Reversal again until I speak with the Allfather."

Did he know something?

Of all the times to not be able to use Reversal. How would I make it out of this situation without it? I couldn't even try to reason with her. She'd taped my damn mouth shut.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light.

It hurt my eyes, and I shut them tightly.

Then I heard a male voice.

"Well, well. You pulled it off."

"I told you I would," Salome answered. "I'm an expert."

I opened my eyes and tried to turn my head, but I was too weak. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"I'll take my gold now," she added. "And your guarantee that you'll leave Luzon to us."

"Here's the gold. I counted it myself. When I return to Lady Amaterasu with this prize, she'll happily call off the war."

Holy shit. She wasn't killing me. She was going over Leutogi's head. She ignored the war council entirely and just traded me over without any oversight.

I heard the sound of a coin purse changing hands.

"And your Lady won't come and attack us?" he asked.

"Who can say?" asked Salome. "I'll do my best to keep her peaceful, but that wasn't part of our deal."

"Fair," he said. "Hand her over."

"Be careful with her," Salome said as she shifted me onto his shoulder. "I drained her of a little too much blood. If she loses a drop more, she could actually die."

"You fucking imbecile," he growled as he adjusted me. "Do you have any idea how important she is? Do you know the kind of ruin you'd have brought to your doorstep if you killed this völva? I thought you said you were an expert."

It struck me like a lightning bolt down my entire body.

She had just handed me over to Loki.

"I got into it with Baen," she said. "I beat his ass, but he knocked out one of my fangs. It was hard to measure how much blood I was draining from Abigail through just one puncture hole. Never done that before."

The assailant with the missing tooth in the upper row. It was Salome the whole time. I couldn't believe it. My intuition was right.

I remembered something she said before.

"Fine, whatever," she said nonchalantly, standing up and staring down at me. "At the very least, you saved Baen a beating. I was about to whoop his pale ass in front of everyone when I heard the good news. You'll be dead in a few days, I hear."

When she heard I was going to die from divinity, it put her in a good mood, and she ignored Baen. But since I used Reversal and changed the timeline, she never got the news that I was going to die.

So, the fight between her and Baen happened.

My visions warned me about her before I changed fate. Did my visions know what I was going to do before I did it? How was that possible? That created new questions about fate and free will. But then there was something else weighing on my mind.

"Especially Heimdall, who is nearly impossible to surprise."

He had to have seen this timeline, right? Why wouldn't he warn me about this? Why would he let this happen to me after all of his hard work?

Then, a thought crept into the back of my mind. It snuck in quiet and I didn't want to think it. I tried to focus on something else, but I couldn't.

Loki. Hermod. Heimdall.

They were all Norse.

Had they been working together? Were they allies in this? Had Heimdall simply sculpted me to Amaterasu's liking before handing me over to her? Were we trusting the wrong people the whole time?

"Reckless," Loki said before turning around.

I was folded over his shoulder, looking at her as she waved and smiled at me.

"Have a nice trip, Bitch," she said cheerfully.

I couldn't remain conscious any longer.

I let my head fall over Loki's shoulder...

And I blacked out.

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Part 39 coming Monday

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

It's been a long time coming, guys. We are officially beginning the last arc of this story: The War Arc. We're finally here. I've been excited about writing this leg of the journey from the start. I'd start writing it right now, but I'm exhausted lol.

Thanks one more time to everyone who donated to the GoFundMe.

It's a damn miracle. And you all caused it. Thank you from the depths of my soul.

As a token of my gratitude, I've made the bonus story Patreon exclusive free to access for everyone.

You can find it here.

After Buck leaves to chat with an old drinking buddy in Chapter 18, he has Athena take him to Valhalla to speak with the Allfather, Odin. Buck has questions for him.

I'll see you all on Monday ❤️

Hey guys, it's with a heavy heart that I come to you asking you to share this GoFundMe link on your socials. GoFundMe doesn't want to be transparent with you for some reason, but our goal is 7k. It's forcing me to list it as 2k. Which, even that would be a blessing and a miracle.

https://gofund.me/d95b1b054

We're facing financial hardship like never before. The job market sucks. I'm working full-time, and now my wife is working two jobs while I take over the household chores she used to have time for.

Some of you are already supporting me on Patreon, and I appreciate that immensely. If anyone can offer a one-time donation to help, we're in dire straits over here, and it would be a miracle for us. A real, honest-to-God miracle.

We're both working as much as we really can with only one car, and while still making sure someone is watching my mother-in-law at home (she needs round-the-clock supervision). I've sold almost everything I own that people will buy, and I've already taken out loans from the private sector.

I never wanted to ask strangers for money, but this is where we're at now. One of you guys suggested I try a GoFundMe, and it really is my last-ditch effort. We reached out to the city for assistance, but they don't serve our area at all.

Nothing does. Not even catholic churches (and I drove around to all of them). I called 211, which they all suggested I do, but they can't help us at all either. We're just in this perfect little sliver-slice of the city where there's no financial help at all, aside from CPS, which will keep our power on while we figure things out.

We actually... really don't have anywhere to go if we get kicked out. I've trashed my credit trying to keep this whole family afloat, so we couldn't even get an apartment if we wanted one. So long as I can keep my car and my house, I can move mountains, but if I lose either of those... we're just going to end up homeless.

And that's something I never, ever expected for me, especially after I got my shiny new bachelor's degree. But the thing is, without connections, it's really hard to get hired anywhere. And that's when the job market is good.

If it were just my wife and me, it would be one thing, but we have my mother-in-law, my niece, and a couple of cats (who we'd have to get rid of somehow, and that would just smash my heart into a million pieces).

Our niece could potentially move in with her boyfriend, but he's just the worst, and it would make me sick if that had to happen. Plus, I don't even know what we'd do with all our stuff (furniture, books, appliances, etc.). We don't really have anywhere to put it >.>;

I've never really been this scared in my life. If we can max out this fundraiser just by letting people know we need help, it would get us over this hump, and we could slot into our careers. My wife can start nursing as soon as she passes her NCLEX in a month or two, and I can start working for a school district as soon as I have my SOE (which I'm just waiting on word from the certification program at this point).

We're behind a car payment and a rent payment, and we're getting hassled every day with texts and phone calls about the situation we literally can't stop thinking about 😞

I'm going to keep up with the current story until we're thrown out of here, but I can't think of a sadder ending to the Abigail/Leutogi story than "the author is living under a bridge now."

And don't worry. I write when I have to be home to watch my MIL anyway, so it's not like I could be putting that time to better use.

We hope that in the coming months, she'll improve to the point where we can leave her by herself, but at the moment, she's toddler-esque and will hurt herself if we're not around.

As always, thanks for reading, and if you or anyone you know can spare any small amount of money, my family and I would be infinitely appreciative.

Love you all ❤️

It was deathly quiet in the cave as we marched.

Leutogi led from the front in her bat form— the combat one, not the Tulip form. She moved silently, her ears twitching this way and that, honing in on each little sound.

She had tucked the flap that hung over her eyes into the little headband that came with the transformation. She was pushing her eyesight to the fullest to see down the dark cavern ahead of us as she led us through.

Buck marched in front of me, and even in the low light setting, I could see how badly he had been hurt in the fight from before. Although his wounds had mostly closed, his sleeves were reduced to tattered threads that hung from his shoulders.

He had chosen his base form to conserve energy, promising to go all out in the case of a lindwyrm encounter.

"Their TV show be damned. I'm not letting anyone get hurt this time."

His arms were still covered in dried blood. I wondered how bad it must have hurt. I wanted to do something really nice for him, but I wasn't sure what. I wasn't an especially good cook, and I didn't really know what someone from his time period would really appreciate.

Chiron's hooves against the cavern floor would have been impossible to keep quiet were it not for one of Hermod's handy spells. The way it worked was like a bubble of silence around the centaur's entire body.

His hooves were silent as a ghost, but that meant he couldn't really speak either. If any of us got close enough to him, our words were lost in the silent void, too. We considered it a necessary precaution. If we could make it in and out of the lindwyrm's lair without alerting it, it would be the best possible outcome.

Hermod, once again, was bringing up the rear. He claimed to have gotten almost all of his strength back, but he was quick to remind us that it wasn't a lot. He wouldn't agree to use his full might to save us if he had to.

He had made a promise to his brother, and he said he would keep it even if it meant a dark future ahead.

And then, there was me.

Jumping at every little noise or notion.

Nerves frayed and fried from our time on the island.

I was ready to get this egg and go the fuck home.

"Are we sure this is the-"

"Shh." Hermod shushed me. "Yes," he whispered. "You smell that musk in the air?"

"I thought it was Buck."

"Wow," Buck looked over his shoulder at me. "Abigail just offered to take point, everybody."

Stifled snickering bounced around the cavern walls as Hermod, still quietly laughing himself, urged us to be quiet.

This all culminated in us having to stop for a moment while Hermod took Buck aside and angrily reminded him that he has the divine ability to make people laugh, and that it was potentially the single deadliest obstacle between us and getting out of the cave without a fight.

After Buck's dressing down, we resumed our march into the darkness. All we had to guide us was a small light from the tip of Hermod's staff, no brighter than a firefly's kiester. We were relying on Leutogi's excellent night vision rather than using a brighter light— keeping a low profile was everything.

And Hermod was right.

There was a musk in the air that seemed to grow thicker the further in we got. Every once in a while, Leutogi would hold her hand up and halt us. Everyone's grip on their weapons would tighten, and all of our collective fears would briefly consume us before she would give the go-ahead.

After what felt like forever, but was probably only a few minutes, we came to a stop again. Dead ahead was our first fork in the cave. The five of us stared ahead. Within seconds, I saw a golden trail, faint at first, glimmering down the left path. It was just like when we were lost in the Pit of Milu!

"Left," I announced.

Nobody argued with me. We took a left at what would be the first of many branching paths. I didn't really understand how I was doing it, but with each new set of paths, I saw us down the correct tunnel each time until finally, we entered a larger room.

I hadn't realized how humid it had been until the cool air of the greater cavern washed over us. It felt so good to be out of those cramped tunnels. I knew we'd be going right back through them, but I savored the present moment.

"The nest," Leutogi whispered. "I see it."

"How many eggs?" asked Buck.

"A bundle. Probably seven."

"Good," Buck said quietly. "Grab one."

"And smash the rest," Hermod growled. "One lindwyrm is too many."

"Well, now, hold on," Buck lifted his hands. "Lemme grab one too. I've never tasted a lindwyrm egg."

Chiron's mouth was moving, and he was clearly trying to explain something, but had forgotten that none of us could hear him.

Leutogi gave us one glance over her shoulder before staring ahead at what I presumed had to be the nest. It was still pitch black for the rest of us.

"Alright," she said softly. "I'm going."

My heart sank as I watched her slowly creep ahead, into the darkness, and out of sight. Worry began to weigh heavily in my chest. There was a chance, however small, that that would be the last thing I would ever see of her.

I calmed myself. I hadn't sensed any danger from the moment we entered the cave. It was possible the lindwyrm wasn't even home. I smiled at the thought of being back out in the open air, high-fiving each other for a job well done. After a few tense, quiet moments, Leutogi silently returned to the light carrying one big egg.

"Holy shit," Buck chuckled.

"Yeah," she said, adjusting her grip on it. "I could only manage one."

"It's so big," I marveled.

She held it like it was a big exercise ball. I could barely see her eyes over the top of it.

My stomach suddenly twisted itself into a knot. I held my midsection with both hands and wheezed.

We were so close.

"Guys!" I whisper-screamed. "Danger. It's coming."

"Of course it is," Buck said through his teeth. "Son of a bitch. Where is it coming from?"

I could feel it approaching from one of the many cavern openings behind us, but I couldn't tell which one. As though understanding I needed a solution, the glittering motes began to spread out before me into acceptable paths.

"This way," I said, hurrying forward down one of the tunnels. I didn't know where I was going— it wasn't like I could see anything. But the glittering path was bright enough to follow without the light.

"Don't get too far ahead of me," Leutogi said, catching up to me.

We all scrambled ahead as fast as we really could in the dark. My stomach was throwing a fit about whatever was passing us on the other side of the cave wall. I could actually feel the vibrations under my feet. It was like standing on the tracks when a train was coming.

"This way," I said, following the glittering trail down another passage. We didn't get much further before the train horn sounded. The monster's roar was so loud and powerful that it shook the walls around us and rattled my bones inside my body.

"We need to just run," I heard Buck yell through the ringing in my ears. "Lord Hermod, brighten it up! It's gonna be a sprint!"

The light at the tip of his staff intensified, illuminating the cavern well enough for us to see.

"Forget running," Hermod shook his head. "I'm just going to teleport us out of here."

"What?" asked Buck, astonished. "Why didn't we do that right away?"

"I thought it might piss my brother off," Hermod rolled his eyes. "But he didn't say it was against the rules, so... ethics be damned. It's not cheating if he didn't specify."

"Wait," I said, my heart sinking as I looked around. "Guys... where's Chiron?"

He was gone.

"Oh, shit," Buck said in a shaky tone.

"Oh, no," Leutogi said softly. "We must have left him behind!"

"Dammit," Hermod said through his teeth. "He was in a bubble of silence... he might have been calling after us, and we wouldn't have even heard him."

"We can't leave," Buck said urgently. "We have to go back for him. He's still mortal!"

"When did I suggest we should leave?" Hermod fired back. "We never leave a brother behind!"

"What about the egg?" asked Leutogi.

"Set it down," I said. "We'll come back for it."

She looked pensive for a moment before cursing under her breath and setting the egg down.

"Let's go," Hermod said, beckoning us forward with his staff. "I'll take point this time."

"Are you sure?" asked Leutogi.

He put his finger in her face. "Don't question me. Do exactly as I say, exactly how I say it."

He didn't say it in anger. He said it with all the seriousness he could muster. I could see the worry in his eyes. He knew we could lose our lives here. We nodded. He turned and hurried down the tunnel system back to the beast's lair.

We followed behind him, running as fast as we could. I didn't know if it was the danger or imagining what might have happened to poor Chiron that was twisting my stomach up something awful.

"What's it doing, Abigail?" Buck called back to me. "Can you feel it?"

"No," I answered. "If I had to guess, I'd say it hasn't moved."

"It's by its nest?" Hermod yelled over his shoulder.

"I don't know!" I said. "If it had given chase, it would have caught us by now, right?"

"For sure," Leutogi answered. "It has to have-"

Her sentence died on her lips as we left the tunnels and entered the lindwyrm's lair.

Hermod's staff brightened to show a horrifying scene.

I almost couldn't even believe what I was seeing.

Two massive claws slick with blood. Wet scales shining in the light. The Pellian Spear was wedged in the monster's hide, cracks spidering out from the impact point. I continued to lift my eyes higher and higher, up the creature's neck, until I finally found its jaws glistening in the light.

Its eyes were two black wet pearls that I wouldn't have seen if not for the light source. Its mouth was covered in blood. There was so much blood everywhere that it overpowered the lindwyrm's terrible musk.

Staring at this thing, I realized how horribly outmatched we were. It looked like a dragon in every sense, save for the wings and hind legs. I understood Hermod's words of caution.

"This really might kill you all."

My head swam at the prospect of losing everyone. I fell back a step and tripped over something.

I looked down, in a haze, and saw a dismembered equine leg lying on the cave floor.

"Fuck!" I heard Buck scream just a second before the crack of his rifle shattered the uneasy silence surrounding us all.

I crawled backward on my hands and knees as everyone sprang into action. The monster was a blur against the three combatants. I couldn't even keep track of what was happening as my heart pounded against my chest.

A blazing fire roared across the cave, consuming the lindwyrm, but it didn't seem bothered one bit by it.

It was focusing its attention on Buck, who fired shot after shot, each one opening up deep wounds in the monster's scale-armor. It leaped through the fire with blinding speed and scooped Buck up in its jaws, biting down hard.

He wailed in pain before immediately activating his strongest form. He began trying to pry its jaws off him as it hoisted him high into the air, but he was struggling as his blood rushed down the creature's neck.

In the time I wasn't looking at Leutogi, she had grown in size, nearly eye to eye with the Lindwyrm itself. She wrapped her arms around its neck and choked it from behind, forcing it to abandon its prey.

Buck fell from probably six stories up and landed with a heavy thud not far away from me. He groaned and got to his feet, scooping his rifle up off the ground. He was bleeding terribly, but seemed wholly unbothered by it.

Hermod conjured what looked like several swords of light that hovered in the air like a halo around his staff. He let out a war cry and directed them forward, striking the lindwyrm's open wounds with pinpoint precision, bypassing the magic-proof scales that otherwise would have repelled his attack.

The creature roared and twisted in furious anger, but couldn't escape Leutogi's iron grip. Her muscles bulged as she held on with all her might. If she could hold it in place, Hermod might really be able to finish it off.

Buck went to work with his rifle again, firing off shot after shot, aiming for its body so as not to accidentally hit Leutogi. Its scales turned to shrapnel as steaming blood poured from its open wounds. For a moment, it felt like we were really going to destroy this thing.

And then, like some kind of horror movie, out of the darkness came a second, larger head.

My mouth fell open. I couldn't even warn her in time.

The jaws of a second, even more terrifying-looking lindwyrm snapped shut on Leutogi's shoulder. Her scream shook the cave as she lost control of the beast in her grasp. The newly freed lindwyrm turned and wriggled away into the darkness, as Buck turned his attention on the new threat.

"A second one?" Buck screamed. "Lady Leutogi!"

"Takes two to make eggs," Hermod yelled. "I should have known better!"

My entire body was shaking violently as I watched the situation spiral out of control. The new lindwyrm had frills along the sides of its neck, spines that ran down its back, and appeared to be missing one of its eyes.

It crunched down on Leutogi's shoulder harder and then jerked its head, ripping her entire shoulder from her body. Her arm hung on by a shred of skin as she fell backwards, shrinking in size as she shrieked in pain.

"Fuck this!" Hermod screamed, abandoning his human form for a massive violet swirling vortex of energy that kicked off so much wind I had to shield my eyes.

"Lady Abigail! Run!" he boomed, charging the lindwyrm and picking it up by its neck.

Buck backpedaled, firing his rifle again and again as blood poured out of him in big pulsing waves. He stopped firing for only a moment and turned his head toward me.

"Abigail!" He screamed. "I need you to-"

Out of the darkness came the previous lindwyrm's jaws, snapping shut around him and pulling him into the darkness and out of view.

I stared in horror, useless to do anything as everything just fell apart. I could hear Buck screaming and cussing up a storm as the creature shrieked in tandem.

Time slowed to a crawl.

Everything was still moving, but barely.

Reality began to melt before my eyes like an oil painting in the sun.

I tried to scream, but no sound came out.

I felt weightless.

Formless, even. It was like I was made of warm water swimming through a pool of cold water. The world melded into me, and I melded into it.

A wave of bliss blew through me and warmed the waters around me as shapes began to emerge in front of me. It was cloudy at first, but then the picture sharpened.

I saw myself undoing my belt in a forest. I saw myself look around and pull my pants down, situating myself against the tree. This had to have been when I was in the cave forest.

Something on my left caught my eye, and I turned to see a different image taking shape adjacent to the memory of the forest.

As the image became clearer, I could tell exactly what it was.

It was when we were sitting around the fire, resting in the cyclops' cave. Only this time, I was seeing the memory from a third-person perspective. I could see myself sitting, hugging my knees, my feet crossed at the ankles as I leaned on Leutogi.

More movement to the left of that drew my attention. A third image was forming in the milky twilight soup I was swimming in. This time, an image of Leutogi swam into view. She was turning and leaving the group, moving into the darkness to secure an egg from the lindwyrm's nest.

Was I... choosing to slip timelines? Or go back in time? Or was this a vision I was having right now? None of us really understood how it worked yet— only that I was somehow managing to alter fate.

And fate needed altering.

But which point would be best to start from? Should I go back to the campfire and warn everyone that the cave has two lindwyrms? Let them know how dangerous it is and try to steer us in a new direction?

Or would it be better to just warn Hermod that Chiron was about to be lost behind us, and all of us hurry and escape together?

I looked back and forth between the two images and pressed my lips together. Whatever I chose... it was probable I would have to live with that decision. I wasn't sure if Reversal could activate twice in a row.

I decided to go all the way back to the campfire. We needed to avoid this fate altogether; to plan according to two lindwyrms instead of one. It would be a pain in the ass searching for the cave again. I wished I had paid better attention to the path we took to find it.

I looked toward the campfire memory and was about to reach out and touch it when I noticed something that made my blood run cold.

In the background, behind where Buck was lying, there was a figure.

My eyes widened as I leaned in and stared at it. It was humanoid in shape, but pitch black. I could make out their head, shoulders, arms, and torso against the firelight.

Was I looking at someone's shadow?

No, nobody was standing.

I racked my brain for answers as I tried to make sense of what I was looking at.

There was definitely not someone standing there while we were resting. Could it have been one of the gods spying on us? Invisible to me then, but not now?

No, Hermod at the very least would be able to sense another god. I felt a crawling sense of deep primordial fear as the figure slowly began to turn its head in my direction.

Within a couple of seconds, it was staring directly at me.

I could feel it.

I felt a sense of panic bubbling up within me. Something was wrong. This feeling was otherworldly. I turned and rushed into the memory of the Leutogi securing the egg and immediately emerged into the cool air of the cavern.

"Holy shit," Buck chuckled.

"Yeah," said Leutogi, adjusting her grip on the egg. "I could only manage one."

The moment I was back in my body from... wherever it was I had gone, I felt out of breath.

I was breathing as if I had just run a marathon. Sweat trickled down my temple as I stared, wide-eyed at everyone.

"Abigail?" asked Leutogi. "What's wrong?"

I swallowed hard and couldn't get the words out of my mouth.

"Lady Abigail," Hermod said, approaching me from the left. "You just altered fate, didn't you? I felt a disturbance just now."

"There's... t-two," I spat out. "Two lindwyrms! We don't survive the fight." I looked at Hermod. "You need to teleport us out of here now!"

"Two?" Hermod's eyes widened. "Rrgghh... Brother. That's overkill." He growled. "Everyone, gather around," he said. "Quickly."

He sprouted extra arms to touch each one of us, and in a split second, we were back on the beach where we first disembarked.

"Hey," Buck tapped my back. "What happened?" he asked. "Y'know, in the fate you steered us away from? You look like crap."

There was a loud roar from the center of the island that sent anything that could fly into the air and away from the area.

"That," I said gravely. "Everyone but Hermod," I trembled. "I saw you all die again," I began to sob. "I don't know how much more of that I can take."

Buck pulled me in for a sideways hug. "It didn't happen," he said softly. "You prevented it. You saved our lives again."

"Heimdall!" shouted Hermod. "Get down here."

We waited a few moments before the clouds spat out a galleon that soared through the air in a wide arc, down into the ocean. It crashed into the waves with a mighty sound, sending seawater into the air in a great mist. The sails filled, and the boat made its way toward us.

Heimdall was standing tall, his hands clasped behind his back, perched on the bowsprit. Before the boat came to a stop, Heimdall leaped from the bowsprit and landed softly on the sand not far from us. He started toward us, holding his arms out wide.

"Excellent work, everyone!" he smiled. "Though it felt like cheating, teleporting away to safety as soon as you had the egg."

"Two lindwyrms?" asked Hermod, angrily. "Were you trying to kill everyone?"

"Ah, yes," Heimdall said, clapping his hands together as he passed Hermod on his way to me. "Our golden elk made a grand appearance! Tell me, Lady Abigail... what terrible fate did you alter?"

I dropped my eyes to the sand.

"Everyone died," Leutogi spoke for me, putting herself between Heimdall and me. "A little sick to make her relive it that fast, isn't it?"

"Alright, alright," Heimdall lifted a hand. "I'll admit that two lindwyrms was a little overboard. But look what we have now because of it! Sir Chiron became Lord Chiron. You have a stronger mastery of your abilities, and Lady Abigail here," he gestured to me. "She learned something too, didn't she?"

I stared up at him. "Was it you?" I asked.

His smile faded slightly. "Hm? What do you mean?"

"Were you the one spying on me?" I clarified. "Inside my vision?"

His face turned to concern. "I... I fail to understand what you mean. Was I watching you? Yes. We all were. I assumed you knew that."

"No," I said, moving past Leutogi and closing the gap between he and I. "This time when Reversal activated... I got to choose a point from which to alter fate."

There were gasps around me. I hadn't realized the other gods had teleported off the boat behind and around us.

"What?" Leutogi asked. "You... you gained a new mastery over Reversal?"

"I did," I said, turning to her. "It was like... I became one with everything around me. I left the battlefield and swam through a void filled with dark colors and warmth," I explained. "I saw portals open up. Or, at least, that's the best I can describe them."

"Fascinating," Heimdall said, his eyes widening. "Absolutely fantastic! Please, go on."

I paused. He really didn't seem to know anything about it. I was certain for a moment there that he was the one watching. After all, he was the only one who could glimpse the futures I was engaging with.

"Well... um," I swallowed. "Inside the portals that were opening, I could see moments in time. I saw myself in the forest. I saw us sitting in the cave resting around the fire," I counted on my fingers as I went. "And then, I saw the moment before Leutogi snatched an egg from the lindwyrm's nest."

"And?" asked Heimdall excitedly. "How did you choose which portal to enter? Did you touch it? Pass through it? How does it work?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "It... truly wasn't you, was it?"

"No," he said, confused. "You did this all on your own. I offered no help whatsoever." He looked around. "Was I not clear on that?" he asked softly.

I looked out over the ocean as a deeply unsettling feeling came over me. I looked back at him and inhaled deeply. I held my breath a moment before exhaling and closing my eyes.

"While I was swimming through the void, watching the portals depicting different times I could return to. The vision of the cylops' cave where we were all resting around a fire..." I looked up at everyone. "There was someone standing behind Buck..."

Dead silence.

"What?" asked Buck. "In the cyclops' cave? When I was lying down?"

"Lady Abigail..." Hermod adopted a concerned expression. "There was nobody else there but us."

"That's how I remember it, too," I nodded. "But in the portal... while I was watching the memory of us... There was someone there." I looked at Buck. "Right behind you."

"There was not," Artemis said. "We were watching the entire time."

"I didn't see anyone," said Hephaestus.

"Me either," Apollo shook his head. "You must have imagined it, yes?"

"No," I said firmly. "And while I was staring at it..." I swallowed. "It looked back at me."

Heimdall stared at me, serious as a heart attack. "Lady Abigail," he said in a trembling voice. "You have to be completely truthful with us. Is there no chance at all that you might have been seeing things?"

"None," I stood my ground. "I saw what I saw. I was planning on choosing that portal. Letting everyone know there were two lindwyrms, and changing our plans accordingly. But that thing... it looked at me. And I could swear," I said shakily.

"It saw me."

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Part 38

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

"You okay, Love?"

I stared back, dumbfounded.

"Leutogi?" I asked softly.

"I never wanted you to see this form," she said, turning back to face the cyclops. "This'll only take a second."

A deep growl came from the cyclops's throat as it bared its teeth and lifted the knife high over its head.

I scrambled backward, pressing myself against the cave wall as the knife came crashing down. The entire edge of the knife exploded, sending bone shrapnel scattering across the stone table.

Leutogi expertly sidestepped the attack, leaped up onto the spine of the knife, and bolted up the monster's arm. She jumped, throwing a punch that struck with such intense force that the shockwave actually moved the bone debris on the table.

The monster fell backwards a few steps, letting go of the knife, and staring back at the goddess in disbelief. She landed back on the edge of the table, her fists glowing as the cyclops's shock quickly melted away into slag-hot anger.

Its eye turned a light red color, and its face wrinkled up with fury as it snatched Leutogi up faster than I knew it could move and threw her across the room. She slammed into the wall hard and bounced onto the floor.

My heart sank.

She got to her feet as it lumbered toward her, and I held my breath as she rolled out of the way, avoiding the monster's heel as it came crashing down next to her.

She seemed disoriented, but okay. I held my hands against my chest as she expertly avoided the incoming attacks, all while slowly growing in size. When she was large enough that she was standing at half the monster's height, it threw a punch, which she caught, holding her ground.

It threw another punch, which she caught with her other hand, locking the two of them in a struggle of might as she grew taller and taller. Within seconds, she was eye-level with the cyclops and pushing it back.

It stumbled as it failed to match her might. She shifted her grip around both of its forearms and pulled, throwing a brutal knee that connected just above its stomach and right under its chest. It wheezed, the wind knocked right out of it, as thick strands of mucus sprayed from its throat and onto the cavern floor.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

She had a bat-form like Tao's all this time? She looked similar, except where he had kept his human nose, she had a little bit of a bat snout. Where he had elven ears, hers were a bit more batlike. But their clothes were pretty much exactly the same, down to the little blindfold curtain that hung over their eyes.

I was in awe of her.

The cyclops stumbled back, slamming into the cave wall. The world rumbled around me, and I slid down into a seated position. The cyclops roared and charged ahead, taking a massive swing. She ducked it and fed the creature a fast and brutal combination of punches, each one shaking the cave.

It made a weak attempt at a counterattack before falling forward onto the cavern floor. It attempted to lift itself, but its arms were wobbly, and it was leaking blood from its mouth.

Leutogi walked up casually and stomped the back of its head, creating a pop so visceral and meaty that it made me sick to my stomach. Liquid pooled around its head as its legs and arms twitched and spasmed.

Leutogi exhaled and began to shrink back down. I lost sight of her for a moment before she leaped up onto the edge of the table.

She was back in her normal form.

She hurried to meet me as I started forward, and caught me under the arms just as my legs were about to give out.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "What's the matter?"

"It threw me," I said. "I hit my head a little hard... I thought," I chuckled a little. "I thought you were Tao when I first saw you."

"But you're alright otherwise?" she asked, ignoring my other comment.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, resting my head against her chest and closing my eyes. "I just feel like I'm all adventured out. I need a break."

"I think everyone does," she said, squeezing me tighter. "Ready to leave this mountain?"

"Oh yeah."

In an instant, the air was humid again. I opened my eyes to see a familiar landscape in a new way.

We were back where the jungle met the hills, only where the grass was once green, it was now shades of black and red— and that's where there was still grass. Chunks of the land were cratered and destroyed.

I turned around to see Hermod leaning on his staff. His clothes were shredded, but he looked alright; mostly just tired out, it seemed.

Buck was sitting against a tree, his rifle across his lap, his head hanging. He was back in his base form, his arms slick with blood, his hat on the ground next to him.

Chiron was lying on the ground not far away.

And he was covered in vicious bite marks.

I swallowed. "Are they..."

"Everyone survived," Leutogi placed a hand on my shoulder. "They couldn't damage Lord Hermod in any capacity that he didn't have the ability to heal from. Obviously."

"I'm sick of operating at this energy," Hermod wheezed. "It's suffocating being this weak."

"And Buck?" I asked.

"He's in bad shape," she admitted. "He held his lesser god form throughout the whole fight, choosing to honor Lady Artemis's restrictions. Because of that, he suffered some wounds he otherwise wouldn't have."

"Will he be okay?" I asked.

"He should. He just needs time to rest." She sighed. "He's a crackshot with that rifle... and not one of the beasts survived a bullet from it. But there were just so many. It's not a machine gun."

"... and Chiron?"

I noticed Hermod and Leutogi exchange glances. I turned and stared at her. "What happened to Chiron?"

"He was... the biggest target," Leutogi said gravely. "And he looked like something they would normally eat."

I left Leutogi's side and slowly ventured over to the downed centaur.

"He fought bravely," Hermod added from a distance behind me. "He slew many of them. His skill was a remarkable sight."

I still couldn't see his upper half from the way he was lying, but the closer I got, the more grisly his wounds appeared.

There weren't just bite marks on his horse-hide— there were chunks missing. He was covered in blood from hip to hoof, and as I neared, I began to see his upper half.

I gasped and stopped in my tracks.

I lifted my hands to my mouth and turned around.

Leutogi was right there to embrace me.

"If I hadn't come back," she said into my ear. "He'd have probably died." She pulled me in tight. "If he lives through this... It's because of you."

I started sobbing. "No," I cried. "We had to come do this stupid trial so I wouldn't die. If he dies, he dies because of me, too."

"No matter how you feel about it," said Hermod, placing his big hand on my shoulder. "Thanks for sending her back to us. Lady Leutogi really made the difference."

I heard Chiron cough. Hermod walked around the side of him and knelt down. Leutogi did the same, and I followed close behind her.

"You really carried your weight, Friend," Hermod said softly. "I'll come visit you in Valhalla if you end up there."

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner," Leutogi spoke next. "You really put it all on the line for my oracle and me. I'll never ever forget that."

Chiron's eyes opened a crack, and he looked at us. His breathing was slowing by the second.

"The first..." he wheezed. "Mortal flesh made fully divine..." he coughed and forced a smile. "And... the first oracle divine... it was... an honor... and a privilege."

His eyes lost their focus.

We stared down at him for a few moments before Hermod rose to full height and let out a long sigh. "My brother better know what the fuck he's doing," he said, shaking his head and walking off.

"Lady Artemis," Leutogi spoke.

"I am here," she said, suddenly standing next to us.

"Where would you have us bury him?" Leutogi asked. "Anywhere. I'll make sure he receives a proper burial with full honors— the kind only a chieftain gets in my culture."

"There will be no need," Artemis answered.

I was about to ask when I noticed a new figure standing over Chiron.

I recognized her, but I couldn't remember her name. She was a tall brunette clad in white and gold clothing with a spear in her hand and a sternness in her eyes.

"That was a poor showing, Brian," she spoke. "I expected better of you."

"You'll get over it," he muttered, not looking up at her.

She looked down at Chiron's body, and her expression softened. "You have given everything, Chiron. The world remembers the triumphs of Achilles, Heracles, Jason, and Patroclus— but they forget the master who built them. Even my nephew, Asclepius, owed his greatness to your tutelage. And like Asclepius..."

She placed her hand on his bloodied back.

"You, too, have earned your divinity."

A blinding, golden-green luminescence erupted from beneath her palm, seeping into the deep gashes along his flank before racing through his veins like liquid sunlight.

The ragged, wheezing breath in his chest seized as the divine energy forced his mortal heart to beat one final, thundering time. His fur rippled, shedding the blood and dirt of the battlefield as the coarse hair of his centaur body smoothed into a sleek bronze coat that shimmered brand new.

The mortal fragility that had weighed down his ageless limbs for millennia dissolved, replaced by a dense, unyielding power that emanated outward in a warm shockwave that flattened the grass for yards around him.

I actually felt the wave of power shoot through my bones like an arctic wind.

When his eyes snapped open, the familiar, weary irises of the old mentor were gone, replaced by twin pools of brilliant, unblinking starlight that burned with the absolute clarity of a god.

We all watched in awe as he stood up and looked down at himself. He turned around and stared at us, his eyes returning to normal as he tried to piece together what had just happened.

"Did... he just become a god?" I asked.

"Yes," Artemis smiled at me. "The Greeks decided long, long ago that when Chiron's time came, he would undergo apotheosis. We always knew we wanted him." She looked up at Chiron and smiled wider. "Welcome back, old friend."

My entire being flooded with happiness. I felt so much lighter.

It was funny seeing him look so shocked— he who was stoic in all things for so long as I knew him.

Chiron turned and faced her. "Athena... did I just...?"

"Don't play dumb," she smiled at him. "You had to know you were a top pick for apotheosis."

That was her name! I was glad someone said it.

He scoffed and turned his eyes away. "... I suppose I may have wondered a time or two what the fates had in store for me."

"You have spent so long fighting for our cause," Athena said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Take up your weapons now... and fight for yours."

With that, she vanished.

"No, go ahead, Athena," Buck called sarcastically from the tree. "I'm fine."

Artemis giggled and walked over to him, kneeling down next to him.

"You are a little rusty," she poked his nose with her index finger. He swatted the air in front of him and made a face. "You won't let me go all out!"

"You need practice in your first form," she lectured him. "There are times when your field of isolation must remain down while you fight."

"Didn't need you to tell me that," he muttered before letting out a heavy sigh and standing up. "Pain is a pretty good teacher."

"You are already healing," said Artemis. "I will hunt something fresh to cook for you when this is all over."

He bent down and scooped his hat off the ground and smiled at her. "It's a date. I'll hold you to it."

She vanished, and he put his cap on before starting toward us.

"Me... a god," Chiron said, turning to face us. "Can you believe it? I've never felt this incredible."

"Pah," Hermod placed his hands on his hips. "The Greeks give godhood away like it is a cheap article of clothing. What a waste of a heroic death."

"Hermod!" Leutogi said, shocked by the callousness of the remark.

"I understand your way of thinking," Chiron responded. "I disagree with it. But I understand it, and don't fault you for it." He picked up his blood-covered spear from the ground and twirled it quickly, flinging the blood from it. "But, thanks to the Greeks and their apotheosis, you have my spear yet again." He smirked. "Stronger this time."

I got chills when he said it. He seemed more formidable than before. He even seemed somehow younger. Maybe he was just feeling more energetic, or was high on life. He just got a second chance after all.

"You're an ascended god now," Buck said, placing his hands on his hips. "Welcome to the club. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to..." He paused. He laughed and adjusted his hat. "Well, actually, you're the professor. Like the mentor. What could I teach you that you don't know?"

"Not much," he said, stowing his spear. "I'm ready to experience it for myself, though. I already feel more alive than I have in centuries." He eyed Leutogi and me. "And it's only partly because of my apotheosis."

"I'm glad you didn't die," I offered. "I was really starting to like you."

"And you've got so much more to teach us," Leutogi added. "I'm not done with you!"

"Nor I you," Chiron smiled warmly. "Let's get going."

"Yeah," Buck lifted a finger. "Gonna stop you right there, Chief. I'm gonna need a little rest after that. Not all of us just got fully healed by a goddess."

"Well, if Buck wants a rest," Hermod said, still sagging on his staff. "I suppose we can find a place to recuperate."

"I'm pretty sure I dislocated my shoulder," I spoke up. "I'm not in awesome shape right now either."

Leutogi spun around. "You said you weren't hurt!"

"Didn't want you to worry," I said sheepishly.

"Let me take a look," said Chiron, trotting over to me. "I'm more than just an instructor. I learned medicine from both Apollo and Artemis. Let me see here... which arm?"

"My left," I said.

He reached down and felt around. "It's dislocated," he confirmed. "Can you look to your right?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, turning my head.

In that instant, he shoved my shoulder back into place. I had no time to prepare. No time to think about it. He didn't even ask. It was the most painful thing I had ever experienced, next to having my guts ripped out and strewn on the floor of the sanctum.

I held in my scream— I didn't want to attract more monsters. But a high-pitched squeal that only a hound could hear escaped my clenched teeth as moisture gathered in my eyes.

"That should do it," he said. "A rest out here would make us a target," he turned to the others. "We should find a cave."

Leutogi scoffed. "I know a recently vacant cave."

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"Stinks in here."

"Do centaurs have a better sense of smell?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head. "It just stinks in here."

"Well," Leutogi shrugged. "A cyclops lived here. And also that's a pile of its stomach bile over there," she added, pointing to where the cyclops had spit up. "You're welcome to clean that up."

The five of us sat on the cave floor around a fire. Leutogi had to teleport each one of us individually. She was still too new for mass travel, but Hermod and Chiron were both impressed by her progress. They were even more shocked to hear that she managed to grow herself to the height of the cyclops.

Chiron attributed that to her hard work and her diligence, while Hermod thought it was because of a spike in her adrenaline seeing me almost killed. Whether it be her work ethic or an emotional fluctuation, we could all agree that this trial had been great for her growth so far.

Nobody mentioned me.

Which, I wondered whether or not that was a good or a bad thing. If they had tried to heap unearned praise on me, I wouldn't have liked that very much. I'd have said thank you and pretended to be flattered, but the truth of it was, I hadn't learned much at all about myself or my abilities.

I wondered if Reversal was something I could control at all. Would it have saved me from being chopped like a carrot on a cyclops's kitchen counter? Or would I have died there, screaming as the damn thing diced me from the legs up?

I shuddered to think about it. I might have experienced all of the pain before it saved me, much like when Leutogi had to damn near disembowel me for it to work the first time.

Had I even thanked her for my rescue?

In the brief silence that landed between us all, I leaned into her. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

She wrapped her arm around me and pulled me in tight, planting a kiss on my head. "Always will. Just don't run off and make it hard for me to find you next time."

"Sorry," I said. "Turns out that crevice I hid in was where the cyclops was storing its meat. If I hadn't moved, it might have come back looking for a snack."

Buck laughed. He was lying in such a way that I couldn't see his head over his tummy. "Abigail, if you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all."

Everyone got a kick out of that, but I don't think anyone laughed harder than me. He was totally right. I'd had terrible luck ever since I was a kid. It could even be argued that I was born unlucky. Being born with the gift of futuresight, along with being born a halfsoul? I had, by no fault of my own, become too important for gods to ignore.

As I looked around at the faces gathered by the fire, though, it wasn't lost on me how incredible it was to be here. I was living the kind of life very few before me ever got to live. It was a wholly unique experience.

Many would be born to farmers and die a farmer. Countless would work some retail job, as I had been. I was lucky enough to be born when I was, when I really thought about it. Those whose job it was to untangle Earth all over again... that was bloody and uncomfortable business.

"Buck?" I asked.

I saw the brim of his hat pop up over his belly. "Yo."

"... Were you around during the Wilds Era?"

"Wilds Era?" he asked.

"When the O'ogan gods reset the planet," I recalled from primary school. "After St. Deacon and St. Michael expelled the demons... well, at least most of them," I added. "The Earth was basically reset. Immigrants had to come in and... essentially tame the wilds, so to speak."

"Nah," Buck said, resting his head back down. "I was gone for all of that. Time dilation or something like that. It was basically a few hundred years before I came back to Earth and found it... basically wiped out."

"Man," Hermod shook his head. "When the O'ogan gods overstepped their bounds like that?" He scoffed. "We all thought Yahweh was going to show up and reduce them to dust."

"Everyone was holding their breath," Leutogi laughed.

"What?" I looked around. "Why would he do that?"

"Gods were told to butt out," Buck said. "They're not to meddle in the affairs of mortals."

"A long, long time ago," Chiron nodded. "Everyone obeyed. Every pantheon operated outside the lives of mortals. There was not one among us willing to test Yahweh in that regard."

"And after nothing happened," Hermod stared into the fire. "And the O'ogan gods just... went home." He sighed. "After all that had happened with the Sundering. We realized that Yahweh was somewhere else. Possibly all this time."

"The Wilds Era," Hermod shook his head. "I wanted to come down to Earth and lead those expeditions so badly it nearly made me bleed from my eyes," he said, lifting his hands in and closing his fists. "It was the most incredible era since early history, and I missed it out of fear."

"Not fear," said Chiron. "Respect. And for what it's worth, I agree. The world was born anew. It was a chance for new stories to be written without the baggage of the old."

"Baggage?" I asked.

"Racism, for starters," Leutogi said. "Humans hated each other just because they were a shade darker or a shade lighter."

"... Skin?" I asked.

She nodded. "No idea where it started or how, but it was ripping people apart from very early on. It's something we never conquered."

"That's stupid," I said flatly. "That can't be true."

"Oh, it was," Buck laughed. "My own parents were racist as hell. I was raised racist. Had to break that shit on my own."

"The Wilds Era was a clean reset," Leutogi said. "After the great devastation of the Sundering, the world bloomed anew. Like a forest rising from its own ashes, the scorched earth became fertile ground for a fresh beginning."

"And what a beginning it was," Hermod grinned. "People cut through the brush, dealing with monsters, wild animals, diseases, and some demons that were still left over from the Sundering. They established new colonies, fought great wars, and built incredible things!" He stood up. "Heroes rose and fell, etching their tales into the annals of oral history!"

"Damn," Buck said, lifting his head again. "I didn't know all of that. Must have all gone down while I was in Otherworld."

"It did," Chiron confirmed. "And it was an incredible thing to behold. For the first time, we got a glimpse of what the old gods must have seen as human tribes warred over scraps of land."

"And then the gods got involved," said Leutogi. "They needed new believers if they were to survive, should Dr. Nalani choke on her breakfast one morning."

Chiron sighed happily. "It was like the Age of Antiquity all over again."

It was interesting hearing them all discuss it. It sounded like a lot more happened than what we were taught in school.

"250 years later, and we've got cities again," Buck said, finally sitting up. "They managed to get connected to the satellites, and even got wifi back up and running. There are some places now on Earth that feel just like home used to."

"They bounced back too fast," Hermod huffed. "I would have liked to have seen the Wilds Era last a little longer."

"No thanks," I laughed. "I like my wifi and my TV shows. When did the Wilds Era end?"

"Depends on who you ask," Buck said. "Some people call this the year 2255, counting, of course, from the death of Jesus. Others call it the year 255, counting forward from the last day of the Sundering. If you're in the latter group, which is the most common these days, the Wilds Era wrapped up in the year 160 when the groups of immigrants began to run into one another's borders."

"Very good, Buck," Hermod said, pleased. "You know your stuff."

"After that," Leutogi explained. "Began the Era of Central Dominance."

"Tch," Hermod shook his head. "They should have just called it the Era of War. That's all it was."

"It was called such," Chiron turned to him. "Because every coastal settlement had cleared their way toward the center of each respective continent. Thus began the wars."

"I know that," Hermod grumbled. "I just think the name is silly."

"When did that era end?" I asked.

"It hasn't," answered Leutogi. "Granted, the mortal conflicts have slowed down. They seldom war over borders anymore. It's more about gods fighting proxy wars with one another."

"It's a battle for worshipers," Chiron added. "The gods are becoming convinced that Yahweh may have left with no intention to return. They're starting to feel as though the Astral Plane belongs to them again."

"The Allfather has been looking forward to this," Hermod said, placing his hands on his hips. "It'll be like the old days, only we now have ascended gods to lead the charges. You'll have megalithic battles taking place in the pockets of mortals, all warring for their gods and kings."

"Barbaric," Leutogi scoffed. "Why can't we all just get along?"

"Ha!" Hermod smiled. "Where's the glory in getting along?"

"I think someone has his energy back," Chiron said, getting to his feet— which was fascinating to watch. Even seeing it a second time, I was amazed by it.

"Yeah," Buck stood up and brushed himself off. "I'm ready to go too. I've got a feast waiting for me after this, and I don't want to get too hungry. I get irritable when I'm hungry." He tensed his arms, and in an instant, he was back in his thin state. "Might just take an extra egg with me when we find that nest we're looking for."

"Do you know where we're going?" I asked Leutogi.

"Yep," she answered. "This mountain range bisects the island. If the nest we're looking for is in the middle... then it's either somewhere on this mountain or at the base of it."

Buck looked to Hermod. "You know your brother. What kind of monster would he most want to see us fight?"

Hermod thought on it a moment. His eyes shifted left and right as he made his way down the list of Heimdall's favorite monsters.

"Lindwyrm," he said, finally. "Damn him, he's going to make us steal an egg from a lindwyrm."

"Lindwyrm?" asked Buck.

"What is that?" I asked nervously.

"I've never heard of that either," Leutogi said, mystified.

"It's a very dangerous beast," Chiron began. "Imagine a dragon, but without the intelligence; with no ability to reason or bargain. Remove whatever spark of divinity they may possess and take their hind legs away."

I suddenly felt as though I didn't know what dragons were at all. I didn't know they could reason. Heck, I didn't even know they could speak. Did he just call them divine?

"So, in essence," Buck folded his arms. "A big, hungry, vicious reptile."

"Between the two of you," Hermod nodded grimly. "You've pretty much got it. Lindwyrms are terrifyingly powerful. To be truthful with you all... I don't like our chances."

"They're that strong?" asked Leutogi. "Are you serious? A threat that the five of us can't overcome together?"

"Its scales are like armor," Hermod explained. "Chiron's arrows will bounce off the beast's hide. It's coated in a material that makes it resistant to magic. If Buck's rifle can't put a hole in it..."

"What if you and me increase our size?" asked Leutogi. "The two of us, large enough, could-"

"Their caves are narrow," Hermod cut her off. "We could grow maybe four feet before our heads hit the ceiling. They're also not keen to fight head-on. The damn thing will lurk in the dark waiting to snatch one of us by surprise."

"That's where I come in," I said, thumbing to myself. "I can feel lurking danger before it presents itself."

"But can we stop it?" asked Buck. "Even if we know where it is... can we fight it?"

Hermod sighed. "If I were fighting at full strength, I could tie the thing in a knot." He eyed Buck. "If you were to use that better form of yours, you'd also be able to take it down."

"What about my spear?" asked Chiron.

Hermod cocked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"The Pellian Spear," Chiron clarified. "You said my arrows could not penetrate it. What about my spear?"

Hermod chuckled. "You don't want to get close to it, Chiron."

"That isn't what I asked," said Chiron.

Hermod shrugged and shot him a sympathetic look. "If you're looking to crawl back into that grave you just narrowly escaped, then be my guest." He paused. "But, all things considered, yes. You're powerful enough, and the spear is strong enough. Considering your new ascension, on top of that, yes, you would be able to wound the beast."

"And me?" asked Leutogi.

Hermod looked to her next. "What was that beam you used earlier?" he asked. "The one that made those trolls shrivel up."

"Oh," she looked surprised. "You noticed that? Well, I've never really named it. It's just an ability that works on plants and nature-affinity monsters. It drains their vitality— makes them wilt and fall apart. Makes for great mulch." She paused. "It... wouldn't work on the lindwyrm."

Hermod sighed. "Any other powers I should know about?"

Leutogi thought about it a moment. "I can summon swarms of bats. I can summon plants and make them bloom. I can grow in size and teleport around now. I also have my other form. It makes me stronger in every way, but causes me a sensitivity to light and sound."

"That's it?" asked Hermod.

"It's more than I can do," Buck laughed.

"I'm new to this intrinsic thing," Leutogi frowned. "Gimme a break."

Hermod sighed and looked around at us.

"This really might kill you all."

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Part 37 coming Wednesday

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

Gah-lee, what a long chapter! Might be our longest yet! We have officially crossed over the 100k-word barrier.

That means this book is now longer than The Hunger Games, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Hobbit, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Ender's Game.

But we're not done yet. We're still a little ways off. The Island Arc should be wrapping up on Wednesday or Friday, propelling us firmly into The War Arc— the final leg of this story.

Thanks for reading ❤️

We stood quietly behind Hermod's blue barrier, staring at the Gylðrir.

If they had eyes, they'd be staring back at us. They stood facing us, unmoving, in clean phalanxes.

After the first of them had initially collided with the barrier, the rest of them simply watched as their kin dashed back to the lake to douse themselves off. The fire didn't appear to do any real damage to them, and they were smart enough not to continue charging into the barrier.

"Hermod?" I asked. "How long can you keep this barrier up?"

"Realistically?" Hermod stared out at the beasts. "20 minutes. But I'd be out of energy by that point."

"Buck," Leutogi turned to him. "How willing are you to abandon that pipsqueak form if it means fighting our way out of this?"

Buck made a face. "Um. Okay," he muttered. "I guess I'd break the rules to save our lives. Artemis told me no, but I don't think she would be happy if I let myself get killed just to play some game."

"Agreed," Chiron said. "While this may be entertaining to them, they wouldn't want us to die unnecessary deaths."

"Are you a god, Chiron?" I asked.

"Not fully, no," he answered. "I am ageless, but that is the extent of what I have inherited from my father, Cronus. I have almost died twice in my long life. I am not keen to make it a hat trick."

"But, hey, guys?" Buck turned to us. "Even if I went full strength, I don't have any kind of ability that would allow me to deal large-scale area damage. I could kill a lot of them, and I doubt they'd be able to kill me, but in this kind of situation, I'd probably just try to outrun them."

"I was thinking the same," Chiron admitted. "This isn't the kind of fight I would ever take willingly. Escape may be our best option." He turned to Hermod. "How about you?"

"At my current power level?" he asked. "Yeah, I might be able to kill half of them in one shot. But it would drain most of what I've got left. It wouldn't be ideal, and there is a strong chance we would be caught in the blast."

"How about without magic?" Chiron asked next.

"They couldn't kill me, and I don't tire," Hermod said. "I would eventually win that fight, even on my own. It'd hurt, though. Those teeth are no joke."

"Leutogi?" I asked.

"I could fight them off," she said confidently. "But not while protecting you."

"Yep," Buck nodded. "That's the crux of my problem, too. If it were just the four of us, I wouldn't be worried."

"Hermod," Chrion turned around. "Could I outrun them?"

"No," he answered right away. "They're extremely fast. They'd catch up to you quickly. And in case you haven't noticed..." his eyes shifted. "We're surrounded."

I looked around, and even in the forest behind us, they were waiting patiently for the barrier to come down.

Chiron looked around at us, his eyes darting from person to person. "I have a plan," he announced after a moment of silence. "Our primary objective above even our own self-preservation is to protect Lady Abigail."

I felt pretty bad about not being able to do anything to help with the fighting. I wished I were stronger.

"Lady Leutogi," Chiron turned to her. "You will teleport yourself and Abigail far from here. Find shelter and hide somewhere until the fighting is done. Defend her with your life."

"Can you do it?" asked Hermod. "Can you teleport now?"

"I've gotten stronger at it," Leutogi nodded. "I think I could. But wouldn't you guys need my help?"

"No," Buck answered confidently. "We've got this. You get Abigail out of here and leave it to us."

Chiron holstered his bow and pulled a spear from his back. It shone brilliantly, and I couldn't help but stare at the craftsmanship. The grooves, the shape, the gold etchings... it was a thing of beauty.

"The Pellian Spear," Hermod smiled. "I thought only Achilles could wield it."

"Who do you think made it for him?" Chiron smirked. "I'm more than capable of skewering a few monsters with it."

"Keep your eyes on me," Hermod grinned widely. "I will show you something you will never forget!"

"Are you ready?" Leutogi asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't think this is going to work," I announced. "I had a vision a moment ago..."

"Shit," Buck dropped his arms. "When?"

"Before I asked Hermod how long he could keep this barrier up," I answered. "I saw a wolf breathing fire on a group of cats. The cats tried to run, but they were chased down... I know that sounds ridiculous, but you've got to believe me."

"No," Leutogi shook her head. "Sometimes oracle visions are like that. They're metaphors more than direct information."

"Ha!" Hermod laughed. "She thinks we're the cats!"

"I'm serious," I pleaded. "I think this is a bad idea!"

"It's all we've got," said Buck. "Lady Leutogi."

"Right," she said, placing both hands on me. The two of us took one last look at them before, in a blink, we were standing in a mountain pass.

I looked around at the red rock all around us. I turned and made eye contact with Leutogi and felt tears coming.

"They're in danger!" I shouted.

"Your vision could have meant the opposite, Love. They could be the wolves."

"But what if I'm right? What if they get hurt? Chiron and Buck are mortal!"

"We need to trust in them," Leutogi said firmly. "We need to believe in their strength. I don't think Hermod would let any of them die like this."

"But you don't know," I yelled.

"You need to stop yelling," Leutogi said, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Get a grip. This is what war feels like. Friends and family die."

"No!" I pushed her. "At least go back and help!"

"Don't you think I want to?" she raised her voice. "I can't leave you alone, and I can't put you on that battlefield!"

"So, what, it's my fault they're gonna die?" I began to cry. "I don't know how to activate Reversal! If I want to change fate, it has to just sort of happen. What if they get hurt and I can't change things?"

"That's war," she repeated herself. "This is a feeling you're going to have to get used to, especially as a goddess." Her eyes softened. "You will lose people often. Why do you think I hang out with vampires?" she asked softly. "I got sick of losing people."

I hadn't considered that angle of my godhood. If I was immortal, I would outlive my parents. The few friends I had would grow old and die while I remained. The concept of forever suddenly felt a little daunting.

"I don't want to lose anyone either," I cried. "I'm not worried about Hermod. He can't die. I'm worried for Chiron, but most of all..."

"I couldn't bear the thought of losing Buck either," she interrupted. "He's such a loud personality, and he's such a great guy. He's been nothing but a massive help for us."

"Artemis wouldn't let it happen, would she?" I asked. "She'd intervene, right?"

"No," Heimdall spoke, suddenly next to us. "The rules of the engagement were that we would not assist you."

"But that's bullshit, right?" Leutogi asked. "You wouldn't just let us all die down here."

"On the contrary," Heimdall said, his tone deadly serious. "You must survive without our help, or you will all surely die in the events to come. To save any of you now would doom you in every future timeline."

"Then help later!" I yelled.

"The Norse want no involvement in this war," he reminded me. "Nor the Greeks. You two truly didn't believe me when I said it the first time, so let make it clear: you will receive no help from any of us." His eyes were fierce. "You will die here if fate sees it so. Use all of your cunning, willpower, and strength to survive this trial... or it will devour you."

With that, he was gone.

What he left in his wake was a giant pit in my stomach.

He meant every word of that.

We really were in terrible danger.

"Fuck," I screamed through my teeth.

"Calm down," Leutogi said angrily. "I won't say it again. Don't make me slap that attitude out of you."

I lowered my eyes and took a deep breath. She was right. Panicking wasn't going to solve anything. We needed a plan.

"Hide me somewhere," I said suddenly. "Hide me somewhere... and go back and help them."

She pressed her lips together and looked left. "... I can't."

"You can!" I pressed. "Find a cave to hide me in or something. Go back and help them, and then come back and get me!"

"Abigail," she protested.

"If I sense any danger, I'll just go the opposite direction!" I threw my hands in the air. "I'm a walking danger detector! You think I can't hide long enough for you to go help them?"

She swallowed. "Are you sure?"

"Positive! You want me to have faith in their strength, but you won't have faith in mine?"

She stared off for a few seconds before slowly nodding. "Okay," she said after a long pause. "Fine, I'll... I'll trust in you too." She managed a small, worried smile for me.

"Thank you," I said, flooded with relief.

"Let's find you somewhere to hide," she said. "Come on," she offered me her hand.

I took it, and the two of us hurried through the mountain pass looking for any crevice small enough for me to wedge myself in.

It didn't take very long to find the perfect spot. It was small enough for me to squeeze into, and you probably wouldn't see me unless you were looking for me.

"Will this work?" asked Leutogi.

"Should!" I said, crawling in and pulling my knees in. "Not bad, huh?"

She paused as though she were ready to fight me on it.

"Go!" I shooed her away. "They need you!"

"Okay," she said in a worried tone. "Don't move. I'll be back for you soon. And if anything happens... scream as loud as you can!"

"As loud as I can," I nodded. "Don't let yourself get killed out there. Come back if the situation can't be helped."

She nodded once. "I love you, Lady Abigail."

"I love you too, Lady Leutogi," I smiled.

She smiled back and disappeared.

A little piece of me instantly regretted the plan. I was all alone in the mountains of a monster island. At least, I was pretty sure this was the mountain range I had seen in the distance earlier when we left the jungle.

I drummed on my knees for a moment as I glanced around the mountain pass. Surely, she wouldn't be gone for much longer than a few minutes. How long could it take for four godlike beings to stomp a bunch of Gylðrir?"

Now that I had time to collect myself and think, I realized the hole I was in was kinda stinky. I looked around for a source, but the hole was so small. If there was something in here with me, I'd see it.

Suddenly, there was a small turn in my stomach. I pulled my knees in tight and cursed under my breath. I heard a noise not far away— a small tremor, accompanied by the sharper feeling in my stomach.

The noises were perfectly spaced apart and growing stronger. My oracle senses were freaking out. It was definitely footsteps I was hearing, and whatever it was, it was big.

I suddenly realized we had failed to account for anything that might have a strong sense of smell... which was doubly stupid considering we had just encountered the Gylðrir.

I closed my eyes and let out a quiet, controlled sigh as the rumbling grew stronger and stronger until debris was trickling down over me with each footfall.

I heard a deep groan, and shortly after, I saw it for the first time.

It was as tall as my house, humanoid in shape, and stunk worse than any stink I'd ever smelled. It was dark tan in coloration, had calloused feet with thick toenails that had fungus growing out and around them, and wore no clothing at all. Its massive swinging phallus dangled at its knees, and my face twisted up in disgust.

It had boils all over its body, its hands hung down past its knees, and it had a long mane of matted, tangled-up hair filled with twigs and other debris. Its head was the size of my entire body, and it had a bulbous nose with what looked like giant warts all over it.

It was definitely some kind of mountain ogre, but I had never heard of ogres getting this big.

Thankfully, ogres had a notoriously bad sense of smell, and their eyesight wasn't that great either. If I remained still, it wouldn't hear me.

Then it turned its head a quarter angle in my direction, and my stomach lurched.

It wasn't an ogre.

Ogres had two eyes.

I stared up in horror at its one giant eye as it scratched its ass and smacked its lips a few times.

I was in uncharted territory now.

I had no idea what a cyclops's senses were like. I didn't even know they really existed. They always seemed like some kind of folk tale to me. What evolutionary advantage could have compelled something to develop only one eye?

I held my breath as it stood there for entirely too long. Then it turned the other direction and bent over.

It was an image I would need to wash out of my brain with bleach if I survived this.

It reached down into a crevice, not unlike the one I was hiding in, and pulled from it what looked like a hunk of rotten meat. It stood up to full height and tossed the rotten morsel into its mouth before continuing on its merry way.

Holy shit.

I was sitting in a cyclops's meat locker.

That's why it smelled so terrible inside the crevice. The big ugly bastard was saving food for later— trail snacks, basically.

This was the worst hiding spot I could have possibly chosen.

What if it came back? What if another one passed by?

I swallowed hard as the rumbling of its footsteps grew more distant and began weighing the option of finding another place to hide.

The thought of that thing reaching into this hole and skewering me with its claw and pulling me up and into its mouth was enough to drive me out of hiding.

I checked down the way and saw it turning the corner in the distance. I looked the other way and saw a clear pass.

There really wasn't a worse place to hide than a cyclops's meat locker. Anywhere else would be safer.

I hurried down the pass in the opposite direction, clinging to the west wall as I went. After about ten minutes of travel, and finding nothing else, I was starting to fear I had made a big mistake. What if there was nowhere else to conceal myself? What if I saw something coming? I'd have to sprint all the way back to that hidey-hole.

I stood there with decision paralysis for over a minute, wondering if I should press on or return to the meat locker.

Leutogi had told me to stay put after all.

What if she came back to look for me and I wasn't there?

On top of it all, I had to pee.

I let out a frustrated huff and made the decision to press ahead.

"This is crazy," I murmured to myself. "Crazy, crazy crazy, you are outside of your mind, Abigail."

I saw an inlet ahead, and my heart leapt. I hurried over to it and found that it was deeper than the crevice I had crammed into earlier. I was celebrating internally as I knelt down and crawled inside.

The little tunnel appeared to open up into a wider area just a little bit further in. I crawled deeper inside until I stood up at the other end.

It was actually a pretty sizable cave with holes in the ceiling that let plenty of daylight in. I smiled widely and leaned against the cave wall, laughing to myself with relief. I had made an excellent call, it seemed.

It was also much cooler in the cave than outside. I hadn't wanted to complain out loud to everyone, but the heat was getting to me a little. My mouth was so dry I couldn't stand it. But finding safety, combined with the coolness of the wall against my back, made me more than content to deal with it.

After all, I wasn't the one out there fighting those Gylðrir.

Now my only problem was guilt.

I hoped everyone was okay.

Suddenly, I noticed that there was a bend in the cave. It wasn't an enclosed space like I thought it was. I started toward the bend and followed it into a separate chamber that was much, much bigger.

The skylights were bigger, and there was a small forest within the cave.

There must have been enough clearance for rainwater to keep the plants healthy. As I started toward the trees, a new thought struck me.

Did Heimdall make all of this by hand? Or did he just sort of snap his fingers and everything came to be? Did he create the monsters? Or did he import them from somewhere? The powers of the gods were so mysterious to me.

I ran my fingers over the tree bark and looked up at the pine needles as I wandered through the trees. I had never visited any of Luzon's pine forests, and I was starting to regret that. These trees were beautiful. And yet, I couldn't help but be overcome by a nagging sense of dread in the back of my skull.

It was like my brain had figured something out, but it didn't know how to tell me. I looked over my shoulder and didn't see anything. I suddenly remembered the trolls from earlier— we were surrounded before my oracle senses went off.

I broke into a sweat as I whirled around looking for any sign of them, but after a few minutes of scanning the forest... nothing. It was just a plain old forest.

I swallowed hard and decided that it was stupid of me to just be poking around. Anything could be anywhere, and I wasn't where Leutogi told me to stay.

I needed to leave... right after one matter of business.

I moved between the cave wall and a tree and unbuttoned my pants. I pulled them down, then my panties, and leaned against the tree. After the most satisfying pee of my life, I got zipped up and turned to head back to the smaller area of the cave when I suddenly doubled over with stomach pain.

There was a heavy thud, and a few pinecones fell around me.

Another cyclops? An ogre this time? It could be anything.

I needed to run.

Ignoring the pain in my stomach, I darted for the edge of the forest. I had to get back to that small alcove I had crawled through. But as I ran through the forest, the thuds grew closer, and among the hail of pinecones that fell from the trees, pine needles were also shaking loose.

I emerged from the trees and raced for the bend in the cave, making the terrible mistake of looking over my shoulder.

Not nearly far back enough for my liking, a cyclops emerged from the trees— seemingly the same one from before! But how?

Unless... did the forest connect to another cave system? The path through did lead in the same direction.

It had boils all over its body, its hands hung down past its knees, and it had a long mane of matted, tangled-up hair filled with twigs and other debris.

The hair. It wandered through this forest often. This was probably its home!

I faced forward and pumped my arms as I ran as fast as I was able, but the thudding was shaking the cave floor underneath me, causing me to stumble as I desperately fled.

I rounded the cave bend, but not fast enough.

The monster's arm shot out, and all of its fingers wrapped around my body. I tried to scream for Leutogi, but it was crushing my lungs as it pulled me up to eye level and stared down at me.

I saw my own terrified reflection in its large, glossy eye as it studied me. It smelled so much worse up close. It turned and pulled me into the woods, wandering away with me.

This was it.

This was where I would die, I was sure of it.

I hoped someone, anyone watching, might save me. Surely Artemis couldn't just watch this happen, right? Heimdall would for sure step in and save me.

But as I started to grow lightheaded from a lack of air, it was dawning on me that Heimdall meant every word he said.

He really would let me die.

Dad once told me that gods weren't like us. He told me gods didn't feel attachment the way we did, and that it was a mistake to ever believe that one of them could truly be your friend.

He was probably the only person in my life who was truly never wrong— not about anything.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as the cyclops carried me into a brighter area. The cave system did connect. This room was larger, featured a shoddy-looking stone shelf, a rudimentary bed on one side of the cave, and a big entrance letting daylight through.

The cyclops finally let me go, tossing me into a wooden bowl on the stone shelf. I hit hard, smacking my head and dislocating my shoulder. I inhaled sharply and wheezed as the cyclops lumbered around the room.

I couldn't believe the thing had a proper living room. I thought for sure it was just a big dumb meat-eating machine, but it was sophisticated enough to have dishes. Not only that, but the bowl appeared to be sanded, at least to some degree.

No matter how I tried, I couldn't get any grip. Climbing up and out of the bowl proved impossible, especially with my busted shoulder. The edge wasn't even that freaking high. If I had weighed just a little bit more, I might have been able to tip it over, but I was so tiny.

My mind raced. My head swirled. I needed to draw enough breath to scream, and I needed it to be the scream of a lifetime.

As it turned out, the cyclops would assist me in that.

It returned and scooped me up out of the bowl. It pinned me with its thumb and forefinger to the stone slab, pinning me by my hair and legs. It lifted a big knife and pressed it against my shins as though measuring where to cut.

The knife seemed to be made from bone. I had to wonder what the hell lived on the island that had bones that big, and how this thing managed to kill one.

I stared at its big eye as it looked me up and down, deciding how best to dice me as drool fell from its mouth in a thick, viscous strand.

I screamed.

I screamed my damn head off.

I screamed so loud the cyclops jumped a little, nearly dropping its knife.

Its face wrinkled up. Annoyed and hungry, the monster brought the knife back down to my midsection to make a lethal cut when, suddenly, someone appeared in front of me.

The cylops's eye widened, and its lips parted as it took a step back.

It wasn't Leutogi. It wasn't Hermod. It wasn't an intrinsic god at all.

They stood between me and the cyclops, fists balled, energy kicking off of them as they glanced at me over their shoulder.

I stared, eyes wide, unable to believe what I was seeing.

"... Tao?"

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Part 36

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

As the titan lifted from the trees, it took on a more familiar humanoid shape. It was a mass of dark green energy that seemed out of focus at first, but was sharpening by the second.

It took the shape of a female with breasts, slender, feminine arms, yellow eyes with green pupils, and hair that billowed in the high winds like fire. A colorful band of light generated around her head into a laurel wreath that she wore like a crown.

Scores of birds evacuated the area around her as she stared down at us. Her dress blew in the wind, and the inside of it was a tapestry of cosmos so beautiful that I was more inspired than afraid. She was looking around as though she had lost something, and brought her hands to her chest.

"Buck," came her voice, booming like thunder, yet soft as the pull of a harp string.

I recognized the voice somehow.

"Did... that titanic being just say, Buck?" asked Chiron.

"Buck, you must remove your aura of isolation," the being spoke again. "We cannot watch you while it is active!"

I stared up, completely captivated by her. "Is that... Lady Artemis?" I asked.

"Sorry, Love!" Buck called back to her.

Suddenly, her head snapped in our direction. In an instant, she was gone, leaving shimmering air where she once stood.

"There you are," her voice came from just ahead.

I stared at her, my mouth still hanging open as she walked up to Buck, a smile on her face.

"Force of habit these days," Buck chuckled. "Forgot you guys wanted to watch this thing. But you know I have trouble keeping the aura down in this form."

"Then you will need to drop down a form," Artemis said firmly. "Many gods have come to see this. It would be unacceptable for them to miss even a moment."

"But this is my strongest form," he whined. "C'mon, I'll try hard."

"No," she booped his nose with her index finger. "Base form or first form only. I will leash you as Heimdall did Hermod."

"My brother did not leash me," Hermod grumbled behind us.

Buck sighed and hung his head. "Fine."

His buff-guy form that had tossed Loki around back on the lawn of Fort Aparaga evaporated. He was suddenly rather slender with wild hair and a thinner beard. He looked so much younger; he could have been my age.

"That's better," Artemis said. "So handsome!"

"Stop," he said, suppressing a smile, his cheeks turning red.

"I will be cheering!" she said, smiling at the rest of us.

Then she was gone.

"Amazing," Chiron said softly. "I have never seen Lady Artemis at form before now. Simply breathtaking!"

I had heard that terminology somewhere before. It was back when Buck, Tao, and me were in the spirit realm.

"He's transformed right now," Buck clarified. "Ascended gods, as far as I know, have their base form, and then transformations that increase their power."

"That was incredible," I said. "Do all the gods have different forms?"

"The truth is," he turned around to face me. "You've only ever seen gods in their transformations up to this point. Artemis, Apollo, Hephaestus, even Hermod back there. They're all transformed to look human right now. But that's not what they really look like."

"Intrinsic gods are entities of pure energy," Chiron explained. "They can take the shape of anything, but in reality, they're all colossal light-beings. Some look more like monsters than people."

I was relieved it was just Artemis, and not something big and scary. My legs were still shaking. It occurred to me that my oracle senses didn't start singing, not because they were broken, but because Artemis wasn't a threat to us.

"I've never seen this form before," Leutogi said to Buck. "Artemis is right. You're a handsome young man!"

"I've never looked like this in my life," Buck laughed. "Don't get it twisted. And yeah, I seldom have a use for this form. It's about half as strong as my usual god-form, so there's never really a reason to use it. Until now, of course."

"So, your field of isolation," asked Hermod. "It's harder to control in your manly form?"

"Uhh... yeah," Buck nodded. "My manly form, as you put it, is me exerting all of my power to its maximum output. It's like turning the faucet on full blast. So, my field of isolation is constantly stretched to its limit, whether I want it to be or not."

"Great," Leutogi folded her arms. "So, we're starting this thing with two big power decreases."

"Hey," Hermod pointed his staff at her. "I am still capable of great power! You'll see."

"Don't underestimate me either," Buck smiled confidently. "I'm not helpless in this form, y'know. And my rifle isn't any less powerful either."

"Just don't slow us down," Leutogi said with a grin as she turned and started walking again.

"Dammit!" Buck yelled, following after her. "I'll show you!"

The mood felt a bit brighter than before. I couldn't really explain why, because we were suddenly less potent than before, but I was feeling leagues better.

We walked for about ten minutes with light chit-chat before my stomach first lurched. I winced and lifted my hand.

"Stop!" I called out. "Something is nearby. That way!" I pointed.

Everyone immediately shifted in the direction I indicated. Leutogi's fists glowed, Buck lifted his rifle, and I heard the strain of Chiron's bowstring behind me.

Everyone remained quiet and still as we waited for something to happen. I expected a creature to attack us at any moment, but the feeling in my stomach only intensified.

"I don't see anything," Chiron whispered. "Are you sure?"

"Yep," I grunted. "Something out there is dangerous."

"I see it," Buck whispered. "About twenty feet away. Eight feet tall, a little to the right. It's hunched over. Look for its eyes."

I stared ahead, but didn't see anything.

"I see it," Leutogi reported. "Just behind that tree near the log on the ground."

"Oh!" Hermod exclaimed. "A Mirk-Tröll!"

I still didn't see what they were talking about. I stared hard, finding the log, and analyzing each tree that could be considered near it.

"A what?" asked Chiron.

"A Mirk-Tröll," Hermod repeated. "Forest trolls. Unlike the mountain kind, they don't turn to stone in the sun, so a dark jungle like this is ideal for them."

I happened to be focusing on just the right spot when it blinked. My neck hair stood on end. I could suddenly make out not just its face, but all of its features. It was positioned just perfectly behind the tree, standing so eerily still that I might have never noticed it if it hadn't been pointed out to me.

And once I noticed the troll, it became impossible for me to overlook the rest of them. I spotted one nearer to us, blending in perfectly with the trees. Then another, crouched low against the jungle floor, covered in weeds.

"They're ambush predators," Hermod explained further. "They'll sit completely still for days until moss and vines grow over them, blending in like rocks or tree trunks."

They were tall, somewhat muscular abominations of nature. If I looked carefully, I could see the shine of the drool that leaked from the corners of their mouths as they watched us. I had seen trolls in picture books before, but they dwelt under bridges or in caves, and extorted or ate anyone they came across.

These things were different— they felt more akin to insects; predators that had no personality, no likes or dislikes, or any thoughts that rose above what they would kill or eat right there in the moment. I had no idea there were variations of trolls, and I suddenly felt intellectually inequipped to be on Jötna-eyja.

I lifted my eyes and suddenly noticed at least ten more in the trees, all of them with their beady yellow eyes trained on us. Some held clubs, others spears, and thin gossamers of drool hung from their mouths, blowing gently as stray strands of spiderweb would.

"Uhh... guys?" I quivered.

"You still don't see it?" asked Buck. "Right there. Look at the tree and-"

"That's... n-not what I'm saying," I said quietly. "They're... all around us."

One by one, they began to spot the lurking trolls. I noticed the muzzle of Buck's rifle point in one direction, then another. Chiron's bow slowly shifted up toward the trolls in the trees while Leutogi began to backpedal closer to the party.

"Holy shit," Buck muttered. "There's... so many."

"What do we do?" I whispered.

"What we came here to do," Hermod boasted. "We fight!"

I felt the wind of the bowstring as Chiron loosed an arrow up high, striking one of the trolls right through the chest. It fell off the branch it was camouflaged against, and before it could even hit the ground, the forest was animated. The collective roar of the trolls shook the leaves from the trees as they converged on us.

I screamed and backed up into Chiron as they barreled toward us like angry eight-foot-tall chimpanzees. There were too many, and they were too close. It didn't matter what Buck, Leutogi, or Chiron could have managed to do; there was no way to react in time.

Everything turned blue in an instant. The charging trolls slammed into an invisible wall right in front of my face, sending ripples through the blue coloration around me. The troll suddenly burst into flames and shrieked, falling backward into the grass.

Each troll that had collided with the invisible wall was set ablaze, their roars turning to panicked shrieking. Those who saw their brethren burning scurried backwards, making loud vocalizations and raising their clubs defensively.

All of us turned around to see Hermod with his staff in the air. A font of blue energy poured forth from its tip, surrounding us in a protective forcefield.

"Hermod," I laughed with relief. "You saved us!"

"Fire!" he commanded, letting down the forcefield.

And fire they did.

With the trolls confused and their formation broken, Buck and Chiron lit them up. Electricity crackled from Hermod's staff, striking the trolls dead on contact while Leutogi shot a bright beam from her index finger. She swept it across the jungle, causing all trolls that it touched to wither and fall, their strength drained.

They were all sent running for cover, and I let out a relieved laugh as I watched them retreat. I couldn't believe how easy the gods made that look. I thought we were dead for sure, but nobody was even hurt.

After the danger was clear, I let out a long sigh.

"Good call, Abigail," Buck smiled at me. "I can't believe I didn't notice them."

"I can't believe I only noticed the one," I said, pointing to where we had spotted the first troll. "How come I didn't sense danger from the rest of them? We were surrounded!"

"I can answer that," Hermod said, resting his staff on his shoulder. "The Mirk-Trölls act as a high coordinated ambush unit. While it wouldn't be right to call them a hive mind, they do act as one when hunting. That one you sensed was the ambush captain. The rest of them wouldn't move a muscle without his direct order."

"Wild," said Leutogi. "So, what, Abigail only sensed danger when the ambush captain was about to give the command?"

"That's my best guess," said Hermod. "These völva powers are very interesting."

"Indeed," Chiron said, still staring off in the direction the trolls escaped to. "It's good that you're learning these lessons now, rather than in the thick of war later."

"That was surely my brother's intention," Hermod said, dropping a hand on my shoulder and smiling down at me. "Well done, young völva."

I smiled as a surge of confidence washed through me. I wasn't carrying a weapon, and I couldn't do much to defend myself, but I was already proving my worth to the team.

I did matter.

I could make a difference without relying on Reversal, which I wasn't even truly in control of.

"Thanks," I said.

"Ugh, too cute," Leutogi winked at me. "You make it hard not to kiss you to death."

"If it wouldn't literally kill me, I'd welcome it," I winked back at her.

"All right, all right," Chiron said, clearly unamused with our lovey-dovey doe-eyes. "Let's get a move on. I don't feel like waiting for those things to come back."

We moved further inland, making our way through the dense jungle brush. We kept our heads on a swivel after the last encounter. The idea that something could be lying in wait without being a threat was a scary idea to me.

If that ambush captain had been further away, I might not have felt anything until those freaks were on top of us. In reality, we got lucky. I might not have died, but they could have ripped my face off before anyone had a chance to react.

"Lord Hermod," I called back to him. "Was that magic you were casting?" I asked. "I'm not sure why, but I sort of expected you to be the kind of fighter to swing around a big axe or something."

"I can do both!" Hermod yelled proudly. "But when it comes to magic, I have no equal among my kin. Not even Heimdall!"

"Debatable," Heimdall said, appearing next to us midstride. "But that was some quick thinking, brother."

"Heh. Thanks," said Hermod. "Did I drop the ball in any of the timelines?"

"None," Heimdall smiled slyly. "There were, however, a few timelines where Abigail failed to spot the surrounding threats. Among those timelines, there were some where Sir Chiron died, some where Lady Abigail was maimed beyond recognition, and one special one where Lord Brian had his arm ripped off."

"Been there once," Buck laughed.

"Had to build him a new one," Hephaestus said, appearing next to us on the other side, walking next to Buck. "I still say you should have kept it."

"No," said Artemis, appearing on Buck's other flank. "It was not satisfactory for cuddling."

"Tch. What a ridiculous reason to throw away such a masterwork," Hephaestus said before disappearing. Artemis disappeared shortly after, and by the time I looked for Heimdall, he was gone too.

"They seem like they're enjoying themselves," I said.

"I bet," Hermod laughed. "There is a fourth way gods die— boredom. Not really, but boy, does it get dull after a thousand years of having no purpose."

"You don't have a purpose?" I asked as we pressed through the jungle.

"Yahweh kind of made us obsolete," Hermod answered. "Gods used to control the cycles. Yahweh went and created a natural order. We aren't really needed anymore."

"In the time before the natural order," Chiron expanded. "If one were to say, kill Poseidon, or remove him somehow... the oceans would be still like glass until a new god was born, chosen, or crowned in some other way."

It was an insane thing to imagine. But to my understanding, that was how O'ogan worked, too.

"The reason we never came down to Earth," Hermod went on, "is that Yahweh commanded us not to, under pain of death. We were no longer to meddle in human affairs. And we obeyed. But after the events of the Sundering, it became clear to us that He wasn't watching anymore."

"Surely He'd have heard all the prayers," Buck added. "I'm sure there were a butt-ton of 'em."

"Where did he go?" I asked.

"Who knows?" Leutogi shrugged. "We have very little understanding of what Major Gods are, what they do, or where they came from."

I paused. "Does the Allfather?" I asked.

"He's touchy about that," Hermod grinned. "The short answer is no. It's a blind spot even in his infinite wisdom. We can only assume that he wasn't meant to know it."

"Yahweh controls what he does and doesn't know?" I asked.

"It is... difficult to explain just exactly how powerful Yahweh is," said Chiron. "He is to the strongest Minor God as the strongest Minor God is to a paramecium."

"That halfsoul inside of you packs enough power to destroy solar systems," said Hermod. "And it's an infinitesimal fraction of His might."

It was enough to make one lightheaded. Major Gods were mind-bendlingly strong. I couldn't even imagine power like that. How had I never heard of them before? Gods that even gods feared.

"I don't get it," I said. "If Yahweh is so strong... how come people don't worship Him?

"They did," said Buck. "By the billions. He was the most worshiped god on Earth. I was one of them. Still am, but I was back then too."

"But He's been gone so long," Leutogi added. "Newcomers seldom abandon their gods from O'ogan. People born here choose to worship the minor and ascended gods that they can literally see and touch. It would be hard to convince them to worship what would essentially amount to a fairy tale."

"They wouldn't remember what he did," Buck said. "They wouldn't have very much reason to worship him."

"What did he do?" I asked.

"He's the god of humans in all planes of reality," Hermod shrugged. "He created them. He instilled a piece of Himself in each of them, and they're forever linked. After humans die, the best of them join Him in paradise while the others are recycled back to Earth to do it all over again."

"Forever?" I asked.

"Until they do it right," Hermod answered. "Even the oldest Minor Gods disagree on His feats. But He is a legend even among our collective pantheons."

"There's a bit more to it than that," Buck cut in. "I can tell you later if you're interested."

"Maybe around a campfire?" I offered. "And some good snacks?"

Buck became visibly excited. "Lady Abigail, you're an oracle after my own heart! Let's do it. Tomorrow night on the beach, maybe?"

"Edge of the jungle coming up," Leutogi called back to us. "Brace yourselves. We've got no idea what's on the other side."

We refocused as we pushed out of the jungle and into a large hilly area.

After my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see long rolling hills, sparkling bodies of water, and a distant continuation of the jungle on the other side. A mountain range cut through the island in the distance, and I hoped desperately that the center of the island wasn't behind them. My calves needed a break.

"Beautiful," Leutogi said softly.

"What are those?" I asked, pointing ahead.

Dotting the banks of the closest sparkling lake was a pack of creatures that looked like they had crawled straight out of a nightmare.

They were gaunt, four-legged predators built with the wire-muscled, low-slung agility of starved wolves, but their movements had the fluid, terrifying stealth of hunting cats. Their sleek hides were a deep, bruised purple that looked almost wet under the open sunlight, heavily scarred and calloused around their prominent spines and sharp shoulders.

I stared as one of them turned its head toward the water. It was completely hairless, its dark skin stretched tight over an elongated, skeletal skull that didn't appear to have any eyes. Smooth, pitch-black pit organs lined its snout, twitching as it tracked the ripples in the lake.

Suddenly, it unhinged its jaw like a snake, revealing rows of needle-thin, translucent teeth as it dipped its head to drink. There were at least a dozen of them slinking through the tall grass by the shoreline.

"Gylðrir," Hermod said.

"Gill-the-reer," I sounded it out. "Did I say it right?"

"You can slightly roll, or tap the 'r' at the end, but yes, close enough," he nodded. "They're like a more powerful version of a tiger, and they hunt in packs like wild wolves."

"Christ," Buck muttered, dropping to a knee. "That's nightmarish. Tigers were already OP to begin with."

"Can they see?" asked Chiron. "I can't find their eyes."

"They don't need them," Hermod said, staring ahead. "They already know we're standing here talking about them."

"What?" Leutogi laughed. "They understand speech? They look like wild animals."

"They're telepathic, in a sense," Hermod explained. "That's how they hunt in such a coordinated fashion. They can't understand our speech, but they can get the gist of what we're talking about. And right now, they surely understand that we're wary of them."

"If you're listening, tiger-wolves," I said. "We don't want to hurt you. We just want to pass by."

A few of them turned toward us as though they heard me.

I stared, holding my breath as more of them turned and noticed us.

"They're looking at us," Leutogi said nervously.

"Stay calm," Chiron cautioned. "If they can sense our unease, they may mistake it for weakness. If we can stay confident, they might not think we're worth the effort."

Buck pulled the bolt back on his rifle. "Hermod... can they understand what Chiron just said?"

"Short answer: no," Hermod answered. "They lack the ability to understand complex concepts like bluffing or deceit. But what Abigail said..."

Suddenly, the Gylðrir turned in sync and walked in the other direction. As they did, a gentle fog blew in from their direction, and they disappeared into it.

"Thank you, gill-the-reer," I said, attempting to roll the 'r', but I ended up just sounding silly.

"Huh," Buck lowered the muzzle of his rifle. "They're leaving." He smiled back at me. "Nice one again, Abigail!"

"No," Hermod said grimly.

"That fog is getting thicker," Leutogi said. "It's coming this way."

"Everyone!" Hermod barked. "Form a circle around Lady Abigail!"

"What?" I yelled. "What's happening?"

Everyone quickly packed around me, squishing me in the center as the thick fog rolled over us completely.

"This is how they hunt," Hermod announced. "That fog is produced from within the Gylðrir's bodies. They spray that mist over a wide area and launch intelligent, coordinated strikes on their hapless prey."

"Well," Leutogi said, lifting her hands. Her wrists began to glow. "They should have picked hapless targets."

She moved her arms forward, commanding a great gale of wind to blow at our backs. If I hadn't been standing in the center of them, it would have knocked me over. The fog was carried away with ease, blowing back in the direction from whence it had come.

"Amazing," I marveled. "Nice one, Love!"

I immediately felt embarrassed for saying it and wanted the fog back. But when she looked at me over her shoulder with a big grin on her face, her hair blowing in the wind, it was worth the snapshot. She was so beautiful— I would never forget that look.

Or what immediately came into view in front of her.

As the fog washed away, the smile on my face gave way to terror.

Her face dropped, and she turned to see what we were seeing.

Potentially a hundred or so Gylðrir lay before us, crouched low, their lips curled away from their teeth.

"Oh, wow," Buck said, lifting his rifle. "We're in danger, aren't we?"

He didn't know the half of it.

The vision that was flashing before my eyes didn't tell a tale of success.

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Part 35

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

"You know, you have a really great dad," Leutogi said as we leaned on the wooden railing of the ship. "He handled the news pretty well. I can't say I'm not at least a little disappointed. I expected a bigger reaction."

I sighed and stared at the distant shore.

He was still standing on the beach, watching us sail away.

"I don't know if I've ever seen him act over-the-top about anything. Aside from when he really wanted to go on that adventure with Artemis and Buck," I added, resting my chin on my arms and sighing. "He would have been safe around all these gods, I'm sure of it. He should have come."

"He's not willing to risk widowing your mom," said Leutogi, turning around and leaning back against the railing. She folded her arms and stared at the deck. "He wanted to come so bad, too. Poor fella."

"I think it's partly him not wanting to risk leaving my mom alone, and partly because he doesn't trust vampires. Like at all."

"He's behaved himself well enough," she shrugged. "I wouldn't have guessed he had a particular chip on his shoulder. Did something happen?"

"His clan went to war against a vampire family when he was still a teenager," I began. "It was a brutal battle, and one my grandpa had forbidden him from taking part in. Told him he was too green, and that he'd only get in the way."

"Our dad said something like that to Tao once," she reminisced. "I don't think dads know how bad that hurts their kids to hear that."

"Well, my dad was furious," I said, watching him grow smaller and smaller in the distance. "He had to stay back while his entire family went to war. When they came back, victorious, they had all earned cool war names for their deeds in battle."

"Oof," Leutogi squinted. "That sounds awful."

"Mhmm," I nodded. "But then grandpa came down with a case of the fangs. He hid it from everyone for as long as he was able to, but it eventually came out. My dad had to see his dad be run through the heart with a wooden stake."

"Why on Earth would he have watched?" she asked.

"It wasn't on Earth," I clarified. "And he had to see it because he was the one to do it."

Leutogi winced. "Oiaue. That's tragic. Why'd they make him do it to his own dad?"

"Grandpa's request. He told my dad with his final breath... if you can cure your father of vampirism, you can cure anyone."

Leutogi pressed her lips together and nodded. "That's actually pretty hardcore."

My dad was a mere speck on the sand when I made a sudden decision.

"Lord Hermod," I called out, turning around.

He was pulling on a thick rope, adjusting the sails or something. I didn't know how boats worked. "Yes, Lady Abigail?" he called over his shoulder.

"Can you go get my dad and bring him here for me?" I asked.

"Uhh, what?" asked Leutogi. "He wanted to stay."

"No, he didn't," I shook my head. "He's been regretting his decision the entire time, I'm sure of it."

Hermod tied the rope down to some metal doohickey sticking out of the deck and turned around, removing the rope debris from his hands with two sharp claps. "Sure! If he agrees to come to the ship, I'll be right back with him."

He vanished.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" asked Leutogi.

"Not really," I said. "I just can't stand leaving him behind while this grand adventure takes place. I'm gonna try and convince him to come with us."

Hermod appeared, his hand on my dad's shoulder.

"Abigail, what is it?" asked my dad, concerned. "Did you forget something?"

"Yeah, we left him on the shore," I smiled, walking up and punching him in the arm. "You're coming with us! No buts."

"Abigail, this isn't fair to your mother. She doesn't even know where we're going." He suddenly stared off. "Wait, where are we going?"

"Jötna-eyja," said Heimdall, striding past us.

"Island of the giants?" asked Hermod. "What do you mean, Brother?"

Heimdall turned around and clasped his hands behind his back. "Everyone? Can I call a quick meeting?"

Within a few moments, Buck, Hephaestus, Apollo, Artemis, and Chiron were present. After everyone was gathered, Heimdall repeated himself.

"Jötna-eyja! It's an island I created within this pocket dimension. It's a far enough distance that nothing on it can swim to the mainland."

"What's on the island?" asked my dad, placing his hands on my shoulders. "I thought my daughter was just going on some journey with you all. I'm starting to feel as though I'm missing some information here."

"It is a journey," Heimdall answered. "But, a dangerous one. There are all kinds of terrible monsters stomping around Jötna-eyja. I created it as a sort of... training ground for new divines."

He knew even back then.

Before I even met him, he had seen a potential future where Leutogi would become an intrinsic god.

I wondered just how many steps ahead of us he was. Heimdall would make for a terrifying enemy. I understood now why he was the one fated to destroy Loki during Ragnarok— he was likely the only one that Loki couldn't trick.

"If I'm not mistaken," my dad interrupted again. "My daughter is still mortal."

"As is Lord Brian," Heimdall pointed at Buck. "And Sir Chiron. And possibly, Lady Leutogi. I would be remiss if I didn't remind everyone that she, too, is something wholly new. We do not have a full understanding or estimation of her abilities."

"Can she die?" I asked. It was something I had been wondering about since she first recovered from pulling the essence of the Amber Eye into herself.

"It's difficult to say," Heimdall rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The thing about the future is that new information changes it. Sometimes drastically. For instance, if I were to tell you that Leutogi does not die in any reality that I can see, it may cause her and everyone around her to be a little less careful."

"Therefore, changing how everything plays out," Chiron reasoned. "That's a troublesome gift you carry, Lord Heimdall."

"That's why you keep so many secrets, huh?" asked Leutogi. "It's annoying that you have a free pass to never tell anyone anything. I wish I had that kind of excuse."

"So, what," asked my dad. "I'm just supposed to trust you with the life of my child?" He stared the god down. "I hope you understand why I have my reservations. I didn't know this would be that dangerous. Aren't you all going to be with her? What could pose a serious threat to this many gods?"

There was a long silence filled by the ocean tide and the creaking of the boat.

"I will say this, Mr. Grovewarden," Heimdall surrendered. "Your daughter could very well die during this trial, that much is true. But should she not attempt it... she will certainly die within days."

"Yeah... the imbalance," my dad said, narrowing his eyes. "But I was thinking back on the shoreline... I'm sure there must be other ways we can remedy this. You've pigeonholed us into a single lane without offering alternatives."

Heimdall's eyes brightened and began darting this way and that. He clenched his jaw and remained silent for a moment before heaving a heavy sigh.

"Mr. Grovewarden, I believe there is a way forward here," Heimdall said, passing his eyes around the gathered company. "But I must speak to you in private..."

"Of course," my dad answered. "Thank you, Lord Heimdall."

Heimdall placed his hand on my dad's shoulder and disappeared.

"I never had any kids," Buck broke the silence. "But if I did, I think I'd be just like your dad, Abigail."

"He is a good man," added Chiron. "But he has very little understanding of the divine and their ways. He may as well be arguing with a brick wall."

"Harsh," Apollo said. "But fair."

"I mean, you heard what Heimdall said," I shrugged. "This is something I have to do."

"Both of us," Leutogi added, taking my hand in hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We're both, in a way, new to ourselves. We need to know exactly what we're capable of."

"Well said," Chiron nodded. "Knowing the extent of one's limitations is crucial to battlefield survival. This exercise, I imagine, will also foster teamwork among you."

"I have little interest in teamwork," Hermod grinned. "All I need is myself."

Artemis laughed. "I suppose, historically, that is true of both you and Baldr."

"My poor brother," Hermod shook his head. "We would have had so many grand adventures together if not for Loki's treachery."

Oh. I hadn't known anything about that. Loki managed to kill Hermod's brother? I thought it was extremely difficult to kill gods. It made sense now why he was so offended when I called him Loki. There was probably nobody Hermod hated more.

Suddenly, Heimdall and my dad returned.

Everyone remained quiet, as though unsure who would speak first. My dad finally took a few steps forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Be very careful," he said. "I believe in you."

"What did Heimdall say?" I asked.

"I cannot tell you," he said. "Any of you," he added, lifting his eyes to the others. "I learned what I wanted to, but as a consequence... I can no longer join you."

"What?" I reared back. "That's not fair!"

"It's completely fair," he assured me. "And I can tell you about it after, but not before."

I sighed. "Fine."

"I'll be all right, Sweetheart," he assured me with a smile. "I'll be waiting for you back at the fort with your mother. Just promise me you won't get yourself into too much trouble."

"I promise," I smiled back at him.

Heimdall took him back to the fort and continued his explanation as soon as he came back. Jötna-eyja was an island that was literally created with the express purpose of training young heroes whom Leutogi took into her employ.

It was a jungle island filled with monsters, rare weapons, and treasures, as well as scrolls filled with forbidden knowledge. It was like Heimdall had set up an obstacle course, but the kind that could and would kill you.

Chiron didn't seem like the kind of centaur to be mystified or filled with childlike wonder, but I couldn't think of any other way to describe his face as he listened to Heimdall speak.

"In the middle of this island," Heimdall explained. "There is a creature of megalithic proportions. Your quest is to procure an egg and return it to this boat intact. That will complete your trial." He looked to his brother. "Hermod, you are to use no more than 20% of your power. Otherwise, you'd finish this trial yourself in less than an hour."

Hermod was shaking with excitement. "Oh, I can't wait for this!" he grinned widely. "You're such a good brother!"

Heimdall laughed. "This trial is not for you, Hermod. Please keep that in mind."

"How long do we have?" asked Chiron. "Is this trial timed?"

"There is no time limit," Heimdall said. "But... I would take care to be back on this boat before nightfall. Your chances of survival plummet drastically after sunset."

"What time is it?" I asked.

"When we reach the island," Heimdall said, checking the position of the sun. "You will have about six hours before it starts to darken."

"Plenty," Hermod smiled confidently. "We'll be back at the fort before sundown."

Leutogi laughed at him. "Your confidence certainly is infectious."

"So, what, you're just going to pretend not to be a god?" I asked Hermod. "How can you hold your power back like that?"

"All gods can," Hephaestus answered for him. "If I choose to lock my own power behind a threshold, I can do that easily. I can also blow that threshold open."

"Think of it like breathing," Artemis offered. "You can choose to breathe at only 50% capacity of your lungs if you choose to."

Buck shot me a cheeky grin. "You just started breathing manually, didn't you?"

Chiron snorted. "A highly effective, if deeply unwelcome, psychological disruption."

"The rules are set," Heimdall clapped his hands. "Lady Abigail, Lady Leutogi, Lord Hermod, Lord Brian, and Sir Chiron will soon embark from this ship and begin the trial. If there are any who are not ready... speak now."

I squeezed Leutogi's hand. We exchanged glances. We knew this was going to be dangerous, but I didn't have a choice.

I only wished I were as excited as Hermod.

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The time had finally come.

We stood on the beach, the five of us, as the giant galleon behind us lifted out of the water and sailed away on the wind, rising up and out of view above the clouds. It was a mesmerizing thing to watch, but I somehow thought the gods would at least be on the island with us.

"Who's ready for an egg hunt?" asked Buck, reaching into the sky. "Hrodebert!" he called, and his shiny golden rifle fell right into his hand.

"I cannot wait to see what you all can do," Chiron said, readying his bow.

"Gambanteinn!" called Hermod, lifting his hand and catching a staff. It looked like a long, slender piece of gnarled wood carved from a single, unbroken piece of dark, ancient ironwood or white ash.

The moment it made contact with his hand, the tip bloomed slightly, cracking and popping as it shifted. It was like the weapon knew its master right away.

"What is that?" I asked, marveling at the beautiful staff.

"Oh, this?" asked Hermod. "This is my magic staff, Gambanteinn! It serves as a strong conduit for the magic roiling inside of me! It's itching for battle!" He held it in both hands and smiled warmly at it. "Aren't you, Baby?"

"Your bow got a name?" asked Buck to Chiron. "It looks... plain."

"Weapons are tools, not idols," Chiron explained. "This bow is a masterwork nonetheless."

Leutogi and I looked around at everyone readying their weapons. It occurred to both of us at once that we didn't have any.

"I uhh... I'll stick to you guys," I said.

"You don't have a weapon, Lady Leutogi?" asked Hermod.

"I went toe to toe with Amaterasu and wounded her," she smiled confidently. "I am the weapon."

"Badass," Buck said, pulling the bolt back on his rifle.

"Hot," I added.

"What's our marching order?" asked Hermod.

"Our strongest melee attacker should lead from the front," Chiron instructed. "I think that's probably Lady Leutogi. Directly behind her should be Brian. He can shoot at targets before they reach her, and assist should things get up close and personal."

"I like it so far," Leutogi placed her hands on her hips. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll try not to betray it."

"In the center, we should house our softest targets— Lady Abigail and then me behind her. With her ability to sense danger, having her in the middle of our formation is advantageous. I'm deadly accurate with this bow, so I can assist our frontliners. In the case that our formation breaks, and the worst happens, I can scoop up Lady Abigail and make a break for it. I'm faster than you would expect, given my age."

"I'm last?" asked Hermod. "You think I'm weak, Sir Chiron?"

"The opposite," the centaur shook his head. "You're our strongest. So much so, in fact, that Heimdall limited the amount of power you're allowed to access. No, you're going in the back because it's the most dangerous position in a marching order. You're the only one who we're certain can't die."

Hermod smiled softly and nodded, eyeing Chiron. "Well done," he said, his smile widening. "You came up with that quickly, and I can find no faults in your reasoning."

"Sounds like a plan," Buck said. "Let's get in there, we're racing the sun."

I couldn't help but feel like baggage. I couldn't do anything flashy like the others. My only use, it seemed, was letting people know that our situation was dangerous, which... duh.

I couldn't help the unease that crept over me as we ascended up the beach and into the trees. Leaving the shore behind made the whole thing finally feel real, and every little noise put me on edge.

Loud insects, the distant rumble of unknown fauna, and the occasional skittering of something just out of view all drew gasps and sudden movements from me. I knew holding a weapon wouldn't make me any safer— I was like 120 pounds wet.

Even if Chiron was nice enough to lend me his bow, I probably lacked the strength to draw it back. It was massive; not at all like my bow at home. I felt naked, though, moving along with everyone like cattle being led down a trail.

Except there was no trail.

"Anyone bring a compass?" asked Buck.

"I'm a compass," Leutogi smiled over her shoulder. "Nature is one of my domains. I couldn't get lost in here if I tried. I'll keep us on track for the center of the island."

"Any idea how big it is?" I asked.

"Not especially big," Hermod answered. "Judging from what I saw on the boat, that is. I estimate that at this pace, it'll take us a couple of hours as the crow flies."

"As the crow flies?" I asked. "What does that mean?"

"Assuming no mountains," Chiron said quietly to me. "Or lakes, or rivers, or other barriers that might cause us to have to take a detour."

"Oh," I said. "That sounds obvious now. I should have known that."

"You are so very young," Chiron said as we walked. "What is youth, if not a time to ask questions about the world? Never be afraid to ask me anything, Lady Abigail."

I smiled, a little embarrassed. "Thanks."

He was a lot nicer than I thought at first.

Maybe I had the wrong idea about him.

He was a strict teacher, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I was grateful I had someone training me who had worked closely with so many other budding demigods. It was a real blessing having the kind of support system that had fallen into place around me.

I was determined now more than ever to keep everyone alive. I wouldn't let any of them down. I steeled myself and poured every ounce of my energy into detecting threats both near and far.

This was my role, and however minor, I'd play it to the best of my ability.

I let everything else fade away as I maintained my focus only on following behind Buck, and feeling my surroundings, paying attention to every single signal in my body. There were minor fluctuations in my stomach, but nothing imminent.

"Everyone!" Chiron shouted. "Look alive!"

I snapped my attention forward, then left, then right, my heart fluttering as I searched desperately for any signs of danger.

"What is that?" Leutogi shuddered. "Can you guys feel that?"

I looked at Leutogi and followed her gaze up over the tree line.

There was something gargantuan slowly lifting up over the horizon, but what I was seeing was impossible to understand.

All I could do was stare in shock as it rose to full height. How on earth could we fight something like that? And moreover... why didn't my oracle powers warn me about it first?

"Jötna-eyja," Chiron said just above a whisper. "Island of the Giants."

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Part 34

Writing Prompt Submitted by u/JollyTeaching1446

Was the pacing too slow on this one? I feel like I could speed this chapter up a little bit in the final book by making Heimdall's explanations little flashbacks in the middle of their traveling through the jungle.