Tachi stared at Ratatoskr. Something felt off. "Aren't you supposed to be a squirrel?"
Ratatoskr looked slightly offended. "Technically." He didn't elaborate further and instead asked, "How did you end up in Jötunheim? It's not exactly easy to get lost there."
"When I entered Yggdrasil, I was in a place like this," Tachi explained, still holding Akyo in his arms. "But when I started moving forward, some kind of black veil appeared. Everything disappeared. There was only one thing left, the rift leading to Jötunheim."
"A black veil?" Ratatoskr frowned. "Are you sure? I've never seen anything like that. It must have been something external to Yggdrasil."
'And before the veil appeared, I think I heard a voice whisper something, but I must have imagined it,' Tachi thought. "One last thing, can you tell me more about the Jötunn you took down, Býleistr?"
Ratatoskr paused for a moment. "That was Býleistr? I didn't really pay attention. But if it really was him, I doubt I killed him. Those bastard giants are practically unkillable."
'He would've survived decapitation? Good thing Ratatoskr showed up, otherwise I'd be trapped in that frozen world forever,' Tachi thought as Ratatoskr stood up.
"So, shall we?" the squirrel asked.
Tachi nodded, and the two left the paradisiacal garden. Once again, two paths lay before them. Ratatoskr naturally took the one on the right.
Tachi was hesitant, but when he stepped forward— 'No black veil. Hallelujah,' he thought.
Ratatoskr escorted him through the floral corridor, which turned out not to be straight at all. A turn right, then left, then right again. "This is long," Tachi muttered.
Ratatoskr heard him and explained, "That's normal. The lower, or higher, the place you're heading to, the longer the path. In this case, the world of the Norns lies within the roots. It's only natural it takes time."
Tachi looked down at Akyo. 'I know it's long… but hang in there.', he looked up and asked, "Yggdrasil is the link between a lot of worlds right? Why were there only two paths?
"It knows where you're heading, or at least it guesses,"
After a few minutes, they arrived in what looked like the exact same garden they had left, but this time, a rift stood in the middle of it.
"We're here," Ratatoskr announced, pointing at the rift. "That's the entrance to the world of the Norns. It won't imprison you."
"Thanks for the help," Tachi replied.
"No problem. But be careful, the Norns are strange beings. Don't think you can use their well easily. And your strength won't mean anything there."
Tachi nodded and looked at the rift. 'I've never been this close to the goal, Akyo!'
Ratatoskr turned around. "Well, I've got things to do." He stretched out his arms and tore reality open again, creating his own passage. "One last thing, Býleistr is Loki's brother. I don't know what's going on in Asgard, but if he was sent after you, it means Loki has a grudge against you."
'He probably has a grudge against pretty much everyone right now,' Tachi thought, but Ratatoskr cut him off.
"Býleistr isn't Loki's only brother. So be careful. If he sent one, he might send the other." He said, looking Tachi in the eyes, "Alright, bye, hope you'll save the boy Ehecatl!"
With that, Ratatoskr stepped into the rift, which closed immediately behind him.
"A second brother… Is he planning to send his whole family after me?" Tachi muttered. "But anyway,"
He turned toward the rift.
Stepping closer, he reached out toward it. "The final step, the Well of Urd!"
—---------------------------------------------------
"HEY, GET DOWN!" Freyr was clinging to Freyja's arms as she flew toward Gladsheimr.
"I can't hear you with all that wind!" she replied, amused. Freyr screamed in panic until they finally reached their destination. "Careful with the landing!" Freyja announced.
"What—?!" She let go of Freyr midair, several meters above the grass.
He crashed and failed to land properly. 'What a bitch,' he thought, face buried in the grass.
His sister landed right next to him. "Honestly, you're ridiculous. You could've at least tried to land on your feet," she said sarcastically.
Freyr didn't reply. He stood up silently, brushing dirt off his clothes.
"Hey! Freyr!"
He turned toward the voice.
"Heimdall!" He walked over and greeted him.
Heimdall looked surprised. "I didn't think you'd come all the way from Alfheim."
"I was in Folkvangr. That's the only reason I'm here."
"But how did you get in? I don't think I activated the Bifröst," Heimdall wondered.
"A friend opened a rift for me. Faster that way," Freyr replied.
Heimdall turned to Freyja. "You still grumpy as ever?"
She didn't answer.
The three of them headed toward Idovall, one of the two buildings rising in the middle of Gladsheimr's green plains.
Inside, a circular table stood at the center of the structure, with several figures already seated.
Freyja took a seat far from everyone else. Heimdall positioned himself as far away as possible from Tyr, who was already there, eyes closed, arms crossed.
Freyr took a detour to greet Tyr. "How've you been, old man?"
Tyr opened his eyes and smiled faintly, extending his golden hand. "It's been a while."
After greetings, Freyr joined his sister. At that moment, two men arrived.
The one marked with runes, Forseti, sat beside Tyr. Another followed him.
The second man locked eyes with Freyr. "Hey! I didn't see you there!"
He rushed over and hugged him. "Good to see you!"
He squeezed Freyr hard, too hard.
"You're crushing me, Oda," Freyr muttered.
Oda let go. He wore a brown fur cloak, still bearing the head of the bear it came from.
He returned to his seat beside Tyr and Forseti.
Heimdall called out, "Why are you hanging out with those two killjoys, Ullr? You'd have more fun over here!"
He laughed, picking at his golden tooth with a wooden pick, slouched in his chair with his legs on the table.
"No thanks," Ullr replied calmly. "I'll pass on the other clown."
Heimdall started flailing his arms around.
Freyr noticed. "Something wrong?"
Heimdall stood up, clapping his hands strangely. "Fucking mosquito!"
He swung wildly, trying to crush the pest, but failed every time.
He started getting genuinely angry, his energy spiking, while the mosquito began laughing.
Heimdall suddenly stopped. "You think that's funny?" he asked.
The mosquito reverted to its true form.
'Of course… Loki. Predictable. I've seen better,' Freyr thought.
"You should've seen your face!" Loki laughed, doubled over.
Suddenly, a man entered the room. An old man, with a long gray beard and an eyepatch. Silence fell instantly. The man sat at the head of the table. "We may begin," he announced. The old man turned his head. "I didn't expect to see you here, Freyr."
Freyr nodded.
The old man scanned the table and murmured, "Frigg is absent. Vidar as well."
Ullr replied, "Vidar is in Midgard."
"Very well," said Odin.
He continued, "As you know, the scourge Jörmungandr has resurfaced. He was in the hands of a group of deities allied with humans. I therefore sent Tyr, Freyja, and Loki to capture him." He paused. "You may give your report."
Tyr remained silent. Freyja looked at Loki, silently urging him to speak this time.
He sighed. "If you insist, Harbard. We went down to Midgard, where we were told. There were two little shits, one with weird hair, so we captured him. End of story."
Freyja muttered, "You're leaving out the part where you almost got killed by the wind god…"
Loki snapped, "He caught me by surprise, that's all."
"Enough," Harbard ordered. "I don't care. The mission was completed. The wind god killed no one. That is all that matters."
"No," Tyr said.
Odin turned to him. "You have something to add?"
Arms still crossed, Tyr spoke calmly. "The only reason Ehecatl didn't kill Loki is because he didn't have time." He stared at Loki. "Because our great Loki murdered a child who was accompanying Jörmungandr."
'What?!' Freyr thought. His sister lowered her head.
Heimdall looked shocked. "Why would you kill a kid?" Ullr and Forseti turned toward Loki, glaring at him with contempt.
Loki smiled. "Relax, guys. He was just a Greek."
He laughed at his own "joke".
No one else did.
"Every passing day makes me regret ever giving you the benefit of the doubt," Forseti declared.
Odin clapped his hands. "Enough. That child was not one of ours. It is unfortunate, but that is how it is."
"No," Tyr said. "He will pay. I swear"