After drinking the last of her ambrosia, Ana rushed to free Rodrigo and Epona from the net Loki had trapped them in. She cut it apart with her sword, releasing them from the technique.

  “Start talking,” Tania said, keeping her foot pressed on Loki as he crawled, trying to escape.

  “You’re not fighting for Lel, are you?” Athena asked.

  An uncomfortable silence hung in the air.

  “Why would I fight for that pile of murderers?” the Norse god said, defeated, still pinned under Tania’s foot.

  “Didn’t you say you’d become Asgard’s anunnaki?” Tania asked.

  “That’s what the woman who freed me from my prison told me, but I knew it was a lie. I was only hired to kill you all, nothing more. I knew that from the start,” Loki replied.

  “And if you knew they’d betray you, why agree to it?” Epona asked.

  “It’s simple. Lel claims he killed Odin—but the truth is Odin is still alive,” Loki said.

  The goddesses stared at him, uncertain.

  “Then where is he?” Athena asked.

  “Hiding in what the Vikings call Vinland,” Loki answered.

  “Vin… what?” Rodrigo asked.

  “We gods have seen a continent on the other side of the Earth, but we are forbidden from entering it because it belongs to a… peculiar jurisdiction,” Ana explained.

  Rodrigo looked shocked.

  “A new continent,” he thought in amazement.

  “I simply planned to use this war—and killing you—to feed energy to the father of Asgard. That’s all,” Loki continued.

  “If our father Odin regains his strength, he can defeat those arrogant fools in Lel!” the dark god said with excitement.

  “But weren’t you at war with Asgard? You were in a prison, after all,” Athena said.

  “I may have my differences with the ?sir, but no inhabitant of Yggdrasil ever betrays their own. Got it? Never!” Loki barked.

  The goddesses were silent for a moment. Tania finally lifted her foot from him.

  “Well then, it seems you and we share the same goal,” Athena said, crouching in front of the Norse god.

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  “What do you say, Loki? We’ll help you, your anunnaki, and all of Asgard maintain your culture—if you join us.” She extended her hand.

  Loki was silent.

  “Asgard and I don’t get along. I’m sure they’ll throw me in prison again,” he said pessimistically.

  “Let me handle that,” Athena answered.

  Again, Loki said nothing.

  “If you refuse, these lovely ladies will skin you alive. So… I don’t think you have a choice,” the Greek goddess added, pointing at Ana and Tania.

  “Wait,” Tania said.

  “I understand why he did what he did, but I’m not willing to overlook the fact that this war killed hundreds of people. Much less forgive that giant of yours for massacring innocents when he attacked us. I want nothing to do with him until he apologizes—not just to us, but to the people he harmed. I don’t need sociopaths around me,” Tania said firmly.

  “Why would you care about those filthy humans?” Loki asked.

  “Because I promised to protect them long ago. Even if the rest of you see them as inferior, I don’t,” Tania replied angrily.

  “Those ‘inferior beings’ only know how to wage war and kill each other, besiege cities and let people starve to death, and resort to cannibalism in their desperation,” Loki growled.

  “And how different are we?” Tania shot back, stepping on him again.

  “Weren’t you punished for killing an innocent god?”

  Loki fell silent, turning his face away with an irritated expression.

  “Well?” Tania pressed.

  “King Harald massacred people in Norway and killed Danes who still worshipped us. I don’t care if they do or not—but isn’t it cruelty to kill someone just for following their cultural heritage?” Loki replied.

  “But in this war, it’s not just Harald who dies. Isn’t that so?” Tania asked.

  Loki, sulking, refused to answer.

  “That is enough, Tania,” Athena said.

  The goddess of fire crossed her arms and stepped away.

  “Tell me, Loki—exactly where is Odin?” Athena asked.

  “I only know he’s in Vinland. I have no idea where in that continent he is. Father Odin was always a master at hiding his identity and appearing as just another traveler,” Loki answered.

  “I see. Then I’ve decided—I will help find him,” Athena said, standing back up.

  “That will be our next mission.”

  “Excuse me, Athena… but we want to look for Anpiel first. We’re sure he’s still alive,” Epona said shyly.

  “Yes, master. We must find Anpiel. We owe this victory to him,” Ana added.

  Tania nodded.

  “Very well,” Athena agreed.

  She then turned back to Loki.

  “Listen, Loki. I’ll assign a group of my people to accompany you in the search for Odin. Does that sound fair?” she asked, extending her hand again.

  Loki shook her hand, and Athena pulled him to his feet.

  “Just as they said in Lel… that bastard would betray us,” a voice said.

  “And not only that—Epona and the other goddesses are still alive. Now we’ll have even more work to do,” said a second voice.

  Everyone suddenly felt the spiritual presence of two gods. They stood atop a mound of stones.

  “Brother Belenus! Brother Toutanis!” Epona shouted.

  At that moment, one of the men fired a beam from his fingertip straight into Epona’s mouth, piercing through and dropping her unconscious onto her back.

  “I always hated that little bitch Epona,” the man who fired the attack said.