In a desolate land long destroyed during the war of the gods so many millennia ago, a cloaked man with a raven perched on his shoulder resided. He was seated on a small solitary rock; his eyes fixed on what was before him. Before this man was a tear in the dimensional space; a new land of pure energy right before him. In his hand was a long wooden staff that looked insignificant and unimpressive, regardless of which angle one viewed it from. Yet the specks of Edict that flocked towards it and latched onto the staff said otherwise.
*Croak*
Along with a loud caw, another small raven descended from the clouds and landed stably on the unoccupied shoulder of the man – nay, the god.
"Oh Huginn? You're back. What did you find out?" The man's raspy voice was heard as he strangely communicated with the bird.
*Croak*
The black feathered bird displayed its unusually high intelligence by actually cawing out a reply. And even stranger, the god whom it was subservient to understood what it was saying.
"I see. Loki has started the war huh. In the end he couldn't resist his inner demons." The cloaked god sighed in grief, a forlorn look in his eyes. He turned to look at the heavens – the heavens of which he owned a part of – and sighed painfully. His single eye was like a bright star, piercing through the skies above him and seemingly looking beyond the confines of this world.
*Croak*
Huginn croaked again, and the other raven that had been silent all this while – Muninn – croaked as well.
*Croak*
"Am I going to go back?" Odin, the Allfather; God King of the 1st Heaven and Ruler of Asgard; God of War and Wise King, smiled wryly when he heard the enquiries of his ravens.
"I cannot and you both know that," Odin shook his head and said. "It isn't my destiny to stop Loki. This is a war that involves Asgard and Olympus. I am only a god of Asgard. Zeus is only a god of Olympus. Alexis, Ray, and everyone else who has the power to go against them is either a god of Asgard or Olympus. None of them belong to both heavens."
"Unfortunately, this is a fight that can only be ended by the one who belongs to both heavens. There is only one person who fits the bill." Odin smiled slightly when he spoke of the one who was worthy – the one whose destiny was to stop the meaningless fighting that had engulfed the two heavens.
*Croak*
"Yes Huginn. That's why I sent him to the Dreamscape earlier than planned. I do not believe that a person is ever ready to face their destiny. It is when their destiny comes for them that they would be forced to grow up. A fulfilment of destiny is the measure of a person's readiness. Nothing else is." Odin remarked as his only eye shone brightly like a precious jewel within its socket.
"Besides, we cannot leave even if we wanted to. There is a barrier around this world." Odin added.
*Croak*
Huginn tilted his head in confusion and addressed the one who had felled many in the War of the Gods.
"No you can go out if you want. The barrier is meant for me and me alone." Odin smiled and said. Huginn was confused since he had left this world and had only just returned to report what he had learned. So how could Odin say that there was a restriction on this planet?
"Let me show you. Come, Gungnir" Odin spoke plainly. At his behest, the staff at his side began to greedily swallow the energy that was all around them. It shone with the piercing golden rays of the sun as it slowly took the form of a beautiful golden spear that radiated an air of majesty befitting a Chief Soul Weapon.
"Shatter" Odin commanded, his buttocks still firmly planted to the surface of the small rock. He hadn't moved a muscle for he didn't need to. It wasn't going to make a difference anyway.
He flung the spear with such authority that the entire planet began to creak and shake in pain. For it recognised this power. This was the power that had destroyed all the life it held millions of years ago! Gungnir flew in a straight trajectory, its accuracy not surprising for that was its myth – the spear that never misses. With a deafening crash it struck the sky above them.
*Boom*
Gungnir was mighty; its power extraordinary. If even a god had been the target of that spear, they would have been destroyed. Yet when it met the ordinary looking sky of this world, its valiant march was stopped – forcefully. It's sharp, pointy tip ground against the strange looking barrier that surrounded the planet. Several strange inscriptions were on the barrier, and no matter how hard Gungnir fought, it couldn't break the restrictions.
"See?" Odin turned and addressed Huginn who now seemed to appreciate the gravity of the situation. The intelligent raven nodded his small head in understanding. However, Muninn seemed to be in thought.
"Return, Gungnir," Odin commanded, and Gungnir disappeared before it reappeared in his hand as an unassuming staff.
"What is it that tickles your mind Muninn?" Odin knew his birds well enough to discern when they had doubts. And Muninn was having doubts right now.
*Croak*
"Why is it weaker? Well, the barrier prevents me from recalling Gungnir's spirit. So I cannot be at full power." Odin shook his head and explained. Gungnir's spirt was what gave it its true power. Without it Gungnir was only half full. Gungnir's spirit was a traversing one – it could move freely between realms and return to him. But the barrier seemed to have been prepared to counter this. And this meant that it had likely been put in place when Odin sent Gungnir's spirit to Mane.
"Loki really thought this through," Odin smiled bitterly and said. "Which means he has been monitoring all of us all along. He waited for just the right time to strike." Even though Odin had been done in by Loki's wits, he was still appreciative of the intelligent mind that conjured it.
"What worries me is that Loki doesn't have the power to bind me – even if I am without Gungnir's spirit," Odin brought his knees to his chin and said.
Loki's talent was his wit. When it came to power, he was not a match for even Alexis (Thrud) who was a generation younger than him. But the barrier around this planet was strong. It wasn't something Loki could conjure. Which meant that there was someone powerful – someone at Odin's level – who was working with Loki. It wasn't Aries. That boy may be strong but he was too daft to be capable of unlocking the mysteries of Spiritualists or Scholars. Besides, he was weaker than Odin. If it wasn't because of Loki's plots, there was no way Aries would have overcome Zeus. So that meant that there was someone else.
"Well, worrying about it wouldn't change anything," Odin stated and stood up. His hunched figure was as imposing as a lofty, tall mountain.
"I might as well try to regain Mimir's well" Odin murmured and moved into the dimensional crack with his ravens still perched on his shoulders. On his right hand a small golden ring appeared, lighting up the dark path and embalming him in its essence.
Olympus was a mighty planet. It was the home of the gods of the 2nd Heaven and a sacred land of all who sought to reach the peak of power. Over the years several heroes and gods had come from Olympus. Several King and Queens had been produced from the harsh trials of this land. And each of them had the power to rule several worlds if they saw it fit. Olympus was beautiful, for the Olympian Gods paid much attention to the beauty of their realm. Although the Olympians did wage wars and go on conquests, these battles were never staged on Mount Olympus – their home planet. Even then, wars and conquests had grown thinner and thinner as Zeus grew wiser and wiser. Olympus was calm for millennia, and the worlds under their control rejoiced for it.
But all good things have to come to an end. Aries, the son of Zeus waged war on Olympus. With his mighty axe he declared a rebellion, and struck Zeus out of the heavens! Olympus was now at war. Those who believed in Aries and took his side contended with those who did not. Heracles, the mighty hero and demigod of Olympus hadn't fallen. This half-man half-god was so powerful that Aries couldn't handle him on his own. But Aries was not alone. Several heroes who had grown tired of Zeus's love for peace sided with Aries, leaving Heracles with the very few who believed that Zeus was still alive.
Within the throne room of the Olympian Gods, a handsome, burly man was seated on a beautiful throne. His eyes were half-closed in dazed wonder as he appreciated the power that he had longed for all his life. Yet his peaceful indulgence wasn't to last forever. For a beautiful woman went past the doors of the throne room and came to stand before him. She immediately fell to her knees when she witnessed the majesty of the one on the throne. As though she couldn't contain herself she shook slightly for a few seconds before regaining her calm.
"Any news, Atalanta?" Aries, the man on the throne asked after withdrawing his bloodlust that was making Atalanta shake in fear and said.
"Yes, Lord Aries. Heracles and the others have retreated beyond the path of the mountains. Should we give chase?"
"No," Aries shook his head. Then he opened his eyes and took a good look at Atalanta. His eyes shone with a perverted light as he licked his lips and said, "You shall serve me tonight."
Atalanta shook slightly from Aries's brazen look. Yet though her delicate frame displayed its terror at the request of the man before her, she didn't dare to decline. The heads of those mounted on pikes outside the palace walls were enough of a deterrent. And even for those poor women, he had his way with them before killing them. So what was the point of disobeying him?
"Yes, Lord Aries."