Under four eyes...or three

John wasn't sure who to talk to first. On the one hand, it seemed like really bad manners to not talk with the god first, on the other, Moira seemed like a person that did not want to be kept waiting. Odin seemed to think the same thing, as he waved John off and told him, "Go on, talk with her first. I have all the time in the worlds."

The worlds? Odd wording, but probably something that was usual for gods...

So John went over to the redhead paladin, trying to make the best out of the situation. So far, he didn't really like her. She seemed like someone that would be very strict, probably very uptight, and from the talk that happened over the last hour, it didn't appear like she had the best emotional understanding of other people and jumped the gun rather quickly. Nonetheless, John tried to approach her with a smile on his face and with as little bias as he could. "We've not been properly introduced to one another yet, even if we know each other's names, I guess... I'm John Newman, nice to meet you," he said while extending his hand.

She looked down at his hand, considering if he was planning anything, but then reluctantly shook his hand, "Moira Brighton, not really sure yet if it's really a pleasure. You've caused a lot of commotion in a single day; I'm surprised I haven't heard of your misdoings at school already. Maybe you're better at hiding your mistakes than others?"

Like the Order? John had to suppress the urge to say it out loud, "Nah, I'm just not that interested in actually doing stupid stuff. Against the view you seem to have of me, I'm not actually dumb or out to do dumb stuff. I just want to understand my power, which seems to work in ways no one has been able to explain up until now. Sure, I fucked up with Astrid there, but as Odin said, I tried to do it because I felt it was right."

Moira was still skeptical, "We are well aware that you are not out to do stupid things, but inexperience often leads to fatal mistakes, that people then will not own up to. You know the saying 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'? Always remember that. Only because you think you're doing good, never think you're doing good. "

That didn't make a lot of sense... but there was something else bugging John, "Yeah, but the same can be said about your Order there. You try to do the best you can by... I'm not even sure what you do really, kill evil mages? Anyway, that's the same, because you look at it with your understanding of 'evil' and try to do good by your own definition," he said while shrugging.

It seemed like those words struck Moira deep, as her face became red and twisted with anger, "Do not doubt the work of our Order! We do what we must do to carry out the will of the Lady. We know what is good." Without another word she stormed off, leaving John standing there.

He really didn't like her; she was so caught up in her own hype that she really didn't notice how many contradictory things she was saying... He was hoping that after today, he would not have to deal much with her, she was seriously both grating and frightening him. Sure, she looked hot especially in that chainmail that showed off quite a bit of her body, and she had to be pretty strong to carry around a warhammer like the one she had (granted, it could be enchanted, and probably was); but her personality just didn't make him feel like she was that approachable. John was then pulled out of his thought by an approaching Odin.

"She's a lively one, isn't she? Too bad she seems to be drinking her own kool-aid a bit too much," said the god, chuckling.

John looked at him a bit confused, "Why does your wording sound this weird. One moment you say things that make no sense to me, then you talk like you're on a Renaissance fair, and then you talk totally modern... Is that one of the effects of being a god of knowledge?" to which Odin made an uncertain gesture with his hand.

"A bit, but it's mostly the effect of living for thousands of years and interacting with people in various eras. You take quite a bit of the mannerisms from those times with you as you progress through the ages. But I'm not here to talk about me; I'm here to give you the reward I promised you. I told you I'd give you some insight, and it will not just be the knowledge of who I am. I knew this would happen, so I prepared something," and he took out a small vial with some murky water in it. "This is water with a single drop from the well of Mimir. I once took a sip of the well and gained the power of foresight at the cost of one of my eyes. This here should be diluted enough so that you see some things, but not too much and without the cost of your eyes. But be warned, the things you see are neither set in stone nor are they strictly you. So take everything you see with a grain of salt. I would also advise you to not wait too long with drinking the water, as the effect diminishes the longer the water is away from the well. For now, I will leave you to it. I hope I get to see some more of your adventures with my children, and maybe sometimes your children as well," he said winking, holding out the vial of water to John, who took it with a deep blush. He did not want to think about kids right now, at all. And he didn't want to think about taking them on adventures with him. "Oh and next time, take your companions with you, my ravens are interested in meeting them," Odin chuckled as he turned around and left the hall.

Well, that was certainly interesting...

With nothing else to do, John turned around to Brunhilde and nodded to her, signaling that they could leave. She was standing next to her grandmother, talking with her. Her face wasn't really happy, but John couldn't hear what she's saying. They then broke away from one another with a brief hug. John then tried to lighten the atmosphere a bit, "You look just as much in a bad mood like you did yesterday. Need a hug? Or some dick?"

Brun did chuckle at that, "A hug would be nice, yeah. Keep the dick for later; I don't feel like boning at the place where my family meets. Now, let's get out of here. You know what would really get my mood up? Some adventuring. You wouldn't be up for another Barrier, perhaps? This time just the two of us?" She asked that while already walking towards her motorcycle. He then ran up to her and hugged her from behind.

The talk about a Barrier reminded John of something, "Actually, we still have some unfinished business from the last Barrier. I think I never told you, but I had a quest that said that I needed someone to go into a Barrier with me. In return, they get some of my skills, while I get some of theirs. So, which two skills of mine would you want? Any preferences?"

Brun insisted on one particular without a moment of hesitation, "I want the throwing knives one! You took the fucking first kill that decided the score with that skill and that pisses me off! So I want that one, and I could really use some ranged weaponry."

Nodding to that, John broke the hug and brought up the interface, where immediately two pop-ups appeared for John:

Achievement unlocked: More than just Observe
Correctly identify an Abyssal person that actively hid information from you by deduction. You're a smart cookie!

+1 WIS
+50 XP (Reduction included)

Wisdom Threshold of 25 reached: Each point of Wisdom will now retroactively grant more Mana regeneration.
You will also be more aware of good and bad ideas.
This Event will only be triggered once a point is added to Stats thanks to Achievements, Quests, or Stat points.

Ah, that explained why he didn't get that bonus when he reached Level 7 of Transreceptice Eye.

John then opened the dialog of the quest, selecting Mana Dagger as the first skill. As the second skill, he took one of the few skills it let him select, which was Flurry Strike.

Mana Dagger and Flurry Strike selected. Due to differences in ability, Brunhilde Gjoskenholm has gained the ability Mana Axe.
Please wait for Brunhilde Gjoskenholm to make her decision.

Her face didn't seem too satisfied with what she saw, "Dude, I can barely give you any of my skills... Well, there are at least two useful ones I can give you..."

You have gained the skills Electric Aura (Weapon) and Propel by Brunhilde Gjoskenholm. Due to differences in ability, you will gain the Skill Essence Aura. Furthermore, the skill Flash Step will be upgraded.

Essence Aura, 20 MP, Lv.1
Imbue a target with the power of an essence. Bonus depends on the Essence, duration depends on quality. Higher Skill Levels will increase bonuses, duration, and will unlock new modes to use the skill.

Current modes:
-Body Aura (Self): Imbue your own body with the power of an essence, giving you Stat boosts and passive bonuses.

Flash Step, 1-2 MP, Lv.7
For double the Mana cost, Flash Step will now give you an additional boost to your momentum. Increased speed will also mean decreased reaction time. Using this boost step has a cooldown of 10 seconds.

Those two skills were nice! The propelling bonus to Flash Step was good and the new skill seemed like a useful way to use his essences in a different way, especially since he could apparently use it in other ways later on!

Brun meanwhile was giddily holding her version of the Mana Dagger in her hands. Instead of a throwing knife, there was a tomahawk in her hand, which just like John's disappeared after two seconds. She squealed in delight, "Duuude, this is soo awesome! Thank you for this!" She then enveloped him in another hug, giving him a forceful kiss. John returned the kiss and put his hands on her waist.

After a minute or so of making out, they let go of one another, breathing a bit harder. John then brought up another point, "And to the question if I can make another Barrier: I could, but there's something different that I want to do tonight. You're free to join, though. It should be interesting, even if there's likely no fighting involved. You up for it?"

"Will there be loot?" asked Brunhilde.

"For me, there might be the biggest loot ever, but I don't think there will be stuff for you..."

"Meh, then I'll pass. I think I'll train with the new stuff you gave me then... But first I'm going to take you back home."

With that they swung onto the bike and rode into the night, an almost full moon illuminating their way back to John's home.