Step one

“You’re sure about this?” Persephone asked seeing her grandson strip, “Yes! Don’t worry about me, I can’t drown!” he joked making light of the situation, “What do you need us to do?” Tyr queried examining the chain, “As you can see this is going to seal Jormungand’s mouth shut long enough for me to kill it, I’m going to take it down with me but attached to me will be a rope so I can find my way back up to the service. I going down but I want Persephone to dive in and help guide the rope down, you’ll feed her the rope from the boat and ensure it’s all tight etc.” he nodded pulling on the rope checking it was fine and struggling to lift the chain Persephone asked seeing it being put on his shoulders, “Why?” “It’s about a two hour journey down there and him alone isn’t heavy to aid his descent, this is so he will be at the bottom in less than ten minutes, let’s just hope this is the head and not the tail...” “It’s curled up in a ball so technically they should both be together!” Zantano stated nudging Persephone in to the cold water, “See you on the other side!” Zantano laughed leaping in and feeling the resistance of the water push against his face and body looked down seeing the darkness below.

“How long has it been?” “9 minutes. He is almost there... let’s just hope he is in the right place!” she nodded returning to the boat and smirking he asked, “Scared you have got wrong is it?” “No, I’m concerned that he will chain it and use it to slam into Helheim’s walls or use it to kill the wolves. Nothing is simple with him, ever!” “I would love to see it though.” “You really wouldn’t...” “I don’t know... it would be a good morale boost to us considering Loki’s passing... just imagine it Helheim explodes with the sight of that giant bastard crashing through its walls” “He said quietly, why give the game away before we have made any progress. *sigh* it doesn’t matter anyway; because he has crush on Freyja, he’ll do anything to prove his worth” “Aaah that’s why the queen has an bounce in her step. Don’t worry Persephone, no matter what people say about her she wouldn’t expect him to do anything stupid for her affection” “She doesn’t have to expect it, he will just do it!” “Then tell her; she’ll put it straight to him, but until then...” he spoke lounging back with a bottle of mead, “We wait!”

“There you are my giant reptilian friend!” Zantano thought slowly descending on its back and beginning to take one small step at a time towards the target quietly stood behind the head held the chain ready and drawing his overlarge knife that looked more like a sword slammed it into the creatures head. It screamed feeling the pain and lifting its head felt the chain begin to **** it trapping it from spitting out poison but feeling the sword be slammed directly through its mouth felt it pinned together by the both blades. Zantano grabbed the axe borrowed from Freyja and slamming another blow into it’s head held on tight as they were shot into the air. The snake tried to surface but screeching felt the body beneath it start to rot and decay. It was getting eaten away from the inside like a plague rapidly killing off its prey. The beast tried to fight back but feeling another blow from the axe felt another stabbing motion from the man’s long blade cutting it in half and lightly tapping the bottom piece they all watched to see it decay before them, Tyr being the most surprised the beast wailed before **** on its own blood fell on the nearest land where Zantano immediately began to cut away and Persephone to row hurriedly to him.

“That’ll do!” Zantano muttered removing the head and impaling it on a spike and cutting the rest of the snake in half immediately began to harvest the poison. “It’s dead Zantano!” Persephone stated and lifting a bone like finger up Zantano stated, “Get me those lead containers!” “What in Odin are you doing now?” Tyr asked and dropping the poison glands inside of the containers Zantano replied, “A thought... we know Jormungand killed Thor by the expose of poison, My guess is it eats away at flesh, the Naglfar is made up of human nails and body parts, we drench it in this and see what happens, failing that... we burn it!” Tyr smirked before pointing off in to the distance spoke, “It’s not far from us to be honest... we could get in and get out before anyone noticed!” Zantano nodded and wiping the poison off his hand moaning as the skin began to repair spoke, “I’ll drop the poison on the ship, Persephone you fire the arrow because of the obvious reason and Tyr: watch our backs and keep the boat ready!”

“There it is!” Tyr spoke crouched studying the ship as the sun was setting and seeing the change of guard Zantano dived in to scout ahead. The boat drew nearer and seeing Zantano dump the next body in, his hand signalled for them to hurry up to the shore, “What is it?” “We have about ten minutes before they come back. Zantano grabbed the large gland and throwing it on board began to cut the through it to let it drain over the top deck. He threw the second on quickly did the same, “Any luck?” Persephone called out and nodding, he climbed off the ship and retreated and sage distance, “The bodies?” Tyr asked and pointing to ship he nodded helping Zantano turn the ship around, “Done it yet?” “Give me a shot!” Zantano sighed lifting her on his shoulders and hearing the twang of the bow smiled seeing the burning wreckage around them, “Okay or do you have another plan?” Persephone growled hugging herself for the warmth, Zantano watched the burning wreckage and nodding spoke, “Let’s get out of here!” handing her his cloak and nodding to thank him Tyr laughed in triumph, “First round is on me!”

“Do you reckon he would have succeeded?” Freyja asked and nodding Thor replied with, “Of course he has, he wouldn’t allow me the chance to laugh at him!” “But he has been away for soo long now!” “Probably got sidetracked!” “From a snake?” Freyja snapped at the fellow North god and nodding he contemplating returned to his now all to familiar mood breaker of teasing her spoke, “Perhaps he is making you an nice necklace from its fangs or a purse from its skin!” “Or how about a knife to slit your throat?” Thor laughed before staring at her remarked, “You know what... you sound just like him. Imagine the Asgard babies; all mean and angry?!” “I would shut it if I was you!” Odin advised seeing the metallic armoured figure return to which now held the spike with the snakes head on, “Thor, I saved your life now how about you leave Freyja alone?” Thor turned around and smirking seeing the head of the beast mounted, “Burn it, I want no chance of it coming back. Also the water level has dropped since I’ve killed the beast!” Odin nodded before Freyja spoke grabbing a parchment, “We have an idea on destroying the Naglfar, if we...” Zantano simply threw the piece of ship wheel and stopping just before her she nodded acknowledging it was done, “That snake’s glands on fire did the job, if you don’t mind I need to repair” Thor stared at him confused and simply lifting his hands revealed the repairing fingers, “By all means, we have the baths, I suppose Eir could help treat it...” he shook his head before trying to free his shoulder from discomfort spoke, “Nah, I will just get a rub massage from one of your Thralls, Tyr you owe Persephone drinks!” he nodded ordering the first round and looking to Odin Zantano spoke, “There’s a dangerous wolves that must be slain, find it’s location!” “I can’t kill Fenrir, he’s Loki’s son, I swore a blood oath that I wouldn’t harm him or his family!” Zantano sighed before slamming his knife into the table spoke, “Then I will. No promise or Oath will stop me from succeeding! Please tell me Loki is dead!” there was an pause before launching the chair across the room Zantano snapped, “He betrays you all!” “We have bound him in chains!” Odin replied and groaning Zantano sighed, “That is what happens in the story and he breaks free! Lucky enough his fucking ship is burnt to ash! What’s the fucking point?” he sighed once more before walking away Persephone just laughed at the others seeing their confusion, “Perhaps if you want to live, you listen to Zantano! Anyway Tyr how about that drink?!”

“Better sir?” he shook his head before responding, “Try as if you were going to break it, Astrid!” she nodded trying once more on his shoulder but feeling little movement she commented, “How about the hammer?” he laughed before nodding replied, “The hammer it is!” she laughed climbing off from his back heading to the table to fetch the intended tool but gasping saw the queen walk in silently with her finger against her lip to silence the Thrall, she nodded allowing Freyja walk past to rub the oil over her hands and mounting his back signalled for the other woman to leave them. “Ready Astrid?” there was silence but feeling an pair of hands on his shoulder and arm was relieved to hear an sharp click as he felt the arm be able to move freely once more and stopping his movement realised the hands were different to the ones before and now the index finger traced their way over the scars, “So who are you?” again silence so in a quick motion he flipped himself over onto his back to now look at the woman who blushing as he looked at her smiled warmly at her presence, “Surprise” he smirked using his hands to hold her legs in place before looking into her comforting eyes replied, “A better surprise” “I just wanted to return your knife and apologise for the others. Odin is too proud and won’t accept an alternative” “Then he dies, like the rest of you; at least my way gives you hope on surviving!” there was silence between the two before nodding she asked, “So why stay, you don’t have to...” “I was hoping to convince Hela to destroy the South because it needs it but she won’t, so this is the next best thing” she nodded lowered her fingers back to the marks on his chest before trying to tease him but to fail with his blunt reaction, “Here I thought you were doing it for me...” “Well yes but I can’t say that’s to Persephone can I?” she laughed before nodding commented back to him, “No, I suppose you are right, she would punch you a few times for that!” he watched as she leant over to grab more oil and returning to his chest that felt like solid stone to her asked changing the subject, “So these marks?” but this was stopped by the dripping of the oil from her hands barely missing her dress, “Excuse me a moment!”

He watched as she undid the binds and sliding it down her mature hips, revealed her bare long slender legs and smirking as he watched her finish stripping saw her modest bust only being restricted by a few inches of fabric, what he was most surprised by was her toned arms, not too much to throw the rest of her out of proportion but more than he expected, “You know if you let your hair down it would show off your neck a lot more!” “Zantano?! I didn’t mean you could watch!” he shrugged before trying to say it innocently as he could despite knowing he was failing, “I may never get a chance to see it again” she rolled her eyes before undoing her hair returned to his side and spoke, “I suppose you know a lot about necklines and hair style, well with your length I expect you would!” “Necks yes, but not like that and hair... well tried to cut it once it just blunted the shears!” she laughed before returning to the massage asked, “How are you even functioning?” “When you get to my stage you sort of stop trying to understand and just accept it!” “I suppose you’re right but these scars, I didn’t expect them to remain” “Oh those, yeah most of are from the time I was a baby when the wolves mangled me. This long line here was when Zeus and I fought, he left that and I left a massive Z over his stomach and damaged the nerves in his right arm. The Y shape is from a dragon and the ones on my back is from all the times people have stabbed me in my back. Oh apart for the hole shaped one; that was from Persephone during my “third life” apparently I was uncontrollable so they ended it within a few months.” “Persephone did that... I couldn’t do that to my family even if they were as bad as the others claimed!” “I asked her about it a while back but she saw it as her saving me from captivity or someone else doing it. I suppose I should thank her for it, I rather her than Zeus” “Your life must be hard... to keep on living where others don’t!” “Not really we all know about our prolonged life and when they die they come to my family’s realm. You know if you start worshiping my family we could probably adopt you into our family!” “You would like that wouldn’t you... sister to sleep with like all the other Southerners!” she teased before stopping releasing what she had said, “I shouldn’t have said that!” “It’s fine, this with a few other things makes me wish Hela destroyed the south instead. It needs the reset, the North doesn’t” “And yet we know this is coming and still walk into it like a blind fool!” “Not you, you and Odin understand what is going to happen but his loyalty to his brother and his word will be his undoing, to survive you all will have to fight dirty even if it means making deals with those who you wouldn’t and screwing the others over!” she looked down before acknowledging it replied, “I couldn’t even if the others did!” he sighed and pushing himself out from under herself pushed her to the table, “Hey what are you doing?” “Just repaying the favour!” she watched him applying the oil to his hands and nodding turned over moaning as his warm hands touched her chilled arms, you wouldn’t think it was a cold day by the touch of his hands and to her surprise his hands were careful and gentle, opposite to what she would have thought from him. There was silence by the pair for a time before he started to question about her life similarly to the way she questioned him, “So Freyja, you know about me but what about you?” “There isn’t much to learnt about me, I’m queen of Asgard and was married to Óðr and I represent love and fertility and my methods isn’t like the others who think smashing everything to pieces is the solution to most troubles!” he nodded before asking his first question spoke, “So why do they pick on you? Is it because you’re a woman?” “If only it was something so trivial, I’m from a different family, the Vanir‘s they descend from another family and thus they resent my position” he nodded before questioning, “What’s your symbol we all have them... Odin has ravens, I have Hawks and horse size wolves, what’s yours?” “Cats!” “Cunning and majestic animals!” “Exactly but yet Thor laughs because he has something like Thunder and hammers!” “The thing is hammers are useless without an wielder and thunder isn’t permanent... cats unless there is a mass hunt of them will be here all the time.” “Exactly” “So Óðr, how did you meet?” “We didn’t, it was arranged and for a time worked but he preferred to play games over taking anything seriously as you saw. I never got time to explore and look myself... thanks to you, I do now” “Can you fight?” “Yes I can however I must confess it has been a while, I have alternative methods to solving my problems, alas Thor and the others disapprove and start rumours!” “Well if they start anymore let me know, I’ll answer their call for ****!” “That’s just it, answering **** with **** unless at war doesn’t solve the problem, it just causes more pain. I don’t fight and let them say what they say because I know that without that they have and are nothing!” “Yeah you’re probably right... it’s my godfather talking through me again I suppose. Persephone is always lecturing about thinking more like my godmother, not my godfather!” “Why’s that?” “My godfather is Ares’, the Southern Isu of war and my godmother is Athena, the Southern Isu of wisdom” she laughed before turning over to lay on her back spoke, “You aren’t that bad, you’re better than you think your are or give yourself credit for!” “I know but believing what I believe ensures I keep trying to be a good person and not slip into my old habits!” his hands slipped and falling to his side and seeing he was almost sorry, “What’s wrong?”

He remained still so sitting up to offer comfort to him his voice broke when he began to explain, “Just a memory I wish I could forget!” “What happened?” he glared at her before nodding she spoke offering further comfort, “That’s okay you don’t have to tell me, if it’s a family memory then I won’t intrude!” “They don’t even know...” he leaned back grabbing his goblet of mead spoke, “The reason Persephone doesn’t want me here is because I would do anything for the person I love or a friend I care for, as far as she and the others know when I helped Triss it went bad... that’s isn’t the complete story... apart for Ares only Triss does. Triss called me to help fight against an army and being her lover I obviously agreed, we broke up shortly after and keeping my promise I helped fight the army. Things turned sour quite quickly and I decided to take the fight to the army and invaded their land” “A wise move...” “It would be for one who wasn’t angry and violent in nature. We didn’t just beat the army, we wiped the entire town out. People were butchered, burnt alive, houses burnt to the ground. Children, women everyone was murdered, I felt soo free when those around me lay dead and powerful seeing those around me beg to their gods for help. Then it was Eredin’s daughter... we didn’t need to because lynching the rest of his family and mistresses was enough but I...I **** her. I didn’t even care afterwards, I enjoyed every minute of her screaming and loved the sight of the dead enemy. That is something I thought was gone, me and Triss worked on getting rid of that side of me, within a few hours it was back. Then I blamed Triss for it claiming her leaving me released me from my prison and punished her for leaving me instead of the bad things she did! Since I lost everything, I have tried to always make up for it, to always work harder and be fair. Okay I never claim to be always be right but I try to be better. That’s what people fear, that side of me returning. The darkness that looms. That side would gladly sacrifice everyone for a few or even one but he would also slaughter everyone because he wanted to.”

There was silence for a few moments but nodding almost like she accepted it Freyja spoke, “You can’t fix it and that doesn’t matter anymore. People have moved on from it. You can’t help what you are or what you were made for, you weren’t thinking straight but Triss was wrong. You are you like Loki is Loki. How we act is merely and response to our biological structure, she should have worked with you to find a way to let this side out in a constructive manner whether it was fighting in wars or whilst working not replace it or change it. Look at you now, this side that you worry about only manifests when planning against Hela or fighting the creatures that threaten us. You should ask yourself why is that?” “Because...” “Yes...” “Never mind, I’ll tell you some other time!” he spoke seeing Persephone walk in eyeing the other woman up, she nodded watching as he left, “Yes Persephone!” “What were you talking about?” “It’s private that he had the confidence to confine in me, perhaps you should ask him!” “He tells me everything!” “Maybe it’s better to consult those who he isn’t close to!” Persephone pulled Freyja by her arm and snapped, “Watch yourself, I can make your life hell!” Freyja nodded before pushing her away snapped, “Maybe I should tell Zantano about you grabbing me? Or trying to stop him!” Persephone let go of her and raising her hands up to signal an apology Freyja took an step closer so what she said stayed between the two of them as she spoke, “Whatever happens Persephone, I will do the right thing for him!” Persephone looked down into the smaller woman’s eyes before asking, “Even if that means breaking his heart?” Freyja nodded before repeating, “Even if that means breaking his heart!” Persephone nodded to acknowledge her statement before replying, “If you two do become close which I expect he intends to, just don’t throw him to the curb like Triss or the others, he has had too much of that done to him during his life’s”