She only buys me new fabrics for special occasions, like the visits of the gods. The brown fabric she bought complimented my brown skin.

  I tie my hair so I don’t stand out too much and put a head cover on, then put on my old shoes. I guess the gods won’t see my feet, it’s why I don’t need new shoes.

  Before she gets angry and starts shouting, I walk out. Gary follows me to the kitchen where I pick up a few containers of water, fruit and flowers for his snacking for the way.

  After mistress finishes getting ready, we leave.

  We arrive at noon and the town is buzzing with excitement. Everyone is waiting for the blessing of the gods. Most people here have never gazed at a god before, only having statues or paintings about the gods as reference.

  “I heard the god Thor has lightning follow him wherever he goes,” one elven maiden says.

  “I heard when he speaks lightening spews forth from his lips,” another says dreamily, eliciting a shake of the head from a small tree fairy.

  “No, that isn’t right. That would mean he kills everyone he talks to. I don’t think that’s it at all,” she interjects.

  “I heard their goddess sister Vila is with them and it is the first time she has ever been seen in the realms.”

  “I heard her hair is as white as the snow on the Omir mountains.”

  “I heard she has a hideous face that’s why the All-Father hides her from the realms. Afraid the Empire will lose all the respect they’ve garnered through the sword because of the face.”

  The group erupts in bellows of laughter as they continue to speak things none of them know of.

  Artists and sculptors have their best works dedicated to the gods out on display. All hoping for the honor of having one of their works noticed and taken by them. Groups of singers have prepared songs and poets have praises ready at the sound of the announcing horn.

  Everyone is in their best outfits, wearing their best fragrances.

  Making my way quickly through the crowd, I try to find the best place to hide before they show up. I think about asking to be let in one of the shops so I can hide there, but I know there’s barely a chance as the store owners will be too afraid of the soldiers to agree.

  Finally I find a great place behind the tall elves of the Minf southern tribe, and sit behind them. I will never be spotted here. Gary cozies himself on my lap. He purrs like a cat as I run my hand on his velvety and smooth brown fur and scaled belly, making me smile.

  The dreaded horn rings and I clutch Gary closer to me as my hands start trembling. I stop my prayer to the goddess Hela when I remember that monster is her nephew. I have always prayed to Hela. She has always been my favorite of the gods, never marrying on account of not losing her seat at the table.

  She chose power in a world where the male gaze is the reason for every female creature’s reason to breathe.

  She chose… herself.

  I’ve always prayed to her, and it seemed she was with me all my life until her nephew destroyed it.

  Praise from the singers rises to the heavens as the royal carriages approach the town.

  Calm down, Thalia. He won’t find you. You are safe.

  I breathe in deeply trying to calm my warring heart.

  I need him.

  That voice inside me bubbles out of me, threatening to choke me once more. Not thinking, I dig my nails into Gary and he jumps from my hands, slipping in the crowd.

  Frack, I have to find him.

  The God’s Parade

  Vidar

  I have spent days with my right hand for this mission scouting the lands, trying to catch her scent. Gerol is a descendant of wolves and a powerful Seeker for the Empire. His nose is more sensitive than even mine.

  She won't be able to hide anymore.

  We haven’t picked up her scent in this realm either, but my heart gallops, just as it did that day I laid my eyes on her chocolate-colored ones. It hasn't stopped since we neared this small town of elven folk and mountain fairies.

  One of Thor’s men approaches us from a portal as we stand atop a mountain that has a perfect view of the little town below. I feel calm here. Something I don’t feel very often these days.

  “They are here. Thor requests your presence in the carriage for the parade, Lord Vidar.” Bretha bows his head.

  I don’t want to leave this place but I know I must.

  Thor and his stupid appearances.

  We have been in all the realms except the dark realm for the past two years. My siblings are going back to Asgard after this town and I will have to continue the last year alone.

  Endless parties, endless appearances and feasts. Millions of creatures and not one of them the one I am looking for. I swear on my mother Gia, if I don’t find her, I will travel to the edge of the realm of the living and ask Hel to let me see the mage so I can kill her again. My suffering is all because of her.

  My queen may hate me when I see her, but my claim over her has nothing to do with her. It’s all for me. My soul needs her. Even if she stays locked in my tower all her days, I just know that I need to find her.

  Bretha is a powerful sorcerer and his presence sparks an idea.

  “I need a favor from you.”

  “Yes, lord.”

  “I need you to disguise me.”

  He arches his eyebrow but collects himself quickly when he sees I’m not joking.

  Quickly, he masks my royal scent and contains my essence, disguising me with a different face, but keeps my same frame and build. He materializes a mirror.

  My new face and softer hands would even fool Sigurd. After nodding in approval, I have him disguise Gerol as me so I can be present for the parade like Thor wants.

  He opens the portal again and we step forward. I disappear into the town and Gerol goes to play the god of war.

  As I slide through the crowd, I notice my clothes are still too posh for a servant boy. So I grab an elf servant my size and rid him of his clothes before giving him the better ones I’m wearing.

  He is only too happy to take them.

  A few moments later, I find the perfect spot. Sitting between two structures, I am elevated enough that I can see most of the crowd.

  My heart hammers harder, anticipation rising in my chest.

  The royal parade comes in and the dancers and poets sing the praises and wisdom of the All-Father and his benevolent children.

  I don’t fail to notice that while praising all my brothers and sisters and uncles and aunt, no one mentions me. Not surprising considering my actions, especially the past five years.

  Though I must say it’s not very smart of them. If I’m as terrible as they say, they should praise my name the loudest. After all, I could be angry about them leaving me out of their praises, and lay waste to their little village like I have with so many others whose offenses were less trivial than this one. But I guess they can count themselves fortunate.

  I am not here for all that.

  Today I am here to make my soul whole.

  My eyes skim for the girl with chocolate brown skin and lips so full they look like they drip honey, and chocolate-colored eyes. Eyes I want to make a home in. My resting place.

  The great god of thunder looks down on his subjects and they all lose their minds.

  I shake my head as he winks at one of the elven maidens. Trust Thor to always sneak in a moment to be Thor.

  But even with all the immature things he does, there isn’t anyone more suited and more level hearted to handle the realms. He may have been handed the position, but he has earned my respect, and I will stand with him when the time comes.

  Not that it will be anytime soon. Our father is a stubborn old man. He may live another thirty thousand years just to spite us all. By then even Thor will not be a young god anymore.

  Our sister sits there, looking at all the creatures like they are bugs beneath her shoes. Like she will jump in the crowd and lay waste to all of them for annoying her. Vila has never been a crowd person.

  I don’t blame her, I’m not either. But I understood early on that it was part of our job as the All-Father’s offspring. Sadly, Vila never has, choosing to seclude herself in her wing, reading books and practicing magic instead.

  Even for this trip, it was Thor who convinced her to come saying, “Don’t you want to see the future queen of Vidar’s castle? The woman who has driven him mad? She may not be alive by the time he brings her back. Don’t you want to gaze into her soul while she lives, sister?”

  Her eyes blackened at the thought of seeing the way to the heart they all argue is made of stone.

  Vila has become more irate the more towns, cities, and realms we travel. She will be the first to portal out of this realm as soon as we are done. There is a last bet that I will find her here between her and Thor.

  Thor, the forever optimist, thinks this last village is the lucky one, Vila thinks not. She thinks we have already passed her. Vila wagered the ancient sorcerer’s book she got as a gift from Aunt Hela. And Thor, the book of heroes he got from our grandfather, Borr.

  Safe to say, the loser will be bitching about it for millennia to come.

  And me?

  Whatever happens, I will never be the same ever again. I will either be complete or I will lose my very soul, cursed to live the rest of my days as a beast. To never feel again.

  Both options aren’t optimal. If I find her, she will be my last piece and that is too much power for another creature to hold over me. If I don’t then I will be driven mad by the hole I’ll have in my heart and lose everything that makes me tolerate and appreciate life. A lose-lose.

  Baldur raises his hand, waving to the crowd in that sophisticated way of his. The maidens go wild as they dance harder, jutting their derrières, screaming even louder trying to impress him. He looks unaffected on the outside, but I know my brother, he is jumping for joy inside.

  Baldur may be the most refined of us, but he is a narcissist to his core. He loves the sound of his own voice, even more than Thor.

  He pretends to be shrouded with humility and nobility but he is just as savage as us. And he likes throwing it in the demigod faces that he is better than all of us. Of course, I knocked his teeth out when we were kids after he said that to me. Since then, he is careful with those statements when I am around.

  I am the only half-god who has god status in my father’s house. The rest of our half-siblings have lesser titles and lead lesser lives.

  Hodur’s eyes sweep over the crowd and buildings until he spots me. He lingers on my eyes before frowning. No doubt trying to figure out who I am. He is always searching for kindred spirits. The last of our siblings is the youngest of Freya’s offspring with the All-Father. Full of mischief, Hodur can get in trouble anywhere.

  He always has a band of other thieves around him. Together they are the spies and information gatherers for the Empire. They can get in anywhere. Knowing how to blend in, and make all creatures trust him as one of their own are his biggest weapons. He knows how to relate or make creatures feel like he relates to them. He can make you feel like he is a comrade while simultaneously stabbing you in the back. Out of our siblings, it’s him I don’t trust most; he is always playing his own angle.

  My gaze catches brown skin in the crowd and I look closely, but they duck in the crowd and I lose them. Jumping down, I head in their direction, my heart beating in my ears.

  Hi, I’m Eros

  Thalia

  Gary has been running for over half an hour, and with the parade in the middle of town, it's even harder to chase after him.

  I have already been pushed to the ground by a stone mountain elf who thought I was going to steal from him. Though I don't know what I would actually steal from him. He didn't look like he had much himself.

  Wiping the sweat off my brow, I rise to get some air and take a break from chasing that scoundrel. Promising myself to scold him when we get home later.

  The crowd cheers, diverting my attention to the gods. They are so beautiful they don't even look real. And the fairies were wrong, Vila is impossibly gorgeous. Her skin is pale, and her hair is white, but she looks how I imagine Valhalla ethereal beings look like. Her beauty almost hurts the eyes.

  My heart lurches in my chest when I spot the monster behind Thor in the concealed canopy, I could spot him anywhere. He looks less fearsome today in his royal garb.

  I look away before he senses me staring. Bowing my head, I go back to looking for Gary. I spot his tail between the legs of a white-legged creature, and he jumps again when I touch him.

  "Gary!" I call after him as he runs to the small passage between the creatures leaning against the stores and those in the front of the crowd. I sprint after him and when I have him almost in my grasp, I know the only thing to do.

  I dive to catch him, but I tackle a hardbody and they fall first and I land on top of them.

  Panic sets in me as I open my eyes to see the creature I knocked over. My eyes meet his, and my world stops.

  Eyes as green as summer grass and hair as black as a raven. My lips part in unison with his.

  His hands grab my arms and I am lost in the sea of his eyes for a second. I feel the urge to lay my head on his chest and get rest, but I close my eyes briefly and I shake my head.

  What is that?

  I push myself off him and get ready to apologize before he kicks me in the ribs.

  "I'm sorry, good sir," I bow my head as he rises to his feet; a giant in height. I don't look up to him, but I feel his towering presence and eyes on me.

  He hooks his finger on my chin and my skin tingles where he touches me, and I close my eyes briefly again before I swallow and pull away from his hands. I see hurt in his brilliant eyes and I dip my head.

  "Hi, miss." His voice sounds like a melody as it rolls off his tongue, like I want to hear my name roll from those lips again and again.

  "Um, Thalia. And you?"

  He gives me a kind and shy smile, and I offer one back at him.

  "I am Eros," he says.

  A beautiful name for an even more beautiful man.

  After a brief polite nod, I remember I must talk. "I'm sorry, I am looking for my snag. It keeps slipping from me and I have gotten many evil looks as I bump people, but the animal won't stop running." I blab.

  He chuckles a low chuckle, one I see and feel more than hear. "I can help you look for your snag."

  "Oh no, not necessary. Besides, it won't be a great look if a man as beautiful as you catches the foot of one of these soldiers for disturbing the peace."

  He looks disappointed.

  "What I mean is you won't be able to navigate the crowd easier than me." I feel the need to explain for some reason as I knit my fingers together, feeling nervous and flustered for an unexplainable reason.

  He scratches his small stubble as if he's actually considering it, then he says, "No, I insist."

  I scrunch my face, having reached the understanding that he won't take my no for an answer, and whatever reason he has to want to chase my slippery snag, he won't stop till he finds them.

  I finally sigh, giving up, and I move past him, but I feel him behind me. We maneuver the crowd for ten minutes before he catches the snag for me. He hands Gary to me and I grab the little rascal in my hands, and he looks excited by something. I hope his energy wave crashes soon because I am tired.

  On top of that, I have missed most of the parade and I must find my mistress now. She will probably send us home when the rest of the village goes for the feast. Afterall, slaves aren't allowed in the town hall.

  "Can I walk you back to your...?"

  He doesn't know where I am going, and I find a smile plastered on my face once more. I realize I have smiled more times in the last fifteen minutes knowing this man than I have in years in this realm. That makes me happy, but it also makes me wary.

  I can't forget Samson. I promised myself I'd stay pure for him until I meet him again in Valhalla; I don't have space for anything more than friendly conversation.

  "No, my mistress doesn't like me interacting with the town’s creatures. I have to go. She is probably looking for us now."

  "Okay, I guess I will see you around here?"

  I nod. "Wait, I've never seen you here before, where are you from?"

  His face falls in sadness. "I was here with my family for a trip in the village of Stone Mountain, but they left me behind and I have been wandering the lands for months with no way back home. I am hoping to find a sorcerer who can send me back to Midgard."

  My ears point when he mentions my realm. I found someone who is like me; stuck in this realm.

  "I am from Midgard too. If you find help getting back home, maybe you can take me with you."

  He nods. "How did you get here?" I see curiosity flash in his eyes and I frown remembering my pain.

  I shake my head. "I don't talk about that. I have to go."

  "Have a great day, Thalia. It was nice meeting you!" He calls from behind me with a voice too enthusiastic for what I would have assumed of someone who looks like him. His kindness and gentleness shine through. I make my way to the mountain fairies where my mistress is, and I bow to her.

  "You should go home and prepare for tomorrow. I am going to the feast after and be sure to send Samson back soon, I won't wait for a ride when I want to return. Also, take this." She hands me a bag of manure and I carry it to our carriage.

  Gary starts crashing from his energy high, and he is slouchy, looking sleepy. He snuggles himself next to me as I set Samson on course to home. I sing for Gary his favorite lullaby that my mother used to sing to me before she died.

  When I turn the corner, just after you pass all the houses in the village next to the town, I hear loud grunts and the sound of boots kicking something. I put Samson to a halt, and I rush to the noise. In horror, I find four soldiers kicking the life out of Eros.

  Before I even think, I throw myself on top of him and I cry, "Spare him, please!"

  I shield my own face as I shield him with my body.