I leaned back in my seat and stared up at the ceiling.
Could the world get any weirder?
Getting a history lesson on Heaven and Hell had definitely not been on my bingo card. It felt almost surreal how casually Loki talked about wars that had literally lasted centuries. I already knew gods and monsters existed, but there was still some stubborn part of my brain that struggled to accept that angels and devils were freaking real.
Or maybe it was the fact that I was literally going to Hell.
No, yeah. That probably played a pretty big freaking part.
“So…” I stared suspiciously at the piece of paper Loki had given me. It was completely blank. “I just need to sneak around this Devil Clan’s place and see if the paper reacts?”
“Simple, isn’t it?” Loki smiled. “Just carry a piece of paper around, and you’ll make a killing.”
“Right…”
Totally not suspicious.
“Oh, don’t look like that.” Loki chuckled. “I wouldn’t just send you off to die.”
He waved his hand, and an orange-colored gem covered in strange symbols appeared in his grasp. A strong magical scent wafted from it, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it actually smelled like. It was like a hundred different things had been rolled into one.
“A little gift.” Loki tossed the stone to me. “It will shroud you from most magical detection and serve as something akin to a compass. Don’t lose it. It’s also the key to the teleportation circle in and out of the Underworld.”
[Quest Received!]
[Scout for the Seals]
Loki has tasked you with searching the manse of a Devil Pillar.
Succeed in your search and return safely.
Reward:
Minor Storage Ring
|Rare|
An enchanted ring that holds a small pocket space. It grants the wearer awareness of the pocket space and allows them to store and retrieve physical objects at their convenience. The pocket space has a limited amount of storage, around the size of a large suitcase.
Well, I guess I’m fucking doing this, then.
I gripped the magic stone tightly. “Anything else I need to know?”
“Just follow the stone when you reach the station. It will lead you to an abandoned teleportation circle that will take you to the Underworld.” Loki shrugged. “Same for when you arrive there. Very easy.”
“No helpful tips? No actual information about the place I’m scouting out?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be fair if I did everything for you.” Loki wagged a finger at me. “Wouldn’t want you to grow spoiled.”
It took everything I had not to leap across the train and sock him in the face.
“Gee,” I deadpanned. “Thanks.”
“Well, I look forward to seeing your success, Percy.” Loki chuckled as he began to disappear, his body literally fading into the air. “Don’t disappoint me. For both our sakes…”
I scowled.
As if that was ever an option.—What an utterly delightful little tool to land on his doorstep.
Loki couldn’t help but hum as he strode through the simple concrete halls of the research base.
He was glad the drakon had failed to eat the boy. Losing Percy when he had only just learned of the wonderfully explosive conflict brewing in Olympus would have been terribly sad.
The trio of Olympian idiots on the brink of civil war? Oh, how could he possibly resist?
Not only that, but the scent of schemes and betrayal was so thick in the air he could practically taste it. Loki had only taken a peek, but he was certain someone among the Greeks was scheming in the dark.
He would love nothing more than to give that bomb a good kick and watch the chaos unfold.
Unfortunately, the eddies of Fate were just as strong. No doubt if Loki tried to meddle directly, those vexing sisters would intervene. The less said about the punishment the ancient laws would inflict on him if he were caught trying to alter another Pantheon’s Fate, the better.
As much as he would love to see the Olympians burn, risking his own projects to do it wasn’t worth it.
So he would have to leave that little role to his new demigod. He’d paid a hefty price to shroud the boy in his divine power, but whether that gamble would pay off remained to be seen.
The shroud he’d placed should keep Percy hidden from most divine senses and magics, but if the boy were caught in the direct gaze of a god, it wouldn’t hold. Best to string the boy along and keep him away until Loki could decide how best to light the match.
Percy’s fate was quite the captivating little puzzle. Boston was clearly held by the Aesir, and Odin would never allow anyone to interfere with his own plans.
So how a demigod who was seemingly at the center of Olympus’s whole mess had ended up in their lands was quite the conundrum.
Loki’s original assumption that Percy was just some thrown-away bastard couldn’t have been more wrong. Poseidon seemed fond of Sally Jackson, and he was raving for Percy to be found. So him simply leaving the boy to the dogs was unlikely.
No godly hands could have interfered, which mostly left mortal or lesser beings meddling. Devils, Angels, and Fallen were not as deeply intertwined with Fate as gods, which could have allowed for a blind spot. Or perhaps even some piddly little human had somehow mucked things up.
Something to look into after this meeting.
Loki pushed the doors open and quirked an eyebrow at the rather empty room.
“Oh. Am I early?”
Only two members of their little organization sat at the table. Riziviem Lucifer, son of the original Lucifer, looked bored as he propped his chin on his fist.
“Not at all,” a warbled voice said. “Our friends have gotten rather busy with recruitment recently, so it will just be us today.”
Angra Mainyu smiled at him, a sight that probably would have killed most mortals. The evil god took the form of a phantom with a jet-black body and eyes that burned with fire. Unlike Riziviem and Loki, he didn’t bother to restrain his divine aura.
“Pity.” Loki walked in and lounged in one of the chairs. “Anything interesting?”
“Aka Manah took in one of the vampire clans,” Angra Mainyu replied.
“What use are those parasites?” Loki’s face scrunched up in disgust. “They’re even more useless than humans.”
“We suspect one of their members holds the Sephiroth Graal,” Angra Mainyu said. “Although they have been rather reticent. I trust Aka Manah will get them to fold soon enough.”
“Really?” Loki hummed in surprise.
That was quite the prize.
“Perhaps I could borrow it at a later date?”
He had a few ideas he could tinker with if the Sacred Gear’s ability to tamper with life was as potent as the legends claimed.
“Of course.” Angra Mainyu nodded. “Once I have brought my old friend back, I will have no care for it. Riziviem has claimed it for his own projects, though.”
“My subordinate, Euclid, requires it for his research,” Riziviem spoke up. “If it's not pressing, I can have my own people cooperate with you, should that be amenable.”
Hmm. Well, his own ideas were not the most pressing things.
He had a few demigod children who would be growing up soon. Loki idly wondered how far the Graal could be used to change a demigod. It would make a nice gift for Alex or Samirah.
Perhaps he would abduct them on their birthdays so he could test a few ideas.
Better yet, having someone else handle the details would spare him the trouble of micromanaging it himself.
“That’s fine with me.” Loki shrugged before leaning forward. “I would like to make a proposal, though.”
Loki snapped his fingers, and two pieces of paper flew toward them.
There was a moment of silence as both of them skimmed the document.
“Bold.” Riziviem rubbed his chin, a look of interest crossing his face. “But… very interesting.”
“I can’t help but agree,” Angra Mainyu remarked. “To think the Olympians were already on the brink of war. But you know the rules. If outsiders try to meddle too deeply with Fate, the backlash from the ancient laws…”
“Yes,” Loki acknowledged before grinning. “That’s why we should make a push to recruit as many of the Greeks as we can. No other Pantheon is in a better position to achieve our goals.”
“Hmm…” Angra Mainyu drummed his fingers against the table. “I could probably flip a few of the minor gods. Eris, Heracles, and perhaps Nemesis too.”
“I’ve made some inroads with Hades, but he’s started stonewalling me after this little spat began,” Loki admitted. “If I could get access to the Greek Underworld, it would greatly aid my own plans.”
“I can have some Devils cross over and make a nuisance of themselves,” Riziviem replied. “Would that be enough?”
“Perhaps.” Loki hummed under his breath. “He does quite hate you, Devils. But his paranoia might keep him from agreeing. It would need to be especially infuriating for him to work with us. We should discuss the specifics later. I have my own little tool that might prove useful.”
Loki couldn’t help but chuckle as the discussion moved forward.
Too long had he waited to achieve his goals.
He could almost taste it.
Ragnarök awaited.