"So... your godly teacher...is your mom?" Oliver says for what feels like the hundredth time. He just can't wrap his head around it. "The current Hecate is your biological mother."
"Yep," Melody says, staring ahead as they make their way down the steep tunnel again. Odin walks silently ahead of them, a grim look on his face.
"But you were adopted by Frigg and Odin," Oliver adds, running his hand through his hair. "Even though your mom is a Greek goddess."
"Pretty much," She confirms patiently. "Since Hecate isn't supposed to have any children, Zeus demanded she send me away as soon as he found out. My mom didn't want to but couldn't refuse. So, she asked Odin to take me in." She shrugs again, barely paying attention to her own story. Oliver can't blame her; she's explained it at least a dozen times since leaving the dining hall. "Since they're both gods of magic, she knew she could trust him. And as the head of his Pantheon, he had the final say, as far as the rest of the Aesir is concerned."
"But, then your mom - Hecate - took you as her apprentice," he says, feeling the need to clarify who her mother is as much as possible. He's still waiting for her to realize who they're talking about and correct him, but she just nods.
"When I turned 11, she decided I was old enough to become her apprentice. Since each god is allowed to choose their successor, Zeus and the other Olympians couldn't argue." She glances back at him with a sly grin. "Looking back, I guess that's why I've always been such a troublemaker. I was always told that we have to follow the original legends in order to become gods, but the fact that I was born at all goes against that. So, I started questioning everything else I was told to."
"Probably because breaks basically every rule ever," Oliver mutters under his breath, staring at the rough stone wall. "But wait, what about demigod children? Didn't Hecate have a daughter?" Melody sighs, shaking her head.
"That's a common misconception. Circe was Hecate's apprentice, not daughter. Some legends call them family, but they're not."
"Right," Oliver says with a sigh. "Do I even want to know who your dad is? He's not, like...a Hindu god, is he?"
"Are you even listening to yourself?" She replies with a giggle. "Of course he's not! He's just a mortal. I used to visit him on the weekends." She giggles again, shaking her head. "Hindu god, that's just ridiculous."
"And this isn't!?" Oliver groans, throwing his hands at Odin. "This sounds like the plot of some B movie! If you told me your birth started some great prophecy to save the world, I'd believe it!" Melody pauses, turning to face him with a smirk.
"You know, I didn't think you could be this energetic. I kind of like it." Oliver feels the blood drain from his face, and he steps back, shrinking into himself again. He grips Caduceus, now hanging from his hip in its keychain form.
"N-no, I just - I mean - I didn't-"
"Oliver, relax!" She chuckles, slapping his back gently. He still stumbles a step forward, catching himself before he tumbles all the way down the tunnel. "I was joking. You should try to be more confident. You stopped the rebellion and prevented a war of the gods, remember?" She smiles at him kindly, then turns and follows Odin again. "If anything, you're the special one here."
"That was..." He murmurs, trudging after her with his head down. Part of his confusion is her sudden mood shift. Ever since arriving in Asgard, Melody has seemed on edge, almost scared. After challenging Odin and standing up to Thor, he couldn't blame her. But as soon as the game was over, she seemed to brighten. She laughed with Frigg. Joked with Odin. And even now, she's laughing and smiling while explaining her unusual circumstances to him. He looks up at the back of her head, staring into her mass of curly red hair.
"Aren't you nervous?" He says softly. She doesn't react, and Oliver sighs, letting his arms go limp. I guess she didn't hear me, he thinks, resigning himself to spending the rest of their descent in silence. Honestly, I doubt she even knows what being nervous means. She stood up to Zeus no problem, and almost got into a fight with Thor! He looks down at himself, sliding his thumb over his keychain. I wish I could be that confident.
We're almost there, Melody thinks, a cold sweat coating her arms and back. She clenches her teeth, eyes locked on the end of the tunnel. Just a few more feet. What was that sound - was it him? Is that the door? Why did they have to make this stupid chamber so far down! She squeezes her thumbs harshly, blinking quickly to wet her dry eyes. Finally, the tunnel levels out, and Melody feels her heart jump into her throat as the stone door appears.
"We've arrived," Odin says, pausing next to the door. Melody stops as well, her hands shaking. She stares at it, panic overtaking her mind. He's in there. Odin's going to keep his word, right? Of course he will - but what if something happens? What if he doesn't want to be released? What if he refuses to help with the treaty? What if he tries to escape?
"Before we go inside, there's something I have to say," Odin adds, and Melody shivers. Odin reaches into his cloak, producing three golden bands: two smaller ones, and one larger. "I will hold to our agreement and release Loki. However, I also think we need some extra precautions before we allow him to leave."
"B-but you said-" Melody starts with a growl. She stops when Odin holds the three rings out.
"Remember, Marcus is a god now. And while I don't like it, Thor had a point. As an apprentice, there are certain things you can't handle on your own." Melody grumbles bitterly, nodding for him to continue. Odin separates the rings, holding the two smaller ones first. "These are magical bands I had created last night. With them, we can limit Loki's power. I can teach you the spell to activate them should he start to act out. These two would go on his wrists and were designed to drain his divine power."
"So... you'll still let him go," Melody says carefully. She swats absentmindedly at a fly buzzing around her ear. Odin nods, holding out the larger ring.
"This is to be warn as a necklace. Again, I can teach you the spell to activate it. The same spell will trigger both. But instead of draining his power, it will incapacitate him in... another way." He lets his words hang in the air, a cold look in his eye. "Once the spell is activated, it will inflect the same pain upon him that he's going through now." The tunnel suddenly rumbles, a muffled scream radiating from the door. Melody stumbles back a step, her stomach churning.
"W-Why would I ever want to do that!?" She snaps, clutching her stomach to keep her breakfast down. "The bracelets, obviously!"
"There may be times in the future where you're going to regret that decision," Odin says, returning the necklace to his cloak. "Even without his powers, Marcus can still be a threat. But I can see that you've made up your mind." He kneels down, placing a hand on Melody's shoulder. "I will now teach you the spell to activate the bracelets. Are you ready?"
"Yes," Melody says, trying to ignore the bitter taste rising from the back of her throat. She crosses her arms, glaring at him to make it clear how upset she is. Odin leans in, closing his eye.
"Spútať," He whispers, repeating it twice before putting back to meet her eye. "Remember that word. If Marcus does fight against you or tries to slip away, that will temporarily rob him of his powers. However, I expect it will only work for ten minutes at most. You'll have to capture him in that time. When you do, repeat the word to deactivate them."
"He won't run," Melody counters stubbornly. Odin exhales through his nose and stands, turning back to the door.
"Then you won't have to use them. But the option is there." He steps forward, pressing his hand against the stone door. "It's time. Let's go." He pushes the door open, stepping into the rounded chamber beyond. Melody follows close behind, with Oliver trudging in last. Odin walks quickly across the room, stopping in front of Marcus. The woman hanging on the top of the stone watches curiously, cocking her head to the side.
"Sigyn. It's time to rest," Odin commands. The woman gasps, nearly fumbling her bowl.
"B-but, what about-"
"Loki is to be freed," Odin says, glancing at the snake dangling over them. He waves his hand, and the snake lets out the same sound as a deflating balloon. It sinks back into the tree, the sound echoing through the chamber for a moment. "That is, if that's what he wants." His eyes land on Marcus, who groans, lifting his head. Oliver squirms as a few drops of dark green venom rolls from his face.
"Really? I didn't think it was time to retire yet," Marcus says with a weak laugh. "Go ahead, torture me all you want. But trying to give me hope is just cruel."
"He's delusional," Sigyn says, carefully sliding to the floor. She scampers over to Odin, bowing her head. "He's been here for nearly three weeks; he's not built up a resistance to the poison yet. Please, if he could just rest-"
"He can," Odin assures, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Sigyn tenses, her eyes wide. Melody feels a touch of empathy for her. She's thin and pale, like she's never seen the sun before. Her eyes are dark, with stringy hair and thin arms. Odin returns his attention to Marcus. "This isn't a trick, we're not that cruel. Melody has earned your freedom." Marcus's head lolls to the side, his pale, empty eyes landing on Melody.
"Now I know your messing with me. She forgot about me a long time ago." Melody's mouth falls open, her jaw quivering.
"Marcus, it's me," she says gently. "I was here yesterday, remember?" Marcus narrows his eyes, watching her closely.
"It even sounds kind of like her. Who is that - Freya? Sif?"
"He hasn't figured out how to heal his eyes, either," Sigyn adds sadly. Odin strokes his beard thoughtfully.
"That could be a problem. I'll see what I can do." He steps forward, touching the end of his staff to Marcus's forehead. The milky scars on his eyes begin to fade, giving way to the green underneath. "There - can you see?" Marcus blinks a few times, flinching whenever he opens his eyes. He looks around, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Everything's...blurry. But I can see shapes. What did I do to earn-" He stops when his eyes land on Melody again. He lets out a slow breath, watching her unblinkingly. "...it...it wasn't a dream, was it?" He whispers. "You're actually here?"
"Yes," she says, sliding her hands over her mouth. She fights to hold back her tears. His face is still a mess of scars, and there's a silver glaze over his eyes. "I came to help."
"As I said, Melody has earned your freedom," Odin clarifies. "But there are conditions." He holds up his golden rings, watching Marcus carefully. "You will put these on. Should you try to escape, you will be robbed of your powers. You will help Melody and Oliver with the creation of a new treaty." Marcus looks at Oliver, blinking at him the same way he did for Melody.
"Of all the people I didn't expect to ever see again, you're the top two," he says, forcing a laugh. "I guess stopping Fenrir earned me some sympathy?"
"We need your help," Oliver says. He grips Caduceus tightly, pressing it against his chest. "And we agreed that you deserve a second chance."
"...right," Marcus says, his mood dropping. He looks back at Odin, squinting. "Everything's still kind of foggy."
"I'm afraid I've done what I can," Odin replies, carefully latching the rings around Marcus's wrists. Once they're on he does a quick chant, and they flash golden light. "Prepare yourself, I'm going to undo your bindings now."
"And they were just starting to get comfy," Marcus says, closing his eyes. Odin touches the end of his staff to his wrists and ankles one at a time, severing the leathery ropes. Marcus doesn't move until the last rope breaks, when he collapses to the floor. Melody rushes to catch him, easing him to the ground. Sigyn hurries to his side, helping him sit up.
"Are you okay?" Sigyn whispers, leaning him back on the boulder. Melody cups his cheeks, making sure not to touch his scars. She turns his head back and forth gently to see how bad they are. Marcus rubs his raw and scarred wrists, flinching when one starts to bleed.
"How do you feel?" Melody says, pulling him in for a hug. "I'm so sorry, because of me you-"
"I'm fine," Marcus says, patting her arm affectionately. "But you're choking me a bit." Melody's eyes pop open, and she feels one twitch. She suddenly grabs his shirt, hoisting him off the boulder.
"You're fine!?" She snaps, leaning so close that her nose would touch his if it wasn't melted. She shakes him once, and Marcus gasps, his eyes wide with panic. "Are you an idiot!? Do you have any idea what you almost caused!? I've been worried sick, bawling my eyes out because you've been down here getting tortured! And now that you're free, you expect me to believe you're fine!?"
"M-Mel, maybe give him some-" Oliver tries carefully. Melody shakes Marcus again, his head flopping limply on his neck.
"Do you have any idea how many people you hurt!? Or what poor Oliver has been through because of you!? And don't even get me started on what I've had to do to save you!"
"What you had to do?" Marcus rumbles, slowly righting himself. He tries to push Melody back, but she doesn't move. "What about what I had to do? Do you think I like hurting people?"
"I don't know, I had enough common sense to try talking it out first!" Melody snaps back harshly. "You know, like we planned? Fixing things, not making it worse!"
"I could have fixed things if you had kept your promise!" Marcus spits, throwing her hands off of him. Without her support, he flops back against the rock, wincing in pain. Sigyn gently helps him sit forward again as he continues. "We said we would fix things together, didn't we? But when the time came, you were nowhere to be seen!" Melody recoils, feeling her arm tense. She grabs her shirt to keep from slapping him, eyeing the scars on his face anxiously.
"I'm trying to fix things," she says through her teeth. She takes a deep breath, stepping back so he won't see the tears building in her eyes. "Which is why I'm here now. Odin's promised to let you go if you help repair the damage you caused." Marcus glances at Odin as if only just remembering he's there.
"...fine. What do I need to do?"
"Melody and Oliver are acting as intermediaries while we attempt to create a new treaty. You are going to go to the various Pantheons of the world to help them," He explains clearly. "If you truly don't want to hurt anyone, then this is your chance to prove it." Marcus pauses, glancing down at himself. He slides his fingers over the raw patches around his ankles, then touches the golden bands around his wrists.
"Where are we going first?" He says with a sigh. Melody crosses her arms with a huff.
"The Shinto." She replies.
"Alright, I'm in. When are we leaving?" Melody looks at Oliver over her shoulder. He whimpers softly, his eyes jumping between her and Marcus.
"W-warping a god and an apprentice takes a lot out of me as it is. But two gods might be too much," He admits sheepishly. "We could try going in shifts, and-"
"No need," Odin says, raising his head proudly. "I suspected that would be an issue. Along with having the binding bands made, I also prepared transportation for you."
"You did?" Oliver says, tilting his head to the side.
"It will take a few days for you to get there, but I guarantee it's the fasts sea vessel in any Pantheon," Odin replies, swelling with pride. "Take the night to rest and recover. In the morning, Frey will see you off." Melody nods, turning back to Marcus. Every time she looks at him, it's like a ball of hot lead lands in her gut. The guilt. The sadness. The anger. Too many emotions to process at once, all rolling around and fighting for dominance. She pushes them back, burying them for the time being.
"Here," she says, extending a hand to her old friend. "I'll see if there's anything I can do to help you sleep," She adds. He takes her hand, and Sigyn helps steady him as he pulls himself to his feet. After a moment she steps back, and Marcus releases Melody's hand.
"Thanks," He mutters bitterly. Melody shrugs off the stab of pain in her chest, examining his scars carefully. And while you're sleeping, I'll see what I can do about those, she decides.