As they passed through the door of the frozen dungeon, Rodrigo and his companions emerged at the entrance of an enormous tipi tent, lined with bison hide and supported by wooden poles.

  The tent stood atop a vast plateau in the middle of an immense green-grass prairie. In fact, it was the only thing visible in the landscape. There were no mountains, no lakes, no trees—nothing at all. Above them stretched a pale blue sky.

  “I don’t sense the presence of anyone,” Tania said, surveying the immense plain, almost like a gigantic desert, similar to a pampa.

  “I believe we should search for any sign of life across this entire planet,” Menrva said, glancing around.

  “Well, since none of this concerns me anymore, this is where I take my leave,” Loki said mockingly. With a leap, he vanished before the eyes of the members of Orniskem.

  “Damn it! The bastard is escaping!” Tania shouted angrily.

  “Quickly! Don’t let him get away!” Ana added.

  They all began searching the surroundings for Loki, but he had already disappeared using teleportation.

  “That wretch can swap his body with any object nearby—even microbes or bacteria. If he hid himself at a cellular level, we’ll never find him,” Menrva explained.

  “Are you suggesting we stop looking for him?” Anpiel asked, confused.

  “It’s not as though we can do much about it,” the Etruscan goddess replied. “Let’s prioritize finding a way out of this enormous valley first.”

  Ana and Tania glared at her defiantly, while Epona’s thoughts darkened even further.

  “I knew this would happen. She’s already betraying us,” she thought.

  “That was not part of the deal!” Tania shouted furiously at Menrva.

  “Listen, he’ll show up again,” Menrva said, trying to calm them. “And when he does, we’ll chain him up once more.”

  The two goddesses were still arguing when, suddenly, Loki fell from the sky, bound tightly in chains, crashing into the ground.

  Everyone looked around in confusion, trying to see where the Norse god had fallen from—and who had captured him.

  “Who are you?!” a voice boomed from the sky.

  They all looked up and saw a female figure descending, wearing a helmet adorned with feathers. The brightness of the surroundings made her features hard to discern.

  “Is that you, Bellona?” Menrva asked in surprise.

  “Indeed,” the woman replied, landing on the ground like a lightning bolt.

  The goddess was slender, with tawny skin, short black hair, and matching eyes. She wore a golden Roman military helmet adorned with several red plumes, a bronze cuirass with a red cloak covering part of her chest, a short crimson skirt, and Egyptian-style sandals with tall heels.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “Menrva? Is that you? Are you warriors of Ares?” the newly arrived goddess asked, her eyes gleaming.

  “No. We are members of Orniskem, just like you—under Athena’s command,” Menrva said excitedly.

  “Well then, that’s wonderful news for me,” Bellona replied. “So you changed sides? I understand. Who wouldn’t fall in love with the beautiful blue eyes of the magnificent Athena?”

  “And her captivating smile,” Menrva added, blushing.

  “And those athletic, perfectly sculpted legs,” Bellona continued.

  Both goddesses sighed dreamily. The others watched with a mix of embarrassment and disbelief.

  Realizing she was being stared at, Bellona cleared her throat and struck a dramatic pose, one hand covering part of her face, her body turned sideways with her legs spread confidently.

  “Forgive my lack of a proper introduction. I am Bellona, Roman goddess of war, and a member of Orniskem,” she declared, trying to sound heroic.

  “I’m Tania,” the fire-haired goddess said quickly. “And thank you for capturing that individual,” she added, pointing at Loki.

  “Him? I thought he was trying to attack me from behind, so I restrained him,” Bellona replied. “In any case, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Athena spoke highly of you, miss Tania—and of Ana, Epona, and Robert.”

  “Rodrigo,” the young tannin corrected.

  Everyone laughed, though Bellona did not understand why.

  “And you men—who might you be?” Bellona asked.

  “My name is Anpiel. I am a malak in service to Tania and Ana,” the angel replied, bowing deeply.

  “And to me as well,” Epona added.

  “Keep dreaming, Epona,” Anpiel replied without breaking his posture.

  They all laughed again, while Bellona remained puzzled.

  “Verily, I am Susanoo-no-Mikoto, a celestial sovereign who doth hail from the far and mystical realm of Yamato,” said the eastern god, bowing in full prostration.

  “It is my honour to stand before thee, noble goddess, whose valour shines brighter than the morning star.”

  “I have no idea where that is or what are you saying, but it’s nice to meet you,” Bellona replied with a smile so warm it lifted everyone’s spirits.

  “And that scum you caught is Loki,” Tania explained, pointing at the Norse god.

  “I would appreciate being untied so I may introduce myself properly,” Loki said irritably.

  “Oh, of course—my apologies. I’ll free you at once,” Bellona said, reaching for the chains.

  Everyone immediately shouted in protest.

  Bellona froze, completely confused.

  “It’s better to leave him like that, Bellona. He’s not to be trusted,” Tania said, still pointing at Loki.

  “But Athena told me he was one of the Asgardian gods she had contacted,” the Roman goddess replied, bewildered.

  “Let’s just say it’s more complicated than that,” Epona said.

  “Very well. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to remain like this,” Bellona told Loki.

  Loki snorted in annoyance.

  “Tell us, Bellona—what are you doing here, and why aren’t you in Adlivun or Vinland?” Anpiel asked.

  Bellona blushed, scratching the back of her neck as she explained with an embarrassed smile. She spoke of how her ship had been wrecked, how her communication crystal was lost at sea, how she reached the Dene coasts and eventually the celestial realm of Denendeh—and how she had been lost on this plain for several days.

  “So basically, it was pure coincidence that you appeared here while I was passing by this hut for the fiftieth time,” she concluded sheepishly.

  “Does that mean we’ll be lost in this plain as well?” Rodrigo asked nervously.

  “I must be honest. I’ve flown over this land for days, and I always end up back in front of this hut—as if there’s a magical magnetism drawing me here,” Bellona replied.

  “It must be a labyrinth system meant to protect Denendeh from invaders,” Menrva said.

  “Like the one in Palas?” Ana asked anxiously.

  “It’s possible,” Menrva replied. “Though Athena’s protective system is powered by a legendary weapon. If these gods possess similar technology, we may never escape.”

  “Do we have to go back to Adlivun? Through that cave of a thousand demons again?” Epona asked.

  “If you enter that hut, you’ll reappear outside it, as if you never went in,” Bellona replied. “That was the first thing I tried.”

  Loki began to laugh.

  “What a pathetic group—defeated so easily by a crude beginner’s illusion like this world’s,” he sneered.

  “Do you know how to get out of this labyrinth?” Menrva asked.

  “Perhaps I do. If you were to untie me, I might have answers,” Loki replied.

  “If we untie him, that bastard will escape and we’ll be trapped here forever,” Tania snapped angrily.

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