Alyza paced back and forth in her room, biting her fingernails. It was late at night, yet Asgard was only louder when the sun went down. She went over to the window, looking out at the jungle of buildings and towers rowed with windows, each emanating a golden light. Peeking her head out, she looked over the windowsill, wondering if she should just jump. After a short debate, she concluded that it would be unfair to the child that was steadily growing inside of her.

There was a knock at the door, "Ally?" Myrian's voice called. Alyza sighed, closing the window shut and sliding the drapes together.

"Coming," she walked over to the door and opened it. On the other side, Myrian was holding a plate full of different exotic foods. Alyza had been to her fair share of fancy parties, but even she didn't know what any of these were, "Uhh, what's all this?"

"Well, I figured that you haven't eaten all day, so I asked the chef what he could whip up for a pregnant friend of mine," she held the plate up to Alyza's face, and though the scent wasn't exactly enticing to her nostrils, the aroma still made her stomach growl. She hadn't eaten all day, after all. Loki spoiled her already-spoiled appetite.

"Thanks, but.."

"You need to eat, dear. For the baby."

"I know, but.."

"Just try it, will you? I promise you won't regret it."

Alyza groaned, taking something off of the plate and sticking it in her mouth. As she chewed, she realized that she was much hungrier than she thought. She picked at the plate some more, then eventually snatched it away from Myrian, continuing to eat handful after handful. Myrian smiled wryly.

"Erm, dear?" She smiled politely. "I brought some eating utensils, heh.."

Alyza turned away, speaking with her mouth full, "Do'n mook at me!"

"Sorry! Here, I also brought some tea-"

Alyza turned back and swiped the cup of tea from her hands, chugging it. Luckily it wasn't hot..

* * *

Victus trudged through the snow with ease, his feet hardly cold or numb. Normally, he'd grow tired after walking through the snow for some time, but it still felt like he had energy to spare. This demonic essence was truly something else..Still, if it meant he no longer had humanity in him, he figured that it wasn't worth keeping. Not for long, anyways.

Lilith hovered closer to him, "So Vick, about my brother-"

"Davon's your brother?"

"That's what he goes by, now?!" She giggled. "His real name's David, that dork. Anywho, I'd be careful when telling him what happened. He's always been real protective of me."

"I don't care. In his current condition, I doubt he could do anything to harm me. Speaking of my condition, though, I'm going to need you to unseal Fenrir. I'm going to need him for the dungeon in Eircrest."

"Darling, you don't need that dumb dog anymore! You have me~! ♥" She flew in front of him.

"Can you fight?" Victus paused in his tracks.

"I can do more than that, honey," she raised her arms above her head, crossing her legs like she was comfortably sitting in the air. "These charms will work on just about anyone. But don't get it twisted, sweetie, you're my one and only~" She reached out to caress his face, but he stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"I thought you said you knew everything about me," he raised an eyebrow. "If so, then you should know that I'm already taken."

"Ugh," she pried her hand away, crossing her arms. "I take it you mean that flat-chested chick with the plucky attitude? It was only one night. You and me can do it way longer than that..~" She lowered her arms under her breasts so that they were greatly accentuated, leaning forwards with a smirk.

"Don't talk about her that way," Victus stormed past the demoness, feeling nothing for her. She pouted, continuing to follow him until they finally reached the snowy cabin that the others were held up in. "The smell is strongest here. They must be inside. You ready?"

"For you, babe, anytime."

"You're insufferable," Victus knocked on the front door. Magni opened it with a fierce expression, hammer in hand. His face softened when he saw that it was him.

"Ah, angma, you've returned!" He smiled, holstering his hammer. "And brought back a friend. Wait, no, the demon?"

"It's complicated.."

"Hold on, I recognize this kind of demon. She's a succubus, isn't she? Has she charmed you?" Magni shoved past him, "I'll take care of her."

"No, Magni, wait-"

"You've been charmed, Victus, the only way we can break the spell is if I put her dow-"

"Boop!" Lilith poked his nose and a puff of pink smoke caused him to freeze, changing the shape of his irises into hearts. He stumbled for a moment, before falling face-first into the snow with his butt sticking out. "See?" She put her hands behind her back, giving Victus puppy eyes.

"I'll admit. That's impressive," Victus smirked, glad to see Magni finally shut up. He walked through the doorway, finding Vackerie treating Davon on the floor. There was an irregularly-shaped fur blanket beneath him, and a nearby fireplace that dimly lit the room. "How's he doing?"

"Victus!" Vackerie quickly stood up and turned around, "You're back! So soon.."

"Why do you look guilty?" He tilted his head, looking down at Davon. He seemed to be asleep. "Oh, let me guess, you were kissing him or something. Did old sleeping beauty pass out?"

"No!!" Vackerie's gray face blushed with purple. "I-I was just..!"

He noticed that the other sailors with the group were no longer present, "..Where are the other guys?"

"Oh..We ran into a pack of wolves, and..They didn't make it.."

"How?! Magni was with you guys!"

"He was being stubborn about the hammer thing and wrestled with them. A couple of wolves flanked us, and those guys gave their lives so that me, Agnes, and Davon could get away. Luckily we found this cabin, and Magni finished them off..We couldn't even use any of the meat since it was all so messed up, and I'm starting to run low on rations.."

"I'll hunt you two some food, then. In the meantime, keep an eye on him." Lilith slowly hovered into the room. It seems she'd been exploring the small cabin.

"Who's this?" Vackerie looked at Lilith, who smiled and winked at her.

"She's Davon's sister. The demon that attacked Magni? I've recruited her towards our cause."

"Wait, what?" Lilith looked confused.

"I don't really get it," Vackerie replied. "But I suppose we need all the help we can get."

"Wait, where's Agnes?"

"She got separated from us, but she said she knew the way to the city."

"I'll try and look for her while hunting."

"Okay, be safe, Vick."

Victus nodded, "I'll be back." Lilith followed him out of the cabin. He passed by Magni, deciding he'd let him lie in the snow a while longer. "So does that charm of yours work on animals?"

"Yup!" She flew ahead of him.

* * *

An empty plate sat next to Alyza on the bed, riddled with crumbs and small bones. Myrian was sitting at the nearby vanity desk, reapplyinng her makeup. Alyza yawned, a bit drowsy from such a hefty meal, "I'm surprised you're applying makeup this late. Got somewhere to be?"

Myrian looked back at her in the mirror, "..Well, if you must know, I've a date tonight with the captain of an airship."

"Airship? Wait, date?! I thought you were married.."

"I am. But it's not like Ullr's coming home anytime soon," Myrian's lipstick smeared, staining the side of her mouth. She rubbed at it, then sighed, deciding to wipe it away entirely and start over. "You should come along. It's quite a beautiful ship, and maybe you'll find a new boy toy to play with until you..Go back."

"What?!" Alyza stood up, offended. "I'm not going to cheat on Victus. I can't believe you'd even say that.."

"Tch," Myrian briefly made a face, as if Alyza struck a nerve. She took a deep breath and put on her usual cheery smile, "I disagree. I mean, is it really cheating if he doesn't know?"

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

"Yes!" Alyza crossed her arms, looking away. For a moment, she wondered if Victus was even looking for her. Time seemed to move faster in Asgard, she thought, "..Right?"

Myrian scooted the stool back and stood up, turning around, "Who knows? Trust me, you don't want to waste your youth waiting on someone to never arrive. After all, what happens in Asgard stays in Asgard."

Alyza sighed, "..."

"Come on, it'll be fun, boy toy or not."

"Ugh," Alyza uncrossed her arms, conceding. They arrived at the docked airship a short while later, though she refused to change into something more appealing. She even brought her rapier along, in case things went south. The stars were different in Asgard. They were bright and blue in Midgard, but here, they were golden and much more abundant. The captain greeted them.

"Miss Myrian," the captain took her hand and kissed it. He was dressed in a fancy black suit Alyza had never seen before, with a peaked cap and several medals on his lapel. His brown beard was starting to gray, though it was still full and well-groomed. "I see you've brought along your sister this time."

She chuckled at the overused compliment, "Oh, you! Alyza, this is Phineas Pennington. Phinny, this is my friend, Alyza. She's from Midgard."

"Myrian!" Alyza seemed like she wanted to keep such information private.

"Ah, Midgard," Phineas looked at the sky fondly, fixing his hat. "We've flown there a few times. In fact, someone in my crew is from there. Hopefully you're not as impertinent as he is, hahaha!"

Alyza gave a dry laugh in reponse, "Ha, yeah.."

"Well! We're set to take off soon. Would you like to join me at the helm, Miss Myrian?" The captain made a small bow, gesturing towards the stairs.

"Why, of course, Mister Pennington," she winked at Ally. "Enjoy the view, sweetheart."

She watched them both leave, only now realizing that she was on a ship full of people she didn't know, and that ship was now taking off. The ship's sails unfurled as the metallic hull exhaled white steam into the water, creating bubbles that sent hot air upward. Gears at the ship's mast turned and spun, sending ropes flying in various directions until the sails were rotated sideways. Small turbines hidden beneath the water became visible when the ship finally began hovering in the air, pushing even more air upwards.

Once they were high enough, enormous wings sprouted from the ship's sides. An even number of the turbines rotated, propelling the ship forwards. The ship tilted forwards, losing some altitude. "Oh Gods, we're gonna crash!" A man shouted near Alyza, worrying her.

"Shut your gob, Emmet!" A man shouted back, making the crisis actor laugh. The ship's wings tilted slightly, sending it back upwards at incredible speed. Alyza lost her footing, falling into the man that shouted earlier. He easily caught her, but his metal arm made her shriek when she saw it.

"S'alright, girl, Emmet's got you."

She looked up at him, his silhouette made all the much more charming by the breathtaking sight of blurred stars in the sky behind him. The ship stabilized, and she stood straight, pulling away from him. Her heart was racing, "Th-Thank you..That was quite exhilarating."

"No problem. This your first time?" He smiled. His hair was fiery orange, and his skin was gray, spotted with darker freckles. There were goggles atop his forehead, and his clothes were typical of an airship sailor: a brown tunic with his sleeves rolled up, an unbuttoned, purple vest, and red breeches swirled with gold. His black buccaneer boots had a folded cuff at the top, displaying gold buttons at the sides.

"Yeah!" She accidentally raised her voice, more nervous than she thought. "I mean, yeah..I've never been on an airship before."

"They're more of an Asgard thing," he took notice of her attire. "..You don't look like you're from around here."

"Is it that obvious?" She looked around at herself, doing a small twirl. Maybe she should have dressed up, she thought. "..I'm, uh-"

"Midgardian?"

She nodded.

"Haha, no shit! Me too," he extended his bionic arm. "Name's Emmet. Emmet Barnes."

She looked at his metal hand, hesitantly shaking it, "A-Alyza..But call me Ally! I-I mean, you can call me Ally, if you want.."

"Nice to meetcha, Ally," he gripped her hand suddenly, speaking in a low, threatening voice. "You wouldn't mind giving me a hand, would you?"

"E-Eek..!" She panicked.

He let go of her hand, "I'm just messin' with ya! Forreal, though, I've gotta tie some knots and it's easier when someone with actual hands helps out."

"O-Oh. Of course."

After tying some knots together, the two stood at the edge of the ship, watching the clouds below, "So..Why do they make you tie knots if..You know.."

"B'cause they're dicks." Alyza giggled, and he laughed too, "Nah, but, cap'n says it's to help build aptitude or whatever. That old geezer's always usin' big words like that."

"Is it hard..?"

"Nah, not really. I can do most things just fine, but when it comes to precision, I tend to have a hard time. Enough about me though. What's your story, Ally?"

"Me..? I'm just..A rich girl who strayed too far from home.."

"Rich, huh? Sounds nice."

She scoffed, "You remind me of this other guy I know."

"Why'd you leave?"

Alyza thought hard. For some reason, she couldn't remember why she left home at all. She loved her family. There was no reason to desert them. "Huh..I'm not really sure.."

"You don't know why you ran away? Heh, maybe it's been so long you forgot," he jested.

"..Maybe," she remembered that Loki cast a spell on her to make her forget something. That was probably it. Had she really chosen to forget something so important? She could only wonder..

"Hey, wanna see something cool?"

"Sure."

His cold metal hand took hers, leading her down below deck to the front of the ship. A large window showcased the sky ahead of them, revealing the wasteland below. Outside of the city, Asgard was a series of deserts and canyons, not so different from the deserts of Virunia. Still, the endless valleys and formations were still a sight to behold. "Whaddya think?"

"It's amazing.."

"It's yours-"

"Wh-What?" She was confused.

"I'm just messin' with ya!" He grinned, rubbing his nose. "Imagine I could give you the wholeass land?! That'd be kinda cool, though, actually. Not that there's actually anything to do down there but get eaten alive by the little beasties." He pushed his face against the window, squishing his nose.

Alyza stared for a moment, then cracked up, laughing at the absurdity of his comment. She hasn't laughed this much in a long while. He pried his face from the window and looked back at her, chuckling.

"Heh, like seriously, how would I even do that?"

She kept laughing, holding her stomach, "Oh! I-I'm gonna pee..!"

"Don't do that!" Emmet frowned. "I just mopped this place.."

"Bah!!" She wheezed, falling over. He looked down at her, his frown quickly turning back into a grin as he laughed along with her. "Y-You're crazy..!"

"I'm crazy?" He heaved. "You're the crazy one, Alyza! Seriously! The bathroom's over there!"

"Hoo! Oohahahaha!! Ahhahaha! I'm sorry, I'm so-HOORGH!" She covered her mouth, quickly scrambling to the bathroom while Emmet kept laughing, pointing at her. After the manic laughter ceased, the two sat next to each other in front of the giant window. Asgard City had faded into view.

"Ma'am, I'm gonna need you to mop up that bathroom before we land back in the city."

"Haha, don't start..I will, promise, just..Give me a moment.." She sighed in relief, leaning against his shoulder.

"Heh, uh..Ahem," he slowly put his metal arm around her. "So.."

This felt a little familiar.

"..Sorry, really, I should go," Alyza quickly sat up. "Myrian's probably waiting on me, so-"

"N-No, it's fine, I'm sorry. I didn't-I, uh, I thought that, well, uh..It's the metal arm, isn't it?"

"Not at all! I'm just, I have..I have a boyfriend.." She refrained from using the word fiancé.

"Oh.."

There was an awkward silence quickly growing between them. Alyza got up and made a quick bow, then ran up to the main deck. Myrian was walking down the steps alone, her hair frizzy, "Has anyone seen dear Alyza?" She almost missed a step, swaying slightly.

"Over here, Myrian," Alyza called out to her. When the two met up, she noticed something was off, "Are you..drunk?"

"Only a little tipsy dear.."

"You probably shouldn't fly the horseless carriage.."

"..Do you mean the car?" She made a quick, sharp laugh. "Ha! And here I thought you were some sort of girl genius.."

"Uh..Okay? We can probably call a cab, right? Is that what they're called?"

"Yes, dear, a cab sounds wonderful. Do make sure to tip the driver well."

When the ship finally docked, it was almost morning. The two of them said their goodbyes and got a ride back to the New Allfather's home, where Alyza helped Myrian back to her room.

"You'd think the older woman would have some more self control," she thought. She set Myrian onto her bed, where she snored loudly. Alyza slowly stepped out of the room and gently closed the door. When she turned to walk down the hall she bumped into a familiar face.

"Watch where you're going," Modi glared at her. His eyes were red like Vick's, except they were also more bloodshot and much less appealing. His height matched Vick's too, much like Magni, except he was more buff than both of them combined. He walked past her.

Alyza glowered, turning around, "I wouldn't be going anywhere here if it weren't for you!"

Modi stopped in his tracks, slowly turning back to her. He stepped towards her, making her immediately regret that she spoke. Even though he had to look up at her, he wasn't any less intimidating. "If it weren't for my uncle, you and all your friends would be little puddles of blood beneath my feet." His voice was deep and raspy. There was alcohol under his breath. "Believe me, girly, once he's done with you, there won't be anything holding me back. Ya hear?"

"I-I'm not afraid of you.."

Modi grunted, "..Denial is the first step."

He turned around, continuing on his path. Alyza slumped to her knees, her hands trembling uncontrollably. She slowly lifted them up to her face, snivelling in fear. Alone, she cried, just like so many years ago.