This is a work of gay-themed romantic fantasy; some chapters contain graphic descriptions of sex--not all of it consensual or between adults. If reading material of this nature upsets or offends you (and you can't skip over the dirty parts if and when they occur) please leave by the way you came in. Since laws vary throughout Nifty's wide reach--if reading material like this would place either of us in legal jeopardy, please follow the above instruction and depart before reading further. If none of these situations apply to you I hope you enjoy Brad's latest adventure.
WARNING: this story contains a few lines of dialog that may offend some right-wing snowflakes. If you can't ignore the joke or you won't skip past the first scene this Chapter may not be safe for you to read.
CHAPTER 20: Asgard Wisconsin
One of the best things about becoming an Olympian, Brad decided, was the limited need for sleep. The meeting between Dennis, Axtreus and Ogimos had gone on well after the club's closure; Rory Blaze, the magic Dragon owner of the Magic Dragon, had kindly allowed them to stay after the other patrons were sent home so Dennis could begin negotiations with the band. Once the young man had finally made it back to Dennis's house on Olympus Island around 4:00 AM, sleep eluded him; the Asgardians, as always, remained a puzzle. What did Odin want with him and Loki's misbegotten son? Why wasn't he, with the combination of his own Godly abilities and all of Prometheus's vast knowledge, able to glean the slightest bit of information about their pasts, their motives--anything?
And then there was Ogimos... Ogimos, AKA Ogma, the Celtic God of Eloquence--that much he could determine from the Internet and Prometheus's database which the God of Foreknowledge allowed him to access. At least he was able to gain one valuable bit of information from Prometheus's vast experience: part of what distinguished the Celtic and Nordic Gods from their Greek "cousins" was the fact they kept their primary residences in a parallel dimension; was this what made them unreadable? Even Prometheus didn't know; all he knew for certain was that while each God had unique abilities--so did each Pantheon. Only the Greeks practiced their particular form of "serial immortality": Asgardians ate the "Golden Apples of Idun" to make them immortal and the Celts simply lived a very long life. None of the other Pantheons "bonded" servants like the Greeks did; they kept their people close by a combination of awe, fear and greed. As a whole the other Pantheons lacked the Greek ability for "true creation" even as the Greeks (with the exception of Hades) lacked the ability to travel through other dimensions. Even so--none of this explained Ogimos.
John Eugene "Euge" McNamara had been a well-respected Studio Musician in Los Angeles for about ten years; he was renowned for his "legendary" skill at nearly two-dozen instruments. The man had played on recordings for everyone from Ariana Grande to Tony Bennet; he was a multi-instrumentalist for the LA Philharmonic and was a regular in the orchestra of the Oscars, He'd even played a few seasons on Dancing With the Stars--at least until they shrunk their band in a cost-cutting move. Yes, Euge McNamara had worked steadily and done well for himself in the LA music scene but "Remaindered Kitties" was the first time he'd stepped into the spotlight. Why now? And what was his connection to the current issue? Thor had identified the man as Ogimos, and Euge hadn't disagreed; at the very least the Thunderer believed this was the Celtic God of Eloquence but the rest of his story was a complete puzzle.
"What ifs", "whys" and "hows" danced a mad Tarantella through Brad's brain, preventing him from seeking shelter in the "arms of Morpheus". In the end the young man simply gave up and climbed out of bed, grabbed a quick shower and translocated back to Southern California about dawn--stopping only long enough to leave a note for Dennis and the rest of the crew so they wouldn't freak once they woke up and started looking for him. Brad found an open Fast Food Emporium and bought a bag of breakfast sandwiches then sat on the broad front porch of his house while he considered his options yet again. In the end the breakfast sandwiches were gone and he was no closer to a realization so the young man simply decided to concentrate on something he could control--renovating his home.
The River Rock that set the old house off the ground was still in good shape so Brad left that alone--for now at least. The wooden front porch had seen better days from the termite-eaten columns to the weathered flooring; an outflowing of Godly power repaired the damage, leaving everything as good as new. Another release of power fixed the trim as well as the damaged windows and doors. Next Brad changed the gray-green wooden siding on the house to a deep cobalt blue that went well with the cream trim, brand new orange-painted front door and the various pale brown, tan and creamy shades of the river rock foundation. Last he got rid of the illegally-added outside staircase and fixed the gaping hole in the side of the house's second floor before getting rid of the badly-poured pavement that covered the small front yard, replacing it with a proper sidewalk and lawn. The roof would have to wait a while before it was repaired: Brad hoped it wouldn't rain any time soon.
Famished again from all the exertion Brad used the Uber Eats App to get another bag of fast food breakfast sandwiches. He'd just paid off the driver and was settling down with an Egg McMuffin when John Eugene McNamara came strolling up, looking ridiculously comfortable in weathered old jeans that didn't manage to hide his tree-trunk thighs, massive bulge, and bowling-ball glutes. A raw silk "Hawaiian" shirt that Brad knew was genuine vintage, sadly, concealed his beefy, dark-brown furred chest and ridged belly and the newest Olympian was sad about that. (Brad was developing quite a thing for older bears.) "Jesus" sandals that showed large, well-manicured toes completed the look. (The young man made sure to get a good look at the package from ALL ANGLES before Euge joined him on the steps. "Someone's been busy this morning!" the big man observed. He offered Brad a large "to go" cup from Starbucks. "Hope you like Chai!"
"Love it!" the strawberry blond young man admitted. "Honestly, I get cranky if the Chai content in my blood goes too low..." Brad reached into the bag and pulled out a breakfast sandwich. "Care for one?" he asked politely. "They're better when they are warm..."
"I never turn down free food! Thanks..." Euge sat down on the step near Brad and took a healthy bite out of his McMuffin. "Nice work you did on the place," he observed. "You probably raised the property values at least twenty-five thousand dollars for every house on this block just by what little you've done..."
"I have to live here for the next three years at least, while I finish school" the young man replied. "I decided I might as well be comfortable until it's time to sell."
"Mighty big place for one guy," Euge observed, giving the other man a wry smile. "But, if you're a God I suppose you want to live large..."
"I look at it as an investment," Brad told him. "This is one of the few blocks with old Santa Monica' charm left in the city and the place was in sorry shape! I didn't want it torn down and replaced by a McMansion.' I'm being careful with the renovation to keep it fairly neutral so, if I have to sell it in a few years it'll go quickly! It's not like they are making new land this close to the water... Besides, it was more-or-less decided that my friend Corey Carpenter and his older brother Chase would move in here with me; it'll make it easier for everyone."
"If they are `bonded' to a God, I suppose it would!" "Euge' agreed. "You're one of Hades' devotees then?"
"Not really," Brad said. "When they made me a God, Hades gave me the knack for making money as my Bonding' Gift! As super powers go it kind of sucks but in the real' world it's freaking awesome!"
"So--what is your `main' super power?" Euge wanted to know. "Besides being cute as fuck and being able to remake stuff..."
"All Olympians can do that to one degree or another," the young man replied. "My main ability is `knowing' stuff: I'm the new Argus."
"Interesting!" The big man sitting near Brad gave him a wry smile. "Thor and I must drive you absolutely bonkers!"
"You kind of do..." Brad admitted ruefully. "I've gotten used to knowing almost everything about everyone around me but you two are complete cyphers! I don't know anything about you--other than you're the God of Eloquence and I learned that from Wikipedia! I don't know what your stake in the game is or why you've involved yourself and, to be completely honest, that makes me nervous! I don't even know what you do! What's your super power?"
"Do you really want to see?" Euge asked, a mischievous twinkle in his bright blue eyes. "Know that if you say yes--once we begin there is no going back!" Brad, a bit fearfully, nodded, hoping he wasn't about to make the dumbest mistake of his life. "What do you think of Donald Trump?"
"Uh--I'd rather not answer that..."
"No worries!" the man said, "your expression told me all I need to know!" Euge started speaking; his words tied Brad in logical knots from which there was no escape, No matter what objections his conscious mind wanted to raise the man's words wouldn't allow it. He just kept talking and talking--and Brad felt his opinion change.
"My God! How could I have been so WRONG?" he exclaimed in utter defeat. "Donald Trump is not only the greatest President--he just might be the greatest American EVER!"
"Are you sure lad?" The newest convert was quick to assure Euge that he would NEVER change his mind! At least until the God of Eloquence reached into Brad's ear and seemed to extract a thread of silvery tinsel that vanished away as it came free! "That's my power," he said softly. "If I exert my ability, I can make people believe anything I want! And they'll KEEP believing it--at least until I free them..."
"You're dangerous!" Brad exclaimed, half terrified, half in awe. "I'm surprised nobody has tried to kill you..."
"Why would they do that?" Euge asked mildly. "I've learned to be very careful over the years! I never ask for too much and when I DO, I'm always properly grateful! It's a fine dance--and nobody dances better than me, my lad!"
"You're pretty fucking graceful for such a massive dude!" the young man allowed. "I suppose that's another `gift' all the Celts have in common?"
"Smart boy!" Euge said. "Grace and beauty are hallmarks of the Celtic pantheon; you'd weep if you ever saw Brigit up close and you'd probably rip your clothes off and beg to be fucked if you ever met Dagda!" He smiled. "Yes, I know you're lookin' at me boyo!"
"And you're lapping it up like a cat going after cream!" Brad said back, embarrassed he'd been caught out. "So Euge--do you mind if I asked you a question--why did you involve yourself in this mess? I've looked at this every way I can think of and I don't come up with anything! What's your angle? I can't figure that out..."
"And what makes you think I have an `angle, me bucko?" Euge asked. "Truthfully lad, I don't! I enjoy Celtic Rock and Remaindered Kitties are a damn fine band! Axe, once you get past his hard shell, is actually a pretty nice guy! Coley, on the other hand, is a half-demon and that one needs to be watched!"
"Aahh!" Brad replied. "That makes sense. "So--how did you manage to talk the Titans into letting you settle here? Oh wait--never mind..."
"Cronos can't resist my `silver tongue' any more than you!" Euge told him. "He had his bully boys come drag me up to his Mansion in the hills and I oh-so-politely asked him to be allowed to stay in his lands! By the time I was finished with the big lug, Cronos thought me settling here was his idea! Not that I'm going to try to make any trouble for him! How did you manage it? I know you were with Miss Metis last night..."
"I appealed to his greed!" Brad told him. "I offered to show Cronos how to make a shit-ton of money and managed to persuade him the Olympians weren't really his enemies when he has real trouble nipping at his heels from the Aztecs and Egyptians!"
"This is true," agreed Euge. "Did you notify Zeus about this?"
"I thought about it but decided not to," the younger man replied. "I met Odin once before and he doesn't seem like that bad of a guy and, honestly, the last thing we need is a dick-measuring contest between Zeus and Odin. If there turns out to be trouble I'll notify him after the fact! I'm trusting you to guard me Ogimos! I hope you aren't planning to sell me out because I assure you--that would be a huge mistake!"
"If Hephaestus doesn't have long-range weapons that could take me out, I'd be surprised!" the big man told Brad. "It won't profit me to `sell you out' as you put it so why should I risk a potential alliance with the Greeks! Surely you see the logic in that..."
"Unless this is all part of some elaborate plan..."
"Now you're just spinning out of control!" Euge said. "Bradley--I Swear on my Godly Power and by the throne of my King Dagda that I have no interest in making trouble for you OR the Asgardians! Just the opposite in fact! You can trust me on that..." Brad wanted to believe him and just hoped Euge was telling the truth.
Thor showed up precisely on the dot of 9:00 AM. Today he had chosen a skintight charcoal gray t-shirt, a pair of lighter gray denims that were almost as tight and finished off the ensemble with chunky black leather boots, a heavy belt with an ornate gold buckle, and leather wristbands. "Hitting a leather bar later?" Euge teased.
"What are you doing here Ogimos?" Thor glowered and the sky begin to fill up with leaden clouds. Brad knew it wouldn't be long until he and his house would be inundated. "Where is Loki's bastard son?"
"He overslept!" Brad said truthfully, "and couldn't you just say SON?" Jesus, I'm really starting to HATE Weather Gods, the young man thought to himself.
"Now about this rain gentle Cousin..." Euge went into a spiel about why it wasn't necessary for Thor to literally rain down his displeasure and the sky cleared up in a matter of minutes! "You see, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
"I hate it when you do that Oggie!" Thor groused.
"No you don't..."
"OK," the God of Thunder agreed easily. "I don't! I don't even know why I felt that way!"
Brad watched the exchange in silent wonder and realized Ogimos just might be the most dangerous man on the planet! With only a few words he'd completely changed the mind-set of a freakin' GOD and Thor hadn't reacted badly. If that power could be transmitted via radio or television broadcasts the man likely could rule the world. For whatever reason, Ogimos didn't seem to be on that path and the newest Olympian found himself grateful for that.
Shortly after Ogimos/Euge got Thor calmed down, Axtreus came ambling up, looking like he was still half asleep. "How do you people get up so fucking early?" he moaned. "I feel like I just got to bed!"
"They don't keep musicians hours and have embraced their Divine nature," Euge told him. "Now that you know your true origin you can learn to do this--if you choose..."
Brad used a little of his remaining energy to conjure the other young man a cup of strong coffee. He knew Axe liked it "light and sweet" so that was what was in the cup. "Keep in mind where we're going is two hours ahead," he said. "It's well approaching noon there..."
"How do you know that?" Thor demanded.
Brad was tempted to give the Thunder God a snippy reply but decided it was better simply to give him a "soft" answer. "I wasn't able to obtain a lot of information on Asgard," he admitted, "but one of the few things I was able to glean was that before World War Two Odin moved it to Milwaukee! The entrance is in a neighborhood called `Brewers Hill' which is where a lot of Germans and Scandinavians settled; why he chose Milwaukee and how he moved Asgard, that I don't know! Suffice it to say, he did it."
"Odin saw how things were going in the 1930s," Thor told him. "He knew things would be--difficult in Europe so he moved the Bifrost to Milwaukee; once we were established there he decided to stay..."
"Why would he move a beef roast from Europe to Milwaukee?" Axe wondered, still looking sleepy and disheveled in spite of the coffee.
"He's talking about the Rainbow Bridge to Asgard," Brad told him. "'Beef Roast' is closer to the correct pronunciation than `biff rawst' or "Bi-frost like they say in the Marvel movies!"
"No more time for chatter!" Thor announced. "We must away!"
"Are you going to translocate us then?" Brad asked, a bit archly.
Thor gave a piercing whistle and a beam of rainbow light shot down, opening into a shimmering portal which led to an average-looking middle-class suburb of a midwestern city. "The Bifrost!" he announced. "Kindly step through..."
Axe chugged the last of the coffee Brad had conjured for him. "I still can't get over him calling it the `beef roast'!"
"It's another language," Brad said. "There are probably some English words that either sound silly or obscene in Old Norse! I'd take a minute to look up a few examples but I think Thor is about to blow his top again!"
"The Bifrost awaits!" he said. "We must away--now!"
Brad quickly and quietly stepped through the waiting portal--fervently hoping he could translocate away should the need arise. Axe followed a little less securely and Euge stepped through as if he didn't have a care in the world. (Considering the displays of Power the God of Eloquence had made a bit earlier in the day, Brad was quite sure he didn't!) Thor was the last one through and the shimmering portal closed behind the small group.
They found themselves on a street like a lot of others--except for the strong smell coming from the large Pabst brewery located there. To Brad's nose the scent wasn't particularly pleasant but olfactory fatigue quickly set in; besides, the newest Olympian was busy checking the place out. It seemed normal enough--except for a homeless man foraging through a trash can. Having seen sights like this too many times before Brad simply wanted to skip over this and try to figure out where they were going but his attention kept coming back to the garbage picker.
He was tall, that much was apparent and Brad quickly came to realize the stranger was deliberately contorting his body to conceal a taut, runner's build. His soft green eyes were always moving, taking in everything. The long hair was a sort of sandy brown and looked like it hadn't been washed in a while but again, that was a product of artifice, not dirt. Even the layers of ragged clothing had an air of "movie set" rather than actual wear. "Heimdall!" he finally decided.
"You're good, kid!" The stranger gave Brad a friendly smile and his white teeth were perfect. "But, then again, I'd expect nothing less from the new Argus! How did you figure me out?"
Brad thought hard for a minute, weighing his options; in the end he decided to go with the truth. "A bunch of little things didn't add up..." he finally said. "You were picking through the same garbage can without really moving anything! That was the first clue--then your shoes are in good shape compared to the rest of your clothing. Next--when I look at what you're wearing it looks like a costume--not something an actual homeless man would wear. Last, but by no means least, you have really good skin, perfect teeth and the dirt appears to have been applied rather than acquired by living rough. In the end I guess I thought it would be you guarding the entrance to Asgard so I took a chance."
"Nicely reasoned," Heimdall told Brad, "but, then again, I'd expect nothing less from someone like you. You are worthy of entering Asgard!"
"Odin wants to see both of them," Thor rumbled. "Open the gate, Jaimie!"
"He really is no fun at all!" the Bifrost Guardian said. Still, the tall man stood up and, for a moment at least, threw off his disguise. Now he stood tall, athletic and broad, his green eyes shining although he was still in jeans and a Def Leppard T-Shirt. Heimdall made a grand gesture and a shimmering rainbow curtain parted on the road before them. "Asgard awaits you!" he intoned in a sonorous baritone. Then: "let's hook up when the Allfather is done with you--provided you're still alive..."
"Wow, Marvel got it right on the nose!" Axe exclaimed once the little group had passed through the portal. "This place is amazing!"
Brad gazed around at the array of tall, slim towers of golden-tan stone, all adorned like 1930s Art Deco skyscrapers set amid parklike green spaces that separated them. It was such a perfect place, even more than the manufactured perfection of Olympus Island, that he found himself wondering if Asgard was more "you see what you want to" then actual reality: like Heimdall who guarded the entrance, there was something slightly "off" about this place. Still, the flying cars looked cool and the few people he saw hurrying here and there all seemed well-dressed enough and happy.
"You look--pensive..." Euge offered as the big man quietly slipped in beside Brad, matching him step for step. "What's wrong?"
"Is this really Asgard?" he asked, just as quietly. The last thing he wanted was to start another row with Thor. "There's something--off--about this place. I can't put my finger on it though..."
"Call it the Disney World Effect!" Euge told him. "Everyone gets their own custom illusion. I'm sure each of us is seeing something different! For me this place could be any little village in Ireland or Scandinavia. For you and Axe it looks like something out of the second `Thor' movie; who knows what Thor is seeing? Asgard is in its own dimension--probably Underhill like where we Celts and the Fey live--but Asgard shifts to the expectation of the viewer. Don't look too closely though; it might upset the Allfather if you called him out."
"I took the ability to pierce Loki's illusions when I was elevated," Brad commented. "I wonder if that might be why this place seems--smaller than it appears to be."
"That could be part of it..." Euge admitted. "The ability to pierce Loki's illusions would likely spill over to other Asgardian illusions. You'd have to talk to Heimdall though; he might be willing to tell you."
"I think I'll just keep my questions to myself..." Brad was beginning to see the illusion fray around the edges a bit. The buildings, he realized, weren't golden towers thrusting hundreds of stories into the sky but neatly-kept tenements and store fronts, two or three stories high at most. Yes, there were green spaces between the buildings but some of them had been let go to weeds while others were simply farms. There were a few regular vehicles parked along the street but the "aircars" were actually flying horses; that, he decided, was cool--at least until he had to dodge a massive fall of manure from above. That broke the illusion completely for him but Axe and even Euge seemed still enthralled by the magnificence. Still he found himself singing under his breath. "Horsey, horsey in the sky! Please don't dirty in my eye! I'm a big boy, I won't cry--but I really wish you didn't fly!"
Thor gave Brad a jaundiced look. "You spoke. Godling?"
"I'm just overwhelmed by the magnificence that is mighty Asgard!" the young man said with a straight face.
"Yeah, this place is awesome!" Axe was still completely fooled by the illusion.
"Asgard is a wonder!" Thor agreed. "Far more magnificent than your Olympus Island, wouldn't you say Brad?"
The strawberry blond young man barely evaded another fall of horse dung. "Oh yeah, Olympus Island has nothing like this," he said, trying hard to keep a straight face.
"You could cast your lot with Asgard..." the Thunderer said.
So that's what Odin wants with us! Brad thought. "The offer is most kind," he finally said, channeling his diplomacy, "but I have family and obligations on Olympus Island that won't let me leave at the moment! Besides, I don't think I could take a Great Lakes winter!"
Thor clapped the young man on the back so hard it nearly knocked him to the ground. "For a God, your blood is thin!" he observed.
"Yeah, let's go with that!" Brad said, a bit of his snark returning. "Besides, it looks like we've reached Odin's Great Hall!" He pointed to a sign reading THE TWO RAVENS over the front entrance to what he clearly saw was a working-class bar.
"Indeed!" Thor boomed. "you may have some Asgardian in you after all!"
"Not yet--but maybe later if I'm lucky..." The Thunderer didn't get the joke but Euge snickered behind his hand and Axtreus clearly understood what Brad meant.
Inside, the place seemed to be a vast, multistoried hall illuminated with a rack of tall, narrow stained-glass windows on either side of a dais that was taller than Brad's head. Odin sat in a golden metallic seat that would have done the "Iron Throne" justice while hoards of people in retro-future garb bowed and scraped before the Allfather. In reality the place was just an ordinary bar; the "stained glass windows" were simply beer signs, Odin was seated on a large but rather battered wooden chair on a stage that wasn't but a couple of feet off the wooden barroom floor; the people were dressed in ordinary clothing. "Ya don't seem all that impressed boy!" Odin intoned in a thick, midwestern accent. "Doncha like Asgard--or are ya just that stuck up?"
Brad sighed. "The illusion faded for me when I had to dodge horse shit falling from the sky! After that--this is just another neighborhood and this is just your average bar. I'm sorry! Now that I know the truth I can't `unsee' it--no matter how much you might want me to!"
"Ah well--I suppose I shoulda expected something like this from ya," Odin said. "You bein' tha Panoptes and all... Asgard is located in a parallel dimension; ya probably already know that much. We're about half a frame away from the standard city so it'll take a while for Asgard to return ta its former glory, but we've got time..."
"Excuse me, `frame'?" Brad said. He didn't understand the word in this contest. "I'm lost..."
"'Frame's are sub-dimensions," Euge told him. "This Realm isn't quite Earth but neither is it exactly Underhill. Think Bgtzl from the Legion comics; that's a realm that's a bit away from their Earth..."
"Ooh..." the young man said. Then: "so it'll take some time for this frame to absorb Asgard's magic?"
"Oh yah!" Odin agreed, "but--like I said--we have time doncha know?"
"Thanks to the Golden Apples of Idun?" Brad offered.
"Oh yah! An apple a day keeps mortality away!" Odin informed him.
"Ah--good to know..." the young man replied. "So, Allfather--why did you want to see us?"
"I have a number of things I want to talk to you about," the white-haired bear replied. "First, I should tell you Loki has escaped!"
Brad sighed. "You really should have told Zeus yourself!" he finally said. "He's going to be pissed when he finds out! So--what happened...?"
"I let him out of the Soul Gem..." Odin admitted shamefully. "He's my Son--I couldn't leave him there! I moved him to a secure prison but somehow he escaped! You know how tricksy Loki can be..."
"You let him out of the Soul Gem--even though you promised to keep him there? Good job big guy!" Brad was as angry as he was frightened. "We're all fucked--and not in the fun way!"
"I understand your anger," the Allfather said. "But Bradley, you need to understand Loki is my son! Yes, he did some terrible things but I just couldn't keep my child locked up like that. Maybe when you become a parent you'll understand..."
"I get it," the young man replied. "No parent wants to see their child suffer so you let him out! In your position I might have done the same thing--but that being said, you know the kind of trouble he caused for Olympus Island--and Asgard! There's no indication he might not do the same thing again..."
Odin nodded. "Oh yah, I get it," he said. "That's why I'm lettin' ya know; Olympus needs to be prepared for Loki to make a move."
"I would think Asgard should be on watch as well," Brad said, fixing Odin with a level stare. "Loki's plans included a war between our two realms, you know that don't you?"
The Allfather nodded again. "Hugin and Mumin told me," he agreed. "Which brings me to the second thing I wanted to talk ta you about... I'm proposin' a trade deal between our two realms. It would be good for both of us, doncha know?"
Now it was Brad's turn to nod as he considered the possibilities. "Yes," he said, "Asgard's raw materials coupled with Olympian technology could make us a powerful force!"
"It's a match made in `Heaven', doncha know?" Odin enthused.
"It's a match fraught with peril," the young man countered back. "Zeus isn't likely to trust you--especially once he finds out you let Loki go... It's going to take a lot of negotiation to get him to agree to this--and probably some serious sacrificing on your part! Still, if we can make this happen our two Pantheons would be in a very powerful position! Hopefully that wouldn't cause the other groups to ally against us..."
"Oh, yah, it'll be difficult, docncha know?" Odin agreed. "That's why I brought you here! If anyone can convince Jonathan Storm it'll be you!"
"Why not just have Oggie do it?" Thor asked.
"That wouldn't be fair!" Euge replied quickly. "I've made a point of not using my power like that over the years."
"What's the point of having a power then?" the Thunderer demanded.
"Call it part of my moral code," the God of Eloquence replied. "The Celts stay out of other people's business--which is what has kept us alive for so long. When we die we don't get replaced you know..."?
"What if we gave the Celts a piece of the action?"
"Dagda and his kin have largely turned their back on the world," Euge told Odin. "Mostly they stay in Underhill, appearing only occasionally when summoned by Druids or a Wicca Circle and, honestly, they are content to remain that way."
"Then why are you here Ogimos?" Odin wondered.
"To be completely truthful, I was bored!" Euge replied. "Underhill is a lovely place but limited; both Fey Courts respect us but they generally keep to their own affairs. Me, being one of the younger Deities, I got itchy feet; I wanted to see what was outside! I'll try to prevent an all-out war between Pantheons but otherwise I'm not going to involve myself in your affairs. Besides, I still have business with Remaindered Kitties: sorry, guys..."
"And that business certainly takes precedence," Brad agreed.
"So--um--what am I doing here?" Axe finally said. "I don't know what you'd want with me. It's not like I'm anybody..."
"You are my Grandson, Axtreus," the Allfather said. "You will always have a place among the Asgardians! We are prepared to offer you a place with us--if that's what you wish."
"And you may not be able to say the same for the Olympians," Thor offered.
"The Olympians didn't even know he existed!" Brad shot back. The Thunderer was about to get on his last nerve. "Axe deserves to get to know both sides of his heritage!"
"What about what I want?" the young musician said. "Don't I get a say in this?"
"Oh yah!" Odin agreed heartily, "we'd never force ya inta something you didn't want, doncha know? It's just--you may not have a choice..."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Axe demanded.
"It means," Brad said, "if your `father' is watching you--and we have to assume he is--he may have plans for you on his own! If he decides to use you in one of his schemes I can promise you he won't give you a choice!"
"So--what do I do?"
"Get to know both sides of your family!" Brad suggested. "Learn about your abilities; as a double Demigod there's no telling what mix of Asgardian and Olympian abilities you might have?"
"You don't know?" This seemed to surprise the Asgardians as much as it did Axe. "I thought you knew everything!"
"Hardly everything..." the newest Olympian replied. "Prometheus is the God of Foreknowledge: if it hasn't happened yet, I can't know it! The only thing you can do is experiment."
"So--what happens from here?" Thor wondered.
"I go back to Olympus Island," Brad said forthrightly. "If this is going to work I'll have to carefully lay some groundwork; it's not going to happen overnight! You guys will have to be patient and trust me on this one. Can you do that?"
"Oh yah!" Odin agreed heartily. "Axtreus--would you like to stay here in Asgard for a while? You could start meeting some of your family."
"I still have gigs with Remaindered Kitties..."
"Heimdall can transport you easily enough," Thor said. He looked at Brad. "And I will make sure my brother Loki doesn't try to harm Axe while he is making up his mind which Pantheon he wants to join!"
"That's good to know..." Brad replied dubiously. He had no doubt Thor would be giving Axtreus the "full court press" to join the Asgardians. "In the meantime I'm going to have to tell Zeus what happened here; that's going to make negotiating with him a lot more difficult--especially considering I've just brought he and Cronos around to talking with each other. Those negotiations have to come first--family business; I'm sure you understand..."
Odin nodded. "Do what ya can then," he finally said. "If anyone can make this happen, I know you can! In the meantime--Frigg! We need some lunch out here doncha know?"
Frigg quickly produced a smorgasbord of truly epic proportions. There were plenty of things he recognized, an array of sausages and "wursts" (including Blood Sausage and Weisswurst) and a vast variety of seafood. (Brad avoided the Lutefisk but took a few samples of some other exotic foods.) Somehow she produced a whole roast boar as well as venison and reindeer. There were also plenty of more recognizable things on offer as well; a large ham, slices of rare roast beef, whole roast chickens, even "Swedish Meatballs" with lingonberry sauce, gooey scalloped potatoes and a wide variety of veggies rarely seen in Scandinavia. There were salads in plenty (including some Jello molds that looked like they'd teleported in from the 1960s). A separate table had all manner of deserts, tortes, tarts, cakes and pies that were never seen outside of North America. Beer, wine, and of course mead, enough to float a mid-size battle ship were guzzled down by the feasters but Brad stuck to water--which earned him catcalls and derisive comments from his Asgardian hosts.
"Leave the poor thing be!" Frigg snapped at Thor after the Thunderer had made a particularly salty comment. "He's a guest at our table and he won't be treated badly--especially since we need his help!" She produced a large glass of cold milk. "Here you go, child." Then she patted the young Olympian on the head and went off to see the buffet was refreshed.
For his part Axtreus seemed to fit right in with the Asgardians; he avoided some of the more "exotic" dishes but otherwise ate like a trencherman and drank with the best of them. "What's the matter Brad?" he teased. "Don't you want to drink with the big boys?"
Brad tried hard to keep his expression carefully neutral; "let's just say old habits die hard..." he replied. "I don't want to embarrass myself or Olympus so I need to keep a clear head!"
"This is an Asgardian FEAST!" Thor shouted. "LIVE a little you spineless jellyfish!"
"I should tell you my superhero name is Captain Buzzkill..." Brad said a bit defensively. "I don't want to risk saying something that will upset someone and end up queering the deal before it even starts! I didn't drink before and now isn't the time to start!"
"Wise move that!" Odin agreed. "Shut up Son--take the Olympian's advice! Right now Bradley is willing to help us--let's not ruin that, ya know!"
END CHAPTER 20
AUTHOR'S NOTES
As has become my habit, time for the latest stop of my seemingly never-ending "Apologymania 2020" tour. Sorry this Chapter took so long to get out to you: most of you probably already know I live in Southern California and my area was under severe fire-threat for over a week--not to mention a pall of choking smoke making it hard to breathe and burning my eyes every time I had to step outside. Since I was worried about having to evacuate I didn't get a lot of writing done. At least things have calmed down now. I wish I could say I'll be faster in getting future Chapters out but I can't guarantee that; I'll get them out as quickly as I can and that's all I can offer you.
If you want to be notified when new Olympus Island (or other content) becomes available, drop me a line to HonableRonable@gmail.com or RonVenable@hotmail.com and I'll see you are among the first with the good news. Questions, comments, suggestions and constructive criticism are welcome and I always write back.
I know from nothing about Milwaukee other than it's in Wisconsin, was the sight of this year's aborted Democratic National Convention and the city is located along Lake Michigan. The meager information I was able to glean was from an Internet site that was less-than-helpful so, if any of you live in, or love the city I apologize for any errors I may have made depicting it.
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