I Can't Hear You Over the Sound of How Awesome I Am

I brush with Death so often I should be giving him high-fives as I pass.

I guess you've already figured out that I survived my ordeal, and what an ordeal it was. I really didn't expect to go toe-to-toe with a god. I just wanted to distract the guy so the others could free Thoth. Instead, I made myself Enemy Number 1 on the Yazata's collective hit-list. That, or I managed to scare the unholy shit out of them. That would be cool.

Tishtrya, in the avatar form of a giant horse, cornered me in the entrance of the temple, some lackies called "Deeves" barred my way. I couldn't run and stall him anymore, so I turned to fight. We faced off and he practically trampled me to death in one blow. I healed the damage instantly, but that drained me of my ichor granted power.

Before I go on, I should explain something about how we Scions operate. Many of the things we do are powered by an internal source, I don't know how else to describe it. I think Claire would liken it to a Mage's "mana" in any of her computer games. This "power" comes from our ichor, which is what gods are made of, instead of flesh and blood. We're part ichor, part flesh and as we grow in power, we become made of more ichor. The only way to refill that power is by being more awesome. I want you to understand that, for my fight with Tishtrya, I was operating on "empty".

I took a swing at Tishtrya's leg as I recovered from the stomping I'd gotten and we turned to face each other again. My swing didn't have as much effect as I'd wanted. We bantered a little bit, he tried the whole "Why fight me, you'll lose, blah blah blah." thing. I told him that'd ruin the surprise. I can be such a bitch when I want to be.

I had come to the conclusion that I wasn't making it out of this fight alive, so I threw everything I had into a leaping attack at Tishtrya's face. I did some damage, but not near enough. I landed next to his hooves and he tried to crush me again. I managed to bat the attack away and rolled under the big stallion. Once again, pulling on everything I could muster, I swung at Tistrya's underbelly... and I gutted the god like a fish!

It was messy and gory... and glorious! The guys must have freed Thoth at the same time as when Tishtrya's body burned away, I looked up to see the moon, high in the sky. The Deeves watching the fight turned tail and ran. I was elated and I felt stronger. I was told, later, that I'd (and everyone else) reached the state of Demigod, where we're fully half ichor and half flesh.

I took off running back up to the sanctuary and ran into Claire as she was coming out. Everyone looked relieved to see me, even the normally stoic Kennedy was beaming with admiration. I felt so good, I wanted nothing more than to celebrate with drinks and sex. But, our work wasn't done.

Thoth thanked us, and apparently, had somehow counted on it happening, like he'd left bread crumbs for Andrew to follow. Claire also laid King Arthur to rest in his tomb and Avalon, which had begun to shift between it's correct appearance and the Persian inspired one, solidified in it's natural Tuatha form. I hope we'll be able to MIST back up and operating again, it's too good of an idea to let die, just because one pantheon got a bug up their ass.

Anyway, Thoth took us to Manannan's ranch for rest and relaxation. Thoth headed off to Asgard to meet with Odin and we've been invited to come witness whatever plan the All-Father has cooked up. I'll try to drop in on Bryn while we're there and find out how much of that vision was really her. And make sure she and Claire get along and aren't going to fight over me.

Maybe I can convince them to share the same bed....

Beware of Greeks Who Annoy Gods

Things got pretty intense at the gates to the Temple of the Sun.

I told everyone I could possibly die upon entering.

Andrew knew it was possible and that our visions had a good chance of being real or fake (that seemed to shake up Hal really bad). Lexi consulted the music to see if there was another way to get me in. Some opted to leave me at the gate, but I wouldn't let them do that.

I gave Claire a final kiss and told her I loved her. Then I took that step.

The pain was intense, the worst I'd ever endured. I collapsed to my knees, but I was alive. Claire was extremely relieved and Andrew said the Titan taint was lessened. Good to know. Kenny hit on the idea that the apples in the foyar area might help, and they did, I felt a lot better after a few bites.

So, we followed Andrew's magic trail into the Temple and we "buffed up" for battle. We were able to figure out where the guards were and sneaked around then and got to the top of the Temple where Thoth was being held.

Some last minute deliberations occured and Hal volunteered to hide us all in the stone of the floor and go in to distract Tishtrya, the God guarding Thoth. We all started to go with the plan, but Andrew hit on something. Tishtrya is being affected by Fate in that people have lost faith in his ability to battle the titans. Hal and I swapped roles (and I wasn't going to take an argument on the matter).

Once everyone was sealed in the floor, I burst through the door with all the badass swagger I could muster. It was all an act to antagonize Tishtrya, sure. I mean, I was essentially giving a nuke with personality the finger. It worked though. I egged him into attacking, and he took on the form of a giant horse and tried to trample me. Andrew was right, what should have stomped me instead missed.

So, I took off down the stairs, a very angry god on my tail, and let the others go to free Thoth.

Tempting Temptations

I'm still not sure whether what I saw was real.

With Lexi's help we figured out to go through a gate in the city on Avalon (which was getting a Persian makeover... ugh) and ended up on something called "The Pilgrim's Path". We could see the stars on either side of a narrow marble path and a Temple on the far end.

We all walked, hanging on to each other, towards the temple, because Lexi was able to warn us that we'd be tempted to stray from the path.

I saw Brynhildr.

She told me that I'd burn away when I entered the Temple of the Sun, because of my Titanspawn corruption, and that she'd have to burn on my funeral pyre if I did. She told me that the ring I'd made and given her was enough in the eyes of Fate to tie her to me and fulfill her fate to fall in love with the one who brings her a specific ring.

I'm not sure I believe it. Fate is usually specific about these things, and the ring from her legend was Andvarinaut. Still... I considered leaving the path with her.

I couldn't do it, though. I still have Claire next to me. I still have my friends with me. We have a mission to accomplish, and they'll need me by their side. Even if I'm doomed to die when I enter the temple we need to try to set things right. If I abandoned them now, then I'm abandoning the world to Ragnarok.

I can't let that happen.

So, now I stand at the gate to the Temple of the Sun, with all of my companions. Some of us are more shaken than others. One step... One step and my story may come to an end...

Burning!

Oh man, did that suck!

Okay, so, when I got into the ocean to help fight off the sea serpents, there were these little buggers chewing on the hull of the ship. I had to freeze the water around the hull to keep the ship from sinking and it trapped the little buggers there.

Hal and the gun users on the boat were having a hell of a time trying to damage the serpent. I made sure these sea-based titanspawn knew who was the real master of the ocean. I summoned up something from a dark place inside me and let loose with a whirlpool of ice shards and slashed the serpent to ribbons. The other one got the hell out after that.

That lefts us to deal with the boat. Hal and I stripped away the ice and got the little creatures free. They looked like octopi with baby heads... weird shit. They fled as soon as the were loose, so nothing to worry about. On the inside, Andrew and the werewolves were tacking down the holes the creatures chewed.

Then things got hot. Real hot. We were getting close to the island and some sort of defense lit us up and started to burn the ship and boil the ocean. Like burning ants with a magnifying glass. I was getting boiled in my armor.

Claire came to the rescue, though. She found a shield in the hold and I don't know how she figured this out, but she carried it to the deck and shouted to Avalon that we were bringing Arthur's corpse. Then it gave us a shroud. Weird. But cool.

So, we landed in a little boathouse and got off the boat.. which was beginning to shake. Claire stayed onboard and was reading the back of the shield. Then the boat was absorbed into the shield and Claire was dropped right into the water. I guess that solves how we get Arthur to his final destination.

Hal wants to stop and plan, but we just don't have the time.  I think Kennedy mentioned that the temple we need to get to was what nearly burned us to death, I have to double check. Lexi is doing her music thing which could provide answers, too. We need to keep moving, we're in enemy territory and they may know we're here. Things are only going to be harder from here on out.

Into the Mist

Allies were gathered, supplies stowed, and everyone made ready. Mannanan gave us a good luck speech before we sailed away from Ireland heading towards Avalon.

It took us nearly the whole time we had to avoid Altair to get the ship seaworthy again. Ken got some of her werewolf pals to come and we rejoined with the boy band (Hal's Einherjar).

Andrew was pacing around and getting himself worked up. I guess I can't blame him. Everyone else seems to be on much better terms with their divine parent than I am. Heck, even Lexi has at least MET Aphrodite. Anyway, Ken gave him some encouraging words and I started him on the right direction for his books: Finding out where Thoth is being kept.

We had a bit of banter that I really want to share:
Claire had taken the wheel and was wearing a pirate hat (yeah, I know). She was complaining that she needed a sword and Lexi said, "If you wanted a sword then you should be dating a girl." to which Claire replied, "At least my lover doesn't run on batteries." That was hysterical.

Anyway, we finally sailed into this supernatural mist. Yeah. Mists of Avalon, the organization being called MIST. Someone deserves a good swatting for that. The stuff was thick and pliable, really weird.

Then some weird fish started chewing on the hull and a big sea serpent started swimming around the boat. Hal and I took the fight to the water. Now I can put my whole "daughter of a sea god" thing to good use.

On the Eve of Battle

A lot has happened in the last few hours. Hopefully I can keep my thoughts organized. It's all only now beginning to sink in.

First, I got out of the shower and found that I'd grown... by like... a foot. I'm as tall as Claire. This means that the pull of Utgard-Loki is getting stronger. It has me pretty frightened. But, we have no time to devote to curing me.

Claire gave me some spare clothes I could fit into, then we had a sit-down with Odin and Manannan. Some bombshells were dropped; Ragnarok, the Norse End-of-the-World is on the horizon. This coming winter will be Fimbulvinter, the "Final Winter". He says Jotunheim will taint the world. I'm afraid that's when Utgard-Loki will try to claim me as a servant.

That wasn't the end of the bad news. Andrew, who'd been brought back to us, revealed why he'd run off. He was trying to get back to MIST because he knew his dad, the God Thoth, was in trouble. All the things were laid out: The Yazata claimed MIST and Thoth in order to make sure Ragnarok happens, despite Odin's efforts. Odin assured us that he had a way around Ragnarok, but needed more time.

That gave us two options: Assault MIST to free Thoth because he could help give us that time, or, more directly, travel to a mountain where the Yazata held a relic that let them control the Titan of Time. I brought it to a vote. We unanimously decided to go after Thoth.

Manannan offered some help. We headed into a rainbow portal and into a bubble of air deep beneath the ocean. I started getting pretty giddy. Daughter of an Ocean God and whatnot. The beauty of the deep sea is indescribable. In this pocket of air was was a wrecked ship. More bombshells: This was the ship that was lost while carrying King Arthur's (a Scion) remains to Avalon. Avalon being the island were MIST was set up. Because the ship is destined to carry Arthur to Avalon, we can use it to get back to the island without drawing attention to ourselves.

I feel pretty profoundly affected by this. I mean... carrying the remains of King Arthur back to Avalon, completing a voyage that began well over a thousand years ago. It's amazing. Though it's not as simple as that, the ship sank for a reason. Manannan transported us and the boat to a drydock and we have to repair the ship. Good thing mom taught me about building canoes and maintaining boats, I can really be a great help here.

Then Manannan left us with one last comment, that we need to make peace with our mortal lives. We're going to battle and we may not come back. I've had several brushes with death already, but those hit me by surprise. It's different going into a situation where even a God warns you that you will likely die. Hal and I have a lot of durability, but I worry for Lexi and Andrew. No one is going to get killed while I still breathe.

I have some things to do and I need to get them done fast. We only have a few days before Altair is able to track us again and I intend to be on the way to Avalon before then. I have to call my mothers and talk to them. No doubt Kyria will wish me a glorious battle. I don't know how Indigo will react, she's been around a long time, but I've still been like a real daughter to her.

Then there's Bryn. I'm going to write a letter and ask Odin to deliver it for me. I don't have any time, Odin will be leaving soon and I'm not sure what to say. I may never know her reaction to the ring I made her, I may never see her again.... I'll think of something.

And Claire... she's been there for me in a lot of ways. She'll tell me we'll be fine. We'll kick a lot of ass and be home in time for lunch. I don't want to sound like I'm being fatalistic, but I can't take the risk of leaving things unsaid....
I think I know how King Leonidas felt, marching to battle against the Persians.

A Lover's Spat

We've all been pretty subdued the past couple of days. Hal's been brooding. I've been brooding. This setback has shaken all of us. Morale is down, prides are injured, and things are at an all time low.

I got to vent some of my feelings to Claire, when she checked in on me. She did a lot to make me feel better. We had what was probably our first serious talk. If you know Claire, you know she's always a firebrand of cussing and aggression and snark. This was the first time I ever saw her so... level, so serious. It was kind of eerie. She took me out on the town and we hit a few bars and saw some sites. Made me feel much better.

We all got together outside Manannan's house, but no one was much in the mood for talking. I tried to get things going, but we got interrupted by one of Claire's half-siblings (I think? Theres an awful lot of kids running around here that share resemblances between Claire and Kenny). Speaking of Kenny, she looks like she's still pissed. So much so she was walking around in wolf-form (she can do that now) and talking through a younger sibling. That got on Hal's nerves.

Anyway, we were asked to find a horse creature called Kelpie that the kid managed to let get away. We didn't get very far when we saw Odin arrive. Friggen Odin! You know, it didn't occur to me at the time but, since I'm sort of courting Bryn, does that mean I just met her dad, too? (Bryn's fine, by the way. I asked. She's apparently pretty pissed).

So, we wandered up to Odin, welcomed him and he and Manannan sat down and puffed on some pipes and played smoke-wars with each other. While the Gods amused themselves with smoke creatures/objects, they listened in on our thoughts about what was going on. Thaaaaaats when things got ugly.

In the middle of brainstorming, Kenny called out Hal on his tendency to shut down ideas that disagree with his world-view. Specifically ideas that come from Kenny that don't include demonizing all the Yazata. We all did the awkward "stare at the drink" bit to avoid getting caught in the argument. Cripes, even Odin spoke up and suggested we take the conversation indoors to let the pair argue with each other.

So, we're taking a moment to reorganize our thoughts about what's going on. Not having any information is bad. Claire suggested we go back after Klein in Germany, but I don't think he's even there anymore. Heck, the Yazata probably tipped him off to us after we got away.

Alongside trying to get evidence of the real corruption is giving something our avenging angel hunter can focus on instead of me. Though he seems convinced of his rightness that I don't see how it's possible. Though, one of the Gods suggested it, so the idea must have a chance.

I.... ugh... I feel off. My body aches and my clothes feel tight. I'm going to excuse myself for a shower, help me clear my head a bit.

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Um.... I think we've got a problem... my clothes don't fit.