Embers in the Dust
Divine Intervention

Before closing the door, he felt a hand reach out and grab it. Standing in front of him, he saw the white hair and eyepatch of the Allfather in front of him. His eyes narrowed in slight disgust, having enough worry in his life without gods getting involved constantly.

“Mind if I come in?” Odin asked.

“Sorry, closed.” Mr. Muffins stated, then closed the door in the god’s face.

He walked back to the table, hearing Myla yelp slightly before running over to open the door for him. Mr. Muffins took the pitcher and poured himself some more coffee, before setting it on the bar for Sarnorin to grab and refill when he had the time. Sitting down, he took sips of his drink while waiting for Odin to walk around the long table and sit down with his back to the wall. As he brought his hands together, he set them on the table and leaned forward slightly. Looking from one to the other, he spoke.

“Thank you for meeting with me. I know that you all have been busy, so I appreciate taking the time.” Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“And what do you want?” Mr. Muffins asked, a slight lack of care coming from his voice.

“I have a few things that I would like to discuss with you. I would also be open to having this become more of a symbiotic relationship, so if you have things to discuss with me, I am making the time to do so.”

“Like how Humboldt is thinking of you?” Myla asked.

“Yes. With how Humboldt is doing overall.”

“Do you need something from us?” Rhokhishi jumped into the discussion, sitting up a little more in her chair.

Mr. Muffins could see that Rhokhishi and Myla were both attentively listening to his every word. Lyla was acting similar to him, trying to mask her expression of curiosity, which he assumed was her way of protecting her sister’s interest. Leaf sat still, trying to be respectful, but he kept glancing from person to person, trying to gather what the others were thinking. The only one who seemed to not understand what was happening was Sam, who went back and forth from looking confused at their visitor to Emmi, who had slinked under the table and seemed to be hiding from Odin.

“Sam, this is Odin. Ya know, god?”

“The Allfather?”

“The same.”

“And… and what does the Allfather need from you all?”

“That’s a great question, Sam.” Mr. Muffins replied, turning to look back at Odin. “What do you want?”

He slouched back into his chair, resting his arms on his lap. Mr. Muffins could tell that Odin was trying to be genuine, but he couldn’t shake the idea that he was up to something.

“First, I need help with the investigations happening over the Drow Disease.”

“Help?” Myla said quickly, pulling out her notebook and a quill to take notes.

“Yes. It seems that I’ve been learning much about this disease of late. The disease seemed to stem from Svartalfheim, from the Drow Forest, which is where its name came from. The dark elves there, living as a large tribe, have been changed from the disease, and I think one of them managed to make it to Midgard, where it has caused others to receive the sickness.”

“You want us to do something about it?”

“I would like you to speak to the leaders here in Berkton, and let them know that I am investigating it further. They should stop all search and study of the disease until they hear from me again.”

Mr. Muffins smelled a lie, but couldn’t track it. His eyes narrowed and his tail twitched as he thought aloud.

“You want us to stop a bunch of people from finding a cure?”

“No. I think that too many people getting close to the disease could cause others to get sick. I have been near the disease recently, and I have not been infected by it. I won’t be harmed by it. I’m trying to lower the risks.”

“I could talk to Tempest, one of the Dragon Keepers, but I don’t know how well she would listen to me.” Sam added, holding up one of the talking stones that adorned her sash.

“Then, let me talk to her. She knows me.”

He held out his hand, and Sam tossed the stone over. Odin activated it with the incantation, and Mr. Muffins watched as it started to glow white in his hand. The stones usually did not glow in such a way, so he assumed this was the Allfather’s way of proving it to be him talking.

“Tempest, I would like to set up a meeting with you in the evening. I believe the search for Drow Disease must be stopped, as the risk of infection is too high. Gather your information, and we will talk more.”

“Yes, Allfather.” A voice returned.

“See? You all have been very helpful already.” Odin stated, handing the stone over. “The second thing I came to speak to you about, was the Hounds of War.”

At the mention of them, Mr. Muffins watched as everyone perked up and listened.

“The Hounds have been a stain on the realms for some time, and it was believed that they were unable to hold much power on Midgard. That is not the case anymore, as you have seen. I know that one has been defeated, but she is still connected to the rest of the dragons of their kind.”

“Rest of the dragons?” Lyla questioned.

“Yes. While you’ve dealt with Zidingris, there is still Rilix, Vamne, Kadra, and Nozi. Granted, Zidingris was the strongest for some time, but her lack of following made it hard for her to stay in power. Now, the others have grown stronger than her. I know you’ve dealt with the Dark Crow, and the Hag has no intention to cause a threat. My question is, what are your plans with the rest of the Hounds of War?”

“Our plan is to live, and if they’re in the way, we’ll have to deal with it. Starting with the Justifiable.” Rhokhishi stated, her hand gripping on her warhammer tightly.

“Ah… Zarin. I assumed he might be next on your list. I have my eye on a few of them currently. You are not the only ones tasked with this quest.”

“Tasked? We weren’t tasked to do anything. We’ve just been doing it.” Lyla jumped in. She stood, her frustration taking hold. “We were just working until someone we trusted fucked us over, and then we followed an eladrin to a shithole town that hated magic, only to find another one.”

“Sorry, I was under the belief that the two of you receive regular visions of your next step?”

“W-we do.” Myla added, slightly embarrassed by her sister’s reaction.

“Then, in some form or another, you have been tasked. Whether you took the task to completion was your choice, but you have been moving quickly through them. They know of you now.”

“Is that it?” Mr. Muffins asked. “You want us to deal with these Hounds? What’s in it for you?”

“I’m not asking you to deal with them. I’m asking if you’re going to. If you are, I can provide… help, when needed. If you choose not to, then I’ll move my resources to handle it.”

“I’m taking on Zarin, one way or another. If help is needed, that’s fine, but his blood will spill by my hand.” Rhokhishi’s voice rose, her anger taking over.

Odin raised his hands to the group, a smile coming over his face.

“That’s settled, then. You can deal with Zarin. I’ll tell my resources to step away, and allow you to handle the situation. I’m sure you know that he’s planning to build more temples?”

Rhokhishi nodded. Mr. Muffins didn’t know, so stayed silent.

“How long until you’re ready for Mastery Training, Leaf?”

“Just a couple more weeks.”

“Then, I’ll stay in the area. If you have need of me and my resources, they are yours to use. I can provide instruction, help with finances, or any other small issue that comes to you.”

“And why do we need your help?” Mr. Muffins asked.

“Because it’s being given freely.”

“And what about Humboldt?”

“That’s a sensitive subject, so I’d respect you by giving it bluntly. Humboldt fears me, because he doesn’t want me to catch him.”

“What do you want with him?”

“It’s not him I want. It’s Helena.”

“Are you saying that he’s working with her?” Mr. Muffins voice almost became a shout. He was filled with anger at the accusation.

“I am. I know this for fact.”

Mr. Muffins let his eyes glaze over as he stared at the wall behind Odin. He couldn’t believe the words. Humboldt, working with Helena?

“Helena was working with the Moontremble daughter. If able, their plan was to take the place of each Hound of War. But since you’ve been able to stop Zidingris, their plan gets weaker. Each one without power is one less they can’t take.”

“Speaking of her… Do you have an idea why she’s been in my head?” Leaf asked.

“Is she?”

“Regularly.”

“I have a drink that can stop that. It will take a minute to make, but if you’d like to stop her from communicating to you, I can make that go away.”

“Will that mess with us speaking with each other?” Lyla questioned.

“No. This drink will be made specifically to stop her. Other communication will still be useful.”

Taking a pestle and mortar out from a small satchel at his side, he began working on the potion. Mr. Muffins watched as he added various components to it, specifically taking note of a blond hair and a small vial of golden liquid, which he only placed a drop into the mixture. When finished, he materialized a cup into his hand and poured the mixture into it. Carefully, he stood and walked it over to Leaf, setting it down in front of him.

“What is the gold liquid?”

“Something strong, that binds it together.” He answered, moving back to his seat. “It’s something that attracted me to Myla, as I assume it is in their bloodline.”

“Ichor?” Myla asked, a slight smile coming on her face as he looked shocked to know she knew what it was.

“Yes. I believe that some of your powers, as well as your sister’s, comes not only from your connection to your lineage, but I believe the reason Myla’s is amplified is due to ichor being there.”

“What am I, some cold meat?” Lyla frustratedly pushed.

“No. I think that your abilities lay outside of your telepathic connections. Your inner magic does seem to be manifesting.” He answered, looking up and down her body.

“I don’t have magic. I just have my discipline.”

“I don’t think that’s entirely correct, but we’ll see.”

Leaf held up the cup as if toasting the party, then downed it in one gulp. Mr. Muffins watched as his face twisted from the gross liquid he ingested, before placing the cup back on the table in front of him.

“It should take shortly, but that will stop her from communicating with you.”

“What is your story with her? You seem to know an awful lot about what’s going on when it comes to her and her followers. You two fucking?” Lyla interrogated.

Odin laughed lightly, then avoided the question.

“If she manages to take the powers of the Hounds of War, there is a good chance that Asmodeus will rise again. I promise you, it took centuries to subdue him and imprison him. You should be thankful that he was defeated before humanity was created, as the destruction he left in his wake would cause many to go insane. If it wasn’t for my brothers and I, he would have become worse.”

He stood, his chair sliding against the floor loudly. He nodded lightly to Myla and Leaf, then held his hands together in front of him.

“Well, I think that is enough for today. I’ll allow you time to think of your next steps, and if you need me, I’ll check in regularly with Myla. Good luck on your training, Leaf. Good luck to you all.”

With that, Odin walked to the front door and exited. They all sat quietly for a moment, taking in the various talking points. While unsure of his intentions, Mr. Muffins knew that Odin wanted the same things they did. He found himself wondering, to what extent would Odin go to stop Helena and his friend? In his pocket, he palmed the stone, rubbing his thumb over it lightly, thinking about Humboldt and the alleged truth that was revealed to them.

He poured himself another cup of coffee, then stood and placed the, now empty, pitcher on the bar for Sarnorin to take. He took a sip, thinking carefully of Odin’s words and what was shared. Finally, seeing no reason to stay, he walked up the steps and closed the door to his room, ready for another evening of tedious blueprints and revisions.

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