Then there was another groan from the Vanir and Odin gasped, taking his hand away.
“He’s waking up.” Nataku whispered lowly.
The young man on the bed was groaning as he tried to open his eyes. Nataku was sitting on the bed and Loki was watching with his arms crossed as Odin backed and watched intently. The Vanir slowly came to and when it opened its eyes, the Aesirs in the room gasped because never had they seen a Vanir or any being for that matter with eyes as gold as his.
The Vanir blinked, and suspended his gaze on Nataku. Then he whispered, “You’re an angel…”
“What?” Nataku blurted but before anyone else could say a word, the Vanir laughed flung his arms around her and began hugging her. But it didn’t last long because for how long it took the Vanir to fling his arms around the battle Aesir was all the time they needed to get him off. Nataku’s hand was heavily pushing his face; Loki’s elbow being buried onto his head and Odin’s foot landed firmly on his midsection.
“Who the hell do you think you are!” Loki yelled, taking Nataku by the elbow to his side, “And how did your injuries get healed all of a sudden!”
“I should be asking you that.” The Vanir replied, rubbing his cheek as he sat on the bed and by the looks of him, it seemed he wasn’t injured at all. Loki opened his mouth to shout again when Odin covered his mouth and sat on the bed, “I am Odin. You are?”
“Son Goku.” The Vanir sat with his legs crossed in front of him and wore a wide, childish grin on his face.
“You’re a Vanir?” Odin asked again.
“Vanir…?” Goku replied, “I do not know what I am but I am sure I’m no Vanir.”
“What are you then?”
“I am…” Goku thought for a while, “Well, I don’t know. What are you?”
“We are Aesirs.”
“Who is she? Is she an Aesir, too?” Goku was looking at Nataku.
“What does it matter to you?” Loki asked, a little annoyed but Odin shushed him with his hand and Loki grumbled, looking away. Odin nodded at Nataku who replied, “My name is Nataku, the battle Aesir of Asgard and subordinate to Master Loki and Master Odin, sons of the Divine Couple. I am sworn to protect them with my life.”
“That’s me! I’m Loki!” Loki said pointing to himself, “I’m the Aesir of Darkness and this is my brother Odin, the Aesir of Light and Knowledge. Don’t mess around with me or I’ll…”
“Nataku…” Goku was blushing and probably didn’t hear what Loki was saying at all, “That’s a beautiful name…”
“Th-Thank you… I think…”
“Hey, are you even listening to me!”
“Excuse me but do you remember anything before being taken here?” Odin cut in, “You were found bloody and battered in the wilderness.”
“Well, I’d say bloody and battered isn’t enough.” Goku said thoughtfully, “There was this three-headed dog that was really looking bad at me.”
“A three-headed dog?” The Aesirs chorused.
“Yeah, a flaming three-headed dog.”
Cerberus. Odin thought. Did Persephone want anything to do with Goku?
“What happened?” Loki asked.
“I was sleeping quietly on a rock, you see…” Goku recounted as his fingers played with the sheets, “All of a sudden, I heard a voice calling me and I awoke. Then just a little later, there from the ground came out a massive three-headed dog! The weird thing was the ground did not shake at all! And what was weirder was, there was a woman in black who came out of the ground like she was a ghost! You’d freak out if you saw it, I swear!”
“Indeed.” Odin nodded, “Then what happened?”
“Then – Kaboom! – It attacked me! I had just awoken and I had no idea what it wanted or what it was so I had quite a hard time fighting it until I eventually got tattered. Then when it was about to finally strike, there was a pillar of light that shot out somewhere in the woods. Then the lady took out her flute and began playing. I couldn’t hear anything but I became weak.”
Only Aesirs are able to see the pillar of light I gave off. Odin thought again. How come he saw it,too?
“Did the lady say anything?” Loki said again, “Did she mention a name, a significant phrase?”
“No, she didn’t” Goku replied, shaking his head, “All I know is that she wanted to kill me. But thank the heavens I’m still alive.”
It was Persephone and her Silent Melody at its lower level. Nataku knew enough for sure.
“Nataku, are you a Valkyrie?” Goku asked again.
“Not actually…” Nataku replied, “Why? What do you know about the Valkyries?”
“Then I guess it’s no wonder I didn’t see you with the Valkyries before I lost consciousness,” Goku said again thoughtfully.
“The Valkyries!” Nataku gasped but before she could say anything else, Goku nodded and continued, “Yes, they were two women in armor and announced that I succumb to the Valkyries. ”
“What were the Valkyries doing there?” Nataku was asking no one in particular but Goku answered anyway, “I don’t know. To kill me, too? Before I could ask them, they hit me and I went unconscious.”
Nataku turned to Loki and then to Odin. Receiving no response from them, she bit her lip and looked away with a slight, disappointed frown. Loki looked uneasily at Nataku. She was in an absolute daze and Loki could only imagine what was going on in her head. Someone had ordered the Valkyries without her knowledge. It had never happened before and Nataku felt her “Valkyrie Captain’s pride” chipped and injured. Loki thought of uttering a phrase in Lithios to comfort her but he remembered she would not understand.
All of a sudden, there was a loud sound of shattering glass just beyond the door and the three Aesirs gasped as they whipped in surprise. Odin was the first to gain composure and went to the door and swung it open. From there was revealed a gasping Esmeralda, pale and shocked, a tray still in motion on the floor from the fall and broken glass at her feet where the water had spilled.
“Ah…!” she gasped.
“Please, please, hush.” Odin said extending his hand to take her in but she crouched, shielding herself with her trembling hands and cried, “Oh, please don’t hurt me! Have mercy! Have mercy!” Then she began praying to Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy.
“Hush, hush…” Odin whispered lowly, “Please do not make too much noise…” And he opted to touch her again but the moment she felt his fingers on her skin, she scampered away. Odin stopped for a moment to think then said, “It’s all right… I swear, we are not elves from Svartalfheim and we mean you no harm… Trust me. On my honor.”
She did not answer.
“You know who I am now. I know you heard because you were listening. But don’t worry, we’re not angry.” Odin said gently, “We mean you no harm at all. If you do not trust me as a god, do trust me as a man of my word.”
She softened a little, lowering her hands a bit and a little sign of relief in her eyes. Then slowly she whispered, “Who… Who are you really…?” Odin gave a small, handsome smile before extending his hand to reach her again saying, “Come inside and I will tell you what you want to know.” Esmeralda paused to think and hesitated at first but eventually took his hand and stood up.