4 Interlude Owen/ Mobius
Owen escorted Peter away. He was already getting attached to the boy. One of the best hearts on the Sacred Timeline. Peter asked several times if Sylvie would be okay. Owen had to cheer her up somehow. He still wondered how Sylvie knew about Ancient One.
In Xandar, you could find a lot of amazing things in numerous shops and markets. Owen stared at them. He wanted to buy something for Sylvie. Something special. His gaze drifted to a small shop who belonged to immigrant from Yggdrasil. Wonderful riches from the Empire of Odin. His gaze slipped to red scarf. Clearly from Vanaheim. Owen recognized the golden initial on a scarf. A scarf created by witch magic. More specifically the witch. But why was it red? However, that might cheer Sylvie. Especially her. Owen walked over to the shopkeeper. It was a Vanir woman with red hair and blue eyes. She moved slightly like a gazelle, and yet Owen could see that she must have been robbed at least a few times already, because her movements were focused on attack, if necessary. Loki was similar but much better. He could easily become a lethal warrior out of a mild-mannered negotiator. This woman was good, but she was nothing compared to Loki. However, Owen had no intention of harming her in any way. He took a completely relaxed posture.
"How much is this scarf?" Owen asked. The owner came up to the scarf and smiled. Clearly nostalgic, but there was still tension in her.
"It is invaluable to me. It is a shawl made by a witch from the extinct Vanaheim clan. One of the best. Amora. But for you it will be a thousand standard Xandaru units" replied the woman. Affectionately taking off her scarf and carefully handing it to Owen. She watched him. Her hand was almost ready to attack.
"I recognized the initial A, but why is it red? Amora loved green," Owen said, looking down at the scarf.
"It wasn't for her, it was for her lover," the woman replied with a laugh.
"She had many lovers. Who was this for?" Owen asked.
"For the future one. Amora did not have the gift of seeing the future, but her friend had and shared a vision with her. God of Thunder with a red cape. However, Amora died before Prince Thor was born" the woman replied.
Of course! Owen should have guessed! In other branches of Sacred Timeline, Amora was very important player. In love with Thor and often Loki's ally in his plans. And sometimes even more. Owen needed to talk to Sylvie about it when he gave her the scarf. Amora captured men with her beauty. However, he even thought about her, because in this branch Amora died during the attack of Odin. Only Frigga survived because of her beauty and gentleness.
"I will give you three thousand units of Xandar. Magic is always valuable. What properties does it have?" Owen asked.
"Apart from the obvious for a lover to think about her? Amora enchanted it to keep him safe.Despite her coquetry, she cared for those she loved. The scarf can make invisibility in front of everything except Heimdall's eyesight, and also keep opponents immediately under your control." the woman replied, gratefully accepting his payment.
Owen was going out of a shop when he asked.
"You knew Amora, didn't you?"
"I knew her. But I never joined a clan. I never wanted to be a witch. And then Odin came and killed all the witches and broke Frigga. He destroyed everything what belonged to witches, but I saved a bit, "she said, pointing to the goods in the store. Caskets with runes, fabrics filled with magic, books and various jewelry glistening like artifacts in the most precious treasury of Asgard.
"What's your name? And why are you telling it to me?" Owen asked. The woman slowly looked around the store and looked closely at Owen.
"I don't have anyone. I don't own anything but this store. So I don't care. And my name doesn't mean anything to anyone for a long time. My name is Nerthus," she replied.
"Goddess of Fertility," Owen understood.
So many cultures remembered her. Mother of Fertility, one of the missing goddesses. Owen has never dealt with this case. He mainly dealt with big players, and he specialized in Loki in particular. In addition, he knew very well the fate of the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos and the main gods of Asgard and the most important civilizations in the Sacred Timeline. However, Nerthus was just a legend. Owen knew little about her, he already had enough information about the millions of variants of the most important characters in the Sacred Timeline. The Goddess of Fertility was merely a shadow. While Hela and Forseti played a major role despite their long absence, Nerthus was only known as exist for Owen. It is possible that there were variants of it that defied their fate, and yet Owen couldn't remember. Her name was one of many. Empty, meaningless, not playing an important role in the events of the Sacred Timeline. Yet she did exist.
"I leave this privilege to the son of Frigga. Maybe he is also the son of Odin, but my blood is still in him. Now I am the Goddess of Vengeance," Nerthus replied.
"Your blood?" Owen was surprised. After a while he understood. Sure, Frigga may have lived all her life with witches, but before that she had a home. He remembered studying over a hundred thousand years ago her files because of her variant. A variant that escaped from Odin. Of course, Frigga was devoted to witches by her parents. However, Owen never studied again, which happened to Frigga's parents. He considered it unnecessary. After all, they never had contact with their daughter again.
"I am her little sister. Our mother had the gift of seeing future. She gives Frigga to the witches as an orphan. Frigga thinks her family died in the attack. Our parents are now dead, but I'm alive. But I don't want to see her," Nerthus replied.
Owen didn't deal with the usual variants, but the dangerous ones. No wonder he never got this information.
It made sense. Thor was known as the God of Fertility. It would be appropriate if he inherited it from his aunt. Especially since Frigga was under the infertility curse by Hela. However, Thor was born anyway.
It should be in Thor's file that he inherited it from his aunt. Owen looked at her closely, and it was true. However, it was not visible immediately. Especially when you compare Frigga's gentle demeanor with her sister's ferocity.
"Why? Don't you want to see your sister and nephews?" Owen asked.
"Frigga has broken the sterility curse?" Nerthus asked in amazement.
"Haven't you heard of Prince Loki?" Owen asked without answering her question.
"I'm avoiding the news from Asgard and it's not that Xandar specifically talks about his terrible diplomatic relationship with Odin. Who is Prince Loki? I know Frigga gave birth to Thor and then Hela's curse completely devastated her body," Nerthus said.
"You are well informed. No, the curse is still in Frigga's body. Loki is the adopted son of Frigga and Odin. Thor's younger brother. Asgard has two Princes, not one," Owen replied.
"Loki. Now that I think about it, the name sounds familiar. Wasn't it related to the Jormungand ritual?" Nerthus asked.
"You know about it?" Owen asked, terrified.
"Friendship with the God of Truth gave really a lot. I got information from him. I was under the illusion that I would save my sister. I followed Odin and his damned daughter from time to time. I learned from Forseti about the curse and the ritual. It was a terrible ritual. All Yggdrasil was trembling," Nerthus replied. .
"Yet you never intervened," said Owen. He was sure he did not know this woman's variant. Was she like Forseti?
"Yes, that's true. Sometimes I wish I hadn't. Revenge is burning within me. And yet I couldn't do anything. After all, you have to obey Forseti," Nerthus replied.
"How well did you know him?" Owen asked.
"Pretty good. He was probably the only Asgardian I liked. I couldn't help him. His eyesight. The eyesight of truth. I just didn't like how he defended Hela. Bloodthirsty monster. Nothing emore. She hurt my sister " Nerthus said.
"The forget spell didn't work on you," Owen replied.
"Forseti helped me," said Nerthus.
"Of course. And then you went into exile?" Owen asked.
"Hela was defeated and forgotten. My sister and her son were safe. I couldn't want anything more. I couldn't do anything, so I disappeared from Yggdrasil. After all, I wasn't needed there anyway," Nerthus said.
"I want you to meet someone. Her name is Sylvie, but it's another day. Today I want to give her this scarf and talk to her," Owen said.
"I've never heard of a goddess named Sylvie," said Nerthus.
"Like you haven't heard of Loki," Owen replied.
"Well, I heard something about him. Jormungand's ritual was extremely dangerous. You know Jormungand was supposed to kill my nephew. It was his destiny. To kill him with his venom. Yet Jormungand is dead, and Thor and my sister are safe. At least that's that Odin did for me, " Nerthus said.
"This is much more complicated," Owen sighed.
"Sure. Why do you want me to meet this Sylvie? And why exactly did you choose that as a gift for her?" Nerthus pointed to the red scarf.
"She loves magic," Owen replied.
"There is something more. You see something more in this scarf. You remind me a little of Forseti. Let him enjoy the fun of Valhalla," Nerthus said, her lips curving into a sad smile.
"I didn't know him very well, but I know he was a special god," Owen replied and said goodbye to Nerthus.
Now he was going to talk to Sylvie. He looked at the scarf. Amora. Who would have thought her shadow would be here on Xandar so many years after her death?
He remembered one of her variants trying to charm him. And she almost succeeded. She didn't need magic for this. In this branch, Amora died before she really left her mark on history. However, in others branches, she left many traces. Usually she was supposed to serve as a villain. Yet she always left a trail of good behind her. She wasn't Loki, a being with a big heart and fate of being a scapegoat to make others better. Amora was spoiled, selfish and overbearing.
And yet, Owen was gripping her scarf.
The scarf wchich will cheer up Sylvie.