In a dim and remote sector of space, a planetary system spun around a small white star. There were many things odd about this system, from the placement of the planets, to the very gravity and space around them. For one, there were far too many planets in the system. They weren’t full sized planets either, but smaller globes in many colors, each with their own unique conditions. One of the larger planets flashed constantly from its supercharged atmosphere as unfathomably thick and destructive bolts of lightning bombarded the surface. Another planet—if it could be called a planet—was completely made of water. There was no earth anywhere in the mass of liquid and pressure, just water all the way through.

However, all these smaller planets seemed somehow subservient to the largest one in the system. It was a truly gigantic planet, even compared to all others in the galaxy at large. Its surface was diverse and wonderful, with heavily wooded forests, vast mountainous regions, sprawling sand dunes in bone-dry deserts, and great flood plains all meshing together into one ecosystem. If one was somewhat observent, they would discover something astonishing about this planet—namely, it was quite literally the center of this little system. The sun orbited the planet, not the other way around.

There were people on this planet, of a sort. They were the people closest to transcending humanity. This is Pantheon, the home world of that same organization. Settlements dotted its surface in many different styles. Some were larger, and some were only occupied by a few people.

A portal opened in a small corner of one of these settlements. Hardy anyone noticed the portal’s existence while it was active, and those that did were familiar with the Mana which had been used to create it.

Needless to say, this was my arrival on Pantheon.

We stepped out of the portal, into the interior of some small cabin. A bookshelf lined one wall, full of old paper bound books, rather than the portable digital libraries so many people have now. It was seen as a bit of a waste to use trees on something like paper, since it would decay sooner or later if not carefully kept, and there really was no reason to read a physical copy of something.

There was also a fireplace in the room, currently blazing happily even though it didn’t look like anything was fueling the flames. A few comfortable seats sat in front of the fireplace, though there wasn’t anyone sitting in them. We were the only ones in the room, actually.

The portal closed as soon as we all made it through. Athena said something about being glad to be back, and then hurried off, running outside the building.

“Ah, that will be her going to inform Zeus about what she learned.” Said Heimdal, watching her go.

I nodded, fully expecting something like this to happen. It would make things a bit easier, truthfully, since I would no longer be able to hesitate. In a way, I’ve forced myself into action, preemptively. No way out now.

Mentally shrugging, the next orders of business came up.

Rather, the next order of business walked into the room, as an elderly man with dirty grey hair and a beard down to his belly walked in, an imposing atmosphere surrounding him.

“What is it, Heimdal?” Asked the man coarsely. “You wouldn’t have jumped straight into my private room if something wasn’t happening.”

The man paused after entering, glancing around the room at the group gathered with his one good eye. The other hid under a black rag serving as a patch of sorts.

“And what’s with this group? Don’t tell me all these people are godlings.”

Heimdal smiled at the question.

“Not yet, at least. Just a very talented group, with very good prospects.” He replied.

“Out with it then. What’s going on?” Demanded the man, crossly. He noticed Isis standing in the back of the group, and his gaze lingered on her a bit.

“Oh, nothing, really. You will be happy to know that this group has someone currently in the middle of their Ascension, and another who has already completed theirs. And I have full confidence that the rest of the group will quickly realize their own Ascensions and become full gods of the Pantheon. The one who has already Ascended is of particular note.”

“Stop dancing around the issue, Heimdal. You found Freya or Frigg, didn’t you?”

Heimdal smiled slightly.

“No, that is not who I found. Revian, if you would?”

I stepped forward, standing in front of the group and under the man’s intense gaze. Not wilting or drawing back at all, I stared back at him. There were a few interesting things about this man.

“Are you sure that’s not Freya, Heimdal? She looks the part.” Stated the man, gruffly.

“No, she is not Freya, nor Frigg. We still have to find those who would fill those parts. Revian is unable to.”

The man mumbled something about hating the way Heimdal does things, obviously losing his patience rapidly.

“Quit with your games. Just tell me who she is.” He said, gesturing towards me.

“Think about it a little longer, my friend. Word will soon spread regardless, but I want you to figure it out first. Tell me, who do you think Revian is, Loki?”

The man recoiled at his name, glaring at Heimdal.

“Are you daft!” He shouted. “I am Odin, master of the Norse camp and Asgard!”

“No you aren’t.” I said, speaking for the first time.

“You can drop the mask, Loki. I doubt it would fool Revian, regardless of the circumstances.” Said Jvorg, drawing Loki’s attention towards him for the first time. He had somehow gone unnoticed until that point.

“You…!” Gasped Loki, obviously recognizing him immediately. “But you….”

Loki seemed to piece some things together at this point, and his sight shifted back to me so quickly I feared he got whiplash.

“Hello Loki.” I said. “I’m Odin.”

Dead silence.

Then, Loki’s ‘Odin’ persona slid away, shifting as if putty were being reformed. Loki is likely a shape-shifter of some sort—extremely fitting, all things considered.

A tall and somewhat androgynous looking man reformed from ‘Odin’, exposing Loki’s actual face. There wasn’t really anything about him that stood out to me. He had one of those faces that would be impossible to remember in a crowd. Though, he also had a mischievous glint in his eyes, which stood out all on their own.

“Truly?!” He yelled excitably, displaying a completely different temperament from when he had been ‘Odin’. “She is Odin?!”

“Would I joke about something this major?” Replied Heimdal.

“No, no you wouldn’t. Too serious for that, I’d always thought. But still! Odin! After all this time! And I would have never expected a cute little girl to play the part!”

“…I’m an adult.”

“Oh. Well, that’s awkward. You don’t quite look like….Actually, I’m just going to leave that alone. Say, you said news of this will spread, right, Heimdal?”

“Yes. Athena knew about it, and she left immediately to tell Zeus, I am afraid.”

“Ah, that would explain why she didn’t stop on seeing me. But then, is Revian ready to become our Odin, or will she need some training to reach that level?”

I shook my head. “No need. I’m strong enough.”

“You sure about that? The Pantheon doesn’t exactly measure strength the same way as the rest of the universe. Someone below the 10th divide is seen as weak among us, and the powerhouses only truly begin at the 13th divide.”

“There are people at the 13th divide here?!” Interjected Sabrina, before gasping and realizing she’d interrupted. Loki seemed to take it in stride, however.

“Yup! We have a few sitting around here, while the others prefer to explore farther afield. Truthfully, anyone who Ascends stands a very good chance of reaching that level at some point, given enough time. We don’t really have the same rate of growth or limit that most others do. My question still stands, however. Are you up for this?” Asked Loki, turning back to me.

I nodded again. “I’ll be fine.”

“How fine?”

“S-she’s about as strong as me….m-maybe stronger. More combat strength…though.” Said Isis from the back.

“Really?! That’s great news! Do you think this calls for a celebration?”

“I do not see a reason to hold off on a gathering, at least. In fact, this is a good chance for Revian to see the Norse camp before getting roped into more troublesome things. The council will surely be called together tomorrow or the day after—likely through Zeus—and it would be good to know what you are representing before going there.” Said Heimdal. “In the meantime, let us get you all set up with places to sleep.”

The Norse camp really was an interesting place. All the buildings were constructed in a seemingly simple fashion with wooden logs and steeply slopped roofs for when snow fell. It seems the community was set up in the northern part of the planet, and they have the winters to show for it. The whole area was settled next to a large, calm lake, and white-capped mountains surrounded us on all sides. Overall, the entire place seemed peaceful and beautiful.

They had plenty of open homes as well, judging by the ease with which Loki found places for us to stay. It ended up my group of friends in one house, plus me, while Jvorg and Farthings would share another. There were no worries about sharing the space though, since the houses themselves had a surplus of bedrooms—Each of which also had a connecting bathroom. That didn’t stop them from putting in a large outdoor bath by each house, though. Presumably the outdoor baths were heated as well, which should prove an interesting experience at some point.

Things were quickly unpacked, and I took the downtime to go ahead and freshen up. I also wanted to look presentable for the inevitable storm my arrival on Pantheon would cause. After all, fancy clothes can function just as well as any armor in a social setting. Without any better alternatives, I simply grabbed my Halo gear, and put that on. It looks impressive enough in it’s own right, and might tide me through initial introductions. And since I’m dressed as a warrior, I might as well go all the way.

Various sharp, pointy objects were strapped to my belt and in other, less obvious places. The sword Godard made for me was slung across my back, it’s strap crossing over my front. I couldn’t help but give a little ‘che’ of frustration though, since that strap would normally highlight the…features of most other women. Not in the cards for me, unfortunately. Thankfully, the outfit’s gold highlights accentuated my general slimness instead, complimenting the rest of my figure.

It was good enough, hopefully. One last look in the mirror ensured that everything was in place, and that I presented the right sort of image.

Though, while leaving, a thought couldn’t help but pop into my head.

Couldn’t I have just used an illusion to make it seem like my clothes were fancy? It’s probably still very possible, but no. Better to go with what I’ve got, and keep things simple. Plus, things would be hard to explain if someone noticed my illusion. And, to be honest, I’m planning on not using illusions very much. Much of what makes them effective relies on the element of surprise, and someone prepared for them is much harder to fool than someone who is unaware.

Instead, my enhanced strength will destroy anyone who tried to fight me. The power of a dragon is frightening indeed.

Now then, time to see what all this fuss is about. Time to make my introduction to the Pantheon.