11. More Gods to Remember: Eryx

CHAPTER 11

MORE GODS TO REMEMBER

ERYX

E ryx's dressing room, once a sanctuary of pre-show rituals and quiet contemplation, now felt like a sardine can stuffed with sweaty, exhausted, and thoroughly bewildered demigods. The air was thick with the smell of ozone and spent magic, mixed with the more mundane odors of sweat and blood. Eryx found himself wedged between a makeup vanity and Alex, his partner's solid presence both comforting and slightly claustrophobic in the cramped space.

Around them, the rest of the Shadowguards were crammed in wherever they could find space. Olivia sat perched on the edge of the vanity, her injured arm cradled against her chest. Gabe leaned against the wall, his usual energetic bouncing replaced by a bone-deep weariness. Marcus had squeezed himself into a corner, his leg jiggling with nervous energy. And Zac, the youngest of their motley crew, sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes wide and alert despite the fatigue evident in the slump of his shoulders.

At the center of it all stood Brad – or whoever the hell he really was – looking for all the world like he'd just stepped out of a GQ photoshoot rather than a mythological throwdown. The contrast between his immaculate appearance and the battered state of the Shadowguards only added to the surreal atmosphere.

The silence stretched, taut as a bowstring. Eryx could practically taste the questions hanging in the air, a potent mix of confusion, wariness, and barely contained impatience. He opened his mouth to speak, but Alex beat him to it.

"Alright, Brad," Alex's voice was gruff, laced with the kind of authority that came from millennia of ruling the Underworld. "Enough bullshit. Who the fuck are you, really?"

Brad sighed, running a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. For a moment, he looked old. Not physically, but in a way that spoke of centuries of weariness.

"I suppose there's no point in further deception," he said, his voice losing some of its usual smooth cadence. "My name, my true name, is Bragi. Norse god of poetry and music."

The revelation hit Eryx like a punch to the gut. He'd suspected Brad was more than human, sure, but a full-fledged god? And a Norse one at that? His mind reeled, trying to reconcile the smooth-talking manager with the divine being from mythology.

Interesting, Apollo's voice murmured in Eryx's mind. The Norse have always been a lively bunch. This should prove enlightening.

Eryx barely suppressed a snort. Trust Apollo to find the academic interest in a situation that had just turned their world upside down. Again.

"Hold up," Olivia interjected, wincing as she shifted her injured arm. "You're telling me we've been taking career advice from the fucking god of poetry? No wonder your contract negotiations always sounded so flowery."

A ripple of nervous laughter passed through the room, breaking some of the tension. But Alex's expression remained stony, his eyes never leaving Brad.

"Why the charade?" Alex demanded. "Why hide among mortals, play at being a music manager of all things?"

Brad's shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of divine responsibility seeming to press down on him. "Would you believe me if I said I was tired? Tired of the politics, the endless squabbles between pantheons, the rigid rules and expectations."

Eryx felt a twinge of empathy. He might not be a full god, but he understood the burden of divine expectations all too well. "So you what, decided to take a vacation in the mortal realm?"

Brad's lips quirked in a wry smile. "Something like that. Music has always been my domain, my passion. I thought, why not immerse myself in it fully? Experience it from a mortal perspective? And I have to say, the innovations you humans have made in the art form are intoxicating."

"That's all very touching," Alex cut in, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "but it doesn't explain why you decided to blow your cover now. Or what you know about the Order."

The mention of the Order sent a chill down Eryx's spine. He'd almost forgotten about them in the wake of Brad's revelation. Almost.

Brad's expression darkened. "The Order... they're meddling in forces far beyond their comprehension. The attack tonight was just the beginning. They're trying to destabilize the balance between realms, and I fear they may have already succeeded in part."

As Brad's words hung heavy in the air, a memory flashed through Eryx's mind. The hushed phone calls, Brad's furtive glances, the tension that seemed to radiate off him in waves. It all suddenly clicked into place.

"The phone calls," Eryx blurted out, his voice cutting through the stunned silence. "Those mysterious calls you've been taking. They're connected to this, aren't they?"

All eyes in the cramped dressing room swiveled to Brad, who looked like he'd just swallowed something particularly unpleasant. The Norse god shifted uncomfortably, his usual smooth demeanor cracking under the weight of their collective stares.

Alex, ever the bulldog when he sensed weakness, pounced on Brad's hesitation. "Spill it, Wordsmith. No more half-truths or poetic bullshit. What's the deal with these calls?"

Brad's eyes darted around the room, as if searching for an escape route. Finding none, he let out a long, weary sigh. "They were from Thor," he admitted, the words seeming to physically pain him. "He's been... reaching out for help."

"Thor?" Zac's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Like, hammer-wielding, lightning-throwing Thor? That Thor?"

"The very same," Brad nodded. "And before you ask, yes, he's just as loud and brash as the stories make him out to be. Subtlety has never been his strong suit."

"Fuck subtlety," Alex growled, taking a menacing step towards Brad. "What does Thor want with you? And what does this have to do with the Order and tonight's attack?"

Brad met Alex's glare head-on, a flicker of divine power flashing in his eyes. "It's not what Thor wants with me, cousin. It's what he needs from all of us."

The room fell silent at Brad's use of the familial term. Alex's face went through a rapid series of expressions – shock, confusion, and finally, a dawning realization that made Eryx's stomach drop.

"Cousin?" Alex's voice was dangerously low. "You want to run that by me again, Brad?"

The Norse god straightened, seeming to grow taller as he embraced his divine nature. "You heard me, Hades. Or do you prefer Alex now? We may come from different pantheons, but divinity recognizes divinity. We're all branches of the same cosmic tree, after all."

Well, shit, Apollo's voice chimed in Eryx's head. This family reunion just got a lot more interesting.

Eryx couldn't have agreed more. He watched as Alex's face cycled through a range of emotions, finally settling on a mix of frustration and grudging acceptance.

"Fine," Alex spat. "We're all one big, happy, divine family. Wonderful. Now, what the fuck does Thor want? "

Brad's expression turned grave. "It's Odin. ~He's missing."

The words hit like a thunderbolt, sending shockwaves through the room. Olivia cursed colorfully in at least three different languages. Gabe's magical wards flickered and sputtered, mirroring his shock. Marcus went utterly still, a rarity for the usually hyperactive speedster.

"Missing?" Eryx echoed, his mind reeling. "How the hell does a god go missing? Especially one as powerful as Odin?"

It's not unprecedented, Apollo mused in Eryx's mind. Gods have vanished before, though rarely of their own volition. This... this is troubling.

"That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" Brad replied, running a hand through his hair. "Thor's been searching, but it's like Odin's simply vanished from the Nine Worlds. No trace, no trail, nothing."

Alex's eyes narrowed, his tactical mind clearly kicking into overdrive. "And the Valkyries? The attack tonight? How does that fit in?"

Brad hesitated, and in that moment of silence, the pieces began to fall into place in Eryx's mind. The Valkyries' focused attack, their seeming disregard for collateral damage, the way they'd zeroed in on the Shadowguards...

"Holy shit," Eryx breathed, the realization hitting him like a freight train. "They think we're responsible. The Valkyries – they think we had something to do with Odin's disappearance."

Alex's sharp intake of breath was all the confirmation Eryx needed. His partner had come to the same conclusion.

"It makes a fucked-up kind of sense," Alex muttered, pacing the small space like a caged animal. "A powerful god goes missing, and suddenly there's increased activity from a group led by another former deity?" He gestured to himself. "From their perspective, we probably look guilty as sin."

The implications of this realization rippled through the room. The Shadowguards exchanged glances, a mix of disbelief, anger, and growing determination on their faces .

"But that's bullshit!" Zac exploded, his teenage indignation cutting through the tension. "We've been busting our asses trying to protect people! Why would we kidnap some crusty old god with a ravens and a weird obsession for hanging himself from trees?"

Eryx couldn't help but crack a smile at Zac's outburst. Leave it to the kid to sum up the absurdity of their situation in the most irreverent way possible.

"Zac's right," Olivia chimed in, wincing as she adjusted her injured arm. "This is nuts. We've been so focused on the Order, on protecting the city. How could we possibly have time to go god-napping on the side?"

"Logic doesn't always factor into divine vendettas," Brad said, his voice tinged with ancient weariness. "The Norse pantheon is passionate, to put it mildly. And with Odin gone, that passion is quickly turning to fear and anger."

Eryx felt a chill run down his spine. He'd faced down monsters, battled supernatural threats, even gone toe-to-toe with Titans. But the wrath of an entire pantheon? That was a whole new level of 'oh shit'.

The weight of this realization pressed down on Eryx's chest, making it hard to breathe in the already stuffy dressing room. He could feel Apollo's presence stirring restlessly within him, a mix of concern and curiosity that mirrored his own tumultuous emotions.

"Hold up," Eryx said, his voice cutting through the tense silence that had fallen over the group. He fixed Brad with a piercing stare. "You still haven't explained why the Valkyries targeted us specifically. What gives?"

Brad shifted uncomfortably, his usually smooth demeanor cracking under the weight of Eryx's direct question. He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture so human it was almost jarring coming from a being Eryx now knew to be divine.

"The truth is, there have been rumors circulating in Asgard. Whispers that someone impersonating Freya has been feeding false information to the Valkyries."

"Freya?" Zac piped up, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Isn't she like, the love goddess or something?"

"Goddess of love, yes, but also of war and death," Brad corrected. "She shares dominion over the fallen warriors with Odin. The Valkyries respect her word almost as much as Odin's ."

Eryx's mind raced, pieces of the puzzle starting to click into place. A shape-shifting deity, sowing chaos and discord... His eyes widened as the realization hit him.

"Loki," Eryx breathed, the name falling from his lips like a curse. "It's got to be Loki, right?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as Brad's expression darkened. "You're sharper than I gave you credit for, young one. Yes, I believe Loki is behind this deception. It bears all the hallmarks of his particular brand of mischief."

"Mischief?" Alex's voice was a low growl, shadows swirling around his clenched fists. "Turning an entire pantheon against us goes way beyond 'mischief', cousin. That's a fucking declaration of war."

He's not wrong, Apollo's voice chimed in Eryx's mind. Loki's actions, if true, are a grave transgression. The question is, what does he hope to gain from this chaos?

Eryx voiced Apollo's question aloud, watching as Brad's face cycled through a range of emotions – frustration, worry, and something that looked suspiciously like guilt.

"That, I'm afraid, is the million-dollar question," Brad sighed. "Loki's motivations have always been... mercurial at best. But this? This level of manipulation, the potential consequences... it's extreme, even for him."

"So what now?" Eryx asked, breaking the heavy silence.

Alex stepped forward, his presence commanding attention even in the cramped space of the dressing room. "We do what we always do," he said, his voice ringing with the authority of his former godhood. "We adapt, we overcome, and we kick some divine ass if we have to."