Chapter 5

Ephus - A demigod possessing the power to repower the gods
Quinn Markov - human wife of Ephus

Norse Deities

Odin - War god, main god of the Norse gods
Freya - a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr.
Frigg - Wife of Odin, promoter of marriage and fertility
Loki - a mischievous god who can shape-shift and can take up animalistic forms.

Valkyries

Göndul - War Valkyrie
Egyptian Deities
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Bast - Goddess of cats, protection, joy, dance, music, family, and love
Serket - Goddess of scorpions, medicine, magic, and healing venomous stings and bites
Thoth - God of knowledge

Ephus, Freya and Göndul appeared back in Epaphus home a moment later. Reaching out Ephus could feel Zeus when he appeared at the temple they had just left.

Ephus breathed a sigh of relief for a moment. A look of concern crossed his features when he suddenly felt Zeus as he moved in their direction.

All three of them were immediately hiding their power as Zeus stopped outside the domicile. Surprisingly there was a knock at the door. With a quick change of his appearance, Ephus opened the door.

“My son,” Zeus said as he was looking at the inside of the simple home. “You should really consider moving to Olympus. A godling of your power, living like this.”

“You know that, I am also human, I like to be near and help those that have no power. I feel it helps them to believe in the others more.” Ephus said in the voice of Epaphus.

Zeus stood there and nodded. “Have you felt any other strange gods or goddesses? My priests have told me that, the guards witnessed what appeared to be a god and goddesses. I felt no others though, if they were weaker there is a chance I would not. That is why I came to you; you have never failed to detect them.

Ephus looked at Zeus, then at the wall as he reached out. Stopping a few moments later he turned back to Zeus. “I feel there was one in the desert hours ago, now? Nothing, if they were here, they are gone now.”

Zeus had a shocked look on his face, stretching out his arms he turned toward the desert. The shocked look grew larger as he started to nod.

“I can feel them, there also seems to have been another there. As strong if not stronger,” Here Zeus turned toward Ephus. “you have been to many of the other realms, have you heard even whispers of others wishing to take our realm?”

Ephus pretended to think about it, then shook his head. “I have not heard of anything like that. Nor do I feel that any other realm would have the power to do that. You are pretty powerful.”

A look of pride came to the face of Zeus. “In that respect, I have to agree with you. It was good to see you again Epaphus. Come to visit in Olympus, I know that Hera can be hard to take, I don’t think she will do anything. Especially after the last time.”

“I will consider it,” Ephus said.

Zeus sighed, “you always say that and you, always seem to forget.”

“I have been busy, as you have.” Ephus said.

Zeus nodded, “then there is that. Remember that we are family, not the best, though family.”

Ephus nodded as Zeus vanished. A moment later Freya and Göndul came out of the back room.

“It is good that you possessthe same thinking as your ancestor.” Freya said relieved that they hadn’t been discovered.

“No,” Ephus replied. “I can still hear him even though he is a great distance away. What is good, is that I was able to hold the guise of Epaphus as long as I did. I wasn’t sure I had practiced enough.”

It was at the moment that the guise of Epaphus vanished revealing a slightly panting Ephus. Both of the females looked Ephus over then they both nodded. “It appears that you are indeed stronger than we at first thought.” Freya said.

Ephus could only stare at both females as they were both nodding their agreement. Slowly shaking his head, he sat to think. “We are going to have to have a good plan if we are going to get Odin’s Gungnir. One that doesn’t involve any of us getting caught nor revealing who we are.”

Freya who had been reaching the entire time, suddenly started to shake her head. “It would appear that the number of guards have been increased three times as much as before. Then, there seem to be non-human guards as well. I hope that you are taking this into account as well.”

A quick look at Freya showed that she was serious about her last statement. “Believe me I am, this is going to take exact timing if we are going to accomplish this.” Ephus said.

Ephus then went quiet as he started to try and find a way around all the obstacles. He shook his head obstacles? More like major road blocks that was for sure.

So, not a whole lot to do, get in the temple. Grab the Gungnir then leave, all of this without being seen nor detected ‘til it was too late for them to do anything.

Shit Ephus thought. This was going to have to be perfectly timed that was for sure. He was sure that Zeus was going to have more than just his self-there when he arrived.

Ephus thought of the four sons, they weren’t worth all that much, well two of them, they were fiercely loyal. There was a possibility that Zeu’s daughters might also get involved. Ephus nodded his head, even with Freya and Göndul, they would get a major ass kicking. Especially with the Greek gods at almost full power, with their reserves.

Freya sat quietly to allow Ephus to come up with a brilliant plan. She’d seen his actions to date including those in her realm. The freeing of Frigg was her favorite, though, she was partial to it as she had been involved.

Göndul was watching both Ephus and Freya, going back and forth between them. She was merely a Valkyrie, a servant of the gods. Though he was not a full god per se, to her he was, Göndul wasn’t about to try and get between the two of them.

Ephus sat there for a long time coming up with several scenarios. Each time he shook his head as nothing came out right each time.

It was several hours later when Ephus started to go back through all his ideas again. A heavy sigh came out as he realized that he was going to have to go a different direction.

Ephus was about to go through things a third time, when he felt a slight tingling in the pocket, he had placed the Remira stone. A moment later he started to hear a voice.

Godling? Can you hear me? I may have a solution for this situation if you are willing to try. Came the thoughts of the Remira stone.

Ephus looked into his pocket surprised. A solution? I thought that the crossing of the time lines, too many times, would damage them. Ephus thoughts replied.

Ephus felt a moment of shock then the Remira stone’s thoughts continued. You have a great knowledge of time, what you have spoken is true if, I am not there to keep this from happening. It is a gift that I can bestow unto you for the care you have shown me.

Ephus paused a moment as he heard the thoughts of Epaphus. Ephus was nodding as both Freya and Göndul were staring at him waiting for the obvious conversation that he was having.

Finally, not long after he’d gone completely silent, a small smile lit up Ephus features.

“I believe that I have an idea how to get through this. It is going to involve a bit of lying and misdirection, I think that we can achieve it.” Here Ephus turned to both of the females about to ask if they would be able to achieve this, then stopped his self. He then shook his head as he thought who was he kidding? They were masters at it, they were part of the god realm after all.

Ephus then stood moving to the back wall, there he started to draw on the wall. As he got deeper into it, the larger the smiles on Freya and Göndul’s face got.

In the present Bast was sitting with Quinn Markov. They had been discussing several things though their talk soon gravitated toward Ephus.

Quinn was worried about Ephus though as his human and first wife, she was doing the best that she could to hide it.

Bast was speaking about the current situation when she stopped short staring at Quinn.

“Human sister Quinn?” Bast said as she slightly backed up feeling that something powerful was emanating from Quinn.

Quinn took a deep breath as she too had felt the power within her start to climb. A moment later she felt Bast place a gentle hand on Quinn’s shoulder.

“My sister are you well? For a moment I thought I felt godly power coming from you, then just as suddenly it was gone. Is there something going on that you wish to share?” Bast asked a look of true concern on her face.

A deep heavy sigh escaped Quinn’s mouth as she nodded. “As Ephus explained, all the blessings have awoken something. Ephus said that I am developing godly power, he said that he would help me as soon as he returns. I just hope that he can, apparently my power is linked to my emotions.”

Bast could only stare at Quinn a small smile threatening to cross her lips. Bast could feel the worry that was seeming to ooze off Quinn, plus her power was starting to climb also.

“Perhaps I can help you?” Bast asked.

“I would appreciate it, with this new set of gods and realm, who knows when he’ll be back. I hate it when he is gone like this.” Quinn said, her face showing her worry.

“Well, I think the first thing we have to do is figure out how to calm you. Strong emotions like worry, anger and hate, can produce a great amount of energy. They can also drain you far faster than almost anything.” Bast calmly said surprising herself as much as Quinn.

So Bast thought, it appears that I am as emotionally tied to Ephus human wife, as much as I am to him. Bast looked at Quinn then deeper, suddenly nodding her head. She was closer to Quinn than any human than Ephus.

Quinn was also discovering that she was far calmer with Bast there than she had been. A moment later Serket appeared a look of concern on her face. Her belly slightly swollen with the baby she was carrying for Ephus.

“I came as fast as I could sister,” a concerned Serket said.

Bast pointed to Quinn, Serket turned toward Quinn then her mouth dropped open. “You might say that we have cause for alarm.”

Serket’s head started to shake her disagreement. “No sister, I think that we have far more than a cause for alarm. You do realize that as soon as the weaker ones feel her, they will come to investigate. At the moment it appears that she has more control than I thought she would.” Serket held her hands out passing over Quinn several times, then her mouth dropped open.

Bast started to nod, “it’s bad enough with the problem I have at the moment.”

Serket also nodded, “still no word from father or our brothers?”