ORIGIN (#3, Gods Among Us)

Chapter 2 - More Questions Than Answers

Eleven Months Ago (Asgardian Calendar)

Manannan Mac Lir walked along the shoreline, blue eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of Loki's missing consort or Prince Elatha, her Atlantean escort. He didn't often travel great distances by land, preferring to spend his time in his natural element. The wet sand squished and sucked at his boots with an audible reluctance to release him from its embrace. Yet even this small contact with the sea water buoyed his energy.

The copper scent of blood wafted in the air and he squinted in the twilight gloom of the Winter Realm. Unmoving lumps disturbed the shoreline silhouette ahead. Heart racing with concern, the Sea God broke into a run.

By the fates! Don't let that be Shannon!

As Manannan drew closer, he slowed, recognizing the twisted forms. Several were without heads, others had daggers embedded in throats, and a few looked blistered and burned. Relief had him letting out a breath before he clenched his fists.

"Hecate take you for unleashing the bloody Wild Hunt on a pregnant Sea Goddess, you sadistic bastards!" he yelled. 

Raw satisfaction filled him as he took in the dead redcaps and hellhounds and he kicked one of the heads. Whether it had been severed by Shannon or Elatha, Manannan was glad they'd managed to kill some of their attackers.

Looking around, he tried to determine what had happened. Did they get captured? Did they escape? Only two pairs of boot prints were present, one larger and one smaller. They had to belong to Elatha and Shannon. The heels were facing each other. They'd been standing back to back. But then the prints simply disappeared.

Manannan looked further, in ever-expanding circles, but found no indication of them walking away. Nothing suggested they'd been captured or dragged away.

Shannon was not just a sea goddess, though. With her ability to manipulate air, perhaps they flew?

Determined to find them, Manannan left the dead behind and moved swiftly towards the brighter horizon of the Summer Realm. Not stopping to rest, his long strides ate up the distance. He wanted to help Shannon and Elatha when the Wild Hunt found them again. Because they would. Those damn hellhounds could track anything.

How far behind them was he? Judging by the state of the bodies, the flies already feasting, it had to be at least a couple of days. Manannan pushed himself to go faster. Would Loki and Mist have found them already? He couldn't take that chance. Not with the Wild Hunt tracking Shannon.

Black vultures circled in the air up ahead, their silhouettes dark against the bright contrast of the Summer Realm that was getting ever closer. His gut clenched at what he'd find when he reached their scavenged find.

With a blast of sea spray, he chased off the massive birds from their grisly prize. Almost afraid to look, he forced himself to approach.

"Oh, thank the Fates!" Manannan exclaimed, knees weakening in relief.

Five redcaps, their bodies ravaged by the carrion feeders, lay sprawled on the rocky shoreline. Their heads had been removed, hacked off. He cocked his head to the side as he considered the lack of footprints. Only two pairs, one larger, one smaller, led away from here in a direction towards the Summer Realm. That had to be Elatha and Shannon. But how had the redcaps gotten here? Where was the rest of the Wild Hunt?

Admiration for Loki's consort grew as he followed their footsteps. Not many escaped the clutches of the Wild Hunt, let alone multiple times. And she was pregnant! He shook his head in bemusement. Yes, this mortal turned Elven sea goddess was fascinating. Definitely a fitting consort to Asgard's Black Prince. 

It made him even more curious as to who her mother was. Manannan wouldn't have expected such a powerful offspring with Dylan, God of the Selkies, as her father. Not that other members of that family weren't strong elves, but Dylan was a bit... well, who was he to judge that the elf spent most of his time as a seal, oblivious to the wider world around him?

Pushing himself onward, Manannan kept an eye out for the Wild Hunt. If he saw them, he couldn't be that far behind Shannon and Elatha. Hour after hour, he got closer to the Summer Realm, the sky brightening from the dim twilight of the Winter Realm.

Something in the sky caught his attention. More vultures? No, no, definitely not. A grin stretched his lips as he recognized the curvaceous form of the Valkyrie that landed and strode towards him, hips swaying seductively.

"I take it you've found Shannon?" Manannan asked, even as his eyes roved over blue hair pulled back in a series of braids, lush bow-shaped lips, upturned pixie nose and eyes like the rich piercing blue waters of his favourite seas.

Her expression made him straighten with concern, wiping all lascivious thoughts from his mind.

Mist nodded, her lips strained. "Yes. She's... Shannon's in bad shape. Thor's taken her to the healers on Asgard. I'm heading there to join her, but I didn't want to leave you wondering."

Manannan's brow furrowed. "Thor is taking her? Where is Loki?"

Mist looked away, not making eye contact. "He'll be joining her in Asgard, I'm sure."

Manannan reached out, gripping her forearm. "What aren't you telling me? What's going on?"

Mist pulled her arm out of his grip with a hard yank, lethal warning in her narrowed eyes. "Nothing you need to know. Thank you for your assistance, Sea God. Asgard appreciates your help."

With that, she stepped back and shot up into the sky.

"Wait! Mist!" Manannan called out, but she didn't turn. Her form got smaller and smaller as she flew back towards the treaty plains that delineated the land border between Summer and Winter Realms until he couldn't see her anymore. He knew she'd be gone back to Asgard via the bifrost before he could hope to catch up to her.

Frustrated, Manannan turned to the water and its familiar caress. If he couldn't get answers from Mist, perhaps he could find answers from Dylan. His fellow sea god would at least be able to tell him who Shannon's mother was.