JOTUNHEIM: SOL
Sol had been flying for hours into the night, soaring and gliding without propulsion, hoping Gullveig couldn't find them, Maximilian hung off her arm like a deadweight, barely conscious. By the time Sol had decided that they had flown enough, Sol began to descend on top of a large craggy mountain. Maximilian groaned as they landed on the mountain top. Sol set Maximilian down gently on the cliff, as her wings folded back gingerly. She shook him gently: "Max? Max we're safe now. Come on, wake up buddy."
Maximilian groggily opened his eyes: "Arm... I can't feel it... must have... torn a muscle."
Sol wrung her hands in frustration: "What can I do?"
Maximilian let his bleeding arm hang limply: "Hold on, I just need to rest."
Sol placed her hand gently on Maximilian's shoulder: "You do that. I'll be fine."
With that Maximilian was passed out on the rocky bed. Sol saw a flash of blue light from around the corner and she walked to the other side of the cliff face, just out of Maximilian's view. Beyond the bend stood a grown forty/fifty looking year old dark skinned man in a glistening midnight blue suit. The man's jet black hair had a single stripe of silvery grey hair. He was a relatively well built man, tall, handsome, muscular. The man spoke: "I bid you welcome to the night sister."
Sol sighed: "Brother... Mani..."
Mani looked at Sol like he was scanning her: "Sol, I thought you'd have known better than to crash in these lands, especially with Fi'mbulvintr shaking Yggdrasil."
Sol shrugged: "I couldn't jump back to Yggdrasil, so I sort of panicked."
Mani sat on a rock and gestured for Sol to take a seat next to him: "Sit with me sister."
Sol sat beside Mani as the moon god started to speak: "Sol, why did you help this hero?"
Sol spoke up: "I believe he could avert what is to come."
Mani laughed: "Sol, Ragnarok is inevitable."
Sol stared back at Mani: "As was I. Sun always rises, well not anymore."
Mani looked uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to speak but Sol interjectected: "Brother. Maybe the prophecy of Ragnarok could be averted. The prophecy does not mention the existence of Maximilian or his friend. Perhaps they could subvert it."
Mani countered back: "Perhaps the prophecy does not mention them because they were irrelevant."
Sol shot back: "Loki would never fixate himself so intensely on an individual as intensely as he has on Victor. For Odin's sake Mani, he let his sons Vali and Narvi die rather than surrender to his inevitable capture by the Aesir. He cast his daughter Hela into Helheim. Yet he has gone to inconceivable lengths in pursuit of Victor."
Mani's silver eyes narrowed: "You may have a point. But who are we to assume we understand Loki's motives?"
Sol was silent as she let this truth, this dilemma sink in. Was the future truly inevitable? Mani spoke to his conflicted sister: "I will no longer interfere. You have always been the optimistic one, as I have always been pragmatic. You cannot convince me anymore than I can convince you. I will sit and watch in silence, as the moon always has."
Sol felt Mani hug her briefly, a tentative embrace. The scent of lilies cling to her brother's outfit lightly. She gingerly accepted the hug. She felt a few tears cling to her eyelashes: "It's good to see you again brother..."
Mani backed off slowly and handed her his handkerchief: "You too sister.". It was a silvery satin that felt like a breeze of wind in her palm. Sol wiped her eyes but by the time she finished she stood alone on the plateau overlooking the dark craggy mountain range as unblinkingly dead stars littered the sky. Sol sighed: "Always with the theatrics brother..."
The glistening moon smiled in the sky.
