The dream was an ordinary one until a goddess stepped out of mirror, the presence of which was suitably beyond the logic of this particular dream that Eric at once realized he was in a dream. Yet this lucidity made him no less anxious to see the dream image of Belldandy. He wanted to start opening up to her as he had been tempted to do with Cool Mint, but foremost there was a question on his mind. Though this was the only second time he had 'met' her while asleep, the goddess seemed so vivid and real that it felt like he had a long history of such dreams.

"Why do I keep dreaming of you?"

While awake Eric was prone to passing dreams off as wish fulfillment or dialogues with aspects of oneself cloaked in familiar imagery. This was why he was surprised when the goddess opened her mouth to answer.

Though yearning to hear her speak the dream world turned gray. Seeing this, the image of Belldandy said something else, the sound of her voice lost but the motion of her lips clear.

"Another time."

Eric rolled out of the bed, cursing under his breath, again plagued by the feeling of being pulled away from something dear. And the apparent cause of his waking seemed worthy of scorn. He had to pee.

It wasn't until he was finished did he notice what was wrong. First he could see that the red numerals on the digital clock on the nightstand indicated it was 4:30. Rind had said they would leave at four. As for the goddess herself, she was seated before the door motionless, and the detail Eric was astonished to have missed when he first woke, both angels were out, both as motionless as Rind.

She had told him she would not sleep. He took a few steps toward her, halting when a light behind him projected his shadow on the goddess. Turning he saw the light coming from the bathroom. From his angle he could see that it originated at a point somewhere above the sink, where the mirror was.

"Can't be."

He rushed to the doorway and looked in time to see a figure finish emerging from the reflecting surface. It was not Belldandy. It took Eric only a second to recognize the girl from the bookstore. He opened his mouth to express his sudden outrage at her appearance and the upset to his life that she had initiated. No sounds came, of course. There was too much to say.

"The name is Atla."

"You..."

"Again, Atla. And don't look so happy to see me."

She shouldered past him, moving from the now dark bathroom to bedroom, lit by light from streetlamps come from around the edges of the room's curtains. He followed. He could see little of her except for her dark hair and flowing attire.

"Would it have pained Brunhilde to have sent a little backup?" Atla said, almost in a whisper. She looked at Eric as though there could be no bad blood between them as far as she was concerned. "That's one exhausted valkyrie. I'm told she hasn't slept for weeks. It's like—"

There was a soft impact behind and to Eric's left an instant after both Rind and Atla disappeared from view.

"The Voice of Earth's representative?" Rind asked. She was right there, pinning Atla to the wall with one hand against her chest.

"Well I wasn't, until after my little, shall we call it, indiscretion? Give a mortal a little heads up and... You know, even splinter groups get bogged down in bureaucracy."

"Answer the question."

"Well I get to drop in from time to time and lend a hand where it's needed. Contribute to his welfare and such."

Eric glared. "What? I'm not feeling particularly benefited by your last contribution to my welfare."

"Well considering your company I'm not surprised," Atla said.

Eric watched for a reaction from Rind but saw none.

"It's not the company that's the problem, and you know it."

Atla appeared surprised. "What better way is there of being introduced to worlds beyond than visions of one of the most widely respected goddesses in Heaven and Hell?"

"Yeah. Visions."

"Well forgive me if my attempts at charity aren't up to your liking. It's my old life seeping through. I wasn't raised to be tactful. Be thankful I didn't just dump you on the temple grounds."

Eric turned away and sat on the bed rubbing his temples.

"Well at least then I wouldn't have a monster after me?"

Atla giggled. "What, the hitokui? That had to be Izumishita's idea of a joke. It's probably dead in a ditch by now. He just sent that thing to stir things up."

"What does that accomplish?" Rind asked. "If it is such a trivial effort."

"Oh there's no mistake it would have eaten him, but if Izumishita really meant for that goal to go off without a hitch then our boy would be dead by more certain means, which brings me to the reason for my visit. Really, it is actually urgent."

"My hall will contact me with urgent matters."

Atla rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, because Brunhilde respects you so. Why, this mission must be a thinly veiled vacation! A duty-crazed valkyrie knows no other kind after all."

Though neither Rind's expression nor posture changed, Eric could imagine how deep the remark cut.

"Why don't you just leave," he said. "You're not doing us any favors."

"I will if I have my say."

"Then have your say and be gone," Rind said.

"No doubt you've heard of the Ginnungagap."

Now there was a change. Rind's body seemed to tense, solidify, like the goddess' substance had turned into lead.

"It would not be in the best interests of Hell to release that creature."

"I agree, but not all in Hell have its best interests at heart."

"Izumishita."

"Bingo. I'm sure you'll be hearing from your hall shortly. Although it would seem they do not wish you as much forewarning as I."

Rind backed away from Atla and looked at the telephone. It too sat on the nightstand, next to the clock. The time now was 4:40. To Eric, too much time had passed.

"What do we do?" he asked.

"No doubt wait for reinforcements. This beast is too much for one Valkyrie."

"Leave," Rind said. "Or I will seal you."

Atla held up her hands. "I'm as good as gone. Trust me, I don't want to be around if that thing shows up in this city. I'd rather not hear the screams."

Eric looked at the door, expecting the sounds of anguish to come drifting through from across some distance. Atla brushed passed him, brushing her shoulder against his.

"Don't worry yourself about it. I don't think Brunhilde will stoop so low as to let Rind face this alone." And with that she was back inside the bathroom, passing through the mirror.

"Rind?"

"She was lying, trying to test my—"

The phone rang.

Both looked at it as though such devices brought only bad news. Since Eric was closer, he picked it up.

"Uh, hello?"

There was as stunned silence on the other end. Then:

"This is Brunhilde. I wish to speak with Rind immediately."

It occurred to Eric to use this opportunity to give the goddess on the other end a piece of his mind for whatever she had done by giving Rind a mission so un-challenging as to be little more than an insult. In the same breath it also occurred to him that Brunhilde would not tolerate rebuke from a mortal and would just put him to sleep over the phone. Then there was the detail of what Atla had said. If she had not been lying, then this was no time to be self-righteous. He handed the phone to Rind.

"It's Brunhilde."

Rind tensed as she reached for the phone, whether in anticipation of bad news or further insult he was not sure.

"Yes?"

She was silent for the next minute. Unreadable.

"Understood." She put the phone back on the cradle.

"We must leave now. Grab your belongings."

Eric did as he was told, tossing his shoes into his tote, zipping it shut, and picking it up in his left hand. He almost flinched when Rind grabbed his right. She pulled it over her shoulder and wrapped her free arm around his waist.

"What're you doing?"

"It is best if you close your eyes and hold your breath."

"Why?"

She hauled him into the bathroom. "This will be very disorienting to you. Do as I say."

Eric swallowed and closed his eyes when the mirror began to glow.

The next thing he felt was a sort of weightlessness, perhaps not what an astronaut would feel in the absence of gravity, but perhaps what one would feel if suspended by every atom in his body. Next came the mirror.

There was no pain or noticeable change in temperature. There was just a feeling of a thin membrane passing through his just as he passed through it, a temporary juxtaposition of existence, or a feeling of density that swept from his head to his feet. Once it was past he tried to breath.

At first he exhaled, and the breath flowed from him with a bit more force than he was comfortable with. Inhaling proved difficult, and he could not tell if he drew air. With that breath his lungs were not satisfied, and a second did nothing to remedy the situation. Nearing panic he reached out for Rind to get her attention but could not find her. He could still feel her arm around his waist and her hand on his, but his reaching hand could not reach her.

Then it was over. Air rushed back into him and a solid surface bumped against his bare toes.

"Put your feet on the ground."

His eyes still closed, Eric bent his legs, flexed his feet and gingerly pushed downward. The moment he felt dirt and gravel on the soles of his feet his weight returned. Only then did he risk opening his eyes.

Wherever they were, it was dusk. They stood before a still pond, the night sky reflected in its surface. To the left was a gentle slope leading up to a mountain.

"Where are we?"

At first Rind did not answer. She was looking at a point downslope, scanning the area with her eyes.

"Japan. Nagano Prefecture."

"Are we…" It was a hard question to ask. As much as he wanted to meet Belldandy he felt too unworthy to be in her presence. On top of that there might be a day when he would have to leave, which he believed would feel the same as waking from a good dream to the awareness that he must go to work.

"Are we going to see them?"

"No valkyrie can be spared. I was ordered to bring you there and obtain their support. Fortunately we were intercepted."

"Fortunately?"

Rind glanced at him. "I was chastised for endangering the goddesses on a prior mission. If I could choose, I would not do that again."

Eric nodded, understanding. Apparently it was less of a problem to put others in danger when your superiors told you to do it.

"Intercepted by what?"

Rind was still looking downslope, and as Eric watched, her expression hardened.

"Run." She half turned and pointed upslope. "When you see the road to your left, go down to it. It will lead you to a tunnel. Go as far in as you can without passing halfway."

Instead of running, Eric rooted himself to the spot. He thought he saw now what Rind had seen. A visual disturbance was forming near a grove of trees a building that appeared abandoned. As he watched, it grew.

"Run. Now!."

For his stubbornness Eric expected the command speech. But there was none. Taking just one step backward he watched as Rind's angels appeared. Cool Mint, on Rind's right, turned and looked at him. To say her expression was beseeching would be the same as saying the ocean is wet. That alone would have made him just want to hug her. It was the fear he saw there as well that made him turn and run.

Though it was he that tripped and fell, striking his knee on a rock, he called back, "Be careful!"

"Do not look back under any circumstances!"

Which prompted him to look back, only to see Rind flying down the hillside towards the disturbance, which now seemed to be taking shape. It was till too early to see what it was. Eric wasn't sure he wanted to.