Chapter 2

New Foes , New Friends

Göll anxiously paced back and forth in one of the many hallways of the Valhalla Parliament Building , just an hour or so ago , it seemed like most of the gods had agreed to spare humanity from destruction . Yet now , here she was at a complete loss at what to do , Ra had taken over the Council and announced that a second Ragnarok would be held to decide mankind's fate once again , but this time Göll was completely alone in her quest to save humanity , without Brunhilde guidance and leadership , she barely even knew where to begin . In addition , after the events of the First Ragnarok , the Thirteen Valkyries had now been whittled down , and was far from sufficient to provide a volundr weapon for each combatant representing humanity . Meaning that there was no way for them to wound and much less kill their godly opponents .

" What do I do ? What do I DO ? " Göll exclaimed frantically , pulling her hair as she continued to walk up and down the corridor . " Without enough Valkyries to act as humanities Volund , we have virtually NO way of beating any gods Ra sends our way ! And even then I have no idea who I can choose to fill out our roster ! Oh what do i do? what do i do ? How i wish big sis Hilde were still here to help us . "

While Göll was saying this , she was not paying attention to her surroundings , and with a small " Oof ! " she collided with a man who had just entered the same hallway as her , falling to the floor on her bottom . " Owwww ….. Sorry mister , I didn't see you there . " she apologized as the person she bumped into extended his hand and helped her to her feet .

" Think nothing of it , Ms Göll , i was looking for you and should have made my presence known sooner . " came the man's reply in a smooth and baritone voice .

" Huh ? Looking for me ? " Göll exclaimed , her head looking upwards towards this newcomer . He was well built , with tanned skin and long flowing brown hair , he wore a white loincloth with green and gold accents and a strange looking belt , made out of chains and bronze . On his legs were bronze greaves fastened as well by chains , around his bandaged shins , his look was completed with two giant gauntlets green , also covered in chains , with bronze accents and a red ruby placed in each of their centers . But most noticeable of all , was the ugly scar on his midriff , at the area where his liver was located .

" Indeed , allow me to introduce myself young Valkyrie , " The man replied , " I am Prometheus , Titan of Fire and Foresight from the Greek Pantheon , and I would like to offer my services to aid you in the coming Ragnarok against our common foe . "

"Prometheus ? as in the "stole fire from the gods as a gift to humanity" Prometheus ? " Göll asked incredulously ,

" The very same one , " Prometheus chuckled , " And what you just said should very well explain why I am offering my services to your cause . I have always looked out for mankind's well being. I have an informant who has only recently told me about Ra's master plan , which of course does not sit well with me . And while I was unable to provide help in the first Ragnarok , I am more than willing to assist you in this one , Especially if it means knocking those haughty sun gods down a peg or fifty . " He finished with a look of determination and resolve .

Göll could not believe her good fortune , " Of-of course I will gladly accept your aid , I need all the help I can get for these 13 new rounds of Ragnarok . But unless you know of a convenient and accessible way for us to obtain enough Divine Weapons to equip our combatants with , we are still stuck at square one . "

Prometheus chuckled again , " Why my dear Göll , that is EXACTLY what my aid that I am offering consists of , an easy and accessible way for our human combatants to obtain Divine Weapons best suited to their taste , and fully capable of going head to head with the gods . "

Göll's eyes widened in shock , " You-You do ? That's AMAZING ! where do we need to go to get these Divine weapons , we can set off at once ! "

Prometheus smiled at Göll's determination , " of course I can bring you there , but it isn't so much about where we need to go , but rather WHO we need to find . And luckily for us , she is very much on board with my plan and is more than willing to help us as well , follow me ."

And with that , Prometheus turned around and motioned Göll to follow him out of the building and to the person who could provide them with the necessary tools needed to achieve victory for mankind's survival .

The Forge of Hephaestus , home and workshop of the greatest Smithing God in all of Heaven

Göll and prometheus soon arrived at the doorsteps of The Forge of Hephaestus , the Greek God of Blacksmiths , upon seeing their destination ,Göll face lit up with excitement , " Of course , Hephaestus has forged and created many of the Divine Weapons used by the gods even till today . If you have already managed to convince him to help us , the only thing we have to worry about is choosing our combatants ! "

Prometheus smiled at the young Valkyries eagerness , but stopped her from proceeding just yet , " While i applaud your quick thinking , there are a few flaws in your plan , Firstly , we only have a week to prepare for Ragnarok , and while Hephaestus is indeed the most skilled weaponsmith in all of Heaven , there's no way he would be able to complete 13 of them before the end of such a tight deadline . Secondly , I did say that the Divine Weapons provided will be best suited for each participant's taste and style , and since we haven't even decided who will be on our roster , how would Hephaestus know what kind of weapon is needed to be made ? He isn't a god of seeing into the future , after all. And finally I referred to our mysterious benefactor by the pronouns of she , and as uh , " progressive " as that would be , Hephaestus is still very much a male . "

" Oh , uh , sorry for jumping to conclusions Mr Prometheus . " Göll apologized , looking rather abashed .

" No , No , I should be the one apologizing . " Prometheus replied , " That was rather rude of me , do excuse my poor manners , I have a bad habit of not fully explaining things to others until the last minute …. "

There was an awkward pause between the two , before Prometheus broke the silence , " Regardless , I shall now introduce you to our partner in crime , follow me please . " He said as he knocked once on the heavy iron doors of the forge , only opening them and allowing him and Göll to enter once a man's "Grunt ! " from inside signified their permission to enter .

As the two of theme entered , Göll could not believed the mind boggling scene in front of her eyes , the whole forge seemed to be built inside a cave , In the middle of it was a giant stalagmite carved into the form a anvil , with the wall behind it turned into an even bigger forge, seemingly made entirely of the caves rocky walls , inside it blazed a huge flame , its smoke billowing out of a hole at the very top of the forges ceiling . on the left side of the forges walls , were racks of various weapons , Sword , Spears , Bows , Halberts and other strange looking ones that she did not know the names of . All of them were beautifully designed and radiated power and skilled craftsmanship . And on the right , various tools a Smith God would need to forge powerful weapons and tools worthy of the gods .

Said Smith God was hunched over the giant anvil , hammer in his left hand raining blows down on a piece of metal glowing red hot to mold it into shape . He was dressed in a black apron , covering his black overalls and soot covered white singlet , his hair and beard was the color of rust , and was wild and unkept . His right leg was in a metal brace , which caused the left side of his body to appear taller than his right .

Prometheus and Göll watched on as Hephaestus continued to hammer the piece of metal , until its shape resembled that of a sword; satisfied , he plunged the glowing metal into a bucket of water , submerging it . Only then did Prometheus open his mouth to speak , " Hello Hephaestus , apologies for the intrusion , but me and young miss Göll here require the assistance of your daughter for the foreseeable future . "

The Smith God scoffed as he looked up from his work , " I suppose this is about that bird-brained tyrant of a sun god thirsting for another 13 pointless deaths ? Amazing , the amount of bloodshed needed for humanity to secure its survival once again . " he spoke in his deep and hard voice .

" Indeed , " Prometheus replied , " it's a pity that lives will inevitably be lost in this showdown , but sacrifices have to be made for the greater good . Anyway , where is your daughter at the moment ? "

"Daughter ? " Göll questioned , Hephaestus sighed , before looking at Prometheus intensely , " Swear to me on the River Styx that you will do everything in your power to protect her from the gods inevitable wrath should she assist your cause . "

" I swear , I will do my very best to safeguard her from any harm . " came Prometheus's reply .

Satisfied by his answer , Hephaestus turned towards a flight of stairs in the corner of the forge leading to a second level , and called out " Pandora , sweetheart , come down here please . Prometheus and the valkyrie girl are here for you . " His voice was still hard , but now had a noticeable tenderness to it as well .

No sooner had the words left Hephaestus mouth , the sound of someone scrambling down the flights of stairs could be heard , and a young girl hurried into their view , she wore an outfit usually seen on ancient greek woman , a simple white chiton , and woven sandals on her feet , her face and features were nothing short of beautiful , her blond hair was long flowing , and tied up in a braid that hung over her left shoulder . And tucked carefully under her right arm , was an ancient Greek jar , a pithos .

Prometheus smiled , " Greetings Pandora , I am most grateful for your assistance and dedication towards our cause for mankind's survival . With your help , I am sure we will be able to win this showdown against the gods . "

Pandora blushed at the Titans comment , " T-Thank you Lord Prometheus . " she spoke in a soft and tentative voice , " i-i feel that it is only right of me to do so , considering that it was due to my curiosity that resulted in the many troubles and misfortunes that plague humanity . "

Hephaestus , who had returned to his work , paused once again and turned to his daughter with a gentle expression , " Dearest , how many time do i have to remind you that that incident was in no way your fault , i created you to be curious by nature , and have an everlasting desire of knowledge . As Zeus decreed to me so , you could not stop yourself from opening that jar even if you tried , you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened any longer . "

" Even so father , " Pandora replied with a now determined look on her face , " I still was the one who opened that jar , so I should take responsibility for MY actions by helping humanity win this second Ragnarok showdown . " Upon hearing his daughter's resolved response , Hephaestus wiped a tear from his eyes , resuming his work once more, chuckling , " that's my little angel alright . "

Göll, who had been watching their conversation unfold with an open mouth , spoke up , " Wait , you mean that you are THE Pandora ? as in the " Pandora's Box " Pandora ? "

Pandora gave a sad smile at this , " Well it wasn't a box , but rather a jar , this one in fact , " she said holding up the pithos in her hand to a wide eye Göll , " But yes , i am , and i hope by helping to save humanity , i will be able to repay them for the turmoil my actions have caused . "

" That's great to hear , but how are you supposed to help us get the Divine Weapons we need to equip our Combatants with ? "

Prometheus smiled , " Well my dear Göll , the answer to that question is the very jar that young Pandora is holding in her hand right now . You see , while her opening the jar did indeed cause many misfortunes and diseases to be released upon mankind . One spirit , Hope , did not leave the jar , so that humanity would not completely give up , and would always persist on , in hopes that things would change for the better . And it's that very spirit who we shall utilize to craft the weapons we need to defeat the gods . "

These words were music to Göll's ears , humanity now had access to Divine weapons once again ! Granted she did question how the spirit of hope could create the perfect weapon for each combatant , and why Brunhilde had not chosen to use this much better alternative for the first Ragnarok rather than to put their sisters lives on the line , but these were questions she would ponder on later . Now was the time to fill out their roster with the very best humanity had to offer and secure victory once again .

She smiled at Pandora and Prometheus , " Well now we have that settled , who do we put on our list ? "

The Palace of the Duat , residence and headquarters of Ra

Ra sat on his grand and golden throne , eyeing the list of gods enlisted for the second Ragnarok showdown , while it was still missing one more combatant , he was sure that these gods , himself included of course , would most certainly crush any combatants Göll sent out , whether they had Divine Weapons or not .

The Representatives of the Gods

. Nezha

. Dapeng Jingchi Mingwang

. Huitzilopochtli

. Amaterasu

. Izanagi

. Hel

. Typhon

. Set

. Ra

. Sobek

. Raphael

. Kali

A rather formidable list of fighters , victory was certain to be achieved , humanity would be completely destroyed . The thought made him lean back on his throne and smile .

His smile faded quickly though , as he heard his two attendants bickering down the hallway as they made their way towards his throne room . Amaterasu and Huitzilopochtli entered , quarreling about some issue or another , just hearing the two of them gave him a massive headache . After letting their argument go on for another minute of two , he gave a small cough , reminding the two deities that they were now squabbling like toddlers in front of their boss .

Both of them immediately snapped to attention , nervously grinning sheepishly at him , unbefitting for Chief Gods of Two Pantheons . " I apologize , Lord Ra , me and Huitzilopochtli forgot that we were in your noble presence , I beg of you to excuse our uncouth attitudes . '' Amaterasu hurriedly said , as Huitzilopochtli bopped his head up and down in agreement .

Ra sighed , massaging the right side of his forehead with his hand , he honestly forgot the reason why he still kept these two around , but nevertheless , he started speaking .

" I have called you two here , to inform you that you will both be participants in this Ragnarok , whether you like to or not . However , I am quite sure that you both are already aware of this . "

Amaterasu nodded her head , her face confident and proud , " of course Lord Ra , we will not disappoint you and will secure victory for the gods . ''

She turned to look at her partner , who didn't look as enthusiastic as she did , simply nodding his head along and answering in an uneasy voice , " Oh yeah , I crush whatever human they send out against me … yep , they definitely don't stand a chance …. "

Ra raised an eyebrow at the Aztec god's unusual behavior , he was always known for relishing in the chance for battle , but regardless he continued on , " Very good , seeing that you are both so keen on your upcoming matches . However , neither of you will be the gods vanguard for the upcoming match . I have already allocated that spot to one of my most powerful and trusted lieutenants . Who will be joining us here rather shortly . "

As soon as those words were spoken , a rumbling noise echoed from the hallway , Amaterasu and Huitzilopochtli turned around to see a hulking outline of a ginormous man slowly making his way towards them , the air around them now smelt pungent and distinctly of a marshy swampland . Most curiously of all, water pooled out of the hallway and around their feet as the figure finally emerged into Ra's Throne room in all his glory .

Seeing their faces in awe and fear , Ra couldn't help but smirk evilly , " Oh yes , with him as our vanguard , the first match is as good as OURS . "

The Akashic Records

Prometheus smiled as he looked at the list of Humans he and his two companions had selected for battle , although it was not complete , he was confident that these new combatants would be more than capable of winning the showdown .

The Representatives of Humanity

. Orpheus

. Prometheus

. Vladimir Lenin

. Maui

. Napoleon Bonaparte

. Joan of Arc

.Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus

. Ramesses II

. Arthur Pendragon

. Grettir

However his calm demeanor could not be said for Göll and Pandora , who were both fretting over the fact that three slots were still not filled . Prometheus chuckled at their anxious behavior. This was met with an angry glare from Göll . " I don't know how you can be so calm about this Prometheus , we have THREE unfilled slots and we haven't been able to think of any other humans to fill them in ! "

Pandora nodded in agreement , " Gölls right Prometheus , if we aren't able to enlist any other humans to fill out our roster by the time we reach the 11th match , we will be facing a HUGE problem should the tides not be in our favor . "

Prometheus smiled and waved his right hand , " Worry not my dears , I actually do have someone in mind to fill in our 11th spot , but I would like to keep it a surprise , and as for the other two . While what Pandora says is true , I am certain we will be able to find suitable candidates for the role when the time comes . "

Göll and Pandora were about to question who Prometheus's secret 11th combatant was , when a fly flew through an open window and landed next to his ears , seemingly whispering something to him .

Prometheus immediately stood up , and motioned to them to follow him , " That's enough talking for now girls , my informant tells me that Ra has already chosen who to be his vanguard , and the god in question is NOT one to be trifled with . Thankfully , I know which of our combatants will be a suitable counter to him . So please follow me to his preparation room , we must allow him to obtain his perfect weapon from Pandora's jar and have time to practice with it . "

After that , he marched out of the room , tailed by the two girls , who shared an uneasy look. Was that fly Prometheus informant ? Who did Prometheus have in mind to be humanity's vanguard , and more importantly , who had Ra chosen to act as the god's ? These questions would soon be answered as they followed the Titan to the Einherjar waiting rooms .

And thats both the gods and humans rosters done , although both seem incomplete , it isn't because i haven't thought of anyone to fill them in , but rather it is because i either want to add more drama and flair by revealing them later on , or them being reveal later on adds to the story , or simply because i am still pondering over whether or not i truly want to include them inside , ( one of my choices is someone who has done some very heinous things and i trying to figure out a way to write my story in a way that doesn't make it seem like i am trying to praise them or make them seem cool ) regardless , i hope you all like both my rosters , and feel free to comment which god or human's battle you most look foward to .