They wore flower crowns and antlers, dressed in sheer bright gauze, with threads emitting a blue glow dancing between their fingers, butterflies fluttering around them.
These threads seemed to come from nowhere, destined for no particular place, but their task appeared to be untangling these complex knots.
A young lady, a young woman, and an old woman.
Before them, in a small pond, floated a tiny golden ship.
A Viking ship, appearing like a model, drifted towards a lotus, as if about to crash.
What will happen?
Will the ship capsize? Or will the lotus wither?
No one knows.
The youngest girl seemed to be only fourteen or fifteen years old, and while she roughly untangled the threads in her hands, she said:
"Back in ancient times, before destiny unfurled, and our threads were not yet woven, the gods emerged from the void, transforming the bleak face of the cosmos, roaming arrogantly and constructing countless worlds."
The young woman, gently sorting the threads in her hand, patiently untangled each knot and added:
"The gods reproduced and fought among themselves. Giants, Elves, Demons, and Giants waged endless wars, just as the Aesir Race and Vanir Race were in constant struggle. Meanwhile, humanity in Midgard learned to walk upright, fashioned stone into axes, and began pondering themselves and all things, loving, hating, fighting, dreaming, strategizing like the gods."
The old woman, with her head bent low, leisurely merged several threads into one, letting it dangle into the pond before her, watching it slowly drift toward the small ship:
"All beings create history, while we weave fate, mind this slender thread, see where it leads, connecting brothers and fathers, linking goddesses and men..."
But this thread was not obedient, it twisted like a water snake in the pond.
.................
Time passed, as night faded, Su Ming and Gin remained in Brynhild's humble cabin, all three by the fireplace roasting meat to eat.
Though he initially planned for Gin to return to Earth first, Gin herself was reluctant, wanting to see what truly happened to Asgard that caused the Divine Mothers to be so on edge.
It's natural to worry about one's hometown, Su Ming wouldn't force her.
Presumably, once they leave this time, they won't return, so let her see more while she can.
There were still many staying in the city, though they were mainly women, elderly, children, or wounded warriors, all lacking much fighting capability.
Of course, there were still some Valkyries left guarding the Heroic Spirit Hall and Heimdall operating the Rainbow Bridge.
At dawn today, the army departed, and up till now there hadn't been any messages sent back, it seemed battle hadn't commenced on that side.
Su Ming's initial goal was accomplished, the next part was to see what kind of demon or snake god they could lure out.
"Try this."
Gin pulled some snacks from Wilson Enterprises out of her pocket, mostly chili sticks, and a few packages of crispy noodles.
"What's this?"
"Snacks, something to pass the time when bored, very tasty, Asgard doesn't produce chili."
She shared her snacks with Brynhild, and the two Valkyries began eating chili sticks alongside the roasted meat.
"It feels strange, why is my heart racing so fast? And my body feels hot."
After a few packs, Brynhild was panting with a slurp.
"That's how chili is, once you get used to it, meals feel lacking without it." Gin tore open another bag, appearing like she planned to consume all her stock here.
However, while the two were eating, Su Ming vaguely heard the rumble of thunder.
The sound was distant but couldn't elude his hearing.
"Cavalry?"
The military here mobilized by flying ships, disembarking to form battle lines once reaching the battlefield, boarding again for rapid movement.
Sounded like Viking pirates.
Disembark to fight then raid villages, fleeing on the ships before the enemy army arrives.
The United Kingdom suffered greatly in the past due to its extensive coastline as the War God taught the Aesir Race's tactics to the Vikings.
Asgard is no different now, focusing more on ships and flying vessels. In contrast, despite their advanced technology, their land transportation still relied on horses.
Asgard's cavalry consisted of only one group, the Valkyrie, their flying cavalry, initially small in number, now even fewer.
And now the sound of hooves emerged, certainly not from Asgardians, it should be invaders.
"Stop for a moment, ladies, listen."
Su Ming stood up, approached the window, listening to the direction of the sound, his smile faded to a blank expression.
The room hushed, only the crackling wood in the fireplace was audible, while those low thunderous sounds were drawing closer, clearer.
This was the sound of cavalry charging by the thousands.
The direction wasn't from the Rainbow Bridge, but from the other side of the Immortal Palace.
Heimdall seems to have recalled part of the army, and these guards quickly took to the battlefield, using those laser devices in the city that look like ballistae to fight the enemy.
The sounds of the skirmish soon reached the ears of the few, which made Su Ming even more certain.
However, those who act first are usually fools. Su Ming does not think the cavalry can breach the Immortal Palace, let alone Odin's palace. The towering Golden Palace has very complete defenses.
"I need to take a look." Brynhild wobbled as she crawled up from the beast hide.
She seemed to have drunk a bit too much; her mouth didn't stop all night.
Gin's capacity for alcohol was even better; at this time, she could still help the old captain up, but she had no armor and no weapon, let alone a flying horse.
At least over half of a cavalryman's skill depends on horseback, and historically, European knights who dismounted were practically less than farmers could handle, not just Geralt who struggled against pitchforks.
And as Valkyries without flying horses, the two of them could now only exhibit strength a notch below even Sif, just a bit stronger than ordinary Immortal Palace Warriors.
The Immortal Palace can be seen as the capital of Asgard, and Asgard is a whole landmass suspended in the cosmos.
Outside the Immortal Palace, there is vast land, generally as fiefs for Odin's or Thor's confidants, such as Heimdall, Sif, the Three Warriors, etc. They each have their own small territories.
On one hand, they are lords; on the other, they work in the capital to serve the king, this is the form of the feudal court.
But at this moment, the cavalry somehow unknowingly circumvented all the outer defenses and directly threatened the city.
"Let's go, I'll go with you to take a look."
"One of you is an outsider and the other a prisoner, you can't just go out like this." Brynhild shook her head; her mind was still relatively clear.
"Simple." Su Ming patted his chest: "Strangulation."
Black tentacles emerged from his chest, first taking out the Holy Statue Armor from a bag and helping him put it on, then distorting and twisting to form an armor in Immortal Palace style.
Su Ming's face was also covered by flesh-colored tissue, gradually forming the appearance of the famous actor Anthony.
The Magic Floating Cloak instantly changed color, returning to its favorite crimson, fluttering behind the shoulders of the armor.
The Godslayer again turned into a spear, held in Su Ming's hand.
"I am the Lord of the Immortal Palace; why do I need others' consent to release a prisoner?"
Brynhild: "..."
Honestly, she was a bit confused whether this was Odin or if it was a deeper strategy?
However, Gin knew, the boss is the boss, though imitating closely, but...
"Boss, the beard."
She reminded.
Su Ming touched his chin, indeed, he forgot Odin's beard; his deepest impression of Odin's actor was Dr. Lecter.
Under the host's influence, Strangulation also often thought of dishes like fava beans with liver, wine-braised tongues, and accidentally turned into that person...
With Gin's help, Su Ming altered some details, and a fully lifelike version of Odin appeared in the room.
He flicked his cloak and strode towards the door, and Gin tugged Brynhild along to quickly follow.
With the help of the guiding party, Su Ming now resembled Odin by nine-tenths, both in manner and habits. Even if Frigga encountered him, he was confident he could get by unnoticed.
However, in this form, he could not yet go to the battlefield because Odin had another detail in combat.
He must ride a horse, and Odin's war horse has eight legs, which Strangulation couldn't mimic. It wouldn't do to have a line between him and the horse once he dismounted, right?
Therefore, Su Ming needed to borrow a horse first to prevent exposure.
..........
Odin's stable was very luxurious, even the feed troughs were pure gold. The Eight-legged Celestial Horse Sleipnir lived in this palace, and its living conditions were even better than those of ordinary Immortal Palace people.
It had ample good wine and meat, along with a harem of beautiful mares for companionship.
According to legends, Odin would gift Sleipnir's and Celestial Horses' offspring to the heroic warriors of the human world. After a warrior's death, these horses would retrieve the bodies from the piles for the Valkyries to find.
But as Odin aged, there were fewer instances requiring war, and this divine steed was often idle.
Moreover, nowadays on Earth, who needs horses? True warriors, if not flying planes, would at least ride cars or motorcycles, right?
Cars, they couldn't provide...
At this moment, Sleipnir was burying its head in the feed trough, devouring boar meat and drinking fine wine from a golden bowl, entirely indifferent to the alluring calls of its concubines around it. Some mares came to nuzzle it, only to be pushed away by its hooves, showing a human-like disdain.
It was as if saying, 'Go away, you gold-diggers, go away, you females greedy for my wealth.'
Every day it would wake up from a spacious 800-square-meter bed, surrounded by items of luxury, living without any goal.
People perceived it as living in endless bliss every day. As a horse, this was the peak of horse existence.
But it was a warhorse and shouldn't remain in this lavish palace. A life without glory was the shame of a warhorse; it longed only for war.
Just as it sighed anthropomorphically, it saw a familiar figure, who pushed the palace doors open single-handedly, the pure gold doors crashing against the walls, and then strode towards it.