Gossip-loving Garfield dragged over a tiny bench, plopped it down beside the Ancient One, and squatted obediently.
With a flourish, he pulled out a thick stack of snacks from his pocket, neatly arranged and ready for consumption.
He was fully prepared.
Ready to listen.
The Ancient One glanced sideways at the scene and pressed her fingers to her brow.
"What are you doing now?"
"Listening to gossip, Master." Garfield looked up, eyes bright.
"Come on, tell me what really happened between them. Is it enough material to write a Serious History of Divine Scandals?"
For a brief moment, the Ancient One seemed to recall something.
Her expression stiffened.
Then, without another word, she opened a portal and calmly grabbed Garfield and Pandora by the scruff.
"Go home. Both of you."
Whoosh.
The portal snapped shut.
Garfield stared at the empty air where it had been and let out a miserable wail.
"My little bench…! My snacks…!!"
Before his grief could deepen, Pandora raised her mace and smashed him straight into the ground.
"Smelly cat!" She snapped angrily.
"You were talking nonsense! Because of you, I missed my chance to hear more gossip!"
Garfield staggered to his feet, blood trickling dramatically down his forehead as he pointed accusingly at her.
"Pandora Godzilla! Are you insane?! I was crying about my snacks! Those were bought with my hard-earned money!"
Bang
Another mace strike.
Garfield collapsed again.
"Smelly cat," Pandora said coldly. "If you're going to fight this monarch, at least be gentler."
This time, Garfield stayed down. Lying flat on the floor, he sighed deeply.
"Women… you should at least try to be reasonable."
Pandora lifted her mace. "This monarch is reasoning with you. If you don't accept it, what then?"
Garfield instantly changed tactics.
"Good men don't fight women." He said solemnly. "And good cats don't argue with Godzilla's."
With that, Garfield bonelessly transformed into an orange sea cucumber and slowly wriggled toward Baima, who had been watching the chaos from the sidelines.
Baima, clearly experienced, bent down and scooped the orange sea cucumber into her arms with practiced ease.
Rub.
Rub.
The bliss of petting a cat.
^ ^
Garfield immediately felt something was wrong. 'Baima are already grown' He thought hazily.
"I… can't… breathe…"
From the side, Pandora watched Baima holding Garfield and ground her teeth in irritation.
"Hmph."
She slammed her mace to the ground and disappeared back into the soul space in a foul mood.
After being held for a very long time, Garfield finally struggled to lift his head.
"Baima." He said weakly, "You're already a big girl. Don't hold me so tightly… I'm going to suffocate."
"A-ah!" Baima gasped. "I'm sorry, Lord Garfield! I just couldn't help myself!"
Her face flushed red as she hurriedly let go.
Garfield took several deep breaths. His vision cleared instantly.
Hypoxia.
Painful.
Yet strangely happy.
…
After sending Garfield away, the Ancient One calmly picked up the snacks he had left behind and slipped them into her sleeve.
As for the small bench?
Not worth the mana to reopen a portal. It could stay there for now.
…
Asgard
After thousands of years, the Asgardian army had once again descended upon Earth and returned in total victory.
Aside from a single unlucky moldy egg that had rolled down a sand dune and cracked against the blade of the Anubis army, the expedition suffered no significant casualties.
A perfect triumph.
And for a warrior nation like Asgard, victory demanded celebration.
In the golden halls of the divine realm, food and wine overflowed.
Warriors shed their armor, donned fine clothing, and gathered in lively groups… drinking, laughing, boasting, and inviting friends and companions to join the revelry.
The greatest heroes of the battle… Thor, who had crushed Anubis's one-eared avatar, and the barely-alive Scorpion King, were showered with praise.
Toasts were raised. Lines formed around the barrels.
In the midst of it all, Loki sat alone in a shadowed corner.
Holding a single cup of wine, he watched his brother Thor at the center of the crowd, arms around warriors, drinking without restraint.
"A bunch of fools." Loki took a slow sip and muttered under his breath.
In truth, Loki felt a quiet sense of loss.
After two cups of wine, the loneliness only grew heavier. The more he drank, the clearer it became… Thor's performance in this battle had exceeded all expectations.
The praise, the cheers, the warmth of the crowd… it was more than Loki had anticipated.
And with it, the balance of their competition for the throne had shifted.
Downward.
It seems I need to do something.
He rotated the wine glass slowly between his fingers. One by one, he began sorting through the resources still under his control… advantages, leverage, unfinished connections.
Finally, two images surfaced in his mind.
One was Laufey, King of the Frost Giants.
The other… was an orange cat on Midgard, soon to arrive in Asgard to 'recognize his relatives.'
Loki had always been a man of action.
Once he decided on a direction, he moved. First, he needed to meet Garfield alone to determine the cat's true intentions.
Then, quietly, he would make contact with Laufey.
The Casket of Ancient Winters, the Frost Giants' sacred treasure, was stored in Asgard's vault.
It would be the perfect bait, but not something he could ever hand over.
Savages, Loki thought coldly.
Long lives wasted in stagnation. No progress, a barbaric existence frozen in time.
They are beneath me.
Still, their support had value.
And the orange cat would arrive in half a month.
I don't have much time. Loki lifted his gaze.
Not far away, Odin sat drinking with Queen Frigga and Thor, laughter ringing around them. The scene was warm.
A perfect picture of a royal family.
Now… is a good moment. He drained the wine in his glass, stood, and quietly walked out of the hall.
As a mother, Frigga had always watched her sons closely.
Especially Loki, the one hiding in corners, drinking alone, wearing smiles too carefully crafted to be real.
The two brothers were fundamentally different.
Frigga did not fully agree with Odin's way of handling things, but she could not interfere directly.
All she could do was teach both boys, from childhood onward, to love one another.
She believed that if the worst day ever came…
A thousand years of shared history might still be enough to stop them from destroying each other.
When Loki suddenly left the hall, Frigga felt something was wrong.
She followed.
Loki sensed her presence immediately.
In front of Frigga, he dared not use an avatar or illusion. The Asgardian guard, whom he had briefly disguised himself as, dissolved quietly as he dismissed the projection.
Loki's true form appeared, and he sat down obediently before her.
"Mother."
Frigga studied him closely.
"Loki," She asked gently, "are you all right?"
"I'm fine." He replied with a soft smile. "It's too crowded inside. I wanted some air."
Frigga reached out and patted his head, her gaze filled with warmth.
"You never liked lively places." She said softly. "Even as a child, you preferred wandering Asgard alone."
She paused, her voice lowering. "Sometimes… I can feel you vanish beyond Asgard's boundaries."
"Mother~"
"Asgard exists in the void." Frigga continued calmly.
"It is bound together by the World Tree, linking countless realms. Many of those connections are hidden… unstable."
Her hand rested on his hair. "When you wander, be careful."
"If you sense danger, return immediately. If something is beyond your ability, call Heimdall."
She smiled faintly.
"And don't take your father's harsh words to heart. He fears only that you and Thor might be harmed by the world beyond."
Loki listened in silence.
After a long moment, he smiled.
"Mother understands. I'll take good care of myself." He said lightly.
"Besides, wasn't I always mischievous as a child? I still grew up fine."
Frigga raised an eyebrow. "And who was it that got chased across half of Asgard by a grunt?"
"That was Thor." Loki responded without hesitation. "He insisted on testing his hammer."
Frigga laughed softly.
After reminiscing for a while longer, she returned to the banquet hall.
The moment she was gone, Loki's expression cooled.
Quietly, he activated his avatar and stepped into a wormhole, vanishing from Asgard.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream