The Goddess of Horses and the Angel

It has been two months since Rodrigo started living with Tania and Ana, who was supposed to leave for Ireland but always made excuses to stay. Autumn arrived, but in Ibiza, it was always warm, so there wasn't a noticeable change in the weather. It is said that the ancient Phoenicians founded this town a long time ago because there were no snakes there, and they named it in honor of the Egyptian god Bes, who killed those animals.

Meditating, sparring with Ana, and controlling his mana, along with learning to read, eat, and sleep, that was Rodrigo's daily life. Although he sought to learn more about the past of his new mentors, they always changed the subject.

—Starting next year, we will take you to Lel so that you can be assigned a job and do something meaningful— Tania would tell him.

One day, while everyone was eating, someone rang the bell that Tania had at the entrance of her cave. This was not unusual, as the goddess often received villagers seeking medicine or sacred services. She was considered a wise woman.

However, when Rodrigo went to see who it was, they weren't villagers, but two people he had never seen before. The first one was a tall man, around 5'6″, fair-skinned with dark eyes and long straight black hair. He was dressed in a black robe similar to the ones worn by some monks. His companion was a blond girl with short hair, green eyes, of average height, around 4'9″, wearing a long crimson red dress with long sleeves and golden ornaments.

—Alo, parls Castilian bounno? Ser Ana her?— said the blond girl, trying to speak Catalan with a heavily Saxon accent.

—¿Qué dis? Non entendo— Rodrigo responded in Galician, puzzled.

The man started scolding the blond girl in a language that sounded Saxon.

Rodrigo interrupted the conversation in Galician, —No són d'aquí, els puc ajudar?—

At that moment, Ana appeared and saw the peculiar couple.

—Epona! What are you doing here?— she asked the girl who had arrived.

The blond girl turned to Ana and greeted her, —Hello, Ana! I figured you would be here seeking refuge and not in Ireland—

Rodrigo was surprised. He now understood the blond girl perfectly, whereas moments ago, he couldn't decipher her Saxon accent.

—You can speak divine language here, Epona. This boy you see is a Nephilim we found recently, and we're training him, so he understands too— Ana mentioned.

—Oh, so he's not just your servant? And here I was trying to speak Catalan— the blond girl said.

—That was your best effort? I don't want to see what you do when you don't even try. I bet even a stone could give you a language lesson— the tall man replied.

The blond girl's face turned all red, and she clenched her fists. —Shut up, you stupid Malak! You should praise me and serve me because I'm your superior— she angrily told the man in black.

—Sure, good luck with that— the man replied.

The young man dressed as a monk then approached Ana and Rodrigo. When he stood in front of them, he bowed and placed his hand over his chest.

—Pleasure to meet you, Goddess Anand. My name is Anpiel, and I am the assigned Malak for this mission—

—Here, just call me 'Ana'— the black-haired goddess responded, timidly moving her hands as if trying to counteract what the Malak had said.

—That would be quite rude, my Lady Mor...— but Ana quickly interrupted him.

—No, no, not that name... just call me Ana, or I'll get angry!— she nervously shouted.

—Very well, Your Majesty Ana, and please excuse my rudeness— the young man continued, still bowing in a respectful position.

—And you, the Nephilim, who are you?— the blond girl asked as she looked at Rodrigo.

—I am the goddess Epona, the mistress and lady of horses, so speak to me with respect!— she continued.

—I... I am Rodrigo, my lady. It's a pleasure to meet you!— Rodrigo nervously replied as he bowed before Epona.

—Don't bow to her, Rui. There's nothing dignified about being 'the lady of horses'— Ana replied playfully.

—That's precisely what I'm telling her. It's one of the most pathetic titles the gods can carry— Anpiel added, still in his bowed position.

—Go to the fucking hell, all of you!— the furious blond girl responded, clearly throwing a tantrum. "What would you do without horses, tell me?"

—I can fly— Ana said.

—So do I— the Malak added.

—Fuck you all!— Epona responded angrily as she stomped her foot on the ground.

Tania, curious about the commotion, approached to see what was happening.

—What's all the fuss about?— she asked.

—Your Majesty Tannit, my name is Anpiel, and we have come to find both of you for a special mission under the orders of our great king and god of the entire cosmos, Elyon—

—Here, just call me 'Tania'— the fiery-haired goddess replied.

—Very well, Your Majesty Tania— the angel continued, maintaining his bowed position.

—Anand and Tannit, are those your true names?— Rodrigo thought as he continued to observe everything.

—A mission? You did mention that— Ana responded.

—But not here— Tania said, gesturing with her arm to indicate her quarters.

—Please come in while we eat cheese, bread, and have a glass of homemade wine— she said.

—I hope it's high-quality wine from Normandy— Epona mumbled, still with an angry pout on her face and inflated cheeks. Rodrigo found her quite cute.

—As if they drink good wine in Britannia, 'lady of the stables'— Ana sarcastically responded.

—Go cut some clovers and get drunk on beer, She Patrick— Epona retorted, still pouting.

Rodrigo was surprised. —Are all the gods like this, childish, or had he only encountered a group of them with teenage minds?— he wondered.

After finishing their meal, Tania rested her arms on the table and clasped her hands together.

—Well, what services does our Lord Elyon require of us?— she asked.

—To stop and apprehend the god Loki— Anpiel said, also clasping his hands.

—That's a big fish to catch— Ana responded, surprised.

—I don't know if you're aware, but the newly established Kingdom of Denmark, located in the land of Jutland, has decided to embrace Christianity. This was made possible because the god Odin has allowed the religion to enter their territories, signing a peace agreement with the Kingdom of Lel— the Malak mentioned.

—Oh, that's good news for my work in Ireland— Ana said.

—However, Loki, who was trapped in prison, has managed to escape. Using his abilities, he has infiltrated the human world and is now attempting to create a civil war between the current King of Denmark, Harald Bluetooth, who is spreading Christianity, and his son Sweyn Forkbeard, who wishes to return Denmark to the worship of the Norse gods— the Malak explained.

—But Jutland is a lawless land to us. Shouldn't Odin or Thor handle these issues?— Tania mentioned, puzzled.

—The god Odin has taken a passive stance on the matter. He has allowed the spread of Christianity but is not convinced to defend it— the angel said.

—However, our Lord Elyon seeks to protect those Christians living in that region and defend them from Loki's influence. The god Odin has given us permission to intervene— he continued.

—Meaning, Odin wants to see what we're made of— Epona added.

—And will we be able to request our totemas?— the fire goddess asked.

—It's not necessary since Loki is a renegade god and, therefore, should not possess any, according to our investigations— Anpiel replied.

—Very well— Tania said.

—Just one thing— Ana added, —We want to bring this young man who accompanies us on this mission as well—

—Him? Why?— Epona asked with a contemptuous voice.

—He has just discovered that he is a Nephilim, and participating in a mission like this can earn him recommendation points when we bring him to Lel— the freckled goddess said.

—I don't see any problem. I will just report it to my superiors in Lel— Anpiel replied.

Rodrigo didn't understand much of what they were talking about. He didn't know what Jutland or Denmark were. His limited knowledge only extended to Spain and a bit about the Frankish kingdoms, but he knew little about the wider world.

—Besides, didn't they mention a strange word: 'totemas'? What were those?— he wondered.

—Relax, Rui, everything will be fine— Ana said reassuringly with a smile. —This mission will guarantee you a bright future in the eyes of Elyon—

—One more thing— Anpiel added. —According to our sources, the demon god Loki has mentioned his desire to bring about 'Ragnarok' in the world. I mention this so that you proceed with caution—