Pantheon Online

"Come on! Work harder!" Bjorn bellowed at the Skardians, who were carting the stone the dwarves needed.

Harik had ordered the creation of a defensive city on the coast near the Silverfang Mountains. He wanted to ensure any invading foreign armies would have a hard time using the same mountain path that Parthus had. Bjorn squinted at the mountains where large dwarven towers had appeared. Each of them was placed so that fires could be lit to send a warning along their line of enemy ships.

However, it was the huge commanding statue of Exile that stood at the peak of the mountains that filled Bjorn with joy. It served as a memorial of the battle against Parthus, as well as a warning. The statue seemed to look down on the city and out to sea at the same time. It sent the message that Exile was always watching over them.

'It's been five months...' Bjorn sighed as he thought about how long the Gods had secluded themselves from them. 'The last time did not take this long. Even Ania is growing restless. And the other Kings are pressuring Harik to hold the Kingsmoot for the High King.'

Bjorn shook his head as a stiff salty breeze swept in from the sea. 'It's obvious they want to decide before the gods can interfere.' Bjorn sneered at their naivety. 'What's the point of becoming High King if it's not ordained by the gods? Do they really think they would sit back if they were unhappy with their decision?'

Bjorn walked along the paved streets until he reached the temple. A statue of Beans and one of Old Un stood on each side of the door. Harik had decided they would be the patron gods of the new city since its major export would be goods from the sea. Bjorn often found himself standing there where he could look upon the faces of his gods. 'It feels like the world has stopped moving without them.'

Of course, he knew that was a stupid observation on his part. All they had accomplished proved that the world still moved on. However, he almost felt like Skardia had been too peaceful. Like the calm before a storm.

Meanwhile, Exile took a deep breath upon returning to Pantheon Online. 'We're back.' He could not help but be elated to return to the game despite it only being offline for five days. However, a lot happened during that time. 'I need to pay attention to how much time I spend here. I'll need Paul's guidance to keep advancing in his Domain technique.' That was when he heard the others from Ragnarok gasping.

"Where the hell are we?" Clay exclaimed as he looked around Ragnarok's divine realm.

"Welcome, to Himinbjörg!" Exile chuckled as the others showed confused expressions. Exile sighed before explaining further. "In Norse mythology, Himinbjörg was the home of Heimdallr. But I chose this name for its old norse meaning."

"And? What does it mean?" Clay asked.

"Roughly it means heaven's castle or heaven mountain. Both of which fit this place. Don't you think?" Exile grinned as he noticed several of their players rushing to get to the top of the walls to get a look at the scenery.

"So we're on top of a mountain then?" Clay replied as he glanced at the sky with a curious expression.

"Yeah, it should be hard for anyone to attack us here. I think I managed to grab us the best spot before any other Pantheons could reach Tier 1." Exile smiled as he looked toward the Temple. Bring all the officers to the Temple. You're going to love this."

Exile waited until Clay gathered the others before they headed into the temple. There was an altar for each officer and two smaller ones by the doors.

"The ones by the door are for our normal players to use. In other words, the lesser gods of our Pantheon." Exile said as he began his explanation. "The best function of this Pantheon Temple is the fact that we can now create religious symbols."

Everyone's eyes went wide at that remark as they questioned Exile about what that meant. He chuckled softly as he held up a hand to quiet them down.

"When you interact with your altar, you'll have the option to create jewellery with a rune depicting your name. We can use it to receive our prayers anywhere and replenish our DP in the field with a cooldown. Once you've set it, you'll receive a complete piece for yourself and one for each of your Oracles. Your Oracles can then have them recreated in the mortal realms so your followers can pray to you anywhere. Basically, it acts as a mobile temple." Exile chuckled when he saw their reactions.

"Have you already tested it?" Clay asked as everyone revealed eager expressions.

"Not yet, I got this explanation when I explored the building before the game went offline." Exile shrugged. "So, what are we waiting for?"

Exile strode to his altar that stood in the centre of the temple. When the rest saw Exile's actions they rushed to their own. Exile took a deep breath before placing his palm on the smooth stone. He navigated to the religious symbol option and glanced at the interface.

'It's too easy for arms to be cut off in battle. So a bracelet or ring is out of the question. The same goes for pins. They're too easy to lose. A necklace can be tucked in, and if someone gets their head chopped off then they're already dead. So they won't be able to pray anyway. As for my symbol...' Exile frowned as he looked at the available materials. 'I should go with iron. It's cheap enough and more durable than wood. If I go with silver or gold then only rich people would be able to afford one.'

He immediately decided his would come in the form of a necklace made of leather strings with his symbol being made of iron. These choices made his religious artefact affordable to the masses in Skardia. Once he chose to complete his selection, he received three copies of it.

He immediately recognised the one meant for himself. It was the only one with a gold symbol, and the leather was much smoother than the other two. As soon as he put it on he decided to test it out. He was pleased to discover that it came with all the same options he would get from using an altar. 'Well, at least the description was right.'

When the others were done, he noticed his own rune was slightly different in its design. 'I wonder if it's some kind of hybrid between the dwarven and skardian runes?' Exile frowned as he glanced at everyone else as they gathered to show them off.

"Why did you choose gold?" Exile asked as he stared at Midas.

"Well, I'm a god of wealth so it would be a bit strange if I didn't choose gold." He replied with a sly smile.

Exile nodded when he thought about it. 'Makes sense, I guess.'

"Ok, everyone head to Valheim. Clay, you have the list of the players who applied the last time, right?" Exile asked as Clay nodded in reply. "Ok, check them out and make sure their growth has kept up with our needs. You're free to decline anyone that doesn't meet our recruitment standards. The rest of you, get in touch with the other Pantheons. Let them know I want to settle the matter about the High King vote and share some information about a disaster heading to Valheim."

Grim expressions appeared on their faces as they remembered his warning about Nar'Kozz. They understood how serious the matter would be. The only problem would be convincing the other leaders to help prepare Valheim for the attack. Of course, they knew they should start with the members of the rebel faction since they already knew about the boss. The problem would be those belonging to the royal faction. They would definitely be reluctant after the way Exile had outmanoeuvred them during the civil war.

As Exile watched them leave he turned to his own thoughts. 'I'm guessing another Council of the Gods will be called once we settle the matter about the High King.' Exile hummed as he mulled that over. 'Hopefully, nothing too severe will be thrown our way during it.'

He still remembered the issue with the mobs after their last decision. There was no telling how bad things could become if they did not think their options over with a clear mind. 'I guess I should check in with Ania and Harik.'

Exile moved to his room in the longhouse before laying down on the bed. 'I bet they'll overreact again.' He sighed as he closed his eyes and activated his Avatar spell.

The clouds darkened over Eraldsfen, and the pressure they radiated awoke Ania from her sleep. Her hair was a dishevelled mess, and her face was red from crying herself to sleep. Her dreams had been haunted by the faces of those she had slain, while her heart ached from Exile's absence. She knew it was unhealthy, and she still had the responsibility of attracting people to worship Ragnarok. However, she had not been able to find the strength to get on with life after the first month of Exile's absence.

'It can't be.' Ania sobbed as she rushed from the fort to stare at the clouds hanging over Eraldsfen. 'He's returned!'

Ania's face lit up as the guards stared at her with a worried expressions. Which was only to be expected considering how she looked at that moment. That was when the clouds rumbled, and a thick lightning bolt struck the temple...