---Fenris' POV---

Curse the gods... Every last one of them.

Cain had been quiet ever since his revelation about the lore around my existence, the reason why the Gods despised me. Only to find out it was due to Freya's visions that they've grown wary of me and saw me as nothing more than a murderous monster.

Whilst ignoring the monsters they've become...

I remembered meeting her once, though at first I had confused her for the goddess Frigg, but it was natural. While Frigg was married to Odin, Freya was married to Odr. Both the Gods and the Goddesses were twins in every shape and form except blood.

At least, when I had asked, I had received that very vague response from Freya, as she had given Odin a kiss on the cheek before going to her husband. I never truly understood the depth of their relationships, only getting a vague explanation that their souls were twins.

Hell, it could even be Frigg that had foretold my future, only to be mistaken to be Freya...

A shiver coursed over my body and I curled my arms tighter around myself, baring my teeth in annoyance that I still couldn't shift back. The hair on my arms bristled but that was the extent my human form could show my internal struggle to shift.

Well, not completely. I could feel my teeth morph in my jaw as sharp canines dug in my lip, piercing the soft flesh to let blood trickle in my mouth. I ignored the minor sting, keeping my eyes focused on the view out of the window in an attempt to control my anger.

Getting angry wouldn't get me anywhere but further down the road with a past I didn't want to look back to. Whatever their reasoning, true or false, the Norse Gods had imprisoned me simply because they feared me.

I recall an early memory with my human father as he worked metal on the anvil, smiling as I stared at him with awe. When he had asked me what I trade I wanted to learn, I had been confused; if he was a blacksmith, didn't that mean that naturally, I had to become a blacksmith too?

"Ah Fenris. Our destiny isn't written in stone. Think of it more like clay; if you do nothing but let it sit there and dry, it'll turn firm, fixed in whatever shape it is. But if you nurture it, mold it, you can turn that piece of clay into whatever you desire."

He took the hot piece of iron he was hammering beforehand, sticking it into the fire until it glowed and jerked his jaw towards it. "What will this become?"

The young Fenris had leaned up on his tippy toes, barely able to see over the massive anvil. "A s-s-sword?" His father had chuckled and shrugged a massive shoulder. "Perhaps. It could also become a hammer, a simple tool that knows no bloodshed. It can even transform to become a pretty ring for an even prettier woman." He smirked, winking to someone behind Fenris, making him turn around to smile at his blushing mother.

"Fenris?"

I jolted, feeling oddly wobbly before Cain steadied me cautiously. Liquid trickled down my lips, making me reach up to dab underneath my nose, eyes widening as they were dyed with my blood.

"Sit down, please. Here," He kicked a seat back before gently pushing me into it, tilting my head backwards as he pinched my nose shut. His eyes fluttered over my face, a worried frown pulling at his brows before he sighed, "I've been calling your name for the past ten minutes."

My head spun from my past and I had a feeling Cain had seen exactly what I had seen. He glanced sown at me before his smile thinned and he nodded once.

"It was not my intention to pry, but when you started bleeding, I hoped to be able to knock you out of your memory, if that was the cause of your numbness." He paused for a moment, releasing my nose before taking a cloth to clean my face.

"They seem to be wonderful parents. You're most fortunate to have them, Fenris." He spoke amicably, tone hushed and soft. Instead of calming me down, it did the opposite, sorrow and pain filling my chest until I had a hard time to take a breath.

"They were indeed." I agreed softly, turning my gaze away from the God. Of course, him being a God meant that he just couldn't leave things be, eyes growing curious as I could feel them focused on my expression.

"Fenris?"

A sigh left my lips as I pushed off the seat, dodging his attempt to steady me until I was able to reach the window. My fingers dug into the window sill until the wood protested under the pressure.

"They were murdered before my very own eyes. My father gutted and torn apart alive while m....mother was passed around like a whore. In the end, she begged for death."

Stunned silence filled the room as the air in Cain's lungs left him in a shocked gasp. "W-what? But why? They were human, innocent. What did they-" My eyes found Cain's and I felt the beast inside push against my consciousness, snarling and foaming in anger.

"Because they are Gods, Cain. They can do whatever the fuck they please because who's going to stop them?" I sneered, teeth bared and angry growls mingling with the words, showing just how close I was to snapping.

Cain raised his arms to show he meant no harm, but my mind was filled by my father's anguished cries as he had watched those filthy deities lay hands on his beloved wife.

"They came for Mother because they claimed she had birthed me, that she was a Jotunn named Angrboda. She-who-brings-sorrow." I snorted, feeling my clothing protest as the wolf threatened to come out, skin pulling painfully tight.

"I had already told them, as did Father, that Mother was physically unable to conceive children. They had tried for years until they came across a lone wandering woman with triplets, desperately trying to find someone who would love and take care of her children. Just one child would be enough."

"You." Cain whispered and I nodded, confirming what he already knew. "The other two, I assume were Hel and Jörmungandr, the world serpent. Seeing where they are, I'm guessing the woman was found or, just like you, your siblings were taken from their mortal families."

I brushed my arms with a frown, sagging against the wall. "I do not know what happened to my siblings in truth, though I heard the tales. They threw the infant Jörmungandr into the ocean in an attempt to drown him but he only grew bigger and bigger. Hel was tossed into the underworld but she too survived and made it her home."

"And then they found you."

"And then they found me. Thor and Odin himself came for me, prying me from my parents with friendly words. They were generous in the beginning but when they realized I would not do their bidding, I was bound, tortured and left in darkness and agony."

I remembered both of them quite clearly. Odin, the allfather, who was defensive of his throne and even more of his children. In his eyes, or rather eye, they could do nothing wrong.

Which is exactly why Thor was such a stuck up brat. He had been the one with the idea to punish mother for birthing me in the first place, to make her the God's breeding bitch, as he had called her.

I didn't even know if Thor had a good side; he was evil, cruel with a quick temper to match. If someone didn't want him or didn't obey his wishes, he'd get what he wanted anyways.

Sure, he sugarcoated a lot of things for the humans, as they provided him with the worship and power he needed. But just like many other gods, he was a fucking psychopath behind closed realms.

Thor and Odin, Gods with matching egos and plenty of power to prove it, had been the reason why my siblings and I had been abducted and punished, for actions we did not commit.

"Godhood is a vicious cycle of betrayal, vengeance and war." Cain sighed softly while shaking his head, rubbing a hand through his hair before looking at me. "Godlings throwing temper tantrums isn't unusual, and many of their parents have a reputation to uphold or egos to protect, so they lash out against their offspring, or the offenders."

Cain sat down beside me while continuing, "And yet, there are pantheons that are friendly to one another, or merely try to avoid one another. And then you have some pantheons who are just...odd... I mean, look at the Greeks."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, as I knew more than enough of them. Three siblings that went against their father Cronus, murdering and tearing him apart before ruling Olympus in his stead.

My nose scrunched before I asked hesitantly, "Didn't Zeus marry his own sister?" Cain shivered and grunted affirmatively before adding, "Let's not try to make heads or tails from the Greek bloodlines, shall we? I have a feeling they bedded everyone and their mother. And let's not start about Zeus' numerous affairs and offspring."

I sighed out a laugh before shaking my head, feeling my anger drain away along with my energy as the beast inside relaxed. "Why is it that the leaders of the aggressive pantheons are always the worst examples of said pantheon?"

Cain roared with laughter and pushed off of the floor. "Beats me but you're right. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's get some food and a pint before we'll try and see if we can find a way to prove your innocence. There's no doubt in my mind that someone eventually will notice your absence and raise the alarm."

I stiffened but, he was right. After all, I hadn't been alone in the darkness of my cell, as I had been abused and tortured for the entirety I spent there. If he came back, he'd definitely raise the alarm.

But, how would we be able to prove my innocence? Nobody of the Norse pantheon would willingly go against Frigg or Freya and especially not against Odin.

And then I remembered someone who would. But, reaching him and getting him out of Odin's clutches would prove to be extremely difficult, if not impossible.