Amneris stood on the famed Rainbow Bridge Bifröst, the bridge connecting the realms of Ásgardr and Midgardr, looking into the cosmos as she searched for her lost daughter and her friend. Amneris had been called by Imogene, the Firebringer explaining how Hathor and Isaiah had failed to check in at the agreed time and have never returned to the base on Nox. After checking out the rift on Astra—with Zoe's help, of course—they'd determined the rift went to Niflheimr. Zoe had made a comment about the Norse Nine Realms that shocked even Amneris, and that was saying something. And so, since Jay was busy with his own issues, Amneris now stood alone on the Rainbow Bridge searching for her daughter.

Okay, not entirely alone.

"When you appeared, I thought the giant invasion had begun!" Heimdall laughed heartedly, a pale fist pounding his armour as though what he'd said was some inside joke between the two. It wasn't. "I almost reached for my horn!"

Amneris rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you didn't notice a Lyriumian and Glacis wandering the Nine Realms. Isn't it your job to notice shit like that?"

The God looked outrage. "It is not my job to babysit children." Amneris rolled her eyes again.

Heimdall was certainly not what she'd expected the first time they'd met. He was a very pale white with long ginger hair, golden teeth and stormy grey eyes. He was boisterous, kind of obnoxious, good with a sword and predicting the future, but also kind of an idiot when it came to things like common sense outside his job. He had a tendency to make really stupid jokes and spy on people. If one ever had the feeling they were being watched while doing something idiotic alone, there was a very high chance Heimdall was watching. And mocking. And laughing. Not that he'd ever admit it. He wore armour made of gold and had his famous horn Gjallarhon strapped to his belt. In short, this particular God was an acquired taste, one Amneris certainly did not have but tolerated when necessary.

Gods, she wished Jay was here to deal with him.

Wow that was a depressing thought.

"Do you know which of the Realms your child is in?"

Amneris huffed. "If I knew where she was, I wouldn't be here, now would I?" She shook her head and muttered, "If this guy's the 'wisest of all the Gods', then I'm straight." He glared at her. "What?"

Heimdall knew better than to answer. Instead he asked, "How do you lose two children?"

"Interdimensional rift." Amneris tipped her head back and sighed. "Knew I should've asked Odin if I could borrow his throne instead of coming here. It's far more effective."

"How dare—"

"Probably would've saved time too," she continued, sighing dramatically. "What was I thinking coming to you for help. You're clearly incapable."

Heimdall made a show of rolling up sleeves he didn't have. "I'll show you incapable." He looked out over the rainbow.

Amneris smiled to herself. Works every time. Oh, sure, her powers had been developing steadily and she could see into quite a lot of Yenari from her own throne, but Amneris knew she wouldn't be able to see everything for quite some time yet. That day was still to come.

"A-ha!" Heimdall yelled triumphantly. "One Lyriumian and one Glacis. Currently in Vanaheimr. Wait, no. They found the way into Yggdrasil. They're climbing. Climbing. Still climbing—"

"Yes, I get it!" Amneris moved to stand beside him, peering into the darkness. She could barely make out the tree, let alone the two small blobs moving through it or the one bigger blob coming toward them—wait. "How far away is that?"

The God gave her a sideways glance. "Why?" He turned back to the tree. "Oh. Yes, that could be a problem."

"Please tell me it's not the squirrel."

"It's the squirrel."

She facepalmed. "Of course it is. I'm gonna have to rescue them, aren't I?"

Heimdall leaned closer to get a better look at the tree. "Oh, definitely."

Amneris let out a dramatic groan.

* * * * * * * *

Hathor and Isaiah had, indeed, found their way into the World Tree. It had been a total accident. Again. They'd walked past a few trees and suddenly found themselves standing on a large, dark brown branch surrounded by the famous fog of Ginnungagap, the void but not the Void. It was like walking in a cloud. A cloud with massive branches and leaves that could feed a family of ten with ease.

"If I remember correctly," Isaiah was saying, "Vanaheimr is just below Ásgardr in the branches. If we go up and move closer to the trunk, we should reach it."

"Or we could go down, see if we hit Midgardr and take Bifröst up to Ásgardr." Hathor sighed her friend's disbelieving expressing. "Up we go."

Hathor spread her wings and wrapped her arms around Isaiah. He held on with all his might. After the last time, he was taking no chances.

Not knowing exactly how high they had to go, Hathor begun jumping branch to branch, the pair making their way up the tree slowly but surely. They paused on each branch, making sure nothing had been missed. Navigating the World Tree wasn't all that easy. Even if someone had a map, it was entirely possible they'd be spat out on the wrong side.

Isaiah squeezed Hathor's shoulder when they landed on the next branch, about seven up from where they had been. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Never mind. I might be a little paranoid right now."

"We're travelling through the Nine Realms," Hathor said, flying to the next branch. "Paranoia is hardly surprising."

They landed. Isaiah begun looking around, worried. "No, I definitely can hear something."

Hathor let him go, straining her ears. "I've got nothing." Even so, she reached for the knife strapped to her calf. "Really hoping you're just hearing things."

Isaiah stood with his back against hers. "Believe me, I hope the same thing."

"But considering how today is going—"

"Exactly."

"And if there were a hypothetical something—"

"There is no way we would reach Ásgardr before it got us, yes."

"Right. Good." Hathor grimaced. "That's just fantastic . . ."

Isaiah looked up suddenly. This time, Hathor followed his gaze. She'd heard it, too. A rustling in the leaves, like something was climbing the tree. Climbing down the tree directly toward them!

From above, a flash of brown leap toward them, its jaw hanging wide—

Out of nowhere, Amneris shot past, leg outstretched, and kicked the creature right in the face. It flew backward, landing hard against the branch Hathor and Isaiah stood on. Amneris grabbed the creature—a squirrel? —by its tail and swung it around. The squirrel cried out in surprised, its small arms waving as it tried uselessly to escape. Amneris yelled, "Fuck off, Ratatosk!" and threw it down the tree. It screeched into all the way down. Amneris dusted off her hands. "Well, that was fun."

Isaiah was gaping. "How – you – what?"

She shrugged. "Heimdall threw me from Bifröst. Don't ask."

Hathor leapt into her mother's arms, hugging her tight. "How did you find us?"

Amneris kissed her hair. "Your friends got worried so we went looking." They pulled apart. "You smell like Hel."

"Funny about that," Hathor laughed. Her smile faltered. "She really doesn't like you."

"Oh, you have no idea." Amneris looked over at Isaiah. "How you holding up?"

"Ready to get out of this tree," he muttered.

"Not a problem." She held out an arm. Isaiah hesitated but took her hand. Amneris pulled him and Hathor against her, summoning her wings. "Hold on." She took off with enough speed the very tree shook.

As they raced toward Bifröst, its colours standing out in the darkness, Isaiah cried out, "NotaGodnotaGodnotaGod!"

But Amneris wasn't aiming for Bifröst. She ducked to the side just before hitting it, breaking through the worlds and landing on concrete ground. Isaiah pushed free from Amneris' grip, moving away and falling to his knees to throw up in the grass.

Amneris shook her head with a smile. "Some people just aren't made for those speeds."

Hathor was glaring. "You did that on purpose."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

The three had landed on a bridge, the railing overlooking a bright blue sea. The sun was high in the sky, a few clouds here and there. The air smelt of salt and there was a light, coastal breeze.

"Where are we?" Hathor asked.

Amneris hummed in thought. "Boston, probably, but I have no idea."

"Why Boston?"

"Because everyone knows that's where Midgardr's link to Yggdrasil is." She perked up. "There should be a really cute statue of ducklings a few blocks away."

"Priorities," Hathor sung, raising a hand to her head. "If this is Midgardr, there's Humans around. Like, literally right behind you and staring. Might want to put the wings away."

Amneris looked over her shoulder where a group of kids were staring at her. Well, her wings. She spread them wide, the kids gasping at the sight, and folded them back out of sight. The kids laughed, jumping with excitement. They begun arguing over who should ask the strange woman what she was. Amneris looked to the left, to the right, then bent down. Her eyes flared with her cyan power. The kids raced to her in awe.

Hathor watched her mum with a fond smile. "Everyone says she's a bad guy," she said to Isaiah as he came up beside her, "but look. She's a sweetheart!"

"A psycho with a soft spot for kids." Isaiah crossed his arms as Amneris gave each kid a high five. They ran off. "They should fear for their lives," he muttered under his breath.

* * * * * * * *

The three found a bench nearby, sitting down to trade notes. Amneris had dashed up the street to buy food, so now they sat eating hot chips. At least, Amneris and Hathor were eating hot, heavily salted chips. Isaiah was drinking a blue slushy. Hathor and Isaiah told Amneris about their trip through the Nine Realms. She told them about the findings at the Terpolite Monitor Station, and how they weren't the only ones to go missing.

Things were getting worse. That much was obvious. The U.F.W. appeared to be on the verge of falling into another dimension. Other words were showing signs of fusing. People were vanishing everywhere, some popping up in other places, some vanishing entirely. The only good news was Yenari was yet to fall entirely into the Void.

Though that appeared to be getting closer with every moment.

They needed help. The Ævum knew what was going on but were unwilling to help. The Gods knew nothing and no one knew how to track down the ones who might know something. Perhaps it was time to pull out the old maps again. Assuming they still existed.

Hathor took a handful of chips. "You're thinking. I don't like it when you're thinking. What are you thinking about?"

Amneris sighed. "I'm thinking we need help and a lot of it."

"That's not at all concerning." Isaiah took a large slurp of his drink and frowned. "Where'd the flavour go . . .?"

Amneris jumped to her feet, Hathor catching the box of chips that had been on the ground just before it hit the ground.

"Okay!" Amneris clapped her hands together. "First, we get you two back to the others. Next, since only my and Xix's portals seem to be working, we get you all back to Lyriumia. After that . . ." She trailed off, turning to Hathor and Isaiah. "I mean, it's not like I ever stick to a plan."

Hathor snorted. "That would be the day." Isaiah wisely stayed silent.

Amneris gave her daughter a flat look. "Remind me again why I saved you from the squirrel."