Chapter - 23 Lore Or Loki. .
Sarag kingdom -
Near Ghandhar - currently known as Afghanistan.
The next day Dhira stood near a reflected surface and with a small dagger started to cut his beard and hair off, making it like his previous self, short hair, clean shave and mustache.
He looked at his reflection and nodded, one hand idly tracing the edge of the pendant of Shiva at his chest. He came out of the place they were staying. He came outside where Dia was fiddling with something, her fingers tapping restlessly against a small pouch at her side, and Aatreya was staring outside like a watcher, silent and unreadable as if he had always stood there.
When he came out, Dia saw his handsome appearance and asked with a smile, "Ready?"
Dhira said, "Why not." Inside the kingdom of Sarag outside the red district, Dia and Aatreya stood waiting.
Dia had that annoyed look, her thumb rubbing against her knuckle in quiet frustration, and Aatreya was busy being Aatreya. Apparently the 'ready' in her book and 'ready' in Dhira's book were different.
Dhira, after fixing himself up directly went straight to the red district, the brothels, and he hadn't come out since early in the morning.
"This guy, don't you think when he say he is ready he meant something else," said Dia in anger and frustration. And Aatreya who was looking around said,
"Carnal desire is part of life, he hasn't had it in years." And hearing this she said,
"Man," and looked away.
And soon Dhira walked out fresh but little disheveled, he stretched his arms and looked at Dia who was not looking at him with a look reserved for a scumbag. Dhira has never seen such a look on a woman or anyone before, so he just thought maybe she isn't feeling well or maybe is constipated. Either way she can take care of herself. He looked at Aatreya and nodded.
"Now let's go." And behind them several weak girls waved him goodbye. And seeing this, she said, "Man."
Outside of the Sarag kingdom wasn't like the Matsya at all, it was filled with greenery and trees. They walked ahead, little fireflies danced around them, the air was humid, the ground damp. They rode horses, and Dhira asked,
"What are they gonna do next?" And Aatreya said.
" Get you some equipment, you are strong but you need more than strength and that branch." He said and Dhira looked at the makeshift mace, the branch he was carrying for no reason.
"Got it," said Dhira who was now cheerful and full of confidence. Dia didn't like that smile. She asked,
"So you are now all strong?" And Dhira glanced back at her, and said, "Yes. I could punch though mountains now. Now I'm better than ever."
Dia didn't want to argue with this guy now, she quickened her horse.
Aatreya rode ahead and Dia and Dhira were behind. Dia came close to ask a question. After asking the last question she waited and then asked, "So how was your life back than in Daansara, and why does Loky want to harm you? doesn't she have a separate pantheon of something, how did she end up in Olympus, and didn't you have friendship with thor or something." And Dhira replied,
"We only talked once. He praised me for being a good warrior and invited me for a drink, he was a good guy. I didn't know he was God back then, I just saw him as another traveler, and once again it's Loki not Loky, and don't pronounce her name. And if we are talking about her I don't know, maybe she fell in love with Zeus or something."
And hearing this Dia paused, thousand of weird and horrible images playing in her mind, and before it can go deeper In dark part, she heard Aatreya saying,
"She had a conflict with her cousin Odin." Both Dia and Dhira looked at him.
" People say Odin saw a vision, using his future sight, and saw Loki and her children wreaking havoc in Asgard, he called it Ragnarok, dawn of Gods. No one knows what he saw, but whatever he saw made him took some drastic steps."
And Dia asked, " They are?"
Aatreya continued.
" He captured most of her children and locked them up in different places. Places even Loki had a hard time finding."
" She had a fight with Odin where her husband died, she left Asgard and swore vengeance."
And hearing this Dia understood. She chose an enemy camp for revenge. Then she asked, "Why do the Gods fight among each other and when did the first clash, the Pratham Devsangram (first war between gods) happened." And this even Dhira was interested.
"The first battle happened eons ago, in the birthplace of all Gods. But that's a story for another time. Just remember, that war shaped the very fabric of reality we live in today."
Hearing this, Dia asked, "How bad was it?"
Aatreya replied, his voice calm as the horses moved through the humid forest path.
"The words we use today did not exist back then. You can imagine the impact of that war that the creation had yet to come out from."
" Back then, all gods walked in their true forms. Their true form alone was enough to drive any sane person mad. The forms we see now are nothing more than physical vessels, a conduit if you will."
Dia listened quietly while Dhira also paid attention.
"There are many mortals stronger than gods physically. What makes a God a God is not their body. It is something else entirely."
"And to kill a God. First you destroy their physical form. Then you must destroy their true form."
"And how do you do that?" Asked Dia.
Aatreya shook his head.
"Destroying the physical body is not difficult. The part that comes after is the problem. A mortal cannot truly harm a God's main form. To kill a God completely, you need the power of a God."
Dia frowned.
"Then how is he supposed to do that? He's just a mortal."
"Many gods lost their true forms long ago in the river of time. Only the oldest and strongest still possess them. You do not need to worry about that."
Dia understood and didn't understand at the same time. Her fingers tapped lightly against the saddle as fireflies drifted through the darkness.
After a moment, Dhira spoke.
"Who are you, Aatreya?"
There was genuine curiosity in his voice.
"For a mortal, you seem to know a lot about gods. Even how to kill them."
Aatreya didn't hesitate and replied calmly
"I'm just a traveler. In a long journey. One hears many things and sees many things in such journeys."
No more questions followed.
The three continued deeper into the rainforest.
The humid air felt heavier now. The trees stood silent around them, ancient and unmoving, while unseen creatures watched from the darkness. Above them, the thick canopy hid the stars, and the road ahead disappeared into the night.