The banter of deities

"Yes… A knowledge keeper must always be ready for any nasty surprises… Your enemies will never give you time to prepare" The angelic woman added while casting a condescending gaze towards Hugo.

"But you said that I had two hours to prepare. And what did you do with my summons?" Hugo grumbled, balling his hands into fists. He was getting extremely worried about his summons which hadn't arrived by his side yet.

"You mean these two little guys?" The seraphic woman interjected while waving her arm over the empty space beside her. A glowing grey mist instantly materialized beneath it, and like two ghosts on all fours, the adolescent wolves appeared in Hugo's summoning space.

"Come to me…" Hugo called out to them with outstretched hands. His voice had taken on the tone a mother would use to sing a lullaby to her newborn child, soothing and enthralling.

Swift as the wind, the two wolves whizzed towards Hugo like their tails had been set on fire. They appeared to be intimidated by either the angelic woman or the gigantic wolf also present in Hugo's summoning space.

Hugo felt relaxed once he saw that the wolves were safe and sound. Although they were just avatars, Hugo could tell that no harm had come upon them.

The wolves still acted coy and hid behind Hugo but didn't even dare let out a single whimper. They were shuddering like they had just come face to face with their nemesis.

[Is it the aura of the Alpha affecting them?] Hugo wondered as he cast a glance towards Fenrir – the humongous wolf who acted docile like he was the meekest cat in the whole cosmos. Not a single trace of the anger that had been present only a few seconds before registered on his persona.

"I hope you are satisfied now." The seraphic woman intoned after the wolves had settled down by Hugo's side.

"Are we done with the test?" Hugo inquired. He wanted it to be done as soon as possible. He couldn't even tell whether this conversation was part of the test or not. He felt truly on tenterhooks as he mulled over the possible implications of failing the test.

[I can't let this opportunity go to waste…] Hugo resolved as he looked in the direction of the hovering books and the Orb of Inheritance.

"So, was everything he said merely a lie?" Hugo inquired while pointing a finger towards the docile wolf.

"What do you think?" The seraphic woman seemed intrigued.

"Clearly, he is not Freki, but Fenrir! Was the mission of retrieving the inheritance crystal just a joke or a fabricated task to test my limits?" Hugo asked; his tone calm and measured. Though he longed to possess the Orb of Inheritance and the five books, he didn't want to get on the bad side of the goddess Gaia.

"The mission still stands. But instead, I will be the one making a deal with you. That Idiot; Fenrir has had his chance and failed." Another hoarse voice interjected.

Next to the angelic woman who claimed to be Gaia's avatar, another creature that was man-shaped but clearly not human materialized.

The humongous androgynous creature's face was concealed behind a helmet and a pair of dark goggles that remained mysteriously attached to its face without frames and temples.

The creature's body was covered in thick metal armor at the front. He wore mystical gauntlets on his hands and a humongous fur coat that plunged over his shoulders down to his ankles. His feet were enclosed in a pair of giant jackboots that were nearly half as tall as the six-year Hugo.

The giant stood beside the seraphic woman (who appeared like a child beside him) radiating a smothering ancient aura. From his bearing, Hugo could tell that the giant was observing him through his dark rimless goggles.

[Could this be the fabled Vidar – silent god of vengeance?] Hugo tried to suppress his shock.

In Norse mythology, Vidar was the silent god that wore a thick right boot made of every shoe scrap ever thrown away since time immemorial. It was aggregated from pieces of leather, old brass buckles, stiletto heels, and lots of other footwear from people of all cultures.

Vidar was also said to be close in strength to Thor - the god of thunder himself, and could always be relied on to come to aid the Pantheon of Aesir gods whenever the need arose. Legends from back on Earth portrayed the silent god as a loyal defender of Asgard.

"The trials first. Those are the rules." At that instant the woman interjected.

"Don't be so strict… We may not get another chance like this. It isn't every day that you come across a channeled awareness of a talented child whizzing through the astral world." The Giant replied.

"Remember, my other self is following this trial closely." The woman countered.

[Other self!] Hugo's ears twitched when he heard that phrase.

[Could Gaia be experiencing split personality disorder?] He was tickled by this strange thought. However, he shook himself out of his musings and continued listening to the entities' discussion.

"The little guy just completed the test of character. He deserves a few minutes of rest. Moreover, your other self won't pay attention to this dimension unless a prominent anomaly emerges here."

"The abnormality is already here…" The woman retorted while pointing towards the now docile Fenrir.

"Easy peasy." The Giant replied while moving towards the wolf.

In response, the wolf started growling loudly and emitting an aura much more terrifying than when it had confronted Hugo. Its green eyes turned a bright shade of red as it gazed menacingly at the approaching giant.

"Vidar! I ended your father… you will share the same fate in due time." The voice of the wolf rumbled across the whole space.

Hugo was scared stiff as the crack from which the wolf's avatar had emerged started expanding rapidly, threatening to shatter Hugo's summoning space.

Hugo could finally see what lay behind the tear in the fabric of space. He was instantly petrified by the sight. Though he felt a strong urge to look away, his brainwaves froze for a moment and his eyes took in more of the terrifying sight…