Nearly a full month passed during Rodrigo’s journey to Vinland.

  The members of Orniskem arrived in Greenland the day after their banquet in Asgard. There, they were received by Norse priests, who fed them and provided shelter. Since the order to transport the gods to Vinland had already been arranged, the ships were prepared for the expedition. Although the Vikings no longer sailed that route regularly, they were determined to assist these divinities in whatever way they could.

  Five Norse merchant ships stood ready, under the command of a seasoned captain who was said to have sailed those waters alongside Leif Erikson—the man who had reached those lands and established contact with the natives there, known as the Skr?ling.

  The cold was terrifying, and nothing could be seen through the dense fog that swallowed everything. Despite it being spring, Greenland still clung to its brutal chill, yet the sea between Greenland and Vinland was even worse.

  The captain explained that Vinland was in fact the southern region of the vast landmass they had discovered. The northern areas were called Markland and Helluland. Vinland—the land of wine—was the only region where settlement had been possible, as it was unoccupied by the Skr?ling and far warmer than Greenland.

  Rodrigo, Epona, and Anpiel traveled aboard one ship; Ana and Tania on another; and Susanoo with Menrva on the third. The remaining vessels carried food and provisions. Each ship had its own rowers, while the captain directed the fleet from the ship carrying Menrva.

  The gods themselves barely felt the cold, yet no one could fail to notice Rodrigo shivering relentlessly.

  All of them wore winter garments donated in Greenland. The goddesses donned thick brown coats made of sheep and bear fur. Tania and Menrva braided their hair to better match Viking customs, while Ana and Epona pulled their hoods low, hiding their eyes entirely.

  Anpiel changed into a red sheep-wool tunic; Susanoo wore a brown robe that covered him completely; and Rodrigo wore a green tunic beneath a black coat. All of them had belts and fur-lined boots suited for winter. Though the gods themselves did not feel the cold—Rodrigo being the sole exception—they needed to appear ordinary, as only Odin’s priests knew the true nature of their passengers.

  Ana had requested a fruit to prevent seasickness so that Rodrigo could endure the voyage. He avoided nausea, though not the biting cold. With little else to do, the gods listened as the captain told stories of Erik the Red and Leif Erikson.

  Erikson had discovered Vinland barely ten years prior. Settlements had been established, but conflict with the Skr?ling had forced the Norse to flee. Unlike Norway or Denmark, Greenland had no warriors—only sailors and farmers. Though the Skr?ling lacked iron or steel weapons, the Greenlanders had neither the experience nor the discipline to defend themselves.

  —And what brings you to such remote lands?—the captain asked. —I have never known anyone outside Greenland who wished to go there.—

  The captain spoke Anglo-Saxon, a tongue all could understand except Rodrigo and Susanoo, so Ana and Epona translated his words for the young tannin and the eastern god.

  —We love adventure and wish to know other lands—Menrva replied, seated calmly, listening with keen interest to the captain’s tales.

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  Rodrigo, by contrast, could scarcely focus. The cold gnawed at him, and the names sounded strange and foreign.

  —You must be wary of the Skr?ling,—the captain warned. —They may seem friendly at first, but they will look upon you with fear, and at the first mistake, they will skewer you with their spears.—

  —I know. We will be extremely careful—Menrva replied.

  After roughly twenty days at sea, they all began to feel something strange—an unnatural heaviness in their bodies, accompanied by constant dizziness.

  —This must be… the barrier Frigg mentioned—Tania said.

  —You feel it too?—Ana asked in surprise.

  —Yes. An anti-deity barrier. It’s astonishing that the gods of this region possess such technology. I shudder to imagine Lel ever obtaining something like this—Anpiel commented.

  —That means we are already close to Vinland—Menrva said, smiling with unsettling excitement.

  Epona glanced at Menrva, recalling her words about the possible destruction of Palas.

  What did she mean by that? the goddess wondered. She knew she could not take her eyes off Menrva—something was being planned in Vinland. The barrier made her nauseous, though she could not tell whether it was fear or the effect of its power.

  Several days later, land finally appeared on the distant horizon. The captain stated that it was Markland, and that they needed to sail farther south to reach their destination.

  Five days after that, they finally anchored along the shores of Vinland. Before them stretched a vast green meadow dotted with small wooden houses, very similar to those in Greenland. Rodrigo assumed this was Norse construction style, as it closely resembled—though less ornate—the buildings he had seen in Normandy.

  The cold, while still harsh, had eased somewhat. Light snow continued to fall, and the sky was gray, completely hiding the sun. What truly stood out was the wind—howling violently, shrieking across the land.

  —We regret that no one is here to receive you. Leif abandoned this settlement after Skr?ling attacks—said the captain.

  Rodrigo observed burn marks on the houses and fences. Arrows still jutted from the ground and walls, evidence of recent violence.

  Tania lifted a massive sack from one of the ships and slung it over her shoulders like a pack. It contained food supplies—cheese, meat, and milk—that would not spoil in such cold climates.

  —I would like you to take these supplies and use them to return to Greenland—said the red-haired goddess, placing the pack back onto the captain’s ship.

  —Are you mad? How will you survive this hostile land?—the captain asked in horror.

  —We will hunt. Simple as that—Menrva replied, stepping off the ship.

  —And how will you return to Europe without ships?—the captain pressed.

  —Listen—Ana said, trying to calm the sailors. —This is dangerous territory without soldiers, correct?—

  —We will find a way to survive and return. But we cannot afford for you to die here because of us. From the start, we planned to give you this portion of our supplies—that is why we requested five ships instead of four—she concluded.

  —We understand. May the Lord Jesus Christ protect you—said the captain, making the sign of the cross as the gods disembarked.

  —May the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Mother guide you safely back to Greenland—Tania added with a smile.

  The sailors raised anchor and departed Vinland.

  Once they were out of sight, Ana used her dark abilities, and a small cabin appeared as if from nowhere.

  —Impressive. Even with your power reduced, you were able to use material creation—Tania remarked.

  —I didn’t create it—I had it stored in one of my portable dimensions—Ana replied. —Although we cannot create dimensions here, it seems we can still summon structures from our pocket dimensions. That helps, especially if I need to use Gram.—

  —You don’t create Gram with your magic?—Epona asked.

  —No. When an object is too complex or powerful for me to fully comprehend, I cannot copy or recreate it. Instead, I store it in alternate dimensions maintained by my ability—Ana explained.

  —Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go inside!—Rodrigo shouted, rushing into the cabin.

  Skr?ling is the name by which the Vikings knew the inhabitants of the American continent.

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  The next part will be released at 8 PM (GMT 6).