https://youtu.be/r1lZl43MmQA

At the northern edge of the small town stood Oz, his grinning mask covering his features as he gazed into the vast green field before him. As his green jacket flowed in the gently blowing breeze, he kept his arms crossed, waiting for Freya to finish her scouting. The roads before him were barren, with glimpses of civilisation in the distance. Indeed, it was very quiet in this town, out in the sticks, but he stayed patient nonetheless.

"Hey! Listen!"

How long that patience was to last...well, it had yet to be seen. Oz, hearing the energetic voice calling out to him, turned around to see what looked from his enlightened perspective to be a floating ball of white light. Like staring into a miniature, harmless sun. Oz, observing this mystery visitor, tilted his head in curiosity. He had a passing knowledge of this trope, but whether this critter was friend or foe...was for him to find out.

"You have my attention, strange pixie." the einherjar bowed his head, smiling slightly beneath the mask. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Pixie?" Sunna scoffed in displeasure, only to recompose herself as she remembered the role she was playing. "...you guess correctly, erudite traveller! I seek only the sharpest of minds to undertake this quest of mine."

"Ooh, I'm rather fond of quests!" Oz exclaimed. "Before I accept, could you answer a question or two? I must say, I've never met one of your kind."

"...sure?"

"Excellent! First, may I know why you have appeared before me, of all people?" Oz asked, leaning closer to the firefly before her bright light shone a little brighter, hurting his eyes enough to get him to back away. "Surely, there are sharper tools in the shed than I."

"N-Not at all, brave hero!" Sunna exclaimed, choking back frustration at how long this might take. "But you are of a special quality! One that makes you indispensable!"

"And what would that be?" Oz questioned, already beginning to brainstorm. "Could it be my impeccable combat skills? My unwavering sense of justice? My handsome looks, rivalling the goddess of beauty herself?"

"You're already in this town." Sunna answered flatly. Like she knew what he looked like behind that mask, or how he fought! And she only had Anwin's word on the strength of his character.

Oz, though somewhat surprised by this underwhelming answer, cleared his throat and stood up straight. "Oh? Am I to capture that egg thief, then?"

If Sunna had a drink, she would have spat it out by now. He just got here, how did he know about that already? In a small village like this, news was bound to travel quickly, after all. Composing herself once again, she took a deep breath, getting back into character. "W-What? Noooo...You face a far greater thief than that petty yet highly-talented bandit, great hero!" she announced. "For this thief steals the livelihoods and very lives of the people of this land!"

"My, that sounds dire!"

"It is!"

"But I couldn't help but notice you complimented that thief earlier. That is rather odd." Oz added. "Do you know something about that?"

"Not at all, hero!" Sunna lied. "But I suggest you shift your focus to the true threat at hand - the threat of Hrafnkel!"

"Hrafnkel..." Oz murmured, looking up to the sky with a low hum. "...ah...I see...you want me to do battle with a king?"

"If that is beyond your capabilities, I understand completely."

"Ah, I did not say that." Oz raised his finger, shaking his head. "But I will need to consult my associate about this. I'll need to head to the centre of Adalbol, won't I?"

"Right, you are!" Sunna exclaimed happily. "Surely, a brilliant mind such as yours would know where to go, yes?"

"That would be northeast from my current position." Oz clarified, perking up. "Very well, then. Time allowing, I shall meet this tyrant of yours. Thank you for telling me, pixie questgiver. May I have your name?"

"I am but a humble messenger. My name is unimportant."

"Everyone's name has value, even if you don't realise it!" Oz countered, and if Sunna's current form could roll its eyes, she would be doing that. How sappy could this guy be? "How does a nickname sound? Like, say...Sunna?"

"...and why would you want to call me that?" Sunna asked cautiously, eyeing Oz to determine if he was secretly a genius or genuinely an idiot.

"Well, you appear to have a solar presence about you. That is the name of the sun goddess, so it seemed fitting."

Idiot, it was.

"I...could never take on such a name. It would be an affront to the illustrious goddess!" she protested, putting on an air of false modesty. Oz, seeming to buy this, bowed his head.

"You make a fair point, my friend!" he exclaimed. "Then how about...Sunny?"

"No." Sunna said flatly. It was bad enough when Anwin was intentionally driving her up the wall. Now his ex was doing the exact same thing accidentally? She couldn't wait for him to just accept the quest and leave her alone already.

"Yes, I suppose that's a little on-the-nose, isn't it?" Oz conceded, taking all of two seconds to come up with a new one. "Then how does Astra sound?"

"Yes, that one works." Sunna replied, barely even bothering with the bit this time. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way. More heroes to motivate."

"Of course! Safe travels, Astra!" Oz cheered, waving as the firefly flew off in a hurry. Now crossing his arms, he continued to count down the seconds for Freya to continue her scan, humming quietly to himself until he heard her voice calling out from within his head.

"All done."

"Welcome back, Freya." Oz closed his eyes, nodding graciously. "How was the scan? Anything dire?"

"Well, that Supreme Fencer and his allies are in Feor..." Freya explained. "It seems they're setting up a stronghold there."

"Oh? How intriguing..." Oz murmured. "What of Central Adalbol? Anything of note there?"

"I don't believe there's anything Angel related, at least..." Freya hummed. "But the situation there may not be to your liking."

"Is it related to the foul king, oppressing his very subjects and keeping them choked within his iron fist?"

"...yes." Freya replied simply, her voice low and curious. "What do you know about it, exactly?"

"While you were scanning, I was visited by a pixie, and what a delight she was!" Oz explained cheerfully. "She informed me of the situation with the king, and she beseeched me to put a stop to his tyranny!"

"A pixie? How odd. It isn't every day you see one of those outside of Alfheim..." Freya mused suspiciously. "What was her name?"

"She did not wish to share." Oz replied, shaking his head. "I had to bestow the name 'Astra' onto her. But tell me, Freya, do divine messengers typically have names?"

"You believe that pixie was a proxy for a god?"

"Specifically, Sunna, the sun goddess." Oz replied, a hand on his chin. "She did seem to think rather highly of her. And she shone with the brightest white light..."

"Well...they usually do, I think. But they tend to be resistant to giving them out." Freya hummed, and Oz nodded, finding that seemed to check out for now. "But that's not the important part. Right now, you stand at a crossroads - deviate from the Hel's Angels, or focus on them?"

"The Hel's Angels have only just set up a stronghold. But Hrafnkel's people suffer now. I have made my choice." Oz replied, a hand on his chest. "Freya...am I choosing correctly?"

"I believe so." Freya told him, content in his choice. "I've been wanting to do something about him for a while now."

"Oh? Do you have history with him?"

"Not personally. But I've heard of him." Freya sighed. "You're the first Guest of mine to have lived long enough that I feel you might be able to take him on."

"Ah, is that so?" Oz chuckled nervously, suddenly feeling the shadow of Svafrlami's actions cast over him. "Well, then, I vow not to disappoint."

"That's the spirit. You should know, though, you're in for quite the fight should you engage him physically." Freya explained. "And the rumours about his tyranny? They're all quite true."

"Truly?"

"Yes. Stick around a little longer, and you may just witness a taste..."

Oz hummed at that, glancing backwards. Sunna, in the distance, narrowly dodged his gaze, but kept her eye on him, trembling all the while. Was he onto her? The very thought of interacting with him again made her shudder. But she had to hold on, anyway.

"By the way, Oz..." Freya added after a while, grabbing his attention right away. "...How are you feeling?"

Oz stared up as she asked the question, remaining where he was with his hand on the edge of his mask. "I..." he began, before removing it entirely, holding it in front of him and gazing into it. "...at the moment, I am fine, if a little worried."

Freya hummed, satisfied if a little curious at the answer. "What's on your mind?"

"The people here are being oppressed by their king, no? How do I fix something like that?" Oz asked aloud, his expression confused and concerned. "This is a king! Do I simply show him the error of his ways, like I would Odin? Would he care for it, I wonder? And if we come to blows...would I truly be able to come out victorious?"

"...if you asked me, I'd say it's time for a revolution. But if we must use your method, try it first." Freya encouraged him, her soothing voice wrapping around him like a warm blanket. "And for what it's worth...I believe in you."

"If you think so...then I'll trust your judgement." Oz nodded, smiling a little. "That's always worked out, has it not?"

"Of course!" Freya exclaimed proudly and playfully. "But if you think you might need some backup...I can point you in the right direction while you're waiting."

Oz, putting his mask back on, offered a cheerful salute in response. "Very well, then! Lead the way!"

.........

https://youtu.be/xHVMOlRsZQs

Rather predictably, Sunna's eyes weren't the only ones watching Oz today. While Anwin waited in his cabin for results - that Sunna would, in due time, give him - there was another, considerably less divine gaze following his every move. So, when he seemed to suddenly vanish, she was rather shocked, quickly emerging from the pond she had hidden in to look around, eyes desperately searching for her mark.

Her purple eyes grew wide, and she tried to think of where he might have gone. Had he been snatched up to Asgard by Freya? Had some other threat gotten to him? She couldn't tell, but neither option sounded very good to her. It was only when she heard a voice calling out to her from behind that all became clear.

"Good day, Yuri!"

She felt herself tensing up, slowly turning around to see Oz standing on the other end of the pond, giving her a hearty wave, his bearing as cheerful as ever. Nervously meeting his gaze, she gave him a small, awkward wave in response, trying to stay composed. "...Good day, Oz..."

Oz hummed, removing his mask to reveal his smile as he eyed the nixie in curiosity. He was told he'd find Yuri here, but he didn't expect she'd be in the water. Leaning down slightly, he rested a hand on his chin. "Having a swim?" he asked cheerily. "I can't say I usually go in fully-clothed, but whatever works for you, works for you."

"U-Um...no..." Yuri shook her head. "I was...scouting the area. For enemies."

"Did you find any?"

"...not yet..." Yuri admitted, bowing her head. She had, in fact, spotted her 'enemy', but naturally he couldn't know that. Oz, at that, smiled a little more widely, extending a hand towards her.

"Well, thanks to my excellent knowledge network, I have located a few myself!" he declared. "Why not join me, Eagle? Together, we can vanquish the wicked where it stands!"

Yuri slowly inched closer to him as he spoke, reaching for his hand and grabbing it before pulling herself out of the water, nodding slowly. "...where?"

"Why, at the central city!" Oz exclaimed. "He sits at the throne."

"Is...a Hel's Angel impersonating the king?"

"Not to my knowledge. I believe the problem is the king!" Oz shook his head, watching as the water seemed to roll off Yuri's body and clothes completely, leaving her completely dry. "The king, I'm told, is wicked. His subjects are utterly miserable! Just look at the quality of life around these parts!"

Yuri's eyes wandered the immediate area, noting that right away, this place seemed very undeveloped compared to the various other towns she'd seen. The people here were only just getting by, and even the houses were of little luxury, the low-quality wood and stones designed for the primary, potentially sole purpose of keeping a roof over the heads of the citizens.

"...I have noticed that. Most settlements have looked like this since I entered Hrafnkelsdal..." Yuri admitted, nodding slowly. "...you think this is the king's fault, then?"

"I would imagine that the king and those in the vicinity live under much better conditions." Oz hummed. "That does remain to be seen, however. So why don't we take a look?"

"...sure." Yuri muttered, looking into the distance to avoid his gaze. Stepping further out, she took a deep breath. "Should we head out right away?"

"Not yet." Oz shook his head. "A citizen I spoke to not long ago mentioned a 'collection day'. I feel that by following that line of questioning, we can deepen our insight."

"Oh, uh, sure." Yuri nodded quickly, straightening her posture. "Let's go."

"Let's split up." Oz suggested. "We can reunite here and share notes."

"Alright. I'll be back, then." Yuri replied, and at that, the two split off, heading out to ask their questions independently of one another. Once Yuri was out of earshot, the smile faded from Oz's face as he looked up to the sky.

"Freya..." he murmured, his voice sounding troubled. "I hate to admit it, but...you may have been right. Yuri had to have known she wasn't going to find her enemies underwater. She was almost certainly watching me."

"As expected." Freya sighed. "Do you have any idea as to why?"

"It has to be his way of keeping tabs on me." Oz hung his head low. "At the end of the day, she is still loyal to him..."

"So, what are you gonna do with this?" Freya questioned. "Because all this could date back as far as Ine, you know..."

"Nothing changes." Oz shook his head, his expression neutralising. "I'm going to take Yuri on this mission with me, and together, we will be Hrafnkelsdal's heroes."

"That's what you're doing, huh? To think one of Svafrlami's loyal knights would end up being a hero with you."

"Well, she's a good person," Oz said simply. "So she should get to do good things. I believe she'll quite enjoy it."

Freya hummed in consideration, and Oz stepped forth, smiling once more. "Well, now, let us be off." he declared. "Onward, to answers!"

And onward, he went.

.........

"You've never heard of collection day? What are you, a fucking idiot?"

----

"Collection day? Everyone knows it. But you're new here, aren't you?"

----

"Lemme see...basically, the village elder has this pot of Voids. We all do our part to contribute."

----

"The chief's pot keeps us safe. Every month, its contents are sacrificed to keep the wrath of the gods at bay."

----

"Same time every month, the king's men show up on their swanky horses and demand a tax."

----

"'It is by Hrafnkel's grace that you have your homes', they say! 'Be fucking grateful', they say! Thanks to your stupid taxes, I can barely keep my kids fucking fed, fucking assholes!"

----

"Last month was especially bad for us. We nearly went into famine, because we couldn't afford any better. Can't make as much milk if we have to slaughter the cattle for food, and if we can't feed them, well..."

----

"We're getting by on just scraps these days, bro. Livestock aren't getting their feed, medicine is getting costlier. And there's still that egg thief. Y'know, in case you were planning on doing something about that."

----

"Argh, I dunno what that king's even doing with all our money! Ain't he supposed to be one of Frey's disciples? How can he serve a fertility god and leave his subjects to starve?"

----

"When, you ask? It is...today."

"Today, you say?"

"I do...and yet, we have yet to meet the ever-rising quota. I fear that this month may be our last..."

"..."

"Traveller, if there is any kindness in your heart...won't you chip in?"

.........

https://youtu.be/RVFIcrCgNuQ

"...and that is the thick of it."

Oz did not chip in. Not for lack of kindness - he simply didn't carry any Voids on him. Asgard's currency was different, after all. Having finished his research, he had returned to that pond, where Yuri had been waiting, and met up to share what they'd learned.

Yuri, taking in all of this, frowned a bit. "Our information seems to line up..." she murmured. "It's true, then. The king is starving his citizens..."

"Despite being dedicated to the god who's meant to prevent starvation. How horribly ironic." Oz closed his eyes. "This is most unusual. We may have to get our answers from someone higher up on the totem pole."

"Then...what do you propose we do?"

"I propose we wait. When the collectors come, we will question them." Oz said. "Failing that, or depending on what they say, we will move further up still!"

"You mean...asking the king himself, right?" Yuri questioned. "I suppose we'd have to confront him eventually..."

"Sharp as always, Eagle." Oz nodded. "Any objections?"

Yuri shook her head at that, and Oz smiled in response, crossing his arms. "Then keep an eye out. At the first sight of a horse, we go in together, alright?"

"...alright." Yuri nodded, bowing her head. "But for now, we wait."

"Of course!" Oz exclaimed. "But for now, I must request a little bit of privacy. I need to speak to my contact."

"You mean...Freya, right?" Yuri asked. She knew he was in touch with Freya, but it would pay to ensure he wasn't contacting someone like Ragnar right before her eyes.

Oz nodded at that, closing his eyes as he put his hands together, smiling softly as he spoke. "Is everything alright, Freya? You've been awfully quiet."

"Hmm? Oh, uh, yes, everything's fine." Freya cleared her throat. Oz tilted his head gently, his expression unchanging.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "If I recall, Frey is your brother. So...how do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. But we'll have to wait and see." she sighed. "Frey's a good guy, but that doesn't mean all his worshippers will be."

"I can understand that much." Oz nodded in agreement. He wasn't a god of justice or anything, and even that wouldn't be a guarantee that his followers would be all good. "Perhaps, then, we could convince him that this isn't what your brother would want."

"It's worth a try. I just hope he'll listen..."

Oz hummed, opening his eyes as he turned back to face Yuri, smiling. "All done."

Yuri, who had been watching him in silence, nodded in affirmation, standing up straight. "Shall we...look around, then? The collection should start fairly soon..."

"Of course." Oz responded calmly. "And brace yourself. It will likely end in violence."

"I am always prepared for combat." Yuri replied stoically, to which Oz smiled. Her knightly discipline would serve them well on this quest. So all they had to do now was wait.