Ravencroft leaps out of the hospital building but is dragged back in as the hospital dies. He lands on a dusty plain with a large number of refugees spirits walking along a road, with armed guards on the border. The guards appear to be all armed and are Norse/Swedish in origin with a few 1960’s military clad Greeks. All the guards have a sword wound that is bleeding over the heart. A man in a well tailored suit stands in the middle of the road and introduces himself as Charlie another child of Odin. Charlie tells Ravencroft that something is acting as Odin in the world. Charlie also mentions that he thought the Norns briefly appeared in Kansas. Charlie says he has suspicions about Greek influence in the underworld, and that a man fitting Wile’s description passed through recently and talked to Sisyphus. Charlie also tells Ravencroft that the girl the man asked him to look for has been found as he took care of the matter. Ravencroft asks about the ghosts with the heart wound and Charlie informs him of the wording of the curse on his sword and that the curse, unlike legend says, might not be broken. Charlie tells Ravencroft how to get out back into the real world and points him in the direction Wile took to get out safely. Ravencroft tells Charlie he wants to end up where he can apply a lever and is told that a major Loa party is happening in San Francisco. Just before Ravencroft leaves he tells Charlie the message the Marassa gave him to take to Odin, Charlie replies with “better you than me.” With that Ravencroft leaves down the direction given to him and ends up looking down a hill towards the sea and finds himself in San Francisco. Ravencroft phones his men and arranges travel for them to San Francisco.
Hito heads off to Canada, as the lake he requested to be from China has now arrived. Hito arrives at the lake after a short flight and speaks to the lake’s spirit. After a brief chat he then steps into the lake and undergoes a cleansing ritual in which the kanji on his neck is removed and the grip the creature had on him is broken. When Hito resurfaced from the lake and is freezing on the bank, he sees several branches moving on the opposite side receding into the tree line. Hito follows the direction and picks up the scent of something dank and rotting and follows it to another lake. The scent leads into the middle of the lake which has muddy banks and a rather unpleasant smell to it but not like the one he followed. Hito shout to the lake what it wants, and a skeleton slowly rises from the centre. The skeleton stops when its feet are just touching the surface of the water and then its jaw drops and black shadow tentacles go tearing after Hito. Hito manages to make a mad dash through the trees and gets back to his car before the tentacles grab him. Hito uses the rear view mirror of the car and offers up a quick prayer to Amaterasu and uses the sun lights reflection to ward off the tentacles so he can get away. The tentacles coalesce into a large column of shadowy smoke which gives chase. Hito calls in for a rescue helicopter to give him support. While he drives away waiting for support, the shadow column lunges at his car but misses and takes out another car instead. The helicopter shows up and Hito pulls a handbrake turn, aiming his pistol at the column. The bullet catches the light from the helicopter flood light as it impacts into the column making it reel back and Hito is able to drive away from it. Hito flies back to America no longer tainted.
Wile arrives back in Washington, coming out through some bushes. The Arabic man who was in the service of Margolies is standing there watching him. The Arabic man says he has a request for Wile, which is to take the remains of Margolies to an Egyptian representative that is staying at the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. He is told the representative is a Miss Raine and is told not to annoy her as she is a bit volatile. The Arabic man tells Wile that he will have to pick up Margolies remains from the apartment. With that the Arabic gentleman walks off and disappears through his method of transportation. Wile walks to the apartment to pick up the remains. When he gets in he sees there are no other scion about and that on the couch is a casket with a relief of Anubis on it. He arranges for the casket to be transported to San Francisco. Wile decides to spend some time trying to research the markings on the strange box he has been given and finds out that it was a gift to The Morrigan given to her by the fairies.
Hito phones Theodore to see where they are to meet up in San Francisco. Hito then phones Eric and arranges to meet up in San Francisco in 2 days. He tells Eric that the Loa are planning a major party in San Francisco to generate enough faith to strengthen to the link between the worlds. He also says that he hopes the Amatsukami are doing the same in Japan. Eric says he doesn’t believe the Norse one is completely separated but he will explain when he meets with Hito.
Ravencroft phones Eric saying that he requires to see a Dwarf. Eric points him in the direction of Snorri at Kincaid Recovery in Washington. Eric makes the point of saying that he saved Snorri from being kill by his father and doesn’t want Ravencroft to hurt Snorri as he did to Haskuldr. Ravencroft says that Haskuldr wasn’t himself when he attacked him, Eric said that was besides the point it shouldn’t have mattered whether he was or not.
Ravencroft goes to see Snorri and talks to him about the curse on his sword. Snorri tries to slam the door on Ravencroft when he is shown the sword, screaming saying it is cursed. Ravencroft says he wants the curse lifted and Snorri says he will try and think of something but he will be unable to do anything just now. He talks to Snorri and is shown several blades and is given a different sword to use for the time being but is told not to break it. Ravencroft leaves Kincaid Recovery and is seen by Bronwyn. He contacts Hildr and tells her that the curse of Tyrfing is not broken. She suggests that they maybe able to redirect the curse which would be easier rather than removing it entirely. Ravencroft tells her that he is heading back off to San Francisco and that Bronwyn saw him leave.
Eric arrives back in New Orleans with his men from Washington. He goes out drinking with his officers after a job well done but is in a daze and forgets that he has a mechanical dragon on his shoulder but it appears to act as a machine rather than a creature. His men ask about how he lost his hand and he says it happened in Washington. Eric is called in by his superior about his hand and is told to make an appointment with the doctor and therapist. Eric books his appointments straight away and convinces both of them that he is fit for active service and is put back on the rotation for Monday. The doctor said that Eric should consider prosthetics and be given exercises to keep the mobility in his arm.
Autumn gets a visit from the Loa scion know as HR. He introduces himself as a friend of Theodore’s and talks to Autumn about the party going on and she says she is looking forward to get her rock on. HR then leaves and Autumn receives a phone call from Wile passing on his condolences about Margolies’ passing, and that he will be arriving shortly. Autumn’s feeling of mortality suddenly intensifies in strength.
Theodore arrives in San Francisco and talks to HR about the cemeteries and who then belong to in San Francisco. HR informs him that they are common ground and people can use them as they don’t ruin them. Theodore is told that Leila has already arrived and set up in one of the cemeteries. Theodore is also told that something has appeared in the Transamerica Pyramid and he is going to investigate it in an hour. Theodore then goes off and set up a shrine to the Baron in the oldest cemetery.
Eric phones Hito telling him he has arrived in San Francisco and asks where they would like to meet up. Hito suggests a café and phones Theodore to tell them of the plans to meet up. They all meet up and Eric tells them of his exploits with the Norns and how he lost his hand. He says because of this the Norse way up might not be completely severed. Theodore says that they might be just as easily be able to get halfway up as they can half way down. The 3 of them have a talk about their plans for the masks, and consider that the best way would be to attach them to Ravencroft. Eric shows them the pictures Haskuldr drew of the 11 people he dreamt of while he was recovering. The 3 of them talk about the natures of their respective pantheons. Hito then goes off to do some investigating into crimes in San Francisco to see if they can find the masks that is in the city. He finds several accidents from late night street racing, breaking and entering as well an old couple dying in Alcatraz prison when they were forgotten about by the tour guide when they were locked in the cells.
Hito texts Eric and Theodore the information and tells them that he is going to Alcatraz to investigate the accident. Theodore decided to go and investigate the scene in Alcatraz as well as he will be able to talk to the ghosts. Hito and Theodore arrive at Alcatraz as the same time and go on the guided tour. They reach the cells where the couple died. Theodore sees an old man and woman huddled in the corner of the cell. Theodore asks Hito to turn round for a minute to see if Hito forget about him. Just as Theodore is about to ask the couple questions when a loud scream come over from the cliffs area. Hito rushes off while Theodore quickly uses Hito as a mode of transportation to appear beside him. They see a man balanced on the cliff edge with a tour guide trying to talk him down. A woman materializes behind the man, which Theodore recognises as being from Atlantis. She pushes the man over the edge and Hito makes a grab for the man, catching him and grabbing onto the cliff edge. Hito hauls himself over the edge and everyone applauds and Hito cautions everyone to read the safety signs and shows his FBI badge.
Theodore tells Hito that the woman who appeared behind the man look like she was from Atlantis. They see a grey beam of light shining straight into the sky from the lighthouse and then it retracts back into the lighthouse. Hito rushes off towards the lighthouse, and breaks in and runs up to the top. Hito gets to the top finding nothing out of place. Theodore walks back towards the prison. Theodore goes back to the cell and goes to speak to the ghosts but is locked in the cell as he is about to talk. The Atlantis woman appears in the cell and the old couple kneel and she places a beneficent hand on their heads. She talks to Theodore asking if he is the Lord of the Dead. She turns her hand and the glass in the lighthouse explodes and Hito throws himself down the stairs but is not quick enough and is peppered but isn’t harmed. The woman says “Not quite” and turns back to Theodore. Theodore asks her why she is lording it over the day and he says that he does not and is only a guide for the souls to reach there destination. She tells Theodore to leave the island and to take the Japanese man with him. She gives Theodore the courtesy of leaving unharmed and he steps back through the wall and falls over the cliff and sends Hito a text telling him to leave the island, but doesn’t give him a reason.
Ravencroft goes looking round the outskirts of San Francisco looking for trouble and something to take his aggression out on. He doesn’t find anything for a while but eventually meets a French man who is fatebinding himself to everything he touches. He has a chat with him for a while and turns Ravencroft’s lettuce completely solid, that Ravencroft can’t even eat it. Ravencroft looks into the man’s past as he claims to be 100 and it turns out to be true. He informs everyone else about the man but no one seems to take an interest.
Wile arrives in San Francisco and is taken to the Transamerica Pyramid. He arrives at Autumn’s room with the casket containing Margolies’ remains. They set the casket down and Margolies’ body comes out and remains lying still. Autumn and Wile inspect the body but can’t find anything wrong with it other than a heart scarab that is attached to the body. Wile makes his excuses and leaves. Wile goes to the nearest hospital and Autumn follows him, but doesn’t make herself discreet and is seen by Wile. Wile isn’t bothered by Autumn following as it is a comforting presence. Wile goes to the maternity ward to try and catch the first breath of a baby. He goes into a room with a child being born and stands with the box he
was given but is unable to catch it.
Wile then goes to the intensive care unit to try and catch the breath of a dying man. He tries the first one but it unable to catch anything with his box. He then tries another man and feels he just missed the moment to catch the last breath of the second man. Wile then gives up as it looked like nothing else is going to happen unless he waits for hours for another baby to be born or another man to die. He considers helping one of the men on their way but reconsiders the idea. Wile then leaves the hospital and follows Wile as he goes through the city. Wile gets in contact with Ravencroft and arranges to meet up with him, so he can help him collect his items he has been tasked to find. Autumn listens in on the conversation between Ravencroft and Wile. Ravencroft asks Wile what he needs to collect and Wile informs him and what help he can give.
Wile then opens his bag containing his peacock and he talks to it. He pulls one of the tail feathers out. The peacock takes the form of a regal looking man with a large sword between his hands with the tip resting on the ground. Wile says he needs the tear of a king and asks the man if he would be willing to give one. The man says no and turns away from Wile. Wile quickly rallies and tries to bring up memories of the man’s dead wife to try and make him cry. The man slaps Wile across the face and drives the point of the sword further into the ground. Wile then tries to make him remember his people that he tried to protect from the Gods and failed. This caused the man to turn away and a tear rolled down his cheek. Wile quickly jumped to it and opened the box he had been given and captured the tear. The box takes in the tear and slams itself shut and feel heavier. The man turns back to Ravencroft now I know where we stand and turns back into the peacock.
Eric phones Arnborg and informs him that the Loa and Japanese pantheons are doing something to try and strengthen the links between the worlds. Eric asks if there is anything that they can do as a group to try and do the same. Arnborg says why should they bother when the others are already doing the work, and says he is on his way to San Francisco. Eric then phones Bronwyn and tells her of his trip with the Norns and she is a bit taken back by that. He tells her that he had lost his hand and she seems disturbed by the news. Eric also tells her that he now has a new pet which is a small golden dragon, which goes by the name of Fafnir. Bronwyn is rather disrupted by the news and sounded disappointed and worried by the information. Eric tells her of the plans the Loa have in San Francisco and she says that one Axis Mundi restored should be enough to help restore the balance.