The old man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned toward the cliff's edge and began walking, gesturing for them to follow.
Bucky and Celeste exchanged uncertain glances but had come too far to turn back now. When they reached his side, the stranger spoke.
"I have been known by many names throughout the ages, titles and epithets too numerous to count," he said, his voice carrying the weight of millennia. "The All-Father, the Wise One, the Hanged God. I have as many names as there are winds, and as many ways to die as I have titles."
Celeste listened in fascination, but Bucky's expression grew increasingly wary.
"I am, or rather, was, the King of Asgard."
Bucky's eyes widened at those words. After the Battle of New York in 2012, the world had become very aware of the Avengers and their most unusual member, a figure straight out of Norse mythology calling himself Thor.
In the years since, ancient pantheons had captured public imagination, and Bucky had read enough during his recovery to recognize the implications.
"You..." Bucky said slowly, realization dawning. "You're, "
"Odin," the one-eyed man confirmed. "And you are both my guests now."
Celeste noticed Bucky's reaction and turned to him urgently. "Who is he?"
"A god," Bucky replied without hesitation, causing Celeste's eyes to widen dramatically.
"A god?!"
"Many mortals revere the Asgardians as deities," Odin explained with gentle amusement. "Others understand us as an advanced civilization mistaken for gods. The confusion is understandable, given our extended lifespans and capabilities."
"Advanced science that looks like magic still makes you a god in my book," Bucky said dryly, earning a genuine laugh from the All-Father.
"I have never denied the title," Odin replied with good humor. "The designation seems fitting, as my people possess abilities that transcend mortal understanding."
"So you really are a god?" Celeste asked, still struggling to process this revelation.
Odin shrugged with ancient wisdom. "I am what circumstances require me to be."
"That's not really an answer," Bucky pointed out.
The Norse god chose not to address that observation directly. Instead, his single eye focused intently on the amulet secured around Celeste's neck.
"Ah," Odin said, his expression growing serious. "Perhaps this is why fate has brought you to me."
Both Bucky and Celeste looked down at the Muur Amulet as Odin raised his hand toward it. The artifact began to hover before him as he closed his eye in concentration.
"This is an object of profound darkness," the All-Father said slowly. "Ancient corruption. An affront to life itself."
Celeste watched in amazement as Odin continued his examination.
"Yes, it has been centuries since I last encountered such artifacts," he murmured. "The Sith... they never learn from their failures, do they? Always believing they can master powers that inevitably consume them."
"You know about the Sith?" Celeste asked, studying Odin with new interest.
"Just as I know of the Jedi," Odin replied. "There is much I could tell you, but that knowledge belongs to others on this world who can teach you far more than I."
"Why can't you help us now?" Bucky asked directly.
"Because it is not my place," Odin answered simply. "There are others here better suited to guide you, those who can explain what you need to know. The Force is merely the beginning of what you must learn."
"What do you mean?" Celeste pressed.
"All will become clear in time, child," Odin said kindly. "But first, let me do what I can."
With a single touch, the Sith relic began to glow with ethereal light. Ancient Norse runes appeared across its surface, interweaving with other symbols and glyphs in an intricate pattern. After several moments, the light faded and everything appeared normal again.
"What did you do?" Celeste asked, her hand instinctively moving to the amulet.
"I have provided temporary assistance," Odin explained. "If I possessed my full power, the binding I placed upon this abomination would last indefinitely."
"Binding?" Bucky asked, seeking clarification.
"The soul trapped within was beginning to stir," Odin elaborated. "While the mechanics are complex, I have essentially placed a containment spell on the amulet. The entity inside will not be emerging anytime soon."
Celeste looked down at the artifact with a mixture of relief and apprehension.
"But I can offer you something more valuable than temporary respite, Celeste."
"What's that?"
"Direction."
"Please don't give us some cryptic philosophical speech," Bucky said with a slight groan.
Odin smiled at the veteran's bluntness. "Nothing so abstract. Simply a destination that will aid your current quest."
"Where?" Celeste asked.
"Nepal. Specifically, the city of Kathmandu."
"And you're certain this place can help her?" Bucky pressed.
"One can only hope."
"Can you at least tell us who we're looking for?" Celeste asked.
Odin shook his head. "Once you arrive, they will be aware of your presence. My enchantment combined with the amulet's dark energy will serve as a beacon, drawing them to you."
"That's... reassuring," Celeste said, offering him a grateful look.
"To build a future, we must sometimes allow the past to guide the present," the All-Father said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Trust in your abilities and in each other. You will succeed where many others have failed."
Bucky wasn't entirely sure what Odin meant, but for Celeste, it felt like receiving counsel from the wisest Jedi Master she'd ever encountered, one whose power dwarfed anything she'd previously experienced.
"But why help us?" she asked. "We're strangers to you."
Odin was quiet for a moment, studying the troubled young woman before him.
"When I sent my son to this realm, it was to teach him lessons of humility and wisdom," he said finally. "In return, Thor has taught me about the value of mortals, their courage, their capacity for growth, their ability to inspire even gods to be better than they were." His expression grew thoughtful. "I have made many mistakes in my long life. While I cannot undo them all, I can at least offer what aid I can to those who fight against the darkness."
He looked out over the horizon, his voice carrying the weight of millennia.
"There is great power in hope and faith. They make us strong when everything else has been stripped away. That is why we fight, even when victory seems impossible."