472 Fire Eternal

The first face that Morgana saw was James's. His eyes were full of worry and his countenance grim. In his hands was a blood soaked towel and on the bed next to him was a small bowl of hot water which was now reddened with the blood from the towel. Next to James was Grandpa Winks. The Cold Emperor's eyes were grim as he beheld the broken state of his granddaughter–in–law. His helpless expression quickly brightened up when he saw Morgana's eyes flutter open.

"Are you okay?" James asked hastily once he noticed that Morgana was finally awake. It took a while for Morgana's senses to return to her, and once it did she understood where exactly the blood was coming from. For her nose and ears were bleeding profusely, as though they had been pierced through by many small needles. And James had made it his sacred duty to keep cleaning her up.

Slowly the memories of what she had seen came rushing back to her, and tears fell from her eyes as her shoulders shook in pain and misery.

"I am here. I am here." James had no idea why Morgana was crying, but he could feel that it had something to do with whatever she saw. His wife hadn't cried this miserably since the day she had gotten over abandoning their daughter. He couldn't begin to imagine what she had seen.

"What did she see?" Grandpa Winks felt a huge boulder descend onto his shoulders when he saw Morgana shedding such bitter tears.

How many times had things obscured to others been revealed to her? How many times had she seen the things many weren't meant to see? Many, many times she had been privileged enough to see the things that others did not. Yet never had she had such a reaction. Grandpa Winks sighed in grief as he slowly made his way out of the room. It wasn't in his place to comfort Morgana. He felt that his presence was restricting James from doing what he would have to do to calm her down.

"No. Don't go. Stay."

But Morgana saw him leaving. Although her tears blurred her vision, she could still see grandpa Winks' intentions. Though they were kind, she found them unnecessary. It took the two men several minutes to calm down the usually resilient Morgana. And when she was calm, she narrated what she saw unto them. And they marveled and feared at the same time. They marveled at the vision she had been shown. And feared that they had almost lost her.

"But what could have such power?" James shook as he spoke. His hand held onto Morgana's for he feared losing her. She had come so close to dying – dying in a dream.

"I think it was Fenrir," Morgana replied shakily.

Her words forced a deep frown on Grandpa Winks face. And this was because he had witnessed the fall of Fenrir with his own eyes. He was in that war. The war between the 5th Supreme and the Beings that Sought Destruction in her time – the World Snake and her brother, Fenrir. Before these two beings Odin and Thor were helpless, and every god with much power was rendered useless. Gods of Egypt; the Celestial Court of the gods of the East; Olympians; everyone was rendered helpless by their restrictive power. And Sutur who emerged as their vanguard didn't help out matters either. Yet they had defeated that generation of destruction hungry maniacs and bought the universe peace for a while. Yet it seemed this peace was about to end.

"The fact that Fenrir had no form before and constantly gobbled up worlds to reemerge means that he was injured. The most dangerous person here is the one whose voice you heard." Grandpa Winks' frown was yet to fade, and he was in deep thought. Who could that man possibly be? One who had the power to restrain Fenrir was definitely no ordinary man. For even the 5th Supreme had failed to tame such a beast. Yet from Morgana's vision someone had. And who knew, maybe this person was the one to have brought about the reappearance of the beast who was meant to be dead.

"Did you see any other Beast of Destruction?" Grandpa Winks asked, but Morgana shook her head in reply.

"Only Fenrir was there. But the World Destroying Wolf was enough." Morgana could still remember the dreadful power of the beast. It was but one creature, yet all others fell to its power. They called it a World Destroyer, but its power was clearly that of a Universe Destroyer.

"I see," Grandpa Winks furrowed his brows as he held his chin in thought. "Get some rest. James, cast a deep sleep lease on her so she has no visions." Grandpa Winks lovingly rubbed Morgana's head as he proceeded to leave the room.

"He did tell me to tell you something though, Grandfather"

But Morgana's words stopped him in his tracks. For the first time in a thousand years the Cold Emperor's shoulders trembled. His eyes which were not facing Morgana were wide open in surprise.

"What did he say?" Grandpa Winks asked. He had no idea what this vision meant. After all, visions were not always what they seemed. But one thing that was certain was that this one was a message of Universal destruction. As to whether Fenrir would be part of it or not, that wasn't set in stone. However, for his name to be mentioned meant that Morgana's near death experience was not just her imagination. It was true. And that was because in visions only titles were used. Never was a person's name given. Never.

"He said to say to Winks: Only you have a chance to stop this. No one else can."

"I see," Grandpa Winks frowned as he spoke. He was still trying to figure out who this person was. And the terrifying thought that took root in his mind shook him even further.

"Grandfather, do you think that person is under orders?" James asked the very question that was ringing in the mind of the Cold Emperor right now. It was this very thought that had taken root upon hearing Morgana's words and caused the man famed for having no emotions to feel a strange chill shrouding his heart.

After all, this person had not only saved Morgana, but offered a helping hand in the form of a warning. If saving Morgana seemed like an unusual act born from the hands of fate protecting her, sending them a warning destroyed the former thought. This person had saved Morgana intentionally because he didn't want to see her die. And he had sent her back with a message because he didn't want to see the destruction of the Universe occur.

"I think James is right," Morgana had calmed down greatly by now. She was a steel-minded woman. And now that she was able to think straight, she felt her husband's words were sure; that they were true.

"Why?" Grandpa Winks asked. He wanted to know if there was anything more in what the man had said. Another message perhaps to prove that he was on their side yet forced to do the bidding of another.

"He called you Sir," Morgana's statement was like nail to the head they needed. For her words hammered in the nail with such accuracy that there was no doubt remaining. It seemed this person was not willing to do what he had done in Morgana's vision – leading the fall of the universe!

Yet that provided them no comfort. Their grim expressions and fearful hearts showed that such feelings were far away from them. After all, if someone who could control the World Destroying Wolf who was much stronger than before was under the orders of someone he couldn't disobey, that meant that whomever this real mastermind was, he/she was much more powerful than both the wolf and the mysterious man!

"We need to find the Fire Eternal quickly," Grandpa Winks' voice carried urgency that was absent before. Although initially he was eager to find his old friend, this time he knew he had to find her.

James and Morgana – husband and wife – nodded their heads in agreement and quickly packed up their luggage. In no time the family of three was on the move again. Grandpa Winks held on to both James and Morgana for they had not the power of flight. They flew speedily past the desolate plains with the Tracking Bear's liver glowing brighter and brighter the further north they traveled.

Soon they found themselves before a cave and halted their steps. For the Tracking Bear's Liver was shinning so bright that the sun in the sky had to squint.

"She's here," Grandpa Winks stated before crushing the Tracking Bear's Liver and moving a step closer to the cave's entrance. However he didn't enter. For a powerful fiery energy erupted from within the cave and rushed towards him. A few large balls of flames was Grandpa Winks welcome as the Emperor of Cold summoned the element that was fire's polar opposite to shield him and his family.

*Boom*

"Does she think we are enemies?" James asked as he brushed off the ice fragments on his shoulders and in his hair.

"No. She knows exactly who were are. If I can feel her aura, then so can she." Grandpa Winks frowned and said

"Your temper's still as poor as ever" Grandpa Winks didn't make any attempt to enter the cave, but he did tell the Fire Eternal what he thought of her attack.

"What do you want old coot?" came the delicate voice that was not at all similar to the fiery voice James and Morgana were expecting.

"The Supreme has returned, yet you ask what I want?" Grandpa Winks frowned and said. "I know we have our differences, but whatever happened between us should remain in the past. We must cast aside our differences if we are to help the one who is our sky."

"Do you still want to serve the kid? His destiny is one of chaos and destruction." The Fiery Eternal remained within the cave, but her voice was loud and clear to the three outside.

"Do not dishonor our Lord so" James and Morgana stepped back as a powerful energy erupted from Grandpa Winks' body and threatened to further add to the desolateness of this world.

This aura was so powerful that the duo didn't even think about what could have happened between Grandpa Winks and the lady. As the ground shattered and the sky screamed in pain, a gentle sigh that somehow made it to everyone's ears came from within the cave, and a woman so beautiful that both Morgana and James were temporarily blinded emerged.

Her hair was like a silk curtain that flowed all the way to her feet. Her eyes were blue like the sky above and were bordered by eyelashes that looked like mini silk threads. Her face was so exquisite that one would be hard pressed to find another that could come even close to her beauty, and her graceful countenance further added to her charm. Before this woman, even one as beautiful as Morgana felt inferior, and she almost found herself bowing down to the Fire Eternal in admiration. Unlike her flames, she looked surprisingly docile.

"Even after all these years, the Supreme is still your weak point," the Fire Eternal smiled brightly and said. "Calm down. I know why you are here." She stated coolly, and the Cold Emperor's rioting aura immediately ceased its rebellion and calm returned to this already broken world.

"We need your help. Amongst all of us, you are probably the one with the strongest power." Grandpa Winks' words enlightened James and Morgana, who finally understood why Grandpa Winks had been far more eager to find the Fire Eternal than the others.

"The boy isn't ready for our help just yet. You are the one who said to wait until he is older." The Fire Eternal frowned and said. The Cold Emperor was amongst those who suggested that with the Olympians and Asgardians as his family, they didn't need to appear just yet. So what was this change about?

"Asgard and Olympus are at war" Grandpa Winks informed the out of date Eternal. Since she had been stuck here for so long without any links to the outside, it was no surprise that she didn't know what was happening now.

"With each other?" the Fire Eternal asked, not masking her surprise.

"No. Internal strife." Grandpa Winks answered. Then he went on to explain what was happening now whilst introducing Morgana and James to the Fire Eternal.

"There is more," Grandpa Winks also informed her of Morgana's prophecy. And the expression of the Fire Eternal finally turned grim.

"Then we must return to the Master's side," the Fire Eternal called Ravi sighed. "Where is he now?" she questioned the one who seemed to have all the answers.

"Zandor. But we would need to get Asgard to tell us the coordinates. That is the difficult part." Grandpa Winks replied. Since Asgard was at war, it wouldn't be easy to get the information they sought.

"Zandor? That planet?" the Fire Eternal ignored everything that Grandpa Winks said but that bit – Zandor. It was clear from her expression that she knew much about the hidden planet. And from the way Grandpa Winks nodded his head, he did too.

"So, how will we get the coordinates then?" Ravi asked.

"Odin is missing. We could try to find him."

"And how are we ever going to manage that" Ravi asked sarcastically. Odin was a famous vagabond. Even Asgard had no idea where he was. If they did, they would have asked him to return.

"Well…" the Cold Emperor was rudely interrupted by a beam of light that lit up the entire world. The eyes of the two Eternal Ascenders tore through the beam and located the several runes within the light.

"Is that…" the Fire Eternal recognised the markings right away, and the clan to whom they belonged.

"It seems we don't have to go looking," Grandpa Winks finally smiled.

"They came to us."

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