A Precursor to War
A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07.
Just a reminder that the ANs that I write below the chapter are the ones written while I actually wrote the chapter. Which means that any information on it should be taken with a grain of salt. Not saying it's all wrong, just that I might have changed the plans after this chapter was written.
Why do I not get rid of them? It lets you(and me) know what was going on in my mind while writing the actual chapter.
Now, read on!
~~~
4 days after our talk, Kali returned to Andalok, with Manasi in tow. Thankfully, she didn't try anything, but she did apologize again for hitting on me.
That ended our family fight, and we went back to our daily routine. I was back to hammering away, while Kali continued her lessons for Manasi, while keeping an eye on the Andals.
And before I knew it, the time came to leave for Midgard.
On the 5th day after Loki's visit, I leave Andalok in the capable hands of Kali, and teleport to my mother's island. Walking into the living room, I see mother and Chhaya, talking.
They stop as soon as I appear, and mother smiles. She says, "You're getting better at hiding your presence. I almost didn't see you come to Terra."
"You still saw me though." I point out, knowing that mother is just making me feel better. I'm good, I know that. But I'm not yet that good, to hide from mother, on Earth. Turning to Chhaya, I nod in greeting, and ask, "How's the training going?"
Chhaya scowls, and just answers in one word. She says, "Slow."
Mother chuckles, making me chuckle too. She says, "Don't worry, Theos. She will learn to do it before you master making weapons. Although, I have to say, I did not foresee you choosing Metal working as a speciality."
"Even I did not see it coming, mother. But, the situation called for it, so I did. I'm just upset that I couldn't upgrade my weapons before deciding to join Asgard's wars." I answer, leaning back in my chair.
I love my axes, both Ànemos and Astrapi. But even I know that just Adamantine is not enough to fight the bigger enemies. It's durable as fuck, but not as flexible when it comes to uses. I cannot channel my Divine energies through Adamantine the same way that I should be able to through Uru, let alone Dargonite.
Mother nods, and says, "Even I am not blind to the limits of Adamantine, my son. But, I know that your axes will fulfil their purpose."
I nod, and get up. I say, "Well, I just wanted to meet you two before leaving. I'm off to Asgard now. Um.. Chhaya? Would you go to Andalok for a few days?"
"Why?" Chhaya asks, frowning. She probably wants to get these lessons over with.
With a shrug, I say, "Midgard is going to get a huge backlash of Yggdrasil's energy when Ragnarok happens. I would rather have you away from any potential harm, than you getting caught in the crossfire."
Chhaya says, "I thought Ragnarok won't affect Midgard or the other Gods? And isn't Gaea's island the safest place here anyway?"
Instead of me, mother is the one that answers. She says, "Yes, even so, what the Aesir have planned will affect the other Pantheons the same. They're going to destroy 8 entire Realms, Chhaya. That's not something that can be contained easily. You should most definitely stay on Andalok until I call for you."
Chhaya sighs, upset, but accepts. She says, "Fine. I will leave within two days. Mind if I take those tomes with me Gaea?"
Mother simply summons a few tomes, and passes them to Chhaya. Keeping them in a Pocket Dimension, Chhaya turns to me, and kisses me goodbye. And with that, she creates a portal to Andalok, leaving me alone with mother.
"Don't say it." I say, knowing that mother will comment on my "relationship" with Chhaya.
Mother smirks, and says, "I never said anything, my son. Your face did it for me. Now, I just want to say, that you might not get exactly what you want when you reach Asgard."
"What do you mean?" I ask, frowning.
Mother says, "You asked Asgard's entire collection of books, on magic, which I'm guessing is for the Runic knowledge that Odin has, yes?"
Of course she knows. I simply nod, not bothering with hiding my annoyance.
Mother nods back, and says, "Alas, Odin got the knowledge by sacrificing his eye to the Well of Mimir, and by hanging off the Yggdrasil for days. Even Thor is currently hanging, almost dead, right now, for the knowledge that he seeks. You, my son, are asking for free knowledge of the same kind. You might get knowledge, but you won't get a mastery in the Runes that Odin has. Get it?"
I nod, widening my eyes. I should have considered it. Odin got his knowledge by sacrifice, and I will get mine by trade. It won't carry the same weight. And there's no way I'm wasting any one of my eye to gain the mastery that Odin has.
No method, magical or otherwise will be able to fix the eye if I do it. Even if I use Cosmic Energy to do it, the eye will still lose it's light. Same will happen to any other body I create for myself. The Magic of the trade will ensure it.
And although I could live with one eye, I'd prefer both my eyes.
Well, a slow progress is something I'm used to. I wouldn't mind learning the Runes slowly, and it also gives me the opportunity to add the Greek Runes too. Maybe by the end of it, I could learn to command the weapons to enchant themselves. Heh.
Nodding at mother, I say, "I understand, mother. I will be sure to not get my hopes up too much."
"See that you don't. Good luck, Theos. And don't let your guard down when you see those Gods above Gods. They are stronger than you, and even I will have troubles fighting them altogether." Mother warns, which I take seriously.
Nodding at her, I hug her Goodbye, and teleport to a random location in the Nordic regions. With my eyes closed, I let the cloak constantly hiding me fade away, and yell, "HEIMDALL! I'M READY!"
Barely a few seconds later, a rainbow colour surrounds me, with no entry point, and I feel it teleport me away. I pat my back, to make sure my axes are still there, and open my eyes to the magnificent sight of the Golden city.
"Welcome to Asgard, Lord Theos. A quarry will be here to take you to your guest quarters." Heimdall's voice booms out, bringing me out of my observation.
With a glint in my eyes, showing my excitement, I nod at Heimdall, who is taller than my already impressive 6'7, and ask, "Has it begun yet?"
Heindall looks away from the infinite cosmos of the Asgard dimension, and says, "Ragnarok has begun 5000 years ago, my Lord. Now, it will end."
Leaving me with those grim words, Heimdall returns to his vigil, and barely a second later, a group of Einherjar appear, marching towards me. Steeling myself, I follow the guards to where I'm to stay. Time to fight my first war.
~~~
Elsewhere, in the deep realm of Nornheim, Thor leans over the well of Mimir, the Norns nowhere to be seen, and bleeding from both eyes.
With a sigh, he mumbles, "Guess you aren't the only blind God now, eh Hodr?" but no one's close to hear him, other than the disembodied head of Mimir.
He had come here, days ago. When he had appeared before the Well, knowing that a price must be paid, Thor had immediately cut off one eye and thrown it into the Well. Alas, since his father had already done that, the price wasn't enough.
With a heavy heart, Thor had cut the other eye out too, and thrown it into the well. And then, Thor had stabbed himself into the chest with an Uru dagger, and hung himself atop a branch of the Yggdrasil.
Where his father had been close to death for nine days and nights, Thor had actually died after the 5th day. He had met with Hela. To return to his body, Thor had to physically defeat Hela within her own realm, and he did so. It wasn't easy, but he did it.
And so, he returned, now armed with the same knowledge his father once boasted. Alas, he was now blind, and he didn't know what to do. But, he knew that the Well of Mimir was a Well of Knowledge.
The Water of the Well came from the Yggdrasil itself. And so, he was contemplating. The knowledge of Runes allowing him to feel where everything is, but still unable to see.
Finally, shrugging, Thor cups his hands, and pulls a bit of the water from the well. Without hesitation, he drinks the water, and Sees.
From the moment that the Yggdrasil first formed by the hands of Lady Jord and an unknown old man, to the moment Thor sipped the water of the Well. And it didn't stop there. Thor even saw the moment of Ragnarok, and what happened after. The presence of the new Asgard, independent of the Gods above Gods, gave him immense relief.
But, he also saw the beginning of this continuous cycle. The Gods above Gods came from some other Realm, and settled themselves deep within the Yggdrasil. They began creating the three Wells of Yggdrasil, and they began manipulating the three Norns.
Generation after generation, Cycle after cycle, Asgard was born, Buri gave rise to Bor, who gave rise to Odin, and who gave rise to Thor. Every time though, the Gods above Gods would interfere, and ensure the destruction of the Nine Realms, so they can begin anew.
Odin, Buri, Bor, Thor, Baldur, Magni, and even Loki, they all tried to stop the destruction from happening, one time or the other. But, in the end, they all failed.
Just once, one incarnation of Thor, managed to banish the Gods Above Gods, and rip off the Tapestry of Fate. And they stayed away, for thousands of years. Alas, they soon returned after that Thor's death, to begin the new cycle.
For 3 days, Thor sat beside the Well, seeing the entire history, and the future of Yggdrasil. Finally, exactly 72 hours after he had taken the sip of the water, Thor stands up, now knowing how they can stop Ragnarok.
And so, Thor uses his new Runic knowledge, to teleport away from the Well of Mimir, leaving behind a chuckling skull of the Well's namesake. Now, he was no longer Thor, Prince of Asgard.
Now, he was Thor, the Rune Prince of Asgard, and he was ready to destroy anyone that tried to manipulate him.
~~~
In the centre of the Yggdrasil, the World Tree, the Gods above Gods frowned all at once. 5 of them were seated in a U shape, all of them wearing the normal Aesir clothes.
The one in the centre says, "Something has changed. I still see the destruction of Asgard, but the gods have found a way to shield themselves from us."
"It's that Prince, Thor. Our bane has gained the knowledge of the Runes, far more than what Odin was allowed to take, but far less than what that Thor had." The one to his right, a woman, says.
Another woman, the one to the end, says, "Doesn't matter. We have seen, and we have ensured. No matter what the gods do, we will reign supreme. Ragnarok will still happen, no matter who tries to stop us."
"And what of Thor? He has the knowledge of the past, and the future." Another one asks.
The one in the centre says, "Inconsequential. This one is not strong enough to banish one of us, let alone all, or even kill us."
The last one, who had remained silent all this time, says, "Enough squabbling. There is another God on Asgard, and I cannot Divine anything about him. That is the one we will have to be wary of."
"Contingencies can be made. Inform the Norns. Tell them to find the Gods' Bane, and send him to Asgard. No other God will interfere in our plans, not even a son of that woman." The middle one, their leader says.
Everyone nods, and they sit back to observe once again.
And a large distance away, in the Realm of Asgard, Theos freshens up for his meeting with the Gods of Asgard, not knowing how many ripples he just sent through the Cosmos.
~~~
Elsewhere, on Midgard, a 12 foot tall giant being looks up, as the wind whispers in his ears. With a sigh, he drops the sculpting tools, leaving the Ice sculpture alone, and says, "Fine, fine. I will go keep an eye on the brats."
Fixing a ring on his finger, with a glowing blue stone fixed atop, King Buri of Asgard, also known as the Sorcerer Tiwaz, teleports to Asgard with a glowing blue portal.
All over Yggdrasil, and the Realms within it, a beautiful sound of a rooster sounds. Fjalar, the Red Rooster signals to all, that Ragnarok, has begun.
~~~
A/N: How was this? I just want to say, that the Rune Prince Thor is not as strong as the Rune King Thor from the comics.
He has superior knowledge of Magic to Odin, and he's definitely stronger than before. But he won't just snap his fingers and banish the Gods above Gods like the RKT did.
An acceptable reason for RPT to be weaker than RKT, is the order of how he did things. RKT first drank the water, which gave him the knowledge of the past and the future, and then killed himself. Some Magic bullshit means that since RPT did things in reverse order, effects were a bit decreased.
Theos's role is not as important as you'd expect. The first part of the bargain you'll find out in the next chapter. The next part, will take some time.
Since this will be a war, I'll try to keep it short, but detailed. I don't want to waste 30 chapters in Ragnarok itself, you know. But, I'll also try not to keep it too short. So, hopefully 10 chapters is all Ragnarok takes, 15 at most, including this one. But, if it takes more, don't blame me.
Thank you for your support! Love you all!
Tata!