Chapter 115: King Eitri

A/N: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Or do they?

Also its my 30th birthday today, so just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for reading this story as well as my other works <3< p>

-x-X-x-

The relationship between the Dwarves of Nidavellir and the Asgardians went back thousands of years. Even before Odin and Hela had cut a bloody swathe across the Nine Realms and conquered them in Asgard's name, Nidavellir had counted itself among the Golden Realm's allies, and the dwarven race had relied upon Asgardian Protection as well.

Eitri himself had a hand in creating most of Asgard's greatest armaments. Gungnir, the King's Spear. Hofund, the Bifrost Sword. Mjolnir, known as the Executioner's Hammer, first, and then later on the Hammer of Thor. These were just some of Nidavellir and it's King's creations, and each and every one had been paid for in full with precious resources and the protection of the galaxy's greatest warriors.

Only, even for long-lived races, time could get the better of you. Even though the Kings hadn't changed, the creation of such weapons crept further and further back in time, until it was… not forgotten, but ultimately discounted. There came a point where relations between Asgard and Nidavellir began to deteriorate and neither side had done much about it.

A narrowminded individual might blame this on Thor. The Prince of Asgard was not much of a diplomat, and even among allies he could be boisterous, braggadocious, and boastful to the point of irritation. His actions throughout his adolescence had caused many a diplomatic incident in the Nine Realms, to say nothing of his trickster sister Loki's antics.

Eitri, however, had been alive for too long to lay the blame at the feet of Prince Thor and Princess Loki. As King of the Dwarves, he knew full well that their actions reflected more on Odin than themselves. The King of Asgard had changed after Hela's banishment. He'd hidden away his past and in doing so, forgotten the lessons that it should have imparted on him.

Under pain of death, no one who remembered Hela was to speak of her to her younger siblings. Eitri among them. And with that single edict, Odin had done much to damage the relations he'd had with the rest of the Nine Realms. Even with Nidavellir, who had been allies to Asgard for more than five thousand years.

Alas, there wasn't much to be done. Nidavellir was a small place. Technically not even a planet. It was a neutron star with a multi-ringed megastructure built around it, and much of that was dedicated to forges and smitheries. The total space on Nidavellir was smaller than even the artificial planetoid Asgard was built upon, and the population of the Dwarves was smaller than the population of the Asgardians as well.

For all that they forged wonders, for all that they made magnificent and glorious weapons and armor, the Dwarves of Nidavellir were not warriors themselves, nor were they numerous enough to fight off enemies. That was where the Asgardians had always come in.

Therefore, when Odin came to Eitri after centuries of their peoples drifting apart and told him that he and the Dwarves were in danger… Eitri had had no choice but to believe him. It helped that the All-Father seemed to be more like his old self than ever before. It helped that he seemed to hold Gungnir with a renewed purpose, wielding the King's Spear with a sense of strength that Eitri hadn't known the aging Asgardian King possessed any longer.

Besides, even as insular and isolated as he and his people were, the name 'Thanos' had managed to reach their ears. The Mad Titan and Warlord who was cutting a swathe across the galaxy, all in the name of an insane dream. That Thanos would come to Nidavellir in search of weapons to help him with his crazed crusader was not that hard to wrap his head around. That he would specifically demand a weapon capable of wiping out half of all life in the universe however… that was far more chilling.

In the face of such a threat, Eitri was happy to have an Asgardian Garrison positioned directly on Nidavellir itself. Not all of his people were thrilled, of course. Even though they'd relied upon the Asgardians for protection for millennia, it had always been a distant, implicit sort of protection. The Asgardians had never had a permanent garrison on Nidavellir... with the Bifrost, they'd never needed one.

However, the temporary destruction of the Bifrost for a couple years some time back had shown that nothing was guaranteed. Even then, in the short time when Asgard had been unable to come to the assistance of any of its allies, marauders had taken to reaving across the Nine Realms.

Nidavellir in particular had been assailed by Rock Trolls, an ancient enemy of the Dwarves who had coveted their forges for centuries. They'd managed to hold them off though, until the Rainbow Bridge had been repaired and Thor and the Einherjar had come swooping in to save the day.

The Rock Trolls had been nothing compared to the attack that Nidavellir faced now, however. The Mad Titan himself was nowhere to be seen, but that was small comfort compared to the sight that Eitri found himself assailed by in every direction. Hundreds of outriders, a slave species of mindless killing beasts, pour out into the rings of Nidavellir.

Asgardian Warriors and Dwarven Forgemasters alike stand against them, and in many places are even able to fight them back. The garrison here at Nidavellir has actually been reinforced multiple times since it's inception all those months ago, only growing stronger and stronger as time went on. Rather than take the sign of inaction to mean Thanos had given up on his monstrous plans, the All-Father seemed to take the silence as a warning more than anything else.

Eitri had to admit, he was glad for it now. Just from looking around, he could not see the Mad Titan's forces managing to take control of Nidavellir, not even for a short time. Certainly not long enough to force the Dwarves to craft anything for them before Odin, Thor, and the rest of Asgard's armies could arrive to destroy them.

This attack was ill-advised, and with words already sent to the All-Father, it was only a matter of time before… no.

Eitri's eyes narrow as he sees something off in the distance that makes his blood run cold. There, on the edge of one of Nidavellir's rings are two individuals commanding the Outriders. Unperturbed by the way the Asgardians and Dwarves are managing to hold off the attack, these individuals are instead focused on one thing and one thing only… kidnapping.

Grabbing up his forge-hammer, King Eitri begins stomping forward. He has to swing through a few Outriders on the way, turning them to paste in the process, but eventually he manages to close the distance, taking long heavy strides. The King of the Dwarves snarls as he draws the attention of the two figures.

"Unhand them this instant!"

The creatures leading the Outriders are clearly more intelligent than their shock troops, but certainly no less ugly. One is balding with a face that only a mother could love, his body spindly and thin as he floats above the ground. The other is huge and hulking and wields a massive axe that's an affront to Eitri's smithing sensibilities in every possible way. The damn thing is made of rare materials the likes of which Eitri has only gotten to see a handful of times in even HIS long life… and yet it's put slapped together without a care for the cost of such things.

But more than anything, what truly incenses and enrages Eitri… are the unconscious Dwarves that the two are loading into their ship. Raising his forge-hammer, the King of Dwarves growls.

"Release them, fiends!"

Smirking, the floating one spreads the hands he'd had clasped behind his back apart.

"Rejoice! You stand before Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian, Children of Thanos. Your skills are needed by our glorious father. Surrender and you will not suffer."

Eitri narrows his eyes for a moment. He could probably take the big one, but the floating one who's clearly using some sort of psychic power to cart Eitri's unconscious subjects into the ship is more of a wild card. In the end… the King of the Dwarves comes to a decision and spits off to the side.

"Release the others and I'll let you take me instead."

Ebony Maw narrows his eyes, leaning forward.

"And why exactly would we do that?"

Seriously? Did they not even do their damn research?! Feeling vaguely insulted, Eitri glowers right back at the ugly alien.

"Because I'm the King of the Dwarves, you fool! And not only that, I'm the best damn Forge-Smith Nidavellir has ever seen!"

Eyes widening, Ebony Maw rears back in surprise… before snapping his fingers at his companion.

"Take him."

Eitri grits his teeth, hoisting his forge-hammer.

"Not the deal! Release my people!"

But unfortunately these so-called Children of Thanos do not seem to be inclined to negotiate. As Cull Obsidian lunges forward, Eitri brings up his hammer, knocking the massive axe the other is wielding aside. But at the same time, it's just as he expected. He feels tugging from the other one, and also sees objects rising up all around him in his periphery.

Before anything else can happen, however, there's a sudden KRAK-THOOM, and the blinding power of the Bifrost can be seen in the near-distance. All of their eyes turn towards it, Eitri's as well, and the Dwarven King grins… for all of a moment before he's suddenly smacked in the back of the head hard enough to send him for a loop.

His forge-hammer falls from nerveless fingers as the King of the Dwarves begins to float up off of the ground. His head swims as his vision begins to blur. He struggles against his fading consciousness but can't keep the darkness at bay forever.

The last thing he hears is the voice of Ebony Maw to his companion before it all goes black.

"Cull. You will have to remain behind to hold off the Asgardians while I make my way back to our father. Know that your sacrifice will not be in vain."

-x-X-x-

The next thing King Eitri knows, he's waking up in a cargohold, surrounded by many of his people. Not too many, but even the dozen or so dwarves that the Children of Thanos had managed to capture represent a not-insignificant portion of their population, as well as some of their greatest smiths.

They've all been shackled and bound, Eitri notices, a frown spreading across his face as he sits up and looks around him. Others that are already awake nod to him or bow their heads in his direction in deference. Eitri just grunts, but before he can ask for information, the cargohold's large doors suddenly begin to open, letting in light… and one other as well.

Thanos himself strides into the room, the purple-skinned Titan looking at all of them quietly for a moment.

"Welcome. I apologize for how this had to happen, but I have need of your services… and I can no longer afford to let the All-Father stymy my efforts any longer."

Eitri scoffs at that, the Dwarven King forcing himself to his feet and sneering as he looks Thanos in the eye.

"I already know what you want, Warlord. I'm the only one here who is capable of crafting what you seek. Let the others go."

Suddenly, an invisible hand pulls on Eitri's beard, causing him to stumble forward to one knee as Ebony Maw floats out of the shadows.

"You stand before the savior of the cosmos. Show some respect."

Eitri snarls, ready to rip his beard out if that's what it takes to lift his head again. But before that can happen…

"Enough."

Thanos' voice commands immediate obedience from Ebony Maw, allowing Eitri to rise once more.

"Once you make me what I want, you and your people will be free to go, King Eitri. Until then, even if these others cannot give me what I need, they might be of assistance to you. Extra hands makes for quicker work after all… I know that better than most."

Brazen lies, all of it. More like Thanos was using them as hostages to get Eitri to do his bidding. And letting them all live at the end? Yeah, right. Still, Eitri had a trump card to play even now.

"Even I cannot make you what you seek without my forge back on Nidavellir. The equipment, the forges, the neutron star itself… all are critical for what you seek."

Best of all, it was true. Eitri figured he should be able to stall for quite a long time, all things considered. Thanos would no doubt provide him with subpar materials and working conditions, and Eitri would complain about every bit of it every step of the way. Oh, he'd pretend to do the work to keep his people safe, but he would have the greatest excuse for why it simply couldn't be done in a timely matter.

And hopefully, it wouldn't take nearly as long for Odin and Thor and the armies of Asgard to find him and free him. The Asgardian King knew what was at stake after all. He would stop at nothing to track Eitri and his people down, not just to save them, but to keep Thanos from gaining the gauntlet that he might otherwise force Eitri to forge.

A small smile appears on Thanos' face at Eitri's words, unsettling the Dwarven King somewhat. He would have expected irritation at the very least, but instead the Mad Titan just nods.

"Come. Let me show you what I've prepared."

Carefully, under the watchful eye of Ebony Maw and some others, along with more barely controlled Outriders, Eitri and his fellow Dwarves leave the cargohold behind and descend onto a metal flooring. Only to stop in horror at what they bare witness to waiting for them just outside of the ship.

If Eitri didn't know any better, at first glance he'd say they'd never left Nidavellir. He did know better of course. Just a moment to look beneath the surface level and it's obvious this isn't the home of the Dwarves. And yet… it might as well be for Thanos' purposes. The Mad Titan truly was insane… and it would seem that money was no obstacle to him either, because he'd recreated Nidavellir's construction in its entirety. The forges, the multi-ringed platforms around a blazing neutron star.

It was impossible, and yet… there it was, right before Eitri's eyes.

"As you can see Dwarf King, I have not acted without thorough consideration. If I could not have you work for me at your own forges… then I would bring you to a new forge instead. Tell me, how much does this cut down on the time you'll need to make me what I ask?"

Thanos' words are questioning, but his tone is knowing. In that moment, Eitri sees his plan to stall and stonewall with ridiculous demands, excuses, and complaints crumble right before his eyes.

Stiff-backed, the Dwarven King slowly turns to face the Mad Titan. No more schemes. No more duplicity. Knowing what's at stake, Eitri holds his head high and looks Thanos right in the eye.

"I refuse. I will never make what you desire."

Ebony Maw looks ready to throw a hissy fit over this, but Thanos just shakes his head.

"Unfortunate. I find myself grieving the loss of Cull Obsidian, who died so that The Maw might be able to secure you for me. Apologies… but I cannot afford to convince you gently. Maw. Do what must be done."

Eitri suddenly hears cries of alarm and shock behind him, whirling around to see his people all seized and held aloft in telekinetic grips. At the same time, Ebony Maw floats up to Eitri himself, freezing him in place before grabbing him by his jaw. A thin glass needle floats up mere inches from Eitri's eye and Maw sneers at him.

"You will regret trying to deceive Lord Thanos. You will regret a lot of things by the time I'm done with you."

Eitri knows he has to stay strong. He can't give Thanos what he wants. But… for all that he's lived for thousands upon thousands of years, the Dwarven King is no fighter. And his people are his greatest weakness. As the torture begins, his screams filling the air right alongside the other dwarves captured with him, Eitri can already feel his resolve starting to waver.

He must hold out. Odin will come. Asgard will come. They must.

-x-X-x-

A/N: Eitri: "Haha, you may have captured me, but without my forge I'm useless."

Thanos: "I duplicated the entirety of Nidavellir. Get to work."

Eitri: *Surprise Pikahu Face*

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