Dwarf plus Ring

Sunday morning, Ron was already out of bed by six o'clock. After being able to read what was written he needed some answers and he had gone out to explore and see where these answers may be. Since he didn't have an Altaen crystal yet he did it the old-fashioned way since Valor didn't support his phone service. If people in this place even had phones.

He had to use a map of the kingdom they were just handed out as you leave the Academy by the gatekeeper. He opened the map and Thank goodness they were English or else it would be something else. There was a place on the map that was labeled "Norse shop" that wasn't so far from his school he figured if he was to find out more about the ring, it was better if started with a person who deals in Norse mythological related goods.

Valor was as normal as you would expect a normal town to look like, there was no super high tech, or castles and dragons flying around. It looked like a normal people's town, the only difference he had seen was that all the leaves on the trees and the grass around were pure green. It was early March in the real world, but here there was no single sign that it snowed. Just the clear sky of mid-spring. The streets were modern but there was no sign of a car or even car tracks.

He stopped his bike right next to the shop. And as the map had instructed. Ron was facing a shop with a cardboard sign on the side that read 'Norse shop' but when he stared longer it read 'Asgardian weapons'. He didn't mind that though.

He pushed the glass entrance and the bell hanging on it rang. A short green-haired man jumped out of the counter and said, "Welcome to Norse shop. How may I help you today," His accent sounded Irish.

Well…I um…saw Asgardian weapons so I came in so that you may…"

"Oh, so you're from Valhalla." the man winked twice to show that he understood what Ron was looking for. The wink was so terrible Ron wished he could wash that out of his brain.

He bent under the counter and pulled out a golden blade and slammed it on the table, "May I introduce Loki's blade. The very one he used during Ragnarok." the man looked at him with excitement waiting for Ron to say something.

"Well..um"

The man interrupted Ron again, "That will be thirty…"

"Thirty what?"

"Silver." he answered."This blade will cost you thirty silver."

"I…um…I… don't have silver. Why would I..have silver." Ron shrugged as he forced a smile with the hope that the short man doesn't throw him out without answering his questions.

"So, you're not from Valhalla." the man's voice was now brittle after saying that,

"How can I help you then?" he sighed, then faced him.

"I want to know about a place called Svartalfheim."

"Svartalfheim…why?" the man sounded surprised.

Ron hesitated. "It's for a school project. I chose to do um... A report on Svartalfheim..so..I.."

"Chose to come to a dwarf for help." the man completed his lie for him. And fun fact, Ron thought the man was just a tiny man, he had no idea he was a dwarf. which was pretty obvious but he didn't notice.

"Yes, that's why." Ron smiled.

"Well, I would be more than glad to help you out. Where would you like to start about my homeworld."

"Your homeworld?"

"Yes, Svartalfheim is the home of the greatest engineers that have ever existed, the dwarfs. We built great cities and weapons." He said."Not to brag, but we also made Gungnir Odin's spear and helped out the other gods by sharing our great designs that were used to make their great weapons."

"Have you ever had of a ring made by the great dwarfs?" Ron asked.

"Yes, I've heard of it. It was made by the dwarf brothers Brokkr and Sindri after being tricked by Loki, the god of mischief, the ring was called drauphir I heard it gave All-father the ability to travel anywhere in the nine realms. But it was destroyed by Freya because the giants wanted it." The dwarf said.

"Is there by any chance that the ring may have survived?"

The dwarf chuckled, "Freya was one hell of a sorceress, nothing could survive her magic." he said. "For all, I know was that ring would make eight copies of the same weight every ninth night. But they were just normal rings. All father's was different."

He said that staring at Ron's blue eyes, "You're human aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes," Ron answered.

"Huh…a human who can read Old Norse. I could have offered you mead, but you're age-appropriate they say." The dwarf laughed.

"What is your name boy?"

"Ron Carter."

"I am Isvark Bor. I am an outcast like you. Most of us find refuge here when bad things happen in our worlds."

"What bad things?" Ron asked

"War has broken out against the god slayers who plan to become the next gods."

"I thought god slayers are the good guys," Ron said.

"They were the good guys." the dwarf corrected him. "You demigods continue to sit on the sidelines as your counterparts chose to ruin our lives." He muttered

"Am not a demigod Sir, am a god slayer." Ron dropped the truth, this was the first outsider he had told.

Isvark froze with wide eyes, then smacked his palm on his forehead. His head wasn't working right, maybe it was the excess mead he took during his breaks. The human boy had just called himself a god slayer.

"Boy, if this is supposed to be some joke I am going to have to ask you to le…."

He stopped talking once Ron pulled out a golden ring from his pocket and displayed it in front of him.

"Do you believe me now?" Ron asked while showing him the ring his father had given him.

"Why do I feel like I know that ring?"

"Because it was made from Svartalfheim. Your homeworld. And I am desperate for some answers."

Isvark looked down and turned away, "Am sorry, but I can't give you the answers. I am as shocked as you are Ron Carter. The only thing I can tell you is that you can't get the answers from Valor." Isvark said then continued to the room behind the counter.

Ron stepped out of the shop. He moved slowly with hesitation thinking about the ring and why his father had it in the first place. How did a ring that belonged to a god end up with a human?

He rode his bike back to the Academy but didn't go to the dorm area. He went to the diner where he first ate with Ellen.

She was already seated where she was the first time they met. She was having a candy fruit bar in her hand. She looked at him and smiled like she had been expecting him all along.

He took a seat right opposite her.

"You knew I had the ring didn't you?" he asked, looking directly into her bright red eyes, which once he looked harder were silver and similar to the moon.

Ellen smiled, "I knew you had the ring. That is why I think your Odin. I don't know why your father had it in the first place."

"So you've been stalking me?"

"No, I haven't been stalking you. I felt your presence when you were six when your father placed the ring in your hands. I felt a connection, a very weak one, but I could still feel it." She explained. "The giants attacked that day because they wanted two things that day, the ring and your death. They got none, but once you awakened a few days back, I filed a report for your recruitment to protect you and the ones around you. Giants can't come Valor they can't even see it."

Ron faced down for a few seconds trying to see if he can think about what he was going to say. If I follow you tomorrow will I be able to get answers to all these questions? "he asked.

Ellen shrugged, "I don't know. I am also looking for answers, but first, we need to save the realms from god slayers." She whispered.

"We? I didn't say I am in." Ron complained. "How do we even do that?"

Ellen lifted her head smirked.

"We are going to make a new Aesir." she said, "by reviving great gods to fight the god slayers."

"Wait, there are more like us." he sounded surprised.

Ellen nodded, " the world tree must have revived others and I begin the search tomorrow." Ellen said, "Question is, are you in?"

Ron narrowed his blue eyes. Ellen's attention was anchored on him as she awaited his response.

"Am, in," he answered.

Ellen smirked, "Great, now get prepared. We leave tomorrow morning at six O'clock."

"Why so early?"

"Because we need to pick up some stuff for the journey and we need a story to explain our small leave from the Academy."

"What are we gonna--"

"Leave that to me. Meet me at the infirmary at six tomorrow morning." She tapped her fingers on the table for Ron to even get it clearer.

He nodded in agreement with what she was saying.