Chapter 23 (Raw)

Sigmund furrowed an eye. He was disgusted that he was being compared to a fiction mythical being. Searching Eddie's memories, the Nine-tailed fox was a malevolent mythical beast that was responsible for the protagonist Ramen Ninja miserable childhood and on several occasions demonically possessed the boy similar to how he done with Eddie. While the fox has every evil intentions to escape or control the protagonist, Sigmund would certainly do the opposite and only with special circumstances. He has grown quite fond of Eddie and he reminded Sigmund of his past as a former Fire Giant of Muspelheim.

Eddie rubbed his chin thoughtfully “Why am I here?”

 “To see if you have what takes to be my companion. My host. Before I can fully acknowledge you, must past the trial. Searching your memories I've know of the humans that are after you to get to me. They hunt my kind. We elder dragons are massive in size. We are more powerful enough to destroy a single planet in one stroke. We elders with the exception of me consider humans of be very weak and puny as bacteria. But these bacteria you people called are Blackhaven.

 “I don't know much about them and their numbers. But what I do know is that Blackhaven's elite members are immortal. and their leader isan evildoer that has been forgotten in time and has everything to do with your parents and you meeting 'him' not once but twice. He's knows your parents. He's come for me through you. Hmmm . . . but I felt something that seem off about him. It seems like his endeavor is after something else that is not related to me.”

 No. Eddie thought. He could not meant the hooded guy at back home in Michigan that pursued him and his mother with an army of goblins and imps. Everything seems to be getting very complicated with each secrets being unveiled before his eyes, He seriously was going to have a chat with his mother when or whenever. The thought of mentioning his own mother harshly brought him back to reality, making his tummy ached. He could not forgive himself for killing Cassandra. The women who had brought him into this world.

 Sigmund sighed as he read Eddie's thoughts clear as day light, “Your mother is alive and in a lot of pain, but she will manage. And you guessed it right.”

Eddie sighed with relief.

 “Okay. Since you have everything I want to know. What secrets that Mom has yet to tell me like who was that guy?”

 “His name is Lancelot of Riverra. He was the second born and 'illegitimate' son of Ivar Riverra from a kingdom that for many generations was named after Riverra Clan. That I will leave that up to your mother. It is not my place to speak of the relationship she 'had' with him. Or of with your father.” Sigmund said with a monotone voice. “Lancelot has gained incredible power since childhood. He lusts for power and it seems like he has turned his eyes towards my kind. What he has inside of him will throw the entire Yggdrasil into chaos as if it was to fully take control of him.”

 Eddie shivered. He did not anticipate reality to have such a great peril heading his way.

 “That's a story for another time. In the mean time, you'll have to proof to me that you're the one 'he' spoke of.”

 The iron gate behind Sigmund opened. Eddie's stomach rumbled as he could smell the same fire embers of the fiend that he escaped filled his nostrils.

 “This is the great hall of the after life. The Aesir Gods called them Valhalla when 'honored' the souls of the dead are usher by Odin the All-Father and the goddess of fertility Freya also home to the Valkyrie war maidens. Inside the hall you will meet Efroot for the second time. He is one of my general and the guardian of the legendary bow Ichaival. A bow that is capable of shooting ten arrows at once.

 “Before you are to meet Efroot, you have to defeat five of his acolytes. Each acolyte is the source of his invincibility. Efroot cannot be physically mental harmed in any manner. To spice things up, each of these acolytes are descendants of Baldur the god of peace and forgiveness. Baldur strictly order me to not anyone that does not come from his family tree besides Odin to enter the hall.

 “You have been selected to enter the hall and complete the trail that Baldur prepared for his “true” descendant he'd predicted that will be the 'promise child'. A messiah is destined to stop Loki and prevent him from bring forth the second Ragnarok since ancient times. Only a hand full of humans in your world know this. Loki will suddenly resurface and bring along him the Seven Deadly Sins and he will once again throw the entire cosmos into chaos.”

 “Wha . . . you mean the Loki? The Trickster? The god of mischief? The Frost Giant that made a blood pact with Odin?”

 Eddie said it with fear.

 Sigmund remained silent for a split second, gather his thoughts. “Before you enter, let me tell you a story how I met Baldur after he was resurrected. During ancient times after the events of Ragnarok, the doom of the gods. Midgard became gladdened with life once again. Baldur, son of the All-father and queen of Asgard was resurrected when his brother Vidar had accomplished Hel's many trials. In exchanged, they gave up their immortality and godly status. However, they kept their refined skills and seidr spells. Upon resurrection, Baldur lost the ability to wield a sword as a warrior. Instead, he live the life as a farmer and shaman. From what he lost, he gained a prominent seidr. The ability to see into the future. `

 “Baldur predicted that with the help of Hel, they could free their father Odin from the bowels of what was once the great wolf Fenrir. Their expedition to free their father is how I first met Baldur and his bother Vidar in Muspelheim.”

 Sigmud went into a moment of silence, gathering his thoughts, “During the time of Ragnarok, I was incarcerated for going against my brother's wishes to my—the fire giants against all civilization during Ragnarok. My brother sentenced me to death as he said I should become one with Muspelheim. My body to merge with the rivers of fire and magma. My spirit was sealed at the bottom of an abyss in a location the orc race made home to. They call it Mount Mordredu'un.

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 “Baldur approached me and promises me new life and escape from captivity in return that I use my mana to help free their father. At first, I did not trust the small folk that resented the giants for many generation, but I had nothing to lose. I was already dead and nothing more than a wandering spirit. Baldur crafted such an exotic golden chalice. It became known as the Divine Chalic. He said here it will be my den and residence. This was how I escaped the outside world.

 “Baldur and Vidar traveled through many lands and visited what remains of the Nine Worlds. Asgard as you know it has been destroyed. The cosmos also know as the universe was one vast land. Yggdrasil, the ash world tree. Upon Loki's death, his body was full of dark matter. A very dark source of seidr that was coursing through his body was released into the Ginnugangup. The Ginnugangup was split into many dimensions and in time became you earthlings call space and outer space. Each world became a single planet, located in different galaxies across the cosmos.

 “A mere life form such as human the depend of oxygen will not last a minute in the Ginnugangup. For Aesir and perhaps Vanir Gods, it will be harmless for them to travel. Since the cosmos is so endlessly vast, its possible that they could get lost in time if they don't find the roots of Yggdrasil. The roots are leylines that Odin believed to connects every star and galaxy together through waypoints. Using seidr, they could warp to any waipoint, using the Bifrost.”

 “Bifrost! The rainbow bridge!” Eddie exclaimed with excitement. “Mom told me stories about the rainbow bridge. How it connects one galaxy to another and was once that main bridge of Asgard that connects to the other Eight Worlds.”

 “That's a story for another time. As I was saying, when the Odinsson brothers found their father in the center a faraway galaxy far south of Midgard's galaxy the Milky Way, entombed in the deceased Fenrir's belly as your earthling astronomers like to call it the black hole. Even with my help, it took with all their mana and physical strength to wrench their father out and returning safely to Midgard. However, with nearly all the seidr extracted from the Odinsson brothers, they became mortals and time would play a factor in their life spans it did with Baldur.”

 “Baldur aged and death came for him once again. On his death bed, he had one final premonition into the far future that Loki will resurfaced from the depths of Niflheim and finish what he started. The exact time when he makes his presence known to the universe, the messiah from Baldur's family tree will be born to fight Loki and the forces of darkness. To confirm the identity of the messiah, I was given a task by Odin and Baldur to appoint a trial to each Baldur's descendants that seeks the Throne of Accession in the halls of Valhalla. The throne that once belong to the king of Asgard himself.

 “Valhalla is now a dragon sanctuary thanks to me and Odin. It contains other human life forms and dinosuars. Valhalla contains every single race of dragons species. Dragons have been an endangered species since the beginning of time due to their low birthrate. To complete the trial, you must obtain Ichaival from Efroot, journey through Valhalla and slay the guardian that guards the throne of Asgard. This is by no means any mere guardian. You will have to face one of Nigghod deadliest avatars that has been laying dormant for centuries that even other dragons don't dare to approach it.

 “I don't care for any of this! I don't want the throne! I want to get out of here!” Eddie gritted his teeth.

 “You cannot until or at least until you defeat my general, his acolytes. If you refuse, I will take your life and your body will be added to my collection. Know this, it will sadden me if I had to resort to that and I do not want to make enemies with your family nor the Great Wizard Woden.”

 Eddie quivered and froze with such great phobia. Sigmund sensed how suddenly tense Eddie became.

 “Listen to me! What your mother said is true. In order to survive you must become stronger. The path you must walk for the rest or your life will be harsh. Each obstacle you overcome, the next one becomes more difficult. Searching through your from last year memories, I found your endeavor to one day be a ruler of the nation that you currently reside in. The president of the United Stated of America.

 “You want people to acknowledge you; treat you as someone important and not a defect. By all means, this is a wonderful opportunity to develop your leadership and diplomatic skills as a ruler as the next Dragon King, Baldur's successor. Unfortunately, it is not that easy as it sounds. You must convincing if you don't want the dragons see you are a delicate snack instead of a potential ruler. Nevertheless, they see humans as cattle.

 “With your current level and skill, there is no way you will be ready for Blackhaven, If you are cut off from support from your mother, her fairies and the guild. You have no one and nothing to support you besides me and you are no where no near of controlling me and my mana. But if you succeed the throne, you will be granted vast support from legions of dragons, fighting by your side on your command that even Blackhaven themselves will be s in their boots. If you are anything like your idol Ramen Ninja Boy, then you shall be successful.”

 Eddie gulped down his saliva. He know what Sigmund meant. Ramen Ninja Boy had this ability by birth to talk his way out of danger and persuade people, especially, villains to see to see the light. Among the Ninja Boy fandom, the audience like to call it the “Talk no Jutsu”. Eddie wasn't sure to sure that he he could convinced a den full of dragons. Although what made the thought much less eerie than the thought of being burnt alive of chewed on the is the thought of how glorious it would be to be riding one dragon with a horde of its kin and the numerous pranks that came with it. For instance; a fly by over Brad and his gang's houses. Eddie snickered at that thought.

 Sigmund glowered and furrowed a brow with distaste at the boy's devious thoughts.

 “Be rid of those devious thoughts. One day that mischievous behavior yours will be the down fall of you just like it was for Loki.”

 Eddie clenched his fist and gritted,” What! I'm never will be like him! He's evil and I'm a good boy! Believe it!” 

“Right,” Sigmund said it sarcastically. “Best that you get started You do not want to miss your grandfather's return with allies from Vanhold, Elven kingdom of Elkwood and . . . Shialla the Elder Ice Dragon residing within her princess vessel.”

 Eddie briefly felt Sigmund's fear when he mentioned the name Shialla. Eddie wasted no time entering the entranced to Valhalla. Eddies vanished before his eyes. Countless thoughts process through the 9-wings mind. He was not completely honest with Eddie. Sigmund did not have a brother or any siblings. He was as in the legends or what the human earthlings call a myth. The Fire Giant king. The king of Muspelheim, Surt.

 No one but Odin All-Father and Baldur knew the exact truth how he vanished after he lit up the entire cosmos with his radiant, flaming sword The Sword of Surt. The War God Frey killing his way into the Giant race and exterminating most of the Frost and Fire. Surt sacrifice his body and put every single mana and energy into one final attack, which ended cutting through Frey's attack and extinguishing his life.

 It wasn't for Baldur, he would not have been reborn and his soul and subconsciousness would have already decimate into nothing. They reason he kept this from Eddie because Eddie grown up on the Norse stories and believing Loki and Surt were bad antagonist.