Chapter 311: What is Dead May Never Die

13th May 2013, Svartalfheim

(Thor Odinson POV)

Hela summoned swords of her own and they started to fight a contest of physical prowess. They were evenly matched at first, but Thor's injuries started to slow him down. It didn't take long for Hela to land a hit, slashing him in the chest. Distracted by his pain, he was not able to see Hela's punch, which disoriented him further, until she impaled him for the third time.

The curse was starting to spread, and Thor felt his natural healing try to stop it, to no avail. He fell down to his knees and stared at his attacker.

Hela though did not have a smile on his face like he expected. She looked oddly sad for some reason, "I don't know if this means anything, but I am sorry that things ended this way. You were a formidable opponent, Odinson, and for that, I acknowledge you as my brother."

These were the last words the God of Thunder heard before his world turned to black.

Thor woke up with a gasp and took some deep breaths. It took a few moments for his memories to catch up in his mind. He was stabbed, and impaled while fighting Hela, the Goddess of Death, his secret sister.

And wasn't that a surprise? What a way to find out that your father had secretly had a daughter before you, that he ended up banishing and erasing from history. Thor knew that his father had done a few very disturbing deeds, but that had to be one of the most surprising ones.

A part of Thor felt bad for the woman. She had been set aside by her father without warning, or that's according to her at the very least. But Odin was never the irrational type. He was merciless, and ruthless, and could make some very difficult decisions. Banishing his daughter was something he would do, but not as an impulse or as a whim if he wasn't controlled that is.

Nevertheless, even after thousands of years of banishment, Hela was extremely powerful. That connection to Asgard that would heal her from any mortal wound was too overpowered. Even if he would have defeated her in might, which he came very close to doing, she would not tire, she would never stop trying to kill their father, and he couldn't let that happen. For the sake of all Asgardians in the past, present, and future, he could not let her kill Odin.

And yet, he had failed. Thor was supposed to be the main attack force on this side of the conflict, while the Morrigan stabilizes the portal. Odin needed to conserve the Odinforce for the last attack, and Loki was busy with his own mission. Only Thor was available to beat back Malekith's army, and whatever other surprises might occur. But no one expected Hela to come back.

She was a peerless warrior, with far more experience than him. It was not her power that made Odin banish her. Did she fail a test that he had passed? Would he have shared a similar fate should he have failed to prove his worthiness?

It didn't matter now, he had lost, impaled three times in the chest. Yet he didn't feel any pain in his chest, nor the corrupting curse that was laced in his sister's swords. Thor jumped up and started to feel his chest, and saw no presence of a wound anywhere.

Was he dead? It seemed to be the only conclusion available to him. He looked around and saw Asgard's garden. It was one of his favorite places in the palace, where he often stayed to admire its beauty when he was stressed, angry, or simply tired. This was one of the few places he fully relaxed in, away from the courtly politics that always seemed to follow him around. It was one of his few secrets, that very few know about.

But there was something wrong. Everything felt misty for some reason, like a ghost of reality. Was this place supposed to be the famed halls of Valhalla? Thor had to say that for all he likes this place, he expected a bit more.

"You're not dead if that's what you're wondering."

Thor did not shriek like a little girl, nor did he jump away in fright, and he would deny it vehemently if anyone accused him of such. However, his actions might be slightly shameful to the person who is supposed to be the first soul he met in Valhalla. Perhaps the man could know more.

Thor turned immediately and froze when he saw the man. He looked distinctly familiar. He had red hair and a thick beard. He was wearing a warrior's clothing and had an imposing presence. But what took Thor's attention the most, was the man's missing eyes, and yet his face was very expressive. As if he could see without his eyes. He reminded him eerily of his father, Odin.

There was only one person that could feel like a storm and had lost his eyes. It was Thor, or better yet, the last incarnation of him. What madness is this? He was Thor and yet this being was also him, "Impossible."

The man chuckled, "Very few things are truly impossible if one tries enough. But that's not what you want to ask, is it?"

"How are you here? You're not supposed to be here," muttered Thor.

Rune King Thor snorted, "My dear successor, you're asking the wrong question. The How is not important. The better question is Why I am here with you."

"No, I'd rather know how," Thor muttered.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The elder man chuckled, "So impertinent. But I will indulge you. I foresaw that you would need me in the future, or at least, need my advice. I did not know the specifics, but I left a small imprint of myself in my hammer, Mjolnir. When you touched the hammer, trying to wield it, it formed a connection with you, allowing me to speak to you."

"It's too late, don't you think? I'm dead."

Rune King Thor looked amused by the answer, "Did you forget young Thor what I said earlier? You are not dead, at least not yet."

"But Hela stabbed me, she cursed me."

Thor's predecessor nodded, "She did, and you are very close to passing on to Valhalla, and you would have, had the situation been different, had the stakes been different. What's keeping you alive is your connection to Mjolnir, to my Mjolnir."

"You can bring me back?" Thor asked, excited.

"I can't do anything, successor. You're the one who can. You only need to accept Mjolnir as your own."

Thor immediately deflated. Replacing his hammer felt too soon, especially when it was just destroyed. Thor chose to change the subject, "I'm still far weaker than Hela, she would kill me."

"Even with your two eyes, you are blind to the truth. You're more powerful than you realize, and with Mjolnir at your side, very few can stand in your way. You're trying to deflect the issue. You need to accept your true weapon, Odinson."

Thor shook his head, "My hammer was destroyed."

"You hammer was a shard of a whole. It still lives within the original one, ready for you to accept it. You are worthy, Odinson, you simply need to accept that you are. You're not doing this for the sake of glory or vengeance. You're doing it because it's right, because it's your duty to your race, just as it was mine to sacrifice myself for your sake thousands of years ago. The cycle is almost broken, the plan is working. The Morrigan played her part perfectly, and now it's your turn. Set aside your grief for your companion for the sake of your people, for the sake of Asgard."

Thor nodded and muttered, "For Asgard."

Immediately, power raced through his veins, he could feel his spirit getting stronger by the connection, "Thank you."

Thor's predecessor nodded with a smile, "Don't thank me; after all, I am you."

"Hela will still be there. She is still unstoppable."

Rune King Thor nodded, "That's correct, she is."

"I cannot defeat her"

"That's right, you can't."

Surprised by the man's admission, Thor questioned, "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"What should you do when you're playing a game against a more powerful and more experienced opponent?"

Thor remembered Loki asking him this exact question in his youth, "You cheat."

The redhead smiled, "Yes, you cheat. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give you a head start. How much are you willing to sacrifice for Asgard?"

The reply was immediate, "Anything."

"Don't worry, I will not do anything drastic, after all, you only need one spell. That should take around a hundred years from your life force. Remember Thor believe in yourself. It's time to wake up."

The garden started to fade away, but Rune King Thor asked for one more thing, "Thor, one last thing."

Thor turned and the man continued, "When you see the Morrigan, tell her that I'm sorry. Tell her that it was a pleasure, that I treasured our friendship to the very end."

The God of Lightning nodded, and the room was swallowed in pure white. Suddenly, Thor wasn't in Asgard anymore, he was back in Svartalfheim. He raised his hand and Mjolnir came to him.

It wasn't his old hammer though. The first Mjolnir travelled through the dimensions and came to his hand. After all, nothing can stop Mjolnir from reaching its wielder's hand. Immediately when he touched the hammer, he understood what his past self was talking about. This was Mjolnir, his hammer. His former hammer was a part of the whole, and he was glad for it.

As Mjolnir's power coursed through his veins, Thor's wounds closed, and Hela's curse was expunged. He was ready to protect Asgard, to protect his people. He leapt towards his sister at a blinding speed, who was sending an endless barrage of necro swords at his father as he stayed behind a runic shield, still refusing to give up a chance at Asgard's freedom.

Thor teleported using his lightning in front of his sister, surprising her with a thunder punch, "Stand down Hela, for your sake. This is your last warning."

"You're dead," she exclaimed.

"And yet, here I am. Your thoughtless actions have killed loyal Asgardians, and your allegiance to the Shadows threatens the entirety of the nine realms. Stand down and we shall address your concerns after the attack."

Hela answered sarcastically, "I refuse."

Thor let out a sad smile, "So be it."

Immediately Thor threw his hammer at his sister who tried to grab it like she did the first time. However, this time she failed and was sent flying back. He summoned one of the most powerful bolts of lightning from the sky using Mjolnir and let it fall on his sister, blinding all the spectators. The bolt of lightning created a gigantic crater where his sister was limping, still being healed.

Not letting his sister recover, he ran at her and hit her with his hammer, sending her flying back, and then sent another bolt of lightning that slammed her down into another crater. Thor threw his hammer into the air which descended vertically towards his sister, sending her further into the ground.

Thor slowly walked towards the downed Hela that was struggling to get up, with Mjolnir staying on her chest. She could not move her chest but glared at Thor, "You cannot keep me contained forever."

The God of Thunder answered her with a dry tone, "Yes, I can."

Thor grabbed his hammer and let whatever remained of his power flow through it, readying the spell that his predecessor taught him. Thor did not sacrifice his eyes for knowledge, only a century of his lifespan, just for a single spell, a way to bind Hela's powers and remove her connection to Asgard. As he grabbed his hammer, hundreds of small Runes appeared in the air. It didn't matter that Thor did not understand them, as they fell and were absorbed by Hela's body. Odin couldn't have done this because of the energy requirements. Odin would have had to use the Odinforce, and if that was a possibility, then he would have defeated her himself.

The Goddess of Death must have felt something because she looked scared for the first time, "What did you do?"

"I have bound your powers and your connection to Asgard. You are defeated, sister."

Before she could protest, Thor punched her in the face and knocked her out. Grabbing her, he teleported back to his father. He saw him standing next to the Morrigan who was healing him. He threw the body of his unconscious sister at their feet and spoke up, "Hela is defeated."

The All-Father nodded looking proud, but it was the Morrigan who spoke up, "The portal is stabilized. Odin, stay ready for my signal to do your thing. Thor, stay here and make sure no one interrupts me when I go in. It's time for my part of the plan now."

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