Dwarves are broken.

“Hmmmm

Hmm hmmm hmmm

Hmmm…”

The humming was broken apart by the sounds of hammers hitting metal. But that wasn’t completely accurate. The sound was of a higher pitch than metal on metal, almost like breaking glass.

‘Ping’

“Hmmmm”

‘Ping’

“Hmmm hmmm hmm”

‘Ping’

I approached Eitri, who was standing behind five dwarves overseeing each swing of a hammer. He was dressed the same way as the day before, and it was not exactly what I would consider kingly. I would actually consider it the garb of a really expensive blacksmith. Although I did have to give him credit to the small bits of gold that littered his frame.

Heimdall stood off to the side, staring off into space. He held his sword the same way he always did. Both hands on the hilt, with the sword pointing towards the ground.

The ever faithful watcher of Asgard. What has Heimdall seen since he took his post? Has he watched the wars of God’s? Has he watched true love in its purest form? Or is it only duty to him?

“Too old to swing a hammer?” I asked, teasing the old dwarf as I came to a stop beside him.

Thor was already here, much closer to the dwarves than Eitri and I were. She had a leather bound notebook in her hands and I could see her tracing inside of it. She was taking notes, with diagrams it seemed.

“Ha!” Eitri laughed. “It is best to let the younglings learn, no?” Eitri asked as he gestured to the Dwarves below.

“Younglings?” I asked, curious. “Wouldn’t you want your most skilled and veteran smiths on something so important?” I asked, questioning the logic of the thing.

“Bah! The old ones know how the Bifrost works, they know every intricacy of the Rainbow Bridge. Should we all die, it is the newest generation that will take our posts. They must learn as we did.” Eitri answered wisely.

‘Ping’

Everything stopped. Everyone present looked at the dwarf that had just swung the last hammer. It was wrong, the sound was off. He had made a mistake and everyone knew it.

He dropped his hammer and stood up before turning around and bowing to Eitri. “I am sorry, Master, I am not skilled enough…”

“Ohhhh no, child.” Eitri said mournfully as he walked forward. When he crossed the distance Eitri squatted down to the dwarf’s level. “We all make mistakes, young one.” He said before grabbing the young dwarf by the armpit and lifting him up.

Eitri walked over to where the dwarf had dropped his hammer, and picked it up. “We do not give up so easily, and we never drop our hammers.”

Eitri handed the young dwarf the hammer before turning around abruptly and raising his hand to the sky. A simple hammer appeared in his hand. It was massive for the normal sized human or Asgardian, but for Eitri it was perfect.

He swung once with frightening accuracy. Where I stood, and now that the dwarf was out of my way, I could see what they were hammering on. It was the rainbow bridge. They were hammering small pieces of glass into the bridge, trying to lengthen it to it’s previous length.

The piece that the young dwarf had misplaced into the bridge fell away with a crack, and Eitri’s hammer disappeared as soon as he let go of the hammer.

“Now try again. And do it with confidence. I didn’t choose you for nothing, always remember that.” Eitri said as he walked back towards me. The young dwarf nodded and went back to his place where he kneeled and grabbed another shard of glass from a bucket they had beside them.

‘Ping.’

“Hmmmmm”

“You’re very good at that.” I told the massive Dwarf as he stood next to me again.

“Bah, it’s nothing.” Eitri played it off.

We fell into a silence as the Dwarves continued to hum and work, while Jane recorded their every move. Heimdall stood there, continuing to stare into space, doing Odin’s bidding.

My mind kept picturing Eitri and how he summoned that hammer out of nothing. Was that a conjuration? There were notches on the hammer that looked to be scars from previous work. Was that because he wanted it to look that way or did he summon it to him?

“Did you summon that hammer, or conjure it?” I asked as my curiosity got the best of me.

“Hmmm?” Eitri asked before he realized what I meant. “Oh I summoned it. Dwarves are no good with conjuration like you Asgardians.” Eitri said casually.

“Could I learn to do such a thing?” I asked, continuing my train of thought.

Eitri took his eyes off of the dwarves he was supervising again. “You already know how, it is the same enchantment on Mjolnir.” Eitri told me, slightly confused that I was asking such a thing.

“The hammer took my memories with it, Eitri. I am not sure that I remember how. Although I do know that it didn’t just appear.” I told him truthfully. I know that the original Thor just held out his hand and Mjolnir would fly towards him. Eitri’s Hammer straight up appeared in his hand.

Was it in a pocket dimension? Was it laying at his house when he didn’t have it? I NEED ANSWERS.

“Yes the storm did resist a certain aspect of the summoning.” Eitri agreed while his hand rose to his chin in a thinking manner. “Let me see that arm.” He said as he reached for my arm made of leftover Destroyer metal.

He looked it over a couple of times, and I knew that he did not see the things that I saw. His eyes weren’t just looking at the way it was sculpted. No, he was looking at everything. My mothers enchantments and the Ancient Ones as well.

“Jarnbjorn is hard to carry around, and even harder to draw off of my back quickly. If I could summon it like you did, it would provide a serious benefit in battle.” I explained, trying to get him to see my reasoning behind my questions.

“This enchantment is very curious, Odinson. It is more than just a way to move from one place to another. It might provide the answer you seek.” Eitri said as he continued to turn it over and around.

“What about how you summoned yours?” I asked, confused. “It does not require this arm…”

“Ahhh it is not so easy, Siegfried.” Eitri said with an apologetic look. He dropped my arm, and turned back to the dwarves in front of him. “I have had that hammer for two thousand years, and never used another. There is a bond between it and I that cannot be explained, and rarely replicated. Much like the Bifrost. It is not something within my ability to teach.” Eitri explained.

I did my best not to roll my eyes. Fucking Marvel with it’s soft magic systems. I thought to myself as I put the issue in the back of my mind.

“My prince! Thor! Odin requests you in the Throne Room!”

Jane looked up and met my eyes. I nodded for her to come over to me. I fueled the fire within me, my godly energy, and pictured my destination. A portal, surrounded by a golden sparkling energy appeared in front of me. Through it, I could see Odin on his throne.

Jane and I stepped through it together.

“Crown Prince, Siegfried, and the Mighty Thor!”

I looked around and to my side, my brother Tyr stood beside me dressed in his normal battle armor. He wore a shield on his left arm, strapped there because he had no hand to wield it. A normal Asgardian sword graced his waist and in his right hand was a spear.

I closed the portal behind us, and a yelp caused me to look behind. The servant had gotten through the portal, but only just as I saw his brown ponytail come undone. He lost a bit of his hair, and almost lost more than that.

“Apologies, my Prince, my King.” The servant said as he scurried off. I wanted to apologize to him, but his job was to run around and fetch people for the Allfather, not to take easy travel with me. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about servants doing that again, now that he learned that lesson. The rumor would spread.

“The homeland of Frigga, beloved queen of Asgard is under attack. Vanaheim is a valued realm as any other, and the Vanir need us.” Odin commanded. “You will take a legion, along with our ships, and secure Vanaheim. They await you to lead them!”

Adrenaline began to rush through me. Was it the Rock Trolls again? Or the Marauders like in the movies? That war had lasted 3 years, and I could not afford to let it go on that long.

I pictured the hangar that kept the Asgardian ships and another portal to appear in front of Tyr, Jane, and I. Teleportation continued to become easier and easier. Soon I would be able to use it in battle with enough concentration.

We stepped into the hangar and the warriors of Asgard were ready. Odin always prepared the army before he called me to officially lead them. It was a way to inform the council of his decision, and who he appointed to command. I loved it because I didn’t have to wait for the army to assemble. He must have known since sometime in the night.

“This way.” Tyr said as he located an empty ship with only a single pilot in the front. It was just as the movies had portrayed it, being an advanced form of a Nordic ship, although it sailed through the air instead of the sea. And it looked fucking cool.

“I’m happy you are with us, Tyr.” I said as we walked to the ship. “The men will fight harder with the God of War by their side.”

“Mothers people need me. I will answer this call.” Tyr said as we climbed into the ship.

We were saluted by the lone pilot there before he took up his post on the controls. It was then that I realized I had no idea where the battle was on Vanaheim, and the memories from my childhood were vague and unfocused. I needed a way to picture where I was going.

A lightbulb went off in my head.

“Lend me your sight, Heimdall. Show me where King Frey is!” I called out, hoping that he was watching, or at least listening to me.

It took no time at all for him to grant my request. “As you wish, my prince.” Heimdall’s voice echoed throughout the chamber we were in, answering my call.

No longer could I see Tyr, Jane, or the pilot in front of me. Instead, I saw a battlefield on a plain surrounded by forests, and with a ruined castle in the background. I focused my sight instinctively, and my vision sped towards the front of the fighting to see our opponent.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Fuck. I thought as I saw the battle and who we were fighting. My sight changed back to normal with my will.

“We must hurry!” I called out as I brought my arm forward.

“Frey needs you Tyr, I have to hold the portal! Go!” I said as a massive hole opened up in the sky in front of us.

Tyr seemed to instinctively know what I was seeing, or he trusted me that much. He jumped, with almost all of his strength into the air. The ship we were on groaned in stress at his movement. He had nearly punched through the bottom of it. There was already an Asgardian ship heading into the portal, even though it just appeared. Tyr dropped the spear in mid air and with the same hand he grabbed the edge of the ship before pulling himself up.

He was the first into the portal, and I was worried that we were too late. I had to be the last one to go, for if I got into the battle and got distracted I might close the portal before all of our men could go through. I was strong, but I could not fight the entire army off without the legions of Asgard.

It did not take long although it felt like ages for the last ships to fly through the portal. The last two were massive, compared to the others. They held the normal foot soldiers and would land outside of the battlefield, depositing the 5000 foot soldiers onto the battlefield.

The other smaller ships like the one I was on, would provide air support, and allow me to pick where I wanted to land.

“Sig, I don’t think I can…”

I didn’t intend to be so cruel, or mean. “You’ll have to!” I practically roared at her, causing her to jump.

Jane’s face showed hurt and confusion, before she became angry. “No, I do not!” She said defiantly.

I didn’t have the time to hold her hand, there were people dying through the portal in front of me. People that she had the power to protect, if only she had the grit to use it. Anger coursed through me.

“Fine.” I said as the last ship went through the portal, that wasn’t my own.

I closed the portal quickly, before I pictured a new destination. The desert of New Mexico. “You want to go home then? Go!” I said as I pointed to the new portal I had conjured beside her.

“I don’t want to go home!” Jane said as she gripped her hammer. “But I don’t want to kill either!”

I did not have the time to sit here and argue with her. I closed the New Mexico portal, and opened a small one closer to the battlefield. As soon as my ship passed through the portal, I jumped.

“Stay on the ship then!”

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When I landed, I swung my axe downwards, and a Rock Troll split in half. I wielded my Godly Aura, strengthening myself and slowing the world down slightly to my perception.

“Nice of you to join us!” Tyr said as he parried a swipe from a blade and then decapitated the owner.

I took in the battlefield, on the ground level. Rock Trolls, and Dark Elves intermingled into a disorganized, but effective, army. And all of them looked at me cautiously as I arrived. There was a brief lull in activity as the enemy saw that Asgard and it’s legions had arrived.

“Thor! You are missing something!” An elderly voice called out to my right.

“I am Siegfried now, King Frey. The God of Thunder is on that ship.” I said as I pointed to Jane in the skies.

King Frey hadn’t changed that much. His silver armor was something I hadn’t seen on his frame before, but his face still had lines in it that looked as deep as canyons on his skin. His white beard was longer than even Odin’s, and reached his waist. He looked frighteningly like my mother.

“A conversation we must have later, then.” Frey said as he rose Sumarbrander, the Sword of Summer, a weapon he had wielded for a long time. A weapon that, when wielded by the wise, made him unconquerable. Whatever that meant.

He parried and cut, slicing through armor and skin, taking the life of a dark elf.

When I had seen the man through Heimdall's eyes, he was surrounded by enemies. But the twenty or so bodies on the ground around me told me that him and Tyr had made short work of those.

A dark elf approached with a sword, with a rock troll beside him. Jarnbjorn rose to parry the blade, and my leg lashed out to the midsection of the rock troll. I ended the life of the dark elf with a swipe of Jarnbjorn.

“For Asgard!” I roared.

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A glimpse of yellow and black caught my eye.

It was the first time in a long time that I was allowed to take a breath and look around me. I stood on a hill, overlooking the remains of the battle. My godly aura blazed inside of my skin as if I had been feeding it. Most of the fighting was still in the middle of the plains outside of the Ruins of Vanaheim, a remnant of the Aesir and Vanir war.

It was SUPPOSED to be abandoned at least.

On the wall of the city, I could see three figures. One was grey skinned, and didn’t seem to wear any discernible clothes besides a black belt. I also couldn’t make out any genitalia on the figure. The other, seemed like a very pale human, although he was obviously not. He wore a black and yellow suit, with the same belt his companion did on his waist.

The other figure is one I recognized quickly. Skinny frame, white hair, and most importantly a half blue and half red skin tone that was divided down the center of his body.

“Malekith.” I said as I looked around to find Tyr. I would need him for what came next.

I saw him talking with King Frey and looking to the same place as I. I opened a portal right next to him and stepped through.

“You have noticed as well.” I said, interrupting their conversation.

“Malekith has new allies.” Tyr said as he appraised the three men. The three figures on the wall were staring at us, as we were staring at them.

“Shall we meet them?” I asked, with more confidence than I would without my brother with me.

“I believe that is normally done before the battle.” King Frey said sarcastically.

I focused on about twenty feet beside the three enemy leaders and willed the enchantment in my arm to create a portal. The three men, as it was obvious now, turned towards the direction of the portal, but did not move.

I stepped through first, followed by Tyr, and then by King Frey.

“You have failed Malekith.” I said, starting the conversation off.

“I disagree, Odinson. I find your response time …lacking.” Malekith said as a smile blossomed on his face. A wicked smile, that reminded me of the grinch, and Malekith’s comic book nature.

Fuck. I thought as I realized I would not face the MCU version of Malekith, but rather the much more fierce and scary comic book version.

“Give yourself up, and the Allfather will decide your fate.” Tyr said as he took a step forward.

“I would not move, Asgardian.” An aristocratic voice said beside Malekith, who backed up slightly.

The man in yellow and black was the one to speak, and he raised his hand towards us. That caused me to tense and grab the power within me a little harder. This was an unknown, and if he was with Malekith then he was powerful.

“The Shi’ar will rule this planet, one way or another.” The man said revealing just who he was and what he represented.

The implications of who the man was, and what he represented hit me immediately. Malekith had made a deal with the Shi’ar Empire, probably the most comprehensive and powerful empire in the Marvel universe. One that even the Skrull and Kree would pause in facing.

That means this man must be a part of the Imperial Guard, a group made up of the most powerful being from the Shi’ar empire. Whether that be Shi’ar themselves, or the different races they commanded.

The only person I was really fearful of was Gladiator, and he was obviously not here. Had they not sent their best to conquer an Asgardian planet? A bit presumptuous if you ask me. My reputation as Thor alone would warrant someone of the highest strength level.

“Why?” I asked. What had Malekith offered them in return? Or did he swear fealty to them?

“It is our destiny to rule over this universe.” The man answered.

“And it is mine to protect this place.” I countered. “So you will leave, never to come back. Or you will die.”

The man scoffed. “The arrogance of your race is astounding.” He spat as he began levitating off of the ground. The grey skinned man, who had yet to comment, followed him upwards into the sky.

“And we will be the ones to curb it!”

Malekith raised his hands, and made a swiping motion. His hands were covered in a dark energy. It was like a black smoke covering his hand. I raised my axe, intent on throwing it and eliminating the threat. I did not get the opportunity to.

I could barely see what happened next, because of a beam of white light twenty feet in diameter smashed into the wall where they stood, disintegrating much of the castle’s old stone and traveling into the old city. I shielded my eyes from the blast, knowing who it was that arrived.

“Balder.” Tyr greeted as I unshielded my eyes from the light.

I turned to see the God of Light, Balder the Brave floating about fifty feet from us, with his hand outstretched towards where Malekith and the two Imperial Guards used to stand. I was not naive enough to think that he had connected and killed the three of them.

So jealous that he can fly. I thought as I watched him float down towards us.

“I thought you were going to hide yourself, Balder.” King Frey said behind me. He talked to my brother with much more familiarity than I expected.

“I was, until Malekith revealed himself as the perpetrator.” Balder said as he floated down onto the walls beside me. He always did give off an aura that was hard to describe. He rarely spoke, but when he did it was meaningful and people listened.

“I thought you were on Midgard brother.” I said to him, it was odd that Tyr joined us in battle. It was even odder that Balder had decided to intervene as well. Balder was an adult when Jotenheim was taken, and fought in the battles using his power over light to decimate the frost giants. Since then, he had rarely seen war after an incident involving mistletoe and Hel.

Balder walked up to me and put a hand on my arm. “A lie I told long ago.” Balder said vaguely. “I only now have the courage to correct it.”

I took a moment to observe my brother. He was different than I remembered. His short white hair barely poked out of the simple helmet on his head. The armor on his arms and some of his legs were just like mine, but his chest plate was blue and of a very unique design. Instead of a cape like the one I wore, he wore a fur coat around his shoulders in the same manner that Ned Stark did in the Game of Thrones tv show. He had Frigga’s facial features more than Odin’s. He was beautiful with a perfect nose, and strong jaw.

He carried himself more like Frigga than Odin as well. Strong and silent. Odin was strong, but he was not silent. He dominated the room with presence and a commanding voice. Balder preferred to listen.

“It is time for me to come home, brothers.” Balder said as he embraced Tyr and I.

----------------------------------------

I could have teleported, but I did not. I decided that walking would do me better. All of the ships, and every Asgardian, including those that fell in battle, was back on Asgard after successfully defending Vanaheim.

I still hadn’t truly processed the events of the past day and walking somewhere would provide me with much needed time to think.

“You’re going to ignore me?” I heard from behind me.

Looks like I won’t get to do much thinking…

I turned to where I heard her. She was leaning on a post outside of the hangar I had just left. I must have walked right by her without noticing her.

“No. I was lost in my thoughts.” I answered truthfully as she stood up straight and walked over to me.

Mjolnir was hanging off of her belt, and she had her helmet in her hands. I was reminded just how beautiful she is. She had taken to wearing the helmet nearly everywhere she went around Asgard, covering up half of her face.

Had she always had blue eyes?

She stopped in front of me, staring into my eyes. I held her gaze for a moment, unsure of what to say. I had been a bit of an ass before the battle, but at that moment I thought King Frey was in danger. And then she chose to throw a temper tantrum.

“I’m sorry for earlier.”

“I’m sorry for what I said.”

We both spoke at the same time, and both of us trailed off at the same time. My hands rose to my face and I couldn’t help but rub my eyes. This was such a weird situation because I honestly got where she was coming from, I did. She picked up the hammer to save me and her friends from the Destroyer, nothing more. She didn’t choose to be ferried off to Asgard and forced to defend it and the Nine Realms. She didn’t pick it up to be dragged into godly politics.

“Look Jane, I get it.” I told her sincerely. “You didn’t choose any of this. It was cruel earlier, but I meant what I said. If you want to go home, you can go home.”

“I don’t know what I want.” She replied breaking eye contact and looking down to the ground. “But I know I don’t want to kill, I don’t want to go to war.”

I sighed and with a flex of my will and power a ten foot portal appeared behind me. It was exactly where we had left earth from and I could see SHIELD agents moving on the other side of the portal as they reacted to its appearance. Nothing had changed, apparently.

“You don’t have to kill, you don’t have to wage war, but you should be prepared to fight Jane. As long as you wield the hammer, you are Thor the God of Thunder and the Protector of Midgard. With great power comes great responsibility…”

I paused, and stepped aside for her to walk through the portal. She took a few steps towards it, and I could see the glint of unshed tears in her eyes. I gave her the respect of looking into them as she walked by.

“I need you to remember that every time you see something that you could have prevented, but didn’t.” I told her as she walked through the portal and onto the New Mexico soil.

“And Jane…” I called out, ignoring the commands of ‘frieze’ from the SHIELD agents on the others side of the portal.

She turned to me, and I saw the tears escape her eyes and roll down her face. I couldn’t help but pity her at that moment. I hated seeing someone not live up to their potential, but I hoped it was only temporary. Hopefully this was the right thing to do for her. Hopefully she would find the will to fight, and to protect.

“If you ever need me, call for Heimdall and I will be there.”