Chapter 74: Nine
A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07.
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The battle against Niflheim had begun in earnest. The Einherjar were fighting against the Dead Berserkers of Hela, and winning. For each Einherjar soldier's death, they took down 3 of the Dead Berserkers.
Where the Dead Berserkers had endurance over the Aesir, the Einherjar were superior in their thinking, and had an actual will to live, which made them more stubborn to fight.
Brunhilde and the Valkyrior were staying back, content with letting the foot soldiers work it out for them. Tyr himself was fighting with his soldiers, cutting the dead one's left and right with his two swords.
He spins around, letting a spear stab the air, and stabs his right sword in the dead soldiers head. As he turns around to look for another enemy to kill, he sees his old enemy make his move.
Fenrir, the Wolf. Tyr remembers him very well, and even if a small part of his mind condemns his past actions as evil, he still resolves himself to kill Fenrir.
Fenrir was the oldest child of Loki and Angrboda, and Jormungandr the middle. Hela was the youngest child, and magically, the strongest amongst her siblings.
Angrboda was the daughter of Echidna and Varcolac, born in the Realm of Jotunheim. Despite both her parents being Elderspawn from Chthon and Set, Angrboda herself was a Jotun Witch. And both her and Loki being shapeshifters, gave rise to the monstrous forms of their children.
The Aesir were obviously threatened. If the children of Loki and a Giantess were allowed to be raised in Angrboda's hall, together, then they could prove to be a threat to the Eternal Realm. So, they stole the children, and separated them.
Jormungandr was banished to the oceans of Midgard, Hela banished to Helheim. Fenrir however was kept on Asgard, so they can keep and eye on him. He was mostly isolated in the Fens, with Tyr being responsible to guard him.
Slowly however, Fenrir began getting bigger, and stronger. So strong in fact, that he proved too strong for any God, or any chain to bind to any place. And so, Tyr had to trick Fenrir into being bound. He disappeared centuries ago, Hela having rescued her brother from the binds of Gliepnir, with the help of Loki. And now, he was here to have his revenge.
"You!" Fenrir snarls, the voice coming from his wolf head, as soon as Fenrir sees Tyr cutting another one of his sister's creations.
Tyr kicks down at the head of a fallen Dead Berserker, and points his sword at Fenrir. He says, "This place shall finally be your death, monster!"
Fenrir chuckles, the voice resonating with Tyr's bones and sending shivers all over him, and says, "And who will kill me? You? You couldn't defeat me if you had both your hands, Uncle." The way the word uncle was snarled left no doubt as to the true feelings of his adopted brother's son.
"Loki should have never given birth to you." Tyr says, almost sounding morose.
Fenrir snarls at that, and starts running towards Tyr. His giant form, and his monstrous speed, meant that Tyr wasn't ready when Fenrir barrelled into him, throwing him away with his snout.
Tyr lands on his legs, sliding backwards. Using his sword to stop the motion, he starts running towards Fenrir, ignoring the other fighters. Fenrir had thrown him deeper into the battlefield, where the fights were the thickest. However his warriors knew not to get in the way of his fight, and so, he had a clear road towards the approaching wolf.
Fenrir opens his jaw, to catch Tyr in his mouth. Tyr however, knew from experience that that wasn't a good idea. So, he jumps up as Fenrir's jaw snaps shut around the empty air, and lands on Fenrir's back. Without a moment's pause, Tyr stabs his right sword in the wolf's back, the Asgardian steel passing right through the thick bone of the Jotun shape shifter.
Fenrir however barely grunts in pain, and shakes his body rapidly, throwing Tyr into the ground once more, this time, on his back. However, in throwing Tyr off, Fenrir managed to break the sword that was stabbed within his back, leaving only the handle and an inch of broken sword in Tyr's hand.
Tyr looks at his left hand, and the sword affixed to the stump. Frowning, he picks up the sword off the body of an Einherjar lying near him. He whispers, "May you rest in Valhalla." for the unfortunate dead soldier, and once again sprints towards Fenrir.
Fenrir glares at Tyr hatefully, and lets him approach. As Tyr jumps up, with an inferior sword in his one hand, and the superior one attached to his other, Fenrir slaps his front right leg towards the flying Tyr.
Tyr spins around, putting his left sword between himself and Fenrir's giant leg. The sword cuts into his leg, but the force of the attack manages to throw Tyr away from him. As Tyr flies away from Fenrir, Fenrir snarls and runs after him.
Reaching the place where Tyr lands, Fenrir slams his foot down on the fallen Tyr, but he manages to move away, letting the leg fall on the ground.
"I trusted you! You said it was to be a collar to signal my appearance! And you betrayed me, old friend!" Fenrir yells, as he furiously tries stomping on Tyr.
Tyr spins between his legs, making a swing with his swords whenever possible. A few hit, but none penetrate the thick hide of Fenrir beyond a few inches.
Between dodging the attacks of the giant wolf, Tyr says, "There was no other way, wolf! The Gods were afraid of your rapid increase in size, and strength, and binding you was the only way to reassure them!"
Finally managing to land a hit, Fenrir slaps Tyr away with his tail. As Tyr lands on the ground, Fenrir puts his front left paw on top of his chest, and comes close to Tyr's head. He snarls, "You broke my trust, Tyr. You said you were there to protect me form them, and you help the bastard tie me up. I respected you!"
For just a second, Tyr looks genuinely sad, and says, "Don't think I did not treasure our moments, Son of Loki. Our spars were something I looked forward to. But our fates were fixed the moment you were born."
Fenrir stares his green eyes into Tyr's blue ones, and says, "And your fate, is to die today."
"Aye, but not by your hands!" Tyr says.
As Fenrir closes in on Tyr, in order to bite his head off, just like he once did his hand, Tyr stabs the sword in his right hand through his lower jaw, and the left sword, his Divine Sword, in the leg keeping him down.
Fenrir, with an enormous speed, closes in on Tyr, and feels a sword stab him under his mouth, and another one stab his leg. Unfortunately for him, the one in his jaw hit the exact same place that he was once stabbed in, while the Gods were binding him to the Fen.
"AAARGHH!" Fenrir howls in pain, and jumps up, landing with a small tremor.
Seeing an opportunity, Tyr gets away from the jumping Fenrir, and takes a few steps back. Fenrir recovers from his attack very fast, and jumps towards Tyr once again.
Panting, Tyr prepares himself for the fight of his lifetime, his final fight, against an old friend, but before he can do that, another person lands in front of him, making him feel relieved as well as annoyed. Almost in slow motion, Tyr sees the person slam his Spear to the side of Fenrir's jaw, sending him flying with the force of the strongest Gods.
"Go rest now, son. Fight the Dead Berserkers for now." The person, Odin AllFather says, seeing Fenrir fly a comfortable distance away.
Scowling, Tyr pushes forward, to stand in front of Odin, and says, "I can handle him. I'm the God of War, and Fenrir is my responsibility."
He was the one that guarded Fenrir, guarded the Aesir against Fenrir. He was the one that allowed the Gods to let their fear guide them, and he was the one to allow Fenrir to be bound.
Odin smiles, for the first time directed at Tyr, puts a hand on his shoulder, and says, "I know you can. But I'm just as responsible to the fates of Loki's children as the Norns are. I listened to them, and encouraged the behaviour against Fenrir. I may not have been a good father to you, Tyr, but please. Allow me to fulfil my fate, son."
Odin knew now, after the talk he had with Thor, that it was his mistrust of the children, that led to them being enemies of Asgard. He blamed most of it on the Norns Urd, Versandi, and Skuld. But some blame lay on his feet.
Tyr scowls, and turns to look at the quickly approaching Fenrir. Nodding stiffly, he says, "Very well. Just so you know, I do not forgive you for passing me over for the throne, in favour of Thor."
With a dip of his head, Odin turns towards Fenrir, dismissing Tyr from the main battlefield. While Tyr is angered over the casual dismissal, he knows that Odin is not someone to progress too much, too soon. He won't just ask for forgiveness just because he knows he's wrong.
As Tyr leaves the battlefield to help his soldiers deal with the Dead Berserkers, Odin starts a casual walk towards the running wolf.
"ODIN!" Fenrir yells, angry beyond measure, as he grows in size some more.
Odin bends his knees in preparation, and puts Gungnir forward, keeping it between himself and the jaws of the wolf. Fenrir slams into Gungnir, his jaws unable to break the Dwarven Spear, and pushes Odin back.
Weakened by his old age, Odin has no other option than to let Fenrir push him back. Holding Gungnir in one hand, he slams his other fist under the jaws of the wolf, sending his head flying back, the body with it.
As Odin takes a breather, Fenrir heals and stands up, to resume his fight. Odin once again prepares himself, knowing that he will not survive this fight, but prepared to die.
Meanwhile, Fenrir prepares to kill Odin, or die trying. Against the oppressor of his father, and the one most responsible for his imprisonment, Fenrir had decided not to hold back even a little.
~
As Loki fights the horde of Fire Demons, and Tyr fights his son Fenrir, Hela and Surtur watch on from the flaming pits of Muspelheim.
"Pity. Neife was a good soldier. She followed all the orders." Surtur says, looking at the father of his companion kill her.
Hela snorts, not bothering to argue against his statement. His Fire Demons, Giants, and even Dragons, they call were his descendants. Of course they followed his orders, lest they die of insubordination.
She says, "My father was a surprise. I did not expect him to take their side in the war. Of course the Jordson is probably the reason why."
She does not mention that the Jordson had promised her brothers' survival, at least three of them. She too was offered it, but Hela refused. While Jormungandr was sent to the relatively normal Midgard, she was kept trapped on the cold Realm of Niflheim, while Fenrir was kept bound by a rock stabbed in his jaw.
Their anger was far beyond reasoning, and their thirst for vengeance was too much to forget. But, at least 3 of her brothers will live beyond Ragnarok. Beyond the destruction of Yggdrasil.
Surtur hums, pulling the Twilight sword and resting it in his hands. He says, "Yes.. the Jordson. He is going to be a problem."
"What? Big bad Surtur is afraid of a God barely out of his mother's womb?" Hela taunts, looking up at the Fire giant in front of her.
Surtur sends a flame from his mouth, burning the place Hela was stood at. As she shows herself unharmed, having shielded it using her Necromagic, he says, "Do not underestimate an Elder God, for that is what he is. I have seen Jord fight all the Hell Lords in the last war, and let me tell you. She could destroy every Pantheon of Gods, all at once, and no one will be able to defend against her."
Hela pauses, looking at the Jordson calmly observing both the fights from the side of Heimdall. 'He is that strong, is he?' Hela thinks to herself. Smirking, she thinks, 'He would have been a good husband, I think. Wonder if he will agree to give me a child?'
She says, "Do not worry. My father assured me that the Jordson won't interfere. Much. He will only fight when no one else is able to defeat the enemies. He also won't get in between the fates of the Gods. They're going to die, and they know that. They just don't want to die as cowards."
Surtur snorts, sending a bout of flames from his nose, and says, "He has already defeated the Rock Troll. There is a chance, however small it may be, that Theos Jordson and I will fight, and if we do, even Midgard won't be safe from my wrath."
"Unless Jord interferes." Hela helpfully adds.
Surtur nods, and says, "Yes, unless Jord interferes."
With a look towards the Fire Giants fighting amongst themselves, and the Fire Demons getting massacred, he waves his hand to create a fiery portal to Asgard, and says, "Send the rest."
A Fire Giant, who's name Surtur didn't even know, bows low, and yells an order to go through the portal, sending the rest of the 5000 strong army of Fire Demons, 100 Fire Giants, and 50 Dragons through.
Hela herself twitches a finger, creating a portal to Helheim, and says, "I think I'll leave for Asgard now. My fated enemy awaits."
Surtur says nothing, busy watching Odin finally make his appearance. 'Soon, Odin. We shall have our fight, and I shall fulfil my destiny!'
~~~
A/N: How was this fight? I don't know why, but this felt way better than my usual chapters. It felt more.. expressive. And I feel good about this one. I took inspiration from the Fenrir vs Odin and Tyr fight in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla lol.
Thor and Buri will soon make an appearance, so don't worry. They won't just come at the very end.
Okay, a small bad news. After Ragnarok, or a few chapters after Ragnarok, I will have to slow my upload speed in regards to this story. I need to find a good pace to the plot after it. I'm not going to drop this story, even if the story feels dead.
If I do decide for some reason to drop it, I will write a few chapters worth of summary, to show what I had planned for the future of this story, and post it.
Cheers! Thank you for your support!
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