บท 8: WORK IN PROGRESS*** Way back home
A week after dividing the Viking army and settling those designed to stay behind and guard the conquered lands, the rest of the men prepare to sail alongside the Jarl to bring all the spoils of war to Folke town.
Birger made sure to not lose Hilda from his sight since the efforts began. The previously well dressed Saxon priestess, was now more resembling someone from Scandinavia.
Especially after everything Birger provided for her to wear and use.
It was a massive stretch and possibly a waste of magic to fool everyone about her, but in Birger's opinion, after seeing the stunning Hilda like this, it was all worthy of his effort.
After a brief moment on the shore, both Hilda and Birger got onboard.
This time, Birger opted for not accompanying the Jarl and his sons' ship.
He wasn't desiring to constantly intervene whenever they become suspicious.
As for the other men, they were convinced that Jarl Herleif allowed Hilda to join them.
Not that they like it, but no one dared to oppose their Jarl's authority. Especially after everything they gained from the current raid.
"My lord, is everything alright?" Hilda questioned him.
"Of course Hilda, are you ready to leave with us?" Birger said with a charming smile.
The Saxon priestess immediately nodded. "Yes I am my lord."
"Good then." As he concluded, Birger made his way to aid the other men rowing the ship.
And so their journey back to home began.
Just like the ship that brought him, the one he was leaving had the habit of creaking loudly.
The sloshing of water got more relentless as they made their way to leave the coast of England far behind.
Birger began to settle down, expecting a lack of variation of the environment.
Apparently, Hilda had the same idea as she wrapped both of them under a thick blanket.
For a second, Birger rested his eyes by closing his eyelids.
But as soon as he did, his conscience was brought to another plain of existence.
———————————————————
Everything was dark and silent.
Thor turned to look around, but even with his enhanced eyes, he wasn't able to describe where he was.
Before he even attempted to do anything...
KLANK!
A metal hitting stone sound echoed in the great hall of Asgard.
The hall was full of people, guards and guests alike, but none dared to speak.
An old but powerful and imposing man opened his mouth to speak.
"Thor... Odinson...My heir... My first born... Do you swear to preserve the peace?"
As he raises his head to speak, he sees piles of bodies piling up around him.
Thor tried to reply to his father's question, but no sound escaped his mouth.
Thor heard the voice of another person while he was grabbed by the shoulder.
"They see you leading us to Hel!"
'Heimdall?' He thinks.
Heimdall turned into him, mimicking his golden hair and his blue eyes in all its full glory.
But neither Heimdall nor the alternative Thor speak.
Someone else calls his attention.
"I ask you, to what end?
A crackling sound erupts and he sees mjolnir vanishing into dust.
"Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same." The purple giant stated.
Suddenly Thor feels the weight of the universe pushing him down to his knees, forcing him to kneel, but he endures.
The old man's voice return.
"Do you swear? To cast aside all selfish ambition and to pledge yourself only to the good of the realms?"
He feels his muscles getting tired from resisting to kneel, but a sudden burst of lightning reinvigorates him.
His friend's voice responds to him.
"We are all dead!"
Horrifying images and screams echoes all around him.
"Can you not see it?!"
A gentle touch in his forehead announces someone else's presence.
"You are anxious, angry."
The agonizing screams continues.
"You feel tremendous loss and guilt."
'No, I don't feel like that!' Thor could only mentally disagree since his couldn't voice his words.
"What was the point? We were too late!"
This time, Thor hears his own voice speaking to him among the darkness surrounding him.
SNAP!
A snap of fingers brightens everything in six primary colors before darkness returns again.
"We were just standing there. Some idiot with an axe." The other Thor says in shame.
'That's on you, I won't miss my chance!' He proclaimed in his mind.
Another smoothing voice follows a gentle touch to his hand. "You're no idiot!"
The old man from before returns again. "Even with two eyes, you see only half the picture."
'Look who's talking. You might've lost just one eye, but sometimes you behave like a blind old man.' His thoughts became significantly louder.
A roaring sound began to overpower the agonizing screams.
"You are a destroyer, Odinson!" Heimdall tells him. "See where your power leads."
The image of a desolated Midgard begins to form in front of him.
But Thor has had enough.
The grim image from before gives way to a different shade of gray.
One with evident bright spots.
But also, some shadows darker than black.
"So you are having an epiphany? Yeah, it can be annoying." A sharp voice asks him jokingly.
"Well, it's not unexpected." Thor suddenly finds his voice returned to him, so he continues to speak. "But I think my first time might be somewhat relevant."
"And you said that you don't feel anger nor guilt?" The strange voice asks him with genuine glee.
"Precisely." Thor reassured the stranger's voice, narrowing his eyes trying to recognize who he was talking to.
"But still plans to destroy, though?" It asks already knowing the answer.
Thor smiled at the stranger's familiarity and said. "Most likely."
"Any romantic interest in mind?" It pushes another question on him.
"As a matter of fact, there's plenty of them." Thor rises to his full height while the chirping of the electric current intensified.
"Are you sure you are up to this particular plan of yours?" It asks again, not caring about bothering Thor.
"Absolutely. My ambition and sheer determination to live this life to its fullest isn't something to be underestimated. I'm ready for whatever fate throws at me." Thor gives his answer while the incessant sound of thunder becomes overwhelming.
"Why should I be scared? I'll be stronger and wiser than Odinson could ever hope to be." He continued, each word accentuated by the crackling sound.
Thor's overbearing presence dissipates the strange shadowy figure, but another draws his attention immediately after.
"Everyone fails at who they're supposed to be, Thor." It was Frigga who calmed him a little. "The measure of a person, a hero... a god..."
Suddenly a grim presence fell over him, immediately forcing him to a kneeling position, cracking the metaphorical ground beneath him. "What were you the god of again?"
It was... big bad older sis.
Despite the aggressiveness between the siblings, Frigga continued to lecture Thor. "It is how well they succeed at being who they are."
Thor laughs at the sudden realization, or at least what was being implied by his mother.
"Just as long as we're all in agreement." He remarks under his older sister's crushing will and all the sound of thunder suddenly disappears for an instant.
And then.
KABOOOM!
A massive pillar of lightning descends above Hela and Thor, her shadows vanishing like regular shadows under sunlight.
Thor raises to his full height and looks around.
"But what if you are wrong?" The ambiguous entity whispers before disappearing for sure.
"Well, if I'm wrong then..." Thor turns to his mother. "I can always start over."
"I will kill him properly this time." He started picturing the mad titan.
His surroundings shifted and he was back at Asgard's great hall.
The Allfather awaited his son's response.
"Father, I will become worthy of leading the realms! I will become worthy of all of my titles... and I will become worthy! Not because I yearn for approval, but because I can." He looks at the illusion of his homeland and grins. "With all my great powers, I assume there must come greater responsibilities."
Odin rises from his giant golden throne and announces loudly. "I, Odin Allfather, command you to live up to your aspirations and to one day surpass me."
"I shall make all of you..." Thor looks around and says. "Proud."
And the dream sequence ends.
———————————————————
As Birger opened his eyes again, he found himself back on the boat just as he was before the weird illusion.
But he saw that no one seemed to have noticed his absence, not even Hilda.
Days after that weird experience, Birger kept observing the sky, searching for any sort of changes.
As he soon discovered, the coming storm wasn't at all shy of making itself visible in the horizon as it was soon about to reach them.
The men weren't fond of sailing through a storm as harsh as this one, nor did Hilda as her hug on Birger's arm began to tighten.
But for Birger this was a calm environment, most likely because the storming nature was something that always fascinated him.
It was under this particular condition, that Birger unconsciously failed at denying that he was Thor.
God of thunder and lightning, storm and rain, fair weather and crops. His real name was invoked by his people for protection and problem-solving.
As a result of his personal efforts, wise men prayed to him just as much as the warriors did.
He was the embodiment of the duality that was storm and serenity.
From his father, he inherited the Æsir's aptitude for warfare and desire to explore the cosmos.
From his mother, he inherited Vanir's aptitude for the mystical arts and deep connection with nature.
But unexpectedly, his greatest trump card were his memories from a time when he wasn't anything more than a mere mortal living during modern times.
Reading and watching stories about superheroes and mythological beings.
It was because of those memories, that he was able to form a plan that would allow him to transcend even beyond his godly existence.
From ancient records in Asgard's library, he confirmed the existence of the cosmic original entities.
Death, Entropy, Infinity and Eternity.
Some intentionally vague descriptions alluded to the representation of life that has not yet been born, as well as the forces of creation and destruction.
Definitely referring to the Phoenix Force.
Powerful beings like...
Kang, the Time Traveling Conqueror
Dormammu from the Dark Dimension
Mephisto, the one pretending to be Devil
Galactus, the devourer of worlds
He found tales mentioning the declined race of the Celestials, and made plans for their Egotistical last specimen
Norse antagonists like Malekith, Laufey, Surtur and Mangog were obvious threats that were just waiting for the perfect time to act.
But those weren't the only ones who might eventually pose a threat to him or his plans.
Thor knew Odin wouldn't allow easy information about the Beyonders nor the Living Tribunal.
Especially in the case of the One-above-all.
He considered them as well.
And thanks to his geek past, Thor was fully aware of beings like En Sabah Nur and the Mad Titan.
Low tiers like the Shi'ar empire, Kree and Skrulls.
And even about the Inhumans and their convoluted backstory.
Anything below that, he could easily deal without needing his godly body.
He went on recalling everything he knew about the Marvel universe, while also considering the history of Midgard.
As days went on the rain switched between heavy and light multiple times, but the crew began to see signs that they were approaching their hometown.
They had been sailing for days, possibly weeks, while the formation of ships tried their hardest to stay together and follow the jarl.
But the weather suddenly proved to be the least of their worries.
*GRRRRR!
It was then that sea monsters rose from the ocean's surface, roaring as loud as the thunderous lightning above them.
"A fucking giant snake!" A Viking yelled.
"Thor, protect us from these abominations!" Shouted another.
Taking his cue, Birger got up while reassuring Hilda that everything was going to be alright.
"I-I believe in you, my lord!" Hilda said with a mix of fear and hope.
As she began to pray, Birger strode towards the ship's front and raised his sword up in the sky.
"STRUUUUN QO BAAAAAH!" He shouted to the skies, disrupting the formation of clouds above, but not aiming to clear the weather.
The unwavering weather evolved into a cloudburst accompanied by a fierce thunderstorm directly above them, throwing powerful bolts of lightning down upon the giant serpents.
'I was hoping to avoid using this, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.' Birger though. 'I guess I shouldn't waste my time anymore with subtlety.'
"Look! It's Birger!" The men around immediately noticed his interference.
Some of the less massive serpents had their heads completely blown out, but unfortunately it wasn't just as effective against the ones as large as watchtowers.
"Everyone! Turn this ship around!!!" Birger shouted to his crew.
At first they were frozen in their place after the shocking scene, but Birger's direct command brought back their focus.
Birger approached Hilda while the sea monsters were still recovering from his lightning strikes.
"Hilda, take this!" He gave her a necklace with a pendant in the form of a Viking sword.
The priestess' expression revealed her confusion, but she wore it immediately.
'If we end up separating, this will be our way of communicating.' She heard Birger's voice, but noticed his mouth didn't even move.
"I understand, please be safe my lord!" She replied after understanding the situation.
Birger smiled and turned to look at the giant serpents, seizing his environment he noticed that the other ships were following his crew's exemple and were fleeing to a more favorable direction.
He then proceeded to run towards the back of the ship and lunged into the sea while shouting. "VEN GAAR NOS!!!"
As Birger dived into the water, a cyclone began to take shape between the impossibly large snakes.
The unnatural phenomenon began to form as a small whirlpool, but after some brief seconds it rose higher than the mythological creatures until it joined the storming clouds up in the skies.
The pulling force coming from the pillar of water was strong enough to hold the monsters together until Birger swam to their position.
Again and again the monsters attacked him while spinning, but Birger swiftness under water was really a sight to behold.
He stabbed the creatures' eyes at every opportunity he could find.
Despite their resemblance to regular snakes, the monsters' jaws were more akin to sharks and crocodiles, but amidst a raging flurry of mighty crunches, Birger's armor managed to stay without a single scratch.
He kept hacking and slashing the beasts with his sword, spilling their guts into the sea.
But with the last remaining being the largest of the group, its thick scales combined with Birger's fatiguing muscles in contact with cold water forced him to be smarter and quicker.
And also creative, the creature had just managed to escape the massive cyclone's pull.
Birger knew he shouldn't be so tired, but his shouts were a special kind of magic that drained massive amounts of energy from him.
So he drew his long dagger with the other hand and began to quickly climb the monsters' body until he reached its head above the water surface.
The creature was just as tired as him after resisting the incredibly strong water currents, so thankfully the beast wasn't capable of shaking him off its head.
Birger then stood up and raised his weapons up in the air before bringing it down on the last eye remaining of the monster.
Under normal circumstances, puncturing one eye of a beast as large as this, Birger wouldn't be able to immediately kill it.
But thanks to the timed attack, Birger's weapons served as a focal point to the storm's strongest lightning bolt.
The massive scale of electricity running through his body should've been more than enough to kill him in this form, regardless of its connection to his godly body.
But thankfully, he managed to perfectly conduct it towards the sea monster, other than his massive burns he was mostly fine.
At least, as fine as one could be while being launched through the skies and landing without care onto the furious sea.
As he was about to lose consciousness again, he managed to activate his armor's array rune.
Before his sinking body sank into the dark and freezing depths of the sea, his figure's momentum was suddenly reversed and he began to rise to the surface.
'You will need much more than this to kill me! I won't let this slight go unpunished... my dear sister.' As the cold waters passed by him, Birger lost consciousness.
—————————————————————
Somewhere else after a few days.
When the sun was about to rise, a slim boy got off his bed and prepared to do his chores around the isle.
'Another day, another chance.' He thought to himself. 'If they decide to attack tonight, I will be ready!'
He ran through his stuff, grabbing the tools he brought from work and putting them into his bag.
The boy organized his sketches and left his room.
Before leaving his house he passed by the kitchen and grabbed an apple to eat on his way to work.
Running around the town he noticed that the sheep was already eating the grass, later he will have to properly feed them.
Entering his workshop, he noticed that his teacher hadn't arrived yet, so he made sure to light the forge's fire and to wipe the floor.
After finishing it, he walked towards his latest creation, he had been crafting and assembling its parts for the last week.
With this, he was hoping to finally impress his father and everyone else.
Since he was young he heard of his tribe's culture and tradition.
And he knew about their ancient enemies.
Since he was able to stand, he heard tales of how significant it was for someone to hunt and fight them.
From the shop's window he could observe everyone leaving their houses and beginning to work.
Despite the boy's eagerness and efforts to fit in with everyone around him, he was never able to leave his mark.
At least, not in the right places.
He once tried to wield the axe, but it proved too heavy for him to lift, not to mention swinging it in combat.
He also couldn't throw any type of ranged weapon or projectile.
But that was about to become unimportant, because with his creation, he will finally prove his valor.
Who is that boy? One might be wondering.
Where in the name of Odin is he living?
Who are these infamous foes he is expecting to fight against?
Well, this is all happening twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death.
It's an island located solidly on the meridian of misery.
There one can find a village.
To describe it with a single word...
It's sturdy.
It has been here for seven generations, but every single building is new.
They have fishing, hunting and a charming view of the sunset.
It is almost an idyllic life.
The only problems they face there are the pests.
You see, most places have mice or mosquitoes.
Others a little more fortunate have to face off raids from other tribes or even endure natural disasters.
The people here have to deal with...
Dragons.
They are awfully common around here.
Oh, by the way, this place is called Berk.
And the meek boy sharpening weapons in the grindstone is called Hiccup, son of the island's ruler.
And with his custom made catapult, he will kill his first dragon.
While the boy's day was about to begin, on the shores of the island, a fisherman had just sighted a warrior swimming out of the sea and setting foot on the sand.
'From the position of the stars I saw during the night, I must be somewhere in between Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Svalbard.' The stranger thought to himself. 'I don't know why, but this place looks really familiar to me. But I guess that's only natural, given how much I traveled during my second century of age.'
He observed the nearby town and the land's geology.
'Perhaps I should've tried to reach for Norway instead of approaching the first island I spotted. But swimming carelessly through the ocean is never a wise choice.'
He turned his head and saw a fisherman observing him from afar.
"Good morning, could you please tell me what the name of this place is? And who is currently ruling these lands?" Birger asked as he approached the bulky fisherman.
The bearded man blinked once or twice before answering Birger's question. "Welcome to Berk! The ruler of these lands is Stoick The Vast!"
Birger finally realized where he was.
He had to admit though, this was a surprising turn of events.
As he turned to look again towards the fisherman, he noticed that the man was standing in a stance that showed he was ready for battle. "And who might you be, stranger from the sea?"
Birger smiled and approached the cautious man.
—————————————————————
(09/10/2020)
*Apologies for my long absence. College is really taking a toll over my free time, and some minor health issues made things even harder for me. But rest assured, I'm not dropping my stories.
Hope this chapter is of your liking. Anything you wish to ask, feel free to do so.
Thanks as always for your attention and please be safe.
Any problems with my writing, just point them out and I will correct them as soon as possible.
** If the dream sequences are becoming too unbearable to read I will attempt to tone them down! 😅
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