Prologue –
Snow…frost…ice storm…
All came from the cold.
The cold gave us our lives. It was our nature and our purpose. It was what was destined in all of us. Every one of us in Niflheim. Born with our basic element - the crystal, soon became known as Ice.
Like any being in the nine realms, we believed we came from greatness. The greatness of the malevolent ancient giants and benevolent powerful gods, particularly of the Three.
Like the universe, which was born from two divided and opposing powers that gratify together for them to create and destroy - cold from Niflheim and heat from Muspelheim. Two strong forces merged into one in Ginnungagap, the bottomless abyss where the beginning of the cosmos began and will someday collapse once more in the last day of Ragnarök.
Three of the Greatest we came from, namely, Thor, the powerful god of thunder and war, Loki, the cunning god of mischief and tricks, and Freyja, the golden goddess of love and beauty.
A small speck of whiteness appeared intact and solid, then it spread speedily into three different directions like icy vines flowering with various fascinating designs. Each design were crests of three great houses of the cold and misty realm of Niflheim. The first symbol conjured magically like the sprouting twisting frosty vines that expanded into six sides forming an icy snowflake; the second emblem forged powerful lightning strikes into a simplified snowflake; and the third insignia bloomed beautifully with radiance with its heart-shaped core spreading its six flowering petals into piercing rays of its intricate snowflake.
The three Great Houses of Niflheim descending from three powerful Nordic Gods, and the three legendary treasures they made and exchanged as eternal heirlooms to make the eternal balance of power in their realm. The first treasure was the weapon of power - the Royal Staff was forged by the Thorleif (Icestorm) Family from the lineage of Thor. The snowstorm-sky and warrior deities of flight and weather controllers of Niflheim's skies where they lived in their kingdom of clouds. The second family was the Frosti (Frost-Glacier) Family, descendants of Loki, created the mirror of secrets - the Trolden Mirror. The infamous sages, tricksters, and intellects, the lords of the lowlands, including the Main Capital where the Crystal Throne of Winter lies. And the Snaer (Snow) Family was the last house that provided the last treasure, the gem of desire - the Wishing Star. The immortal descendants from the line of Freyja, who lived in the Silvery Valley of Peace but fled Niflheim, and had sought refuge and lived in Midgard.
But the Balance of the Three soon collapsed.
It was said that all the Great Houses did not trust each other. Each made the gifts counterproductive from the way it should be use for the greater good of everyone in Niflheim.
The House of Thorleif made the Royal Staff for those only worthy to hold its power. They have asked its creators, the dwarves, Sindri and Bokkr, the brother-smiths who forged Thor's legendary hammer, Mjölnir, that only their courageous and self-sacrificing bloodline could use the full potential of the weapon of power. As for the Snaer Family, they were the only ones to know and hold the true magic of the Wishing Star. Although the elegant gem of desire could grant anyone's wish, only the few of those of pure hearts with beautiful and good intentions could use the Wishing Star which was fashioned by its makers, who molded Brisingamen, Freyja's famous golden necklace. Its makers were the four dwarves - Álfrigg, Dvalinn, Berlingr, and Grérr. Lastly, the House of Frosti believed that they could never trust the other two families too, making the Trolden Mirror - the worst among all of the powerful treasures of Niflheim. They sought the advice and help of their deity-kin, Loki himself. And the horned god devised his most horrible trick after trapping and forcing the dwarf, Andvari, who created the magical ring, Andvaranaut, to create the devastating treasured mirror. Due to his pain and anger, Andvari cursed the mirror of secrets to corrupt anyone with its powers, and one of its known powers is to distort the appearance of everything it reflects - for it fails to reflect the good of people and things, but only magnifying and influencing the evil within. Thus, freezing anyone's heart into ice cold apathy.
And from the mistrust came fear, deceit, oppression, suffering, hatred and war. It worsened with a prophecy. A prophecy of a new change that was misinterpreted to be the beginning of Niflheim's doom and its people's inexistence, making the entire realm frozen with its bitter cold violence, and its people had long lost themselves in brutal wars.
Until someone from one of the great houses saw Niflheim was heading to its inevitable self-destruction decided to extend a truce for peace. And for that peace, she had to give up herself in order to bore a son who will be able to bridge the dividing gap of the two great houses.
Chapter 1 – The Winter when He Came –
"One more push, please! I know you can do this!" Her most trusted handmaiden remained holding her hand, whispered when eyeing the royal midwife eyed her earlier to tell her lady.
Newly poured drops of her sweat mixed with her tears rained down her lovely face, the long white haired woman with sky blue eyes gave her deep breath before she gave a hard push. And after she did, she almost felt losing her consciousness until the cries of her new born child rang into her ears, she forced herself to remain awake and to stay strong. She still tried to rise up upon viewing the midwife's face lifting with utmost reverence and whispering words while other female servants remained at the sides of the royal chambers, aiding her and their lady.
"Tell the King, he had a son from Lady Cornice of Thorleif ." The midwife spoke loudly and started to clean the new born.
"A son…my son…" The happy mother whispered with relief and hope, viewing in stunned shock when one of the servants was quick to grab clean clothes to bundle up her son, startling the midwife when realizing how uncannily fast this servant had moved beside her and had cradled the newly addition of the royal family of Niflheim.
No one dared moved or speak as the servant's features changed and shaped shifted into his true form. When he revealed who he is with his known wide grin as he whispered the boy's name and the baby in his arms stopped crying to breathe the cold winter air.
"Jack…" He ceased staring at the baby boy who stared back at him as he heard the brave voice of the mother who finally was able to move to sit.
"Loki…" Her voice, even how much courageous she tried, could not betray the anxiety and suspicion she had with the horned god who remained holding her baby in his arms.
"I came here without any ill-will, Lady Cornice of Thorleif. I am just welcoming the newer addition of my descendants. He was after all from the direct line of the Winter Kings. Unless, you want someone else to do so…." Loki smirked, his dark eyes rolled near the opened balcony, and the dark being who could be mistaken as one of the curtains, except his long cloak was moving like shadows blending in the darkness at the corner of the room. "I know you are there, Mortos. You want to see your grandson too, but as I remembered your presence was never welcomed anywhere at all, even if the imperial ice palace was once the place of your birth too. Except that was a long time ago, and you are now Death. And you cannot draw near without killing anyone here with your mere presence." He paused to face Cornice again. "Where is my royal descendant, the Winter King?! Surely, he should be here. Don't tell me, he is busy with his plans of war in the grand hall. He is my descendant and yet he acts like he is Thor's - a busybody with heroic intentions of protecting his people and his realm, and yet, he could never stop his people from killing each other." Loki sneered. "But I know how to grab his entire attention! And someone else!"
Sensing trouble with the way the god's eyes gave a glint of mischievousness, she whispered. "Please…my son…give him to me!"
Loki drew near his face near the calm baby and whispered something at the baby's ear before throwing him off the air at the same time he disappeared. As soon as he flung the child, Cornice cried out and struggled away from the bed. Barely recovered from giving birth, she forced herself to fly, only to stop mid-air in her flight when seeing a sudden flash of lightning and someone floating ready to catch her babe. Both her and her godly ancestor Thor stared shocked at the baby laughing amusingly in delight while floating in mid-air like a snow drifting in the wintry cold wind.
After a few seconds, the doors of the royal chambers was opened by the appearance of a large glacier that split open. The Winter King began stepping outside at the same time the crazy mischievous laughter of Loki was heard.
"Nice one, isn't it, Jack?! I think you and I will get along pretty fine, with all the mischiefs, jokes, pranks and tricks we'll do! Think all the fun we will do!" Loki appeared, still teary-eyed from laughing loudly earlier, chuckled softly as he spoke at the infant floating before his fellow gods inside the vast chambers. "Your son is really from my blood and I like that, clearly we are bonding so well…"
"What do you mean from your blood?!" His serious brother remained floating in mid-air, ignored the baby boy cooing and tumbling like a slow-paced snowflake in the air before him. "He is not only yours, Loki. He came from me! And you almost had hurt him!"
"Hurt him?! My dear brother Thor! Why would I ever do that! I would never hurt him. Why accused me of harsh words?! You said it yourself, he also came from you. And from you, I mean, you are known to fly. It is in your innate nature. Yes, your nature to fly freely in the skies for you are the god of thunder, lightning and storms. The weather of all nine worlds follow your command. Wherever you are, the heavens are literally under your domain. So, without a doubt, he can fly." He gave a narrowed look at Thor, leaving his hiding place. "The problem with you, my brother, is that you can't trust me!"
"Trust you? I have long trusted you, Loki. But sometimes, I do not know how to trust you anymore. Ever since -…."
Loki snapped at him. " – ever since you fall in love with a mortal woman and sworn to be the protector of Midgard and its weak people who aren't ours to guard and defend. Aside from being one of the royalties amongst the mighty gods in Asgard, you had forgotten that you also got your own flesh and blood, your descendants here in Niflheim!" the clever god spoke with a sharp tongue. "I, for one, haven't! I am always here especially for my family. Remember, we have an agreement. All three of us. But what are words for you. Words never suffice to you. For you are a man of action - looking for adventure and battles of war. And just like the All-Father, you traveled often, but unlike him, you've forgotten some of your duties and responsibilities. As the All-Father and every other god would bypass your wrongs while they unfairly often looked at mine! All because you are the champion through your unparalleled strength and power - the most revered warrior god of Asgard."
"I can't be in every other place at the same time even if I wanted to! I could never split myself with magic unlike you. My powers differed from yours!" Thor slightly annoyed at his brother, but controlled his temper quickly, otherwise there will be a hell of a storm.
"And that is not the only offence you've done to me. The list goes back long, but we have our own houses in truce, and that truce is finally sealed permanent. Because now, a descendant was born with our mixed blood and clearly, gifted with our combined powers. And I think we could be back who we once were - as brothers." The god of mischief eyed his royal descendant who caught his own new born son in his hands before holding him in his arms.
"We can't linger here…" A voice interrupted the two godly brother while he remained looking from afar at his son, the present Winter King, who stood close with his family. He had stood motionless in silence for a very long time in darkness. Death's voice crept eerily. His hooded face raised up at the skies as if all gods are being called, including the three of them. "We have to go back to Asgard. Heimdallr had opened the rainbow bridge for all of us to assemble for All-Father Odin calls." As he spoke, the three of them slowly vanished before the royal family's sight.
Cornice slowly floated down and was embraced by the Winter King who whispered words that he was glad she and their son remained alive and well.
A/N:
Hi there, my dear readers. Yeah, I know, as any of you who had read my profile, I should have stopped writing. Why? Because of the disappointing low number of those who followed, liked and reviewed my previous three stories. But lo and behold! I had watched the trailer of Thor Ragnarok, and I'm all hype about it! Why you might ask? Of course, because of Loki. And let's just say, also Thor. It was so super epic and I would like to give this epic fantasy story of mine another chance. Hoping, the readers will love epic fantasy stories again. Like way back in 2015, my first epic fantasy story clicked, and lot of readers reviewed and followed (at least the number was a double digit then).
I was planning to put this story, "The Snow Drifter King" under the crossover of Rise of the Guardians and Thor movies, because this story was mostly about Jack and his relationships with his family, his friends, his comrades, and his ancestors, namely Loki and Thor. However, a piece of warning, there is just a tiny bit of Jelsa here. My reason, because Elsa gets to have her own character development story like this present story about Jack if, and only if the number of those following and reviewing will satisfy me. (Please, make it a 50 or more, even better a hundred more). But alas, Elsa is Jack's one true love. Sorry, to those who opposed this shipping couple, but those two are a powerful force of nature to be reckoned with. And if this story goes successful, Elsa's story – the Legendary Snow Queen will have lots of romance. Then, just maybe, if I will not tire out, I will be writing the last of my epic fantasy about Jack and Elsa, and their children, and the fights of the gods during the Ragnarok (of course, in Jack's and Elsa's versions, and not in Thor Ragnarok movie) .
I will be testing this story and will post it until chapter four in case everything does not work alright before I will completely abandon it. (Yep, it's hard to write stuff like this for free, and no one will ever acknowledge or even like it.) Honestly, I had finished ten chapters of it - hell yeah, all filled with Norse Mythology's fantasy, action and adventure. Yes, you heard me, Norse Mythology, so anyone who is as crazy about myths and legends and fantasy stuff. Come right in and immerse yourself with magic.
Again, thank you for those who had the time to read this story and will be following, reviewing and liking it.
