Chapter 1
There once was a time when the nine realms lived in peace and with tranquility. A fragile union that none dared break in fear of the cataclysm that would without fail follow. But, as with all things, eventually that peace was disrupted. Then… came war.
Asgard, home of the Aesir came under attack by none other than the Fire Giants of Muspelheim. Leading them was their king, Surtr, the destined doom of the Gods.
Surtr had wished for nothing more than to plunge all in the heat of his legendary flames, on par with that of Hephaestus, exceeded only by the divine flames of the Shinto goddess Amaterasu and the Egyptian god Ra.
His great army charged across the Bifrost setting it alight with each step they took.
The all seeing Heimdall blew his horn to warn the Alfather of the coming threat.
Odin, along with the warriors of Asgard, met Surtr at their very walls, the battle was fierce as it raged on for five days and five nights. But try as they might the defenders of Asgard could not withstand the full might of Surtr and his followers forever. With each passing day, one by one the Asgardians fell as they were forced behind the security of their walls as the last line of defense until it too was breached.
Victory was well within the Giants' grasps, Surtur's triumph was just out of reach. And they would have succeeded.
But it was not meant to be as all thought.
For even as hundreds of warriors fell or fled further to Asgard, one stood his ground.
One, who was named the crown prince and the mightiest warrior in all of Asgard. The protector and hero of its people.
The God of Thunder, Thor.
The red-haired god fought alongside his fellow brothers in arms when he saw that his people were being slaughtered. In a desperate attempt he made a decision and called a retreat.
"Fall back! Fall back now!" the soldiers looked like they wanted to protest as their warrior's pride showed through. But the look in their prince's eyes said that he was not to be challenged. And so, with great reluctance, the Asgardians fled. All except for one.
"What? How can you be such a coward Thor!? We must fight and drive these fouls creatures back to the hell they call home!" came the voice of a god with bright blue hair and delinquent eyes. This was none other than the god of mischief and magic, Loki.
The god fired spell after spell as enemies fell left and right, the deity merely scowling as he advanced step by step towards their greatest adversary. Until he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"What are you doing Thor? Go be a coward like the rest! I will eradicate all those who dare believe they are superior!" Loki shouted to the thunder god who gave a resigned look, though one filled with determination.
"Loki, I ask that you listen to me for just once in our immortal lives." He started.
"Hmm?" the god of mischief gave a look of confusion.
"This is not a battle so simple that we may be triumphant so easily, even beings of pride as us gods must realize that. The only way to achieve victory is by defeating Surtr here and now." Thor explained as Loki just clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Then why are we still here? Let us take down that dull giant." He said twitching impatiently only for the red-haired god to stop him once more.
"Nay, in order for this to work we must first protect our people, our home. And I trust none more than you to this." The hammer wielding god told him.
"Me? What about you?" Loki asked in confusion before realization struck him. "You plan to take the bridge down, you're going to go down with it." He deciphered as a nod confirmed his suspicions.
"You can't be serious Thor! That is suicide, what will happen to the people you are trying so hard to save when they will no longer have their Herald? What will Odin do? And who will succeed the throne and protect Asgard when your father must step down? Baldr? The fool will only bring us to ruin!" the god of magic roared as Thor just smiled somberly.
"Loki... for all the times that you and I may have disputed, you have always been a brother that I cherished. Even if you are viewed as the god of evil your heart has always been in the right place. You have always had the best interests of Asgard in mind. And that is why I know that this place which has been our home for millennia will be safe in your hands. I defended our home with everything I had. And now I pass that sacred duty onto you." he said as Loki shook his head vehemently in denial.
"No. You can't. You mustn't, if anything I'll do it. You are loved by all Thor, to make you a martyr is inconceivable. I have little positive relations in Asgard, if anyone should do it then it should be me." the trickster god volunteered.
"You are the god of magic Loki, without you, our people cannot progress, and we will be heavily crippled, vulnerable to attack." Thor reminded him.
"And you are the crown prince! Without you there will be no Asgard! Is that not why we fight? For the survival of our home?" Loki retorted as Thor laughed.
"The humans on Midgard have always had a saying, 'Before you start a war you must first know what you are fighting for', a sound logic, yet I like to think a little differently. I believe that you must fight in order to find what you are fighting for." the thunder god said cryptically as he turned his back.
"Now go, the duty to protect the people is now in your hands. I request that Mjolnir be locked away until someone worthy may take my place but know that as long as you never lose sight of what is right, the hammer will heed your will... brother..." he crouched, legs tensing as they pulsed with power ready to leap. Peeking his head over his shoulder one last time he said, "Now do your job as the god of magic and place some damn barriers." And with that he launched into the sky.
"Tch, don't tell me what to do... brother."
Surtr, in his great arrogance, believed that the power of but one God would not be enough to stop his troops from finishing what they had started.
Oh how wrong he had been...
With a roar of defiance Thor charged the Fire Giants, in his hand was the legendary hammer Mjolnir, forged within the mythical realm of Nidavellir by the dwarven smith brothers Sindri and Brokkr.
The true might of the God of Thunder was displayed that day for the first time in centuries, and just as it had then, it struck the same feeling of reverence and fear as it did now.
With each swing of the god class weapon a hundred giants would fall, leaving nothing but husks and corpses. Again and again they tried to bring down the red-haired god yet time and time again they were slaughtered.
Lightning danced around his body in a bright and terrifying aura of power as he continued his charge. His advance was halted as a boulder came crashing into his left side, sending him flying into another horde, he threw his hammer at the giant who had thrown the giant rock, effectively caving it's chest inwards as the war hammer flew further and further.
Turning around, Thor threw his fist into the face of an incoming foe, crushing its skull, and raising his knee into the gut of another causing it to hunch as he lifted the weakling and threw him into another three.
Try as they might, the forces of Muspelheim could not stop the God of Thunder's rampage as he drove into their ranks with the bravery he was known for far and wide.
Soon the Fire Giants could not hold against such power as they cowered before running back to their fiery home. Abandoning their King to face the mighty warrior alone.
What was witnessed that day could not be explained so easily.
"Thunder God!" the giant roared as he met the son of Odin's charge.
God clashed against giant as hammer met sword. Thunder and fire flying wildly as everything in their path was incinerated around them .
So destructive was this fated exchange that the mortals of Midgard could hear the roar of Thor's thunder.
Powerful as the king of the Fire Giants was, even he could not withstand the onslaught of Thor. Soon he was driven back to the Bifrost bridge.
"Surrender now giant. Return to Muspelheim and never again return. Else you shall once again taste the might of Asgard." Thor demanded. But Surtr would not have it.
"Bah! You think yourself so great. Do you truly believe that you are greater than I? How foolish, I have slain a countless number of godlings over the millennium and you will be no different Asgardian." Surtur exclaimed.
Raising his flaming sword he prepared to bring destruction upon Asgard, even at the cost of his own life. The prince of thunder pointed his hammer towards his enemy as electricity sparked before an arc of lightning shot at the giant.
Surtr swung his sword as a giant wave of fire met the god's attack. Their struggle for dominance continued until the force exploded in overload and sent both sides flying. As Thor slowly stood the king of Muspelheim charged every bit of fire he could muster into a miniature sun.
Battered and bloodied, the prince of Thunder saw no other choice in his last stand to protect Asgard as he used his great strength to shatter the bridge and send himself and Surtur over the Bifrost towards the mortal realm of Midgard!
Even as they fell they continued to fight. Surtr's fiery fists pummeled Thor to try breaking free but the God refused to release him. Not until the Fire Giant was slain.
Calling upon the very last of his strength, Thor raised his hammer, fully charged of thunder and brought it down upon the giant, destroying his enemy's sword as it sent lightning flying everywhere!
So greatly was the attack that it was thought the end times had come to Midgard.
When the dust had settled only Mjolnir remained.
But Thor was nowhere to be found…
"And so Asgard was saved. The Fire Giants, without their king, fell into disarray and became a shadow of what was once a proud and mighty kingdom. And Thor…? His fate remains a mystery. Some say that he still dwells within Asgard's halls, celebrated as a hero of that fateful battle. Others? that he died of his wounds. But I like to think he may have lost his powers and chose to wander the earth, helping all he came upon."
A choir of claps was heard by the children within the classroom as they looked upon the teller of the story.
He was an elderly man in very extravagant robes. In his hand was a walking cane to support his back that was bent. His long white hair fell to his back as did his beard. His left eye was covered by an eyepatch making it hard for him to see.
What none of the kids realized though, was that this elderly man was none other than the ruler of Asgard, the Alfather, Odin! And he had come to this school to share the tale of his son Thor to them.
"Well Mr. Odinson, we thank you for this opportunity, that was an incredible story and not many speak of such legends nowadays nor do many even know enough to tell."
Odin looked to the speaker and couldn't help but grin.
At the corner of the classroom stood a woman he was familiar with.
She was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her late thirties with long, beautiful, silvery white hair and eyes the color of the sky on a clear summer day.
This was Gondul, a Valkyrie in the service of the Norse gods whose job was to protect the throne and its royal family. A top tier magic user, she had been a member of Odin's elite guard for years. However currently, they were both in the Midgard, Norway to be exact. Gondul was soon due to have a grandchild and she had decided to take some time before their birth and gain some experience in teaching.
She hoped to be able to train her legacy in hopes that they will one day succeed her so that she may retire in peace. For despite her youthful appearance she was actually around roughly five centuries old. She had seen much in her time and passing it on was her dream. She had failed to do so with her own child, but she'd be damned if she couldn't offer the best for her grandchild too.
Before any questions could be asked, the bell signaling lunch rang and off the children went to tell their friends of the incredible story Mr. Odinson told them.
When the last student departed Gondul approached her king, a twinge of concern on her face, "Forgive me, Alfather, but do you think it wise to tell these children of what really happened?"
Gondul's question to the Norse king was answered with a chuckle, "My dear Gondul, the mortals will only see it as just another legend told by their ancestors."
"I know that, but what if…" She trailed off unsure of how to continue her question.
"You're worried the other mythologies will know of my son's true fate? That the mighty God of Thunder died sacrificing himself to protect Asgard?"
When Gondul nodded Odin sighed as he moved to sit in a chair, body slouched against it. "I understand your concern. But even if Thor's death is revealed, what issues will arise from it? Yes, he was one of the ten strongest beings in existence, but that title can be replaced by someone else."
"Lord Odin….you say it as if it isn't a big issue!" Retorted the silver haired warrior, "Your son, Thor, crowned prince of Asgard, was loved and feared by many-no-by all! The power he had was unrivaled by all!"
"Oh?" Said Odin with a raised brow, "Even more than the Infinite Dragon God and Dragon of Dragon's?"
Gondul opened her mouth to reply but shut it. She realized what she had said was stupid of her. Powerful as Thor may have been, even he couldn't have stood against the powers of the two most powerful beings in existence.
Or could he have…
"Discussing about my son will not bring him back, Gondul." Said Odin as he closed his eye. "Balder and Vidar still miss their brother."
"And the Queen?"
Odin did not respond to the question. The queen of Asgard, his beloved wife, Frigg, sill mourned over the loss of her son. While Frigg was not his true mother, she still considered the son of Jord as her own after the mother of earth died giving birth to him.
She knew Thor's sacrifice was not in vain, but it nevertheless still hurt to know he was no more.
'I only pray that things will pick up soon.' he thought.
In another part of Midgard, the wails of a newborn baby with ginger locks could be heard.
"Come now little one. Do not cry, for you shall ascend to heights unimaginable someday."
A.N : And that begins my newest story folks. I won't give anything away. Only that it will be a focus on Norse Mythology within the DXD world. Special thanks to Crimson Azazel for co-writing it with me. If you enjoy it then make sure to hit that like button and leave a review.
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