Ásgarð: Doubtful Ego
Asgard's air was stifling to the citizens as they strolled down the stone streets mumbling in small groups the newest gossip from the palace workers that had just been let out only that morning. It was spreading like a the plague over the 'visitors' that were coming, unknown people from a further even more distant part of the galaxy in the nine realms than the thought could travel to their glorious golden realm blessed by perpetual strength. These citizen's curling in tight groups were mainly women on the street giggling and laughing over what these stranger's could look like. The would be weak, they knew, never living close to their lives and probably never had a 'decent' war. They would not be muscular or attractive as Prince Thor who all those upon this dry, burning sunnish day knew to be in the palace scrubbed clean of his dirt and sweatful self from a few hours of training. Polished armor thrown on with careful ease but very nimble fingers of whatever concubine was his favorite this week. His hair done in intricate braids pulled back into a high pony tail resting at the grown of his head and the ends falling down to rest at the nap of his neck. His bangs of golden locks would be pushed behind his ear but not all would stay in this position as they would fall down to cover his deep sky blue eyes full of light and innocence.
It would be his brother though who would mark his face with a bit of dirt that Queen Frigga would attempt to clean off seconds before the ceremony of meeting the strangers at the bifrost would have to do. Prince Loki, adorned in such deep green that a emerald would be jealous of would suffer in tears. For where Thor shone like a jewel his muscles bursting in his suit of armor the fine silk so delicate on Loki's form would make him seem like a viper of a prince who, though every single person would deny it if questioned, was on many days even more dangerous than Thor's hammer, Mjolnir
Thus the morning, bristling, was hushed in the castle. The food being decoratively made was set our early upon the table. This feast was not to be involved with more than a few honored guest. the family of Odin Allfather, the Allmother, Prince Thor and Loki, and the guests, their number's unknown, along with the most deserving warriors throughout the golden realm. Odin, upon overseeing the list of honorable warriors was unsure if the Warrior's Three should have attended along with Lady Sif but he became lenient upon Thor's request. He did fear though where Thor's lack of Diplomacy could lead to some issues with this new race to grace their presence in a form of friendly desires. He had known long ago that Loki was the one to seal the deals and it was his only son by blood that had nearly destroyed decades of hard work in seconds. There were many planets that had already banned Thor from setting foot upon their world without him paying a hefty fine up front or weeks in advance. His location isolated to a hundred radius outside any town or city, even small villages did not permit his son within their buildings of fear of his 'mighty' fist.
He would not lie that this aspect of Thor did cause him severe dis-satisfaction. He praise Loki for his cool head on many days for this and, if not for Loki being a male, he would have liked Loki to have married Thor. At least Loki, his snake of a son with a silver tongue, could simmer down the temper under Thor's chest and keep his head on straight in delegation matters... when Loki was not being a prude.
So Odin Allfather sat upon his chair in his office eyeing documents, double checking the attendance list, sending maids and his wife after their sons to assure they were well in dress, and to his more worrisome state hoping his people did nothing to destroy a peaceful session with any actions that could be seen as hostile. For no one other than him and Heimdall knew how dangerous these people in truth really were. Though at the same time it was this species that would save all of Asgard. No one outside of his most trusted advisors knew of the looming threat above their heads.
Asgard was dying because of the soil beneath their feet was struggling to support life, to give fruit to the all life giving tree: Idunn's Apples.
"Father?" Odin let his gaze travel up from his documents to Loki standing with the door opened giving a slight bow out of his usual respectfulness, or ridicule Odin didn't really know some days, before he waved his youngest into the room to sit down on the chair Loki deemed as his own for the room.
"What is it, Loki?" Odin Questioned curious over what made Loki seem him out.
"Have we gotten any requests or ... their basic rules of conduct?" Loki leaned forward eyes twinkling with the need to learn and absorb as much as he could.
"No. I fear we'll not be getting it. Their kind is one that attempts to deal with formalities during negotiations to see any and all conflict from personality and," Odin waved around him indicating their culture, "Cultural clashes. From what I've heard upon these beings, these 'Vulcan's', we may be in over our head."
"What will their delegation be comprised of?" Loki asked eyes shifting dark in unease body pulling back into his chair for support and firm grounding.
"A Prince Uldanra and..." Odin lifted the paper, "A 'warrior' named ... Second?" Odin frowned feeling uneased by that name. IT didn't fit with what he knew but thus he would have to pry slightly into learning upon their kind and how they trained. Maybe such a name was an honor to their kind for some reason. With a small shrug Odin lifted his head up to look at Loki who had slumped back his face a pout showing he had hoped something more than 'fighting' would have been needed on the delegation matters. He gave a small smile at his youngest and his different ways. "We do not know their 'value' system. They may not lean towards our own 'desires' but more towards those of the Elven kind." He shifted setting everything down and eyed Loki, "I'm hoping I can count on you to keep Thor in good standing with them? Your brother... is not a very good responder to cues people give off or period in a general sense outside of fighting. His boisterous attitude I'm hoping will be 'tame' by his own realization of how important this meeting is and must go."
"You're asking for a miracle, Father." Loki rolled his eyes in a mild chuckle but he fondly nodded as he stood up. "How long will it be until they are here?"
"I fear in the hours time. They... have announced it will not be their home world we summon them from but another. We must wait for them to reach that point. Are you so eager that your renowned patiences is in fowl play now?" Odin laughed at the blush and the quick turn of Loki's head. He knew Loki acted cold and a certain way but he felt glad to know his youngest could act normally with him. At least now since the announcement of Thor as the Crowned prince was still a bit further off.
"Then I shall wait by Thor's side for our arrangement to see them." Loki bowed before he left the grin only at the bare tips of his lips that had Odin ease himself into his chair with content.
Uldanra shifted uneasily as he stood in the circular metal room behind him the machine that transported him and Maru, whose face was covered by a mask which announced him as another entirely different name amongst his kind as the Second, stood beside him from their rather unexpected and weirdly conventional method of travel. The only thing he didn't like about it was the screaming plants as they left the planet they were on. That beam was harmful he felt and he was something he would need to discuss with these people on a set place for 'transportation of the molecular manner'. With Uldanra's mind in shifting phases between fascination and uncertainty his eyes turned from behind him to stare down the three... no four members of what he assumed to be the 'Odin' household. With a small curt nod he stepped forward hand out to his side blocking Maru from doing anything rash, his personality were not their normal soft centered and friendly self with his mask on his mental grounding lying in the more bloody and unreasonable path. It felt weird, Uldanra thought, to think that these people might see 'Maru' for 'Maru'. It had been allowed for the fighter, his friend, to pick if he would be both but that didn't make much sense to Uldanra... not yet.
"House of Odin, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Uldanra, this is my friend and guard." Uldanra shifted closer peaking outside before frowning, "Is your planet... always so dry heated?"
"Dry heated?" Odin frowned before turning to look behind him as well confused y the first thing that was asked. "This is our usual summer weather. Is there something wrong with it?"
"No... just surprising. Your temperature is near the same as my own planet but you lack the humidity that we constantly have. It's not unusual on other planets but seasons... that is rather 'rare'. Our binary sun is two in our system that warms both sides of the planet at the same time along with others who use its light source. Though... it's not uncommon in the section of the unknown for a single binary to be used which changes weather." Uldanra chuckled before he held his hand out for some sort of greeting Odin wasn't fully sure on. He gave a bow before gripping it in a firm shake, this had Uldanra's lips in a quirking smile before his gaze landed on Frigga who stepped forward hand out in a fashion Uldanra took once his palm was released by Odin. The family of Odin watched as Uldanra turned Frigga's palm kissing over the veins in her palm before giving it a one single lick in a slitting fashion. As Uldanra pulled back he smiled his eyes, gold in his left and blue as a deep dark sea hit so far down by the light that it shimmered, pierced them all in his sight, "Shall we go to this 'palace' of yours. I'm eager to see how your kind lives."
"Right this way. My sons, Thor and Loki, will be your guides, Prince Uldanra." Odin smiled, "I do hope you know how to ride a horse?"
Odin's gaze caught the curious questionable look as they moved out of the way for the horses to be in view. He saw the curious look the young looking prince gave his black cropped hair shining in the light with the diagonal cut designs on the sides. His tan skin seeming to show similar like Hogun's but Uldanra had been pulled back by his partner when the horses reared up their voices loud as they moved away from this foreigner. To those of the house of Odin this was peculiar not in the fact the horses reacted to the strangers but the fact that these horses did not ever react like this even to Frost Giants.
"Seems its weary of predators." Uldanra chuckled, "It'll be fine. Please do point me in the direction of your dwelling. My friend will carry me there. I don't think it would be a good idea to have the two of us 'ride' these beast."
Thor frowned as he stepped forward, "The castle is this way following the main road. We can send for a carriage to pick you up."
"No, we'll be fine. Just take up your 'horses' and we will be running beside you." Uldanra smiled as he was lifted up into the Second's arms his red eyes behind his mask eyeing the four of Odin house before nodding to show he was waiting upon them.
Thor and Loki gave each other a small unsure gaze while Odin coughed, "If you feel that this is best then so be it. I will return shortly to the castle with Frigga after we discuss some words here with Heimdall."
"I'm a patient person, Odin. I can live for a few hours while you speak." Uldanra stated with a small laugh before laying his head against the Second's shoulder whispering to him softly. A small laugh was the only thing heard from the Second as both Loki and Thor mounted their horses and got ready to ride home.
Loki frowned as the two sons of Odin began riding hoe not at full speed as they usually would but they would not outrun their guest even if the situation seemed rather strange. Though as Loki trotted next to Thor's own horse he found that the whole situation was uneasily unnerving. Considering the pace of their horses the other should not have been able to keep up with them so well. Yet here it was that this person of a different race was not breaking a sweat carrying his partner, rather small yes but still enough to hinder running.
"Does the palace smell strongly of you two?" Loki heard this person ask eyes red as blood turning to eye them.
"It should... why?" Thor questioned turning slightly for his head to look at Uldanra and the Second.
"Then I can find my own way with Prince Uldanra." He stated with a sigh, "Your 'horses' are much too slow." Thor felt like stating that running all the way there before the horses was impossible or the fact that they were not running at full speed. He felt so shocked as in seconds this person was out running the horses and heading up to the castle with still an 'ease' that did not seem fake.
"It seems we gave them too little credit, brother." Loki stated to Thor feeling his skin crawling.
"It seems we have, brother." Thor said swallowing back his words he had prior and the urge to rush his horse to catch up.
