Chapter 1
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Vanaheim
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"In the beginning of the universe, there was nothing except the cold, called Niffleheim and the heat, Muspellheim. On the verge of two meeting, frost was melted and became a water drop. From it the life had begun."
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"You know what? I am always sorry about this point." said Fandral blithely. "If it still happened till today, all this water drops could become beautiful women smiling at me."
He absently looked up a cascade, streaming out from a cave which stood on the middle of cliff.
Thor, Sif and Fandral were walking along the bottom of gorge in Vanaheim. The gorge was very deep that its vertical rock face seemed more than a hundred meters and the shapes of ice and fire were carved in relief on it. The cascade was exactly set on the place where two shapes met.
"Fandral, we are on patrol now. Please, would be serious little bit more? snapped Sif. "Or I will shove your head in the water till it really become your love."
"Ha! Finally I see now why king Bör sealed off Muspellheim, Thor." said Fandral, clapping Thor on the shoulder. "Were there more women like Sif, every man on this universe should need extra heads."
A roar of laughter echoed through the gorge and scattered up to the sky, cut off narrowly in the shape of cliff.
Thor knew this place well. And the question that Fandral did wasn't strange to him. He had been here several times before and heard the same question once, even though it had happened a long time ago.
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"Why doesn't it happen today?" Young Loki asked to his mother, Frigga, looking at her with glistening green eyes full of curiosity.
As Vanaheim was their mother's homeland, Thor and Loki had visited here occasionally.
"Because when water drops were formed too much and became giants, your grandfather, Bör, planted Yggdrasil and sealed Muspellheim under the roots of the tree." said Frigga, seeing the opposite side of the cascade. On there, the shape of Yggdrasil was sculptured with the form of nine realms.
"There!" At than young Thor said, sprinkling water on Loki. "Thousands giants attack you."
"Stop it!" said Loki irritably, wiping his face on his sleeve.
"Thor, would you tell me what Niffleheim has become today? You learned yesterday." Frigga laughed and asked.
"Mother, don't we come here for picnic? I don't need to study by coming in here!" Thor grumbled.
"I can explain it!" said Loki briskly.
"Show off." Thor murmured quietly.
"It was the land of fog once before but now it becomes a land for dishonored dead." said Loki proudly.
"Yes, And Fenrir, the wolf of tearing the soul guards them." Frigga added and pointed to a shape of giant wolf standing beside Niffleheim. Next to it a land surrounded by tree roots appeared.
"Surtr lives in Muspellheim, covered with fire and rules over fire demon, called Muspell." Frigga continued.
"And what is that thing?" Thor pointed at a small winged snake coiled up near the roots.
"That is a Nidhogg." Frigga's eyes grew abstracted. "gnawing and feeding on Yggdrasil's roots."
"Doesn't it dangerous?" asked Loki anxiously.
"I think you don't have to worry about that. Loki." said Frigga, smiling. "Nidhogg is too small than Yggdrasil and there are three goddesses tending the tree."
Loki gazed up the relief with looking awed and interesting.
"Come. Come, boys. I shall show you my second favorite place among my homeland." Frigga said and beckoned to them. Thor and Loki made their way to the shade to follow her.
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Now the green eyes boy had grown up and he was standing at a hall, handcuffed. Except two guards standing at the back of Loki, there were only four members of royalty in there.
"Loki, you tried to seize Midgard and for your greed, numerous innocent Midgardians were killed." The hall resounded with Odin's dry voice. "Your crime is high but as I consider the intent of Frigga and Thor, I command you to spend the rest of your life in a dungeon."
After the words of Odin finished, guards marched Loki to leave without delay. But all the time he moving his steps, Loki fixed his eyes on Thor with contemptuous glance. Finally when he passed by him, Thor could hear Loki's hissing voice.
"You might think you are benevolent but I become more wretched because of your trifling sympathy."
Thor did not say anything. But he saw the green eyes swaying at the time it met Frigga's. Before long a guard pushed his shoulder roughly signing to move and it took back his rage.
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"Thor!"
Thor, who gathered his sense, turned to the direction of Sif's voice coming from. She and Fandral were ahead in the distance along the stream which fell from the cascade.
Thor glanced up the relief Yggdrasil again and left.