Chapter 7

"My Prince, how wonderful to see you here!" Tyr was hardly an imposing man in his old age, but when he clasped Thor's wrist with his one and only hand the Son of Odin could feel every last ounce of his strength, undiminished by time. He may appear the wizened old librarian, but he could still snap a person's neck if he so chose.

"Tyr, I have been remiss in my duties as both your Patron and, more importantly, your friend." He looked up at the six spires of the colossal Great Library of the Realms. Technically it belonged to Thor- a gift from his father upon his ascension to adulthood. The old Thor was both foolish and foolhardy though, he'd never bothered to lay eyes upon the place. All he had ever done for the Library was to name the old war hero Tyr as Chief Librarian.

Tyr smiled knowingly as Thor took in the sight of the Library for the first time, "I remember well the use of a library to my own young heart. You granted my request to live out my days in these hallowed halls. It is the greatest gift I have ever been given, and for it you need do nothing more to be called 'Friend'." Thor broke his gaze away and smiled once again, but there was a shadow across his eyes, "What is wrong?"

"Many things, and perhaps nothing at all. We must speak in private."

Immediately Tyr waved Thor down a golden path to the elaborately engraved silver doors of the palatial complex. Scholars and Librarians alike gaped at the Asgardian prince as he passed by. Both Aesir and Vanir mingled together in the endless rows of tomes and scrolls. Even a few Jotun sat together around a table, studying some ancient work.

At one point all Realms either looked to Asgard or fell beneath her armies. Four Kings ago, when the first of Thor's ancestors took the throne, the library was built. It was a rival in size and scope to even the royal palace- and by decree it was the only truly neutral zone in all nine Realms. No matter the conflicts between the races and peoples, the Library was open for all. That the Asgardian throne appointed the Chief Librarian was merely an act of tradition. Every written work from eight of the nine Realms was brought to the Library- either as a copy or in its original form. Tony Stark once described the Library of Congress- and though that building could fit in this Library a hundred times over, the intent behind them both were the same. Soon enough the Library would be expanded to include the knowledge of Midgard, and his ancestor's grand dream would finally be a reality.

Tyr led his Prince deep into the Library's stores. At the heart of the main hall- known simply as the Seat of Knowledge- lay what was quite possibly the most heavily fortified place in all nine Realms: The Black Archives. Inside was kept the darkest and most sensitive knowledge- books of torture, scrolls of illegal blood magic, sorcerer's curses, chapters of history too dangerous to be made public, and the Black Vault- within which the Valkyrie order stored every report, order, draft, census, and even personal letter sent by one of their own. If the stories were true they also had historical chronicles of all nine Realms dating back nearly one hundred thousand years, unseen by anyone outside of their ranks. Only those escorted by the Chief Librarian himself were allowed entry. Tyr even walked the Valkyrie's Chief Scribe to her office beside the Vault every morning, and each evening they left together.

Rows of guards from each Realm parted before him and magics unseen allowed the pair to pass through the ancient doors of the Library. Inside were rows upon rows of cabinets- some books were simply too dark and too powerful to be allowed within sight. It was safer to keep them locked away- even within the Black Archives. They passed a white marble wall with runes and sigils emblazoned on it in black glass- the Vault of the Valkyrie. Beside it was a closed door with the golden crest of the Valkyrie order. Beside it was another- this one marked with the seal of the Great Library. Tyr waved Thor inside the sitting room and closed the door behind him.

"We may speak freely here."

Thor waited for him to slide the bolt into place before he spoke, "A Midgardian ally has stumbled upon a curious find, and I fear all is not as it seems."

"Please-" Tyr directed Thor to a curved bench in the center of the room.

Thor told him everything from the box to Samantha's vision. He trusted his old mentor completely, "There have only been two Jotun Wars- and those were the only times in our history where Asgard called upon the Valkyrie to fight the Frost Giants- but there were no battles near a Bifrost gate. In fact, of all Bifrost sites in the Realms I know of none that match her description. I do not know if what she saw was a glimpse into the past or a portent of what is to come, but it cannot be ignored."

"You are correct that the Jotun Wars were the only time in which Asgard sought the aid of the Valkyrie," Tyr agreed, excited, "however- there was one other war made legend by time, where the Valkyrie enlisted Asgard to fight on their behalf. For that reason alone it was not called a Jotun War, but the Great Valkyrie War."

"The Valkyrie were formed to prevent inter-Realm conflict, not initiate one!" Thor was stunned, "My mother was High Commander of the Valkyrie- she told stories of their honor and dedication to keeping the peace!"

"The Valkyrie were not as honorable then as they are now. In this conflict, the Jotun may have been correct to strike… King Aegir the Grave fought the Jotun his entire reign in what would be known as the First Jotun War. He found himself allied with a young lieutenant of the Valkyrie whose sudden rise to the peerless rank of High Commander many believed was something he may have had a hand in… Your mother, may she feast eternally in the halls of Valhalla, unified the Valkyrie and Asgard through her love of King Odin… But Aegir and Sidhe- the Dark Commander- were more akin to a poison.

"For his support, legend says, Sidhe persuaded her Generals to increase the size of the Valkyrie from a few hundred to well over two thousand. They culled the Realms- sent out their Enforcers to take infants believed to possess even the potential to survive Valkyrie training." Tyr's voice dropped into a low whisper, "Asgard was not as powerful then as she is now. Another realm- more advanced yet perilously reclusive- resisted."

"Which one?" Thor leaned in, entranced by Tyr's story.

"No one knows. The Valkyrie, supported by the forces of most other Realms, laid waste to theirs. Only Svartalfheim stood with the Doomed Realm in battle, and you know what would become of them. A thousand years after the Culling the newly bolstered Valkyrie army was unleashed, and they tore through Jotunheim- it was very nearly a genocide.

"The Valkyrie's numbers were far too vast. Rather than the elite fighting force they had been, they were half-trained, ill-disciplined, and many of their own deserted to fight on the side of the Jotun. The revolt forced the Valkyrie to end their war with Jotunheim still intact. In the end, the only Realm they managed to destroy was one who must have possessed no military might- if they turned to Svartalfheim for aid."

"That was the First Jotun War?" Tyr nodded, "Then what led to the Valkyrie War?"

Tyr frowned, "No one knows, besides the Valkyrie's Chief Scribe, I suspect. What we do know comes from histories written by other realms… After Aegir died his son sat upon the throne of Asgard and proclaimed it the center of the Realms. During his reign the Jotuns were quiet, but they did their best to learn from their enemies and grew their populace exponentially. I believe another race must have aided them, for in the reign of King Gungnir a Jotun horde the likes of which the Realms had never before seen rose up and laid waste to the Valkyrie order- even Jotun within their own ranks joined in the slaughter- which I believe is why, of all races, only the Jotun are unrepresented in the Valkyrie ranks. Even now they have members of Dark Elven descent, Kree as well, but no Jotun."

"How did the battle end?"

"Those who have sought records of the Great Valkyrie War believe its fate was decided on the Field of the Fallen in Muspelheim. It is known they rebuilt their Bifrost Temple around the same century the battle is thought to have taken place. Of the nearly fifteen hundred Valkyrie who were said to have fought, only a hundred survived. The dead were so great in number they were left to rot in the soil, and a great silver tomb was erected to honor the dead. A tomb marked with-"Tyr traced in the air three triangles.

"Then that is the origin of the dark sigil?"

Tyr shrugged, "No one knows. Most traces of it have been destroyed, and those texts which remain reference a great culling of histories written during that time- I suspect by the Valkyrie. Another two King ruled and perished. The Jotuns quieted once again and then- it appears without warning- something terrible happened. We still do not know what. The tomb was destroyed, a Valkyrie war fortress rose in its place, and every other record we have of the sigil is tied to great massacres."

"How long ago was the tomb destroyed?"

"When your grandfather's grandfather sat upon the throne."

"Have you asked the Valkyrie to share their records on the incident? My mother said they always kept their own recorded histories."

Tyr nodded, "The Valkyrie won't even confirm the existence of the Great Valkyrie War, or the tomb. The Tomb exists in both Asgardian and Muspelheim chronicles, we know it existed, but the Valkyrie resist all inquests. They fear their own past, and none have ever succeeded in wresting that information from them."

"So I must plead my case to the Chief Scribe?"

"Based on what?" Tyr shook his head sadly, "The Valkyrie will say that the cache Lady Samantha discovered was filled with medical supplies- as its size would warrant. Her vision and the sigil hidden in dirt? They will say you- with or without my aid- conspired to have the Midgardian speak of it only to learn the truth of the Valkyrie War once and for all."

"You do not know that," Thor's frustration made his murmur sound more like a growl.

"I do, I saw it once before." Tyr rubbed his tired eyes, "When you and Loki were but children- taking your very first lessons in warfare and magic- an assassin slipped into your bedchamber in the dark of night and very nearly succeeded in cutting you both down as you slept."

"I have heard the tale before. Our guard was away from their post and you heard Loki's screams from across the courtyard. You raised the alarm and my father came into our chamber and killed the assassin himself."

Tyr nodded, "And?"

"And what?"

"And before the body could be identified the assassin vanished, leaving behind only the mark which your friend saw in her vision. Your mother was the High Commander of the Valkyrie. She went to Forseti, my predecessor, and sought his guidance. He told her what I tell you now- yet she returned empty handed and never stepped foot in this Library again. If the Queen of Asgard and the Valkyrie's own leader could not gain the information she sought to unravel the attempted murder of two princes, what makes you believe you will get any further with the dreams of a Midgardian girl younger than the edge on their blades?"

"We both know that was no mere medical cache in the crate. If the sigil of Mjolnir was laid over an assassins mark then I am pleased to believe I was their intended target… Yet that box was buried. It lured Lady Samantha in and gave her that vision. Something is coming, mark my words."

"I agree," Tyr was behind his prince, heart and soul, "I can only advise that you return to Midgard for now. Protect the girl and remain on high guard. If there is more to this then perhaps another clue will make itself known… But do not speak of your plight to others, not even your father. Voices in the royal palace tend to carry, and you cannot know who all listens when you speak."

"Who are you worried about?"

Tyr pointed to the wall shared with the Valkyrie archivist, "Wynd, Chief Scribe of the Valkyrie. If she hears of your search too soon she will bury what information they do have, and no matter what comes she will keep it hidden."

"What reason would this Wynd have to do so?"

"She was a Valkyrie officer once, one who rose through the ranks so quickly your mother began to groom her as a successor. Now she is a scribe in the Great Library- among a warrior sect there is no greater shame… She was the guard absent from her post when the assassin struck. She sees that night as the one which damned her path. Wynd is reasonable, but I do not believe she will risk helping you now." Tyr leaned in and spoke low, "Trust me, Prince Thor, and keep this from the Valkyrie as long as you can. You will find derailed ambition a far more dangerous foe than any monster in the night."