The Sins that Bring War Pt. 12 The Ebony Tower Runes

"And so it all comes crashing to an end. The world of Titrais is said to be consumed by darkness on the day of their greatest battle with their greatest foe. None shall remember this tale of woe until the shackles of slavery are bound around the necks of the gods."

A large floating throne of diamonds and fine silks glided gently across the air as thousands marched beneath it. These thousands were the dark elves of Malekith and the assorted interdimensional beings of Hyperstorm. The two generals of Skaris lorded over their troops with a regal nature only matched by the golden days of Odin himself.

"This will be a day to be remembered," Malekith cheered, drinking deeply of the large silver chalice that Hyperstorm had created for him.

"Indeed it shall. Many will die by my hand," Hyperstorm promised as he took a swig of his golden chalice.

Malekith had to admit that he enjoyed being partnered with Hyperstorm. He had thought the two of them would be at each other's throats by now, but he acted in a manner that could almost be called godly. In the new age of Yggdrasil they would be fond friends and even greater rulers. The promise of this new coming power was enough to intoxicate the dark elf.

"So are there any in particular you wish to slay?" Malekith asked.

"I'll keep those thoughts to myself. Lets just say I do indeed have the taste for darker blood today," Hyperstorm replied.

Malekith laughed, "You dog! You seek the bosom of Amora! How fiendish, but I like that."

"Oh believe me I am quite fiendish," Hyperstorm smirked as the remnants of Asgard's defenses came into view.

"Seems we have those blasted creatures of Limbo to deal with," Malekith groaned.

"Indeed. But that is not all that you face today my friend," Hyperstorm exclaimed.

"What is it that you speak of? You talk in riddles," Malekith said as a tinge of worry began to set in.

Hyperstorm sighed, "I sense trickery coming. I don't want you caught unaware."

Malekith nodded, "Your abilities are to be trusted."

"Likewise," Hyperstorm added.

"Oh Thor you disappoint me. I was hoping for so much more from you," Skaris said smugly as he descended to the ground slowly where the fallen body of the Thunder God lay still.

"Stay away from him!" a voice called out. Skaris turned to look in the direction of the sound and found himself staring at a hammer. Stormbringer landed smack in the middle of Skaris' face. His body went flying through the air and went plowing through a group of surprised Titraux.

Beta Ray Bill had come to save his King and he was not alone. Ganim, the brave little warrior, stood at his side and behind him were lined a group of The Rasputin. The demonic creatures itched for battle and quickly joined the fray against the forces of Titrais. Beta's main concern was getting to Thor and that's exactly what he did.

"Odinson! What has he done to you?" Beta Ray Bill cried as he hefted the battle beaten Thor onto his shoulders. One hand carried Thor and the other held Stormbringer. He would let no more harm befall the Thunder God.

"My prize will not be taken from me!" Skaris yelled as he zoomed across the battlefield to where Beta Ray carried Thor.

"Thor is no prize!" Dani Moonstar yelled as she shot a psychic arrow from a hundred feet away. The psionic weapon hit Skaris in the temple and sent him reeling in pain.

"Have you forgotten about me already?" Catax purred as he landed with a cat's grace behind Moonstar. The Titrais god flung one of his daggers at Danielle's head, but the weapon simply passed through it.

"Forgotten? Naw. I just don't care much," Dani said from behind Catax. The illusion had worked perfectly and set him up for the Valkyrie's attack. She launched one of her psychic arrows into his stomach. Then she unleashed another one on his head. Then his right knee. Then his left shoulder. His pelvis. His neck. Left arm. Right foot.

The psionic energy of eight arrows was more than enough to lay out Catax. The effort to produce so many arrows so fast had exhausted her though and she wasn't paying enough attention to notice Kovar coming up behind her.

"Watch out!" Magik yelled as she pushed her friend clear of Kovar's magical black mace. Blocking the weapon with her Soulsword the apprentice of Belasco had been able to save her head from becoming a bloody soup bowl of flesh, bone, and hair.

Knowing she didn't stand a chance of holding back Kovar's weapon the Soulsword wielder dodged out of the way. Kovar quickly lifted his mace from the ground and swung it right over Magik's head. The young woman had seen that Kovar had been holding his own against the Adversary and that was no small feat.

"I won't injure you too much. I do need a bride," Kovar smiled licking his lips in anticipation.

"I won't lie. You're a bit cute, but far too gruff for my tastes," Magik taunted as she created a glowing red circle in the dirt around Kovar.

The Titrais god found himself unable to move, "What form of trickery is this?"

"It'll keep you out of this fight until its over and that's all I really need," Magik answered blowing Kovar a kiss. The spell had been a one a day type deals so she was glad to have used it on someone like Kovar. That cut the advantage of the Titrais gods down a bit to say the least.

Illyana walked over to Danielle and helped her to her feet, "You alright?"

"Yes. Thank you for the save," Dani said.

"Not a problem. Lets just make it through the rest of this fight," Magik said with a half-hearted laugh.

Surprise walked all over Dani's face, "Look your Rasputin. They're nearly twenty times the number than when you bought them here!"

"Seems our little secret weapon is kicking in. Lets find Beta Ray Bill and help him protect Thor. Can't have these guys taking Asgard's King to the underworld," Magik exclaimed.

"Right," Moonstar agreed.

"Yield to me Belasco. Your powers are nothing compared to my own. Do not make me cast a fate similar to Amora's on you," Jasmine warned as she dispelled the hell flames of Belasco.

"Jasmine your people hold back! You hold back! Where are the Titrain?" Belasco demanded. He could finish off Jasmine if he had wanted, but he needed to understand why the Titrais where holding back a sizeable proportion of their forces. It just wasn't making sense to him.

"The Titrain fly in Asgard demon! They fly and create chaos," Jasmine laughed as she sent out thousands of pink butterflies forth into the air. The creatures moved at incredible speeds and struck various areas around Belasco causing a large number of explosions in succession.

It seemed to be almost a certainty that Belasco had been destroyed by Jasmine's attack, but he rose from the smoke without the slightest scratch. The tiny fraction of power he had managed to steal from the All-Father had ensured his survival.

Wagging a dismissive finger at the goddess Belasco laughed, "You foolish woman. YOU have absolutely no idea who you're trying to fight here."

Black coils wrapped around Jasmine's body and upon contact they filled her mind with visions of demons clawing away at her flesh and eating her organs. Her body was becoming a feast and there was nothing she could do about it. The goddess let out a hellish scream and fell from the sky.

As the smoke poured forth from her ears Belasco paid his tribute to the woman by kicking her in the ribs, "That's for Amora."

"Well done Belasco," the Grand Vizier complimented as floated down to the ground beside the Lord of Limbo.

"I do my best," Belasco smiled. Something about the Vizier felt odd to him. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, but the old man was holding something back.

"There may be trouble in Asgard," the Vizier warned.

"Yes, troops march upon the people now," Belasco replied.

"Tis not it great demon. Something is wrong with Odin," the Vizier exclaimed. Belasco feared to think of what could possibly be wrong with Odin.

The finest soldiers of Asgard had guarded Odin's statue since his transformation into a stone being. The shifts were seven hours long and right now the shift was about to change.

The leader of this shift was a cousin of Ganim named Gall. What he saw upon first entering the temple nearly made the hairs of his white beard descend to the ground. The All-Father had crumbled into dust.

Gall didn't know what to do and only one word was able to escape his mouth, "HELP!"

Beta Ray Bill continued his desperate flight across the bloody battlefield to get Thor to safety. Running away was not a habit that this warrior was accustomed to nor did he ever want to get accustomed to it. He was doing this for the sake of his friend and the people of Asgard. If Thor were to perish in this battle then all hope would be gone for Asgard. The Golden Realm would stand no chance against Skaris and his Titrais pantheon.

So Beta Ray Bill flew as fast his body would let him. He zoomed past broken bodies, shattered shields, screaming soldiers, and raging beasts. All these sights he pushed out of his mind as only one goal was his focus. Getting away from this awful battlefield and bringing the king to a place where he could recuperate, but for all his speed the horse-faced alien wasn't fast enough.

"Did you really think to escape me Sons of Asgard?" Skaris asked as black lightning tunneled from the sky and struck Beta Ray Bill with paralyzing force.

The body of Thor flung forward and crashed into the fine gravel cutting up the king's face more than it already had been. Beta Ray Bill could only watch in agony as Skaris rose up from his shadow and moved towards the barely able to stand Bill.

"Did you really think you could ever hope to save Thor?" Skaris asked as he reached for Beta Ray Bill's throat. Before that could occur a great ball of gold stuck Skaris in the chest and spread across his body like a tight jacket to keep him in place.

Barely able to keep himself from unconsciousness Beta Ray Bill looked upon the new Thor that was floating only a few feet away from him. All his injuries had faded away and his hair didn't have an ounce of dirt in it. Golden wristbands and a golden chest plate with a ruby at the center were his new armor. A headband of the same material extended itself across his cranium. An unusually large black belt went along with his well-fitting pants and boots of the same color. His eye glistened with a heavenly might.

"Your reign of terror ends now Skaris! This war ends now!" Thor exclaimed as he held up his hand and golden light beaconed across the battlefield.

The Rasputin grew in strength and began to push back the already exhausted Titraux.

The Valkryies were all restored their steeds and fought against the Titrain and Riders of Revenir with an unseen fervor.

The White Rangers of Silverien flew faster and their weapons cut deeper than ever before.

Balder found himself able to stand and was once again needed to marshal the troops.

The hand of Thor had done all this and Skaris could only watch with wracked pain flowing through his body. All his work, all his hopes for vengeance had come crashing down far quicker than he had built them up. But in his despair Skaris found one thing to be happy about. If he would have no home the Asgardians would have no home to return to as well. Malekith and Hyperstorm would see to that.

"Fire!" Astlin commanded as arrows flew by his hand and bounced harmlessly off the futuristically armored soldiers of Hyperstorm. Astlin had never encountered foes such as these before so if the attacks of arrows wouldn't work maybe the edge of a sword would.

"Charge!" Astlin commanded again as he unsheathed his sword and took off in a brisk run down the hill towards the steadily marching soldiers of Hyperstorm. It was only a matter of minutes before the two armies collided into each other.

"For Asgard!" the Keeper of the Rainbow Bridge yelled as he stabbed one of the soldiers in the neck all the while dodging the gun blasts of another warrior.

"Astlin! Watch out!" a soldier uselessly cried as Hyperstorm snatched the son of Loki into the air.

"My boy! You really do take after your father after all," Hyperstorm smiled as he spun around and flung Astlin into the city. He would survive the impact and the fall because of the blood that flowed through his veins. He was made of stronger stuff than he thought.

And it was at that moment that Hyperstorm felt the surge in power he had been waiting for. Looking down to Malekith he cried out, "This game is over dark elf!"

The servant of Skaris didn't even have time to reply as the soldiers of Hyperstorm vanished away revealing stick and stones. As the grandchild of Mr. Fantastic descended to the ground his armor and appearance began to fade away revealing none other than…Loki!

"And for my last trick," Loki smiled as he clapped his hands turning Malekith and his small contingent of dark elves into rats.

"The power of my father flows through me fiend! Thou attack against the Mighty Golden Realm hast failed! Loki had thou deceived quite well in his disguise as Hyperstorm," Thor laughed as he floated over to a writhing Skaris and gripped him tightly around the neck.

"This is not over Thor. My people…"

"Hath lost! Look around thee! This carnage hath come to an end," Thor exclaimed as most of the Titrais were either dead or had surrendered.

"Not over Thor. Not over…" Skaris mumbled as he fell into a deep sleep by the hand of Asgard's king.

"Beta Ray Bill find Hescamar and bring him with us! He hath crimes to answer for. Tell Red Norvell to find this Bastion and bring him with us as well," Thor commanded.

"I will do as you ask my friend," Beta Ray Bill replied as he took off into the sky relieved that things had finally come to an end. But what had overcome Thor? What now afforded him with such great powers?

A red mist slithered along the ground and made its way to Thor after Beta Ray had taken flight. The mist reached up to the King of Asgard's ankles and turned into the form of an Indian shaman, "Will you uphold your part of the deal now that this war is done with?"

"Aye. The Titrais realm is yours to do with as thou pleases. I hath no concern for it."

"War has hardened your heart. Perhaps my future dealings with Asgard will be far more fruitful," Adversary laughed as he vanished in a spur of red smoke.

A Location Undisclosed

"The power of Odin may run through your veins Thor but you shall know no escape from me. I will see Asgard tumbled into a thousand pieces!"

"And we will help you in that task," Anubis said as he stepped out of the shadows along with two other figures.

"Anubis, Mardruk Kurios, and Moloch. How nice to see you all."

Asgard (Two Weeks Later)

"He's still taking it hard isn't he?" Moonstar asked Red Norvell as they walked down the hall to Thor's throne room. He had summoned them to be present for the beginnings of Hescamar's trial.

"Yea. Odin dying so as to help his son gain victory makes Thor feel inadequate in some ways," Red Norvell replied. Thor felt as king he shouldn't have required his father's sacrifice to defeat Skaris and the others. He should have been able to do it on his own. Odin always had a way of humbling Thor, even in death. That man was as hard as fathers came. Only he could hurt his son while at the same time helping him.

"If he is rule wisely he must push aside his own pride," Moonstar remarked.

"What do you mean?" Red Norvell asked.

"Was it not pride that led Thor to make deals with the likes of Adversary and Belasco? Was it not pride that made Thor leave Asgard barely defended? If not for Loki's disguise the Golden Realm would be rubble," Moonstar replied passionately.

"Your judgments are harsh Danielle. Especially from one not of Asgard."

"My love of the Golden Realm is still the same! Odin ruled with logic and prudence. I fear Thor's reign will be marked with pride and self-righteousness," Moonstar exclaimed. Dani was deeply offended that Norvell would suggest her comments were of less merit simply because she was not born in Asgard.

"Thor is a good man Dani. Give him a chance. He can rule Asgard…DUCK!" Red Norvell yelled as he tackled Moonstar to the ground.

A pink energy lance had just barely missed Danielle's head and the source of it was floating outside of the building. Amora had been freed from her prison and she was not happy.

NEXT ISSUE?????

Author Notes

And so it comes to end (well not really hahaha.) Anyway this big ass story took forever for me to do, but it was most definitely a ride to be enjoyed. I know this isn't exactly the conclusion everyone was looking forward to as many questions have been left unanswered, but my next story builds off of this one and these unanswered questions help me in doing that. But for now this title will be on a bit of a break. I won't be releasing an issue until August (maybe earlier depending on how plotting goes). Either way I've enjoyed and appreciate all the support I've received on this title thus far and I hope to have it all again come August.