NIDAVELLIR

The ship Skidbladner, a catamaran in the shape of two merged long-ships, with one massive triangular sail that collected light from suns and stars, left a trail of flaring sparks as its forty anti-gravity struts slid along the gravitational forces of the local star; a bright blue orb of light in the far distance. The fastest ship known in the universe, its four main engines burned bright red as they provided thrust.

Beyla stood by the controls, moving her hands between the four levers that operated the vessel. A large and voluptuous woman, her brown hair braided and reaching below her buttocks, wearing light armor with plating only on her shoulders and elbows. A shield carried on her back and two axes hanging from her belt by her hips. Byggvir walked up to his wife, carrying a great horn filled with mead, his head bald and his beard forked, a great cape covering most of his body.

"Wife" Byggvir said as he handed over the horn.

"Thank you, husband" Beyla said and took the mead and drank from it.

Byggvir turned around and spotted their destination and folded his arms over his chest. "I don't like this" he then said. "Njord is our king now, and not joining him is treason."

"We are under oath to obey Odin" Beyla reminded her troubled husband.

"And Odin commanded us to attack Vanaheim" Byggvir reminded his wife in turn. "And we are far away from Vanaheim."

"What are you two gossiping about?"

Skirnir climbed some stairs leading up from a lower deck, dressed in fine clothing and wearing expensive jewelry and chains of gold and silver.

"That" Byggvir said and pointed at the distant star, or rather, what orbited it.

Skirnir turned to look at their destination and nodded at the sight.

Beyla chuckled. "I can't believe we have disobeyed two kings in order to come here. I would say that returning home will be interesting."

Skirnir smiled and looked back at Beyla over his shoulder. "What? Aren't Odin and Njord known for their forgiving nature?" Skirnir and Beyla laughed while Byggvir remained concerned. Skirnir shook his head at the situation as he turned his attention at their destination once more. "Let's place our trust in Frey, and hope he knows what he's doing. Our lord and master is wise and cunning; don't forget that it was he who ensured that peace prevailed between Asgård and Vanaheim, and ended the war by convincing Odin to give up on his campaign. We are in good hands. Have faith."

The Skidbladner continued towards the enormous ring-world that was known as Nidavellir; a single piece of massive engineering, entirely circumventing the star at a distance that placed it in the habitable zone, as wide as two planets and as thick as a moon. Nidavellir, the greatest technological marvel in Yggdrasil.

Vidar and Vali stood in awe as the Skidbladner closed in on the massive ring-world, blotting out the sun entirely. They had seen many wonderous things in the universe, but nothing as impressive as this behemoth of engineering madness.

"Two thirds of it is dedicated to production" Frey said, standing next to the sons of Odin by the viewports of the forward-facing leisure-lounge, aboard Frey's personal ship. "Two thirds of the largest structure ever made, dedicated to factories, forges, smithies and laboratories. Eight out of ten of all weapons in the universe are created here. Half of all warships are built by Nidavellir's shipyards. Without Nidavellir, more than half of all conflicts and battles fought would have never taken place."

"So why then would the Forge Master aid us in stopping this war?" Vidar asked. "If war allows Nidavellir to thrive, why would they want to ensure peace?"

"Simple, brother" Vali said. "If you want peace, prepare for war."

Frey nodded. "Nidavellir will always find clients to purchase their merchandize. No matter if it means fueling a bitter conflict between age-old rivals, or to secure a stable peace between friends and allies. Vanaheim and Asgård has a long history of purchasing some of the most devastating weapons ever created from the forges of Nidavellir. If we can guarantee that that will continue, I am sure that the Forge Master will listen to us."

Frey, Vidar and Vali were escorted along a road by eight dwergur warriors and one administrator; the road took them across an amazing landscape of mountains, lakes, rivers and forests and vast fields of grass and flowers. Keeps dotted the landscape, great mansions atop hills and ridges. Farm-animals grazed the fields, old dwergur drank ale and smoked pipes, sitting on chairs and benches. Here, on this manmade region designed to provide all the comforts a dwergur could need, located far away from the noisy and smelly factories and forges, life appeared quite simple and inviting, like a place where you could settle down for good and forget all the troubles of the universe.

The dwergur reached no further up than the chests of the visitors, yet their shoulders were broader, their arms and legs thicker and their steps heavier. Their beards so large and thick, they covered their owners torsos and hips, revealing only arms and boots. The administrator dragged a heavy cloak behind him along the cobbled stones, a thick staff showing his status in dwergur society. The warriors clad in full-plate, wearing cloaks and banner-poles from their backs, armed with technologically advanced halberds that could crack armor at a hundred paces.

They headed for a keep that was in no way more extravagant than any other in this part of Nidavellir, large boars gracing around it freely, some dwergur servants tending to the needs of the keep and the surrounding area. Entering the keep, they took an elevator that hoisted them all to the topmost floor; as the doors to the elevator opened, they found the top-floor to be one great hall, the ceiling supported by six thick pillars and windows lining each wall, four chandeliers hovering in midair. They walked out into the great hall and found a single desk and behind it sat a female dwergur, leaning in over the desk and using various advanced tools to build a strange clockwork device. The dwergur by the desk, eyes covered by magnifying eyeglasses, her long har white as snow, her hideous face wrinkled like a dry prune. She dipped her tools into an open case and then moved them carefully to the clockwork creation she was putting together. But it was unclear what she was moving between the case and the device, as her tools did not carry anything between them.

"Lady Northri" the administrator said, "I bring you these visitors from afar. I present to you, Frey Njordson, jarl of Alfheim, and Vidar and Vali Odinson, princes of Asgård and heir apparent to the throne of Asgård."

The dwergur behind the desk said nothing, but merely continued working on her device, moving her tools between the case and the inner workings of her creation.

Frey took a step forward. "Forge Master. Forgive me for intruding unannounced. But I am here on a most urgent mission."

"Are you now?" the Forge Master said, never taking her attention away from the interior of the device she was meticulously putting together.

"I most certainly am" Frey said. "You must know of the war between Asgård and Vanaheim?"

"I know that Malekith has invaded Asgård."

The dwergurs response had both Vidar and Vali look at one another, desperation in their eyes.

Vidar stepped up to the desk. "Is Valhall holding?! Is the enemy held at bay?!"

Slowly, Northri removed her magnifying glasses and placed them on the desk, turning her eyes on the young prince of Asgård. "If you are so concerned about the battle, why are you not there, fighting with your father?"

"Forgive a young son and his concern for his father" Frey stepped in. "But the concern is well founded. The Black Prince controls the Blue Stone. I have seen it with my own eyes, the day I lost Alfheim on the field of battle to the armies and allies of the Black Prince. I know this enemy. And I know that not Odin, or my father, can defeat this foe."

"And now you wish Nidavellir to provide you with a weapon to turn the tide?" Northri asked.

Frey nodded. "The greatest weapon ever forged. The fleet and army of Nidavellir itself. The warriors of the Forge World."

Northri allowed a smile to grow on her lips. "Malekith will be just as eager as Odin and Njord to purchase our weapons. Malekith will provide us with the same wealth. Why chose a side then? Why join this war, if Nidavellir profits no matter who wins?" Northri got out of the chair and walked on over to another desk where she washed her hands in a bowl and dried them on a towel. "You are famed for your ability to create peace, Frey" she then said. "Your ability to bring about war is not as impressive, I must admit."

Frey smiled, a confident grin that was as charming and dashing as it was cocky. "Why else would I have brought the sons of Odin?"

Northri turned to face Frey, her eyes speaking of the intrigue she felt over what might happen next. Frey turned to Vidar and Vali and gestured for them to step forward.

"Well?" Northri said, sitting down on a bench. "Why should Nidavellir go to war?"

Vali slowly took a step forward, swallowed and tried to appear regal. "I am Vali, son of Oden of the House of Wodan. My father set forth to conquer the Nine Realms to ensure that there would be no more wars. He subdued all kings and lords and forced them to swear fealty to him, including your grandmother, the famous Forge Master, Austri. Nidavellir is sworn to follow Asgårds bidding. And now Asgård calls to you to join us in battle."

Northri listened, she nodded and got up from the bench. "Odin, asking for help? In times of war?" she then said, chuckled and shook her head. "Not likely."

"Coward!" Vidar spat.

Northri stopped and turned to look at the son of Odin, a mean look on her face.

"You heard me" Vidar continued.

Northri nodded, her menacing look never fading. "There is the blood of Wodan."

"You need not worry about our bloodline" Vidar growled.

Vali spoke next. "Without Asgård, what is there? Malekith ruling Yggdrasil? An age of madness! How will Nidavellir protect itself from such an age of insanity?"

Northri returned to her chair by the desk. "Malekith? You think Malekith will come out of this victorious? That Malekith will be crowned king?"

"He controls the Blue Stone" Vidar reminded the Forge Master. "He controls the Portal."

"Indeed" Northri nodded. "But who gave him that power?"

Frey took a step forward. "The Stone should have destroyed him" he said. "We suspect Loki."

Northri leaned back and gave it some thought, letting out a sigh. "Loki has set Malekith free and provided him with the Portal and the ability to control it. And Loki has united Alfheim with Jotunheim and Nifelheim. Against such an enemy, Asgård needs strong allies. Conveniently, Vanaheim has now declared war on Asgård. And that leaves us… the dwergur of Nidavellir."

"Honor demands that you do your duty" Vidar growled. "Honor demands that you come to the aid of Asgård."

"Honor?!" Northri said and let out a blast of laughter, slapping the desk with a hand. "Honor demands of us nothing" she then said with a wide grin. But the grin slowly faded and her ugly features turned into a foul frown. "Loki has destroyed all ties of fellowship that held Yggdrasil together. Yet, he has not lashed out at us… yet."

Frey walked up to the desk, walking past the two brothers. "Now you know why we are here. Before it is too late, good lady, we must ally. Come with me to Vanaheim. When my father sees that Nidavellir is preparing for war, preparing to come to fight side by side with the Einherjar of Asgård, then Vanaheim will join the fight as well. For Loki will not let such a powerful enemy, as Nidavellir, go untouched by this war. He will not risk that you turn the tide against him."

Northri looked at the Vanir and slowly began to nod. "Your ability to forge alliances is well deserved, Frey, son of Njord."

"Then we march to war?" Frey said, a faint smile on his lips.

Tremors shook the keep, blasts of shockwaves shaking the entire structure. Northri hurried to a window and the others followed. From the top of the keep, they looked out across the amazingly beautiful landscape; one earthquake after the other shaking it all, time and time again.

"What's going on?" Vali wondered.

Northri held on to the edge of the window. "Nidavellir no longer has to march to war. War has come to Nidavellir."

XXX XXX

Fire Giants jumped down from their ships, and as soon as their feet touched ground, they went about destroying all things around them, swinging their weapons of glowing hot iron, using magic to send sprays of fire to ignite structures and melt metal. The dwergur fled as fast as their legs could carry them while more and more Muspelheim vessels came in for a landing, having breached Nidavellirs outer defenses.

Surtur jumped down from his flagship, denting the floor he landed upon. Around him, his warriors spread out, bringing destruction and fire to the famous ring-world. Surtur held up his sword, molten iron wreathed in blue hot flames, and then with all his strength rammed it, tip first, into the ground; instantly, a web of molten magma spread from where the sword pierced the ground, splitting structures and buildings as the magma cut through them, causing great explosions and setting it all on fire. The sword was freed from the ground and Surtur looked out across the chaos his warriors were causing, the havoc sweeping across Nidavellir.

"Burn it all" Surtur said. "Leave nothing untouched."

To be continued…