Rise of the Champions - Chapter Thirteen

Author: Milady Dragon

The Council of Barons was housed in a different building, but there was a connecting tunnel that ran underground from the Baronial Residence, which meant Thor and the triumvirate that ran Barony Andrade could get there fairly quickly. The four of them left the residence one half of the hour before the Council was to meet; Thor was impressed at the alacrity with which the Council had been summoned. Before the return of magic, such meetings would have been impossible, the distances too great to travel quickly. The Western Lands had always been made up of Baronies, with no central ruler, and Thor was not certain how such a system had worked before magic had come back into the world.

But then, the country had once been known as the Wild Western Lands, and had been a loose hegemony that had truly lived up to that title, from what he had read in various history books he'd had a child. Being the heir to Asgard's throne, Thor had had to learn the histories of their neighbors, the better to understand other governments and how to cooperate properly with them. He may not completely understand them, but he knew he could, as they say, play the game, well enough to make do.

He would have to make do now. He had never yet spoken in front of the Council of Barons, and he would need to tell his news plainly, to express the trouble that his brother may yet cause. He had no idea if anyone on the Council had been witness to that original attack, of the Chitauri coming in droves to the Western Lands, or if even the original Baron of the place where Loki had done the most damage was still in his official seat. There could very well be no one at all who had been witness, even though it had not been all that long ago, and then Thor may have the most difficulty in pressing his case.

However, he recalled Baroness Victoria's response, and minutely relaxed. She obviously remembered those events, and was going to support his report with her fellow rulers.

There were twenty Baronies, all of varying sizes. The Baronial seat was not always passed through family lines; some were taken by conquest, others simply because their Barons had proved to be unfit to rule. From what Thor had studied, it needed a consensus of the seated Barons to make any sort of ruling on behalf of the entire Western Lands. With this new threat looming, he certainly hoped he could gain that consensus. They would need to act together if Loki had managed to raise the Chitauri once more, as his brother would no doubt be prepared for any sort of response. Thor could only hope that one of the Barons had not been influenced as yet, as that could make things worse within the Council.

The tunnel ended in a set of stairs, leading up into the main building which housed the Council Chamber. The stairs opened out into a large hall made of variegated stone, empty except for a group of six, in earnest conversation, who glanced up as one as they entered. Thor guessed that they must have been two different Baronial groups, judging from the two dragons that accompanied them, one large and deep blue, and the other smaller yet also blue, only in different shades.

One of the men, large and dark-skinned with an eye patch of all things, left the group and stalked toward them, his jet-black cloak billowing about his legs as he walked. The rest of the group stayed where they were, as if by silent order, except for an elder who followed the man who, despite his age, moved with firm steps, keeping up with the other's longer strides.

Baroness Victoria stopped, waiting for them to approach. "Your Highness, may I introduce Nicholas Fury, Baron Triskelia, and Alexander Waverly, Baron Uncelas. Nick, Alexander, this is Prince Thor of Asgard."

To be honest, the older Baron looked more the politician than the younger. Baron Nicholas had the look of the warrior about him, down to the obviously functional and well cared-for sword at his waist.

"Victoria," Baron Alexander answered for the two of them. "Baron Nick was just informing me of the reason for this emergency meeting."

One of the Baroness' eyebrows rose in a tiny show of surprise. "And just how did Baron Nick discover it?"

Thor would have liked to hear why, as well. Could there be some sort of spy within the Baroness' Court? They had been in the open Court, so anyone may have overheard their discussion. That did not bode well for the secrecy of his errand.

Baron Nicholas smirked. "It's like you've totally forgotten that Phil Coulson is my best friend. The moment he found out from whatever spy Queen Frigga has in the Guild, he called me. After all, he was present when you called our little coffee meeting. He knew it was happening and did the math."

Thor bristled at that. "Nay, Master Erik is no spy. He is a friend to Asgard…and to myself and my mother, that is all. When we decided on this course of action, Mother offered to contact him. We… understand that Loki has some…personal business…with a high-ranking member of the Guild over Loki's attack and eventual defeat years ago. It was only right that we inform them as well."

The Baron's face immediately lost whatever humor he had been finding in this situation. "If you know that, then your friend has broken the Oath of the Guild, and could be facing some pretty serious punishment for it. I would suggest you keep that to yourself, or else."

He had not known that Erik had broken an oath to his Guild brothers and sisters by informing Mother of what had occurred with Loki and this Wizard. "I apologize, I am ignorant of the laws of your Wizard's Guild."

"But," Master Richard cut in, "you know about it, Baron." In the time that Thor had known the Wizard, he'd seen the man be irreverent and amusing. This dark glare was an expression he'd not yet seen on the man's face, and was a surprise.

"That's because," he rolled his single eye, "I was in Barony Shandling during Loki's original incursion. I was on the front lines of battle. I am intimately familiar with what occurred there. I even testified against Loki when we tried him in absentia, since he'd already been extradited back to Asgard by that point."

The prince was actually gratified that there was someone else who had been a witness to his brother's predations. That would make convincing the Council that much easier. "Then you would be willing to also testify today, if the Barons choose not to accept my word on the matter." It bothered him to ask, as he was the Crown Prince of Asgard and should have been taken at his word, but he did understand that these people did not know him, and may choose to doubt that Loki would pose that much of a threat, if there had been no one on the current Council of Barons who could recall those past events.

"Was planning on it no matter what way the Barons were leaning."

"As was I," Baron Alexander added. "While I was not at ground zero, as it were, I do recall events at Barony Shandling, and even sent troops to the former Baron Jerald's aid. My Knights' Commander was among my regular Knights at the time, and is also willing. You will find, Your Highness, that you'll have quite a few allies on the Council."

"Excellent. Thank you all."

"As for this so-called Wizard, that Loki has a grudge against," Baron Alexander continued, "I am afraid I shall need to correct that assumption at once. Loki did, indeed, face a rather powerful Wizard in a duel during his attack upon Barony Shandling, but he managed to kill the Wizard in question."

"Alexander's right," Baroness Victoria confirmed. "The Dark One is dead. In that, Loki actually did us all a favor."

"This Wizard is truly dead then?" Thor inquired, confused. Mother had claimed that the Wizard Loki had fought had survived, and yet…these people, who would know, were claiming that he was dead.

"Well, unless Loki faced another Wizard," Baron Nicholas drawled, "one we don't know about."

That…did not make sense. Mother had been so certain, and she had gotten her information from Erik Selvig, who would have had no reason to lie. However… "Dark One?"

"Yeah," Baron Nicholas said, "the Dark One was one of the evilest Wizards ever to walk the planet. He was responsible for swathes of death and destruction across the Western Lands…and some other countries as well, although as I've come to understand, his actions at Buda-Pest are now in question."

"The Baron's right about that," Master Richard said. "The Dark One is dead. The Quorum declared it. And Buda-Pest turned out to be a hornet's nest that the Guild had no idea about, and during that mess the Dark One did the entire world a favor. There was some nasty business going on there, and it's best it was nipped in the bud. Now, I'm not saying the Guild would have gone the same route as wiping a whole city off the map, but sometimes it's best that the rules be gotten rid of, for the greater good."

Baroness Victoria was giving her Wizard a hard look. "You didn't think it would be a good idea to inform me that the investigation into Buda-Pest had been reopened?"

He shrugged. "Quorum business, Your Grace. The only reason I'm saying this much is because Baron Nicholas knows. I really can't tell you anything else."

"Why is it your business anyway, Victoria?" Baron Nicholas demanded. "Buda-Pest is on the other side of the world."

"Because," she answered, "if one thing about the Dark One's rampage is incorrect, then how much more is also wrong?"

"Point." Baron Nicholas nodded in acquiescence.

"The Quorum does have its own investigation," Master Richard hastened to say. "But I can't go into any detail about it."

Thor decided that, while interesting, this was not necessary to current events. "This is all well and good; however, my brother is out there, and we must warn your fellows. While I admit to curiosity about this so-called Dark One and what happened between him and Loki, this is in the past and Loki needs to be stopped in the present."

"You're right, Your Highness," Baroness Victoria said. "Let us gather our people and head in, shall we?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Baron Nicholas agreed. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly, catching the attentions of the others, who had remained in conversation not that far away.

The woman in a dark blue that matched her dragon rolled her eyes at him. "Gods, Nick. Did you have to do that?"

Thor was a bit surprised by her familiarity, but Baron Nicholas did not seem to be. "Gotta get your attention some way, Maria. You and Steve get to come and be bored with me while the Barons bitch at each other. I should have brought snacks."

The tall blond man – obviously Steve, from his reaction – snorted, and yet he still remained dignified in the armor he wore as if it was a second skin, his black tabard belted at his waist with his sword belt. A warrior, one that Thor could see would have been a formidable opponent in glorious battle…or at the prince's side, as an equal in strength and ability. The dark-haired man, also a well-seasoned warrior in his plate mail, simply clapped Steve on the shoulder and said, chuckling, "At least my Baron is a bit less likely to piss anyone off."

"It's never boring, Napoleon."

"I think boredom isn't all that bad, my friend."

Together, the pair headed down the hall, Sir Katherine joining them and picking up the thread of the conversation. The Wizards followed, with Master Richard with them, dragons accompanying them, leaving the Barons, Baroness, and Thor himself.

He was a little concerned that there did not seem to be anyone else in the area.

"They'll be in the Council chamber," Baroness Victoria assured him.

"I was only here waiting on you all to arrive," Baron Nicholas added. "Alexander and his team got here just as I did." One side of his lips curled upward in a smirk. "Although I'm willing to bet Stark and his people aren't here yet."

"Stark is Tony Stark, Baron Ferrous," Baron Alexander explained to Thor. "He has a tendency to be late to these things. He'd be later if not for his wife, Mistress Virginia, and his Knights' Commander, Sir James Rhodes. Those two are the only ones who can keep Baron Tony to any sort of schedule."

Baroness Virginia nodded. "And yet, for all of that, Tony is one of the better of us. What he's done for his Barony is as close to miraculous as someone not a Wizard could get, on par with what you were able to accomplish, Nick…"

Thor listened avidly as they made their own way toward the Council Chamber, wishing to know more about the people was going to need to deal with if they were going to locate Loki…