Worship of the Gods
I do not say that there is no glory to be gained in war;
but it is not personal glory.
In itself, no cause was ever more glorious
than that of men who struggle,
not to conquer territory,
not to gather spoil, not to gratify ambition,
but for freedom, for religion,
for hearth and home, and to revenge
the countless atrocities inflicted upon them
by their oppressors.
– G. A. Henty
Chapter Nineteen: Born for Glory
"It's been a while since they went in," Frigga twirled a rich curl around her finger. "The champions must be presented soon. Your father should have done this afterwards."
"Curse these strong walls." Thor pressed an ear to the wall, straining to hear a slither of what was happening in the council chamber. He didn't value privacy, feeling he deserved to be a part of affairs and most definitely if they were royal. "I can't hear anything they're saying."
Not allowed to sit without their father present, the princes decided their company was best needed by their mother. Champions and Asgardians alike would wait for the Allfather, regardless of how long he took with other issues. Ellie, having left the safety of Asgard, was a problem which reminded Loki of a childhood scolding he and Thor had, had many years ago.
"For the best, I assume," Loki said. "Hearing Father screeching is not in the fanciful mood of a tournament."
"Hush," Frigga said with a knowing smirk. "Thor, shouldn't you be preparing for the tournament?"
"Mother," he sighed, "we both know I will defeat whichever poor soul chooses me."
Loki smirked. "Don't stroke his ego anymore, Mother."
The Queen Mother smiled gently. "If you wanted to fight side by side with the Warriors Three, then you could have, my son."
"Perhaps," he scoffed. "Hearing my voice boasting about battle triumphs would be better."
In the orphanage they said she was a botched abortion and she'd always believed the only thing worse than being called unwanted, was knowing you definitely were. That was until three men ordered her to the council chamber and said her presence remained unnecessary.
Ellie stormed forwards. "I wanted to go," she said. "They are my people. I've fought, bled and ran with them. They are mine to protect as they do, me."
Odin clenched his teeth tightly. Tyr and Aelfred stood on either side of him, reminding Ellie of a pair of squawking parrots.
"You disobeyed orders," Tyr spat. "I should revoke you as a warrior this moment."
Enraged by their belittlement, Ellie surprised herself by replying. "Don't do me the pleasure."
Aelfred scoffed to the Allfather. "Is this how you train her? What shall I tell Lord Freyr in my next letter? That we are raising an insolent child?"
Odin silenced Aelfred by raising his hand.
"I'm this fucking… saviour!"
"But you're not!" Odin boomed, startling Ellie into submission. She took a step back, her senses overwhelmed by his power. "Not yet," he said. An instinct took over her body. She lowered her head, bowing her entire being to him.
Ellie swallowed. "I wanted to prove my worth."
"And you will, child," he said. "In due time." Outside, someone blew a horn. Another roar of the crowd erupted from the arena. The Allfather straightened, adjusting his crown and matching cape. "You don't make a decision until calling for council first."
"Yes, my King."
"If you'll excuse me, I have a tournament to initiate." Odin left the room with a pleasant smile on his face. He took the air from Ellie as he went, and she felt… consoled by his words. A part of her knew he was furious, but he had to have seen her blood-stained face and victorious return as an achievement.
Tyr stalked past her. His stout figure turned before he left the room to shoot her a wink. Ellie stared after him, a wry smirk began to creep up her face. That was until Aelfred walked into her eyeline.
"Did you really think this would be easy?" he bemused. "A human training alongside Aesir blood?"
She crossed her arms. "I don't know if you've noticed," she said, "but I killed those draugr bastards."
"A draugr is much like an ant is to a boot." Ellie stared at him in disbelief. "If you wanted to be special, you should've turned out to be Ljósálfar."
"A human can do just as much as a light-elf," she spat.
"No, they can't." Aelfred was livid. His words were venomous, laced with disgust. Ellie could only guess that his letters to Freyr were tainted as well. His next words were not meant to leave his lips, that much Ellie knew. As he stepped forwards, his eyes were flared with fire. "Freyr was a fool to believe you were the daughter of Niamh Chinn Óir," he hissed.
Ellie blinked. "Who?"
Reality seemed to leave Aelfred. He struggled to composed himself and began to stutter. His cheeks bloomed bright red. "I… no one," he said. "No one of your interest."
"But, you…"
"You've been tested," he said, storming from the room. The hall echoed with his words as they bounced back into Ellie's ears like pinballs. "And you are nobody. Nobody at all."
Leaving Midgard was hard until Ellie realised that there was little it could offer her. She had no inheritance, no real last name and no family that would miss her. Being a philosopher of sorts, it was easy adapting to the existence of Asgard as there was no solid reason why it shouldn't exist at all. Ellie knew that she existed for a reason. Her birth was purposeful.
Ellie stormed out of the palace and through the vacant streets. She reached the stadium as the champions were being announced. Her teeth were still clenched as she manoeuvred through the crowd and back to her seat beside Lounn. None of them had bothered to bathe. The stench of draugr guts was getting to the onlookers around them as Ellie noted their disgusted expressions and wrinkling nostrils.
She scratched the dried blood on her forehead and shrugged it off. The four champions stood in the middle of the stadium, waving at their audience. Ellie decided then that she despised them.
"The Tournament of Titans is a decade tradition," Odin boomed. "To prove the worth of the universes' finest warriors, I present Thor Odinson – the God of Thunder. Fandral the Dashing." The blond warrior trotted in after the prince. "Hogun the Grim!" He, too, strode in on a horse. "And Volstag – the Valient, the Voluminous! The Lion of Asgard!"
Volstagg's laughter echoed before he made a physical appearance. His horse was twice as large as the others as it needed to carry his great weight.
"Our champions must defeat Asgard's finest warriors in order to win the golden armour." Odin slammed a golden staff into the ground. It sent a ripple of excitement across the stadium. Ellie leaned forwards, staring in wonder at the eight beings circling one another.
A tall champion in a purple cloak approached Fandral. "I am Braggart, son of Ivar! I challenge Fandral."
Fandral cackled. "You chose wrong. Losing must be your favourite sport."
"Winning against an Asgardian is my favourite sport."
Thor wield his sword. "Sport? To fight a smaller foe is cowardice."
"I'm small and mighty, dear prince," Fandral pranced towards Braggart. He swiped his sword at him and their blades clashed. For such arrogant words, Braggart was a terrible fighter. His stance was clumsy, and his form was off-balance.
Ellie shook her head with a scoff, sharing a knowing look with Lounn who was thinking the same thing.
Fandral ducked beneath Braggart's swing and caught him in the stomach. He stumbled back with a cry. Fandral span and sliced him across the throat. Ellie gasped, a hand shooting to her mouth.
"Wahey!" Lounn cheered.
Death. That was the price for such a tournament. Everyone was screaming with delight, enjoying the spectacle of Braggart's splattered blood. Ellie's half-hearted clap was a sorrowful attempt at fitting in with the Asgardian spirit. She shot a look at Gustav, but he was too focused on the gore to look out for human scum.
"I am Drom!" the dwarf yacked. His bright green armour sparkled in the sunlight. "Known as the Spirit-Weaver! I come from a world of a thousand galaxies where battle is our food, drink and very lives! I challenge Volstagg!"
Volstagg leapt from his horse, striking Drom with a great bang. The dwarf flew into the sand; it erupted around him like an ash cloud. There was no word from Thor about cowardice. Then again, Drom chose his fate. Like a great bear, Volstagg descended on Drom.
He lifted his axe his into the air. Light glinted off its blade. The crowd screamed around Ellie. She clapsed her hands over the side of her head and look down, squeezing her eyes together. A cruel squelch followed. The audience laughed louder.
This universe is savage. A universe of things dying, or eating each other; all around us.
By the time Ellie opened her eyes, Hogun was battling a beastly man named Knut. As the grandson of an elite lord from across the universe, his training was well-pained and complimentary of his strong figure. However, Hogun was a brutal fighter. He slashed through the air, striking Knut in the head.
Knut screamed, falling onto his side. He scrambled to his feet, blood pouring down the side of his face. With a grunt, he jabbed at Hogun who discarded it and buried his sword in Knut's throat. Bile rose up Ellie's throat as she stared at the kill. It was animalistic. Knut went limp in his arms and slumped to the ground like a soggy towel.
"Yes!" roared Hogun.
The final champion was the one dressed in black. His steps were rippling thuds which Ellie felt quake her seat. The arena fell silent.
"And you might you be dark knight?" Thor said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
He tilted his head. "We met once before. On the battlefield."
"I have been on many battlefields."
"Allfather!" the warrior cried. "You took my power. It is time for me to take yours."
Whispers soaked the crowd. Odin rose to his feet, demanding the warrior name himself.
"This body is a prison; that's how I was able to slip past your guard," he said. "But my thoughts are free. I name myself: The Destroyer." With a grunt, the warrior burst from his feeble body and expanded. He grew, towering above Thor and his black armour transformed into metal. It shimmers across his figure like butterfly wings.
Beneath it, red burst. Ellie leapt to her feet, her hand flying to her waist. There was no sword in her sheath. It was locked away in the barracks. Beside her, the crowd were on their toes, craning their necks to get a better look.
Thor twirled his sword in his hand. "The Destroyer? I thought my brother had ruined you years ago."
"Your weak Aesir blood is no match for me. The stakes have been raised. You will all burn when I wear the golden armour."
Loki attempted to move out of his seat, but Odin threw a hand out and clamped down on his arm. He held the prince there.
"They can't give him the armour, can they?" Ellie shot at Lounn.
He nodded, fear in his eyes. "Yes. It's an oath made by the Allfather. It has to be obeyed."
The Destroyer marched around the arena, startling the horses which accompanied the Warriors Three. "Accept my challenge Thor Odinson, or I will burn your people."
Assembled in a small group, the Asgardians watched him. There was a harrowing silence and then Odin bowed his head. "Let the champion approach!" he said. "You must defeat the remaining warriors and live to tell the tale."
Thor stretched his shoulders. "So be it," he boasted.
With a roar, the tournament resounded. The Destroyer used his bare fists against his opponents. Each klang of metal bounced around the arena, hurting Ellie's sensitive ears. Fandral could not hop quick enough around the Destroyer's swings and was thrown against the edge.
Hogun clambered up the back of the Destroyer, slicing at his spine with tiny daggers. They had no effect on him, only creating white electrified sparks. A deep rumble from within the Destroyer was followed by his armour opening and blasting a fireball at Hogun's feet. He leapt back, collapsing in a smouldering heap.
Ellie prayed he wasn't dead, nor Fandral.
She watched Volstagg cry out. He threw himself at the Destroyer, who miraculously took a step back. The warrior's size was a remarkable asset in fighting. It was also his downfall.
The Destroyer fell onto his front, squashing the great fighter. He stayed there for several moments, to the dismay of the audience and arose to reveal an unconscious Volstagg. Ellie muttered a curse, straining her listening to see if Volstagg was alive.
He released a pained groan. The audience clapped madly.
Riding atop his horse, Thor hurtled towards the Destroyer. His sword kissed the punch of the Destroyer who stepped back, amazed by the strength of Thor. The champions armour, or skin, appeared to ripple with the touch of Thor's blade.
Ellie was in awe of his strength. He truly was the son of the Allfather. To be born into greatness was a godly thing. Is she were the daughter of this Niamh Chinn Óir then maybe she would've had a similar honour endowed to herself?
Ultimately, the universe had not been so kind.
From his seat, Odin the Allfather, watched his first-born hurl insults and strikes at the unbeatable opponent. His fist was clenched on his armrest. Anger permeated the air around him, startling the servants which waited on him.
The Queen Mother was on her feet. Her emotions were not as well guarded as her husband's. She shot a glance down at him. A thousand pleas were exchanged in that glance. Frigga blinked quickly, turning back to the fight. She stared at the Destroyer's untouchable armour and called upon the powers of the universe to taint its strength.
Odin took his wife's hand, grasping it tightly as deep-seated energy rippled out of her.
Their son cried and hurled his sword in the throat of the Destroyer. It was lodged in deep. Thor wrenched, ripping the vocal cords from inside so they were thrown into the crowd. The onlookers erupted into cheer, clapping wildly.
References
Tournament of Titans – Thor Comic 1966 No. 2
The Destroyer – In Thor (2011), the destroyer is the metal man acting as the scapegoat for Loki. A bit of a backstory to his origins for later in the series!
Frigga helping Thor – I figured that Thor was an arrogant toe-rag because he had been babied and taught he was better than he was. Just a little moment reflecting on that.