Rise of the Champions - Chapter Thirty-Eight

Author: Milady Dragon


Thor paced the small sitting room, feeling just a small bit nervous about meeting such a powerful Wizard like Grand Master Phil Coulson and yet excited as well.

He was not magical. Indeed, he wielded Mjolnir, a magical Artifact, but he, himself, had not a single whit of magic within him. He had inherited his father's nature, rather than his mother's, and there had always been a part of him that was glad of it. There had also been another part of him, growing up, that had wished he had been able to have a dragon like Mother's Fulla, to be able to learn at her knee as Loki had, joining his brother in his lessons.

Instead, he had been raised by his Father, as a warrior, and had been granted Mjolnir when he had proved himself worthy. Now, that had been an adventure, one that he hoped never to repeat, although it had led him to meeting Lady Jane, whom he intended to, one day, ask for her hand in marriage.

Perhaps, after his mission was done, he would go and visit Jane once more. It had been two months since he had last seen her, and that was far too long.

When Master Richard had told him that he had been contacted by the Grand Master, Thor had been gratified that so busy a Wizard had deigned to speak with him. If he was as intelligent as Thor had been led to believe, then Grand Master Phil would have guessed the reason for his request. And, if Thor's suppositions were correct, then he was about to meet the man who had survived being murdered by Loki.

He had so many questions, he hoped to get some answers.

He knew his Mother had already contacted their friend within the Guild, and that Master Erik would have warned the Grand Master and the rest of the Wizards as to the danger. Loki had been at large for too long, and it was worrying that he had not made his move as yet. Thor had to consider that it was because of his brother's damaged magic, that he would be cautious in his plans until he could be certain of their outcome. Yes, from what he had understood, Loki had recovered well from his battle with the Wizard that had hurt him; however, his magic had never truly returned to full strength. He did have other wiles, and would have thought to use those in his quest… whatever that quest was.

Even though Mother had already done her part, and the Grand Master had been warned of Loki's return, Thor felt the need to take the man's measure, to offer himself as an ally to the Wizard, and his Guild, to give aid in whatever way he was able. Waiting had never been Thor's strong suit, and having a part in whatever plans were being made was his wish.

He was interrupted from his pacing by the door opening near-silently.

Thor turned in order to greet the visitor. The man who entered was a surprise.

He was shorter than Thor himself. If the prince had passed the man in the street, he would not have given him any attention whatsoever. He was nondescript on first glance, with brown thinning hair and kind blue eyes. His face was certainly handsome, and yet there was something almost forgettable about his countenance, not at all resembling a powerful Wizard; he was more of the fatherly type, one who would have many children and a life boring of all excitement.

He wondered if this was magic, or something that had been carefully cultivated over the years.

His apparel was equally plain, and not the robes Thor had believed a powerful Wizard would have been wearing. A pale blue shirt with a high collar and cuffs tightly buttoned against his wrists, with dark blue trousers and a waistcoat, also dark blue, and all of it plain to the eye. The traditional wand and dagger hung from his belt, along with pouches that would have contained spell components. There was also a longer knife tucked into his right boot, the hilt showing use and care in equal measure.

His dragon was certainly striking, however. It was a deep red, with traces of black along the edges of its scales. Blue eyes were whirling inquisitively as the pair stepped into the room, but the dragon stayed beside its Wizard companion, head held high, sitting down on his haunches as the Wizard closed the door behind them.

This was all on first glance, of course.

Upon deeper examination, Thor could see the telltale signs of this man's power. Silver runes decorated the collar and cuffs of his shirt, and the prince knew they would have been some sort of spell work embroidered into the very fabric of his clothing. A plain silver band was seated on his left ring finger, and while it resembled a more traditional wedding ring, Thor could assume it, too, was magical in nature.

The very lack of visible Artifacts upon the man's person spoke of someone confident in their magic, that they had no need for any sort of reserves that Artifacts would offer.

And then, there were his eyes.

Once Thor saw past their kindness, there were the signs of Void within their vibrant blue, miniscule flakes of black that would have been difficult to discern by most people. Thor, though, was not most people, and had been hunting and tracking since he had been a child at his father's knee.

That experience was informing him that this man was, indeed, very powerful despite his ordinary exterior. Which made him one of the most dangerous men of Thor's considerable acquaintance.

Yes, this could most certainly be the one who had thwarted Loki's attempt to kill in what should have been honorable combat. Thor could understand how he might have survived, if he was indeed as strong as his impression of the man was saying.

He was also beginning to wonder if there was something in this Dark One story he'd only gotten so little information on.

"Your Highness," the man's voice was as kind as his eyes. "I am Phil Coulson, Grand Master of Voids, and this is my dragon, Lola."

His bow was deeply respectful, and Thor returned it easily. "Grand Master, I am Thor of Asgard. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting."

The Grand Master smiled almost blandly. "I do admit to being curious as to why you wanted to speak with me, although I assume it's about Loki."

"Aye." Thor motioned to the pair of chairs placed before the fireplace. "May I offer refreshment?" Although he was a guest at the Baronial Residence, he had been taught the rules of hosting by his mother, and had asked for several sorts of wines as well as foods be available for him and the man he would be meeting, as it was by Thor's own request.

"Thank you," the Grand Master accepted politely, taking one of the offered chairs, his dragon at his feet. "If there is a Southern Confederacies label on offer, that would be fine."

There was, a wine that was a deep red, almost black, within the glass that Thor poured for him. "I also have cakes if you would be interested."

"I've already eaten," the Wizard accepted the glass, "perhaps later."

Thor took the last seat, his own glass in hand. He much preferred the strong Asgardian meads he was used to, but there had not been any of those at hand and it would have been considered rude if he did not drink as well.

"I would indeed wish to speak to you regarding my brother," Thor began. "I would assume to say that you are the Wizard that he was believed to have defeated eleven years ago."

Those kind eyes flashed, and there…there was the Wizard who had arisen so high within his Order and this Guild. There was sharpness and intelligence in his gaze as he regarded Thor, and the Void within those eyes grew slightly, as if he was also taking Thor's measure, both physically and magically.

But there was wariness there, as well, as if the man was expecting some sort of trouble and would be prepared for such. "You would assume correctly," he admitted, "although not many outside the Guild and my family know that fact. I'm curious to know how you know."

This was a Wizard who had no need to brag of his deeds, and that also spoke of great power and a feeling of responsibility to the magic he commanded. "Truthfully, I have guessed by using the small knowledge I have at my fingertips." He felt the need to be honest with this man, who Thor would have as an ally. "My Mother told me that the Wizard whom Loki had fought had survived and had risen to a high position within the Guild and, from observation, I discerned the rest."

"And Queen Frigga heard that from Master Erick Selvig." His expression became implacable. "There are rules against speaking outside of Quorum like that. What we discuss is private, for Guild members only, and I'm a bit concerned that one of our number is talking out of turn when he took a vow against doing that very thing. I have to wonder just what else he might have shared."

Thor felt the need to defend Master Erik, although he understood that the Grand Master did have valid concerns and was voicing them. "Master Erik has been a friend to myself and my Mother for many years. Please, do not hold against him this revealing of knowledge. It was done out of intentions that were good, and it has allowed us to warn your Guild that Loki was on the prowl once more."

"The Guild would have been warned when you appeared before the Council of Barons," Grand Master Phil pointed out. "And then my privacy, and the privacy of my family, wouldn't have been invaded, and this could have been handled within the Quorum itself."

He should have realized that this conversation would have turned in this direction. Thor honestly had not considered that this was such an invasion; after all, what Mother had done, by courting Master Erik's friendship, was only to get closer to Jane's chosen family, and not for any nefarious schemes.

When he protested this very thing, Grand Master Phil gave Thor a tiny smile.

"Friendship is a powerful thing," he mused, taking a sip of his wine. "When the friend is that close to you, you're willing to do anything to protect them, and to cultivate the relationship. Believe me, I understand that all too well."

His eyes had turned wistful, as if he was bringing to memory the sort of friendship for which he was speaking. It was good that this man had had these sorts of people in his life.

Thor, though, could understand his concerns about the breach of privacy.

"I would like to apologize, Grand Master," he said solemnly. "We only thought to do what was for the best for everyone concerned. I, myself, not being a Wizard, did not know that such rules existed. However, I have not spoken of this to anyone, nor of my suppositions, although I do suspect that Master Richard may have parsed my reasoning for meeting with you."

"Yes, he would have. But Grand Master Stephen says he can be trusted, and he already knows the full story of my dealings with Loki."

There was another flash, this one of anger, and while it did not last long, it came to the prince that he had no wish for this Wizard to become angered at him. "And he has told me nothing." He did not wish to add that it had been Master Richard's comments about warning Grand Master Phil about Loki that had put Thor on the track. "I do wish to know how you managed to survive Loki's attack upon you."

The Grand Master snorted. "Who said I did?"

Thor frowned. He did not think the Wizard was jesting with him about not surviving the attack; even the Barons had claimed that the Dark One, if this was indeed that man, had been declared dead. And yet, there he was, sipping his wine and gazing at Thor as if he could determine what was in the prince's very mind. "And yet, here you sit. And you do not resemble any sort of lich I have encountered."

Grand Master Phil's right eyebrow rose in surprise. "And you've actually seen a lich before?"

"I have. There was one abiding amongst the Dark Elves of the North, and was whispering poison into King Malekith's ear. It was a singularly evil creature, and that victory was hard-won. My father was able to destroy it in the end, sending it back to the hell from which it had arisen."

"Huh." The Wizard considered Thor's words. "I'd heard stories of liches, but I thought they were just tales told around campfires." His eyes turned reflective. "That is fascinating." He was silent for a moment, and then he shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "Your Highness, I hope I can trust your circumspection in this. The last thing I want is for it to get out that I once faced Loki and nominally won. It's bad enough that Loki is bound to know, and my family and friends are most likely going to be targeted because of that."

"You have my word I shall inform no one of my assumptions." He had to wonder why no one would want to brag of their triumph, but perhaps the Grand Master was a humble man who only wished to be known for other acts? Or he simply found no need to do so? Or, if he had once truly been an evil Wizard, perhaps he wished to leave that in the past, and not be known for the terrible acts he'd once perpetrated? Had his family somehow changed him? It did seem that he was working for the good, now.

Yes, that would make sense, from what little he had been able to parse about the Grand Master as well.

"I do think I should share with you how I believe Loki escaped."

The prince leaned forward. "Mother was unable to determine that, only that Loki had aid in escaping his cell."

The Grand Master nodded. "There was a cabal of evil Voids calling themselves Hydra. One of them, a man named Daniel Whitehall, figured out a way to sneak past the prison wards and get to Loki."

Anger rose within him. "And where is this Daniel Whitehall now? He would need to face Asgardian justice for daring to even infiltrate our prison, let alone releasing Loki." Thor wondered just why this Wizard had wanted to speak to Loki, and why he would risk his very life in order to do so.

"He's in a cell of his own, but he wasn't the one to let Loki free. That was another Void, Catherine Hale, who managed to escape the Guild's justice. We're currently hunting her and her Novice down, but we've run out of leads. It's her that I believe got into the prison and got Loki out."

"I am not certain I understand their reasoning in doing this." Loki was mad, and Thor could see that Hydra and his brother would have much in common. However, Loki was someone who did not work with cohorts; even his pact with the Chitauri had been as nearly one-sided as possible. He had only needed them in order to carve out a territory for himself and would have ended their deal the moment it had been expedient for him to do so.

"Because, Hydra also knows that Loki and I once dueled, and that I supposedly won. While I don't know what exactly Hale might have said to him to get him to go with her, I can guess it was something along the lines that I survived, and that she wanted his help in getting revenge on me for taking down everyone else in their cabal."

Yes, that would make sense, knowing his brother as he did. But, he had the district impression that the Grand Master was not saying everything, that there was yet another motive for Loki going with this Hale woman. He did not know how to broach the subject of the Dark One without causing offence, and the last thing Thor wanted to do was driving some sort of wedge between himself and a potential ally in the hunt for Loki.

He wasn't at all sure bringing up the Dark One would be for the best. If, as he was assuming, Grand Master Phil had left that persona far behind him and had joined the fight for the good, then it was best left in the past.

"That would, indeed, entice Loki to end his imprisonment and join this Hydra. However, as you may not already be aware, my brother is mad, and he has such disdain for anyone who would seek to make him an ally. He would not be long in Hale's company if he could so avoid it."

Grand Master Phil nodded. "Yes, that jibes with what I know about him. A part of me thinks we should just let Loki take Hale and her daughter out of the picture, but we can't afford to wait for that to happen. We need to figure out what their plan is as soon as possible, and counter it immediately. Too many innocent people will get hurt, and that could include my daughters, their friends, and anyone else who has connections to me, including my Novices. I will protect them in every way I can, and that does include killing Loki if need be." He leaned forward, eyes hard with purpose and black with Void. "I know he's your brother, and how you must feel about him, but you have to understand that I will always protect my loved ones to the best of my ability. And I can be particularly ruthless in that regard."

Thor swallowed hard. He would not wish harm upon his only brother, and yet he could certainly understand the Grand Master's threat. He had faced Loki himself, knew how his madness worked, and it could very well lead to what the man was threatening.

This was not the Grand Master of Voids speaking. This was someone darker, someone willing to do what needed doing in the quest of his goal. A being who would not stop until all those he loved were safe, and who would fight to the last breath anyone who would threaten that safety. Merciless and cunning and cruel when need be.

The Dark One.

This being was directly the opposite of the kindly man who had entered the room. This being had been shrouded in the kindness that was his primary personality, who had loved and lost and had been killed by Loki, and yet was not one of those restless dead that Thor was familiar with. Something terrible had been done to this man to make him like this, creating this darkness within him that had been buried deep under the skin of the father and Wizard and Grand Master that he had become.

Thor knew, in that heartbeat, that no one would be able to stand up to that inner darkness once it was unleashed. Only the man who had so successfully contained it, until it would be necessary to bring it to the fore once more.

This, above all, had earned Thor's respect. To have buried such evil and darkness so deeply, and to become the loving father that would go to war against anyone who harmed his family…yes, it was best to leave the darkness in the past, and stay within the light of the present.

"I will abide by whatever decision you choose to make concerning Loki." It was a hard-wrung concession that Thor did not wish to make. "I only ask that you allow me to aid in the search. Loki was Asgard's responsibility, and we have failed in that, so it is my duty to lend support to our allies on this score. If he does harm innocents, then Asgard will allow the Western Lands and the Wizard's Guild to mete out its own punishments."

He felt that he need not add to that this particular Wizard's justice. He did not feel worthy of granting that, nor did he believe it would matter to Grand Master Phil Coulson if he did do.

The Wizard leaned back in his chair, and the darkness within receded once more, the light in his eyes returning and the Void fading away. The change was extraordinary, and Thor wished he could speak to his mother about it, to ask her for her wisdom on how to deal with such an otherworldly being. For now, he would leave those questions silent.

"I'm sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances." And Thor could tell that the Grand Master truly was. "Let me give you this." He leaned over a little, in order to reach into one of his trouser pockets.

He handed Thor a small grey stone, worn smooth by water and time. He knew exactly what it was, and needed no explanation on how to use it.

"I'll contact you if we have any leads," Grand Master Phil promised.

The prince did not ask for any more binding a vow; he knew it was not needed. The Wizard would, indeed, do as he had sworn. "Thank you for this," he said gratefully. "And I shall not betray the trust you have placed with me."

The smile that the Grand Master gave him was gentle. Thor had to marvel at the man's ability to subsume that inner shadow under this friendly exterior, and to wonder which one was the truth.

He was beginning to suspect that it was the outer seeming of goodliness that had been evident from the beginning. The darkness was a guise that this man would have need of, in times when it would come to the fore when necessary, created by something so horrible in his youth that it was a part of his very soul, yet contained and controlled.

"We are allies, Grand Master," he continued. "And, when I am King in Asgard, we shall remain so."

"I do hope it stays like that after everything is said and done." He rose, his dragon beside him. "Now, I should be heading home. My youngest daughter frets when one of her fathers is gone too long."

Thor wished to meet the family of this man, to discover the more peaceful side of the warrior that he could be. "I would look forward to being acquainted your family one day."

Grand Master Phil looked startled. "I'm sure that can be arranged, once things are a little calmer around here." He held out his hand.

The prince accepted the handshake, then converted it into the Asgardian arm clasp that was more traditional with his people. "Farewell, Grand Master Phil Coulson. We shall see each other again. And soon, I am confident in stating."

"Indeed we shall, Prince Thor of Asgard."

With that, Wizard and dragon departed, leaving Thor with more questions and yet also with a certainty that this was, indeed, and ally.

And, perhaps, someday, a friend.