Hela veered her steed into the path of my own, a smirk tugging at her face, "Why the dour face, my dear?"
I shook my head as I read the excitement wafting off her.
The Rock-Trolls and the Dwarves have always been at each others necks, the two species fighting for the dominance of Nidavellir.
With Odin's desire for the expanse of Asgard being known by the many realms, it's no wonder why we're here, but I've got to give it to the old man, his patients won out in the end, and one of the species finally caved in and requested aid from Asgard, and in return they would gladly join the bustling empire, gladly meaning they better do so, else there will be more than one near genocide occurring in Nidavellir.
"We're going to be fighting Hela." I said blandly and simply as I pointed out the obvious that she didn't quite get, despite it being the core of her excitement.
Hela pointed at the sky, "The sky is blue, my father is a great warrior, and you are currently seated next to a great beauty. Now have we finished pointing out the evident?"
I nodded as I tried to suppress a grin, "Yes, you are correct. Lady Angela is quite exquisite." Said lady snorted as she slowed her steed to allow the princess and I to over take her. Hela's glare followed her for a moment.
"Why are you so cautious, Alcon?" She grumbled with annoyance.
"I'm not… right now." I conceded as she gave me a pointed unamused look, "I'm just reflecting."
She clicked her teeth, "On what?" She demanded in her usual haughty tone.
"On how a flip of the coin, we could've been aiding the trolls."
"I do not believe there was a coin involved." Confusion was plastered on her face.
"No," I sighed, memories of my past life had a greater effect on me than I would've liked, some idioms and saying leaked out and the majority people just look at me in disarray and leave me be, but a few actually question it, being them Odin, Hela and Angela. Thankfully Frigga would continue on with a kind smile on her face and stow it away, sometimes she even used them, and correctly without needing me to explain.
I couldn't help but think of my relationships with the Asgardians, as they varied, but the one sure one, the one I could never do without will always be Frigga, to put it plainly, I love her, while most have been kind, she went beyond the call of duty, I curse and thank the fates, cursing them for not allowing her being my blood mother, but the curse was simmered when she treated as such the moment I was taken as a hostage.
"I believe young Alcon, means that if circumstances differed, we would have given aid to the Rock-Trolls if they had reached out first." Odin said as he kept his gaze forward as he led the convoy.
Hela sniffed as if she smelt something foul, "Blessed be that the Dwarfs saw sense. We cannot deny their skills will a hammer and anvil." She gazed at her father's mighty weapon that was commissioned before either of us were born, a gift from his father.
"Hela people are not simply purposed for one use. The Dwarfs and the Rock-Trolls matter beyond what they can supply." I said heatedly, causing her to raise a delicate eyebrow.
"Do you believe I see the Vanir as one thing?" She asked throwing me out of the loop, "No, the vast majority are simple farmers, controlling plant life and nature with their subpar magic, but they also have another blessing." Hela had many smirks that meant different things, angry but in control, I know better than you, you're amusing me, but this smirk was all too familiar since we turned sixteen, when Frigga explained intimacy between consenting adults, an emphasis on consenting as she looked at her daughter, "You."
I'm sure she thought she was being romantic, Hela had a shrewd concept of courting, well perhaps not, but I get the feeling she thinks I'm simply hers, hers as in her property, but case in point she missed and disregarded my correction of her thoughts on different species being one note as me fishing for compliments.
"Hela, Alcon." Odin called over his shoulder, "Eyes forward, back straighten. While I don't expect either of you to stay mute, you'll speak when only spoken to directly." Looks like we were approaching our destination, the young fledging Gatekeeper could've used to the Bifrost to transport us to here, but the alliance was not yet set in stone, and taking liberties like showing up as if we owned the place would've left a bad taste in the Dwarfs mouth.
"At last." Hela sighed in relief.
"Hela, you know we're probably not going to be fighting today."
She let out a scoff, "Surely we will be here for a moment, and we will simply be sent off to slay the Rock-Trolls."
Odin sat firm and tense on Sleipnir, did he really expect me to crush her thoughts?
Yes, yes he did. He always does.
I'm trying Odin, but your daughter needs a firmer hand than a friend she hardly listens to.
The dwarfs were not the typical smaller folk in that spoken of in fables. They're tall, taller than even Odin, but incredibly wide also, a very bulky build to them, a typical arm width for them was average width of an Asgardians torso.
Eitri did not stand out in comparison to his folk, he was a grim looking man, with a wild beard and a neatly combed hair. He towered over Odin as he greeted the man, his people looked at the group with distrust, but none made a scene or spoke out in turn at our arrival.
And while the majority of the dwarfs gave our warband hard stares, when Eitri regarded me for a moment there was a flicker of a look akin to respect in his gaze.
Do people know of me?
I never interacted with the few Vanir who came to Asgard due to the supply train, but I didn't expect word to spread about me, but as I looked closer while the Dwarfs looked at those of Asgard in distrust it almost seemed as if it didn't extend to me.
Odin saw it fit to dismiss Angela and her Valkyrie sisters to the outer camp Eitri provided the Asgardians, and while their job was to protect Odin and Hela, only a fool would attack the two thinking they would be easy prey.
As we walked through the grounds, I couldn't help allow my gaze to wonder as I took in the sight of the forges littered around the place, each one more aptly tool and elaborate then the last.
"Got an eye for smithing, Lord Vanir?"
I looked to Odin and he gave me a shallow nod while Hela looked interested in what I had to say, "It's a fine art. Something I wish I had an eye for. Also I'm no lord, King Eitri."
"Bah, there's no artistry in our works, we are no flowery Light-Elves." King Eitri waved off my words, as he neared a table that looked similar to an enchanting table in the palace at Asgard, he picked something up to reveal an axe, a familiar looking one.
"I have to disagree, your grace. While your wears have a function beyond being appealing to the eye, there's a certain grace and beauty the weapons produce by your people." I nodded to the axe in his stout hands, "The axe in your hand, it's simplicity adds to its intrigue, as well as the power I feel from it." The power of the frost emanating from it, the sigils, the pommel, "Leviathan." I uttered out in a low voice, but I was heard by the small group for obvious reasons.
Odin rose an eyebrow as the name escaped me, but Eitri looked almost pleased, "Looks like the wielder found his weapon." He stowed the axe into the enchanted sheath and passed it to me which I unconsciously accepted, and before I could deny the axe and pass it back, it disappeared from sight, but I could feel the weight of it suddenly appear on my back.
"What good is an axe if it's left gathering dust? A cold weapon for a cooler head, it tis fitting, Alcon of Vanaheim."
Eitri did not await me to comment as he bade Odin to follow him to a private looking chamber.
I called for the axe as I've seen before, and it suddenly materialised in hand, the weight almost caused me to buckle, Vanir were as strong as those of Asgard, but as I wield Leviathan in my hands the weight was unruly despite it weight on my back being comparably light, probably an enchantment, but as I gripped the axe with both hands I was able to lift it up to my face.
"Fantastic timing as it seems, Alcon. You'll get to bled the axe in your first battle." Hela stared at the axe with an underline of jealousy, "Perhaps, I'll get a weapon of my own, and we could get our first bleeding together."
I decided to humour the girl with a small chuckle, "Perhaps, but its not as if you'd need a weapon to stand out, Hela." I took a test swing and a layer of ice misted from the head, "In addition I don't believe I can effectively use this without some training." I weakened my grip and 'stowed' it, the weight returning to my back, "Angela is going to put me through the wringer."
"A wringer?" Hela question with an irritated expression. Her mind taking her to places I know not.
Is she jealous of Angela? Maybe I shouldn't jest about other women, in case she goes full 'Hela' on them.
The rocky overlook was perfect for the ambush.
As the majority of the Rock-Troll forces were sieging the Dwarves stronghold, Odin had used his crows to scout ahead.
Thus Hela was less than pleased when her father commanded, her, myself and Brunnhilde to intercept the small band that had veered off with breaching equipment towards the outer casing of the bottom of the lava pits. Not seeing much of a thrill with us fighting off a interception unit despite the fact it would literally be the three of us, as King Eitri pulled away his men from the pits.
"My father is unbelievable. He promised us a great battle, only for us to deal with pest scurrying under the floors." Hela clicked her teeth as she looked at the both expecting us to give her some form of agreement.
I'm not quite sure what she was expecting, she knew I wasn't thrilled about fighting these battles no matter how much I trained, and as if Brunnhilde was going to bad-mouth King Odin, especially to the man's daughter.
"Hela, it's imperative that no Rock-Trolls sneak into the stronghold." I said in a low voice as I motioned for her to lower her own.
"Yes, yes, the Dwarfs would run the risk of losing their forges of this quadrant." She rolled her eyes.
"No, Hela," I gave her a flat look, "no, forges can be rebuilt, but lives cannot be returned."
Hela let out a huff, "Soft-hearted fool."
Brunnhilde eyes flickered to from Hela to me, the look of worry she sent me was understandable. This was going to be her future queen, the woman who will have absolute authority over all of Asgard, and she held lives of her possible chargers as an inconvenience.
The sound of the breaching Rock-Trolls entering the lava pits echoed the empty grounds.
"Quick, we are to destroy the wall defences." The gutter low intelligent foes lamented out loud.
I looked to my right as I saw Hela shift on the ridge, she was getting figidity, and that could only mean she was going to do something foolhardy.
"Hela, no. Wait." I harshly whispered to her.
Why do I bother? The moment I shifted closer to her to possibly physically hold her back. She jumped down in front of the group of twenty-so trolls, giving away our position.
She started to engage the trolls with her short sword and dagger combo, sparks flying amongst the smouldering pits.
Brunnhilde attempted to jump down to aid the princess, but I had a bad feeling about this, why were there so little trolls, to breach the stronghold?
"Brunnhilde, I need to you head back and find Lady Angela."
She gave me a shallow nod, "Something is wrong." She stated, mirroring my thoughts.
I nodded before jumping down in the fray, hoping that the young Asgardian finds her mentor despite the chaos that's going on.
I may not be able to lift Leviathan without seriously crippling my speed, however when fighting the likes of Rock-Trolls, being faster than them wasn't all too difficult, or so I'm told.
Nonetheless as I came crashing down I summon the axe in my hands and hefted the weight down, cleaving a Rock-Troll. Not the first time I killed someone, even without war going on during my time at Asgard, the place still had enemies, many that Odin brought back some for a mock trial, some to extract information, and the others to simply execute in a grand showing.
To harden our hearts Odin occasionally forced Hela and myself to perform the action, Hela was not so shockingly perfectly fine after the first time, me… I learnt to coup.
But in the heat of this battle, I'm glad it hasn't slowed me down.
I buried the back of the axe head into the ground, and then slipped in-between a pair of Trolls before recalling the axe, causing it to fly into one of the trolls. I ducked out of the way as the troll's unconscious body flew across the the room. In my crouched position I summoned a simple air-blast spell that Frigga taught me and Hela in our first lessons together with the woman.
Though unless it ended with a big mess or explosion Hela wasn't interested, me on the other hand understood I needed to master the basics before I could delve deeper.
And the basic cut through the belly of the troll, the gaping hole oozing a black substance, it let out a horrifying guttural screaming.
"I'm sorry." I uttered out and launched the spell against his head, putting it out of its misery.
Hela and I were quick to work in tandem, putting down the trolls who were already down nine men. The princess doing most of the heavy lifting, not that she was complaining.
"See, my dear." She huffed out, blowing a away a strand of her long black hair, "We didn't need to be so cautious."
Oh, Hela…
A sizeable boulder was thrown towards us, I had enough foresight to not to let my guard down so I saw it coming, Hela simply tanked it, only a slight push and a stumble was any indicator that she was hit.
When the flurry of splinter rocks cleared she stabilised her stance, and she gave me a withering glare, "Don't you dare…" My face said it all.
"Asgardians." The bulkier looking troll grumbled. I didn't feel the need to correct, Asgard could handle the likes of Rock-Trolls, the Vanir not so much, and I would rather not turn ire to a foe that the they couldn't fight them off solely.
Hela threw her short-blade, but the troll brought up his arm to block, causing the blade to ping off of it. The princess was on the move before the blade touched the troll, hence why she didn't anticipate the troll backhanding her away.
Before I could I prep a spell the troll locked his eyes on my form and sped towards me, swifter than the rest of his kind have shown so far. He wrapped a meaty hand around my neck, and punched me in the face with his free hand, however before he could repeat the action, I summoned the Leviathan to my hand, though as it wasn't on my back and instead buried in a corpse of a troll, it flew to towards me and the troll like a blot of lightening, though that might be the block in my airways making me see things not so clearly.
The impact was enough to cause the troll to release me, and in his staggered state his threw a sloppy downward punch, I brought up Leviathan, the axe head blocking the blow.
Earthen magic was my forte but the lava pits didn't exactly have abundance of nature for me to manipulate, I settled back on aerokinesis my go to sans viable nature. I sent out a blast of air gale at the troll hoping to push him back, only for him to be budged by a few feet.
"Shit."
The troll let out a huff, and pulled the mace on his belt.
"Stay away from him!" Hela screeched as she suddenly flew at the troll in a blur. Her dagger causing no harm as it pinged off his head, but she cared not, wrapping her legs around his neck, she attempted to pummel at the trolls head in clenched fist, with each punch her hands grew bloodier, but refused to relent.
All the while, I summoned the same gale spell, the time that Hela was buying me allowed for me to power the spell up.
"Now Hela!" I shouted to her, my words could've meant a number of things, but she and I were such in sync that she knew she needed to disentangle herself, which the troll helped in a way as the moment she loosened the slightest of her leg lock, the troll threw her.
In time to see me lurched another spell, the gale this time being almost visible as it lurched the troll into a lava pit.
However the troll to be hardier than I expected as he stood up from the pit with a mighty roar, only for it to quickly cease as a massive slab connected to a pulley system slammed into the troll and buried it further in the pit.
I watch the slab that covered the pit perfectly with a dumbfounded look.
"Airing in the side of caution is wise." Angela repeated my words back to me, announcing herself on top of the ridge where the turn wheel laid, "But being too cautious is costly also, Alcon." She said as she stared at the carnage Hela and I dealt, with the aid of Brunnhilde we wouldn't of had as much trouble, not to mention that pulling Angela away from her battle could have caused more damage than I'm aware of currently.
"Lady Angela." I sighed out as Hela stood up and came to stand beside me, a hard stare being sent my way all the while.
"We did not need her." She uttered in a low angry voice.
No we didn't, and it's my caution, my humanity that caused me to be a ward of Asgard. Perhaps I need to let go of the past and embrace who I am.
I returned the axe to my back, and I embraced the weight of it once again, I needed to harden my heart and ignore my fear if I am to survive.
A/N - 19/08/22
Hey, thanks to all those that have followed, favourite and reviewed this story.
Just to clear up a few things, I most likely won't be following the entirety of Asgard claiming the Nine Realms.
More comic based with influences of the MCU, hence Hela being the eldest daughter as opposed to Loki's child.