The one where plans are made to change things and family comes together.
Yet again I forgot something. The Son of Ipswich mentioned in the previous chapter, Casarmi's (future) intended... for those who wonder I am indeed talking about the movie 'The Covenant'. As to who I mean specifically... well, there is one who was the most at risk of becoming addicted to power (those who've seen the movie will know who I mean). Aside from that it's not really that important at this point. Maybe I'll bring him/them up later, maybe not, it depends on my muse.
I'm warning you already that some things seem to have been cut-off at certain points. It's intentional, it'll all come together at the right time.
Please enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 3. Harbinger of Ragnarok
A world-wide call came out just a minute after the Lady Infinity vanished. The code sent wasn't quite the 'Level 7, Defcon 2' call to arms that was used during the two alien invasions on New York (and one day they would have to wonder why it always had to be NY), but for those called it was enough to know something serious was happening. The ones called in the end (though they arrived until the next day) were all of those connected as family to Skye, which meant: Jane Foster, Wesley and Melinda May-Cross, Leo and Jemma FitzSimmons, Darcy and Clint Stark-Barton; Brian, Mia, and Jack O'Conner-Toretto, Dom and Letty Toretto, Tej and Suki Parker; Josef and Sarah Kostan, Mick and Beth St. John; Alec, Clark and Connor Kent-Solomon; Wanda and Pietro Maximoff; Natalia Yasha and James Barnes. Other people were added to the list, either by virtue of a serious connection with Phil, with someone else who'd been called in or simply because the main group believed they might be necessary; so the reunion expanded to include: Steve Rogers; Tony, Pepper and Maggie Potts-Stark; Bruce, Betty and Robbie Banner; Jimmy and Chloe Sullivan-Olsen; Peter and MJ (Gwen) Parker, Harry and Felicia Osborn; Marie D'Ancanto, Logan, Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr, Raven Xavier-Darkholme, Irene Adler; Adam and Cassie Blake-Conant, Diana Meade, Faye Chamberlaine; Tony and Ziva David-DiNozzo, Auggie and Annie Walker-Anderson, David Rossi, Luke Hobbs, Sharon Carter, Sam Wilson, Antoine Tripplet, Akela Amador, Victoria Hand, Maria Hill and Nicholas Fury.
All the children were placed in the small room that had been prepared, with the Koenig twins offering to look after them before the adults pretty much locked themselves into one of the biggest conference rooms they had.
"What the hell is going on here, Coulson?" Fury was the first to lose his patience and demand explanations. "Wanna explain why you've called all of us here? Most of the people in the room aren't even Agents!"
"They're all here because they all need to be here, we all need to be here." Skye spoke up before Phil could. "Their titles, their affiliations are irrelevant."
"Really?" Fury did not like the sound of that. "Why is that?"
He would have liked to demand what gave her the right to make that call, but he was the one who had appointed Phil as Director; who in turn had chosen her as his SIC... so that was a moot point. And while Nick knew they'd achieved amazing things with their version of SHIELD, at times it still rubbed him the wrong way. Just like it had from the first moment Captain America had decided that SHIELD (or the old version of it, as it turned out) had to go.
"Because this isn't about SHIELD, or about you, or even really about most of the people here." Skye went on, such intensity in her voice everyone was drawn to her every word. "This isn't even just a matter of Earth. There is danger coming, more than one in fact, and this time it's not just our realm at stake... it's every single one."
"Ragnarok is coming..." Several voices announced in unison, and it wasn't just the ones of those who'd been present for the revelation.
"What does that mean?" David Rossi, from the BAU, the FBI, asked, confused.
"It means that unless we do something to change things, in a few years everything we know and love will be lost." Helena answered him grimly.
"Which is why we're here." Phil declared, taking control of the reunion. "Because the very first mistake made before was keeping too many secrets." And on that one we could mean the other timeline, or the old SHIELD. "So, no secrets, we're putting all the cards on the table."
That was Skye's cue, as she went to stand in the middle of the almost full circle, allowing her human visage to be replaced by her truest form (which had only recently been revealed to her) that of her elven-princess self, only parts of her body (mostly her shoulders, collarbones, back and part of her arms) were covered in dark-cobalt tribal-like markings, the ones of her jotun form. To balance she was dressed in her 'Agent' fighting outfit, what she'd been wearing at the end of the battle against Amora (tight-fitting halter-style two-piece black and red bodysuit, knee-high black-leather boots, arm-guards and finger-less-gloves).
"My name is Menel, Daughter of Loki, the God of Mischief and Lies, the Sky-Treader and of Tawar, Elven Lady, from the House of the Midnight Blossom. I am a Child of Chaos and Magic; and according to Prophecy, I am meant to be one of the Harbingers of Ragnarok..."
Somehow the people present managed to remain quiet during her long introduction (probably the shock), but the moment the last word was pronounced, all hell broke loose.
xXx
It was like Phil said, they put all the cards on the table, and not just where it came to Skye's true identity and power, but also Hela's and Azazeal's and... it was just the start. It was impossible to know who exactly made the choice, or if it was even a choice at all (maybe it just seemed fair), everyone else began revealing their own truths as well. It was ironic, with all the secrets that the old SHIELD had once held, and even the new one (though most secrets were mostly held by Skye herself, rather than the organization).
All the stories were told, the main ones of course being the truth about Loki, about Skye's origins and her life, Hela, Azazeal, Malachi, Vali and Narvi, what had been happening on Asgard for the last five years and a half...
The last story concerned something that had happened that very morning:
When they thought about what Infinity had told the about the Hunter sent after Malachi, no one ever considered how not running that very night would be enough to begin to change things already. That the Hunter would find them that soon... neither did they consider the person who would be there to save them.
The family was sitting at the beach, trying to enjoy what peace they had in that moment, for they knew it wasn't going to last, once their visitors arrived everything would start. Skye and Phil noticed when the alarms for the protective-wards the sorceress had placed on the Playground were triggered and decided to go check it out, they didn't say to the others, not wanting to break their moment. It turned out to be a mistake.
Azazeal and Hela were so lost in each other in that moment they did not notice the threatening presence going for them until it was almost too late. In the end it was Thelma's cry that warned them. Casarmi reacted to the threat automatically, curling herself around Malachi, and doing her best to draw the twins into her protection at the same time.
However, just before the Hunter would have reached any of them, another figure appeared. Tall (for a human), wearing a black-leather corset over a pink-sheer top, dark-washed jeans, knee-high black leather boots and a long, dark trench-coat; with red hair and dark eyes, most of those present recognized her in an instant:
"Ella!/Halle!"
It was the Huntress...
A short but vicious battle began between the two. No one knew for sure who was going to win.
Taking advantage of the distraction, though, Hela took the moment to pick the twins in her arms, while Cassie got on her feet, still mostly keeping herself as much around Malachi as she could; as long as Odin did not know about the twins Malachi was the one in true danger; and what Infinity had said before hadn't lessened in any way her willingness to do anything to protect the little boy in her arms, if anything it'd strengthened it, enough she'd finished the protection spell, when otherwise that probably wouldn't have happened for a while yet.
The battle was short but brutal. At some point Ella lost her grip on the two-piece short staff that was her main weapon. Thelma, being the only ones with her hands free (and since she didn't really have to worry about getting killed) rushed to pick them up and get them to Ella, who was doing her best to hold on with hand-to-hand combat. She failed eventually, the Hunter taking the first chance to rush in the direction of the blonde he could see protecting the 'abomination', believing that if she insisted on getting in the way he could just kill her first and the boy afterwards.
Before he could reach Casarmi Ella tripped him down, making the Hunter turn his attention back to her, furious.
"If you want death that much, I shall grant you that favor!" The Asgardian hissed.
He moved too fast for Ella, who had lost her own footing and fallen in the process of tripping him. The Hunter's knife was buried deep into her chest before she could do anything to stop it. A breathless gasp abandoned her throat, yet not a word and then she noticed Thelma holding her weapons (somehow He hadn't).
It took just a second for Ella to take the two pieces of the staff from the ghost's hands before snapping them together, one twist then was all that was necessary, the burst of energy disintegrated the Hunter before he even realized what was going on.
Everyone rushed to the fallen Huntress's side then.
"Oh Halle..." Hela whispered with a pain sigh.
"Hold on." Casarmi told her, Malachi still in her arms. "Just hold on. Skye will be here soon. She can save you."
"No... she can't..." The Huntress made an effort to keep talking through her pain. "No one can save me now, and that's alright... I don't want to be saved." She turned to Hela before switching to Norse in a heavy accent. "Will you tell Fenrir I'm sorry? Please... I... He loved me so much... more than I ever deserved. I... I never wanted to hurt him, I just... I guess I wasn't strong enough, I was never what he deserved... he deserves more..."
"I'll tell him." Hela agreed after several seconds of silence.
Deep inside the Queen of the Dead had pretty much hated Halle Volstaggdottir, for all the ways she'd made Fenrir suffer. For not standing by him the way Azazeal stood by her and her brothers; and beyond that, for agreeing to become a Huntress, to try by all means possible to stop Azazeal from bringing Malachi into the world. And yet... that same woman had pretty much just sacrificed her life to save her son, to save them all...
By the time Skye and Phil arrived (moving as fast as they could, without using the shadow-paths, after learning where the threat actually was) Ella Dee, Halle Volstaggdottir, was gone...
A funeral pyre had been arranged shortly before the visitors began arriving in several jets.
"So, if this Black Queen is to be believed, in three years time war will break out in Asgard, and it will go on from there until most of the universe is destroyed." Hobbs summarized stoically. "Can't you just, I don't know, not release the insane man who begins the war? That would prevent the whole thing from starting..."
That was as far as he got before a punch from none other than Mia Toretto-O'Conner threw him off his chair.
"You did not just say that." She hissed at him, with an anger most would have never believed a woman with her looks capable of. "You did not just tell Cielo to allow her mother to die and her father to remain captive and tortured for the rest of his existence!"
"We're dealing with the wellfare of a lot more than one man." Hand stated solemnly. "If it is for the good of the rest of the universe..."
"Hey." Wesley interrupted abruptly. "I get what you mean. I was all for the 'kill one to save a thousand' for a while there during my time with the Fraternity as an assassin. And that's all well and good when it comes to people you don't know, total strangers. But what happens when it becomes about those you love and care for? What if they told you that to save the universe you have to kill your wife... It's not so easy then, is it? And as if that weren't enough, we aren't even talking about death here, no, we're talking about eternal captivity and torture!" He shook his head. "There are things worse than death... and if even I, with everything I've believed, wouldn't deal death to someone like that, something worse much less..." He sighed. "I think we need a better plan."
"We have it." Phil announced.
In the end they didn't explain that much of a plan: on the one hand because they simply did not have the time, the impromptu round of revelations had taken a while already; and on the other because aside from some basic ideas, they didn't really have that much of a plan. But that was alright, Phil was quite convinced they always worked better when they improvised, in any case, it was a good way not to limit themselves...
xXx
The small group decided to depart at sundown (the additional shadows would hopefully help them go unnoticed until the moment came to reveal their presence and intentions). At first Menel hadn't liked the idea of Phil going, of putting him in that kind of danger; but deep down she knew that it was an insult to even suggest that he stay back, besides, their bond since their wedding made it so, if one died, so would the other (which made the whole 'staying behind for his own safety' kind of pointless when he could die just as easily).
Malachi, Vali and Narvi would stay under the watchful eye of the family. Casarmi, Jane, Darcy and Clint had been appointed as primary caretakers, if the parents were not to return; though of course the rest were quite willing to help, and they all were sure (or wanted to be) that the would would be back, safe and sound, soon.
Jörmungandr was the last member of the group who would be traveling; as Skye had assured everyone she could make it work. When the huge serpent (bigger than the registered record for an anaconda) emerged from the sea at first many of those present had staggered back either in shock or fear. Surprisingly, aside from the foursome and Alec and James (who had seen Jor in Menel's memories), the only ones not to react negatively at all were FitzSimmons.
"Hey Jor!" Jemma actually called a greeting to the being with a bright smile.
And as if that weren't enough, then they went as far as caressing the serpent's scales.
"Hey man..." Tripp called, not getting too close. "Leo?"
"Yeah?" The engineer turned to look at his colleague with curiosity at his attitude. "Everything alright Trip? You look a bit... off."
"That's pretty much what I was going to say about you, man." Trip admitted, unable to stop himself from turning to look at the huge creature every so often, nervous. "Are you sure it's a good idea to go around touching that thing..."
"Jor's not a thing!" Jemma snapped at him, taking offense to the words, before turning back. "Pay no attention to him Jor, he just doesn't understand..."
"No, I don't!" Trip hissed, too confused to his own liking. "What the hell is going on? How exactly are you so comfortable with what must be a 300 ft. long snake?!"
If only he knew that Jor was usually a lot bigger than that...
"You don't know?" Leo asked, seemingly confused by something.
"Jor was the one who saved us in the Gulf, five years ago." Jemma explained, more calm when realizing Trip really did not know.
"When the whole thing in Cuba went down and we ended with Garret, Ward and Deathlok on board the Bus... Jemma and I made a run for it as soon as we had a chance, locked ourselves in the medpod... and then Ward dropped that same medpod off the Bus, straight into the ocean." Leo continued.
"Leo got a broken arm, a minor concussion, as well as several contusions and abrasions in his attempt to protect me as much as we could while we fell. I myself got all but the broken bone, though my ankle twisted." Jemma took over the story. "When I woke up Leo was making some pretty insane plans to get me out of there..."
"What about him?" Sharon Carter asked, intrigued.
Jemma didn't answer, though her sharp intake of breath along with the way her eyes watered was probably answer enough.
"I only managed to arrange for enough oxygen for one breath." Leo explained nonetheless. "She was the better swimmer, and the one who did not have a broken arm; also... I was in love with her, we'd been dating for a while, and I'd been carrying a ring around for the last few weeks, looking for the right time to propose. So there was just no way I would let her die."
"What happened then?" Sam inquired, just as entranced by the story.
Really, at some point their recount had called the attention of almost everyone present (at least everyone who did not know the story already); some had even forgotten about the huge serpent just beside FitzSimmons.
"Menel appeared." Jemma answered. "Or well, her astral self. She warned us..." she looked pointedly at her husband. "About doing anything stupid and then told us that while she couldn't do anything to help us, she'd found someone who could."
"Of course, she never bothered warning us that the help would be him." Leo pointed at Jor with fake annoyance before turning to the serpent. "No offense Jor, you know you're great, but you can certainly scare a guy when they're not expecting you. Especially in that form."
No one got the change to ask what exactly Leo meant with that, as right then the huge sea serpent seemed to collapse as if made of water; leaving in its place a very tall, athletic man with slightly pale skin, sea-green eyes and somewhat long dark hair. He was wearing a long sleeved, off-white shirt, covered by a sleeveless, lightly-armored cobalt blue tunic, black tight-pants and tanned-leather reinforced boots.
"What the...?" No one could believe what they were seeing.
"You are... are you really Jormungandr?" Trip asked, having trouble pronouncing the name.
"Yes." The man said in a cultured voice and Scandinavian accent. "You may call me Jor if you wish; or Jordao if you prefer." He offered his hand to the man, knowing it was a Midgardian custom. "It's the name in the papers my youngest sister arranged for me: Jordao Avery."
"If you have a human identity why do you remain in the sea then?" Akela inquired.
"Because, on my own, I cannot retain this form for long." Jor admitted a bit sadly. "It was part of the Allfather's punishment when I was exiled to this realm. He... almost everyone in Asgard held the belief that if I enjoyed so much spending time in this form I should stay in it forever. Maybe they thought it would make me appreciate my real body more, maybe it was just a way to torture me, it matters not. There's also the fact that if I spend too much time trying to stay like this, mingle with humans, it calls Heimdalls attention; which wasn't something I wanted, not after the first few times..." He shivered at some old memory. "Of course, since we're already going to cause more than a little mayhem..." He shook his head briefly. "Now, if you don't mind I would like to be able to see my little brothers with eyes that actually pick up colors and shapes rather than just heat wavelengths..."
xXx
As the waiting period came to an end Phil gave out tasks for his agents to work on while they were away; Skye made plans in case they didn't come back. Some thought she was being a bit morbid, she had one thing to say to them:
"I haven't gotten to where I am by hiding behind a curtain of denial."
She knew there was a considerable chance that she, that none of them, would return; unlike the others she was willing to do something about it rather than just seeing the mere thought as a way to jinx their whole mission. In recent years her philosophy had become 'Hope for the best, plan for the worst...' and it worked.
They left at sundown, just as planned. For the occasion Hela had changed into something other than her usual dresses; instead she was wearing a blue-grey round-necked, long-sleeved, slightly-padded shirt, with a long-sleeved chain-mail tunic on top, polished-steel arm-guards as well as some extra protection around her torso, charcoal-pants and black-leather gloves; her hair was in a tight braid, falling over one-shoulder, though she was still wearing her tiara and gold of the chains around her wrists (her favorite weapon) were a contrast with the rest of her attire. Menel was almost exactly as she'd been since she'd revealed the truth about herself to the group, only having added the finger-less black-leather gloves and reinforced arm-guards to her ensemble; along with all her weapons (compact staff and a dozen knives all over her body), as usual her only jewelry was her Kostan earring, elven pendant, wedding-rings and she'd added her own tiara to show her position. Jor had added some polished-steel armor over his own clothes, his own weapon was a long-sword and a thin circlet was upon his brow to show his own lineage. Phil and Azazeal were in their usual attires (suits in their respective styles) with some light armor and their own favored weapons.
"Explain one thing to me, please." Darcy said, looking at the group carefully. "How exactly are all of you going to get to another world, using a method most of you cannot actually use?"
"Because I can access it for them." Menel answered honestly, hesitating just a second before explaining. "I think that might be one of the reasons why Odin was so against me being born, against Adar ever having a child with an elf. Because elves can feed directly from the earth... it's not perfect, and not exactly a substitute for real food and water; but it boosts them. Elves are connected to the earth (and I mean that in the ground, world, sense, rather than in the Midgard, sense) in a way no other race could ever be. I can cal on that power to help me boost my own magic, therefore getting enough to get all of us into the Shadow Paths."
"You could use the Hidden Roads." Cassie murmured. "Wouldn't that be safer?"
"Maybe, but it would take too long." Hela answered honestly. "If we have any hope of doing this before Asgard can actually be ready for us it needs to be done now, tonight."
"We're actually taking a little detour before we actually get to Asgard." Menel announced quietly, just to the ones going with her.
"What...?" No one was expecting that. "Why?"
"It's been suggested that I might want to get in touch with a Lady Thenidiel in Alfheim before it all goes down." Menel explained in a whisper, looking at Irene from the corner of her eye. "It would seem that she has some kind of information that would be useful to us."
"And she'll just share that information with you?" Jor didn't quite believe that. "Why?"
"I don't know." The half-elf answered honestly. "I just know that it was thanks to her that Nana managed to get to this realm unnoticed when pregnant with me, and already in another timeline she helped. So maybe this is one thing that needs to happen."
"Hopefully whatever information she holds will help us make things better." Phil offered.
Menel nodded, it was what she was hoping too.
After a last round of goodbyes and good-luck-s (and a few hugs from people like Casarmi, Darcy and Malachi) the five gave a step forward, (dramatically looking as if they were about to step off the cliff) in unison before dropping into the shadows.
It had begun.
xXx
The group of five stepped out of the shadows and straight into a shadowed corner of the biggest forest in Alfheim. Hela automatically conjured cloaks for all of them, knowing that their attires would call attention if noticed (though it was a tossup whether the siblings' battle attire or the two Eihenjar's midgardian suits would call the most attention).
They'd been walking through the darkened forests for a quarter of an hour or so when suddenly someone found them.
"Who goes there?" A strong voice asked in elvish.
"My name is Meneliel, daughter of Tawariel, from the House of the Midnight Blossom, and with me stands my family." Menel took charge of things. "I have reason to believe we are expected."
"Daughter of Tawariel?" A voice called abruptly. "That's impossible. My sister was lost to us many years ago."
"Sister..." Phil and Jor mumbled at the same time in shock.
"She is who she says she is." A melodic female voice called then.
The woman looked ageless (all elves did, in fact), she was tall, slim, with light-blue eyes and waist-length, wavy, pale blonde hair, an intricate mithril tiara sat on her head and she was wearing a completely white dress. Menel knew instinctively who she was.
"Lady Thenidiel, I presume." The brunette said even as she curtsied respectfully.
"That's right, aranel (princess)..." The woman nodded.
"I was told by one with the Sight that you would be expecting me." Menel went straight to the point, knowing there was no time to waste.
"Indeed." Thenidiel made a pause before saying: "I know what it is you intend to do, and while I cannot tell you the best way to do it, there are things I do know that might help you make a more informed decision..."
"What could you know that we don't?" Jor couldn't help but blurt out. "I mean, we even know the things Odin Allfather tried to erase from everyone's mind, Father got those memories back years ago, and Menel has seen a lot of it."
"What I know goes beyond that, before any of that." Thenidiel explained solemnly. "I know why Odin chose to take Loki, your father, from the temple in Jotunheim that day..."
xXx
An hour or so later the group were about ready to leave for Asgard, though one of the older elves had asked them to wait a little longer, as he had something he wanted to give to Menel. He sent someone to get whatever it was, and meanwhile approached the young half-elf. He was tall and lithe, like all the elves, with hair so dark it was almost black and brown eyes; his features were sharp, unlike those of Lady Thenidiel; Menel identified him instantly.
"Lord Arphenion." She bowed her head respectfully.
"I would rather you call me uncle, if you agree, Daughter of Tawar." The much older elf replied.
"I would." Menel smiled softly at him. "I'm never against gaining some more family." She got a bit nostalgic. "It's almost funny, in fact, how I once had no one and now there are so many people I consider family, people for whom I would do anything, give anything..."
"And would they do the same for you?" Arphenion couldn't help but ask.
"I have no doubt about that." She answered automatically.
"It does my soul good to see you, sister's-daughter." The elven lord admitted. "When Tawariel disavowed herself it was hard on us, though deep down I... probably most of us, understood why she would have believed that was the only way to get out of the marriage Atar had arranged. Then when she disappeared completely a century later..." He shook his head. "I never forgave myself. The thought that my beautiful, loving sister might have died alone, because her brothers wouldn't stand for her."
"She didn't want to leave you." Menel told him quietly. "She loved all of you dearly, though you especially, I think. But..."
"I told Atar that the marriage contract was a bad idea." Arphenion nodded, knowing what she meant. "Naneth would have never approved. She believed that we, as the children of the stars, are blessed with one true match, a connection that cannot be forced, or ignored. It was a kind of connection Atar believed in once too... I think he forgot, after he lost her."
"So you believe on such things too..." Menel murmured brightly.
"You know what I speak of!" He seemed marveled by the idea.
"Few people know, though h...midgardians blessed with magic and the Sight have named it the 'Silver Cord'." She explained to him. "Asgardians call it a 'match', other mortals, in their fiction, have called it 'soul-mates' or a 'match made in heaven'; it all amounts to the same thing: a perfect pair, eternal love." She hesitated before signaling to Phil to join her. "This is Phillip, Son of Coul, he is my husband, and my match."
Arphenion looked taken aback just for a moment before he nodded.
"I may not have Naneth's sight, but I can sense the connection you share." He declared, taking Menel's hand and kissing it briefly. "You are indeed fortunate, Meneliel. As is your mother. Loki, son of Frigga, might not be the husband Atar would have chosen for her, but what you've told us so far makes me believe that she chose right, in the end. I believe Nana would have approved and blessed the match as well."
"I know being with Adar has caused her much suffering..." Menel began.
"A suffering born out of love is no suffering at all." Arphenion interrupted her with a kind smile. "It's just one more test for that love to be proven true. It's just one more thing to make both parts of the pairing strong." He let out a little sigh. "My muinthêl (sister) was always a strong woman, and I can see her in you Menel... you do our House proud."
Menel couldn't help herself, she smiled brightly at those words, the compliment, and the pride. Even if she hardly knew Arphenion, and he had more than a few people she considered family and whom had shown themselves to be proud of her in more than one occasion, she still felt good, hearing that.
It was around then that the boy (at least he looked like a boy) Arphenion had sent on an errand returned. Menel's uncle took the package from his hands, unwrapping it carefully, revealing folded cloth that, once extended was revealed to be a tunic: it was wide and somewhat loose on the shoulders, with a straight-neckline, with tight sleeves that would reach as far as the elbow, the sides were open but could be tied up with a number of almost invisible strings (which would also allow the tunic to adapt to the wearer's size) and the color was an almost silvery-violet.
"It's beautiful..." Menel whispered, marveled.
"It belonged to the Lady Santiel," Her uncle explained. "Our grandmother, the last official Lady of the Midnight Blossom."
Menel could see it, there on the front, in dark-purple thread was the same symbol from her pendant, beautifully embroidered.
"It's valuable, and not just because of its aesthetic beauty." Arphenion announced, before turning the piece over.
The inside looked almost completely silver. It took Menel a handful of second, but suddenly she got it, and the realization made her gasp.
"It's mithril..." She whispered in shock.
"It's completely mithril-lined on the inside." Her uncle confirmed. "Grandfather had it made this way so as to protect his wife. Those were hard times for all, and with the power Lady Santiel wielded... she was the greatest spell-weaver before Thenidiel... before you..."
No comment had been made about her ability with magic, but the mere fact that she'd been able to transport herself and four more through the Shadow Paths without being detected by anyone except the one who'd 'seen' beforehand the group was coming, was telling enough as far as everyone was concerned.
"It's an amazing piece." Menel nodded, caressing the embroidery softly.
"It's yours now." Arphenion announced unexpectedly.
"What...?!" Menel had no words for that.
"This tunic, it was meant to be worn, not just kept in storage." He explained to her. "I know that if she could have, Naneth would have passed this on to Tawariel. She's not here, and maybe it wouldn't really have been right for her, as she's no warrior-lady... but you are. Also, what better reason than for the revelation of the new Lady of the Midnight Blossom, who is also on her way to change history, to rewrite destiny?"
"Diola lle (Thank you)..." She whispered, marveled.
She slipped the tunic on with no hesitation, before allowing her uncle to tie the strings for her. The garment was lose on her shoulders, allowing the skin and the markings on her shoulders and collarbone to be seen; it fit to her body on the rest of her torso, falling past the end of her shorts, slightly past the top of her boots.
"Vanimle sila tiri (Your beauty shines bright)." Arphenion declared in a low but heartfelt tone.
Even before her mind processed what the words meant exactly, she recognized the phrase as a traditional one from the elves. It was a very elegant way of calling her beautiful.
"Indeed, the most beautiful lady in all the realms." Phil agreed whole-heartedly.
Menel could only blush at the sincere compliment. She liked the tunic, liked having one more thing that connected her to her blood heritage, her first family. It also felt right, going to Asgard, going against Odin Allfather, wearing a mix of clothes that had marked her life in Midgard, as well as something from her origins; and, of course, her battle-staff and tiara were Asgardian, so there was that too.
xXx
The moment they were in Asgard the group split. Azazeal and Hela held their cloaks tight to their bodies and used just a little magic to go unnoticed as they slipped into the royal stalls to get Sleipnir. The eight legged stallion was already awake, an instinct keeping him on alert, almost as if a part of him had known all along that his siblings were on their way to get him. It was no problem for him to then bear the weight of his sister and her match as they galloped full speed in the direction Hela could sense her little sister.
Menel, Phil and Jörmungandr found Fenrir right where she knew he would be. He too was awake, waiting for what he instinctively knew was coming. There were still the chains holding him in place to contend with, though.
"I could melt them with the poison of my serpent form..." Jor suggested hesitantly.
"Bad idea." Menel shook her head. "If you take that form it will alert everyone to our presence and our actions... we cannot do that yet, not until we have Adar and Nana."
Jor nodded in understanding.
"I have a solution." Phil offered.
With that he pulled a thin vial from the inner pocket of his jacket.
"What is that?" Jor asked, intrigued.
"Acid." Phil answered calmly. "It'll burn through anything except a very specific kind of glass." He made a pause before adding. "It was especially created by Tony, it's what he uses to destroy his suits when they're beyond saving; it's also part of the self-destruct fail-safe that activates if a person not in the authorized list tries to do something to them."
"If that thing burns through Iron-Man's suits... it should burn through this chains." Menel said, then realized something else. "You planned for this..."
That called her brother's attention.
"You were so busy planning for everything else..." Phil commented with a little shrug. "I knew you were probably planning on using magic, and decided on a back-up plan just in case."
Truth was, Menel hadn't though much on that. She knew about the chains, was confident on her magic; though it hadn't occurred to her that the level of magic that probably would be necessary to break all the chains was enough she would end up calling unneeded (and unwanted) attention (exactly why she'd told Jor not to shift and use his venom).
"Well, we need to get moving." Jor reminded them, before clapping Phil on the back. "Great thinking there, brother."
Phil just smiled at the compliment and the familial term before uncorking the vial and very carefully pouring some of it on a single link on one of the chains.
It took a while. As there were about half a dozen chains, and only one vial; which meant only one person could work on it at the time, and he'd to be very careful not to waste any of it.
They finished shortly after Hela, Azazeal and Sleipnir arrived. The moment he was free Fenrir straightened up completely for the first time in centuries, taking a few seconds to loosen some kinks this way and that (and hold himself back from letting out a how like his wolf-instincts wanted him to) before raising himself on his hind legs, making his body shift into the humanoid form he hadn't taken in a very long time...
The figure was tall, like all of Loki's children, though more broad-shouldered than any of them. His hair was short and dark brown (though not quite as dark as Jor's) in thick ringlets, his eyes, in exact opposite, while also green were much darker than his brother's, their skin and factions more or less the same; he also had some facial hair, which seemed to make him look rougher and a bit older (though Hela was the oldest from the three children of Angrboda). He was wearing a black long-sleeved high-necked shirt, with dark breeches, a chainmail shirt, leather vest, black-leather boots and polished-steel armor on his shoulders, fore-arms, and vital areas of his chest. He also carried twin swords on his back and a hunting knife on his side.
He stretched, twisted this way and that, getting used to the humanoid form again after so long. Then he unsheathed his swords, swinging them around several times, feeling their weight, their balance, listening to the wind whistle as it was cut time and again.
"There." He announced, mostly to himself, once he was done testing. "Now..."
In unison they all turned to Sleipnir, the remaining non-humanoid child of Loki (one who'd never had any form but the one of the eight-legged horse).
"Is forcing him to change really a good idea?" Phil asked, unsure about that part of the plan. "I mean, how do you even know he has a humanoid form?"
"Because Father does." Jor answered as if it were the most simple thing.
And maybe for them it was. Maybe for the same reason he and Fenrir found it so easy to take animal forms, even though none of their parents had been an animal...
"And we're not forcing him." Hela added. "This is gotta be his decision..." She caressed Sleipnir's head softly. "It's up you big-brother... I know you can do it. You are a child of Loki, just like all of us, the power is in you, it's always been..."
Those words, along with Menel's, Jor's and Fenrir's faithful smiles were all that was needed; moments later golden light engulfed Fenrir and he began changing. The man that was revealed was the most different from any of them: several inches short of the six feet from everyone else, golden tanned skin, broad-chested, muscled, blonde hair and pale-blue eyes; he was wearing tight-pants, a tanned-leather open-vest, brown-leather boots and arm-guards. Still, the aura was more than enough to show everyone that he was, indeed, the son of Loki. He didn't actually have weapons, had never trained, but his physical strength was quite evident (after all, he'd spent more than half a millennia as a horse, running and carrying and many other things).
"So...we're all here, free and ready." Fenrir declared. "Now what?"
"Now we go free Adar." Menel stated seriously. "And then we let everyone know we're all here, and we're not being separated ever again."
"Never again." Her sister and brothers agreed in unison.
Phil and Azazeal didn't say a word, they could only wonder at what the children of Loki might be planning. Revealing themselves was quite insane, but it wasn't like they could stay hidden for the rest of time. Also, they were pretty sure that if Fenrir's release hadn't been enough to alert at least the Allfather that something was going on, freeing Loki certainly would. In the end they could only hope that their decisions would bring forth a better future than the one Lady Infinity had come from. They wanted to believe it had to, that nothing could be worse than what that future version of Meneliel had told them, what they'd all seen in her eyes... but still. They hoped.
xXx
"Ú i vethed nâ i onnad (It's not the end, it is the beginning),
Si boe ú-dhanna (You mustn't falter now),
Ae ú-esteli, esteliach nad, (If you don't trust it, trust something),
Estelio han, estelio han, estelio (Trust this, trust this, trust),
estelio han, estelio veleth (Trust this, trust love),
Esteliach nad, estelio han (You trust something, trust this)."
Tawar was singing softly in her mother tongue, while kneeling on a sung tree (it was one magical ability all elves had, to sing trees into growing promptly and taking the shape they wanted and needed), keeping herself as comfortable as possible as she held the mithril bowl in her hands over Loki's naked chest, catching the drops of acid-like venom Scathi's serpent let fall constantly. The singing seemed to help Loki almost as much as the bowl, reminding him of the old times, when he and Tawariel had been young, innocent in many ways (or at least she'd been, he'd just been made to forget the cruel truths of the universe), when they'd believed their love would get them through anything...
Things were different. Both of them had grown, wised, Loki knew that it was quite possible he would stay where he was for many years to come... and the last thing he wanted was for Tawariel to destroy herself trying to help him... and yet, they were a match, a perfect pair. She was as likely to leave him as he was to leave her (which meant no, never, no matter what).
Seconds after finishing the short song the couple noticed that the bowl was about full. Which meant that Tawar would have to move away to empty it down a well, which also meant that Loki would have to endure the burning acid for several seconds; however, in the fraction of a second before the she-elf pulled the bowl away, everything changed irrevocably.
The wind whistled sharply, announcing a weapon cutting the air. Both Loki and Tawariel watched as a dark chain went straight through Öndurguô, cutting the creature in two; still, the pieces never hit the ground (or Loki) for they began decomposing from the point of the cut at vertiginous speeds. It was that last detail which revealed to Loki who exactly destroyed the venomous serpent that had been torturing him for what felt like a long time (though he knew it had been no more than two days). If he was honest, it wasn't his own pain that made it all seemed eternal... no, it was seeing his match devote herself so completely to him that she was ignoring everything about herself; nothing could ever terrify him more than the prospect of having to watch her destroy herself, little by little, in her attempt to remain faithful to him.
"Hela...?" Loki called, shocked.
He went beyond that when he saw not only his oldest daughter step out of the shadows, but all of his grown-up children, as well as his daughters' matches. The blonde especially surprised him; he knew instantly who he was, how could he not? But he'd never seen Sleipnir in a humanoid form before, never imagined seeing him like that.
"What are you doing here?" Loki blurted out suddenly.
Most of those present didn't know how to answer that, they hadn't expected Loki to ask that, especially in such a tone...
"Smooth Adar, real smooth." Meneliel deadpanned.
"We just weren't expecting you here, Iell nîn (my daughter)..." Tawar explained quietly, before adding, in an almost anxious tone. "Vali? Narvi?"
"Back at home." Meneliel told her with a soft smile. "With people we trust completely. Malachi is there as well."
The she-elf nodded with a calm smile, satisfied. It was in that very moment that she seemed to truly notice what her daughter was wearing. At first the garment had looked remarkably like the loose shirts that she wore when training in Asgard, with Sif and the Eihenjars, but once she stood fully in the light Tawar could see the glint of mithril lining the tunic, and the symbol carefully and lovingly embroidered across the chest.
"That is..." The elven princess seemed to go completely speechless before she could even finish her half-question, half-statement.
"Lady Santiel's tunic." Her daughter finished for her.
"That tunic last belonged to Naneth nîn (my mother)." Tawariel nodded, carefully caressing the soft garment. "Her mother was the last true Lady of the Midnight Blossom..."
"I know..." Menel hesitated before adding. "Uncle Arphenion told me."
"Uncle..." Her mother's eyes widened in shock. "You talked to my brother!"
"I did." Menel smiled, remembering their short but heartfelt talk.
Azazeal took the opportunity to take the bowl from her hands and go himself to empty it. The last thing they needed was for her to drop the thing in shock and end hurting herself.
"He would like to see you again, you know?" Menel added after a few seconds. "Lady Thenidiel made the invitation first, and it was backed-up by both Uncle Arphenion and Lord Vöronwe. We are all welcome in Alfheim at any time."
"And you visited Alfheim, why exactly?" Loki asked, brow arched.
"A precog known as Destiny approached me minutes before we left Midgard." Menel explained for the first time. "She 'suggested' that we would benefit from a quick side-trip to Alfheim before coming here. Said there was someone interested in meeting us, and in sharing certain things with us..." She let out a breath. "And she was right, of course. Lady Thenidiel and a contingent of Ljósalfár were waiting for us when we arrived."
"And did they share things with you?" Loki asked, interested.
"A few." Menel nodded, somewhat evasively. "One was particularly... enlightening..."
Yes it was, though the half-elf's mind was still working a mile a minute to decide on the best way to incorporate that information with the plan they'd made before leaving Midgard. She had one idea (one beyond-insane idea) in mind, but wasn't quite sure if she should take the risk. Hopefully it would come to her when the time was right...
"You shouldn't be here." Loki said quietly yet intensely. "If Odin finds out you're here he will destroy you all."
"He's been wanting to destroy me since before I was born." Meneliel shrugged carelessly.
"All the more reason for you to leave!" Loki snapped. "Don't let your mother's and my sacrifice be in vain, please, my Astrid..."
The half-elf couldn't help it, she actually lost her voice for a second; she did every time her Adar called her that name, in that tone. There was a reason she'd chosen Astrid as her newest name, for one of the most legal identities she'd had; just like she'd been Avery because of Agent Linda Avery, to honor the woman who'd done so much to protect her as a baby; she was Skye because of her mother, and Astrid for her father...
And then, then she saw him, laying half-on half-against those rocks, with more than half a dozen chains immobilizing him, leaving him vulnerable to the poison of that horrible creature; her mother standing beside him, looking so small yet so strong at the same time... she remembered what her future self had said, about the fate that had befallen them in that time that no longer was, and she remembered why they had chosen to change it all, to take the risk.
"I've seen the future." She told him with a similar quiet intensity to his own. "I've seen into my own eyes, from a future where the universe ended, where I lost everything and everyone. Where I ended up alone... I will not allow that to happen right now, we will not allow it." Her face turned completely serious. "We're getting you out of here, and we're ending this whole... mess," there had to be better words but she couldn't think of any. "once and for all."
"Once and for all." Her sister and brothers all echoed, in completely agreement.
In unison, the two Lokidottir shifted their hands, before crouching at their father's sides, each taking hold of one of the chains. Truth was there had been no plan for freeing Loki (in fact their plan was very basic, most of the details they were making as they went); but once they were there, it was simply instinct. The power was in them, had always been. Only Hela and Menel had inherited Loki's Jotun powers, just like only the boys could shapeshift into animals; but it worked well enough.
Loki could only watch as the first two chains froze, turning brittle before breaking, in silence. For so long he'd hated Jotuns, he knew it was because of how he was raised, he hated them because Asgard hated them, and he was taught to be an Aesir... but he wasn't, not really. For so long he'd been terrified of allowing his true skin to show, and yet in that moment, seeing his two daughters change their skin as if it were nothing, seeing their matches with their eyes fixed on them, never flinching, never looking away. It made him realize how foolish he'd been. His magic activated the moment his mind was made, and Loki's skin went blue, completely, with no outside influence, for the first time.
All the remaining chains broke and fell as one (for they were all in touch with Loki's skin at one point or another). And then he got on his feet slowly but fluidly.
He was about to ask what the next step in their plan was when, suddenly, they could all hear the rush of footsteps, booted feet rushing their way.
The reactions from the 'children' were instinctive: Fenrir and Jor unsheathed their blades and assumed defensive positions; Hela twisted her right wrist in such a way for her chain to slip into her palm, ready to be used; Menel pulled her staff out of its holster, twirling it around once as it opened into full size; Sleipnir didn't have weapons, but he still assumed a defensive position, he had strength in arms and legs and was quite ready to use it. Phil cocked his gun, taking position by his beloved's side; Azazeal took out a couple of daggers before doing the same beside Hela. Loki had no weapons on hand, and his magic was still a bit frazzled to allow him to conjure any, so he contented himself with standing behind the defensive line formed by his children (he could not help but see his daughters' husbands as part of that number already), his match by his side, as they waited. It didn't sound like many soldiers coming...
And then the figure broke through the brush, revealing that it was in fact only one, one of the last people any of those present would have ever expected:
"Sif?!" Several of them called in shock at the same time.
Sif, in full battle regalia (though with her sword still in its scabbard) froze, barely a couple steps into the clearing, eyes wide at all the weapons pointing at her.
"I swear I'm not your enemy!" The Warrior-Lady called the first thing that came to mind.
"Stand down." Loki ordered the others. "She's telling the truth."
"How are you so sure?" Azazeal asked, voice sharp.
It was nothing against his Loki, just that he still remembered how things had gone the last time they'd trusted someone they didn't fully know... because even when Halle had been Fenrir's lover, they'd never fully known her... never-mind the sacrifice she'd made in the end. A part of him, of all of them, would never forgive her for turning her back on his lover, and on all of them; for all she'd done against them all, but especially Azazeal, for the last five hundred years.
"Because she swore loyalty to us five years ago." Tawariel informed them calmly.
That, at least, was enough guarantee, at least until...
"You really shouldn't lower your guard." She told them soberly.
That was enough to make everyone nervous.
"I was coming to tell you that something serious was going on." Sif elaborated. "Just a few minutes ago I saw Odin dismiss his meeting with the Council of Elders for no apparent reason. Even Thor seemed to be confused, which made it obvious it wasn't planned..."
"He must have sensed us releasing either Father or Fenrir." Hela decided.
"Well, he obviously doesn't know all, otherwise we'd be to our eyeballs in enemies already." Menel quipped with a smirk.
"That's the other thing I needed to tell you." Sif added right then. "A contingent of Eihenjar are coming; supposedly to make sure everything's the same on this point..."
And since it wasn't, they were obviously going to have trouble.
"Can one of you create an illusion that makes them believe everything is as it should be, or at least the way they think it should be?" Phil asked, even as he put away his ICER gun and began reaching for his sword (just in case).
"They're already coming." Tawariel added, being able to sense, through the earth beneath her bare feet, the warriors coming their way. "Will be here in less than two minutes."
"There's no way I can finish an illusion that complex in the time we have left." Menel admitted grimly. "And even if I could, what are the chances that Odin hasn't given at least one in that group some kind of amulet that will allow them to see through illusions.?
She was right, they knew that, which meant their possibilities were lessening...
"So, it's either fight or run..." Sleipnir murmured with evident nervousness. "Not sure which one would be worse at this point."
"Since this is not a matter of pride... whichever decision is more likely to kill us would be worse." Hela decided.
She didn't care if it went against everyone's pride, if running was the better option that's exactly what they were going to do!
In the end they didn't get to decide, as they could all abruptly hear the reverberating echo of heavy footsteps approaching, much louder than the sound that had announced Sif's arrival.
"Time's up." Sif whispered as she spun around, drawing her sword.
"You know you don't have to do this..." Loki told her quietly. "Whatever oaths you may have made, you've done a lot more for me, for all of us, than I could have ever asked you to." He shook his head. "You should leave while you still can Sif..."
"I made an oath, and I'm not going back on it." The Warrior-Lady insisted. "I made my choice five years ago Loki. From the very start I knew it might come to this one day... I knew and I gave you my oath anyway. I have no regrets."
She didn't, and Loki couldn't help but admire her bravery, her loyalty... he wasn't the only one to appreciate her qualities either... in particular one of his sons...
"Incoming!" Fenrir and Jor called right then.
A look between Menel and Phil said it all. They waited several seconds, hearing the steps coming closer; everyone around shifting nervously and then, right as the clearing was invaded by over a dozen Eihenjar Phil brought something out of her suit and called:
"Everyone get down!"
Everyone hit the ground instantly, even if none except Menel knew what was going on. A small canister bounced off the earth, rising three feet or so before activating, creating a ripple effect that downed everyone it came in contact with.
"What was that?" Fenrir asked as he slowly got on his feet.
"ICER grenade." Phil answered as he helped his beloved to her feet. "SHIELD issue. Since many times we would rather not kill our opponents, two of the most talented scientists of our world, who worked in my team, developed a de... a drug, you could say, that when it comes in contact with anyone, renders them unconscious."
"How long?" Jor asked, curious.
"Well, that version was especially created for super-humans, to take them down for an hour or so." Phil answered, considering things. "So I suppose that maybe half that...?"
They were guessing by that point, the ICER grenades had never been tried with any of them (it had never occurred that they might one day need to use such weapons on Aesir...)
"So, they're only unconscious?" Tawariel wanted to be sure.
Truth was she was a pacifist through and through, she hated hurting anyone. Also, it wasn't like it was the Warriors fault at all; they were only following orders (good thing Magneto wasn't there to say what he thought about 'good men following orders').
"Yes." Her daughter reassured her. "They'll have one heck of a headache when they wake up... but no permanent effects."
"So," Loki finally asked the question bothering him most. "Now what?"
"Now... we make the bells toll." Meneliel answered in an odd tone.
It was a strange choice of words, though they all knew what she meant... Ragnarok was coming.
xXx
Heimdall was waiting for them, at the end of the Rainbow Bridge (the end that touched Asgard rather than the Observatory where the Bifrost was activated). He stared at the group, dark eyes growing wide when seeing Sif standing with the group, though in the end his eyes stopped on the face of the youngest from the group:
"Lady Meneliel Tawardottir..." He pronounced her name quietly, solemnly.
"Vedui (Greetings) Heimdall..." She addressed him in the exact same way she had during every one of her visits to Asgard.
"I always knew there was something more about you than just your elven heritage, you know?" The Gatekeeper commented thoughtfully. "Knew that there was more to Lady Tawariel's story about a lost lover... it's no secret that most elves do not survive long after the passing of their match, and they carry their grief with them in such a way it can almost seen... yet that was never true for her, for either of you... and the power that runs beneath your skin, even when you're working on holding it back, it's there."
"You never said anything." She commented, honestly confused.
"I didn't think there was a need." Heimdall admitted. "Your mother is a good woman, or at least, that's what I believed..."
He had seen her there too, standing with her family.
"It's what you believed..." Menel repeated, her tone turning mocking. "What? Until you saw who her match was exactly? Until you saw who my father is? Who my siblings are? Then suddenly everything changed? You now decide we cannot possibly be good, and why? Because you're so convince that my Father is somehow evil incarnate?!" She snorted. "That's monumentally stupid." She shook her head. "You're allowing the words of one man dictate your beliefs, how you think... and that's not right. You're blind to the truth, to what's right in front of you, because you'd rather believe completely on the word of one man..."
"That man is my King." The Gatekeeper stated solemnly.
"That certainly didn't stop you from betraying my father when he held the throne, did it?" The half-elf arched a brow almost challenging.
"He had no right to that throne." Heimdall retorted.
"Technically he did." Meneliel replied. "Odin adopted him, and what's more, he made everyone in this realm believe Loki was his in every way. So, he had every right to the throne after Thor was exiled and Odin himself fell asleep. That you and practically everyone else in this narrow-minded realm refused to accept that fact, to trust a man simply because he was different from what they considered normal... that's your problem, not his!"
"He tried to kill the Allfather, Thor, me, all the realm!" The Gatekeeper snapped.
"He did not try to kill Odin, in fact, Adar saved him." Though the bastard did not deserve it. "The situation with Thor... is complicated and none of our business." No way was she going to admit that she herself did not understand it, and she wasn't sure if even the two involved did. "We're not going to go into the whole realm thing, that's is absolutely ridiculous! And about you..."
"If I'd wanted you dead you would be dead, Gatekeeper." Loki deadpanned.
The boys couldn't help it, they snorted, Hela just rolled her eyes. It was so their father to say something like that... and he was being absolutely honest, regardless of what some might think, he was quite capable of honesty.
"Does any of that matter?" Heimdall asked abruptly. "You've come here armed, looking for war."
The accusation tasted bitter on his tongue. For so many years he'd fought to keep himself separate from everything; keep a distance, as a 'good' Gatekeeper. Still, Sif had always been important, as good as a sister to him. She'd been so young when she'd insisted on joining the Asgardian army; nothing the other warriors did could dissuade her, not their violence, their coarse language, not even their attempts to humiliate her, to use her femininity against her. And he'd taken her under his wing, because someone needed to. So seeing her right then, standing among Loki, his wife and children, among those who'd a millennia before been labeled as the Harbingers of Ragnarok, it hurt in ways he couldn't fully explain.
And it wasn't even just Sif. There was Tawar, the sweet elven lady who had always given him a kind smile and a bright greeting; and her daughter, who'd always tried to talk to him, just a little, about nothing at all, who made him feel like he was part of the universe and not just an spectator. Maybe it had been his mistake, to grow so attached to those women, but he'd been lonely and now... he would have to stand against them...
"You sound so sure, think you know everything..." Hela said coldly. "But truth is, you know nothing at all."
"You're the Harbingers of Ragnarok." It almost sounded like a question rather than a statement.
"Indeed..." They all whispered.
Indeed they were... but what was Ragnarok really?
The bell began tolling...
Yes, I'm ending it here, I know I'm insane, please don't kill me! The chapter had to end at some point, and the other one is quite long and complicated, so many things must come out; Tawar's prophecy is coming into action! (I already wrote the chapter, though I'm still editing).
In case you're interested, I have a cast-of-sorts in mind for the original characters, and those that simply haven't appeared in the MCU yet. You may take this to get a better idea of how each of them look, or just ignore it, it's up to you:
* Amora (I know she's from 'Astrid', but still) - Queen Andromeda in Wrath of the Titans (where she's blonde). I even describe her battle attire and sword much as I saw in the pics.
* Hela - Morgana Pendragon from the Merlin BBC series. You can find pictures of her in a black dress (what she wore in Helheim, in mourning), the blue dress (what she wears after reuniting with her family), and there are a few in battle attire, with a sword in hand (the clothes are what she wears here, just substitute the sword for chains the style of what the girl-Treasure uses in the Elektra movie).
* Jormungandr - Prince Caspian, from the Chronicles of Narnia movies. From him too you'll find pictures where he's dressed much as I describe him (I would just make his hair a bit longer, if possible).
* Fenrir - Knight Lancelot, from the King Arthur movie. Same comments as before apply on clothing and weapon choices.
* Sleipnir - Iolaus from the Legendary Journeys of Hercules show (the older him, but with long hair), ignore any weapons whatsoever.
* Thenidiel - Lady Galadriel from Lord of the Rings (I think I don't need to say anymore on that front).
* Vöronwe - Haldir (or one of his brothers) from LoTR (I didn't really gave much though to him, to be honest).
* Arphenion - Lord Erestor from LoTR (he's a minor character, but fits my ideas).
* Santiel (She's minor here but will be more important next chapter) - Tauriel from The Hobbit.
The whole thing with the 'sung-tree', well I would actually like to know if anyone around here knows where I got it from. It was actually mostly an after-thought on my part, but it fit. Don't worry if you don't know I'll explain it in the beginning notes in the next chapter (though I really want to know if anyone identifies where I got the idea...)
If there's something you would really like to see before the end, make your requests now, the story ends in two chapters (possibly three, depending on how things turn out); and I'm still deciding if I should just end it here or try and write an epilogue of sorts. Mostly, I'm tired and I really, really want to go back to Nightingale. However, I've enjoyed this so much, and my readers, I want to make sure as many of you as possible are left satisfied before I close this up.
Next week... Ragnarok is here! But what exactly does Ragnarok mean to those 'chosen' to lead it? Just how many lies and secrets are about to be revealed...?