Chapter 19

Story of Asgard

It was a few hours after the battle had ended. The soldiers that still survived had been confined to the single remaining ship that floated intact in the harbor as well as within the cells of the Training Ring. There were casualties on our side as well however; when we had returned to the village Astrid had informed me that Einarr Hrolfson had been standing practically on top of one of the remaining bombs when it went off, and unfortunately the blasts had still left ten foot craters despite my stunt. They had found his axe nearby.

Bertha had lost one of her generals, and several of the Meathead warriors had been taken down by the aerial attacks before things had been put under control. There would be several pyres set out to sea that evening, however in total we had lost very little compared to our enemy; years of fighting had made the Vikings some of the best warriors in existence.

Thanks to the stunt I'd pulled with the bombs, the whole village and the rest of our allies were too hyper to relax or feel terribly somber, so for the first time since I could remember we began a celebration instead of immediately rebuilding. Okay, so first we dealt with the rest of Jezebel's surviving minions, as well as Alvin and the few men he had with him, whom we'd found sneaking through the forest as we returned. From the looks of their clothes and remaining armor, it was apparent Spitfire had done his job well.

After everything settled, which probably wouldn't be for a couple days, we would be sending Alvin with the Meatheads, and the rest of the soldiers would be left on their remaining ships and set to drift at the ocean's mercy. Everyone else, meanwhile, crowded into the Great Hall to drink and listen in on the story our newcomers had to tell: the warriors who had been trapped by Jezebel.

"So, you say you are truly Odin, the one whom our legends speak of?" Stoick queried, leaning forward skeptically.

We were seated around the central firepit: the teens and their dragons, the tribal leaders, and a few of the higher council members of Berk. Around us, the rest of the crowd who weren't listening in were busy drinking themselves silly.

Odin nodded, smiling slightly as he raised his given mug of mead in acknowledgement. "According to what your friend here told us," he said, gesturing to me, "I am. However, before we say much more perhaps it would be best if we all properly introduced ourselves." He stood up and gestured to the rest of his companions as well as the wolf who had come in with them, and they stood up as well. "We called ourselves the Asgardians, modified after our last name, and we were the protectors of most of Europe before we were removed from this world. You already know my name, Odin, and I am the patriarch and leader. I can create portals between any place, for near-instantaneous travel, and I can send people into altered states of mind, unconscious or manipulated perception for example." He nodded to his family, and stepped back, saying, "I will let the rest introduce themselves."

The first woman who held the sword matching Odin's stepped forward first, bowing, her thick, wavy reddish hair falling forward slightly. "My name is Freyja, Odin's wife," she introduced. Immediately she paused, seeing ripples of confusion run through her audience.

"There, uh, must have been more stretching of the truth then," Camicazi noted. "I was always told your name was Frigga, and that you two had a daughter named Freyja." Freyja nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, after 900 years or so I am quite sure everything is distorted. Your people believed once that we were gods, after all." Cami nodded, sitting back again.

Freyja cleared her throat. "As you have a friend already who is a protector, or guardian, or whatever it is you might call him, you might surmise that we all have some form of God-given ability, some more noticeable than others." She smiled, and put her hands to her sides, and suddenly everything changed about her. She appeared as a different person, dark-skinned with black flowing hair and deep blue eyes. Then she changed back just as quickly.

"I am a master of disguise and stealth, and gifted with battle skills and strategy. I am also a healer, among other things," she elaborated, smirking at the looks of shock on the faces of Stoick, Gobber, and most notable, Thuggory. I sighed as I looked at each of them as well. "Oh, come on, this shouldn't be that much of a surprise to you by now," I deadpanned. Freyja chuckled. "Perhaps it is simply because it is something you do not have," she said. I shrugged. "Changing appearance and healing isn't new around here, though to different people may be."

Freyja nodded, eyes curious, but stepped back to her seat as Thor moved up next. "I am sure you all know who I am then," he said, holding up Mjollnir with a smile. "I am Thor, gifted with control of electrical power, flight and, to some extent, weather manipulation. My weapon Mjollnir is an enhancing conduit to these powers." He looked to the man behind him, someone I didn't immediately recognize, and gestured up before taking his own seat again.

"I am Heimdall," the newest introduced, "younger brother of Odin. I am gifted with visions and dreams, which show me events that are to come. I am also a smith, forger of the weapons we wield, including Mjollnir and Framherja."

"Ooohhhh, can you make other weapons as well?" Snotlout butted in. "I lost my club in the battle and-Ooowww! Hey!" he yelped as Astrid dug an elbow into his ribs. "Apologies, he's unfortunately always like this," she deferred. "Believe me, I understand completely," Heimdall replied with a smile. "Every group has one. And I only forge such weapons when the need is great for them. Ours were made in the midst of war."

Loki was next, and I was rather keen to hear what his part in this was, considering the dark image every tale painted him in. "I am Loki, son of Odin and brother of Thor. And I need to dispel a myth that seems to have been overlaid on my image," he said. "I am not a villain, not in actions or in mind, and I am as good a man as the rest of my family. Jezebel hated me greatly because I was one of the few of us she could never gain foothold against in a fair fight."

"You are rather prone to pranks and sleight of hand however," Thor intoned with a snicker. "Oh would you be quiet and let me speak?" Loki snapped. "I recall you were the one who hid Sif's knives in the outhouse for a whole"-

"Boys!" Freyja snapped, but the giggles were already running through the crowd from the quibble. I chuckled and leaned over to Hiccup. "Gee, can you tell that they're siblings?" I whispered. He snorted in response and tried to hide a grin.

Loki righted himself and smiled however, shaking it off. "As I was saying before I was interrupted, I do like a good joke every now and then, but who doesn't? It's not healthy to go around with a sour attitude all the time after all," he explained. "I have the ability to create illusions and holograms, sometimes physical objects, as well as limited teleportation and telekinesis. That's the power to move things with only your mind if you didn't know. Observe." He turned and, grinning, lifted his hand slightly, proceeding to make Thor leave the ground and slowly turn upside down.

"Hey, hey hey! Put me down or I swear I'll-ooff!" As requested Loki dropped him, though not before righting his brother so he hit feet first. Then, the black-haired sibling proceeded to vanish from sight.

"I certainly wouldn't use your lightning in here with all these people, brother," Loki's voice joked from behind us. We turned to see him standing, arms crossed and smiling like my sister would, against a table behind our little crowd. Those who had been sitting there jumped with shock, before simply brushing it off and returning to their drinks.

"Alright, enough of you two," Odin snapped, rubbing his forehead. "One would think 900 years of being stuck in one place together would make you two at least a little more hospitable to each other." He waved to the remaining four in the group. "Let's finish introducing ourselves before any fights actually start, and so we can explain what has transpired." The remaining people nodded, and all four stepped forward together.

"We present: Lady Sif and the warriors three!" the heavier set of them introduced jovially. "I am Volstag, and this here is Fandral and our adopted brother Hogun. We are all warriors with gifts of speed and strength, though Sif here is also mildly telepathic."

"Tele-what?" Tuffnut wondered. "Telepathic," Sif replied, smiling almost knowingly. "It means I can more or less read your mind."

Immediately both Tuffnut and Snotlout shrank away from the table slightly, their cheeks blushing bright red. "Uh huh," I muttered, reaching over with a thin tail and smacking them in the back of the head. Somehow, I knew exactly what had been running through their heads as well.

Lastly, after all the warriors took their seats once more, the wolf who had been lying patiently nearby stood up and walked over to the stone pit, leaping up in full view of everyone. I noticed he still wore the head armor I had first seen him with. "I am Fenrir, one of the symbols of our team," he spoke, articulating in a deep, yet smooth voice. "I am a translator of languages, both written and spoken and of any species."

All us teens remembered Aslan and Reepicheep from our adventure to Narnia, so a talking wolf didn't faze us as much. The adults around us however rocked back in surprise. I smirked at their reaction, before smiling genuinely. "Well, it's a pleasure to finally know you all properly, especially seeing as you may well have saved my life and those of my friends," I said. "I think, then, that it's our turn to introduce ourselves." I turned, facing the gang. "We, uh, don't have a name for our group, and personally I think it's a little too cliché. But, this is who we are." I held out my hand, gesturing to each.

"This is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, heir to the chiefdom of this village, ender of the dragon war in this archipelago, and accomplished inventor." I grinned at his blushing face. "And yes, Hiccup, that was necessary. This is Astrid Hofferson, accomplished warrior, and Camicazi Terevson, heir to the chiefdom of our allies here the Bog Burglars. Those two are Ruffnut and Tuffnut, our resident troublemakers, Snotlout, Fishlegs our resident encyclopedia (Snotlout started laughing at that before Astrid thumped him on the head), and Thuggory there is son of the chief of the Meathead tribe."

Then I turned to our dragons. "Toothless is a Night Fury, Hiccup's companion. Thorn is with Astrid, Stormfly to Camicazi, Barfbelch to the twins, Meatlug is Fishlegs' Gronckle, and Fireworm is Snotlout's. And last but not least, our latest arrivals," I turned, facing them. "Ember here set off this whole chain of events, the reason why Jezebel came here and was defeated. Her Shadowracer Orhaganuz helped her end the war that had been occurring with the dragons where they lived, and Ember was born with gifts." Ember waved her hand softly, hair glowing faintly as she smiled.

Loki turned to me. "And who are you exactly, might we ask?" he queried. "You've been doing a lot here I noticed, but you don't look to be Viking in origin." I chuckled and nodded. "No, you're right. My name is Hawken, and I am a protector of two worlds."

"Two worlds? You are not from this earth?" Thor interjected. I shook my head. "No. There is a connection, a portal between my home and this island, not far from here. I watch both. My home is as far along technologically as this one should be." Thor nodded in understanding. "I see. And what is it you were given as a gift? You seem very young for such a thing, and so far all we've seen is your eyes changing color."

I laughed again and spread out my arms, rivulets of fire and electricity igniting and flowing in swirling patterns around them, and I spread a pair of Night Fury wings behind me. "A couple years ago I was given this by a dragon that lived here," I explained. "Any dragon that was, is, or as far as I can tell even imagined I can become or utilize their abilities."

"You received your power from the same line as the Mystique then?" Freyja spoke up. "She was alive when we were still around many years ago; I had assumed it would be passed to another dragon." I shook my head. "No, she passed it to me. I'm surprised, didn't know they lived that long." Freyja nodded. "Yes, that race is rare, but long lived."

"Perhaps though we should move on to the real reason we are here," Odin spoke up, standing. "Stoick, Bertha, Mogadon, and forgive me if I have stumbled on your names as I've only heard them once earlier, you were drawn into a war that started long ago. I think you at least deserve to hear why it happened." The three nodded, and Stoick leaned forward, speaking, "Yes, you have the floor now. Please continue." Odin nodded, clearing his throat before he began.

"Nearly 900 years ago, this world was on the verge of a turning point," he explained. "The Roman and Persian empires had long since fallen into disarray, and the Crusaders of the time were just beginning their endeavors in Iberia. For a short period of time the land that had been set aside as Israel saw peace. We started out a family well removed from these events, being simple traders along the North Sea. Our life did not stay simple for long however, as we were one day approached by another group of guardians, ones who were nearing the end of their days, and they chose us to be the new bearers of their power. At the time, we were caretakers of an injured wolf and a young sea serpent, and until then animal protectors were nearly nonexistent, save for a lion that lived across the sea and a handful of dragons like the one whose power you hold," he gestured to me. I nodded. "Yes, we've met the lion too actually," I commented. "That's where we gained Framherja from." Odin nodded, slightly surprised. "It shocks me he is still around then, as he'd been in place for centuries already when we met him.

"However, back to the point: Fenrir and the serpent were a bit of a new experiment, to see if other species could withstand being brought into sentience and with power. It worked out well, and indeed Fenrir has helped us greatly when dealing with dragons and far-off countries where the common-tongue is not so common.

"Europe at the time was overall under a great deal of unrest, though, and rulers began to rise who did not appreciate how we were keeping the peace. We do not know who, and at this point it no longer matters, but someone sent a message out requesting aid against us. Jezebel was the one who answered that call. She came to us in the guise of a young woman in need of help in straightening out her homeland. She wove an elaborate tale of invading armies who possessed advanced weaponry, chemical weapons and war machines beyond what had yet been seen elsewhere."

At this point Odin reached down and pulled something out of a pocket on his outfit. "At that time, our group included not only the serpent but one other, my youngest daughter Aurianna. When she was gifted it manifested unique, a power unlike any other we had ever heard of or seen." He held up the object in his hand, a nearly perfectly round, flawless sapphire-looking stone. "Aurianna could meld various forms of energy with metals and minerals, causing them to become entirely new entities, powerhouses or weapons in and of themselves. The one I hold here, when activated, produces a barrier field of sorts around its wearer.

"Jezebel focused greatly on my daughter. Her ability allowed her 'devices' to work away from her, and continuously so long as they were not overused. This means once enhanced, the gems and metals can be wielded by anyone. The sorceress led us to the Arabian Peninsula, and convinced us to let her use Aurianna's weapons. One of them was the jewel you destroyed earlier; Aurianna had used the hammer Mjollnir to bond electrical energy with an emerald. However we had not yet had time to test what it did. Only shortly earlier had we left Framherja with Aslan, and immediately we had been pulled away by Jezebel.

"The sorceress figured out what the device did however: when activated the emerald would create a tear of sorts in space, similar to the portals I wield, and whatever it was aimed at would be ripped from this dimension, and trapped between worlds. Jezebel stole the jewel, and the inset Aurianna had built for it, but did not use it right away. Instead, first she created a distraction we sent the serpent to investigate, and used other gems to outfit an army of her own. We clashed on that barren peninsula only shortly after.

"Dozens of battles were fought, but at the time Jezebel was inexperienced and though powerful she did not know how to use her black magic. For that reason we held her back, forcing her to take drastic measures. One day, she finally managed to kidnap Aurianna, and used her to bring the rest of us to a corner we could not leave from."

Odin shook his head, memories rushing back to him. "I should have seen it coming, but we had grown overconfident and our concern for Aurianna overran our senses. We ended up in a small room with Jezebel, Aurianna nowhere to be seen, and the sorceress activated the emerald. A great light erupted and then, only the faintest sound and glimpses of the outside world for centuries."

Odin gestured to Hiccup, who still carried Framherja slung over his shoulder. "As you know by now I am sure, Framherja wields a similar power as Mjollnir, if admittedly sourced differently. The devices Aurianna builds can only be deactivated or reversed if the energy source used is present. We gave the bow to Aslan because we had not figured out who could use it yet; many of Heimdall's weapons are person-specific, working only for those they are built for, but we were afraid at the time that someone else could figure out how to undo that property. We did not know we were getting rid of the key Aurianna would need to undo the gem's capacity. Because of that, we were cut off from her immediately, along with the rest of the world."

Sitting down slowly, Odin shook his head sadly. "Jezebel is not a kind or remorseful person, and Aurianna was left completely at her mercy, as was the serpent. Jezebel hunted certain kinds of dragon that she felt threatened her, those she couldn't persuade to join her; they included the Night Furies, common back then, and Stormcutters, but there was a schism in the sea serpents. Some, like ours, could not be swayed. Others she brought to her side, and there they have likely stayed since.

"It has also been hundreds of years, and while Jezebel has her dark magic that keeps her alive and in her prime, Aurianna...had…"

He wasn't able to finish the sentence, breaking down into a sob as he mourned for his daughter, the first time he'd had a chance in centuries. The rest of us averted our eyes, standing to the side silently as the rest of Odin's family offered comfort or shared the grief that only now hit them in full.

Eventually, Odin stood again, wiping his eyes and composing himself. "Let us move on from that topic," he suggested, smiling weakly and reaching into his cloak once more. From pockets inside he removed a few small bags, as Freyja, Volstag and Loki did the same. "You all have done a great service for my family, and you have been through a great deal you should not have. In return, I have a gift for you all." He turned and began to hand the bags out, one each to Hiccup, Astrid, Ember, Thuggory and the other teens. "We were on a collection trip before our final battle with Jezebel, but these are no longer of use to us. They are, however, of great worth in other ways."

He turned next to Stoick and the other chiefs, also handing them larger cloth bundles. "And these to you, leaders of your people, for your tribes having the courage to face Jezebel and her army."

I heard gasps and glanced at the teens, who were pulling out of their bags huge gems, each one immaculate in condition: blue diamonds and sapphires, rich red rubies, and others. I raised an impressed but skeptical eyebrow. "You just made them all rich, you know," I commented. Freyja laughed nearby as she drew up to Odin, and they both turned to me. "Yes, we have," she replied, smiling. Then, she pulled out one last bag, no larger but slightly heavier looking, and handed it to Odin as the stepped toward me.

"For you, Hawken, we have a gift as well," Odin continued. "You carry a great power, and therefore a great deal of responsibility rests on your shoulders. No less so when two separate realms have been put under your care." He smiled again. "We all know well here that to be able to stand under such pressure requires a sturdy support, and with any luck this may help you build that support." He handed me the bag, then pulled out a small metallic cylinder, of the same quality as the metal shards lying around the village, and handed it to me. On the sides in several rows were Hebrew letters. "We are often a great distance away when help is required, so if we may be needed here again, align the letters so that they glow, and send us a message."

I nodded, putting the items he'd handed to me away to scrutinize later, then turned to see Odin and his family stand and gather together. "It is about time we leave to rebuild our own home," he said. "900 years and it is likely we will have to start from the ground up. Stoick, Bertha, Hawken: farewell, and God be with you through your years."

He waved his hand and the air rippled open again, glowing as the portal formed. Then one by one they each stepped through, Loki being the last to leave and giving a joking, but genuine, salute as he stepped through, and no sooner than he did so than the portal collapsed, closing up as if it, and the Asgardians, had never been there.

"So…what now?" Snotlout asked after a moment of "silence." I turned to glance at Stoick, who had unwrapped the package he'd been given. In his hands were a set of solid blocks, each a different precious metal. In Bertha and Mogadon's hands were similar bars. Stoick looked at them, before a smile grew and he belted out a laugh. "What now? Ah, trading will be good for us this year! Now we look forward to the future!" he proclaimed.

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, I don't think supplies will be an issue for a while. But, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, are we sure we've run through all the details for what to do with the prisoners we have?" Stoick nodded. "Aye, we've figured it all out. Jezebel's lackeys will be sent off tomorrow, and when Mogadon leaves he'll take Alvin with him. In the meantime, let's join the others in celebration for tonight!"

He and Bertha turned away, heading toward Gobber and the mead barrels, with Modagon shuffling off afterward, and I turned to face Hiccup and Astrid. He looked down at the bag that stuck out of my pocket. "So, what did he give to you, out of curiosity?" he asked. I shrugged and pulled the bag back out. "Eh, might as well find out, huh?" I drawled. Reaching in, I grabbed the first thing my hand touched….

…and pulled out a red diamond nearly the size of my fist. My eyes widened and, in shock, I felt myself start to go lightheaded. "Good Lord," I managed to mutter before I unceremoniously slumped to the floor. The last thing I heard before I went out completely was Ruffnut yell, "No fair! He got the bigger one!"

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head in amusement before he glanced at Astrid. "Care to help me get him up to my house before the twins steal his diamond?" he joked. She nodded, grinning along with him. "Let's. And actually, let's do it before they steal the whole bag."

They managed to get Hawken onto Toothless' saddle, and the three of them flew up to Hiccup's home. Once they'd settled him in the spare bed, Hiccup and Astrid stepped outside while Toothless curled up in Hiccup's room, and the two Vikings sat down on the steps, staring out across the ocean. "Well, I don't think Hawken will be complaining about that college expenses thing he's been moaning about," Hiccup drawled. Astrid huffed. "Tell me about it. Just that one jewel should set him up for life, if what he showed us before is accurate." They both nodded, and stared out across the village again.

After a couple of minutes, Hiccup turned back to Astrid. "So, uh, do you think Jezebel will ever manage to find her way back?" he asked, breaking the silence. Astrid looked back at him, and smiled, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "Oh, come on, enjoy the peace for a bit will you, Mr. Doom and Gloom?" She laughed as Hiccup pouted, rubbing his arm, before leaning in toward him. "Besides, if she does, we'll make sure we're ready for her," she reassured, pressing her lips against his and washing away his dark thoughts in an instant.

A/N-Bonus points to anyone who can guess who's story series I'm paying tribute to here! And elements of that tale will be seen from here out too.

So, this was the last official chapter of Book 4. Only the epilogue is left, so after next week we will be moving on to Book 5: Inheritance Past! Let me know what you though of this chapter, or the story in general, and would love to hear predictions: what do you think the next book will involve? Who will we see? What obstacles will arise?