I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed.
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Story 17: The Dragon King of The End
Sealed inside a large glass container, a creature similar to a common snake opened its eyes to the world he called home. His silver scales barely shine within the turquoise liquid of the tank. His amber reptilian eyes looked around with curiosity as he tried to figure out his name, purpose, and who had created him.
The room he finds himself in is packed with scientific equipment, glasses filled with unknown chemicals, flesh samples from unknown sources, and surgical items laid around the tables within the large room.
As the serpent looked around, its eyes met the tank standing on his left. Inside this tank, a young wolf floated within the turquoise liquid involved with their creation.
The wolf was as big as him, and its fur was dark as the night itself. Its wide eyes opened up and met those of the snake. They were the same amber eyes that wondered about its existence and purpose.
Suddenly a portal opened up within the room. Both creatures focus on the portal and watch as a humanoid figure emerges from the depths of the portal. Its shiny silver hair was the most peculiar characteristic of the stranger.
"Oh, it seems that you two are finally awake. Fenrir, my first creation." The man focuses his eyes on the wolf. "You might need more time inside the tank. Your fangs aren't complete yet." The man then turns to the snake. "Jormungadr, look at you. From a small tiny snake to a perfect weapon. I wonder if you're ready. Your brother Fenrir is still not ready, but maybe you are."
The snake's eyes widened at the words of this man. "I am a weapon? What does a weapon do? Fenrir, what should I do?" The snake turned to the wolf in search of answers, but the wolf was as confused as him.
"Let's get you out. I have a perfect place where to test your powers. I have high expectations for you." The man grabbed a small vase hanging from the belt around its waist. He pointed the vase to the snake before it got sucked into it without even breaking the container's glass. Then, the man quickly put a cap to seal the vase.
Fenrir watched in shock as their creator took his " brother " away. "Jorm, I hope that you come back."
The man opened another portal before exiting the room and leaving Fenrir alone again.
Jormungandr POV.
The snake waited patiently inside the vase. Jorn got given a name and purpose, which he still didn't understand. What's a weapon? What is a weapon supposed to do?
As Jormungandr waited for his release, minutes went by until the darkness of the vase was replaced by an amber sun's blinding light.
The snake looked around and found itself surrounded by titanic animals such as dire wolves, mammoths, and other species that one would find in the realm of the giants, Jotunheimr.
The animals were much bigger than Jormungandr.
The snake didn't get a chance to admire the nature surrounding him as one of the wolves went for its head.
Jorm's instincts kicked into action as he evaded the dire wolf and struck its body with its tail. The giant wolf was sent flying toward a large tree by the tremendous force of the snake, even with the difference in size between the two.
"Good job Jormungandr. Now survive against all of them. They won't stop attacking you until you kill each of them."
The snake turned around to find his so-called "creator" sitting on top of a branch from a tree while taking a sip from a bottle.
"Why?" Jormugandr asked his creator. Jorn was confused as to why he needed to fight.
"Why what?" The man asked.
"Why must I "kill" them? Is this my purpose?"
The man smiled from one ear to another. "Yes. You are a weapon that I created. Your purpose is to kill what I order you to kill. There's nothing more to it. You'll kill and keep killing until I say otherwise."
Jormungandr felt no joy after hearing those words. He felt hurt; he began to have doubts about all of this. It felt wrong; even if it was his first time experiencing something like it, he felt emotions he didn't like. Then, suddenly, an object hit his head. Then, a strange liquid began to pour down his sides.
"Come on and move it. That liquid is going to drive the animals around mad with hunger. They'll eat you unless you kill all of them." The man said as he wickedly smiled.
Jormungandr was starting to get angry, but his instincts kicked in once more as the animals began to attack him from every direction.
Their eyes had grown cold and devoid of reason as they tried to devour him.
The wolves tried their best to take bites, but his scales prevented them from reaching his internal organs easily. He smacks the wolves with his tail and gets away. The mammoths advance and try to stump Jorm under their weight, but the snake quickly slithers around before he climbs the wooly animal. As soon as Jorn can reach the head of the first mammoth, he bites one of the eyes of the mammoth. Blood spills in all directions as the snake injects its venom into the animal.
The mammoth goes on a rampage as it runs into the other mammoths and crushes the smaller animals under its weight.
The one behind this situation laughs while he admires his work. "Good start, but not enough. I need a creature that is as strong as those dragons. This way of fighting is not enough, Jormungandr."
An hour after.
A pile of corpses surrounds the snake. Mammoths, dire wolves, and those who had tried to take Jorm down had failed. With his body covered in the blood and flesh of the poor animals that got dragged into the plans of his creator, Jorn turned his eyes to the man.
The man clapped his hands. "Good job, Jormungandr. It was a good test."
"You, how dare you?" Jorm rushes to attack.
The man smirks. His fingers move and draw several runes in the air, increasing the gravity around Jorm. The snake gets crushed under the increased gravity.
"Jormungandr, are you ignoring the fact that I created you? Kid, I am Loki, a god. A pathetic snake like yourself doesn't have the strength to fight me. You only exist for my plans, so you better learn to obey me." Loki approaches the face of the snake while he continues to smirk.
Jormugandr feels his anger increase at seeing the bastard looking down upon him; Jormungandr opens his mouth and spits venom toward the face of Loki.
The venom quickly devours half of Loki's face. The god screams while he holds his face.
"I will never obey you, bastard." Jormungandr decides then that he will never succumb to this manipulative bastard.
Loki removes his hands from his face. The venom had seriously damaged the right side of his face, and his face was no longer as beautiful as before. One could even see his skull beneath the skin that remained. The god is furious and begins to kick the head of the snake. "How dare you? A pathetic snake like you has destroyed my beautiful face? I will make you pay!"
Thus began an ill-destined relationship. Since that day, Jormungandr got tortured endlessly by his creator within his laboratory. He did everything to force the snake to obey, but Jormungandr never gave up. The snake was uncontrollable and was never going to lower its head.
It took at least five winters to come and go until Loki finally moved on with his plans.
On a particular day, the Secret Laboratory of Loki "Angrboda."
Jormugandr currently lay chained to the ceiling of the lab. Many hooks pierced its body as his blood tainted the floor below. Loki seemed to have removed several chunks of the snake's flesh, and one could see its internal organs, yet he still lived. Jormungandr's eyes, filled with anger, continue to defy Loki.
In a cage near him lay his brother Fenrir who was chained just like him.
"You know what, Jormungandr? You are one rough snake, five winters of endless torture, and you never gave in. You never understood your place. You're my creation; I own you." Loki turns to the two children. "I own both of you, but I no longer need you, Jormungandr."
Jormungandr bares his fangs against his creator.
"Yeah, you're not getting out of those." Loki walks through the lab. "You're great, but that attitude of you is disgusting. So if I can't correct it, I'll make a better you." Loki looks at several glass tanks where he is developing several small snakes. "They will be better than you. Each one will surpass and be much better than you will ever be."
Jormungandr spits more venom in his direction as he twists his body even while the hooks cause him even more pain.
Loki easily evades the venom before he touches his face. An illusion spell hides the reality of his true face. "Die, Jormungandr."
Loki uses his powers to open a new portal, which sucks Jormungandr alongside the hooks.
Fenrir can only watch in shock as his brother gets discarded like a piece of trash by their creator. "Jorm!"
"Ha! Are you worried about him? You should be more concerned about yourself, Fenrir. I have big plans for you." Loki said as he approached the cage of the wolf.
Jormungandr POV.
His body was now floating in the vast void of Midgar, the canvas of the gods. There was no oxygen to breathe and nothing he could do to save himself.
He was long as a school bus but lacked any powers that could make him a threat to the gods. In the eyes of Loki, he was a failure unworthy of life.
"I… only wish for the chance to finish the job and give you precisely what you deserve, so-called creator." The snake floated as his body became much colder with each second. His lungs held the last oxygen he had available. "Fen…. I hope that you get a chance to escape, brother. Your future is not something he should decide."
Jormungandr closed its eyes as it awaited the sweet release of death.
But death never arrived. The snake felt the unexpected warmth of a giant creature. Then, as it opened its eyes, the prominent figure of a colossal dragon came into view.
"I have been waiting for you, the last of the kings." Great Red said as it grabbed the snake with its right hand.
Jormungandr was scared beyond his imagination at the sight of such a strong creature. Words couldn't escape his mouth.
"Don't try to speak; just leave it to me, child." Great Red quickly opened a rift in space and arrived at earth within seconds.
Jormungandr began to cough as it recovered from the lack of oxygen.
"That's better, child. Take time to breathe in all of the oxygen you lost." The massive dragon said as he slowly descended to the planet's surface.
Jormungandr's eyes slowly took in the sight of this new realm; it was much different than Jotunheimr or the lab he had known as home since its creation.
"Gaia!" Great Red called out to the goddess.
The trees around the pair began to change shape and form the large body of the goddess.
"Great Red, what do you need this time? Is there something else you need from me?" The goddess spoke in a charming and friendly tone as if she had a deeper connection with the colossal dragon.
"I have brought the last of the children. This one is the final dragon I ask you to raise within your embrace." Great Red says as he shows Jormungandr to her.
The small snake is speechless as it feels the powers of the two beings.
"Oh, he is so small, but I can't feel no draconic power inside him," Gaia says as she analyzes the snake from head to toe.
"Not now, but he will. Jormungandr, I offer this to you; discard the skin you find yourself in now and be reborn as a dragon. Discard the name of Jormungandr and embrace the one I bestow upon you. Be reborn as Midgardsormr, the Dragon of the End." Great Red says as he focuses his eyes on the small snake.
Jorm feels the imposing power of the dragon and shakes in fear. His mind is thinking about what to do. "What do you want from me for something such as this?"
Great Red smiles. "The path you take from here on is up to you, but I only require a few things. Fight for Gaia if she gets threatened in any way. Help the other dragons if a real threat that opposes them arises. And finally, when the real Ragnarok begins, fight for the realm's future even if I disappear."
"Is that what you want?" Jorm asks.
"That's all that I want. You will meet many beings and find many enemies, but you should always remember my words. I required nothing else. Do we have an agreement, Midgardsormr?" Great Red asks.
That name again. Jorm pondered what to do. His body was weak, and he had no options. So he made a choice. "I… accept."
"Very well." Great Red touched his face with one of his claws before he extracted his soul from the decaying body he had. A tiny soul floated in the air. Great Red then burned the body to ashes before a silver egg appeared in its place. "Now let's put you into your new body Midg. From now on, you're a dragon, no longer a snake."
The soul was carefully placed in the egg and passed down to Gaia. "Is he the last one of the first generation?" The goddess carefully embraced the egg like a mother with her child.
"Yes. Ddraig, Albion, Tiamat, Tannin, Vitra, Yu-Long, Fafnir, Crom Cruach, and Midgardsormr. All of them are the first dragons after Ophis and me; All of them will choose different paths, but when it matters the most, they will fight to secure the future against any threats. That is my hope for them." The dragon then touches the egg once more. A silver flame appeared in the claw before the egg absorbed it. "Be reborn as a strong dragon, child of mine. May your path be a pleasant one."
The colossal dragon spread his wings and flew away without saying another word.
Gaia smiled as it carefully patted the egg. The large body of the goddess moves across the land until it finds a perfect spot to set the egg down. "This small cluster of islands will be a good place for you. There's food and water for you. So be at ease, my child. Although older than you by 25 winters, your fellow dragons will likely welcome you once you come out."
Gaia places the egg down before placing several runes around it to protect it from damage.
One year later, Midg nest (Today's name: Bermuda Triangle.)
The egg began to crack, and the wind started to change directions as the dragon's power arose from within the egg.
A small tree changed shape, and a copy of Gaia appeared. "You can do it, Midgarsormr." The goddess cheered the dragon.
More cracks covered the egg as the dragon made its way out. A pillar of energy pierced the sky as the dragon escaped the confines of the egg. Its new form flew into the sky as it embraced its new freedom. The scales shined like stars, its tail was now a sharp blade, and two small platinum horns protruded from its head. He was the longest of the first generation of dragons, although he was the youngest.
Midg took in the sight of the blue sky and the bright sun that illuminated it before he descended back to its nest. Its amber eyes looked around for Gaia until he finally found her.
"Gaia."
"My child, come here."
The dragon shrank in size and allowed itself to get caressed by Gaia. "You're so bright and beautiful. Your scales might be some of the most majestic. I'm so proud of you. What will you do now?"
"I… don't know yet. I lacked control over many things about this new "me." I need time to think about what to do next." Midg admits.
Gaia pats his head with care. "Take your time. You can visit the other dragons if you wish. Crom Cruach is to the North West; his home has many geysers. Tannin lies in the savannahs to the South West. You can find Tiamat on an island with an active volcano to the North West. Yu-Long is to the west of Tiamat alongside Vitra. Yu-Long can be located within a misty valley, while Vitra likely rests within the jungles of an area closest to the ocean. If Ddraig is your target, look for him in the coastal region to the North West of Tiamat. To the east of Ddraig, you'll find Fafnir, although I doubt he is around. Albion is the one closest to the icy areas of the North. His nest is a poison-filled forest found underground."
"Thanks, but I'll stay away from them for now. I need time to train independently and figure out things alone. Once I am ready, I'll look for them."
"Understandable. Take as long as you need, and remember that this is your home." Gaia kisses his head before she releases him. "Welcome home, my child." Gaia smiles before the tree transforms into its original form.
"... Thank you… Mother." The dragon looks at the sky as it ponders what to do next until a particular wolf returns to his mind. "Fenrir… brother. Will I ever see you again?"
*Notes from the author: Midg is the youngest dragon of the first generation, while Tannin is "the oldest" by just some days. Almost all of the other dragons hatched within the same month. The list goes from Tannin on January 5, Ddraig on January 7, Albion on January 8, Tiamat on January 12, Vitra on the 16th, Yu-Long on the 19th, and Crom on the 24th. Midg's new birthday is January 30, to follow the sequence. Ophis and Great Red don't possess one officially. Although Midg is the youngest, he's the old man of the group due to his constant sleepiness. The location of the dragons' nests was both due to the lore and based on how big their hunting regions could be. Crom is indeed Celtic, but his hunting grounds would be too close to Ddraig's if I had kept him there. The same happened with Albion, so I separated them in almost every direction possible. Remember that maps of the world differed greatly from those during the dragons' youth. Gaia tends to move continents and areas around.*
Story 18: Two Brothers.
A large log home sat close to the coast of a particular island. The house was quite extensive. Looking at it from the outside, one could tell that someone made the whole place with attention to detail. One would expect a peaceful family to live in this place, but the reality was often disappointing.
"Fara! Where's my damn shaver?" A feminine voice called out.
"Look at the spot behind the vocal potion in the lower cabinet, Mira." Another feminine voice said.
"Keep it down, you two!" A third girl said.
"Fuck off, Eika!" The two voices replied.
"Don't make me go there and put you two in your place," Eika said. Eika was a tall, dark elf with short black hair. She had two wide purple eyes that lacked irises like those of many members of her race. She wore a lovely short silk purple dress and an apron as she cooked lunch for her family.
A pair of steps alerted Eika to the approaching adversary.
"Do you want a fight? You got it." A light elf said as she approached Eika. Her name was Fara. The light elf had two wide golden eyes with white pupils. She was a bit smaller than Eika but just as beautiful as her. Her boobs were much more significant than Eika's, who was practically flat in that department. She wore a green blouse and a long white skirt. Fara had styled her long orange hair into a long single braid.
"Not fighting. It is still early for any of that." A masculine voice said.
Sitting near a window overlooking the coast, a young man in his 30s continued reading a book. He had a cute face with a short beard that had been nicely brushed, just like his short, smooth platinum hair. He had loose pair of reddish pants and a loose long-sleeved white shirt. His amber draconic eyes were sharp yet gentle.
"You know that Midg is correct; we can deal with it after lunch." A small dwarven woman said as she descended the stairs as well. Her name was Mira. She was petite in stature when compared to the two other females in the house. Her dark blue hair was nicely done into two braided ponytails. Her woodworker attire was cute and matched her figure rather well. "How do I look, love?"
Mira approached the man with a silly smile.
The dragon turned to her and began to touch his bear. "I do like you with and without the beard, but it feels nice being the one that rocks the beard the best out of the two of us."
"If you miss it that much, just give it a few weeks," Mira said as she sat down on his lap. "Best seat of the house."
The elves threw daggers at her. The constant rivalry between them was adorable to see from the sidelines.
"Hey, I'm the first bride. I was here far earlier than you two." Mira said as she proudly claimed her status as the woman that captured the heart of the Dragon of the End before anyone else.
"This is not a competition," Eika said.
"Right." Fara joined in.
"True, but I'm still the first bride," Mirad said.
"Mira," Midg calls out to his bride while he pats her head.
"Yes?" The dwarven woman replies.
"Stop. I love you three with the same intensity. It doesn't matter who came first. To me, you three are irreplaceable. I still remember when I asked each of you to come here and leave your homes behind. Such a sacrifice is something that not many can do. If any of you were ever in danger, I'd be willing to put my life on the line to protect you, so don't fight over who's first, okay?" The dragon said as he looked at each of his brides.
The three girls could only brush after hearing such worst.
"Oh, my queen Titania how could I ever ignore or leave this wonderful dragon?" Eika told herself.
"Titania, thank you for allowing me to leave and follow him. I can't live without him." Fara tried to hide her blushing face.
"I can't wait to have your babies, my love." Mira quickly stole a kiss from his lips before she rested her head on his chest. "I do not regret these five years we have been together. I still don't care about being banished from my family for choosing to leave with you. Eika and Fara might miss their realm, but if given a choice again, they will follow you just like me. We love."
"We do. Elves, dark and light, usually never leave Alfeheim under normal conditions. Alfeheim has all we could ever need and is a beautiful place to live in, but if it is to be alongside our beloved, I don't care where we live. Just don't choose Muspelheim or Helheim. Being burned alive or frozen to death are no ways I'll wish to die." Eika admits.
"I have to agree with Eika on this. As long as you're there, we are okay with following you anywhere besides Muspelheim, Helheim, or any other realm involving extreme conditions that will likely lead to death. Earth is not a bad place to live in or form a family. Gaia is a friendly and welcoming goddess. The food is plentiful and varied. The other dragons don't attack us, and the few yokai who live here stay away from this place. The only bad thing is the idiots that tried their luck at hunting dragons in here whenever Gaia is sleeping." Fara says.
"True." The other girls join in.
"I should reinforce the runes around the island. Their attacks will likely start as soon as Gaia goes to sleep again. Taking care of a planet does tire her out quite a lot. Constant invasions don't help at all." Midg says as he remembers how many times Gaia had gone to sleep since he became a dragon.
"Well, Typhon does help quite a lot to protect the planet," Eika argues as she remembers the godslayer going to war against many invaders for the duration of her relationship with Midg.
"Typhon doesn't care about what happens to dragons. His task is with Gaia and the planet; we dragons are not his responsibility which is understandable." Midg says as he thinks about the battle maniac.
As the group continued to chat, a certain presence interrupted their quiet life. The wood in one of the walls changed shape and began to form the face of Gaia.
"Midgardsormr!" Gaia called his name as her head fully formed.
"Kyahh!" The three girls scream after seeing the face of the goddess appearing on their wall.
"Gaia, can you be more mindful of our privacy?" Midg said as he approached the face.
His brides were still recovering after the scare.
"Sorry, child, but you're needed. Somebody is trying to force their way into the planet while claiming to know you." Gaia says as her face in the wall focuses on the dragon.
"Who? Anyone I know who wants to reach me should call first." Midg says.
"A black wolf and a sacred beast. He claims to be Fenrir, the first child of Loki." Gaia admits.
Midgardsormr freezes in place after hearing that name. "Fen…. but I have looked everywhere for you? How? Where? I…" The dragon turns to his brides.
The three girls look at each other before they give him their opinions.
"Go. Now is the moment to talk to Fenrir if it is truly him." Eika says as she meets his eyes.
"We did what we could to track him down; if he comes to us, that just makes it easier. So go and take care of it." Fara joins in.
"We can wait here for you in case it is a trap. It is better to be safe than sorry." Mira says as she considers the slight chance that this is a lie.
The other two girls seemed in agreement with Mira.
The dragon understands their concern. "Thank you. I promise to be careful." Midg turns to Gaia. "Where should I meet him?"
"I'll open a passage in the South region closest to the polar circle. The rest is up to you." Gaia says.
Several minutes afterward.
The dragon descended upon the icy region. His long body traversed the sky at an impressive speed, making it easy for him to arrive in just a matter of minutes.
As soon as the region came into view, his eyes detected the presence of two giant creatures. The first was a black wolf as big as three leveled buildings. Its fur was rough, and one could see the many battle scars that the fur couldn't keep hidden. Instead, its amber eyes stayed focused on him.
The second creature was a white wolf with smooth fur and deep crimson eyes. Its fur shone as bright as the moon; its eyes kept examining the surrounding area.
Midg stopped before the pair and shrank in size to match their statures.
"Fen…. I-" Midg was interrupted as the black wolf took a few steps forward with its head and ears lowered.
"I thought you died back then. Loki claimed that there was no way in which you could have survived. Your appearance is completely different, but those eyes. I heard rumors about the dragon king of the end, but I wasn't sure. Is it really you, brother?" Fenrir asked as he stopped a few inches away from the dragon.
"Yes…. although not the body I used to have, it is indeed me. Back then, Loki named Jormundandr, but Great Red blessed me as Midgardsormr after being reborn as a dragon. Is good to see you after so long."
"Yes. I'm happy to see that you're alive."
"Tell me what happened back then? I started searching for you and even found the old lab, but it was practically abandoned when I found it after searching for a year."
"The bastard took to forcing me into fights. After he discarded you, he placed a collar around my neck and put several chains to force me to obey. For the next three winters, Loki dragged me around the realms as his weapon to parade around. I killed many under his orders until the collar and the chains grew weak enough for me to escape. I ran away from Loki and stayed hidden in many realms. I wasn't trying to get found. Those fights injured me seriously, and I was close to death often." The wolf turns his sight back to the white wolf.
The white wolf approaches the pair.
"During that time, I met Sif, my mate, and she helped me to recover," Fenrir says as he presents the female wolf.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, brother-in-law. My name is Sif, one of the sacred beasts of the endless forest in Alfeheim." Sif says as she lowers her head as a sign of respect.
"So it was true. The rumors about a mysterious wolf did take residence within Alfeheim."
Fenrir nods. "I did for a time. Sif kept me hidden, and I did my best not to disturb the realm's peace. Loki was still chasing after me, so I moved immediately. Sif decided to come with me, so we have traveled since then. Never staying for too long in one place at a time."
"Loki is still looking for you?" The dragon asks.
"He never stopped. I was his precious weapon; unlike you, my copies will never match my powers." Fenrir admits.
"He finished the clones…. Are they anything like me?"
"They are meat shields compared to you. They lack personalities, and I even doubt they possess a soul. They could never match you, even if he called them perfect. But the biggest problem is Hel. Our youngest sister is far worse than us two together. She's the ultimate puppet."
"A sister? He made another one of us?" Midg asks.
"Hel, she's not like either of us. She's a full flesh goddess created out of his flesh. She's as strong as me and far more ruthless than I ever could be. Loki and Hel have been chasing me nonstop alongside many Asgardians. I got no idea why, but he has the full support of the one-eye bastard of Asgard." Fenrir admits.
"Do you need my help? I can fight Loki and Hel. Gods are not a problem to me." Midg claims.
Fenrir shakes his head. "I don't need you to fight with me. I need you to protect my family while I resolve the issue." Fenrir turns to Sif.
"We want to entrust you with them." The white wolf lowers her body to the floor. As Midg pays closer attention to her fur, he finds two small pups peacefully sleeping on her back.
Both are the size of a tiny dog. The first pup has light silver fur, while the second has a darker tone of silver.
"They are Skoll and Hati. Our young children." Sif says as she uses her tail to settle them down on the ice.
The pups continue to sleep peacefully.
"I heard about a prophecy in which they will eat the moon and the sun. I'm worried about them getting captured by Loki and used as weapons of war." Fenrir admits. "I need to take care of Loki and Hel, but I can't do it while my family is in danger. Skoll and Hati are too young. Sif is already a target, so she can't return to Alfeheim for now."
"You want me to protect them?" Midg asks.
"Yes, and one more thing. Sif is time. I promise to return once it is all over." Fenrir says as he turns to his mate.
Sif nods and takes a few steps away after seeing her children one last time. Once she's far enough, she howls to the sky before her body gets engulfed in a blinding light. After a few moments, the wolf is no more, and only a tiny stone statue remains.
"Sif is a sacred beast, and she'll be fine, but my kids are too young. If she continues to follow me, Sif will die, and Alfeheim will surely be affected by her death. I need you to keep them safe. But, as the older brother, I can't drag you into this conflict, but I can ask you to keep them safe." Fenrir grabs the statue in his mouth before placing it in front of Midg. "Can you do this for me?"
The dragon stays silent for a few moments. He remembers the years he looked for him, the regret of never getting to rescue him from the clutches of Loki. The dragon transforms into his human form and reaches out to the statue. "I never did anything for you, but this I can do. Until the day you end Loki and all of those who threaten your family, I'll keep them safe. I'll make sure they're safe, brother."
Fenrir lowers his head and closes his eyes. "Thank you, Midgardsormr. I entrust you with their safety. One day I'll be back."
Fenrir turns to his sons one last time before he stands up and departs.
Without looking back, the wolf embarks on a cruel mission to kill his creator or die trying.
Midg watched in silence as his brother departed. The dragon then turned his sight to the statue before he put it away within the safety of his pocket dimension. Midg reaches out and carefully grabs both pups within his arms before transforming.
The pups then lay on top of his head.
"Skoll, Hati, Sif, I'll keep you all safe until the day he returns." The dragon takes flight to return home with a new mission that he is determined to accomplish.
Notes of the author:
We are reaching the end of the side stories. I'll either stop on 22 or 24 side stories. These were two of the ones that I wish to write about the most. First, I needed a way to explain how a child of Loki is related to the first generation of dragons and add a bit more context to Gaia and Great Red's mythos. Second, I also wanted to introduce Loki's place as one of the story's villains and Hel as one of the future adversaries of the main cast. Sorry for the wait; I hope to release the next one on Monday, the 28th, if all goes to plan. I'll see you next time.*