Sun Valley, Falligar - Galactic Frontier
What was supposed to be a satisfying end to a warm day of sunshine for the people of Falligar became a nightmare of horrors. The first sign that something was wrong was the oppressive cloud of shadow that engulfed the sky, blotting out the last glimmering ray of light from the setting sun. The air grew colder than it should have, and Falligar the Behemoth, their patron god, opened his eyes.
Then the attack came. An entire horde of Black Berserkers emerged from the ground in an instant.
For the Falligarians, most of them stood no chance against the terrible beasts and were brutally massacred. Warriors frantically took up arms amidst the chaos and rushed to fight the Berserkers. At first, wielding swords and maces with their considerable strength, they were able to withstand the merciless assault. They were bolstered with courage and hope when Falligar released a powerful roar, accompanied by a beam of energy, which shot into the heavens above.
Lowering his head, Falligar growled and moved to defend his people. Dozens of Berserkers fell against his might, either being crushed underfoot from his sheer size or incinerated by beams of energy.
~Behemoth...~
Falligar froze as he felt an evil presence attempt to infiltrate his mind. He snarls and easily wards off the psychic attack before turning around to locate its source, sensing it to be near. However, the psychic attack was intended to fail.
A flash of movement alerts the god, but he's unable to react in time before the God Butcher strikes. A wide arc of dark energy slices through the air with a loud shriek, and Falligar gives a terrible shriek as his front right foot is completely severed. He collapses, agony coursing through his leg like rivers of lightning. The Falligarians look on in horror and despair, and a new wave of Berserkers surge forward and begin tearing through their warriors.
Gorr stalks toward his prey, the immense difference in size between the two irrelevant in his eyes. A cruel smile is etched on his face. Falligar groans, struggling to lift himself up, and his eyes meet Gorr's orange ones.
The God Butcher points at him with his sword and a horde of Black Berserkers charge at him; four monsters rapidly grow in size. Falligar roars when the first Berserker to reach him bites his leg. He retaliates by grabbing it in his massive jaws and violently throws him into the second giant, killing them instantly with the force of the impact. The onslaught of monsters began to swarm over Falligar like a colony of ants, clambering up his massive bulk. The third and fourth giants then crash into him and, though only a quarter of his size, he staggers backward.
Falligar uses his teeth, claws, and energy beam to fight off the Berserkers, killing several with each blow, but more kept rising from the shadows to replace them. Eventually Gorr himself struck once more; a great wave of shadow and darkness surges from him and Falligar's eyes go wide. He fires a great beam of energy that clashes with the darkness, pushing it back toward the God Butcher. One of the giant Berserkers then bites down hard on his severed limb and he screeches in agony, halting his beam and leaving him vulnerable to Gorr's attack, which sends him toppling to the ground.
Gorr approaches the great Behemoth with a smile on his face as his Berserkers swarm over the wounded god. Falligar roars in both pain and fury and lashes out with a clawed arm, but misses as Gorr sinks into the ground with swift speed and remerges right after, completely unbothered. The god instead smashes a dozen Berserkers into black goo and grabs another giant, ripping its head clean off, then attempts to stand.
"Demon! Butcher!" the great Behemoth roars, his open mouth glowing in preparation to fire his energy beam.
Gorr snarls and thrusts his sword into the ground; a black spike shoots up beneath Falligar's wounded limb and stabs it, resulting in another ear-piercing screech of pain.
"Now now… you are a great one… but not great enough, Behemoth," Gorr sneers at his prey with contempt. "However, you may be able to help me."
Falligar snarls at him.
"I will fall to the depths of Hel before I— AGGH!" he's cut off as the fourth giant bites down on his neck.
Falligar turns his head to grab his attacker, snarling in pain at every bite and slash inflicted on him by the swarm of smaller Berserkers, but before he could do so Gorr shoots another black spike that impales the Behemoth's torso, and he roars.
"I can arrange worse," Gorr states coldly. "Tell me… where are the Valdilar?"
Despite the pain he's in, Falligar still reacts to the question and locks eyes with the God Butcher, hissing through his teeth but otherwise saying nothing. Gorr narrows his eyes and impales Falligar with yet another spike.
"Where does their Realm lie?" he demands.
Falligar groans, agony coursing through his body from the many wounds inflicted on him by Gorr and the relentlessly savage Berserkers. Still, he musters the strength to glare at Gorr with unwavering conviction.
"Not even if I knew!" he snarls.
A growl of anger slips past Gorr's rotten teeth and he raises his sword to strike. Just then his attention is pulled away when a great pillar of rainbow light falls from the sky, parting the dark clouds in its descent and crashing into the center of the city.
The God Butcher gazes at the distant pillar in surprise, watching the first wave of golden-clad warriors emerge to engage in battle with the Black Berserkers.
"Asgardians..." he murmurs, a bit uncertain.
The sword in his hand seems to glow with darkness and its voice echoes around him.
~They bring the key.~
Gorr looks down at All-Black for a moment and then back to the arrival of Asgard's legions. His uncertainty fades and is replaced with a smile as he senses multiple gods approaching.
Intrigued, Gorr faces Falligar once again and grips his sword tightly in both hands.
"Strong in my heart is one simple dream," he says, raising his sword up high. "The dream of a godless age."
The sword falls.
For every second that the Bifrost remained open, dozens of Einherjar emerged from it and into the city. At the head of their ranks stood Odin, clad in his battle armor and adorned with a horned helmet, holding Gungnir in one hand. Upon the Einherjar's emergence from the Bifrost a handful of Black Berserker's charged at the new arrivals with savage roars; with a single motion, the Allfather levels his spear and shoots a golden beam that incinerates the Berserkers.
"Go! Protect the people!" Odin ushers the first line of warriors into battle.
The Einherjar need no further incentive to advance and attack the vicious Berserkers. Behind Odin more Einherjar step out of the Bifrost and are joined by their commander Tyr, Thor and Loki, Sif and the Warriors Three, and finally Jarik and Ahsoka. Tyr and the Princes move up beside Odin, and the assembled group of warriors gaze upon the sight before them with various levels of discomfort and unease.
"By the grace of Buri... these are ungodly creatures," Tyr murmurs.
"Then let us send them where they belong!" Thor exclaims, brandishing his hammer.
"Protecting the people of Falligar is our first priority," Odin quickly reminds his son.
More of Asgard's legion continues to emerge from the Bifrost, and the Allfather raises his spear to address them.
"We are the might of Asgard! Show your strength and fear no darkness!" he declares.
The assembled army of Asgardians shout a war cry in response and the Einherjar charge forward into battle. Thor leads the charge with a tremendous leap into the air; Mjolnir is wreathed in deadly bolts of lightning, and with a shout the God of Thunder strikes down a group of Berserkers.
Jarik and Ahsoka share a brief glance with each other, readying themselves mentally for the fight, then ignite their lightsabers and join the Asgardians in battle.
As the Bifrost closes behind them, the Einherjar push through the horde of Berserker's to secure a foothold on the city. Black bodies mingle with golden armor as the two opposing forces enter combat with each other, black and red blood spilling across the street. The surviving Falligarians are filled with amazement and a newfound sense of hope upon the Asgardians' arrival.
With a flourish of his lightsabers Jarik leaps onto a Berserker's back and stabs it, and it collapses with a pained cry. Another Berserker, which took the form of a reptilian creature, lunges at Jarik and he quickly backpedals to avoid its snapping jaws. Ahsoka then hits it in the face with a swipe of her staff, discharging purple energy on impact that leaves a nasty burn, then jabs her lightsaber to kill it.
"Force... it feels like some sort of hive mind..." she observes in discomfort.
Jarik nods his head in agreement. Another Berserker, this one much more insectoid in appearance, scuttles toward the Jedi and Ahsoka jumps into the air while Jarik rolls to the side, though one of its legs stretches out to knock him down. The monster leaps at him and tries to bite Jarik's face and he frantically holds its mouth back with his hands. A pair of glowing blue daggers shot through the air and impaled the beast, causing it to pull away from Jarik with a pained screech. Loki dashes over in a blur of swift motion before stopping to smile, after which the Berserker drops dead with two daggers stuck in either side of its head.
"Thanks," Jarik sighs, getting back up. "What the kriff even are these things?"
"Monstrosities created by the God Butcher," Loki answers. "They exist only to kill."
Before anything else could happen a terrible earth-shattering roar echoed through the air, pulling everyone's attention to it. In the distance they could see the titanic form of Falligar the Behemoth—the two Jedi widen their eyes in astonishment at his size—collapse onto his side. A great burst of unseen energy is blown outward from the Behemoth as his body goes still.
The atmosphere in the valley, and even the entire planet, shifts instantly with the Behemoth's death.
The temperature suddenly drops, becoming much colder, and a harsh wind starts to blow across the valley. Worst of all, however, is the reaction from the Falligarians. Their cries of horror and anguish fill the air and it feels as though their hearts have been torn from them in the wake of their grief.
"No..." Odin whispers in dismay.
His son's reaction is much more violent.
"NOO!" Thor screams with rage.
He raises Mjolnir to the heavens and casts a giant bolt of lightning which incinerates every Berserker within a fifty yard radius. In the distance where Falligar fell, a pale figure cloaked in white could be seen. Thor locks eyes with his foe and roars, his voice rumbling with the power of a raging thunderstorm that shakes the two Jedi to their bones.
"BUTCHER OF GODS! THE NEXT SPRAY OF BLOOD AND TEARS SHALL BE YOURS!" the God of Thunder declares.
Without a moment to waste Thor takes flight, lifting off with such force the ground cracked where he stood, and shot toward the God Butcher like a bullet.
"Thor!" Loki exclaims in both dismay and anger. "That oaf! He's going to get himself killed!"
"Go! We'll handle these beasts!" Sif tells him, impaling a Berserker through its skull.
"No!" Odin's voice boomed. "Remain here! I will deal with this!"
A direct order from the Allfather has even Loki defer without argument. Odin's body starts to glow with faint golden light and he takes off in pursuit of Thor.
In the midst of a war between gods, this sudden and frightening turn of events leaves Jarik and Ahsoka feeling more out of their depth than ever before. They lock eyes with each other for a moment, worry and fear shared between them. Nevertheless, despite the circumstances they've found themselves in the resolve to trust the Allfather's judgment, for now at the very least.
"Push forward!" Tyr rallies the Einherjar to him in Odin's absence. "Do not back down!"
All life seemed to vanish from the Falligarians with the death of their god, and their despair leaves them virtually helpless against the horde of Black Berserkers. Spotting one monster tearing open the side of a building to expose a petrified family, Jarik rushes to their aid. He hurls one saber like a javelin at the Berserker before it could strike the family and it staggers away with a yelp when the blade impales its flank. It turns to face Jarik but he speedily cuts through its head before it could retaliate, killing it instantly.
Ahsoka follows behind Jarik with her saber and staff in hand. She flips over a reptilian Berserker as it tries to bite her and slices her blade through its neck, then uses the Force to toss its corpse into another monster to send it sprawling. That Berserker is swiftly decapitated by an axe swing from Volstagg.
"Mindless brutes, they are! Haha!" he laughs despite the gruesome battle.
A hulking beast covered in huge spines moves toward Volstagg, but the burly Asgardian leaps at it unflinchingly and collides with enough force to tackle it to the ground. Fandral, having finished cutting a spider-like beast to ribbons with his sword, looks on the scene with dismay.
"Not far off from you," he remarks.
There's not enough time to appreciate the humor in that moment before another Berserker lunges at the two Jedi.
"Behind you!" Ahsoka cries out in warning.
Jarik whirls around and backpedals to evade a monstrous bite from the Berserker, but Ahsoka fires a burst of violet energy from her staff to send it sprawling. The beast hurriedly gets back up and roars angrily in reply, but in the midst of its charge Jarik raises his lightsaber in time to stab it directly through its open mouth. He topples backward as the monster's body slams into him, but the Berserker itself was killed instantly. Jarik groans as he gets back to his feet and retrieves. his lightsabers.
"Not much worse than Hssiss dragons," he comments, to which Ahsoka sighs.
The God Butcher watches with a somewhat bored expression as Thor quickly approaches his position. When the God of Thunder reaches him he drops from the sky with a great yell, his hammer wreathed in lightning and poised to strike.
In the blink of an eye Gorr sinks into the shadows and Thor strikes the ground. The resulting impact creates a large crater around him and throws dust and debris into the air. Thor straightens with a scowl and looks around for his foe. The God Butcher's form emerges from the dust nearby and stalks forward with a wild grin on his face.
"Ahhh, the Prince!" he drawls sarcastically.
Thor turns toward him and lifts up his hammer with a fierce glare.
"And future king of ASGARD!" he exclaims.
The God of Thunder twirls Mjolnir in his hand and then tosses it forward, to which Gorr swipes his sword up to deflect it. Thor rushes forward and throws a punch that Gorr evades before slashing his sword out at him, but Thor ducks underneath it and subsequently lands an uppercut that staggers Gorr. He recalls Mjolnir and swings it down, but Gorr dodges by sinking into the ground and then immediately reappears behind him, lunging forward to tackle him to the ground. Thor grunts in surprise, losing his grip on Mjolnir, and is pinned against Falligar's lifeless corpse by several slimy tendrils which appear from the ground while Gorr points the Necrosword at his neck.
"You will be king of nothing," Gorr sneers.
Before he could kill the Asgardian Prince, however, a fantastic beam of golden energy is shot out and collides with the God Butcher, sending him sprawling with an inhuman shriek of pain and rage. Thor rips the slimy tendrils off of him and falls to the icy ground when Odin appears beside him in all his glory.
"Stand up!" he says sternly.
Thor quickly does so, calling Mjolnir back to his hand and looks around in search of Gorr, finding him in a crouched position a few yards away. He summons a bolt of lightning into Mjolnir and then fires it at Gorr while Odin simultaneously shoots another beam from Gungnir. Gorr looks up at their assault and immediately vanishes into the shadows, letting the two energy blasts hit nothing. Odin lifts his spear with a deep frown and the God Butcher doesn't re-emerge.
"We can't let him get away, father!" Thor exclaims.
"Do not let your rage get the best of you!" Odin retorts firmly. "Defending the people is our first priority!"
Thor scowls but doesn't argue with his father. He spares Falligar a brief look, genuine sorrow in his eyes, before twirling his hammer once more to take flight and soar back to the city. Odin turns to face the fallen form of Falligar and rests a hand on his snout.
"Falligar, old friend..."
Despite the addition of the Einherjar legion, the battle with Gorr's monsters remained ferocious. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three proved invaluable in carving a path through the horde, felling Berserkers left and right, but their sheer number and viciousness was proving to be difficult for the army to overcome. For every monster felled, another rose from the shadows to take its place.
Jarik's precision with his lightsabers enabled him to maintain an edge against the strength and ferocity of the supernatural monsters. Ahsoka's speed proved instrumental in her ability to duck and weave past snapping jaws from Berserkers, allowing her to sneak in a cut with her blade or utilize her staff to push them back if one got too close.
Jarik rolls to avoid the snapping jaws of one Berserker and jumps into the air with his sabers raised. However, the insectoid monster thrusts out a spiked limb which suddenly elongates into a whip with a bladed tip that snaps toward him. Jarik cries out in surprise and brings his left arm in front of himself. The sharp whip cuts through the fabric of his sleeve and scratches his arm but otherwise does no damage, though the force of the impact knocks him out of the air.
The Berserker screeches and rushes in for the kill but a bolt of green energy from Loki knocks it off its feet, and Sif slides across the ground to slice its gut open with her blade.
"Keep your guard up, Jedi! These beasts can shape-shift!" Sif states.
She rushes toward another Berserker, which morphs its arm into a spike mace to swipe at her and she lifts her shield to block it. Jarik gets to his feet, grumbling to himself in exasperation.
"Fantastic!" he scoffs.
"You're not strong enough to fight without being clever, Jedi," Loki tells him.
A snake-like Berserker slithers toward Loki and he regards it with contempt. It lunges forward in a lightning-quick strike, poisonous fangs outstretched, only to pass through nothing. The Berserker hisses in confusion as the figure of Loki vanishes in a flash of green light before the real Loki is suddenly right next to its head and stabbing it through the eye with a dagger.
Ahsoka lifts her brow in surprise at the casual display of power and shares a bewildered look with Jarik, who merely shrugs in response.
"Hogun! Watch your rear!" Sif calls out.
The warrior in question whirls around at her warning and swings his mace, landing a direct hit on a Berserker which had lunged at him. The beast topples away with a yelp and Hogun slams his mace down on its skull, then turns to face the next Berserker to approach him.
Meanwhile, Volstagg slams his forearm into the face of a spider-like Berserker that sends it sprawling with a strangled cry. He raises his axe and brings it down on the Berserker, splattering black blood over his armor.
"Taste my axe, mongrel! AHH!" his laugh suddenly turns into a scream.
The burly warrior's companions whirl around to see a rather large draconic Berserker with its jaws clamped around his arm and dragging him headfirst through the ground, tearing up the city street. Volstagg sputters out a large volume of curses and angry threats while punching the dragon's face in an attempt to free himself.
"Who's helping him this time?" Fandral asks sarcastically.
Loki hides his disgruntled expression while Sif groans loudly in frustration.
"Come on," she urges the group.
She, Fandral, and Hogun rush after their comrade and, after a brief moment, Loki begrudgingly follows after them.
The two Jedi take notice of their departure, but another Berserker attacks them before they have a chance to consider following them. It knocks Jarik to the ground then swipes a clawed hand at Ahsoka which she barely avoids by twirling beneath it, though drops her staff in the process. She backs up frantically to get some distance and the Berserker charges. She grits her teeth and thrusts her palms forward to blast it away with a Force push, sending it crashing into the side of a building.
Just then a dark shadow seems to converge over her mind and Ahsoka flinches in pain. Sinister voices whisper in her mind, their words indiscernible except for one.
~Morai...~
For a brief moment she's taken aback by the... familiarity... of that dark presence, but only for a moment.
The Berserker gets back up and lunges at Ahsoka with a furious roar but Jarik jumps in and stabs both of his lightsabers into its neck, and the monster collapses with a strangled cry. Jarik turns toward Ahsoka with concern and after a few more seconds she shakes her head as the shadowy presence fades into the background.
"You doing okay?" Jarik asks her.
"Yeah, just... that darkness..." she replies, unsettled deeply by it.
"Must be the Butcher," he remarks.
Ahsoka nods but then widens her eyes in alarm.
"On your six!" she exclaims.
Jarik doesn't hesitate to turn and slashes his lightsaber, decapitating a serpentine Berserker in a blur of golden light. Ahsoka quickly retrieves her staff and the pair move back into the fray of combat. An Einherjar warrior falls on his back after being struck down by a Berserker, but before it could deliver the killing blow Ahsoka shoots a bolt of energy from her staff that knocks it aside, allowing the Asgardian to get back up and kill it with his sword. He gives her a brief nod of gratitude before charging at the next foe.
In the middle of the city street now, Ahsoka and Jarik move together in perfect sync, dispatching any Berserker unfortunate enough to cross their path. All around them the battle rages on; numerous corpses littered the streets, many of them Berserkers, but there was also a great deal of Asgardians and Falligarians who lay dead as well, their corpses ravaged or mangled in gruesome ways.
Suddenly, after blasting another Berserker away with her staff, the dark presence converges on her, this time much stronger.
~Winged Goddess...~
~Kill the gods!~
Ahsoka stiffens in surprise and quickly creates a barrier around her mind to keep the shadowy presence out but the voices still linger, whispering at her and hissing. As if in a trance she turned her head around, following the source of the voices, and farther down the length of the city street she saw him.
A ghoul, dressed in robes which were bone white, stood unfazed at the battle raging all around him. He watches her with gleaming orange eyes.
The Jedi freezes in place, sensing the source of that dark presence originating from him. The ghoul's entire focus is on her, and from him she senses nothing but malevolence. She blinks her eyes and the ghoul suddenly vanishes without a trace, as if he was never there. Ahsoka steps back in surprise and looks around frantically, unable to see the ghoul but still sensing his presence.
There!
The ghoul reappears amidst the throng of clashing fighters and was now on the move. Holding a black sword in his hand—from which she sensed the worst of that dark presence—he begins stalking toward her, his unblinking gaze never leaving her.
"Jarik..." Ahsoka says slowly, fear building in her.
Having been locked in combat with a Black Berserker, Jarik finally manages to defeat it by dropping underneath its slashing claws and stabs it through the jaw. He removes his saber and turns to look at her, sensing her distress.
"What is it?" he asks her.
Ahsoka doesn't respond right away, still looking at the approaching ghoul. Jarik follows her gaze but the ghoul had suddenly vanished into thin air once again. He looks around the chaos for a moment, not seeing anything, but takes a step forward nonetheless to be ahead of Ahsoka. He glances back at her in concern, noting the tremble in her hands whilst she grips her weapons tightly. He starts to sense something isn't right himself.
The Force feels erratic, and is practically screaming at them both that there's danger. The presence of something truly evil fills the air.
"Ahsoka?" he asks her again, growing anxious.
A chill runs up Ahsoka's spine and just then the ghoul reappears, this time only a few feet away. His scarred pale face is etched into a cruel sneer, and his orange eyes glow brightly with malice.
"Look out!" Ahsoka screams in panic.
Jarik whirls around at her warning and Ahsoka attacks first by swinging her staff, but before she could hit him Gorr sinks into the ground and she hits nothing. She spins around in shock when Gorr appears behind her, swinging his sword faster than she could react. Fortunately, Jarik intercepts the black sword with his lightsaber just in time to save her from a fatal blow.
The black sword lets out an audible hiss upon contact with his saber but otherwise remains firm, and Gorr frowns in irritation. Jarik strikes out with his second blade but Gorr lifts his sword to block it and easily shoves both sabers aside, after which he lashes out with a quick punch that sends Jarik flying with a pained cry.
Ahsoka thrusts her saber out but Gorr twists his sword into an upward strike that disarms her and she staggers back. She backflips to avoid a slash meant to cut her in half and then thrusts her staff forward. The Power Stone fires a burst of energy at Gorr but he sidesteps to avoid it and strikes out yet again, and Ahsoka holds up her staff to block it. Her knees buckle under the sheer strength of Gorr's attack and she drops to one knee. Thinking frantically, Ahsoka draws energy from the Force and the Power Stone to enhance her own strength to be able to resist Gorr, bringing their struggle to a standstill.
The God Butcher gazes at her with a wicked gleam in his eyes, his mouth practically drooling as he grins at her.
"Well well, if it isn't the goddess Morai," he hisses with delight.
Ahsoka grits her teeth and tries to push him back, yet Gorr doesn't budge an inch. With a mocking smile, Gorr thrusts their weapons aside and then kicks her to the ground.
"How I've longed to kill one of you!" he exclaims.
He lifts his sword and stabs downward but Ahsoka rolls out of the way and retrieves her staff, then uses it to fire another burst of energy that knocks Gorr away. She stands back up and takes a second to control her breathing and calm down, then glares at the ghostly butcher.
"Keep longing!" she growls.
Gorr gets up with a scowl on his face and Jarik rushes forward with a roar, swinging his two lightsabers at him. Gorr lifts his sword to block and briefly duels the Jedi Master, deflecting his strikes and then pushing him back for a quick jab. Jarik crosses his sabers in front of him to hold the sword there and Ahsoka thrusts her palm out. However, Gorr pulls back to dodge her Force push and then dashes forward in a blur of motion, knocking Jarik away. He then stabs his sword into the ground and a wave of shadow and darkness surges out with terrible screeching.
Ahsoka backs up in alarm and frantically throws up a Force shield around herself just as the darkness converges on her, covering her bubble. Gorr sneers in amusement before an angry shout has him looking over in alarm to see Jarik lunging toward him. Gorr backpedals, his sword still in the ground, and Jarik repeatedly swings his saber in a blur of light, just barely missing each time. Eventually Gorr grabs both his wrists and spins around to send Jarik crashing through the wall of a nearby building. Jarik sprawls onto the floor amidst the debris.
"Come on," he groans in pain, shaking his head.
Gorr doesn't spare him another glance, preferring to focus on Ahsoka, and he rips his sword from the ground and rushes at her. With the darkness still assaulting her, Ahsoka gathers her energy within herself and thrusts the end of her staff into the ground with a defiant shout. A wave of Force energy blasts outward, dispersing the darkness and throwing Gorr aside before he could strike. A few Berserkers which stood too close were also knocked over, leaving them vulnerable to the Einherjar.
Jarik clambers out of the house and Ahsoka rushes over to his side, gripping his arm with a worried look on her face. He meets her eyes and gives a faint nod that he's ok. Satisfied, she opens her bond to him and they combine their energy, strengthening themselves in preparation for the battle. Their eyes start glowing, his with gold and hers with silver.
The God Butcher stalks toward the two Jedi, showing no signs of fatigue or injury. However, his eyes light up in both intrigue and amazement.
"Aha! What a treat!" he exclaims. "You're not Morai, no… but you carry her spirit!"
He then glances at Jarik, acknowledging him for the first time as more than a nuisance.
"Both of you!" he sneers.
The Sun and Moon stand side by side and gather their power. Jarik retrieves both lightsabers, opting to wield one, and Ahsoka holds her staff out in front of her, letting the Power Stone gleam in a display of power. Gorr advances like a predator with All-Black held casually by his side, and the Jedi dash forward to meet him.
Jarik strikes first with a swift feint move but Gorr intercepts his blade with ease and shoves him back. Ahsoka throws a Force push, which Gorr withstands, then swings her staff in a small arc to fling a bolt of purple energy at him that Gorr avoids by side stepping. The two Jedi converge on him and attack simultaneously, putting Gorr on the defensive for a brief moment as he alternates between them, either deflecting their strikes or dodging them altogether.
After a few seconds he retaliates by sinking into the ground and popping up behind Jarik, jabbing his sword. Jarik narrowly dodges and whirls around to face him but is kicked away and Ahsoka brings her staff down on him, forcing Gorr to block with his blade. Jarik rolls across the ground and gasps for air, having gotten the wind knocked out of him, and Gorr shoves Ahsoka's staff away with ease. Before he could strike her Jarik thrusts his right palm outward and unleashes a stream of electric judgment which forces Gorr to defend himself instead, leaving him open to another Force push from Ahsoka that throws him back. He skids across the ground for a few yards before stopping and chuckles, shaking his head.
"Impressive," Gorr smirks in amusement. "But not nearly enough."
The two Jedi make a rush for him but Gorr swings All-Black in a wide arc, unleashing a devastating wave of dark energy at them. They widen their eyes in alarm and barely manage to form a Force shield before it hits them, and they're sent flying across the street and crash into a building. The arc of dark energy also slices through a crowd of combatants and cuts everyone in half; Asgardians, Falligarians, even a few Black Berserkers.
Gorr cackles with glee and starts advancing toward the building which the Jedi crashed into. He passes a wounded Einherjar who lost a leg from the deadly strike and decapitates him without a second thought.
Before he gets any farther, however, a volley of glowing daggers are sent hurtling through the air at the God Butcher which he ducks underneath in surprise. Annoyed, he turns his head to find one responsible and sees Loki standing a few yards away from him, summoning two more daggers into his hands.
"Fret not over the Jedi, dear butcher," Loki suggests calmly. "Animals such as yourself—"
Gorr smirks in amusement and waves his hand, and a black spike shoots out of the ground and impales the Prince of Asgard. However, despite being interrupted in his sentence Loki isn't phased whatsoever, as though he didn't even feel it.
Suddenly, Gorr hears a voice behind him whispering directly into his ear.
"...always fall prey to mischief," Loki finishes coldly.
Gorr's smile drops and he whirls around to stab Loki, only for his blade to pass through him just like before. 'Loki' simply smiles at him and takes a step back, arms outstretched in challenge. Another dagger hurtles through the air and impales Gorr through his side, making him snarl with pain. He angrily rips the dagger out, letting his wound heal, and turns only to find three Loki's advancing on him. Another dagger is shot out from the opposite direction, but this time Gorr knocks it aside.
The God Butcher growls furiously as more and more illusions of Loki start to surround him, each one bearing the same smirk. He stabs the ground with All-Black and unleashes a wave of shadow that tears through a handful of Loki's, but is instead rewarded by the real one slicing a blade through his back. Gorr roars and spins around to attack him, but Loki had already vanished into the crowd of his doppelgangers, who were closing in on him now with only a few feet of space left between them.
Although filled with rage, Gorr refrains from attacking again and instead closes his eyes, gripping his sword tightly with both hands. The crowd of Loki's lift their daggers in preparation to strike, but when they do Gorr opens his eyes again and lashes out with a terrible scream. The real Loki gasps in alarm and tries to pull back, but can't move fast enough before the black sword cuts along his left side and slices out a small chunk of flesh and his leather tunic. Loki shouts in pain and Gorr lunges forward to grab him by the throat, lifting him up into the air with triumphant glee.
"You are no god..." Gorr then says after studying him for a moment. "I almost pity you."
He lifts his sword to kill the God of Mischief but a terrible roar heralds the arrival of Thor, who crashes into Gorr with a clap of thunder. Loki is tossed aside in a heap, grunting in pain as he hits the ground. Jarik and Ahsoka wearily stand, reeling from the painful impression that their bones might break, and force themselves up from the wrecked house and over to Loki.
"Are you okay?" Ahsoka asks in concern, attempting to help him stand.
"Fine, just fine," Loki replies, rejecting her assistance.
Thor's collision with the God Butcher tore up the road down the street, and flashes of lightning erupt many yards away as Thor continues to smash his hammer down on top of his foe. However, Gorr eventually manages to recover and Thor is suddenly sent flying backward by a blast of dark energy, and the group of three has to move aside to avoid being struck while Mjolnir crashes into the ground nearby.
Gorr moves at them with frightening speed and snarls with the rage of a rabid animal, swinging his sword to kill. Ahsoka holds her staff up to block his strike but is simply tossed away like a sack of potatoes by the God Butcher's incredible strength. Jarik attempts to strike but is parried by Gorr and then similarly knocked down by a heavy kick that sends him crashing into the side of a building yet again, and he shouts in pain. Gorr whirls around to face Loki next, narrowly ducking to evade a thrown dagger, and lunges forward. Loki casts an energy shield to defend himself but is quickly shoved backward as Gorr pushes against it.
Jarik groans as he pushes himself up, feeling as though the next hit he takes will almost certainly break bones. Slightly disoriented, he searches the ground for his lightsabers only for his hand to touch the handle of Mjolnir instead. He glances at it for a moment then back at Gorr to see him slowly but surely overpowering Loki's barrier.
"What the heck," he grumbles.
He grabs Mjolnir's handle and attempts to lift it, grunting in surprise at its weight for a moment, then steels himself and, with both hands, hauls the weapon off the ground. Gritting his teeth he dashes toward the God Butcher and pulls back the hammer just as Gorr knocks Loki to the ground. Sensing his approach Gorr turns to face him but Jarik yells and slams Mjolnir into his face, sending him sprawling with a pained roar. Jarik tries to hit him again but Gorr retaliates by casting a wave of darkness that tosses him and Loki back.
Ahsoka rushes over to Jarik and helps him to stand, and then looks up to see Gorr advancing on them with a cruel sneer.
"Is it fun to be subservient to a god's will, Jedi?" he asks in a mocking tone. "To be used by a higher power?"
"Nobody is using us," Ahsoka snaps at him.
"Oh really?" Gorr lifts an eyebrow in disbelief and cackles. "Then why are you here?"
He raises his sword in preparation to strike when a bright flash of gold energy alerts everyone to Odin's arrival. The king of Asgard stands on the roof of a building above Gorr with his spear pointed at him.
"They are here, Butcher, simply because I asked," he states.
Gorr widens his eyes at the sight of Odin and then scowls. A mixture of emotions flashes through his face; shock, anger, disgust, contempt, and then pure loathing.
"Allfather!" he spits the name out like a curse.
"You've caused quite enough damage in your crusade," Odin says, his voice stern. "I will demand only once that you stand down."
A smirk tries to pull at Gorr's lips but there's no amusement or mockery of any sort in it; just pure rage.
"Tell me, one butcher to another... did you and your firstborn offer the same mercy during your crusade?" he growls.
Odin's eye narrows and he fires a beam of energy from Gungnir, but Gorr sinks into the shadows and the beam hits nothing. All around the city, the darkness seems to recede and no more new Berserkers emerge.
A direct confrontation with Odin himself seemed to be enough to force the God Butcher into a retreat. The remaining Black Berserkers in the city were hunted down by the Einherjar while Thor flew around in a relentless search for Gorr, only to come up with nothing. Thor's fury was vengeful and deadly, but fortunately he didn't take it out on any of his allies.
Following their own duel with the God Butcher, Jarik and Ahsoka took some time to rest and recover. The fight taxed a great deal of their energy, and both were covered in bruises from the hits he landed on them. If it weren't for Ahsoka's possession of the Power Stone, she's not sure she would've been able to withstand Gorr's might, much less challenge him in combat.
While sitting on a set of stairs Jarik watches as Asgardian soldiers split their duties between aiding the native Falligarians and ensuring any Berserkers remain dead. An uneasy feeling settles in his heart at the level of carnage wrought, all by the hand of a powerful foe.
One who knew plenty about the Mortis gods.
Ahsoka suddenly gives a very faint grunt of discomfort, rubbing her forehead, and Jarik turns toward her in concern. He stretches his mind out to her over their bond to comfort her.
'Are you doing alright?'
She nods her head in response before giving him a look.
'I think I should be asking you,' she replies. 'You took a serious beating.'
'I've had worse,' he lets out a sigh.
Ahsoka hums faintly in acknowledgement. Her staff is resting in her lap and she looks at it for a moment. The pulsing glow of the Power Stone reflects in her eyes. The encounter with Gorr still has her trembling a little, and she takes hold of Jarik's hand into her own.
'You should make a list of cosmic bad guys we've met,' she says in an attempt to lighten the mood, for herself and him.
Jarik rolls his eyes and scoffs.
'I hate that you're right.'
They both share a faint smile with each other, taking comfort in their bond.
Footsteps alert them to Odin's approach and they stand up to address him. The Allfather holds Gungnir in one hand and his helmet is tucked under the other arm. His expression is firm and resolute despite the travesty surrounding them.
"How are the people?" Ahsoka asks.
"They suffered many losses. Sadly, with Falligar's passing, this land will soon succumb to the frozen wastes his power kept at bay."
The Jedi gives faint nods of acknowledgement and spare another glance at the ruined city and its grieving inhabitants. It's a sight they're all too familiar with, having seen it countless times in the Clone Wars.
"Anything we can do for them?" she asks.
"I'm afraid not. But Asgard will do what it can to help them find a new home," Odin looks over the Falligarians, his expression softening just slightly, before he returns his focus to the Jedi. "Loki tells me you fought well. Not many cross blades with the God Butcher and live to tell the tale."
"We're just fortunate you were here to drive him away," Jarik shakes his head.
"I only wish we could have arrived sooner," the Allfather sighs. "Alas, what's done is done. The future is all we can shape."
Jarik nods in agreement, still troubled at the prospect of the God Butcher.
"Do you know what he'll do next?"
"He will keep to the shadows for some time, regaining his strength. He strikes when we least expect it, so we must always remain vigilant," Odin states. "Until then, I believe you have earned the right to return home."
Surprise filters through the Jedi at his statement, and they share a brief glance with each other.
"You believe so?" Ahsoka asks, perplexed.
"You wielded the Stone with both reservation and great care, and have kept it safe thus far from prying eyes," he explains, nodding to her. "As of this point in time, I am content with the Stone remaining in your care."
Ahsoka and Jarik both nod their heads in gratitude, unable to help but feel some relief.
"We'll do our best to keep it that way," Jarik tells him. "You have our thanks, King Odin."
Odin inclines his head to them in turn.
"Once we return to Asgard, I will have Heimdall send you home."
Shadow Realm - Multiverse
The Falligarians... he could sympathize with them. Like his own people, they relied solely on the protection of their god for survival. But now they will not have to suffer through the pain he endured from the god's betrayal. They will learn to endure life on their own and come to crave a greater purpose, as he had done. The arrival of Asgard's legion and the Allfather saw the Black Butcher retreat more swiftly than he originally intended. Despite the Asgardian intervention, however, he still managed to accomplish his goal.
And even better, he has discovered the key to fulfilling his quest.
Gorr slithers his way through his tent, glaring at the chaotic mess of papers and artifacts he's uncovered in his need for answers. The scribbles on his notes dictate his need to find a way to the gates of the universe. Doors found only within the Vergence Scatter.
"Jedi... Force Adepts... Children of the Tho Yor..." he murmurs to himself.
The two which he encountered on Falligar carried that power. A power which shaped and bound the universe together.
"Disciples of the Whills..." he hisses.
Only one galaxy in the universe was widely known to possess such beings. A galaxy over which the Source had domain.
"The Valdilar... they are the ones who guard the Source. The middle. The beginning. The end," he whispers to himself, the puzzle in his mind coming together.
~The gods of Mortis.~
His eyes widened in astonishment. How could he have not seen this before? The answer is clear! These two did not just wield that power by their own merit. He mistook them for another. They wielded her power.
"Yes... they know the Keeper of Balance," he snarls. "They are the Winged Goddess!"
~They hold the key to Eternity.~
The God Butcher hisses with delight as the puzzle is now solved. The Jedi wield the power of Morai. They carry her staff! An artifact of the Valdilar is what he needs to access their realm! The realm where he will find that which will see his quest fulfilled!
He holds his hand out by his side and All-Black slowly rises from the ground into his waiting palm.
He knows where to look now. An Infinity Stone is easy to track if one is able to follow the trail of power left in its wake. Such energy shines like a beacon, and is not hidden so easily from those who have felt it before.
~Find the Valdilar! Find Eternity! Kill the gods!~
Author's Note: Just a reminder before any of you go crazy, Mjolnir does not have the worthy enchantment yet. Hence why Jarik was able to lift it with no fuss. :)