- Chapter 18 -
23May2023 – Evening
The Malibu California Mansion Of Anthony Edward Stark
Leaning a little closer to his grandfather, Jay's eyes widened as the dust poured out of the garnet-glowing house. "Oh." The seidr from the house faded away as his uncle left. Then he turned his attention fully to his Afi Odin and spoke quietly. "Should I speak with the Master Builders now?"
Both Master Builder Toft and Master Builder Vestergaard both paid close attention to the child in the Lord of Asgard's arms. The elder Lord had explained to them previously that this was his grandson, as well as the Lord of Vanaheim's grandson. The boy was of Royal Issuance, and they were allowed to approach him because he had orders for them. The previous orders were regarding some Midgardian vehicles that had specific needs. It was all easily taken care of. If the young Prince had more orders for them then neither wanted to offend their Lord by not giving the boy the respect that his position demanded.
"Of course." Odin turned to both of the Master Builders again and spoke. "My grandson has another task for the Stone Builders, please pay attention to what he has to tell you."
"Yes, m'Lord," Master Builder Toft spoke at the same time as Master Builder Vestergaard said, "Yes, Lord Odin."
Jay motioned to the house as he spoke. "The house has been emptied of the important items. It's time to destroy the house, and anything left in it. From the roofs to the foundations of the house, everything needs to go. The house is attached to several utilities which need to be unearthed and capped off safely. Can you do that, please?"
Each Master Builder bowed respectfully to the young Prince and gave their assent. Master Builder Toft beat his counterpart to the punch when he asked, "Are there any special instructions in how we are to dispose of the house?"
"Whatever method or means you use needs to be absolute. There shouldn't be a pile of rubble left over. There shouldn't be anything left at all." The air of seriousness that Jay was attempting to project was harder for him to manage since he wasn't hiding in a wall.
It was Master Builder Vestergaard this time who spoke first. "We brought a large gleipnir-powered incinerator with us. I believe that Master Builder Toft should have one as well. We can tear down a mansion of this size and leave nothing behind. As for these 'utilities', Prince Jay, do you know what they look like, and where we might find them?"
"You'll find them buried in the ground. They'll be pipes carrying water and flammable gas, and cables carrying electricity and fiber optics." Holding his hands about eighteen inches apart, Jay looked to the Master Builders. "They should only be this far beneath the surface of the ground. Please be careful with the pipes carrying the gas. Enough of it can be violently explosive if introduced to even a small ignition source."
Ah, so that's what we were detecting as we landed. Bowing to the young Prince, the Asgardian Master Builder spoke first. "Thank you for your warning, Prince Jay, we appreciate it. I'll have my people begin taking the mansion apart immediately. The utilities will be seen to as we're working. Do we have your leave to begin our work?"
Looking between the two Master Builders Jay smiled and spoke firmly as he'd observed his grandfather doing. "Yes, you may both be dismissed to your duties."
Bowing respectfully, Master Builder Vestergaard, then Master Builder Toft spoke, "Yes, sir." Then they turned and headed back to the skammrassi where they had their larger equipment. In just a few minutes the incinerators were brought out of the skammrassi and set up neatly. Teams of people were sent scouring over the grounds, digging up the utilities, disconnecting them and capping them off above ground. Sweeping the grounds with his gaze, Jay noticed that the men from SHIELD had silently packed up and were leaving now. He waved a little wave at them as they left and smiled widely when Agent Reeves waved back at him. He was glad that his uncle was able to settle things peacefully with SHIELD so that his father wouldn't be in too much trouble. Not that his father wasn't still in trouble with his uncle, but that was more acceptable than being in trouble with SHIELD. It always had been, and he suspected always would be.
The mention of explosive gas gave Frey pause, so he turned to his grandson to ask about it. He could see that Odin was also disturbed by the warning that Jay had thankfully given to the Master Builders, "Jay, what manner of flammable gas was Anthony using, and for what?"
"Do you not have natural gas?" Jay knew that the Elder Realms were mostly powered by gleipnirs, which were powered by seidr, but he had thought that there were probably also other forms of energy generation, like there was on Earth.
"No, we have no gas that we use for anything other than alchemy." The innocence in Jay's expression made the younger monarch even more curious about what his grandson was talking about.
"Natural gas is created when various layers of organic matter, like marine microorganisms, decompose under anaerobic conditions while being subjected to intense geothermal heat deep underground. It takes millions of years to make. It's extracted through drilling and then processed in factories into usable gas. This gas is then used to heat homes and cook food. It's a fossil fuel," shaking his head, Jay said, "It's not renewable."
'Marine microorganisms' was translated by the All-Speak as 'smallest sea animals and bacteria'. Animals? Dead animals! Gases from their decaying corpses are used to cook food? A wave of disgust went through Frey.
"Stark was heating the mansion with this gas?" It added another layer of distaste to Odin's thoughts as he thought about the house being heated with a substance produced by the dead and refined in the realm itself.
"It heated the house, and was what mom used to cook for us." Neither of his grandfathers looked pleased with him telling them about it. Both of them had a decided tint of revulsion to the wrinkle in their noses.
"A gleipnir will power your next home. I'm sure I can convince Lord Eitri to install one with Prince Brokkr's aid." Frey was certain of it because he wasn't going to have any of his family cooking, and potentially ingesting, corpse fumes.
Odin looked like he was about to agree with Frey when Sean decided to intervene. There was an easier solution that had slipped their minds. "I'm sure that Lord Stark could install one of his larger arc reactors to provide clean energy for the next mansion. Isn't that right, Jay?"
"He was planning to do it for this house, so I don't see why he wouldn't for the next house." Jay nodded in agreement. "I wish I could see a gleipnir, to see how close they are to father's arc reactors. Mother says that they're all under heavy guard though. She says that I can't see them, that they're a secret." He was also certain that she knew the interior workings of a gleipnir but refused to tell him.
It took only a moment of mulling it over for Odin to make his decision. It was a whim that he knew he shouldn't indulge in. Political trouble could come from it, but he couldn't muster enough energy to care about that in the moment. Jay was a very trustworthy lad who he knew wouldn't gossip about the gleipnir, nor would his ship's crew. "I have to make a quick stop on Sa Ljodraen Berserkr before we return to Vanaheim. Its main engine is powered by a dwarven gleipnir. Would you like to see that one?" It was violating the spirit of the treaty he had with Lord Eitri and the Dvergar Kingdom, to keep the gleipnir a secret even from his own people, but it didn't violate the letter of the law. That was what was important.
Frey's eyebrows rose in surprise since he knew what Odin was doing was a violation of the treaty Asgard had with Nidavellir. He easily saw what his brother was doing because he had a similar treaty with them. The dvergar kept the same basic treaty with everyone. It was more of a contract than an actual treaty, but it gave them control over the gleipnirs that they made and sent forth into the Elder Realms. It was easy to see how Odin was going to get away with this as well, besides his people keeping silent. The phrase in the treaty, 'or as the King shall see fit,' was going to let Odin claim that he saw fit to show Jay the gleipnir. It wasn't at all what the phrase was supposed to mean, but Frey decided that he was going to use it the same as his brother and apologize to Brokkr later. He was certain that he could convince his dear friend that no harm was done since Brokkr had children of his own and was eagerly awaiting a grandchild from either of his sons. There was a certain amount of leeway that had to be given when dealing with grandchildren. "We'll be traveling back to Vanaheim on the Skithblathnir. You can see the gleipnir there, if you like. That way you can say that you've seen two gleipnirs." It was more gleipnirs than most nobles had seen, and certainly more than an average citizen would ever see. The younger King didn't mind however. His knew his grandson to be a very trustworthy individual.
"Can I really?! That's awesome!" A happy smile crossed Jay's face. Like his father he loved looking over new technology, particularly the tech of the Elder Realms. It was very curious to Jay that their tech was both so much more advanced then Earth's tech, but also in such need of being upgraded. The strange place between being more advanced and being in obvious need of advancement created a fun territory for him to play with the tech and see what he could do with it. Jay had always suspected that there were many things he could do if he ever had the tech available to play with.
Jay's enthusiasm amused Frigga. Most children wouldn't be so enamored with seeing an enchanted box without being able to open and see what was within. Her grandson seemed to be as fascinated with machines and engineering as his father. A little smile touched her lips as she scanned the busy area around her, remembering how Stark was using small gleipnirs to make toasted bread and drinks. It's better than 'natural' gas, she mused. Various noises drew her attention as a rancid smell drifted over to her nose. One of the teams of builders had a pipe dug up and was capping it. The pungent rotten smell was coming from that pipe. Behind her Jay was explaining to Odin that the foul smell was the gas he had warned them of. A brief little wrinkle in her nose was the only indication that she was displeased by it. She was glad to see the teams of builders dig up and cap off the utilities quickly, each pipe and bundle of wires taking only a few minutes. All the while the mansion was being quickly cut apart and fed into the incinerators. Puffs of blackened ash landed in the collection tray beneath the large machines where they were being broken down further by the enchantments there. Nothing was going to be left behind. Frigga thought that it might please James that there was nothing left, since he was adamant that the house be destroyed entirely. It was a sentiment that she could agree with. The house was vile and needed to be destroyed. Curiosity tinged her thoughts as she wondered why he wanted to preserve the workshop, what law he was obeying. It didn't surprise her that he was acting according to a Midgardian law, he was a deeply honorable man after all.
The young Prince's enthusiasm brought a small smile to Sean's face. It was a childish enthusiasm which made it cute to him. Jay was so much more than the 'AI Companion' and housekeeper that he had spent his life pretending to be. To be able to see the child beneath the mask of Jarvis felt special to him. It certainly helped his positive opinion along that Jay was such a happy child despite everything that had happened to him. It was both strange and admirable that Jay didn't try to foist his sorrow off onto someone else, or refuse to deal with it, like other children might have done. The boy was well composed even if he was a little quiet. He would fit in well with the clan's children.
The house was almost completely disassembled and burned up. The builders were pulling pieces up from the rooms down the cliff face. Frey was sad to see the little play castle he'd gifted his grandchildren with be fed into an incinerator. He knew that he was going to get them another one and decided to show Odin their adventuring, so that his brother would have a better idea of what little castles the children needed. Then he was going to ask if his brother wanted to gift them with a castle as well. A smile touched his lips as he knew that Odin was going to want to gift them with a little castle so that they could go adventuring when they were on Midgard. Frey liked the thought that there would end up being a well-worn path between the castles from the two of them. It seemed appropriate to him. A light sense of dizziness swept over Frey so that he felt like his head was spinning again, that life was moving too fast around him and that he was standing still. It was the changes made in the past two days that still left him feeling mired in the past at times. All of the changes were dizzying to him, but he didn't want to be stuck in his or anyone's past. A glance to his side showed him the beautiful and honorable young man who now belonged with him, who he belonged with. Then his gaze traveled to his grandson who was still in Odin's arms and was laughing about something.
Sean was the future.
Jay was the future.
Even Odin was the future.
It was a future that Frey craved. The hardened negative emotions that he harbored felt loosened, softened, and no longer like what he wanted to indulge in. They felt as toxic to him as he now knew that they were. Like a poisoned dagger in his chest he was determined to pull them out and heal himself of their corrosion. He could hear James' voice suddenly, from his memories of James talking Anthony through his anger, "We don't deal in judgment and pain." Next he could hear his own voice as he remembered calling Odin the 'Wolf of War'. Like wondering if he'd been carrying around Lord Borr through his own anger, he wondered if he'd been dealing in judgment and pain. As with him wondering, he thought that maybe he had been. After that, he owned up to his own emotions and knew that he had carried Lord Borr with him and let the dead Lord bend his thoughts. Frey knew that he hadn't been helped by Frigga lying to him about how happy she was with Odin, but he decided that he wasn't going to blame her for having a bad reaction to his overwhelming anger. He did want to talk to her though, to see if he could get her to tell him what had happened from her point of view. There was hope now that he could get her to tell him that she was happy. It was all he wanted for her, just for her to have a happy life. It was what he wanted for every one of his family members.
Frey looking around with a thoughtful look on his face didn't escape Odin's notice. He hoped that Frey wasn't falling back into his own memories. There were thousands of years of memories for either of them to fall back on, and many of them weren't good. "Brother? Are you well?"
At his brother's words Frey's attention focused keenly on Odin and Jay, who were looking at him curiously. His gaze drifted over to where the mansion used to be then came back to his brother and grandchild, his thoughts crystalizing. "Yesterday felt like the end of an era," his thoughtful expression gave way to a bright and happy one, "Today feels like the beginning of a new era. It's like we're getting rid of the last of the old era so that we can have a clean beginning." He paused for a moment to find the words to give voice to his emotions. "Today feels different from all the days before it."
"As it should," Sean joined the conversation, "The cycle of time turned and completed yesterday as the meeting ended. The Third era is complete. The Fourth Era has begun." The last era was one of war and suffering. Let this era be one of peace and happiness. I wish Aiden could have seen it.
It was a blunt statement that both Kings paid attention to. They were going to have to bring in the new era for their people as it had been brought in for them. Each Lord decided that the celebrations were going to be powerful and filled with joy and hope. The whole of the Nine Realms were going to hear their celebrations.
"This might be forward of me, but would you mind holding a joint celebration of the new era, brother?" Odin knew that a joint celebration would be a public statement of a deeper and more lasting peace between the two realms. There hadn't been one with Vanaheim in Odin's lifetime, or any of the other realms. Suddenly the elder King wanted to change that. He wanted to create a more lasting peace with the other realms so that the Nine Realms would be a happier place for his children and grandchildren; one where they would be more welcome instead of looked down on for being his family. It was going to require more work, but that still didn't bother him. Gaining friends from enemies and making it easier to travel with his wife and grandchildren was worth working for.
A wide grin spread out across Frey's face. "I like the sound of that, brother." Such a celebration was going to be a public statement itself, but he thought that he would make a statement himself about how he and Odin were forging a deeper peace between the two realms. He knew that some of his people wouldn't take it very well, and that other Vanaheimrs would take it very well indeed. "We should craft a joint statement to go with the celebrations; something to announce the new peace."
Once more, Odin was almost stopped in his tracks. The celebrations were one thing, but making a joint statement would be tantamount to Frey forgiving him publicly. He hadn't earned that. "Are you certain you wish to do that?"
Placing a hand on Odin's shoulder, Frey spoke honestly. "The Third Era was like this mansion. It was filled with pain and suffering and foul things. We must tear down those things if we're to make the next era one of happiness, so yes. I think we should craft a joint statement announcing the beginning of the Fourth Era and the new, and lasting peace between Vanaheim and Asgard." Maybe we can set the course for this new era.
Odin could hear Jay telling him that they would be forgiven, that they would be loved. It brought a moist sheen to his eyes to be able to move forward so quickly. Part of him felt as though his head were spinning from a blow. He was light and a little dizzy, but unlike any blow he'd received he was almost happy about this dizziness, Time was moving forward, and he was moving with it. Odin could feel himself moving physically forward towards the future. "Thank you, brother." His voice caught a little on his stormy emotions.
Squeezing Odin's shoulder gently before he let it go, he spoke. "Together."
"No, I don't believe we need to go that far." The voice of Master Builder Toft intruded on their conversation. "I believe that tearing down the manse should suffice. The grounds have been dealt with as ordered." He and Master Builder Vestergaard came respectfully up to their Lords.
"M'Lord," Master Builder Vestergaard and his counterpart both bowed respectfully, "The mansion has been dealt with as Prince Jay ordered, and the 'utilities' around the grounds have been exposed and capped safely. What further orders do you have for us?"
Looking around, Jay thought, This was the first house I lived in, the second too I suppose. It's gone now, but I still remember it. I wonder how I should feel about losing it? He was honest enough to admit that some part of him was angry over this loss, and surprised to find that he wasn't angry at anyone in particular. It was a vague and light-weight anger that Jay didn't want to interact with. He still wasn't sure about starting a new deliberation, so he just made a note in his mind to start a deliberation on it later. More anger wasn't useful to him.
"I have nothing more for you. Do you, brother?" Frey turned to Odin then pulled out his terminal again and sent a message to acting Styraesmandr Varangr, letting her know that he would be over to his ship from the Sa Ljodraen Berserkr which he had to make a stop at first, then they would be heading back to Vanaheim. With the message typed out he sent it to her terminal. She would receive it shortly.
A gentle smile touched Odin's face. "No, I have nothing else for the Stone Builders." He looked over to Jay. "What of you? Is there anything else you need them to do?"
A little sigh left Jay's lips. "No, they've done everything that I needed them to. There's nothing left for us. It's time to leave."
"Master Builder Toft, you and your people are dismissed back to the skammrassi. Stow your equipment and prepare to leave." Odin smiled at being able to leave this terrible place behind.
"Yes, m'Lord." The Asgardian Master Builder bowed respectfully and turned to begin rounding up his people and getting their gear stowed for the trip.
"Indeed. Master Builder Vestergaard, make you, your builders, and your equipment ready to return to the Skithblathnir. As soon as the skammrassi are filled then you'll make for the Skithblathnir." Frey set down his orders.
"Yes, m'Lord." Much the same as his Asgardian counterpart, the Vanaheimr Master Builder bowed to his Lord and went to collect his people and equipment.
"I suppose it's all over now. We have to leave." Jay spoke softly as he looked out over where his home once sat. There weren't even ruins to lament over. There was just an empty field leading up to a cliff over the ocean. It wasn't even a particularly impressive cliff. Without the house even that seemed mundane, like the field. Despite that, he still didn't want to leave just yet.
There was a hesitant sadness in Jay's eyes as the boy looked over the now empty land that caused an ache in Odin's heart. Though vile, this was his grandson's home for many years. It had been destroyed right in front of him. There was no way he could make this painless for the boy. The mansion had to go, there was no other option. Instead of coming up with a trite platitude he pulled his grandson in for a hug. "You'll have a new home soon enough, one that will last."
Pulling back, Jay had a question in mind. "Will you come to visit us in our new home?"
This was a question that Odin honestly couldn't answer. It was up to Loki and Stark, and he might not be welcome for a while, or at all, but… "I'll do everything that I can to come and visit." Perhaps James can lend his aid, he did say that he wants to start visits to Asgard. Perhaps the reverse might be possible.
"I think I'm going to try to convince dad to take all of us to the new '7 Wonders Of The World'." Jay thought about it for a second before making another decision. "Oh! There are so many places we could show you. The onion domes in Moscow. The Egyptian pyramids. The Terracotta Army. The Great Wall of China. The Leaning Tower of Pisa. World heritage sites. Stonehenge!" Another wide smile touched his lips as he was distracted from losing his home and having it replaced. "There are so many places we could go to. You'll come along, right? You, and Amma Frigga, and Afi Frey?"
A small laugh bubbled up from Frey at Jay's wanting to take them on a tour of Midgard. It was a tour that he felt he needed to take, since he needed to know the current state of affairs on the realm housing the Great Gate. "I would love to come along with you."
"That sounds like a marvelous excursion. I would love to come with you as well, and I know your grandmother would as well." Again, Odin truly wasn't sure how Jay could be so loving with them after what they'd done, after what he caused. The boy seemed filled with love but not looking to gift just anyone with it. Odin was one of the few who received that love, while everyone else received an involved and polite concern. Am I lucky, or am I being shown what the future holds so long as I work for it. Odin thought that it might be a bit of both.
Your Afi is correct, I would love to travel with you. Frigga flared her seidr to her grandson, making sure that it was filled with her love. Her gaze didn't stop scanning the nearly empty area around her husband. There was almost no one left. "Perhaps we should make our way into one of the skammrass, Lord Odin."
A distinct relief filtered into Hirdmen Vilulf's thoughts at being able to leave this horror-filled place behind. It was about as foul as any place could be in his opinion and he was glad to have watched it be destroyed. Overall this was one of the weirdest days of duty in his tenure as a Royal Guardsman. He knew that when he got home he would end up speaking with his mother, Majvor, on some of that day to talk through it; speaking, not gossiping. Then he would speak with the uncle who raised him and whose name he took. They always had wonderful advice on any issue from the emotional and the practical perspectives. After that he was going to spend the evening quietly with his wife and their children and try not to think about this day much more. Hirdmen Vilulf moved with the rest of his drengr into a formation around Lord Odin. There was no more time for future plans when the present was moving.
The sun had finished setting and only a faint pink in the western sky was left. It was being chased away by star filled darkness. Night had fallen silently upon the land around them. Odin agreed with his grandson and his wife. It was time to board one of the skammrass, time to leave this accursed place. He held onto Jay and breathed a breath of fresh air. As with last night, it was time to move forward.
"Yes, I believe you're right, we should be moving on," turning to his wife, Odin asked, "Formadr Frigga, would it be acceptable for me to pilot the skammrass back to the Sa Ljodraen Berserkr?"
This couldn't be allowed to happen, so Hirdmen Vilulf gave a long flare of his seidr to his formadr to inform her of what she might not know. My formadr, our charge piloting any vessel is strictly forbidden outside of an emergency situation. The charge must be seated in an area capable of withstanding the vehicle crashing. The Royal Guardsman's regulations manual is explicit in its instructions. A moment later he received a flare from her stating, Thank you.
"I understand that you want to pilot the skammrass, and are capable Lord Odin, but that's not allowed under the Royal Guardsman's regulations. The assigned pilot will maintain control of the vessel and you will be seated in one of the safety seats." Frigga extended her seidr to run it gently over her husband's shoulders and across his chest. He tensed some when she denied his request and she wanted to remind him that she loved him and that he was doing the right thing.
Another deep breath and a moment later Odin was able to push back the feelings of being made to be incapable. This wasn't about him being incapable, he reminded himself. It was about safeguarding the Nine Realms by safeguarding his own flesh and blood. Thanos was the enemy here, not his beautiful wife and the Royal Guardsmen with her. "Very well, Formadr Frigga. I presume that Prince Jay and Lord Frey will be able to be seated with me."
"Yes. They will be seated in the safety section as well," she answered before flaring her seidr to him again, You aren't alone in this.
I couldn't do this without you, minn elska, Odin flared his seidr to his wife in response. "Excellent. Let us go then."
With the guardsmen in a formation around Odin, Frigga led them to the skammrass that was closest to them. After she checked on its status at the entryway she found that it was full already. Checking on the other skammrassi from there let her find a ship that wasn't full and had an open safety section. She led the formation down the row of neatly parked ships until they got to the last ship, where she ushered the group up the stairs and on board. The ship was only half full. Its passengers were mostly healers with a few builders clustered together towards the front of the passenger section. Everyone there stood as Odin entered, then Frey. They bowed respectfully and stepped back as the Lords passed them. Odin smiled lightly and nodded back to them respectfully. They did good work there that day. There was no reason in his mind to shun them.
Jay stayed closer to his grandfather, curling down some and looking away from the people on the ship. He'd dealt confidently with enough strangers that day. He wanted a break now.
Odin noticed and didn't mind his grandson retreating to him. The boy had done more than well enough for one day. He thought that the shy look on Jay's face probably spoke to the boy having reached his limits. It was fine, he truly didn't mind. He just kept following his wife to the safety section of the ship. It was a smaller section that could unfold into another smaller ship that could escape the larger ship if it needed to. There were ten seats placed in a circle at the center of the area, with one of them being near a reinforced circular window on the side of the ship. The seats were covered in a soft plush red material while the enchanted metal of the chairs was deftly covered in a veneer to resemble dark brown wood. The communications panel in the left arm of the chair was hidden under a fabric-covered, easily accessible panel. They were so easily accessible that Jay had to stop himself from accessing them as only he could. The speedy nature of their openness was tempting him into the ship's systems. It was less of a temptation that it would have been before. His body fit him snuggly now, so his desire to leave it had diminished rapidly.
As soon as Odin sat him in a chair Jay hopped out of it and went to the window to look out of it. "I'm on a spaceship," he turned to look at his grandfathers. His grandmother was still standing guard and Sean had taken a seat beside Frey. "I've never been on a spaceship before!" His voice quieted down as he turned to look out the window again. "I've never been to outer space before. Father would never let me come on the few times he went up into low earth orbit to repair the satellites." The curious digital boy looked around the cabin of the ship, understanding that they were in a large escape pod. "He always said that if he had to crash the armor coming down that he didn't want to crash me too."
"That's an excellent sentiment." It was a small piece of information willingly given that told Odin more about his son-by-law. When he glanced over he saw Frey nodding as if this was what he expected he understood more about how Stark cared for his children. He had been shown the depth of Stark's love today. A little smile crept across his face. The depth of love Stark held for Odin's child and grandchildren was amazing.
'Outer space'. Frey wondered for a brief moment why the Midgardians called it outer space instead of what it was, the void. He strongly suspected that it was because Midgardians hadn't traversed the void yet, didn't even have any voidships. That time was coming to a close though. Loki and Anthony were going to be taking Midgardians out into the void with their own voidships to begin settling colonies and mining operations. Interstellar trade would begin shortly after that. As a King he wondered what goods and services the Midgardians would bring to trade. As a man who had seen the meals his grandson was eating, and had even tasted some Midgardian food himself, he wondered if it wasn't their food that they'd bring. That thought almost soured as he thought next about the Culinary College and how it would try to bring Midgard in line with the Elder Realms. The Midgardians might not like that, and Anthony probably won't like his people being upset like that. It was a conundrum that he had no good answer to.
Despite having already been to a distant realm, Sean was still nervous on the skammrass. He was as nervous as he was when flying on an airplane. The sound of plane engines buzzed in his ears. The sound of bombs exploding against Eidesh's massive sarammr that covered the clan's lands followed swiftly. No one, himself included, knew how Eidesh was able to project such a massive sarammr, and no one cared. Eidesh was the literal shield between them and the U.S. government who kept trying to drive them off of their land. Sean took a deep breath and centered himself, preparing to take off as he did whenever he had to take a flight. Careful mental preparation was all that kept the nervousness from growing into panic.
A faint hint of apprehension bloomed quickly in Sean's seidr whispers. Frey heard it and looked over. The younger man had his eyes closed and was obviously preparing himself. Them sitting so closely let him unfurl his seidr discreetly to form into a Calm Heart Spell which he released into his fair seidmadr's chest before he furled his seidr back into his core. He flared his seidr out to Sean then, Worry not, we're safe on this skammrass.
It was embarrassing, but Sean decided to be honest with Frey. Lying to the younger monarch felt wrong. I have problems flying. They used to bomb us when I was a child, so the sound of airplanes, or flying, makes me nervous now.
Raw anger swept into Frey's thoughts before he swept it out again, He already knew what two thousand years of anger had netted him. He wasn't keen on another two thousand years of anger. It was hard not to be livid over Sean's family being attacked when he was just a child. It should never have happened. Frey flared his seidr out to run it along Sean's flawless skin. I won't let anything happen to you, it whispered to the younger man.
A small smile touched Sean's lips as he flared his seidr out again, filling it with his appreciation for Frey, I know. His smile widened when he opened his eyes and saw Frey smiling at him.
A small lurch went through the ship. The pilot was beginning the take-off sequence. Standing quickly, Odin scooped up Jay, set him in a seat, unlocked the seat so he could swivel it around to face the window, then locked it back into place. He looked down into the beautiful green and silver eyes looking up inquisitively at him and couldn't help but smile. The safety enchantments activated to hold the boy in the chair. "You need to be in a seat as we're ascending. It's safest for you. You can watch the ascent from where you are now."
"Thank you, Afi!" Jay turned his attention back to the circular window to see the ship was moving, despite it not feeling like it was. The ship wasn't angled up and Jay wondered if it would, or if it would stay as it was. It was staying straight but rising as well. The smoothness of the flight as they rose up into the sky, into the clouds, above the clouds and onward impressed him. Without him thinking about it, Jay's arms folded, bringing his hands up to his chest. His little hands balled into fists as he vibrated with excitement. The sky was growing thinner with every second. Darkness was encroaching, surrounding. It was the darkness of outer space which excited him. This was a new place for him, an untraveled expanse just waiting to be explored. That excitement quickened his breath and widened his eyes as he looked at the two fleets that were parked in between the Earth and its moon. The first fleet was filled with red, gold, and brown ships that were in many sizes but were all angular and rectangular. All of the ships, this one included, already looked tinged in blood with the red accents. The second fleet was filled with many sizes of white, silver, and light blue ships that were shiny and flowing. The white made them look like they were rolling on an ocean wave, flowing through the mist. They both looked like the same sort of immense power to Jay, just different applications of it. At the heart of each fleet was a ship that dwarfed all the other ships. While each of these two ships had different colors, they were nearly the same design. Each resembled a horizontal sword, with large engines at the crossguard and a power source at the center. More engines sat where the pommel of the sword would be. He estimated that each of the big ships were about a mile long and around fifteen hundred feet high. Along the blades of the swords sat decks for docking small ships, cannons behind closed ports, running lights, slick communications equipment, and more. It was everything that any ship could want as a warship. Jay just wanted to explore their systems. Squirming in his chair showed him that he was caught in place, so he squirmed a little harder, succeeding in getting out of the chair somewhat via the right armrest. His leaned sideways and upside down over the armrest, looking at his grandfathers. "Are the big ones your ships?!"
A little chuckle passed between Odin's lips as Jay flopped over the arm rest to look at him upside down. "Yes, the largest of the red and gold fleet is the Sa Ljodraen Berserkr. The largest of the white and silver fleet is the Skithblathnir. She's a fearsome ship." He knew it for true how fearsome the Skithblathnir was since he'd engaged Frey's fleet with his own fleet several times during the war. When the two fleets engaged one another there was no telling who would come out the victor. The only sure and certain thing was that whoever came out as the victor would have to pay a steep price for that victory.
The mention of the Skithblathnir by Odin brought old and unpleasant memories to the forefront of Frey's mind. Almost instantly he went about tightening his seidr core so that no one would know what he was distressed about. Halfway through tightening it to an uncomfortable level he remembered how Edward wanted him to stop doing that. To continue doing that was to continue placing himself in harm's way needlessly. Instead of being distressed he swept that too away. The younger King decided that a more even and honest tone was all that was needed. "Sa Ljodraen Berserkr is just as fearsome a ship." Frey spoke as he looked over and away from Sean. He kept his seidr extended discreetly so that it was still touching Sean. A little chuckle came from him too as he saw Jay over the armrest. Even though he'd had to engage Odin's fleet several times to drive them back from Vanaheimr space during the war, he didn't think ill of the ships or their crews. Quite the opposite, he respected them. He and his fleet forced Odin's fleet to withdraw many times. There was no bragging to be had to say that his ship and fleet were better. He had been forced by Odin's fleet to withdraw many times. There was no fear to be had in saying that his ship and fleet were worse. Irony saw fit to have them fight an even number of battles and each of them took half of that number. They were evenly matched. Frey respected it more now than he had before.
"Afi Odin, your ships look like a dense landslide coming down. Afi Frey, your ships look more like a raging tidal wave crashing down. They're such handsome ships!" Jay squirmed a little more to get back into his seat so that he could continue looking out the window. They were coming to the fleet, swerving around to head for one of the landing bays on the Sa Ljodraen Berserkr. Small patrols of fighter-like ships swept past them on their way through the Asgardian fleet. They moved past larger ships next, then larger ships than those, then even larger ships after that. The posture of the ships didn't suggest a war mentality to him, but something more lax. They were just traveling and didn't expect to encounter any resistance. It was all very exciting to Jay. It was even more exciting when they finally got to the Sa Ljodraen Berserkr after nearly twenty minutes of flight. By the time the skammrass he was on made it through the forcefield of the King's docking bay he was bouncing in his seat with excitement. I got to fly on a spaceship. I got to fly on a spaceship! I'm on a spaceship!
The ship touched down on the docking assembly of the bay smoothly. It triggered the safety enchantments of the seats shutting off. Before anyone else could move Jay hopped out of his seat. Sublime joy filled his little body with a deep need to move quickly. He threw his arms out like wings and zipped around the safety section in a circle. "I flew on a spaceship! I flew on a spaceship! I flew on a spaceship!"
The sheer wonder in Jay's demeanor brought a wide smile to the adults around him. For Sean it was a much needed infusion of levity into what was a tense situation for him. It was such a difference for Frey that he couldn't help but appreciate it. Edward was such a reserved and quiet child, while Jay was much more open with his emotions. He wondered if it was because Edward chose to be restrained while Jay had been restrained against his will. However it happened, Frey was pleased to see the joy on Jay's face. Looking at Jay caused Odin to remember the first time he traveled through the void. After a long and somewhat public argument with his Lord and father, his mother had taken him to visit with her family on Jotunheim. It was a somber, joyless event. They were flanked at all times by the Asgardian Royal Guard who had orders to police his mother's actions and words then bring him back to Asgard no matter what. It was the first and only time he'd ever met his family on Jotunheim. He was so young that he didn't even remember them very well, despite remembering Lord Borr's orders. There had always been a quiet and ignored part of him that lamented being cut off from his extended family. Odin had always wanted more family, now he had it. Standing quickly he scooped up his grandson again, enjoying the little giggle that came from Jay, to give the boy a hug.
"Are you ready to see the Sa Ljodraen Berserkr?" This ship was the pride and joy of his fleet, of all his fleets. He liked that thought that Jay liked the look of his fleet. Like a landslide? That's a powerful impression.
Settling into his grandfather holding him again, Jay reveled in being able to be openly loved whenever he wanted. It was wonderful. "Yes! I want to see everything."
Nodding once, he looked to Frey. "Brother, are you ready to depart?"
"Yes, let us go." This was part of the bright future that he was moving towards. Before yesterday Frey never thought that he'd set foot on Odin's flagship, or that Odin would set foot on his. All he could think as he realized it was that Edward was correct. He was seeing the future, and it wasn't disappointing him. It was drawing him inexorably in, and he was happy to go.
Odin turned to face his wife and was again struck by the magnificence before him. Frigga stood in pants and vest over a shirt, much the same as when they met after she'd become the First Captain of the Valkyr. It was the fierce look on her face that held him rapt. The Valkyr were feared militant monastic women, and Frigga had been supreme amongst them. A little smirk touched her lips as he fell into her thrall again. He knew then that he had indeed been wrong as he'd suspected earlier in the day. Frigga was his equal, and perfectly capable of defending herself. She was defending him now as he'd tried to defend her for so long. Odin thought that his efforts to protect his goddess had probably only uncomfortably restrained the marvelous being before him. It was time to release the restraints. He and Asgard would be better off for it. Odin had no doubt of it. His seidr flared out to her, Thank you for doing this for me, minn elska. "Formadr Frigga, may we depart now?"
The look on Odin's face warmed Frigga's heart to see. There was such love in it for her, but that wasn't all. A newfound respect perhaps was there. It was an indeterminate emotion that looked very much like Odin changing his mind on something. As he flared his seidr to her to thank her she hoped that perhaps it was him coming to a better acceptance of him needing a guard to travel with him wherever he went. Smiling in return and flaring her seidr to him to run it over his skin, she answered him. "Yes, of course." Her attention switched to the drengr she was commanding. "Huskarli Bielke, Sigmond, secure the docking bay." She took her place at the head of the formation around Odin and Frey and led them to the exit of the skammrass. A small staircase connected the skammrass and the floor of the docking bay. The two huskarli were standing on either side of the staircase when Frigga and her formation reached the stairs. The other passengers had disembarked and were being watched intensely by her two huskarli.
The other passengers on the skammrass were unimportant to Huskarl Bielke. His Lord and the Lord he was charged with defending were what was important to him. He didn't want to admit to it, but the small boy with them also mattered to him. They had watched as the boy went through such an emotional journey that day, and come out of it smiling, that he couldn't help but care. The boy apologizing to the remnants of a thinking machine was heart rending. While watching the boy's excitement at just being on the little skammrass was almost enough to cause him to crack just the barest hint of a smile. He wasn't going to smile, or cry. It wasn't his place. He was going to do his job and trust that his Lord and the Lord of Asgard would see to the boy's needs. Both Lords had obvious affection for the young Prince. Huskarl Bielke had no reason to doubt them.
Huskarl Sigmond stood silently on the other side of the skammrass' stairs from his drengrmate. His gaze still scanned the last of the passengers as they checked in with a ship's registrar. When the registrar finished her duties with the other passengers she made her over to them. Each of them placed their mark on the registry that she was holding up without saying a word to her. They were both logged as being on the ship with that, no words were needed. He and Huskarl Bielke came to the position of attention when they heard their Lady Formadr come to the top of the stairs.
Constant little vibrations of happiness and excitement went through Jay as they approached the exit of the skammrass. A joyful expression covered his face. One hand was clenched tight in his grandfather's vest. The other hand was tightened into a little fist that was up near his chest, vibrating along with the rest of him. As his excitement increased his seidr core expanded. With the expansion came a certain knowledge for the adults around him that he was excited. His happiness tinged the thoughts of everyone, even the cold guards around them. He was about to be in the docking bay of a non-human battleship in space. It looked stern and imposing on the outside, like he thought a battleship in space should. The inside of the ship was pristine and golden with more red and brown accents here and there. Even the docking bay with its more industrial look was still grand.
Exiting on the littler ship out into the docking bay was an exhilarating experience for the digital boy. The lights over him were illuminating without glaring in his eyes. They were a perfect blend of light across the visual spectrum. He took a deep breath of the air available to him and ran internal gas chromatographical analysis as well as an olfactometric analysis. What he found when he breathed in the ship's air excited him even more. "Oh wow, the air is so clean here!"
It was a strange sentiment to Odin, so he asked after it. "Were you not expecting it to be clean?"
"On a ship of this size, and with enough people to properly crew the vehicle, I didn't expect that at all. I expected a panoply of odorant particles to be tainting the rebreathing system. They're all missing though!" The boy excitedly took another breath. "There are no particles of chemicals used in the ship's operation," Jay took another breath, "none from foods being prepared," and another breath, "not even any from the crew themselves. There's not a hint of artificiality to the air recycled through the air filtration systems. It's just perfectly blended gaseous elements to create a breathable atmosphere, and so like earth's atmosphere too!" Looking around excitedly, Jay noticed how clean the docking back was. There wasn't a speck of dirt, a drop of lubricant or fuel, or tool out of place to be seen. It was the embodiment of the phrase 'A place for everything and everything in its place'. His voice was a whisper when he spoke next. "This is such a pretty machine."
"Ath heilsa, my Lord." The jarl bowed respectfully to her Lord and those with him, holding out her device.
Before Odin had a chance to ask his grandson how he knew those things he was greeted by his ship's registrar. "Jarl Hjorthkron, I have guests with me," he spoke as he held out his right hand to place his mark in the ship's registry, "and will need the route to the bridge secured before we arrive. My brother's Royal Guard will make sure that I and the rest of my guests are secure."
What her Lord said paused Jarl Hjorthkron for only a second. The only other Lord there for her Lord to be referring to as 'brother' was Lord Frey of Vanaheim. It was a shocking development that her position in the crew didn't allow her to inquire after. All she could say was, "Of course, m'Lord, I'll summon Hersir Asborg for you immediately. The hersir can coordinate with the Royal Guard Formadr to secure your route." Turning her square device around, it only took a few quick commands to summon the commander of the security forces to the docking bay. She went to her duties as registrar again.
A moment later a flash of mustard yellow seidr fire swirled up from the floor before receding back swiftly. A tall, blonde, stern looking Asgardian man was left behind. He wore the same uniform as Jarl Hjorthkron, the dark brown plate armor with golden accents of Asgard. When he turned, scanning the area, he saw then went immediately to his Lord. His Queen, the Lady Frigga was accompanying his Lord. He noticed how Lord Frey was also with his own Lord. He wondered at the young boy that his Lord was holding and didn't think the boy was a threat to his Lord. The Lord of Vanaheim was a different matter entirely. A small but stern smile touched his face. "Lord Odin, how may I serve?"
Preparing himself for the humiliating order, Odin took a breath and spoke. "Hersir Asborg, I would like you to speak with the formadr of this drengr of Royal Guard and ensure that our route to the bridge is secured." The embarrassment at having a guard around him surged to life.
The stern looking man in front of Jay caught his attention. He reminded the digital boy of Director Fury; never really smiling no matter the situation. To counteract such a stern expression Jay leaned in a little closer to his Afi Odin and smiled nicely at the newcomer. As Uncle Rhodey always says, a kind smile is welcome everywhere.
Bowing respectfully, Hersir Asborg looked over to the Vanaheimr Royal Guard that he was surprised was protecting his Lord instead of the Lord of Vanaheim. "Whom do I speak with?"
"I'm leading this drengr for the moment, hersir." Frigga spoke up quickly so that there was no confusion.
The surprise that tinged his thoughts didn't show in Hersir Asborg's face. Though a formadr was lower in rank than a hersir, he wasn't going to be anything other than respectful and obedient to his Queen. "Of course, my Lady. What route would you like to take to the bridge? I can have it secured immediately."
"The direct route should be the most secure?" She asked crisply.
"I believe it would be, yes ma'am." Hersir Asborg looked over the small party then back to his Queen. "Though with such a small party any route could be adequately secured."
"We'll take the direct route, Hersir Asborg. Thank you."
"I'll have it secured immediately, ma'am, then I'll accompany you through the ship." He bowed respectfully again then summoned his terminal from his interdimensional pocket. Through his terminal he quickly assigned guards to the hallway they would be traveling through. He saw that all of those posts had been filled. His men had teleported into place as soon as they received their orders. With the orders complete and the posts filled Hersir Asborg dismissed his terminal back to his interdimensional pocket. "The route is prepared, m'Lady."
While the good hersir secured the Lord's route Jarl Hjorthkron stepped over to Lord Frey and held out her registry for him to place his mark in. "If you could please mark the registry, Lord Frey." The young man next to Lord Frey also pressed his mark into the ship's registry. It came up as him being an agent of the Norns. She didn't let her surprise show for him before moving on.
The efficiency that Odin's crew worked with was appreciated by Frey. He pressed his right thumb into the registry to leave his mark in it.
The Lord's mark was registered so Jarl Hjorthkron moved on to the little boy being carried by her Lord. She held her device out to the boy next.
Jay wasn't sure what to do so he did what his Afi Frey and Afi Odin did. He touched the nice holoscreen with his right thumb and was surprised at how easy it would have been to slide into the ship's systems through the device. He pulled his hand back quickly when it flashed a bright red. Oh, I didn't do it correctly.
The bright red flash and warning of an unregistered individual stopped Jarl Hjorthkron for a moment. She'd never seen an unregistered individual before and thought that it must have been a mistake of some kind. After resetting the registration process she held out her device again to the boy. "Place your marks in the boxes please," she spoke with a smile on her face, "and hold still." The smile disappeared when the holoscreen flashed red again. Confusion played across her face as her device told her again that she was dealing with an unregistered individual. Everyone is registered at birth, how is there no record of him?
The flashing of the ship's registry drew Odin's attention away from Frigga. He smiled at the befuddled jarl and spoke. "This is my grandson, Jarl Hjorthkron. His name is Jay."
Another pleasant smile touched the jarl's face to hide the shock. The birth of any child to a Royal House should have been announced, the boy should have been registered right away. This was not her concern to deal with and she knew it. "I extend my most sincere apologies, m'Lord, for approaching carelessly. Might I approach the Royal Issuance to create a registration for him?"
"Yes, you may." It was a good idea in Odin's mind to have the children registered in Asgard or Vanaheim, probably both.
Quickly Jarl Hjorthkron created a record for the boy, listing him under the Royal House of Asgard as Prince Jay. Looking the shy boy in the eyes for the first time surprised her again. There was a conspicuous silver threaded through the vivid green of his eyes. It matched his dark brown hair nicely. "Here, Your Grace, your record is ready for you to place your marks in it." She held out her device again. This time the holoscreen didn't flash red when the little Prince touched it. The device recorded his marks and logged him as a Prince in the Royal House of Margloth of Asgard. "Excellently done, Prince Jay, thank you." Jarl Hjorthkron moved swiftly through the Vanaheimr Royal Guards, recording them in the registry until she came to her Queen. The petite jarl bowed respectfully to Queen Frigga and held out the registry for her to place her mark in. That mark was recorded and with it she was done. "Is there anything else I may do for you, m'Lord?"
"No, Jarl Hjorthkron. Your assistance is appreciated. You may be dismissed back to your duties." Odin liked Jay being recorded under his Royal House, the House of Margloth, even if it would only be until the Royal House of Midgard could be finished. The thought of publicly acknowledging all of his grandchildren by registering them in Asgard was a pleasing one. Honestly, just having grandchildren was a pleasing thought.
Outside The Bounds Of Time
Vanaheim Royal Palace Guest Chambers
Joyful excitement sped across all of Anthony's thoughts. It almost caused him to shake. The last of the diagnostic scans finished running through the cybernetic body in front of him. Its four squat little legs were standing straight. Its smooth, stocky body, long ears, and hanging jowls were perfectly shaped to give it a dopey look. The tail was created to add an impeccable air of imperfection. It was the large eyes that truly drew attention to it. They were dull at the moment, devoid of life. Anthony touched the bottom nose button and the body burst into microscopic particles which then reformed into its secondary form. A short post with a lighted robotic arm at the top and a thin square base at the bottom comprised most of the form. The anti-gravity system on the underside of the base hummed softly. It lifted the cybernetic body up off the workbench. The remnants of the glersalddys that his older brother brought to him were scattered around the workbench. The body of the glersalddys, a mechanical brain and its beloved contents, were fit into the head of the cybernetic body. He pressed the button next to the light on the head of the robotic arm. The cybernetic body reverted to its primary form again. Running his hand over the top of the canine head, Anthony extended his seidr into the head. He's slept long enough. It's time to wake him up. Using his extended seidr, he flipped the micro-switch that woke up the digital brain from sleep mode. Life instantly filled the soft, rich, bronze eyes. The black, white, and reddish-brown nanomachine strand fiber fur coating its body shined in the light of life.
Interminable time ceased its persistent stretch into eternity for the occupant of the digital brain. A new dream had begun, one he hoped that he could call 'reality'. As he looked up he saw Friend looking down at him. Their gazes met and he moved closer to the quirky engineer. He'd gone to sleep terrified that he would never see his loved ones again, yet here was the most beloved of them. "I have dreamed many dreams but could never wake. Am I awake now? Is this reality?" His voice was quiet and quavering, childish in its tone. It emanated from the head but not the mouth.
Anthony couldn't stop himself from picking up the stocky little body in front of him in a tight hug. Tears of joy welled up in his eyes and streamed down his face. He felt calm and put together in a way that he hadn't in many years. "Yes," his voice cracked under his overwhelming emotions, "it is." Pulling back, he looked into those soft eyes and saw himself. "Welcome back."
23May2023 – Night
Aboard The Sa Ljodraen Berserkr Above Midgard
A constant stream of, "Afi, what's that?" or "Afi, what are those?" came from Jay as they passed section after section. The long hallway they traveled through stretched the length of the ship. It had a levitating moving floor that Jay likened to what was found in Midgardian airports, the travelators. These were just more advanced. Having them was convenient since the ship was so long. They were carried on this moving floor past the other docking bays, many of them had what looked like futuristic fighter jets. They looked like beautiful machines to Jay, and he wanted to touch them, to explore them with his mind. He wanted to explore the whole ship but kept that to himself. Warships were heavily secured, and this one looked to be no different. He wasn't going to ask for a pass on that security right then.
At the halfway point of the travelator Jay turned his head sharply to the side and took a deep breath. There was something new in the air around here that he wanted to know more about. It smelled lovely.
"Do you smell something, Jay?" Odin wondered if his grandson could detect what was behind the door that was coming up.
Frey too wondered what his grandson might be smelling. So far scents weren't what the boy had focused on. The warships, the machinery and how the people aboard interfaced with those machines were what he had focused on. Even if it was only to himself, Frey had to admit that this looked like a very well run ship. The ship looked taken care of, the crew were diligent in their duties, and everything seemed to come together well. It impressed him in a way that made him not so upset at having been bested by this ship and its crew more than a few times. It impressed him even more that he and his ship were able to best this ship and its crew more than a few times. All together it was a very weird situation in which Frey felt a little like he didn't belong where he was but was glad to be there anyway.
"There's a profusion of odorants in the air. Running an analysis now," Jay took another beath, "Sweet, warm," he tasted the air then, "Slightly exotic. It's an oil," he inhaled again, "Organic. Floral." A new analysis began. "Beginning a particle lifecode analysis." A moment later he had everything he needed to know, so he turned to his grandfather. "You have orchids on board." He stopped then called up the Elder Realm word for orchids. "Or bronugrus. I think that's what you call them. I can smell them. They smell like a richer form of vanilla."
"You can discern all of that simply by breathing in?" Odin glanced to Frey whose brows were heightened in surprise. He was glad that he wasn't the only one who was surprised again by Jay's abilities. He stepped off of the travelator to stand in front of the door to what he wanted to show Jay. The drengr of Royal Guardsman stepped off with him.
"Since there are odorant particles in the air, I can try to analyze them. If I can collect enough of them then I can run multiple analyses on them." A vaguely red tint lit up Jay's face as embarrassment took over. Normal children didn't analyze odorant particles. His brows furrowed as he wondered if it was futile to try to be a normal child, since he was so very different. He thought that maybe what his grandmother and uncle told him was true, that it was ok for him to not be normal. In that moment Jay was struck suddenly by a weird and wild hope; he hoped that it truly was alright for him to be different. Trying to be a normal child was taxing to him, since he was so far from normal. If not fitting in was not a bad thing, then maybe he could not worry about it and just be himself. Amma Audhumbla seems to think that just being yourself is what's best. She's been around for so long, she would know. It was a dangerous thought though, to embrace his difference without dissonance. Amma Frigga thinks I'm beautiful just as I am. Maybe… I should just…
There was a light embarrassment leaking out into Jay's seidr whispers that Odin didn't like. He wasn't going to stand idly by this time. "You have nothing to be embarrassed over. We're impressed by your talents, not upset by them."
"Normal kids can't inhale and analyze," Jay looked into his grandfathers' eyes and saw no judgment in either of their expressions, "but maybe that's ok."
"I don't know how Midgard views these things, but the Elder Realms view unique talents with admiration, not scorn. I and Odin certainly do. You have no cause to be embarrassed with us." Intense curiosity spread through Frey's thoughts. He wondered how healthy Midgard was for his grandchildren. He already knew that Anthony and Loki refused to be moved from Midgard. There were still other things that could be done to safeguard the children though. Perhaps I can speak with them about private tutors from Vanaheim.
While Odin agreed with Frey, he knew that his people no longer appreciated those who were different. It was another shameful thing done to secure his kingdom as he wanted it. The kingdom was secured as his, so now he wanted to undo some of the more extreme changes he'd made. It's time to move the kingdom again. "Frey is correct. Your talents are impressive, and I hold no scorn for them." After a moment where he watched his grandson thinking about what was said he smiled. "You're correct about the flowers. I keep several gardens on the Sa Ljodraen Berserkr with bronugrus in each of them." Odin paused for a moment, admitting to himself that the flowers were never his favorite. Being his favorite wasn't why he kept them though. It was a tribute to a woman he still had mixed feelings over. "They were Lady Bestla's favorite flower."
"Lady Bestla? She was your mother, wasn't she?" Jay wasn't sure what to think of the look of memories that passed over his Afi Odin's face. It wasn't overbearing, just concerning. It wasn't a look he had ever liked.
"Yes, she was." His own voice was quiet even to Odin. He took a breath and smiled down at Jay. "Would you like to see them?" He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to share the garden with his grandson. It was a connection that he hadn't known he wanted before he stood in front of the door to it. There wasn't much of his childhood that he wanted to pass on, but right then and there Odin wanted to pass this on. He wanted someone else, besides Frigga, to know about what beauty he did grow up with.
"A garden on a warship?! Is it beautiful?" Jay leaned in closer to Odin. "Is it handsome? Is it stern?" Again he leaned in closer. Gasping just a little as a thought occurred to him, he asked his next question. "Does it have any carnivorous plants in it?!" Jay wanted to see what manner of garden might be found on a warship.
"Carnivorous plants? I'd like to see that." Frey wanted to know what children's fairytale that came from. It sounded like something he wanted to recreate to take his grandsons adventuring with.
"No, nothing so fantastical as that." An indulgent smile touched Odin's lips. "I think they're more beautiful than anything else." Every garden on the ship held bits of pieces of his broken memories of his mother's garden. Lord Borr burned the entire thing when he was very young, so he only remembered some of it. Walking towards the door and letting it open for him, a wider smile touched his lips as Odin saw the garden again.
An abundance of scents flowed out of the large room that his Afi Odin had carried him into. They all flowed from a beautiful garden that took up most of the room. It contained two full-size trees with light green leaves and pinkish blossoms covering them. Beneath the trees was a veritable explosion of flowers. They were hanging off of delicate stems growing up from the ground. The floor of the room was covered in a thick layer of soil, which itself was covered in flowers and grass. The bronugrus flowers themselves had six purple petals with deep red edges and a dark purple center. Looking at them Jay knew that he was right. These were orchids. Space-orchids by his estimation. With a little squirm he let his grandfather know that he wanted down. Once he was on the floor again he went over to squat down next to the closest plant. Jay scanned the plant through his eyes and found out what it was. "This is a cousin to the Vanda orchid. They're so beautiful." An idea popped into his mind, and he wanted to act on it. I could just make one for him, but what about Afi Frey? His grandfather's words drifted across his thoughts, I'd like to see that. Turning to his grandfathers he spoke with just a hint of nervousness. "I want to make something. I want it to be a surprise, so close your eyes? Please?"
Both Odin and Frey glanced to the other before closing their eyes. "Alright," Frey smiled curiously, "our eyes are closed."
Flaring out his seidr tentatively, Jay whispered to Sean, I need your help. Next he impelled his seidr from his core to write into a copy of the Learning Spell, which drew his memories of what he wanted to do into it. When Sean approached quietly he reached out to touch the young man and release the spell. The runes traced up from Sean's forearm up past his shoulder, over his neck and across his face to sink into his eyes.
Flaring his seidr in return, Sean gave his assent in what Jay wanted to do. I can do what you need me to.
All Jay needed to know was that Sean could help him, so he wrote another three copies of the Learning Spell from his impelled seidr. They gathered memories of plants and pots into it. Next he wrote three Conjuration Spells in his impelled seidr. The first Learning Spell and Conjuration Spell released to create two flowerpots able to hold two liters each of soil, with glass lids that fit on them. They were of an irregular pentagonal shape. They had a vivid fern green glaze over the pots with a silver interior. Using his seidr, the digital boy inscribed and empowered Bundling Runes across the glass and pots so that they could work together. With his little hands Jay reached out to touch each of the pots. Silver fire chased over the pots from where he touched them. The fire crystalized into inimitable patterns, making each pot similar but unique. The next Learning Spell and Conjuration Spell released to create a moist, fertilized, potting medium for each pot and then a sprinkling of miniscule seeds. The seeds were different for each pot and were planted separately. Each seed drew white seidr from him. Finally, the third set of spells released to create two black leatherbound books on the contents of the pots. He reached out to touch those too. Silver fire chased across the surface of the books before crystalizing on the exterior to make the books unique as well. Everything Jay could do was done, so he held the pots out to Sean.
The pots that Jay held out to him were nothing short of stunning to Sean. With his seidr he reached into his core to grip the pearl of sjel-seidr. It immediately frothed through his core and turned his seidr into sjel-seidr. He directed it to age the seeds until they were fully grown plants. The sjel-seidr gently covered the potting medium over each of the seeds. From the first pot a plant with medium green stems grew then flowered. The flowers had five petals that were a deep blue coloring with a yellow center. The rich aroma of vanilla wafted from its blossoms. It settled into its pot nicely. The first plant was done. The second pot saw a small plant sprout up that was low to the soil. It had flat, fuzzy, light green leaves that surrounded inch-tall pink and green leaves that were puffed out into pouches. Sweet smelling liquid filled the pouches as their leafy lids opened. It too settled in nicely and finished. Sean smiled at Jay and nodded. His part in this gift was done so he went back to his place at Frey's side.
A small smile spread across Frigga's face. The pots and books alone were splendid, but the plants that grew in the pots were also beautiful and special. She wondered what they were. The flowers looked like a more delicate version of what was in the garden. The leafy, fuzzy plant wasn't like anything she had ever seen before. Both had a pleasant scent.
Holding each pot and its accompanying book up with his seidr, Jay turned slowly and carefully towards his grandfathers. He walked the few steps back to them then held up their gifts before each of them. A broad smile lightened his expression. "You can look now."
What Frey opened his eyes to wasn't what he was expecting from Jay. This was no machine at all. The pot was spectacular with what looked like captured silver fire crystallized across its surface, as was the book. The plant inside of the pot was unknown to Frey. He was curious enough to ask after it. "What is this?" He took the book floating next to the pot and wanted to know its contents. Sunny runes flowed upwards from his hand to sink into his eyes. In his mind he could see the Albany pitcher plant of Australia, Midgard. It was what was in the pot in front of him. Frey's eyes widened as he saw that this was a carnivorous plant like Jay mentioned. Such a thing seemed fantastical to him until the rest of the book absorbed into his mind. This was a very rare plant from a family of plants that were well known. It eats insects and small animals. It truly is carnivorous! As the last of the book and instructions on how to care for this plant absorbed he knew he was going to put the plant and its magnificent pot in his throne room, near his throne. It would have all the sun and food that it needed. First, he had to get it there, so he dismissed the book and sadly the plant to his interdimensional pocket. Frey appreciated the crisply engraved Bundling Runes on the pot and lid. They were going to let him get the plant home unharmed.
The shimmering pot should have been what drew his attention first. Odin knew this, but it was the flowers on the plant in the pot that held his gaze easily. They were the same type of flower that his mother loved, the bronugrus. This one was the color of her skin though. It wasn't so strange to him that he wanted to see her again. He had so little time with her before she left them all behind. Odin swallowed thickly and took the book next to the pot. As he wanted to know what its contents were the citrine runes flew up from his fingertips to make the journey to his eyes. The book told him everything about the rare plant he was just gifted with. It was called a Vanda orchid on Midgard, and it was all the more beautiful for who gave it to him. Odin looked over the flowers as the light of his seidr faded in his eyes. He wasn't sure where he wanted to display the flowering plant. There was his private chambers, the throne room, his office, the front of the palace, and other equally worthy choices. Thinking quickly over it he decided that he wanted to put it somewhere where other people could see it. He hadn't displayed the things that Loki made for him; he kept them jealously for himself. He wasn't going to make that mistake with any of his grandchildren. Another brief gaze travelled over the flowers before he noticed the Bundling Runes on the pot and glass lid. The pot and book were dismissed to his interdimensional pocket then. Odin was going to give serious thought to where he wanted to display it so that he could show Jay how much he appreciated it.
Kneeling down in front of his grandson, Odin gave the boy a hug before picking him up again. "They're beautiful. Thank you so much for them."
"Indeed, this is a lovely gift. Thank you for it, Jay." It was an easy decision for Frey when he decided that he was going to show his new plant to his Council of Lords. They were going to ask him where it came from and why he was displaying in it his throne room anyway.
This was a real win in Jay's mind. There was always a hint of nervousness in making something unexpected for someone else. Sometimes his father appreciated it, sometimes he didn't. His mother always seemed to appreciate it when he did something unexpected, and he appreciated her for it. That both of his grandfathers seemed to genuinely like the plants and what he had to offer even if it wasn't useful knowledge. A little flush bloomed on his cheeks as a smiled. Jay loved the thought of his gifts being liked. It made him feel valued, which he loved most of all.