November 10, 2008

The city of Asgard sat still in a rare moment of peace that in so much war, seemed almost foreign to them. In the streets below, the people played their lyres and danced in the streets. Even the einherjar, clothed in their armor, removed their helmets and mingled among the crowd, grabbing the occasional maiden and twirling her in their arms.

Whilst the men danced, the older ladies, mostly widows, passed out delicious food to everyone, bringing a smile to the once grim faces. The city of Asgard was so joyous, that hardly anyone noticed the storm clouds rolling in from afar.

Well, no one except the all-seeing Odin.

He stood at a balcony in his vast castle, an enormous structure connected to all of Asgard. It was very beautiful, and hardly any commoners had ever been inside unless they were einherjar, or they resided in the dungeons, which hardly gave you a clear view of the decor.
Odin tightened his grip around Gungnir, his powerful staff. In the room behind him, his eldest and favorite son Thor ate merrily and chattered with his friends, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, the best warriors in the kingdom of Asgard. In a corner away from them, watching with a secret malice and envy, was his youngest son Loki, his hair black and sleek and eyes blue.

As the storm neared, Odin wished that he could dismiss it as a common storm, but bad weather was something Asgard did not receive. It was either his paranoia or intuition that made him turn to his son Thor and boom forcefully, "Prepare the einherjar. Trouble may be coming."

"Frost Giants, my king?" Lady Sif asked curiously.

"No," said Odin, and he turned back to the window.

"Whatever it is, can we not handle it ourselves?" asked Thor. "Father, we are ready."

"No, my son," said Odin, not noticing Loki roll his eyes. "It could be nothing, but I would not like to put anything to chance. Now go."

After the sound of feet hurrying out of the room stopped, Odin released a breath at the soft touch of his wife, Frigga. She was a beautiful sight that could always calm him when he found the pressures of war and royalty overwhelming. He laid his hand over hers as the storm clouds came nearer and nearer to the castle.

The loud boom of thunder shook the castle, and Frigga let out a gasp. Odin knew that they had never experienced something like this. Entry to Asgard was impossible, and they could both tell that this was no natural occurrence. Someone, someone dangerous, was coming to them, and whether they were friendly or not was yet to be determined.

The storm cloud was now on top of them, and it darkened the room, blocking out the sun's natural light. The people danced outside no more, and the streets were barren, except for the relentless rain that consumed the streets.

Five guards entered the room, curious and cautious to what was happening. Odin was sure he didn't need their help, but if danger was coming, he would need them to safely escort Frigga to his sons for safety.

Suddenly the storm cloud began to whirl around, transforming into a tornado. It headed for the balcony Odin stood on, and while both his wife and guards called out for him to get away from the balcony, he held Gungnir tightly in his hands and stood his ground. The storm cloud that encased the room nearly knocked the Allfather off of his feet, but he kept his balance.

When the clouds cleared, it revealed a young woman lying before the Allfather's feet. She wore a long white dress that reached her ankles. She was a slim, fair skinned young woman with long and thick waves of brown hair. Sitting by her hand was a purple suitcase. Odin neared her, and leaned down to shake her awake, but as soon as his hand connected with the bare skin of her shoulder, he saw everything.

***

Tessa awoke in a comfortable, soft bed that she didn't recognize. She wanted to stay in it forever, but her eyes fluttered open nonetheless. She first saw a bright light that she realized was the natural light pouring in. She propped herself up on her elbows, and looked around the room.

It was a grand bedroom with a grand, wooden doorway. The room itself was decorated with metal tables and beautifully decorated chairs, and the tables and corners of the room were adorned with beautiful flowers. Covering an entire wall was a bookshelf filled with old books that Tessa couldn't identify.

She sat up properly, and looked around the room uneasily. She swung her legs off the side of the bed and stretched her muscles. Standing up, she walked towards the balcony. The warmth of the sunlight hit her and she embraced it gratefully, closing her eyes for a brief moment.

When she opened them again, in front of her was a beautiful kingdom. The palace itself seemed to be golden, and it stretched into farther corners of the city. Below, people rushed about peacefully, and it reminded her in a way of New York City.

The memory came back to her all of a sudden, flashing lights, a red car. She also remembered sleeping, and a bright light encasing her. She turned around to the room and noticed a purple suitcase by the bed.

She walked over to it and knelt down, reaching for the zipper when suddenly the door opened. In walked a young man who couldn't have been earlier than 30. He was ripped, had a tanned skin tone, and medium length blonde hair. His eyes were blue and very dreamy. He had an intimidating aura about him and he held a thick hammer in his hand.

Tessa wanted to back away from him as he walked closer to her, but she planted her feet firmly in the ground and stared down at him. He seemed to be observing her, probably wondering what she would do, or what she would say.

Tessa took the bait, "Where am I?"

"Somewhere safe," He answered vaguely.

"Does this somewhere have a name?"

"Asgard," He said, stopping right before her. "I am the mighty Thor, prince of Asgard, heir to the throne, and the god of thunder."

She blinked, "Excuse me?"

"You're excused," He said casually. "You have many questions, I'm sure. None of which I can answer today. All I am allowed to tell you is that you are here for your own protection, and that my einherjar will do nothing but protect you."

Tessa was speechless, her lips parted but struggled to form words. "I...what...you...I...don't need any protection. Why am I really here?"

"I have told you the truth, woman," Thor said. "Whether or not you believe me is none of my concern."

"I don't want to stay here. I want to go to home to New York. I've never even heard of Asgard, this country---"

"It's a kingdom," Thor corrected. "In the Nine Realms."

"Yeah, I got that, Fabio!" He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Can I leave?"

"No, Odin's orders."

"And who is Odin?" Tessa asked in disbelief.

"The Allfather, king of Asgard, and protector of the Nine Realms."

"Why do you keep saying that? What the hell is the Nine Realms?" Tessa demanded, surprised at how level her voice sounded despite the harshness and panic of her words.

"Nine individual worlds connected by Yggdrasil," He said this all with a straight face, or as if she were supposed to catch on immediately.

Tessa was sure she was being pranked, but instead of freaking out like she wanted to do, she took a deep breath. "Yggdrasil, that sounds...I've heard that before, but only in Norse mythology. You said you were the god of thunder. Is that true?"

He shrugged, "They are more or less based off of our greatness."

She thought about what to say next. "Can I see your hammer?"

"This is Mjolnir," He explained, lifting it up for her to see properly.

"It's badass."

He chuckled, "Quite."

"How'd you get it?" She asked.

"My father forged it from the heart of a dying father," He explained.

"That's amazing," Tessa whispered, stuck in awe. "So there's no more like it."

"Not in all of the Nine Realms, it's very unique."

She looked up into his eyes, "Do you kill stuff with it?"

"Only those that are deserving. But Asgardians are supposed to be peacekeepers. We do not start wars, we prevent them."

"Is that why I'm here? To be a peacekeeper?" She asked.

"Why you are here is still a mystery to us. Odin has not left his quarters since. Whoever you are, you're special."

Tessa felt her cheeks warming, "Thank you. So, um, nice place you got here."

He chuckled, walking over to the balcony, and she followed him. "It is marvelous."

"And you were raised here?" She shook her head. "I couldn't even imagine being royalty. It must be amazing." He didn't say anything in response. "You're the heir to the throne. So when's your coronation?"

"Soon," He said. "I still have many trials to overcome if I am to be king."

"Looking forward to it," She clasped her hands behind her back. "I guess I'll be stuck here to spectate."

"Only until Odin decides otherwise.For the time being, you will remain here with us. Safe. And I promise to protect you." He suddenly grabbed her hand and raised it to his mouth, pressing his lips to it in a lingering kiss.

"Are you supposed to be flirting with her?" A voice asked, and Tessa jumped back, yanking her hand from Thor's grip in alarm.

They both looked to the doorway, where another man stood. He was tall and pale, with medium length black hair that looked slightly longer than Thor's. Compared to Thor actually, this man looked quite thin. His eyes were an electric blue, and she found herself staring at them.

"I'm just making her feel welcome, Loki," Thor remarked.

"And by welcome I imagine scaring her to death," Loki walked over to them. He looked her over, and a chill ran down her spine. "I'm Loki, prince of Asgard."

"But I thought Thor was the prince," Tessa said innocently, and she saw the friendliness in Loki's eyes fade away.

"Well there's certainly no one he'd allow not to know it," Loki said sarcastically.

Tessa bit her lip to hide back a laugh, "Well, you certainly have a princely nature. The both of you."

"You think so?" Loki asked, and it seemed to be almost subconscious, as if he needed the validation.

"Well, you more than Thor. He strikes me as more of a warrior than a prince." Tessa brushed some hair out of her face.

"I am both," said Thor, "Making me mighty."

"Mighty annoying," Tessa muttered, and Loki smiled. "Now um, would you mind if I changed clothes? Meaning you two have to get out."

"Of course, I'll be waiting outside to escort you down to Lady Sif," said Thor.

"What for?"

"Odin wants her to train you. Don't worry, she won't hurt you too bad." Thor teased as he walked out confidently.

Loki hesitated, looking back at Tessa, who stared back at him with curious wide eyes. "Welcome to Asgard. And what is your name?"

"Oh, my name is Tessa Redd."

"Are you nervous?" He asked.

"Wouldn't you be if you woke up in a strange kingdom?"

He cocked his head to the side, "You find us strange?"

"I guess. Why are you all dressed like that?"

"Do they not wear clothes where you're from?" He asked sarcastically, again.

"Yes, but not clothes from the 16th century. And all of the clothes you guys wear seems to be armor, like you're preparing for battle."

"No Asgardian is a stranger to the horrors of war," He said grimly.

"You guys fight a lot? Who? Monsters?"

"In a way," He began to explain. "They reside in Jotunheim. Thousands of years ago they tried to take over the Earth, but they were stopped by my father, Odin. The great Allfather." He said the last sentence with a bit of venom.

I stepped closer to him, "I'm guessing that they cast long shadows. Your father and your brother."

His eyes widened slightly, "You understand?"

"Yeah, um, my big brother, he's amazing. Everyone loves him and everyone seems to forget about me."

"It drives you mad, doesn't it?"

"But it's not intentional, and I know it. He just has a lot on his plate, and sometimes he can't be bothered. It doesn't mean that he loves me any less. He loves me a lot."

"I imagine that your brother isn't a prince."

"He isn't, but he thinks he is. That's how inflated his ego has gotten. But Loki, you can't let that affect your self worth."

He gave me a weird look before turning to the door, "You're not what I expected you to be."
She laughed, "What did you expect me to be?"

He looked back at her, and the seriousness in his expression made her face fall, "Dangerous. I expected you to be dangerous."

With those chilling words, Loki exited the room.

Notes