by Raythe Reign
“Forgive me for not introducing you to everyone, Liam, but this is my wife Sif.” Thor covered the woman’s hand with his own. He then gestured to the young man in the chair who was sipping from a cup of mead almost as large as his head. “My beloved brother, Baldur, who plied you with drink.” And then he pointed to the man who was missing one hand. “And, last, but definitely not least, one of our greatest warriors, Tyr.”
“I am certain that there would not be many more battles if you all were with the Valkyrie,” Liam said, remembering some of the lore about Baldur and Tyr.
Baldur was said to be beloved of all the gods and goddesses. He was also said to radiate light from his goodness and cheer. Liam could already feel that. Tyr was said to be a great warrior, but also a fair and just arbitrator. Sif was the name of Thor’s wife though she was said to have a child by someone other than the thunder god. From the way Thor and Sif were together, Liam sensed tension. Sif seemed to feel that Thor was not altogether hers. He wonder who she was jealous of.
“It is so good to finally meet you, Liam, though all of us feel we know you so well,” Baldur said.
“And all of you. The other Valkyrie will be thrilled to know that you all live,” Liam said. Already he could envision Elda’s expression when he told her about all of them. He believed that even her stoic demeanor would crack and she might actually gasp.
“So long have we watched Elda and the other Valkyrie. It would be good to know that they are aware of us, too,” Baldur said.
“Eat something, Liam. You are starving. I can tell.” Thor began to heap a plate with slices of rare beef and tender roast pork. There were crispy potatoes and sweet parsnips. Something akin to green beans that were redolent of garlic and ginger though he did not think that those ingredients were available to the Aesir, but then he realized he had no idea what was normal for Asgard. Thor thumped the plate in front of him and handed over a knife and fork.
“Ah, this is enough food to feed a small kingdom,” Liam laughed at the heaping platter of meat and vegetables before him.
“That is hardly a snack for Thor!” Baldur rocked back in his seat and laughed.
“You tease me, but I am a big man and, therefore, I need a large amount of food before I grow faint.” He gestured for Liam to begin. “Eat, Liam.”
Liam speared a slice of beef and said, “I do not mean to be rude. This looks delicious, but —”
“You wish to be back with Cameron, but I am sure that my mother told you that this food will strengthen you. Besides, Heimdall believes that he will be able to tell with his far sight when it is best for you to return to Midgard,” Thor responded gently. “Now take a bite. See if my mother lies.”
“Frigg never lies,” Sif said dryly. “But sometimes she tells less than the truth.”
Liam took that bite of beef and it was like he had never had beef before. He took another bite and another. It was so rich and juicy. He tried the potatoes next and they were that perfect crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. There was just the right amount of salt on them. He speared a piece of pork that had a layer of sizzling fat along the edge. He devoured three pieces of that until he realized Baldur was laughing beside him. He looked up and they were all smiling and nodding.
“You see what I mean?” Thor tipped his cup of mead at him and then took a large swallow.
“It’s good.” Liam laughed and wiped a trail of juice from his chin.
“It is more than good.” Tyr grinned at him.
After chewing and swallowing Liam said, “So let us start from the beginning. You said I used the Bifrost to get here?”
“Heimdall saw you coming from his home Himinbjorg — the Sky Cliffs — which sits above the Bifrost. He contacted me and I rode to come get you. You were collapsed right at the end of the Bifrost,” Thor explained.
“I do not remember getting here at all. I truly have no idea how to get back,” Liam said.
“You will know,” Thor said with ultimate confidence.
“It is in your blood after all,” Sif said as she sipped a glass of red wine.
“My blood? You mean … Loki?” Liam caught sight of all their expressions when he said the trickster god’s name. There were shared looks around the table that he could not interpret. “Is Loki here? With the rest of you? Or is he in Helheim? Or —”
“He’s on Midgard,” Baldur answered, which got a sharp look from Tyr.
“On Earth?” Liam blinked.
“More than that. He is in Holten. He owns the bar Fenrir where your brother works,” Baldur answered.
“What?” Liam went rigid.
“He will not harm Cameron.” It was clear from the thunder god’s compressed lips that talking of Loki angered him and grieved him.
“How do you know that? How can you possibly know that?” Sif turned in her chair to ask her husband.
“Because …” Thor took a deep drink of mead. “Cameron is family. Loki mixed his bloodline heavily with mine and father’s in order that Liam and Cameron would be as much ours as his. You know how devoted he was to his sons. Cameron especially is all that he would want in a child with artistic vision.”
“Indeed, family means almost everything to him,” Tyr said and looked down at the stump where his left hand should be.
Liam wondered if the tale of Loki’s son Fenrir being a gigantic wolf was true. In the tales, in an effort to save themselves, the gods had attempted to trick the wolf. They had the dwarves create a chain that not even Fenrir’s prodigious strength could break, but it appeared light and soft. The gods had asked Fenrir to perform a test of strength with the chain. If he could break the chain then he would be lauded as the strongest of all. Fenrir agreed to be bound by the chain as it seemed so delicate that surely he could break it with ease. But then suspicious, he requested that one of the gods put one of their hands in his mouth, which he would bite off if this was a trick. Only Tyr was brave and honorable enough to do this despite knowing it would mean the loss of his hand. And when Fenrir discovered that he could not break the chain and that he was trapped, he took Tyr’s hand as punishment.
“It is Loki’s blood that allows me to use the Bifrost then?” Liam asked.
“Yes, his magic insulates him from the Gash’s somehow. And he passed that ability onto you and perhaps Cameron, too,” Thor explained.
“Why has he not assisted the Valkyrie then against the Gash if he is on Midgard?” Liam added silently, And what does he want with my brother?
Silence fell among the gods.
“He betrayed us,” Thor finally answered and his expression was as if he was eating glass. “When the battle was at its thickest … he walked away.”
“But why? That seems contrary even for him … at least from the tales,” Liam said, realizing he had no idea what Loki was really like except from the myths and Marvel movies.
“He spoke to the Allfather before he left,” Baldur said after long moments. The young man had drawn his slender legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees.
Thor flushed hotly and snapped, “That has nothing to do with —”
“But he left right after they spoke, Thor,” Tyr said with a grunt.
“I have asked Father if anything that was said during that meeting caused Loki to leave and he said ‘no’,” Thor said stoutly.
The other three looked at each other and sighed. Clearly, Thor trusted his father’s word even when the circumstances would suggest otherwise. It was also something that the others expected of him.
“Tyr, you know how Loki and Father battled. Loki was often the scapegoat for when things went wrong where if Odin had done the same thing he would be lauded for his cunning and cleverness,” Baldur said with a shrug. “The hypocrisy was so apparent that even the most against Loki saw it after a time. It sickened me. Loki had little reason to assist us no matter what was said between him and the Allfather that day.”
Liam gentled his own tone as he said, “Perhaps h
e has changed his mind if he is … is looking out for Cameron.”
Sif tossed her long blond hair and let out a sharp laugh. “No, Liam, this is all a game to Loki. A way to hurt Thor.”
“Why does he want to hurt Thor?” Liam’s gaze snapped between the two gods.
Thor stared into his cup of mead and Liam could feel the tension filling him. “We were not at odds that day, Sif. Loki and I were …”
It was Sif’s turn to stiffen. “Were what?” Her voice was deceptively mild.
“Nothing. It does not matter now. Even though things were … even though things seemed positive for the future with him, he still walked away.” Thor’s muscles bunched with each word as if they were boulders he was rolling uphill.
“If I see him, if I speak with him, is there something you wish me to say?” Liam asked Thor.
For one moment, he saw a spark of something in Thor’s eyes, a wild desire for Liam to pass along a message to the trickster god, but then the light was gone as Sif stared at her husband with suspicion in her gaze.
“No, nothing. He is a lost cause,” Thor said much too quickly in Liam’s estimation.
“It would be dangerous to try and enlist his aid.” Tyr waved a hand through the air. “He is always looking for a way to get the better part of a deal.”
“As he is my brother’s boss, I am sure that I will be seeing him. He’s made himself a part of my family’s life. I don’t think I’ll be able to simply avoid him,” Liam pointed out.
“Just know,” Thor began then stopped. “Just know that he cannot be trusted. Nothing he does is for the general good. He is for himself only.”
“I understand. It’s just that since he seems immune to the Gash’s magic that he would be an incredibly powerful ally,” Liam answered.
“Loki likes chaos. He is probably there as much to hurt Thor as to watch the show of what the Gash will do.” Sif was sitting very upright beside Thor. She radiated hurt though Liam did not know why. It wasn’t hurt on behalf of Thor for being betrayed by Loki, but a personal hurt. He wondered if she were partially upset just with the simple fact of his existence as Thor had obviously mated with human women to create his bloodline, but that seemed to have happened far in the past. Who knew when she and Thor had married. But clearly there were wheels upon wheels here that he did not know.
“So the Gash … what is it? Where did it come from? How can it be destroyed?” Liam asked, realizing that these things were far more important than any drama between Thor and his wife.
“The Gash came from the darkness between the realms. As to what it is? It is corruption personified,” Baldur said as he dipped one of his long, slender fingers into his mead and ran it along the top of large bowl he sipped it out of. “It cannot be destroyed as far as we know though Mjolnir is likely the only weapon that can truly harm it. Our only hope is to send it back to the darkness from whence it came and lock the door behind it.”
“How did it get into the realms in the first place?” Liam asked.
The gods again went still and he knew he had hit upon yet another sore subject. But Liam realized he could not be dancing around the gods’ feelings. He needed as much information as he could get to bring back to Elda. He thought that Thor would forgive him if he laid out his needs plainly.
“I am sorry. I do not mean to pry or ask things that upset you, but anything I can learn about the Gash may help us against it. So please, tell me what you can.” Liam reached across the table and touched one of Thor’s nearest hands while meeting the thunder god’s blue-eyed gaze.
Thor gave him a sad smile and put his large hand over Liam’s. Again, the evident affection was written large on his face.
“The Allfather used to go on travels,” Thor said. “He walked far and wide, investigating every place, finding out everything he could. And one day, he was told that there was a space between the realms where great magic was stored, the magic of creation.”
Liam realized now why the subject was such a sore one. Even before Thor said it he understood that it was Odin who had brought the Gash into the realms.
“And he found a way into this between place?” Liam guessed.
Thor nodded tiredly. “Father opened a portal to this place, but before he could do anything the Gash came through it. He nearly died battling it right then and there, trying to force it into the darkness again, but he was not strong enough. Though he wounded it, the Gash got away and secreted itself. The Allfather gathered all of the Aesir to him, to track the Gash down and send it into the darkness once more. There were great battles across the realms. We finally had it isolated on Midgard. This was to be our last stand against it when … when somehow it cut off our connection to the Bifrost. We were all stuck here in Asgard while it reigned unchecked in Midgard.”
“Why does it inhabit human beings?” Liam asked.
“The realms are very different from the place it came from,” Baldur answered. “It does not have a fleshly body like all of us do. But a body makes things much easier. Those who are corrupted in some way are open to its possession. It then, of course, completely corrupts them then drains their life energy to nothing. They are just husks, shells, for it to inhabit and cause more damage in the end.”
Thor knew this was true from his many experiences with the Gash, including his own battle with Freddie.
“So all the Valkyrie can do is to chase the Gash from body to body? If we can’t defeat it then … then all we can do is simply minimize the damage, right? God, that seems … so pointless.” Liam’s hands fisted on the table.
“I’m afraid so, but it is not pointless. You are saving countless innocents,” Thor answered, his face grim and dark. “But the final battle is not yours.”
“Unless through Loki’s blood either Liam or Cameron could create another portal and force the Gash through.” Tyr’s stormy gray eyes were thoughtful.
But Thor was shaking his head. “Father and I have discussed this. Even if such a thing were possible, they would need Mjolnir to force the Gash back, not to mention the strength of all the gods to get it to the portal in the first place.”
“So it seems to me that I must find a way to break the Gash’s power over the Bifrost so that you all can come to Earth,” Liam said.
“We do not know how such a thing could be done,” Thor said slowly,
“But I’m betting Loki would, wouldn’t he?” Liam asked, his gaze going from face to face.
“He … he may,” Thor said even more slowly. “But he won’t tell you.”
“From what little you’ve said, he might tell me, but I have to figure out what he wants and how to give it to him,” Liam objected.
Thor seemed unhappy at this. “I do not want you having to deal with Loki, but I admit that this is a likely course.”
“He’s there in Holten. He knows something. He’s just waiting to be asked,” Liam guessed.
Liam chewed the last piece of pork on his plate, contemplating how he would speak to Loki. But first things first, he had to get back to Earth and Cameron. He let out a laugh as Thor put more meat on his plate, urging him to eat yet another pound of beef and pork.
“You are like a mother hen!” Liam chuckled.
“I am like an older brother who wants to see his little brother eating properly,” Thor corrected him and put some more meat on Baldur’s plate, too, which had the youth grinning.
Liam thought of Cameron’s empty refrigerator and the general sense of neglect in his apartment. Cameron was not eating enough or sleeping enough. Cameron simply was not taking care of himself. The sudden and urgent desire to be in Midgard nearly overwhelmed him then. He was about to say that he must go when Odin and Frigg came over to them. Odin’s expression was grim, the lines on his face deeper than usual while Frigg’s hands were clasped tightly in front of her.
“What is it?” Thor asked and both he and Liam rose from the table.
“Huggin and Munnin have just shown me a scene of death,” Odin said, his voice gravelly an
d grave. “Another murder of an innocent child has occurred in Holten. Your mother.” He turned to Liam. “Is investigating. But it is clear just from the way the body was displayed that the Gash is behind it.”
A shudder went through Liam and he was nearly vibrating with tension. “I must get back. I can’t leave Cameron alone any longer.”
Thor cocked his head to the side. “I hear Heimdall calling us. It is time for you to return to Midgard, Liam.”
He gestured for Liam to follow him out of the feasting hall. Liam paused though to take his leave of those around the table.
Tyr grasped his hand tightly, staring into his eyes, and saying, “You are a warrior without peer on your world, Liam. I wish I could be by your side in this fight.”
“I will try and make that happen,” Liam promised him.
Baldur uncurled from his seat and rose to his feet. Instead of a handshake, he hugged Liam and whispered fiercely, “Do not deny the love you feel for Cameron. It is your greatest strength. Forget what society tells you is right or wrong. Do what you feel is right for the two of you.”
Shocked by those words and then realizing truly that his life had been viewed in its entirety by these people, he could only nod as his thanks.
Sif stared at him for long moments before saying, “Thor’s blood runs through your veins. Use it.”
“I am honored by it. I will do him proud,” Liam said.
Frigg held both of his hands in hers. She looked at him with bright eyes pricked with tears. “I bless you with strength and courage, Liam. You are like a son to me. Know that I will do whatever I can to help you.”
“Thank you,” he said to her.
Finally, he was facing Odin. The Allfather was smiling at him. He patted Liam’s shoulders.
“Use the strength of your mind as well as your body, Liam. You are gifted with both. I know you will do your best,” Odin said.
“I will return. I will free you,” Liam said with a confidence he found he actually had.
Then he was turning and following Thor out of the feasting hall and into one of the hallways whose side walls were open to the elements. The roaring sound of the waterfalls was muted all the way up here. Thor looked over at him and smiled.