POV: Baldur.
Several Kilometers Away from Ljosalfgard, Alfheim.
Four Days After the Start of the Battle.
(Indeed, it's a dire situation!)
Certainly, I didn't arrive at such a situation swiftly; in fact, it took me a few days.
My enemies had joined forces and meticulously planned how to kill me. The battle commenced mere seconds after my arrival in Alfheim. Initially, it was a simple, low-risk fight. Everyone was merely assessing my power level. Malekith and the Queen of Angels had gained some insight into this after our previous encounter, but the others had not.
The others I'm referring to are the Queen of Cinders, daughter of Surtur, the King of Ogres, who was merely a brainless brute, and the living armor Kurse.
It became clear to me that they wanted a battle of attrition, prolonging the fight until my energies depleted. They hoped I'd realize this and unleash all my power, thus growing weaker in the process, making it easier for them to deal with me. I could have unleashed a powerful enough attack to eliminate them all at once, denying them that option, but they were using all of Alfheim as leverage to restrict me. That's what they thought.
However, I, too, intended to prolong this fight until the plan was complete.
Fighting for days or even years on end for a God is nothing, but it greatly depends on the enemy we're facing. These five adversaries didn't possess as much destructive power as I did, but they had enough skill to pose a threat or kill me if I wasn't paying attention.
The battle followed a rather straightforward rhythm in the early days. I would attack, attempting to eliminate the weakest of the group, but whenever I unleashed my flames, the Queen of Cinders would shield her allies, and when I wielded my spear, Malekith or Loki would use their magic to protect them.
The Queen of Angels, the King of Ogres, and Kurse had the role of inflicting direct damage upon me. The Queen lacked significant power, relying solely on her vast battle experience. The Ogre King relied solely on his strength and terrifying regeneration. The most problematic of the three was undoubtedly Kurse. The armor felt no pain and boasted an insane defense; he was practically a less powerful version of the Juggernaut.
Then, after yet another day, Malekith made his next move. As I launched my Sigel attempting to strike the Queen of Cindes, he performed a series of spells that hit her in midair. Suddenly, I lost my connection to the spear. It remained embedded in the ground, surrounded by dark energy.
I was disarmed.
Without my faithful weapon, I relied solely on my fists. Luckily, I possessed considerable skill in unarmed combat, which allowed me to survive. Yet Malekith wasn't finished.
In tandem with Loki and his illusions, he managed to cut my chest with a sword. It wasn't a severe wound; it would heal in seconds thanks to my runic magic. It took me a moment to grasp the smile on Malekith's and the others' faces.
The wound itself wasn't the concern; it was the sword the Elf was wielding, Dragonsfang. The sword had several annoying abilities; one of them was the power to destroy magical barriers, and it could also absorb magic.
As the sword cut through my tattoos, it nullified their magical effects. My tattoos were linked to me through my soul, but the cursed sword undid that connection. I could redo the tattoos in a few hours, but for that, I'd have to remain stationary.
And that's impossible right now.
So, here I am in my current state, surrounded by enemies, my body riddled with wounds, unable to use my weapon or magic to aid me. The situation certainly isn't favorable. From being on the offensive, I've shifted to a defensive stance, dodging all my enemies and attempting to land lucky blows. I must do everything possible not to sustain further injuries, as I no longer have the runes to aid in healing.
After several hours of this, and starting to doubt whether my plan has succeeded, I'm almost resorting to Plan B. But then I receive a faint signal in my ear. It's a small signal, but it brings a broad smile to my face.
It's the signal that the plan worked. Now, all that's left is to deal with the damn elf.
Malekith is highly intelligent, and when he sees me smile, he instinctively takes several steps back. Loki, of course, follows suit. The others don't notice and continue attacking me, but it doesn't matter.
It's time to counterattack.
As the Queen of Angels is about to plunge her spear into my body, the space between us distorts, and a magnificent eight-legged black steed appears.
And mounted atop it is a beautiful woman with long red hair wielding a sword. Angela has been within my dimension this entire time.
She's my trump card and my Plan B. If Plan A hadn't worked, the two of us would have been sufficient to deal with our enemies. Of course, the likelihood of Malekith escaping would have greatly increased.
Angela says nothing. We had already agreed that if she wasn't needed, she would have the chance to settle the score with the Queen of Angels. Using Sleipnir's speed, she grabs one of the Queen's wings and drags her through the skies, as far away from the battlefield as possible.
"Now, Heimdall!" I shout to the sky.
The beam of light from the Bifrost falls from the sky, enveloping all of us and pulling us through space. A few seconds later, we land on a desolate planet devoid of life, thousands of light-years away from where we were.
This is the perfect battlefield for me; here, I wouldn't need to hold back. Unfortunately, in my plans, I would have my spear, which was left behind in another realm.
"Impressive, Prince of Asgard," spoke the Elf, surveying his surroundings.
Everyone stopped attacking me when they were dragged to this planet.
"Clearly, somehow you managed to dispel my spell and make the Bifrost work. It's truly remarkable, considering I spent thousands of years unraveling that magic," he continued.
"I asked for help from a friend," I say, smiling.
"It was a pleasant surprise. But it doesn't matter. Your situation hasn't changed much; we've lost one of our allies, but you're still without your weapon, magic, or other companions to help you."
"You're right about my magic and my weapon, but about companions..."
Malekith's smiling face twists into a grimace of pain. It's no wonder, as there's now a dagger blade piercing his body. And to everyone's surprise, except mine, the one who stabbed the elf in the back was Loki.
(T/N: I may have lied 😜)
"You... how?" the elf asked, blood spilling from his mouth.
"TRAITOR!"
Sindr, the Queen of Cinders, who had been silent since our arrival, conjured a flaming sword to attack Loki. The King of Ogres raised his club and attacked alongside her.
Kurse, as always, relying solely on his fists, approached us. But Loki was prepared. Before they could get close to him, Loki extended his free hand, which glowed green. Then three green auras surrounded Sindr, the Ogre, and Kurse, halting their movements. He stayed close to the three for a long time, days. For a mage, time is a great ally.
And so, in just one second, three of my enemies were at my mercy.
"Since when?" asked the Elf.
With his immense vitality, he didn't die immediately when his heart was pierced. Loki emerged from the Elf's back, removing the blade and leaving him weak, kneeling on the ground.
"Since when? Since the attack on Asgard, of course," I say, recalling my meeting with my brother.
POV: Baldur.
Asgardian Prison.
Several Days Before. After the Invasion of Asgard.
The Dark Elves certainly made a mess of Asgard's prison. Several inmates were freed, embarking on a wild escape through the city, hunted by soldiers. The only unlucky one who wasn't released was my brother, Loki.
"It's been a while, brother," he greeted me as I stood before his cell.
A small room, yet undoubtedly comfortable, with various beautiful furnishings and even books. Loki was seated in his armchair, with a book open, not even glancing at me.
"Just a blink of an eye for us, Loki," I replied.
"But for me, it's been an eternity, trapped here like an animal."
"You seem like a very well-kept animal compared to the other residents of this place," I remarked, noting the luxurious furnishings of his cell.
Loki stopped flipping through the pages of his book but still didn't look at me.
"What brings you here then, King of Genosha?" he inquired.
"Your help."
"Something you'll never have," he responded immediately, not even considering my request.
"There's much at stake, brother. First, I'd like you to take us to Genosha, and then—"
"I don't care, Baldur. Of course, if you were to offer me my freedom, I might consider it."
"That's something I don't have the authority to grant."
"Then why not ask Allfather to do it?"
"He doesn't have the authority either."
Finally, I gained Loki's attention, making him look at me for the first time.
"Don't be foolish, brother. In Asgard, no one has more authority than the King."
"That's true. But even if the king were to set you free, I would imprison you once again. In my opinion, the only one with the power to set you free is the people of Midgard."
"What nonsense!" he exclaimed.
Loki tossed his book aside and faced me, separated only by the golden energy barrier.
"Are you saying that mortals have more authority than the King of Asgard?"
I remained as calm as possible; this was a chance to make Loki understand his mistakes and, perhaps, help him evolve in the future.
"Loki. Do you know how many of those mortals died because of your actions?"
I could see that his face was a bit more stern, not with anger at what I said, but showing some remorse.
"How many women? How many children?" I continued.
With each question, Loki displayed more regret and guilt on his face.
"That's why I won't allow you to be set free, Loki, and if you escape, I will pursue you across all nine realms, because just as your actions had consequences, I also bear some guilt, as you are my brother."
Loki then turned his back and walked over to a bookshelf where his books were kept. We remained silent for a few minutes. Until he spoke.
"So, why should I help you? I won't gain anything in return, and I'll end up back in my cell in the end."
"Simply because it's the right thing to do."
I could have given him several logical reasons, to save Asgard, the realm he desires, or even mention that our mother is in danger, but I don't want to lie to him.
"You said you needed something else besides taking you to your realm," he said, still facing away from me.
"Yes. I need you to do what you do best, brother."
Loki then turned to me with that devilish grin on his face; I knew he had agreed to help me.
POV: Baldur.
Desolate Planet, Unknown Galaxy.
Current Time.
I remember the conversation I had with my brother days ago, and I can't help but smile. Several times, I thought Loki had truly betrayed me, and I'm glad to know I was wrong.
"I understand, then, from the beginning," Malekith spoke, still kneeling on the ground with his hand on his chest, trying to stop the bleeding.
"But I'm truly surprised by you, Baldur. I never expected you to be the kind of man who would sacrifice Ljosalfgard to lure me into your trap."
Ljosalfgard, the capital of the light elves, was destroyed by Loki as proof of his loyalty.
"Buildings can be rebuilt," I say.
"And the lives taken? Can they be restored as well?" the elf asked, smiling.
"Not a single light elf was killed during the attack," Loki responded this time, still on the elf's back.
"Don't lie to him, Loki. I saw the blood on my men's blades myself. And I set fire to the city too, I saw the bodies scattered throughout the city."
"You and your men saw what I wanted you to see, just as you 'saw' me, signing a magical contract."
During our fight, Loki telepathically sent me some information. He created an illusion of myself and went to Sif to tell her about the attack by the dark elves. Then he persuaded all the light elves to abandon the city.
After that, it only took creating a powerful illusion to make the dark elf army believe they were killing the light elves. I must say, I've never been so afraid of my brother's abilities as I was after learning all this.
"Of course, we wouldn't be having this conversation if the Black Bifrost hadn't been destroyed by my men. But you already know that, it's the only explanation for why you didn't attempt to escape," I said, looking at him.
(For everything to go according to plan, his escape route and those of his allies had to be cut off.)
"Yes, truly a magnificent setup. But you made a mistake, my handsome sun god."
"What would that be?" The dying man's words, almost on the brink of death, gave me a foreboding feeling.
"In a trap, you should kill the captured animal quickly, because you never know what a cornered animal will do!"
In his hand, which had been severed and magically replaced, Malekith held a blue crystal. When I saw this, I unleashed a burst of energy towards him, trying to stop him. Loki behind him also moved, conjuring a dagger and hurling it. But we were too slow; Malekith thrust the blue crystal right into the middle of his chest wound.
A shadow explosion engulfed the entire body of the dark elf, shielding him from our attacks. The dark energy was so intense that it sucked all the light from the surroundings, plunging that desolate world into darkness.
Then the darkness subsided, revealing the Elf King now completely enveloped in darkness, wrapped in a black armor of vibrating shadows that flickered like flames. The black armor was sleek, and I could see several magical runes around his fists, legs, and neck. Only their faces were visible, their once white hair now dyed black, dancing freely in the air, unaffected by gravity.
"You want to kill yourself?" I say, looking at the blue crystal embedded in his chest.
"We won't get to that; all I have to do is kill him and take the Aether before time runs out," his previously cheerful voice now laden with darkness.
Dreamstone. One of the most powerful relics of the dark elves, it has the power to manifest the desires of its users. And in this case, Malekith desired power.
Then he makes the first move. The Dragonfang he was holding before was also consumed by darkness, transforming into a black sword, and with a wave of his hand, a wave of darkness engulfed us so fast we couldn't avoid it. My vision is obstructed for a second, and when I can see again, I realize that Loki has disappeared from where we were.
"Let's restore things to their natural order," he says as he thrusts his sword of darkness into the ground. Then three tendrils of darkness manifest and attack his frozen allies. The tentacles envelop them, breaking Loki's spell, and dye them the same darkness that enveloped Malekith.
"Now then. Once again, you find yourself surrounded by enemies without allies, magic, or your weapon to defend you!" The three, who were frozen before, are now clearly being controlled by Malekith. But I could also sense that they had become many times more powerful.
(I didn't expect to come to this.)
I extend my open hand upwards, and wait.
"Ohhh"
Malekith, who was about to attack me with his companions, looks at me with a smile, as if mocking me.
"Don't be foolish, sun god; your weapon is still sealed by my magic in Alfheim."
"I'm not calling for my spear!" I reply, smiling.
"BOOM!"
Then an object breaks the sound barrier entering the planet's atmosphere; it's headed towards me. For some reason, I can hear Odin's calm voice, as if he were whispering in my ear.
"He who wields this hammer."
As the object approaches me, the clouds it passes through turn black and charged with energy.
"If he be worthy."
(I've often lifted Thor's hammer, but this will be the first time I use its powers!)
Then, I finally grasp Mjolnir, and Odin's voice, which I thought I was imagining, echoes throughout the planet.
"Then, you shall posses the power of Thor!"
A lightning bolt strikes from the sky, enveloping my body—I've never felt so powerful.
I am ready to end this now.
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