– Part 1 (Tracking the Beast)
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The golden halls of Valhalla were alive with the usual sounds of feasting, laughter, and the clash of sparring warriors. But Orion and his team weren't here for revelry.
They had been summoned for another mission.
Unlike before, Odin was absent. Instead, Baldur stood at the war table, his usual warmth replaced by something more serious.
To his right, Thor stood with his arms crossed, his grip on Mjolnir unusually tight.
To his left, Loki lounged against a pillar, his smirk sharp as ever, as if this was all some grand joke.
Something about this meeting felt different.
Baldur exhaled, his gaze sweeping over the assembled warriors. "There is a problem in Alfheim. A descendant of Jörmungandr has gone rogue."
The room fell into silence.
Jörmungandr. The World Serpent. One of the most dangerous beings in existence. A creature so powerful that even Thor himself was destined to battle it during Ragnarok.
And now, one of its kin was loose.
Thor was the first to break the silence. "This is no ordinary beast. It stalks. It waits. It kills. The elves have lost many warriors trying to stop it."
Freya folded her arms. "The elves have handled monsters before. Why is this one different?"
Loki chuckled softly. "Because this one is not just a monster. It is a hunter. And now, my dear Einherjar, you are its prey."
Orion ignored him. "What's the mission?"
Baldur reached for a rune-marked dagger and placed it on the table. "Track it. Kill it. Bring back its head as proof. If you succeed, Alfheim will recognize Valhalla's warriors as their allies."
Orion glanced at his team. The hunt was on.
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The portal shimmered, and in an instant, Orion and his team stepped into Alfheim.
And it was unlike anything they had ever seen.
The land of the elves was a place of unearthly beauty.
The sky burned with a golden light, casting shimmering rays through the silver-leaved trees. The rivers flowed with liquid starlight, reflecting the glow of floating runes that pulsed gently in the air.
It was a world that felt untouched by time.
But something was wrong.
The usual sounds of life—birdsong, the rustling of trees, the distant hum of elven music—were absent.
The air was too still.
Freya's hand moved instinctively to her sword. "It's too quiet."
Khaled nodded. "Predators make the world silent."
A rustling in the distance made the entire team turn sharply, weapons ready. But it wasn't the beast they were hunting.
It was elves.
A group of armored warriors emerged from the shadows of the trees. Unlike the Vanir, who had greeted them with cautious respect, the elves of Alfheim were cold, distant. Their armor shimmered like woven moonlight, and their eyes burned with suspicion.
At their lead stood Lord Faelar, an elf of high rank, his long silver hair tied back in intricate braids. His gaze was piercing as he studied the newcomers.
"You are the warriors sent from Valhalla?" he asked, voice smooth but unreadable.
Orion stepped forward. "We are."
Faelar's expression didn't change. "Then you have arrived at a grave time. The serpent you seek has already begun its hunt. And I pray you are ready—"
His gaze shifted beyond them.
Orion felt it before he heard it.
A low, reverberating hiss.
A shadow moved between the trees, massive, coiling, unseen.
The serpent was already watching them.
The hunt had already begun.
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Part 2 (The Hunt Begins)
The serpent's hiss echoed through the enchanted forest.
Orion's grip on his spear tightened. His team spread out, instincts taking over. The air felt charged, thick with anticipation.
Freya transformed into her raven form, taking to the skies for a better vantage point. Erik raised his tower shield, planting himself as an immovable wall. Ingrid's greatsword gleamed in the dim light, and Khaled's fingers twitched, ready to teleport at a moment's notice.
Darius, ever composed, muttered, "We need to move."
The elves around them tensed. Lord Faelar's piercing gaze flickered toward Orion. "The serpent is not merely hunting."
Orion exhaled. "It's toying with us."
Another hiss, closer this time.
The silver-leaved trees shook. A massive shadow slithered between the trunks, impossibly fast for something so large. The runes floating in the air flickered as if disturbed by its presence.
And then—it struck.
A blur of scales and fangs lunged from the trees.
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Orion barely dodged. The serpent's jaws snapped shut where he had been standing. The impact shattered the ground, sending stone and soil flying.
It was massive.
Easily over a hundred feet long, its black-and-gold scales shimmered with an unnatural energy. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto Orion, filled with cold intelligence.
This wasn't a mindless beast.
It knew what it was doing.
And it was enjoying this.
Erik let out a roar and charged. His tower shield slammed against the serpent's side, the force sending a shockwave through the air.
The beast hissed, its massive tail whipping around—
CRACK!
Erik flew back, crashing through three trees.
"Erik!" Ingrid yelled, leaping in front of the serpent's follow-up strike. Her greatsword met fangs, divine steel clashing against the monster's unholy power.
For a moment, she held.
Then, the serpent coiled around her.
Its powerful body constricted, squeezing.
Orion's instincts screamed.
He activated Partial Godmode.
The world slowed. His mother's voice echoed in his mind.
"Aim for the soft points between the scales. The eyes. The throat."
Orion moved.
A blur of motion—he appeared on the serpent's back in an instant, his spear glowing with celestial energy.
"NOW!" he shouted.
Khaled teleported beside Ingrid, cutting at the serpent's coils. Darius swung his mace, cracking into the beast's ribs. Freya, still in raven form, dove, shifting midair to deliver a precise slash to its eye.
The serpent screeched.
It released Ingrid, thrashing wildly.
Orion took his chance.
He drove his spear into the beast's throat.
The weapon pierced through. A burst of divine power ripped through the serpent's body, sending shocks of celestial energy exploding outward.
The forest shook.
The elves watched in awe as the beast convulsed—
And then collapsed.
Its body twisted, the last remnants of its unholy energy dispersing into the wind.
Silence.
For a long moment, nothing moved.
Then Erik groaned from the wreckage of the trees. "Did we win?"
Darius wiped blood from his face. "Yeah."
Orion exhaled. The celestial glow around him faded. He pulled his spear free and turned to Lord Faelar.
"Your problem is solved."
The elven lord studied the fallen serpent, then Orion. His silver eyes gleamed with newfound respect.
"You have done Alfheim a great service," he said. "You will be rewarded."
Orion nodded.
The hunt was over.
---
The elves of Alfheim were not like the Vanir.
They did not hold raucous feasts, nor did they boast of battle. Instead, their celebrations were quiet, filled with music and poetry, honoring the warriors who had slain the beast.
Orion and his team sat within an open-air temple, the scent of enchanted incense lingering in the air.
Lord Faelar approached, flanked by elven scribes.
"You have earned the respect of Alfheim," he said. "From this day forward, you and your kin shall be known as Friends of the Light."
A golden emblem appeared before each of them, a rune of recognition.
Then, Faelar gestured to a chest carried by two elves. "A gift."
Inside lay weapons, armor, and artifacts, all crafted by elven hands.
Orion lifted a silver ring embedded with a single glowing rune. The moment he touched it, he felt a surge of divine energy.
Faelar smirked. "It enhances your celestial power. Use it well."
Orion nodded. "We appreciate this."
The elves bowed.
The mission was complete.
And now, Valhalla awaited.
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