Ragnarok [6]

Norway

Chapter 5

Loki fell to the floor as the portal closed behind them.

"Next time I see him, I'm going to throw him out of a window." Abi looked around the beautiful landscape and saw a man standing by the edge of the cliff. Thor and Loki had seen him too.

Thor walked over to him as Loki got to his feet and came to stand by Abi.

"Father?" Thor said.

Odin kept his eyes trained over the grey sea. "Look at this place. It's beautiful."

Loki glanced at Abi before finally walking forward to join the other two. Abi hung back, not wanting to intrude.

"Father, it's us." Thor's voice was worried.

"My sons." Odin said as Loki came to stand next to him. "I've been waiting for you."

"I know, we've come to take you home." Thor told him.

"Home, yes. Your mother, she calls me. Do you hear it?" He glanced at them both.

"Loki, lift your magic!"

Odin laughed. "Took me quite a while to break free from your spell. Frigga would have been proud." He gave Loki a proud smile. "Come and sit with me, I don't have much time." He led them to a rock and they all sat down.

"I know that we failed you. But we can make this right." Thor tried.

"I failed you. It is upon us, Ragnarok."

Abi had been trying not to listen but that drew her attention. She didn't know much about Norse mythology but she knew what that word meant.

"No, I've stopped Ragnarok. I put an end to Surtur." Thor said.

"No." Odin shook his head. "It has already begun, she's coming. My life was all that held her back. But my time has come." Thor and Loki shared a pained glance. "I cannot keep her away any longer."

Thor furrowed his brow. "Father, who are you talking about?"

"Goddess of Death. Hela. My firstborn. Your sister."

Abi felt the waves of confusion and emotion that went coursing through Thor and Loki's.

"Your what?" Thor looked at Loki as if Loki would have the answers.

"Her violent appetites grew beyond my control. I couldn't stop her, so I imprisoned her. Locked her away. She draws her strength from Asgard, and once she gets there, her powers will be limitless."

"Whatever she is, we can stop her together." There were tears in Thor's eyes as he grasped at a way to keep his father with them. "We can face her together."

Odin shook his head. "No, we won't. I'm on a different path now. This you must face alone. I love you, my sons. Look at that." He pointed out at the sun shining over the dark sea. "Remember this place. Home." And with that Odin dissipated into gold dust and was carried away on the wind.

Thor and Loki stood up to watch it disappear, but Abi turned the other way. She could feel something coming, something with more power than she had ever felt. The sky got dark and started thundering with Thor's grief.

"Brother." Loki spoke softly as Thor's hands started crackling with electricity.

Thor clenched his fists and it stopped. "This was your doing."

"Stop it!" Abi formed a barrier between them with a wave of her hand. "Something's coming."

They both turned to see what she was looking at as a black portal started to open about a meter and a half off the ground. A green light streamed through as the brother's walked forward so they were stood either side of her. Loki's black suit morphed into his Asgardian clothes as Thor slammed the umbrella into the floor, changing him into his armour and the umbrella back into Mjolnir. The three of them got ready as a women clad in green and black with long black hair walked out of the portal.

She smirked at them as the portal closed behind her. "So, he's gone. That's a shame, I would have liked to have seen that."

"You must be Hela." Thor said. "I'm Thor, son of Odin."

"Really, you don't look like him."

"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement." Loki tried to reason.

"You sound like him." She gestured with her hand. "Kneel."

"Beg your pardon." Loki looked offended.

She raised her hand and with a flick of her wrist, a sword appeared. "Kneel. Before your Queen."

"I don't think so." Thor took a step forward.

"No! Don't!" But Abi was too late, Thor had already thrown Mjolnir.

Hela held out her hand and stopped it with her palm. It started to whine as Thor tried to summon it back.

"That's not possible."

"Darling, you have no idea what's possible." She gripped Mjolnir tighter and cracks started to appear before with a deafening noise and an explosion of lightning, the hammer shattered.

Abi raised her hands and surrounded the three of them in a protective shield as lightning bounced around them. As the lightning dissipated, the shards of Mjolnir fell to the floor. Hela smiled and ran her fingers over her hair, transforming it into a spiked helmet. She flicked both wrists and swords appeared in both of her hands as she started walking towards them.

"Bring us back!" Loki shouted into the sky.

"No!" Abi and Thor screamed at the same time but the damage was already done.

Abi had never felt anything like it; one moment her feet were on the floor, the next she was shooting upwards surrounded by multicoloured flashing lights. Thor was ahead of her, Loki just behind but other than that she couldn't tell which direction was which.

"Loki!" Thor warned.

Loki turned and saw Hela below him, gaining fast. Loki drew a dagger and threw it towards her, but she caught it and sent it flying straight back. It hit Loki and he went flying out of the side, through the lights and into the dark expanse on the other side. Abi could barely concentrate on anything so when Hela reached her, she stood no chance. Hela grabbed her shoulders and pushed her backwards into the darkness.