Raven by JustBored21

Chapter 20

Odin took the group, Jane included once the healers had brought her to them, to a room where the first thing they would've noticed was the rather magnificent and large tree.

"It's beautiful" Harry breathed out as he looked at it, he could see what looked like portals on each branch. He could tell that this was no ordinary tree without even looking at it, he could feel the magic surging through it just like a lot of things in Asgard. "Is that what I think it is?" Harry said excitedly to Thor as he gestured to the tree.

"What is it?" Natasha asked, more than a little confused.

"Yggdrasil, the World Tree" Thor answered "your world is one of the Nine Realms of the Cosmos, linked to each other by the branches of Yggdrasil. There are nine realms, Midgard which is Earth, there are a few others including Asgard where we currently are now."

"You see it basically a tree that binds the nine realms together" Harry simplified. "Is it made of ash?" He asked as he examined it. "I've always heard that it was made of ash?"

"You can have a tour later" Odin said, bringing them back to business "now there are relics that predate the universe itself, what lies within her appears to be one of them. The nine realms are not eternal, they have a dawn as they will have a dusk." Odin spoke as he pulled out a large book and opened it while the others gathered around. "Before that dawn the dark elves reigned absolute and unchallenged."

"When you say elves, you don't by any chance mean little grey things about knee high with floppy ears, wide eyes and a pillow sack for clothes?" Harry asked, everyone turned to him and looked at him as if he had just sprouted three extra heads.

"What?" Jane said eventually, echoing the thoughts of everyone present.

"I had a weird childhood" Harry shrugged.

"No" Odin said eventually.

"No, I promise I did have a weird childhood" Harry replied.

"I meant that they are not small" Odin replied "they are as tall as any man, they have a shape like any man but with long ears. Make no mistake, they were powerful beings when they were alive." Thor looked down on the book.

"'Born of eternal night, the dark elves come to steal the light' I know these stories, mother told us them when we were children."

"Their leader, Malekith, made a weapon out of the darkness and it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appeared in the form of stones, the Aether is fluid and ever changing. It changes matter into dark matter, it seeks out hosts and it draws strength from their life force. Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe to one of darkness. But, after eternities of bloodshed and horrors, my father Bor finally triumphed against the dark elves, ushering in a peace that lasted thousands of years." Odin finished with some pride in his voice.

"What happened?" Jane asked.

"He killed them all" Odin replied, once again with pride in his voice.

"All of them?" Natasha asked.

"Are you certain?" Thor said to his father "The Aether was said to be destroyed, yet here it is."

"It certainly seems possible for them to be alive" Harry said with a thoughtful look "it's possible those went to hiding, those that did would either be enough for an army or they would breed and increase their numbers."