The Heir of Asgard

Prologue

A lone man stood atop the highest tower in the kingdom. He stared across the vast technological wonder, and smiled. His friend had really turned the realms on its head in the time of service he committed. For hundreds of years his master had ruled the world, and now a new era was approaching.

The servant didn't want to turn around and watch the inevitable, but it was his duty not as a servant, but as a friend. He felt the tears sting the back of his eyes just pondering the possibilities. The king of the realms called weakly out to him, "Derek, my friend, come here. We must have final words."

Taking a deep breath the man who looked no older than forty with his short dark black hair, and dark grey eyes went to his friend's bedside taking a knee looking anywhere, but the dying man's eyes. All that they had accomplished together seemed to flash in a moment, "How are you doing old friend?"

He laughed at the question, "A Hel of a lot better than you by the looks of it Derek. Pull yourself together."

Derek could hardly fight off the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. He was about to make a very smart remark, but the king grew serious again, "Now there are some things we need to talk about before my moment arrives."

Derek put on the most serious face he could, "Yes my lord."

He smiled back at his friend, "Excellent. Now allow a dying man to give his own eulogy. I made many mistakes in this lifetime, having lived for hundreds of years, and ruled the kingdom for over two centuries. I think I was entitled to a few, but the wrongs I committed may one day lead to the undoing of every good decision I ever made as King."

He looked at him most curiously now, "I don't understand my lord? What could possibly undo the work of centuries?"

Thor looked out the open windows over the kingdom and spoke sadly, "I was not perfect in my times as King as we have discussed many times in the past, and i do not wish to beat a dead horse, but there are so many things i would do differently if I had only known. I have felt this moment coming for a long time, and I wish I...I wish Sif would have..."

The man seemed to struggle for words, and if there was one thing Derek knew about his friend was that the man was rarely ever at a loss for words, "Was there something that happened with the Queen?"

He laughed at the statement as if Derek had told a funny joke. As he did the room was filled with the laughter of times past. It seemed to haunt the room, and brighten it at the same time with a power only few could ever possess, "No, my queen was a beautiful maiden worth my love a million times over! One of the finest women in the nine realms."

"Then what is the problem my lord? I know you were distraught after her passing, but there is nothing you could have done to fix that."

His face descended into sorrow in a blink, "Now my old friend that is where you are wrong... You see... She didn't die the way you and the others of the kingdom believe. She died of grief."

Now there was real confusion, "What do you mean grief? You and my queen always seemed...content."

He sighed in a barely audible tone, "My friend, we have had many adventures together, and I must say some of my finest memories are with you, and for over two centuries you and I have held no secrets. Except for one."

Derek said nothing clearly surprised the man had kept something serious from him. He always thought himself to be the King's most trusted advisor even though he was just a servant. The fact the man kept a secret so big that it may have caused the Queen's passing earlier than any would've imagined was huge. He felt a tightening in his chest as he asked, "Will you tell me this last secret?"

Thor looked ashamed as he spoke looking right through the man, " I have another son and it's not my queen's child."

Derek was in complete shock. A new possible heir to the throne? How was this possible, when could this have happened? The man immediately began his questioning, "Was this twelve years ago? You disappeared for weeks at a time, and it was around the time my queen began to seem upset or now I suppose even heartbroken."

He nodded sadly with shame, "His name is Orion. He is eleven years old. Now, before you get upset, allow me to explain myself. I was on Midgard looking over the realm as I always do, when I saw the most beautiful maiden I had ever laid eyes upon. I tried to approach her from the sky when a frost giant appeared. Naturally I sensed that she was in danger so I made quick work to destroy the beast. After she realized what had happened she came up to thank me. We didn't speak much that day, but I returned to check on this maiden many times, and somehow she always sensed me. We met many times, and there was a fire there that I had never felt before. It led to a child that has suffered the consequences."

The servant slowly processed this information. Out of pure excitement Derek jumped up exclaiming, "My lord this is good news! We will once again have an heir to your throne! Your other children have descended into the madness that plagues our realms. Perhaps this the answer to saving Asgard!"

He smiled slightly, "One day... when he is old enough. I don't want you to bring him into Asgard. First, you need to find him. Then you need to train him as we trained growing up. Maybe he will be able to stand up to our enemies as I once did. The boy has a fighting spirit in him, and I think with the right guidance he could be the fairest ruler to ever oversee the nine realms. All Fathers willing."

"But I still do not understand... even if she was the most beautiful maiden, I know you old friend. You don't have a disloyal bone in your body! To betray the queen in this way."

He sighed heavily, "My friend, I am afraid Loki is up to his old tricks. I still believe he has a hand in this plague. I also believe he set up the entire situation between myself and this Maiden. I believe he bewitched this woman, and possibly even myself. As to how he did it...to this day I am unsure."

He thought upon this, "That is why you called me alone to your bed side on the night of your passing. You wished to give me one last task?"

He responded to this statement with a very serious tone, "This last part is sensitive. He lives on Midgard, and our enemies must not discover the boy or he will be in even graver peril than he is now. I will throw Mjolnir down to Midgard. When he proves himself worthy, he will be able to obtain the greatest weapon in all of the nine realms. He will need Mjolnir to defeat Loki and his allies."

You could see the hope in his eyes and the servant had to smile at his conviction. His face grew very solemn though as he concentrated on the task ahead, "Well my friend, you have served me well. I wish you the best success and please... Guide my son." In his dying breath he still found the strength to draw the hammer, the greatest weapon in the Universe, Mjolnir.

As he whispered the ancient Norse Magic into the hammer, he threw it out the window where it created a sonic boom and with a flash of light it was gone. He looked at Derek sadly, "Goodbye old friend. May we ride together again in Valhalla."

As he laid there a blue light started to circle around him and then the heat intensified with a bright flashing light, suddenly the place in his bed laid empty. Derek sat there in shock expecting him to reappear, and make a joke as they had done many times in the past.

No one could say how long the servant sat in the tower contemplating what he had learned. After making a decision on the future he decided his lifelong mission was not to fail his master on this final task. He was going to attempt to find the king's son or die trying. He did not learn the name of the maiden, but Derek swore to seek her out. For now it was time to spread the heart breaking news throughout Asgard that the king had begun his journey to Valhalla..

Dedicated to fellow author Jason Henderson, who inspired me from the beginning of my writing career.