The Dark World | Book 3

Sixteen: Shadows of Svartalheim

Loki turned his hand with a green shimmer in his palm. As indication of his magic working. Thor turned quickly as if he was uninjured and reached out the stump that was cut off. A glow of green shown and Thor's hand is intact again. The god of thunder reached for his hammer resting in the hillside and it flew to his command.

Sigyn dives out of the way as Mjolnir comes racing towards them. She takes the hand of Loki that he held out to her and pulled her in quickly. Together they land over Jane's unconscious body and shield her. Mjolnir collides with Thor's hand with a thundering boom. He turned the hammer as lighting swirled and cracked in the skies and aimed it at The Aether.

Lightning struck the red crimson form floating above them. All of Thor's power concentrated on a single point. It cracked through The Aether with the most destructive power. Thor continued to pour all his power into this attack. The lightning grew thrice and lit up the sky above them forcing the Elves to turn away.

Malekith screamed as The Aether crumbled before his bare eyes.

Bang.

Thunder cracked across the skies of Svartalheim.

A thousand red crimson shards shatter above like a mirror. The pieces fanning out in slow motion and exploding upwards with a thundering crack and then the darkness that is The Aether escapes into a fuzzy cloud of black smoke and settles over them. All was silent then.

Sigyn cracked open her eyes and lifted her head out of her arms. Had it worked? she prayed. She looked as the black cloud settled into the sand around them like fog. She see's the same look in Loki's eyes. The Princess checked on Jane to see she was okay and her eyes were only blinking open.

Tingly crackling glistening around them in red starlight. It rose up from the sand all around them as if put in reverse. A thousand crackling mirrors sprinkled into the air as the red shards picked itself back up and moved towards the one it recognised after all these years. Malekith held out his arms like an open hug to welcome back The Aether into his hearth. It found him again and bonded. It searched for anyway to enter his being. Through his eyes, nose and mouth it flew into his body until all the pieces are back together.

His head dropped. A deep breath from his chest.

Malekith rose again with red glowing eyes and he was now one with The Aether once more.

The Asgardians had failed in their plan.

Without a word Malekith turned on his heel and began trekking back to his ship. The Elves around him stood to attention and moved out of the way. The creature turns to follow his master with a satisfied look in his grotesque face.

"Sigyn." warned Loki, rising to his feet, facing the three elves that decided to stay. She was attending to Jane, helping the weak woman to sit up and come to terms with the events that just happened.

"Are you alright, Jane?" asked Sigyn. She grabs Jane's hand. There was no reaction from any sign that The Aether was still inside of her.

"I'm okay." replied Jane, wary.

"We need to move now." Sigyn urgently says, hoisting Jane to her knee's. Jane was still foggy, her body slow and recovering from the life-force stolen from her. Sigyn signals to Thor that they are okay. The Aether was gone from Jane and that is what mattered to Thor.

The god of thunder marched forward with his mighty hammer in hand to descend upon the Elves escaping. The next grievance was to stop Malekith from delving the universe into darkness. Thor struck the three elves who thought themselves brave enough to face him.