The Eternal Valkyrie: War of the Realms (HTTYD fic)

Part 43

Chapter 42

It all started at the War Council meeting 1 day ago.

When Hiccup and Astrid entered the assigned room they saw that most people were already there. Loki was seated on a plush chair with his left arm in a sling and Meixiu was conversing with Freya. Eret was seated near Tyr and Snotlout. Hiccup even noticed that Jerry and Heimdal were there, though Heimdall still had a pained look on his face for a moment before hiding it expertly. Sif and Frey came in after them and a few minutes later when everyone was present Odin called the meeting to order.

"Thank you all for being here," Odin said as the two ravens perched on his chair also gave caws. "All we need now is to alert those off Realm that we are in need of their assistance. Heimdal if you please."

Heimdal gave a nod and took the horn from his belt before blowing into it. It made no sound which Hiccup found odd at first. His friends were having similar thoughts and then he remembered a story on Earth. An ominous horn would ring out across the Realms; this would be Heimdall, blowing the Gjallarhorn to announce the arrival of the moment the gods have feared. Hiccup supposed even if they couldn't hear it, it didn't mean others couldn't. Soon the council table lit up and smaller holographic images of people appeared. Loki gave a nod to his daughter Hela who was seen sitting on an obsidian throne in the hologram.

"Why have you called us here Odin?!" A burly black-haired dwarf asked while looking annoyed.

"The time is nigh Fafnir," Odin proclaimed. "Soon we will have to do battle for the Realms again."

"And for that matter, why are we here?" the holograms Helblindi of Býleistr now asked with a frown. "We have never been included in these meetings before."

"Isn't it obvious?" Hela spoke up as eyes turned to her. Young as she was, no one ignored the Queen of Helheim. "We need everyone's cooperation otherwise there will be no Realms left."

"Do we really need them here?" Gangr, the youngest Prince of Vanaheim asked with a sneer as he looked at the Jothuns "Wretched creatures they are,". His older brothers held equal dispositions as well yet they cowered when Hela shot them a glare. She could always return to Vanaheim to give them a piece of her mind.

"Odin our forces are ready to do battle but this is getting us nowhere," Snotra, regarded as the haughty Goddess of Wisdom and leader of the ljósálfar, shot a glare at Syn, Queen of the dökkálfar, and sighed. "There is no way that we Light Elves will accept working together with Dark Elves."

"On that, we can agree!" Syn shot back. "Why should we work together with the ones that cast us from our homeland just because we looked different?!"

"My Lady Syn, please calm yourself," Fafnir uttered.

"The dökkálfar, taking any scraps that the Dwarves offer them. So pathetic." Snotra uttered.

"Hold your tongue you hag!" Fafnir now looked angry and this entire meeting was spiraling out of control.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Frigg shouted while slamming her hands on the table, startling everyone in the room, including the holograms. "If you lot want to act like children then I have the right mind to put all of you in a time out!" She addressed the Dwarven king and Elven Queens. "Right now, if we do nothing about Ymir there will be nothing left to squabble over!"

"My mother is right," Loki spoke up after observing the delegates. "I already have set a plan in motion that will be Ymir's downfall. What we need is your cooperation."

"A Jothun runt calling the shots? Who would listen to a mongrel?" Gangr ran his mouth again and this time Hela stood up, shouting "That is my father you're speaking to. Do not make me come all the way back to Vanaheim!" The brothers actually flinched as they remembered the beating she gave them previously. Helblindi gave Hela an assessing look before nodding along with her.