Asgaard

All seven Elders had arrived at the council hall. The three Norns stood at a distance on the far side ofthe hall, their impassive faces unreadable.The Elders knew that the mighty females wouldn't have come if it wasn't utterly necessary. Only a breach of the codex, or an impending change of the fates would require their presence. In fact, this was the first time the Elders had seen the females face to face. At least, as females they appeared to the eye, but there was something that put them beyond a flesh, blood, and bones appearance. They were not goddesses or half goddesses, and were definitely not human.

One was young and youthful with long ivory blond hair and eyes of pallid blue - the Wyrd. One appeared ageless, neither young nor old - Wyrdani, with dark eyes and black hair braided over her shoulder which ends reached the marble floor. The third was ash grey, withered and wrinkly, but with eyes of molten gold - Skulla. They all just stood there motionless, waiting.

As hasty footsteps echoed through the silence, both Elders and Norns turned their heads. No one spoke as they watched the big golden gates burst open. The tall, broad shouldered young male barrelled towards the Norns, his long brown hair tied in a practical braid, tinged with copper where it caught the sunlight that fell through the stained glass roof of the great council hall. His steps were full of rage, but before he reached the old Norn closest to him, an Elder leapt between them.

"Ard, what do you think you are doing?" hissed the grey haired male with quietened voice, as if it would make a difference. "Do you not know who our visitors are?"

"I do not care" said Ard, the volume of his words not matching that of the Elder. "I have done what was asked of me just to find that I have been lied to."

Ard turned to Skulla.

"You," he said. "You have done this. It must have been your decision."

"Ard, you better – "

"Let him speak, Asereth, Elder God," insisted the Norn.

Suddenly, it felt as if the air had lost all oxygen contents. Asereth tried to form words but his lungs were unable to absorb the life giving material from the molecules around him. The words of the Norn had done something unnatural, cast a spell. Ard stared into her golden eyes, a different shade of gold to his own, not as warm and honeyed, but pale and matt. Despite him knowing that she wasn't somebody he should anger, he took a brazen step closer, pushing Asereth out of the way, to stand near enough to smell her scent of barren earth and dead leaves.

"What is the reason for this? demanded Ard. "Why hasn't it happened as was promised?"

"Please, Ard, call me by my name. I'm Skulla. I make no decisions. I merely pass on what is destined to be."

"You are destiny! You decide!" roared Ard.

Skulla only smiled. "Young Ard, I can see you," she whispered as she closed her eyes. "I saw your light when we first wove your thread. We weave the fates into the thread, but we are not the fates."

Before Ard had a chance to attack the Norn further, Asereth made an attempt to speak, but Ard cut him off  and barked "You must have known!" and dug his finger aggressively into Asereth chest. "Don't tell me you are without knowledge of this!"

"Ard, I assure you neither of us knew..."

"Oh don't..." Ard backed away from him as the other Elders stepped closer, ready to intervene should a fight break out.

Asereth straightened his robes.

"Now then," he had found his voice again and tried to ignore the enraged young god. "Shall we begin?"

"Begin with what exactly?"

Ard was staring at the Elder with disgust. He found himself in a position that he despised. Not only did he now hate both the Elder gods and the Norns, but also that things were going on behind his back, that he was being used like a puppet to do their dirty work.

He was raised as a warrior, the rare offspring of a god and a half goddess. Trained to serve the divine source as a protector of the realms, leading the army of the gods against whatever threat they might face. So far he was untested. He began his service shortly after the wars had ended with the sacrifice of his brother but he had an undeniable aura of authority. He stood there, the strong, furious god he was, yet he'd been played a fool. The girl that he'd believed to have been selected by the source to rise again – to become a half goddess and serve as the golden maiden – was in fact, dead. Her soul hadn't manifested in the higher realm, where he was supposed to meet her. What did happen to her soul? He did not know. It seemed that Midgard had retained a hold on her. Something familiar tugged on his heartstrings, it felt as if she hadn't left her realm.

"He can't stay here," the old Norne said to Asereth. "We need to speak in private"

"What?" Ard looked at her with hate in his eyes. "You think I'll just walk through those gates without knowing what the Wyrd happened here?"

"Careful Ard, do not speak my name in anger." The young silver haired Norn set her enchanting eyes on him, her voice as sweet as honey, a gentle purr.

"Oh I forgot, we've got the Wyrd herself amongst us. Will you tell me the reason why I had to send an innocent young girl into the dark, or to wherever she may now be? Will you for the sakes of the gods tell me why she is not here?! Because I swear I, will not longer blindly play your games!"

"Ard, you will do your duty and serve," the Wyrd said. "That is what you were destined for."

"I am destined to protect all of those who dwell in the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil!" barked Ard.

"You are very fortunate to be here in Asgaard, Ard, son of Wodran. Your mother was a child from the ages before the Hold was put into place. She had her roots in both Midgard and Vanaheim. Yes, she was the chosen one, chosen to give life to you and your brothers, but you are only in the position that you are now because of your father, and your extraordinary abilities. A part of that is your sense for justice, but if you don't serve us, the Norns, we will have to act. We are fulfilling destiny. We are accomplishing it, partly through you. You must obey."

It was a clear warning, and Ard understood too well. There was nothing he could do in the position he was in. He clenched his fists and jerked his head in the direction of the lined up, silent, Elder gods.

"What is this?" he shouted. "Have you got nothing to say? You are the Elders, yet you are standing there like lams afraid of the wolf!"

But the Elder Gods just stared and said nothing, it was Wyrdani who answered instead.

"Ard, the birth of you and your bothers were miracles granted by the Norns. Accept your destiny, do not throw it away. It would result in banishment."

"Banishment? To where? Are you going to send me as a mortal to Midgard or are you threatening to make me Hella's companion? Is she already sick of my brother and in need of fresh amusement?"

As much as he tried to bite his tongue, something powerful inside him stirred, readying itself for an attack. He couldn't let it win. He had to stay in control of his emotions.

"Ard", Asereth spoke, "I must ask you to leave now. You have said enough, and you should send thanks to the fates that no punishment will be brought upon you for your behaviour towards the Norns."

With a bitter laugh, Ard turned around and rushed through the gates. He slammed them close with earth-shattering force.

"Ladies of the fates, we were interrupted before we had the opportunity to formally welcome you to Asgaard." Asereth nodded to each Norn individually "Wyrd, Wyrdani, Skulla. We are honoured by your presence. What has prompted your visit?"

Silence.

Then the Wyrd of the past spoke, her voice low and ethereal "I have woven his thread on the request of the divine source."

"And I am with him every step of the way, as requested by the divine source," said Wyrdani of the present.

"And I have seen the end." Skulla of the future spoke those words with darkness in her amber eyes. Asereth wasn't sure whether it was sorrow. Could it be...fear?

"I am sorry, but I do not understand," he said, but the Norns interrupted him.
All three spoke the words in a chorus, louder than their normal voices, and they echoed through the golden-walled grand hall.

"The end is near. The gods will fall. And a child born to the fates will spawn an heir, who shall change the fate of the Nine Realms."

All the Elders shifted on their feet, staring at the Norns and then at each other.

"A prophecy," Asereth mumbled to himself. "It's a prophecy."

"You have to understand, Asereth Elder god, that we do not come to warn you. "We are merely doing what is required of us –the servants of the source."

Wyrdani's face was unreadable.

"From now on, we cannot help you, nor say anything further. We were messengers and now we must leave."

"It could be Ard. Or any of the three brothers." Asereth looked at her, that beautiful ageless face of the Norn. "It has already begun" he whispered. She only nodded, barely noticeable.

And in a blinding light they disappeared. A visit so short and intense, it took a minute for the other Elders to understand what just happened."

"Is this...is this all to do with the girl?"

One of the Elders turned to Asereth. His hair was long and silver, and from his shoulders hung a cape of white, heavy fabric.

"Yes Namant, it is. I shall think that the Norns have their reasons for keeping their plan to themselves until now. It seems that they decided that the girl needed to go in order to prevent the catastrophe for our kind."

"But shouldn't we hold council before such a drastic decision is made?" asked Turid. He was the youngest of the Elders, his hair in a messy ponytail, and his sharp eyes as blue as the sky over Asgaard. The other Elders nodded in agreement."

"Normally yes, but there are exeptions. If the Norns had deemed it necessary to act quickly, in this case to stop the golden maiden from birthing a child, they could have changed the blessing of the ampoule that was given to Ard to whatever they decided was right. We are not above the highest power. The highest power connects first to the Norns, and then Wodran. But we all know what Wodran is like these days. He must have known, he must not have even cared enough to tell us or his son in charge of the mission. I feel for Ard."

The other Elders looked at Asereth with understanding and agreement.

"So what now?" the Elder with the youthful face asked.

"Well..." the leader said, "We have just received a message from the source, a worrying message that warrants immediate attention. One of the brothers will sire a child that could mean the downfall of our race. We must find out who it is, and ensure that measures will be put into place to change fate, to prevent the prophecy from manifesting. Even with this golden maiden dead, it doesn't mean that the child couldn't be born to any other blessed female."

"Hector, Aras, you will follow me."

The two Elders stepped out from the group of six and went to stand next to Asereth.

"Turid and Galath, please find General Arl. We have to be sure that we are dealing with the right male. All must be tested."

The god with the long white cape to armour clad Galath, and both left quick-footed.

"And you, Renar and Namant, I need you to go to Nifleheim. We need to plead with Hella. Atlas must come back to Asgaard for a short while."

"Asereth," Namant said with concern in his voice "Hella will not welcome us. She has her price, and she will not let him go. She has bound him to her."

"Make her understand that she will have him back, that it will only be temporary. And do not mention the prophecy. But do suggest that it is also in her interest to cooperate."

"Of course, Asereth. We trust your guidance."

Four gods left the hall to obey their orders and Asereth, followed by Hector and Aras, made their way to the secret chamber of the Aether.

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Edited by mabholloway