I’d originally planned on spending the next period of free time away from all the heroic stuff I had to get out and get some more filming done. Of course, there were a few other things involving that I’d been thinking of that aren’t going to come to light anyway. But the main reason I didn’t is because, well, the chance to spend time in Asgard was too good to pass up. We were invited to the ceremony there to forestall Ragnarok anyway, I just visited sooner. Besides, I’ll get to some filming eventually.
Njord sent a Valkyrie down to pick me up. So I didn’t get to try my hand at climbing Yggsdragsil, yet. But man, you can try to tell yourself that the tree’s big. I mean, to support the worlds the way it does it has to be. But there’s absolutely nothing that can prepare you for seeing the sheer scale of it for the first time. It was absolutely jaw-dropping.
As was Asgard itself. The splendors of the city-fortress aside. So much of the godrealm is yet untamed wilderness. You just can’t find tracts like that in Midgard anymore. And it’s just more…pure, wild, intense than any place in the mortal realm could ever hope to be. Which just enthralls me on a fundamental level, of course. My connection to the Elements only got stronger when I became a Demigod.
Though one of my first concerns in the city itself was all too mundane. The Jotunblut thickened in my veins as well; I grew about four inches and put on even more muscle. So I had to replace my wardrobe…again. I swear I’ve had to buy more clothes in the past month…
It was easier this time around, at least. I was recommended to an Alfar tailor. He was able to fit a bunch of traditional Norse clothing, as well as more conventional modern wear, to me in fairly short order. It’s also all by far the most comfortable clothing I’ve ever owned, even the formal wear. Definitely going to have to try to get any more clothing I might need from mythic tailors from now on.
I spent most of the next month wandering the city, and the safer parts of the wilds. I met Valkyries, Einherjar, other lesser immortals, many of the lesser gods; I saw vistas that nothing in Midgard compare to. Altair’s Dreamwrack finally wore off; I was finally able to put Ken from my mind. It was really the first extended period of time that the awakening of the ichor in my veins seemed more of a blessing than a burden. And it was spectacular.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite all fun and games. We never got any word from Hel, and all of Helheim was cut off. Not even the gods gifted in Psychopomp could get in. It’s…troubling. But at least it means Vayu probably wouldn’t be able to get there to her either. Maybe it’s something she did to fend him off...hopefully. Because something’s up and there’s nothing I can do about it. That bothers me.
There was also the revelation of my parentage to dwell on. But ultimately…it changes nothing. Vayu was never a father to me. He used my mother, then tried to tear me away from her. No doubt so he could use me as well. Njord is my father, Hel my mother. Vayu is just a bitter foe for me to prevail against some day.
For the most part, though, despite all the time in Asgard I didn’t see much of the major Gods. They were too busy planning just in case Filmbulwinter did come around. The exceptions were Freyja and Njord. Freyja took me out falconing one day, and while we were out she gave me a very useful relic cloak clasp. Njord, I had a chance to talk to him while fishing. A bit of father-son bonding for the first time in my life. I was going to tell him the truth about Vayu and me. But it turns out he already knew, figured it out way back when he was wooing her. So that particular talk revolved mainly around the Yazata. It gave me a lot to think about, and one big thing to worry about.
Njord thinks I may have fatebound myself as an enemy to the entire Yazata pantheon when I rejected Vayu. Now that’s a sobering thought. To say the very, very least.
Eventually the ceremony that we were all invited to came along, the one to forestall Fimbulwinter…it wasn’t what I expected. Both Odin and Thoth became the Wyrd…and permanently forestalled Ragnarok by tying Thoth to the Titan Zvran as a Titan Avatar. A sobering triumph, a selfless and courageous sacrifice; I’m just not sure I can express the tumult of emotions that followed. Or how deeply you have to admire Thoth for being able to go through with it. The Æsir will never forget it, I’m sure of that.
Andrew stopped by to visit me in Noatun afterwards. He seemed a bit shaken by it all, definitely still needed to fully come to grips with it. But it wasn’t what he’d dropped by to talk about. He’d deduced that Vayu was my father, and he was concerned how I was handling that. It really says a lot about him, even with what he’d just gone through the purpose of his visit seemed to be ensuring that I was handling a revelation from a month in the past. Regardless, he seemed happy to know that I felt the way I did. And he promised that no one else would hear about my origins from him. You know, Andrew can be quiet and unassuming; especially by the standards of the rest of my five band mates. But he might well be the most steadfast of all of them.
And now I’m getting ready to leave Asgard myself. Going to hit some of the more remote wildernesses of Midgard, teach my Einherjar a thing or two about filming a documentary. That’s something that’s fallen by the wayside these past two months, even when it was our cover story in Thuringia I don’t think I actually filmed something. We’ll make some stops in cities, sure, and I’ll have my phone with me in case I’m needed for something. But for the most part it’ll be me, my men, and untamed wilderness.
I can't wait.
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