An Unexpected Find - Narfi's Awakening

Where am I?

Two panels of frozen heavy metal clattered, sliding together until they slammed loudly leaving behind them darkness. The two men responsible quickly took their hands from the levers and rushed to the get out of the brutal Alaskan whether. Wrapped in a thick dark parka, the driver hugged his arms as the chilled wind whipped viciously against his reddened nose. Scuttling along the thick snow, he focused his direction toward the door of the large delivery truck. Gloveless fingers grappled at the handle as he practically leaped into the driver's seat, urgently pulling his feet in before he slammed the door behind him, hoping for the sweet relief of warmth, only to be disappointed by the frozen interior of the truck. Only seconds behind him, the other man joined him in the passengers seat, promptly repeating the same process. "Damn, it's cold out there." The driver said, sucking in the frozen air as his teeth clattered together. "How do people live in this shit?" His shaking hand jammed the key into the the ignition and violently rotated it forcing the engine to rev to life.

Who am I?

The truck creaked and whined as the driver shifted into gear and took off down the white road.. "Yeah and this isn't even the worst time of year." The man in the passenger seat blew into his numb palms cupped around his face. An amused smile followed by a low chuckle sounded from the driver. "You've gotta be kidding me! I can't imagine worse than this." His eyes trailed away from the road for a moment in order to observe the whether more thoroughly.

"Narfi..."

The weak and crackling coo of a masculine voice traveled like liquid gravel through his ears as it whispered a name. He knew that his eyes were open, but it felt as if they were closed. However, it did not feel as if he had a body at all. The world around him seemed so dark that it became blindingly light. It was almost as if he were an observing contentiousness trapped in a dream as it played out before his eyes. He tried desperately to grasp his mind as he struggled to identify the voice that called to him. It was too familiar to forget.

A heavy clank coming from the back of the truck as it staggered from a deep divot in the poorly maintained road made the man in the passenger seat cringe. The driver on the other hand did not react and simply continued driving. After glancing in the rear view mirror to double check if the back of the truck hadn't opened, he looked at the driver cautiously. "You think it'll be ok back there? I mean, apparently it's a pretty valuable artifact. We probably wouldn't be very well off if something happened to it." The other man shrugged off the statement. "I wouldn't worry about it. It's a damn rock for cryin' out loud. Last I checked, they're pretty durable. And besides, that thing's very secured. It's not going anywhere." There was a pause before the driver spoke again. "How much do ya think it's worth?" The man in the passenger seat didn't look at the driver until he was finished speaking as if he were repeating the same question to him. "Enough for the government to make a fuss over."

"Awaken... my son."

In the same way high speed boat movement across the water kicks up water on either side of the speeding projectile, the large truck hissed a constant spray of melting ice to the side as it sped across the road, creating deep tire tracks as it moved. Wet snow, crushed, and suddenly liquefied flung itself at the corners of the road, leaving two tracks where the uneven pavement was able to be seen, and a small build up that towered over the rest of the semi even snow layer on the road. It was a winding road, next to a large mountain side to its right, and a slight down hill slant to its left. This slanting earth was covered in Evergreen trees like a pin cushion full of large and randomly placed pins. The truck moved at surprising speeds around the corners, the sheer weight of the massive vehicle keeping it locked on the better traction of the pavement. Snow coated everything, and harsh, icy winds blew. The branches on the trees whipped back and forth, and large chunks of snow fell off, causing other, smaller chunks of snow to catch on, beginning the chain of what would end up being a large pile of snow falling down. The truck screeched as it turned, and braked, and then started against on its ignition, taking all of the dangerous bumps, and sudden bends into consideration. Should the truck make a bad move, it could easily slide off of the road and down the slight hill, easily steep enough to keep the truck rolling for a long time before the trees could slow the momentum.

Vali stood on the road, waiting and listening to the truck. His jaw clenched in order to take in the cold and bare it. His fists also clenched. He stood right at the blind spot in the road, facing the oncoming truck, so that the driver would be unable to see the god until it would seem to be too late. That said, Vali was no ordinary individual, and something as cumbersome as a giant truck would hardly be of any harm to him. Sure enough, after what had seemed like hours of waiting and listening to the clumsy truck, the lights shone on the ground at the beginning of the turn.

Vali's mouth continued its clench, his eyes turning upwards to meet the gaze of lights, and his head following suit in lifting. His body was skewed in terms of shape due to the black cloth that fell over him, hiding any identifying trait that he might have. His height was about the only thing that could be perfectly recognized, and that was hardly something that led to any concrete data.

The first small section of the truck became visible. Vali stood alone. By himself. Completely vulnerable. He had been having the throbbing feeling that he was missing something that could be found. Compelled to search for this missing piece to his life, he had walked for the longest time, dealing with Earth's putrid weather in order to come to the road. It had been then that he had seen the truck start up, and begin its travels, winding through the mountains. Vali had hopes, and desires. He wished that he could be right about the feeling that had been kicking him in the gut until he was left without breath day by day. But what were the chances of that?

The truck was now fully visible, and as soon as the lights fell on Vali, the truck jerked. The driver let out a shocked gasp before wheeling the car to the right, instantly causing the truck to loom over to the guided direction, and slam into the cliff side that hung over them all. The sound was horrible, but Vali had no time to act. In a swift and graceful jump, his body whipped around and folded itself into a black crow, sliding along the side of the semi truck until it reached the back where the crow unfolded and expanded back into Vali. The young man flipped in the air, the snow and ice caught up in the wind spinning around with him, in a blur of black magic, his hands whirling in a circle around themselves before more black magic spit another form from the gloves - the form of a giant individual, tall, and looming over the humans that walked about on this world. Thick, dark hair took form of some gargantuan humanoid that flung its hulkish body against the back of the semi truck's carrying compartment. Everything was happening so fast. Vali landed, and skidded in the snow a full foot just as the large wolf like creature clinging to the back of the semi slammed his hand through the metal as if it were paper, and tore a hole in it like it was nothing more than some play toy, easily carving a large enough tear to allow the rest of the locked doors to be ripped off as well. A ferocious snarl came as the nightmarish thing grasped at the metal, and slung the entire door off like a frisbee, allowing it to fall down the hill to the truck's right. Then entire truck still moved, and skidded until finally it stopped. Light was hardly a resource that was available due to the time of day, and the position of the sun, in strict combination with the heavy clouds and overcast weather of ice and snow, but whatever was available shone into the back of the truck. Scattered around the back of the hull there were a couple boxes, but in the center was a huge stone. It was something that looked much too powerful to naturally belong in the world of the living.

Vali's face fell slightly, and he leaned into the truck, wanting to see something much more important then a huge rock, and being let down. He wanted to see the eyes and face that he remembered so closely. Vali's grip tightened on the truck's metal frame as he grew aggravated. What was this feeling doing flooding his mind with useless information that simply guided him to this kind of thing. What was he supposed to gain from this kind of object? Loki worked in odd ways, but this was something Vali could hardly understand.

Voices from the driver and the other man could be heard easily through the snow storm, although their words could hardly become audible as language with all of the harsh whistle of the ice cold wind. Fenrir, the heaving creature looked sharply at Vali as if to ask what to do about the curious humans that came closer with every passing second.

"I want them alive. Let us not end a life prematurely today, brother."

Fenrir nodded and shot behind the truck, suddenly coming into view of the human. But only for a second. Quickly he grabbed the human by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the truck's hull's wall so hard that a large dint was created. Vali had ordered them to remain living, but he had not specified what means could be used in order to pacify them. The man's eyes rolled back before closing as Fenrir dropped him into the snow.

Similarly, the driver came around to suddenly face Vali, who stood there, unassuming. The driver held a gun, a weapon that Vali was already all but familiar with. It was small, and looked cheap as far as guns came, but that was still nothing to take lightly. Regardless of the brandished weapon, Vali smiled just as a huge black shadowed form rose from behind the man, and struck down on the back of his neck so hard that he flew into the ground and skidded to Vali's feet. A destructive and wild voice, extremely low and unhuman spoke from the wolf creature.

"They will find rest by my fist, brother."

"Good."

With that, Vali's hands twirled in a similar motion, a complex but short wave of differing circular motions before Fenrir's form was relinquished back into a seemingly liquid state, and absorbed by the different symbols on the gloves. Vali's face hovered there. The feeling and smell of his dark magic - magic that was dangerously close to that of his father - lingered around the entire area. The truck had all but stopped, and now rested in a sunk and sideways position off of the road, and into the cliff side. Even the semi truck's hull was lifted off one wheel. Vali's hand moved to remove the mask that hung across his face, his eyes seeking to see what they would see for himself. The stone remained. What was this, and what did it have to do with the course of action set up by his father?

The mortals lay face down in the snow beside the lop-sided truck, their consciousnesses brutally ripped from their fragile bodies. The only movement that came from them was the sporadic dance of the fur on their thick coats. Balanced on three wheels, the large truck's chilled metal creaked as if moaning in pain from the brutal crash, the raised wheel still spinning on its broken tie rod. The several boxes within the truck had shifted and flown about in an effort to adjust to the sudden gravity adjustment. Some were opened, allowing their contents to spill about the bed of the truck. However, a large dark figure stood tall and motionless in the center of the ruble, illuminated by the mild light that seeped inside. The wild wind whipped the other newly exposed items but the huge stone held its sturdy position. It was about seven feet tall and about 3 feet at its base. The stone screamed divinity as it seemed to almost hum with divine energy. It appeared to be divided into two pieces that coiled around each other until they both came to a point at the top. Hundreds of Ancient Nordic runes were etched into to its dark but perfectly smooth surface. It was a shape so unique that there was no question that it was not of this earth.



Suddenly Narfi could feel his own feet hitting cold tile as he ran. But they weren't the feet of a man, but rather those of a little boy. The innately tiled floors beneath him reflected the unmistakable metallic sheen of the golden walls that lined the hallway. The area glowed with an ethereal energy that caused the walls to hum. But, why was he running? His subconscious questioned his own motives as he was tossed into what seemed to be a memory. Or perhaps a dream of a memory. He wasn't sure. He caught the dark blur of a figure disappearing around one of the corners in the maze of golden hallways. Whatever it was, it was small; about size that Narfi was when he was young. Narfi's body moved on its own accord, automatically following the figure. A painfully familiar giggle echoed through the hallway. It was the kind of giggle that a young boy in the midst of play would conjure. As the figure disappeared around another corner, Narfi was able to make out that it was another little boy, only he had dark raven hair. Another giggle echoed through the hallways as Narfi rounded another corner to the endless maze of golden hallways.

As the raven haired man came closer to the truck to investigate, the rock began to hum with the same ethereal energy that was so familiar to those like him. The runes began to give off a light that looked as if it came from deep inside the stone. It was no ordinary light that could be created from the simple electronic reaction in a light bulb. It was a deep yet bright orange illumination that was not of this earth. What began as a subtle, nearly untraceable vibration quickly developed into a tremble that caused the truck to begin to react with more creaks and moans as the energy within the stone gained intensity. Several narrow cracks began to erupt from the base of the thick stone, snaking around its unique shape until everything came to an abrupt stop. The hum, the glow, and the deep rupturing sound of the cracking all ceased just long enough for a breath.

Narfi began to grow frustrated. He wanted so badly to catch the boy just ahead of him. He needed to tell him something. Something of utmost importance. However, he couldn't quite recall what the important piece of information was exactly. All these perplexing thoughts distracted him from the sudden shift that happened in the area. The hallways had become darker. However, it was more than just the lighting that had changed; the energy felt hostile. The area did not change its physical appearance as much as it changed its energy - like he had left the comfort and safety of a home and walked into the chambers of a prison without even realizing. His back began to tingle with the eerie sensation of being preyed upon. He slowed his pace as his eyes began to dart around the room. After rounding yet another corner of the golden maze, what lay before him stopped him dead in his tracks.

Bursting through the cracks in the stone came hundreds upon thousands of roots, branches and vines in a variety of sizes, each one illuminated with the same subtle orange glow of life energy. The intensity and speed of the unbreakable branches was so great, it seemed as if they were desperately attempting to release built up pressure. They tore through everything in their path as they snaked wildly around the area. Ripping through the truck that bound them like it was butter, they extended in all directions. The roots at the base of the stone punctured the icy ground below with ease as if they intended to suck the life energy from the Earth itself to complete their mission. The branches near the tip of the stone extended upward wrapping around each other in the same spiraling pattern as the stone was once shaped in order to form what turned out to be the trunk of a large tree. The branches continued to grow as thousands of leaves grew into the shape of the top of the tree. Just above the base of the rapidly forming tree, thinner and more delicate-looking vines and roots began to wrap around each other to create an unmistakable form.



Standing less than ten feet ahead of him was the boy that he had been chasing. Narfi's eyes grew in shock as he immediately recognized the face of his beloved younger brother, Vali. He could feel his lips bend into a warm smile as love, joy and relief washed over him only to be immediately ripped away as the deep nauseating feeling of fear punctured his stomach like a rusted dagger as he saw what his brother's eyes were locked on. Frozen in fear, the small raven haired boy stood a short leap away from death itself. The abhorrent creature, with the bloodshot eyes of a predator, crouched in complete stillness aside from it's deep wheezing breaths that caused tendrils of saliva to tremble as they dripped from it's stained teeth and curled lips. It's body was partially shrouded in darkness, however its thick, coarse and matted black coat that covered its massive body could be seen. Narfi's blood ran cold as he watched the huge wolf adjust its footing in order to pounce on its prey.

The vines extended out above the base of the tree began to form the complex systems of the human blood stream, outlining the vague image of a man. Once the veins and nervous system was completed, a brightly colored, smooth perfectly oval stone was placed where the heart would normally be. Immediately following the stone, thicker roots and branches wrapped delicately over the vines in order to create a flawless muscle structure. Finally, a thin layer of bark completely surrounded the outside of the man, acting as the skin. As the bark wrapped itself around the body everything seemed to come to a climax, the roots began to pulse, as if pumping life into the body. The stone within began to give off a light that started at a tame glow but quickly grew to a blinding luminescence that shrouded the figure in light for the last few seconds of the process. The hum of energy became deafeningly loud and the pulsing rapidly increased its speed.

Without delay, Narfi's body acted on its own accord. He was no longer depending on conscious thought, only instinct. All he cared about was the safety of Vali and he would do anything to ensure it, even if it meant giving his own life. Before he was even able to realize what he was doing, Narfi closed his eyes and tackled Vali to the ground only a fraction of a second before the jaws of the beast would have crunche through his small skull. The two young boys slid across the tiled floor, Narfi's arms wrapped tightly around his younger brother. Quickly opening his eyes Narfi started to get up, more than ready to stand between his brother and the wolf. However, as he looked down at Vali to tell him to get away, his brother glitched out of existence and disappeared before his eyes. Narfi felt the warmth of his breath violently sucked from lungs as his stomach dropped. Pain, fear and confusion attacked his senses all at once as he desperately tried to comprehend what was happening. He was alone. With the monster. He whipped around to face the wolf just in time to see its eyes only a couple feet from his. He was too terrified to move, to breath, to think, all he could do was remember. A inconsistent assortment of memories raced through his mind as he came to the realization that he was not going to survive. The motionless eye contact between the two of them seemed to last for an eternity. In the euphoric state of fear, Narfi noticed how strangely beautiful the bright purple eyes of the beast were. So full of hate, fear, and malice. But familiar.



Suddenly, the branches stopped pulsing and the humming fell silent. Everything came to a halt, providing a brief moment of silence so that the barely audible sound of a heart beat could be heard. The roots brought the figure down from it's hovering position and the blindingly bright light faded allowing the final product to be seen. The man that the divine tree matter had formed was no longer made out of bark and veins but actual human material. His exposed skin was a radiant golden tan color that shaped around his toned muscles like a sculpture. His platinum blonde hair framed his flawless face in gentle waves. As the light within his chest faded, it continued to pulse with each heart beat. His eyes were still closed as the vines lowered the blonde man onto the ground into a kneeling position. Each vine began to release it's connection to the man and the last to do so was the one attached to the back of his neck. The moment the last vine on the back of his neck released its connection and retracted into the tree, Narfi's first breath sucked violently through his lips and his bright green eyes shot open. His eyes were plastered wide with horror as he stared ahead still trapped in the illusion of his reoccurring death.

Narfi had no time to react before the wolf snapped his jaws around his neck. He felt its razor teeth puncture his esophagus as he lost access to his lungs. The nauseating pressure of the wolf brutally ripping away, jaws still clenched around his throat, caused Narfi's eyes to roll back in his head. However, he could still feel his skin tear; he could still feel each tendon snap and retract, each artery burst. He tried to scream but all that emerged was a deep bubbling gurgle from his own blood flooding his ruptured esophagus. He begged for the wolf to kill him faster. He begged for death to save him from this hell.

He fell back from his kneeling position and tried to scoot away from the wolf that still existed in his mind. He immediately grasped desperately at his throat and began screaming, shouting and hyperventilating. As his contentiousness began to shift into reality, he stopped freezing and froze. The wolf, the pain, everything began to fade away from that world and into the next. The dull, grey Alaskan sky faded into view, followed by the chilled air against his naked body. His breath still sputtered and heaved as he examined his trembling hands and body. He was alive. But how? Why? How did he escape the wolf? His eyes trailed away from his hands as he attempted to figure out where he was. Once again, Narfi felt his breath empty from his lungs as his eyes once again met the wolf's. However, they did not belong to the wolf. They belonged to a raven haired man standing several feet away.

"Vali..."

The name was barely audible as it left Narfi's breathless lips. The reality of the wolf's true identity hit him. The pain of that realization was greater than any death that Narfi could imagine. His bother, the one person that he cherished more than life, was his murderer. A horrific concoction of pain, anger, and confusion weighed down Narfi's stomach like a block of lead as he stared at his brother. He tried to find words but all that came were stuttered breaths. The longer he looked at him, the more he remembered about his life in Asgard, his father, his mother, his brothers and sisters, his death. His vision began to blur before he felt a warm tear trickle down his face. As horrible as it was for Vali to be the one behind Narfi's murder, he could not hate his brother, no matter how badly he wanted to. All he wanted was an answer.

"...Brother. Why?"

A new or second birth; the rebirth of the soul. A renewed existence, activity, or growth.

It all seemed to meander into one real identity of the word rebirth. Vali's eyes started to grow as he noticed the world around him begin to shift. As if a rock had been thrown at the glass that made up this fragile realm, it shattered in the area of contact. That area of contact was this location. The world began to pick up strange ways of being. The wind, wind which was normally contorted into the simple action of pushing or pulling, began to break free of its shackles and bring forth something new. A powerful undercurrent of something happening, something that called to it in a much more sublime way than the natural laws of the petty realm they were confined within. Small tornadoes of the ice embedded gusts began to form around the area, growing more and more cold, and yet more and more comforting at the same time. As if someone had reached in and started dragging a contrast bar that was in control of the entire seen world, everything started to gain more and more pigment. All of the snow started to become more and more white, all of the dark storm clouds started to become more and more dark. A wholesome warmth grabbed at Vali with generous hands, trying to being him closer to whatever allure it was that wanted the raven haired boy to enter the premises. The wind did not stop smacking at the teenage looking boy. His acidic purple eyes burnt through the shadow of the truck's hull, hiding whatever it was that lurked from within. It seemed to be the only thing still. Shifting from right to left, the eyes, looking glassy and like gems, caught every small bit of whatever light was left, and reflected it back in the form of a stabbing superiority.

Then Vali saw what his entire soul had been wanting to see, although he did not yet even know it. The start of the return of his brother. From within the darkness of the bent and broken truck, sectioned off lights began to glow. However, these were not the petty lights that Vali had seen upon arrival of his first "civilization." No, these were not the synthetic, electronic, and motor generated excuses for light that the humans had strived to come across due to their subconscious reach to mimic what the gods had created with pure energy, harnessing nothing less than ancient magic. No, these were just that. Runes glimmered to life, slowly fading from color to color like flame that has been caught on news paper with varied color in it's print - often causing he flame to travel from being green, to orange, to red, and then back to orange before dying altogether. Only this did not die. Vali's eyes widened, each light reflecting off of their polished surface. The beams of sudden energy caused a projection of energy on the inside of the truck's hull, like a movie being shot onto a white wall to see, but not at all. The runes moved across the hull of the truck, until they all had become aligned with one another to spell three different things at once. The first sentence had it's words spread across the left most wall of the hull, the wall itself slightly bent, but not enough to cause the sentence to become unable to be understood. The second sentence was short, but took up the entirety of the back wall, opposite Vali. The third lay opposite the first sentence.

Taka aftur það ætti að hafa aldrei verið tekin.
Take Back What Should Have Never Been Taken.

Hann er þitt einu sinni enn.
He Is Yours Once More.

Mundu að það er aldrei ástandið án þess að lausn.
Remember That There Is Never A Situation Without A Solution.

Vali continued to watch in amazement. They were runes that were slightly different than the ones that were more commonly used to enchant readers with language. They were runes that Loki had modified, and that was the only reason that Vali knew whose words they were. A last message, or so it would seem. However, this was not the end of the phenomena. Instead, the colors of the run began to get more and more bright, blinding in fact, the snow around Vali also starting to reflect the otherworldly colors, in order to make a haze of powerful magic. Vali staggered forward through the snow, his body lurching forwards, and half falling on the edge of the truck, lifted onto three wheels, the third wheel lifted slightly off the ground, causing the back of the truck to be raised in an awkward way. Vali's head shot inside, trying to get a closer look at what it was that was happening. Just as his eyes opened their widest, trying to cheat the odd combination of stark darkness, and bright lights, a strong willed crack tore its way through the solid substance inside, causing light to spew forth like synthetic mixture of liquid fire and dream fluid. The runes started to rearrange themselves on the walls, forming other sentences, but the staggering light that leaked from the crack over powered the rune's own imprint, and slowly washed it out. Vali did not focus on what was impossible to see, and instead decided to dwell on the present. The cracks continued, throwing more and more light onto the truck's innards. One by one the runes on the actual stone began to glow different colors. It was another, more powerful arrangement of runes. Vali's eyes scattered from one rune to the next, watching as they blinked to life, sputtering out as the cracks threw themselves over them. It was obviously not perfected magic, but Vali's deep understanding of the runes told him that it was not to be blamed for the faulty nature of this level of augury. Something this complex was hardly likely to remain stable.

Vali's lips moved, and the tiniest whispering came from his innocent lips, petite and yet full. His eyes jitterbugged up, down, left, right, right, left, up, down, down, connecting the different runes, trying to memorize them before the cracks sliced through them. As he continued to read aloud, his eyes grew larger. The scale of this magic was beyond what he had originally thought.

"Kenaz..."

"Hagalaz..."

"Isa..."

"Mannaz..."

"Ehwaz..."

"Raidho..."

"Ansuz..."

Chimera. The Chimera power runes, one of the most powerful runes, as well as one of the most destructive. It was often used in combination with other powerful runes to dull its power, in fact, since it's power in raw form was greater than what was thought to be able to be handled, even for gods. As he had spoken the words, he had not realized that he had continued, and spoken the entire run, spelling it out rune by rune, until he had watched each of the runes begin to glow with an indefinite gleam. His voice had started to grow as he spoke them, and echo throughout the icy wind. Vali's feet moved of their own accord, his entire body feeling numb. More and more cracks started to rupture the rock, however the Chimera runes stayed bright, glowing with a glow in the dark sheen about them despite the tearing rock crumbing and breaking down. A large groan of bending metal and creaking bolts sounded from behind the large, spiraling rock, now clearly illuminated by the light of the runes. The metal holster that gripped the giant rock began to melt as though it were molten and mending with its own weight. Finally, the holster fell away, and the rock rocked back in forth, as if unstable. In order to aid this new state of freedom, the rock's lights gleamed brighter and brighter until a final moment. A final flash. A giant spread of light that shot from the rock like a shock wave, throwing the boxes in the truck's hull against the wall. The hood that had loosely clung to Vali's head, shielding him from the cold flew back, and his face was exposed. His cloak kicked up, and blew backwards, attempting to pull him over with it.

It did not stop from there. No. Vali's natural reflex caused him to shield his eyes with his arms, stepping backwards, and faltering with the powerful blast of unstable magic that shot through his body like warm milk through bike spindles. When he regained his composure, and looked back up, his eyes squinted now to avoid the ultimate flurry of snow - snow that seemed violent in nature, an epidemic of whiteness, hostility in numbers, and a desperate beating. The truck bent down into the ground, allowing more creaking, and a large snapping noise. The runes had blown out, and that meant that the series of spells that had been inscribed into the rock were now coming forth, using the natural energy in this realm as its source and catalyst. As if the truck was being man handled, it made another jerk before the walls were ripped off, and Vali could clearly see. Giant vines, like the legs of octopus, slapped about, their empowered strength easily a match for the metal frame of the steel truck, wiping out the large truck, and tugging itself into the mountain side. The branches whipped about, just narrowly avoiding Vali as if they were unable to hit him by some strange reasoning. Vali took a step closer, and looked at what it was that was happening. The runes had all but been destroyed, along with the rock, and it was all now being consumed in the powerful tree that was spawning of the same image as the rock. The entire truck moaned as it was abused and dominated by the substance of Asgard. Smaller, more string like vines and branches shot forth and quickly strung together the human form. Vali's eyes watched in awe. He had never seen magic like this. Not even when Loki had bragged about his magical abilities had he bragged about this kind of magic. The ability to cheat the gods out of the unique nature. It was genius.

The human figure was left by itself. Vulnerable, and yet resurrected. Larger vines and branches sprung forth and slithered into the midst of the human form, each long trailing plant acting as though it were a hand, sliding in, and tugging at the more fine cardiovascular system in order to make last minute changes in the over all structure. One of these arm like figures grabbed hold of the chunk of rock that had the first letter of the Chimera rune on it, and placed it where the heart would be. It was something spectacular, and Vali was completely in shock. It glowed slightly before it was covered, and called to the wind around the raven haired boy, causing it to pulse like that of a heart beat.

Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.

Finally the last vines carried bark and leaves to cover what was left. The light from within the body glowing bright enough to be seen from within the compilation of leaves and branches. It grew brighter until finally the light shown red, as it does when one holds a flashlight that is powerful enough up to their own palm, and see it shining through red on the other side. Slowly the body was lowered, naked, and vulnerable, its head tilted back, and still all but shielded from perfect view by the devastating light. As soon as it touched the now slanted floor of the truck, bent upwards towards the huge tree before snapping off, the light vanished, and the body gasped to life. It jerked back into movement, and sputtering its first breath in utter astonishment, the man's eyes looking around.

Vali stood there in complete silence. Nothing that the man in front of him did made any sound to his ears. The wind made no noise as it slammed snow onto the ground and against his solid body. The creaking sound of the truck as the man clambered backwards made no noise. Everything was silent. Everything was slow. And in a final contradiction, everything was warm. The level of magic he had just seen no longer impressed him. The tree's growth no longer impressed him. The way that each biennial had moved to construct the man no longer impressed him. Nothing impressed him. The polished eyes that looked clean and strong became clouded.

Vali knew that man.

Vali loved that man.

That man was not a man at all, but his brother, a fellow god and member of Asgard.

"Vali..."

Vali's body slowly and clumsily moved forward on its own accord, his right hand slowly moving up. He was unable to think, unable to scheme, unable to plan, unable to logically place his feet against the ground. The acidic purple because shrouded with another substance - that of a single tear. The always firm mouth of the raven haired boy lifted into a childish smile that was not unlike that of a five year old running to see what Christmas presents he had received. Another step led to another, and his pace quickened...

"...Brother. Why?"

... only to then stop in its tracks.

Vali's face froze, a pained look taking it over. As if a knife was slowly being driven into his stomach, and twisted as it entered, Vali's face dropped. Another tear fell. All of the sounds returned. All of the cold returned. The world no longer moved in slow motion, but instead as if sped up, only he was left in slow motion. Like a bad dream where you are unable to run, no matter how hard you try to move at a faster pace. Vali's teeth clenched and his fist balled up into a fist. All of those years that Vali had been forced to live as a puppet, unable to take rest in the sound of his brother's laughter. All of those years that he had been forced to think about what it was that he had done. And all of those years to think about the last thoughts that Narfi had clung onto. Vali took another clumsy step forward, bringing him to the entrance of the truck, now only a bent and broken frame with most of its surroundings thrown about the area and injected into the mountain side along side the tree. Vali watched as Narfi choked his second breath out in the form of words, their tone enough to break Vali's most powerful magic. His body looked as it had before. His eyes held their natural hue. His face shown as a mirror of Vali's own, stabbed and hurt, and yet without anger.

It was this that shattered the bindings on Vali's body. A sudden burst of frustration mixed with overwhelming emotion crept over Vali, and he became unstoppable. Leaping over the frame of the entrance, and onto the shaking and bent platform that used to be the floor of the hull, Vali skidded before lunging at his brother, half slipping and half pouncing at him with a scintillation of innocence, falling down to his knees before falling onto his brother, and embracing him in a hug. As he did so, Vali swept his cloak from around himself, and allowed it to drape over his brother's perfect anatomy. Vali's tears were unmistakable, and he hung his head, burying it deep into his brothers chest. His voice came out in trembles.

"Brother please forgive what cannot be unlocked by the past. I would never bring harm to your side, brother!"

The sharp contrast of a warm tear gliding down Narfi's cheek and the frozen air that whipped around his new and exposed body caused goosebumps to form on his flawless tan skin. Golden blonde locks tussled lightly in the frozen breeze, while the rest of Narfi's body stayed completely still, paralyzed by fear and shock from his sudden awakening. However, despite the fact that his body seemed to react to the outside world, he was completely numb, completely unable to feel anything other than the pain that tore through his body like the serrated teeth of teeth of the wolf that took his life. As the world around him faded in and out of thick blur and contrasted light, Narfi struggled to focus on the face of his murderer; the face of the brother he loved and cherished more than life. All he wanted was an answer. He only wanted to know why. Why his precious little brother would be driven to do such a thing.

Narfi's lost state of numb delirium was temporarily lifted when his vision was suddenly shrouded by a wave of black followed by the warm sensation of a tight embrace. His eyes grew wide as it took him a moment to comprehend what had happened. It was Vali's warm and gentle embrace, wrapping him in the large black cloak that drapped over his petite frame. Narfi felt another warm droplet splashed onto his perfectly toned chest. Although this time it did not come from his eyes.

"Brother please forgive what cannot be unlocked by the past. I would never bring harm to your side, brother!"

Vali's trembling, muffled voice too genuine to doubt and filled with so much love and pain. So much pain. Narfi knew what he told him was true, it had to be. Vali would never commit such an act at his own free will. An overwhelming feeling of love, comfort, and gratitude warmed Narfi's heavily beating heart and calmed his stuttering breath as he relaxed into the embrace. He hated seeing Vali like this. Every thing that had happened in the past didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that they had found each other and they were both alive and safe. Finally Narfi brought his arms up to return the embrace. One hand gently rested on Vali's head, Narfi's fingers intertwining in his thick black hair, while the other hand wrapped around the boy's torso, gently pulling him closer. As he buried his face in Vali's hair, his eyes closed as he fought back more oncoming tears; tears of happiness and relief.

"My dear brother..." He wanted to tell him how much he loved him and that he forgave him for everything. Anything to make him smile. Like he did when they played together as children all those years ago. But he could not find the words. His mind was much too clouded and unable to organize itself. After a moment Narfi released his grip and moved his hands to Vali's shoulders, gently guiding him away from his chest so that he could look him in the eyes. He would wait until Vali's deep acidic purple eyes met his before we would speak. His own bright green eyes were only full of love and concern for his younger brother as he spoke, a genuine and sweet yet exhausted smile still on his lips.

"There is no need to worry your self with such thoughts. You are more than forgiven."

His low voice cooed as he spoke to Vali. The harder he tried to focus his vision and think clearly, the harder his temples pounded and the more his head hurt. His head almost felt like it was being pressurized from the inside. Narfi began to feel the frozen breeze thicken and push through his body like chilled spikes, causing him to shutter and retract his body into the cloak wrapped around his shoulders. "It is quite c-cold in this realm." Narfi looked around the unfamiliar area, trying to identify where he was which was much more difficult because of the mental state that he was in. "Are we in Jotunheim?" He asked, before returning his gaze to Vali.

Vali's back trembled with chills, chills of warmth, as his brother's hands came across his back. It seemed to all be splitting apart in order to form the puzzle pieces that, once upon a time, all matched up and formed a beautiful and innocent puzzle board. Although the pieces had been permanently lost, and some simply broken by wear and tear. That was why it would be impossible to ever really build the exact same puzzle. Things had changed the pieces, stained them with numerous liquids, and ripped them. Something close was not unheard of, but something the same was not ever something Vali could bring himself to realistically wish for. However that was the beauty in it all. One could never build the exact same puzzle twice. Small changes to the pieces made it different, even if those changes are changes not able to be seen from the normal human eye - so Vali did not want to even try. He had a new puzzle, a new life, a new goal, and a new adventure. Finally the puzzle pieces were showing up - the puzzle piece that he had lost; the center piece to the puzzle of complexity. Narfi.

Narfi's other hand wrapped around and pushed itself into the mass of raven hair that was so dark it took on other, more purple shades in intense lighting. His fingers pressed against Vali's scalp and mingled with his hair, all pulling him closer to his brother. Vali did not fight the movement, and adjusted his hugging embrace to be able to come even closer; his body draping his brothers, and his posture looking sad and broken, and yet somehow relieved and cheerful. Narfi's silence both gave Vali pleasure and picked at his nerves one by one, eating away at the guilt that he felt, and caused him to question just what it was that he was doing, and what the ending result would be. Father had told him much, prepared him for almost anything, but he had said nothing about an happening such as this. At least not directly. Vali had caught hinting of it here and there in numerous riddles and soft spoken rhymes, so to speak - but even when Vali had caught hold of the references, he had not actually known that anything like this was plausible able to happen. There was still so much about his father that he did not know. And yet, this Narfi was different than the others that he had treated simply. His other brother's and sisters were nothing but shadows of their previous selves, completely forsaken and weaken by the dragging into the mortal realm. Vali had felt the same pull and tug at his own powers upon entering the magically starving and fantasy deadened landscape.

But this was Narfi. The real Narfi, just as Vali was the real Vali. Narfi son of Loki, and the mysterious brother to the hardly known Vali. The two, and only two gods that were completely shrouded in the mythological texts from anything close to real recognition. He could feel the warmth of Asgard, and the sunny and ever shining sun of that realm pressing through Narfi's skin. He could feel the feeling of hugging his brother after a long day's work with his father, and being exhausted, his brother waiting in the same spot that he always did for Vali's return, that same look of stunted happiness, only to once against flow when he had seen Vali. He remembered the innocent games of sneaking past guards with magical items in order to watch the Aesir cast their judgments unto the other worlds and galaxies, always ending in the same conclusion - that there was not need to go to war as a join body of Asgard's, but that there was no stopping whatever might come of war on a more personal and individual account; in other words, Odin always forbid war on a large enough scale to include him, but noted that it would be impossible to pull in the will of the gods as individuals, and thus gave a side ways permission to do as they please, so long as it did not lead to much trouble. Vali remembered laughing at the different things their father would say, always seeming so out of place before he had told Vali about his real bloodline. He remembered the peaceful fights that he would have with his brother, wrestling and tackling one another, by Vali's request, each day claiming that he would win, and each day being forced to the ground with uncomfortable ease by his stronger brother - however Narfi would always pretend to be tired by the end of it, in order to allow the small raven haired boy some kind of chance at hope to one day be at the level of his brother in that area. Vali could feel the love, and it felt good. Everything that Narfi had done during their younger years had been in order to sugar coat the unknowing abuse going on behind close doors between Loki and Vali. All of it was to give Vali a strengthened bond to lean on should his other bonds fail him, as they often did.

"My dear brother..."

Vali's eyes opened once more. Narfi's voice. Although it was caught in the state of awakening, causing it to shake more than usual, it was still Narfi's voice. The voice that had actively saved Vali from many pains. The voice that had comforted him when he was much younger, and even sang Vali to sleep when he had nightmares and sleepless nights. When Vali had become sickened, it was Narfi's voice that talked him through the pain, while the caring shadow of his father loomed above. Vali's body fluxed with warm life, pressing himself harder against his brother for a moment before h felt his brother's hand push at his shoulder, gently, as he always was when getting Vali's attention. Vali wanted nothing more than to hold on and cherish the moment forever, but the push, Vali knew, lead to more words from his brother, and that was more precious than anything ever could be at the moment. Vali relinquished any resistance and let the arm guide him, his body pulling back from it's makeshift position until he sat on bent legs, covered in the masses of fabric that littered his form. Their eyes met. The passionate and loving combination of a dangerous purple, and a caring green. Both eyes shared pigments that were not able to be recreated within this realm, and both eyes were distorted into something more beautiful than what was possible for a mortal that walked upon these grounds.

"There is no need to worry your self with such thoughts. You are more than forgiven."

Vali could not speak. It was as if the air in his lungs was breathed out before he could absorb the oxygen. It was as if the opening in his throat had been sealed off and he was unable to speak or inhale for more. His eyes looked broken, shattered into so many pieces, swelling with the new dawn of tears. Any light that could be left in the day caught the glow of glassy purple just as teas could be formed. He looked younger once more, his lip quivering before he bit it and held onto it gently. His body felt weak, and there were no more words to describe what it was that he felt in his soul. His entire self was resurrected, and brought forth onto the more precious frame that he was left within. Vali had no words, something that rarely happened. Only tears and a small whimper that came out as the result of trying to produce language and then realizing he was unable to. His body flung back into Narfi's own, this time hugging him around his torso, so as to place Vali lower on his brother, his head pressed against Narfi's left side. There was certainly no silence, but no more words were expressed until Narfi spoke again, fully embodying his innate personality. As if it was appropriate and completely natural, Narfi's pondering words broke the gap of language once more, this time his tone changed:

"It is quite c-cold in this realm."
"Are we in Jotunheim?"

It took Vali a moment to understand what he should do with such a mundane question like that, which, to him, held such an obvious answer. Vali's tearing and shaking body broke free from the solemn happiness and started to giggle, murmuring to Narfi or himself, that much was hardly clear, "you fool, you fool, you foooool!" He had to forgive his brother's lackluster to magic. While he was powerful, he wielded a basic form of magical power that in no way led to a matured relationship with the arcane arts, and as such it was understandable that he did not feel the same deep depression that lay waste to the near magical voided lands. The science of such an art was hardly noted here as science, and had actually been considered the opposite of science, forever stunting its growth. But Vali only had love for his brother's ways - and his inability to comprehend certain things as well as Vali would be able to; however that was the same in reverse for other things.

"N-no, brother," Vali spoke between jerking breaths and tearful shaking. "We are in Midgar, within the realm of earth. I will explain later, but for now we need to remove you from this place." Vali pulled back, and looked earnestly to his brother. He knew that the people within this world may be less than what he was used to, but they would come should a truck stop moving suddenly. Especially if something that was as important as this was hidden within the truck's hull. "Come, let's make haste. I will explain everything later brother. You should not be within these climates upon awakening; can you stand?" As Vali spoke he pulled the black fabric of his cloak off, the cloak that he had watched the creation of, and that was endowed with a special ability of magic should the wearer have an advanced enough control over that domain to use it. But regardless of Narfi's probable inability to use such a device, it would keep his heat in closer to his body. Vali allowed the part of the cloth already draping over the man's crotch to remain, and threw the other half of the fabric around Narfi's shoulders. It was already warmed slightly from his own heat, but that was hardly noticeable in the temperature they were in now. Without the cloth, his body was able to be seen, wrapped tightly in a fitted leather like suit. Every curve of his defined muscle bent the suit's material in order to express the toned shape of Narfi's smaller brother.

The object that was once a truck was now completely flattened beneath the colossal weight of the thick ethereal tree with the exception of some of its large metal pieces that were scattered about the immediate area. The pieces were quickly being covered by the loose surface snow that had been picked up by the wind. Looking around at the desolate, frozen and tattered land of Alaska, Narfi thought that this is what Jutonheim must have looked like sense it fit the description from the stories that he had heard of it. Narfi had never been to Jutonhiem and therefore relied only on the stories that had told to he and Vali as children b their father. Narfi squinted his glassy green eyes, trying to see past the delirium in order to identify his location. His concentration was quickly broken when he heard the innocent, muffled giggle of Vali, his face still buried in his chest. The giggle that Narfi would do anything to hear when they were young. The giggle that never failed to put a smile on Narfi's face, no matter the situation. Once again, that childish, loving smile spread across Narfi's lips.

"You fool, you fool, you foooool!"

Narfi raised his eye brows in innocent confusion. He must have been wrong. He smiled again, letting a short giggle escape his throat as he listened to his brother's words. But, if they were not in Jotunhiem, where were they? He felt Vali pull away from his chest once more and once again their eyes met. Narfi listened as closely as he could to his brother, however, there was only so much he could comprehend in his current condition and focusing had become a chore.

"N-no brother... We are in Midgar, within the realm of earth. I will explain later, but for now we need to remove you from this place."

Narfi tilted his head in innocent curiosity after Vali answered before continuing to look around at the barren snow-covered area. He had never been to Midgar either but the stories that he had heard of it were a bit different from what was before him now. The stories told of a realm rich with life and people which was much different from Narfi's first impression. "Midgar?... it is certainly much more... desolate than I imagined."

"Come, let's make haste. I will explain everything later brother. You should not be within these climates upon awakening; can you stand?"

Narfi returned his dazed gaze to Vali immediately as he listened to his urgent voice. Stand? Narfi hadn't thought that such a simple task would be an issue, regardless of the fact that he still had little to no feeling in this legs and most of his body. He looked down at his legs, delicately flexing the muscles and moving his toes to ensure that he was capable. As he did so, Vali draped his cloak over Narfi 's broad shoulders. The warmth that clung to the coat from Vali's body made it all the more comfortable and caused a grateful smile to form on Narfi's lips as he looked back up to that familiar face that he loved so dearly. However, as he looked at Vali, he noticed that he was not the same young boy that Narfi remembered him as. No, he had grown into himself much more. His body and face were much ore developed than they were all those years ago. "I'm not sure." He looked back down at his legs with a questioning expression before moving one leg at a time into a position where he could pull himself up.

Slowly placing one hand behind him and crossing the other over to his opposite side, he lifted himself into a kneeling position. It was much harder than he expected. It was as if he had no control over his body regardless of the fact that his muscles were fully functioning. He paused a moment before struggling to a standing position. Once his legs were extended fully, he brought his torso to an up right position. However, the momentum of the movement along with his current lack of coordination and intense rush of blood to his head caused him to stagger. Instinctively, he tried to move his leg to balance himself but it didn't respond causing him to stagger a bit more than expected. After finally balancing himself, he looked at Vali and chuckled. "That was a bit harder than expected." Narfi reached up to the cloak draped around his shoulders and adjusted it to cover him more effectively. He then looked back to see the huge twisted trunk of a familiar tree, its roots dug deep into the cracked frozen ground and it's branches stretching their fingers out in all directions. It appeared to glow with the same ethereal energy that was so familiar to Narfi. He stood in awe until it's identity finally struck him. "Yggdrasil..." he muttered, his jaw slightly open in shock. whipping his head around to look at Vali he continued. "Vali, this is Yggdrasil!" An excited smile broke out across his face as he looked back at the towering tree. However, it quickly faded as he began to wonder how a mini Yggdrasil got to Midgar. "How did it get here?" He paused before he turned to Vali once again with deeply curious eyes. "Did you do this?"

"Midgar?... it is certainly much more... desolate than I imagined."

Vali's smile only continued to grow across his hidden face - hidden by the shadow of night, and the further veil of snow that blocked what little light may be able to get through. Vali's eyes traveled to his brother's body as he stumbled to get up, studying it thoroughly. He was left unchanged, the same as he had been as if he had walked out of a photograph and into reality once more. Vali had grown slightly, although the aging scale of a god was much different, and could vary greatly. Still, Vali's stature and appearance had matured, and begun to catch up to that of his older brother. Narfi's body was tall, broad shoulders and toned skin. The difference between the two brothers was daunting. While Vali took most of his aesthetics from his father, Loki, Narfi took most of his from their mother, the beautiful, blonde fair goddess that fell victim to Loki's enchantment of love and mystery. Vali was smaller, and always would be. He lacked the same physical build up and muscle structure that his brother had, and it would be near impossible to try and mimic it. That said, Vali had a muscle structure of his own, pale skin covering his delicate looking body. No. This really was Narfi. His brother.

Narfi's lackluster words displayed his inability to comprehend the realm, and showcased his difference in academic knowledge to Vali. The truck that had once been only crashed was now obliterated, and thrown about the area. Parts of the walling still remained of the hull, and bits and pieces of the flooring were still intact. It was because of the walling that Narfi was able to bring himself to a standing position, however with trouble. The state that he was in was unfortunate, and should Vali have to point a finger at why it was such a difficult task even for Narfi, he would blame it on the untested power of the numerous runes used to conjure his brother in combination with the dismal realm that he had been brought into. A small tangent of worry spread itself across Vali's face, choosing to ignore Narfi's confused words for now and explain everything that he wished be explained later. As Narfi staggered to remain on his feet, Vali threw his hands into motion, sending a dark liquid to be expelled by whatever magic it was that he was using. The dark liquid solidified and took form into the dark and bulky presence of another brother - Fenrir. The shape, hidden by the same darkness that hid Vali quickly to act as a support for Narfi, grabbing his body with his colossal hands, and scooping him up. It was time to remove themselves from this place. As they turned, Narfi caught sight of the tree, and spoke. His confused words held no meaning, and only sought for answers - answers that were withint Vali's ability to meet. Most at least. Upon looking down with destruction filled glowing eyes, Fenrir stared at his brother, Narfi. Looking back up at Vali his eyes looked as soft as they had ever looked.

"Brother, do my eyes deceive me?"

"What you see is but reality."

"I see... then does that mean..."

"Yes. That is exactly what it means. We must prepare. Leave this place at once and lead us back."

"It shall be done, brother."

The hushed conversation was short but sweet. At once Fenrir leaped into the air, his body flying extremely high above the ground and over the trees until he came crashing down on the earth below, hitting the ground with surprising grace and a padded fall so as not to disturb the baffled Narfi within his arms. Vali's own body reacted as son as Fenrir jumped, exploding into a quick and hyper torrent of black magic, leaving him in the form of a hawk that blasted into flight behind his brother's trail, following him closely. They would leave this place and return to where they were safe. For now.

[Exit]

The tree that towered above them seemed to have retained it's low hum of high-vibration energy as well as the same glow that brought light to the area around it, the same glow that each brother seemed to emanate, a sure sign that they were all of the same divine origin. The tree appeared to be organized into levels, each giving off a completely different glow and vibration than the other but all harmoniously creating a balance. It's shape mimicked that of every picture and depiction of the legendary tree of life - Yggdrasil. But how could that be possible when the colossal and universal tree was only a depiction of the connections between different dimensions through the universe? Was it simply a coincidence that it resembled the depictions? Or was it the manifestation of pure creative energy that the mysterious spells conjured in order to bring back the a body and soul from the gates of Hell? The questions could not be answered by either brother and could, perhaps, only be answered by the Master or Magic himself.

Narfi's new eyes trailed over the ethereal tree as they adjusted to their surroundings causing his focus to fade in and out of blur. His mind flooded with so many memories and questions that he felt dizzy, His new brain so full of thought and stimulation that it didn't know where to begin in order to organize it all. His head felt like a thousand pounds, barely able to be supported by his neck and shoulders. However, he pushed himself to stay, not only conscience, but standing up right. He wanted to be strong for his brother. He wanted to show Vali that he was alright so that he wouldn't have to worry about him anymore than he already has been forced to. He looked away from the tree and back to his brother to ask his last question. However, at the sight of his brother's magic, Narfi's words trailed off in awe. A dark liquid-like substance shot from Vali's hands and proceeded to contort into a huge figure. Before Narfi knew what had happened, he felt his feet lift from the ground as a great force lifted him from the ground below. An exasperated and worried grunt escaped his throat as he panicked for a moment, completely unsure of what it was that had lifted him. The sudden and unintentionally harsh movement worsened Narfi's dizziness and caused his stomach to turn with nausea. As he looked up to see what exactly was holding him, he quietly moaned and he struggled to level his throbbing head. His bright green eyes grew large once again as the fur covered, elongated snout and intense dark eyes of yet another one of his brothers came into focus.

"Fenrir..."

Narfi's full lips barely as he uttered the familiar name. It seemed to be the only thing that he could say as he could feel his conscientiousness slipping through the cracks of reality and back into the dream state that he was once in. The harder he tried to fight it the faster it came. The large wolf-man's hard, heavy breaths rattled as his chest rose and fell. As his soft, caring eyes met with those of his newly found brother's, they looked so out of place on such a powerful, raw face. Narfi's heavy eye lids battled against him as they tried to slide closed. Eventually they did, causing his vision to disappear which was promptly followed by his hearing.

"Brother, do my eyes deceive me?"

"What you see is but reality."

The deep guttural voice of Fenrir followed by the much higher toned yet soothing voice of Vali were the last words that Narfi heard before his consciousness slipped away.

[Exit]