Home sweet Home

979 AD: 15 Years

"King Eitri." I greet the Dwarf King by bowing to him, after entering his Throne Room, as he had called for me.

"Prince Baldur. Wait a minute, please." Eitri says, and continues on with reading a scroll. He then nods to himself, writes something on the scroll and gives it to his aid.

"Baldur, you've mastered as much about metal working as is allowed to be taught to Outsiders. With this, you are ready to leave Nidavellir." Eitri says once his work is done, and smiles at me.

I smile back at him, fondly remembering our times together, when he verbally abused me when I failed my first time. Nevermind. I shake my head and ask, "Indeed?"

Eitri nods and stands up. Walking close to the window, Eitri stands staring at the Neutron Star, and says, "You are a quick learner, Baldur. Usually any Asgardians we've taught took at least a decade to come as far as you've come in a year. Well, can't exactly blame them, as we had to take 5 years to beat their dumb methods out of their heads first."

I snort, knowing he's probably speaking the truth. Asgardians as a species are very proud, like Saiyans. So they always believe that they are the best at everything. If you ask the healers at the palace, they will tell you that no healer is better than them in the entire universe. Or the Berserker soldiers will tell you that they're the best foot soldiers, etc.

So whichever Asgardian had the good fortune to learn from the Dwarves, would have come here under false pretences that he can never be wrong, and his methods are the only correct methods.

Eitri looked like he was in deep thought so I go and stand next to him, looking at the star. At the back of my head, I feel my armour absorbing the radiation and sending it to my body safely, but I ignore the sensation for now.

He says, "Here. Take this. This is absolutely useless for us, unless we have to utilize it for your use." and throws something at my face.

I catch it on reflex and look at it. The last Uru brick that's filled with my Light. Well, not exactly filled completely, but about halfway filled. The Dwarves needed the rest to actually put whatever enchantments they use.

"Thank you, Eitri. For everything." I say, sincerely, as he's helped me with a lot of stuff. My strength has increased, my armour helps with defence, while the spear helps with offence. Plus, there are so many ideas in my heads that were incomplete without actually learning to smith. Now, as soon as I completely master the Runes from the Royal Library, and my Mother's private ones, I'll start working on those projects.

Eitri nods and waves a hand at me, "You're welcome kid. Now go. Shoo. Leave Nidavellir. Dwarves have some actual work to do, unlike you posh Aesir."

I smile at him, and say, "Hah! You say that now, but I know you'll miss me."

"Miss you? For what? I'll miss your ruined steel? Or the Gold you ruined while making the bracelet?" Eitri quarrels in good nature.

I shake my head and leave, throwing a "I know you will, Eitri, I know." while going. I still have a lot to learn, and I'll take any knowledge I can get. Eitri simply managed to earn a place in my heart too.

This Uru brick will help me a lot too. But for now, it'll have to stay in my PD. Can't use it properly yet. I mean I can melt it using my Light, and shape it properly. But I won't be able to enchant it into what I want. What do I want? That's still unknown, but it'll have to either be a training tool, or something to go with my Ljosgeirr.

Speaking of Ljosgeirr, something I found out about it, that Eitri didn't mention, was that it could change between 3 shapes, or modes, as I call them.

The first mode is the Spear mode. In this mode, the spear looks like a normal spear would, only golden colour. It has a foot long blade on the top, with smaller blades on its sides. The length of the spear is 7 feet, which is a little big for me right now, but usable. In a few years, I'll probably grow tall enough to wield it properly.

The second mode, or the Staff mode, looks about the same, only without any of the blades. Although, the blades don't disappear, they simply merge together so that it's a 7 foot long staff.

The third mode is kind of perfect for me. I call it the foot long mode. It shrinks Ljosgeirr in it's staff mode, until it's only a foot in length. That way it's less noticeable, and convenient to carry.

I trained this last month, to use Ljosgeirr in every mode. Yes, even the foot long mode. Don't know when I might need to fight someone in enclosed spaces.

Within 10 minutes, I pack up everything I had brought, along with a few souvenirs from the Junkyard, and go out of the residential area. Hey, I saw even Loki take a few things from it, and the Dwarves didn't mind. Two Dwarves come with, so as to show me the way, which although not necessary, was appreciated.

"Heimdall!" I shout, once I'm in the designated Bifrost calling area, and in 5 seconds, I'm picked up by the rainbow bridge. Looking with my Enhanced sight, I can easily see the stars pass by.

Contrary to what you might believe, the Nine Realms are not near to each other, at all. They are simply connected to each other via a mystical cosmic force, called the World Tree, or the Yggdrasil. It's not an actual tree, but it's simply what my ancestors thought it was.

So, thanks to the space-time magic, and a dash of Marvel JuJu, which is how the Bifrost travels, it takes me a few seconds to reach Asgard's Observatory, and look at Heimdall, the brother of Lady Sif.

"My Prince. The King has been informed of your arrival and has called you to the Throne room." Heimdall says, looking at me with his golden eyes. Creepy.

I withhold my shiver, and nod at him. Damnit. Odin. Ruining lives since a thousand years. Couldn't even let me go meet Lorelai first? I've been gone a year, you know?

Sulking silently, I mount a Pegasus, which were still bred after the death of the Valkyrior, which was known to us as their disbandment, and go meet the maker.

It takes the Pegasus a few minutes to reach the Palace, which I take to enjoy the view.

"Hey! Prince Baldur's back! MY Prince! MY PRINCE!!" These shouts are heard from the market, once I pass over them. I smile brightly, bringing out my Light to encompass myself and the Pegasus, making us shine bright, and wave towards the people. Many of them are minor Gods themselves, way older than me. But my Royal Blood makes me a bit of a commodity for them.

Most Beloved Prince, huh? Lorelai and Amora were right.

I drop from the Pegasus, once I'm near the Palace, preferring to walk the rest of the way.

"All Father!" I kneel in front of the throne, waiting for the King, my Father, to acknowledge me.

"Baldur, my Son. You have returned." Odin states, looking at my armour and the foot long Ljosgeirr with a critical eye. He probably already knows what Eitri made for me, but hadn't seen it with his eyes.

I nod at him and say, "Indeed. My stay at Nidavellir was most fruitful."

"Yes, Eitri, and Loki told me you stayed behind to learn smithing." Odin stated, but I could see he was disappointed in my decision.

"Is there a question for me there, Father?" I ask, barely holding myself back from rolling my eyes.

"Do not presume to take that tone with me, BOY! I called you here for a reason. Why did you decide to learn Smithing? And why Nidavellir? I'd have brought the best smiths in Asgard if you had told me about it." Odin booms out, more than a little angry.

I raise my eyebrow at him, not holding back this time, getting angry a little, and ask, "If you'd have bothered to remember your two other sons, you'd have noticed that your two youngest are very fond of learning anything. If Asgard's smiths are so good, why are most Royal weapons made by the Dwarves? Why would I not learn from Nidavellir when I had the chance to do so? Their methods are greater than ours, their tools are greater than ours, and the most important of all, I WANTED TO LEARN FROM THEM!"

Odin simply stares at me with angry eyes, and says, "You have been remiss in your duties as a Prince of the Realm. Which is why, on the morrow, you'll be deployed to Vanaheim to help deal with the Marauders. Dismissed."

I bow, reigning in my anger at him, as this is not the time to take it out, and leave the Throne room. Bloody old coot. It bothered him that I learned smithing from Dwarves, who "work" for us. That's disrespectful for both me, and the Dwarves, and Odin should have realised this by now. Dumbass.

Squashing my anger I leave to find my Mother. By the way Odin deployed me, I can guess that Thor and Loki are somewhere out in the realms too, fighting and keeping peace in the name of Odin. But I'll still have to confirm it with Mother.

~~~~

"Baldur! You're back!" Mother exclaims, and walks quickly to hug me. I smile and hug her back, forgetting all the anger I had at Odin, for now.

"Hello, Mother." I greet her and gently ease out of the hug.

"Let me look at you, my son. You've been gone for a year, haven't you?" Mother says and starts looking me over. Her eyes pause at the armour, Karna, and the Ljosgeirr at my back, now fully enlarged in Staff mode.

I take the staff and show it to her, changing it between the 3 modes with a thought.

"It's beautiful!" Mother whispers, looking at the armour. Then running a hand over Ljosgeirr, she says, "This.. is simply amazing, Son. I had known Eitri would most likely either make you a spear or a Sword, but I had no idea it'll turn out to be this beautiful."

She pauses, and asks, "Do they have names?"

I nod, and say, "The armour is called Karna. I don't know why that name, it just... came to me. While the Spear, Ljosgeirr."

"Spear of Light. And don't worry. Sometimes you name your weapons, sometimes they name themselves." Mother smiles at me, and then scrunches her brows. She puts a hand on my cheek and asks, "Everything all right, son?"

I chuckle at that, what should I say? Your husband is a d*ck that tried to scold me for learning? I shake my head and say, "It's... nothing. Father didn't like the fact that I learned smithing from the Dwarves. He would have preferred that I should have learnt it from the Aesir, if I was so intent on learning."

Frigga hums, rubbing her hand on my cheek, which is very comforting. She then says, "Odin.. is troubled. He loves you, don't doubt that..." I snort mentally, not wanting to hurt Mother, "... but he has a hard time showing it. He is trying so hard to turn Thor into the King he hopes him to be, that he forgets to show his love to his other sons."

This time, I do snort loudly, and say, "Mother, you and I both know that Loki will be a better King out of all of us."

Mother raises her eyebrow, and asks, "Not you? And why not Thor?"

I shake my head and wipe my eyes, not even noticing they were wet in the first place, and say, "I know my brothers, Mother. Thor and me are fighters. While I can think too, Loki can do it simply better than me. And, I love Thor and Loki, as much as I can love any brother, but Thor is not a great Thinker. Loki could out think even our most experienced Generals in a century or two. At most."

"And what about you then? You said it yourself, you're both a thinker, and a fighter. Why can't you be King?" Frigga asks, gently.

I snort and look at her, "For starters, I am most definitely not a ruler. I have no interest in ruling over Asgard either. As much as I love fighting, I'd prefer a quiet life, learning new things, different cultures. And now the quiet life has been halted thanks to the Marauders."

I quickly change the subject, before Frigga can ask anything more on it, and ask, "Are Thor and Loki home? Or have they been deployed too?"

Frigga raises her eyebrow at my not so subtle subject change, and answers, "Thor is in Alfeim, along with his 3 friends, while Loki is in Vanaheim with Lady Sif. They are.. tolerating each other, for now."

Tolerating? But they were friends a year ago? What the hell happened over here?

Seeing my confused face, Mother explains, "Loki targeted Thor with a particularly vicious prank, which was meant to turn his blonde hair black. Unfortunately, he hit Lady Sif. And since no one could change it for 3 whole months, Sif has stopped talking with Loki."

I snort and laugh loudly at that mental image, but then scowl. Goddamnit Loki, you managed to get rid of your only real friend in Asgard. Well, other than me, of course.

I say goodbye to Mother, and go to my room, and sleep, not bothering to take my stuff out of the PD. I'll be with Loki and Sif this time tomorrow. Hopefully the Marauders get all caught this time. They are really slippery. Those Bastards.

~~~

A/N: I probably won't bother with writing a battle with the Marauders. Even if I do, it'll be after a time skip. Sorry, but my story, my rules.