Chapter 275: Tempest

Chapter 275: Tempest

If you want to support me check out my patron at /athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 15 chapters ahead as a bonus.

I would like to thank my beta, Akisu, for his help in this chapter.

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11th February 2013, Royal Palace in Asgard

(Odin Borson POV)

Odin Borson knew that he wasn't a good man. A good king, perhaps, but not a good man. He was very manipulative in nature, which was a very good quality to have during court, but not so much when raising children.

He knew that hunger for power was in his nature. He was destined to be a conqueror, to spill the blood of millions to become the undisputed king of the nine realms. Perhaps it was his fate, or perhaps it was his own greed that always pushed him in his younger years, that motivated him to claim everything he could as his own.

In the end, it didn't matter. In every iteration of Ragnarok, Odin Borson always conquered the nine realms. That was an undeniable fact, a fixed point in time, one that always disgusted him the moment he remembers his past lives during his ritual where sacrificed his eye.

It wasn't even the Shadows' fault. Odin was a conqueror far before he became a prisoner in his own mind. At least there's something that he couldn't blame on them, no matter how much he wished he could.

He was old and weak now and it was fitting in a way, that a way for his people's freedom appeared at this moment at the hand of one of the most frustrating people he had met in any of his lifetimes.

The Morrigan was an impossibility that did its best to frustrate him as much as possible. She was touched by Death, that's for sure, and was technically the Avatar of Death, a thankless responsibility that granted her a frightening amount of power. But there was something else, something more. He had seen Avatars of cosmic entities. By the Norns, he had once fallen in love with an Avatar of the Phoenix Force. Even if the Morrigan was the first Avatar of Death, she was too connected with the entity for her to simply be just that. The King of Asgard had no idea what in the nine hells she was, but it was something that he had never seen before in any of his lifetimes.

In Odin's experience, new elements presented too many variables in the equation, and with it, they almost always bring unforeseen danger with them. It was one of the main reasons he disliked the Morrigan in the first place. Well, that and the fact that the Avatar of Death had disrespected him in more than one instance, even if he was thankful that she dealt with the mess that was Hela, Odin's firstborn.

And what a surprise it was when he awoke and realized that Hela was his daughter, and not Loki's. It was great in a way that meant that the Shadows were weakened by the previous Thor. Odin suppressed a smirk at his son's frankly impressive accomplishment. His Gamble with Gaia's essence had worked out splendidly.

The fact that the usual timeline had derailed meant that they were not as in control as they used to be, even if he still heard their whispers in his head. They did seem to grow stronger and regained their control over him especially when Thor was born. He really scared them, didn't he? Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

Odin theorized that the Shadows did not grow suddenly in strength when Thor was born, but they probably chose to focus only on him, and maybe a few select individuals who heavily feature in their plans, instead of being the immense web of influence that controlled every single soul in the nine realms. Unfortunately, he couldn't take that risk. Even if they couldn't control everyone, they could control anyone. Odin had to assume that they had eyes and ears everywhere.

Perhaps, in a way, even should they fail in the destruction of Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, they were able to grant the nine realms at least one cycle of freedom, for the most part.

Yet now, he was putting his hopes on his son, and a stranger who had asked his help in a far bigger fight than he could afford. But in a way, his word was law, and hence their agreement was binding. He had never fought against a cosmic entity before.

The Shadows had done their best to gain control over him. While Odin's mind was protected and unbreakable, they had opted to control his body. Unfortunately for them, Odin was the All-Father, and he had a few tricks up his sleeve. And with the Shadows being weakened, he had a little leeway. In this case, Odin decided to take a risk.

Odin created an energy projection that disguised itself as one of the guards which appeared in the lower level of the prison, specifically, where Loki was located. The guard slowly walked towards the prisoners and stopped in front of the cell belonging to the disgraced prince of Asgard.

The God of Mischief was lying down, feigning sleep. He was relatively calm compared to the other inmates who kept banging on the golden energy field that separated them from the outside world.

Loki looked surprisingly well and calm compared to his crazed self when he tried to commit genocide and destroy an entire realm. Perhaps it was the Shadows giving up on him since he was imprisoned and thus useless for their plans for the time being, or maybe it was Frigga's regular 'secret' visits which turned the boy's imprisonment into a makeshift house arrest, and not the deep dark dungeon that people who had committed his crimes are sent to.

Odin's thoughts were interrupted by Loki who spoke up, "Are you here to stare at Asgard's disgraced prince, or is there a purpose for your presence?"

Odin, disguised as the guard, smirked, "Asgard has need of you, Loki Odinson."

The imprisoned man sneered, "I would gladly see Asgard burn."

"Even your mother?"

The question seemed to shock the godling enough to shut him up. Odin took this opportunity to continue, "Grave danger is upon us, one that would kill us all. Your king, your home is asking you to protect everyone you hold dear. Are you willing to do your duty, to repay your sins and return home as a hero?"

"Suppose that this was true, that I would agree to help, how am I supposed to do so from this cell?"

Odin went through the energy shields as if they aren't even there and touched the prince's necklace. It was a gift that he had given the boy when he was younger. It was charged with his Odinforce, along with a fragment of Bifrost energy. It was supposed to be an escape, a quick way to Asgard's healing chambers in case of emergency, one that should manifest itself when he was only mortally wounded. But now, Odin was altering the enchantments slightly, like he had done to Thor's a few years back to travel to Midgard to stop Loki during his foolish invasion.

Smirking at the shocked look his son had, Odin asked again, "Do you accept your mission, Loki?"

The boy nodded and Odin continued, "Travel to Midgard and meet with Thor's teacher. Give your brother this box, and stay with them," Odin handed Loki a small box with runes on it, "Everything will be explained when you arrive. Good luck, my son."

Before Loki could say anything, Odin activated his necklace, sending the boy to Midgard. The energy projection faded away into nothing, leaving an empty prison cell and a missing prince.

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I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 15 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.