Chapter 7 — The Great Quest of Asgard
The doors of Hlidskjalf groaned open as Thor, Sif, and Bor stepped into the vast chamber of the High Throne. Golden runes spiraled up the marble pillars, ancient sigils humming with the ancient power of sight beyond sight. At the center of the room sat Odin All-Father broad-shouldered, one-eyed, wrapped in an authority that felt as heavy as the cosmos itself.
Gungnir lay across his lap like an extension of his will.
As the three approached, Thor straightened his tunic, Sif bowed respectfully, and Bor kept his expression neutral, though his heart beat steady but tense. The echoes of the spider battle still lingered in him the fading burn of Sunshine, the weight of Kryptonian strength, the whisper of Jacob Walker reminding him to always be watchful.
Odin's single eye swept over them, and for a moment the room felt like the center of the Nine Realms.
"You stand before me," Odin said, voice resonating through stone, "having faced danger within the very halls of the palace. And you did not falter."
Thor brightened like a boy receiving praise from his father. Sif smiled faintly, proud. Bor inclined his head, humbled but wary.
"But what transpired yesterday," Odin continued, "was not merely a random threat. It was a test."
Thor blinked. "A test?"
"Yes," Odin said. "A test of courage. Cooperation. Skill."
He paused. "Of readiness."
Bor felt the air shift. Something important was coming.
Odin rose from Hlidskjalf, the chamber trembling faintly with his movement. "You have proven yourselves beyond the training yards, beyond competition. You have proven yourselves worthy of challenge beyond these golden walls."
Thor's face lit with excitement. Sif's eyes sharpened, hungry for adventure.
And Bor felt a distant echo from a past life a sense of mission, of purpose, of being given a dangerous path. The Marine in him stirred uneasily.
Odin raised Gungnir.
"Therefore, you three shall embark upon a Great Quest."
---
The chamber stilled. Even the runes dimmed.
Thor gasped. "A Great Quest? Truly?!"
Sif's pulse quickened. "My king, what is required of us?"
Odin stepped toward them, cloak sweeping across the marble floor.
"You will journey across Asgard and beyond, into its untamed wilds and hidden corners. You will gather four sacred relics and one final element forged only in extremity."
He conjured illusions in the air glowing shapes swirling like clouds of memory.
1. Hakurei's Scale
A shimmering green scale the size of a shield appeared above their heads.
"For the first trial, you must retrieve a scale from the ancient dragon, Hakurei—guardian of the volcanic caverns of Skarthun."
Thor grinned wildly. "A dragon?! EXCELLENT!"
Sif elbowed him lightly. "We are not hunting it, Thor. We only need a scale."
"Which is the same as hunting it just with fewer steps!"
Bor stared at the illusion. Hakurei was known in Asgardian lore: cunning, ancient, and temperamental. He pictured the dark heat of its lair, the narrow caverns… and how much trouble Thor could cause.
2. Gnori's Feather
Next, a shimmering white feather with icy blue tips materialized.
"Your second relic," Odin said, "is the feather of Gnori, the snow eagle of the northern peaks."
Sif frowned. "Gnori is sacred. We are not to harm her."
"You need not harm her," Odin confirmed. "But she will not give freely. Your worth must be proven."
Bor swallowed. "High altitudes… strong winds… ice."
A challenge he would feel deeply now that sunshine would be scarce in the northern cold.
3. The Jennia Jewel
A brilliant orb of violet crystal swirled into being.
"The third element lies in the mines of Jennia—treacherous tunnels once home to dwarven miners before the caves shifted into a labyrinth. You must find a jewel from the heart of the mountain."
"A labyrinth?" Thor asked, thrilled. "Who shall I fight in it?!"
"The mountain itself," Odin said gravely.
4. Water from Lilitha
A small vial appeared, filled with shimmering blue liquid.
"Your fourth relic is water from the Lake of Lilitha a lake considered unapproachable except to those of pure intent."
Thor sobered. "Pure… intent?"
"Will we be tested?" Sif asked.
"Yes," Odin said.
Bor's mind flickered Jacob's memories whispering of lakes in foreign countries, of nightmares in water, of danger slipping beneath calm surfaces.
5. Enchanted Uru "For the young Sun-Bearer."
The last illusion was not a relic, but a metal dark, starless, heavy as worlds.
"Oru?" Thor breathed. "The metal of Odinforce, of hammers, of legends?"
"Uru," Odin corrected. "A metal that drinks storm and flame, and bends only under cosmic heat and ancient runes. For centuries, it has slumbered beneath the Realm Eternal."
"And why do we need Uru?" Sif asked.
Odin turned to Bor.
"To forge a weapon befitting the youngest prince."
Bor stiffened. Me?
Odin's gaze softened. "The palace armory has no weapon equal to your nature. The dwarves of Nidavellir will shape your Uru once you retrieve it."
Thor beamed. "A new weapon! Brother, you shall bear something mighty!"
Sif smiled at Bor. "You'll need something worthy of your strength."
Bor's stomach tightened. He had no weapon in his old life, only guns, grit, and loss. The thought of forging something out of Uru felt unreal too big, too legendary, too full of expectation.
Odin lowered the illusions.
"These five tasks," he said, "will test you not just in battle, but in patience, wisdom, unity. And only together can they be accomplished."
He paused.
"And only together will you return."
---
Later that evening, the royal chambers echoed with the force of Frigga's outrage.
"What you propose is reckless!"
The Queen of Asgard stood before Odin in their private solar, golden sunlight filtering through stained-glass windows behind her. Her voice trembled not with anger alone, but with fear.
"They are children, Odin."
"They are nearly adults," Odin countered evenly.
"Nearly is not enough!" Frigga snapped. "Thor acts before thinking. Bor pushes himself too hard. And Sif, Sif feels she must prove herself at every turn. You send them into dragonfire, into frozen storms into death!"
Odin took a breath. "Frigga—"
"This is not a test. This is punishment."
"It is preparation," Odin insisted. "Thor must learn command. Bor must understand the weight of his gifts. Sif must temper her strength with care. They must grow."
Frigga's jaw clenched. "Thor is headstrong. You know this. If he sees a dragon, he will fight it. If he sees a riddle, he will smash it. If he sees danger, he will run toward it."
"Which is why he must learn caution," Odin said quietly. "Before kingship demands it."
Frigga turned away, arms wrapped around herself. "And Bor," she whispered. "You treat him like a weapon."
Odin's face softened. "I treat him as a son."
"You fear him," she said, voice fragile.
"I respect him," Odin corrected. "And I believe in him. But power such as his must not remain untested. If he is to stand beside Thor one day, he must learn the shape of peril."
Frigga's breath hitched.
"And Sif?" she asked softly.
Odin smiled faintly. "Sif is brave. And clever. She shall keep both boys from doing anything too foolish."
"That," Frigga muttered, "is a heavy task."
There was a pause. Then Odin placed a hand on her shoulder.
"They must face danger now," he said gently, "or be destroyed by it later. Better they learn together—better they grow united."
Frigga closed her eyes. "And if they don't return?"
Odin exhaled, long and slow.
"Then," he said, "they were not meant to rule the future I see coming."
Frigga's voice broke. "Odin…" He held her.
"They will return," he whispered.
But he did not sound entirely convinced.
---
Back in the training courtyard, Thor, Sif, and Bor were already making preparations. Weapons laid out. Packs filled. Armor fitted. Maps spread. Thor paced like a caged lion. Sif sharpened her blade. Bor read over a parchment containing the route Odin had given them.
Loki watched from the shadows, unseen, fists clenched around his jealousy.
A Great Quest.
A blessing from All-Father.
Praise for the trio.
None for him. He smiled bitterly, dark thoughts shifting like smoke. Bor felt a prickling at his neck an old instinct but saw nothing.
Thor finally stopped pacing. "This is it. A true adventure. A chance to prove ourselves!"
Bor nodded reluctantly. "A chance to stay alive, hopefully."
Sif smirked. "Let's try both."
Thor clapped Bor on the back. "Brother! We shall return with all relics AND glory!"
Bor forced a smile. But deep within him, the Marine stirred. Danger. Unknown terrain. Unpredictable forces. It was the first time since rebirth that Jacob's instincts felt fully awake.
And Bor could not tell anyone.
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