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*****
Following Sif into the grand hall of the palace, Fini finally laid eyes for the first time on the legendary All-Father, the one-eyed Odin.
"Welcome to Asgard, young Mage!"
Odin's hair was as white as snow, and though his face bore the undeniable marks of age, he sat upon his throne with a presence as formidable as a thunderstorm. His voice was thick with vigor, betraying none of the frailty one might expect from someone in the twilight of their years.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Fini Halsey, of Kamar-Taj."
Fini bowed politely to the God-King.
"My son, Thor, has mentioned you several times," Odin said, rising from his throne to walk toward Fini. His steps were slow and deliberate. "Midgard rarely produces a human as powerful as you."
"Thank you."
Fini offered a polite, if slightly awkward, smile. On the way there, he had gleaned enough from Sif to know how Thor described him; while there was certainly praise, it was undoubtedly seasoned with a heavy dose of complaining.
Odin came to a stop in front of Fini, scrutinizing him with his single remaining eye. After a moment, he spoke softly: "Special indeed."
Fini looked confused, but before he could ask for clarification, Odin continued. "I am friends with your teacher, Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One. She informed me that you have come here seeking a star chart?"
"Yes," Fini nodded, adding quickly, "I also wished to see the wonders of Asgard and the other realms for myself."
"The items you seek are already being gathered. You may wait here for a few days; Thor should be returning soon, and he will be quite pleased to see you."
For some reason, Fini got the distinct impression that Odin was rather keen on him staying.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Regardless of the motive, Odin's cooperation was a relief. Fini offered his sincere thanks.
Odin nodded and returned to his seat on the throne. "Among the Nine Realms, the scenery of Asgard is the most beautiful. You should take the time to enjoy it."
"But before that, let Frigga see to your accommodations."
As Odin spoke, a woman with a gentle, radiating warmth stepped out from the side. She walked up to Fini and said kindly, "Greetings, Mage Halsey. I am the King's wife, and a practitioner of the craft myself."
"Greetings, Queen Mother."
Fini greeted her immediately. This was the mother of Thor and Loki—and the teacher who had inadvertently set Loki on the path of the "melee mage."
"Follow me. Nothing in Asgard will disappoint you," Frigga said with a smile. Fini, however, didn't quite believe her—the white horses used for "high-speed" transport had already set the bar quite low.
After taking his leave of Odin, Fini followed Frigga through the winding corridors of the royal palace. It had to be said that while both Wakanda and Asgard were monarchies, the Golden Palace actually looked like the residence of a true king.
"Thor told me much about you. He said your magic is most wondrous, and that you can manifest a food made of fried chicken that is quite delicious. He had the royal chefs try to replicate it many times without success; he was quite grumpy about it."
As they walked, Frigga chatted with Fini, her kind face and approachable attitude making it easy to feel at ease.
"It's called a 'Violet Melon Fried Chicken Burger Roll'."
Fini casually summoned one into his hand and continued, "Thor mentioned you as well. He said you are the greatest mage in the Nine Realms."
"Haha, he was boasting!" Frigga smiled, seemingly unfazed by the title. "Your teacher is the true greatest mage of the Nine Realms now."
She paused, her eyes fixing on the chicken roll in Fini's hand. "May I see that?"
"Of course." Fini handed it over. "I brought some gifts with me when I arrived. Sif's people took them to the storehouse, but there are more of these rolls inside. I hope they haven't gone bad."
"Thank you. I shall check on them shortly."
Frigga examined the roll closely before sighing. "As expected of the Sorcerer Supreme's disciple. Truly a marvelous spell."
Fini laughed inwardly at Frigga's attempt to look like she understood it. Even the Ancient One hadn't been able to decipher the nature of the summoned food.
"If you don't mind, you should try it. The taste won't disappoint," Fini said with a smile.
Frigga showed an immense amount of trust, biting into it without hesitation. The flavor hit her soul instantly, causing her to stop in her tracks, eyes closed in pure intoxication.
A few seconds later, she snapped back to reality, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. She glanced at the curious handmaidens behind her and composed herself. "Forgive me. That was unseemly."
"No wonder Thor was so obsessed with it. Indeed, there is no food in Asgard that can compare." Despite the brief lapse in royal dignity, Frigga gave the snack a glowing five-star review.
After a brief tour of the palace grounds, Frigga led Fini to his arranged quarters. After instructing the servants, she said, "You may rest here for a while. There will be a banquet this evening to welcome you. If you need anything, simply tell them."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Fini was slightly surprised by the mention of a banquet, but quickly realized he shouldn't be. Given Asgardian culture, the absence of a banquet would have been the real shock.
Once Frigga left, Fini stepped out onto the balcony to admire the view. After sitting around for a bit, boredom began to set in. He sought out the handmaidens and asked about interesting places to visit in the city.
The servants suggested several locations, and Fini decided to head out to see the local Asgardian life for himself. Following their advice, he "went native" by swapping his clothes for Asgardian attire before leaving the palace and hitting the streets.
Although Asgardian technology was incredibly advanced, the scenery of the streets gave Fini a strange sense of being in a more primitive era. He wandered through the crowds, watching vendors lazily hawking their wares from stalls and passing by shops with a distinctly medieval aesthetic. It was all quite novel.
However, since he didn't have any Asgardian currency, he couldn't actually buy anything. He could only window-shop, thinking he should find a way to get some cash so he could bring some souvenirs back home.
By evening, Fini returned to the palace to prepare for the welcoming feast. While he wasn't particularly fond of being the center of attention, he didn't want to refuse a local custom, so he just hoped it would end early.
As night fell, Sif led Fini to the banquet hall. Upon entering, he almost thought he had walked into the wrong room.
The environment was chaotic and messy, filled with a deafening roar of shouting and laughter. Some people were already drunk, and several appeared to be brawling with one another. Fini stood at the entrance, staring at the scene in a daze."
(End of Chapter)