CELESTIAL | THOR ODINSON

xvi. Vanaheim

"Nice of you to join us." Leila called out.

"Come on, Thor! We had it handled." said Sif.

Thor laughed. "Is that why everything's on fire?"

He joined the fight alongside Leila, Sif, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg.
Someone threw a sword and it had nearly reached Thor, but Leila formed a barrier that stopped it.

"You're welcome" Leila grinned and turned back to the fight.

Once most of the invaders had been defeated, a loud roar echoed through the battlefield. Everything stilled, and the ground shook with the sound.

A giant kronan began stepping towards the crowd of onlookers slowly, comprised of both the attackers and defenders of the village. One of the Asgardian warriors
ran towards the kronan, but it swatted them away easily.

"All yours," Leila gestured to Thor, who stood next to her. He met her eyes and shook his head with a small smile.

"Hello. I accept your surrender." The village attackers laughed.

Thor stepped forward and destroyed the rocky beast with one swing of his hammer.
"Anyone else?" he asked. The attackers exchanged glances between themselves and threw down their weapons, surrendering to the Asgardians.

-

"Is Vanaheim secure?" Odin asked from next to his son, leaning over the balcony of Asgard's castle.

Thor nodded. "As are Nornheim and Ria."

"For the first time since the Bifrost was destroyed, the Nine Realms are at peace. They're well reminded of our strength and you have earned their respect and my gratitude."

"Thank you."

"Nothing is out of order except your confused and distracted heart." Odin said smugly.

Thor felt anger rise in his chest. "This isn't about Leila."

"Human lives are fleeting. They're nothing. You would better served by what lies in front of you." Olin gestured to Sif, who was sparring in the courtyard.

"She means a great deal to me, father. Besides, she is not human. She is Asgardian."

"Half Asgardian. And that does not mean she is one of us. I am telling you this not as the all father, but as your father. You are ready. The time has come for you to take the throne.embrace and celebrate what you have won. Join your warriors, eat and drink, revel in their celebration. Spend time with your human, before she grows old and withered and you must attend to your kingly duties."

To say the least, Odin's words had angered Thor greatly. He had left without another word to his father, washing up in his room and getting ready for the celebration that night.

-

Asgardian warriors of all kinds gathered at Siggi's tavern; Thor, the warriors three, Sif, and Leila among the most celebrated.

Leila sat in the chair next to Thor, sipping on beer and sweet meads as people asked them question after question about the battles they had fought in other realms.

"What was your favourite enemy you fought?" One young man asked, and the two exchanged an amused look.

"I enjoyed watching Thor's battle with the ice giant on Nornheim." Leila said.

"Yes, a fine opponent." Thor chuckled.

Leila had picked out a beautiful maroon dress from her wardrobe, a similar color to the doublet that Thor wore. Leila had smiled to herself, perhaps thinking that some servant or perhaps Frigga had somehow coordinated it.

As the night went on, the alcohol flowed endlessly, and eventually people stopped bothering Leila and Thor.

"Would you like to step outside for a moment?" He asked, and she nodded, allowing him to guide her out onto a snowy balcony. The two of them looked out on the snowy streets of Asgard, the crowd below forming a river of people.

Leila drew her cloak tighter around herself and leaned on the railing.

"How long has it been since we traveled here?" she asked quietly, not wanting them to stand in silence but unsure of what to talk about, her mind slightly clouded by alcohol.

"On Earth, around a year."

"Really, here... I guess it has been almost a year. But it hasn't felt like that."

Thor nodded. "Time passes differently here. More importantly, you have been busy."

It was true. Leila had magic lessons with Frigga most days, sparring and combat lessons taking up the rest. The few free days she had were spent exploring Asgard, either with Thor or Theresa. She visited her mother often as well, hearing about her first few years of life and her father. Aemma had been teaching her magic as well, as she had the same kind of abilities as Leila.

"Do you miss your world?' Thor's low voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Not so much Earth itself, but the people I know there. My dad, and my papa, and Jane, Erik, and Darcy." Leila paused, chuckling under her breath. "Never thought I'd be saying I missed Darcy Lewis."

Thor laughed. "Perhaps I know someone who can help us check on them."

-

"How fare the stars?" Thor asked, walking into Heimdall's outpost, Leila's hand intertwined in his.

Heimdall turned around from looking out over the stars, bowing his head in greeting to the two of them. "Still shining. From here I can see Nine Realms and ten trillion souls." He paused for a moment. "You recall what I told you of the Convergence?"

Leila wondered what he was talking about. Thor gave a quick squeeze to her hand and responded. "Yes, the alignment of the worlds. It approaches, doesn't it?"

"The universe hasn't seen this marvel since before my watch began. Few can sense, even fewer can see it. A world that's infected can be dangerous. It is truly beautiful."

"I see nothing." Thor, Leila, and Heimdall walked closer to the wall of stars, the young woman captivated by the sight in front of her.

"Or perhaps that is not the beauty you seek." Heimdall inclined his head towards Leila, earning a deep blush from her and a laugh from Thor.

"How is Jane?" Leila asked.

"She's quite clever, your mortal friend. She doesn't know it yet, but she studies the Convergence as well. Even..." Heimdall stopped.

"What is it?" Thor looked inquisitively at the other man.

"I can't see her."

-

A/N: So... long time no see. I'm back though! As much as I can be while being a full time student with three jobs 😅 I will be doing my very best to keep writing and updating this story.