Book 4: Arcane [Thor]

Chapter 23

"I see you, but you're far away," Heimdall stated.

"What's going on here?" Thor asked.

"Come see for yourself."

The former gatekeeper led the prince to an overlook, past a group of Asgardians he had been currently sneaking out of Asgard for their own safety. They waited patiently for him to lead on. None of them noticed how Thor walked among them from the projection.

"I'm providing refuge in a stronghold built by our ancestors. But if the garrison falls, our only escape is Bifrost."

"You're talking about evacuating Asgard?"

The snarl of Hela's soldiers made all of their backs press into the shadows of the cutouts in the wall out of sight. All held their breaths when they went to pass in a small courtyard ahead.

"We won't last long if we stay," Heimdall spoke lowly. "She draws her power from Asgard and grows stronger every day." The coast was clear. "Come on!" he ordered the group.

They rushed for the lower levels while they had the chance.

"Hela is ravenous," Heimdall informed. "If I let her leave, she'll consume Nine Realms and all the cosmos. We need you."

"I'm working on it," Thor said. "But I don't even know where the hell I am."

A roar made them aware that a small group of soldiers had found Heimdall's location. Without hesitation they rushed him, weapons out.

"You're on a planet surrounded by doorways. Go through one."

"Which one?"

Heimdall removed Hofund from its sheath to face down the henchmen.

"The big one."

Sword swinging around, the former gatekeeper lost his concentration on the connection. It threw Thor back into his present situation in Hulk's room. At least he now had a starting point. The prince rushed back towards Anya's room to tell his partner what he'd discovered.

"Anya!" he exclaimed.

She jumped in surprise at the intrusion.

"That was quick," she said.

"I contacted Heimdall. Things are not well in Asgard."

The young woman set the book in hand down. "Tell me."

The god explained the situation on his planet. How his siter Hela now sat on the throne without him there. The people were terrified. In hiding, thanks to Heimdall's efforts. Still, they were running out of time to help as Hela grew stronger by the day.

"If Hela is amassing her power by just being on Asgard... then she's going to be ten times stronger than what we faced on Midgard," Anya pointed out.

"I'm well aware," Thor spoke gravely. "But no matter how powerful she has become, I must return to Asgard to save my people."

"We. We need to return to Asgard to help your people."

Thor managed a smile at the word 'we'.

"We'll have to pull all the tricks in the book to beat her," Anya continued. "Hold nothing back."

"I know."

"Speaking of trying to leave, we could use the Aether to sneak through the building in order to get outside to the quinjet."