From The Ashes - 028

[A/N: Hey guys! I had some personal things to take care of and other work to finish near the end of the month, so I couldn't focus as much on writing as I wanted to. Still, that's done now so I could return my focus to my favourite activity. Enjoy!]

Chapter 028 – Return

[2012]

Having searched the Nine Realms fervently for nearly three days, Heimdall had not found a single trace of the half-mortal warrior that his Prince had brought back from his last visit to Earth.

Partly, this was par of the course since even his 'sight' had its limits and he knew that there were places and existences that were hidden to his eyes in the eight worlds that were connected to Asgard through means that even could not fully understand, despite being the gatekeeper.

And this was not mentioning the Universe at large which was only a single thought away for an existence that wielded the powers of the Tesseract.

Heimdall had still done his duty and did as his Prince and King bid and searched for Noah, since he held the key to the reignition of the Bifrost, even if he only held a dim hope that he would succeed.

Well, to be precise, it wasn't the Bifrost that needed to be reignited since the Bifrost was an extra-dimensional force that flowed through the Universe like an unseen river in a layer of space that could not be observed, much less touched, by most living beings under normal circumstances.

It was only through the gathered knowledge of generations and the wisdom of the whole race, as well as the strength of past kings that the Asgardian people had found a way to connect to this extra-dimensional force via the 'Bifrost Bridge', which allowed them to move between the Nine Realms with great precision.

What they needed Noah for, was to reignite the core of the 'Bifrost Bridge', which needed a type of cosmic energy that had the ability to directly interfere with space itself, so that they could use this wonder of their civilization to reconnect with the Bifrost itself.

The fact that the bridge was called the Bifrost most of the time was nothing but an inaccurate description of the golden dome that had allowed them to rule and protect the Nine Realm for millennia.

In that sense, Heimdall, in particular, knew how desperately Asgard needed Noah's help since he could 'see' the ongoing chaos and bloodshed in the worlds that depended on Asgard's protection amongst the eight worlds.

Vanaheim faced the merciless blades of the Marauders, its people getting slaughtered and enslaved. Nidavellir was threatened by the Trolls, who coveted the Dwarven' Forges, a possible conflict erupting every moment.

The other realms and smaller worlds in between the Nine Realms were also in unrest, having sensed that Asgard could no longer use the Bifrost and reach all those worlds. And it was only a question of when greater conflicts than even this would erupt, not if.

Heimdall could 'see' all of this as his innate connection to the extra-dimensional force that was the Bifrost, allowed him to 'see' beyond the ordinary.

At normal times, this meant that he could observe the happenings in the Nine Realms, but when faced with individuals, Heimdall could also look into their origin and catch glimpses of their very souls and their true selves, which in turn made him an exceptional judge of character.

Naturally, it was also the latter quality that made him a close confidant of the Asgardian King, beyond his position as the gatekeeper.

Even the Second Prince, who had managed to fool his eyes once, couldn't completely hide from this kind of scrutiny when standing before Heimdall, which meant that he was well aware of Loki's character, and more importantly, the prince's inner conflict.

Still, it was merely his eyes that could draw on minuscule amounts of the extra-dimensional energy force. He might have an innate connection to the Bifrost but that was the limit of his capabilities.

Any further and the price that he would have to pay to summon the Bifrost's strength would most certainly mean his end.

Heimdall wasn't afraid of death though, but he knew that even if he gave his life, it wouldn't be enough to reignite the core of the bridge through the amount of extra-dimensional energy that he could summon.

Only a being much stronger than him could do this.

As such, even though he would not hesitate to give his life for Asgard and the people that were crying out for their protection, he knew that it would be a pointless sacrifice, which only made him more desperate to find Noah.

Suddenly, space rippled as dark blue smoke billowed, and a channel formed in front of the golden sphere that represented the entry point to the inactive Bifrost Bridge.

His head turning towards the phenomenon, his golden eyes staring intently as he raised his broadsword to defend against any threats to his homeland, Heimdall took only a moment to recognize the familiar appearance of the spatial distortion, having seen it when the princes had returned just a few days ago with the half-mortal warrior.

A budding hope bloomed in Heimdall's chest as he saw 'him' emerge from the dark cloud, his attire ash-coloured and form-fitting, his steel-like gaze glowing with a faint dark-blue tint while his expression revealed no emotion.

'He' wasn't alone though as a red-skinned man followed behind, his figure clad in a long dark robe.

The moment Heimdall's golden gaze truly settled on 'him' though, without having yet taken note of the small flame that burned in between his brows, a searing sensation akin to the fires of a Dwarven Forge attacked his mind and spirit.

“CYA!”, a wrathful cry crashed into his mind and echoed in his ears while blazing orange flames burned his soul and a dominating intent smashed into his mental defenses as if attempting to shatter his mind.

“Arghh!”, blood flowing from his eyes, the gatekeeper fell to his knees as his innate 'sight' backlashed with a single look into 'his' origin. No longer was the half-mortal someone that he could just dare to 'gaze' at without repercussions.

In mere three days, 'he' had turned from a normal wielder of 'Soul of Will' into a true 'Supreme'.

"I suggest that you do not try this again, Gatekeeper. Otherwise, I will take your life.", Noah voiced out lightly, his tone calm but lacking any cordiality.

The man that Heimdall had waited and searched for had finally returned but he no longer was the saviour that he had hoped that he would be. Who had come back instead was a warrior that only lived by his own rules and turned his blade to all others.

The soul fire and the crushing intent had vanished with the other party's words but Heimdall could sense that Noah would truly slay him if he dared to turn his supernatural sight on him again.

It wasn't an empty threat, the young half-mortal would give his life just to kill him if he crossed the line, his former goodwill towards Asgard and the respect for its people and laws having vanished from his mind.

A chill crawling up his spine, Heimdall could only silently lament his King's unwise decision to attack Noah and create such a terrifying enemy for Asgard without seemingly any consideration for the consequences.

Even as loyal as he was, a hint of resentment couldn't help but sprout in his heart at the arrogance of his King.

The stories of old had warned of the wielders of the 'Soul of Will' and the 'Supreme' amongst them that could slay even ancient terrors.

But due to them being existences of extreme rarity, most living being believing them to be mere myths, his King had acted rashly after ruling Asgard for millennia and not having met someone that could contest his might.

Ignoring the agony of his mind and soul, his bleeding eyes closed shut while he felt a great resistance in the healing process, Heimdall rose to his feet with gritted teeth.

Naturally, he did not want to just tolerate such a slight but he knew that his 'sight' could be considered invasive by others.

And while Noah might not have cared about this when he had come here three days ago with Thor, the situation was different now after he was nearly forced to the ground by his king, so Heimdall suppressed his own anger, knowing that Noah's willingness to return at all might a saving grace for Asgard.

It was clear to the gatekeeper that it was they that needed him, not the other way around.

“Since you have returned, can I assume that you still plan to help us revive the Bifrost Bridge, my Lord?”, Heimdall asked in a low voice, his tone a bit raspy as he forced himself to be as polite as he could without letting his anger show.

"Hmm.", 'he' only hummed non-committedly, his grey eyes expressing a sharpness beyond words as his presence flared with destructive heat.