He could also see four children appear out of a time/space discontinuity in Asgard itself and try to sneak through corridors between the jeweler's workshop and the storeroom where Idunn kept her gardening tools.
He held the small human device up and pressed a button. "34 Green. Idun's storeroom."
"What?" asked Fandral the Dashing as he fumbled with his own copy of the device. "Damn it, do you know what time it is. I was just... 34 Green? 34 is 'intruder in Asgard proper' but 'Green' is what?"
"Why do we even have a codebook?" asked Heimdal. "Nobody ever remembers any of it. Green means likely unintentional and not harmful. Four Midgardian children, the border of the discontinuity was coded - foreign deity with mischief portfolio. Which is a Type 62 Taurus in the codebook."
"We have a code for that?" asked Fandral.
"Hogun got addicted to some of those spy novels, we have a code for a lot of things." Heimdal clicked the little communications device off. Things were a lot simpler when all he had to do was blow his horn Gjallrhorn and there were only three signals.
Ah. That one had spotted him despite the distance and walls. Interesting.
"Where ARE we?" whispered Sakura.
"There's someone looking at us. He's... waving?" Hinata was momentarily confused as the large muscular man clearly did not have the Byakugan.
"Someone else with the Byakugan?" asked Sasuke, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"No... he doesn't have a Byakugan but he clearly sees me," said Hinata, making a tentative wave towards one wall herself.
A man who had clearly dressed very hastily, as he was still trying to get a boot on while hopping down the hallway, called out a greeting. "Halt! Odin's Bristly Beard, tis barely past the second hour of the new day. Couldst thou not wander into Asgard after breakfast?"
"Sorry," apologized Hinata, ducking into a quick bow.
"Well," said the man, finally getting the boot in place. "Here we are anyway. Come, young adventurers, let us at least get our introductions underway in the kitchen for I do find myself in desperate need of that Midgardian invention of coffee at this point."
"Tea?" asked Hinata, feeling she could use something herself.
"We've a supply of that as well, fair maid," said the man, frowning down at the buttons he'd apparently gotten wrong on his shirt. "Tis something that Sif and some of the Valkyri do enjoy, and Idunn may have left some of her own brews unlocked as well. And after last night, do I truly need some of the 'brew of the bean' at this point."
"So," said Fandral, having fortified himself and rebuttoning his shirt (leading to some furious blushing from Sakura for no reason she wanted to think about) began. "Introductions I think. Thou art three refugees, tossed here by machinations of a mischievous god. Something a lot of us here in Asgard can muster sympathy for as we have one of our own to complicate overmuch our lives from time to time."
"Actually it was Sakura punching Naruto activating an incomplete fuuinjutsu," mumbled Sasuke.
"Yes, introductions," said Fandral, flashing a dazzling smile. "I am Fandral of the Warriors Three - stalwart companions of the god of thunder Thor."
Fandral had paused at that but so no sign of recognition from the four children, so continued after that moment.
"I am also called Fandral the Dashing. My usual companions are the warriors Hogun the Grim and Volstagg the Valiant. I am fond of just and noble causes, the smiles of fair ladies, and the glory of Asgard itself. Mine goal in life is to live that life in grand adventure and bettering the lives of those around me."
"Uhm, hi," said Naruto when it became obvious that nobody else was going to say anything.
"This be the part where it is thou who introduces thyself to me," said Fandral.
"Oi, Fandral," said one of two more people entering the dining hall. "So these are the wanderers?"
"Indeed, Valiant Volstagg," said the blond swordsman. "I have put a fresh pot on the machine that you purchased on your last adventure."
"Most excellent then," said Volstagg. "For tis so early even the roosters doth protest my passage here."
"Hmph," said the gloomy-looking one, heading for the kitchen.
"Introduce yourself, so that these young ones may see how 'tis done," suggested Fandral.
"Oh. Well enough, if they have not heard of the legendary Volstagg!" agreed Volstagg, settling onto the bench next to Fandral. "For indeed I am the very avatar of valor itself! Volstagg the Valiant! I am fond of good food and drink, and I am not fond of skimpy portions of either! Live life to its fullest and grab what pleasure you can - to find that which you enjoy and embrace it is to live a worthy life!"
"Ah. Well, I'm Naruto Uzumaki! A proud ninja of Konohagakure and member of Team Seven! I like ramen! I dislike that it takes three minutes for instant ramen to cook!"
"Indeed!" thundered Volstagg. "It doth say in the very name of it! Instant should mean instant!"
"Exactly!" declared Naruto, pointing. "If it's not instant they shouldn't call it instant!"
"Well spoken, young man," approved Volstagg.
"Idiots," mumbled Sasuke, summing up his feelings on the matter.
"Truth," said the dark-looking one, re-entering with a tray that had several cups on it.
"Uhm," said Hinata, feeling a nudge from Naruto and blushing at that contact. "Hi-Hinata Hyuga. My hobby is pressing flowers, and I like cinnamon rolls."
"Ah," said Volstagg. "Yes. The fabled roll of cinnamon."
"You've had one?" asked Fandral. Not surprised but a little curious.
"The sweet flavor of the icing, the taste of the cinnamon itself, the warm soft bread practically melting in your mouth," said Volstagg, his eyes actually getting misty as he remembered the confection. "The flavors do combine but the discerning palate can indeed appreciate each nuance."
"I may have to try one myself," said Fandral, thinking that didn't sound bad.
"Seek out Gefjon, for she did manage to get the recipe and seeks to perfect the dish," said Volstagg.
"Sakura Haruno. I like... and my dream for the future is... And I hate Naruto!"
"Be she one of the type known as 'tsundere'?" asked Volstagg in a stage-whisper.
"Nay," offered Fandral. "I think from her looks she doth truly detest him."
"Right here you know," said a momentarily depressed Naruto.
"Sasuke Uchiha. I have nothing I like. I do not have a dream, only a goal. To destroy a certain someone and then rebuild my clan."
"Hogun the Grim," said the dark-haired Mongol-looking man.
"Dreams and likes?" prompted Fandral.
"My coffee is like my life, dark and bitter and concealing many secrets," said Hogun.
Fandral sniffed the air. "Would one of those secrets be a dollop of Idunn's apple brandy?"
"Perhaps," admitted Hogun.
"Can ya get us home?" asked Naruto.
"No," admitted Fandral. "Yet let me ask around. Perhaps someone hath run across appropriate enchantments."
"In the meantime... is there somewhere I can train?" asked Naruto, wanting to be ready when they got back.
"-and the trick to being able to extend vision isn't in the eye at all. It's in the mind being able to process the cues," explained Heimdal, not looking at all at his student.
Hinata nodded.
Heimdal looked past the walls, reflecting that even Volstagg had his moments. As they lived for centuries, boredom was always creeping into their lives. Even after dying in the Twilight Of The Gods and being reborn, there was a certain ennui that had been creeping in. Doing the same thing, over and over again, for centuries before had come with the memories of that past life despite the occasional burst of violent events.
Apparently Volstagg's teaching his children revealed that sharing experiences with new students was somehow revitalizing. It made the old duties new again - through the eyes of the student.
A week training an apt pupil who wasn't afraid of hard work was quite interesting as a change of pace. He'd heard that Sasuke had been training with Hogun the Grim. Volstagg was off trying to have adventures in Midgard. Fandral was off "wenching" again. Naruto was off learning...
Uh oh.
"Child. Run. That way," said Heimdahl, pointing quickly towards the exit.
Then she was falling as the walkway she was on collapsed from the shockwave of someone bursting through the walls and destroying Heimdal's observatory.
Blind Hodr was functionally blind. He could see only blurs of light and shadow when it came to nonliving objects. He could see spirits though. His brother, Baldr, was gifted in many ways that he was not. Yet Hodr too had his strengths.
He had seen the child as an unwavering flame. Contained within him was a red flame ruled by hatred. Hodr had also seen the two spirits with the child.
Training the child had been amusing. The texts were written in stone so ancient that they were crumbling from age. Because they were written in stone, his fingers could trace the texts and he could read them that way. Ancient before Buri, father of Borr, walked. Ancient before Audumbla rose on unsteady feet.
There were things that could be learned there, studied. Hodr had the boy use the Gift of Languages that had been bestowed upon him to copy as many of the texts as he could. This boy's ability to produce duplicates was something to exploit after all.
Time was running short.
"What was that?!" yelped Naruto as the distant sound of masonry being torn asunder reached them.
"Ah, is it that late already?" asked Hodr. "Ah well. Destinies and fates are difficult to escape."
The Siege was underway.
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(Posted Thu, 05 Mar 2015 22:21)
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