From The Ashes - 030

[A/N: Second chapter will be up tomorrow morning, I just have to edit it but I am dead-tired so that will have to wait. Sorry!

Also, the next update will be for 'The Wanderer' most likely, so stay tuned for that!]

Chapter 030 – Restoration

[2012]

Defying the forces of nature, the Rainbow Bridge stretched over the Asgardian sea like an immovable dividing line until it reached the golden dome of the Bifrost Bridge.

On this day though, the rainbow glow was hidden beneath the gleaming armaments of the thousands of Einherjar that stood quietly on the large monument, waiting for the reignition of the bridge so that they could set off and do their duty as protectors of the Nine Realms under the lead of their Prince.

None of them feared the war that was just moments away as dying in battle was their glory. It would pave their path to Valhalla, where they would wait to reunite with their brothers and sisters, to once again feast at the same table while telling tales of old.

Standing at the very front of the godly army, Sif stood side by side with the Warriors Three, her Prince, and the gatekeeper while clad in her tight-fitting armor, her weapons ready to be drawn.

There was also another being present, standing tall while his form was mostly hidden by the long robe that was partly black with patches of ash-colored fabric. The robe was strangely swaying while throwing an unnatural shadow that hid the being's face, but Sif knew what was hidden by the fabric.

It was the red-skinned devil that had appeared together with Noah the day before, his presence distinctly inhuman and somewhat eerie.

Still, at this moment, Sif's gaze rested upon the dark-haired figure that stood inside the golden dome, tight-fitting black garments showing off his tall and well-muscled physique that easily rivaled Thor's.

The figure had no weapon by his side and wore no armor but that didn't matter. His presence akin to resting Shadow Terror, a beast that roamed the jungles of Asgard, a hunter without equal.

It was Noah himself.

He stood there calmly but nothing could make her forget the raging strength that was hidden inside his form, which allowed him to defy even Asgard's King himself.

Standing in the middle of the dome, right next to the sword that was inserted into the 'lock', his subdued presence suddenly changed.

As if an ancient beast had been woken up, the atmosphere trembled as a storm of spiritual pressure tore at the fabric of space, blazing blue energy erupting from Noah's body as he reached out and grabbed the handle of the sword.

Deep thrums and sharp screeches sounded out as a storm of energy filled the giant golden sphere, roaring cosmic strength pouring out from Noah without restraint. Even from more than a hundred meters distance, the atmospheric pressure was so great that Sif had trouble breathing, an invisible weight pressing down on her chest.

She gritted her teeth as she raised her shield to defend herself from the waves of pressure that rushed towards them.

Arcs of brilliant blue light flickered across the bridgehead, its golden exterior vibrating in excitement as the magically engineered construct was slowly set into motion again after having laid still for too long.

Slowly, the outer shell was moving and spinning around the inner construct, the whirring sound climbing higher and higher, causing the atmosphere to tremble and electrify.

Through endless outpour of cosmic strength from Noah, the speed of the dome's movement increased step by step, the revival of the Bifrost seeming only a step away.

Her breath got caught in her throat as she watched this spectacle while enduring the immense atmospheric pressure, her clear blue eyes glowing in awe as she watched the strange dark-haired warrior reignite the very core of the spatial bridge, his sheer might overwhelming to behold.

At this point the outer shell was spinning rapidly, the golden thorn having settled in one direction as it pointed forward. The speed was so great that it was almost impossible to see what was happening inside.

Thankfully, she was one of the strongest Asgardians alive, her eyesight many times that of a human, so she could catch glimpses of Noah's figure.

Flames made out of raging blue energy had wrapped themselves around his body, swaying along with the flickering orange flame on his forehead as he stood in the very center of the blue energy storm.

Sif had expected his expression to be one of concentration and focus but that wasn't the case. Instead, he stood there with a peaceful expression, a hint of relief traceable in his facial features as if the raging cosmic energy around him brought with it a sense of comfort.

She couldn't understand it, couldn't understand him.

Noah seemed to be enshrouded by a veil of mysteries and secrets.

His return this time had been accompanied by a soul-stirring change and most of them had half-expected him to attack the King or at least extort them in exchange for his help. But as if to prove them all wrong, none of that had happened.

Sif had asked Thor what he knew about Noah's past but the only thing of importance that he could tell her about the silent warrior was that his lover had been killed under unknown circumstances.

This made her understand the reason for the incurable sorrow and the sense of desolation that Noah's eyes had carried during their first meeting.

It also caused her own heart to ache painfully as she was seemingly powerless to resist the empathy that arose in her heart. Or at least to her, this seemed to be the reason for her heartache.

Such thoughts occupied her mind as she tried her hardest to find Noah's figure amidst the storm of energy inside the golden dome.

As such, Sif was taken by surprise when a loud humming noise pounded into her ears, the accompanying shockwave pushing her back a few steps, as the Bifrost Bridge was revived.

…

Feeling the extra-dimensional energy of the Bifrost pouring into the core of the bridge after Noah had used his energy to reconnect the two, therefore successfully reigniting the core of the bridge, Heimdall felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

No longer was he a gatekeeper without a gate to keep an eye on.

Noah had kept his promise and had given Asgard back its most important tool for protecting the peace of the Nine Realms.

…

Relief washing over him, Thor couldn't help but laugh loudly as he saw Noah emerge from the slowly vanishing blue storm, stepping out of the golden dome with soundless steps, eyes aglow with immeasurable power.

Fearlessly approaching the man, Thor patted his shoulder as he voiced out loudly: “You really did it, Noah! I will not forget this debt!”

The Asgardian Prince didn't hold back his strength at all, his palm coming down on the dark-haired warrior's shoulder with the force of a wrecking ball, but Noah didn't even budge, his inhuman physique having been tempered by cosmic energy.

Thor was a warrior first and a prince second, so he admired the strong and respected the honorable.

Noah undoubtedly fitted the first category and he had also proven to be part of the second one after his return, having decided to honor his promise to help Asgard reignite the Bifrost even after his father's actions.

He had stated some additional conditions but could not even count on the repayment of this great debt that Asgard owed for his help.

Thor, on the other hand, was more concerned about fixing the damaged trust between them since he had naturally sensed that Noah's goodwill towards him and Asgard as a whole had been exhausted.

He was not someone that repaid good with evil, his own personal code not allowing such dishonorable actions. As such, Thor, who had already begun to see Noah as a friend and battle companion, could not the budding friendship wither because of his father's mistake.

He fully intended to redeem himself in Noah's eyes and make any effort to repay the debt that Asgard owed him.

“I merely kept my promise.”, Noah replied calmly, eyes like steel, which only served to strengthen Thor's resolve to mend their relationship.

“As will we.”, he declared deeply, before turning to his friend and gatekeeper of Asgard and instructing, “Heimdall, open the Bifrost to Nidavellir!”

No matter how urgent the situation on Vanaheim, Thor had long since decided to show Noah that their promises were not empty ones.

“Sif will accompany you to meet Eitri, the Dwarven King, and explain to him your request for a weapon.”, Thor stated firmly, “I wish that I could take you myself, so that we could have a race atop the famed rings of the Forge, but the situation does not permit this as I have to lead the troops.”

Complex emotions seemed to flicker in Noah's grey eyes for a moment, his gaze moving over Asgard's most beautiful warrioress before he sighed lightly, his indifferent exterior cracking for a moment as he nodded and responded quietly: “You have my thanks, Prince.”