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[COLOR=GOLDENROD][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]N O R T H U M B R I A:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][sup][COLOR=LIGHTSLATEGRAY][B]T Y R ‘ S   D A Y,   S E C O N D   W E E K   O F   T V Í M Á N A Ð U R,  8 7 2   |   F I E L D S   O F   B A T T L E[/B][/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT]
[INDENT][INDENT]Smoke rose on the horizon as the smell of the signal fires wafted through the air, washing over the two armies as blade clashed against blade. The Saxons had called for help, but no one was left to aid them as they struggled to keep the advancing Norse army at bay.

Maintaining a wedge-shaped formation, the Norsemen rushed their enemy, a hail of spears clearing the way for the charging berserkers. The fiercest of these was Úrndallr the Maul, who led the charge towards the Saxons. Built like a bear, his strict face made more than one enemy think twice before attacking him as he came towards them. A savage smile was plastered across his scarred face as he carved his way across the bloodied battlefield. With an axe in one hand and his sword in the other, Maul cut down each Saxons he fell upon, relishing in their deaths with a fierce roar as their blood stained his blades. 

Respected among the clans and undefeated on the battlefield, Úrndallr was far more experienced in the art of war than his clansman. He could have even been mistaken for Tyr himself with the way Maul carried himself on the battlefield. The truest example of a raging berserker, once he gave himself to the battle, there was nothing that could slow the Maul. Every warrior who had fought alongside the beast of a man could testify that they had seen Úrndallr walk off wounds that would have ended the life of any other mortal man. Yet, the Maul rose again to continue fighting, completely unphased.

As the battle continued to wage below, the sky above began to change. The clouds overhead darkened as thunder echoed through the grassy rolling hills of Anglia. Looking towards the changing sky,  Maul released a triumphant yell as the Norseman behind him began to chant in synchronous union, their chanting increasing in volume as the thunder grew closer. Rain began to pour down in sheets, turning the battlefield to a muddy mess as lightning rapidly struck the ground. Each subsequent strike targeting an enemy Saxon, the pain-laden screams of the thunderbolts’ victims drowned beneath the steady noise of the heavy downpour. 

Word had reached Maul’s ears that the Saxons had taken to calling the Norsemen’s united forces the Great Heathen Army. Humor and disgust swelled in his chest as Úrndallr could only scoff at the ignorant name. For the Saxons to refer to the Norsemen as heathens meant that they failed the first tenant of the art of war; they did not understand neither their enemy nor more importantly, their gods. 

When Úrndallr had come across the Norsemen, they were godless men, lacking in, faith, idols or purpose. But in his travels, Maul had befriended Thor, introducing the Northern clans to deific figure and kin. Unifying the clans with the words of Odin and mission of Tyr, Maul marched his united army against the Saxons to take what he had decreed to be theirs. 

Unlike the Northern Army, the Saxons’ did not have gods who fought alongside them. Their pitiful gods were intangible and any religion they possessed was built purely on faith with no reward. But the great clans of the North had seen Thor fight amongst them,  Úrndallr knew they would rally behind the mighty God of Thunder. The clans above all else respected strength and he had given them the mightiest of warriors to fight alongside them. Even now the armies of the North looked to Thor to lead the final charge despite the tide of battle being heavily tilted in their favour. Maul could not help but allow himself some sense of arrogance as smiled shouting reinforcements of their faith as he yelled above the din of battle.

[COLOR=MediumPurple]“The Thunderer comes! Rejoice! Rejoice for this day is surely ours!”[/COLOR] 

Extending his arms to the sky, Maul let loose a primal roar turning his eyes upwards as bright bursts of lights began to dance across the sky. The brilliant hues of red, blue and green all gathered into a funnel of light as it plummeted towards the ground. From within the blinding bridge, came an axe as it was hurled through the air, cleaving through Saxon after Saxon. The bloodshed filled Úrndallr with childlike exuberance as the light dissipated to reveal a tall, well-built man with long, loosely braided auburn hair that swayed wildly in the wind resembling a raging fire. Standing atop the exposed soil freshly branded with a embossed rune, the God of Thunder raised an outstretched hand as the axe returned to him, electricity crackling along the entirety of his body. 

[COLOR=SILVER]“Thor!” 

“Thor!”

“Thor!”[/COLOR]

Cheers erupted from the Northern army as Thor began to run forward, lightning exploding from his body as the wind carried him skywards above the heads of their enemies. Lightning gathered to the head of the axe as Thor raised it above his head before hurling it towards the ground, the earth quaking from the impact. 

[COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“Til Valhalla!”[/B][/COLOR]

Landing beside the axe, Thor wrapped a hand around the leather wrapped hilt as he swung the double-headed axe around sending the nearest Saxons into the sky. With each subsequent arc of his axe, he drove the Saxon army back, thinning their numbers while gaining ground for his worshippers. Seeing their advantage, the Norsemen doubled their charge, overtaking the fleeing Saxons, ensuring not a single one escaped.

Shouldering his axe as the last of the Saxons were cut down, Thor walked towards Úrndallr greeting the mortal man with an extended hand as he grasped the other man’s wrist while Úrndallr did the same to Thor. Nodding his salutation, Thor exhaled upwards to blow a few wet strands of hair out of his face before addressing the other man.

[COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“Another victory for your clans, another step closer to reclaiming your homeland.”[/B][/COLOR] He stated as Maul smiled in response.

[COLOR=MediumPurple]“Your help in this campaign has been an immeasurable asset.”[/COLOR] Úrndallr replied. [color=MediumPurple]“We now sit on the cusp of our victory.”[/COLOR] 

Turning towards the horizon with Thor, Maul guided the Asgardians gaze towards the castle town in the distance as it sat overlooking the coast. His armies had no way to assault the fortified city from the sea and instead had been forced to fight on the Saxons’ terms. This had been their downfall as they sent their army out to meet them, only to fall to the Norse blades. Using the vast swampland that covered the low coastline, the clans had hidden their numbers, leading the initial charge into an ambush.

[COLOR=MediumPurple]“They have sent every standing army they possess against us, and all have fallen to your might, my Lord.”[/COLOR] Maul stated. [COLOR=MediumPurple]“All that remains between us and our home are men who have never held a sword who were left to guard those walls.”[/COLOR] 

Surveying the battlefield as the dead were gathered into a pile, Maul apologetically took his leave from Thor before approaching the clansmen who were steadily piling the bodies of the Saxons together. Looting their remains for anything of worth before tossing them on top of one another, the base of the pile lined with their numerous broken shields. Addressing the men before him, Maul began to speak raising one hand towards the sky as he slowly stretched the other towards the growing pyre. 

[COLOR=MediumPurple]"Thus Odin established by law that all dead men should be burned, and the ashes be cast into the sea or buried in the earth.”[/COLOR] Maul preached, spreading his arms wide as he gestured towards the pyre. Men on either side of the pile of bodies began to light torches, approaching the pyre while hanging on to Maul’s every word as he continued to impart the words of Odin onto the clansmen. 

[COLOR=MediumPurple]“For all warriors who had been distinguished for manhood a standing stone; but for all those who stand against Odin’s chosen, their ashes shall be scattered by the wind and forgotten. Leave no trace of them, for they sought to rob you of your honor!"[/COLOR] 

The flames ignited the bodies as Thor stood by watching as the warriors began to drink and dance around the burning pyre while they sang praises to him, Odin and Tyr. As he watched, a smugness came over Thor, warming him and taking his mind away from the words that Maul had spoken. Taking a seat, Thor raised his eyes to see Maul approaching him with a drink in hand, as he extended it towards the God of Thunder while another was pressed to his own lips.

[COLOR=MediumPurple]“Drink my friend, tonight we celebrate you and our victory!”[/COLOR]Maul smacked his lips, taking another long drink before turning to Thor again. [COLOR=MediumPurple]“Tomorrow at nightfall we advance on their last holding. Would you be able to provide a thick cover of fog so that our armies may descend unseen upon them?”[/COLOR]

[COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“It would be my honor.”[/B][/COLOR]

With a clink of their tankards, the two men polished off their drinks as another flask was produced by a nearby soldier. Refilling their glasses, the two men joined in the celebrating as the fire burned brightly fighting off the falling night. Watching Thor revel with the men from nearby dying tree, a lone raven lowered its head shamefully before calling out three times into the coming twilight, its wings suddenly flapping as it left its perch behind, taking off into the darkness.[/INDENT][/INDENT]
[COLOR=GOLDENROD][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]W A S H I N G T O N,   D . C .:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][sup][COLOR=LIGHTSLATEGRAY][B]T U E S D A Y,   J U L Y   3 1[SUP]S T[/SUP],   2 0 1 8 - 0 8 : 4 3 a m   |   T H E   T R I S K E L I O N[/B][/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT]
[INDENT][INDENT]Flying over the Potomac River on an approach vector to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion, the [I]Theseus[/i] began to implement docking procedures as Thor looked up from his breakfast. The sudden decrease in speed and change in direction had alerted the Asgardian to their proximity to their destination as he finished the steak before him with a large final bite before departing the galley to find Agent Perry flanked by his escorting agents.

Passing the various agents who were rushing to their stations, Thor made his way through the halls of the [i]Theseus[/i] as his pair of escorts kept him on course towards the bridge. The narrow corridors were lit with amber lights as the helicarrier’s elevation began to descend prompting Thor to pause as he looked out the nearby viewport as the Potomac seemingly engulfed the vessel before Thor realized they had entered a subterranean hangar.

Hydraulics hissed and metal groaned as docking arms were extended towards the hull of the [i]Theseus[/i]. The vessel shuddered at it came to rest before Thor continued his venture to the bridge. 

[COLOR=MEDIUMSLATEBLUE]“Welcome to Washington, Son of Odin.”[/COLOR] Supervisory Special Agent Perry said with a dry smile as Thor entered the bridge. [COLOR=MEDIUMSLATEBLUE]“You’re both relieved, report to Koenig for reassignment.”[/COLOR] Perry added as she dismissed Thor’s escorts, motioning for the Prince of Asgard to follow her.

[COLOR=MEDIUMSLATEBLUE]“I have to admit, the Deputy Director would probably knock me down a few pips for bringing you in here, but the fact you agreed to speak to us I think merits an olive branch. S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to make contact with a pair of heroes who assisted during the Central City Incident, they basically flipped us the bird.”[/COLOR] Perry told Thor as the pair left the [i]Theseus[/i]’s upper deck and entered the Triskelion’s hangar. 

The interior of the Triskelion was far larger than Thor had anticipated. Several layers of catwalks lined the hangar leading to numerous models of aircraft, from personal fighters to other helicarriers. The hangar was a bubble of activity with various agents move here and there as they carried out their regimented duties. 

Entering an elevator, Perry selected the archives as the elevator began to ascend to the appropriate level. An awkward silence hung in the air as the four chord elevator music played on a loop. The elevator came to a halt as the doors opened to a warehouse filled with rows of sealed boxes organized across various shelves and racks. Entering the room, Perry nodded towards the attending agent as she approached the box that had been prepared for their arrival. Opening the lid, Thor looked inside as he reached towards J­árnbjörn, his hand wrapping around the familiar hilt as he lifted it out of the box, giving the large axe a swing.

[COLOR=MEDIUMSLATEBLUE]“How does it feel?”[/COLOR] Perry asked as she watched Thor.

[COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“Wrong.”[/B][/COLOR][/INDENT][/INDENT]