#thorgow

"Wait... Is that Gjallarhorn? You really are Heimdall?" Atreus questioned while he jogged to keep up with Heimdall & Revna.

"Do not ask Lord Heimdall stupid questions, Loki; you have heard me address him as such numerous times." Revna snapped a response for Heimdall.

"Well executed response, Revna." Heimdall praised before he raised his voice ever so slightly to speak to Atreus in the back, "Now feel free to drink in the splendour of Asgard. This is a rare sight for outsiders."

"Especially Giants." Revna added as she and Heimdall ventured left towards the lift while Atreus picked something up that was sitting near the cliff's edge, Revna caught sight of him doing so. "Yes, why not steal anything that's not nailed down. That is sure to impress your hosts." She spat while walking up the wooden stairs to join Heimdall.

Atreus exhaled slightly before he ran to join Revna & Heimdall on the massive wooden platform.

"Oh. Done drinking it in already? Cornerstone of Civilization in the Nine Realms not really your cup of tea?" Heimdall questioned while he and Revna took their places in the lift, waiting for the Jötunn to join them.

"Oh! Um... no. It's amazing!" Atreus said as he entered the lift.

"Ugh. Just ask your questions." Heimdall said while facing the level. Revna leaned against one of the massive beams with her arms folded; in reality, she had a hand on the handle of a dagger hidden in the chestplate she was wearing.

"How did you know I had questions?" Atreus asked Heimdall, but Revna spoke up.

"What did I say about wasting Lord Heimdall's Time with stupid questions, Loki?" Revna snared behind him, causing him to turn to look at her.

"Why are you so angry and defensive? I didn't do anything." Atreus questioned her.

"You've done more than you would like to admit, Jötunn. Or rather, you've done more than what you believe to be right when you are nothing but ignorant & arrogant." Revna hissed at him, her gaze piercing like a knife.

"Revna, please keep your temper in check." Heimdall spoke to her.

"Yes, Lord Heimdall." Revna nodded before she grew silent.

"Revna is very protective of the Aesir, and she doesn't take kindly to potential threats." Heimdall said as he grabbed the lever.

"So, she's your bodyguard?" Atreus asked.

"She's my attendant. Next question." Heimdall said as he pulled the lever to set the lift in motion.

"What is your job?" Atreus asked as the lift began to move.

"I protect the realm I love. From trouble." Heimdall answered as he walked to the other side of the lift, a few feet from Revna, leaving Atreus on the left side of the lift alone as it began its slow descent.

"And you think I'm trouble? You just met me." Atreus pointed out.

"And I can already see that you are eager to prove yourself -WAY too eager- probably due to an overshadowing father figure you can never live up to. Or the guilt of losing someone whom you drove away." Heimdall exasperated with a tossed out hand in Atreus' Direction.

"Good guess..." Atreus said in an agreeable tone of voice.

"I would also guess that you are... disrespectful... entitled and... impulsive..." Heimdall concluded before Atreus spoke in his defense.

"You don't know me at all." He began, "I help people."

"Oh, you are here to help people?" Revna scoffed before shaking her head, "How laughable."

"It's not laughable. It's the truth." Atreus barked back.

"Hmmm. No, no. Revna is right: You are here to help yourself. To manipulate and lie to whoever you have to to get what you want. I know you're young - your voice probably dropped while you were climbing the wall - but what a twisted little soul you have." Heimdall laughed before he turned to Revna, "It's truly humorous, don't you think, Revna?"

"More insulting if you asked me, Lord Heimdall; he's nothing but a jackal in a wolf mask." Revna continued to look off into the distance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Atreus questioned Revna, but just as before, Heimdall answered once again.

"No. Revna is correct once again: You are chaos in a spiffy archer suit. I watch your mouth move, and I see cities burning. Nothing good is going to come from you being in Asgard." Heimdall finished.

The rest of the ride down was silent. Once they reached the bottom, Heimdall turned on his heel to walk down the stairs with Revna close behind, Atreus following her.

"That said. If you are here to aid the All-Father, and have no treacherous intent, I guess that makes us allies." Heimdall said.

"I won't hold my breath on that notion, Lord Heimdall." Revna said.

"As you shouldn't, Revna." Heimdall responded before nearing a large beast with a saddle on its back, a golden mask, and large horns. "Gulltopper... Who loves me the most? Whooooo loves me the most?" Heimdall cooed at the creature before mounting it effortlessly.

"Good to see you're doing well, Gulltopper." Revna said as she gave the beast a scratch under his chin, earning a chuff-like sound from the beast.

"Wow. That's almost as impressive as Baldur taming a dragon." Atreus said as Heimdall grabbed the reins.

"Baldur had the luxury of not caring how badly he got burned. I out-think them... dominate them fair and square." He looked at Revna, "Hop on."

"If it's okay, Lord Heimdall, I would prefer to walk. I doubt the Jötunn probably won't be able to keep up after scaling the wall." Revna said.

"Very well. You are more accustomed more Asgard. Hop on, Loki." Heimdall commanded. Atreus said nothing and hopped on Gulltopper's Saddle behind Heimdall, who used the reins to motion the beast towards the gates, which opened for him. Heimdall led Gulltopper down the path while Revna walked beside the creature, keeping up with its case with ease.

"Whoa... Are these all Aesir Gods?" Atreus questioned.

"What? You think all Aesir are gods?" Revna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"But Skjöldr told me that only..." Atrerus attempted to explain, only to be just off by Heimdall.

"Oh! Well, if Skjöldr told you. Clearly whoever that is must be the authority of Aesir Gods, not the Aesir God you are currently talking to. You literally know nothing of our culture, do you?" Heimdall asked.

"I know lots of things! I know a Giant built that wall!" Atreus declared.

"A Giant? Built the wall that keeps out the Giants?" Revna questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Hrimthur, son of Thamur. I know the whole story." Atreus said.

"Really? I truly cannot wait for you to regale me with the revisionist tales of Asgard's architectural history." Heimdall said with 'interest'.

"I think I'll just skip that lesson." Revna spoke.

"If you wish, Revna." Heimdall said. There was a brief moment of silence before they passed through the gate to the Great Lodge.

"Is that Odin's Palace?" Atreus asked in awe.

"'Palace'? Do you think the All-Father needs to puff himself up like some mortal chieftain?" Heimdall asked with a weak chuckle.

"I guess not..." Atreus spoke in a hushed tone, regretting his previous question.

"That is the Great Lodge, which the All-Father built with his own hands. I'm sorry if that's a letdown for you." Heimdall said before he pulled on Gulltopper's Reins to bring them to a stop, Revna stopped as well as she watched Heimdall look over his shoulder at Atreus.

"Real power, you see, does not need to flaunt." Heimdall began as he jumped from Gulltopper's Back, landing beside Revna while keeping his gaze on Atreus. "It emerges when the time is right. Don't you agree?" He asked, but no answer was given.

A few seconds had gone by before Heimdall gave Gulltopper's Calf a firm smack and a "HA!" command, sending the beast to buck and spend around like a raging bull.

"Hey! WHOOOOAAA!" Atreus cried out as he landed on the ground in front of the Great Lodge, picking himself up as he looked ahead: Heimdall was back on Gulltopper's Back, the massive creature was blocking the path they had just arrived from, Revna stood in front of Heimdall and Gulltopper with her arms folded and a smirk on her face as some warriors came over the mounts from the training grounds they were in.

"Hey! Helmets! We brought you a practice dummy!" Heimdall called out as the warriors unsheathed their weapons, causing Atreus to ready his bow.

"I thought we were going to Odin!" Atreus called out as he moved to avoid a strike from a mace.

"You see, the thing is-you DO have treacherous intent. So we are not letting you anywhere near the All-Father." Heimdall said.

Atreus moved to keep his distance and struck with his bow and arrows, managing to take down one of the Helmets.

"Oh. Very nice. With moves like that, it is a wonder that the Jötnar lost every war they ever fought in." Heimdall chuckled out.

Atreus kept fighting until the last of the Helmets fell and eroded into nothing.

"Well, that was boring. Guess who's next." Heimdall called with a snap of his fingers, causing Revna to unfold her arms and pull her sword from her sheath as she walked towards Atreus.

"You sure you wanna keep All-Father waiting?" Atreus called out to Heimdall while keeping his eyes on Revna.

"Funny thing. I AM sure about that. Yes, I'm feeling very sure, as a matter of fact..." Heimdall spoke from his mount's back, "This is what you've been waiting for, Revna. Have fun with him, but do try to make it last; it's been a while since I had a good show."

"Consider it done, Lord Heimdall." Revna smirked as she dashed for Atreus with her sword, swinging it near his head, barely giving him a chance to avoid it before he shot arrows at her, only for her to knock them from the air with her sword. When arrows didn't work, Atreus tried attacking her with his bow, only for her to dodge effortlessly, or parrying the attacks with her sword.

"You're not gonna stop me from seeing Odin!" Atreus tried attacking Revna with his arrow, only for her to knock it away.

"Oh, you'll be seeing him from your grave." Heimdall spoke.

"What? That doesn't make any sense!" Atreus barked out as he tried to strike Revna with his fist, only for her to catch it and knee him in the stomach. She followed it up by releasing his fist and spartan kicking him in the chest, sending him to the ground before she walked up to him, pointing the tip of her sword at his eye, silently telling him to stay down.

"This is all you've got? Disappointing, Jötunn." She hissed as Heimdall joined her side, crouching down to Atreus' Level.

"Wow. I do have to say, Loki-I am profoundly unimpressed." He looked at the glare in Atreus' eyes as if he was going to attack again, "You should probably just stay down."

It was at that moment that the thunderclap could be heard, causing Heimdall and Revna to look upward before Heimdall rose to his feet and turned away from Atreus with a groan.

"Great..." Heimdall sighed.

Atreus attempted to use this moment of distraction to fire an arrow at Heimdall, only for it to be caught by him. The Watchman of Asgard turned to Atreus and took one step, only for the Thunderer of Asgard to get in his path.

"Knock it off! Like it or not, he's All-Father's Guest." Thor said as he looked in Atreus' Direction, his eyes fell on Revna. "Sheathe your sword, All-Father won't like it pointed at him."

"Yes, Sir." Revna sheathed her blade with no argument. Thor turned his gaze back to Heimdall, who took 2 sniffs of him.

"I thought I smelled something." Heimdall stated before he moved to walk around Thor, only to be stopped once again.

"Take one more step, and you're not gonna like how this ends." Thor warned Heimdall.

"Really?" Heimdall questioned, "And how do you intend to stop me?"

"Look into my eyes." Thor challenged as he took 2 steps towards Heimdall, making the watchman back up slightly. "You tell me." His voice was almost a growl before he looked at the arrow in Heimdall's Hand, then back at him; a message understood and received as Heimdall threw the arrow at Atreus' Feet before pointing at Thor with the same hand.

"You are a sick man." Heimdall hissed before he moved away. There was silence before the collective caws of ravens and the flutter of wings signaled the All-Father's Arrival.

"Loki! You've made it. I am so honored." Odin began as he neared Atreus. "I... I see you've met Heimdall. He reads minds for me."

"The boy is false, All-Father." Heimdall spoke as he approached Odin from behind with Revna at his side.

"This young man, WHO IS MY GUEST, is covered in mud." Odin began as he turned to face Heimdall & Revna, "Would either of you like to explain?"

"It was my doing, All-Father." Revna bowed to him.

"He means to betray you!" Heimdall added, giving Odin his courtesy.

Odin gasped as he turned once again to face Atreus, "Is that true, Loki? You a little trickster?"

"Uh..." Atreus started only to gain a dismissive hand wave from Odin.

"I'm just messing with ya. Of course, he means to betray, Hei..." Odin turned to face Heimdall, but only saw Revna, who pointed out that Heimdall was on the opposite side of Odin, who turned in that direction and finished his statement, "Heimdall. Why else would he come? I've given him no reason to trust me... not yet." Odin said as he turned to Atreus once again. "But he's got so many big questions. And I have so many answers to give."

Odin would then turn to face Thor, who was standing, dismissed him, who simply replied with 'Gladly' and took his leave; Revna watching him with concern in her eyes.

"And you two-cleans yourselves up." Odin addressed Heimdall & Revna.

"But... All-Father..." Heimdall attempted.

"Sja hvat... Heimall, would you just relax?" He turned to Atreus, "Were you planning on killing me first thing?" When he gave his answer, Odin turned to Heimdall. "See? What? That's not good enough for you? Get outta here." Odin dismissed them.

Heimdall gave Odin a salute and a bow before he motioned for Revna to follow him, which she did in silence after bowing to Odin.

"You're dismissed for now, Revna. Go unwind and be ready for when I or the All-Father calls for you." Heimdall said to her.

"If that is what you wish, Lord Heimdall." Revna bowed.

"And another thing." Heimdall turned to her, "You're nothing like him, understand? At least I know you're genuine about what's best for Asgard."

"This place is my home." Revna said.

"Our Home. And we'll protect it. Now, go on." Heimdall gave her a dismissive wave. She bowed and turned to head home, where Sif was waiting for her.

'I hope Mother & Father will handle the All-Father's Choice... Magni... Modi... Baldur... I miss you, Brothers.'