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The Rescue Mission

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He dove behind a blackened glacier, pressing his small body against the freezing block of ice in a desperate attempt to disappear from view. The ploy worked, and the passing Jotun guards didn't notice the young Asgardian, who shrunk back into the shadows as the statuesque forms of the Frost Giants passed him by. The boy didn't even realize he had been holding his breath the whole time, and eagerly took in a lungful of air after the passing of the guards. Heimdall the Gatekeeper had warned him that the Jotuns were on alert in that area. But the task seemed too important to take the young boy on a safer detour; the quicker he got to the old temple, the better. After peering from behind the ice to make certain the coast was clear, the boy scurried out and continued on his path.

"Go west." The Gatekeeper had told him. "You will come to a temple. Go inside. There, you will be able to explore safely."

"But why, good Heimdall?" The boy had inquired.

"Do not question me, child. I do not question your reason for wanting to explore the realm of the Frost Giants." The Gatekeeper made a valid point. "I will allow you access to the Bifrost in exchange for your cooperation. Go where I tell you to go, and I will send you to Jotunheim." Heimdall kneeled down to be eye-level with the young lad, who looked to be no more than 8 years old. "Neither you nor I will tell the allfather of this. Are we in agreement, young Th0r?"

And the young Asgardian agreed to these terms. He didn't question why Heimdall specifically sent him in this particular direction, and the all-seeing Gatekeeper didn't question his motives, seemingly unconcerned. Th0r admitted to himself that his reason for coming to Jotunheim were not the most nobel--he only wished to prove his own bravery in venturing to the terrifying realm that his father had overtaken just the year before; the same time Heimdall was given Asgardian citizenship and tasked as Gatekeeper of the Bifrost as well as the same time Th0r's new brother, L0ki was born. Such a big year for Asgard, and young Th0r felt lost in all the excitement. Today would be his own secret day of excitement; to venture to the place that haunted every young Asgardian's nightmares.

But just seeing those two Frost Giants, their lanky forms looming over him, was enough for the eager young warrior. Now, only his curiosity pushed him forward; the mystery of the sacred temple where Heimdall directed him. In fact, it was his curiosity alone that prevented Th0r from returning to the Bifrost-site just yet. He pressed forward and in a short time he found himself staring up at the ice-coated stone doors of the ancient temple. A rank odor leaked from the spaces beneath the doors; so foul was the stench that Th0r was forced to cover his mouth with his shirt. The unattractive smell caused the boy to think twice about continuing. But the memory of Heimdall's explicit directions to this particular place played in his head; the Gatekeeper would be quite disappointed if Th0r didn't follow through on his end of the bargain. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he covered his mouth again and pulled the doors open.

He was immediately hit with the blast of hideous scent; the scent of hundreds of corpses. Th0r was taken back by the horrific sight of an uncountable amount of big dead beasts that occupied the crypt. The creatures were unfamiliar to Th0r, and their grotesque appearance made the young boy's stomach churn. Again, he considered going back. He went to the temple, that should be good enough. His mind made up, he turned away. But before he could even set his foot down, a small cry caught his ear. He turned and stared into the tomb's abyss. Beyond the bodies was another door, a much smaller one. The cry rang out again. This time, Th0r could tell it was coming from that back room. He cringed. The only way to get to the room was to enter the crypt and cross the carcass-ridden floorspace. Was it worth it? Once more, the boy considered turning away and going home. But a third whine---sounding much like the whimper of a dog--caused Th0r to abandon his fears and wariness, and he stepped into the dark, death-filled room. He made it a point to cross as quickly as possible, keeping his gaze locked on the door ahead and averted from the twisted, graphic forms of the frightful-looking dead creatures.

He reached the door in due time and quickly placed himself on the other side of it. Once on the other side, he leaned against the door and let out a massive sigh. His little heart was beating like a violent drum; his small body shivering with fright. After allowing himself a moment to regain his composure, he slowed his breathing and was soon quiet as the dead beasts in the other room. Then, he listened. At first, only silence surrounded him. But then, the light tapping sound of nails against stone caught his ears. Th0r sank to his knees quietly, his eyes straining through the dark. Another whimper. His heart skipped a beat.

"Hello?" He whispered gently. "Someone there?"

Th0r gasped at the sight of it. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. There, from behind a stack of sparse dry grass, a small creature appeared. It's long shaggy coat was made up of several different shades of gray. It walked on 4 chubby, furry legs; each ended with a small silver 3-toed paw. A darkened mane of soft fur grew along the creatures back and ended in a tailess tuft. But it was the creatures face that captivated the smitten Asgardian. The face was round and friendly with large expressive golden eyes that lacked a pupil. The tufts of fur along the sides of the face camouflaged the tiny fringed ears. His look of shock instantly melted into one of soft compassion. This poor innocent beast, an obvious infant of the dead creatures beyond the door, had been left alone in this room to starve and die. Th0r felt a great deal of sympathy for the pup. He couldn't leave it behind.

"Come here..." He called softly. "Come on, then..."

The baby creature whined again and took a step back.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. Come on..." He held his hand out.

The pup hesitated before taking a step towards Th0r's hand. It paused again before taking another step.

"That's it." Th0r cooed. "Come on...come on..."

The pup finally inched close enough to reach out and press its velvety nose against Th0r's palm. The boy smiled in accomplishment. His excitement escalated when he felt a warm tongue brush against his fingertips. Finally, the pup placed her tiny furry paw into Th0r's awaiting hand.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

The pup cocked its head curiously. Th0r laughed gently at the little beasts' adorable actions. He had made his decision.

"You're coming home with me."

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Part 1 of Chapter 1: How Th0r first encounters and ultimately rescues Kai'yote. To me, this is a pivitol moment as it ushers the beginning of a very strange friendship between the Asgardian and the Lykonian. Th0r, though he may very well be about 150 years old in this, still maintains the overall appearance of a young child no older than 8 years. As a pup, Kai'yote doesn't match her adult colors: all Lykonian pups are born various shades of dark grey and eventually phase out into their adult colors after several years. Despite her alien-like appearance, the pup is charming and pleasing to the eye; who wouldn't want to rescue her?

Rendered from the following screencaps:
Background: i2.wp.com/screencaps.us/199/1-...

Kai'yote: i2.wp.com/screencaps.us/195/5-...

Th0r: i1.wp.com/screencaps.us/199/0-...



Th0r/Heimdall (C) Marvel
Kai'yote (C) MW Roach


Read Parts 2 and 3 here:
Part 2: mwroach.deviantart.com/art/The...
Part 3: mwroach.deviantart.com/art/She...
Image size
1200x869px 2.21 MB
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