Chapter Seventy: My Lord, the Times Have Changed

Asgard, Thor’s Bedchamber

Arthur lay on his back with his hands beneath his head, gazing at the starry sky outside the window. The night sky in Asgard was truly beautiful! But alas, there was no moon to be seen from Asgard.

“The more I look at Asgard, the more wondrous I find it. All life in the universe exists on planets, but you Asgardians are the exception—your realm is made up of mountains floating in the cosmos!” Arthur remarked to Thor, who was lying in the bed beside him (don’t get the wrong idea), mirroring Arthur’s posture, hands behind his head.

“I don’t know why that is either. Maybe it’s because Asgard is blessed with divine power—it exists at the center of the Nine Realms. And soon, there will be an astronomical event: the Nine Realms will align in a single line. Who knows what might happen then,” Thor replied.

“When the Nine Realms connect, I believe something unexpected will occur. So let me give you a suggestion: Asgard’s army needs to change,” Arthur said.

“What do you mean?” Thor asked.

“Haven’t you noticed how peaceful Asgard has been these years? The only uprisings were the one you put down in Vanaheim, and when Loki brought the Frost Giants. That’s it.”

“So what?” Thor didn’t catch Arthur’s point.

“What kind of combat do Asgard’s soldiers use? Spears, swords, bows and arrows! My friend, what age are we in? Asgard still clings to the era of cold weapons, even if yours are sharper than most,” Arthur complained.

“We have warships too, and anti-aircraft guns, and Asgard has energy shields!” Thor protested.

“How many warships do you have? Think about the Battle of New York—what kind of weapons did the Chitauri use? Where do the Chitauri rank in the universe? Asgard always thinks itself invincible, yet you’re still fighting with the most primitive methods! My friend, times have changed!” Arthur urged earnestly.

Asgard truly had fallen behind. They’d been beaten so thoroughly in the battle against the Blood Elves; it was hard to believe this was the fighting force of the Aesir.

Arthur hoped he could persuade Thor to prepare, so they wouldn’t be left defenseless when the time came.

“Even Earthlings know to keep developing and researching new weapons. Why does Asgard, such a powerful race, remain stagnant?” Arthur pressed.

Thor had no answer.

“It’s because Asgardians believe themselves invincible, they have too much faith in the might of King Odin, and in you, Thor, to defeat any foe! But King Odin is old now! And you—can you face an army alone?” Arthur asked.

“I can! I could destroy an army single-handedly!” Thor said with pride.

“Oh, come on! And who have you fought? Armies like Vanaheim’s, still wielding cold steel. Do you know what kind of enemies we’re about to face?” Arthur challenged.

“No. Do you?” Thor retorted.

“Then let me tell you. After the battle in New York, I went to Xandar and met some friends called the Guardians of the Galaxy. I encountered the Kree, led by Ronan the Accuser! He was searching for something called the Orb, do you know what the Orb is? The Power Stone!” Arthur said.

“What—you met Ronan? And the Power Stone?” This time Thor was genuinely shocked. Even in distant Asgard, the infamous Kree and their leader Ronan were well-known.

“Yes, I got the Power Stone before he did. Ronan chased us to Xandar and fought the Nova Corps. I used the Power Stone to kill Ronan and destroyed the Kree warship!” Arthur said.

“What—you killed Ronan? You used the Power Stone? Where is it now?” Thor asked.

“It was snatched away by Thanos, the ancient Titan to whom even Ronan deferred! So our enemy is Thanos,” Arthur answered.

“You’re saying we’re destined to clash with Thanos?” Thor asked.

“It’s inevitable. The Chitauri were acting under Thanos’s orders. He gave Loki the Mind Stone to steal the Tesseract—the Space Stone. Now Thanos has the Power Stone. His goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones. Except for the Soul Stone, the remaining four are either on Earth or in Asgard. Do you think Thanos will let us be?” Arthur asked.

Thor’s expression grew more and more grim as he listened. He’d always suspected someone formidable was behind Loki, but he hadn’t imagined it was the most dangerous Titan in the universe. It was clear now that Asgard and Thanos were destined for war.

“So, tomorrow, you need to explain all this to your father. With the Dwarves of Nidavellir, we needn’t worry about powerful weapons. It’s time for Asgardians to change,” Arthur said earnestly.

“It does seem we need to prepare. Tomorrow, you’ll come with me to see Father!” Thor said.

Arthur breathed a long sigh of relief. At last, Thor understood. The Asgardians’ sense of security had made them complacent, so the Twilight of the Gods was inevitable.

…

Early the next morning, Thor took Arthur to the palace to see King Odin.

Thor repeated everything Arthur had told him the night before, with Arthur adding details where needed.

Odin frowned as he listened. Thanos, the Titan, sought the Infinity Stones? Odin himself had once used the stones, and he knew all too well how terrifying it was for someone to possess all six.

“What do you propose?” Odin asked.

“I think Asgard’s army needs to be rearmed. Everyone else uses energy weapons, but Asgard still relies on cold steel—against modern enemies, that puts us at a huge disadvantage,” Arthur said.

Odin nodded. He’d fought countless wars and knew well enough that Asgard’s methods were now outdated.

“Next, we must keep the Infinity Stones under our control. The Mind Stone is with me; the Time Stone is guarded by Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. The Tesseract is in Asgard. That leaves only the Reality Stone—the Aether. I suspect it will appear soon,” Arthur said.

“The Aether and the Dark Elves were utterly destroyed by my father!” Odin replied.

“Impossible! The Aether is the Reality Stone—it cannot be destroyed!” Arthur countered.

“So, what we must do now is arm the Asgardian army, and when the Aether appears, secure it for ourselves,” Arthur said.

“Very well, I agree with your suggestions. Thor, I’ll leave this to you. It’s time you learned to be king. I am old—the future belongs to your generation,” Odin said, approving Arthur’s plan and instructing Thor to carry it out.

“Father, I will not let you down!” Thor promised.

“Let’s go to Nidavellir again. This time, I’ll forge the mightiest army Asgard has ever seen!” Thor declared, full of confidence.

“Let’s go!”

…

Nidavellir

“You’re back already? I thought you said you’d return in a week,” King Eitri the Dwarf said, looking at Thor and Arthur.

“We’re not here to rush you. We come at the command of the All-Father,” Thor replied.

“Oh? What command does the All-Father have for me?” Eitri asked.

“My father wants the dwarves to forge a batch of weapons—and warships—for the Asgardian army,” Thor said.

“What kind of weapons? How many?” Eitri asked.

“We want the most powerful energy weapons—guns or cannons, anything will do. Ideally, something like the Chitauri’s weapons: both bladed and capable of firing energy. Can you make them?” Arthur asked.

“That’s all? Chitauri weapons are child’s play to us dwarves. We forge weapons that can shatter worlds,” Eitri boasted. “No one in the universe is better at forging than we are.”

“We know your weapons are the best in the universe, but this time, we need them in large quantities, and as quickly as possible. So as long as they’re better than the Chitauri’s, that’ll suffice,” Arthur said.

“No problem. I’ll put every dwarf to work! I promise, we’ll equip a whole army in the shortest time!” Eitri said, thumping his chest.

“Wonderful! I knew nothing could stump you!” Thor said, delighted.

…