From The Ashes - 031

Chapter 031 – Nidavellir

[2012]

Glancing over the dark-haired warrioress, her figure clad in tight leather armor with a silver breastplate, greaves, and a pair of armguards, Sif made for a heroic figure while holding onto her shield that had her sword sheathed on the inside.

This didn't distract from her incredible beauty nor could her attire hide her soft womanly curves. With her flawless facial features, dark ebony hair, and bright blue eyes, she was without a doubt one of the most beautiful women that I had ever met.

However, I would still have preferred for someone else to be my guide to Nidavellir.

It wasn't that I didn't like her or that I couldn't appreciate how gorgeous she truly was, but whenever I looked at her, especially now that she was clad in armor, I felt an uncomfortable sting in my heart.

She had this bravery and fearless charm about her without losing her womanly grace and beauty. It reminded me of her, which made it difficult for me to be at ease around her.

But I didn't say anything nor ask for someone else to be my guide.

Because, while it was somewhat painful to be around Sif, I also felt attracted to her. The same qualities that I had found attractive in my deceased lover, I naturally found attractive in this Asgardian beauty, which didn't make things easier one bit.

Naturally, there was no real affection or such since I didn't even know this dark-haired beauty. It was just simple yet pure attraction like one would feel when meeting someone for the first time.

It didn't matter that we didn't know each other, nor was this something outlandish. Being attracted to someone was truly that simple at times, feeling more like a sensation born out of instinctual desire, instead of one born out of true affection.

It was almost an involuntary response to someone's presence.

Still, I wasn't willing to give this more thought at this point in time, as I suppressed those sensations as best as I could.

I hadn't forgotten about herand didn't feel ready to be with someone else without seeing it as a betrayal of what we had shared with one another. It was an irrational thought for sure, but there was nothing rational about most emotions in the first place.

I wasn't sure if time would change things, though I doubted that it would. I was, however, aware that I had to let go, but I simply couldn't bring myself to do so, at least not yet.

On the other hand, I ultimately didn't want to keep my distance from Sif and view her with animosity as none of this was her fault. And I wasn't of such weak character that I would blame her for things that she clearly had no hand in, or any control over.

I might have lost most of the goodwill that I held towards Asgard but that didn't mean that I had suddenly turned into an unreasonable asshole. I could still clearly differentiate between right and wrong.

Nodding in greeting towards the approaching clear-eyed beauty while Johann moved to my side and respectfully took up a position just a step behind me, I parted my lips and said: “We will be in your care, Lady Sif.”

…

“We will be in your care, Lady Sif.”

Like warm honey, his deep voice caressed her senses causing a pleasant shudder to run down her back and a fluttering sensation to emerge in her abdomen. Sif's breath got caught in her throat even as she heard Noah speak directly to her for the first time, while at the same time being so close to him.

There was a slight rasp in the undertone that felt more like a physical caress than a sound, goosebumps spreading over limbs and making her skin feel extra sensitive.

That, along with those stormy grey eyes that traced over her features and figure, halting at her lips for a moment, before settling on her own eyes, Sif's mind was momentarily a bit thrown out of balance.

She had never heard a voice that made her think of a passionate entanglement and writhing bodies in the bedroom as much as Noah's.

She wasn't a helpless virgin but she had to admit that the oppressive aura around him, as well as the intensity of his gaze and presence, made her, who was attracted by strength, somewhat weak in the knees.

Composing herself with a deep breath, she didn't quite manage to stop her cheeks from redding faintly but her voice was still calm as she replied before turning towards the gateway that Heimdall had just opened: “Please follow behind me, Lord Hatahle.”

…

Dull clanging and sharp grating sounds echoing in my ears, I found myself standing in a large open hall, the floor and walls glinting with a metallic sheen. Behind me, a strong fell through the open wall, originating from a brightly burning star in the distance.

Through my Extraordinary Perception, I sensed some peculiar energy force that kept the breathable atmosphere intact.

My Observation Haki was also expanded to the very limit as the orange flame in the middle of my forehead grew a bit larger while burning fiercely. Through this, I could vaguely sense the ring-shaped construct in which I currently found myself.

Nidavellir was truly a marvel of magical engineering, its size almost incomprehensible. Using a dying star as the core of their forge, one can only struggle to imagine the magnitude of the Dwarves' home.

This incredible sight made my eyes light up as I had never seen something comparable. I had understood that my being able to come here was a privilege of my strength, but only after truly arriving did I understand how lucky I was.

How many humans would ever get to see this place?

I asked myself this before I realized that this was just the beginning. This Universe was full of such wonders and I suddenly felt like spending my life discovering them wouldn't be bad at all.

"Huahua, Lady Sif!", a deep grumbling voice called out joyfully as the ground shook minutely, signaling the approach of something large and heavy, "How good it is to see you! The clan was worried about Asgard's absence, but we can finally be at ease! Huahua!"

I turned around towards the source of the voice and what greeted my eyes was a dwarf, that, for all intents and purposes, was giant by Earth's standards.

I could sense Johann's surprise through my Haki, and I knew that I would be any different in my reaction if I hadn't known what to expect. The Asgardians called the people of Nidavellir 'Dwarves' but Earth's meaning of the word was worlds apart from reality.

Long black hair and a bushy beard that completely covered the lower half of his face, the dwarf had a large leather smock hung on his neck and tied around his waist while a pair of gloves covered his hands.

Surprisingly though, his clothes were flawlessly clean and he wore a pair of delicately crafted gold-rimmed glasses, his hair tied into a neat ponytail. The dwarf smiled widely in genuine joy, looking more like a scholar than a blacksmith.

“Master Strix!”, Sif greeted with a light smile before nodding with assurance, “There were some unfortunate troubles with the Bifrost but they have been taken care of, so you do not have to worry anymore. Asgard will guard Nidavellir like it always had.”

“Huahua!”, the giant dwarf laughed again, the sound reminding of a high-powered engine starting up, “What good news, what good news!”

His obvious relief wasn't too much of a surprise when one considered that the dwarves were not fighters despite their incredible skill in crafting weapons of mass destruction.

In fact, there had never been a dwarf wielding a godly armament like Thor's Mjolnir or Odin's Gugnir. Their innate strength was severely lacking when compared to the extreme requirements such weapons had for their wielders.

Their talent in creating such weapons but not being able to wield them had always been like a sword hanging over their heads. In the past, they had often encountered others that coveted their skills or feared them, which had led to them being almost forced to extinction several times.

Adding their low birth rate, there were only a few hundred dwarves left on Nidavellir and that was after centuries of Asgard providing them with protection for their loyalty and service.

They relied on Asgard even more than the other races of the Nine Realm did since many factions and people stared at them with covetous eyes.

“I brought some guests with me to meet with your King. I hope you can lead the way, Master Strix.”, Sif finally voiced out the true objective of her arrival at this time.

[A/N: So, some explanations are maybe needed if I go by the comments.

First of all, yes, I do have some thoughts of pairing up Noah and Sif but those are not definite. Especially not at this point in the story. They do fit together well but I also think that there are some clashes in their wishes for the future, which might serve as an obstruction to a long-term relationship.

At this point though, Noah is just kinda broken and at point where he has to learn how to be with someone else again. This doesn't mean that even if he gets together with Sif that he will be with her for the rest of the story though.

Noah's journey is much more complex as he doesn't have a definite goal and just slowly moves to place that promises healing for his wounded heart.

In this chapter especially, his attraction towards Sif is merely just that - attraction. It is an innocent concept and it just serves to awaken him from his somewhat anhedonic and despairing state.

With whom he will eventually form a lasting bond, I am rather clueless myself as the choices are many. It might still be Sif or Thena, or Quake, or even Helen Cho. I can't really tell myself since this is a work in progress.

After all, I didn't start this story with a specific FL in mind considering Noah's past is rather complicated.

I am confident that it will work out in the end though, so just be patient and enjoy!

Also, I do enjoy reading your suggestions and general comments and ideas for the story, so don't hesitate to write some if you have something on your mind!]