Thanks to Dany's mother's enthusiastic hospitality, Thor agreed to summon the Bifrost on the garden's cobblestone path. The fantasy-loving woman claimed it was a good spot to avoid questions from the community police and would leave behind a "rainbow bridge mark."
The scene of Solomon's arrival via the Bifrost had already drawn the attention of the community police—or rather, the slow-moving rural officers. By now, they had reached the children's secret base, and it wouldn't be long before they came asking questions.
The children—Anduin, Newton, and Dany—sighed in feigned maturity upon learning they might lose their beloved hideout. But worse news awaited them. Solomon placed a few sheets of parchment inscribed with concise clauses in front of them. Dany's mother effortlessly read the Latin text aloud, much to Solomon's surprise.
In the UK, only private schools taught Latin and Greek; public schools in small towns certainly didn't.
The clauses were simple:
You must never reveal any witnessed magical events.
You must never disclose information about magic users.
These were the bare minimum. Official confidentiality contracts were far stricter and lengthier, but Solomon didn't have time to draft a full version, even with his auto-writing quill. Four contracts were laid out alongside four quills. Solomon sweetened the deal: signing the contract meant the auto-writing quill became theirs—a gesture of thanks for the tea and towels.
"What if I want to learn magic?" Dany boldly asked. "Can we go to Asgard with you?"
"Little miss, that's a bit greedy," Solomon replied with a smile. "Asgard is under siege, and we can't spare the resources to protect you. Besides, only Thor can grant you that privilege."
Thor shook his head firmly—he wasn't foolish enough to make such promises to children under these circumstances.
"If you want to learn magic, specifically in my school of thought, you'll have to wait for fate to decide," Solomon continued. "If you're meant for this path, our master will guide you to it."
His smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression. "Understand this: pursuing magic is extraordinarily difficult and requires innate talent. I know you may feel you're special, but in the magical world, recognizing your true abilities is paramount. Chasing what doesn't belong to you will only lead to ruin."
The phoenix on Solomon's shoulder let out a cry of agreement.
His words, though harsh, managed to dampen the children's unrealistic dreams. With the tea finished, it was time for goodbyes. Before the community police could arrive, Thor and Solomon prepared to leave.
Solomon felt optimistic about Asgard's situation. The Sorcerer Supreme's spells hadn't been triggered, which meant the Dark Elves had likely failed in their objectives. He touched the artifact concealed beneath his mage's robe, reassured by its presence. As long as Malekith's target wasn't Frigga, there'd be no need for his death-reversing methods.
Before departing, Dany's mother handed Solomon a newspaper. He accepted it gratefully, curious about recent events on Earth. With the Convergence approaching, strange occurrences were inevitable, and this might offer some insight.
Thor, carrying the cursed warrior's corpse, called out to Heimdall. The Bifrost descended, scorching the cobblestone path as Solomon and Thor disappeared from Earth, leaving behind three dejected children and one ecstatic woman.
For frequent Bifrost travelers, the journey was smooth. As the shimmering light enveloped them, Solomon unfolded the newspaper to pass the minute-long trip. It was a copy of The Daily Telegraph, though incomplete. One article was circled in red ink:
"In Loving Memory of Solomon Damonet, Age 17."
The page included a photograph of Solomon from his school days.
As he read the obituary, Solomon stepped off the Bifrost and nearly turned back. But Heimdall had already closed the bridge, clearly unwilling to send him back to Earth.
"Come with me," Heimdall said, his tone heavy. The somberness in his voice gave Solomon and Thor a sense of foreboding. Folding the newspaper, Solomon decided to investigate later. For now, he placed a hand over his concealed artifact for reassurance. The Sorcerer Supreme's magic hadn't been triggered—surely…
"Great Queen Frigga has returned to the eternal peace of Valhalla," Heimdall said gravely. "None shall disturb her rest again. The Allfather is injured."
The news hit Thor like a hammer. He dropped the cursed warrior's body, his mind reeling with dizziness. If Heimdall hadn't caught him, he might have collapsed onto the icy metal floor of Himinbjorg.
"This can't be true!" Thor and Solomon exclaimed in unison.
"It is," Heimdall said, his face clouded with sorrow. "Not long ago, we repelled the Dark Elves' assault… A ship crashed into the palace's rear courtyard to retrieve Malekith. He had accomplices."
"Who?!" Thor's grief turned to fury as he roared, "Who helped those vile creatures?!"
"We don't know," Heimdall replied. "It could've been someone imprisoned in the dungeons… The situation was too chaotic. The Allfather managed to destroy a Dark Elf ship, but he was injured in the process."
Thor couldn't listen any longer. Overcome with desperation, he turned and took off, twirling Mjölnir as he flew toward the palace, its smoky ruins still visible in the distance.
Only Heimdall and Solomon remained on the Bifrost platform. Heimdall offered Solomon a choice of transportation back to the palace—a warhorse or a goat.
"Is it true?" Solomon asked, his tone calm but his hand resting on his chest. The artifact concealed beneath his robe glimmered faintly as he sought clarity. "Did Queen Frigga truly fall?"
Heimdall said nothing, his piercing gaze fixed on the mage.
"If the queen has perished, the Sorcerer Supreme's magic can reverse time and restore her to life," Solomon said, unclasping his robe to reveal the Eye of Agamotto resting beside the Silver Key. As a fully synchronized magical artifact, Solomon would have sensed if its spells had been triggered.
They hadn't.
And Solomon didn't believe Malekith would dare use the Aether on Frigga to disrupt the Sorcerer Supreme's magic.
Just as the Sorcerer Supreme had predicted, this scheme wouldn't fool Solomon.
"What's really going on?" Solomon demanded. "What happened in Asgard after Thor and I left?"
"Don't you already know?" Heimdall replied, his tone challenging. "Your eye sees more than mine. You know why this is necessary. Lies or truth, it doesn't matter. We need Thor. That much is certain, and you know what must be done."
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