POV: Heath.
Date: Mörsugur 16th, 999. (Alt: 29th Dec, 999 AD.) Location: Götaland (Ancient Sweden.)
'In comparison to the tight, form-fitting armour, this feels much more comfortable.' Heath grins like an idiot while walking around with these new clothes on.
He appears much like a minor noble with such high-quality clothes for the time, and their colourful nature and patterns helped to more easily identify him due to its unique design. (More than a giant bald, bearded man could, anyway.) Heath showed them around.
"- these are the teleporter sections to allow travel between floors, and beside them are the 'resource transporters' that allow things like waste matter and rubbish to be brought out for recycling or incineration and for other materials to be imported, like the ingots, food, or other." Heath's explanation of these 'bays' that are sparsely placed uniformly within Den höga ormtungan allowed others to understand its extreme implications. Imagining what the future may be like with such a megastructure in their midst.
"So as long as you have portals, all of this could be transported back here, and this building itself is so large it could be classed as a trading city. You. . ." Gorm had it dawn on him that this may be the single most important feature of the megastructure.
'Supply lines automatically built in through just a single placed portal, entire armies transported through in under a day's travel, logistics taken care of through a few steps, as long as one could think of a destination. This changes everything.' Gorm looked towards Heath with an incredibly expressive squint. "With the way you are going, Heath. I believe that many in the clan, like Artkrea, Frichga or Jhurvon, will see you as an indispensable bachelor to be married. You should watch out." Gorm hid his smirk to himself while joking.
Heath froze and had an expression of consternation. "I am not ready to be married, too many fresh wounds in my mind." He shook his head. Gorm did not expect such a serious response and did not know how to respond. They simply continued, with Hervor suddenly beside him.
No words, simply an understanding nature that was felt by them all. She had experienced the death and rebirth of her husband. So she believed she understood the situation. A familial rub on the shoulder, then she went to give him space in return, Thanks to wearing linen clothing, it was much more effective than it usually would be in comparison to the cold, insensitive armour. He smiled in thanks and his shoulders appeared less tense while they refocused on what he was talking about beforehand.
"In the centre of the structure, there is a major 'factory' that I wish to show you all, follow me." Heath warped them through the winding hallways that were throughout, in thanks to Heath's magic, what was nearly a day of walking was only a few seconds instead.
"I wish I had your powers, your devices may work, but they are limited." Agnarr comments with a pause, though one could tell he was joking. Heath did not take it that way. "If my studies work, it may take training and knowledge, but you should be able to once I give you all the ability of magic." Heath caused everyone's eyes to open comically and looked at him to see if he was lying. He was not, and their minds further emphasised Heath's importance for their future. Gorm's comment felt all the more real for others in the clan.
One could feel the roiling emotions, and all of it had an underlying confidence and certainty. Their trust in him felt greater than their previous all-time high. Causing Heath to begin feeling it was unbearable and would have been too much for a normal mortal mind.
Having the ability to view such intense emotions would be hyperstimulating to them, like your vision turning a pure tie-dye of greens, oranges, pinks and yellows that are more vibrant than any known colour available that was limited by your normal human vision, as if directly viewed by the soul. From his memories, it reminded Heath of the way his friend once described an acid trip. It acted almost like the mirage of a desert, distorting objects within its background. Heath tried to turn it off, but it was a slow process due to being distracted.
He tried to slowly shuffle away from them, but they stuck close while also noticing his partially hidden expression. It caused Heath to laugh embarrassingly while rubbing the back of his head. He finally did it and quickly refocused on the 'factory,' soon showing them its purpose. "Here is where we create more of them." Heath points to the golems. "Once automated, it can make 1,000 small and 500 large golems in about half a day if given maximum materials. They would be placed every 5 floors or so." Heath clarified it quickly.
"In fact, here will be the first batch, coming now and shown to you all!" Heath excitedly provided the starter magic to trigger the generator connected to the machinery. It started up and soon became self-sufficient like all the other devices by absorbing ambient magic.
*CA-CHUNK, KU-CHACK, CLANK. Repeated* The sound of the machines created a discordant beat that would not be that far off from a car manufactory setup. The materials are divided, gathered, moulded and shaped as necessary. And all of the previous magical systems that were used for redundancy purposes were made even more efficient through a fast alloy implanting system in thanks to the magical arms that are strewn efficiently throughout. "How are the materials transported?" Sigrid asks, fascinated by the process.
"Through smaller portals by the farms that are then transported by the golems through onto that moving 'conveyor belt' as you would know soon. Little to no transportation required." Heath's response was met with sighs that would mean 'of course you did.'
"You and your enthusiasm for portals. . ." Leif commented quietly in the background, disgruntled by the cavern's use of portals for every process. "They are just that useful, after all." Heath's chipper tone annoyed him, but soon, the first Auto was made, and the Bus golem was halfway done, showing that the ratio was accurately 2:1. They saw a new engraving by the front, with the number 301 upon its chest, it soon gathered a new task from the automated board nearby and walked through a portal and out of the building.
"So much security, an entire producable army and workforce in such a little time, without training. . ." Egill thought through it, he did not know the number of total floors yet, but he understood it would be potentially > 1,000,000 / day. A number that is the definition of
OVERKILL. "Are you here to take over the entirety of Miðgarðr?" Leif's question was met with stares from everyone around, who then looked directly towards Heath. There was a minor silence, as he was thinking on how to respond without sounding overcomplicated. ". . . There are more than just 9 realms, not just upon this planet with its uncountable gods, and the others that go around the star we inhabit, every dot in the sky has this exact potential, billions of worlds, each with their own stories. Which I wish to see and hear.
There are so many possibilities to every world that we may uncover, so many resources to tap. Óðinn's shaping of the realms was instrumental to this part of this world's development, but he cannot reach beyond the religion's borders." Heath claimed with full confidence.
"So you will use these golems for resource acquisition, okay then. How will you travel to these other realms?" Egill asks, understanding part of this conversation as he saw in Heath's newly updated journal about the 8 planets and a few dwarf planets within their very solar system. "Well, it would take millennia if travelling under the speed of light. And that is an ability which would be impossible for most of this realm. There may be gods of light or modes of instantaneous travel, but none about planetary travel." Heath recognised.
"Then what do you believe is happening for it to be impossible?" Gorm asks, while at the same time, a new Bus and Auto were made in the background. "Either we are isolated in this realm by the gods, forced to stay in place." That was the first option expressed with a finger.
"There may be creatures in the void between worlds that lead to the gods themselves fearing them, thus finding different modes of travel." Heath lifted a second finger. "Or it is entirely unthought of, there may be myths of different gods making 'the Heavens in all its splendour'.' But do we truly know of it from the moment it occurred, and that it is not propaganda? If I could make this realm below the ground and could be expanded to encompass a world itself, what says they have not done the same?" Heath theorised.
"And about that, let me do something." Heath went to the border of the Cavern, soon finding a point to expend magic. He quickly made it twice as large, now the farms only covering 9 / 128th of the space. Soon, he travelled back, leading to their continued conversation.[1]
"You are saying. . ?" Their expressions look as if they were struck by lightning. "Yes, their realms may be limited and magic-based, either as hidden motes throughout their expanded area of influence, or they made entirely new realms through private 'dimensions.'" Heath sounded like a madman, but it was a theory worth testing. "Maybe a door to these realms is an illusory star in the sky, unfindable. Unless one had a star map that could tell if there was an extra." Heath looked below, acting as if he was looking for an unseeable projection.
"Or maybe it is a speck of dirt, untraceable except for extended wisps of magic." Heath's imagination led others to look at him as if he were crazy at first, until they remembered where they were. 'If one could shrink a doorway, would it be possible?' They wondered.
"Our livelihood and history, potentially false?" Gorm looks down in contemplation. Which has been happening so much more recently, per every revelation or mind-scramble by Heath. It almost felt that the knowledge he was pouring to them was going to cause a bloody nose.
"If my third theory is correct, then it would not just be your religion, it would be the others in this world as well. Unless proven otherwise. A phrase we had back in our realm fits. Known as 'Occam's razor,' if I could make and expand an area so easily, what says they have not done the same rather than creating everything bound by your known area, which would be more difficult, so less likely to occur? Though I know what you know as Miðgarðr is not a realm like that, as I have seen it from the void above before arriving." Heath clarified fully.
"At least our realm is not one created by a god like yourself. And why did you choose to expand your realm again? Is it not large enough?" Egil asks, noticing the sky feels much more vast on a subconscious level. "As we will need it once I make more megastructures-"
""""""""WHAT!?"""""""" All except for Valyria say at the same time. "More." Gorm points to the tower piercing the clouds that had formed in the Cavern. "Of them?" From that asking. "Yes, look behind you." Heath's statement made them look towards the north of the Den höga ormtungan, now seeing the golems developing the base for the giant half-sphere that would be the theater he had commented about a few days ago. They turn back. "Why are you so surprised? If I say it, I will do it." Heath caused their expressions to be deadpan yet again.
"I will be getting a drink." Agnarr comments, as while he cannot get drunk, that habit from when he was alive is still strong. """Us as well.""" Asdos, Egill and Eirikr leave through the portal, leaving only Gorm, Hervor, Leif, Sigrid and Valyria. They only stare at Heath.
The unflinching stares make Heath uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. As if they are trying to peer into his very secrets. "Why?" A simple question from Valyria, but one where he could answer an infinite amount of ways. He thinks, almost for too long. Before he finally responds. "I have seen a future where you, Sigrid." He points to her, who looks confused. "Cause a Ragnarök that breaks the cycle imposed within the Norse realms." Sigrid appears confrontational now, her eyes shifted to one where she would prepare for a worst outcome.
"Hopefully not any more, but I had seen a future where the Æsir see the marriage as one against them. They slaughter the Völsung clan, leaving only a few alive left. Leading to you becoming part of a new being that is known as The Weeping." Heath's expression was one of remorse for telling them, and comfort for explaining to them a disgusting truth. "Is he lying, father?" Leif asks, hoping it is all a lie. "Heath does not lie, there would be no need for him to." Gorm shakes his head, trusting Heath's full judgment.
This causes Leif and Sigrid to spiral into thoughts of overwhelming what-ifs, almost matching Heath's own. "Heath has protected us and had prophesied of future raids, which we learned to believe after capturing the scouts and reading their memories." Gorm sentenced.
There was a moment where they were trying to read between the lines, to see if it was symbolic, not literal. Yet they could find none. After what felt like an eternity, Sigrid was the one to speak up. "How much more do you know?" Sigrid's question caused Heath to summarise his knowledge from the trailers and topics he had read in the past. "Hervor, after losing her sons, whom I have luckily helped to avoid, joins you on your quest. Leif joins you half-way through after all believed he was dead." Heath breathes, knowing it is heavy.
"Then you find and bring a Seiðr practitioner who is only known as Seið-kona, an abbreviation of the Seiðkonur, lastly, you recruit a dwarf craftsman known as Andvari." Heath notices their expressions of dread, but he powers through it, to pull off the band-aid.
"He crafts you all weapons made of god-killing iron, which were made to have curses that work upon your souls, if you die before your time from your quest, the rest of your original life, if you had not gone on your quest would be added to his own. Your weapon was a spear, Sigrid. known as 'Antler.' Hervor's was a sword, Leif was an axe, and Seið-kona's was twin-daggers. And thus, you joined a final battle against the gods that brought you disaster, soon inciting the end times. But as said, changed, so it would be a finality to the religion.
And how would it be a finality? Óðinn became trapped within Yggdrassil's bark. Leaving to him unable to become a new form and inciting the next rebirth of their pantheon. Unable to live or die. . . Additionally, the power of faith could not save them from the inevitable.
From a visual I had seen, Yeshua (Jesus) himself, the messiah of the Christian Religion was looking down upon Óðinn with darkened eyes and light upon his backdrop. Thus, it was certain that the Norse mythos faded away, but would never be forgotten through a purviewed lens within the continent. Much like from my own Realm." Heath's explanation of what he saw in the show's trailer was so distressing that it appeared as if their souls were quivering. They were processing it, but very slowly. 'It may take a while.' Heath thought.
The least affected was Valyria, who simply took it as it was. "What of the Völsung?" Valyria asked. "Only remembered through sagas, no known descendants." Heath said, quieter as if to reduce the burden on others. It did not help. "I will be leaving." Gorm walked off.
Not to the portal, just into the field of grass. To ponder on what would have been their original history if not for Heath. Leif and Sigrid were leading to the same conclusion as well. But currently were like mannequins, stuck in their own minds. Heath waited patiently and talked with Valyria on other topics so as not to focus on a future that would no longer come. After about half an hour, they finally stirred out of their internal space and looked towards Heath and Valyria, but with what appeared to be more. . . Maturity, world weariness?
"Thank you for telling us, Heath." Leif comments, solidifying his own personal beliefs and his understanding of what may have been their future if not for him. He felt gratitude towards him. And it was the same with Sigrid. They could understand how this future came to be.
And they understand how the others around them had expressions of pity towards them, though they were not told the full truth. But now they will all know, and will prevent the clan's destruction at all costs. "If the gods do not agree to our marriage, then let there be ashes." Sigrid says with a tone so dark that it is itself a deadly weapon. Leif nods, and Heath stands there, looking towards them with empathy. "To prepare, there is much to talk about with you both. I am at your beck and call for proper weapons, armour and tools for your collection.
For there is much to do to prepare against all possibilities." Heath's response was met with nods, and all four walked towards the portal, leaving Gorm to ponder about the future. And with a view of what would have been, the scent of the flowers feels livelier and full.
The environment he's in, feels more beautiful than it ever has been. "It feels. . . Freeing." So, Gorm lays on his back and rested. Waiting for the flight suit inauguration to start.
[1] 2,250,000-km^(2) (868,729.86-mi^(2.)) * 2 =
13,922,836.545900-Model km^(2) (4,500,000 km^(2) (1,737,459.72-mi^(2)))
Which would make it the second-largest modern country, behind Russia in square kilometres and miles.