Chapter 8
8:
"As I have said before, I hail from the realm of Asgard," Thor started to say as he moved closer to the fire. Steve followed suit to counteract the ever present cold. "A realm far beyond this place."
"Where is it?" Steve asked out of curiosity. He really can't believe that there was somewhere far beyond Earth. Even the idea of it seems absurd, too much for Steve's mind. Back in the day when his family was still alive, his parents always made sure that they were always present in the Sunday mass. During those he could not remember anything that the Bible said about other worlds and other beings if you do not count all the angels and demons. Everything he was about to know now was going to wreck his brain, he was sure of it.
"I can show you," Thor replied after picking up a stray log, "after we finish preparing what you caught."
Steve could hear the stress on the last word, making him flinch and blush. "Alright, I didn't hunt it. Not in your way of thinking that is. It practically fell on my hands."
"It fell from the heavens?" Thor's tone was hopeful, like redemption was coming for him. His whole demeanour changed and he looked like a kid waiting for Christmas. Or anyone waiting for something they have been waiting for all their life.
Steve shook his head and hid a little smile. This man's reasoning was a bit odd, he could see that. Why would he wait for something to fall from the sky? "No, I already saw it bleeding to death. We just pulled him out of his misery."
Thor's face fell, replaced by the usual brooding look. "Oh."
They continued on preparing the poor animal. Using a stone fashioned into a very crude knife, Thor carefully cut the animal open and removed all the innards. Everything the other man does was calculated, seemingly knowing exactly what to do next. It was a very different from the rather brutish way he treated Steve. Maybe when Thor cuts him open, he wouldn't be that careful. Thor then heaved the animal to a nearby stream. He ordered (yeah, that was the term) Steve to stay and watch over the fire and the hammer like either would run away. Steve would if he wasn't sensible. When Thor returned the animal was already skewered into a large log. Steve found it rather gruesome and wanted to vomit but he held it in. It was still food, Steve reassured himself.
"The stream appears to be clean; you can drink from there if you wish," Thor said as he grilled the antelope on the open fire. "I have finished quenching my thirst."
Steve nodded unenthusiastically as he stood up and started to tread down to the stream. The way was surprisingly easy as Steve followed Thor's footprints, considering they were in the wild. Snow and more dead trees greeted him to the stream, but the stream itself was a welcomed sight. It was crystal clear, untainted by civilization. He had never seen anything like it, never stepping out of Brooklyn before. It was far different from the Atlantic and the nearby rivers back in the city. The stream might be small, but Steve would love to wade down there if it wasn't so cold. If Bucky was here, he would've jumped into the river first and pull Steve in. Then they would have so much fun they would forget all that happened to them. Sadly that was not the case. Steve washed his hands first before getting some to his mouth. He found it unsurprisingly cold and refreshing and Steve wished this was located back home. Even the water back there tasted like sewage from questionable sources. He washed himself a little and winced at the cold before trudging back to the clearing.
When he got back, the antelope was slowly being twirled around the fire by the bigger man. Thor was gazing at it so intently Steve was sure it would have been cooked by his gaze alone. There was the urge in Steve to surprise the man. But it would probably lead to manslaughter so Steve let the idea go. It would've been useless though if he continued on with his plan as Thor called out without even looking back, "Why are you still standing there?"
Steve recovered immediately and walked gingerly to Thor's side. Before realizing he was too much of lap dog when he followed Thor's instructions, he appreciated the warmth the man emanated. It was one of the reasons why Steve survived the night and he could not help but be thankful. He would not voice out his gratitude however because he does not want the other man to know Steve was feeling indebted to him. It would just boost his ego.
"So do you want to start?" Steve inquired as he sat down in the snow.
"Can you repeat your inquiry?" Thor asked back, still looking at what he was grilling.
Steve prepared his brain for large chunks of information he's not sure if he can handle. "Where's Asgard?"
Thor immediately handed him the antelope with all of its searing bloody horror on a stick. In surprise, Steve very nearly dropped it to the flames. The whole ensemble was as tall as he was and far heavier. Steve found it all ridiculous; he could carry an oversized hammer from nowhere but grilling an animal would probably break his hands. The other man looked like he wanted to say something but a smirk replaced his words. Darn that man.
Picking up a burning twig, he stuffed it to the snow as his deep growly voice started to fill the bonfire-warmed air. "If your statements ring true mortal, that we are in Midgard, then I came a long way down from the heavens." Steve looked at him skeptically, but the other man was busy etching something on the snow-covered ground. After what seemed like forever but in reality was just a few minutes, Thor was done and Steve's hands were about to fall off. On the ground was an assortment of circles, interconnected by weaves and lines. A solitary circle was at the top, followed by three at the middle and another three at the bottom. There was winding line from the top circle to middle one and the others were just connected by other random lines. Or so Steve thought.
"There," Thor proclaimed, pointing at the topmost circle. "T'is where my home lies."
Thor's answer was so simple Steve had trouble understanding any of it. "What?"
"I have already told you-" Thor started to justify, but was immediately interrupted by Steve.
Steve's condescending look could say it all, but he chose to say his thoughts out loud. "Can you please elaborate? You're drawing doesn't make sense unless you explain it to me."
Thor frowned but relented immediately. Sighing, starts to say in his rumbling voice,"Asgard, the land of my people. It is in another realm, far from this place.” He looked up to the sky, and Steve followed suit. Slate, grays and blues mixed-up together forming an eerily never ending blanket for the world. Steve saw nothing but that, but he had a feeling Thor can see far beyond. He took his stare back at Thor's face. If there was really some sort of glisten in the bigger man's eyes, Steve did not comment.
"I won't believe you until I see it with my very eyes," Steve decided, looking back up the sky. "I mean how would you make me believe that you are something else? Anything here doesn't make sense at all." One might think that the hammer was proof enough, but to Steve it wasn't. He wants facts, he wants the truth. Maybe then he would have the reason why he was fighting for his life in this stupid snowy jungle, and somehow Steve knew it would give him some sort of peace and security. He refuses to die without good reason.
"You can ask another question," Thor said a little bit too nonchalantly for Steve. He let it pass though and threw another question.
"Why are you here?"
Thor visibly tenses up, his jaw ticking. He still didn't look at Steve though, but his demeanour changed. Thor was way more guarded, with a bit of frustration and anger mixing in with the prior sadness. This time he abruptly turned his face to Steve's direction, at the same time Steve did exactly the same. Two sets of blue eyes met with less wariness and antagonism, but the uncomfortability was still very palpable. Steve didn't back down from the gaze though. Apparently so did Thor.
"I fell."
Two words fell out of Thor's mouth, breathing it to the air. All the frustration Steve saw there from before was replaced by complete misery. It was undeniably the most sincere thing that came out of the man, aside from the death threats, that is. However, it still didn't make sense. Steve's look already said it all, and Thor sighed.
"You and your never-ending quest for details and answers," he muttered, almost unintelligible. Steve almost had a retort until Thor continued with a comparably louder voice. "It doesn't matter."
Steve has all the curiosity perhaps, but Thor on the other hand surrounded himself by walls. All the clipped answers made Steve want to ask more. He had never loved mysteries, but it doesn't waver him from finding the truth. All he wants are answers, is it that hard to give it to him?
Frustrated, Steve exploded. "Okay, let me get the information you gave me straight. You are Thor, a crown prince of some land you claim to be worlds away, who owns a hammer he can't barely lift, who has some murderous tendencies and the penchant for destroying stuff. And oh, hunted by some monster I can't even recognize. If it wasn't for the hammer and the monster, I would actually believe that you are just some madman in weird clothing lost in the woods and trying to find your way back to th city. A lot of what you're saying doesn't make sense and in the face of imminent death, you still harbor some grudge against me. So please, before we both die can't you tell why all of this is happening to the both of us?!"
Thor seemed to be unperturbed by his outburst. Instead he rumbled, " I do not care if your poor human mind cannot fathom thine greatness. If you want to leave, you are free to go. I will not give you the answers you need."
Steve glared at the man. "Fine. I am done with you." With all of his might, he dropped the carcass to the ground, almost colliding with the fire until Thor caught it. Steve instantly grabbed the hammer and added, "But I will take this with me."
It was Thor's turn to be angry. "Nay, you will not!"
"Then give me what I want!" Steve didn't want to resort to blackmail, but this man's responses made him desperate. A part of his brain was saying that the answers are not as important as breathing, but the more dominating part was screaming for answers. His curiosity was already piqued, there was more to this man than he lets on.
"I gave you answers!" Thor shouted.
"They weren't enough!" Steve shouted back.
An astounding roar was heard from a distance, followed by a pillar of fire cutting through the sky. Steve didn't have the sense to even move for fear was already creeping inside his system. Thor was quick though, he pulled Steve on his shoulder and ran back to the darkness of the forest.
Twigs and branches hit Steve everywhere, leaving rough tastes in his mouth. Spewing out a little, he screamed, "Thor please tell me already what is it that's chasing us!"
"It's a Destroyer!" Thor repeated.
"That's it?!"
"You asked what is the name of the monster; I gave it to you!"
Steve let out a grunt of irritation. Thor was a very simple man it seems, even with the regal air and accented English. And it was enough to set Steve off. He really wants to bash this man's head with a hammer-
Wait, the hammer!
"Thor?!" Steve asked, a little afraid. "Where's the hammer?"
Thor snarl so fierce it was animalistic. "You useless mor-"
"Fine, I am so useless but can we please get back there now?!" Before Steve could finish his whole sentence, Thor was already running back to the direction they came from. If Steve could not believe this was out of the ordinary, now was the time he should. After spending the whole yesterday running fighting and even suffering a hefty blow to the head, Thor could still run like an athlete. Even faster than most athletes.
Steve could not help but have a grudging admiration for this man. He might have a short temper and mind of a simpleton, but his physical prowess was far more advanced than any human he had met before. There was no denying it now: Thor was something else. They reached the clearing in no time. Thor dropped him again unceremoniously. Steve wanted to lash out all over again, but fear was etched deeply into Thor’s face. Thankfully, Steve still had the courage to look back.
The bonfire was still in its glory, the wood audibly crackling as the fire consumed it. There on the middle lay a carcass, also getting burned by the hungry flames. Before it stood an image Steve would not get out of his nightmares for years, if he lives that long.
It was the Destroyer, holding Thor's hammer.