Into the Realm Faerie

England

Thor and Roger Willis have come to the Cotswold of England in order to rescue Melodi from Malekith the Dark Elf. Roger doesn’t like going into the enemy camp with the Casket of Ancient Winters and he is concerned with the thunder god’s sudden obsession with Melodi. As he makes his way to Malekith’s stronghold he is ambushed by a troop of faeries that are invisible to him due to their enchanted nature. Thor leaps in and saves Roger.

Searching one of the fallen warriors and finds a vial of oil that — once anointed on their eyes — will allow them to see their foes clearly. Unfortunately, the vial is cracked and only has enough oil for one of them. Since Thor can already partially see their enemies due to his Asgardian nature, he gives the oil to Roger. With his vision cleared, he’s surprised to see that Malekith’s fortress is actually in ruins.

Despite this, Thor warns Roger that they will face many dangers ahead and to prepare himself for battle.

Asgard

Balder had ventured into the endless deserts outside the kingdom in order to find death. Instead, he has found a damsel in distress being chased by a massive Sand Devil. With only a tree branch to use as a weapon, Balder bravely leaps onto the monster's back and stabs it between its armored plates to pierce its flesh. The creature quickly bucks Balder leaving him at its mercy.

Luckily, Agnar of Vanaheim has been watching the battle from a nearby dune and impressed by this display of bravery tosses his sword to Balder so he can use it to defend himself. Lunging into the battle, Balder leaps toward the creature’s open maw so he can slash at part of its body not protected by armor. The pain from the cut causes the Sand Devil to flee. The woman Balder has saved is grateful and asks to repay him for his kindness. Joining hands, the pair vanish in a whirlwind leaving behind only Agnar’s sword. So impressed with Balder’s bravery, Agnar decides to abandon his quest to battle Balder and pay homage to him instead.

England

Thor and Roger have entered Malekith’s fortress and once again Willis is wondering if Thor’s obsession over Melodie might compromise their mission. Wading through water they are attacked by a swarm of elementals but Thor quickly dispels them by using Mjolnir to create a whirlwind.

Soon they come before the Great Gates of the Faerie, the entrance into their enemy’s domain. Without a second though, Thor smashes through the massive doors with his hammer, surprising the gathered armies on the other side.

This ambush is observed from afar by Malekith and Wormwood, one of his minions. While Wormwood is concerned over Thor’s fighting fury, Malekith is confident that the love potion that he drank earlier will keep the thunder god distracted enough to be defeated.

Asgard

Balder finds himself transported to a cavern beyond the endless desert and the young woman he rescued drops her disguise, revealing that she is Wyrd, one of the Norns. She takes him down to the roots of the world tree Yggsdrasil where the other fates are working weaving the fates of everyone in Asgard. Wyrd invites Balder down to meet with her sisters so that they can discuss Balder’s own fate.

England

Thor and Roger continue fighting their way through the forces of Malekith. However, the closer they get to Melodi the more irrational Thor becomes. Roger tries to get the thunder god to focus but this falls on deaf ears. Thor completely loses his shit when they reach Malekith’s chamber and he sees his foe dangling Melodi over a bunch of water elementals. However, Roger — thanks to the anointed oils in his eyes — can see that these elementals are just an illusion and tries to tell Thor. However, the thunder god will not listen and abandons his friend to save his beloved. As Thor tries to enter Malekith’s chambers he is ambushed by a massive dark elf named Algrim the Strong.

Asgard

With a major cataclysm approaching, Odin has called the Warriors Three to his court. He tells the trio to gather every warrior from all corners of the kingdom and prepare them for the coming battle.

England

Thor recovers from the sneak attack from Algrim and the pair begin brawling. With Thor thoroughly distracted and his minion expendable, Malekith orders a trap door opened sending both Thor and Algrim plummeting into a pit of lava below the fortress.

Roger is soon swarmed and the Casket of Ancient Winters taken from him. When Roger struggles to get free, Malekith blasts him with a bolt of mystical energy to blind the human. Roger screams in agony and manages to break free and flee down one of the tunnels. Willis hopes that the metal plate in his skull — an old war injury — would protect him from Malekith’s spell but when he opens his eyes he discovers that he has been blinded after all. Despite this handicap, Roger vows to avenge his father by killing Malekith.

As Roger fumbles around the tunnels, Malekith has rallied his minions to bask in his glory as he opens the Casket of Ancient Winters. The Casket contains combined cold of every winter in history and upon opening it, Malekith causes a barrier that separates Midgard from Surtur’s realm to freeze. Standing at this gate, Surtur watches as the way to Earth is opened to him and smiles.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Malekith, Balder, Agnar, Norns (Wyrd, Skuld, Verdandi), Heimdall, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Odin, Wormwood, Algrim, Lorelei, Surtur, Roger Willis

Topical References

• Roger Willis states that he fought in the Korean War. This should be considered a topical reference due to the Sliding Timescale.