<strong>Kapp Platen, Kingdom of Norway</strong><br/><br/>The men were tired, and more than a little confused in the rational behind their travel. The 'Herr doctor' had insisted they walk a specific route, throughout the winter storms and terrible paths. Only the lure of gold had kept many of the men from bolting back south as the storms. Thorsen, the expedition's head scout, had been sure that the men would bolt as the weather grew worse and worse.<br/>Everytime it seemed they had reached a breaking point, the old man would find another cache of gold and other treasures. Not that even such treasure kept all of them together, as every morning there seemed to be a man or two that would be missing. He was down to a mere handful of men, five all told, and was almost at a breaking point himself.<br/><br/>"We lost another last night Thorsen." One of them said as they broke down the camp. The Doctor seemed in good humor, Thorsen noted, as he nodded to the man.<br/><br/>"Not much we can do. We're almost out of land and the old man can't make us walk on water, gold or no." He said as he ambled over to the cooking fire to join the old man. Everyone seemed to be feeling the journey but him. He looked up from the small travel desk he was writing on, taking care to hide away the strange book he liked to scribble in.<br/><br/>"Ah Thorsen, we're nearly there." He said cheerfully. "A few hours, no need to break camp."<br/><br/>"Good, we're running on the barest of margins now sir. Another day or so and it would be just you and I sitting here." Or just you, he added silently.<br/><br/>"Well we can set out after a decent breakfast. I think we'll just head down to where my notes indicate with one other man. With luck we'll be back here by sunset." He looked thoughtful. "Why not have a few of the men set up a longer term camp here, send out a hunter or two for some deer. We'll need a celebratory feat when we get back."<br/><br/><strong>A few hours later.</strong><br/><br/>Thorsen was cold, despite the clothing that he wore. It seemed the very elements were conspiring to turn them from their path. The Doctor seemed to getting strong in the face of the sheer adversity. Just as he was set to turn and walk away from the faltering path that the Doctor led, the storm broke and the three men stepped out into a valley that shouldn't have been there.<br/><br/>He looked around in shock as the Doctor kept walking towards a ruined city in the middle of the valley. All around them were the signs of a war that had long been over.<br/><br/>"We're the first people to walk these lands in centuries. Odds are the last living people were here a thousand years ago." The Doctor said as he led the way towards the city, a massive ruined building in the center seemed to be his destination. The further into the city he went, the more recent the battle seemed to have been.<br/><br/>Finally they arrived in the building. A massive body lay before the throne in the room. A tall man in armor sat upon the throne, his armor split by a terrible blow that would have felled a lesser man instantly. Thorsen felt a frisson of recognition as the Doctor walked over to the fallen giant.<br/><br/>"Valhalla." Thorsen said in awe, recognition as he looked around. The Doctor nodded from his examination of the bones of the giant.<br/><br/>"Indeed. Valhalla, home of the Gods, after the end of the nine worlds. Ragnarök has come and gone. Mighty Thor struck down the World Serpent, only to die six steps later." He gestured off towards the end of the valley. "Somewhere that way. Odin, the All Father, walked into this hall. His sons dead. One slain by base treachery, another in his fated path, and another, Loki, by the hand of a loyal Aesir. Heindall and Loki killed each other back that way," He said with a gesture towards the ruins of the gates.<br/><br/>"In the end, Odin waited here for his foe. Surtur, the fire giant. Terribly wounded by his fight with Ymir, having learned how to break the chains of Destiny. Without Ymir in the end to freeze the Nine Worlds, all that remained was his last foe." The Doctor pulled a spear from the body and in one smooth movement threw it at the other man with them. The spear slammed into him, killing him instantly as the Doctor walked over and pulled it free in a smooth motion before turning back to face Thorsen.<br/><br/>"Gungir." He said as he walked over to the man, his eyes freezing the guide on the spot. "Odin's spear. The weapon he broke the chains of Destiny with. It strikes true, but not flawlessly. Destiny can be changed but not averted." He said with an air of a teacher giving a lecture. "I know all about averting destiny Thorsen." He said as Thorsen felt his will disolving in his dark gaze.<br/><br/><strong>The next day</strong><br/><br/>Thorsen smiled as he finished breaking camp. The expedition had gone well. The bodies of the expedition had hidden his trail, the basis for blood magics that he had learned long ago. The last few decades had been greatly set his plans back. He had hoped to find the Thunderer's weapon but Gungir would do. It was a vast and powerful weapon, even if it wasn't an infallible striking weapon. The power in it would greatly aid him in his plans.<br/><br/>Ephraime Waite looked back as the storm closed over the entrance of the valley. A new form, a weapon of power and clues to the locations of others. Hopefully, hiding will be at an end soon.