CHAPTER SIX

ON THE DECREPIT, decaying world of Svartalfheim, the air was poisonous to the Dark Elves. With their expressionless helmets covering their faces, an army of Dark Elves marched in formation along a jagged cliff side, until one elf raised a weapon and fired. It was the same type of black hole–inducing device that the scouts had used, and in a matter of seconds, the cliff imploded in on itself, sucking itself into a newly created miniature black hole. The elf stood stoic, and then continued to lead them on.

Meanwhile, deep within the catacombs, more elves fired even more devices, which caused even more miniature black holes to form and suck away the rocky terrain. The elf minions were training for battle and preparing for war.

On the cliff above, Algrim approached Malekith, who was standing without his helmet, rasping as he breathed in the toxic air. “My wife and I would sit here on the shore and watch our children play. I can still see the reflection of the waves on her face and feel the cool of the black wind,” Malekith said as he kneeled down and sifted through black ash that covered the land. “I will restore our world to its former splendor or I will breathe this poison air until it kills me.”

In a show of support, Algrim unhooked and removed his mask, and breathed in the same toxic air. Malekith was impressed by his fellow Dark Elf’s loyalty. Algrim hid his pain and began to speak. “The scouts bring word from Vanaheim. The Asgardians are taking prisoners,” he said.

“Prisoners? Time has made them weak.” Then Malekith pointed toward his men and looked to Algrim. He didn’t even have to say the words to his second in command.

“We are making progress,” Algrim informed his master. He would make sure that the elves trained until they were ready. This was a fight that they were not prepared to lose.

“Good. Soon the Asgardians will know our pain as their own,” Malekith said, looking out at dozens of Dark Elf Ark spaceships, all of which had crashed on this planet more than a thousand years ago, all of which served as a grim reminder of what the Dark Elves had lost, and just who was responsible.