Solomon worked hard to keep his impatience from showing on his face.
Damn Thor! Can't he see why I'm doing this? The arcanist forced a smile as he greeted a young woman in a blue dress. I just don't want to deal with any more women, is that so hard to understand? Damn it, where has that guy run off to?
Sif raised her glass and, after a few gulps, slammed the empty cup heavily onto the table. The crowd of revelers cheered, oblivious to her mood, as she grabbed another drink. Only her close companions, the "slim" Volstagg and Fandral, noticed something was off. But after glancing at Sif's expression, they abandoned any idea of trying to stop her. They both understood Thor's recent behavior, especially the perceptive Fandral, who was keenly aware of Sif's struggles and her sacrifices for Thor. Even so, in the current situation, all he could do was sigh and hand Sif another drink.
Time heals all wounds, even the fleeting lives of mortals. They believed that one day, Thor would come to his senses.
Sif wasn't any kinder to Solomon, but the arcanist chose not to engage, instead sitting quietly to the side, waiting for the feast to end. With Thor missing and Volstagg bound to get drunk quickly, the party's duration could be shortened significantly. Solomon already had a spell prepared. Once the time was right, he planned to cast it and send everyone into a deep sleep.
"You're late."
"Sometimes enjoying pleasures is harder than dealing with the pressures of war." Thor, draped in a black silk cloak, entered Himinbjörg, where Heimdall was on duty. Long ago, this structure had been used by Heimdall to monitor the Frost Giants in Jotunheim. But after Asgard's dominance over the Nine Realms and beyond, Heimdall's watchful eyes extended to the entire universe. He rarely left this place, dedicating himself to observing the movements across the Nine Realms.
"One of those must have gone wrong," Heimdall quipped, his usual distant and formal demeanor melting away in Thor's presence. He even joked with the future king of Asgard. Heimdall welcomed Thor's nightly visits to Himinbjörg. Even if Thor's purpose revolved around a mortal, Heimdall valued their conversations, as Thor often shared stories about the Nine Realms. At the very least, Thor could learn something—such as the significance of celestial alignments.
"The Convergence is approaching again, isn't it?"
"Since my clock began ticking, the universe hasn't witnessed such a miracle. Only a few can sense it; even fewer can see it. But whether it's noticed or not, its effects are perilous." Heimdall loosened his grip on his great sword and stood at the edge of Himinbjörg. "It's as beautiful as the starry sky."
"I see nothing."
"Perhaps it's not the beauty you're looking for," Heimdall joked lightly. He understood the pressures Thor was under. The title of King of Asgard might sound glorious, but the responsibilities it entailed were terrifying. Heimdall, privy to all of Asgard's secrets, could reveal nothing without the All-Father's permission.
"How is she?"
"Your mortal woman? She's clever," Heimdall replied. "She hasn't figured out what's happening yet, but she's studying the Convergence. She's even…"
"Even what?"
"I can't see her anymore."
"Human understanding of the universe was quite peculiar in ancient times," Solomon said, sipping his wine as he spoke to an Asgardian maiden beside him. "Some believed the universe was like an egg before it was born. As the saying goes, 'The world was chaos, like a chicken egg, and Pangu was born within. After eighteen thousand years, heaven and earth split apart. The light and pure became heaven, the heavy and turbid became earth.' The idea of yin and yang forming a cosmos wasn't unique. In alchemy, this concept thrived—for instance, the ouroboros, a circle formed by two snakes biting each other's tails, representing the king and queen of masculinity and femininity. The Hermetic staff, a symbol of duality and unity, was regarded as the highest mystery. The Philosopher's Stone, the Great Work—'As above, so below, to create the miracle of the One.' Everything contains that singular essence, for all things spring from the One… Hey, listen to me!"
"Come on, Asgardian girls don't want to hear about magic if they aren't interested in learning it," Fandral interrupted, sitting beside Solomon with a grin. Fearing the arcanist might be left out, he brought along a few young women to join the conversation. What he didn't realize was that Solomon's lectures were deliberate—to keep them away.
"This isn't nonsense; it's truth," Solomon said, his words hinting at something deeper that Fandral wouldn't yet understand. The red liquid, the red stone, the red powder—these were the Elixir of Life, the universal solvent, the Prima Materia, the Fifth Element—the pinnacle of alchemical achievement.
Now, he had an opportunity to approach the ultimate truth up close. How could he not be excited?
"All right, all right, you're right," Fandral replied with a chuckle. "But you can't talk like that at a feast. Discuss flowers, art, your bravery in battle. You're not even twenty yet; some things come with experience. Learn from me. I promise not to mislead you. On the battlefield, I'll even help you earn glory. Don't worry, I've seen my share of battle; you won't be scared. Come on, let's charm some ladies. Let me teach you how to talk to them… Hey, would you like to hear about this young Midgardian man's exploits? He's fought alongside us, a true warrior."
"I'll vouch for him!" Volstagg shouted, swallowing his food and setting a child on the ground from his lap. "He's a fighter, and a drinker too!"
Solomon sighed and turned away, secretly drinking a vial of Panacea.
The banquet lasted until morning. Solomon tried casting sleep spells, but Asgardians' resilience was absurd. Sleep and even heightened versions of the spell had no effect. Only a few weaker children fell asleep at the table—and Solomon wasn't sure if they were genuinely tired or affected by his magic.
Thanks to the Panacea, Solomon was still energetic when he woke. After washing up, he received a message from Ganna, the goddess of the wind. A mortal had arrived in Asgard, someone he might be interested in meeting. The chatty goddess eagerly shared details, hinting that Solomon was the first person she'd spoken to that day. The mortal was brought by Thor himself—Thor's rumored mortal woman. Why would Thor choose her over Sif?
Solomon agreed. This was his best chance to approach the Fifth Element, the Philosopher's Stone.
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