Scorpio

SIXTEEN - Nidavellir

Imagine the whistle and fall of a nuke, which is then accompanied by the crash of the said object - then imagine the nuke was not a missile, but a trio consisting of an alien-raccoonoid, a god, and a teenage tree humanoid.

Which was basically the same thing, except, there was a lot more groaning and a little less "blowing up the world".

"Welcome to Needa-veil-lord!" Rocket cheered sarcastically as he sprang to his feet on the foreign terrain, then promptly fell over again.

"Nidavellir," Thor grunted, rolling over at a slower speed on the tough, rocky ground. The fall itself had not been too damaging, but the crossing of the Bifrost...even though the god had assured them he was familiar with it, he looked slightly nauseous.

"I am Groot!" Groot defended himself while he examined his body for injuries, which translated as, "At least this isn't as bad as jumping across half the universe!" 

He then plucked his broken arm off with the air of a teenager picking at a scab and promptly began growing the limb back as he discarded the old one behind him. Rocket had to duck to avoid the severed wooden object.

Rocket made a face as he picked himself up again. "Yeah sure, this wasn't as bad as the 700 jumps... But you're still gonna have to work on this, buddy."

Groot gave Rocket the finger, stunning him a bit from his knowledge of profanities. Recovering from his initial shock, Rocket retaliated with one of his own which the teenager smugly ignored.

"We are about half an hour's trek from the main forges of the dwarves we're looking for. I suggest we make haste." Thor's deep voice rumbled from above the pair; the lost monarch brushing himself off from where he stood.

Without a second glance to the two guardians, the thunder god turned around and began walking away; leaving his two smaller companions scrambling to catch up with him.

*******

"How much further?" Barely ten minutes into their trek, and Rocket was already complaining. Groot was riding on Thor's back; the latter having sympathized with him as becoming a new Yggdrasil-induced Bifrost was no small feat for a novice.

"I am...Grrrroot." Groot turned his head from Thor's shoulder and informed his companion, which translated as "We're a third of the way there...so stop whining!"

"Easy for you to say, you're not even walking," Rocket muttered under his breath. Turning to Thor, he asked, "Can't you fly?"

"Fly, yes, I could." Thor nodded. "But to do so, I would need my hammer - or summon lightning. The dwarves are not fond of my lightning. They say it charges up the forges and metals so that everything they touch gives them an electric shock."

"Screw 'em!" Rocket exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. "We're just going in this direction, right?"

"Yes, and into a mountain," Thor replied. Groot turned slightly to see what his friend was doing, his eyes widening at Rocket's plan. He poked Thor's cheek with an abnormally long finger, causing him to look over his shoulder.

"The dwarves don't do well with unexpected visitors-" Thor started, eyeing the strange device on the alien halfworlder. 

"See you there!" The furry guardian winked at Groot, and saluted Thor; ignoring his comment. Then, with a quick twist of a gadget on his wrist, Rocket blasted ahead with a jet-like contraption strapped to his back.

"I am Groot..." Groot murmured, watching Rocket's retreating figure.

Translating the teenager's words as "he's going to get in trouble", Thor nodded grimly.