Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths 2

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths 2 is the second issue of the Dark Horse comic book series Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths, a prequel to Dawn of Ragnarök. The comic, written by Alex Freed with art by Martín Túnica and Michael Atiyeh, was released on 20 April 2022.
==Publisher's summary==
As the fire giants of Muspelheim rumble about war, Baldr and Loki brave immense peril and adventure to seek out rare items to gift the Muspel princess, Eysa. If Baldr can win her heart, perhaps there can be peace amongst the nine realms once more.
2022 is the fifteenth anniversary of the Assassin's Creed franchise.
==Plot summary==
Baldr and Loki's partnership takes them across the Nine Realms in search of a prize to gain an audience with the Muspels. At times, Loki's nature has proved both a help and a hindrance, but they eventually capture a drop of , primeval venom from which Ymir was said to have been born. The son of Odin heads to the gates of Múspellsheimr alone to request entry to the realm, but his presence is violently rebuffed and Baldr is forced to retreat once again; the gift of Eitr represents the fifth treasure that the Æsir had quested for to win the Muspels over.
Baldr returns to Loki, who is exasperated that yet another of their adventures was for naught. Baldr points out that those they have encountered along the way would not agree, and Loki explains that Baldr could simply fight his way to Eysa. However, Baldr refuses to kill those simply carrying out their duty and chides his companion for masking his "better nature in callousness". Loki remarks that he is driven to protect himself and his family; that fear of death cannot be comprehended by immortal Baldr.
The younger Æsir turns away and heads out into the night then tells the pursuing Loki that he has been plagued by increasingly vivid dreams of his own demise. Loki tries to ask about the dreams, but Baldr shuts it down so they can refocus on their goal. Loki suggests a journey to Helheim to capture the " of Garm" may be in order, only for Baldr to offer that a new strategy is needed. Instead of securing an object fit for a Muspel, they will construct their own, and the pair make their way to Svartálfaheimr.
They meet with Eldi, foreman of a clan of dwarven smiths to craft an exquisite, bejeweled crown. With rumor of a war with the Muspels in the air, the dwarf must be talked into putting his focus towards such a distraction, and Loki starts trying to trick him into carrying out the work. Baldr interrupts and asks him to come up with a convincing truth instead.
A monk interrupts the storyteller, a woman with a dark birthmark across her left eye. He seeks clarification that it was indeed a crown to be crafted, as he had once heard it was a necklace instead. She responds that "not all stories are true or lies" and continues her tale.
Loki and Baldr infiltrate the mountains of Jötunheimr in search of jewels for their crown. As a son of the jötunn Fárbauti, the trickster's ancestry allows him to weather the cold, but Baldr is feeling it. Loki wonders aloud if the colder-than-usual climate is the prophesized to precede Ragnarök: "Perhaps the Jotnar will join the Muspels' war, and all the realms will tremble."
The pair seek shelter within a cave. There, Loki decides that they have collected enough precious stones and tries to keep Baldr warm. The son of Odin fears that he will be frozen alive and trapped forever, so he asks Loki to promise to tell Eysa of his deeds and the world of his efforts should he fail. Loki agrees, on the condition that Baldr tells him of the dreams that haunt him. The younger man reveals that he can be felled by the poison of a mistle-berry, and Loki says he will protect his secret.
Baldr awakens back in Asgard being tended to by Freyja. She informs her stepson that he was brought to them by a Dwarf whom she correctly suspects was a disguised Loki, though she chose not to share this with her husband. They debate the wisdom of trusting Loki and, in the end, Baldr states his belief that the trickster can be redeemed, although Freyja suggests that Odin may not wish him to be. When she learns that Baldr intends to become a Muspel prince, she leads him to Asgard's treasury to give him a fitting wedding gift to add to the crown's design. 
Baldr returns to Svartálfaheimr and reunites with Loki and Eldi. The crown is complete, but Baldr realizes that war has come to the realm. With a meeting with Eysa even further away, Baldr chooses to remain and aid the dwarves. Loki considers that Baldr may yet win Eysa's heart with valor, and Baldr asks him to deliver the crown in his stead. As Baldr prepares to fight, Loki, in the form of an eagle, carries the crown through the gates of Múspellsheimr and over the gathered Muspel forces. He disposes of the crown into a lava pit below and laughs.
==Gallery==
ACV FM Issue 2 no text.jpg|Textless cover
==References==
Category:Assassin's Creed: Valhalla