Icarus – White Hinterland
Chapter 1
Loki caught a large pack that Thor tossed at him from atop of the stone wall and smirked. It was always his prerogative to be the first one to step foot somewhere forbidden to the two of them. He was also very often the blunt of the blame for these modest adventures that he shared with his brother but he had never really cared. These adventures he shared with his brother, they were some of the rare times when he could actually feel like Thor's equal.
To reach their destination they made a three kilometer hike through dense forest following alongside a large creek, twisted in between some of the more stout mountains of Western Asgard. The creek was fed by snowmelt as well as the one open spring located near the mouth of the delta. Instead of leading to an ocean as an outlet, the river dropped down to smaller group of islands, the largest named Rubicon Falls. The point of no return, this island was home to legends of the Nyx.
Stories were told of the Nyx, a people said to have been banished from the realm of Asgard generations before. The Nyx were a group of water people that were nomads, traveling all of the water systems throughout Asgard. It was also said that they were a peaceful race once, long before. Though the local Asgardians had been reassured that these stories were only folklore, it had failed to put to rest mysteries of stragglers going missing over the centuries. The area had been barricaded off when a series of unnatural avalanches destroyed several small villages during another assault from Jotunheim. It had been Loki's idea to scale over this barrier and venture near the edge of the territory.
Once they reached their small pool of glory, Loki was the first to drop his pack and dive in head first. Thor followed suit, only after easing his way into the chilly waters. Loki watched him, smirking under the water with only his eyes above the surface. Thor's hesitation amused him.
The two of them played all sorts of water games, racing each other around the edge of the pool, determining who could dive the deepest into the spring... They usually avoided moving too far out on the edge as the mouth of the river dropped down in the largest of the falls below. But Thor also loved to test Loki's patience. He snickered, grinning widely as his brother eyed him wearily.
"Thor, don't be foolish." Ignoring Loki, he began making wild butterfly strokes towards the spring's edge.
"What could you possibly be afraid of here, Brother?" Thor continued his banter as Loki muttered under his breath.
"It never hurts to be cautious." And our father would never forgive me if you did something stupid. He rolled his eyes, dipping his head under the cool water. Loki could hold his breath for an abnormally long span of time. Swimming was one sport Loki excelled in, surpassing his brother's skill. Unfortunately, swimming was not exactly the most highly praised sport in Asgardian games.
The minutes ticked by and he surfaced. Panic washed over him when he looked out over the clear surface and did not spot Thor bobbing in the water in his usual, oaf-like manner.
"Thor." He called out to him, and again more irritated. "Thor!" Loki was tired of being on the receiving end of Thor's poorly lain-out pranks. He pulled himself out of the water onto a rock, getting a better vantage point of the spring. He scanned the foliage, watching for signs of motion. Loki continued his climb towards the edge of the spring, where the water dropped down to the islands below.
As he pulled himself up another mossy rock, he froze.
The faint sound of a chorus met his ears. The melody was sad and pleading; he listened and felt his chest tighten with a sense of wanderlust. His vision began to intensify, the water coming into sharp focus and his extremities numbed. He lost his footing and fell gracelessly back into the frigid waters. The cold made the breath catch in his lungs and it cleared his head. The Nyx. That was their trance. The melancholically twisting notes were the demise of wanderers who ventured too close to their path.
The haunting sound drifted up from below the edge. Above, pearly white clouds drifted lazily by, as though inviting him closer. Loki knew better.
"Thor!" Loki cried, anxiety warped his face and real panic beginning to grip his chest. What would happen if Loki left for help? That was not an option, it was a full day's hike and anything could happen while he was gone. He stood overlooking the ledge, a gust of misty wind blew back his hair and he was hit with a sense vertigo from the sheer height of the drop. The falls descended down into whiteness which he could not see beyond. Coming to a resolution, he drew in a deep breath of air and plummeted into the Rubicon.