A small trickle of dark, crimson liquid coursed freely down Loki's face from the gash in his forehead. It had been a near-miss on his rival's part, only barely catching the trickster's face in the heat of battle. So sparked a flame of interest in the character he faced; intrigue shone emerald in Loki's eyes as he traced the actions of a clear novice.
His opponent's torso and arms were covered entirely in an ivory, blood splattered fur; covering the face, a grotesquely beautiful mask whose mouth was open in a scream, four fangs across the mouth, wild red eyes and demonic horns; what little he did see of the blue Jötun skin, was adorned in dark, thick patterns of tribal tattoos. Magic was clear in their battle stance, if nothing else; shoulders pushed high and back, as though carrying a heavy burden, fingers splayed with palms to the icy ground, and bare feet whose toes only touched the ground beneath them. Slender and almost feminine in frame, it was shocking how strong they were until Loki took another long look over them.
Almost feminine? Perhaps, but even so, thick muscles stood out on bare legs, veins pulsed like mighty snakes under the skin, and long fingers cracked with each flex as though eager to test the young prince of Asgard.. A flash of white and red, and once more Loki was pushed back, only small slices being torn open each time the beast lashed out, and then it was back to its stand twenty metres from him.
Again and again came fluid, graceful, precise attacks from every exposed angle that Loki gave. He wasn't undefeated in battle, but this was ridiculous; the speed at which he was being targeted was immense, the ability rose beyond much of the training in Asgard. Continuously, he was forced to relinquish more and more of his own blood, staining the ice under him with the red droplets, his cheeks and forehead bled relentlessly...
Snarling, low and guttural, erupted from feral lips under the same fascinating mask his opponent hid underneath.
"You fight well, for a beginner." The trickster grinned through cracked, dry, thirsty lips, throwing another set of knives at his enemy, whose dodging failed them on the third and fourth knife, slicing through the thick polar fur to reveal naked and bleeding shoulders. Loki had always been precise in his targets, striking where was most effective to take down an enemy, and he had just rendered this one completely vulnerable by taking down their defence and offense in two shots.
Silent, the Jötun stood before Loki, who took careful steps forward, ready to strike them down once his curiosity was satisfied. Seeing their face while the enemy was alive was far less memorable than the cold, lifeless features of an already deceased victim. Once stood a few feet from his latest victory, the trickster reached out his thin fingers and curled them up under the chin of the mask, wrenching it free from its place on his opponent's head.
Plump, rouged lips curved up into a tooth-baring grin, snowy teeth glistened in the dim light of the Jötunheimr sun, long eyelashes fluttered in an attempt to keep flakes of ash of the fallen from wild eyes, thick raven locks of hair fell around stunning feral features as Loki stared into the amber eyes of a woman.
Frozen, he simply... held onto the mask, long tendrils of hot air releasing from his parted, quiet lips.
Grinning, the woman took a grand bow and fled, leaving barely a trace of footstep, and making no sound whatsoever. Loki still held tightly onto the mask, still too shocked for words; he was sure than no Jötun woman had ever been permitted to fight in battle. Of course, Loki's opinions on women didn't reflect their views, but they thought women should remain indoors, and do naught but bare their young, so that strong male Jötuns may rise up to fight, attack and defend their fabricated little empire.
A woman... He was almost killed by a Jötun woman, whom he knew nothing about; whom he had not learned of being a woman until he had already allowed her escape, no less. His body ached, bruised and covered in shallow scratches and deep cuts. His wounds were many, and they had fought for a long while... And now it was his task to return to Asgard and discover more of this she-wolf he had fought tooth and nail with.