Chapter 2 ~Loki's POV~

Why?

Why did this have to happen!?

He wasn't really sure how it had all happened or why, but one moment he was out walking the market place with three of his guards behind him, just enjoying a nice evening stroll and then the next he was pinned down across the back of what looked like demonic horse sized goat. The rider shouted orders to burn the city and Loki cried out for them to stop. He struggled weakly, too scared to fall off and get trampled but also scared for his people. All around him screams, shouting and the sound of battle echoed.

He felt sick from the awkward motion of the beast's shoulder blades digging into his stomach while he rocked in an up and down motion from side to side. The hand on his back was only a mild comfort, steadying him so he wouldn't fall off even if he fainted right now. But then suddenly all sound seemed to fall silent. The Jotuns quickly grabbing each other and quickly fleeing into the nearest buildings. Loki gasped, his senses telling him to quickly hide! He gave a muffled curse as she forced himself onto his hands and knees, balancing precariously on the beast's back, the rider trying to force him down, but Loki quickly, and with all his strength, shoved himself up and off the beast.

Tumbling into a thick snow bank, he rolled to his feet, secretly glad he decided to pin his hair up today, and racing down an alleyway. He followed its twists and turns before he got to the end and banged on a door. It opened and a hand grabbed his wrist pulling him in just as a fierce and world shattering sound filled the silence quickly followed by the screams of the invaders and anyone one unfortunate to still be outside. Like the rushing waves of a tsunami, the roar got louder and louder as snow, ice and rock came pouring through the streets. The Avalanche took out any and all in its path, skirting around the buildings as if water curving around a stone.

Soon the rushing sound slowed and finally dulled. Loki let out a breath, closing his eyes as he tried to think.

"Prince!" He looked to the Jotun who pulled him in, the towering being, holding a cloak of rich purple material and a satchel of supplies in his hand. "Take these and take this tunnel all the way to the end! Those riders are the Dark Elves! They have been threatening war and it seems it is here! Flee quickly! Hurry!"

Loki took the cloak, it was too big, but it would keep him warm and then grabbed the satchel. The Jotun moved to a false floor and opened it up to reveal a smooth slide of ice and snow. Loki quickly thanked him for his aid, asked him that should he have the chance to inform his guards and his parents, before he jumped in, sliding a good portion down the tunnel. Once he came to a stop, he stood and began to walk. The tunnel was a singular path, but carved so that even the tallest Giant could crawl through without hindrance. But Loki was a Runt, standing no more than 5'7" only three inches tall than his own mother.

Thinking of her, he hoped he'd see her again as well as his father and his brothers. The tunnel was dark and very long, but he pressed on. He has heard of the Dark Elves, they have been seeking to invade Jotunheim since the first Great War between Jotunheim and Asgard, and almost succeeded in the second Great War when his grandfather, Mimir lost the Casket of Eternal Winters to Asgard and all their ties, contracts and treaties with the other realms severed and burned. They were left in exile, to slowly wither away and die alone and viewed as monsters.

They were once the Rulers of the Nine Realms, spreading Darkness and Death all around, but then the Light Elves, with the help of the Golden Army of Asgard fought them and banished them. Sealing their power, the Aether, into a single gem where it was given to a pair of mortal women who hide it where none could ever find it for they took that secret with them to the grave. After their defeat and banishment, no one has heard or seen of them until the wars between his people and the Aesir. His mother says that the first war caused a ripple through the very fabric of time and space, allowing the Dark Elves, who had placed themselves to sleep until the day they could reclaim the Aether, to feel the first stirrings of the ancient power.

The second war had spread to all realms, the ripple was now multiple and soon waves that woke the Elves and they came for the other Relics of Old. They stole the Death Shade from Niflheim, the Queen of the Helheim was furious and sent her troupes out to it back. The Life Water of Alfheim, the Frozen Flame of Muspelhiem, but they by passed Midgard for the Mortals had nothing worth stealing or that contained vast amounts of Magic. Vanaheim and Nidavellir were the only places besides Asgard where the Svartalfheim Elves have yet to venture. All in the Realms know that Asgard had the Casket of Eternal Winters, so he was not sure why they were attacking them. The Dwarfs of Nidavellir kept the Chalice of Gaia safe and Vanaheim was the keeper of the Norn's Loom, it was impossible to steal it or to remove it from the heart of the Realm.

The Dark Elves would have to invade and settle on Vanaheim to use that Relic. And of course Asgard had Idun and the Golden Apples. But the Dark Elves have their own Relic, the Cradle. But it was a fickle thing, a chaotic item that none could use for it was sentient and it had a will of its own. But why steal other Relics, but not take your own? And then there was the Aether, it was a power condensed into a gem. An Infinity Stone. He recalled his mother telling him once as a small toddler about the stones and their terrible and immeasurable power.

The Space Stone, or the Tesseract, the Mind Stone, the Reality Stone, or as the Dark Elves called it the Aether, and Power Stone, or the Orb. Four Stones that she has personally hear stories of from her ancestors, two others were hidden and obscure, the Soul and Time Stones. She told him that in her Tribe they believe that the very first Gods were Chaos and Death, for they existed before the Universe was created for nothing in life could be made without a little destruction and death first. She told him that the Six stones were made by Chaos and Death as the seeds of the Universe from which not only the Nine Realms but others beyond their boarders grew from.

She told him of how many wars and terrible deeds had been wrought with the Stones or to obtain them. It became so terrible that Death and Chaos sealed the stones away into containers that acted much like the Relics of the Realms. A singular Knot of magic that controlled and balanced the out put of it into a realm, but unlike the Relics, when one takes them, the Realm does not suffer adverse effects. She had drawn him a picture once of the Infinity Stones and described how an ancestor of hers had one found one and hide it as best she could for she felt its great and terrible power. She told him of a once magnificent city called Atlantis, who had in their possession an Infinity Stone, which one, she was not sure.

They were an ancient race, believing in the gods and making tributes or sacrifices to them for their continued blessing of power they got from the Stone. It seemed like all was well and he saw no reason for his mother to look so sad, that is until she spoke of how the King of Atlantis soon thought himself above the Gods, thought himself a God of Gods and to prove his might he captured Death and tried to trick Chaos into his grasp for they were the two Gods that none dared worshiped. That all feared and loathed. He was shocked that someone would dare do that to the ones who breathed life into them!

She had laughed then, cold and humorless as she told him that her Ancestor was the Relic of Chaos, His voice, His flesh and His weapon. At Chaos's command, she took the Stone and unleashed his terrible power, first by breaking the city away from the main land, shifting it off its bedrock and out to sea where she then summoned a demon of from the depths of Hell, a Leviathan. It was then she spoke of another Relic, this one another woman who represented Death, the Lord of the Dead. She controlled the Leviathan to break off pits and pieces of the massive island, forcing its people to the heart where the King was forced to activate a magic shield to protect them.

Instead he trapped them for all eternity, to live extended and miserable lives under the magic until it finally faded and they all died with out it, The Leviathan their Guardian and their Jailer but the Relics were not done. Their Masters' will not complete. All the World watched as the two then sunk Atlantis below the surface of the ocean, buried it so deep that even millions of years later none has ever found it again, but she knows it is still their, its people still trapped in Limbo with the Demon watching and waiting to finish its duty.

The lesson he had learned was that the Stones were neither good nor bad, but the ones who control it were. That sometimes even the best intentions could lead to terrible and unforgivable acts or evil intentions could lead to wonderful outcomes. That as her son, one day Chaos might call on him to be His Relic and that he had to be careful with that power and responsibility for he could destroy what he he intends to protect or protect what he's meant to destroy. That should he ever find an Infinity Stone, he is to protect it and not let it control him or others know its presence.

He came out of his thoughts then, just as he reached the end of the tunnel. He hadn't realized he was so deep in thought that he had traveled the miles long passage without pause. He almost laughed, his mother has always told him his mind wandered to other realities, it seems it is true. Finding a rounded rock to sit on, he rubbed his sore legs and aching feet with a bit of peppermint ointment, to sooth the aches and to bring some warmth back to them. Believe it or not, Jotuns do feel cold, though rarely and they do enjoy warmth, just not wild and uncontrolled flames.

Resting for as much as he dared, he stood and began to crawl out of the tunnel into what looked like one of the few forests left on Jotunheim. The towering pine trees were dark and silent, almost looking down at him. The Jotuns were a mixed race, just like any other. The Frost Giants ruled the Tundras and Valleys while their cousins, the Stone Giants took domain of the Mountains and underground caverns. While the Great Ents, guarded the forests and spoke with the Wind Giants, who raced around their realm bringing with them snow and clouds, wind and rain. Deep underground were the Magma Giants who oversaw the few Volcanoes on Jotunheim, providing their surface dwelling cousins with natural heat and warmth to make up for the Realms wrath for loosing the center of its Knot.

He wondered if one of the trees was an Ent, he heard his father tell him once that they were old and wise, but often took ages to speak for they believed that if one wanted to say something important they needed to take their time or else all the info with be lost or forgotten. His father was not a very patient man so it brought a humored smile to his lips picturing his father waiting for the Ents to state their business. Shaking his head, he quickly checked the area before he dashed out of his spot and through the trees.

As a Runt, Loki was not trained like his brothers, or taught anything for that matter. All that has learned and will ever learn came from his mother, and on the rare occasions his father and brothers. She taught him the art of the Hunt, both as the Hunter and the Hunted. She taught him magic as well and how he should always use all he had to evade or to track. And today he was the Hunted, passing the trees, he brushed his palm on them, a trace of his magic sparking into their old bark. Flashes of their lives entering his mind as he gave them flashes of his own.

An equal trade, for as he passed the tree, snow would fall from their branches and cover the path he took while creatures of the forest would scatter in all other directions, stumbling or prancing in a way to leave similar foot prints to the once he left behind. Ducking low, he slide under a fallen tree, taking its memory, a path being show to him and he fled down it until he came to the base of the mountain range that surrounded all of the Valley he lived in. He would either have to climb it or find a near by cave to sit and wait until someone from his people found him or it was safe enough to return home.

Being cautious, but quick he dashed from the treeline to the mountain's base, dashing up its small foot paths for a moment or two, slowly climbing his way to see over the forest. But as soon as he saw above the tops of the trees, his heart clenched as the air left him in a sob. In the distance, Ymir's Keep was awash with flames, their few fields burning and it was just terrible! But what had him terrified even more was the massive army that stood on the open fields watching as a small section of them finished burning his home and his people to the ground.

He collapsed then, unawares of the shadows creeping over him, as he let out a mournful howl that the wind seemed to carry with it. Dropping into a hunched ball he sobbed as he saw flashed of his father's secret smiles on his stern face, his brothers looming over him with teasing grins as they pointed out the wonders of their home to him one their rare brotherly outings, and his mother's kind eyes, her gentle smile and her Midgardian colors looking unique and exotic within a realm of blue, white, black and gray.

"Well, well, well... A lone Frostling..." Hissed a voice and he slowly sat up, turning his head to glare with ruby red on crimson eyes at the speaker.

A Dark Elf. He wasn't alone, five others all leering and whispering in low dulcet tones. Turning his head away he looked to his burning home one last time before he felt his heart turn cold. The Elf took his silence as submission and therefore reached out to grab hold of him, only to howl in agony as the young Jotun spun around, a dagger of the purest, whites metal dripped with blood, the Elf's severed hand laying into the snow at the Jotun's feet. Hissing low, around slightly fanged teeth, the young Prince glared at his attackers.

"You invaded my home. You attacked my people without due cause and you have murdered them... My brothers, my father and my mother... You will suffer for each of them." He growled out, placing a hand on the snow and a bright green Knot appeared under him flashing icy blue as the snow on the mountain suddenly sprang to life and turned to ice, piercing through the other two Elves as the last three, including the one with a stump now, dodged the attack, but he didn't allow them long to recover, jumping onto the one closest to him, he rolled them to the edge and after plunging his dagger into the Elf's chest, kicked him off the mountain.

The one with the stump snarled and pulled out a whip with his remaining hand and snapped it around the Prince's neck and yanked. He chocked and fell, the last Elf jumping onto him and after a few good punches to the face and stomach, he went limp with pain. All his fury had vanished at the pain and he whimpered as he felt magical shackles snap over his wrists before a metal gag with a soft cloth bit was forced into his mouth and snapped tight around his head making it impossible to move his jaws. Once they had him secure, they yanked him up and headed down the mountain, leaving their dead for the animals...

"Lord Malekith will be pleased with this one..." He heard Stumpy wheeze, a bloody bandage was wrapped haphazardly around his still bleeding stump, the extreme cold already starting to necrotize the flesh with frostbite.

"Mmm, such a shame... This pretty one would be a favorite among the soldiers." Growled the one behind him.

After he had been captured, they forced him to sit on the goat beast again, this time the full bodied Elf sat behind him, his arms caging him tightly so the young Prince wouldn't fall or try to escape, not like he could do much with his hands shackled and his magic subdued, even his mouth was sealed shut and he was furious all the same. How dare these pigs speak of him like he were a common whore! And he shivered in disgust as feeling the rider behind him press their masked face to his hair, breathing in his scent.

He was no ones favorite! Well whatever that meant to these Dark Elves he was not theirs! He was however his mother's favorite child, she spoiled him the most out of the three of her sons, though she loved them all equally. He was also his father's favorite for he was a perfect balance of soft beauty and deadly intelligence. If someone told him he could not do something, he did it anyway and with minimal damage. Though there were certain things he was told not to do and he did as asked because his mother was not someone you wished to cross.

"Keep your mitts to yourself!" Stumpy snarled, coughing a moment later, hissing as his arm hurt more.

"Or what? You've got only one hand and even then it is not your dominant one." Sneered the other Elf.

Before they could get into any further arguments, there were three bellowing cries as out of the ice and snow burst Loki's bodyguards! They grabbed the two Elves, freezing them solid and then smashing them to fine powder. Loki sobbed in relief as the knelt down to his level and with surprisingly gentle and careful fingers worked his muzzle off.

"What has happened!?" He demanded, holding out his bound wrists to them as they tried to see how to remove the shackles.

"The Queen caused the Avalanche to wipe out most of the Elves within the city, allowing all to flee via the tunnel system she insisted we build. We are thankful for that, or we'd have lost our precious Frostlings and Carriers." One Warrior spoke up, looking very relieved, but also worried and panicky.

"The King is gathering the army to face the Dark Elves, your brothers are preparing for their first battle at his side and your mother is about ready to rain Ragnarok upon the Elves for daring to attack us." Another said.

"Sounds like they woke her from her nap." Loki chuckled. She did love her sleep and woe be to those who wake her. "But why attack us? We do not have the Casket!"

"... The Queen... she said they are here for Stones." The last spoke up, growling when he could not figure out the cuffs. "Forgive us Prince, these Elvish cuffs are not something we've seen before."

"It is alright, but I will be useless in a fight. I have my dagger still, it lies there." He nodded to the blade that Stumpy had taken from him as a reward for not killing him outright. "And if they wanted stones, surely Svartalfheim is not so barren that they cannot mine the endless fields of rock and stone!"

"Not stones, prince; Stones! Umm I believe she said Relic Stones-"

"Infinity Stones..." he gasped.

"Yes!" The guards smiled, proud of their little prince's intelligence, but frowned when his already glacial blue skin tone turned almost snow white. "Prince Loki?"

"The stories... they are true and mother..." He brought his hands to his lips and he looked panicked. "Mother's in danger! I must-"

"The Queen has given us strict instructions to take you and to fell the Realm."

"But how!? No other Realm will help us and all other Realms have either fallen to the Dark Elves or have had their Relics stolen!" Loki cried, not meaning to sound like a whining Frostling, but unable to bring himself to care. "And it is mother who needs protection not me!"

"Prince Loki, please..." sighed the oldest of the guards. "Lady Rhyg has spoken of natural pathways, bridges much like the BiFrost that are formed by Yggdrasil's roots. That Yggdrasil has long before connected the fruits of its branches together so that all were always tied to one another. We will take one such path to Vanaheim. You will be safest there. We dare not set foot in Asgard for they will kill us on sight. The Vanir will at the very least hear our case before they decide to attack."

Loki looked stunned, but then nodded his head. There was no other choice, until these shackles came off, he was as helpless as a babe. He could still use his blade, yes, but with the limited range of motion, he would be felled before he could even kill one of his aggressors. So without further adieu, Loki was picked up into one of his bodyguard's arms and the group of four took off for one of the secret paths...

When they arrived at a tall spire of ice, Loki almost burst into laughter. For something that was very powerful and permanent magic, it took the form of something plain and ordinary. His mother would say that sometimes the most powerful artifacts are the ones that look like tools one uses everyday vs something large or overly gaudy.

"Are you sure this is the path?" on of the younger guards asked.

"Yes." Loki answered for the Eldest. "It is a mirage, the magic is sentient, it takes on a form that we are most familiar but also will not look at twice."

"Ohh..." they all awed as he was set down to walk over to it. A brilliant flash of purple light appeared from a crag in the ice, when it dimmed a cave was there before them.

"Come..." Loki ordered as he walked forward to the mouth, feeling the pull of the wind. He could hear it whispering secrets to him begging him to enter, but he waited, he did not wish to enter alone.

The larger Jotuns seemed to come to their senses and moved forward, following their prince into the magical path. It was dark, but ahead of them was a doorway of light, a gentle violet that beckoned them toward it. Around them was emptiness, but they could feel the caress of magic on their skin, tugging at their blood and nuzzling warmly into their stomachs. It was strange, almost frightening, but oddly calming. They did not deter or stray, following their prince who walked as if he were traveling down the hall from his chambers to the dining hall.

"We are almost there, try not to stray." Loki called back, feeling the lessening of the magic the closer to the other end they got. "We do not know what will happen if we do not follow the path."

They grunted in agreement, glancing down where a path of shimmering blue mist guided them to the door, but branching out from it were paths of purple and pink interlocking and spiraling into the distance. But they ignored their curiosity, for now anyways. They had to be only a handful of yards from the door when suddenly the air shifted and lightened so suddenly they nearly fell to their knees in dizziness. Loki moaned weakly as he felt momentarily mortal, it was so strange to feel weak and helpless, the chains suddenly too heavy as his body shivered from the suddenly freezing air around him.

He wondered if this was how his mother felt daily and if so, he found himself respecting her more and truly glad he called her his Dam. Shaking his head he stood up, looking behind them only to gasp as he saw the Dark Elves rushing down the path, their surefooted approach telling them that they were very familiar with the Path and feared nothing. Cursing, the guards grabbed Loki up between their bodies and rushed the last few feet between them and freedom, jumping out at the last second. They held tight to their prince and each other, landing roughly and rolling to a stop, making sure their prince was not harmed at all before getting up and blinking in confusion.

Loki blinked and realized it was very dark, while Jotuns had very good night vision, this was a darkness they were not use to for there was no snow. In fact he was confused as he felt the ground, soft, but firm bristles touched his hand and when he leaned close to breath it in, he blinked at the strange smell.

"It's... grass..." He gasped in awe before he stood up, the guards joining him as well, looking around in confused awe. "This smell, mother uses it when she washes her hair... It's grass..."

They didn't get much more than that to explore before an entire battalion of Dark Elves poured out of the path ready to attack.

"There you are, little Princess..." chuckled a low voice, a strange accent tinging the words as the last to step out of the path was a Dark Elf with pale skin and even white hair, his eyes were an ethereal blue surrounded by black. He was tall and lean, dressed in the black and silver armor of his people, but the way he stood told them he was the leader. "Come now, child, we will spare your people if you come quietly."

"I don't believe you!" Loki yelled back, but gasped when his guards let out battle roars and charged head first that the battalion. "No! Stop!"

But it was too late. The three were smacking and crushing anyone in their path, but the seeming endless number of Dark Elves quickly overwhelmed them and sadly they fell. They stood again, five times more before finally they fell and did not stand again. Loki had sat there with tears in his eyes, these three had been with him since infancy, something of family and friends, but now they were dead and he couldn't do anything to save them.

"Bring him here." Ordered the Leader as two men grabbed the unresisting prince and dragged him toward their leader. "They foolishly stood up to me, and now look at them. Will you be so foolish?"

"I hope my mother finds you and rips your heart out..." Loki growled low, the conviction and promise in his words was enough to make the Elf in front of him to flinch slightly before he chuckled and turned to his men, ordering them to make ready to cross the path once more with their prize in hand.

"I would not bet on that, little Jotun... For she will not risk your life and I will not risk damaging a wonderful vessel such as yourself."

"What-"

"AU-"

They turned at the halted scream to see something lunge out of the darkness, crushing another three Elves under its bulk as white on red eyes glowed in the darkness, and teeth whiter than snow gleamed within the faint moonlight, storm clouds gathering above and with a mighty howl the Beast attacked just as the Elves roared and charged the creature. Loki could only stare at it, but he did not see a Beast, he saw a Man, tall and firm with muscles. Hair like finely polished gold and eyes... eyes as blue as the ice. The man had black symbols that oozed like blood painted over his body, he looked unhinged grinning with mirth and glee as the blood of the fallen painted him.

He chewed with relish the flesh he bit off his victims, laughing as he tore through the battalion as if they were paper dolls. And then Loki blinked and he saw a beast of the dark howling and growling, claws and fangs tearing and rendering flesh from bone, crushing bones between those gleaming fangs as those insane eyes did not stray from where he and the leader stood.

"Lord Malekith! Flee!" Ordered one of the survivors before his head was ripped from his shoulders by a vicious bite, the head chomped twice before swallowed whole by the creature. Loki felt sick, faint and strangely warm and tingling all over, especially down there. He blushed, as he pressed his thighs together, rubbing them slightly hoping to make the feeling vanish, but it would not fade. He wasn't sure but for a moment it looked like the Beast looked right into his eyes and it seemed to sniff in his direction before it turned to stalk the last handful of Elves and Malekith, who cursed and fled back itno the path just as the beast lunged over Loki's head and killed the last of the soldiers.

It was only a moment later that the Beast turned to him, those strange eyes looking at him before it sniffed again, slowly stalking closer. It was only a scant few inches away, breathing heavily, sniffing loudly at him and Loki did the only sensible thing, he rolled his eyes and fainted...