oOo

Chapter 3 – Priceless

"That prince is a walking calamity."

Tyr grumbled along the way as he followed the familiar path, east of the forest, to the numerous ravines in the area. It took a good day and a half to finally discern tracks from Loki's captors. He had to admit, some of the men were good at concealing their trail, but others were still clumsy in their execution.

"Bastards," The General hissed.

They had changed their route, turning west of the area. Tyr palmed the scrapes along the dirt and followed it to the entrance of a foreboding, thick forest, where trees had lost its color and most of the willows had died out.

A small, disgusting river blocked his path, and the mist surrounding it made it all the more unpleasant.

"We should have brought horses."

Tyr adjusted his sling bag over his shoulder and untied the belt holding his sword. He lifted his belongings over his head and took a step into the murky water, where his boots sloshed heavily in the thick mud.

"Out of all the places," He mumbled as he trudged along. "They had to pick this hideaway."

He would have to tell the All-Father of this discovery.

Apparently, they had been looking in all the wrong places, thinking that their enemies wouldn't dare such a dangerous path. Their sources were inaccurate. Tyr treaded out of the water and set foot on the ground where the trail of Loki's captors were more detectable.

Their footsteps left heavy marks on the muddy soil.

"Three captors," He counted.

Tyr followed their trail a few miles west, where the trees thickened and the air was dense and congested. He saw hacked vines away from the trail and shadowed it. The rocks were sharper, cobwebs hung on several branches, and the giant trees of the forest were surrounded by overgrown dead weeds and brushes.

He should have known.

It was the forbidden forest, where the elves of Alfheim do not frequent, and the creatures of darkness lay in slumber.

Tyr cursed silently.

For the men who took Asgard's young prince had brought them to such a wretched, dark land. He had vowed to take these men down long ago, but now it got even more personal. They had taken that which Tyr had sworn to protect.

"They will be sorry." He pledged, continuing down the road. "When I find them, my blade will sing and the forest will be watered with their blood."

As the hours ticked closed to evening, Tyr had enough.

He was exhausted.

The forest was dark and eerie, and his body cried for rest.

Feeling the cold caress his skin, Tyr took out a blanket and wrapped it around himself. He couldn't make a fire, fearing it would attract creatures lurking about. He was very close to Loki, and only a couple of hours behind.

No doubt those men need their rest.

Yet the thought gave him no comfort, for he feared for Loki's life.

He shook away the dark thoughts and decided he would get up early in the morning to catch up. He curled at the base of the tree by the large, extended roots popping out of the ground. He squeezed himself in there, and fell into a light sleep.

"Stay strong, prince." Tyr thought.

oOo

"Release me!" Loki shouted.

"Quiet!" Anarr hissed. "You will attract trolls in the area!"

"I care not!" He growled, struggling away from the ugly man's grip, but he was held fast and tight. "Let the trolls eat you and use your bones as toothpicks for all I care!" Loki cursed as he felt dizzy all of a sudden. "Release me!"

"Hand him over, Anarr."

"But Seldor—"

"Now."

Seldor pulled Loki away and took charge.

Loki had his arms tied behind his back, and he was unceremoniously dragged over the roots blocking the pathway as they tried to get him to follow towards their hidden encampment. Pavel snickered when Loki nearly tripped.

"I hope that wound gets infested." Loki growled.

"Why you…"

"Enough, Pavel." Seldor ordered. "Don't let him bait you."

Loki really hated these people.

Seldor, the man holding him, was their so-called leader. He was an arrogant man that could rival Thor in muscle… and probably brains too.

"The Norns are quite humorous at this time." Loki decided. "I wonder why."

The man had a strange authority about him, but not as threatening as Tyr could be. Dirty blonde and blue-eyed, Seldor fit every other Asgardian out there, except for the scar running down the side of his left cheek.

And there was a brand on his neck, and a few inked symbols on his bare arms.

The other one, Anarr, he was awful.

Loki pegged him for a lackey, sorely lacking in skills and as dumb as a rock that's trying to fit in with a group way out of his league. He was also very ugly to look at, at least, from Loki's point of view. The man had no sense of independence and relied heavily on Seldor.

Pavel was the most insulting.

He had that lustful look in his face that Loki wanted to wipe off. Even stabbing him on the shoulder wasn't enough to turn that man away. He was disgusting to look at, a little wrinkly and boney in the face, making him all the more repulsive to Loki.

Yet all three of them had something in common.

They all had that weird three lined scar somewhere on their body, like it was cut or carved there by a flaming blade.

"Probably an initiation," Loki couldn't tell.

"You are lucky I am keeping you alive." Seldor snarled. "Keep walking and stop admiring the view."

"You honestly expect me to be grateful for your generosity?" Loki laughed. "You are out of your mind if you think I would stoop so low."

"I expect you to keep silent."

"You would have to redouble your efforts to shut me up."

"You are beginning to piss me off." Seldor growled when Loki kicked and pulled. "Stay still, I will not say it again. Do not make me hurt you, boy."

"Kill me then!" Loki challenged. "Be done with it!"

"Not until Elgoth sees you!"

Seldor pushed him, and roughly dragged him. Pavel and Anarr walked closely behind. Loki glanced around and saw an opportunity to escape. Pavel was pale and exhausted, while Anarr was distracted. The forest was dark enough, and Loki would use this to his advantage.

He wasn't called trickster for nothing.

Loki made a swirling motion with his wrists.

Even with his magic weak, he was still capable of illusions. It was just enough to trick the eye of his unsuspecting victims, but he had to be quick. He knew his limits, yet this was pushing too far.

"Those aren't our wolves," Pavel whispered. "Are they?"

"Where?" Anarr asked.

"Over there."

Red eyes glimmered in the dark, hiding behind a dead willow tree. Then several more eyes glimmered behind it. Seldor pushed Loki to Pavel, while Anarr walked next to him. They drew their swords as they stalked the creatures in the shadow.

"We don't have patrols in this area." Seldor whispered.

Loki felt a throbbing pain on his forehead when his magic fought him. He had strained himself already when he pushed his magic to heal his leg so he could keep up with these three.

"Something is wrong." Anarr noted.

Loki snapped.

He turned and knocked Pavel out of the way before they realized what was going on. Loki made a run for it, but Seldor and Anarr were hot on his heels. They sidetracked along the forest, dodging through three vines and rocks.

"Fork him!" Seldor ordered.

"No… not now!" Loki cried. "Valhalla above…"

His breath hitched when the strain of his magic hit him full force. Tyr had been right. His magic was so depleted, that it hurt his body. Loki crumpled in pain, slowing down to a stop, hunching forward with a grimace.

He felt so nauseous.

"Do not move." Seldor growled. "Is that clear?"

Loki couldn't answer.

"I will make this as painless as possible."

"Do not do this." Loki panted, unable to flee. "Let me go…"

His mind was fogged and confused. He turned around to face the large man. He wasn't about to go down without a fight. He could feel the rope on his wrists dig into his skin behind him. He was prepared to run again when Pavel caught up, blocking the path to his right.

But where was the other one?

"Wait!" Seldor cried. "Don't do it!"

Distracted by the man's shout of distress, Loki barely turned before it was too late. A solid object collided with the side of his head, and the darkness enveloped him. Loki welcomed bliss to pain. He fell to the ground, his head scraped and bleeding.

Anarr had hit him.

"You fucking, idiot!" Seldor cursed. "You ignorant son of a whore! What did you do that for, you simpleminded imbecile?!"

"What are you yelling at me for?!"

"I had him!"

"He was going to cast another spell!" Anarr shouted back. "You saw his devilry earlier, and I saw his hand moving behind him."

"Elgoth is going to murder you." Pavel whispered.

"You are not without fault," Seldor growled. He knelt, picking Loki up and started walking to the encampment. "If the boy does not wake after this, I will feed you two to the wolves myself! Now hurry up!"

With that, Seldor was gone.

"We've both pissed him off." Pavel voiced.

"Shut your mouth." Anarr glared.

oOo

It was midmorning when Tyr finally reached the encampment.

By the nine, the encampment was large with luxurious tents, adorned with beautiful trinkets and rich pieces of furniture. There was a large bonfire blazing in the corner of the field, and a battle arena was prepared in the middle.

"Norns forbid," Tyr gasped.

Several weapons were laid on the tables all around the place. Most looked brand new, crafted by elves or dwarves, but a majority of them were Asgardian weaponry.

"Swords, clubs, axes," He counted. "Bows, arrows, shields, daggers, spears, maces…"

Tyr inched closer.

He couldn't believe how these men were able to smuggle these around.

Different kinds of men were in the area, all heavily armed and dangerous looking. They had hefty beards, inked bodies, and scars that lined their faces of their arms. Some of the men were drunk, passing gold coins and stolen trinkets around, having a great time.

"When did they have time to amass a small army?" Tyr bit his lips. "Last I knew, the warriors blood debt consisted of only a few wayward men."

Was Heimdall seeing this?

How was it possible for the gatekeeper to not mention such an important detail? Unless… unless the leader of this undignified group of traitors had figured out a way to avert the gatekeepers gaze.

Yet it was impossible.

"I have to find Loki." Tyr grimaced. "But where to look first?"

There were too many.

Tyr didn't know where to begin as he snuck around the giant trees, masking his presence among the bushes and inching his way further in. There was no doubt some of these people would recognize him.

He had to be careful.

Stopping at a particular group of men huddled by the fire, drinking sloppily and laughing loudly, Tyr grimaced. There were four wretched looking young men, ranging from Tyr and Thor's age. The General could tell they were as devious and deranged looking as the rest of the men around the camp, but these four were talking about a topic that greatly interested Tyr.

"You should've seen it, Valandil!"

"Should've seen what, Anarr?" The wretched man scoffed. "All I heard was a lot of moaning and groaning in that tent."

"You know what I mean."

"There was nothing pleasurable or interesting about it. I could have found better entertainment from breeding wolves."

The men guffawed at the remark.

"You are crude, Valandil!" Fjahal cackled. "You are such a lecher!"

"Take pointers, boys."

"Rake!" Maldos pointed. "We should've known!"

"Wanton!" Anarr added as he slapped his thigh, choking on his spit as he laughed. "That's what we expect from a lewd, experienced man like yourself!"

"Take it from a man who knows."

"Valandil is right, Anarr." Maldos commented. "If you listened, you might be able to please your bedmates and last a little longer. You only have to thrust at an angle and pound harder than a dog—"

The others laughed.

Anarr growled, "Like I'm going to take advice from a man who doesn't know which babes he fathers or whose lady he got pregnant."

Tyr's face distorted in disgust at these vile men.

He had seen enough damage over the centuries of what they can do when properly motivated. To put an end to this stupidity, he needed to find Loki soonest and head to Alfheim to get King Freyr to dispose of these dangerous, lustful men.

About to move away from the group, Tyr stopped when Anarr spoke again.

"Lecture Pavel," He hissed. "He needs it more than I do."

"Excuses."

"It's not an excuse, Fjahal! I'm telling you! Pavel was about ready to pounce on the boy, but the boy got him first— stabbed him right on the shoulder before he could do anything to him! Why do you think Pavel's in that tent moaning and groaning?!"

Tyr gritted his teeth.

So these were the ones that took Loki.

He inched closer, moving carefully around the bushes. He thanked the Norns that the blood in the cave wasn't Loki's. But where— where did they hide the prince?

"Pavel's still with Nandor?" Fjahal cackled.

"Where did you think the moaning was from?" Valandil scoffed.

"That was last night."

"I think Nandor made an excuse and dared Elgoth's company instead." Anarr took a long drink of ale. Tyr contemplated the given name, but fell short of remembering. "Pavel's complaints were enough to melt anyone's patience."

The men snickered.

"I heard the prisoner was fay like." Valandil whistled. "Is it true?"

"Want to have a taste for yourself?" Maldos teased.

"Maybe you want a taste?" Fjahal swallowed his swill. "Seldor caught a good one this month."

"Hey, hey…" Anarr protested. "I helped too!"

Tyr frowned, finally knowing the three who took Loki. It was this boastful man, Anarr— Pavel, the stabbed one, and this other guy named Seldor. That was good. Tyr knew who to deal with first.

"Tell us more." Valandil insisted. "I want the details."

"So do I," Tyr crept forward. "Keep talking."

"Eh," Anarr shrugged, refilling his cup. "The boy is fine. A bit young, lean, and feminine for my taste, but he is Pavel's type… so he could as well be yours, Valandil."

"Pavel would take anything to satisfy him."

The men clanked their drinks together in agreement.

"Valandil, Maldos, Fjahal, Anarr!" Seldor, their leader, called to them. Tyr pressed himself closer to the giant tree, fearful for his discovery. "Be ready to head out in an hour. Elgoth wants us to track the remaining group that escaped us in the mountain path a few days ago."

"This is bad," Tyr thought. "They're after Thor."

"And Pavel?" Valandil asked.

"That bloodsucker is out of commission. We go on without him."

"And the boy you caught?"

"Why the interest?" Seldor's lips wickedly twisted into a grin. "If you want a taste, you can take it up with Elgoth, but I wouldn't chance that luck. He was pissed." Maldos offered him a drink, which he refused. "What are you all doing drinking so early?!"

"Celebrating," Anarr muttered.

"There's nothing to celebrate about our catch." He scoffed. "Ranmar is being punished for his insolence."

"And Elgoth?"

"He's pissed that the prisoner's still knocked out." Seldor glared at Anarr. "I told Elgoth you hit the boy too hard on the head. Nandor said he'd wake up soon."

"Why would you say that?"

"It's true."

"You strangled him!"

"And you hit him on the way here!" Seldor stole Fjahal's cup and doused the fire. "If you want to correct me, you can go to Elgoth." He mischievously grinned. "If the boy doesn't wake as Nandor said he would, you are responsible."

Anarr swallowed.

"So who is the boy?" Maldos wondered.

"He's from Asgard." Seldor chuckled, pulling out the emblem from his front pocket. "Elgoth confirmed it. He gave me this—" He flipped the emblem around. "— as thanks for my capture of the young prince."

"Horse shit!" Tyr cursed.

Tyr carefully and quickly moved away from the group and into the shadow of the trees.

He hid his and Loki's sling bags at the base of the tree and covered them with leaves. There was no use in bringing them along, lest he get caught and his belongings stolen. He took his sword and a dagger with him as he moved to the other side of the encampment to find Loki.

This was bad.

He whispered silently for Heimdall's help, but the gatekeeper doesn't seem to hear nor see him, which meant he was all alone and at the mercy of fate itself.

"Norns protect that boy!" He bit his lip, stalking away.

oOo

After sneaking to the other side of the encampment, Tyr finally found Loki, who sat hunched on the ground, blindfolded, and his hands tightly bound behind a pole. The side of Loki's head was bruised, with a half bleeding gash that wasn't treated correctly

"Still breathing," Tyr assessed.

It didn't look like these men cared much for their prisoners, leaving them hapless and unattended. Tyr figured their leader had ordered it to make the situation more dramatic, yet it still sounded like a trap.

Only one way to find out…

He inched closer to Loki's location, but fell short when he noticed several brigands paraded around the camp. Some were drunk, merry making, and enjoying their goods at the still of the morning, while others patrolled with serious abandon.

"Small mercy," Tyr thought.

Nobody watched Loki attentively.

There were few men in Loki's area, and he wondered why. It was foolish of their leader to do so, but Tyr figured they must've felt comfortable enough to let their guard down. Or better yet… another trap.

The area was large, but simple…

Not a good sign.

Tyr casually walked into the camp, daring the trap that was laid out for him. But he did it quietly and quickly. He snuck behind one man, took out his dagger and stabbed him straight through the neck. The man gurgled blood, and his life snuffed out quickly.

There was no use keeping these people alive.

This was their job.

And Tyr would do his… correctly.

He hid the body, wiped the blood off his blade and went for another. He crouched next to a tent, peeked through and saw no one inside. He went in and waited for another to walk past. One did and he pulled the unsuspecting brigand inside, punched him straight in the face to disorient him— he twisted the man around, locked his arms around his head… and squeezed.

Tyr got to about four men, before he was exposed for his scheme.

He miscalculated, and got dragged into a sword fight with two guys. One of them started shouting for help, and Tyr's entire plan went tumbling down… but it was worth a shot. He knew what he was getting into, even when he got this far.

In a few seconds…

Different kinds of men surrounded him, pointing all kinds of weapons to his chest. Tyr growled, but could do nothing. In the background, he could see Loki stirring.

"Lay down your sword." A man stepped forward. "Now."

Tyr thought about being snarky, but decided against it. He was outnumbered and cornered, and they would surely use Loki against him. He had to lose this fight. It wasn't fair, but he had to play his cards correctly if he wanted to win the war.

"What are you waiting for?!"

Tyr threw his sword to the man's feet.

"All of it."

Tyr growled, pulling out his dagger and sending it along with his sword. He raised his hands as a sign of surrender. The men immediately stole it, taking it far away from him as possible. Tyr narrowed his eyes.

"I want to speak to your leader, Elgoth." Tyr voiced.

"I don't think he wants to waste his time on you." A man snorted. "I say we feed him to the wolves for trespassing."

"How does he even know Elgoth?" Another one asked.

"Maybe he's here to do business."

"Perhaps we should take him to Elgoth?"

"Algaroth!" Tyr cried in desperation. He knew these men wouldn't take him to this Elgoth person, but surely the man he just named was still here. "I want to speak to Algaroth. I know about the Warriors blood debt! Is Algaroth still here?"

"I haven't heard that name in years." One of the men said.

"Neither have I." A familiar voice claimed.

Tyr turned.

A handsome man with sky blue eyes and auburn hair walked to the center of the group. The men that surrounded Tyr had given way, as if he was royalty. A scar ran diagonal from his cheek, across his lips, and down to his chin. He was in a sleeveless shirt and leather vest, showing off the ink markings on his well-toned arms.

"It's been so long, Tyr."

"Not long enough."

"Much to your convenience," He smiled. "You should be lucky you caught me at a good time and a good mood. You brought me a very interesting individual, and I have to thank you for that."

"Release him."

"I don't think so."

"Algaroth." Tyr warned.

"Elgoth." He corrected. "I threw the name Algaroth down to the winds. This way, the past can remain the past, but who am I fooling… The past always catches up. You are here, and that is testimony to that statement."

Tyr bit his lips, forcing himself to remain silent.

He couldn't believe his ears. This man was their leader?! How was that possible? He knew Algaroth… it was just... impossible… As Tyr reached a dilemma, Elgoth motioned at the two men he was caked between.

"You remember Throst," Elgoth pointed to his left, where the man lifted his chin. "He hasn't forgotten what you did to his fingers centuries ago."

Throst lifted his right hand.

Deformed stubs of fingers protruded from it. Tyr only grimaced in response, trying to ignore the threatening vibe now emanating from the man. Elgoth then pointed to his right, where he introduced Grimwald.

"You stabbed his left eye," Elgoth narrated. "And cut his left ear— you basically mutilated his left side." He laughed when he noticed Tyr's indifference. "But even then, you don't care, do you? None of this fazes you."

Tyr sweated.

He did not want to be in this position.

"You are here because of your prince." Elgoth motioned at his prisoner. "I'll take you nearer, don't worry."

He snapped his fingers and in an instant, Tyr was caked between Throst and Grimwald. They held him on each arm, both tight and menacingly. The other men crowded them, but parted away for Elgoth.

Tyr was pushed into the field where Loki was held.

Men after men piled up to watch.

Seldor's group had finally joined in, whistling in delight at the revelation that Loki's savor had finally come. Some of the men, who hadn't seen Loki, awed at the thought they had a prince captured.

Tyr did not think this through.

He should've known better than to play these men for fools.

The warriors surrounded the field, but gave them a large space at the center. Throst and Grimwald released him and settled into a position beside Loki. Elgoth paced around, amused at Tyr's desperate expression.

"Why so silent?" Elgoth asked.

"There's nothing to discuss." He growled. "I know you've been after me for centuries, and here I am. You have me where you want me. Now release him."

"Noble," He pointed. "But I cannot do that."

"Why are you acting like you're the leader?"

"Because I am?"

"The Warriors blood debt was near disbanded centuries ago when the Einherjar trampled the last camp and the All-Father placed bounties on your heads."

"And yet here we are." Elgoth laughed, and the men laughed with him. "I overthrew Elasador centuries ago. I am the new leader. Why do you think there's so much improvement over the years? Besides, Odin is foolish enough to let this escalate."

"When did you find the time to amass an army?"

"I wouldn't call it that yet," He chuckled. "But since you said so, I'm feeling a little proud. But I'm not here to talk about passing down the torch or my fortune over the years— I want to talk about you…"

Elgoth knelt next to Loki.

"And I want to talk about him."

He took a lock of Loki's raven hair and played with it.

"I swear Algaroth," Tyr whispered, his fists clenched in rage. "If you hurt him—"

"I always knew you had a soft side." Elgoth stopped and snickered. "But I didn't think it was that strong. Oh, but I knew." He looked at the crowd of men as he narrated Tyr's life. "Centuries ago— I could tell then— I still could."

"We're not discussing the past."

"Ah yes, that mentality of yours. What did you say before? Ah— whatever happened before means nothing now— am I correct? Because all you ever do, Tyr… is run away from your past."

Elgoth's calm demeanor immediately soured.

"You cannot even own up to what you did to all of us!" He growled, lurching forward. "What you did to Throst— to Grimwald— not even a peep from Yrmun, who you killed! Not even me!"

"You knew the consequences!"

"Horse shit!" Elgoth spat. "You're just as arrogant and stubborn as I remember. Do you even know why I overthrew Elasador?! Do you?!" He began pacing, losing his temper and riling up the crowd. "DO ANY OF YOU KNOW?!"

"AYE!" They shouted.

"I overthrew him because he let you off too easy. What you did in the past will make up for it now. These men are loyal to me, not like someone I know."

"Enough." Tyr said.

"Can you not handle the truth?"

"The past has nothing to do with today."

"There you go again!" Elgoth paced quicker, pointing at Tyr as if he was a spectacle to be marveled at. "Keep telling yourself that." He snapped his finger and the men dispersed. "It's about loyalty now. The initiation of the three scars of the Warriors blood debt was important, but things have changed…"

"What would have changed?"

"A number of things," He explained. "You got off easy before, but no one betrays us again. But I should digress— you are not fond of the memories— and I want to quicken things up a bit."

Then men who had dispersed before, returned.

They placed a boiling pot of water on the ground and gave him an iron ladle. Elgoth smiled at Tyr's horrid expression, clearly indicating that the General was at his wits end. Elgoth scooped up the boiling water with the iron ladle, and hovered it over Loki's healing leg.

A drop fell and Loki winced at the heat.

"I know you're awake, boy." Elgoth whispered. "No use feigning sleep."

A few more drops made Loki whimper.

Elgoth psychopathically brought the boiling water towards Loki's face. Instinctively, the prince moved away. Tyr was half relieved that Loki was awake and well, but horrified at the thought of the prince's soon to be torture.

"Why are you here, Tyr?" Elgoth suddenly asked. "You knew better than to pursue us."

"You know why."

"You did it to retrieve the trickster prince." He moved the ladle out of the way and gave Loki a pat on the head. "I never took you for the sentimental type, at least, not to this degree. Back then, you used to kill for the fun of it."

"I am NOT discussing this." Tyr growled.

"You are afraid," Elgoth could tell. "No matter, I think we can come to an agreement."

"Keep talking."

"You walk out of here alive, and say nothing to anyone about the ongoings in this encampment, and we let bygones be bygones… for old time's sake."

"And the boy?"

"Ours."

"Not going to happen."

"You're smart, Tyr." Elgoth raised his eyebrows. "You cannot walk out of this alive. I'm giving you an excuse. You walk away, telling Odin you did everything you could and we all get what we want. After all, the King likes you… otherwise; he wouldn't have taken you ba—"

"Enough!" He shouted.

"What do you say?"

"What do you plan to do to him?"

Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had been feigning sleep the entire morning, but the revelation of Tyr's words made him wish he was still knocked out.

Was Tyr actually thinking of selling him out?!

He was Asgard's General!

"We will hold him ransom," Elgoth shrugged. "Play with him a little… the usual… not that much has changed. Besides, I heard Odin's children were tough. I want to test that theory."

"Test that theory elsewhere," Tyr stepped forward. "I won't be party to this foolish bargain."

"Your loss." He sighed. "Tie him up!"

Tyr fought with every ounce of his strength, but he was severely outnumbered. He managed to kick and punch at least five until he was brought to his knees, roughly tied, and moved out of the way.

"LOKI!" Tyr shouted. "DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM!"

"Shut up!" Throst growled.

"DON'T LISTEN!"

"Throw him into one of the tents on the other side of the camp." Elgoth ordered. "Bring ten of your strongest men with you, Throst. Grimwald, you're going with him. And please, someone gag him!"

"LOKI!" Tyr struggled. "DON'T—"

Grimwald put a dirty rag in Tyr's mouth and locked it with another dirty cloth. They also blindfolded him and gave him a few beatings as they dragged him away.

"What do you want to do to him?" Seldor walked up to him.

"We can play with him this afternoon." Elgoth smiled. "Scratch the search party. I want every man present. We need to start cutting down the lazy ass wipes and make way for new recruits. Have Ranmar's new group set up the battle arena."

"You're going to give Ranmar a second chance?"

"It's his only chance."

"Pity, I don't like him that well."

"Don't worry," Elgoth slapped him on the chest. "We'll have Ranmar and his new group go against Tyr first." He raised his hands and shouted, "Drinks all around, boys! We got ourselves a winner!"

The men cheered.

Everyone was ordered to disperse and leave Elgoth alone with Loki.

Elgoth walked to the prince and pulled away his blindfold.

Loki blinked, still disoriented, but capable of coherent thought. Elgoth knelt to him and smiled sincerely. Loki looked at him, eyeing him with suspicion. He had been blindfolded all this while, and this was the first time he saw their leader.

"I love your eyes." Elgoth traced it gently. "They're like emeralds."

Loki pulled away.

"Forgive me for that little spectacle earlier," He chuckled. "I wasn't really going to boil your legs or your face. You're too… how should I put it without offending you? You're too…"

"Delicate?" Loki rudely supplied.

"Useful," Elgoth corrected. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough."

"You can trust me." He sat crossed legged in front of him. "I think you'll be a good addition to the group. If you value your life, you could tell us other things you know."

"To Hel with that," Loki rebelled.

"You do not think you can trust me?"

"No, I don't."

"You trust Tyr then?" Elgoth said, making Loki uncomfortable. "You shouldn't trust him. That man is full of secrets that are buried layers upon layers of guilt and pride."

"And you aren't?" Loki challenged. "You're turning me against him."

"I'm trying to enlighten you to the truth."

"I don't believe you."

"Whether you want to or not, we both know you will." He placed a hand on Loki's knee, making the prince tense up. "What kind of man do you think he is? Do you believe the stories they tell you? The heroic Tyr, the amazing General, a great trainer, so noble is he— the embodiment of justice— do you believe that crap?"

"More than I believe yours."

Elgoth moved forward, staring at Loki's emerald eyes with a smile.

"You do not like him." He voiced. "Yet you admire him."

"That is not true." Loki defended.

"I know a lie when I hear one." Elgoth laughed. "I was just like you. Fair warning, he is not the man you think he is. And one way or another, you will learn… and whether or not it breaks your heart, it doesn't concern me."

With that, he walked away, leaving Loki to contemplate his words.

oOo

Fun fact: Algaroth is a solid white powder used as an emetic (a medicine or substance) to cause vomiting. I thought it was pretty ironic.

oOo

Please review and tell me what you think.
Thank you!