Loki awoke to someone prodding him with a stick. He had not slept well, and the departing fog of exhaustion parted slowly, allowing him to see that he had not had a nightmare, but that everything that had happened was true and real. Loki groaned as an older man with a neatly trimmed white moustache continued to prod him. ''Wake up. Wake up, young master, it is time to work.''

Loki's patience was at an end, he didn't know who this man was prodding him with a stick, he guessed the fact that he was still in wet clothing had something to do with it, but the act was enough to make him turn viciously upon the old man to snatch the stick from his hands and break it swiftly across his knee and chuck the two pieces across the stable, "Work? What work do you speak of?"

The elderly man watched the two pieces fly across the room sadly. ''That was my walking stick…'' He narrowed his eyes at the prone figure before him. ''I suggest you treat people here nicer. It won't be healthy for you otherwise. Not all of us are crippled old men.''

Loki snapped, "Crippled in mind as well as in body I would presume as to think you have a right to speak to me in such a manner let alone poke me with your bothersome stick! If I were you I would suggest leaving me be lest you find how very 'not' nice I can be."

The man opened his mouth to reply then shut it, glaring instead. ''I was going to tell you some things you needed to know, but do you know what? Fie on you. Good luck with that and do as you will, fool.'' The man turned grumpily and limped away without a word.

Loki watched on in annoyance as the old man shuffled off muttering, "Good riddance." Seeing the sun had barely risen, Loki groaned tiredly throwing himself back into his hay bale and burying himself so as not to be disturbed again until he'd had a more fitful rest.

Loki woke to horrible pain in his shoulder, bucked wildly in fear of whatever was attacking him in his sleep. He was being bitten! As Loki flailed, the horse that had been feeding on his hay bale released him and snorted derisively at the interruption to his meal.

Loki kicked and screamed at the horse but the large animal seemed unfazed. In fact, he seemed to be agitating the animal, and the horse shook his head, stomping a powerful leg angrily, which checked Loki's advance. Looking around Loki realized half of his 'bed' had been eaten, and the barn was now full of horses of various breed, all large. He was trapped in his stall now, the mood of the horse blocking his exit beginning to worry him.

Looking around, Loki searched for any form of weapon to keep the animal at bay finding a grooming brush and frowning at it. "What the hel am I to do with this?" Not akin to befriending animals, Loki tried his luck, "Here beast, come forth I will trade with you a few brush strokes for you to move out of my way."

The animal snorted at him again and Loki cringed, snatching up the brush, ready to throw it as a last act of defiance before he was trampled. As soon as he lifted the brush, however, the large horse nickered, moving quickly to nuzzle his hand, startling Loki. Loki could not help but smile, and he tentatively brushed the animal along it's mane, becoming more confidant as the horse responded favorably to his ministrations, pushing into his hands.

A burly voice made Loki jump. ''What are you doing? You were supposed to work in the castle today. Leave that to the stable boy before Leonis catches you.''

Loki glanced over to see a large man whose frame spoke of a healthy appetite and hard work. Once more being told what to do was irking Loki to no end, but the words the stocky man said pushed his anger farther, "Ever since I have arrived here, I've been told of 'things' I should have already done! I grow weary of these instructions with lack of authority to give them. Who is this Leonis? What have I to fear of him?" Loki sneered angrily at the man as he continued to brush the friendly horse as the only comforting thing he'd experienced since arriving in this dreaded place.

Loki backed up with a look of disappointment as the horse before him snorted at him and backed away, shaking it's head.

''He doesn't like your tone. If you want him to be nice, you have to be nice too. Very simple, and it works with people too, imagine that? My name is Herice, I'm the stable man. Leonis is the custodian for the castle. You are currently nobody. That means I have authority over you, as anyone else on Olympus, especially Leonis, omitting the gods themselves.''

Loki huffed dismissively, "Baa, I am a prince of Asgard. You do not know my station and will not tell me as much. I demand to speak with Zeus! He is the one whom has brought me here, and he is the only one I will take orders from." Giving the horse that had abandoned him to eat grain against the wall a glare of indignation, Loki's frown deepened as he muttered, "You are a traitor too." Like everyone else Loki thought. Not giving Herice a second glance, Loki walked out of the stable looking about him once he was free of the confines of the building.

Loki found the castle square very large, easily rivaling the one he was used to back in Asgard. People setup small carts to sell fruits, vegetables, meats, and wares. Soldiers marched through here and there, coming and going from the massive castle gate. As he glanced around, Loki became aware that he wasn't entirely sure he would be able to find his way to Zeus with such a dauntingly large city to traverse before he even approached the winding corridors of the castle itself. Loki began to feel the pangs of hunger and thirst, even over the discomfort of his still damp clothing.

Walking up to the fruit vender he pulled one gold coin out from his money pouch begrudgingly handing it to the hag insulted that he would have to actually pay for food. The woman looked at the coin appraisingly turning it over before biting on it to check its validity. Nodding she stated, "I do not have change for such a high coin my lord."

Loki grumbled, "I care not; just give me a bag full of your finest fruit and that jug of wine you have under your wagon."

The woman looked down at the wine stating, "The wine wasn't for sale, but I'll give it to ye for the high coin, I thank you kind sir!" The woman happily handed over the items while Loki waited a bored and slightly irate expression crossing his features. Once fruit and wine were in hand, Loki ate his fill drinking the distasteful wine with vigor to change his state of being even in the slightest. Sobriety was not his friend at the moment. The wine didn't last long, and being used to finer mead, the wine did not leave a lasting impression, but it did help to ease his mind as he walked towards the shining towers of Zeus' fortress to do something about the state of wetness he'd grown most sick of.

As Loki approached the castle, two guardsmen watched his approach warily. As he went to walk past the drawn door, one stood in his way, lifting a hand. ''Who are you and what is your business in the castle?''

Surprised that Zeus had not informed his guard of his stay in their realm, Loki replied haughtily, "Why I am a guest of Zeus, he is expecting me."

The guard narrowed his eyes at Loki. ''We have been told nothing of any guests today. You look a foreigner, dirty, wet, disheveled, and covered in hay smelling of wine. I cannot grant you leave to pass.''

Growing frustration mounted in Loki as the guard listed off his less than glorious state, "You are not in a position for thinking, I have traveled far to come to your dreaded realm at the request of your liege. I have thus been treated unfairly by all in your less than imperial city, and I DEMAND an audience with Zeus! I will not take no for an answer, and if I were you, I would speak to your lord lest you find yourself in bad standing with your king! Now get thee hence!"

The guard shared a look with his companion and finally replied. ''If you were looking to sweet talk me into letting you by, you have failed most miserably. If you are drunk, you need drink less, and if you are a thief trying to swindle your way in, I suggest you seek less dangerous pastimes. We are always told in advance when our lord expects company. I told you. You ARE NOT EXPECTED. Now go away, before I throw thee in the moat.''

Enraged Loki spat, "Are you daft! I am neither thief nor drunkard! I am prince Loki of Asgard! You will not deny me my right for parlay!" At this Loki stamped his foot heatedly balling his fists and shaking them at his sides to release the mounting fury.

The guard glanced back again to his companion, his voice cynical. ''Should I?''

The other guard shrugged at the first. ''If you did, it might not deter him, he is already soaked through. Perhaps he was recently thrown into some other kingdom's moat.''

Screaming now Loki raged, "I WAS NOT THROWN INTO A MOAT!! I HAVE BEEN BEWITCHED!"

The first guard lifted his hand in a calming gesture. ''Look, friend, no one accused you of being thrown into a moat. You are obviously wet from falling drunkenly into a latrine. Now get thee hence before you get a beating to boot.''

Eyes wide with ill contained anger Loki bellowed, "YOU WILL RUE THIS DAY! I am LOKI! God of EVIL! I will surely make way to pay you back for your lack of respect! None escape mine wrath!" Storming away from the guards, Loki pushed one of the small angel statues down the marbled stairs to bust into fragments demonstrating his soon to be wrought vengeance.

The humor in the guard's faces disappeared instantly, and Loki realized he had made a horrible mistake when the first came charging after him. Loki turned as fast as he could, the look of anger drained and replaced by surprised terror as he tried to sprint away. Loki had never been the physical type though, and the guard (being a guard) tackled him within seconds from his flight. Loki yelped, "UNHAND ME ruffian! You have no right to put hands on royalty!" Loki kicked futilely wriggling under the heavier man's bulk to squirm out of his grasp.

The guardsman secured him tightly and angrily yelled in his ear as he bound Loki's hands with a short length of rope. ''You wanted in the castle? Guess what, rogue, you get to go in now, right to the prison cells.''

"No! You must take me to Zeus! I swear to thee you know not what you do!" Loki growled pitifully as he was bound and hauled to his feet.

The guard straightened his uniform and brushed himself off as he regarded Loki. ''Indeed? So are you from a realm where it is okay to break a statue in front of your host's door, is it perhaps a little known tradition of your people?'' He motioned for the other man to come over and ordered. ''Take the drunk below, let him cool off down there a day or two until the mason decides how much he has cost in damages.''

The other guard nodded and tugged on Loki, pulling him along towards the entrance.

Loki, a picture of absolute misery whined, "You mock me now, but once your king finds out how you've treated me, he will be none too pleased!" Loki hoped his words held a pause for the guards, and if nothing else that they would at least notify Zeus of his plight so he could rectify this misunderstanding that Hercules had caused him.

After a long walk through many winding corridors, the guard became tired of Loki's kicking and screaming, and gagged him, hitting him roughly across the ears when he struggled too much. Finally their journey ended in a dark chamber that the guard pushed him into. ''You will be fed twice a day, water and one loaf of bread. I suggest you not spill them, you get no seconds. I will take the gag off now, but shall put it back on if you continue to holler like a fool.'' The guard gingerly removed the gag and then the rope binding his hands, closing the heavy wooden door tightly behind him as he left.

Loki pouted in his cell but said nothing more. It mattered not to these brutes what he said, so he would waste no more breath on them. On a lighter note, the cot they afforded him was more comfy than the hay bale. With that in mind, Loki lay down curling his still wet form into a ball and drifted into a semi sleep to pass the hours until he was released.

An unknown number of hours later, the great door to his room opened, and Loki shielded his face from the light that filtered in as a tall thin man moved inside, a guard closing the door behind him from the outside.

The man had a thin black mustache and long beard, with a balding pate. His eyes squinted in the low light, and he stared at Loki shrewdly, his hands folded neatly behind his back.

Blearily Loki fluttered his eyes open to focus on the man standing before him. Puzzled he asked, "Have you come to take me to Zeus?"

The tall man did not answer right away, but when he did, he shook his head, ''No. I have come to find out why you missed your work shift. I seem to have found out all I need to know, though. Do you have a feasible excuse for your actions this afternoon?''

"What? You come to me to speak of nonsense! Be gone! I would rather rot here than deal with such ridiculousness!" Loki's anger was quick to return as he could not comprehend the sheer audacity of these people refusing him his due right to speak with Zeus.

The man tilted his head slightly as he studied Loki. ''Do you not understand your position here, Loki of Asgard? You are not a free man. You are a servant of Zeus, at the lowest rung of the ladder, as today was your first day of service. You have somehow managed to so bumble your job that you now sit in prison for a crime against your master. Does this shed light for you?''

Loki was becoming distraught over all his adversities as he responded his voice wavering with emotion, "I have no master! Hercules brought me here after hours of labor with no sleep to be had followed by a most strenuous and seemingly endless journey just to reach this crap hole you call a home! Was it over then? NAY! I climb the length of impossible odds up this wretched mountain to sleep not near long enough on a bale of hay! I was then accosted by a man with a stick, bitten by a horse, and kicked out of the shelter I was sent to! I come here seeking Zeus to see what he wills of me only to be mistreated and manhandled by the men supposedly representing your lord! And to top it off, I've been cursed with the inability to become dry for the past two days! So does this shed light?" By this point Loki was standing fully erect rigid with temper, "Oh yes, my father would not allow such gross mistreatment of his son! I wish to speak with your monarch if for nothing more than to inform my father of the injustices I've endured while being in your liege's custody!"

The gentleman before him clamped a steely hand on Loki's shoulder and the trickster realized he was much stronger than he looked as he was shoved to sitting once more. ''You are here to serve sentence for crimes against Zeus, I will hear nothing of these injustices you speak of. If you had not driven off Wilwren, he would have explained what was expected of you. If you had not said something to upset Hercules, I am certain he would have explained that you were a servant here, by command of your own royal father. You would not be in jail if you had not destroyed property, and ultimately you would not be wet if you had not committed the gravest mistake in all of history. I feel little pity for a man who calls his own suffering down upon his head. My name is Leonis. I am your taskmaster, and you WILL do EXACTLY as I say, or I will leave you to rot as you have so foolishly elected. Do you understand, Loki of Asgard?''

Loki's frown deepened at Leonis' words; who did this man think he was? Certainly not one he need take orders from. But perhaps he could work with the man to at least get dry clothes again. "Nay! I do not understand! You wish me to obey you, but I have not been decreed by Zeus to do so… and if it is to be so, I cannot work under such conditions. You see, I am a prince and unused to these accommodations. Perhaps if you can lift this curse of me, I may find this situation bearable enough to be agreeable to your terms."

Leonis was quiet a moment before responding. ''I was told you were intelligent. I think there has been a mistake. You see, what I and everyone else here has explained to you, repeatedly, is that you are no one here, less than the stable boy. In fact, if a commoner from another land were to walk into our gates and apply himself as a slave to the stable boy, his station would be greater than yours. You have no rights, so clear your mind of such foolish conceptions now. You. Are. A. Slave. In fact, you are a slave who is in a very tight spot, being as you are in prison. Do you know what happens to a slave who is in prison for monetary crimes?''

Instant disdain was ever present on Loki's face. "Nay, I do not, but I suspect that you will enlighten me yes?"

Leonis spread his hands and spoke slowly as if explaining a hard problem to a simple child. ''In most cases, they die in prison. You see, they have to pay what they owe to leave, but being in prison, cannot. So they spend their lives here until they perish. Would you like this fate?''

Loki huffed squinting his eyes and pursing his lips with unfettered wrath, "You speak as if you know much of me, but you do not. I am immortal, I will not perish here, and Zeus has decreed I will not be harmed, so I believe you speak of truths you cannot judge to pass. And if it be to rot here in this dank cell or do menial work for you, I'd just as soon rot here and never lift a finger for the likes of you!"

Leonis folded his hands neatly behind himself once more. ''Sure you would. Have you ever spent any time in a prison cell? With naught but bread and water to barely sustain thyself?''

Answering in quick fashion, Loki spat, "I have in fact suffered such a fate. I've suffered being banished to the recesses of space, so nothing you can do can alter or affect my will."

Leonis nodded curtly. ''I have decided to leave you here, then. I have finished my analysis of your behavior. You do not believe I know of you. You are wrong. Zeus ordered me to see to putting you to work, and has allowed me access to everything we have learned of you. You are not truly immortal. You can die, and you age, albeit very slowly. As you 'rot' here, please consider whether this is how you wish to spend the rest of your long life. Cold, wet, and locked away. Good day, Loki of Asgard.''

Having second thoughts on such fates Loki held out a hand, "Wait! Perhaps I speak too brashly. I… I just have had such difficulties you understand, it is hard to adjust to what you would have me be."

Leonis paused, turning back to regard Loki. ''Do you have money?''

Loki nodded yes soberly.

Leonis held out his hand, waiting.

Loki stared at him a moment. ''H-how much did you need?''

Leonis left his hand extended. ''Whatever you have, hand it to me. This is to show me I can trust you.''

Loki growled as him as he handed him his money pouch hesitantly.

Leonis rifled through the large sum of gold coins and pulled a small handful out, handing it back to Loki. ''You may keep this much. The rest I shall pay your fines with for being jailed, replacing that priceless angel statue you so stupidly wrecked, and paying me for dealing with your sorry hide.''

Loki said nothing merely narrowing his eyes before looking away hoping this man would leave his presence for a short time while he fumed and plotted a way to escape this dreadful realm. He was not going to be able to withstand such treatment for long on behalf of Odin or not!

Leonis studied him a while longer, and Loki shifted uncomfortably under that piercing stare. ''You are a free servant with the price you have paid me, as well as released from jail. I shall pay for a month's rent on a small room here in the castle. Remember, you will need to work to earn your way, come to me if you wish to earn your living, I am taking a bribe to leave you be.''

Loki smiled at that. ''If you take bribes…''

Leonis cut him off. ''Do not push your luck. I am doing you a favor. I can do nothing about your wet condition; you will have to earn your freedom from that as you must earn your other liberties here. Remember, you are not a prince here. You are a free servant. You must earn your rights, I have merely made you more comfortable within the confines of the money you brought. Consider it a fresh start. Try not to bumble it again.''

This made Loki both happy and sad. He was pleased that he would no longer be staying in the stable, but the wet situation had to be changed. Once he was alone in his quarters he planned to strip down and see if he could dry himself enough to cast any spells. Not wanting to seem ungrateful Loki stated, "I appreciate your kindness Leonis, I will make a better start this go around. Where abouts is mine room?"

Leonis cocked his head to the side studying Loki again. ''Yes… I will rent it right away, only remain here while I pay the warden.''

Loki nodded and Leonis stepped out, the door shutting behind him. After a short while, Leonis returned with a guard in tow, and they walked Loki free of the prison area entirely before the guard turned back. Leonis escorted Loki to a room with a small man sitting behind a large oak desk, where Leonis paid the man for the rent of a nearby room down the long hall. Once both stood in Loki's new simply furnished room, Leonis nodded to him. ''I bid you learn, Loki, you have another go at getting out of here, all you have to do is show a little respect to those around you. Good day.''

Loki watched him leave thinking, 'respect eh? Maybe I can manage speaking to these heathens in a manner fit for the great hall to see if it lessens my restrictions and hopefully grants me a reprieve.' Sighing, Loki began to strip the layers of wet clothes from his body feeling instantly better being released from the uncomfortably confining wetness as he looked for a towel to dry himself off fully.

Loki rubbed himself vigorously, but found that no matter how hard he tried, he could not get completely dry. So he was cursed for certain, although the dampness for days had been an almost certain clue, he had hoped against reason that his clothing had been enchanted and not himself.

Loki now felt dampness elsewhere namely his eyes at such frustration. "Why must I be vexed so?" Loki whimpered to himself in disgust as he climbed under his sheets glad to be less wet than his damp clothes afforded him and definitely not willing put them back on again anytime soon.

Loki was eventually forced to attire himself once more and leave the room, his twin problems of needing to buy food and pay for more than one month's rent opening his eyes to his need to find work.

Loki choked back his bitter feelings toward the castle custodian enough to visit him, asking for work. Leonis quickly gave him a job… as a floor scrub. As Loki traveled the vast halls of the castle scrubbing the floor on hands and knees, he soon learned that this was work he could not tolerate. So he returned to Leonis, and the exasperated custodian gave him a job as a latrine cleaner, then as a floor sweeper, then as a dish washer, for a day as a cook before he was fired for eating the food, and finally as a window cleaner. Eventually Leonis ordered Loki out of his office. ''Get thee gone! I have nothing for you, you have spent your bribe, and I can tolerate your complaints no more!''

Loki was embittered by his own caused suffering whining to Leonis, "But… but where will I go? What shall I do for a job? Can you not find me a simple task that does not cause me to ache so?"

Leonis regarded Loki as if he were a simpleton. ''Nay, Loki, I cannot find you work that is not work.''

Loki growled, "I'm far too intelligent to do such menial chores! There must be some work where mine mind can be utilized? This work of toiling I am just not meant for!"

Leonis studied Loki in his usual calculating manner before raising a finger to him. ''I will give you the chance at a job above your station, but you get ONE chance. And you must pay me in three ways.''

Brightening considerably at Leonis' presented hope, Loki nodded eagerly, "Speak! Let me hear this chance for I will not fail thee this time."

Leonis shook his extended finger. ''One; unless this castle is burning, thou shall not shadow my door ever again. Two; You owe me one boon, that I may redeem at any time, and three; you are to clear your name involving your actions before.''

Loki looked puzzled, "Actions before? Of what actions do ye speak?"

Leonis steepled his fingers as he watched Loki. ''You have already paid for the statue, but now you need to replace poor Wilwren's walking stick and apologize to Herice and the two guardsman at the front gate. Very simple, nothing to it; won't cost you a coin.''

Loki's hope dropped at the mention of such as apologizing to those individuals that had caused him such strife. Pouting he asked, "If I do so, what would this one chance be?"

Loki almost detected a smile pass for one fleeting moment across Leonis' lips. ''If you fulfill all of these, I will give you the opportunity to be a scribe for Hermes. You will sit around and do as you wish. If Hermes appears before you, you will write his message…quickly. That is all.''

This denoted a fair amount of interest to Loki as Hermes was in a position of exchanging information, and information was power in many ways especially in his current station, and of course the obvious appeal of sitting around doing as he wished was ever appealing. The apologies to the cretins Leonis wished for was a sacrifice of pride Loki was willing to make, "You have yourself a deal, I shall do as you ask. When will I start said position?"

Leonis pointed at the door, ''As soon as you finish your side of it.''

Loki's shoulders sagged in defeat as he sighed, "Fine then, I will do your stipulations and return post haste." Turning to leave, Loki headed to the stable to doll out an apology to Herice and find a stick to replace Wilwren's walking stick. Those two were hard, but the two sentries would be the most difficult after the words that had been said between them and the most humiliating scenes that followed, but it was better to apologize to them than scrub floors for the remainder of his days.

Wilwren accepted his new stick with a thank you as Loki barreled past, and Herice replied to his stuttered apology with a ''Yeah, whatever.'' This made the next one even harder as he approached the two guards.

The guard in the back saw his approach and turned to his fellow. ''Hey, look, it's the wet guy! Looks like he was thrown into another moat!''

His partner scowled at him. ''Nay, he probably just got drunk and fell in the latrine again. Hail, wet one. Have you destroyed any expensive statues of late?'' Both guards snickered at Loki.

The hair on Loki's neck bristled as bile rose in his throat. Gritting his teeth painfully and squinting his eyes hatefully at the two, he growled menacingly, "I have come for you to accept my apology, and that is all."

The first guard raised his eyebrows and turned to the second. ''What do you think?''

The second guard scratched his chin, debating, and ultimately shrugged.

The first guard shook his head. ''We have thought about it, and respectfully decline. You can keep your apology, we don't like drunkards telling us we have to do anything.''

Loki reeled in anger, "Don't? What? What do you mean you do not accept my apology? Baa! It matters not! I apologized, and that was all I was made to do! I shall stand for your snide remarks no longer, and I will yet have my revenge!"

This brought a burst of riotous laughter, and Loki felt himself blushing a deep red as he bristled angrily. Loki stomped away. They would yet rue this day as well! Loki stormed back to Leonis' quarters seething in anger that he did not care to mask when he entered Leonis' office he spewed, "It is done! Your awful task is fulfilled! Now then, I want my due for mine efforts!"

Leonis allowed slight annoyance to pass his face and handed Loki a badge. ''Congratulations, you are now a scribe, filling an opening for Hermes' night shift. That wasn't that hard, now was it? You are doing well, Loki, only two weeks and you are talking to royalty. Maybe if you persist in doing well, Zeus will see you. Now get out of my office, I do not wish to see you here again.''

Loki muttered as he left; his eyes downcast. ''I wish the same, you heathen.''

Another day passed and Loki used his forwarded payment as scribe to buy several more changes of clothing. He was starting to feel ill at being wet all the time, a sensation new to his godly constitution. Thus Loki sat in Hermes' sanctuary, fighting tiredness at staying up all night and the uncomfortable sick feeling, trying not to nod off in his exhaustion.

Loki started awake at the light sound of sandaled footfall nearby. It was Hermes! Loki scrambled to gather his ink pen and scroll, gasping in terror as he knocked over his ink well, spilling it all over his scrolls, ''No!'' Loki searched frantically for another scroll. It was his first day!

A voice from the balcony below called out. ''Scribe? Where art thou? I have no time, and must be off!''

Loki panicked, unable to find another scroll and grabbing up all the ruined papers, unsure of what to do. ''I'm coming! Wait!''

The reply from below only added to his frustration. ''I cannot wait! You must know this?''

Loki grabbed his hair, smearing ink carelessly in his anxiety. ''Please! It is my first day! I spilt the ink!'' Loki had never felt such a feeling before, such failure, in so easy a task, it made him feel the fool. He rushed down the stairs, tearing his brand new coat from himself. ''I shall write on this for the time being. It will not happen again, I swear!'' The coat was wet, and offered difficulty for writing. Loki felt like he wanted to cry from the mounting feeling of ineptitude.

Hermes watched his face and laid a hand gently on his shoulder. ''Relax, my friend, nothing is worth such stress. I would rather be late that see you suffer so. Here, write upon this table.''

Loki fought back a sniffle as the unbearable feelings of failure compounded with his sickness. If he botched this, he would be back to scrubbing floors, and that was not an option for Loki. "I..I yes, the table of course my lord. I will take you message now most hastily!" Unable to keep the frown from his face, Loki readied his quill his wide eyes drifting up to Hermes to begin transcribing the message.

Hermes cleared his throat. ''On this day, the fifth moon after solstice, there was a Cyclops camp of four established on the island of Jermoor. Also among our enemies the centaur, three tribes now remain within the mountains north of Olympus. Of the deadly sea scale serpents…'' So Hermes went on for some time, listing the locations of the enemies of Olympus from a bird's eye view.

Loki did his best to transcribe the message, but the dampness he protruded made the ink smear and the words became quickly illegible to read. Loki knew then that it would not matter whether or not he had spilled the ink; there was no way in his condition that he would be able to keep this job. Did Leonis know this? Was this a set up merely to break Loki's spirit? His inner rage began to build as his frustrations compounded. Leonis would pay for this insult Loki thought as he handed the wet and horribly distorted message to Hermes to read over. The look Hermes gave the message made tears well in Loki's eyes as he waited for Hermes to tell him what he already knew he was about to hear.

Hermes glanced up, handing the message back to Loki. ''Great job, scribe. Keep up the good work.'' With that Hermes turned and leaped from a window, flying away.

Loki watched in disbelief. He was sure that Hermes would have cast him from his office and given the job to another. The fact that Hermes had shown Loki such compassion over such epic failure made Loki's heart swell. He was not used to such kindness, and Loki walked away wondering what the future would hold for him in this position saying he could keep it. He would have to find ways to work around his 'disability' as he most certainly felt a need to prove himself capable now more than ever.