Ransom Paid
"This is all so frustrating!" The Dwarf groans angrily as he tramps about in the small room. There's a large fur on the stone floor, a simple cot to sleep on and a small table and chair for the Dwarf. "I can remember the previous night on Asgard… vividly… as well as this morning there, but the harder I try to recall what's going to happen as this trade goes down, the hazier it becomes." The disguised Loki fumes and finally the Dwarf just sits down roughly in his chair.
"It is because you are changing your Time Stream. After all, did I not tell you Time is fickle?" The Loki doppelganger says as he strolls about eying the room casually. The Dwarf just sighs in frustration some more.
"I should be able to recall something though." The Dwarf then says as he pounds a fist on the table. The wood cracks under the impact.
"As long as you remain here in the Past, 'winging it'… It's going to be hazy, so get used to it." The Loki double says with a wry smile to its disguised maker. The Dwarf narrows his eyes upon the doppelganger at the use of the Midgardian turn-of-phrase and is about to say something… But his attention is snapped away as he senses the approach of a Troll. He waves his right hand and forms the dismissing hand sign at the double who disappears quickly in a green shimmer. Suddenly the door opens and a Troll soldier steps just inside the door.
"The golden haired Prince of Asgard is here… with the Phoenix woman." The Troll says simply then nods his ugly helmed head at the little Dwarf before leaving.
"Excellent… This day is getting better already." The Dwarf then says with a wicked smile.
Thor approaches the looming main gate of the Troll fortress as the sun climbs higher, approaching its zenith. Thor isn't happy about this because he is really Loki in disguise… and Loki has to give up his Heart's Desire just so Thor can have his precious Hammer back. It all strikes Loki as terribly unfair. 'Yet another prize the Fates have snatched away from me in this life of mine.' Loki thinks dolorously as he shifts the weight of the unconscious woman in his (Thor's) arms. Thor comes to a halt and gives her a pained look before turning to face the gatehouse positioned directly over the main gate.
"TROLL KING!" He shouts loudly and his deep rumbling voice echoes around the fortress and the mountain side. It isn't hard to catch the attention of the guards, what with a crowd gathered overhead. Soon, however… Ulik, the Troll King appears. "I am Thor of Asgard! And I have come to make your trade! As you can see, I have brought Lady Phoenix… as requested! She is unconscious and thus will be of no trouble to you and yours. Now show me the Hammer, Mjolner!"
"You want your Hammer, Thunderer? Then set the woman down and walk away a hundred strides!" Ulik shouts down to the tall golden haired prince. Thor looks down at the unconscious Lady Phoenix in his arms then kneels to sit her down gingerly. He then turns and starts counting as he walks away.
"I will not walk any further than this until Mjolner is brought outside those gates!" Thor yells back after stopping at twenty paces. Ulik sneers at that.
"Bring the stasis orb." The Troll King commands and two soldiers hurry off. The Dwarf arrives onto this scene and looks down below… which is difficult considering he has to stand upon his tiptoes.
"There's something not right about this." The Dwarf then says.
"It's all under control, Friend Dwarf." Ulik says dismissively. "Open the gates. Send out twenty soldiers to collect the woman." The Troll King then commands. The Dwarf gives the much taller Troll an icy glare. 'How dare he dismiss me so off-handedly! As though I were a common servant!' Loki thinks and fails to focus on the scene playing out below… yet he knows 'something' will occur momentarily.
"Something is going to happen as soon as you show that Hammer to the Asgardian Prince down there… Mark my words." The Dwarf then says cautioning the Troll King.
"If the Thunderer even dares to use it against me after I return it then I still have these." Ulik says and raises his fists before himself to show the gauntlets.
"Pride goeth before a fall." The Dwarf then says with a smile at the Midgardian phrase. 'If Ulik, the Imbecile, is fool enough to not heed an ally's advice… then he deserves what is coming.' Loki thinks as a clever smile crosses the Dwarf's face. The portcullis lifts, the gates open, and out comes twenty Troll soldiers, armed and armored. They surround the unconscious Lady Phoenix.
Suddenly Thor runs and jumps the distance. As he hurdles through the air, a green shimmer washes over him, and Prince Loki is revealed. He quickly draws Laevateinn's twin blades and lands just before the group of Trolls. As he hits, he performs the simple hand sign with both hands… and two dozen doppelgangers shimmer into existence only to immediately attack. Unfortunately, one Troll manages to carry the unconscious Phoenix back into the fortress. The real Loki follows and generates more doppelgangers as he enters. All hell breaks loose! The real Loki simply does what he can to avoid being hit by blasts from the Troll's guns.
"Quick! Take the Hammer and connect the power couplings to it! Get the Phoenix woman there as well! We'll blast this fool's royal ass out of my fortress and keep our prizes!" Ulik says and jumps from the balcony. As the Troll King lands he starts smashing Loki doppelgangers. The air is alight with shimmering green as Ulik passes. A few doppelgangers do manage to land a few knicks though on the large Troll King before being dispelled.
The real Loki hurries to keep up. As he turns to follow down a corridor, four Troll soldiers stand guard before a pair of large double doors. They let the Troll carrying Lady Phoenix pass unhindered, but ready themselves as Prince Loki rushes down the hall head long at them. He yells and spins catching the incoming blade of the lead Troll before turning it away. He performs the summoning hand sign… and three more Lokis suddenly appear, each starts attacking a Troll. Each doppelganger uses Laevateinn to turn away their foes weapons and deliver a mortal blow. The real Loki passes on and his doppelgangers disappear in a shimmer of green light once their task is finished. His swords are turned underhanded so Loki punches with both fists at the closing doors with all his might. They crack and burst open allowing Loki access to the room within… and what a room it is!
"What in the Nine Realms?" Prince Loki ponders stunned as he looks about… the entire room is circular and tall, like a tube, with various gears and what looks like metal piping running up and down the walls forming patterns of varying lengths. In the center is a pillar of gleaming metal where long lines pull off from the wall along the floor to anchor to it… but there is a section missing from this column. This is where a pair of Trolls are placing Mjolner in its orb of eerie liquid. The lightning ripples from the Hammer through the stasis orb and starts to power up the fortress!
"Not enough Norn Stones to power this weapon of utter annihilation?" Prince Loki then says with a smirk at the engineering put into this most intriguing device. "Or perhaps there wasn't a pure enough source of Norn Stones to be had… hence Mjolner. No matter… all of you will be dead soon anyways." Loki then twirls his twin swords and attacks the closest Troll… then the next, and the next… and so on. His blades whirl about with such speed and precision that an observer would have a hard time following their movements. Alas… it is all in vain, for Mjolner is being sealed off as the upper pillar starts to drop closer to the base column.
'Lady Phoenix! If you can hear me… now is the time to show up!' Prince Loki thinks hoping beyond hope that she hears his thoughts. He then jumps upon the device, he drops one blade and it falls to the floor as he catches his balance. He then wedges himself between the two halves of the metal shell as it closes to make Mjolner a more permanent part of this device.
He struggles with all his strength to hold his position but the press keeps building and he starts to buckle as the upper half rests against his shoulders. He then quickly slashes at the stasis orb with his marvelous blade, Laevateinn, which can cut through anything thanks to the alloy of Scabrite and Adamite. On Earth Adamite is known as Adamantium. The liquid ripples and parts, flowing down away from Mjolner. It is exposed and the lightning surges outward in all directions. A wild bolt hits Loki squarely in his breastplate. A scream is torn from his lips at the sudden pain and he drops his other blade.
"Anytime now, Thor!" Loki shouts as the lightning moves from him for a moment then strikes him again. He screams in pain once more and the unconscious Lady Phoenix's eyes immediately snap open.
"Hammer!" Phoenix yells and Mjolner stops discharging and flies immediately to her waiting hand. As it is caught, the shimmer of green light flows over Lady Phoenix to reveal Prince Thor.
"Loki! Jump down and I'll smash this infernal device to pieces!" Thor then commands and raises Mjolner to strike… But suddenly Mjolner is knocked from the Thunderer's hand and before the golden haired prince can turn… a metal fist slams into his lower right side and knocks him away roughly.
"No, you don't… Thunderer." Ulik says as he taps his knuckles together and walks over to the fallen Thor. The golden prince summons Mjolner and slams it into Ulik's knuckles. It knocks both backwards.
"Loki!" Comes Lady Phoenix's worried voice as she appears in the room in a burst of flames. She flies to the central pillar and hovers inside where Mjolner was. She telekinetically moves the two halves apart abruptly and blasts the device with her fiery aura from her hands and feet. Her orange and gold flames shoot down the lines in the floor and on the walls. Loki smiles weakly watching her exert her wondrous power as he stands upon the edge of the shell briefly. He then goes limp and starts to fall backwards, but Lady Phoenix catches him as he slips over the edge and they float down to the floor as the machinery in the room starts to explode and fry out from the power overload. Lady Phoenix cradles the weakened Prince of Asgard to her chest tenderly.
"Thor… has… Mjolner…" Loki starts weakly. His bright eyes flutter open to look at Lady Phoenix.
"Hush. You need to rest, Loki." She says worriedly as she fusses with his hair and strokes his cheek gently with her hand. "You were quite the hero today." She adds with a warm smile, but the sadness is there, hauntingly, in her green eyes. 'Such beauty even in sorrow.' The youngest prince thinks as he looks only at his Heart's Desire knowing she can hear his thoughts.
"It'll make… a good story… for the feast tonight." Loki says with a weak smile.
"It's one that is sure to impress everyone… even your father. Especially, if you tell him it yourself." Lady Phoenix then says as she looks into his eyes. 'So sad.' Loki thinks. 'I don't want you to ever be sad. Not even now, but you're crying… which makes me a liar anyways.' A tear races down her cheek at his thoughts. They are the most honest thoughts he has ever had. He reaches up a pale hand, which looks more ashen now, and wipes the tear away. Lady Phoenix leans into his touch and places her hand over his. He looks so much younger now and yet his eyes hold a depth of emotion within.
"I just wanted… to…" He starts to say with a smile… but his eyes close and he passes out. His hand falls limply from her face and Lady Phoenix is stunned for a moment. His skin is so pale and the gray is spreading swiftly. His lips turn blue as does the skin near his hairline as his Jotun nature starts making itself known. Her hand feels the ruin of his breastplate and slides down his abdomen. Worry is starting to be replaced with panic.
"I'm not going to lose you, Loki. You still have a destiny to fulfill." Lady Phoenix says determined as an emboldened calm overtakes her. She lifts him up and kisses his cold blue lips. The orange and golden glow starts under her skin and flames begin to lick around her hair as it flutters up as though from some unfelt breeze. She tilts his head back which opens his mouth slightly and she opens hers… and a tiny spark of orange flame passes from her into Prince Loki. She has just given him a tiny piece of her very soul. It should be enough to bring him back to life.
"No! Brother!" Thor shouts as he looks over and sees a weeping Lady Phoenix with his unconscious little brother in her arms… and her lips upon his. He turns back to Ulik and fights even harder. He manages to knock the Troll King away and so the golden haired Prince of Asgard hurries to his fallen brother's side.
Loki's skin tone begins to return to normal as steam rises off him. His breath comes back sharp and sudden. His eyes snap open, bright and clear. They appear green for a moment… but then they return to their normal bright icy blue hue. He looks around wildly and then stares at the woman holding him in her arms.
"Welcome back." Lady Phoenix says gently to the revived Loki.
"Lady Phoenix… I-I don't know what to say." Loki then sputters, speechless over what has happened. Tears slip from Lady Phoenix's eyes and suddenly her lips crash into his. He is surprised and relaxes into the kiss for it is quite enjoyable.
"If this is the reaction I get from you every time I'm speechless… then I'll be sure to be so more often." Loki jests with a smile as she pulls away from him.
"Brother, I feared we'd lost you to the Halls of Valhalla." Thor says warmly as he approaches.
"Well, looks like you're stuck with me awhile longer yet." Loki replies with a chuckle though his smile quickly fades. "Thor look out-" Loki starts and raises a hand but it's too late… Ulik slams into Thor and the two roll across the floor. The room is now a blazing inferno as they clash again. Gears and pieces of masonry soon come crashing down around as they exchange blow after blow.
"We've got to do something." Loki says as he looks around from Lady Phoenix's lap for the blades of Laevateinn. "Where'd my Wounding Wand go?" Loki inquires as his search is unfruitful. He then chances to look up at Lady Phoenix and a thin blade erupts through her chest, going directly through her heart. The blade is barely a finger's width from his face. Close enough for blood droplets to splatter across Prince Loki's face as his eyes widen in horror.
"NO!" Loki screams as Phoenix telekinetically pushes him away.
"Burn in Hel, Troll!" Thor shouts and whirls Mjolner. The Hammer takes Ulik under the chin and the Troll King goes flying into the inferno above… lost in the flames. Thor then hears his brother's scream and looks to see Lady Phoenix has been stabbed. He rushes over and has to catch Loki as he flies through the air. Then suddenly the two brothers vanish in a burst of orange flames.
The disguised Loki had found his opportunity in the ensuing chaos to retrieve his cherished weapon, Laevateinn. He even waited for the perfect moment to strike… and did he! He slid one of the thin blades right into Lady Phoenix's back. She didn't even see or sense him coming thanks to his mental block. 'So I forced her to give me a piece of her soul before our wedding. Funny, how that little fragment allows me to do so much.' Loki thinks as he smiles wickedly and withdraws the blade from her. Phoenix teleports the younger princes away before her light show can begin. The little Dwarf remains out of her vision, smiling still, and he pulls out his Displacer Wand and teleports away before the inferno consumes him as well.
They reappear, still on Nornheim, barely half a league from the Troll fortress. The sun is high in the sky above. The two Asgardian Princes are bathed in the bright light. Thor is stunned, while Loki falls to his knees screaming angrily.
"I'm going back in there for her!" Loki then says and stands abruptly. A determined glare flashes in his icy blue eyes. He starts to walk briskly back to the Troll fortress then.
"Wait, Brother!" Thor says and Loki stops turning his frigid glare upon Thor.
"Do you mean to stop me? Is this the thanks I get for freeing your stupid Hammer… that I should lose my Heart's Desire to a pack of squabbling animals?!" Loki shouts angrily then turns and starts walking away again. Thor sighs sadly at his little brother's heartache as he watches Loki hurry down the stone paved road. He whirls Mjolner and flies up.
"That's not what I meant, Brother." Thor then says as he lands in front of Loki, blocking the path of the second Prince of Asgard. "We shall do this together… since we both clearly care for her." He then grabs Loki's arm and whirls Mjolner. Loki looks at Thor stunned but they never get off the ground… instead… Thor and Loki are each hit from behind by a green blast.
"Prince Loki… convenient for me that you ignored my banishment and came to see me." The Norn Queen says silkily as she twirls her index fingers and both the now hovering brothers spin from an invisible force to look towards Karnilla as she closes the distance between herself and them.
"Queen Karnilla… my sweet Karnilla… release us-" Prince Loki starts silkily but Karnilla performs the simple hand gesture to silence him.
"No more lies, Silver Tongue! I have you now." She says… her voice dangerous and low as well as eager and desirous.
"Release us at once Norn Queen or face the wrath of Asgard!" Thor demands hotly of the woman holding them.
"I require only one Prince of Asgard and you are not him." She says turning her attention to Thor then she performs the silencing hand gesture and he too goes quiet.
Suddenly the three hear a loud boom from the direction of the Troll Fortress. Karnilla looks at what is happening and she walks between Thor and Loki, who turn in pace to keep facing her. Then they are all viewing what is happening at the fortress. It is completely engulfed in flames… and suddenly the fiery bird aura of the Phoenix rises from its heart. Wings of flame spread wide… The two brothers are both wonderstruck at the awe inspiring sight before them… as is the Norn Queen.
"Such resplendid beauty." Loki whispers reverently as he watches the marvelous sight before them.
"She yet lives." Thor says with a thankful smile as he watches… then it bursts, dispersing, and a lone comet flies into the sky and arcs as it comes directly to the three. Karnilla steps back a pace or two before it impacts the ground before her. The flames vanish revealing an exhausted looking Lady Phoenix.
"Lady Phoenix." The two princes say at once.
"And now I have you as well… Harlot." Karnilla sneers and starts to move but Lady Phoenix's eyes snap up just in time to glare at the Norn Queen before the dark haired woman is thrown away telekinetically.
The hold over Thor and Loki is released. The slender dark prince immediately rushes to Lady Phoenix's side.
"That takes care of the rudest woman I've ever known." Phoenix says then falls to her knees and catches herself with her hands on the road. Loki immediately takes her into his arms, not caring about Queen Karnilla at all. He looks over Lady Phoenix's body… his eyes linger on her chest where the blade… his blade… had pierced her heart. 'Not a mark.' Loki thinks curiously and is very relieved as his hand absent-mindedly traces the spot where the blade erupted from. Her left hand then holds his and Loki looks up into her green eyes.
"I don't think those Trolls will be causing anymore problems in the foreseeable future." Phoenix quips with a smile. Both Thor and Loki chuckle at that statement, but tears start glistening in Loki's bright blue eyes.
"H-how did you…?" Loki starts but he can't bring himself to finish.
"Survive? My soul healed my body." She answers with a tired smile. "That's not the first time I've died and risen anew." She adds… Loki just smiles and hugs her close as his tears flow freely.
"We're glad to have you back, Lady Phoenix." Thor then says with a warm smile as he watches the two. He then looks up to the clear blue sky overhead. "Heimdall." He says simply and suddenly the multi-colored ray of light envelopes them and they are whisked away from Nornheim and back to the safety of the Realm Eternal.
"Damn you, Phoenix!" Karnilla screams at the sky as they vanish. Her revenge still left unsated.
