The Warrior and the Trickster
Chapter Nine:
Had Balder always been so stupid? Loki's plan had been somewhat fool proof and yet the would-be-king managed to blunder it royally. Absently, Loki's hand fell to the hilt of the dagger that Sif had given him. Though, the question was, should he stab Balder for being an idiot or should he find a way to rescue the hot-headed fool?
And to make matters worse the heat of Muspelheim was nearly unbearable. They'd run across many fire demons, but they paid them no mind having recognized their king's ally. Loki and Balder had been making excellent time in fact. Until Balder decided to investigate a cave where the sound of screeching and screaming could be heard from some tortured souls inside. Loki had advised that they move one and mind their own business — they had a quest of their own.
However, the would-be king had other ideas. He'd gone off half-charged into the bowels of the cave and gotten himself captured by some minor demons. Loki stood at the mouth of the cave in indecision. The whole purpose of the quest was to reinstate Balder as the crown prince and future king, but now he was sent rescuing the battle-crazed Asgardian. Balder had somewhat of a chip on his shoulder as he'd not been sent to Valhalla. He'd not died valiantly in battle so it was as if he were determined to do so now and forget that Sif's life was on the line if they failed to bring back the phoenix.
The air next to Loki stirred.
And to make things even more hellish, Thor Odinson appeared crouched beside him with one knee on the ground and his hand firmly gripping the handle of his trusty Mjolnir. His brother looked up at him with lightning bolts flashing in his blue eyes.
"Strange place to meet," Loki commented. His right hand once more rested upon the hilt of Sif's dagger while his left hand held the Chitauri Scepter in a white knuckled grip.
"Hela sent me," Thor said as he rose to his feet and towered over Loki from his two inch height advantage.
"Now why would she do that? Is she hoping you'll die and soon join her ranks of the dead?" Loki asked.
"No, I'm here because Sif pleaded that Hela provide a third for this quest of yours," Thor said. "Naturally, she thought of me."
Loki grit his teeth at the idea that Sif had so little confidence in him that she'd beg of Hela to allow Thor's assistance. Even when he tried to do a good thing he was forced to share the glory with Asgard's favored son. "Is that so?" he asked. He forced his grip on his scepter to relax and moved his other hand away from Sif's dagger.
"Where is Balder?" Thor asked, looking around their environment. "And why are we in the land of fire and sulfur?"
"We're looking for a phoenix bird to return to Hela. And our brother so newly brought back to life decided to take a side adventure regardless of our time limit on our quest," Loki explained. "We heard the sound of tortured souls from deep within this cave and without a plan of action the idiot rushed inside. He was promptly over powered and captured. I'm currently trying to decide what to do."
"We must go and rescue him!" Thor declared. "What is there to decide?"
"There are many things to decide. The how to go about such things would be the first and foremost. Should not our king be able to keep himself from being captured so easily?" Loki asked. "I am starting to question my choice in father's successor."
"And why did you not don the mantle yourself? Is it not something you always wanted?" Thor asked. "You were always envious of my birthright."
"Technically, I am the son of Laufy, King of the Frost Giants. So, it was also my birthright to be a king. Believe it or not, but I do not wish to be king. I enjoy power, but my enjoyment of it is fleeting. It is more the challenge of acquiring power that I seek."
Thor tapped his hammer against his shoulder casually. "You make fine points. Perhaps I should reclaim my right to be king."
"Do you want to be king or do you want to save Balder? Hela has already restored him to life. The point of this quest is to free Sif from Hela's imprisonment. The original quest I shared with Sif has already been completed. We recovered Balder," Loki said.
"Except now Balder has gotten himself captured," Thor pointed out.
"And I am determined to finish the quest to save Lady Sif," Loki said.
"I will not have Lady Sif kept under Hela's possession. I offered to take her stead, but Hela would not have it," Thor explained. "I trust you not, Loki. Every time that I have put my faith in you I have been rewarded with betrayal."
"Fine, do not trust me, but we must work together if we are to succeed in saving Sif," Loki said.
"But, first, we must save Balder. Sif would not accept either of us if we managed to free her and yet failed to keep Balder safe for taking his place as king," Thor pointed out.
"No she would not, and no one holds a grudge quite like our Lady Sif," Loki said. He looked back toward the entrance of the tunnels that Balder had raced down on a heroic crusade. He tried to think what Sif might do if she were in his situation. No doubt she'd save Balder, but the how remain elusive.
"Very true," Thor said. "Of which I am obviously on the receiving end at present."
"Oh? Is Sif angry at you for betraying your promise to her?" Loki asked as his innate curiosity piqued.
"I do not see as how it is any of your business," Thor growled.
"Do not mistake yourself by thinking you are the only one that cares about Sif," Loki answered with a snarl. "Now, be silent. If we're going to sneak into this cave I'd prefer not to announce our presence with a shouting match."
"You're the one talking," Thor whispered.
Loki glared at him with narrowed eyes and raised his index finger to his lips to indicate silence. They moved carefully through the tunnels and stayed close to the shadows. Loki used his skill with illusion to mask both his and Thor's presence in darkness. They followed the sound of screams.
He did not expect to find an inner cavern with red and gold tapestries displayed over the walls, pillows littered across the floor, and a score of Sultur's daughters strutting about the space scantily clad with leather whips in their hands. Loki could feel Thor stiffen at his side. Apparently his big brother hadn't seen the King of Muspelheim's tempting daughters — a product of his plethora of wives. The seductresses varied in shape, size, and color — some were tall, some petite, some quite rotund and in every shade of the rainbow. However, Sultur's daughters' beauty was unrivaled by their cruelty.
Chained to the walls were examples of their playthings. They were particularly partial to the light elves of Alfheim. Such creatures were rare in the fiery depths of Muspelheim, but with the Convergence their odds greatly increased. Four such species of elves were chained to the walls — only one remained alive. His voice a hoarse rasp from his earlier screams.
Thor started to rush to the elf's side, but Loki gripped Thor by the shoulder and stayed his motion. They needed to observe.
"Oh sisters! An Asgardian has come to our halls!" a yellow skinned demoness with a tail twice as long as her body, and hair a vibrant red cried out. She ran the leather tassels of her bloodstained whip across Balder's chest leaving a red trail in its wake across his tunic. "He's a pretty one," she said with a cruel twist of her lips. "I'll see if I can remedy this."
"Ladies!" Loki shouted, appearing before them and hoping that they recognized him as their father's ally. "I am Loki, the great King Sultur's loyal ally. I ask that you not harm the Asgardian before you."
"And why should we do as you ask, Trickster?" a blue-skinned demoness hissed, her forked tongue slithering past her green lips. "We found him in our halls. He is ours."
"He is my pawn and I will need him if I am to be of further use to your father. Sultur will be displeased if you risk our alliance for a plaything," Loki said holding his hands out in a placating manner.
"How about a trade?" the yellow-skinned demoness asked. She raised her whip to her lips and licked the blood from it's tassels. "What is the blonde one to you? I could enjoy his company."
"Yes," the blue-skinned demoness hissed. "We could make you feel very wanted, blonde one. What says you? We are but two of two-thousand sisters. I am sure you can satisfy us like none of these weak elves can. You are of Asgard!"
"Oh Morticia," the yellow demoness sighed. "You would forget our dear sisters?"
"Why should we not have our own Asgardian, Horroria?" Morticia, the blue demoness asked. She gestured toward the other demonesses. "Our sisters have already broken our elf plaything. Why should we share with them?"
"My heart belongs to only one and she is not you, but a gentle heart and a noble soul. Release Balder now, witches," Thor rumbled. He raised his hammer and stood with his legs apart in a battle stance.
Loki sighed. "Alas, if I could spare him I would gladly trade one Asgardian for another, but he is not mine to trade."
"Trickster Frost Giant, you lie," Morticia screamed. She moved faster than the eye could follow and a moment later stood directly in front of Loki. She ran a clawed finger down the side of his face drawing blood. "I will take both Asgardians. You may leave with your life. That is my offer."
"Enough!" Thor growled, he swung his hammer directly toward the yellow demoness Horroria and knocked her away from Balder.
Loki dissolved the illusion of himself, breathing heavily with the effort of creating such a realistic image and anticipating the need for a bloody wound. He used the Mind Stone of his scepter and placed the blue-skinned demoness Morticia under his control. She quickly contained her sister Horroria and chained her to the walls, her enchanted blue eyes flashing all the while. "Daughters of Sultur hear me, allow us to leave unhindered and the rest of you shall remain of your own free will!" Then Morticia chained herself to the walls.
"You do not control us, Trickster," a pink-fleshed demoness with butterfly wings said flying into the air.
Thor raised Mjolnir once more, but Loki gave him a look to stay his hand a second time. "Daughters of Sultur, I command you to sleep!" Like flies the demonesses collapsed to the ground. The two chained sisters fell unconscious as well.
"Violence is not always the answer," Loki admonished Thor. He drew near Balder's unconscious form and checked his pulse. He was still alive — for now. His lips were a blue discoloration. If Loki remembered his studies accurately the blue-skinned demons of Muspelheim used a mild toxin to sedate their prey. It would wear off in time, but usually that was little consolation to their victims as normally they'd have been eaten long before they'd have awoken.
"Perhaps not, but it is efficient," Thor argued. He moved to the whimpering light elf chained to the wall and snapped the chain with his bare hands.
"What are you doing?" Loki asked. He wasn't as strong as Thor, but he was no lightweight. He lifted Balder over his shoulder in what the mortals referred to as a fireman's carry.
"Taking him with us," Thor said. He slung the elf's arm over his shoulders and held him up with a strong arm around his waist.
Loki narrowed his eyes. Saving wayward elves wasn't on the agenda.
"Thank you, for saving me," the blond-haired, blue-eyed, pale skinned elf said. His fine clothing was in tatters, but at least his boots were in fine condition. He wore a yellow cloak, a ruffled shirt, dark leather boots, and two empty pistols strapped across his belt. He looked toward his dead brethren with a sadness in his eyes that only the elves of Alfheim could show. It was said that if you stared into the eyes of a light elf that you'd see the empty isolation of eternity.
"What is your name, friend?" Thor asked.
"Sir Ivory Honeyshot, Lord of Longrose Hall," he said through bloody clenched teeth. "My hat, please." Ivory pointed toward a cowboy hat with a bright red feather tucked in the brim.
Loki crouched down, still supporting Balder's weight. He snatched up the hat and tossed it toward Thor and the light elf. "No more delays. We're not here to play the hero."
Thor sent Loki a look of pittance. "But, Loki, that's exactly why we are here." They stepped over the unconscious forms of Sultur's daughters. Loki could only hope that their father wouldn't be too upset about the dispute. He still would need his help to return to Hela's realm during the allotted time frame.
OoO
Sif relaxed against a stone pillar inside Hela's palace with her ankles crossed before her. She chewed on her thumb nail in agitation and tried to not think too much upon her reunion with Thor. The news that Loki had very sincere feelings for her was something else she didn't want to think about. Her poor thumb nail had been chewed to the quick as a result.
"So, what shall we do with all our time?" Hela asked as she paced in front of Sif. "The three bothers have two weeks to do their quest, but time is meaningless in a place like this. Two weeks could feel like twenty years if I so choose it."
"I would prefer you not chose to make the days longer. I am poorly equipped when patience is required," Sif said. "Do you intend to heal Jane Foster?"
Hela shrugged. "It is nothing to me. Would you care to accompany me to Midgard? Shall we pay a little visit to Thor's broken lover?"
A visit with the woman that replaced her in Thor's heart wasn't high on Sif's agenda, but even that would be better than spending any more time than necessary in the pits of Hel. She had hopes that after the current quest that she might never visit the halls of Nifelheim again. Her soul was marked for Valhalla.
"Let us visit with Jane Foster," Sif said.
"It's so much easier when you agree," Hela said. She appeared at Sif's side and took hold of her arm in a strong grip, her fingernails dug deep into her flesh and drew blood. Sif grit her teeth to keep from crying out from the pain. She'd had worse, but pain was always painful no matter your tolerance. "Let's be off then," Hela said.
The world seemed to collapse in on itself and everything was green. Sif closed her eyes to try and ease the nausea that threatened to overwhelm her. And then she felt her feet land on solid ground and the air smelled of crisp outdoors and a lush garden. She opened her eyes to see that she and Hela stood in the midst of a garden in the realm of Midgard. Her warrior's armor and Hela's majestic robes had been transformed in the wardrobe of the people of Midgard.
The blue jeans upon Sif's legs were harsh as starch, the boots upon her feet were tolerable but of an inferior leather compared to her dragon soled boots. She wore a blue jean jacket over a red halter top. She liked the top — it revealed her muscular abdominal muscles. She glanced at Hela as the goddess of death pulled her long dark hair into a high pony tail. She wore an elegant green silky sheath of a dress that fell to her knees. Her feet wore impractical black strapped healed shoes. The people of Midgard wore the strangest of clothing.
"What is this place?" Sif asked.
"Do you like it?" Hela asked instead of answering. She reached down and ran her fingertips over a patch of colorful pansies.
"It is peaceful," Sif said. She wasn't used to appreciating things of beauty. Her priorities had always been to ensure the safety of the realm so that others might appreciate the beauty of peace, home, and hearth.
"We are in the gardens of the London hospital where Jane Foster is recovering," Hela answered. "Come, let us play Thor's mortal a visit."
Sif followed after Hela. The goddess of death walked with purpose into the hospital, no staff looked at her a second time. Had she made them invisible to mortal eyes? Sif felt nervous about seeing Jane. The human woman herself was fairly likable, but she couldn't help but feel a jealous rage in regards to her. Ten centuries of her relationship with Thor had been deemed obsolete after he spent a few days with the mortal learning how to make pancakes and scrambled eggs. Did Thor truly prefer cooking breakfast with Jane to slaying fiends with her?
"Here we are, room 407," Hela announced. They stood outside of a corner room at the end of the hall on the fourth floor of the hospital. "She's all alone right now. Her friends are in the cafeteria. Shall we?"
"We shall," Sif agreed. Hela opened the door and Sif followed her inside of the room. It was a private room. Jane Foster sat up in her hospital bed with IV lines strapped to her arm and fluids flowing into her blood vessels. She was reading a magazine that quickly fell out of her limp hands upon spotting the two Asgardians inside her room.
"Um, hello," Jane said nervously. "Sif, I'm surprised to see you here. Would you like to introduce me to your friend?"
"Jane Foster, this is Hela the Goddess of Death. Hela, this is Jane Foster — Thor's chosen human," Sif said by way of introduction. Jane's dark eyes grew wide and her pupils constricted. Sif took no joy in the human's obvious terror, but at least it meant she wasn't a fool. If one wasn't terrified in the presence of death then one was a complete idiot.
Hela moved to the chair next to Jane's bed and sat in it, crossing her legs at the knees and leaning forward. "That looks like a rather embarrassing injury you have there, Jane Foster."
"I'll heal," Jane said. She cast a pleading look in Sif's direction.
Sif sat on the foot of Jane's bed. The human wasn't only weak, but ridiculously short. There was plenty of space at the edge of the bed. "Hela isn't here to hurt you, Jane. In fact, she is here for quite the opposite intentions. In reward for Thor's participation in a quest of mine she has agreed to heal you of your injury."
"That's a very kind offer," Jane said. "But I don't want you to endanger Thor for my sake."
"Tell you what, human, I will tell you a story. If you will listen attentively I will heal you for that and that alone. Will you bargain with me?" Hela asked.
Jane locked eyes with Sif, silently asking if she could trust the goddess sitting next to her. She gave a brief nod of encouragement, her anger towards Jane lessened at seeing the arrogant mortal in such a weakened state. It wasn't like Sif to feel sympathy, but how could she blame the human for loving the same man that she loved for centuries. Perhaps, it only meant that the human was wise in seeing beyond Thor's rough exterior to the golden heart within.
"You have my attention," Jane said.
"I will tell you a story about a hero of earth. He wasn't of this land, but he ventured here many times in the ninth and tenth centuries of the common era. During that time he led countless men into battle, slew demons and dragons and abominations of the sea and ice to protect humanity. He celebrated by feasting with the vikings drinking their mead and eating their food and bedding their women. He slept with over ten thousand women, many at one time in celebration of his battle's glories. His appetite could not be sated, until one day he met a woman warrior. A rarity amongst her people and to her he was loyal. She was his betrothed and he was faithful to her for a thousand years. Do you like this story so far, Jane Foster?" Hela asked.
"I am not sure what the point of this story is, goddess," Jane said.
"The point, is the woman sitting on the edge of your bed was Thor's love for ten centuries and he cast her aside for you and scrambled eggs and pancakes. Do you think that your selfish human love can compare to hers? She has fought beside him in countless battles and when he asked her to save the life of the woman whom he'd decided to replace her did she hesitate? Would you have been so magnanimous if your positions were reversed?" Hela asked.
"Sif, I didn't know. I thought the two of you were just friends, honest," Jane said. "He left here days ago. We had a big fight. I'll end it. It's the right thing to do."
"What do you think, Sif? Do you believe her?" Hela asked.
Sif was reminded that Hela was the daughter of Loki when her green eyes twinkled in mirth at her expense.
"I believe that Jane Foster is a woman who fell for the charm of Thor, same as I did. I cannot fault you for falling in love with the same man that I loved. He chose you for a reason. Please, Hela, heal the woman so that we may be gone from here," Sif said. She looked away from the two women and stared out the window across the room. She thought about Hela's words from earlier about Loki having feelings for her. Is this how he felt? She had chosen Thor and had been blind to his affection.
She could feel Jane's fragile, weak grip take her hand. Sif immediately looked down at the hand gripping her own. How dare the human be so forward! She was about to jerk her hand out of hers when she looked at Jane's face and saw only sympathy. "I'm still sorry, that I fell in love with him too. Had I known you before and known of what he meant to you I wouldn't have allowed myself to love him."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but the words are hollow I'm afraid," Sif said. She stood and made her way to the window.
She could hear Hela mutter a few magical words under her breath and Jane gasped in relief. She could hear the sound of the IVs being pulled out of Jane's veins. And then the human stood behind her with her hand on Sif's shoulder.
Sif reached up and closed her hand on top of Jane's by some sort of instinct that seemed foreign to her. She'd never had a girlfriend before, but imagined there would be such physical liberties taken amongst women. Her friendship with Brunnhilde was based mostly on fighting back to back slaying beasts. There were no gentle touches. "We both love Thor, but his love for you is what he has chosen. I have my duty to Asgard first and foremost."
"That's a pretty ring," Jane said.
Sif twisted around and pulled her hand away from Jane's to see that she'd held her with the hand that Loki's ring resided. "It was a gift from a dear friend," Sif said. She gave Jane one of her rare smiles. "I think it might be time you returned home and left this place of sick bodies and sadness behind you."
"Sif, I know it might be hard to imagine right now. But, I'd like to call you friend," Jane said.
"Thor has been my best friend for over a millennia. I am hurt by his actions, but one day we will be fine again. He has chosen to bestow his love upon you and so I shall love you as well. But, I have little patience, Jane. It would be best if you did not press your luck with me," Sif answered. "My temper and tendency towards violence is the subject of countless bards."
"All right, well, I had hoped for a little more violence than this when I suggested you join me here, Sif. You constantly surprise me. Part of me hopes that the quest fails. I think I should enjoy your company," Hela said. The goddess of death rose to her feet waved her hand in the air and the two of them vanished from the realm of Midgard and stood back inside of Hela's palace.
Once more chains hooked around Sif's neck and wrists. Hela stood behind her. "You can be certain that I would not forsake you for a human," she said whispering in Sif's ear from behind and scraping her sharp fingernail across Sif's cheek gently.
Sif rattled the chains are her wrists uncomfortably. She really hoped that Loki was successful.
A/N: Anyone else read the comic Loki: Agent of Asgard? I really enjoyed the first issue! Also, any guests on why Hela is so interested in Sif? I'm hoping to blow your minds when I reveal that tidbit!
2/12/14
