Chapter 9

Égil was surprised how calm Loki has been since the day he collapsed. Every time Égil glanced at Loki through the glass wall he was always lying in his bed, sleeping or reading a book. He was almost too calm, it actually felt a little suspicious.

Égil was on the other hand bored again. Nothing fun happened anymore, not even Loki was funny to watch now. He sighed as he sat down and began to fiddle with his sword. He thought about his family, his mother who always worried about him, who always thought something bad would happen to him in the dungeons.

He thought of his little sister, Embla. Embla who was obsessed by her cat Arnór, who loved the smell of honeysuckle in the morning, who took care of their mother everyday. Embla, who Égil had promised to show the palace for. He closed his eyes. He wished he was with his sister right now. Embla had grown up so fast, since their mother got sick Embla took care of the house now while Égil provides for his family.

It felt like yesterday he took his sister to the big tree on the moors. On the biggest branch hanged a swing. Égil remembered how happy Embla had been when he showed her the swing. "oh please can i try it?" She had asked. Égil had smiled and nodded. Every day they visited the old tree and Embla wanted him to rock her in the swing. It was the golden age of their lives. But then, suddenly another memory popped up in Égil's head. He frowned.

One day, Égil and Embla had took their usual way to the tree as always, nothing strange with that. But when they reached the tree they noticed that another person was there. a youth sat on the swing with his nose in a book. Égil had frowned. He knew Embla was such a shy girl, she wouldn't dare asking this boy to go away. The boy had stolen Embla's swing! Égil wasn't at all afraid of fighting, he was strong for his age, the boy on Emblas swing on the other hand, looked so skinny, so weak and fragile. Even if the boy was a few years older, Égil was sure he could knock the boy out if he needed to. Égil walked towards the elder boy.

"Hey! That's my sisters swing you know! Could you leave and let her swing on it?" He had shouted. The boy looked up from his book.

"but i was here first-" the boy began but was cut off by Égil who had punched him in the face. "No! you leave now! can't you see you're scaring my sister?!" Égil shouted. he did not allow anyone to hurt his baby sister. The boy jerked terrified back.

"I-I'm so s-sorry! please! i was about to leave anyway!" The elder boy stammered.

"Yeah, sure! i bet you will be back here tomorrow again!" Égil said.

"No no no, i promise to not come back!" the boy reassured him. Then he took his book and run away. They had never seen the boy again since that day.

Égil had forgotten that day, that boy, but now when he thought about it he knew who the boy was, even though he never asked about his name. The boy he and Embla had met so many years ago, was now right in front of him, It was Loki.

He remembered the boy's face, two big and shining green eyes, a skinny face and black hair. His clothes had been green and he looked like he came from a wealthy family, still there had been a melancholy over the boy which made him look so unhappy, which he still does. Égil hadn't realize until now that that boy actually had been Loki, a prince of Asgard. He could have used his position as an excuse to stay, he could have threatened them to send the guards on Égil and Embla if they tried to force him away. Still, Loki had just accepted it and left, not even tried to fight back.

Égil also remembered how happy Embla had been when he'd sent the boy away.

"you are my hero!" She had said as she hugged him tightly. Égil laughed at the memory, oh how he missed his little sister. He longed for her beautiful smile, her soft voice. But Embla wasn't the only thing he missed, he wanted his old life back, but then his family would starve to death if not Embla have found a job yet. No, this was for their own good, he had to keep this job.

The hours passed on and Égil started to feel sleepy. He was half asleep when his gaze fell upon Loki's cell. Suddenly he opened his eyes wide as he saw a sudden green shimmer over Loki who sat there, reading a book.

Égil recognized the sign. Illusion.

Loki wasn't really there, he was an illusion, the whole room was hidden by an illusion! That would explain why everything felt so clean in there. Égil knew Loki was a mental wreckage, he wouldn't be able to stay this calm and to keep the room so clean and structured as he now did. Everything in there felt too perfect. But if that was an illusion, then what truth was hidden behind it? What could possibly be so terrible that you have to hide it behind an illusion.

Magic and illusions was forbidden to perform in prison, Loki knew that, and he wouldn't take the risk, not even Loki was witless like that. So why would he do it? what reason led him to this? What if Loki had escaped and this illusion would make the guards to believe that he was still in there? Or maybe he wanted to hide something really really terrible, What was going on there?

Égil felt that he had to tell someone. These kind of news must immediately be known!

"i must report this to the king" Égil murmured to himself.

But what if he just imagined this? what if Loki didn't hid behind any illusion, what if there even wasn't an illusion? The last time he reported about Loki's collapse, the others only got mad at him. That could happen this time as well. But no, this was of importance, if Loki has escaped, Égil would lost his job. He had to report this to the Allfather before it was too late! He stood up and began to walk. He opened the golden doors which led out into the palace, he went upstairs and walked straight in the throne room's direction. He turned left and passed the corridor. He continued through the golden halls when suddenly something hit him in the back of his head and he fell unconscious on the floor.

Two hands grabbed Égil's legs and dragged him away.


When Thor came back to Jane he held three plastic bags full of groceries. Jane jaw dropped as he took the bags into the mini kitchen and put them on a bench. Jane rushed towards him as he started to pack up the food. Her eyes widened when she saw how much Thor has bought.

"Thor? What is this?" Jane inhaled. Thor looked up on her and smiled. "Oh, It's groceries, you told be to buy food, and so i did" He explained.

"But i told you to go and buy some eggs, milk, chocolate, salad and corn flakes only! Not every fucking grocery in the store!" Jane exclaimed angrily. Thor looked down on his feets as Jane continued.

"How much did it cost? How much money did u spent?" Jane asked tensed. Thor looked up again, confused and ashamed.

"Um… i don't understand what you are trying to ask, my love. When you speak of money, do you mean those small pieces of paper in your wallet?" Thor asked cautiously. "Yes! and by the way, where is my wallet. And Thor, how. much. money. did. you. spent?!" Jane sighed in annoyance. Thor handed her the wallet.

"Oh, the man who owned the groceries wanted all of those papers in exchange for the food, but, why would anyone want such pointless things as paper pieces in exchange for valuable food?" Thor laughed, but Jane only glared at him.

"you. did. what?!" Jane asked tensed.

"I just told you my love, the man in the store wanted all the paper pieces in exchan-" Thor begun but was cut off by Jane.

"THOR YOU IDIOT! YOU SPENT ALL MY MONEY!" She yelled. Thor tensed.

"but we now have food for days, isn't that a good thing?" Thor asked quietly. "M-Maybe i don't know?! but the fact that you wasted my money is not a good thing!" Jane continued.

"Jane i'm truly sorry, but i told you before, you shouldn't have sent me to the supermarket." Thor excused. Jane face palmed and sighed again. "Well, i guess we have to make sure we don't waste the food then, then you would have spent all my money nor nothing" Jane sighed and Thor shined up. "Yes! let us have a really great evening, you can brought your friends here and we can have a great festivity together!" Thor said. "Yeah whatever, why not? And we could watch a movie, a horror movie!" Jane replied.

"Movie?" Thor asked confused, Jane nodded. "Yeah! Thor! You know what? this is actually a really good idea! Thor, you're a genius! Of course we should do this? Why haven't we done it before?" Jane sparkled.

"uh.. I don't know?" Thor smiled confused, but he was happy their little fight was over and that Jane was happy again. Jane gave Thor a quick kiss and then continued.

"I'll call Eric, Darcy and her new friend Ian now." Jane said as she picked up her phone. "Can i bring the Avengers as well?" Thor asked. "Sure, only if they don't destroy anything" Jane said, Thor shined up, this was going to be so fun!

The only thing that bothered him was the feeling that something was wrong with his brother...