Hope you enjoy this! (I've never written faster)
Part 2 of Loki, Tony, and Bruce's magical excursion.
Loki smiled, shifting his arm and allowing the illusion of a snake to slither along the armor plates and his bright green tunic below.
"So, that's only an illusion?" Bruce asked, reaching out and allowing his fingers to fall through the serpent.
"Correct, although I can strengthen the illusion to add depth and texture to fool you completely." Loki smiled, clicking the fingers as suddenly, Bruce's fingers met resistance.
"That's incredible! Do you know how useful this would be?" Tony gushed, looking at the serpent in awe while Loki let out a slightly dry laugh.
"If only the warriors would realize that. They think the gifts of Seidr are useless traits of women." He scowled slightly as his eyes met Bruce and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Braka vǫllr."
From the odd words a tinge seemed to hum in the air before the ground at Bruce's feet shook slightly, cracking in an uneven circle around Bruce. It shook, splitting and lifting slightly from the ground, causing a slightly lifted area where Bruce stood, only about an inch from the actual ground.
Loki let out a breath, the ground halting immediately while Loki shook his head, inhaling sharply.
"Hey- you okay there?" Tony asked, still staring at the ground mesmerized. Loki looked up with a slight smile, as if proud with his accomplishment.
"I am fine, it is difficult to cast Destruction magic which is not part of your magic's core." Loki explained, shaking his head as if to clear some sort of ringing.
"Your magic's core?" Bruce asked, gingerly stepping off the tiny platform and looking at it more closely.
"Affinity. Destruction magic is divided into four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. One with a Fire affinity may perform magic to the other elements, although the results are not as satisfactory." Loki explained, blinking and looking very much restored.
"So what's your affinity?" Tony asked, and Loki hesitated, looking uncomfortable.
"I-I am not sure. I am…skilled, at water, yet I hold control over fire." Loki shifted, and Tony looked at Bruce excitedly. "Fire? Like, you can summon fire?"
Loki gave a slight nod, snapping his fingers and murmuring under his breath the word "Eldr." On his palm a small orb of glowing fire grew.
"Holy- That's amazing!" Tony breathed, staring at the orb in awe, watching it flicker.
Bruce smiled, looking up to see Loki's face, and his smile faltered. Loki's eyes were locked upon the flickering fire, his breath hitching while the hand at his side twitched, trembling.
"Loki?" Bruce asked as he noticed the slightly glassy look in Loki's eyes, as if he wasn't quite looking at the flame.
"Loki?" This time Loki responded, blinking quickly and closing his hand, extinguishing the flame quickly and looking away.
"What's up?" Tony asked, frowning as Loki shifted, looking awkward as he tried to not look at his one hand.
"I- Nothing. Nothing is up." Loki responded quickly, looking into the water carefully and moving his arm in a careful pattern, the water ever so slightly rippling as Loki's eyes narrowed, obviously trying to control it without a word.
"Dude, that wasn't nothing. Not like a bit of fire?" Tony asked with a frown and Loki twitched slightly, obviously anxious about it.
"It is nothing! Nothing ails me!" Loki hissed, turning away and walking over to where Hlýða was rubbing her shoulder against a tree.
Bruce and Tony glanced at each other before standing and moving over to try and unhitch their own giant horse.
Loki brought Hlýða over, reaching over to untie their own horse stiffly.
He moved back, turning and awaiting Tony and Bruce to mount before walking on the tiny path once more. Tony directed the horse, walking around Hlýða and showing the surprising weapon there.
"You use a Staff?" Tony asked, mentally kicking himself as he almost said 'scepter'.
Loki blinked, looking at the staff on his side, strapped to Hlýða carefully.
"Indeed. I prefer to use distance then physical combat." He spoke carefully, just waiting for the insults.
"You use a bow?" Bruce asked, interested as he had never heard of Loki using a bow.
Loki shrugged slightly, "I am decent, better then my brother will ever be. I prefer throwing knives, they're easier to slip between armor plates." Loki explained, pulling on his new cloak to reveal the five knives in tiny sheaths upon his hips.
Tony frowned, and although he didn't want to, he couldn't help but be reminded of the people Loki had- will, kill.
'How many died in the Battle of New York because of him?'
"So, how does Asgard work? Like, you have a king, right?" Tony asked, trying to ignore the fact that he knew full well how the Courts and Council worked.
"Aye. My father is king, the Odin Allfather." Loki smiled, his horse tossing its head happily, silky black hair running down as Loki smoothed it.
"So it's a Monarchy?" Bruce asked, actually not knowing the full details to Asgard's government.
"Partially, my father holds the throne, yet his Council supervises his decisions. They hold the ability if all agree to change laws or sentences that my father carries out, yet if one disagrees my father's rule carries out." Loki explained, before waving his hand as he continued on.
"Amongst the Nine Realms there is a single head leader, if not then one ambassador visits upon the day of the Nine Courts. The Nine Courts' normally decide decisions that will affect all of Yggdrasil, yet they hold power over a single realm if majority agrees." Loki explained, causing Bruce and Tony to exchange glances.
"What about Court? Like, for prison and stuff?" Tony asked, causing Loki to frown, thinking over how to answer appropriately.
"My father decides the sentencing, the convicted may defend himself and the Council holds opinion. Normally my father's sentences will be the final judgment, unless more proof is revealed, in that case the Council holds final judgment." Loki spoke, causing Tony to stiffen.
"So…if someone was already convicted, and more evidence was found of them being innocent, the Council would take the case?" Tony asked in disbelief, Loki frowning and looking puzzled by his surprise. "Of course."
"What if the convicted wasn't being convicted of crimes on Asgard?" Bruce asked, and Loki frowned, looking at him in surprise.
"Very few times has that occurred. In that case then the convicted would be brought upon the Nine Courts. What is with this questioning?" He asked, genuinely curious.
By that time they had already passed the River and were approaching the outer transition from the Caravan road to the outskirts of the city. Over on the left were warriors returning from hunts.
"So…what about the Council? What if the one being convicted was in the council?" Tony questioned, and Loki twitched once more, as if the questions were…pestering, him.
"The Council member would be sent to court, and punishment would be fit by Odin." Loki spoke once more, frowning as they neared the city.
"Okay- let's say someone was in the court, and randomly got killed-" Tony spoke before Bruce sharply nudged him.
Tony cut off, looking at Bruce in surprise while Bruce gave him a look.
Obviously, Bruce understood Tony's trail of thought.
"Tony!" Bruce hissed under his breath while Tony opened his mouth to complain.
Hlýða reared, hooves flailing as she let out a large neigh, letting her feet fall back to the ground in a stomp as Loki looked at them, face ashen.
"How do you know of that?" Loki asked, looking at the two with a face filled with some emotion the two couldn't read.
"I-"
"It wasn't my fault!" Loki spoke quickly, looking freaking emotional, as he got his horse to back up, hooves clicking on the cobblestone as suddenly he turned, pulling on the reigns again.
Clint and Natasha were just returning to the Hall after having a rather pleasant walk out along the countryside. They had seen the two horses, or rather Clint recognized Hlýða and they had approached.
They stood in front, blocking the path while Loki seemed to react negatively to it, obviously thinking that they were trying to corner him in.
"Loki, calm do-" Bruce lifted his arms, trying to soothe Loki. Instead, it seemed to bring him to even more panic.
"Detta!" Loki shouted, one arm swinging and forcing an invisible force to blast out, knocking Bruce from the horse, and leaving Tony to grab its neck. Clint and Natasha skidded, hitting the ground roughly and rolling, moving to a crouch as Tony yelped, the horse finally throwing him off.
"What are you trying to do! Kill us?" Tony grunted, hitting the ground sharply while Natasha rose from her crouch, glaring.
Loki shook his head wildly, looking more like a spooked teenager then an angry villain. "No! I- I swear I didn't mean to-"
"What? Murder us? Looked like you meant that." Clint muttered, rising and glaring as Loki noticeably flinched.
"I- I didn't mean to kill him! I swear, I-I only wanted to stop Algrim!" Loki shouted, looking more and more distraught as he kicked Hlýða, who moved with surprising speed away, Loki's breath heaving.
"Loki!" Another voice shouted, masculine and very recognizable.
Tony didn't hold back a groan as he recognized the voice.
Thor moved on his horse, Sigr standing tall and proud as he looked at the running form of Hlýða. Thor stared at the running horse as another pulled next to him, as did three more.
The Warrior Three blinked at the quickly moving blur, looking at Thor who seemed quite determined to chase down his younger brother and question him.
"Thor, don't." Sif spoke, causing Thor to glance at her in slight confusion. Her eyes narrowed daringly. "He needs time to think."
"That is all he does now, Sif!" Thor growled out at her, and her eyes narrowed at the aggressiveness in his voice.
"If you chase Loki down, then I will chase after and smack you down." Sif growled, causing Thor to scoff, turning and looking at the panicking horse and the four strangers on the ground.
"You!" Thor shouted, his horse stomping and throwing its head impressively, he glared at them. "You dare anger the sons of Odin?" He growled, leaving Sif to sigh.
"Go, Fandral. Find what upset Loki so." Sif sighed, Fandral nodding and pulling his horse back, Volstagg and Hogun following easily.
"Oh, uh, hey Thor-" Tony started while Thor drew a sword from a sheath on his hip.
"Prince Thor, to you, peasant." Thor growled, causing Sif to scowl, taking control of the situation as she stepped forward with her horse.
"What did you say that insulted Loki enough to have you unharmed and he fleeing?" Sif asked, glaring at Tony as he opened his mouth.
"Not our fault. Kid freaked out and blasted us with Magic." Clint grunted, staring at Sif as she drew her blade herself.
"You feign ignorance?" She asked coldly, and Clint scoffed.
"Not our fault the kid exploded on us-"
"Who's Algrim?" Tony asked, cutting off Clint. His words carried and Thor's eyes widened, looking at Sif unsure of what to say.
"…Algrim was a Council member. It was a public statement that he perished in the Jotun invasion months ago. What importance is his name?" Sif asked cautiously and Tony frowned, looking at Bruce who hesitantly spoke up.
"He-He said that is wasn't his fault, that he didn't mean to kill him." Bruce spoke.
Thor's eyes widened as he looked at Sif, who seemed to share silent words in a single glance.
"Go, find my brother. Does he not know that Algrim's fate was not Loki's fault?" Thor asked Sif, rather loudly actually.
Natasha's eyes widened as she glanced at Clint, who seemed just as lost.
"Wait- Loki's feeling guilty because he killed someone?" Clint asked, blinking away confusion.
"It was not his fault." Thor growled at them, turning on his horse to glance the other way. "Sif, search for my brother. Take the Marketplace. I will take the forest." Thor nodded.
"I'll help." Tony offered, causing Sif to scoff and look at him, rolling her eyes.
"Hey! Loki's our friend surprisingly- we just spent all afternoon by that river." Tony argued, pointing over his shoulder towards the Glὀi River. Thor scoffed, drawing his sword.
"You will have no luck. My brother is skilled at hiding when he wishes not to be found. Search if you want- you'll see." Thor scoffed, turning and clicking his tongue, making Sigr jump into a gallop.
"What are you doing, Stark?" Natasha hissed, causing Tony to lift his hands in a defensive stance.
"Look- I think I know where he may be-" Tony started, looking at Bruce who sighed.
"I'll go find Steve." Bruce quickly spoke, hurrying out of the way, leaving Tony, Clint, and Natasha.
"So…" Tony started, looking at his spooked horse which had calmed down enough to return towards him. "Can you hijack a horse?"
Clint arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms, stating rather confidently, "You want it dapple, or a bay?"
Yay! Some of you actually got the refrence from last chapter.
I'll clarrify one point- The horse is actually Sigyn's, but its the only hore so that's why Vali was riding it.
Alright! I added in the Algrim part- the whole bonding thing will be next chapter.
I hope you like the two chapters in two days.
REVIEW!
~Oceanbreeze7
P.S. Totally irrelevant- but do any of you remember this old show on TV called Xaolin Showdown, or something along those lines? Aired like, 6 years ago? Had these Shen-Gong-Wu and a dragon?