***WARNING*** The following chapter contains mature content. It features graphic depictions of sexual acts that may be inappropriate for young readers.
Born to be a King
Chapter 9
"Barbara"
Loki patted her cheek. She remained unmoving, but let out the faintest of groans. He bent down to listen to her breathing and her heartbeat. Her breathing was shallow but steady, her heartbeat was frantic.
"Barbara" he patted her cheek again, this time a bit more forceful. She groaned again, then suddenly gasped and began choking. With urgency, he slapped her hard. Her eyes shot open and he instantly turned her over and away from him as she began to heave violently and regurgitate all the water she had drank.
"Must have drank half the river" he chuckled as he fought the urge to scrunch his nose in disgust at the sight and sound of her violent vomiting; but like a perfect husband, he comfortingly patted her back.
Barbara felt as if her insides were on fire, her chest burned and the muscles of her torso convulsed painfully as her stomach twisted and emptied itself of water and bile. When the heaving finally stopped, she collapsed back against Loki.
"Let's not do that again" she rasped through the rawness of her throat "No more waterfalls"
"Agreed. Just don't rouse anymore terrible beasties" he replied. She tried to laugh, but had to lean forward over the rocks again as she felt bile rise again in her throat. Once the hurling ceased, she leaned back against his chest. He placed the back of his fingers against her forehead and cheeks, feeling for any signs of clamminess or distress.
"I'm hungry" she said.
He laughed at her randomness. "Good. That means you're perfectly fine"
"But the horses are gone" she groaned with sadness.
"Oh, are they?" he quipped and whistled loudly. Barbara looked in all directions trying to hear trace of any neighing, then eyes widened when a moment later she heard the sound of thundering hooves in the distance. Suddenly, from the jungle emerged Twilight and Svartur, neighing happily at having found their riders again.
With Loki's help she stood and made for the river. She splashed her face and rinsed her mouth while he led the horses to a large patch of grass on the riverbank where the branches of a massive tree bent down and touched the surface of the water, creating a cool sheltered area from the hot midday sun. As Barbara made her way over to Loki she saw the waterfall in the distance, and with shock realized how far the current had dragged them away after they landed. Here, the river was calm and shallow and had gently deposited them on a sandy shore.
"Just how far off the trail did we get?" she asked when she rejoined her husband.
"We didn't. Surprisingly, the river flows East" he said, presenting her with a plate of food. They sat down under the large tree and enjoyed the small meal.
"I saw a hare" he informed her while she gobbled the last of her bread like a ravenous wolf.
"Really?" her eyes sparkled with delight "a real hare? No prickles or scales or gnashing teeth?"
"As real a hare as there ever was"
"Good! Then tonight we eat roasted hare stuffed with dry berries. I brought the perfect seasonings for it!"
He shook his head with disbelief and amusement. The fiercest woman in Asgard was on a mission to take over another world and she still worried about something as trivial as her next meal.
Soon, they were on their way again once the sun had passed its zenith. They followed the winding river, their eyes scanning the jungle on both sides for any dangers. Long-snouted creatures that looked like hairless apes swung from the trees, birds of vast sizes and colors flew in the canopy above, all manners of peculiar mammals made their homes in the hollows of the trees. Some had large ears that flopped in the wind, others had large heads with bulging eyes and thin bodies covered in colorful fur, others were covered in scales that shimmered like rainbows under the sun. The further they walked, the denser the jungle became, the wider the river flowed, and the more peculiar the creatures were. Flowers floated in the air and surrounded Loki and Barbara, their bioluminescent petals giving off their shimmering shine when they brushed against them. Large beasts roared and bellowed from deep within the jungle, and the chirping of birds and the hissing of insects was near deafening.
Suddenly, they stopped when they heard the distinct whizzing of flying produced by man-made aircraft. They left the wide open space of the riverbank and made for the trees. Peeking from below they watched as the skies opened and what looked like a crystal bridge became visible. It connected the ground to a structure suspended outside of the atmosphere, and what seemed like a carrier connected to the bridge whizzed upwards into the structure. The skies closed, and the bridge disappeared from view once more.
"No way" Barbara said.
Loki kept his eyes on the skies while a fiendish smile played on his lips. They had finally seen their means of interstellar travel.
"Let's press on" he said, taking Svartur's reigns and leading the way at a much faster pace. If he had judged the distance from their location to where the bridge touched the ground correctly, they would find and reach the city in no more than...
"Four days' walk, give or take?" Barbara asked.
"Three, if we can avoid any setbacks"
"Setbacks are the specialty of this place" she laughed.
They reached an area where the river diverted South. Looking up at the larger of the two suns, Loki quickly directed them in the opposite direction. Here, they would need to enter the jungle once more to continue on their way. The suns were quickly descending, and they needed to find a safe place to spend the night.
Their path led them down a hill, and they soon reached an area that was flat and littered with small trees. The grass was even and plush, and beyond the clearing was another waterfall. This one was smaller but wide, and its waters divided into two rivers that ran on opposite sides, creating a large lagoon in front of the clearing. It was surrounded by rock formations and on its sandy shore grew many palm trees.
"Loki... it's paradise" Barbara said breathless, drinking in the sheer beauty of the place.
"Then this is where we stay tonight"
The horses immediately began to graze on the grass and drank from the lagoon. Loki and Barbara walked over to the sandy beach and quickly shed their armor and garments, then dove into the water. When they emerged, they were amazed to see that as the sun quickly set, an infinite amount of microscopic plankton rose to the surface, their luminescence giving the water an ultramarine neon hue. Loki pulled Barbara against him and she wrapped her arms and legs around him. They floated in the water, kissing and laughing, when suddenly they became alert at the sudden sound of singing. Then to their amazement a swarm of small, winged creatures flew out from behind the waterfall. They hovered over the surface of the water and performed all manner of somersaults, then dove in and flew out again, feeding on the plankton which caused their own bodies to give off light. Loki and Barbara shrank back upon noticing that they had humanoid faces, human upper bodies, wings and long fish tails. Suddenly, one of the winged creatures noticed them, and in a second, the entire swarm had surrounded them. The pixies danced around the pair, studying them as if they were two odd creatures.
"Oh! Hello!" Barbara said to them, realizing that they were harmless. She reached out her hand and a pixie settled on it, then it reached out and caressed Barbara's cheek, chirping and cheeping away.
"Impossible" Loki said "they're Vatnhugr"
"What?"
"Water nymphs. They have always been known as creatures of myth, nothing more"
"And yet, here they are. What's known about them?"
"They possess magic that is unique to their kind. They are small, but they can harness the power of water and bend it to their will"
One of the nymphs sat on Loki's shoulder and began to trill. It seemed to be singing, and when Loki laughed, she coyly leaned over and kissed his cheek, then flew away bashful and embarrassed.
"Well, that one seems to like you. I might begin to get jealous!" Barbara laughed, smacking his arm.
The water pixies slowly began to retreat back to the waterfall. They sat on the rocks and sang, their magical sound making the jungle around the lagoon become alive. The greenery lit up brightly and swayed gently in the breeze to the rhythm of the nymphs' song. Loki and Barbara remained floating in the lagoon as evening finally gave way to night. They made love in the water, half submerged, her legs wrapped tightly around him while he anchored her in his arms. Perhaps it was the effect of the magic of the pixies, but for that night, all thought of the stones, the gauntlet, Hela, and whatever threats lay beyond the lagoon were forgotten. It was finally when their bodies began to crave sustenance and rest that they finally exited the magical haven of the lagoon and settled on the clearing.
"Got you!" Loki called out just as the dagger flew out of his hand. He walked further into the trees and soon returned carrying a small animal in his hand.
"If I remember correctly, you promised me a feast of roasted hare" he said, holding it up.
"Indeed I did" she said delighted, then retrieved the needed spices and condiments. She finished setting up the makeshift spit and placed it over the fire ring. With a quick flick of his wrist, Loki lit up the fire and began to skin the animal. Barbara watched mesmerized how quickly he worked. In a flash, the hare had been skinned and its fat trimmed.
"Wow. If I had known you were such an able-bodied wildman, I would have asked you to whisk me off into the wilderness much sooner" she teased.
"It's called survival" he explained, placing the hare on the spit. Barbara watched him. She remembered what she had seen of the time when he had been a wanderer, exiled from his Asgardian home. He caught her looking and sighed.
"I had no lovely lady who carried an entire supply of spices to season my meat" he jested, trying to keep the conversation light "nor was I anywhere near a place as beautiful as this where I could make love to her"
She chuckled and kissed him. "Well, you can't go wrong with a healthy dash of ground Anardana leaves" she said as she sprinkled them onto the hare. She picked up more canisters and continued to sprinkle away. Next, she selected a handful of dry Horringur berries and began to stuff them into the hare. When it was cooked to perfection, they enjoyed it with a flask of wine. Now settled on the animal skins that would serve as their bedding, she ran her fingers through his damp hair while his knuckles traced her features.
"You said that the water nymphs were always believed to be only a myth. If they're real, what other mythical beings do you think truly exist?"
"Perhaps dragons" he replied "if they indeed do exist, remind me to steal one for Arik"
"Oh, I will" she laughed "what other types of nymphs are there?"
"I'm looking at one right now" he winked, causing her to giggle.
"I'm serious!"
"So am I! Have you never heard the story of Aldrnarihugr?"
"No. Tell me" she said curious.
"She was a fire nymph, the only one of her kind..." he said, kissing the especially sensitive spot behind her ear "...what was so unique about her..." he kissed a trail across her jaw "...was that she spent her life not knowing the powerful creature she really was..." his lips now travelled down her neck "... until one day..." down the valley of her breasts and over her stomach "...she became enamored with the sea..." past her navel, where his tongue left a wet trail down her abdomen...
"Ohhhh" she sighed, throwing her head back in abandon "but she'll drown!"
"And drown she did..." he now ran open lips up and down her thigh "...the sea was untamable and harsh, but her love overlooked it all. She gave herself away to its depths..." his tongue now darted out and licked her wet folds, causing her back to arch and her mouth to open in a gasp. Taking a firm hold of her hips he ravished her, his lips circling around her clit and suckling. She bucked against him, urging him deeper. Like Aldrnarihugr, she succumbed to the waves of pleasure that crashed over her. She was soon going under, feeling the sensations in the core of her heat building up until they threatened to take over her entire being.
"I'm drowning... oh Loki I'm drowning!" she cried out.
He pulled back, denying her completion. He laughed malevolently when she wailed in protest, her legs spasming due to the denial of release. Her cunt throbbed, it ached, and she felt it tightening. Then she screamed when he suddenly entered her in one swift stroke. Placing his hands on either side of her head, he began to ride her at a fast, frantic rhythm. Her walls clenched around him even tighter, and her nails dug into his back. She was unable to breathe, hitching gasps being the only sounds that she was able to utter.
"Come for me my sweet, wanton nymphet" he rasped into her ear "let me hear your song"
She cried out when he consumed her, plunging them both off the edge. Her cries of completion were a love song that resonated in the night, joining the magical hums of the water nymphs in the distance. Like the crashing waves of an untamed sea upon a beach he groaned his pleasure into her neck before he collapsed on top of her, moaning her name. They both trembled, breathless and spent. Amidst caresses and hushed whispers, they were soon lost to slumber.
The fire that kept burning continued to crackle and flicker. Its flames danced in the night, red and yellow in full contrast with the blue glow of the jungle. On a mountain behind the waterfall, a group of beings scanned the dense canopy. Their search was near futile, their target was unable to be seen. But then, far beyond the mountain, on a small clearing adjacent to a glistening lagoon, the near undistinguishable flickers of a fire could be seen in the distance. It was one of these creatures who noticed it, the leader of the search party. He put his arm aloft, silencing the others. Pointing toward the small fire, he whispered:
"Bruni. Stingadrvilis kunskapa. Malleh saja poktha vedelos fuutelosi mava idii"
Fire. Alert Stingadr that we have found him. We will follow but keep our distance, remember the king wants him alive"
End of Chapter 9
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The name of Loki's horse, Svartur, means "black" in Old Norse. Just so you know ;-)
Responses to reviews:
CLTex: Thanks love! I was a bit afraid as to how my description of the new world was going to be taken, and it makes me really glad to see that you liked it!
DoctorLokiLove: Yes! I was dying to finally get Loki and Barbara to the new world so I could finally start writing the fun stuff. It's been swirling around in my head for months, dying to come out! As for Hela, you are absolutely right. Loki did best her many times but he always lost something in return. Hmm... I wonder what that will be? lol How's Seattle? Are you still there or are you finally back home? Hope you're doing great hun!
Forbidden Moons: Thanks so much Seraphina! Don't worry, the Barbara/Doom angle in this story will bring many gasps and shocks but it will be worth it. Nothing dark or dreary or disturbing just good old heart-quickening drama ;-) Trust me, you'll love it! By the way, have I told you yet that I absolutely love your name! It's so angelic but exotic at the same time!
Guest: Thank you, thank you! :)
jjocasta: Wow. WOW. That has got to be one of the most amazing and reviews I've ever read. Thank you SO much, bless you for saying such touching words. You completely understood what it was that I was trying to get across all stories, and that is that Loki will always be Loki. He can grow, but I honest don't think he can change. What I wanted to explore was how he would handle the realization that for the first time in his life there was someone who truly mattered to him, and someone he truly mattered TO. Thank you also for the love you professed towards Barbara. She has become such a big part of me in that I feel she is almost like my child. I've seen her grow and put her through hell, but it was because I wanted her to reach a level where she could truly be Loki's equal. Not to mention that she is pretty crazy, just like me! lol Glad you enjoyed "Daddy Loki" as well! Don't apologize for ever "talking too much", as you can see, I am the same way. I would have to be in order to write stories hahah! You're from the Netherlands? That's awesome! I laughed like a maniac when you called them "those orange weirdos". You know, during the World Cup, the Spanish channel on which I watched all the games always referred to them as "la naranja mecanica" which means "the unstoppable bionic oranges" lol. You guys had an amazing run in Brazil, even though Robben literally robbed my favorite team (Mexico). He truly lived up to his name lol. Thank you so much for your review! Don't be a stranger! :)
Anon fan: Girl! You ain't seen shit yet! I hope you're ready for the mind fuckery I have prepared for you! lol Thanks luv!
Hiddles-Skittles: Hi Diana! You're so awesome, thanks for your sweet comments! I can just imagine your roommate's face! O_O lol Bonkers is the right word!