The Poisoned Crown Chapter 11

By: Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to Thor, Marvel does, so please don't sue. Rated T for violence, adult language and situations. Includes spoilers and possible missing scenes from Thor: The Dark World. Please read and review, it's very motivating.

Surtur appeared much shorter than Loki remembered. He thought it was a trick of the feeble light, but this time he came up to Surtur's waist instead of being dwarfed by him.

Loki asked, "Have you shrunk by magic?"

"I save energy when not in battle. I do not always wish to create earthquakes with my steps. Why are you here?"

"Can I not simply be friendly with a new ally and bring goodwill?"

"I was born at the dawn of time. I was not born yesterday."

Loki checked his tail. He was waving it around rapidly. Loki would love to play poker with a creature like Surtur.

Loki said, "I am interested in your magical abilities. Is it true that all sorcery comes from demons?"

Surtur rested on an outcropping of rocks. "From the Dimension Lords, offspring of the Old Ones, the original rulers before lesser beings started to record time. I am energy incarnate, heat made flesh, power transformed to reality."

Loki repressed the urge to make a sarcastic comment.

"Is it possible for me to learn your gifts?"

"I do not give gifts to those who are not my children."

Loki flashed his puppy-dog smile. "Can you adopt me then? Because adoption has worked out so well for me in the past."

Surtur's tail wagged faster. "You are too cold for my tribe, in more ways than one."

Loki remembered how as a child Eir the Royal Family's doctor said his temperature was abnormally cool. His mother commented that compared to Thor who was always rushing off and exposing himself to the elements, Loki never seemed to even get a fever. He understood why years later it was because of his Frost-Giant blood.

Surtur said, "I will not give for free, but for a price I can put you in touch with the other Demon Lords. We're having a meeting in 2 hours, if you are interested."

Loki realized it wouldn't give him enough time to run back and speak to Karnilla first. He questioned why speaking to Karnilla was his first reaction.

He was very, very interested, but feigned calmness. His sweat from the oppressive heat probably wasn't helping.

"Possibly, but I would like to know your price."

A smile curled across Surtur's lips. "Give me something more to burn."

Loki thought of Thor's suggestion. "Svartalfheim."

"Svartalfheim is a ruin, and even the false king of Asgard has no claim to that land."

Loki frowned when he called him "false" even though it was true.

"True, but it is a wasteland filled with abandoned warships, miles long and filled with fuel. Highly flammable fuel. I could loan you use of the Rainbow Bridge to claim it."

Surtur's yellow eyes flashed and his tail stopped wagging. "I agree. Oil is always a precious commodity. I will take you with me tonight. Be warned, the majority of Demon Lords are a group of manipulative, power-mad liars obsessed with magic and inter-dimensional politics."

"I think I should get along fine with them then. Do I have enough time for a shower first?"

"Be back quickly."

Loki hurried back to his chambers and scrubbed himself with the coldest water in the pipes of the palace. He needed it to wipe away the heat of Surtur's lair as well as his own guilt.

Loki stared at his reflection without using any glamour or illusions. When Loki had fallen into crime over the past few years, he kept telling himself it was for the right reasons, that he was doing it for the benefit of Asgard or even Midgard, and that he was not "the bad guy." He blamed everyone but himself, everyone but the man in the mirror. When he got increasingly more ruthless, it was because he had no choice. No one was forcing him to go to this meeting of the presumed Evil League of Evil.

He whispered to the mirror. "I'm doing this for the good of the Nine Realms."

Loki heard the lie in his own voice.

He spoke louder, "I'm doing this for Asgard."

He still saw the lie in his own eyes.

"I'm doing this for me."

He smashed the mirror with his fist.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

Surtur led Loki through a hall. "This is a nexus between worlds. It's neutral land."

Loki traced his hand along a door. He felt something seething behind it.

Surtur warned, "Be careful what you touch. You may get dragged into a hell dimension."

Loki pulled his hand back quickly.

Surtur came to a dark door. It was covered with a language he didn't understand, but still managed to look sinister.

"What language is this? What does it mean?"

Surtur said, "It is in ancient Hyperborean. It translates to the motto: "What is in it for me?"'

"At least you're honest."

Surtur opened the door. The room was filled with a large table and chairs. One chair was significantly larger than the rest. It was a throne that appeared to be made of bent swords melted together. The various creatures in the room seemed to be avoiding it.

The demons appeared to be gathered in cliques. Demons with horns on their heads gathered in one corner. The ones with scales congregated in another. One group was filled with a group that resembled giant squid with large eyes and no visible mouths. Loki wondered how they could communicate with each other.

Only one demon seemed alone in the crowd. He was very mortal-looking. Other than his red skin and eyes, he could have been a mortal with an extreme Widow's Peak. He sat with his feet perched disrespectfully on the table.

Loki saw a gathering of what appeared to be the Valkyries of Asgardian lore: Beautiful women with the wings of birds. He wondered if they would know if his mother was with them.

He whispered to Surtur, "Those women over there, could you introduce me to…"

Surtur cut him off, "Do not waste your time. They are the Angels of Death."

"So angels are mixed in with demons? I'm a bit confused."

Surtur handed him a large book. "It is complicated. Read the manual."

Loki held the book up distastefully. "Is this bound with human skin?"

"Humanoid. Come, there is someone I want you to meet."

Surtur dragged him over to the group of horned demons.

"Loki Friggason, this is Satannish the Supreme."

A large green demon turned its head to look at him. At least he turned one of his heads. The top head on his shoulders had four goat-like curved horns, in the same pattern as on Karnilla's tattoo. The second head was inside of his stomach, and filled with razor sharp pointed teeth. He had four sets of yellow eyes. The top eyes looked friendly and welcoming. The bottom eyes were filled with rage. If Loki had met him in a dark alley he would have run away screaming.

Satannish said, "Loki! So good to finally meet. I've heard so much about you."

Loki felt partially flattered, and partially suspicious. He feigned innocence.

"Thank you. From who?"

"From Surtur, and Karnilla of course. She and I go way back. I've been her Godfather since she sold her soul to me a few thousand years ago."

Loki didn't like the idea of Karnilla talking about him to anyone. He vowed to speak to her when he returned.

He said dryly, "I've seen your statues in her palace but I must say they don't do your true appearance justice."

All four of Satannish's eyes narrowed. "A word of friendly advice kid. Don't condescend to me…ever."

Loki nodded quickly. He tried to salvage things. "So, you have your own cult. That's very impressive."

All four of Satannish's eyes lit up and both heads smiled. "I love having fans."

"Your speech is very Midgardian."

"I rule a limbo dimension which gets boring, so I binge watch a lot on Netflix. Anything gangster-related is my favorite. How about you and I get together and talk business over lunch or dinner or breakfast. I don't care what as long as food is involved. Astral project me about it."

One of the creatures boomed, "I Belasco as parliamentarian call for the meeting to begin."

Everyone scrambled for a chair. Loki gravitated to the throne. It didn't look comfortable, but still beckoned to him. He placed his hand on the armrest.

Satannish said, "That's my father's chair. Don't even think of sitting there. The others will tear you apart for it."

Loki picked a seat between Surtur and one of the squid-like beasts. It stared at him with one disturbing pale blue eye.

The meeting began. Loki noted the demons were more orderly and polite than his own court under Odin. Perhaps the threat of being ripped apart by each other kept them in line.

After "New Business" was called Surtur said, "I formally submit a request for admission to Loki Friggason of Asgard."

Belasco said, "Do I have a second?"

One of Satannish's heads said, "I second."

His other head said, "I third it."

Belasco frowned. "We've gone through this before, Satannish. You only get one vote."

The red demon with his feet still on the table snickered. Loki noticed no one sat on either side of him.

One of the Valkyrie/Angels of Death said, "I give a third. Let the Asgardian speak."

Belasco turned to Loki, "You have one minute."

Loki stood and faced the eyes of varying colors and levels of malevolence.

He put on a confident air. "Thank you ladies, gentlemen, and octopus…things. I am Loki, serving as All-Father of the Nine Realms and most importantly king of Asgard under the guise of Odin. I control the Odin Force and am willing to do business with any of you if accepted."

The red demon asked, "Where is the real Odin now?"

Belasco said to his questioner, "Mephisto, you're speaking out of turn. But I would like to know the answer to the question."

Loki answered quickly, "He's dead. I killed him myself."

Mephisto said, "If Odin were dead, wouldn't he end up in one of our death dimensions by now?"

Loki felt the suspicious glares burning into him. There couldn't be a worse place to be caught lying.

He said, "In all fairness, I never did find a body. But the fact of the matter remains I am in complete control of Asgard. I have access to every weapon of mass destruction in its arsenal from the Rainbow Bridge to the Casket of Ancient Winters to the Aether and will not hesitate to use them against those who oppose me. You can elect me as an ally or you can deny me and make me an enemy. I think it is clear what the wise choice is."

Loki waited for their response, wondering if someone would call his bluff and he was about to die. Surtur wagged his tail in a thousand directions, but didn't speak.

Belasco said, "I call a vote, all in favor of letting Loki into the League say 'Aye'".

A chorus called out "Aye". The squid beasts raised their tentacles.

"All opposed 'Say thee nay.'"

The room was silent, even Mephisto, who just stared at him appraisingly.

"The 'ayes' have it. Welcome aboard Loki."

000-000-000-000

After the meeting ended Loki used the facilities and washed his hands in the sink basin. The place reminded him of something he could find in an upscale location on Midgard. The lights gave off a phosphorescent glow.

The room was made up of a bronze rock that could have been volcanic. He looked at the patterns and swore he saw the faces of people screaming as if they were trapped within the rock. He blinked and the image went away.

He closed his eyes and splashed his face with water. Like an animal in the wild, he sensed he wasn't alone, that there was something or someone predatory nearby.

When he opened his eyes, Mephisto was standing beside him. Loki stood his ground.

The demon said, "I hope you didn't mind my questioning. I didn't mean any harm by it. My full name is Mephistopheles. Mephisto for short."

His voice was oily and silky at once.

"No offense taken. What dimension do you control?"

Mephisto deadpanned, "Disneyland."

"I take it you've been to Midgard."

"I love Earth. It has the best culture of any dimension: Cuban coffee, American Horror Story on TV, the Paranormal Activity movies."

Loki said, "Earth has changed much over the past century."

"Until a hundred years ago the planet was a joke. It was so easy to just wave magic around and be worshipped."

Loki said wistfully. "I know."

Mephisto smiled, "I tricked the ancient native Mexicans into thinking I was a god and told them only people sacrificed to me and royalty got into Heaven and everyone else got sent to one of the nine levels of Hell. I set it up to be the opposite though; anyone who volunteered to have their heart ripped out in my honor actually did end up in my hell dimension."

The light behind Mephisto cast a twisted shadow. It wasn't even remotely humanoid, but looked like tendrils of tentacles and smoke.

He asked Loki, "Do you smoke?"

Mephisto held open a box of Midgardian cigars. "They're Cubans. I cut an immortality deal with Fidel Castro, so I get these unlimited."

Loki didn't smoke anything but was trying to fit in. He took a cigar.

Mephisto flicked his hand and a flame appeared at the tip of his finger. He lit the cigar and handed it to Loki.

Loki asked, "Do all demons have power over fire?"

Mephisto lit his own cigar. "Different demons have different skill sets. Is that what you want? Power over fire?"

Loki figured he could just as easily get that from Surtur.

He said slowly, "What power can you grant me that I don't already have?"

"I can get you anything you want, if you give me your soul."

To be continued