He came back some time later. I was really missing clocks.

My pains were just a memory, and the rest of my food lay cold. "Were you not as hungry as you believed?" He didn't change back to his black haired self, though he did wave his hand, and the food ghosted – or maybe it aurora-ed – out of the room.

"I'm just taking it easy. I've been partially starved for…how many days?"

"I became aware of you five days ago. It was not my intention to starve you."

"Well from my understanding it wasn't your intention for me to be here either. So are we going now?" I inspected my clothing to see if it showed my time with the floor. I was really loving how these clothes made my hips look.

"Odin is sending out another round of ale. We have a few moments."

"Then…it's okay if I try something out?"

"Does it require that we stay here?"

"I just want to test out my chains, is all."

"Then walk." He left the door open and started down the hall. I jogged up next to him, my chains bouncing off my legs.

"So I can't lie, but I'm not forced to tell the truth. If I were forced to tell the truth, I might give something away about you, am I right?"

He gave me a sidelong glance.

"But not being able to lie, that's a whole new ballgame. So let me try this. My name is Ali, I'm 18, a Sagittarius, with brown hair and gr-" My voice squeaked, broke and gone. My lips finished forming green but my voice had vanished, producing no sound. I sighed in relief. "I'm glad there was no pain involved."

"Were you expecting pain?"

"It's not every day I have spelled chains put on me. Or I'm suddenly in a place known in mythology. Or I'm talking with a proclaimed god. Or that I'm a storyteller."

"What does that have to do with any of this?" He sounded very annoyed, and I was very pleased.

"That's me showing you the fault in not having these spelled to make me tell the truth." I threw my chain in the air so they could jingle down.

He gave a version of the stink eye before taking a sharp turn down the hall. I pulled the middle of my chain over my head and onto my shoulders before leaping forward besides him.

Just as he pushed open a pair of doors 20 times my height. Maybe 14 of his, but it was a pretty tall door just the same. Behind it was row after row of filled tables. The room was longer than football field, and to the left at the very edge of it was a throne, about as big as the doors I had just come through. The people at the tables were all talking loudly, reminding me of a school cafeteria.

I was feeling tiny.

I pulled my chains off my shoulders, hoping no one noticed. I knew I was being ridicules but if someone saw-

Gray haired Odin was in the throne, a small table in front of him. The bones and head of a pig lay on the table, and several broken wooden mugs – were those tankards? – were on the floor around him.

Somewhere in my memory I thought of throwing down empty cups to say how good a drink was, some book I had read in a library a long time ago.

Then he stood, gesturing a hand in my direction. The room quieted instantly, and I was reminded that Odin was a king, even if it was Loki in disguise of Odin. Or was it an illusion?

I looked to my right, and the brown haired Loki still stood with one hand on the door. He gave me a level blank stare, and I decided it was his own silent laugh.

I swallowed, and was happy when it didn't echo off the walls and pillars.

"My fellow guardsmen and warriors! Tonight, we have feasted, and now, our entertainment!"

Poke the mortal! I finished in my head. My tongue was frozen.

"Step forward, girl."

I stepped forward. I tried to act strong, shoulders back and steps as graceful as I could manage. Although I wanted to crawl under the tables, it sorta, kinda helped, maybe just a little, that I knew it was Loki running the whole Odin scene.

Just a smidge.

But my stomach was still turning inside out, and I felt my breath hitch.

I put on an easy smile, forcing my muscles into the form – a face I used with distant, unknown relatives, unknown family friends, and customers at my job.

"I see you've gathered a larger audience than the last time. If only you had told me."

"If you cannot perform before my men, there would be no point in my keeping you, much less allowing you anything in your time here."

I –unfortunately – saw his point. "Very well. If this will be my final test, let it be my best." I turned to the tables and raised my voice, trying to keep it level even as it went farther across the room. "Anything to get out of that cell and eating better food, no?"

I saw several smiles and heard a few laughs throughout the room.

"Gentlemen! Before this night, you saw me in a prison cell. Tonight, I am in this grand hall, in fine clothes, and wearing the finest metals I have ever seen in my life!" I pulled my arms wide and moved down the length of the middle table, showing the men as I went. "I have been asked to give you a story!" I gestured to myself and spun, meeting as many eyes as I could in the twirl. "A story I shall give! A story of magic and wealth, the powerful and the powerless. The cunning and the clever!

"Tonight, I tell you a tale of deserts!"

I know, its been less than 12 hours, but I had a completely free day, it was wonderful.

Not a single review. I really am disappointed. Now I'm not saying this cause I can. I know there's been over 5 people that have read the latest chapter. Fanfiction is kinda cool in that way, giving us authors and writers an upper hand in these knowing-ways.

REVIEW. Y'all can still tell me ways to tell the story. I only have – let me check – 600 ish words written out for the beginning. Just so you can get a feel for it n' stuff.

I might post it tomorrow. It might be tonight if I don't get any other opinions – most of which were the half and half kinda deal. But I'm on a role, no one is gunna put out this flame. Haha