"Home." I breathed out. The rest of the group seemed as relieved as I was. We were all home at last. After our moments of shocked silence, finally the small party started shuffling in the correct direction of a small lake. This would be where the final battle would take place, down at the shores.

Echo matched the pace next to me. Our little cluster wove through houses in empty streets. A lone dog barked in the far distance.

"So are you ready for the final stand?" She asked quietly. Murmurs rose through the crowd but died away. I shrugged.

"As ready as I could ever be." I told her. Echo smiled. Reaching behind her, she swiftly removed a sword from her belt. The glinting edge glittered malevolently in the dying sunlight. The steel thirsted for blood to be spilled.

"So Echo, how exactly are we getting a thunderstorm to appear at the right moment?" I questioned. Her right hand rose to the sky, pointing to the far horizon.

"The storm is supposed to last until tomorrow night. It will give us just enough time." Echo murmured as the gathering clouds shadowed the far off Rocky Mountain Range. We watched for a moment longer before running to catch up with the rest of the group.

I recognized the street. It was close to my house. I remembered fishing at this lake on Saturdays in the blazing summer. The fish were reluctant to bite but when they did, it was a prize worth the sunburn.

"Here, we will camp out for the night. We'll take shelter in that house." With a broad gesture, Loki motioned to a tall, two story house. I didn't know the owner, but they were obviously nowhere near the property. Our troop of about twenty five people tromped up the steps to the front porch. The door was locked.

Loki touched his staff to the tip of the lock and the door immediately swung open. The opening hallway was broad. Multiple entrances led to a staircase to a railed balcony of the second floor, a living room, and an office. At one case, there was a piano in a small room connected to the office.

A glass chandelier hung limply from the ceiling. We silently crawled through the house, each creak making our nerves rise. There was no sign of any life inhabiting the house at this point in the war. My senses tingled, but nothing bad. There wasn't anything that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Loki took the lead. His steps were swift and noiseless as he inspected the surroundings. The blue orb glowed faintly then dimmed back to a gentle pulse.

"Nothing here. Although we are alone, I wouldn't make too much of a racket. We don't want to attract much attention." He warned us. We nodded silently behind him. His green cloak swirled in a gentle draft from the open door.

"Taylor, Raylen, and Bruce, take watch outside." Loki called out.

"I call roof!" Taylor announced and bounded up the stairs. We all watched her vault out of a window and scamper up the side of the building. Raylen and Bruce sighed. Both boys ran out the front door and out the drive way, both taking hidden position.

From Taylor's spectacle, I see why Loki 'hunted' the most skilled warriors for his personal army. He only took the ones that were athletic, powerful, or had magical abilities like me.

"Echo, Riker, find some food." The god of mischief and thieves commanded. The two kids went off to scrounge for any food that was still edible.

"The rest of you, bunk upstairs in the rooms with windows. That way we can have a possible quick escape." He commanded. Every person marched upstairs together. I hung in the back, cautiously peering back to the man behind me. His deep green eyes were focused on another spot.

It was later that night, possibly near midnight. The darkness of the sky and the dim spots of stars closed over our head. The full moon illuminated everywhere but under the trees, where the shadows grew fuller by the minute. I heard shifts swap for nightly watches.

My restless mind refused to let me fall into a comforting sleep. Instead, I snuck downstairs to the worn carpet in the entrance hall. I peered through the office to find a figure bent over the piano, as if mesmerized by the ivory keys. I crept behind him, trying to see what he was staring at.

"Arabelle." Loki whispered softly. I recognized the slicked back ebony hair that matched the black wood of the baby grand piano in the small room.

"Loki, what are you doing up so late at night?" I questioned him. Moving around the piano bench, I went to sit next to him. His emerald green eyes held the same sad, empty longing that had filled them for the past few days.

"I couldn't sleep." He admitted. I let a small nod agree and smiled half-heartedly.

"You miss Freya, don't you?" I asked. His head bowed a slight touch, defeated at last.

"So much." He breathed out. The words were barely heard over the silence that pressed in on the room. His hands rested lightly on the keys. I knew this from the moment he called me Freya.

"I'm sorry Loki, but I'm not her." I whispered. I wondered if these simple words would possibly break the fragile truce we held close.

"I know. I'm afraid to think that I'm just using you to replace her." He admitted wordlessly. I felt pinpricks of tears rim around the edges of my eyes, but forced them not to fall.

I was sad, yes, but not because he told me he didn't love me for me, but because I knew this the entire time and didn't want to face this fact.

"I'm just so confused right now." I barely heard the words as his cold whisper touched the keys and brushed the black and white wood. My tears didn't fall and I focused on something else for the moment.

Tapping came from the roof. A steady beat that repeated itself. Loki jolted up.

"Hide." He commanded me. I ducked behind the piano.

"I was going to leave, but I didn't think he would come to me." Loki murmured. I ducked underneath the piano. I didn't breath for even a moment as the door slowly swung open. Loki took a casual pause as the fire giant appeared with two guards.

"So, Loki. You came to Earth." Surt casually scanned the room.

"Just checking it out. I didn't see anything of any use." He retorted hotly.

"Good to see. I figured that you would be here. I see you have company as well." I held my breath. Surt pointed in my direction. Before I could even blink, I was hauled out of hiding and into the open. All I did was pray the others knew the hide.

"So you brought the Midgardian along with you?" He scowled. Loki remained wordless. The two guards threw me to my knees. Surt brought his hand down hard, striking my face against the hard wood floor. The fire giant's pounding fist left a burn mark. I cringed in pain.

"Don't hurt her." Loki growled. A defensive spark blossomed inside his sharp eyes.

"What did you say, boy?" Surt spat. Loki stood next to me.

"Don't touch her." Loki spat back. Surt let out a low growl, to inhuman. His entire tattooed body with the patterns of lava flows lit up in a blaze. He swung out a hand and scorched Loki. He fell to the ground unconscious. I opened my mouth to cry out but was then struck down as well. My last vision was Surt standing over me, a nasty smile etched on his face.

"You'll watch your world burn in flames from your cell." He grinned broadly as I blacked out.