Well, it took me four world wars to update, but as you can see, the story is not abandoned. I promise, no matter how long it takes me to update, the story is never abandoned.
Are they really as deadly as you would have us believe.
More deadly.
But you were able to defeat them.
No, not defeat, distract long enough to run. There is a world of difference in there.
And how did you manage that.
Well...
"OUT! Everybody out!" Angerboda yelled. The two skeletons laid on the ground, for all the world like they would have always been there, but they hadn't. Just seconds ago, that skeleton had been living, breathing frost giant, and Loki hadn't the slightest clue how.
Travelling with the Doctor. Overrated really.
Loki would have run, he would have gladly ran all the way back to the Tardis and left this Norn-forsaken excuse of a planet behind him, if it wasn't for the unnatural darkness waiting just behind the open door.
When they had arrived, the hallway had been not exactly bright, but not dark either, being naturally lighted by faint sunlight shining through the ice ceiling.
Now the same hallway was pitch black.
"We are not going in there" Loki voiced his thoughts.
"No. Definitely not." affirmed the doctor. "Everyone, back slowly towards the flame, at any point do not DO NOT touch any shadows."
"What just happened and what do you know?" asked Angerboda, slowly backing towards the centre of the room. She sounded calm, collected, and professional. A leader taking charge in an unknown situation.
"They are called the Vasthra Nerada. They are one of the most dangerous predators in the universe. A living sentient shadows. Impossible to kill or run away from. And I have met them before."
If you have met them before and survived...
I had help. The help didn't survive.
"Then we are going to die!" Gasped Skari.
"No, of course not. We just- we'll find a way. Don't worry. It'll be alright." The Doctor tried to sound reassuring. "Just, everybody stay calm."
"Tell us about them, Doctor. All you know. There have already been three kills like this inside our home in the last week, we will not join the list. Doctor, talk."
Angerbodas voice was calm, and steady, and commanding. This was a voice that could have claimed respect even in the halls of the aesir, no even in the court of Odin himself. There were monsters lurking in the shadows, unseen, unheard, waiting to kill, and they were trapped like animals waiting to be devoured. Despite all this, Angerboda managed to sound like a royal.
If Loki wasn't in an immediate danger to be devoured by a sentient shadow, he might have examined the feelings that Angerbodas voice was making him feel little more closely.
But he was in an immediate danger to be devoured by a sentient shadow, and therefore all his attention was on the fact that the shadows near the entrance were twisting and moving
"They are intelligent, in a sense. They can plan and create traps-"
"Tell us something we don't know, Loki huffed"
"-they are unkillable, for all I know. Nobody really knows that much about them, as those that have contact with the Vasthra Nerada, don't live that long...they stalk they're prey. Either they wait in the darkness for you to be separated from your peers, and then take you, or they can attach themselves to you and wait. That is why the most important thing to do right now is-"
Loki looked at his feet. That wasn't natural, was it?
"-to count the shadows. Loki, don't move."
Usually when the Vasthra Nerada has attached themselves to their chosen prey, there is no way to run anymore. But, as we found out, there was something that could make the Vasthra Nerada back down.
"Doctor! What do I do!?"
"Don't panic!"
"I'm not, now tell me something useful!"
"Doctor. They are shadows right?" Angerboda, as calm as ever, contrasting to Skaris silent sobs on the background. "Do they fear light?"
"Well-"
"No time for wells. Loki close your eyes and don't breath."
In any other circumstance Loki would have questioned Angerboda, but Angerbodas tone left no room for questions. So Loki closed his eyes and drew a long breath in. There was maybe two seconds of utter silence and then there was the heat. Scorching, blistering heat and the smell of flames, just hairlenght away from his skin. There was the roaring voice of fire and the so very familiar pulse of fire-magic. Elemental magic had never been very strong with Loki, but even he could tell, that this was some impressive spell work.
Loki didn't have time to open his eyes, before there was the familiar hand of the Doctor graping his elbow and dragging him along.
"Out! Out! Everybody out now!"
The darkness had disappeared from the doorway, leaving them a path out. Loki didn't hesitate in dashing away, away from the stifling chamber. Angerboda was right beside him, running with his fiery red hair flying behind him and the red eyes intensely searching Loki.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course, aside from the fact that you just decided to set me on fire."
"Oh don't complain. I thought you might prefer to be burned to death rather than feed the monsters."
"Well aren't you just thoughtful"
Angerboda laughed, a relieved, musical laugh, while their little group slid into a stop in the middle of a busy hallway. There were baffled frost giants all around them, carrying different kinds of musical instruments, and all staring at the hysteric group that had just raced to them.
"I hate you all," Loki muttered and Angerboda just laughed harder.
"And?"
"And then we came here to talk to you."
"Angerboda."
"Yes master Hurvi."
"Come here."
Angerboda took few cautious steps towards the leader of the great council, halfway there, the master took last steps towards Angerboda to kill the distance between them, and gathered the tiny jotun in an all-composing bear hug.
"My reckless little child. Why didn't you come to us in the first place, instead of going to investigate on your own?"
"I'm not a baby anymore. I can take care of myself." Angerboda answered, but his complaint was greatly lessened by the fact that his voice was being muffled for being pressed into master Hurvis robes.
Finally, angerboda was freed from the clutches of suffocating parental affection, and master Hurvi changed his attention towards the other three storytellers.
I thank you, for taking care of my child.
"Well..." the Doctor started,"Angerboda saved all of our lives, but we appreciate your gratitude anyway."
Master Hurvi graced them all with a smile and a little bow, before sitting down again.
"But if what you tell us of these creatures is true, then everyone in the palace is in danger. Tell us Doctor, is there anyone that can control these creatures."
"Control? No I wouldn't say so..."
"Because I fear that this is no accident that they are here. You told us that on your earlier travels you met the creatures in a library. It just so happens that a greater moon ago, our palace was graced with a gift. We do not know the sender or where or how the gift came to be on our doorsteps. There were books. Old, unknown books, written on Jotunheimian runes, but in a dialect unknown to us. We took the books and studied them, but the mystery was not solved."
"But that would mean that someone sent the Vasthra Nerada here on purpose. Someone wanted them to be here." Loki said.
Master Hurvi nodded. "Yes. Yes it does."
"But who would want to-?" Skari started, then seemed to remember that he was surrounded by the respectable elders of the council and snapped his mouth shut. Loki almost felt sorry for him. The poor frost giant had done nothing but fidgeted uncomfortably the whole time they had been sitting in the council chambers.
"We do not know Skari." The master said. "But I fear that right at the moment we have even more pressing problem on our hands. We know what the Vasthra Nerada want, darkness."
"Of course! Ymir I have been so stupid," wailed Angerboda.
"What? What are you not telling us?"
"The lightning chamber. The first victim was the caretaker of the lightning chambers. The next one was the runemaster. Humir got killed in the lightning chamber of the east wing. The Vasthra Nerada are targeting everyone who is a threat to the plan. They had a greater moon for learning and closing in on us. They know what's coming."
"What is coming?"
"Tonight is the moonless night. The dark night. Only once in seven suns do we have the dark night, the night when all four moons are hidden and the mountains steal even starlight from us. Without the magical icefire, that we use to light our halls, we would become utterly blind for the night. The Vasthra Nerada are going to close the lightning chambers from us and cut the connection of the palace from the icefire. What more could a shadow want?"
"We are going to die." Whimpered Skari. Poor Skari who just wanted to make it to his choir practice.
"No." Loki said. "We survived once. Angerbodas spell drove them away. For that moment they were scared. Scared of Angerboda. Scared of fire-magic. Maybe we do have a way to fight back."
"Loki is right. I have never seen the Vasthra Nerada back off. They were scared. It seems that the light that you were able to create was more than just light. It was special light. It was light that the Vasthra Nerada fear. And that means that we can use it to drive them off."
"We do not have but hours till the sun falls. So tell me Loki, do you want to try to recreate elemental magic to a complete new form, in just few hours, and without any kind of theory to back it up."
"I thought you would never ask."
Loki and Angerboda worked in a fervent haze, only hearing each other, as they bounced of ideas from each other, referencing old books scattered all over the workroom and tried to do the impossible. Loki came close to tears several times, because he was confined to work on theory only, being incapable of testing out anything, but Angerboda kept slapping his hands when ever Loki got frustrated, drawing Lokis attention back to the task at hand. "We have no time to get angry." He would point out and offer several rune-scrolls to Loki.
The Doctor had been delegated to the scroll fetching duty, and bore his new duty with surprising grace. He also had Skari to help him. The sullen frost giant had been given leave to go, but Skari had shrugged and pointed out that there wouldn't be any choir practices if Angerboda and Loki failed in their mission. So Skari had taken to running between the library and Angerbodas workroom, fetching whatever the two sorcerers needed.
In this work Lokis Asgardian upbringing turned out to be an asset. Jotunheimian magic was very elementally oriented. It worked on the principle that magic was chaos and therefore could not be controlled. It was the sorcerers' duty to learn to work with the magic, to learn to work around the chaos and to manipulate the elements so that they would work their power in your favour.
None of the rune circles or the wand based magic, that Loki had become so familiar with in Asgard, were used in here.
Of course seeing that Loki couldn't use his powers and for Angerboda to learn entirely new branch of magic in such a short time was impossible, there was not much that Loki could do with his own Asgardian knowledge, but it helped the pair to think outside the box. They were both unfamiliar enough with each others' styles, that they didn't get stuck in restrictive thinking patterns.
"There. Look, if we use the ley lines that have been build inside the palace walls, we could light up the whole building for a few seconds with such a bright ice fire-"
"It won't work. We do not have a catalyst strong enough to-"
"Oh, but we do."
"We do?"
"this is the palace of ancient winters. We are going to use that."
"That?"
"Yes. That."
"The casket." Loki realised.
"Yes. The casket of ancient winters."
The casket of ancient winters looked exactly as Loki remembered it. The swirling blue inside the ornate corners. The artefact that had stolen Lokis' peace of mind and given him the cold harsh truth of his life.
"The feeling is quite hard to explain isn't it."
Loki blinked at Angerboda, who had come to stand beside Loki, and switched between looking Loki and the casket. There was fondness in his eyes and Loki wasn't sure whether it was meant for Loki or the casket.
"Seeing the casket for the first time. The heart of the planet." Angerboda continued seeing Lokis' confusion. I have been near it my whole life but seeing it up close still gives me shivers sometimes."
"Yes, well. The ritual." Loki changed the subject, not wanting to examine the feelings the casket was making him feel any more closely.
"Of course. Fathe-Master Hurvi! Has everyone in the palace been counted for?"
"Yes my child. We have gathered everyone into the concert hall. The sorcerers are keeping the room bright from corner to corner, so the creatures won't be able to sneak in unnoticed. If you two succeed now we won't lose any more of our people to these monsters."
"No pressure then." Angerboda muttered to himself
"Alright then gang." Angerboda, Loki, master Hurvi and the bodyguards all looked at the Doctor.
"What? I like to have a gang. Anyway, what exactly is it that you two are going to do."
Loki took the opportunity to smirk at the Doctor, for once having an upper hand on the knowledge to the Doctor.
"We, well Angerboda-" Loki corrected himself, once again aware how useless he had become without his magic. "We." Angerboda stated. "I will need the strength of another to support me."
"We then-." Loki continued, trying to sound unaffected. "We will use the casket of ancient winters as a kind of catalyst. Angerboda will replicate her fire-spell, and hopefully we can use the power of the casket to magnify the power and channel the core of the magic to run through the ley lines of the castle. "
"So you are going to create a great big flash."
"Yes Doctor, we are going to create a great big flash that will hopefully destroy every shadow in the palace, counting the Vasthra Nerada."
"Sounds almost like one of my plans then."
"I would quite hope not." Loki deadpanned and counted the quiet snort from Angerboda as an achievement. The Doctor didn't seem to mind, as he looked as giddy as ever before doing something mad.
"Lets start then." Master Hurvi said. "Every moment wasted, is a moment that my people are in danger."
Loki and Angerboda glanced at each other and nodded in silent agreement. It was time to see whether they would succeed, or if some mistake in their theory would backfire horrifically.
The guards stepped back respectfully. The Doctor and master Hurvi stayed hovering as near as they dared to. Angerboda and Loki stepped up both on the opposing sides of the pedestal, and grasped each others' hands.
Angerboda took long deep breath and then closed her eyes in concentration. Loki felt once again frustration for being so useless, but forced his emotions back. Angerboda would need to feel his calmness through the connection.
Angerboda started chanting quietly under his breath. Slowly he opened his palms and laid them upwards flat over the casket. Loki followed Angerbodas moves, keeping his hands under Angerbodas, supporting the others palms that had started to glow faintly with magic.
Angerboda opened his eyes again, but the gaze did not settle towards anything. His eyes were distant, the red somehow deeper and the pupils not focussed. A small flame came to life on Angerbodas palms and now Loki had to support the hands holding the flame to not sink down.
Loki found his lips following the sounds of the chants out of reflex.
The casket answered to them. Lighting up, first to glow softly and then more brightly, the blue light bleeding out to run down from the pedestal, to trickle on the floor and to move towards the walls in ornate swirling patterns.
Master Hurvi stood calmly as the lines snaked under his feet, but the Doctor stood up to his toes trying to avoid a tendril shooting past his heels.
When the light made its way to the walls, it shot up inside the ice, lighting the whole chamber and travelling towards every corner of the palace inside the ice.
Loki could feel the distant pull through Angerbodas slightly shaking hands and the almost-heat of the flame that flickered in every colour of the rainbow.
"Now." Loki commanded softly when he could feel the second-hand echo of the magic fill the last corner. Angerboda was too lost in the hum of magic to comprehend time properly, but he heard Loki and started chanting the second part of the spell.
"Close your eyes!" Loki commanded everyone else in the room, just before he closed his own. Hopefully everyone in the concert hall would have remembered to close their eyes when the light of the casket claimed the walls
The bright light burned Lokis' eyelids, and Loki could hear a wooshing sound in his ears, but something was also wrong. There was a disturbance in the air, something ripping through the web of magic engulfing the building.
When the burning feeling died out from his eyelids, Loki opened his eyes, only to come face to face with a stony statue reaching towards his throat.
"Nobody Blink!" The Doctor screamed, but Loki found himself struggling to comprehend the words. He was still light headed from all that magic flowing so near him.
"What?"
"Nobody take their eyes off of those statues! Nobody blink! There is only three of them, just everyone keep your eyes on them and we will be all right!"
"What are they?" Mater Hurvi demanded in a calm voice. Angerboda giggled and Loki risked a glance at the other sorcerer. His red eyes were still unfocused and he leaned on the casket, partially sprawled over the ancient artefact.
"They are called the weeping angels. They feed on energy, time-energy to be in fact. They are the fastest creatures of the known universe, but they are quantum locked-"
"In as few words as possible, we are running against time." Master Hurvi interrupted, his calm demeanour helping Loki to even his own breathing.
"They turn to stone when another living being watches them. They can only move when nobody sees them do so."
"It was them who sent the Vasthra Nerada." Master Hurvi said. "The casket is what they are after isn't it?"
"It would make sense. The energy of the casket would be a tempting prize for them, surely they would like to claim the casket for themselves."
"But the casket is guarded too well, so they send the vasthra nerada to empty out the palace for them, or plunge our home into blind darkness, surely either outcome would suit them."
"It seems like there was a reason Tardis disobeyed me again..."
"What? The Tardis-"
"Never mind Loki, the most important thing right now is for us to make it out of this room, with the casket."
"We only need to keep looking at them right?"
"Right."
"Well then. Thorn, Revik. Secure the casket, and keep your eyes on the creatures all time. Loki, help Angerboda. Doctor, stay close. We will back out of the room slowly, when any of you has to blink announce it beforehand. Try to keep your eyes on at least two at the time so we will be covering as much ground as possible. Now start falling back slowly."
"Everyone did as master Hurvi told them to. Step by step inching towards the exit that they knew to be behind them.
It was slow and nerve wrecking going and Angerboda fumbling on Lokis side didn't help. With every step, the redheaded jotun however became surer on his footing
When everyone was outside the doorway, master Hurvi stepped forward and raised his hand. The clearest wall of ice started to rise from the ground and fill the doorway. Layer by layer the ice grew thicker, but never loosing its glass like appearance.
The last wall of ice to shoot from the ground to cover the doorway was also the fastest and the thickest. At least half a meter thick, the wall of ice shot from the floor sealing the room. Instantly as the dark ice wall was up, they could hear pounding and scratching on the other side. Master Hurvi flicked his hands and rose another wall, just as thick. "Will they make it through?" He asked the Doctor, a tenor of frustrated worry in his voice.
"Eventually" The Doctor agreed.
The concert hall was filled with grumbling and worried whispers. Loki couldn't blame them, they had all been expecting explanation on what had happened for them to be evacuated and for Master Hurvis return to mean that they didn't need to be holed up anymore. Instead they had been told that it was still too dangerous to go outside, and on top of that, the legendary casket of ancient winters had been brought to the concert hall. Loki could see more than a few sneak as close to the artefact as they dared, under the stern stares of the guards.
"Loki!"
Loki turned to face a wall of worried hovering as Jorna and Baula made their way through the crowd to meet Loki. "We were so worried about all of you. Thank Ymir you came back in one piece."
"It's fine." Loki ended up saying, not knowing what else to say to the almost strangers worried over him.
"The rumours we have heard. You wouldn't believe what some of these people are saying."
"Never mind the rumours, Are the shadows gone!" demanded an anxious Skari, who had also appeared in Lokis personal space. Seeing that he was the midget around here, Loki felt uncomfortably crowded in.
"Well the Vasthra Nerada should be gone..."
"They are."
"How the Hel do you all manage to sneak up to me."
"You mean they managed to sneak up on you?" Angerboda smiled tiredly, pointing at Baula, Jorna and Skari, but his eyes were aware again. "Loki please, that's just embarrassing."
"well you weren't exactly at your best just few moments ago either."
Angerboda smiled again tiredly, the red eyes bit pinkish. "I felt them die." Angerboda continued more seriously. "I felt the light burn and extinguish them and I felt them screaming in agony. I felt them beg for whatever primal force that they worship. For that moment I was one with them, a destroyer, the light that burns life away."
Loki shivered and an awkward silence fell over them. "You did it to protect your people." Loki finally said, just to break the silence.
"Yes, I never claimed anything else."
silence fell once again until Skari asked, "why are we then still locked here."
"They weren't the only monsters plaguing us. These ones want the casket." Angerboda explained. Running a tired hand through his limp hair. "I don't know what we are going to do." He admitted in a quiet voice, looking startled by the words like he hadn't meant to say them out loud.
"Doctor!" Loki wondered when it had become so natural to call for the Doctor when you didn't know what to do. When had he started trusting anyone?
The Doctor and master Hurvi turned from the quiet conversation they had been having. What are we going to do, Loki almost asked but swallowed the words. "What are the creatures capable of?" He asked instead. "What are they going to do if they reach us?"
"They feed on time energy. On the rift left by time-travel. They sneak on you and if they manage to touch you, they will send you back in time before you were born."
"So they don't kill you?"
"They don't need to, but they can be brutal."
"How do we fight them then?" Angerboda asked, all business.
"You won't do anything anymore, you have done quite enough already."
"But fa-master. I need to fight."
"You will stay here and rest."
"Do they have any weaknesses." Loki interrupted the impending family fight. The Doctor played with his screwdriver in his hands. "well, obviously the fact that they cannot move while seen is a weakness, but seeing how fast they are, they don't need more than a blink to reach you. You can't hurt them when they are still, you can't really hurt them when they are moving either, not that you could ever catch one, and as far as I know they have achieved one of the closest things to immortality that I have seen in the universe. However, we do have one advance over them."
Everybody on a hearing range was now listening to the Doctor.
"The weeping angels are just as affected by the stare of their own kind. They cannot look at each other nor, and this is important, catch their own reflection. And we are sitting in a castle made of ice!"
