Equal 14
Landing on the icy surface of Jotunheim, Loki's confidence vanished with the light of the Bifrost.
Despite the search party, the realm of ice was huge and unforgiving. If Eris were still alive it would require a second miracle just to find her.
"Stay together." Thor spoke bringing him out of his thoughts and back to the present. "If worse comes to worse we will meet back here and fight until it is safe to open the gate."
The others nodded in agreement following him into the cold and snow.
Ahead of him, Loki caught the warriors three turning back to look at him before whispering amongst themselves.
After the third time he'd had enough. "If you have something to say you may as well say it." He jeered.
Thor stopped. "Something you'd like to discuss?"
Fandral looked between his companions and sighed. "Well you must admit it is a bit humorous isn't it? To be back here again because of you, Loki."
"It's called a cruel irony." Said Hogun.
"We have a job to do." Sif barked. Despite her strong stance, her groupmates could see the faint shiver in her chin. "So let's do it and be done."
Thor nodded, returning his gaze forward. A tilted structure made of stone and ice loomed a short ways ahead of them. "I don't understand. We should have come across something by now."
Frigga joined him at the front. "I agree. A guard, or beast…some sort of security…"
Nevertheless, all hands grabbed a weapon and the group huddled together keeping eyes on all sides. The snow began to fall harder than before falling in curtains blocking out the landscape around them.
Onward they walked, more than a few of them shivering and pulling their coats as close as possible.
They approached the opening in the stone structure entering an area blessedly free of snow and wind.
"Anyone home?!" Fandral shouted, his own echo the only response. A punch in the shoulder from Sif connected.
"Do you wish to give away our position?" She hissed.
"No, it's better that they know we're here." Loki said moving forward. "An ambush makes sense, but walking through Jotunheim without trial, THAT is something to be weary of."
They moved through the crumbling courtyard and into a large, dark cavern carved jaggedly out of the ice and stone.
"Asgardians." A deep voice reached them. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
The group turned their attention towards the rocky shelf that stretched above them. A frost giant sat on a sharp throne made of stone surrounded by frost giants with weapons drawn.
"And who might you be?" Loki asked looking around what he could only assume to be some sort of throne room.
The giant smirked jumping from his perch and landing with a crack in the ice. "You don't even recognize your own brother on your rightful throne."
"Helblindi."
The giant nodded, at Loki's recognition his smirk staying in place. "Nice that you can remember your own blood."
"I know Laufey had another son, think nothing more of it." Loki said with his jaw clenched.
"We've come to reclaim someone you've stolen from us." Thor spoke stepping forward to stand beside Loki. "Return who you have taken and there will be no fighting on this day."
"And what makes you think we are to blame?" Helblindi asked.
Loki drew a weapon he was beginning to feel the urge to use and stabbed the ice dagger into the ground. "You were kind enough to leave us a clue."
"You think the king of the frost giants would take notice of one girl?"
Loki gave him a dark look. "We never told you who we came to fetch."
Helblindis smirk wavered.
"Where is she?" Lokis grip tightened around his daggers.
The frost giants above them began to growl with warning. Thor stepped up behind Loki and spoke in a hushed tone.
"Loki, once you advised me to keep my head and check my temper, I wish to extend the same advice to you now."
"No, not this time Thor." Loki growled as he watched the frozen King.
"How are we to know for sure he was the one who ordered Eris to be taken? There are thousands, millions of frost giants in this realm that may have acted on their own."
"Why would he know who we've come to save if he had not taken her? She's here, he's done something to her." Loki responded.
Frigga caught Loki by the shoulder and turned him to face her. "Loki, what you do here may affect the wellbeing of our people. Please, think before you act."
Loki nodded and she stepped back.
"I've nearly destroyed Jotunheim before." Loki stated.
Behind him Fandral rolled his eyes, Sif ran her hand down her face and Frigga held her forehead, shaking her head at her sons chosen negotiation method.
"Loki…" Thor warned. Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg drew their weapons as Frost Giants began to fidget around them.
"Return her to us or I will do it again."
"Big words from one who is so very easily outnumbered." Helblindi raised his hand causing his companions to stand down and begin to retreat. "But very well. Take the girl and go."
From around a corner, two guards came forward dragging a battered and trembling Eris between them. They shoved her to Loki who caught her and pulled her close.
"Why would you-"
"We will take our leave now." Thor caught Loki by the shoulder mid question. "Now isn't the best time to question things Loki, we have Eris and now we have to get her to warmth."
Locking eyes with Helblindi for a few more moments more, Loki finally turned towards the group and pulled Eris along. "Are you alright?"
She didn't have time to answer as Frigga pulled her into her own embrace. "Give her here I'll warm her up." A small blue flame appeared in the palm of her hand and gently she pushed into Eire's chest. She was still shivering and covered in snowflakes and frost, but her lips began to lose their blue tint.
"Many thanks majesty." She chattered.
The group, close to the opening of the carven was stopped by Helblindis voice.
"Asgard will fall. It feels only right to tell the King in person."
"Keep moving." Thor ordered. "We will consider what has been said back home."
"Hopefully beside a lit fireplace." Fandal said stepping back into the snow.
"Or a plate of roasted boar eh all?" Volstagg jibbed. His attempt at humor died in the wind.
Loki conjured up a coat and placed it around Eris's shoulders. Other than her earlier thank you she had said nothing and blinked away at the snow blowing into her face.
After trudging through the snow for what seemed an endless amount of time, the group stopped when a shrill shriek echoed around them.
A second, harsher shriek sounded through the snowfall, closer this time as weapons were drawn and everyone attempted to peer through the sheet of white completely blocking any view of the tundra around them.
"Loki, what was that?" Thor asked, his hammer at the ready.
"I don't know." Loki had grabbed his daggers, but going by the sound of the creature alone, knew they would be no help to him here.
"Is it gone?" Sif asked.
"Shhhh" Hogun peered into the haze trying to see anything that may have made the sound.
In a tense circle, they waited.
"Whatever that was, standing here waiting for it will do us no good." Frigga said sheathing her sword.
A third, ear shattering screech broke through the snow at the same time the colossal snow white eagle did.
The warriors were forced to hit the ground as they tried to avoid being crushed, or worse, skewered by the giant talons that descended into the ice.
Righting themselves, all weapons found a new target.
Loki was right in assuming his daggers would be useless. The warriors three however, hopped into action; Hogun knocking an arrow and firing, Volstagg swinging his axe at the blue beak that tried to take a bite of him and Sif, with her spear ready running at the beast.
Thor spun his hammer ready to take off. "Loki, get mother and Eris to safety."
"Safety my britches." Frigga shouted. Waving away Loki, her hands erupted into bright blue flames.
Both Loki and Thor paused looking at their mother incredulously.
She smirked. "Well you certainly didn't get your spell casting from Odin now did you?"
The first fire she launched hit its target; connecting to the bird's chest and setting fire.
Using the distraction, Sif stabbed her spear the beast's leg startling it and sending it flying off back into the heavy snowfall.
"We can't fight it here! We have to move!" Thor shouted taking off in a run.
The group followed his lead, back towards the stone structure they had just left.
The bird swooped down on the group, barley missing Frigga before pulling up and disappearing into the storm again.
They passed back through archway into the now deserted cavern.
"It was a trap." Loki murmured.
"No, really Loki, what about this makes you think it was a trap?" Fandral asked with a roll of his eyes.
Frigga turned towards the opening as another screech echoed around them. With a wave of her hand a wall of blue flames covered the entrance bringing a wave of heat into the cavern they stood in.
"That's enough of that." She said dusting the snow from her coat.
Fandral inched towards the blue light holding out his frost-bitten hands.
"So this was their plan." Thor ran his hand down his face. "Lure us here and let this beast make a meal of us."
"This is no beast of our nine- realms." Hogun spoke peering deeper into the cave.
A screech echoed through the room and the walls shook from above.
"That may be true, but waiting for it here will do us no good." Sif spoke inspecting her spear covered in blue blood.
"Well Lady Sif," Fandral said taking off his coat and turning his back to the fire. "What do you propose we do?"
Sif smirked as she picked up his coat. "Offer it a snack."
From his perch above Jotunheim, Roc had only two jobs: To chase, and to kill. A flash of movement streaked across the tundra below him. Expanding his wings and with a light jump, he was off. Soaring through the sky and about to bare down on this thing moving across the tundra.
He touched down with his talons grasping the piece of fabric. He tossed it up and took a bite. It was nothing but fabric. He shook it just to be sure there was nothing. A single arrow fell and disappeared into the snow. He hadn't missed anything had he? He decided to ding around the immediate area just to be sure.
"I don't know why I had to be the one to sacrifice his coat." Fandral whispered as the group ducked behind another pile of rock and snow.
"We appreciate your sacrifice." Volstagg responded, ducking low as the eagle stomped past them.
"Suck it up before we have you running through Jotunheim for real." Sif hissed.
As the eagle stomped passed the group continued to move quickly pausing and ducking behind anything they came across.
The eagle walked off back towards the stone cavern and the group took off in a run.
Eris, Loki and Thor ducked behind a fallen stone pillar as the bird turned around.
"Are you alright Eris?" Thor asked.
"Yes, I'm fine I just want to go home."
"We will." Loki promised. "I don't see how we'll make it to a safe place to open the Bifrost at this rate."
"If we must fight we will." Thor said peering around to look at the bird. "It's nothing my hammer hasn't seen before."
"Oh, how nice a mallet." Eris drawled unimpressed. "He can tenderize his meat before he eats us."
Thor took her jab in good stride looking back at her with a smile. "Do not underestimate my hammer." He said beginning to twirl it. "My hammer has seen me through many battles."
Thor's hammer connected with the pillar causing the stone to crack and fall over exposing them. The eagles head perked up at the sound and turned to see three snacks looking at him.
"It has also been the cause of many battles… RUN!"
Loki grabbed Eris by the arm and pulled her along. Sif and the Warriors three leapt from their hiding places rushing to catch up to them.
"HEIMDALL OPEN THE GATE!" Thor roared.
Loki looked around as they ran. They were moving targets out here in the open. Beside them, the more and more pillars rose to revel the ruins of another stone structure.
"This way!" He shouted grabbing Eris and sweeping her up bridal style. He veered off to the right, the group hesitating before following them.
Inside the pillars multiplied around them, holding up the high ceilings of the chamber they were running through.
"There!" Frigga shouted pointing ahead. Across the way, an opening showed the outside.
The group slowed to a walk, catching their breath as they made their way towards the exit. Far behind them at the entrance, the bird released an enraged screech before the sound of its wings beating echoed its way to them.
"Good riddance." Fandral sighed sheathing his weapon. "Perhaps a short break before we continue?"
An ear splitting squawk reached them as the ceilings began to quake, rocks small and large alike beginning to fall.
Slapping the back of his head, Sif barely dodged a large stone "You jinxed it."
Yet again the group took off running, the exit growing both closer and more obscure as their path became more and more cluttered with falling rocks and ice.
Finally they broke out back into the snow onto a flat stone cliffs die dropping off into a trench. Behind them a pile of rocks crashed down blocking their only other route.
"HEIMDALL! OPEN THE GATE WE NEED YOU!" Thor yelled.
The ledge they stood on began to crack as the quaking of the chamber behind them intensified.
All looked to the sky looking for any sign their way home was coming.
"Can he not hear us!?" Sif demanded.
"Gatekeeper please, we need you now." Frigga whispered.
Finally, a bright streak of rainbow colored light flashed across the sky heading towards them.
"About time." Fandrall muttered.
A large quake shook the ledge causing them to lose their footing. A crack broke through the cliffside dividing the group. The stone under Thor began to give way. Eris reached out and grabbed his hand just as his body fell over the cliff.
"Thor! Hold on!" Eris shouted.
The last thing he saw before the Bifrost reached the group was the slight smirk on her face as he steadily began to slip.
The Bifrost reached them, surrounding them in light and warmth just as the entire cliff gave way and crumbled into the dark tavern below.
A/N: HERE! IT IS DONE! I hate this chapter but it is finally done! I want to make sure you guys knew they were dealing with a lot of snow ice and stone. Did you get that they were dealing with snow ice and stone? Because I feel like i typed those 3 words a million times and now they don't even look like words. ANYWAY! Finally we can move on! I've been trying to get this chapter done for months and I hate how it turned out but I can't spend any more time on it. Well, I mean I can but I don't want to...
Small life update, I'm in college now and I've realized my brain is wired for screen writing, not novel writing which is why I have so much trouble writing this way. But ah well. If I was writing this as a screen play we'd be way farther along! But, I digress.
We can move on and that's what's important. I never thought I'd ask this but if you guys could leave a comment or a review that would be greeeeaaaat. It would put a fire under my butt to update more often if I had people reaching out to remind myself that you all do exist.
But anyway enjoy this chapter! And if you haven't go see Thor 3 it is truly superb.