Born to be a King
Chapter 25
"I am Thor Odinson, king of Asgard, and I have come to find my brother. Where is Loki?!" Thor demanded of the palace guards who surrounded him. He twirled Mjolnir in his hand, ready to engage any and all who stood in his way.
"Stand back" came the order from someone who stood behind the squadron of guards. The guards obeyed, and there, standing on the courtyard, was Loki, dressed in full regalia and holding a unique and intricate spear.
"Loki" Thor sighed with relief. "Hela has found Arik. Asgard is now plunged into darkness" he explained as he walked towards him "Ragnar lost sight of you and..."
Thor was suddenly thrown back by a powerful force. He hit a massive statue that decorated the courtyard which shattered with his mighty weight. When he rose, he saw Loki walking towards him, spear aimed and at the ready. The expression on his face was blank, but his eyes burned with a madness Thor had seen before. Once. On Earth.
"What has happened to you?" was all Thor could say before Loki swung and he ducked backwards, avoiding the blow. Loki swung again, and this time, the Verdandinian spear of kingship collided with Mjolnir.
"Surprised to see me still living?" Loki rasped as he and Thor engaged in fierce battle "Did you have a sudden change of heart and realized you wish to be king after all?"
Thor was taken aback. He shoved Loki and stared at him with obvious confusion.
"Loki, what are you saying?"
"Oh, have you forgotten so quickly?" Loki retorted with venom in his voice "you let Mother die. You left Asgard in the care of a senile old man and walked off to seek your own glory!" he lunged again, spewing all his pent up rage and hatred "you denied me the basest of obsequies and left me rot on the forsaken sands of the dark world!..."
Loki continued to attack Thor, who only blocked his blows without retaliating.
"...but it's too late for you now, Odinson. I am king now, and king by right. You gave up your claim and now you seek to take away what's rightfully mine. But I won't let you! Not this time!"
The more Loki spoke, the more Thor realized that Loki's mind had been intentionally altered. Using Mjolnir to trap the spear, he pinned Loki against a statue.
"What sorcery did they place upon you?!" he shouted in his face "who put these thoughts into your head?! Was it the king?!
"I am the king!" Loki roared, pushing Thor away.
"Then you leave me no choice" Thor said as he began to return Loki's onslaught.
By now the Inkeri had filed onto the courtyard that now looked like a war zone. The two kings engaged in battle were being crashed, flung, and slammed against every structure, destroying everything. As the Inkeri took their position and began to lock their weapons on the one fighting their king, Stingadr realized that the intruder was none other than Thor, Loki's brother and king of Asgard.
"No" he ordered his warriors "stand down. This is not our fight"
Loki, who had now fallen onto his back for the umpteenth time, quickly stood back on his feet and sent a blast of power from the spear. Thor evaded it and leaped towards Loki, but he ended up crashing onto the ground when he whizzed right through a holographic double that now stood in his stead. Loki reappeared behind Thor and lifted his spear, ready to stab him in the back, but then Mjolnir lifted off the ground and flew straight onto Loki, who went flying right across the courtyard and collided with a palace wall, shattering bits of crystal that rained down on him when he fell on his stomach on the ground.
Stingadr reached Loki in an instant. Loki groaned and raised his head weakly, looking up at Stingadr. Then he looked toward the courtyard and his eyes widened with shock.
"Thor?" he whispered as if seeing him for the first time. Then he shook his head as if fighting against an unseen force, and then the same maniacal look of before came over him. He seethed and gritted his teeth, reaching for his spear.
"TEAR HIM APART!" he shouted to the Inkeri, who immediately drew their weapons and aimed them.
Stingadr instantly whipped about. "Lower your weapons!"
"What are you doing?" Loki growled at Stingadr. "Kill him! I said, KILL HIM!" he shouted. He rose to a kneeling position and used the spear as support to stand, but he was still dazed from the impact. He staggered and fell back on his knees. Stingadr backed away from Loki and turned to Thor.
"He's all yours" he said.
The last thing that Loki registered was Thor flying towards him and slamming him hard against the ground. He saw his fist coming down on his head, then everything went black.
There were voices. Distant voices that came and went, echoing as if from another time.
"How did you know to do that?" a somewhat familiar voice asked.
"I learned about it on Midgard. It was used to bring back one of my friends after Loki took control of his mind" said another voice, a voice that was so familiar and dear, yet ignited a deep hatred that churned beneath the warmth.
"So it is true. He tried to conquer the human world"
"It is. Loki is neither the most heroic nor the noblest of sorts. He is misguided and ruthless, but evil he is not. He never will be"
"I knew that about him from the moment I met him. He has the potential for greatness but he is gravely flawed. Was he always so imbalanced?"
"No. He always had a penchant for mischief but he was reserved. None knew what was truly in his heart till we matured"
The conversation was suddenly interrupted when a painful groan came from the bed.
"Thor" Loki rasped as he tried to awaken, but there was something that pulled him back into a lulling darkness. He reached out his hand as if trying to grasp something, or someone, and he was met with his brother's strong hand who squeezed his in reassurance.
"Loki, you'll be alright" Thor's voice echoed out to him in the stillness.
"Barbara... he has Barbara" Loki's voice was so low that it was barely audible. His eyes suddenly flew open and he sat up in a flash, but he was instantly coaxed back down onto the plush bed.
"I know. We will retrieve her as soon as you are well. Rest, brother. It will be over soon"
"My king, we have craft searching all areas. She will be located within a day" the second voice said, and this time, Loki finally recognized it. It was Stingadr.
"Hela... will find her" he whispered before he stilled once again.
He faintly registered the soft hand that dabbed a wet cloth on his clammy forehead. He was drenched in sweat, and his vision hazy every time he tried to awaken, but he made out the slender, feminine form who looked down at him with pitying eyes. There was no hatred or resentment in her deep, blue-green gaze. There was sympathy, and beneath that, regret.
"You're not her" he growled darkly at Ireena "and you never will be"
"No Loki I am not her, and have no desire to be. Not anymore"
"You were promised to him" Thor was now saying to the woman.
"I was" she replied softly, then returned to dabbing the cool cloth on Loki's fevered forehead.
"You bear him no ill will?" Thor asked a moment later.
"He is the king. What plans were drawn in the past no longer matter. What's important now is that he becomes the great king he was destined to be"
The voices finally faded. The haze lifted, his struggled ceased, and Loki fell into a deep, restful sleep.
It was dawn of the following day when he finally awoke. Loki opened his eyes to find Thor standing on his bedside, a concerned frown marring his features. In his hand he carried Mjolnir, ready to strike should Loki's reaction be unsatisfactory.
"How long were you standing there, you daft oaf?" Loki groaned.
Thor's frown was now replaced with a beaming smile, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Welcome back, brother"
"What the Hel did you do to me?" he asked, sitting up and suddenly aware of the sharp pain that exploded in his temples.
"Cognitive re-calibration" Thor explained.
"What?" he asked with a wince. The mere sound of Thor's booming voice made his head throb.
"I learned about it on Earth. Natasha did it to Clint after you placed him under a spell. Remember?"
"I hope that pathetic archer woke up with the same pain as I" Loki spat, rubbing his temples "where is Arik? Your presence here suggests that he is no longer at the temple"
"No. He is safe. I had to take him off world. Loki, there was a Death Howl. The sun rose at midnight and set at dawn. Now Asgard is sunk into darkness"
Loki sighed and closed his eyes at the grave news. "Where did you take him?"
Thor shifted on his feet, bracing himself before he delivered even graver news. "He is safe" he repeated in an attempt to appease Loki from the reaction he knew would have "he is kept inside another tower in a realm where Hela has no jurisdiction..."
"Thor..." Loki warned.
"He's on Midgard" Thor said almost apologetically, then he put his hand up when Loki suddenly stood as if about to strike "rest easy, Loki. Stark assured me that no one would see him..."
"YOU LEFT MY SON IN THE CARE OF MY ENEMIES?!" Loki roared.
"They're not your enemies, Loki. If you remember, it was you who brought war to their world. Their duty was to defend it"
"Of course, leave my son in the hands of those who bear me ill will. Brilliant idea, Thor" he spat, his voice dripping with sarcasm, but deep beneath, he was thankful. It WAS a brilliant idea, and the safest place for his son at the moment, but he would never let him know.
"Any news on locating von Doom's ship?" He asked as he walked to pour himself a glass of wine, and then, as he watched the red liquid swirl in the chalice, it all came back:
The toast, the sudden collapse, the searing pain of being consumed from within, Barbara's writhing, the sound of chanting...
"It was Diarmaid" Loki gasped, dropping the goblet.
"Who is he?" Thor asked.
"Beyard's chief magician and advisor. It was a magic I'd never seen or heard of before. I was powerless against it. He was the one who concocted the potion and created the spell"
"Hmm" Thor nodded in understanding "Loki, why didn't you tell me that Hela was coming for Barbara as well?"
"Would you have let her come if I had?"
"You lied to me"
"No, I lied to Barbara. I only kept a valuable piece of information from you"
Loki walked to a stand that rested on a table. On it was a solitary, unique sword. It was slender, made from the lightest yet sharpest of steels, and engraved into the blade collar was the figure of a crouching tiger. Barbara's sword. Gently, he took it from the stand and admired it from handle to the tip of the blade. He let out the deepest of sighs as he closed his eyes, fighting against the tears that stung and the deep, hollow ache that caved into his chest.
"He has her now" he said, thinking out loud but not caring that Thor could hear "they took her away from me and delivered her to him as if she were a mere object to be bargained away"
"Loki, she will return to you..."
"She came to kill me" he replied, then scoffed at the irony of what had happened "I made her who she is. I molded her into the deadliest woman in the universe and now she turns against me"
"Not of her own will" Thor reminded him.
"Do you want to know how I came to have her sword?" Loki asked drily.
Thor didn't reply. Loki continued on.
"It was left embedded to the hilt in Beyard's core"
"She killed the king?!"
"She killed the king" Loki echoed, almost proudly. He placed the sword back onto the stand and ran his fingers across the dull side of the blade. Her swords had never faltered from the moment she had claimed them. She had killed for him, the steel was tainted with the blood of those who dared stand in his way, and now she sought to stain them with his blood.
"He has her now" he said again, and this time, his voice cracked. His fist slammed onto the table top and a single, hot, burning tear traveled down his cheek. It was not a tear of sorrow, but of blinding rage. No other man so much as dared to set eyes upon what was his. She had been torn away from him, and thrown into the arms of the man who had long coveted his prize. Was she now calling out the scum's name as he took her, time and time again, reveling in the warmth that was only his to call his own?
"They will pay" he growled as his gaze caressed the sword on the stand. They would all pay dearly. None dare steal from Loki Laufeyson.
Just then, the Fates smiled upon him. Stingadr rushed into his private chamber, breathing heavily from having ran to the highest floor to deliver the glad tidings.
"My liege" he panted "we have found them. The ship is currently on its way to Marr. They are set to reach it by midday"
Thor turned to Loki, who nodded at him in return.
"Assemble fifty thousand Shadow Legions. Call Durrgo back from his enterprise and order him to lead twenty thousand war ships. Be ready by the mid-morning shadow. We must reach Marr before they make landfall"
"As you command. It's good to have you back, my king" Stingadr replied, then made for the doors, when another order stopped him in his tracks.
"Stingaddr, find Diarmaid, and imprison him in the dungeons. I want him alive. And confine Ireena to quarters under heavy guard. I will deal with them upon my return"
"The princess, sire?!" Stingadr asked astonished.
"Yes, the princess herself. I show no mercy to traitors. Remember that, Stingadr"
Stingadr swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, then nodded and moved to fulfill the king's command.
"The princess seems to be uninvolved..." Thor began.
"She agreed to her father's schemes and simply stood by. She carries the same guilt as they"
Thor didn't reply. He knew that Loki was right on his animosity toward those who betrayed him, but there was something about the princess that did not sit right with Loki's judgement of her.
"What plan do you have for when you face Barbara again?"
"You're the one with the big, heavy hammer capable of shattering an otherwise unbreakable spell"
"You're suggesting that I..."
"No, Thor, I am not suggesting. I am ordering you. Once they reach Marr she will go for the stone. But by then the stone will be gone and she will find me there instead. As expected, she will try to kill me. I will keep her attention on me, and that's when you..." he nudged towards Mjolnir "you do what you do best"
"She is a woman" Thor half-protested, but he knew there was no other way.
"Oh, I am sorry. I didn't know that your method of cognitive re-calibration did not apply to your brother's wife who has fallen prey to a spell that caused her to be handed over to some human scum lowlife..."
"Alright, Loki. You made your point"
"Good. I am glad that there's at least some amount of sense harbored in your brain. The only way this is going to work is if I can restrain her powers. I am the only one who can do so which is why I will be the only one in the vault. You must not make your presence known or she will feel cornered. If she does she will be unleashed and all will be for naught. Once I get close and restrain her, you will have the chance to sneak up and deliver the blow. One blow, Thor. So make it count"
Thor nodded in agreement, but deep down, he wasn't looking forward to what he was about to do.
The nearly countless candles that lit up the catacomb deep beneath the city seemed to flicker as if disturbed by an invisible hand. This was the deepest cavern reachable, a portal to the deepest dimension in the Nine Realms. A woman entered, a priestess, leading the way for another, a queen. The two women stood in the grotto and looked about, drinking in the ominous feel of the place. At the end was the portal, a deep, dark tunnel that seemed to have no end.
"What have you come to ask of me?" came the distant, echoing, feminine voice from deep within the tunnel.
"I have come to strike a bargain, and to make an offering" the queen said, kneeling at the entrance to the tunnel.
"And what bargain may that be, your majesty? I accept no offering less than the value of souls" the voice replied.
"I've come to offer my life in exchange for the settlement of a debt" the queen whispered.
"Hmmm" the voice echoed back "the payment seems fair"
The queen felt her fragile, weary body shake in a way it never had before. But there was no other way. Her sons would not pay the price for mistakes made in the distant past. Not anymore.
'I do it for them. For my sons. One day, they will understand', she comforted herself as she waited for the voice to make its choice.
It did.
The queen collapsed as the final words were said that sealed her eternal fate.
"I accept"
End of Chapter 25
Responses to reviews:
CLTex: I know what you mean in wanting Victor to be with Barbara. There is a small part of me that roots for him, even though I know that she belongs with no one else but Loki. Ireena still has a very big part to play, but her dynamic has changed entirely. Thanks for your review, Christi! Love ya too! :)
Jjocasta: Wow girl, what a read! No need to apologize, I am going through the very same thing. I have taken up a new degree that is still related to my work (a child development degree) and it is draining me. Now I'm so incredibly busy that I am able to update the story only once every three weeks, so don't feel bad at all ;) I am so tired lately that I'm beginning to get lazy on some things, so I know exactly what you're going through. By the way, I really like your thoughts on Loki's psyche. Wow girl, you wrote some really deep Loki meta! Lol I think you are spot on a lot of things, like someone (in this case, Barbara) becoming totally ruined by they own doing simply because they allowed Loki to have control over them. At the end of the day, Loki is all about satisfying himself, which makes him a very dangerous character, definitely not one you want to be around, even as beautiful and charming as he is. And you're right, Barbara is batshit crazy for allowing herself to love Loki as blindly as she does. She challenges him, but at the same time, she has no desire to change him. She revels in his mischief and his madness which is what made her totally irresistible to Loki, and that chemical pull is what has driven the story this far. I can't wait to see what you think on what's going to happen now that Loki is back to himself but Barbara is not ;) By the way, I am so jealous but thrilled to know that you had an amazing time on your trip. Unfortunately, I have never been to England, but it is on the top of my list of "places to visit before I die". My dream vacation would be a trip around Europe, and setting foot on all the historical places I can now only read and dream about. But of all the European countries, England is the one that has captured my fascination the most! It's so beautiful and so full of history and culture! Take care hun, talk to you soon! Much love! xo
Guest: Well, thanks a lot, charming stranger! ;) Lol Till soon darling, I hope.
LokiGrey: Loki, yes, yes, yes. Barbara, yes, yes, yes. Lol Don't worry, Loki and Barbara will be back together sooner than you think! Just... maybe not exactly how you wish yet... not yet ;) How are you doing 'Becca?
Anon fan: Loki the rapist? Oh my god HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 'Weellll obviously we have a rapist in Verdandi..." LOL Btw, did you know that that news bit is now a full song on iTunes? Girl, I nearly shit my pants when my friends sent me the song. "Hide your kids hide your wives and hide your husbands 'cause they raping everybody up in here" oh god it's better than the original video Hahahahaha they have it on youtube and it's called "bed intruder song". You've got to see it!
Hiddles-Skittles: And how would you happen to know that, Di? I haven't told you anything... shhhh... don't tell! Lol I'm doing alright hun! I'm so glad you get to your family soon! Keep me posted!