I waited for what felt like forever, just sitting and reading with Frigga. Loki still hadn't appeared, neither had Thor or Lykon. Where they were eluded me as it did Ditha who frantically came in to ask if I'd heard from my lover. I always replied with no as he didn't say anything over our connection. He was there, just at a neutral state. I could ask where he was but I just didn't feel the need to. My focus was entirely on the Chapel of the Sun and the possibility of an infinity gem contained within. Frigga too seemed just as interested in the idea. I wondered why Ditha had been so protective. Atheriel didn't want to hurt me, not to my knowledge.
Even if she did I simply couldn't pass up the chance and everyone but perhaps the other dwarves would understand that. Again the stress of all the responsibility began to weigh heavily on my shoulders. There was the war, the dark elves, the infinity stones, and probably still the matter of Loki's final trial. I wondered how the others were doing back on Asgard. They said time moved faster here so it hadn't been long since we disappeared into the dungeons. So how much could have happened in such a short time? Were the Jotunn still alive fighting that beast? Had the creature who poisoned Frigga found a way to follow us into the world between?
I must have showed the worry on my face because Frigga reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Tell me your troubles child, we still have time." I appreciated her concern but didn't know where to begin.
"Do you ever feel so overwhelmed you think you will split in two?" I wondered.
"Many times. As a queen I must worry about my duty to the throne as well as the duty to my family. The lines blur sometimes and the stress is something I cannot easily handle." It was a different situation than the one I was going through but at least the feeling was the same.
"I have so much to think about, so many people I care for whose lives hang in the balance of each decision I make. I'm afraid if I put something else over the present the world around me will collapse and I will fail them all." Everything smashed into me like a tidal wave. I could feel the hum of confusion in my head sent from my beloved.
"You are so young in this life, so unaware and unsure. I wish I could relieve you of your troubles but they are conflicts that must be resolved or truly Yggdrasil shall fall." I knew her words were trying to soothe and I kept that in mind before I spoke.
"Why me? Can't I hand this over to another? Or even share the load just once? I know I'm not really…human but I feel mortal. The strain is just so…so…"
"Great? Yes I can't imagine how much you must go through. But even if the journey is long you will always have companions to share it with you. My son for sure would follow you to the ends of the worlds no matter what the reason." Loki would do anything for me, he always would. His love for me never wavered, it was strong and sure just like the beating of a heart. I felt a need to thank him for all he'd done, all he would do for me.
"I will help you all I can, and Thor adores you as his new sister. Your family above I know too care deeply for you. Though the trials of your life may seem long they will come to an end someday. It may take a long time but the time will come that you can rest and just watch the world go by." Why was it that the words I could have logically thought always sounded better on the lips of another? Perhaps it was because I knew just how much Frigga knew. In my memory I'd only lived about 25 years so she was much older. She was also considered a goddess, something I always noted when I heard her speak. As a queen, a mother, a woman, she lived up to her title and then some.
"Thank you Frigga, perhaps I will live here when that time comes so we can all be together again." I suggested. She gave me a bright smile.
"I would like that." The sound of the door opening reached our ears and Ditha's rather annoyed screeches as she scolded her husband. It was most likely Thor who had returned.
"Go, I will tell the boys where you have gone." With Ditha distracted by her family I nodded. Frigga squeezed my hands and I exited the room. There were two doors to the outside of the little hut. The first was the front which was currently occupied. I caught sight of Thor's blond hair as he bent down to enter the home. The second was a small back door that Brou had shown me. They made it long ago when the need for escape seemed eminent. I took this route, getting on my hands and knees before crawling out of the space and into the darkness outside.
I tried to recall the way to the elven area, weaving around until I came to the more ornate buildings of larger sizes with more decoration. The area was silent and as I crept along the street I wondered just how many elves were here. The dwarven community was always so vibrant with life, all sorts of people out and visiting one another no matter what the time. Here though there seemed to be no one. Perhaps there was a different respect for privacy. I managed to find the Chapel though it took me much longer than expected. The great door was closed and I tenetively knocked upon the black surface. There was no sound on the other side or even around me. Were they all asleep? Had I interrupted an important ritual of some sort?
After making up my mind to go to one of the houses to ask the door opened. Atheriel stood there in all her glory, a gown of white covering her body and flowing outward. There were silver accents that shimmered in the light of the moon overhead. Her bright violet eyes sparkled with delight as she saw me.
"Naiiat, I was hoping you would return." Her voice was welcoming as before and she stepped aside to allow me entrance. The front hall was empty and silent. The only light came from a small yellow orb that the elf held in her hand.
"Forgive my friend's rudeness earlier, she didn't understand…" My sentence was stopped as the elf shook her gorgeous head. The dark locks of hair moved about her head.
"Dwarves are a fickle folk. They do not understand the power of the Sun like you and I. Come, let us enter the chamber together." She knew why I was here.
"How did you know I would return so soon?" I asked her.
"No one chosen refuses, I knew you would come back as soon as you were able. The draw of meeting a sister is far too great is it not?" My eyes widened, she knew much more than I expected. Her smile was bright, no hidden meaning beneath it.
"You…"
"Let me explain Naiiat. We elves have always been a bit more knowledgeable than others. To some we come across as religious but we do not worship the orb, just what is held within. We have protected her for as long as we were able, giving her what she needed. She tried to give us gifts but we could not accept them, our bodies are not capable of containing her power. You though young Naiiat, you have the potential to become her vessel as the final infinity sister with a conscious nature. Instead of the Ether you can take her from this place, protect her as you have protected the Goddess of Space for so long."
"I know so little, tell me what you know please. Anything, everything." She seemed pleased that I was so curious.
"You, the last of the infinity sisters, survived the attack upon Amun years ago. Your vassal, this Loki, was once a man named Septimus. Having been reborn in time you are able to stay as you are. There is no hope for the others but…you can still protect them. At one time you did it before. A great barrier arose when you absorbed the gems, once your siblings, within yourself. Our people believe you became unstable only because you vassal had not yet reemerged." She began.
"A barrier?" I asked. She nodded.
"You took the gems within you and created a barrier that surrounded the crown city. It protected us, all of us here beneath the temple. If not for you all would have perished. Yet you were unable to hold this power and it scattered once again. Zarigoth, the man contained within your gem, must have sealed himself within to assure you could once more become the being you had been, to bring balance to the worlds." Balance to the worlds, that sounded wonderful.
"How though? How do I bring balance when war rages every time I turn my head?" I asked. She seemed saddened by my words.
"It is not war you should fear, but cataclysm, the Ragnarok that will destroy everything and everyone until life as we know it becomes an abyss of death." That did sound worse.
"The gems kept balance, they protected us and separated us so that we could live easily. Now that they have scattered the worlds branches crack and sway. It will not be long before they fall into the void. These wars, this turmoil is being caused by it." She continued.
"So with the gems will come peace?" I wondered.
"You are a kind soul indeed, to have one such as you rule the balance of the heavens would please my people to no end." We walked into the inner sanctum where the ball of silver ether floated above the floor.
"I am frightened." I admitted. She wrapped an arm briefly around my shoulders.
"Do not be afraid for even if you never remember your past it is the future on which you must ponder. Only then can our worlds become one once more." Her words were almost like a riddle, cryptic and beautiful just like her. With cautious steps I again approached the orb and immediately shoved my arm in up to the shoulder. The cool mud feeling was soothing. Again tendrils wrapped around my arm and a silver key appeared in my hand. The door rose up with the same design as before although this time it seemed to solidify, the metallic surface like a mirror reflecting my visage and that of Atheriel behind me. I turned to look at her. Something in me felt as if this would change everything.
"Thank you." I whispered. Her smile lit up the room and she bowed. I turned back to the door, pressing a hand against the surface. It was not solid but liquid and as I put my arm in it disappeared. The other side felt like empty space. Before I could chicken out I took a deep breath and stepped through the ether to the other side of the silver door.
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Loki made sure he could still feel her from his side of the connection. There were no abnormalities, no problems that he could detect anyway. She'd told him she was going to see the elves and that Frigga could explain better what was going on. His mother did tell him. She told him about the day they had and then went into great detail about the ether ball and the door that had appeared. He feared for his wife though he didn't let that emotion seep through. He didn't want her to worry, he was fine as long as she was okay.
Ditha had asked him to check on Naiira and he had lied for her. This was important to all of them. If she could find an infinity gem down here then perhaps they could use it to cull the war that raged in the world above. He lay back on the bed and sighed. There was no way he would be able to sleep without her beside him. He enjoyed the comfort of having her in his arms, of feeling her heat against his skin. He'd even thought about asking her if she wanted to make love again but he doubted she'd want to after whatever ordeal she was going through.
He wished she had waited and allowed him to accompany her. He didn't like the thought of her being alone on something so important. He wanted to be there for her no matter what and laying here made him feel useless.
"I'm coming to meet you, I'll wait." He called over the channel. There was a feeling of approval and thanks as he said this. He couldn't wait to tell her about the day with Brou, to hear about her experience within the orb. He got up and didn't even bother sneaking out. With a flick of his wrist he was invisible. This was a usual happening as a child he would leave without notice all the time only to be caught by his mother. Frigga wouldn't stop him this time though, she would encourage him to be with his beloved. He casually phased through the door and followed the sense to where Naiira would be.
He thought back to Brou and the time they'd spent working on the engine to the flying machine. With Loki's help the project was moving much faster. His magic was helping with the heavy lifting and it was also good in testing the parts. The dwarf was impressed with Loki's abilities. They had gotten along well, expressing their mutual dislike for Odin. Loki found himself sharing everything with the mechanical minded dwarf who was quite reassuring in his own rough way.
They like each other, he thought. That was a start anyway.
"You love 'er yea? 'Cause if you break 'er 'eart I'll be comin' after ya." He'd said at one point. If only he could fully express just how in love with Naiira he was. The woman was his world, his everything. He felt as if he hadn't known how to properly breath until he'd kissed those lips. A shell made whole by her presence and devotion alone. A part of him still didn't think he deserved her but he ignored it.
Passing down another street he saw a crowd forming. These people were much taller and what one might consider beautiful. Many of them had on white robes and these sheer veils that covered their faces. All of them were staring up at the largest building set aside and a bit higher than the others. A light shone from what seemed to be a steeple, glinting off the black stone that made up everything around here.
"What's going on?" He asked a citizen who wore a violet gown. The person was in fact a man with matching violet eyes and long blond hair.
"Another soul has been chosen by the Sun." He seemed cordial but Loki asked him no more. He'd been warned of the weird religious nature of the elves living here and this was proof. Knowing he'd probably get nothing from any of these people, he pushed to the front where a few of the white robed individuals were standing, guarding the door.
"Would you please let me pass?" He asked kindly. The robed elves didn't flinch. They just kept staring forward, bodies pressed against each other at the shoulder forming a wall in front of the great buildings doors. Fine then, he didn't need permission. He attempted to phase through the beings only to bounce back. The shock grounded him a little and made him angry.
"My wife is in there, let me pass." He tried not gritting his teeth but anyone blocking him from his beloved was not a friend. Again the robed group did nothing. He reached up to punch one of them only to be stopped by some invisible force that seemed to surround the whole area. A ripple of gold appeared where his fist made contact and slowly began to expand. The barrier covered the whole building including the people at the door. Were they the one's keeping it up?
"Naiira, are you alright?" He called through their connection. It took a moment but she did respond.
"Don't worry Loki, just wait outside and I'll be there soon." It was her voice, sweet and content. So she wasn't in any danger…that did ease his urgency a little. Still, he wished he could be closer to her. Being out here made him feel just as useless as he was back at the dwarves home. He felt her caress his mind, soothing him.
"You aren't useless. Just being mine gives me such power my love. You don't know how little I would be able to do without you." She whispered. It tickled his senses, a tingle going up his spine.
"I love you Naiira, please be careful in there." He returned, letting her know that he was simply worried for her wellbeing. She smiled over the connection.
"I'm trying my best. I wish you could see this place, it is beautiful." She spoke.
"Where are you?" He asked, curious to know the answer.
"In Re, the real Re where the Amun will never fall." She returned. He wanted to ask more because the shock of hearing that made him all the more curious. The connection became inactive though as she seemed to have gotten busy with something or someone. What was going on that this place? How he wished to experience what she was experiencing, to feel how she felt.
"Close your eyes my love, I'll let you see what I see." She whispered. He obeyed, closing his eyes and accepting the black that came before the complete merging of minds.
