An angelic guard walked his rounds down a corridor of Loriel's palace. As he turned a corner, another guard entered the corridor behind him from a connecting one. The second guard walked a few paces behind the first. He glanced around, looking for anyone else in the vicinity, before quickening his pace. He caught up with the guard in front of him, only a step behind, then reached out, putting one strong arm around the guard and grabbing the guard's head with the other, snapping his neck. The second guard then dragged the dead guard into an empty adjacent corridor where he dropped the guise, transforming back to his original form. Loki dropped the guard he had just dispatched at his feet and produced one of his daggers. Taking a steadying breath he braced himself then stuck himself with the dagger in his shoulder and removed it, wincing with a muffled groan of pain, before stabbing himself again in his upper arm. He reached down, pulling a dagger from its sheath at the waist of the dead guard and ran it across the wound on his arm, transferring his blood onto its blade.
Loriel sat on her throne, conferring with two male angels who were reporting to her on the progress of The Ladder's restoration. What she was hearing was pleasing to her. With the power harnessed from the Gelid making their work much easier, it would not be long until it was operational for the first time since the war and the universe would once again be open to them. Soon world after world would fall to their knees before her.
"Out of my way!" Loki's voice boomed from outside the throne room doors.
The golden doors were thrown open, the female attendants outside powerless to stand in Loki's way as he entered in a rage, dragging the body of the dead guard by the collar with one hand. Blood stained his hands and his tunic, though the black of the tunic making the color of it difficult to see, it still shone shiny and wet. Loriel and the two angels with her looked to Loki in surprise, not having expected to be interrupted and especially not by someone dragging a corpse with him.
"What is this? What's happened?" Loriel asked, rising from her throne. The two other angels moved hastily aside as Loki reached the presentation area before the throne and angrily cast the guard's body onto the floor before her.
"What does it look like? I was attacked! Perhaps those who would question your choice are not so afraid of being as open about it as you believe." Loki growled.
Loriel looked troubled. She waved two guards over who retrieved the body and dragged it away.
"I will have this matter fully investigated immediately. If there are others involved, they will feel the full force of my wrath. You're injured. I will have you attended to by my own physician."
Loki tossed the angel's dagger onto the dias at Loriel's feet.
"You know the effects as well as I..."
"You have nothing to fear," Loriel reassured Loki. She motioned for one of the female angel attendants standing by the open throne room door to approach. The angel rushed forward. "Escort the King of the Jotunheim to my physician." The angel attendant bowed low and led Loki out of the throne room.
Loki sat on the end of a long white table, shirtless, a female angel with white hair, braided and pinned up into a large bun on the back of her head, examined his wounds.
"These are not terribly serious. This won't take very long. You may be a bit sore for the next couple of days." The doctor grabbed a metallic instrument from a tray that looked like a slender pen and used it to direct a beam of bright white light along the wound on Loki's shoulder, the wound visibly closing. After she had finished with his shoulder, she repeated the procedure on his upper arm.
"Your weapons...I've seen their effect..." Loki said, sounding gravely concerned. Loki felt his shoulder and flexed his arm.
"Drink this." the doctor offered Loki a small, round, dark colored glass bottle.
"What is it?"
"It neutralizes the effects of the Seraphillium."
"I thought there was no antidote."
"There isn't outside Heven. The source only exists here."
Loki uncapped the bottle and lifted it to his lips, pretending to drink. He lowered it and recapped it, sliding off the table and turning from the doctor to grab his tunic. With his back to the doctor, he closed his hands around the small bottle, then reopened them, the bottle gone. He turned back to the doctor, his bloodied tunic over his arm.
"I have matters to attend to. Thank you." The doctor bowed her head. Loki walked past her. The angel attendant that had escorted Loki opened the door and Loki exited into the corridor.
Evening had fallen, Loki stood by the window, watching the end of yet another sunset. He'd lost track of how many he had witnessed since his arrival. He rubbed his shoulder. The doctor had been right, it was still somewhat sore and felt slightly stiff. The chime at the door sounded. He turned his head warily. He was not expecting anyone. He cautiously approached the door and slid it open. A female angel stood there. She was dressed in a sky blue sleeveless and low cut gown. Her long wavy white hair hung loose over her shoulders.
"Yes?" Loki asked. He did not recognize this woman, he did not recall having seen her before, but then he had not spent much time outside his quarters. The woman bowed her head as she spoke.
"I'm here at the request of her majesty. May I enter?" she asked. Her voice was musical, almost like soft bells. Loki stepped aside and the woman gracefully walked into the room.
Loki walked past her and over to the window and stood with his back to her.
"What message do you bring from your Queen?"
"Queen Loriel hopes that you are doing well."
"Yes, I'm fine . I thank her for her concern. Is that all?" Loki responded. The woman made her way to Loki, standing behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He could smell her perfume, a scent akin to a mix of jasmine and roses. At her touch, Loki felt a similar sensation to the peace he had always felt in the presence of Sigyn. The residual pain in his shoulder and arm faded.
"I am Mariel. Queen Loriel has sent me to provide the King of the Jotunheim company and comfort."
Loki turned his head from the window, looking over his shoulder at her.
"Thank you, but I prefer to be alone."
"She said that you spend too much time alone. It's not good for a man to be alone."
"Perhaps other men. I'm not like other men."
"All men are different in some ways, and yet alike in others." she replied. Loki had the distinct feeling that she spoke from a deep well of experience. She placed her other hand on his opposite shoulder and began to gently massage his muscles, moving her hands slowly towards where his neck and shoulders met. He felt his whole body relaxing, a sensation of deep peace and calm coming over him as if he were being placed under a spell. A part of him wished to relish in that sensation, surrender to it, but he knew that would be far too dangerous. He turned to face Mariel, slipping out from under her hands.
"Do you not find it pleasing?" Mariel asked.
"It's not that, it's-" Loki began. Mariel slipped her hands back onto his shoulders, pressing herself against him and cutting him off with a deep kiss. Loki again felt the sensation of bewitchment as he found himself participating in the kiss before he again overcame it enough to gently push her back from him.
"I'm of Jotunheim...I thought it was forbidden..."
"I have been given a dispensation from the Queen."
"Tell your Queen I appreciate the gesture, but-"
"You have pledged your fidelity to another? Queen Loriel said there had been another."
"No...yes..." Loki stumbled over his words, his brain feeling fogged, "I mean...no, I am pledged to no one. There was another but those bonds are now broken and I have no intention to again be thus encumbered."
He realized he was being tested once again. Loriel had sent this nymph to see if he was, in fact, as pleased as he claimed to be rid of Sigyn, and thus gauge his true allegiance. What was he to do? If he turned Mariel away, just as if he had refused to ignite the pyre the day before, it was probable his entire plan would collapse like a house of cards. His loyalty, however, as well as his heart, rested, though lifeless, in that chamber of ice in the next room. This test, in some ways, was even more difficult.
"You have nothing to fear. I do not ask for nor expect such bonds...unless of course you find bonds of another sort pleasing."
"I find many things pleasing, some of which you may not." Loki replied with a menacing tone. Perhaps if he struck fear into her...
"I derive my pleasure from yours." she answered unflinchingly, with no apparent misgivings.
The irony wasn't lost on Loki, how in the past this was the sort of partner he would have sought out...experienced, confident, skilled, and fearless, perhaps even able to bring something new to the table. But now he would trade it in a heartbeat for Sigyn's inexperienced fumbling explorations, her sweet innocence in the midst of an act in opposition to those qualities. Despite that fact, he could not risk failure, not after making it this far. He steeled himself with the knowledge that what he was about to do, what he must do, was for her. He took a step closer to Mariel and reached out, slowly moving the shoulders of her gown down her arms.
"I would then suggest that you please me well."
Loki lay sprawled in his bed as morning sunlight shone through the crystalline windows running along the top of the wall of his bedroom in Loriel's palace. He awoke slowly, squinting his eyes against the sunlight and though he had slept soundly, he felt spent, almost hung over though he had imbibed nothing intoxicating the night before. As his brain wakened, it recalled to him his visitor of the previous night. He rolled his body over and looked to the other side of the bed. Mariel was gone. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. As full consciousness returned, flashes of what had taken place hours before where he now lay bombarded him . Guilt swept over him, an emotion he had never before experienced after such an encounter, nor encountered all that often in general before, not so much due to the decision he had made in the interest of his scheme's success, but despite his best intentions, he had in the midst of it, found himself enjoying it. He sat on the edge of the bed and rested his head in his hands before finally getting to his feet.
Loki had dressed and now entered the sitting room of his quarters. As was his usual routine, he walked to the door of the room of Sigyn's repose, it was the first place he visited every morning, He put his hand on the door to slide it open, then stopped himself, not able to bring himself to enter. He felt himself unworthy to be in her presence.
The chime of the door rang. He looked over towards it wondering who it could be now and at this early hour. He moved to the door, sliding it open. Once again, outside it, stood Mariel.
"Good morning. I hope you slept well." she said.
"Yes, very well. Thank you."
"I didn't wake you?" she asked.
"No...no, I awoke some time ago." he lied.
"Queen Loriel requests your presence, in the courtyard" Mariel stated, "I will accompany you."
"I know my way." Loki held no ill will towards her but the last thing he wanted or needed at that moment was her presence. Mariel seemed unfazed and bowed her head in acknowledgement then turned and walked away as if she were a mere messenger and a stranger to him.
Loki stepped out on the balcony and saw Loriel sitting at a small table in the courtyard below. He moved to the steps and descended them. Loriel saw him and called out to him.
"King of the Jotunheim, join me." Servants exited doors below the balcony carrying small trays of food that they carried to the table and sat before her as Loki approached, "Please, sit, share my table." Another servant set a plate and silverware and a glass in front of Loki, then poured juice into it from a pitcher before stepping back. Loriel picked up a piece of fruit and put it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing it. Loki looked over the food and chose a few small pieces of fruit and a slice of sweet bread that he placed on his plate.
"Take all you desire. You must be famished," Loriel continued, "Did you enjoy your evening?"
"Yes, the company was most...stimulating."
"I am pleased to hear it. Mariel's skils are without equal."
"I don't doubt it." Loki replied, taking a bite from a piece of a pink, melon like fruit.
"It was the least I could do after yesterday's unfortunate incident. There is more than music to soothe the savage beast. I also have glad tidings. The Ladder is in the final stages of it's reconstruction. It should be ready for its first test tomorrow. We will finish the task Surtur left undone. My army is ready. What remains of Asgard will be no more and Midgard will be the first world to fall under my rule."
Loki, taken aback at the news, quickly swallowed the fruit.
"So soon?"
"Your Gelid has proven powerful beyond our expectations. It has greatly aided our expedience. It will soon be relinquished to your possession for you to return it to its rightful place on Jotunheim as agreed."
Loki had counted on having at least a few more days in which to bring his plan to fruition. He would have to accelerate his time table.
"I am aware of your zeal to rule and I share it, however, if you would see fit to indulge me and hold, not long, just a day, so I may return to Midgard, consult with our mortal allies." Loki told Loriel, taking a bite of the sweet bread,
"I doubt it's necessary. They are of little use now."
"As was true of myself, they may yet prove of some value. If not, I can easily rid us of them."
"Very well. Go and prepare the way."
It was late afternoon in Norway. A few miles outside of New Asgard and between it and the next nearest town sat an large, wooden sided meeting house. Vehicles were parked in a parking lot to the side, a few more pulling in. Men exited their cars and approached the door where another man greeted them before allowing them inside.
One man, a man looking to be in his mid 30's, walked up to the door. The greeter reached a hand out and shook it.
"Welcome, brother Ivar."
The greeter opened the door and Ivar entered. The hall was medium sized and open. Chairs had been placed in rows before a wooden table setting in front. Most of the chairs were already occupied with between 20 and 30 men talking to each other in low voices. Ivar found an open seat in the last row of chairs and sat, waiting for the meeting to begin.
A bearded man in his 40s made his way from the back of the room to stand behind the table in front.
"Brothers of Jormungandr!" he called out loudly. Everyone in the room quieted, turning their attention to him, "I apologize for the short notice. I was told by Abbadon to gather us all here today as he has news to share but it seems he has not yet arrived."
"What's this all about?" someone called out from the middle of the rows of chairs.
"How long is he going to keep us waiting? Been weeks since we've heard anything from his end." one man said in a disgruntled tone.
"Yeah, haven't seen hide nor hair of him or those ice men. Figured they took off, abandoned us." said another.
The bearded man standing behind the table held his hands out at the crowed in a quieting gesture.
"I know, I was beginning to think the same. But then I got his message, so he must have another job for us to do. Probably just thought it was a good idea to lay low for awhile, what with Alex running his mouth."
"Yeah, those idiots. I told them it was a bad idea." said another man in the crowd.
"I say if he doesn't show, we just go on and do it our way. Still got plenty of stuff left to light them up with. We just need to keep hitting them."
Ivar stood from his seat in the back row.
"I have a question," he said. Everyone turned to look at him expectantly. Ivar's form and voice transitioned back into his true identity, Loki, who grinned menacingly, "Where's the best seat from which to watch you all burn?"
Chaos erupted in the hall. Men stood quickly from their seats. Loki with lightning speed, stuck a dagger into the throat of the man closest to him and sent another flying at the bearded man up front, piercing him through the heart. A few men pulled out handguns and began to fire at Loki, accidentally shooting a couple of their own men. Loki, unaffected by the bullets, bound towards each, snapping necks and sending men flying like bowling pins with blasts of energy from his hands. One man came running at Loki firing a semi-automatic rifle. Loki propelled himself towards him and landing near him grabbed his arm holding the firearm, forcing the man to point the gun at his own head as he pulled the trigger, riddling his skull with bullets.
Soon it was all over. All lay dead, dying, or seriously injured and immobile around the room. Loki walked over to the bearded man who had been chairing the meeting, retrieving his dagger from his corpse. Loki then held out one hand, and as he had done with the cadavers of the frost giants, set the room alight. Flames begin to spread throughout the room, beginning to climb the walls. Despite his reaction to putting the torch to the two angels in the courtyard of Loriel's palace, Loki felt no guilt whatsoever and only satisfaction at what he had just wrought upon the Order of Jormungandr. Loki admired his work for a few moments, watching the flames rise and engulf all before him before producing the metallic and crystal cylinder in his hand and disappearing within it's violet-pink light.
Loki reappeared out of the same light back on Sigyn's island in the middle of the field. He looked to his right and observed the pile of ash and bone left behind from his cremation of the frost giants. He then started to walk the same path he and Sigyn had walked their last night there.
Nearing the edge of the island, he came upon the chairs and table strewn about in the grass. The wine glasses lay broken yards apart. He walked around, searching, then spied the object he sought. Bending down, he picked up the empty wine bottle. Thankfully it was made of thicker glass than the wine glasses and had not broken. He carried it back to Sigyn's house.
Inside Sigyn's house, he walked back to Sigyn's bedroom and found the notebook containing her list. He opened it, glancing at it again, before turning a few pages and finding a blank one and tearing it out. Grabbing the pen that had been next to the notebook he carried the paper and pen to the kitchen, where he sat the paper on the table next to the empty wine bottle and began to write. Finishing, he rolled the paper up and slipped it into the bottle, leaving it sitting in the middle of the table. He pulled the Zune Quill had given Sigyn that was now attached to another device from a pocket on the side of his tunic, hitting a button on the device, then put both back into the pocket before before once again activating the cylinder and disappearing in a glow of light.
Quill was again sitting in the cockpit of his ship, leaning back and reading a comic book. Thor entered through the open hatch carrying two sandwiches wrapped in cellophane. He handed one off to Quill.
"Thanks." Quill said, sitting the sandwich in his lap and flipping the page of the comic book. A beeping/chirping sound came from the console to the side of Quill. Quill looked up as Thor looked over.
"What's that?"
"Incoming message. No source. Looks like it was sent from somewhere here on Earth though...audio only." Quill hit a button on the console and the sound of music filled the cockpit. ( watch?v=WMl1xKJeuuQ )
Just a cast away, an island lost at sea, oh
Another lonely day, no one here but me, oh
More loneliness than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair, oh
Quill and Thor looked at each other as they listened to the lyrics of the song.
"This has gotta be it. Has to be!" Quill said excitedly.
"Yes, but what does it mean?" Thor asked. Quill continued to listen to the lyrics.
I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle yeah
"He's a genius!" Quill exclaimed.
"I'm not sure I would venture that far..." Thor replied.
The song continued to play as a portal opened up behind them and Dr. Strange stepped out.
A year has passed since I wrote my note
I should have known this right from the start
Only hope can keep me together
Love can mend your life but love can break your heart
I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
"He's back-"
"We know!" Thor and Quill both said at the same time getting up and heading back towards Strange who was already opening a portal.
Loki stood in front of the ice covered casket looking down at Sigyn. He had not planned this for today but time was slipping away. He put his hand to the ice covering the casket and held it there. The ice began to soften, melt,and break up. Water dripped off the bier onto the floor.
Loki began to quickly knock chunks of ice away which fell to the floor, splashing in the puddles of water. The top of the casket was now clear of ice, exposing Sigyn's body. Her body and gown were wet and water dripped from her hair as he lifted her out and carried her out of the room to his bedroom
In the bedroom he sat on the end of the bed with her sitting limply in his lap, her head on his shoulder, much the same way as he had done the night she was found. Beside him on the bed were two towels and a white bathrobe. He stripped the wet gown off of her body and dried her with the towels, then slipped the bathrobe onto her and laid her into the bed, covering her.
Walking to a dresser along the wall, he waved his hand over the top and a box became visible. He opened it removing the Salom Stone. Walking back to the bed, he looked down on Sigyn's body. The ice had preserved it well. Her skin was paler than usual, though her skin normally had a natural light ivory fair tone, and her lips were slightly blue.
He wasn't even sure it would work. They had hatched the plan to end Loriel and the frost giants during one of her brief lucid periods. The stone had never to her knowledge been used for what could be termed "long term storage" and that was if she had even been able to transfer her essence into it as Loki had held it hidden in his hand as he had her in his arms the moment she had died. She had done it once before of course, but that was no guarantee. There had still understandably due to the traumatic nature of it been a few holes in her memory of that event. If it hadn't worked, or for some reason her essence had been cast out of the stone, unable to be stored, for this long, he would be left with his only mission to avenge her death and eventually join her in Valhalla, which he knew, like the men of Buri, he would not wait long to do. He already planned where he would go and what he would do. The cliffs on the far side of her island, where her father had met his tragic end and nearby where they had shared those magical hours that last night.
Taking the crystalline stone, he placed it on her forehead as she had instructed him to do. It seemed to softly glow but Loki wasn't sure if it really was or if it was just the way the light played with its structure as it created prisms of colored light.
"Come back to me." Loki said softly as if they were magic words, though there was nothing she had said needed to be spoken. He watched and waited. Nothing seemed to be happening, there was no change. Her body remained silent and still. He felt tears of disappointment and grief welling in his eyes. He knew it might not work, they both knew, but it had been their only chance.
He sank to his knees by the bedside as he had done the day she died and reached out taking her hand and resting it as he had done that day, against his forehead as he bowed his head, then put his face to the mattress, unable to hold back the tears as they soaked into the sheet.
He raised his head after hearing a slight sound, or maybe he had just imagined it. It was the same sighing sound he had heard first from her that night on the shore. He heard another sound like someone that had been drowning finally getting a breath of air. He quickly rose to his feet to see Sigyn's chest rise and fall. He removed the stone from her forehead, sitting it on the bedside table and sat down next to her grasping her hand and putting his other hand to her forehead, smoothing back her wet hair.
"Sigyn...can you hear me? Sigyn..."
Sigyn's eyes slowly fluttered open, her lips were no longer blue, her skin had regained its ivory glow.
"Loki?" she said , her voice a mere whisper.
"Yes, it's me. Do you remember?" He hoped that this time she would remember all. They didn't have the time for her to go through that again, even if now he would be able to fill her in and remind her.
"Are we there?" she asked.
"Yes."
Loki suddenly remembered the serum he had absconded with from his visit to Loriel's physician. He picked up the stone from the night stand and walked over to the dresser, returning it to the box and picked up the small round bottle, returning to the bed. Sitting next to Sigyn on the bed, he raised her up with one arm and rested her against him. He uncapped the bottle.
"Drink this." he held the bottle to her lips. She drank the contents then made a face.
"Ewww...what is that? It tastes like black licorice and mud!" she choked out, her voice still weak.
"An antidote for Seraphillium. If there's any still in your body, it will neutralize it.
"It'd better! Ugh! That was horrible!" Loki smiled, amused at her reaction, then unable to hold back any longer, took her in his arms, holding her tight.
"I thought I'd lost you, I was holding you...I felt you go..." He pulled back from Sigyn, holding her by the shoulders, looking at her in amazement and gratitude, then held her again, kissing her repeatedly.
"Loki...Loki, I-" she said between kisses. What little strength she had gave out and he caught her as her body gave out, easing her back onto the pillows. "so tired..." Sigyn said, her voice still little more than a whisper.
"Of course, I will leave you to your rest." Loki bent down, kissing her again. He went to slide off the bed when he felt her hand placed over his.
"No...stay."
"As you wish." he smiled and slid back into the bed, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. Sigyn snuggled up next to him, draping an arm over him and closing her eyes as he put his arm around her and pulled the blankets up closer around her with his other hand. Sigyn lay peacefully, the blankets up over her shoulders.
"Why does it smell like flowers?" she asked drowsily, her eyes closed, before drifting off to sleep.
