Redemption: a bet with Fate
Prologue
There he stood. Tall, strong, determined… Terrifying. He once was at his sides, but now that he had to face the incarnation of Chaos… No! He was the liar, the Trickster, the mad brother and the rooted betrayer. Chaos was meant to be led by a shapeless instrument like him!
But I don't want to…
One step after another. Unreachable stars were sharpening each of his facial features. How funny it was to feel this shadow slowly submerge his own, first his foot, next his torso, finally covering his face. A quick glance backwards: the dark figure had not reached the other one. He was safe… How funny… Did he really find this colossal figure comforting years ago?
Then, he couldn't clearly remember what happened. A glimpse of courage, maybe of despair, a mockery, the lights fading, a roar of fury…
"Loki! Run!"
But I don't want to…
A hand coming for him, five fingers thrusting in his silky skin as if they wanted to extract each single vein from it. Cries, pain, chokes, exhaustion. The taste of copper on his silver tongue.
I don't want to die!
Cold… So cold. Norns, where was he? How did he arrive here? What was this "here" anyway? He tried to get up and failed miserably. Moving a single toe was beyond his best efforts. Pathetic… It seemed he was tied to the ground, but why couldn't he feel any ropes, chains or magical bonds then?
Okay, proceed, focus…
There must be something which will help me to define this freezing hell, let's take a look a-
It was at this moment he realised the awful reality. His eyes, they were… open, right? Of course they were, he could sense his eyelids' muscles aching, desperately trying to let some light gracing his pupils!
Fear began to rise in his chest. Blind? No! No, no, no! He couldn't lose his eyes, otherwise, how would he be able to see the delicious surprise painted on his brother's face when he would return? Because all of this has been so well-planed! Come on! What could have gone wrong?!
He was now shaking his head like a maniac, unfortunately falling into more of this unfathomable fog. Suddenly, reacting to this frantic over-activity, an acute burn cleared his mind from his anxiety, only to paralyze his brain on a forgotten piece: a memory. It played. Again. Again. Again and again. No, it had to be some kind of nightmare's lost remainder… He was Loki of Asgard! He was the smartest and the most powerful sorcerer of the Nine Realms! He was…
Dead.
To be honest, he would have loved to say that his heart skipped a beat at this realisation, but the frozen organ seemed to have long lost his so familiar pulse. Difficult it is to notice this sort of things when it so discretely follows you since your creation, like, you know, breat- Ha? Forgive him, apparently, his lungs weren't of any use too. Well, now he knew the reason of this air, which could have competed the nights of Jötunheim: it wasn't the place itself… It was his body. Who could have thought that a Frost Giant could become even colder?
For the first time in what seemed to be a millennium, a true laugh escaped his scared lips. He didn't mind the fact that no sound dared to grace his vocal cords, nor that the silence of this void was as impenetrable as its dusk. In fact, he was far beyond those silly observations: he was dead. After all this years to avoid Her, to trick Her with the most creative plans and forgotten arcanas no one has ever imagined, his miserable existence has finally come to an end…
And what an end! Strangled by a seven foot fallen Titan he was trying to stab… And shitting himself when he had realized that the enchantment he had cautiously prepared in case of this kind of… "unfortunate" encounter, had been corrupted by the power of two damned gems! Such a beautiful and well-crafted fire spell he had stolen to the Dwarves long ago, a delicious antic conjuration which would have released a living inferno. Obviously too weak to definitely kill the Monster, perhaps enough to free the Infinity Stones from their golden prison, but surely just the time he would have had needed to create a portal, grasp the dummy, also called "brother", and get out of this metallic carcass! And yet, that was how he, Loki, prince of Asgard, son of two Queens, had met his fate: suffocated like a thug from the slums after some cards' plays and a lot of alcohol. By Odin's name, he was sure that even one or two Midgardians had died in a more glorious way than that. And with all the filth, sweat and… blood they always scatter, that was quite impressive!
However, it doesn't tell me about where I have been sent after that.
Maybe it was the fact he had lived around fifteen or twenty human lifespans, or maybe it was his uncommon relation with the oddest aspects of this universe, but the god was sure of something:
If I can think, then I can plan…
And if I can plan, then I can get out!
He will escape this awful empty place; he will come back from the dead… He had to.
After all, I did it so many times before…
Of course, it was all illusions and sparkles, but let's say that it was some kind of minor rehearsals for his major act! He was still in control… Still in control. The big question remained nonetheless:
So… Valhalla or Helheim?
The Silvertongue had not enough self-esteem, or perhaps too much lucidity about his achievements, to only daring thinking about joining the bravest -and so most annoying- heroes of their History in their eternal feast. In the other hand, he would be grateful to never encounter their sister's path again. Hela die- disappeared by the hand of Sultur during Ragnarök, but none of the Asgardians, nor himself, was aware of her potential hidden powers… Who knows if she hadn't return to her domain, waiting a couple of turns from the wheel of reincarnations before claiming her right of revenge?
Not Valhalla,
too quiet and dark.
Not Helheim,
no corruption marks and too… "nice".
Then where?! Where the he-
"Hey, calm down, Your Majesty, would you? You're thinking far too loud for the dead man you should be…"
A voice! A fluent, even so exhausted, one, but which wasn't coming from his mind! He knew it, has already heard it somewhere… One who had once echoed through Asgard's high walls, always following the Allmother's steps… That's it!
That's that little serv-
"Tu-tu-tut! Welcoming you in my place doesn't allow you to insult my height, nor my ex-status. Should I remember to my Prince that I already have had the privilege to change his delicate nappies?"
An ivory figure appeared in a blink of an eye… Manner of speaking. A quite short teenager, wearing casual dark blue jeans, with an immaculate white T-shirt combined with a purple open jacket, a bit worn out and ridden up to the elbows. Strange plastic multi-coloured buttons had been hooked up to it, matching a street art design pair of boots. They were apparently not affected by the dark slimy matter which was, however, relentlessly licking on their edges as if it wanted to bring their owner to an even more convicted abyss. A checked scarf was completing the new arrival's clothes.
But this intriguing -and so Asgard-unfashionable he thought- arrangement was nothing compared to the two onyx irises, framed by short locks of hair, which were now scrutinizing each inch of his being… Or what has been left. There was no doubt about the identity of this troubling angelic face to which you couldn't give a precise age, nor a gender, it was…
"Humpf – infl!"
Damn it! An amused chuckle escaped from the other's throat.
"What are you saying, my Prince? I'm afraid that my ears are tricking me, because I would have sworn I heard you trying to say my name with those putrefied lungs of yours…"
Purposely playing with the attention of Loki, where frustration and angst were melted, they made a large cup of what seemed to be burning steaming coffee appear. The green and white portrait of an unknown deity was painted on it.
"Because, like I've said before, you are dead…"
They came closer, revealing heavy dark rings under their eyes and red furrows in a tired white. If his nostrils wouldn't be so ineffective, he would have been hit by a harsh Robusta's scent… Extra-black without sugar.
"And – dead – don't – talk." They affirmed once more, emphasizing each word, and sipped a bit of the bitter beverage. "Listen, Your Majesty, with this giant mess you and Sir Thor had caused during the Ragnarök, I've received enough work to occupy myself until the next world's reset. So, clearly, I don't have the time, nor the patience, to deal with a "zombie-spirit" like yours." They turned around, ready to walk away. "I'm sorry, Prince Loki, but all those new responsibilities are still quite new for me, and, as Frigga's appointed servant and emissary, I'm sure you will perfectly understand that I have more urgent problems to solve… I will come to correct this "consciousness parameter" later, oki doki?"
As they nonchalantly waved goodbye, he didn't know what forced him, if it was this opportunity, verge on the miraculous, which was now slipping through his cold fingers, or if it was the detached tone, treating the royal person he was like some vulgar cargos, but his soul screamed for his mute throat. He abhorred begging, but at this exact instant, it was kind of an emergency case:
No, Hlin, don't go!
I can't stay here: you have to help me leave from here!
The world, outside, they need me! Thor needs me!
Okay, he wasn't entirely sure of the last part but, at least, it made them stop for a bit. However, he really didn't like the electrical glance of pure sarcasm which passed on their smiling face…
"Aww, look at that: Loki, adopted son of the Asgard's crown, the magnificent and so clever Loki, begging like any peasant would do to save his carcass from the destiny's claws!" They took some steps back, mimicking his voice and accompanying it with caricatured gestures. "Please, oh great Hlin, listen to my prays! I'm too young for this! I've got so many feats still left undone! I've got a family, a house, a dog, a land, a kingdom and whatsoever! People will miss me! If I die, the world won't be the same!"
A bark of laugh finally took them. Try again.
Hlin, you must under-
"Enough!" The banters' time was over. "You have no more rights in this domain, my Sir, neither the ability to command, nor to domineer me as you've already done in the past either! You may have been a Prince, even a King, but never forget that I've vowed to serve Queen Frigga before every- and anything else!"
An amethyst aura appeared around them, as their brows furrowed and their jaw tensed, indicating to the Trickster that he should think twice before choosing his next words.
"Do you really think that it pleases me to have you here?" Their anger was almost tangible, little flash of lightning illuminating the purple atmosphere. "Until your arrival, the other souls were calm, waiting for their turn to be guided to their final resting place… And since the second they've got the wind of your death, they have become agitated, screaming their hate and lust for vengeance against the one who has engaged their end! If I wouldn't have hidden you in this dimension's closet, you would have seen each of your atoms ripped among the four corners of the universe! If it wasn't for the love that our beloved Queen has never stopped to carry for you, I may have been more reluctant to defend this place!"
But… Why aren't Mother's other servants helping you?
Where are Fulla, Lofn, Snortra or even Graa?
"They can't. They… Just after Queen Frigga's last breath, they have slowly lost interest in fulfilling their astral mission. One after the other, they have… Faded." Sadness filled their voice, slowly washing away their previous nervous outburst. "They're now also a part of the souls I've to take care of, my Prince: I'm the only one left."
He won't deny that, for a moment, he felt bad for the servant's condition. From all Frigga's subjects, and maybe from all the Asgardians who weren't his brother or his mother, they were the third kindest and most compassionate with him. Always a comforting smile, a little sweet, a gentle tap, and even now with his remained titles: Hlin wasn't the "deity of consolation" for no good reasons. Unfortunately for them, when he was younger, those were nothing to him, too occupied he was in his attempts to catch his father's attention, and to learn magic, hoping to equal Thor's strength. However, with the years, he was now regarding these rejected demonstrations of affection with guilt. And melancholy.
Hlin, I'm…
"Sorry, I know, my Prince… I know and I swear I would love to believe it with all my heart, as I once did for the bright child you were, before the Norns scattered our respective paths."
And, for a first and too short time, he met two eyes shining with tenderness. The two of them, the corpse of a liar and its abandoned keeper, were facing each other, waiting for the next move. Loki didn't miss it: let's play the card of negotiations then.
Listen, I know we haven't been… in good terms recently.
"That's the least we can say. But please, don't waste your time in excuses, Your Majesty, because they have no longer their place in this void."
I wasn't about to beg for your pardon,
even if I know I should have been more grateful for all what you've done for-
"Please, stop beating around the bush like that." Impatience rose again. "I can see how you have changed, Prince Loki, but you can't replace centuries of service for your family. I know that you never do something without a purpose: what is it?"
Send me back to the livings.
"I'm not allowed to do that, and you perfectly know it."
That's not true!
Many warriors and heroes, even mortals have come back from Helheim, like Baldr for example!
"But we're not in Helheim, and you aren't Baldr. You are Loki."
What's that supposed to mean?
You have seen how I died, right?
So, you've witnessed that I've nothing to do with the one I once was!
"I've said that you've changed, not that you've become better. From the last news, you freed Sultur, to stop your sister's devastating plans, yes, but causing Asgard's fall nonetheless."
As if all of this was my entire fault!
It's not me, who've wanted to destroy my own land!
It's not me, who've wished for my family's destruction!
It's not me, who've hoped to suffer from silence, fear and hatred!
Hell, did I ever want to be kidn- !
"And yet, over all the possibilities left, you still chose to break, to hurt, to kill… Should I even say to murder..."
What I was supposed to do then? Sitting and accepting this life like I was the only one culprit?
Why do I have to bear all the sentences when Odin should have be- !
"The AllFather had had, indeed, no rights to push you in so much pain, then claiming you "his son" without knowing he would have condemned any other Asgardians for such awful acts against his own flesh." Wh-? Are they… defending him? "But you always have had a choice, even if you don't think so, and you let your eyes linger on the past rather than turning them towards new roads…"
How could have it been otherwise?!
"You pretend that you've changed, that's right, you've taken a different path from the one you've originally been destined." A hum, a sip of coffee. "But still, it appears that you don't understand how and why your choices do define who you are. You're my Prince by birth, you're Silvertongue by acts. And don't even try to deny that you initially planned to trick Fate… to trick me… Again…"
It has never bothered any Asgardian to have benefits
from the cleverness they were lacking of!
I've helped and saved them more times than they have spat on my name!
"One Realm, one King, one Heart… But again, I've devoted myself to my Queen, and so my heart to all his protégés. I would have thought that you were aware of that: you don't have to redeem yourself my Prince… I don't need to understand what I've already forgiven. What I am asking you is more personal: why should I overstep my oath to my Queen for you?
Norns! Why do they have to be so… right? His arguments' list was undeniably shrinking: his escape plans were running out as the servant's dedication towards their sacred mission remained unyielding. Okay… More personal… Next round.
Then, if I don't come back, what will happen to Thor?
To our people who have managed to flee with the Valkyrie?
"Again, you force me to repeat myself…" They sighed. "Every soul I have guided through my so long existence has the same speech. They will continue to live without you, my Prince." They took another sip of their repugnant drink as if it was clear water, bowing slightly like they were excusing their next sentence. "And they already had…"
A strange and odious shiver ran down his inert spine.
Wh-What are you trying to tell me…?
That's… That's not even possible! I've just died minutes ago!
They can't have forgotten me already!
"Rectification, Sir Loki, you've awaken about ten minutes ago." A sad smile appeared. "It doesn't mean that your death is a recent fact. Actually, you've been correctly "last-sleeping" until this inci-"
How much…?
"Hum? How much what?"
Don't play the fool with me, Hlin!
How much time has passed since I died!?
"Five…" Their gaze dropped on the cold dark floor.
Five what?!
Days? Weeks?... Months?!
"It has been five years, my Prince."
And then, the silence took over its dead kingdom once again. However, in the Trickster's mind, thoughts and feelings were crashing in the most confused orchestra you would have ever heard.
After all the pain he had gone through, all he has done to keep his head off the water with the traitorous rapids his life has become… For all he had sacrificed to try to fix it.
A millennium devoted to find the existence his father had stolen to him; ten minutes to shine on stage and savour the torn pieces he had, despite everything, managed to bring back together… And five years of absence to turn his last efforts into pitiful ashes.
It can't be. That's…
Unconsciously, his necrotized jaw's muscles tensed, ready to hide tears of powerless blind anger, which will never come from dry eyes.
"If it can ease your heart…" The second order deity continued with the same soft tone. "Your brother, Sir Thor, is still alive, thanks to you. He and a group of Midgardians have even succeeding in defeating Thanos the Titan"
…
"Perhaps you don't understand the difference between roads and ends, but know that you can still be proud of the one you've tried to reach, regardless of all the bad tracks you had taken. Now your people has found a new place on Earth, having confidence in a better future, while its King has wisely decided to abandon his past burdens. Do you know that he's tracking space-bandits with an armed ferret and a talking tree?!" They chocked on their coffee, realising their mistake. "Humpf! Of course you can't know… Forgive me for this memory lapse…"
They awkwardly put a wild strand of hair behind one of their ears, and, after some minutes spent in vain attempts to catch their former suzerain's eyes, they finally whispered:
"Since your disappearance, there hasn't been a day he didn't think about you…"
No response either. So maybe it was time to go and let him accommodate to his new "situation". They turned back towards the rest of the dark labyrinth they were the only one able to read. What could be a last glance was given.
"You haven't been the best soul in this universe, but you certainly haven't been the worst. May the Norns grant you with a more peaceful life for the next reset, Loki, Prince of Asgard, Odin-"
Hlin…
The vibrations coming from his spirit were different. The river has turned into a hungry ocean, each wave determined to make this little fort on the coast fall. Black eyes widened in a quick surprise. A Cheshire cat's smile grew on the other's cold face, now hiding a not-so-dead- silver tongue.
Hlin… Let's make a bet.
"What?" They sounded confused now, but an ounce of curiosity remained. "A… bet?"
Each creature in the Nine Realms has a weakness, a sensitive spot they try to hide and make forget. It has taken him much time than he thought, but he finally found it! Finally remembered it…
Nice throw, your Highness!
But what about this apple on the top if this tree?
Take it with your hammer, Sir Thor, and the beer round will be put on my tab!
Tss… You just had luck with this shot, Graa, but I won't give up so easily!
This free place for the next theatre piece will be mine!
This guard was so stupide: challenging me in a race, really?
He should have thought twice before pawning his pay!
Come on, Lofn!
I bet you your cleaning service that I can bake those pies faster than you!
.
.
.
Oh, please my little Prince, don't cry…
Look: if you manage to put a smile on this face, then I will give you a piece of toffee.
How's that? Does the Asgard's mightiest sorcerer up for this challenge?
Everybody is fallible at some point, and he certainly has learned that lesson at his own expenses. This was exactly the key he needed to unlock his last plan. His final chance. As it has been told before: if he can plan, then he can get out…
"Oh? And may I ask what obscure scheme are you trying to conceal in your clever mind, my Prince?" An oddly familiar playful smile dancing on their lips.
These sweet and naïve memories left him a bit uncomfortable: has the poor deity, with all their golden heart, not enough suffered already? Loki dismissed this idea: he had to go. He would find a way to pay them back. He didn't have the time to consider a philosophical lesson for now.
Nothing serious, really… I was just wondering if,
in the name of the old good times,
you would accept to play again with your ex-suzerain.
"Hum…" They seemed to deeply consider the offer. The lust for games battling against the sense of duty. "And what do I have to gain in this?"
Well, quite everything, if you want my opinion.
"Explain yourself." He could feel distrust still clinging to their loyalty.
Hlin… I bet you…
That I can become a better person.
"What?!" This time, a mouthful of coffee was spurted. "And care to explain to the poor servant I am how you are supposed to do that?"
Well, that's very simple:
First, you send me back with the livings.
Second-
"I've said I- !" They objected.
You said that you "weren't allowed to",
not that you weren't able to, Hlin.
"Eh! Point taken, Your Majesty." They smirked, whipping the last black drops sinking on their chin.
So, let's say -hypothetically of course- that you help me to resurrect…
Give me six months, Hlin, and, if in this lapse I succeed in satisfy your criteria of… "goodness", I'll keep this new life.
"And if you lose?"
If I run out of time…
Then I will accept my fate
and let you dispose of my soul…
"Even if it means staying stuck here for the end of times?"
Even if it means rotting in Hell until this Era's end.
I won't complain.
"…" Their frown deepened words after words. "It's a very interesting deal, indeed. I could have some use from this time I'm not supervising this cell. But a puzzle piece is missing…"
What do you mean?
No matter the results of this little game, you'll be winning!
"And that's exactly what bothers me, my Prince, because, in a bet, each participant has to put something in the balance. In this one, my risks are null: with your absence, I'll be able to catch up all the work I couldn't have finished. More than that, there's a chance at the end that I get back the trouble-making soul I would have allowed to get some fresh air." Their dark eyes slightly glowed with a violet halo. "But you, my Prince, you're betting your after-life, only to gain what? Maybe three or four millenniums? Perhaps not even a year considering your tendency to attract danger."
My reward will be the satisfaction to have proved you that I can be
the man no one would have never imagined me to become…
Besides taking this freedom to think about how he will be able to break this deal, of course.
"Hum… I need to consult the runes first."
I beg your pardon?
Don't tell me that a mature adult like you still believe in those antics?!
But Loki's protests were vain: the white-haired deity was already tearing a tiny bag in worn leather hold close by thin purple ribbons. They plunged a hand into the odd container, decorated with several arcanas, to expose twenty-four pieces sculpted in wood, rock, metal and even precious stones for some of them. A Nordic symbol also called rune, was carved in each of them.
Sitting with their legs crossed on the indefinable dark matter, Hlin were softly muttering ancient spells, a mix between the Asgardians' chants and religious prays dedicated to the Norns he partially recognised. The former Frigga's servant was a well-known player, but the idea they are superstitious never come to his mind. Guess the two are linked in general… Still, he'll keep this new information: could be useful for later, who knows?
"Well that's interesting, to say the least." The Trickster brutally came back to the present, now nervously trying to decipher the prophecy which was presented to him. By Odin's name, don't let stupid scribbles take away his last hope of escaping!
So, what does it say?
"Have Your Majesty already forgotten his divination lessons?" Hlin teased him.
Of course not!
From left to right: past, present and future.
One rune below the central, the current problem,
and another one above, the solution.
"Five signs to close the cross,
A single mark to fix the Fate."
Why are you asking me that?
I'm not able to see the pattern from here,
not to recall horoscope's artifice for dummies!
"I know, my Prince, but I was a bit too exhausted to explain it to the readers myself…"
What are you talking ab-?
"Please don't mind it." They took a longer sip of coffee. "Concerning your prediction, here's what the Norns are telling us: Tyr, the war and destruction, is tangling with the roots of your History…"
Who would have guessed, am I right?
The servant ignored the sarcastic comment, as they were lost in their new task. Nothing seemed to be able to impair their current concentration.
"Your days, otherwise, are filled with doubts and fears, placed under Petra's symbol. The reason of this state of uncertainty lies on Odal's message… The heritage."
Loki remained silent: he wasn't seeing any fun or way to lighten this leaded atmosphere about what he could call his "heritage". Troubles, it just gave him troubles… And pain.
"But at the end of the road, I can see…" The deity offered him a discrete smile. "My prince, your future seems to be under Hagall's protection: this bet could indeed bring you to the salvation you were searching for…"
And how do I get, Hlin?
What does the fifth rune's telling?
Now that he has heard that he still had a chance, his mental voice was pressed with more anxiety. Huh? What are you saying? Of course he has always believed in those stupid rocks! When times are making it a need… A low rumble echoed.
Hey! What's so funny?
Are you… mocking me?!
"Oh no, my dear Prince, I would never dare to trigger you well too-known rage, it's just… let's say you really had a good instinct by proposing this little challenge."
Hlin took the piece of terra cotta in the hollow of their palm, letting him take a view of it. He tried to hide that the corners of his eyes have risen in amusement: since when have the Norns been so merciful with the "monster" he was?
Reid…
"The incarnation of journeys and travellers' spirit."
Some seconds of silence passed after this final declaration, making the Trickster uneased as the souls' keeper was staying stuck in the contemplation of the prophecy. This bet may now be too favourable for him! Even if a single error on his part would sign his own after-death warrant, the stars, for no good reasons, were apparently inclined to watch how far he could go before returning under their control. It's impossible a veteran player like Hlin would ever…
"Well, I accept the challenge."
No! Please, take time to reconsider y-
Hum?
Wait, you… You want to take the bet?
"Yes that's what I said, but thank you for giving it more emphasis." They retorted with an ounce of mischief (which was quite inappropriate for someone other than himself if you want the god's opinion), after another mouthful from the tall paper cup. "But I have to add some conditions to its initial version if you wouldn't mind, my Prince…"
"No matter what my decision would be, my escape's success still depends on your final choice, so quit your formal attitude and stop pretending to be concerned about my opinion!" he would have loved to spit towards that too genuine smile. He didn't have any choice. He never had.
Breathe… After all, that's not as if he had six whole years to catch up: five or less minutes won't kill him. How was time working in this play anyway? Not to mention he was already dead…
What are your demands?
"Hum, even if I'm now reassured that this little game could possibly lead to your success just such to mine, and so respects the "equal treatment" between the two players we are, I have to confess that it still lacks of… Spice." Loki was about to interrupt once again, scared of what could linger behind these words, but the coffee addict cut him. "So I will only give you one month."
What?! But it's far too short!
I'll never be able to- !
"Aww, don't think so low of yourself: you're Loki, aren't you? I'm sure you'll be able to handle this ordeal like the grown man you are, Your Majesty. But I'm not cold-hearted for all that: I also have a title to defend…"
They stood up, picking the stones one by one, and ripped the mortuary atmosphere with cryptic gestures. From the now common amethyst mist appeared a well handcrafted necklace which could have perfectly found its place in Alfheim's most valuable treasure. As an ex-Asgard's diplomate, and based on all the wonders and oddities his eyes have seen during his countless trips through the Nine Realms, Loki could easily tell that it wasn't some random gold chains. The seiðr he was feeling flowing from the finely sculpted tree, probably a stylistic representation of the Yggdrasil, masterpiece of the strange jewel, came to confirm his first impression.
With another delicate wrist's arabesque, the runes' support began to levitate around the mysterious entanglement of precious metal threads, which seemed as delicate and thin as hair. The antic symbols glowed brighter, a snap of fingers (which gave him indescribable unpleasant tingling sensations in the back of his mind), and five orbs, the size of a pinkie's nail, got embedded into the platinum wreath.
"Five signs to close the cross." They repeated, reaching his corpse. "And so five wishes to help you while your powers will wait to regain their full potential once again…" Hlin passed the magic artefact around his neck, formalizing their bet… Sealing his fate. "During this period of one month, which will start as soon as you will land on Midgard, you will have the possibility to summon my own energy five times: just break one of the stones and I will come for you."
Is it really professional
to leave you job like that?
"I am the guardian of all the lost souls." Their expression was clearly showing offense. "And so it also concerns the ones in abeyance… You won't get rid of me so easily…" A fond smile outshined their hard features. "We may have had some difficult moments, but know that, for me, you always will be Loki…"
Yeah, I got it…
Silvertongue, Skywalker, Liesmith,
God of Mischief, Fire and Lies…
"You forgot "The Trickster"…" Softer. "My Prince."
Then, they placed a hand on his chest and he could feel a deep warmth rusting through his veins, colouring his skin from grey to pastel pink again, making his muscles beg for movements. His lungs slowly made his torso rise with a new breath. And he was… hearing something- no, it wasn't really something to hear… It was resonating. A heartbeat.
"You may feel a bit nauseous for the next few days, but such a big change –also called resurrection-, and giving my current decaffeinated state, I hope you would pardon me…" They smirked.
Suddenly, a light came from beneath his foot. The dark matter retreated, letting the smooth brightness to wrap his shape.
"Well, good luck in this bet, my Prince!" A childish sparkle passed behind the black eyes. "I can't wait to get my future and new personal coffee barista back…"
Tss, in your dreams…
By the way, Hlin, what are your "expectations"
to become "as neat as Thor's swaddling clothes"?
"Oh yes, I almost forgot that part! In fact, that's very simple…" One step backwards, a purr in their throat. "Bring me back something that you've always wanted to possess, but never had, and that you can only get on your own…"
W-What? A riddle?
Hlin, please, be serious and more pre-!
"Remember, my Prince…"
Without warning, a flash eclipsed the large grin worn by the indiscernible deity, blocking them from his view. He was feeling air tickling his sleepy skin. However, his ears were still able to distinguish their voice, full of cheekiness.
"No spice, no fun!"
A slight push against his chest. He fell.
.
.
.
"Well, I hope he will land without too much trouble! I've to confess that I'm still not enough used to these "tel-Hel-portations"… Haha!"
Hlin finally left the strange dimensional crack behind, which was beginning to be wolfed by the blackish essence anyway. They were absent-mindedly fidgeting the small leather bag with its precious content, when they stop dead on their track. Numbers silently passed on their pale lips, gaze unfocused under furrowed white brows…
"Twenty-one… Twenty-two… Twenty-three… And…" A curse, more than unsuitable for such a godlike figure, escaped. "Tss, as if I have not enough work already? Where by Norns' holy name could be this damned r-?!" Quick anxious glances around them. "Hum, sorry-sorry, my dear Goddesses, I wasn't implying any-… Well, nevermind. Guess that I will have to create another one soon or later…"
If they haven't been so focused on their current loss, maybe the deity would have noticed the subtle quivering from the portal to which they were standing with their back to… And perhaps that it wasn't just Ehwaz, the duality and alternating forces' mark, which was the only one missing from their Realm. But for now, the dead and the livings' worlds were once again separated one from each other. Until the next month…
They try to shave those minor problems away, thinking about all the souls, impatiently waiting on the other side of this cell, and loudly sighed when they realised that their biggest-sized cup, yet full only ten minutes ago, was now as dry as their sleep-deprived eyes.
They stepped forwards nonetheless, trying to ignore the slow headache this last confrontation had given them. At the end, reaching a handle, coming from nowhere, they still gave a sidelong look to the last place their suzerain have been before falling from one of the countless Yggdrasil's branches. A knowing smile found its place on their ageless face.
My Prince…
Don't seek for redemption.
Seek for your true Self.
Seek for Loki.
~ 21 ~