Worship of the Gods
"War is like a monster," he says, almost to himself.
"War is the devil. It starts and it consumes
and it grows and grows and grows."
He's looking at me now.
"And otherwise normal men become monsters, too."
Patrick Ness, The Knife of Never Letting Go
Dedication - SenSen-Chan for their unwavering support and comments, thank you x
Chapter Thirty-Five: Loyalty
Bursting through the trees and into the blinding sunlight of a giant field, Ellie was surprised to find no enemy or creature upon them. Instead, the fighters were awkwardly huddled and moving left and right for more room.
Ellie looked up at the empty sky as Loki grabbed her arm and pulled her through the crowd. She grimaced as metal scraped metal and the shield on her back was caught several times. They reached the front, coming to stand beside Thor and the Warriors Three. If it were not for Thor's strong arm, Loki and Ellie would have tumbled into the chasm which lay before them.
Ellie's fingers curled over his beaded gauntlet. The pit was hundreds of miles deep with violent ridges carved into its sides. Something had been digging and recently. Haphazard bridges were situated along the pit. Aesla's magic worked, but the wargs were desperately angry.
In the distance, there was a black shape. It was pointed and tall. Lord Vali's fortress was painfully close, yet not enough.
Lady Sif was crouched, staring into the pit with an angry frown.
"They did this?" Ellie's hand fell to her sword. "Why?"
"Wargs are birthed underground." Loki drew a dagger. Volstagg muttered something and Fandral loudly swore.
Hogun peered in. "Like ants."
A broken screech echoed out of the chasm, taking the soldiers by surprise. A ripple swept through them and a shiver run up Ellie's spine. She could see nothing except for dirt and stone; broken bridges and darkness. It was very different to the arena and she didn't feel like being a dancing shadow.
But the air was warm and humid. It felt as if fires were burning below their feet. Even the Warriors Three were unnerved. Their weapons clinked against their armour.
Tyr stormed through the soldiers, his face red and sweaty. "They're here." His sword was drawn and blood dripped from it. "They were here."
"Where are they now?" Thor cast a look across the field on the other side.
"Below. It was just a scout. I couldn't kill it quick enough. I assume he's alerting the pack."
Thor straightened. "We need to get across the pit."
"They won't hold us all," Lady Sif retorted. "Only a few Aesir can make the jump."
"I can help them," Loki said, wielding a free hand. Electric blue magic danced through his fingers and his eyes lit up for a moment. The situation was filling them all with dread. "As for the bridges… we can if we do it strategically. A few at a time. The wood they've used is made of fae magic. It can hold more than we think."
A bloodcurdling screech called to them again. Ellie pushed through Thor and stared into the depths. Shadows stretched up towards her. Fallen trees stuck out of sides and there was a stench of rot. The ground felt unsteady beneath her feet as she noticed the dark was filling with monstrous, misshapen monsters clambering up towards them.
"They're coming!" she cried, unsheathing her sword.
Thor grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back.
"What are you doing?" she shoved him away.
"Volstagg," Thor continued. The warrior, already red and prepared, saddled up next to the prince. "You can make it back quicker than any of the others. Go, now. Take her to the front of the fortress and return. As fast as you can."
Cold filled Ellie, she stepped away from Thor, hitting Loki's chest. "No. No, no, don't do this!" she pleaded and turned to Loki who was staring into the chasm. "I have to fight!"
"You have to survive." He realised she was going to attempt to flee into the crowd of warriors and raised a hand. In a moment, she was frozen and staring up at the prince's cruel face.
Volstagg's meaty arm clamped around her middle and he leapt across the chasm.
Ellie screamed. The wind whipped through her hair. From the air, she could see the true horror of the pit. It was a gateway to Hell. Out of its mouth were dozens of serpentine monsters. Their eyes glowed yellow and they were hungry.
Volstagg landed rather gracefully, his feet hitting the earth and throwing dirt outwards.
"Put me down!" she scratched at his arm furiously. Aesla's sword smacked his leg, but it was no use. He thundered across half an acre of land before coming to an abrupt stop. A horn sounded from the frontline, calling for attention and battle.
Volstagg dropped Ellie in surprise. He looked between her and fight, his eyebrows knitted together. She stumbled to her feet, breathing heavily. "Go," she commanded. "Go!"
"Go to the fortress," he begged. "Do not follow me." And off he sprinted, revealing his weapon and a thunderous cry.
Shock had shot adrenaline through her system. Even if Volstagg had reached Vali's gates, she would've turned back and ran towards the fight. Her blood pumped for it; her heart ached. With Hrunting's sword at home in her clenched fist, she started towards the chasm.
The screams urged her forward. Soldiers were sprinting across the bridge, fighting off the creatures. They were three times the size of Thor. Their red skin made them appear like dragons without wings. But they were Nidhoggs.
Ellie guessed they were the guardians of the warg offspring which grew below. She spotted blue surges of magic pulling soldiers over the chasm. Prince Loki, with his back to her, was fighting off the onslaught of Nidhoggs; risking his life to save the fighters.
Volstagg stopped suddenly, staring at the ground in bewilderment as it began to rise. The dirt plumed out forcing him to stumble sideways. He backed away. A Nidhogg burst from the middle and screamed, spotting the redhaired man. It dove onto him and the two began to wrestle, teeth against sword.
Craning her neck as Ellie continued to run, she caught up with Volstagg easily. She lifted the sword high and brought it down on the Nidhogg's neck. The skin split open and the creature died instantaneously.
Volstagg was covered in blood; he emerged coughing and spluttering. "You!" he bellowed. "Get back to the fortress."
"I won't abandon you in the middle of a fight." Ellie held her arm out and he took it, pulling himself to his feet.
"Loki will have my head."
"Then, I'll fight for that too," she grinned.
They entered the ruckus of Fae, Elf and Nidhogg.
Ellie's wanted to reach Loki, fearing for his life. However, she spotted a faerie-soldier who had fallen in front of a Nidhogg. He was waving his sword blindly. Ellie leapt between them. Her sword ripped through the monster's jaw. It fell sideways, dead and defeated.
"We thought you had abandoned us," he stared up at her. With Aesir uniform on and her Ljósálfar features, she had drawn the attention of the fighters. They had seen her flee the fight and were confused by her return. Ellie took his hand, helping him to his feet. "I have a duty here, but I couldn't." They were flushed and breathless, smiling at one another. The nameless fae stared at her as if she'd brought him back from the dead.
Another Nidhogg came them, his jaw wide. Ellie jumped back and with her left-hand compelled energy through her. She swung a shield of yellow magic onto the head of the beast and it hit the ground unceremoniously. With a grunt, she shoved her sword through its skull.
As she came close to Loki, she was sweating and breathless. He had turned thrice, fighting off the creatures which saw his exposed back as an opportunity. It was exhausting as far as Ellie could tell. The dozen soldiers still left were itching to cross and as the bridges were packed with battles, the only way was through Loki.
A Nidhogg sprinted past Ellie, thundering towards him. She took off after it, ignoring the burn in her thighs. The tail was in reach of her outstretched fingertips. With an influx of hatred, she surged magic out of her hands and wrapped it around the monster's throat. She lassoed it back as it came within an inch of biting through Loki's neck.
An animalist grunt came from her as she stomped before it. She felt Loki's magic all around her. It danced on the soldiers and around him. She would never reach his status, but she could bathe in it.
The Nidhogg reared onto two legs and roared. Ellie hardened her stance, imagining she was in an arena back on Asgard. In truth, Tyr was on the same stretch of land, so it was close enough.
Ellie swiped her sword, threatening to spill the Nidhogg's innards. It flinched back. Ellie was startled when it snapped its gigant mouth at her. She stepped, meeting Loki's back.
"Who-?" he began. "Ellie," he said breathlessly as she surged forward and fought the beast. She swung and dove angelically, her stance strong. The Nidhogg was unprepared for her mixture of magic and swordplay. With a cry she blinded it, white light surged into his eyes and she thrust her weapon into its brain. The crunch satisfied her immensely, so much so that she re-joined Loki and scarcely noticed him staring.
The admiration sizzled into disbelief. "You…" he began, his voice rising. "Are meant to be with Lord Vali."
Ellie scarcely looked at him. She was looking at each Nidhogg and its opposers. If anything dared near her… "I've just saved your life," she said.
"You should be with the fortress." He continued to pull the remaining soldiers across the chasm. "I gave you an order!"
"I saved your life!"
"You weren't meant to."
The whip of a Nidhogg's tail startled her. Ellie slashed the tip off and cackled, almost manically at the prince. "Oh," she guffawed, "you'd rather be in Valhalla now?"
"If that is my fate then so be it!"
"You absolute hypocrite," Ellie turned viciously at the same time as Loki. He was helping one final fae onto their side and teleported him a little too vigorously. The soldier hit the ground with a grunt and struggled to his feet, throwing Loki a wave of gratitude regardless.
"Look what you made me do," the prince hissed.
"What I made you do? You are willing to throw your life away but the moment I do it, you hate me."
"Hatred, is it?" he spat.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled. They unsteadily attempted to straighten themselves, but the dirt began to rise. Loki stepped away from the side of the chasm, his arms outstretched worriedly. Their eyes met and before Ellie could warn him that a Nidhogg was about to appear, it burst from the ground and threw them outwards.
Dirt filled Ellie's mouth and nose as she rolled over. Something shoved her violently and she was free-falling until she hit a hard surface. The air was knocked from her lungs and she was staring up at the sky from the perspective of the chasm. All around her, Nidhoggs were rising from below.
She grunted, getting onto an elbow and peering around her. She was on a small ledge, a few meters from the surface. The worst part was that she was alone. Shouts and battle cries were above her, muffled by the mud walls. It was as if she was descending into Hell.
Getting to her feet, she scrabbled at the soil. Her sword made it difficult. Ellie slipped and fell onto her back. She groaned, arching slightly.
Something grabbed hold of the neck of her tunic, yanking her backwards. Her scream filled the chasm. Ellie blindly jabbed her sword behind her but the Nidhogg barely flinched. Its breath was hot on her head. The stench of saliva filled her nose. It was going to rip her spinal cord out.
But suddenly a black wolf was on her. Ellie glimpsed its teeth tear through the Nidhogg's red scales a like knife into butter; heard the crunch of bone. She saw the black fur was flattened in parts, covered by leather armour and a couter with a Norse rune imprinted on it. There was a breastplate and a fauld with numerous weapons dangling from it. Two daggers sat in a fae's sheath.
"Loki." Ellie stared up at the wolf's neck from which she lay below.
He released the Nighogg momentarily, but that was enough time. Its jaw was clamped on Ellie and it her hauled out from beneath the god. She was towed through mid-air and thrust against the side of the chasm as it clambered up and over the top of the ridge.
She screeched as the Nidhogg was caught by something. It discarded her in a heap of sweat and breathless. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched it fly and crumple meters from her. It riled up, scrabbling on its four thin legs.
Elli fumbled for her shield.
The wolf roared, rearing up behind Ellie and leaping between them. In its guttural tones, she swore she heard an articulate humanoid.
Loki attacked the Nidhogg in a startling instant, sending a spurt of ripped flesh across the field. He wrenched the beast apart, shaking his head with his mouth clenched around its throat. Its screech disintegrated into a gargle. When Loki dropped it to the floor, he stepped back and the ground vibrated with the weight of his wolf's body.
The brutality of the attack hit Ellie. There was a cluster of Nidhogg around them, but fae, Aesir and elf were working together to bring them down. Lilac and gold blurred as well as the screams of command from Tyr and Skurge.
Getting to her feet, she spotted a serpentine monster heading for her. She adjusted her stance and thrust her sword against its snout just as it reached her. It cried out but snapped at her again, using its long body to throw her off guard. She jumped sideways and slashed its leg.
The wolf appeared at her side and ended the Nighogg's life with a swipe of his claws. It felt to the ground. Dead.
Ellie met Loki's electric gaze and nearly smirked. His frightening frown left her momentarily breathless.
He shot a look across the battle, searching for his brother and Warriors Three. They were taking down a particularly large Nidhogg, struggling to avoid its sharp teeth. If not for his armour or reputation, anyone could've mistaken him for a warg with the gore soaking him. "Get to the fortress," he adjured, blood dripped from his lips.
"And abandon you all?" she retorted.
"Ignoring orders is punishable by death." He snarled, rather characteristically.
It annoyed her that he was using his metamorphosis to command her. "Good thing you prefer me alive." Her chest filled with the dread of his anger. "Perhaps not right now." A childish smirk crept up on her lips.
Loki inhaled, his bulking chest rising. "Eltmikr," he snapped. "Stål mit mer." Blue magic swirled around his eyes. Ellie followed him through the fight, swinging her sword and releasing her shield from her back. She found it difficult to use magic and her bodily strength, but with Loki at her side it wasn't such a struggle.
Follow me. Stay with me. Those Old Norse words tickled her insides. A part of her knew those words would stick with her for long after the battle; perhaps even into death. She knew she wouldn't be able to do either then.
The world expanded, looking like a board of Hnefatafl rather than a field. The army surrounded the Nidhogg on each side, tightening their advance on them. There were a dozen curling and crawling over one another like a rat king. If the army waited long enough, the creatures would tangle and starve to death.
Beside her, Loki took off from the ground and took the form of a ginormous raven. He flew up and became a black dot. Ellie stilled, staring up at him. The idea of abandonment or fleeing didn't cross her mind.
Soldiers left and right followed the bird. Thor was beginning to laugh, and it turned into a cackle of delight. Lady Sif huffed, calling Loki a show-off.
The Nidhogg's turned their gazes back to the armies surrounding them and riled up on their hindlegs. Ellie crouched slightly, gripping her weapon.
A raven's cry called for their attention once more. Loki catapulted towards the ground, narrowing his wings and body into a thin slit. And then his form exploded into a wolf once more. Claws and teeth rained down into a group of Nidhogg's. they exploded beneath Loki's force.
Flesh rained over them. The few left alive became stragglers, unable to keep up with the hoard of soldiers which followed Loki's example. Fae, elf and Aesir thrust their weapons with violent cries of victory.
Ellie pushed through them, ducking beneath Thor's swinging axe. She skidded over a limp Nidhogg and leapt over another. Her hands and front were bloody, causing her to slip several times. However, she reached the centre of her target and found Loki struggling to his feet.
He was covered in dirt and blood. A large splash caked his right cheek as Ellie took hold of it and scooped her arm beneath his. For such a lithe man, he weighed an immeasurable amount; arguably standing over six and a half feet tall aided that. With a grunt, she asked if he was okay to which he nodded feebly and clenched his teeth.
"You shouldn't have done that," she said, helping him through the dead. "We could've finished them without your wiping yourself out."
"It had to be done." He sweated slightly. "We've lost enough."
Ellie cast a look around and noticed there were still thousands of them left. They were breathing heavily, scouting the field for any Nidhogg's. Most knew they were victorious and were wiping their weapons, clamping their friends on the back or starting towards Lord Vali's fortress.
Tyr was atop a pile of creatures, barking orders.
As soon as Loki and Ellie were clear of the epicentre, Loki unhooked her arm. He stumbled slightly but reached his brother's outstretched hand. They held one another fiercely and shared a proud grin.
A strong body collided with Ellie, wiping her from her feet. She cried out and wildly grappled.
"You beautiful bastard!" Lounn cried joyously, swinging her in circles. "You came back!"
Laughing loudly, she wrapped her arms around him and inhaled the dirt, blood and sweat of battle.
Comments:
SenSen-Chan - hello! i'm glad you liked the chapter and Loki is so frustrating but its so much fun to write turmoil and suppressed emotions. I've tried to portray how difficult it would be for a prince/god/aesir to express himself when it comes to a human/mortal. Happy reading for this chapter - i dedicate this to you x
Vivienneflwr - all of those comments were amazing to read! Thank you immensely for re-reading and commenting. It means the world!