Loki sat in the library, there were so many different stories to sift through he found it hard to depict what kind of magic the girl actually had. She was clearly close to a werewolf but her aura did not feel as feral. So he had decided upon shape shifter instead. His mind was full of ideas. Perhaps if he was able to convince her to join him he would rival Thor and prove his worth to all of Asgard. At the very least he would prove his resourcefulness. Odin would not be able to ignore his supremacy if he could control a creature of such beauty and power. Conceivably he could even be seen as worthy enough for the throne. He grinned wickedly at the thought of defeating Odin at his own game. He tapped his finger impatiently; on most occasions he would give this plot more time to transpire but something had him moving it forward faster. He was becoming edgy from his confinement in the castle. His idea formed, he would simply bring the girl to Asgard for a final test before he made his decision.
Ashera left the store, only making it a few steps before she was transported unceremoniously to a large field. In fact the same field she and Jane had stumbled upon just a few nights ago. She faltered on the uneven ground, still grasping her backpack and luckily not falling on her face to embarrass herself further. She could feel her face flushing as it was.
"How convenient." A silky voice drawled. Loki stood on the far end of the field in front of the tree line. He wore a brown leather tunic embellished with green and gold. He was wearing the green cloak as he had when she first saw him. The only difference seemed to be the scepter of sorts that he held in his right hand. Ashera breathed in all the scents around her. Even from where she stood, she could smell the leather and metal of his armor and the aroma of parchment. Again she could not help but feel calmed by it.
"We meet again," he said, "and unfortunately I've tired of waiting for answers."
"Answers to what?!" she shot back, "It's only been a few days! What questions could you have for me?"
"To you perhaps, but to me it has been more than a week. Time passes differently on this world… or had you forgotten?" He smirked at her from across the field. "I know you have a secret."
"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're talking about Prince." she said it cynically she knew she had been figured out. She supposed if anyone was going to find out it would be the God of Lies himself, but that didn't mean she would admit it outright.
"Oh?" Loki cooed, "Trying to keep it a secret perhaps? How interesting."
"I'm afraid you will just have to send me back, or should I start walking?" sarcasm rang in her every word as she playfully glared at him.
Loki grinned and chuckled, the sound was musical and it surprised Ashera how much she enjoyed it. It sounded so sincere, but that felt odd coming from a man who just abducted her and brought her to another realm. She stared, taking in everything about him. She couldn't be sure he wasn't actually trying to hurt her but his posture and mannerisms implied at this being a game of sorts. Perhaps this would be fun. It already felt more like a test of wits than a battle. Besides what would Thor's brother want to kill her for?
Loki's smile faded turning into a stern stare. He took a step forward speaking again in a strong voice. "So Ashera of Midgard, show me your power, what dark secrets do you hide?"
Ashera's lip curled as she half smiled, she would show him what she could do. A fatal flaw of hers was she would always accept a challenge. Dropping her bag at her side she took a steady step forward. Summoning her inner strength she leaned forward transforming on the spot. It was difficult but she managed to do it quickly and with little pain. The tearing of cloth and turning of bone was deafening in the empty clearing.
An enormous white wolf took her place before the Prince. It snarled and shook itself before continuing toward him.
Loki stood eyebrows raised. He was indeed impressed and trying not to show it too much. A small smile played at his lips. He observed this girl in her new form. She was gorgeous, dangerous, and there was something else too. It appeared so familiar to her, as if this should be her natural state not the human form she seemed to stay trapped in.
Loki dragged his thoughts back to his task.
"I want to give you a test." Loki lifted his scepter and conjured a simple grey wolf. He pointed directly at her and commanded it. "Attack!"
The specter leaped forward but Ashera was too quick it missed her and found itself pinned in the same motion. Once it was conquered it disappeared.
"So much for your challenge prince." the wolf spoke in a snarl. She had changed her vocal cords to do so and it always sounded a little gravely. She continued to pace in front of him as he looked her over clearly captivated.
Loki didn't hesitate long; he sent two more of his conjurations after her. She defeated both easily catching one with her front claws and the other in her jaws. By the time Loki had summoned his fifth pair of wolves Ashera was becoming bored and called to him. "You think this is tough?! Give me something real."
"And what would you like?" Loki humored her.
"You" she answered seriously.
She stalked closer waiting for his reply. Eyes never leaving his she stared him down trying to call his bluff. Loki's lips twitched ever so slightly giving him away, she saw for certain it was all part of his test and she had a feeling she was passing. Grinning she lunged and he countered with his staff. She backed and circled watching his movements learning his subtle tricks. He circled with her a few more times before using his magic to create images that were not there. While disoriented he got in a good swing knocking her off balance. She staggered and recovered quickly enough to dodge his incoming blow. She growled and bared her teeth. She would have to figure out which illusions were real. The minutes dragged on and neither seemed to be tiring; each throwing hits that hardly landed and dodging each other's attacks. Ashera was becoming impatient with Loki's games. He was dragging this out longer than necessary.
She saw an opening and lunged knocking him back only to have him recover again and return a hit. His scepter cut into her front leg. Ashera back peddled and looked at the blood trickling down to her paw, staining her fur crimson. She hadn't thought he would hurt her. Slightly stunned she brought her head up to meet his eyes. He wore a mask of uncaring. Ashera went wild with anger, he was playing a dangerous game now and she was no longer amused. She landed a few good swipes nicking his armor and opening a small gash on his thigh. He returned the favor yet again by bruising her side with his scepter. The end came quickly after that, both accepting the others triumphs and failures. They collapsed on the ground panting furiously.
"Here," Loki held out a canister toward the wolf, "It's water, I think we both need it."
Ashera only responded by sniffing and turning away from him. She was sore about her wounds and still unsure what his real motivations were. Also too tired to change back there was no way she could drink the water from the container. Noticing her distance Loki moved closer. Ashera didn't move again but was very aware of where he was and tried not to look his direction. His scent was close and now had a slight musk to it from their clash. Loki fabricated a dish large enough for her to be able to drink from and poured the water into it.
He nudged it closer to her muzzle not saying a word.
The water smelled delicious after working so hard and Ashera found herself lapping it up before she had even allowed herself permission. Loki chuckled next to her; he took a long drink as well. Ashera closed her eyes but soon felt cool hands on her forepaw. Her head snapped up teeth bared but she made no noise as her eyes fell on the prince who was intently looking at the wound he had inflected during their struggle. His eyes were fixated on the spot and his hands were gentle against her paw. She couldn't move she was frozen in place, perplexed by his sudden interest in her well-being. He looked up and into her eyes and for a moment a feeling of acceptance ran over her. The feeling was so foreign it excited her, but Loki's immediate reaction seemed to be a look of distaste and confusion. Her reality set in, she would always be a monster. The whole situation made her shiver with embarrassment. She tried to retreat back from him but his hand was steady holding her in place. His fierce gaze caught her attention once more. She couldn't quite place what she saw before it changed to concern and he looked back down at her paw.
A/N: Thank you all for waiting I just got back from vacation and had a great time! Next chapter is already almost done so I will post again soon! Hope you enjoy it!