Ch. 3: Nom de Guerre


Warning: A bit of hate violence and prejudice in this chapter. Just in case it might upset someone.


The main difference between Asgard and Vanaheim was the silence that haunted him as he stalked through the halls. Initially, the scholarly atmosphere had grabbed his interest. But now, he strode past various documents and statues without so much as a second glance. He could ask for them to be sent back to Asgard if he so pleased, but the damn quiet was something he never found back home. It refused to break in the echoes of his footsteps and it compelled him to recede into his thoughts. In the corridors of Vanaheim, every person he passed nodded instead of speaking; the leaves of an indoor bush rustled without a whisper; Dallea, who had apparently been living there for a long time, didn't utter a sound when they met that morning in the village.

With unnecessary force, Loki bashed his palm onto the wooden door of his guest chamber, swinging it open violently. How the prince's fevered thoughts became even more agitated was beyond comprehension. Contempt making his mouth curl into a sneer, he began to strap on the various pieces of his armour. He glared at a portrait across the room. Everything about Vanaheim became sour after realizing this is where she had been hiding all of these years. He should have demanded how long. He should have asked if she was planning on ever coming back like she promised she would.

No matter how much Loki's sensible brain reminded him she had promised such things hundreds of years ago, he clung to old anger. Maybe he was too exhausted to feel anything but his reopened wound, but he knew that it was the same anger he felt after she had been gone for the first few years. Loki turned around, sliding his daggers into their rightful places. He clenched his jaw to ease the tension in his mind. Shaking his head as more patronizing thoughts attacked him, the prince's turmoiled emotions took over.

Loki yanked a dagger from its holster and buried it into the only surface in arm's reach.

Releasing the hilt, he looked at the blade that was three inches deep in a mahogany desk. Chest heaving, he felt young again; breaking things because his father had taken away the only decent gift he could give. What was the point of it all? Why in Yggdrasil's name was he the one losing his mind?

Bitterness was all he tasted in his mouth when he thought of Dallea getting on with her life, some second-hand Asgardian prince the farthest thing from her mind.

When he was steady again, he yanked the dagger out of the desk. He prayed she would tag along for this mission Thor had volunteered him for. As Rekkr, or whoever she was pretending to be. Haughtily, he hoped Dallea would be able to see that she was not the only one who had grown in their time apart.


"You took your sweet time!" Thor taunted, his brother exiting the castle at long last. Out of the warriors three, only Fandral sent a wave of greeting in Loki's direction. "Lucky you weren't a bit slower, or we would have left you behind!"

Worried he might say something he would regret, Loki tried to seem good natured about his brother's teasing, which was a respectable feat for someone with an already tested patience. Peering at the he always put up with, Loki wasn't amused to realize these were the only people coming. All six shifted closer together for convenience as his nostrils flared. Making sure to look away before anyone could read the disdain in his eyes, he tried to clear his mind.

"Heimdall!" Lady Sif called to the heavens, craning her neck backward to give them a pleading look. With politeness that most reserved only for the gatekeeper whom she beckoned, Sif continued: "Take us to the fire."

A blur of a million colours erupted from the sky and enveloped the Asgardians. The crackling of magic and electricity interrupted the peace of Vanaheim. None of the six warriors flinched even as the reality around them shifted. However, the striking sight of the Bifrost at work caught the attention of an elf who could not afford to be distracted at that moment.

Temper rising faster than he could control, King Njörd snapped his fingers in Dallea's face to regain her focus. Frightened, Dallea lurched away. Admittedly, Queen Skandi was present, which made the odds of him physically lashing out shift in favour of Dallea's well-being. But she could never be too careful, especially when the King glared at her with such vehemence.

Trying to still her trembling hands, Dallea cursed herself over and over. The rage he felt was warranted, and the sting of her betrayal made even the Queen stay rigid a few paces to her left. King Njörd stood a step above Dallea, casting a shadow that threatened to swallow her. Only them three occupied the throne room, which was large in size and silver in colour. Spiral columns lined the walls, the portraits between them of nobles long deceased.

The King allowed a second for Dallea's guilt to spill into her expression. "No one is more disgusted than I am," said he.

Even though Dallea felt physically nauseous, she made no move to argue. Anger consuming his fondness for the elf, in that moment he chose to spit out the first scathing things that came to mind as he looked at her.

"After all this time, after all, I trusted you with," Njörd said. Queen Skandi flinched at his harsh tone, but Dallea greeted it with composure she didn't deserve. "You misused the most precious gift we had given to you; that staff is for matters of life or death, not to impress the Asgardians. I misjudged you, I must have."

Blinking as she felt the King's saliva hit her face, Dallea's spine stiffened when the Asgardians were mentioned. She was insulted that he would think so low of her but dared not show it.

"You're nothing but a warrior faithful to the ones who can give you the most," the King accused. "What did you think you would accomplish, by telling them who you are? That they would congratulate you? Remember you? Bring you back to Asgard and crown you their Queen?"

She hadn't moved - she couldn't. Her unresponsiveness mustered a deeper violence in Njörd. He reached out and grabbed a fistful of her hair. Dallea was dragged forward by the King trying to get a firm hold on her ears. The Queen jumped forward, unable to stay a bystander.

Humiliated, tears welled in Dallea's eyes as she bit her tongue to stop herself from crying out in pain. She also drew back her arms so she wouldn't touch the King, knowing her punishment would be much more severe if she did so. His hand found her ear and held fast.

"Enough, Njörd," Queen Skandi ordered. Her commands fell flat as the King held onto Dallea like she was a thrashing demon. "That's enough!"

Mad, the King squeezed her ears and held up an arm to stop his wife from interfering. "Have they seen these? Have you shown them what you are? Were you stupid enough to think you were above us all?"

"Enough!" the Queen screeched, smacking her husband's arm away and grabbing the wrist attached to Dallea. She placed her body between the elf and her King, and all of his anger focused on her instead. "Let go of her. Now."

After a few seconds of heavy breathing, the fire dimmed in Njörd's expression. He flexed both of his hands, freeing Dallea and sending her tumbling. Skandi released her husband and turned to worry about the woman sprawled on the floor. With fresh horror at what had just happened, the Queen hesitantly neared the elf. Her hands never quite touched, only ghosted over Dallea's shoulders, then face, then ears.

The King watched, rubbing his forehead and letting guilt crush him. Although he was sorry for his inexcusable actions, he knew they were just that; inexcusable.

Dallea let herself be helped but refused to remove her palms from the sides of her head. Skandi was far too angry to even glare at her husband. So she instead looked to Dallea on what came next.

The only answer that seemed amicable to the elf was to collapse again. Before she could, the squeaking of the grand doors heralded Var's entrance. What timing she seemed to have.

"Yes?" Skandi asked, her voice as neutral as could be. Njörd had yet to find his voice, instead turning away altogether from the three women.

"Your majesties," Var began, curtsying. When she rose, her panic could be spotted from miles away. "The Mages have come forward to assist the fire."

"What?" Skandi demanded, her eyes larger than the moon. Dallea dropped her hands to her sides. She had to remind herself how to breathe with this new information. Even Njörd abandoned his shame and turned to the handmaiden, her words still registering in his mind.

"They say it is not a simple forest fire," Var's voice trembled. The fear amongst the royalty of Vanaheim made her nervous. "And they say that there are not just Mares."

Eager for Var to elaborate, Njörd took a step forward. Dallea looked at Queen Skandi, whose eyes never left her handmaiden's.

There was a minute where the blinking of their eyes became audible. The silver room resembled a coffin more than a royal chamber.

"No," Njörd denied. His voice was booming, but no matter how he yelled, the tremor in his voice refused to vanish. "No, that's not possible."

"Where?" Skandi asked. Her voice was tedious and dreading an answer.

"Near the North Mountains," Var said, her words tumbling out of her mouth as panic consumed her. "But closer to the temples. Your majesties, it's not … it's not still there, is it?"

Judging by the way Njörd's face collapsed due to realization, the answer was yes. Queen Skandi pinched Dallea's arm in using the elf to keep her steady. Glazed eyes on the floor offered Dallea no answers. She looked to Var.

Though unsure if she should elaborate, Var licked her lips and told her anyway. "In the Temple of Awe, the smallest temple in the realm, there is a casket. It's imbued with unstable dark magic, and-"

"And has been secure for centuries," Njörd finishes, inviting Skandi and Dallea to cast their attention his way. "No one goes to the Northern Mages, most can't make it through the forest." He turned and spoke directly to Dallea. "You know this."

His tone was complimentary. He felt bad for what had happened prior, but Dallea did not have the energy to meet his eye.

"This casket," Dallea implored, forcing herself to look at her Queen. "Is there something inside it?"

"We don't know," the Queen admitted, shaking her head grimly. "It was forged using the same metal as the one that binds the Tesseract, so we decided not to risk it."

The Tesseract being the object that gave the Frost Giants their power so many years ago, Dallea received a chill just thinking about what this casket could hold. Something dangerous. If their enemy had sent to steal this object, perhaps they knew how to wield it to their advantage. Dallea's jaw tightened.

Var looked to the floor. Dallea, her mind racing, released herself from Skandi's embrace. Although plagued with newfound terror, the Queen's eyes softened when she looked at Dallea. The elf's disheveled hair was a grim reminder that Dallea's mind may not be as sound as it should.

"You don't have to," Skandi offered, despite them both knowing her statement wasn't true. The only other warriors who had ventured to the Northern Mountains and lived were long retired. She had not seen any temples in her journey, but if it was a forest fire she was tracking, she had a chance.

Dallea pursed her lips together and touched the Queen's shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. The elf even mustered enough courage to send a glance to Njörd, whose face was unreadable.

Dallea refused to linger a second longer, turning to Var and picking up her skirts. She ran across the hall towards the main doors with a purpose in her stride. "Var, please tell my soldiers to ready themselves."

The handmaiden nodded, then scurried out of Dallea's way as she sprinted past. The Queen folded her hands and watched Dallea go, knowing she would not be 'Dallea' for much longer.


Vanaheim was lush, there was no argument. In the gloom of night, the green stood out vibrantly, almost glowing as the Asgardians hurried towards the fire. The haze of smoke reached their noses as they got closer. Then eerie billows of smog curled just beyond their vision. It wasn't until they stepped out of a break from the dense brush that they were able to see the fire.

Replaced with a bonfire that was slowly spreading, the skeletons of burnt trees crumpled in the heat. The hill on which the inferno blazed was steep enough for the warriors to see the molten earth. It bubbling as if the ground was alive.

Standing rigid in the river that flowed directly into the pandemonium, a few deer watched the chaos with a degree of glassy interest. In fact, when Prince Loki looked up to check the trees, he noticed quite a number of birds watching as well; as if the fire that devoured their homes was a well-directed play.

While Sif sprinted past, she slapped Volstagg's arm to spur him into moving. Thor was already a few steps ahead of them. But as they got closer to the fire, the warriors three veered off the riverside path. Still like statues, the deer didn't even flinch as Sif charged across the river, spotting a few Mares on the other side. No one noticed that the younger prince had not followed.

Puzzled, Loki watched his brother run towards the molten hillside. Waving his hand in an attempt to whisk away some of the smoke in his eyes, Loki squinted at the slope. Dread filled his stomach.

Thor landed in the middle of the fire, right on a pack of unexpecting Mares. After successfully flattening them, he grinned expectantly. He spun his hammer by its strap. When he jumped away again, soaring into the air in search of more enemies to decimate, he failed to notice the people he left sprawling in his wake. The amulets around their necks inflated their egos enough to feel spiteful of the prince who had humiliated them. The Mages rose to their feet, ignoring a sting of bitterness, and held their hands to the sky to resume the spell they were crafting.

Although Loki couldn't see those Mages murmuring words inaudibly, he could tell something magical was at play. The forest was too expectant; like it was holding its breath. Like the grandiose wood was trembling, hoping its predator would not attack.

The earth moved too suddenly to be classified as the shifting of rocks. Prince Loki dropped his hand to his side and opened his mouth in shock.


Sif, who had wandered to the west, yanked her spear out of a Mare as the restless ground tossed her off balance. Scrambling for a foothold, she was forced to kneel against the earth in an attempt to remain steady. A Mare jumped on her back, pushing her to the ground. In her vulnerable state, another Mare took the opportunity to leap on her as well. She grunted in pain. They sat on her spear and began to crush her chest.


The warriors three, who had ventured to the east of the inferno, looked to each other for answers. The Mares they were fighting turned and scuttled away. Fandral went down on one knee and examined the pebbles that were jumping to and fro.


Even Thor, who had just swung his hammer onto the earth with a mighty crash, noticed the ground was still trembling long after he had stood to his full height. Baffled, he coughed out the smoke entering his lungs. The prince decided to escape the flames before they engulfed him entirely.

The Mages were not confused, only terrified at their spell gone awry.

The longer Loki watched, the clearer the silhouette became: massive arms attached to a trunk of a waist, two legs almost reaching the river, and a head that twitched in irritation. No eyes; it was asleep?

The deer leaped out of the river as birds from as far as the eye could see took to the sky. Squawks and shrill cries of terror echoed, almost drowning out the sound of the ever-raging forest fire.

Loki was the first to see its eyes, and the sight of them made him snap his fingers and disappear.. Yet even in his cloaked state, he couldn't run: disturbed fascination forced him to watch the giant shake off the dirt on his face.

Raising its neck to see what noise woke him, the giant opened its mouth. It did not bellow or growl, in fact, it uttered nothing but a huff of air. Snorting like a feral animal, the giant raised its arm and touched its head gingerly.

The warriors three, who were the closest to said arm, were knocked backward by the shifting of the ground. The giant was cocooned in the earth and covered with trees that had already fallen. The long dead oaks and spruces rolled towards the three faster than they could get away. Volstagg stepped forward to shield his friends but ended up being knocked down then buried by the still-burning lumber.

"No!" Fandral shouted, watching Volstagg disappear from sight. Though as he moved forward to help, more trees blocked his path. The ground rumbled. Hogun and Fandral staggered back helplessly. When the rain of timber slowed to a halt, the two remaining warriors began to climb through the wreckage to free their companion.


Thor landed on the path where he had last seen his friends and he panicked upon seeing they were nowhere in sight.

"Loki!" Thor bellowed, forcing his voice to be heard over the commotion. "Loki, where are you?"

"Sh!" Loki hissed, appearing next to his brother and smacking his arm. "Quiet! You're going to get its attention, you-"

A roar that made their chests vibrate ripped the words from his mouth. The giant had thrown its head back and screamed for the whole realm to hear. However the immediate problem was being at its feet, as Thor and Loki were, and watching it haul itself upright.


An explosion of noise sent all of the horses into a panic. They reared and whined as Rekkr and his pack of warriors tried to calm them down. In the excitement, Rekkr's heart beat like the thrumming wings of a caged bird. She knew precisely what had made that terrible sound.

Rekkr heaved the reins of her horse and forced its compliance. After all four hooves were on the ground, she waited. Waited to detect where the conflict was through the sounds of chaos in the wind.

Smoke plagued the forest until not even the trees dared to sway, yet just beyond, the cacophony of destruction could be heard. The echoes suggested the fight was far away; enough to stay safe from whatever was wreaking havoc. Instead, Rekkr vaulted off of her horse. She landed in a squat on the ground, unafraid of the still restless horses scuffing the dirt beside her.

A hum of the earth gave her the fear she needed to keep going. Rekkr removed her hand from the ground and rose. The fire was north of where she stood.

Pointing a gloved hand to their destination, her men shifted, terror like an airborne sickness that shook them to the core.


"Keep still!" Easy for Loki to say being the one who had no problem cowering as a giant towered above them, hidden beyond the umbrella of leaves. Even Thor in his antsy state knew that the fire was still spreading. They couldn't hide forever, as much as the younger prince insisted they do so; he feared that if they move into a clearing the giant would strike. His precautions were wise, but when would they expire?

The answer was given in the form of Hogun calling the eldest prince's name. Granted, the warrior tried to keep his voice low, but the noise he made sent Loki into a panic. "Thor! Thank the Norns I've found you. Volstagg is stuck; we need your strength."

Now that Thor had a reason to outright ignore his brother, he took it and fled towards his friend, leaving Loki in his dust. Gritting his teeth, Loki hesitated before darting after Thor. Every step he took was another leap towards Hel, but there was strength in numbers.


Fully upright, the giant was huge. It dominated the sky, blocking out the moon as smoke made its bouldered skin melt into a shadow. Eyes alight with fiery coals, the scraps of torn cloth around its body clung to its waist desperately. The train of thought inside Fire Giant was short: Go north.

As if any free thought was converted into mass, the Fire Giant was three times the size of its regular kind but lacked the brains to do anything but march forward. It took a step and the fires on its skin lit up a new part of the forest. It tried to move again. Something hit it in the face.


"I've got you, I've got you…" Fandral chanted, holding onto Volstagg's only exposed hand. His friend groaned as Thor, hammer abandoned on the ground next to him, wrenched the fallen trees off of the red-haired warrior. Hogun planted his feet on the charred wood and tugged, not making much progress in freeing Volstagg. Attentive to the spectacle, but not involved, Loki hovered to the side. He jumped out of his skin when an ear-splitting bang discharged an electric spike of magic, coming from the direction of the Giant.

Distressed, Loki stepped fully into the clearing to see it standing dangerously close. Smoke seemed to swirl around it, alive as the giant pumped heat out of every pore. It was reeling back, shielding its nose. Recovering quickly, the beast roared at the sky, its jagged teeth nothing more than sharp gravel jutting out of a tar black mouth.

It tried to step forward once more but was stopped yet again by an invisible barrier. However, when Loki squinted at the sky through layers of smoke, he spotted a pulse of magic. Sparks of bright blue vibrated across a conjured blockade, making its presence known for a few frenzied seconds every time the Giant tried to move through it.

Loki turned to his brother. Thor had almost freed Volstagg and the large warrior was grunting loudly as he allowed himself to be hauled out of his wooden prison. Loki jumped over a few stray pieces of hardwood so his brother could hear his voice.

"Hurry up, we have to go north," Loki commanded, but Thor neglected his brother's warning. Loki leaped forward again, nearly being hit as Thor threw a tree in his direction. "Thor! Listen to me!"

"Not now, Loki," Thor grumbled while clamping his lips together, the veins in his arms popping as he lifted a fully grown tree off the ground. After throwing it away, he greeted Loki's thunderous expression with a smile. "What are you pestering me about?"

Shoving his indignation to the back of his mind, Loki repeated: "We need to go west."

The giant rumbled again. Loki spun around, uncovering a dagger in a heartbeat. When the prince peeked into the clearing, he saw the giant stretching its fingers out to touch the barrier. Was it clever enough to go around?

"And why is that?" Thor asked, retrieving Mjolnir and examining it. Desperate to keep his brother's attention, Loki scampered in front of him, extending his hands towards him. His palms were skyward, attempting to give Thor the patience to listen to what he had to say.

"There's a barrier preventing the giant from going north. If we want to live, we have to go to that barrier." Loki sought out his most reasonable tone of voice. But when Thor looked at him, he didn't see even a glimmer of compliance. Loki's face fell.

"We will not run and hide, brother," Thor spat, a grim smile still on his lips. Rage danced in Loki's vision, taking the form of a red tint. Of course, Thor would see him as a coward for wanting to survive. "No son of Odin will flee this day. We will fight this beast-"

Exploding from the right came four men in sweeping cloaks. They dashed across the wreckage of the forest, nearly pushing Volstagg back into the trees in their haste to keep moving. One, whose beard was the colour of soot, slowed to hit the five warriors with an intense glare.

"Shoo!" he ordered, shifting his spellbook to his hand to wave the Asgardians away. Thor drew back, insulted. The warriors three exchanged amused looks, and Loki shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Leave this place. Such a beast won't be downed by brute force, you oaf."

"Do you know of whom you speak to?" Thor interjected, taking a few steps forward to tower over the Mage. The much shorter man scuttled away so as not to be crushed under the prince's hammer, but the eldest son of Odin had not served a piece of his mind just yet. "I will not tolerate some strange little man in a dress slandering the future King of Asgard…"

Loki was by his side in an instant, a shadow hovering over his shoulder. "Enough. Your time will come."

Thor grunted, baring his teeth at another Mage who dared to look back. Rolling his shoulders, he had no choice but to listen to Loki whisper into his ear. Though the younger man was indignant at Thor's brash statements, he opted survival first, payback later.

"You can show those silly little men exactly how strong you are when you defeat the giant," Loki insisted, fanning Thor's ego shamelessly. The warriors three couldn't hear what the youngest prince was saying, but they guessed it was nothing good. "Follow them. Make sure they see you when you bring this beast to its knees."

Thor nodded, and Loki's eyes widened, very pleased with himself.

"Where is Sif?" Fandral inquired, looking over his shoulder. "Do you think she's alright?"

Stopping in mid-stride, Thor looked around the clearing as if that would reveal their friend. A roar from the giant sent Loki's heartbeat into a frenzy, so when he spoke, his tone was brash.

"Of course she is," Loki assured, placing a guiding hand on his brother's shoulder. "Have you met her?'

"I think we should find her," Fandral continued, nodding at Hogun and Volstagg. "She could be stuck as well, for all we know."

"Have fun with that," Loki said curtly. Thor brushed off the hand on his shoulder, and the raven haired prince rounded on his brother in disbelief. "What are you doing? There's three of them; they can find her well enough on their own."

"Loki," Thor tsked, but was interrupted by the thin canopy of leaves above them being torn away. When the Asgardians looked to the sky, they only saw the Fire Giant in all its glory. It was bending down to see them more clearly. Loki vanished from sight with another snap.

In its mind, no cogs were turning. But when it got a good look at the tiny warriors, a new command was ordered: kill all four of them.

Volstagg stumbled backward, mesmerized by the Giant's face. It's pupils dilated. Embers in its eye turned completely black with bloodlust. A hand reached out to crush the warriors.

Shouting while jumping out of harm's way, the warriors three covered their heads and tucked in their limbs.. Thor shifted his feet to greet the fist head on. When it came close, he matched its strength with his own and threw the beast off balance.

"Aha," Thor jeered, his sadistic smile returning. The Giant swiveled its head around, zeroing in on the warrior who spewed curses. A rumbling sound came from its throat, but the prince was far too busy yelling to hear. "Come again, you beast! All cower beneath the might of Mjolnir."

The giant bellowed an indistinguishable cry, outraged at the blond man in front of him. Unfazed, Thor squinted through the giant's hot breath and bent his knees. He launched himself toward the giant, hammer aiming for its chest.

Reacting quicker than expected, the Fire Giant swatted Thor away with the palm of its hand. Flailing through the air as his hammer was yanked out of reach, Thor landed on a fallen stack of timber. Alive and furious, he leaped up and began to search for his prized weapon.

With its attention diverted from Thor, the Giant began to follow the warriors three as they sprinted through the trees. Since they were going north towards the invisible barrier, the Giant yanked some still-standing trees from the earth to find them before they crossed it.

As uncomfortable as running with an ax was, Volstagg swallowed his discomfort and ran red-faced to wherever Hogun was leading him. To his left, Fandral gripped the end of his foil with bulging eyes.

"A bloody Fire Giant, as I live and breathe," Fandral crowed, laughing hysterically as the Giant's fevered searching drew closer to their location. "The Norns have really blessed us today, haven't they, my friend?"

Not able to answer since he was so out of breath, Volstagg puffed his cheeks and grunted as a response. He was so focused on running, he failed to notice the recently reappeared Prince, who stumbled into him.

Loki was running away, like a sane person, when a wave of magical energy surged through him. Dazed and confused, he stopped his invisibility spell to catch his breath. He touched his chest plate, feeling his lungs constrict. That was when Volstagg charged past him, sending him flying into the dirt.

Barely able to wheeze an apology, Volstagg didn't turn back to check if the prince had gotten up at all. Stricken, Loki remained on the ground, a headache forming behind his eyes. A drumming sound that adopted a quicker pace every beat echoed through his head. He touched his eyes and tried to stay conscious as pain flashed through him.

All of a sudden, it was gone. He breathed freely again. Looking up, he could see a Mage glaring back with disapproval. Did that quim just hex him?!

No. The Mage spun on his heel and retreated, leaving Loki to turn and see what exactly had just happened. Lying on his back, chest still heaving, he saw the Fire Giant reel back in pain. Displaying the same symptoms Loki had just had, the prince raised his brow. The prince had simply been in the way of the spell and got caught in the crossfire.

As Loki made a move to rise to his feet, the Mage's hex wore off of the giant. It turned around, somehow even more enraged than before. Turning to the spot where the spell had come from, the giant tore a tree out of the ground. A tree that was dangerously close to where Loki was thrown back off balance.

Vulnerable, Loki met the Fire Giant's gaze. Its mind held a simple thought: kill.

It was too late to cast an invisibility spell and Loki doubted he could hold this monster off with his magic alone. If the Mages of Vanaheim couldn't do it, what chance did he have?

Its hand descended from the sky, ready to wipe him out of existence. Loki raised his hand and shouted a spell in a last-ditch effort to save his own life. Ready for his palm and the giant's to connect in his final moments, the prince buried his face into his elbow and waited for death.

A grunt of effort. It certainly did not sound as if the giant had omitted this sound, but the noise came from close by. Loki felt someone kick his leg and heard the giant squawk. He chanced a look at what was happening.

A figure dressed in all black was kneeling next to him, the blade of their sword pointing towards the sky. The giant's hand jolted away from them. It must have been stabbed by that sword. Loki waited a moment with wide eyes, not recognizing the person who turned to look at him. Through a thick mask, his saviour's voice was muffled.

"Are you alright?" Though it sounded as if she were choking on cloth, Loki recognized the voice as Dallea's. Her voice was comically laced with worry, contrasting with her sinister looking armour.

"Yes," Loki said, having trouble finding his words. He could only see a faint glimmer of her eyes beneath that mask, and it was a daunting sight. "Good thing you decided to come."

"Yeah," Dallea breathed, relishing in the alien feeling of talking with her on mask. She moved her sword, distracted for a moment. Still sprawled on the ground, Loki watched the giant's hand plummet towards them again. He grabbed Dallea by the strap on her shoulder and forced her to roll with him, out of harm's way. Loki found his wits and cast a quick spell. Much to the giant's dismay, the two whom he wanted to crush vanished from sight.

Hit with a flash of pain, Dallea wheezed. Loki, who still had a tight grip on her shoulder, tore his eyes away from the giant. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Dallea gasped, hand shaking as it touched her shoulder. "It's just … I burnt my …"

"Damn it," Loki murmured, awkwardly adjusting his hold on her injured arm. His other hand was stuck beneath him, an unfortunate limb to roll on top of. "It's only for a few more seconds. We need to keep contact for the spell to work on both of us."

"You …" Instantly, admiration leaked into her voice. Swiftly, her pain lessened. "You can … are we invisible?"

"Yes," Loki said. It was a strange thing to smile while in such danger, but he could tell Dallea was doing the same.

"This is amazing," Dallea laughed, pure hysterics making her emotions tumble over one another. As flattered as he was, Loki forced himself to keep his gaze set on the looming Fire Giant.

From somewhere to the north, the Mages of Vanaheim shot a cannonball of magic that struck the giant square in the chest. It stumbled but refused to fall. That's when Thor came shooting out of the brush, giving the giant an uppercut with his hammer.

Both Dallea and Loki covered their mouths in awe at the might of the eldest prince as he sent the giant tumbling to the ground. Thor's whoops of joy echoed throughout the forest. Thankful that they were already on the ground, Dallea and Loki couldn't be thrown too far when the Fire Giant hit the earth.

There were a few seconds where they seemed to levitate. Those moments where the Giant met the ground shook the entire realm - or at least it felt like it. Then they crashed to the dirt, Dallea landing on her bad arm in the process.

"Yggdrasil…" Dallea swore, clenching her jaw as tightly as she could. Beside her, Loki rubbed the back of his head, groaning in pain. They rose to their feet, using the surrounding trees for assistance.

After a heartbeat of heavy breathing, Loki, who was rubbing his arm thoughtfully, asked: "How'd you find me?"

"With my eyes," Dallea said automatically but shrunk when Loki showed no signs of amusement. "Sorry. I heard something coming from around this area, and since I was passing by I made a stop on the way."

"Where were you going?" Loki pressed, eyes narrowing. Her back stiffened. The next words that came from her mouth were the most unconvincing lies he had ever heard.

"Surveying the area," she said. He opened his mouth to demand the truth, but a whooping noise cut through the forest. The warriors three were hollering not too far away, congratulating their friend on taking down the beast.

Nervously, Dallea adjusted her mask. Loki turned to glare at the three warriors, who were now calling his name. They asked if he saw the spectacle as well. With haste in her steps, Dallea snuck into the trees, heading north. The King and Queen were still counting on her.

"Where is he?" Loki asked while on the subject of his brother. Hogun shrugged, but Fandral pointed vaguely to where the giant had fallen.

"He's probably gloating to those Mages. He won't be long."

Nodding, Loki pivoted to toss some words at Dallea. "He's always-"

Shock stole the sentence from his mouth. She was gone. Spinning around to see if she was still in sight, Loki felt his cheeks redden with embarrassment. Then he flushed with anger.

"Come along, Loki," Fandral called to the youngest prince. The warriors three watched the raven haired man search for something with a peculiar look in his eye. With a hand on his foil, the blond warrior squinted at him, concerned. "We must go search for Sif."

Though his mind was fuming over another woman, Loki followed the warriors without protest. Armed with clenched fists and a tight jaw, Loki forced himself not to waste a second thought on that dreadful Rekkr.


After a few minutes of walking, the four Asgardians stumbled across some Vanir warriors. They congratulated them on defeating the giant. Not having the heart to correct the soldiers, the four Asgardians soaked up the praise. While demanding to be lead where they had hitched their horses, of course.

The camp they were guided to was sloppy. Set up in an obvious hurry, it was a wonder that it managed to be well lit with such a sparse population. Each man was doing something, which made a hum of commotion buzz in their ears.

"Are you hungry?" a soldier inquired, ashamed he couldn't do better to entertain his important guests.

Before Volstagg could open his mouth, Hogun stepped forward. "No, but we require your help."

"Anything you need," the soldier assured.

"Our friend, her name is Sif, was separated from us before our battle," Hogun explained. There was a kindness in how he talked to the man; as if he were an old acquaintance. "Your resources are limited but we must find her. Anything that you can do will be greatly appreciated."

The soldier deflated. Flickering his eyes to the other Vanir warriors in the camp, they all avoided his gaze. He tried thinking of a way to phrase his words to ensure they would not be insulted. Fortunately, he was interrupted by Thor entering the camp in an uproar.

"All those who have seen me slay that beast should repay me with glory!" Thor ordered. He was swinging his hammer and grinning like a maniac. Still fresh with adrenaline, the eldest prince spoke loud enough to wake the giant he had just put to sleep. "I have saved you, Vanir men. Your men in dresses slandered me, but I continued."

Pushing past the Vanir men, despite just asking for their praise, he opened his arms to his fellow Asgardians. Since Loki was the closest, he was the one who was slapped on the shoulder.

"All of you owe me your lives," Thor declared. He held Loki in place with a laugh even though his brother squirmed in his grasp.

"Very good, Thor," Volstagg sighed, pretending that Thor's boasting made him physically sick. "But we still have not found Sif."

Thor's smile faded gradually. Furrowing his brow as if not understanding the predicament, Thor took a minute to absorb this information. "She's not here?"

"We have no idea where she is, brother dearest," Loki said, shoving Thor's hand off of him. "While you were away claiming your glory, she might have been in need of your help."

"But you said," Thor stated, confused. Loki knew what he said, but the younger prince thought quicker than Thor.

"I was wrong," Loki said. Knocking that smug grin off of Thor's face was worth what he just admitted. Guilt made Thor shift restlessly.

Finally admitting to the Vanaheim warriors' existence, Thor rounded on them suddenly. He pointed at the closest one using Mjolnir. Flinching, the man dropped the sword he was cleaning to raise an arm for protection.

"You," Thor shouted. "Go and find her. She could not have strayed far."

"Your majesty," the warrior started while bowing his head. His voice was meek. "We are not permitted to take directions from anyone but our Commander."

"Nonsense," Thor scoffed. "You know who I am, now heed my words."

Praying for the safety of his own well-being, the warrior closed his eyes for a moment. Upon opening them, he could see Thor was now visibly annoyed. "I apologize deeply my Prince, but the instructions we were given were very clear: under no circumstances stray from our Commander's orders."

Smiling, Thor offered a mirthless laugh. "Are you challenging my authority?"

Amused, Loki watched the little Vanir man regret being born in those next few seconds. Though less entertained but equally as interested, the warriors three watched in silence.

"No, never, your highness…"

"Choose your next words carefully, wretch," Thor warned.

Aware of whom he was speaking to, the man kept his tone level. "We are to follow our Commander's directions," the man extending his hands desperately, still trying to appease to the irritable Prince, "but he will no doubt heed your words once you…"

"And who is this Commander?" Thor asked, searching for a grandiose man wielding a mighty sword without allowing the soldier to respond.

"We call him Rekkr." Conflicted as to whether or not he should turn and point in the direction his leader was last seen, the man angled his shoulders. Loki inclined his head while listening intently. "He said he was-"

"And where is he?" Thor demanded, talking down to the soldier as if he were a stubborn chamber maid. Thor recalled that name; it was the man from that morning whose mystery stole his praise.

"H-he said he was-" the warrior gulped, trying to say his words without cowering too noticeably.

"Rekkr!" A friend of the cowering soldier spotted their leader and heralded him with waving hands. "There he is."

When Dallea re-entered the clearing, she paid no mind to the shouting of her name. She didn't even bother looking up from the ground. It was important for her soldiers to know where she was … most of the time. What she did not expect was Prince Thor challenging her the second she set foot in her own camp.

For Yggdrasil's sake, she thought, but kept her lips sealed. She backed up uncomfortably as her personal space was invaded.

"Rekkr," Thor said, spitting the name out of his mouth. "You are in charge of these … these miserable excuses for warriors?"

Rekkr moved her hands, sending Thor's limited attention to them instead of her unyielding face. Slowly, she made the sign of questioning with her hands in a hope that he would understand. He didn't.

The same soldier who had announced her presence stepped forward before Thor's temper consumed him. "Forgive him, my Prince, for he cannot speak …"

"Why not?" snapped Thor. These Vanir warriors were on a dangerous path if they continued to offend him in such a way.

"His voice is damaged from an accident. When he was young, he lost his ability to speak properly." The Prince hesitated for a second but refused to acknowledge the admittedly good excuse.

"Then how does he give you commands?" Thor asked, more frustrated than curious.

"He uses a signing technique with his hands," the man explained, risking a step closer. "At the moment he is asking what he can do for you."

Too surly to be gracious, Thor used his height to make Rekkr shrink beneath him. "Send your warriors to find the other Asgardian."

Moving his hands, Rekkr turned to show his movements to the soldier who was willing to translate. The man nodded, then looked to Thor. "He asks what this Asgardian looks like, and for a location where we could look for him."

"She's not a man, you oaf!" Thor snarled at Rekkr, who raised her hands in apology. Fists curling in agitation, Thor continued. "Her name is Sif and the last I saw of her was by the river to the east of here."

That river was thousands and thousands of miles long, but Rekkr was too afraid to say so. She began to panic. The audience watching her grew with every passing moment, and she could see the other Asgardian prince ambling ever closer. Trapped as she was beneath Thor's impatience she could only hope for a miracle to save her.

Loki recognized the signing that Dallea - Rekkr - did as the language of Mages who had sworn an oath of silence. He could pick up a few of her phrases, but with the shaking of her hands, it was difficult. By the Norns, she must be terrified. He watched few steps away, keen to see what came next.

Dallea thought quickly. After surveying the camp for a means of escape, something dawned on her. She flattened her hand and rotated it before separating her index finger from the rest.

"He says a quarter of our soldiers are still missing," the warrior said, watching as Rekkr brushed the imaginary dust off of her glove then connected the pads of her thumbs. "And that they may be with your missing friend."

Before Thor could threaten her into sending more to search, a bird whistle caught the camp off guard. The eldest prince furrowed his eyebrows and turned to his friends. Relieved, Rekkr took a step away from Thor and pulled out a small instrument from a pouch in her sleeve. Instead of blowing it herself, she passed it to the warrior next to her. He took it respectfully and tried to hide his awed expression as he blew into the tiny flute. From it came a musical honk, only slightly resembling the first noise.

The soldier, after smiling at the smoke-filled sky, looked to a perplexed Thor. "It's the Vanir soldiers."

"Is Sif among them?" Thor demanded.

"This whistle is only blown if one of us is injured," the man explained. "But the other Asgardian could be with them-"

Pushing past both Rekkr and the soldier, Thor marched into the forest, following the direction of where he had heard the whistle. Disgruntled, Rekkr watched him go. Or, try to go. He stepped back after being halted by Vanir soldiers emerging from the forest. They stood covered in blood and dirt, shining in the torchlight. Four of them held a makeshift stretcher on their shoulders. Laying atop of it was a woman whose face was drenched in dried blood. Her midnight black hair was disheveled and entangled with sticks and stones.

"Dear god," Hogun said, sprinting towards the stretcher to stand beside Thor. The prince was speechless, staring at his unconscious friend with a copious amount of guilt. "How did this happen?"

The soldier whom Hogun tried to speak with looked beyond the Asgardian and called to Rekkr instead. She stood rigid, watching the warriors three and Thor swarm around Sif's limp form. Seeing her in such a state was disturbing, to say the least.

"She was fending off a herd of Mares east of the river when we found her," the soldier explained. "We helped but there were so many of them." His voice began to break from exhaustion. "They were huge and came from everywhere…"

Rekkr nodded, gesturing for him to sit down. Five soldiers had returned, which meant they had lost eight men in that battle. The man who had given her the report was their designated medical officer, but the last thing Rekkr wanted to do was rush him after an obviously traumatic experience. Thor didn't feel the same.

Noticing the medical seal on his helmet, Thor narrowed his eyes at the man. Face awash with desperation, Thor grabbed the medic by the arm and shoved him towards where Sif lay. "Do something."

The rest of her soldiers, although conversing quietly amongst themselves, went back to their individual tasks. Rekkr watched her medic flit around Sif, trembling under the Asgardians' ferocity.

"Quite a coincidence, don't you think?" Rekkr froze, closing her eyes as scathing words made ice form in her veins. "That they return right when you need them to."

Rekkr turned slowly to face Prince Loki. His face was unreadable.

Yes, Rekkr signed, then looked away.

"He says-" the soldier began, but was cut off by Loki shrewdly.

"I know what she's saying."

The word 'she' made every soldier in earshot balk simultaneously. A heavy silence suffocated the Vanir men.

Although shaken, Rekkr turned towards her soldier, asking him without words to ready their departure. The soldier leaned away from Rekkr despite knowing what lay behind her mask. Bothered by her forced nonchalance, Loki spoke louder.

"It makes someone wonder." Rekkr struggled to keep her breathing steady. "What else are you hiding?"

She was tired, suddenly. Looking to the prince, she signed: What do you want?

"The truth," Loki stated firmly. Njörd's words attacked Rekkr in that moment: perhaps he had been right. After all, she was the one who spoke aloud while wearing that mask. She had broken a promise she made so long ago because she asked if Loki was alright.

I can't do that.

"Why not?' Loki demanded, inclining his head as Rekkr cast his gaze to the ground.

This is my home.

"And your definition of home is having people spit in your face when they mention who you are?" Loki asked, laughing at the absurdity of it all. Abruptly, Dallea understood his words. He was asking why, of course, but not why she tolerated this kind of abuse. He wanted to know why she had chosen this, instead of something else. It was so hard to look at him at that moment and see anything except the same boy whom she left. And that little boy wanted to know why she would rather get spit on every day than go back.

It's not that simple.

His eye twitched, but he had nothing else to say to her. Rekkr unclenched her hands, watching Loki turn away. After all this time he was still angry. To think he had forgotten about her.

"Loki!" Dallea called out.

The Prince swore his mind was playing tricks on him. Yet when he turned around to look, Rekkr was removed along with her mask. Covered in soot and grief, Dallea stood in his place. She dropped the mask to the ground and looked at the prince, trying to gauge his thoughts.

Loki was frozen for a few more seconds, but disbelief melted him. Her eyes never left him even though her camp was beginning to panic. What was she doing?

When she saw the corners of his mouth quirk upwards, her face broke into a smile. Adrenaline buzzed through Dallea's entire body, but she was weightless. Her hair in disarray from her helmet, sweat made her glisten in the torchlight. She was a mess, but still a sight for sore eyes.

"It's good to see you again," Loki said. As strange as this reunion was, he welcomed it.

"You too." Dallea's voice was breathy and her smile was genuine.