- Chapter 28 -
Begin at the beginning, Loki smiled. Very well. "It was a paradise that Frey created for me. He told me that he had business to attend to, so he was going to leave me to get some rest. He suggested I rest on the settee and read. Frey said that we would be having dinner together every night for the duration of my stay, so I'd better find something interesting to talk about." Loki couldn't thank Frey enough for the care he'd shown. She couldn't even be angry that she'd been so masterfully manipulated. It was done for her own wellbeing. Those months were the beginning of their adventuring together. She would always be grateful for that time.
"I picked up the first couple of books I came to and began to read. By the time Frey returned with dinner, I'd finished. He didn't get much of a chance to talk over at dinner. I was busy giving him an excited, several hours long presentation." Loki had so much fondness for Frey, it was hard not to let it slip into her voice at times. "He listened to everything I said, even slipped questions in to see how much I understood. Frey was never late for dinner with me, he never canceled or hurried so he could be off to other things. Every night that I was there we had dinner together. We would talk for three, sometimes four hours. Sometimes we talked for so long that I fell asleep at the table. He never said anything about my rudeness. I would wake up in bed under the covers with my boots on the floor at the foot of the bed."
"I don't think he knew why I'd done what I did. I don't think he knows now. I think he was just trying to support me, to aid me as he could. He knew that I'd have lied had he asked me about it, so he didn't. There was never even a hint of it from him. He just made sure that I was well cared for. You've seen how Vanaheim is a realm of magic users. I've always been welcomed and respected there. I've always been able to walk through the palace or city and not be gossiped about. People don't point and laugh as I walk through the halls. Uncle Frey has always crushed anyone who even looks at me oddly. To be so openly cared for was so wonderful when I was young," Loki greatly appreciated everything Frey did for her over the centuries, everything they did together.
.-.-.-.
"To be so openly cared for," "when the opposite was so painfully obvious," "I was never their child," "I was only ever Odinson in name, nothing more." Loki's words echoed loudly in Odin's mind. How can I be angry that you betrayed me when I betrayed you first? Can I even consider what you've done a betrayal since I wounded you so terribly? Is this why you attacked the Jotunns? Did you seek my attention in this desperate manner because I didn't notice all else you tried? The same thought came and went again, and Odin knew it was going to be with him for years to come. How did I not notice this?
.-.-.-.
Do I want to give this context? Loki paused to decide where to go next. It was a choice between the kolkrabbr, or the event itself. I don't want to. She chose the beast, as it would give more context to the event itself. No, but it's not about what I want. She didn't want their bargain activated again.
"On Vanaheim there's a creature called the kolkrabba. It's a beautiful creature, intelligent, graceful, quirky, and very savage," Loki began. She smiled sadly. This was a truth he could have. If he wanted this truth, then he would have it, after a little stalling anyway.
.-.-.-.
The kolkrabba! Thor sat up a bit more. Oh Norns, no, not this! You could not have done this. He thought he knew what happened that day. To be wrong about this would be horrible, more so than the first two times. No Little Brother, please not this! He remembered how furious his uncle was with Loki at the time. He remembered it as odd that his uncle would be so angry with Loki for an accident. Please, Little Brother, it was an accident, wasn't it? He wondered if he would ever stop wondering how he hadn't noticed. He'd been so cruelly blind. He couldn't be so any longer. While the Norns saw to it that Thor would see the past for what it was, he vowed to himself that going forward he would try his hardest to be more aware. He would try to see the effects of his actions, try to see if people needed aid before they did something awful. He owed it to his Little Brother to do this. No, not just to Loki. I owe it to the people I will one-day rule. I owe it to myself. I must be a better man than what I have been. So, he sat up, paid attention to Loki's words and tried to see his mistakes clearly so he wouldn't repeat them. Please, Little Brother, say that I wasn't wrong in this. It was an accident.
No! Frigga's eyes widened just a touch. There was only one incident that she knew of where Loki came into contact with one of those creatures. The injuries he sustained were terrible. A little shiver traced down her spine at the thought of Loki purposefully provoking the creature. Frigga knew exactly what those things did and didn't want to think about that happening to either of her sons. Small tears were pushed back as she tried and failed to imagine how Loki chose that over coming to her.
.-.-.-.
I don't understand. Tony wasn't sure what an animal had to do with a suicide attempt, but he knew that if he gave Loki the time, she'd explain. He'd learned over the years that sometimes she just needed some time. Sometimes there was back story that made the completely insane into the perfectly reasonable. Context matters. Rhodey told him that more times than he could remember, as did Loki. They were right. Context always mattered.
"It's very much like the Midgardian squid, but with over twice as many limbs. They can be as small as a German Shepard or can grow to the size of a 747 aircraft, sometimes bigger," Loki continued.
Calamari for days. That was one big squid. Tony whistled in appreciation.
"They live in caves, lakes, and oceans. The ones dwelling in lakes are normally between the size of small sedan to a small bus. Despite the difference in living environment and available prey, the kolkrabbr are all quite similar. Instead of a bulbous fleshy head, they have an oblong head and are covered in interlocking armor plating with biochemical camouflage in it. Rows of bony spikes protrude from their head. They extend an additional few inches if the animal is in danger."
"Their limbs are spaced in a circle around the base of their head, and beneath the limbs is its beak. Their beaks are strong enough to bite through a dwarven forged sword. The kolkrabbr don't have eyes. They have no need of them. The bony protrusions act as both spikes and whiskers, allowing them to see through the currents around them," Loki still believed they were beautiful creatures, despite her run-in with one. In that moment, Loki missed Mshindi. He was such a good boy. Tony was still standing against the counter, arms crossed, just waiting. She wasn't sure she could be glad for his patience today. These were answers he'd waited for, yet she still didn't want him to have them. There were some answers he simply couldn't have. Maybe if I stall a little longer he'll give up. Most likely no.
"What makes any kolkrabba truly dangerous are its poison limbs. Each creature has four limbs with poison spikes at the tip. The kolkrabba, no matter where it lives, is an ambush predator. When it takes its prey by surprise, envenomating the prey with a powerful neurotoxin. The poison is so powerful that it can halt the prey from breathing. It's quite rare for their prey to drown," Loki said.
"Loki, what does a monster squid on steroids have to do with this?" Tony was trying to be patient, but he needed her to give him something to work with. It was particularly difficult to be patient when he hurt.
Stalling isn't working, damn. Loki gave him the same look she always gave him when he interrupted. It was a look that said, "You asked the question, you're going to listen to the answer!" She only stopped glaring when he returned to standing calmly with arms crossed.
.-.-.-.
Just hours after it happened, Odin was informed that Loki was attacked in the lake. It was only because Loki was under Frey's personal care that he hadn't immediately brought his son back to Asgard. As little as he liked his damnable brother-by-law, even he conceded that Frey was one of the best trained and most powerful Heal Meisters in all the Nine Realms. Removing his son from the care of a Heal Meister of that level of talent and power when he'd been so badly injured just wasn't sensible. Since he couldn't have Loki brought home, he made certain that Frey had the creature destroyed. It didn't take much for him to know where this was going. Normally he would send a small prayer to the Norns to give him strength. This time all he had was the comfort of his wife by his side, and she was still so distraught. Odin was beginning to dread the next time he went to sleep. He already knew what terrors were eagerly awaiting him in the macabre depths.
.-.-.-.
"There are common signs that a kolkrabba is living near. It constructs a large, domed den of out stones, mud, coral, driftwood, water plants, any available materials really. It's a very distinctive structure, much in the same way a bird's nest or a beaver's dam is distinctive. Then it moves rocks into a rectangular patch outside of its home. The third is something you already know about," Loki smiled mischievously when Tony raised an eyebrow warily.
"The kolkrabbr are fastidiously tidy creatures. Unlike most beasts, they won't live in their own filth. No. They rise to the surface, excrete their waste, then fling it onto the shore. They refuse to dirty their home." Loki smiled a knowing smile as she motioned to over her shoulder at the cube shelving on the living room wall, behind the stairs. "When this waste dries in the sunlight it crystallizes into beautiful golden gems called Solingim. These gems are harvested then they're turned into jewelry, statues, and all manner of other beautiful things. Ones created in the wild are considered far more valuable than the ones that are created at a farm. It has to do with the diet of the animal."
That's so gross! Tony put a hand over his eyes. "Are you telling me that Frey sent me hardened squid crap as a present?"
"And is a pearl, a speck of sand and oyster spit, more to your liking?" Loki giggled again.
"Ok, you win this round. Just don't tell me what anything else that Frey has given us is made of. I don't want to know. I did before, I just don't now," Tony shrugged and put his hands up, surrounding as he spoke. He crossed his arms back over his chest then. It was more disgusting the longer he thought about it. He was going to have to talk to Frey about that. It wasn't as though he thought Frey meant anything by it, but he wanted to know how common a practice it was to use that.
.-.-.-.
A tart smile crossed Frey's lips at Anthony's dislike. He hadn't liked Anthony when they'd first met, so he thought the gift was fitting. He knew Loki understood. Loki always understood. Frey was pleased that he and Anthony got along quite well these days. Although, he never would've thought that a loud-mouthed former womanizer who frequently smelled more like machines than anything else would be the one to capture Loki's heart. He still didn't know what Anthony did to make himself worthy of Loki. It wasn't their being bound either. That didn't make a worthy spouse. He knew for certain that Loki did consider Anthony to be a more than worthy spouse. While Frey was Loki's elder, he never considered it his place to tell Loki whom she could and couldn't give her affections to.
It was never a problem, as Loki always had high standards for romance. Few enough were ever able to meet any of those standards. Truly, there was only ever one man who could meet all of them. He understood why Loki had those standards. He just didn't just know how Anthony managed it. Frey remembered the many times when he laughed to himself as some pretty young courtier approached Loki, all giggles and coy smiles, only to be summarily dismissed. Even some of the young sons of the Noble Houses of Vanaheim tried to court Loki, for the boy was as beautiful as many of the young women. They too were dismissed. He remembered Loki telling him, "I'm waiting for the right person to love." Frey was happy that Loki finally found that person. However, he knew that they were bound by more than just vows, magic and Yggdrasil. There was a shared experience that bound them tightly. It all ran back to the dark days. Frey wished he knew what it was. He wished they trusted him enough to share it with him.
.-.-.-.
It is time to tell him. I can't stall any longer. Loki sighed softly. "As I said, kolkrabbr are ambush predators. Once they've surprised their prey, envenomated them, they wrap their limbs around the prey and drag it down to their rock patch. They then spin around and around. Each time around they smash their prey against the rocks. It breaks up all the bones, makes it easier to eat."
"Loki, I don't like where this is going ..." Tony dropped his arms and took a step closer.
"Their prey usually dies from being smashed repeatedly against the rocks. When the prey is dead, they stash the corpse in their den. A kolkrabba eats everything. Hair, skin, bone, muscle, and organ. There's nothing it leaves behind," Loki looked at Tony as she spoke, held his gaze steady with her own. He wanted this truth, and he'd have it. There was going to be no getting out of this.
