---
Loki swept his gaze across the vast sandy wasteland. It was hard to believe, after so many months, he was returning to the guild. He wondered how much progress had been made in his absence. For the last five days he'd been trying to push his parting from his friends from his mind. It kept coming back to him, almost like a dog nipping at his heels. He kept feeling this terrible sense of overwhelming loss, especially when he thought of Fenris. He quickened his pace, the sooner he was in the company of other assassins the better. How strangely ironic that he should feel the need for others. He felt sure that as soon as he returned to the guild his sense of duty would take over, and he would stop experiencing the pain.
He could see the sandstorms in the distance, he felt a faint note of relief, a sign that something had been accomplished after all. He created a space in the whirlwind just large enough for himself to slide in through. He made his way towards where the guild hall once stood in full glory, now a mere skeleton, only half built on the outside. He was halted by a guard, one Loki did not recognize. He drew his sword and flashed it about pompously,
"Who are you? State your business!" Loki started at him impassively, feeling strangely like an outsider as he answered,
"I am Loki. I have returned from my task." The guard, whom Loki now pegged for a novice assassin, lowered his sword in disbelief 'till the tip rested in the sands.
"Y-you're the Loki? I-I'm sorry sir! Forgive me master!" He went down to one knee, "I was only accepted into the guild a few weeks ago sir, forgive me I did not know who I was speaking to. You are anxiously awaited by the council." Loki blinked,
"Council...?" The novice stood up and eagerly nodded his head,
"Yes, the new council! They've all been worried, we hadn't heard anything of you..." Loki narrowed his eyes,
"Who is on this new council?" The novice saluted as he answered, his nature annoyed Loki, but he didn't let it show,
"Ibrahm, Mustafa, Hajatu, and Taulin...would you like the names of the others?" Loki shook his head,
"That won't be necessary." He didn't like it. Something about there being a new council elected in his absence made his hackles rise, as if he was against the change. "I assume they are in the council chamber at present?" The novice nodded,
"Yes sir, they are. I am sure they shall be most pleased with..." Whatever the rest of the assassin had to say Loki didn't hear it, he was already gone.
---
Loki didn't know why he had been surprised at the news of a new council. It was only logical that they would make one while he was away. He also could think of no better candidates for the job, well...Ibrahm was perhaps not the wisest choice, but the others were all sound in judgement and experience. He walked through the halls, trying not to disturb those who were at work building. He strode into the council chamber, which he noticed vaguely in the back of his mind was much more bare and spartan than he remembered it. There was a round table at the center, with six people sitting around it, four of whom he recognized. He heard Mustafa's voice ring out,
"Who dares---!?" The members all stood up, looking towards the door. Hajatu did a double take, and Taulin turned deathly pale. All six stared as though they'd seen a ghost. Ibrahm finally broke the silence,
"M-Master Loki...? Have you..? You have returned...?" Loki felt himself nod quietly. He was personally having trouble ridding himself of an image that disturbed him. He'd thought for a moment, when he'd seen Taulin out of the corner of his eye, that she was Fenris. How remarkably strange. He was suddenly assailed with questions and exclamations as people pressed in on him,
"Master Loki! So good to meet you at last!"
"Loki what took you so long?"
"I take it the mission was a success?"
"What happened? Let's hear it?"
"Where did you go?"
"I've never seen an assassin of the cross before..." It was too much, Loki snarled loudly,
"Enough!" The talking stopped instantly, his cry still ringing shrilly though the room. They all backed away from him slowly, as if he were a bomb about to go off. Silence reigned, Taulin finally offered up an apology,
"We are sorry Loki, it's just that we've all been so worried...please would you tell us how the mission went?" Loki nodded and answered flatly,
"It is alright...I suppose if I must, I shall tell my story. Sit down, the telling will take a long time." They ended up having to hear the story over a period of three days. Some of the novices would occasionally come in and listen with a light of awe in their eyes that disgusted Loki. Such innocence...they will lose it however. They all do, in the end.
On the third day late into the night Loki finished his story,
"..and that is all that happened. We parted after that and I returned here." He'd told them everything, at least everything that mattered. He didn't bore them with the dealings he had with the thief-girl Lidia, which he was eager to forget anyways, nor did he tell them of the time he saved Fenris on the airship. It had seemed somehow too private to share. Something he wasn't eager for them to discover. He'd found himself speaking a lot about Fenris as he told his story, it unnerved him in a way. He'd been trying to veer away from the subject of her ever since he'd parted ways with her. Fenris, he thought to himself shortly after falling silent. Why? Why must you haunt me so? He was unaware of Mustafa's voice... Your eyes, your voice... ...he was saying something insistently...Fenris, I...I won't see you again. And that is that... He was saying it again louder, so obnoxious...I know that, so why must I continue reminding myself of it? We shall never see each other again...it is the way things are... Hajatu had joined his voice with Mustafa..Fenris... The two men in front of him looked at each other, then back to Loki...Why does that thought cause me pain..? They'd commenced shouting at him again. Pointless words, A friend hmph? Loki chuckled inwardly, If you say so Fenris...you consider me a friend even though I shall never look upon your face again? Never hear your voice again? Never-- A hand waved in front of his face, and a shout of four voices startled him,
"LOKI!!" Ibrahm tacked a vexed, 'Are you deaf!?' to the end of the statement. Loki looked up at his four comrades, utterly bewildered,
"Yes? What is it?" They all exchanged glances. Something was definitely not right with Loki. Mustafa cleared his throat and went ahead with what he'd been trying to communicate with Loki for the last six and a half minutes,
"We would like you to know, that there is a council spot open for you, if you would like it. Of course you'll be accepting.." Loki stood up and murmured abstractedly,
"It is late...I must think before I accept the charge..." Hajatu furrowed his brows,
"Loki? Are you alright? You do understand what's just been said don't you?" Loki blinked and snapped back to reality for a moment.
"What? Yes of course I do, I just need to think is all. I shall let you know in the morning. Good night." His four comrades looked at each other again, every one of them worried.
---
Fenris was tired, yet she could not sleep. She sighed and looked over the campsite. She smiled fondly at Chaos and Iris. She looked to where Loki would've been. She stared at the spot, fighting the urge to blink. She continued staring if she looked hard enough, and thought strongly enough, she thought she could just barley make out his outline. It was a game she'd been playing for the last few nights when she was on watch. She'd see how long she could make the pretend outline stay. She bit her lip, her eyes screaming at her. Fenris finally gave in with a sigh and blinked.
She sighed again and looked up at the star-studded sky. Loki, why do I feel so desolate now..? Why do I keep thinking of you? Why do I want you back? The rational part of her mind answered instantly, because he's your friend.
Fenris half shrugged and leaned against a tree trunk engaging herself
in the same conversation she had been for the last week or so. Yes I knowhe's
my friend, but.. why do I feel so lost..so insecure...so vulnerable now
that he's gone? Loki where are you!? I want you here...and I don't even
know why! She bit her lip as tears started to form in her eyes, oh there you go Fenris.. yes let's start crying.. as if that will make matters any better! Her own cruel thoughts stung so much she felt her control slipping. Easy.. easy Fenris...now.. just calm down.. let's just not think of Loki right now...you can do that can't you...? A beat of silence passed in her thoughts, ...no! She felt tears spill down her cheeks, Oh! No..please no.. Loki! Wha..? Why did I try to beseech him just then..? Oh.. The warlock wiped her eyes and sniffed a little. Now
really look at you, you're just going to pieces! You can't afford this
you know! What if Freya's minions were to attack and here you are
sitting like a child crying! Despite her thoughts Fenris couldn't
stop the tears. She bit her lips, trying to withhold her sobs so that
the others would not wake and hear her. She bit her knuckle as she
cried bitterly, "I don't think I cried this much for Balder..so
why...?" She tried to calm her body's quaking as another wave of sorrow
came over her. She managed to whimper out, "Loki..." She spent a long
time in near-silent agony, as unstoppable tears came for some unknown
reason. Finally she felt her body relaxing as the last few tears slid
down her cheeks. She leaned her head back, looking at the stars again.
She was suddenly exhausted, she closed her eyes and fell asleep faster
than she ever had before in her life.
-----
Ta daaaa! End o' Chapter two! Dun worry, still more!