Chapter 8: Inner strength
Loki was waiting expectantly in his room. He knew something was wrong. He could feel the restlessness like a storm on his head, threatening and dark.
He stiffened and tilted his head, listening, searching for the source of the intense foreboding that curled in the pit of his stomach.
He didn't have to wait too long. With hurried steps, Pepper and Peter, unexpectedly, entered his house.
"Mr. Loki! They're here!" "The enemies are invading us" They said in unison.
"What happened? Tony's troop was defeated?" Loki said, unable to avoid the intense panic that appeared in his voice.
"We don't know, we haven't received any news from them," Pepper said, speaking calmly, but Loki could see her hands trembling slightly.
"The enemies broke the walls on the south side." She continued. "It was a small but powerful group. In a short time, they defeated the majority of the soldiers. Those that remain, continue resisting, but it is clear that they will not be able to stand for much longer.
Loki, most of our soldiers are not here, they are fighting with Tony. We have almost no defenses. If they manage to enter the village, I'm afraid we will not be able to face them."
Loki cursed softly "So what shall we do? Come on! think, what can be done?" He reflected with exasperation.
"Peter, I need you to gather everyone in the main square. The enemies will attack us head on, but we are more than them. We will have more chances to survive if we stay together.
Tell all those who have not taken up arms yet, that they should do so now. Shovels, pikes, sickles or spears, anything that could be used to defend themselves.
Pepper and I, will also be there. Once you're done, meet us"
"Of course, you can count on me, Mr. Loki," Peter said, grave and solemn, bowing his head in a slight nod, to then, run out.
Loki felt his blood boil. A mixture of anger and fear made his nerves bristle and his heart beat wildly as if it was about to explode from his chest.
"We are not going to stay without doing anything," He told Pepper "we are going to fight!"
She stared at him for a moment. The lines of her eyes deepened and her mouth tightened in determination.
"Yes," She said "We will fight until the end"
Then, grabbing the end of his wheelchair, Pepper took Loki quickly to the meeting point.
"Tony..." Loki's mind, couldn't help but wander towards his memory "Don't you dare to break your promise. Please... be safe..."
In the main square, they all gathered together.
Those who had experience brandishing weapons, had aligned themselves, surrounding the others like a human wall; while the rest, crouched behind, very close, as if their mutual proximity could protect them from any danger.
They all waited for the enemy.
The hearts of the people began to throb with force, and the exalted energy spiked through their limbs.
Loki looked around, the view, was not a hopeful one. His gaze swept each one of those faces with worried trepidation.
He saw children crying holding onto their mothers' skirts, while their parents tried to hold their weapons in insecure defensive postures.
He observed inexperienced adolescents trying to appear more courageous than they felt, for the sake of their families.
He saw people with hardly enough strength, whether due to illness or age.
And finally, his sight was diverted to the villagers who had positioned themselves in the first line of defense. Loki saw them as they really were: men who had never experienced the rigor of a battle, trembling under the weight of their sword.
He saw stern faces everywhere. Everyone was afraid, to the unknown, to pain, to death.
Pepper and Peter were also at his side, but their faces were so hard, with such a sour expression, that it seemed as if a shadow of darkness had descended on their features.
In the distance, Loki heard the war cries of the invaders, the metallic sound of their weapons, and their footsteps reverberating like drums on the sand.
The battle was upon them, the enemies were not far behind.
The people of the village heard them too, and a general tremor went through each of the inhabitants. Suddenly, a wave of fear invaded them; one that made their chest tighten and their senses vibrate in commotion.
"How are we going to defeat them?" A man shouted, suddenly.
"How are we going to protect ourselves?" Said a mother with a baby in her arms.
"What are we going to do now?" Someone said in a whisper.
Despair slowly began to arise in the group.
Agitated, the clamor of the crowd was heard with vehemence. The set of voices, a mixture of dread and anguish, echoed in growing tones and their words overlapped one another in a confused uproar.
The atmosphere changed: The air felt heavy, the result of the sudden tension and in the eyes of the people, could be glimpsed a bitter shadow of defeat and resignation.
Loki knew that look. It was one that allowed him to recognize before a battle, which were the soldiers who would lose their lives. Those who even before fighting, had already surrendered. A self-fulfilling prophecy that predisposed them to death.
He knew he should do something, but what? In Asgard, it was usual for the general to give a short speech before each battle. He, along with Thor, was usually designated for that task.
Loki was accustomed to standing in front of the soldiers and using his silver tongue to recite harangues with such solemn and fiery content that it could even arouse the most reluctant public.
But now, could he do the same? What could he say? What were the correct words? These people weren't warriors, they were simple villagers who wanted to protect their home. They didn't believe in glory in battle or in the loyalty to the king. This time, Loki didn't have prepared speeches or embellished words to give them.
And yet, something in his chest told him that this was not the right path. For once, Loki wanted to grant something truthful. He wanted to give them words of truth, words of life.
At that moment, Loki knew the promise he would make: He would protect those lives at all costs. He didn't know how, but he had that certainty. He would help to defend his new home.
"Remain calm," He said slowly, over the tumult. The exalted group, upon hearing those words, immediately fell silent.
All eyes turned on him and Loki suddenly felt very aware of their piercing gazes.
"Listen, I... I don't know how this battle will turn out. I don't know if at the end of the day, we will be victorious or if we will have to face defeat"
His heart was pounding, but he spoke what he needed to say, what his soul needed to express.
"And yet, despite everything, I see you standing here, confronting the uncertainty, the unknown, facing the danger of death. Maybe now you just feel hopeless, but I want you to know that this act makes you more than any hero, stronger than any famous warrior. The fact of being here, transforms your bravery into something more powerful than any weapon that at this moment you may be holding in your hands."
And Loki really believed it. In his time in Asgard, he had thought that the only important strength was that of combat. Nothing else mattered, except that fight that allowed to validate your existence.
But the people of the village had demonstrated to him how wrong he was.
They, with their courage and cleverness, had shown him the enormous inner strength that drove them. He had been able to witness this mysterious power, which allowed them to create and build, to survive despite the difficulties, to fight for a land that they transformed into their home.
They had taught him that there are intangible forces that grow from the inside. Some, which are hidden in the depths of your dreams and then resurface to make way for a feeling, an impetus. Something so unfathomable and powerful that is able to face any obstacle, confront any enemy.
When Loki spoke again, his voice was firm and his eyes brightened with conviction.
"The path we have chosen is dangerous. On this day, you may be presented with dilemmas that seem insurmountable, choices you never wanted to face or fears that at the moment seem impossible to overcome. But we are not allowed to surrender, we have an obligation to face the difficulties. It is necessary, because we have something that is worth fighting for, beyond fear or uncertainty.
I have now, something worth fighting for..." He said in a whisper.
"We are here to fight for our future, for our friends, and loved ones, we have the right and duty to fight. Our goal is neither victory nor power, but peace and freedom. We will do it together, whatever happens, we will fight for our home... "
When Loki finished his speech, the change in the environment was immediate. The ovation was not rowdy, like the battle cries of the soldiers in Asgard, but it was infinitely truer.
The people smiled at him; and their bright, hopeful eyes looked at him so openly and gratefully that Loki felt shaken, as if a cold breeze had met his skin.
Those feelings that the villagers tried to share with him, Loki perceived them in such an intense way, that it reverberated to the deepest part of his being, penetrating his skin and senses. Making him feel a strange and comforting warmth that began to bloom in his chest and then engulf him completely.
Moved, without yet erasing that gentle smile on their faces, the villagers took each other's hands. In their minds, a certainty, a promise.
"Even if death finds us, even if we face defeat, we are not alone. No matter what fate brings us, we will face it together "
Overhead, the dawn slowly poured over the mountains and those first rays of the rising aurora caressed their faces with a comforting warmth.
A shadow moved in the distance and a group of silhouettes seemed to approach.
When the villagers turned again to face the enemies, this time it was with a brave stance "Let them come! we are ready!" Suddenly, someone said from the crowd.
Vehement exclamations of support, echoed among the people; and fervent war cries resounded all over the esplanade.
After a small moment, the enemies appeared on the horizon. They were here, the battle had begun.
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Hi! Merry Christmas to all! This chapter was meant to be posted as a gift for the 25th, but I didn't post it on time, so consider this a late Christmas gift or an early New Year gift hahaha
I know! another cliffhanger! but in the next chapter, I promise that we will be able to see the final battle and also, finally, the outcome of this war. So please bear with me hehe
I hope you liked this chapter! As always, comments and kudos are pleasantly welcome! So if you have any doubt, recommendation, criticism or opinion do not hesitate to point them out! I will be happy to answer :)
Send you all, a big Christmas hug! Hope you have a great holiday. Take care!