Earth-717: Thor Vol 1
Chapter 8: The Dark World
The two of them standing in the observatory room with the well, Loki and Amora continued to watch as an aerial view of the Dark World showed them how Thor's party was progressing. Amora was leaning over the sill of the well, with her elbows placed on it. She was repeatedly tapping the fingers on her right palm against her cheek, and sulked about as she waited for something to happen.
Loki, however, was not such a passive observant. His hands held behind his back, he stood utterly still as he stared at the water in the well. His breathing was so slowed as he tried to focus that at certain points it seemed that he had completely forgotten to breathe at all. After several more agonizing minutes of nothing in particular happening, Amora decided to slither her way up to him, seizing him from behind.
Rubbing her pelvis against the back of Loki's right thigh, Amora began sensually massaging the front of his body. She ran the tips of her fingers along the lines of the muscles on his chest, but he seemed completely unresponsive to her flirtations. Sulking again, she placed her chin on his right shoulder and frowned.
"You're no fun."
Loki sighed.
"I'm afraid I am not," replied Loki. "I have been waiting for this for far too long . . . . I'm just not in the mood."
"You're never not in the mood around me . . . . am I to be shunned away by both of the Odinsons?"
Loki gave a brief snicker at this. Amora continued to press her body against Loki's as she looked down at Thor's party.
"Although I must say, I'm surprised," she said. "The apple of Thor's eye appears to have changed. I never thought I would see the day."
"The mortal?"
"Yes . . . . you remember what I told you of his body language? I can see it, all of it. His heart is on a knife's edge, dangling over a dangerous precipice. He himself is unsure of his feelings, but what his body says without his notice means everything."
Loki narrowed his eyes as he mused over Amora's words.
"That does make things more interesting," said Loki. "He always had a foolishly bleeding heart. Who is to say he would not stoop so low?"
"I never would have thought you to be the one to chastise someone for loving . . . ."
Loki violently turned his body as the back of his right hand smacked Amora across the face. Shrieking in startlement, she landed on all fours before quickly turning her head back up to look at him. Loki's demeanour had completely changed, with no semblance left of his mischievous self. All of the rage and malice she knew was in his heart had come straight to the surface.
Amora knew she could teleport away or even battle Loki if she needed to, but preferred to try and avoid further hostilities. She wiped her mouth and stood back up, waiting for him to speak.
"You do not, ever, speak of that again," demanded Loki.
Her face neutral, Amora swallowed her pride and gave a brief nod of compliance. He then turned around and resumed his watch of the well. Glaring at him once his back was turned, Amora then left the room, knowing that she need not stay in his company any longer.
After having walked for almost a dozen hours, Thor's party had decided to take a moment of rest in an alcove in the stone of the mountains they were moving along. The alcove was situated along the pathway Faradei had scouted out that ran across the side of a major mountain range, before leading to a natural bridge that led to the other side of the continent.
The bridge itself was made of sedimentary rock, and was easily ten kilometres long. It stretched about two thousand metres into the air over a canyon that had a river running through it. When she first saw the expanse of the canyon before her, Jane had made a joke about the movie Cliffhanger. She had then realized that her joke was a waste, because none of her compatriots knew what a movie was.
Faradei had pointed out a set of ruins that could barely be seen in the distance on the other side of the continent. There were several large, white stone columns that had been placed in a lake. Due to matching a description that had been given in his studies, he surmised that they were the same ruins that were said to be close to the Temple of Arishem.
The group was now sitting in the alcove, and Jane was relieved to have Sif finally open her provisions pack. She handed out a small piece of bread to each member of the party, and they all took it without question. Jane squinted at the bread, for it looked, smelled and felt like nothing she had ever encountered before. Finally taking a bite, she chewed on it to discover that it tasted just like regular bread, and then casually consumed the rest of her serving.
As they were about to leave the alcove, Faradei held out his arm, gesturing for everyone to stay silent. Quietly sniffing the air, a look of mortification then took over Faradei's face. He slowed his breathing to the point that he was not making even a whisper, and everyone in the party followed suit. A few moments later, they all heard what had given him pause.
The breathing of Zedonius could be heard through the rock as the gargantuan dragon climbed down the side of the mountain. All the party had to see was his right claw reaching down and grabbing at the cliff edge of the pathway to know that they were mere metres away from the monster. Every instinct in Jane's body told her to panic, but she knew that if she did, she was dead.
Gulping hard, she then felt Thor's arm reach around her shoulders, pulling her in close. Thor had noticed that she was on the verge of hyperventilating, which would have given away their position. He pressed her face against his chest, and she closed her eyes. Trying hard to tune everything else out, she couldn't help but hear the great dragon sniffing into the air.
Sniffing for her.
She waited for the inevitable, but it never came. After another minute, Thor let go of Jane, and she let her eyes flutter open. Looking out of the alcove, she saw that Zedonius had taken off, and was flying into the distance. Two Harrows then flew overhead, before going in the direction they had come from.
"Malekith's agents know we're here," said Faradei. "They'll be scouring the entire continent for us. Well, we did say we wanted a stealth mission, right?"
"What do we do?" asked Jane, who was starting to get frantic. "We'll be, we'll be easy targets crossing that bridge! N-No, no cover at all!"
"Indeed," replied Faradei. "That's why we're crossing at night."
"At night?! You crazy? You said we can't move at night!"
"I said that at night you cannot see anything. The same will be for the enemy. A daunting challenge, but we will never make it across the bridge alive otherwise."
"'Tis quite the risk," said Thor.
"This whole journey is a risk," replied Faradei. "Every other option ends in our death."
Everyone took a moment to let the reality of their situation sink in.
"We wait for nightfall."
The group had formed their small circle again. Aeltri and Thor were sleeping, while Faradei maintained a vigilant watch of the horizon. As the sun was setting, Jane looked at Sif, who was sitting on the ground near her, with her arms wrapped around her knees. Jane adopted the same pose before smiling at her.
It took Sif a couple minutes before she realized she was being stared at. Startled, she returned Jane's gaze.
"Hey."
"Do you need something?"
"Nah, I just . . . . I, uh . . . . I w-wanted to . . . . apologize."
"For what?"
"For, uh . . . . well, I guess first thing would be for calling you a crazy bitch. When you grabbed me off Earth, I mean."
Sif tilted her head slightly as she considered Jane's words.
"And, uh . . . . for all this."
Jane paused.
"N-not that it's my fault, really, didn't ask for that orb thing to f-fall from the sky . . . . eh, um . . . . just that . . . . I know I've caused a lot of . . . . frustration. Since that happened, and . . . . I didn't, I never wanted to."
Jane looked down, sullenly rocking her head from side to side. Sif pondered for a while, before finally speaking up.
"You needn't apologize, Jane. If anyone should, 'tis I. You have done nothing wrong, and I . . . . I have not treated you in kind."
Jane looked away from the floor and back at Sif, who was sighing.
"I have let . . . . I have been blinded, by my emotions and my duty. I have threatened your life, when you are an innocent. I have ashamed myself by drawing my sword on an ally."
Jane gave a smile.
"You also saved my life, and all those Elves when you pulled us outta there. I'd say you've earned some slack."
Sif smiled at this.
"Still, I am sorry."
"It's okay."
Jane and Sif shared a warm smile before they both resumed looking at the ground. After another minute, Jane perked up again.
"So, let me ask you something that's been on my mind."
Sif turned her head to Jane again.
"You and Thor . . . . so, you uh, are you, uh, together?"
"In what manner of speaking?"
"Like, dating."
"Dating?"
"Uh, right, you guys probably don't use that word, isn't Shakespearean enough for you. Um, lemme think, uh . . . . what word am I looking for, uh, I guess, engaged? No, wait, I got it. Betrothed."
"Ah, betrothed! Uh . . . . well . . . ."
Jane closed her mouth as she waited for an answer.
"I suppose the answer to your question would be no," said Sif. "We have made no formal marriage arrangement. However . . . . we have . . . . and so do most people in Asgard, a sort of . . . . general understanding, that that is something that will come in time."
"But, you haven't . . . . haven't said anything yet?"
"'Tis not my place to presume what wants the heart of my prince."
"But what do you want?"
Sif did not answer. Jane knew what this meant.
"You asked him about it?"
"No. I have not."
"Well . . . . just sayin', that, uh . . . . I know what it's like. To be in that weird space, you know? Not yes or no, but maybe? It sucks . . . . but if that's what you want, then you should probably talk to him about it."
"I have wanted to, but . . . . we've been . . . . preoccupied, with other matters."
"Heh. Right. You guys are immortal, and you're telling me you can't find the time to tell him how you feel?"
Again, Sif did not answer.
"You know, you guys think you're so different from us. Humans, I mean. But you're not, not at all. Only known you for a couple days . . . . but your people, and mine? We're exactly the same."
Jane and Sif both went quiet again. Faradei then approached them, waking Aeltri and Thor. As the party was about to leave, Jane's eyes filled with red again.
"Oh no."
Jane experienced another seizing episode. Once it was over, her eyes took on a more vibrant shade of blue. Aeltri gasped upon seeing that they looked almost exactly like Malekith's.
"Jane?" asked Aeltri.
"I'm here," panted Jane. "Mostly, I-I think."
Jane took in several deep breaths, indicating her exhaustion.
"I look worse, don't I?"
Nobody answered her question. Jane closed her eyes and sighed, putting her hands on her face. She let out a few tears before wiping off her new eyes. Everyone regarded her with frowns, as they tried to rationalize what she could possibly be going through.
"I, uh . . . . I can't hide it anymore. There's something else happening here, whenever I go all . . . . and it gets more vibrant every time."
"What is it?" asked Aeltri.
"I see things," answered Jane. "Things I don't . . . . things that aren't my eyes. What I've seen. They, they're . . . . they were fuzzy at first, but they get clearer . . . . like some kinda crazy dream, or nightmare or something. But, uh, thinking about it now . . . . I think they're memories."
"Memories?" asked Thor.
"Yeah. And they aren't mine. In them, I see Malekith . . . . but, he's better. Like, without the whole, face cut in half thing. And . . . . he's at home. At home with, uh . . . . I think they're his kids."
Everyone went silent again.
"Malekith had children?" asked Thor.
"Yeah. And he uh, he steps into the room. And he, he looks at them, and his eyes just light up. They're so happy to see him, they just jump into his arms. And . . . . and he has nothing but joy on his face."
The lines of Aeltri's eyes softened as she listened to Jane's narration.
"He takes them to a, to a . . . . to a tub. And he bathes them, washes their skin, and . . . . he does it s-so, so lovingly. And, when he's done, he then, looks at me . . . . and he walks over, but it's not me, it's her. And he says . . . . says . . . . he says how happy he is, to have his family."
Thor was visibly moved by this, and Sif noticed. She reached out and pressed her hand against his, and he gently grasped it.
"Next thing you know . . . . the scene, the scene, it uh, it changes. And the home's gone. Just, rubble. And . . . . and Malekith's there, but he's changed. The joy's gone. Nothing but . . . . but sorrow in his eyes. And he falls to his knees, and he screams at the sky . . . . and you just know . . . . you just know he has nothing left."
A single tear slipped from the corner of Faradei's left eye. Aeltri stepped next to him and rested her head against his shoulder. Jane held her hands together, anxiously rubbing them against each other. The whole party took a moment of silence, which Jane eventually broke.
"Much as it . . . . as it, uh . . . . much as it makes me wonder, I uh . . . . I don't think he's all bad. Whatever he is now . . . . he wasn't back then. I'm telling you, I've watched it happen three times now, and the man I see, in that vision . . . . is a man with nothing in his heart but love for his family. The same as any of us."
Aeltri walked up to Jane and gave her a hug, which Jane happily returned. Looking out at the night sky, Faradei knew it was time to leave. Without another word, the party marched out of the alcove and headed towards the bridge. With virtually no light and only Faradei's sharpened senses to lead them, the party started their trek across the bridge, continuing their journey through the Dark World.