Chapter Eleven
Loki pulled you to his chest tightly, without your breastplate, the leather and metal of his armour pressed painfully against your breasts. You winced slightly as his long arm reached around you, pressing on your wounded shoulder as he held you into him. Like with the ice blockade, you felt an odd sensation before finding yourself close to the destroyed camp.
"Loki is it really wise to have sauntered off for a walk?" Fandral joked. "Especially when it was just you and young Ragnar?"
"Where is Thor?" you demanded, causing the warrior to cease his jesting behaviour and study Loki's concerned face better.
"He is with Heimdall at the Bifrost site. Why?"
"They have found a way to Asgard, not far from the city." Loki explained. Silence descended as everyone processed what he just said.
"What do we do?" Volstagg's usually booming voice seemed somewhat small. "Our families."
"Any idea's" Loki asked looking to you.
"We need to get back and try and head them off before they reach the city."
"Heimdall, prepare the Bifrost." Loki yelled skyward. "Are all those who perished gone back?" He queried, Cnut and Volstagg nodded. "Get everyone together; we need to return home immediately." He commanded.
Everyone came together and waited for the Bifrost to open. You winced as again the sickening sensation took over as you travelled between realms and landed once more in the golden sphere.
"Loki, what is the meaning of this? We need to go back to Svartalfheim." Thor growled.
"They're here. Thor, they have found their way into Asgard."
"That is not possible." Thor dismissed before turning to the guardian. "Heimdall would have seen them?"
"I have seen them Thor, with my own eyes, by the training village, eyeing the city; we need to defend it immediately." Loki explained frantically.
"It is true your highness." You added.
"You saw them in Asgard with your own eyes?" Thor asked sceptically.
"No, I saw the portal, and those guarding it, Loki saw everything else." You explained.
"Heimdall, can you see any near the training grounds, Aesir or otherwise?"
"Nothing my Prince. I sense no presence of any kind."
"Then it cannot be." Thor dismissed.
"Brother with all due respect, the Dark Elves have powers even Heimdall may not be able to see through." Loki argued.
"Nonsense Loki, I get that you no doubt wish to comfort Mother at this time, but we have a duty to the realm to protect it." Thor scolded.
"Thor, I am serious, this is nothing to do with mother."
"Loki…" Thor's patience was wearing thin.
"Forget it, I am heading to the city, with or without you." Loki snapped turning to leave the Bifrost, he looked to you, silently pleading that you join him, with a nod, you turned too.
"Bjórrson, remain here, that is an order." Thor growled.
"Forgive my insolence Your Highness, but you are wrong and I am not allowing innocent Aesir die for such an error. What Loki speaks is the truth, and I cannot ignore that, if you wish for me not to leave, you will have to cut off both of my legs." You stated defiantly. Thor watched wide eyed as you walked passed Loki, who smiled gratefully and headed toward the Bifrost Bridge.
"Bjórrson?" Heimdall enquired.
"Yes, Bjórrson." Loki glared at the guardian. Heimdall took another moment to study you before clenching his jaw somewhat and looking back to Loki, declining his head ever so slightly. Beside the raven haired prince, you forced yourself to maintain an even respiratory rate, though it was very difficult.
"Loki, if you are wrong about this." Thor threatened.
"If I am, then I state here and now, in front of these witnesses that I will forever more work as your chamber servant for the rest of my days, and I will forego my seidr." Loki stated. "That brother; is the strength of my conviction as to what I have seen."
Raising both his eyebrows, Thor took another moment to assess Loki before nodding. "You had better be right."
"Smoke!" Fandral shouted. Everyone turned to see where he was pointing. Toward the edge of the city, closest the training village, there was indeed dark smoke rising.
"Heimdall?" Thor called.
"I can see nothing."
"Can you see the Queen?" Hogun questioned.
"I wee no one, how is this possible?" Heimdall's deep voice was shaking.
"Dark Elves magic is older than any other." Loki explained.
"The smoke." You reminded everyone. "What will we do?"
"Heimdall, blow the horn." Thor ordered as he ran out the door.
"I thought that could only be blown in Ragnarok." Cnut stated.
"If we do not get to the city in time, it will not matter if he blows the blasted thing every time he sneezes." You snarled joining those who were beginning the journey back to the city.
"I like him; he has a great sense of humour." Fandral noted as he and the rest of the army followed.
The Bifrost was lengthy, though thankfully Loki's tedious training meant it was not as daunting as it should have been. It was clear that something was afoot as more smoke billowed from more of the city, and the closer the soldiers got, the more shrieks and cries they began to hear.
Gjallarhorn bellowed loudly as you continued to make your way forward. "I think Asgard is aware by now that it is under attack." Cnut huffed as he ran.
"Its sound resonates over the Nine Realms you imbecile. It is to call forth all of Asgard's soldiers and allies from within them to aid her in the fight. Have you ever even read a book?" You snarled. "God's what did I do to deserve having to deal with such morons?" Loki laughed as the Einharjar glared at you.
At the edge of the Bifrost bridge, closest the city, you noticed a line of Jötnar blocking the path, ice blades ready. Taking a deep breath, you unsheathed your sword and pulled your shield from your back, readying for the attack.
"Stay back." Came a yell and above you the sky darkened as clouds circled. In the centre of them, Thor began to call forth lightning. Sparks of electricity filled the air before a large flash of light and thunder erupted. When you could see again, all of the Jötnar that had been blocking the way were nothing more than debris of shattered ice, jumping over their remains you ran into the city streets.
Aesir were running around aimlessly, trying to flee the foreign warriors. Older citizens, many women and children cowered in corners, crying and trembling in fear, others had gotten whatever weapons they could find and had attempted to fight off the invaders. The surrounding chaos caused it to be difficult to focus on what to do.
"Thor, what are your orders?" Volstagg shouted.
Thor remained silent, trying to think, looking around him in the bedlam. Loki looked to you, hoping for an answer. "They will go for the Casket of Ancient Winters, with it, Laufey will be able to call forth the most powerful of Jötunheim's power, and add that to Malekith's magic and to say we will be in a shit-storm will be putting it lightly." You stated.
"Of course." Loki beamed.
"Of course what?" you looked side to side to see what could be causing the prince to smile.
"The Casket."
"What about it?"
"It is guarded, by the Destroyer."
"And?" you had no idea what he was implying.
"We can call it forth."
"So why don't you?"
"We need Gungnir to do so." Thor replied.
"Right, your father's staff, where is it?"
"With him."
"And that is where exactly?" Thor shrugged. "Wonderful." You stated sarcastically.
"Our best chance is in the palace." Loki pointed to the large golden building that was the centre piece of the city. "That is where they would have taken him."
"But it is huge, any idea where in there?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
"I am not accustomed to the palace or the customs of it, so I doubt it. Regardless, we should make our way there immediately, if nothing else, your mother is anything but safe, I dare not think what Malekith or Laufey would do to her if they capture her alive." You shuddered. "What better way to defeat the Aesir mentally than to destroy their queen in front of their eyes."
Loki and Thor's faces drained, knowing that the horrific words you had just said were more than likely going to occur should the foreign kings subdue her. As soldiers continued to fight around you, you, the princes, the Warrior's Three, along with a few others, ran toward the palace.
The streets were littered with the dead and dying of all three realms. You bit back tears as you were forced to dodge more than one child's body. Swallowing hard, you forced yourself on; knowing the only way to prevent more children's deaths was to get to the palace. The group became separated in the narrower streets, but since they all converged outside the palace, you all simply continued to run forward, knowing you would be reunited soon.
Concentrating on the large towers of the palace, a shadow caught your eye in your peripheral vision just in time for you to duck and roll as an ice blade sliced through the air. Not taking a moment to think, you lunged forward and cut off the offending limb. The creature yelled in pain as you plunged the rapier into his chest, before taking it out and slitting his throat with it.
"Are you alright?" you turned to see Loki looking at you, panting slightly.
"I thought you would be there by now."
"I got worried when I could not see you."
"And you came back for me? You are going soft." You joked.
"You cut off his arm."
"The irony is not lost on me I can assure you." You smiled running on. Running to the centre of the city, you were forced to fight again, thankfully between you both, you were able to defeat whatever came your way.
"Where is your breastplate?" Loki realised as you barely dodged a dagger from a Dark Elf as Loki used his seidr to create a clone to distract it as he slit its throat.
"If you recall, that is why I came to you on Svartalfheim before you got all ratty. It was beyond repair. I have had nothing since."
"You could have been killed." He flicked his hand excessively and you felt yourself being weighed down by metal once more. "Better."
Looking down, you noticed you were wearing an extravagantly designed breastplate with a hound on it. "That's not standard issue." You stated, looking at him.
"That is your family symbol though, is it not?" he smiled. "So now you are protected and can bring your father honour simultaneously."
"I have secretly brought the greatest dishonour imaginable upon my family, and well you know."
"You have saved the lives of countless Aesir, had you not aided me in convincing Thor and the others to stay, they would all have perished, what greater honour is there?"
"You overestimate my influence, and we have not won yet."
"We will though."
"You are far too confident I fear."
"And you, not confident enough my dear."
You blushed slightly at the endearing term, but it was short lived as another three Jötnar came at you from the left. Fighting hard, you defeated them and continued once more. Finally you reached the others, who like you, were panting heavily and hiding behind a wall that surrounded the market place. "What is the problem?" Loki asked.
"There are hundreds of them, everywhere." Cnut whined.
"Yes, thank you for that analysis Cnut, but we had noticed." You sighed.
"There are more coming for the city." Thor stated. "There are thousands of them. Using Gjallarhorn meant they too heard of our plight and went to the portal, Loki, I am sorry I doubted you."
"What of our allies?" Loki chose to ignore the apology for the time being.
"They seem to be arriving via the Bifrost, so long as Malekith's forces do not stop Heimdall, we should nearly match them in numbers."
"If all of both armies reach the city, it will mean the utter decimation of Asgard and the Aesir." You stated.
"Then it truly is Ragnarok." Hogun acknowledged.
"We need to call forth the Destroyer." Loki reiterated.
"We will need every Norn and God on our side to find Father and in turn Gungnir, then of course there is the issue of figuring out how to call forth the Destroyer, Father never showed us." Thor informed him.
"Leave the latter part up to me, it is part Gungnir, part seidr, I can wield both." Loki smiled proudly, earning a small scowl from Thor.
"There is no time for sibling pettiness now, so don't even start." You warned, the brothers looked to you for a moment before looking again to the palace.
"Nice breastplate, does not match your other armour though." Cnut noted smarmily.
"Do you not think so, well perhaps you and I can go to the blacksmith and discuss designs and then go to the market and sip teas like two little innocent maidens when this is all over, but until then will you cop the Hel on and act as though you are more than a century old." You began speaking softly but as the sentence continued you became snappier.
"You are officially my idol." Fandral stated looking at you in awe.
"You need to aim higher." You replied. "If we are going to the palace, there really is no time like the present." Gripping your sword tightly, you rose and ran at the closest Dark Elf, spearing the weapon into him, followed closely by the others, who too took down their foes.
The fighting became more and more brutal as you got closer the great gates of the palace, to your combined shock, it became obvious that Malekith and Laufey were already inside, and now the gates were guarded by several of their deadliest warriors. "Any suggestions?" Volstagg asked.
"Heimdall." Loki whispered. "Put up the shield now."
A moment later a golden aura seemed to begin to glow around the palace walls, every being it touched dissolved in agonising cries, Dark Elf and Jötunn alike. "The shield does not harm those who have no ideas of harming those within." Loki explained. "Well, the Aesir within anyway."
"So on we go." Thor ordered. As you continued on and vaulted the wall Thor looked to Loki. "How is it you know these things and I do not?" He asked indignantly.
"Father believed it best if you ruled and I as your general, so therefore I am supposed to be to you what Tyr and Baldr were to him, they knew these things too, but because you know nothing of seidr wielding, you cannot know them." Thor tensed his jaw as he listened, not liking to acknowledge Loki knowing more than him.
Believing you would never see an end to the running, you took the steps of the gardens two at a time. "Can you see now why I forced you to run that hill?" Loki queried.
"It seems almost impossible to believe, but I am grateful for it now." You responded, your lungs in agony from the constant fast pace.
A large blast of ice caused you to skid on the floor and fall in a heap. Scuttling behind a pillar, you dodged the next blast as Thor and Mjolnir took on the assailant. "Will we ever just get there?" you gasped in exhaustion.
"We'll have to fight there too." Fandral stated next to you.
"I am aware, but I would feel like I am progressing somewhat once inside."
"Nearly there." Loki promised beside you. Reaching the great halls, you had to fight what felt like an entire legion of Jötnar, but they too soon fell to the weapons of the soldiers.
"Where do we head now?" Fandral asked Thor and Loki.
"If there was enough time, the most likely place that father would have been taking are his chambers to be prepared for the funeral." Loki stated.
"Agreed." Thor concurred. "The fastest way is down the main hall."
"But that is where we will meet the greatest resistance." You noted. "What about servant's stairwells?"
"Why would servants have stairwells?" Thor asked confused.
"Okay, any one else?" You looked to the others.
"There is one secret passage that leads to Mother's quarters from near here, she would have a passage to Father's." Loki informed you.
"They will more than likely have her well guarded now." Volstagg stated.
"Our best bet is to send someone in and try and find Gungnir but the private quarters are more than like where the two kings are too." Hogun stated. "So they are not going to take too kindly to some random man walking in."
Loki looked to you, you shook your head. "It's our only hope." Again you remained silent and shook your head.
"What is?" Thor looked between you both. "Loki. What is our only hope?"
Loki did not speak for a moment, instead he looked at you, your eyes wide in terror and fear at what he was asking. "Thor, I need you to swear, that whatever happens next, as the king of the realm, you will not persecute Ragnar. You will give him a full pardon. Do you so swear?" he asked.
Thor looked between you both. "Why would I have to do such a thing? Loki?"
"Thor do you swear."
"Why?"
"Thor, say you swear that no harm will come to Ragnar."
"Fine, as he has risked his life for us often enough. I swear to pardon him."
"Regardless of any of his actions."
"Yes I swear, now can I know why I had to say such a thing?"
Loki looked at you and you sighed. "El, please."
"Will you ever cease calling me that ridiculous name?" You snapped, no longer deepening your voice as you untied your hair, which had grown considerably in the months since you had cut it.
"It cannot be that irritating." He argued, though the smile on his face told you he loved your reaction.
"To say I have told you incessantly to desist, what do you think?" Next you pulled off the breast plate and pulled the heavy under tunic off, leaving you only with a light vest and the binding you had been using on, untying the knot, it began to unravel.
"Loki?" Thor asked in awe as it became clear what was being revealed. Terrified, you looked to the older prince. He closed his eyes. "Bjórr Eriksson only ever sired a daughter." He stated slowly, as he recalled what his father had said long ago.