Loki wiped the sweat from his brow as he nimbly picked his way through the thick copse of tress. The humid air felt heavy in his lungs as he baked under the oppressive noonday sun. His thick woolen shirt stuck uncomfortably to his itchy, damp skin.
For all of the discomfort that he was forced to endure, his travels through Vanaheim had been remarkably uneventful. He was relieved, and slightly disappointed, that he had not seen any of Vanaheim's famed trolls. He would have liked to test himself against the loutish brutes that he had read about in the tomes back in Asgard. Still, not meeting one had simply made his trip through the sweltering land that much fast.
His paced quickened as his sharp green eyes spotted the edge of the trees. The wide open grasslands that stretched out to the horizon beckoned him. Even though it meant he would no longer be sheltered from the sun by the trees' canopy, he was eager to be out of the thicket as quickly as possible.
Loki broke free from the tree line with a dramatically gleeful leap. He paused for a moment and surveyed the sea of green that spread out before him. A smile touched his lips as he enjoyed the pleasant, cooling breeze as it tussled his dark hair.
"Boy!" a raspy voice called out, breaking Loki free from his well-earned reverie.
"Boy?" Loki asked himself as he turned towards the sound. "Does no one know my name?"
An old, frail looking man stood near the edge of the woods, his weak frame supported by the immense spear that he leaned heavily again. Loki marveled at the weapon. It was twice the height of the aged man and he couldn't help but wonder how such a small man managed to wield such weapon.
"Hail, old one," Loki called out with a hint of amusement in his voice. "What is one such as you doing out here all alone?"
"My duty, young lad." The man wheezed heavily as he struggled to catch his breath, as if the simple act of speaking was enough to tire him. "I am the great Duer!" he announced as loudly as his feeble voice could manage, as though the name should mean something significant to Loki.
"The Duer. Of course," Loki said appreciatively as he played along with the older man's delusions. "Could you kindly remind me what your important duty is?"
"The trees, my boy, the trees!" his body swayed precariously as he did his best to gesture towards the thicket that Loki had just emerged from.
Loki nodded to himself as he listened along. His eyes darted back and forth between the aging guardian and the tall trees. "You've done a commendable job protecting the trees," Loki noted as he looked at the healthy, green leaves and thick, strong trunks.
Duer attempted to sigh but the act was interrupted by a hacking cough. "I'm not protecting the damnable trees," he proclaimed as the coughing subsided, "I'm protecting us from them!"
Loki's cherubic face began to redden slightly as he desperately struggled to hold back the raucous laughter that threatened to spill forth from his lips. It was clear that the man truly believed the trees were a terrible menace that threatened all of existence. After his brief excursion through them, Loki couldn't help but agree.
"It seems that you have done your job quite admirably, venerable guardian."
The man nodded curtly. "Of course I have. You still live, don't you?" he asked rhetorically.
"That I do," Loki answered with a smile. "Keep up your imperative vigil!"
Duer attempted to bow in response to Loki's affirmations. Had it not been for the stabilizing effects of the towering spear, the man would surely have fallen to the hard earth at his feet.
Whistling a melodic tune, Loki began to stroll calmly into the broad, open glasslands that stretched out before him. He had enjoyed his brief conversation with who he assumed was the craziest man in the entire nine realms, but he was eager to be off. The sooner he reached his destination, the better.
As he skipped blithely down the gently slope an odd sound caught his attention. The whistling quickly died on his lips as he slowed to a stop. He was certain that he could hear the sounds of battle. The sounds of exertion, metal clanging against wood, and the glorious shouts of exclamation echoed from within the thick copse of trees.
Loki looked around for Duer, but the elderly guardian was nowhere to be seen. A tinge of doubt began to enter his mind as he wondered if the man truly had spoken the truth. He wondered if the man really had spent his many years battling the imaginary enemy only he could see in the trees.
With a shrug of his small shoulders, Loki started off once more. He was more than willing to give the old man his delusions – he had more important places to be.