Chapter 2
Loki was lead to a prison cell deep under the main part of the castle. Apparently the war had not led to the destruction of the underground chambers. The room seemed to be carved out of the ice, the furnishings were the bare essentials, but there were no chains or iron doors. Instead as he was left in the room a door of ice was closed behind him. It seemed to act like a 1 way mirror letting them peer in on him without being seen. Hearing the foot steps of the jotnar lead away Loki finally let the suppressed feelings hit him. He was alone, without hope of being rescued, hated by both his family and the people he actually belonged with. This last thought gave him almost a sick amusement but his despair was greater still. He worried for his survival and what his future held here. He knew how the Jotun planned to use him to increase their number, but what did Helblindi mean by redeeming himself? How was he supposed to do that when the first thing the king of Jotunheim does is betray his secret and body to the whole population of Jotunheim. Even for the sly Loki all of the events that day had been nearly too much to process all at once. Loki collapsed on the bed.
He awoke to guards outside his door. They were silent as they approached but Loki sensed them and silently feigned sleep as they stepped through the door. "We know you are awake just as you know we are here. You have been summoned to the games."
"What games?" Loki responded as he sat up. He glared at them hoping to unsettle the guards. "The games to decide who will first have the pleasure of coupling with you, Kinslayer. What else? So are you going to follow or do we have to drag you?" Loki looked down at his naked body, it had not turned back to the pale color of the aesir, and likely never would at this point. He debated fighting, but decided to save his dignity and walk of this own will. "I will follow."
"Good, now hurry the competitors await their prize." The jotunar who had been speaking turned towards the door obviously expecting Loki to do as he said. Which for once Loki did, much to his own dismay. They walked for a long while through the frozen halls that Loki had not taken much note of the night before. Now he noticed the increasing intricacy of the carvings lining the halls that went from rough cut surfaces to carvings of the many creatures that wandered the land. Loki started to be touched by one of the beauties of this realm for the first time when abruptly everything stopped and all the walls onward looked new, with none of the grandeur of the older walls. But even these faded away closer to the surface to cracked ice with blocks strewn about as if the damage had only been done recently. At this point Loki was able to observe no more as he looked out into the sun surrounded by the jotnar arranged in a great circle near the tunnel exit. "Welcome brother." Exclaimed a booming voice. "So glad you decided to show. This party is in honor of you, or at least gathered together for the purposed of you." He laughed as he gestured to the line of jotnar to his right. "Here are your suitors, they will all battle for a chance to lay the kinslayer first." Loki for once looked on with fear at the jotnar. Each one seemed larger than the next making Loki fear for himself. He could only imagine the pain he would be in if any of those warriors forced themselves into him. Sometimes it sucked to be the runt. He only hoped one of the smaller warriors won the fight, as small a hope that would be. Loki did not fight as he was brought to Helblindi, instead he observed the assembled warriors, sizing up each as he passed. There were about twenty total. Most were an average of 10 feet tall, but there was the occasional giant standing upwards of 15 feet. All seemed to be of the same general build; some with broader shoulders, some with stouter legs. All fit to varying fighting styles, in the prime of their youth. The best Jotunheim had to offer. "You offer the best of your stallions? I thought I was just a brood mare to you. Why go to such lengths?"
"No reason to not give the next generation the best chance, especially with their mother being a runt." Helblindi chuckled, but then turned a serious expression to Loki. "Will you take this task honorably?"
"I don't have any other choice. Like you said I am alone here and even if I resist this will still be forced upon me."
"Correct, so you will comply?"
"I will see." Helblindi eyed Loki suspiciously and then sat upon his throne. Loki and his guards sat near the throne as the king commenced the games.