Chapter 8: Damage Control
June 29, 2011 AD
Banners swayed lazily in the air, no breeze moving them, but simply the currents of indoors wafting through the massive halls in Asgard. Subtlety was not this realm's strong suit. Everything was done and overdone, everything at least slightly overstated. The golden realm was not named such for no reason, gold seemed to coat every thing in the palace, even the city. Under the great red banners hanging from the ceiling, among the massive gold pillars there was a lone figure standing, contemplating yet another golden item. This thin figure was clothed in grand armor, so clearly only made and used for the purpose of ceremony, over ornamented and unfit for use in a fight. The yellow of the metal shined like sunlight, contrasting with the deep emerald of his cape that shimmered like a sea of green behind him, the firelight making it seem almost alive as it flickered across the silk. There was a light rhythmic pinging in the air, the sound of a fingernail slipping off the end of a golden horned helm over and over as it's owner mulled over the wisdom of wearing or not wearing it.
As this lonely figure stood, another entered the camber, much larger and louder than their predecessor. This figure was clad in deep blues, silver and a rich scarlet cape flowing behind him like a river of blood in the sunlight. This was the Mighty Prince Thor, who raised the goblet he had in his hand, and threw it into a caldron of fire with a cry. "Another!" The other figure, the younger brother of this goblet smashing prince, turned to the newcomer with a wry look.
"That was a waste of a perfectly good goblet, Thor." Loki mumbled.
"Oh calm down, it's not as though we're short on goblets for our wine." Thor chided, fumbling with something on his armor.
"We will be if you keep smashing them every time you finish your drink, especially at the rate at which you consume alcohol." Loki replied, though there was a playful lilt to his tone.
"Come now brother, what has you in a foul mood?" Thor asked, still fiddling with the bit on his armor.
"Nothing, I'm not in a foul mood." Loki spotted the servant coming with Thor's requested wine, but shooed him off. Thor did not need any more to drink before he went out to the single most important moment of his life. He looked over at Thor, who was still rubbing the same spot on his armor. "Thor, you're going to rub a hole in it, what are you pestering at?" Thor pursed his lips as Loki came to stand in front of him. He expected a chiding look in the younger prince's eyes, but found nothing but quiet calm. "Is the great thunderer nervous?"
"You know very well I'm nervous, stop asking." Thor snapped, but Loki didn't mind, shrugging.
"Well, spots on your armor are not to be worried over, it looks perfect." Loki smirked and Thor scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You'll do fine, you've been reciting this day since we were seven, I don't think you are capable of making a mistake by this point."
"Seven years brother? Surely it was before that."
"No, because you only learned to read once you were seven, and even then you made me find and read the oath for you." Loki replied, making Thor laugh and shake his head.
"Perhaps I should have paid more attention during those lessons."
"Well, that's what you had me for." Loki countered. "Every night before a test you'd come into my room and ask me for the answers to what the questions might be. You never would have it made it out of those classes if not for me." Loki said, laughter lacing his voice.
"Aye, that is probably true." Thor mumbled. "And I'm not nervous."
"Just excited."
"Exactly." Thor said, looking down at where Loki had put his helmet. "Are you going to put that on?" He motioned to the golden helm sitting, or rather laying sideways, on the floor. Loki grimaced looking at it, drawing in a long breath.
"I was hoping to avoid it." Thor laughed, a booming sound that shook the room. Loki swore it could be heard off realm. "Well, yours isn't too much better."
"Mine cannot be used as a weapon!" Thor laughed. "To be attacked with your own armor, that would be disgraceful."
"That is why I never wear it unless I am forced to do so." Loki grumbled, picking up the helmet and putting it on carefully. "I feel ludicrous."
"Well, you look fine. Very big and frightening." Thor said, taking his own feathered helm from the servant who brought it.
"Yes, well at least a bird didn't attach itself to mine."
"On the contrary brother, I seem to recall Hugin and Munin using your horns as perches at least once before." Loki grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like I hate those stupid birds, which only served to get another laugh from Thor. The elder brother sighed, looking out to the doors that would lead him into the great hall.
"Thor." Loki said, voice much lower, full of seriousness that demanded Thor's attention. "Thor, you and I have been looking forward to this day our whole lives. I want you to know that I will always support you, that I know for a fact that you will be a great king." Loki locked eyes with his brother, making sure the words were heard. "Never doubt that I love you." Thor smiled, and put his hand behind Loki's neck, an old gesture of affection the younger had always felt comforted by.
"You know, there was a time I thought I would have to face this day without you. I do not think I could have done that." Loki smirked and shook his head.
"You and I both know that you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to." Thor grinned at his brother, letting his hand fall away. "I have to go." Loki shook his head once to the side, and Thor shooed him out. He lingered a little at the doorway, then swept out, taking off his helm once more.
Loki found himself standing on the steps of his father's throne, between his mother and Sif, his mother above him and Sif below, and, however unfortunately, wearing his helmet. At any rate, he just stood as he should, watching Thor come down the hall as the masses screamed their praises at him, Thor soaking it all up like a thirsty plant. Loki was proud of Thor, he really was, he just couldn't help some trepidation at all this. But he hid it well, not letting a soul in the hall see the truth of it behind his eyes. Asgard could never know if one brother doubted the other, they had plenty of turmoil in the royal family already, enough to last the gossips of every realm for the next few millennia. Thor kneeled before their father, taking his helm off, sending a small wink in Loki's direction. Loki's only reaction was to look to the ground for a moment, before casting Thor a reassuring smile.
"Do you swear to guard the nine realms?" Odin's voice cut through the air like a booming knife. He smirked as he thought back to the many times Thor had sit his younger brother down in a chair and told him to play Odin and recite the oath. It was always ironic to Loki, in hindsight.
"I swear." Thor answered, voice deep and confident, just as it always was.
"And do you swear to preserve the peace?"
"I swear." You say that now, but somehow I really don't believe you. Loki mused, and tried to shove the thoughts to the back of his mind. This was not the time to doubt Thor, those times had passed.
"Do you swear to cast aside your selfish ambition and to pledge yourself only to the good of the realms?"
"I swear!" Thor raised his hammer above his head, yelling out his last swear. Can't resist some theatrics. Loki thought.
"And on this day, I Odin, All-Father, will proclaim you..." Odin paused mid sentence, single blue eye going out of focus. Well this was very much not good. Thor's smile dissolved into a face of confusion. "Frost Giants." Odin's whisper was only just loud enough for those around him to hear.
Well damn. Thor was not going to be happy.
"Thor it's over and done, there is nothing you can do, just wait it out." Loki was trying took keep up with his brothers blistering pace through the halls of the palace, but it was a bit hard on him, he'd already been up and around all day and he was getting tired. Damn his body. Thor had already raged at their father in the weapons vault, trying to get Odin to attack Jotunhiem, only to find himself chastised and torn down from his high horse. Now Loki was stuck dealing with the potentially explosive and volatile aftermath. Damage control once again. Why am I always the one cleaning up everyone's messes? Who made me Asgard's political janitor? Loki mused silently as he awaited Thor's reply.
"Shut up Loki." Thor snapped at his brother, but even though he kept silent, Loki still kept step with Thor. He understood Thor's anger, he was a bit angry himself, and more than a little confused. How in the nine had those frost giants gotten into Asgard without the use of the Bifrost and without Heimdal seeing them? Loki knew how to do it, but he'd kept that knowledge very well hidden, only in his journals had he written his knowledge of the spells down and his father had destroyed those. Who and how?
Thor was in the room where there would have been a feast, pacing back and forth like a mad dog, before he stopped short, glaring at the table like it were some sort of abomination. Then he walked up to it and flipped it over.
Wonderful display of control Thor. Loki mused, shaking his head. Sif and the warriors three came into the room then, stopping at the doorway to stare at the mess.
"Thor...that is a waste of good food." Volstagg grumbled, earning a glare from both princes, though for different reasons. The portly warrior mumbled a few more things under his breath, beginning to rummage through the food on the floor for something edible.
"That is disgusting." Fandral muttered, looking at his friend, then turning to Thor. "Thor, I'm sure everything will be sorted out very soon."
"I am in no mood for speaking." Thor growled, voice like that of an angry dragon snarling at an intruder. Loki sat down next to his brother, ignoring the former command to shut up.
"Thor, I know you're angry, but you cannot do anything without defying father." Loki sighed, voice low and quiet contrasting greatly with Thor's boiling anger. But then something washed over Thor's face, an idea, undoubtedly a foolish one. Loki's heart dropped. "No! No, no, no, no, no, I know that face. Whatever you're thinking it's a terrible idea, no." Loki stood up with his brother, trying to stop what he knew was going to happen.
"It is the only way to ensure the safety of our borders!" Thor shot back.
"Safety of our borders? Thor, this was an isolated incident, you do not know that it was an attack made by the king. Thor this is treason, you heard what father said, we have a treaty!" Loki raged back. "It's madness!"
"What's madness?" Volstagg asked, looking up from his ground level meal.
"We are going to Jotunhiem."
"No we are not! Thor sit down and for once in your life think before you act!" Loki shot back harshly, anger and irritation getting the better of him.
"I'm afraid I have to side with Loki on this, Thor. This isn't Midgard where you can throw some lightening around and the mortals think you're a god. It's too dangerous." Fandral jutted in, making Loki mouth the word "afraid" indignantly at him from behind Thor.
"Aye Thor, Loki is right." Sif said, giving Loki a quick nod.
"My friends, too dangerous? Who has lead you to glory more times than you can count?" Loki rolled his eyes as his brother made the rounds of their friends, convincing them to join him. Damage control once again. Loki was beginning to wonder if that was just going to be his life from now on. He wasn't going to leave them to get themselves killed while they were on Jotunhiem, but he didn't want them to go at all. He silently slipped out of the hall while Thor was riling his friends, tapping a guard on the shoulder.
"Can you tell my father that Thor is planning something foolish and he should stop us before something bad happens?" He asked quietly, getting a nod form the guard before slipping back into the room. Thor clapped his hand on Loki's back almost as soon as he arrived.
"Are you going to join us brother?" Thor asked eagerly.
"Do I really have a choice?" Loki mumbled, but Thor took it as a yes, which it was in a way, though it was mostly a protest.
"Let me handle it." Loki out his arm in front of Thor to hold his brother back. He had one more chance to pull this off and it relied on him "botching" getting past Heimdal.
"You are not dressed warmly enough." Well that wasn't too difficult. Loki played it off as though he was surprised, but Thor quickly pushed Loki aside, and missed the scowl Loki sent him as he passed by.
"We seek passage to Jotunhiem to find answers from the frost giants." Heimdal nodded, staring into, or perhaps through, Thor.
"Never has an enemy slipped my watch until this day. I wish to know how it was done." Heimdal's gaze shifted to Loki, who put on his best innocent look, not that he had anything to hide from the gatekeeper. Loki was a little hurt that Heimdal looked to him, accusing thoughts in those unfathomable gold eyes. Heimdal had been a friend, Loki trusted him, was that all lost and gone now?
"Then tell no one where we have gone until we've returned. Understand?" Thor smiled broadly as Heimdal turned to the observatory.
"What's the matter, silver tongue turn to lead." Loki narrowed his eyes as Volstagg passed him. Damn Heimdal, damn him. Damn it all.
"Be warned. I will honor my sworn oath to protect this realm as its gatekeeper. If you return threatens the safety of Asgard, the Bifrost will remain closed to you. And you'll be left to die in the cold waste of Jotunhiem." Heimdal warned, placing his sword in the Bifrost pedestal.
"Can you not leave it open?" Fandral asked as they came in front of the gateway of the Bifrost.
"That would unleash the full power of the Bifrost, and rip Jotunhiem apart." Loki answered. It was curt and a bit harsh, which made Fandral pout a little.
"I have no plans to die today." Thor told the gatekeeper.
"None do." The deep voice was the last thing the six heard as they lurched forward into space.
Loki had been to the land of his birth perhaps once before, not counting the day of his birth. He held no fondness for it, but he was more than happy that he was so tolerant of the cold; it was one of the few good things about being a frost giant. His friends were all shivering to varying degrees, even in their heavy coats, but Loki couldn't care less about the climate. He was still upset about being there, and having to face Laufey. It would be the first time seeing his birth father, which was nothing he was looking forward to. He wondered just how much smaller he really was.
The trek to the palace was longer than they would have liked, but dropping the group off in the center of the capital of Jotunhiem would be frowned upon. Loki tried to hide his growing exhaustion, the tiredness sinking it's claws into his very being. The cold, surprisingly, was helping to hold him up, but it could only do so much. He was hoping and praying now that it did not come to a fight, he didn't think he would be capable of fighting. He should not have come, but what was he supposed to do? He could not run to father and betray Thor, even if he had done so through the servant, and he could not ignore what was going on. As always, he was trapped between loyalties. So, he just kept his head down and followed, quite literally, in Thor's footsteps.
They were well and truly surrounded when they arrived in the palace, crumbling and useless as it all seemed. It was hardly a building, there weren't even any doors or real walls or anything of the sort. There was, however, a throne. And it was massive as was the Jotun atop it. So that is my father. Huh. Loki thought, then quickly shook himself out of it. Don't think like that you fool. You'll drive yourself mad.
"Why have you come here, little prince?" Laufey asked in what could only be described as a bellow. Thor seemed unfazed by it, but the rest of them were looking warily around as the frost giants seemed to close in.
"I want to know why frost giants were in Asgard's treasure vaults, and how they got to be there." Thor bellowed back.
"They were invited." Laufey smiled wickedly. Thor's face twisted up in anger and confusion.
"I demand to know what they were doing there!" Thor roared, and Loki came up behind him, trying to hold him back. The frost giants were closing in, ice forming to weapons. Behind the brothers, Sif and the warriors three tightened their grips on the weapons, bodies tense like stings on a bow, ready to spring to action. Loki put a hand on Thor's shoulder, trying to pull him away.
"Thor, look around you. We are outnumbered, surrounded, there is no chance of us even getting out of here alive if you start a fight. Think, Thor." Thor scowled and tried to throw Loki off.
"Know your place, brother." Loki tightened his jaw, shoving down the anger that reared it's ugly head at the comment.
"I do know my place. It's right here, telling you what a fool you're being." He hissed, but Thor ignored him.
"What were your frost giants doing in Asgard! I demand to know!" Loki closed his eyes, grinding his teeth and trying to refrain from dragging Thor back to the Bifrost against his will.
"You do not know what your actions will unleash, I do. Leave now, while it still allow it." Laufey snarled. Loki put his hand on Thor shoulder, already starting to pull him backwards as he addressed his unknowing father.
"We thank you for your generous offer." He smiled up at Laufey. "Come on Thor, let's go." Thor growled, clearly raring for a fight, but turned to go.
"Run back home little princess." One of the frost giants grumbled. Thor smiled and slid Mjolnir down in his hand.
"Damn." Loki muttered. Now they had to fight, not that anyone but him was upset about that. Loki slinked to the outskirts of the fighting; throwing knives at the Jotuns that began to swamp them. They were all so huge and he was not yet fit to fight, he was exhausted merely by the trek here, and now he had to avoid getting violently killed. Why had he come when he knew this was going to happen? Because I can't let Thor put himself in danger without being there to make sure he comes home. And now without his magic he was running out of knives. Dammit.
"Don't let them touch you!" Volstagg yelled over the melee, his arm blacked by the frozen touch of the frost giant warriors.
Loki rushed at one of the massive soldiers, but a simple punch dagger didn't seem as effective as he hoped, and the giant latched onto his arm, armor falling away frozen and cold leaving nothing but his bare arm. Which promptly turned blue.
Damn damn damn damn.
Dammit. I am using that word far too much today.
He tried to pull away, but the Jotun's grip was too strong, and Loki was trapped. Loki was not too surprised at what was happening to his arm, he was more alarmed than anything. His attacker was a different story, shocked by what he saw there. But Loki was near panic.
What if someone saw! What if Thor saw!
Loki cut off the Jotun's surprise with a knife to the chest, tearing his arm away. For a moment he just stared it, begging the blue to go away. It seemed to refuse him and Loki felt like spitting and yelling at his own arm. He glanced around quickly, shoving down the panic in his mind and making sure no one saw the sickly blue of his true nature. He feared it, he feared it being known, he'd long gotten over any hatred of it, but he still didn't want a soul to ever know. Luckily, his arm shifted back to it's normal color soon enough, and in the melee no one saw. Loki shook his hand lightly and covering it with a guise of frostbite so it looked like Volstagg's. It was a dangerous drain on him, using what little magic he had to create and maintain that illusion, but he needed to. Broken armor on his arm with no repercussions on his skin would look suspicious even to dumb Æsir eyes.
That was about the moment he heard Fandral yell. Loki snapped his head around, sending a knife into the offending frost giant and rushing to help Hogun grab their friend, who was stuck through the shoulder with ice. "Thor! We must go!" He screamed over the wind.
"Then go!" Thor didn't seem ready to leave yet, but Loki didn't care, they had to get out of here.
"Run, go! I'll take care of Thor!"
"Loki, you are the last one of us who should be fighting, you look terrible and your arm is black as the night sky! Leave the frost giants to Thor, we have to leave." Sif grabbed Loki's other arm and all but dragged the younger prince along with them. Volstagg and Hogun held Fandral up as they began to make a run for it. Loki was careful not to touch anyone with his left arm, lest the guise vanish. He was also beginning to wonder just how long he could hold his little illusion up, and what exactly he was running on.
Adrenaline probably.
There was a roar behind them, and Loki's stomach dropped to his feet. He knew that sound, that creature, from his books. A sort of ice beast kept by the kings of Jotunhiem to hunt down runaways, traitors, and apparently wayward Asgardians. Oh joy.
"Run, run!" He yelled, not bothering to look back as he grabbed Sif's hand and ran for it, glancing behind to make sure the warriors three were all right. Dammit Thor! Loki hissed in his thoughts. Then the ground began to fall away. Wonderful job Thor. Surely we won't fall to an untimely demise as the very ground falls beneath our feet. Loki heard the screech of the beast as it dropped, but knew enough to keep running. They just had to get to the Bifrost site, preferably before the rest of Jotunhiem caught up to them.
They skidded to a stop at the Bifrost site, Fandral's ragged breath lost in the winds of the storm. Loki was about to scream at Heimdal when Volstagg grabbed his arm.
"Wait for Thor!" He yelled, making Loki jerk back. And then his heart dropped again. The roar from before sounded out once again.
The beast crawled up the cliff beside them, snarling at them like some frozen dragon, making all four of them draw back from the cliff side, but there was little place to run, with the Jotuns behind them and this beast before them.
"We're going to die." Sif whispered, looking at Loki as if to ask what does that feel like but the younger prince simply stared forward, horrified.
But, as was usual, Thor came blazing in to save them all at the last moment, in dramatic fashion. This time, blasting right through the creature's roaring mouth and the back of its skull. Lovely. The triumphant, if messy, thunderer stood on the edge of the cliff, smirking at his friends.
"Thor, we have no time from your theatrics!" Loki yelled, earning a look from Thor. But it didn't last long, they were soon surrounded on all sides. "And now we're trapped." That was the moment it dawned on Thor, and a look of dread seemed to wash over him. He'd just killed them all, hadn't he? This was it? Well, he wasn't just going to let them all kill his friends, he'd slaughter every one of these monsters before he let them kill his friends.
Before he let them so much as touch Loki.
The blazing light of the Bifrost was a Godsend for them, Odin arriving on Sleipnir in flashes of the rainbow bridge and Loki felt a rush of relief. This was going to end all right… they would live. Thank the Norns.
"Father! Let's finish them! Together!" Loki dropped his head. Thor was so incredibly thick sometimes. Odin looked just as disappointed at Loki, at least that they agreed on.
"Silence!" Odin shouted at his elder son, making him shrink back a little. There was a rather massive argument and perhaps a storm brewing.
"All-father, you look weary." Laufey's voice was low and menacing, and both sons of Odin bristled at his words.
"Laufey, end this now."
"Your boy sought this out." Laufey snarled back.
"You're right. These are the actions of a boy. Treat them as such. You and I can end this, here and now. Before there's further bloodshed." Odin was trying, but there was no way this was ever going to work. Thor had come looking for war, and he was probably going to get it.
"We are beyond diplomacy now. He'll get what he came for, war and death."
"So be it." Odin replied. Laufey tried to drop Odin from Sleipnir, but the Bifrost salvaged the situation, pulling everyone back from the frost wastes of Jotunhiem.
"Take him to the healing rooms." Odin directed the Warriors Three and Sif away and pulled Gungnir from the Bifrost, there was a screaming match in order.
"Why did you bring us back?" Thor yelled at his father. Loki slid to the side and debated sitting down because the adrenaline was wearing off and he was about ready to collapse.
"Do you realize what you've done? What you've started?" Odin roared back, no longer containing his anger with his eldest son.
"I was protecting my home!"
"You cannot even protect your friends! How can you hope to protect a kingdom?" Odin yelled back, and then shook his head. Loki could see this all going very poorly very quickly, but he was having trouble thinking clearly and things were spinning. Why were they spinning? Just keep standing, don't fall.
"There won't be a kingdom to protect if we are afraid to act! The Jotuns must learn to fear me! Just as they once feared you." Thor shot back. Oh so foolish Thor, wishing for them all to fear you.
"That's pride and vanity talking, not leadership. You've forgotten everything I taught you! About a warrior's patience?" Odin asked, voice full of scorn and disappointment.
"While you wait and be patient, the nine realms laugh at us! The old ways are done! You'd stand giving speeches while Asgard falls!"
"Thor…" Loki tried to begin, but it was quiet and sluggish and left unnoticed.
"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!" Odin shouted.
"And you are an old man and a fool!" Thor snapped back.
"Thor…" Loki tried again, this time louder. Still it went unnoticed. Odin's look of disappointment deepened, and there was even some shame on his face.
"Yes, I was a fool. To think you were ready." Oh no, no, no, no…Loki knew where this was going, no, this couldn't happen, not now.
"Father..." Loki said, finally loud enough to get attention.
"Nay!" Odin boomed back. Loki dropped back a little, apparently his opinion was still not wanted. He couldn't stop this, everything was going to hell and he couldn't stop it, once again, his family was falling apart at the seams and he couldn't stop it. "Thor Odinson, you have betrayed the express command of your King. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!" He stepped forward, glaring at Thor with his one blue eye and reached for the crown prince of Asgard. "You are unworthy of these realms! You are unworthy of your title!" Odin tore the medals from Thor's armor as Thor stared, confused and almost betrayed as Odin took his cape from his back.
"You're unworthy!" Odin paused, glancing over at Loki, who looked almost as stricken as Thor, and then back to his elder son. "Of the loved ones you have betrayed." He finished, voice softer, regretful. Loki frowned, was Odin referring to him? "I now take from you, your power!" He said taking Thor's hammer. "In the name of my father!" He swept the armor off of one Thor's arms, "And his father before!" And then the other. "I, Odin All-Father, cast you out!" With that, Thor flew from the Bifrost observatory. Loki stared at the portal, distantly hearing his father whisper something about Mjolnir, the power of Thor and being worthy. The hammer flew after Thor through the Bifrost, to Norns knew what realm.
Loki stared out at the Bifrost for ages, stunned and exhausted to silence, uncomprehending of his elder brothers banishment. He swayed a little, the adrenaline of the fight wearing off and exhaustion setting in.
"Loki." His fathers voice sent him out of his reverie, turning a little too quickly for his exhausted body and he fell to the ground, unaware of the fall until he found himself staring at the ceiling. Odin rushed to his younger sons side, lifting up his shoulders so Loki was sitting rather than lying on the floor. "Are you all right, my son?" Loki blinked for a moment, eyes darting sluggishly up and down until focusing in on his father.
"I haven't fought since I returned, I did not recall how exhausting it is." Loki sighed, laying on his back again.
"I should have listened to you, Loki." Odin sighed, but his younger son shrugged.
"Well, you didn't, and now we must deal with the fallout. It is no matter what you should have done." Loki let out a heaving sigh, and pushed himself off the ground, standing warily before walking out of the Bifrost to gather his horse and go to his room. He needed to sleep.
"I cannot believe Thor is banished." Sif whispered, looking as shocked as her words lead to believe. Loki came into the balcony slowly, tugging at the sleeve of the tunic he had over his now wrapped up arm, a simple thing to make it look like he had been hurt in the battle, only the white bandaged hand showed through. It was night now; he'd rested for a few hours, but found himself unable to truly sleep. "Are you all right Loki?" Sif asked. "You disappeared after we got back."
"Fine, just a little tired. I… haven't fought in a while." Loki said, sliding into one of the chairs in their little balcony. He was still exhausted, but didn't want to leave his friends alone to brood and begin to fear, speculating on things they didn't know.
"I still can't believe he's gone." Fandral sighed.
"You talk as if my brother is dead. He's fine, just on Midgard and lacking his power. He'll be back soon enough." Loki said, trying to keep his voice calm, but he had a little shake in his voice, probably because he was tired. Still, he missed Thor already. He loved his elder brother, and missed his huge, and occasionally annoying presence that always lingered by his side. He did understand why his father had banished Thor, and was willing to stand by the choice, perhaps it would teach Thor something.
"You agree with your father's sentence?" Volstagg asked, his voice low and almost accusatory. Loki narrowed his eyes slightly at the enormous warrior.
"What I know is that Thor took us into Jotunhiem, nearly got us killed, and may have begun a war because he could not withstand a small insult. He committed a direct act of treason by leaving in the first place, and has endangered many lives in all the nine realms with his foolish actions. So yes, I stand by my father's judgment in this case. Would I prefer Thor were not banished, of course. Will I try and convince my father otherwise, no."
"You're just being petty." Volstagg mumbled.
"He's being petty? Volstagg, what he said was true. Thor was going to leave until one of the guards taunted him. None of this would have happened if Thor could learn some patience and humility." Sif jumped to her friend's defense. "If there is anyone who was being petty it was Thor. I agree with Loki, perhaps his time on Midgard will teach him something."
"You should hope so, that's the only way he's ever getting Mjolnir back." Loki mumbled, then covered his mouth as he yawned.
"What do you mean?" Fandral asked. Loki rubbed his eye, he was going to have to sleep soon, he had no energy left.
"Father put a spell on Mjolnir so that one must be worthy to wield it, and something tells me that as of yet, Thor isn't worthy." Loki finished the sentence with another small yawn and shook his head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I might need some rest." Sif waved him goodbye before looking back to her friends.
"I don't understand how he can care so little, he's always been so attached to Thor." Fandral said after Loki had left.
"He's just trying to make sure the rest of us are calm, him being all panicky doesn't help the situation and he knows that." Sif replied. "Trust me, he's just as upset about all this as the rest of us."
"I just wish he didn't hide it so well. Doesn't he trust us?" Volstagg asked, earning a look from both Fandral and Sif. "Well I suppose we haven't really done much to inspire him to trust us, at least in his recent memory. What about you, Sif, does he trust you?"
"Believe it or not, he trusts all of us. We were his friends, and as far as he is concerned we still are, past mistakes are forgiven. Remember, it's Loki, you can't expect him to be like Thor, he has more control than that." Sif replied, trying to reassure her friends.
"We must consider that Loki may become king." Hogun spoke, the first time he had done so since the return from Jotunhiem. The warriors sat in silence for a moment.
"I had not thought of that. Do you think he has?" Volstagg asked. Fandral laughed.
"This is Loki we're talking about. The man thinks of everything." He joked, but shook his head. "I for one would be firmly behind Loki should he need to take the throne. He would make a fine king."
"On that matter I think we are in agreement. However, the rest of Asgard is more in question. Many of the people dislike Loki, some openly despise him." Sif said, leaning her head on one hand.
"Well, the people respect us, if we stood by him perhaps they would as well. Besides, Loki's quite good at talking, he could get into Asgard's good graces if he wanted to." Fandral offered. "Though I do think everyone's intention is still for Thor to be king, even Loki's."
"Loki has never wanted the throne." Hogun agreed, getting nods from the others.
"Aye, he only ever wants to be Thor's equal, and he surely know that he is that." Sif said, leaning back in her chair. "Now, let us stop discussing the younger Odinson, it makes me feel like a gossiping lady's maid."
June 30, 2011 AD
Few places in Asgard were not bathed in gold. This place was one of them. It was mostly black, the air carrying a chill to it, frosty breath in and out, perhaps left over from the Jotun attack the day before. There was not longer any ice on the black stone floor, and the carnage from the battle had gone away. Families of the fallen guards consoled, as best as they could. Castle guard, it was supposed to be a safe enough job, supposed to be an honorable, but safe job. No one ever got killed as a palace guard, not in times of peace. Loki had gone their families himself. Usually, his father or Thor would have gone, but Odin was busy and Thor was banished, so that left Loki. One of the two families, the father had slammed the door in his face. It was his wife who had come to Loki to take the helm and sword from him, explaining to him that her husband…somehow thought this was Loki's fault. That hurt. The other family had been more accepting, letting him in and giving him a little common courtesy. He got to speak them a little, the guard's wife and met his daughter, a little girl with curly red hair and big, baby blue eyes.
Loki was unsure why his feet lead him here, to the treasure vaults, they just had. His green eyes roved over the dark world around him, and he let out a long sigh. The treasure vaults were an odd place, for Asgard. It was almost like a museum really, little pedestals hovering in between massive pillars, old and powerful relics resting atop them, invisible spells guarding them. The guard on the vault was doubled, but they had to stay outside, no one but the royal family was allowed in here of their own desire, the guards would have to be called in to come in. So, Loki was alone here, in the cold, in the dark, and unsure why he had come. He'd had his rest, not sleep but rest, though he felt well enough to wander around the palace, and for some reason it felt wrong to sit in his room any longer. Perhaps that was because he was always waiting for Thor to barge in and drag him off to some random adventure, and now Thor was gone. It had been one day since Thor was banished and Loki wanted his brother back, now-ish. It…he just wanted Thor back. Loki went down the steps, glancing at the many relics and treasures in the vaults. There had been a time, when he was younger, that he had felt as though he was another stolen relic of his fathers, brought only for a purpose, hidden away until Odin had need of him, but he'd realized the foolishness of that idea. Odin loved him, had helped him through what very well could have been the single worst childhood one could endure to grow up to be who he was. He was no stolen relic, he was Odin's son.
Standing at the end of the hall on its own little pedestal in front of the Destroyer's cage, was the Casket of Ancient Winters. Loki rounded the pedestal, leaning over the cold box and just staring at it. He dare not touch it, he knew that if he touched the casket it would change him entirely, and he really didn't want to do that.
"Loki...what are you doing?" Odin's voice drew Loki's gaze quickly upward to see his father standing on the steps.
"Looking at the Casket." Loki replied, tone as cold as the box beneath his hands.
"You are upset with me, are you not?" Loki stood up straighter. Yes, he was upset with his father, but now was not really the time, was it? Still, there was a question, an old familiar one he was sure he'd asked his father many times.
"Do you hate me?" Loki asked. Odin let out a long-suffering sigh. "Because lately you have been avoiding me, and short with me and I do not understand...well, that is a lie. I've ruined this family."
"You have not ruined this family, my son." Odin sighed, shaking his head. "I believe I am more to blame for the state of our family." Loki laughed and shook his head.
"I won't argue with you who of us is more to blame, but please father, my actions are mine and mine alone, I began Baldur's spiral to madness, that rests on my shoulders. Don't you recall, 'tell the people what you've done', father?" Loki asked, repeating the words over and over in his mind. The secret was driving him mad, even telling Sif wasn't enough he had to let it out, but not now, now was no time. But part of him refused, part of him screamed to tell, tell now!
"Baldur came to me, father, he asked me so long ago if I thought Thor would make a good king. I told him that Thor wasn't ready for the throne; that him or I would make a better king at the time. It was a joke, I swear! I didn't mean it!" Loki pleaded for his father to understand, he'd never…he didn't mean… Odin stared at his son blankly. "I… he told me everything, he wanted my help, he promised me a seat beside him, but I… I told him no, I said I couldn't help him…I betrayed him… I ruined him." Loki could feel himself crying as he said the words; so fearful he was about to lose everything all over again. "That is what I have done." Loki whispered solemnly, looking down at the floor beneath his feet.
"If your actions are your own, then so are Baldur's. You stood by him even as he plotted to kill you and those you held dear. You protected Asgard and protected him, a feat few could have managed, and you saved us all. Baldur would have undoubtedly gone along with his plans should you not have said what you did to him, and you would have been ignorant to his plans. No my son, this was never your fault." Loki frowned, taking in his father's words, perhaps he was right. Odin was a wise old man after all, even if he had his moments of blind folly.
"I…thank you father." Loki smiled slightly, glancing upward, and found his father looking far wearier than he expected. "Father, are you all right?" Loki began to walk to closer and then broke into a run as Odin began to collapse. "Father!" Loki's voice broke in panic. No, this can't happen not now, Thor wasn't there, it was only him… Loki screamed for the guards, and they rushed in, quickly bearing his father away.
Odin was in the Odinsleep, and only Loki remained.