Loki had never been tasked with the responsibility of caring for another life. He had not yet had his own children and the notion of pets was non-existent on Jotunheim. He only knew how to take care of himself.

The cub, Thrym, was named after the Jotun Loki would have been mated to had Asgard not invaded his home country, and the cub was dependent on him for everything.

Thrym was a ball of energy in constant movement. One moment he would follow Loki's tail, bump into his legs more often than not in his eagerness to follow, and then the next moment he would be gone from sight.

Loki wasn't pleased to discover that the young male cub had the patience and idiocy of Thor. But Thrym's short attention span was merely the result of his young mind assessing as much information as possible to better prepare him for survival.

Thrym was easily distracted by passing small beetles or lizards and he would playfully follow his chosen prey; unaware that he was moving farther away from Loki.

Even though the cub was more trouble than it was worth, Loki would always turn around and track down his new companion. He would follow Thrym's destructive trail, broken branches and downtrodden vegetables, only to find the young cub huddled in misery which could easily be salvage by the sight of Loki's blue form.

The night when Loki had first brought Thrym to his home, he had been adverse to let Thrym inside, for while the cub was small now, Loki knew that it would grow and turn into a giant. It would be time-consuming and stupid to spend unnecessary time to break Thrym of a habit when it could be avoided with immediate action.

Therefor he climbed the few stone steps up to his door and left Thrym to pace back and forth on the ground in frustration. He wouldn't have to worry about Thrym for the night; the surrounding area had been guarded with his magic and nothing could slip in or out of his barrier.

Loki had only laid his head on his pillow of yellow fluff balls when Thrym started to wail pitifully. Loki considered himself a patient man and so he had forcefully closed his eyes with the intent to sleep, trying to empty his mind and fall into blissful slumber. But sleep seemed impossible. Thrym was persistent in his effort to catch Loki's attention.

With and angry snarl, he had flicked his wrist and muted the room.

But sweet victory didn't last long. Peace only lasted for ten minutes before the whole tree shook with the force of Thrym's pushes. Loki had peeked outside the small hole, tired and irritated, to demand absolute silence and the insufferable cub had stopped only to start again when Loki disappeared back inside.

In one of his less proud moments Loki had relented but he was happy that no one was around to witness his defeat. He had then led Thrym around to the bigger entrance and broken down the tree which he had used to seal the opening. As Loki stood on the giant side branch, Thrym had been quick to catch on and so he used his already deadly sharp claws to climb his way up.

That night, Loki unwillingly shared his yellow bed with Thrym but if he had any complaints the following nights, Loki didn't mention them.

Loki's once silent approach through the jungle's lush underground was ruined by the cub's uncoordinated, eager steps. The once calm and friendly animals now fled at the sight of Loki, or more like the sight of his charge.

Not only was Loki often shadowed by Thrym but after nights spent huddle together in sleep, Thrym's dangerous, predatory scent clung to Loki's form and even without Thrym's presence the animals would still detect danger.

Loki didn't think of this as a loss. He could finally hunt. He preyed on all kinds of animals and brought them down with his weapons and traps. Now that he had Thrym, a growing cub, he didn't have to worry about which kind of prey he caught and killed for the meat wouldn't go to waste.

As days passed, Thrym grew bigger and stronger at a frightfully rapid pace; Loki would swear that he could see the black legs getting longer when he observed Thrym's form through their day until he surpassed Loki in height.

He didn't only grow bigger but he matured quickly as well. Palulukans were nocturnal, solitary animals and they only sought each other out in the mating season or when they fought for their territory. Cubs would be abandoned by their mother after three months when the young palulukans should be strong and experienced enough to take care of themselves. They had no natural enemies apart from each other and most palulukans perished in combat for their territory.

But Loki's and Thrym's relationship was different; they had created an abnormal, unusual bond. There was no specific word for what Loki was for Thrym; Loki was his mother, his caretaker, his pack member, sibling, and his mate.

Thrym was determined to learn from his mother while he was still a cub, to stay at the side of his pack member and sibling, and to provide and protect his mate.

As the days passed, Thrym studied Loki's movements until he too moved with grace and precision. He would silently follow Loki around and revise how he hunted, set up his traps, and killed. Palulukans were meant to hunt at night and sleep in the day but Thrym quickly adapted to Loki's schedule.

While there was no doubt that Thrym was the jungle's king, the highest link in the food chain, Loki couldn't help but worry about him when Thrym went out to roam alone. Should Thrym encounter another intelligent being like Loki - unpredictable, driven by desire, seeking challenge - Thrym could be in danger.

What started out as small training exercises between him and Thrym became full blown, destructive battles. Thrym learned how to dodge and invade different weapons, protect his vulnerable underbelly, and escape traps.

They became better at reading the other's body language and it wasn't long before Loki could communicate with Thrym through different sounds and hand movements: tell him to stop, hide, attack, go home, fetch.

With Thrym growing ever stronger and bigger, Loki didn't hold any qualms about letting Thrym roam free. His charge wouldn't be gone for more than a couple of hours to secure his and Loki's territory and hunt. He was no longer dependant on Loki for food; now it seemed like their roles had been reversed.

Thrym would proudly drag his kills back to Loki and let him take whatever he wanted before he ate the rest. Loki would without fail praise Thrym and then proceed to give him a long belly rub that had the black beast purring in content.

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"Thrym, Thrym, to me."

He didn't bother to raise his voice very high, Thrym always heard him.

Even though I can't understand how; he doesn't have any ears.

The fluorescent nightlight from the various plants had only just started to dim down at the first hints of morning light. It was still early dawn but Loki was already wide awake and climbing down the stone steps from the hollow tree to the jungle floor.

Slung over his head and shoulder were a bow and a quiver filled with teeth tipped arrows and colourful tail feathers. The bow was made from the grey, flexible bone of one of the many giant winged animals Thrym had brought back home. The bowstring had been made from his own strong black hair.

He had no intention of going for a hunt, rather he sought to explore new horizons. He was back at full strength, confident in his abilities, and had survived days in the jungle's strange environment.

He was ready to leave his home ground and hopefully learn more about the alien realm he had accidentally travelled to.

No sound was heard as Thrym's black form came jogging through the treeline. His giant head lowered automatically into Loki's awaiting hand in the familiar gesture of a greeting.

"We are going to try something new today," Loki said as he scratched his nails over the black snout. "But you won't have any objections now will you, Thrym?"

Thrym never did and only growled happily back in return.

"I thought so. Now lie down, you giant lump."

Thrym's heavy body lowered immediately at the command and Loki gave the giant head an awarding pat before he walked around to stand by Thrym's left shoulder.

What he was about to do was bizarre, abnormal, and unnatural, in his own eyes. No Jotun had ever had the imagination nor the thought to mount and ride an animal and yet here he stood with that very intention in mind.

War stories had always been shared between the returning Jotun warriors and their comrades in arms after great battles but some of them reached far beyond the soldiers' ears. Any survivor from the last devastating battle with the Aesir could with startling clarity describe the scene wherein Odin descended on the battlefield. In golden armour, spear in hand, on top of an eight-legged beast that made him equal in height to the tallest of Jotuns. That tale always inspired fear within the people of Jotunheim even though they didn't understand the full use of the horse, Slepnir. Even Loki hadn't grasped the full meaning of horses until he had arrived on Asgard as a prisoner and he was surprised to see that horses were normality for the Asgardian people.

Grapping hold on whatever leverage he could reach, Loki swung himself up onto the wide back. Thrym was wider and bigger than any horse and it was only because of Loki's long legs that he could seat himself without gilding off the smooth back.

He settled between the spaces of the two giant front legs and held himself fast with the strength of his thighs and shins. Thrym had lain calmly and quietly through the whole ordeal and had let Loki settle at his own pace, only at the moment that Loki's heart returned to its normal steady rhythm did Thrym slowly rise up to his full height.

"Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop." Loki continued to repeat in mild panic because of the foreign feeling even though Thrym had stopped moving the moment he had reached his full height.

Thrym's giant head moved around to look unimpressed back at him.

"Don't you dare look at me like that; I just need a moment to compose myself that's all. For once you will have to wait on me, which isn't all that much to ask of you, hmm?"

Big yellow and black eyes continued to look into his own reds and as Loki was distracted by their staring match he was wholly unprepared for Thrym's sudden move.

In one moment he was perfectly seated, the next his whole centre of balance shifted and he would have fallen backwards if not for his legs' firm hold on Thrym's sides. Thrym had sat down in an impatient move and he continued to watch Loki as he frantically waved his arms back and forth as he tried to catch his balance.

"Thrym, you will stop this this instant or I will tear out your…" He had a long string of threats ready to leave his tongue but Thrym moved before they could leave his mouth. Loki felt his arms become entwine with the long appendages from Thrym's head and with his arm secured, his balance returned.

As Thrym ran around, making sharp turns which left deep imprints upon the forest floor, Loki forgot all about Thrym's earlier misgivings and erupted into laughter. The feeling was accelerating, mind-blowing, he was not only a passenger but had become a part of Thrym's body. He could feel every muscle move in the powerful black legs. It was almost like he and Thrym had fused together as one being.

He had had only a single purpose with this experiment, to cover ground at a faster rate but he had never imagined that he would gain so much more. Power and strength, he was untouchable as they flew through the jungle.

They were perfectly synchronized. Loki would only have to make the barest of shift to the left to have Thrym running in that direction. Leaves and flowers blurred together as they leaped over rivers, cliffs, and trees, farther and farther away from their small home.

Day and night became superfluous, they ran, ate, slept, and killed when they wanted.

There were so much more to be discovered in this strange realm. Loki's small home had been in the centre of the area with the floating rocks, he discovered that further away laid denser jungles and further yet, wasteland. He found new species of animals and plants which had different flowers, fruits, and qualities.

They had travelled far and wide for over a week and today was yet another beautiful day. They were not far from home now, at least another day's journey, when he asked Thrym to slow his pace. Someone was following him, and had been for several hours. At first he had dismissed it; the jungle was full of wildlife and collision couldn't be avoided, eyes were everywhere. But now he was certain that a small group of four were watching Thrym and him.

I believe that an introduction is in order. It's quite rude to lurk in the background.

He slid down Thrym's back, letting the black form shield his body before he disappeared behind an illusion. His pursuers didn't let their surprise show or be heard, instead their gazes left his invisible form in search of his whereabouts, unaware that Loki moved closer on silent feet.

They were clearly not midgardians or elves or Jotuns; they were not like any being he had seen before. They were equipped with bows and knives so these beings had to process some form of intelligence to have made advanced weapons to aid them.

Their cyan forms towered over him much like his own brethren's did and they too were enclosed with tribal markings. Their forms were thin and agile, with long limbs much like his own for he wasn't like the typical Jotuns, who in general were more robustly built.

They were dressed much like himself, with loincloths so he could not see if they, like him, were of a single sex. They were male in appearance, with long braided hair, long tails, four fingers on each hand, pointed ears, and fangs.

"This is an interesting development indeed," he said as he materialized back into sight before them. As one they had an arrow knocked on the string and pointed at him but he ignored the threat to his life and walked closer.

"I'm sure that you're just as curious about me as I am about you. So, why don't you lower your weapons and then we can work towards indulging our curiosity?"

The four males looked at each other in question and Loki's keen eyes didn't miss how the others looked for guidance from the male with the long necked necklace. Loki's suspicion was confirmed seconds later when the male made sign to lower their weapons and the others followed through.

"Have you come along with the Sky People?" the leader of the little group asked as he took large steps closer to Loki.

He didn't shy back from the giant form that walked curiously towards him; he had, strangely enough, an overwhelming urge to be closer to these new beings. Loki looked back into big, yellow eyes as the ten foot tall male kneeled before him, the others following close behind to get a closer look at him.

"How interesting; are there more people like me here?" he heard himself ask even though he doubted that it was a possibility. The looks that he received from these four other individuals clearly spoke for themselves; they had never seen anything like him before. If they had they wouldn't be so curious or ask if he really where a part of these Sky People.

Whatever that is…

"We have never encountered another soul like yours." Loki didn't know if this was a good thing or not and in his ignorance he chose to remain silent and watch what the group would do next.

"It's clear that you aren't a part of the Sky People but then another question arises, what are you then?" The leader asked with his bow stuck in the ground, he leaned forward on it with both hands as he gazed up and down Loki's form, taking in his markings, black hair, feet and fingers, clothes and jewellery.

"I'm Loki Laufeyson, prince and sorcerer of Jotunheim, the realm of the frost giants. I bear you no ill will or tidings, I've come upon your realm quite by accident, I'm afraid."

"Welcome, Loki Laufeyson of the Jotuns, to the planet Pandora. We are known as the Na'vi and I'm Tsu'tey of the Omaticaya people and these are my clan brothers. We're sorry to hear that you have been parted from your home, this place Jotunheim, I hope that you'll find yourself at home here."

"Pandora? I've never heard of this name before," he mused, his mind was already drawing and assessing all of the planets positions in the world tree. He had done all of this before, of course, but he still didn't know of any realm that fit the description of Pandora's qualifications.

"Nor have we heard about frost giants," Tsu'tey answered with a fang-filled smile that his brothers copied.

"You are not much of a giant compared to us, wouldn't you agree?" One of the other males asked with good humour while they lay down their gear on the ground and sat down around him in wonder.

"No, I'm indeed not but the same cannot be said about my kinsman who equals you in height. I'm a special case within my realm and highly valued because of my appearance and ability to do magic."

"Magic, was that what made you disappear earlier?" Tsu'tey asked and held his hand out to touch him, he wondered what this magic was and if he could somehow hold and feel it on Loki's person.

Loki humoured the four males and held his arms out in permission to touch him. Tsu'tey was the first to touch the skin on Loki's arm and his hand flew back in shock. The other three males attempt instantly stopped at Tsu'tey's reaction, caution overweighing their curiosity.

Tsu'tey didn't appear to be hurt, in fact he wasn't. He had merely been shocked that Loki's skin was cold to the touch which was unlike any other being on Pandora, even the Sky People.

"You can touch me, I promise that you won't be harmed; I'm just cold by nature." With his reassuring words, they all placed their hands on him to feel the foreign cold, shocked into silence.

"And you're right, I used magic to cast an illusion upon myself to turn invisible but that is not they only thing that I can do with my magic. Only the imagination limits the wonders magic can perform."

"I'm a quite skilled sorcerer, if I do say so myself," a clone he had created continued on as it stepped through foliage to his left.

The four warriors all drew back in shock, their hands had reflexively reached for the weapons at their side at the prospect of an incoming battle.

"That is indeed a mighty skill," one of the warriors mumbled in awe, his giant, golden eyes stuck to Loki's second form.

Loki was glad to discover that he had captured the four males' attentions as easily as he gained other people's attention in whatever realm he treaded. He didn't doubt his skill, he knew for a fact that he was extraordinary but he still loved to have his ego stroked with words of flattery. He had never needed to show his magical powers off to gain others' attention but he gladly would to Tsu'tey and his clan brothers when they could appreciate the use of his talent. In Asgard he had only been viewed for his exotic beauty not for his magical powers which had been viewed with nothing but scorn; it was a nice change.

Long fingers stroked his birth markings and ran through his hair with almost childish curiosity, Loki didn't doubt for a second that while his looks were foreign he would still be considered attractive in the eyes of the four males, much unlike the Sky People whose mare mention had gained looks of disgust and loathing.

He wondered what the story where between the two races. Had the Sky People invaded Pandora much like his own home country had been invaded by the Aesir; were they too pale skinned demons controlled by a power hungry king?

On the outside he remained perfectly composed, he even had a silly little smile stuck on his face to keep the Na'vi at ease. In truth, he was anything but at ease; should he worry about the possibility of being involved in yet another war?

He had no obligation to these people and he didn't seek bloodshed at the risk of his own life. No, he would take Thrym and flee at the first sight of war.

And where had that black giant decide to run off to?

"Are you at war with these Sky People?" he asked, subtlety looking around the green wildlife to catch sight of Thrym but he couldn't see the black predator for the four curious Na'vi before him.

"They came from the sky in their spaceships," Tsu'tey began, using his hands to make a flying motion to illustrate the Sky People's arrival.

"The Sky People came, unaware that we inhabited this planet and when they saw us they expressed what we believed to be joy. We were equally surprised at the sight of each other, and even though we were equally on uncommon ground, we decided to make peace. We showed them the wonders of our world but they didn't understand and in their ignorance they became afraid of the animals, trees, and us. They call of savages," Tsu'tey spat out with clear disgust, hatred clouding his eyes. "But they are the real savages. They have showed us their true human nature."

Humans? No, it cannot be. The Midgardians don't have the technology nor the knowledge to travel through space. They are but dumb, uncivilised, short-lived creatures.

"They are violent, greedy, and without compassion. Wave upon wave of ships arrive now with their soldiers who needlessly kill, tear, burn, and cut everything within their range. They no longer care for our laws or sacred grounds, they think themselves above us and invade our land for their own gain. We do not know what they want or why they seek to destroy everything they touch, but then a disease doesn't need a reason to create ruin, it's just made to do so."

Tsu'tey's detailed description fit the self-destructive nature of humans almost too perfectly but it couldn't possibly be them. The Midgardians that he knew lived in caves and had only just discovered fire. Mainly they used stone clubs to hunt for they still hadn't figured out how to metalize their realm's many minerals and craft stronger weapons. The most advances weapon some of the remote tribes had developed was the spear and therefor he couldn't see how the Na'vi, who processed bows and arrows, could have any trouble with the Sky Peoples disposal.

He would have to seek the Sky People out himself to see if they really were from Midgard.

He couldn't help but slightly hope that it was them that the Na'vi had described, as he had always found them to be a fascinating race from the very first moment that he heard tale about them. In truth, they were an insignificant race, looked down upon by all the other eight realms and they would have been invaded and wiped out ages ago, if not for Asgard's protection.

The humans struggled to survive every day of their life and through their lives, they accomplished nothing. The one thing that they had were an unusual ability to reproduce, their females popped children out at a faster rate than any fertile Juton could compete with.

And yet, somehow, with all of their shortcomings, they had found their way across the universe and safely reached Pandora?

I very much doubt so.

"My realm was too invaded and overrun by filth." It was on purpose that Loki let his true emotion of sorrow slip through his red eyes. It was perfectly easy to gain the Na'vis' trust and acceptance if he rallied with them over a common enemy, not that he had any intentions to fight with them against the humans.

"I was captured and expected to mate with the prince of my realm's invaders… in my desperate attempt to escape my horrid fate I came upon your home realm."

The four Na'vi's already angry and disgusted facial expressions, turned absolutely furious at the mention of his arranged marriage to Thor. Loki knew that he had gained their trust but he had not predicted that he would receive such a strong reaction from them.

"Then it is possible that the Sky People are the same people that invaded your home?" one of the four Na'vi males stated carefully in a question.

Loki knew that the idea wasn't very farfetched for the Aesir could travel to any realm that they so desired with the Bifrost, yet he shook his head. "No, I do not believe that they are the same people. The monsters that captured me go by the name Aesir, not human."

"Either way it does not matter," Tsu'tey spoke with utter certainty. "If the Sky People discover you, they will capture you and devour you like anything else, or tear you apart. You're unlike anything we have here on Pandora and they mistrust everything which is different."

Tsu'tey's weathered blue hand came down to rest, yet again, upon Loki's blue skin. It gave a reassuring, careful squeeze on his shoulder to accompany Tsu'tey's next words. "We will not let them take you, Loki."

"I'm grateful." His voice was light and he had added a hint of a breathy, relieved tone. He had moved down in a bow, just deep enough to hide his facial expression which had broken out into a wide, teeth-filled smile.

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AN

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