Midgard- The Kingdom of the Red- The Palace
"It's not true you know." Blaise spat to her father "None of its true. None of it's ever been true. You are putting your faith in fairy tales... Asgard?" She threw her hands up "Father this is ridiculous! No one has heard from the Asgardians since- gods know when! And you know why? They are myths! Myths made up to give our children something to listen to in stories at night! We have to take matters into our own hands. There is not going to be a warrior from the sky to come and save us! We are on the brink of another war with the Grey, and it is going to happen with or without your precious little sky people!"
The King of the Red pressed a trembling hand to his temple and raised his wary eyes to his eldest child.
"Blaise please, one trip to the Oracle is hardly a reason to yell." The old man drew a shaky breath "Do me this, and if the answer is not in our favor, I will act alone. I will not wait for the warrior any longer. "
She turned away from him "And if I don't?"
The King coughed "The Red becomes a dinner plate."
Of course he would quote the Prophecy of the Reckoner Blaise snorted, what harm was one walk to some loon who chewed on tea leaves anyways? Especially if it would shut the old fool up. She crossed her arms and grimaced.
"Fine, father." Blaise growled "I will humor you this one time. I will visit your precious Oracle. But know that when I return I will come with news that your precious warrior will not be coming to save you." She made to leave but paused "Prepare the armies in my absence, we will take the Grey by nightfall after my return."
"Know that you may be my heir and general," the King called out after her "but you do not give me orders while I still sit on the throne." Another sickly cough shook the old man's body "I, your Lord and Master, will wait for the warrior's command."
Blaise threw the door closed, and her breaths hissed through her teeth as she stormed down the hallway, feeling like quite a fool. "Ready my horse." She barked "I will be riding to the Oracle immediately."
Asgard- Odin's Chambers
"His time is coming, Frigga." Odin murmured looking out across Asgard from his balcony. "The time is coming for him to return to Midgard and establish his name among them as something good."
Frigga shook her head, and joined him "How do we know it's him they're talking about? How do we know that it's not Thor? Thor is the warrior; Thor is strong and was held in high respect among them. They do not trust Loki for good reason."
Odin rest his chin on his hand and absent mindedly ran a finger through his beard. "No Frigga." He paused and rested a hand on his wife's shoulders "Loki is the warrior foretold in their Oracle's prophecies. Perhaps this will be our son's finest hour."
The woman shook her head and shrugged his hand off "I believe you are making a mistake. Loki is no hero," Her eyes iced over "and never will be."
The Edges of the Kingdom of the Red
The cold cut through Blaise's red cloak like a knife through butter, but she refused to allow herself to shiver. Her white horse flew over the steep hills effortlessly, the dead grass crunching beneath hooves like popcorn. She adjusted herself in the saddle, and hugged herself close to her steed. Blaise knew she was an easy target out in the open plains, and a valuable one at that. The Crown Princess and their Army's most valuable General. Any marksman could take her down without any effort out here, and be rewarded with much reward at home in The Kingdom of the Grey. Regardless of how battle hardened she was, her stomach swarmed with butterflies at the thought. She clutched the reins with her leathery palms, the chilled skin complaining as it was pulled unnecessarily tight. A frigid wind blew down off of the mountains in the distance, and the whistling sounded like a choked scream. She shifted her eyes from the mountains and turned her head towards the woods that loomed ahead of her. The trees were ancient, gnarled, and somewhat fear-evoking. As a child she had heard of cold dark stories of these woods, of maidens left for dead and devoured by the unfeeling Grey witches who left the forest floors stained red with their blood. But they held only safety for her now, a shield from the exposure of these plains. She pressed her horse onward, quickening their pace as much as possible. Just beyond the belt of trees was the Oracle's Temple. Just another hour's ride.
Asgard- The Palace
The God of Mischief walked slowly down the halls of the Palace to Odin's throne room, purposely taking his time because he didn't very much enjoy these meetings with his father. The hallways were deserted, which was abnormal for Odin's Palace. I'm probably in trouble for something and father has dismissed everyone so as not to embarrass me. He glanced around at the golden architecture that was so splendid he could see his reflection in the torch light and attempted to give himself a reassuring smile. Gods he was nervous. He came to the doors at long last and took a shaky breath. Here we go, he thought, and opened the door.
"Loki. My son, my youngest son." Odin began, seated on his throne, eying Loki with fatherly affection "Your time has come." Loki avoided his father's gaze.
"For what?"
No Man's Land- The Oracle's Temple
The temple was cold and looming, and a permanent layer of thick smoke hung in the air. Blaise walked inside slowly and immediately felt out of place. She had been in the temple plenty of times before, but that never took away the eerie feeling she felt just from walking inside. She breathed in deeply, the place smelled like tobacco and peppermint, and- she wrinkled her nose- death. Blaise walked calmly towards the far end of the temple, where she knew the oracle would be seated.
Before she could even see the small-framed man he called out to her through the smoke.
"Why do you come before me, Daughter of the Red?
You don't believe what the prophecy said?
Tell me now what troubles you,
And you'll find that once we're through,
A hero is what you'll become,
No longer unable to succumb,
To that which you should know is true,
The talk of the warrior, the Reckoner, who'll make the world anew."
Blaise continued walking towards the man, how he sensed her presence before she even stepped before him was a mystery to her. Not only did he not have eyes, but he was blindfolded as well.
"I seek information in regard to the warrior told in 'The Prophecy of the Reckoner.'" She said at long last "When will he come to us?" If he comes at all. She interjected mentally.
"The warrior is now at our door,
We shan't greet him as we have before."
Blaise huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes fluttering closed.
"Oh That's great," She shook her head "more poetry. So he's 'at our door' what is he coming soon?"
The Oracle sighed, his tiny frame made his toga shake with the motion
"Closer indeed than you had thought,
But do not fret nor be distraught,
for he comes to make the world anew.
But that can't be all that troubles you."
Blaise thought for a moment, could this Oracle guy be for real? She shook her head. This whole mess was quite a bit far-fetched.
"Okay," She began again "How do I even begin to find this guy? This Reckoner you speak of, he won't be easy to track down if he's from Asgard as you say he is."
"He shall cross the bridge between,
And if you are truly keen,
You shall see the sign in the skies,
And not mistake it for some heavenly guise."
The Oracle took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke that wafted from a smoldering dish beside him. He fell back into his cushions, and started humming, and reciting a prayer in a foreign language, as if in a trance.
Asgard- The Throne Room
The All Father's silence was unnerving to Loki.
"Please father, whatever I have done, I beg your indulgence…" Odin held his hand up and stopped his youngest son mid-sentence.
"It is not something you have done, Loki, it is something you will be doing." The All Father rose to his feet, and gestured to his son to do the same. "You may or may not recall events that transpired on Midgard some centuries ago." He paused to allow Loki some time to contemplate it, when no response came he began again, in a gruffer voice "My son, a wise man that the Midgardians call an Oracle has foretold events that are to take place on Midgard in the immediate future…"
Loki frowned and cut his father off "But father, what does this-" Odin held up his hand again
"Have to do with you?" He sighed "My son, this has everything to do with you. You see, the Oracle foretold a battle that will ensue between the two mighty powers of Midgard…a battle that will surely destroy their realm once and for all." The All Father paused and walked down to his son, laying a hand on his shoulder "Unless their Reckoner comes and delivers them to salvation."
The god of mischief blinked a few times, and stared at Odin in disbelief
"Me? Of all people, you choose me to deliver them to salvation? Father this is absurd, I am a God of Lies and Mischief, how can you expect me to do good for these people, after everything evil I have done to you? To them? To all of us? I am no Reckoner, send Thor in my stead."
The All Father squeezed his son's shoulder tightly.
"But this Loki, this is where you are wrong. This is no descision of mine. This is your fate, a fate that was written in the stars from the Great Beginning. This day is your day of reckoning."
The Kingdom of the Grey
"I detect movement in the heavens." The woman called out, ripping her gaze from the stars as she turned over her shoulder. "Something is coming your majesty, something big."
The Queen of the Grey narrowed her eyes "Something big you say?" She looked down at the open book of prophecies and murmured "Perhaps the Great Oracle is right…." She smiled "Perhaps the Red's precious little Reckoner will come for them after all."
Asgard- The Bi-Frost
The All Father had dragged Loki out to the Bi-Frost, the bridge between worlds, and was preparing to cast his son out against his will.
"But father." Loki pleaded "Surely, I may return to Asgard when I see fit?"
Odin shook his head, "Certainly not, for when you see fit would be whenever you were given the opportunity to do so!" He paused and sighed "You may not return to these realms until you have fulfilled your purpose on Midgard. This is my word, and as such it will not be challenged."
The demi-god began to protest, but Odin cut him off again "So I, Odin All Father, ruler of this realm, and all the realms, strip you of your heavenly power." He held up his hand, and Loki's armor fell away
"Father…" Loki whispered desperately, his eyes filling with tears, but Odin paid him no attention
"Such power will not be returned to you until you come to see yourself as the hero Midgard has looked for since the beginning of time…" He closed his eyes. "In the name of my father, and his father before him, I, Odin All Father, cast you out!"
No Man's Land- The Oracle's Temple
Blaise was just begging to walk away when suddenly the Oracle bolted straight up from the pillows and practically tackled her, his grimy hands digging into her cloaked skin like gnarled teeth.
"The Warrior is now at our door!
Don't greet him as we have before!"
The crazy old man was screaming, his face was uncomfortably close to her ears.
"Keep him from the world of Grey!" He pleaded, and shoved her away from him towards the entry way of the temple "Ride with haste and don't delay!"
Blaise started walking quickly, more out of fear of the old man than anything else. She was practically at the door when he finally called out to her
"Keep him close and don't be meek!"
She opened the door and exited as he shouted "For he holds the serenity we seek!"
Blaise hadn't realized how long she had been in the temple until she had stepped outside, a blanket of snow was beginning to cover the ground and the moon was high in the sky. She exhaled and her breath froze before her eyes. "You shall see the sign in the skies, And not mistake it for some heavenly guise" The Oracle's words played in her ears as she looked up, was there really going to be a warrior falling from the sky today?
She started to walk off towards her horse, discarding the thought when suddenly the sky was filled with a brilliant light, a light more iridescent than the brightest aurora, and more fiery than a shooting star. It was flying through the skies at an absolutely alarming rate- straight towards the enemy kingdom. She heard it crash into the ground in the distance. The sight took her breath away, "My gods…."
The Kingdom of The Grey
The Queen too saw the celestial light show, and a wicked smile crossed her face.
"Tell me, scholar," She said slowly "Are the stars in alignment for the landing of an Asgardian being in our humble realm?"
The woman at the window who had been watching the skies intently since nightfall bobbed her head in approval "yes, my lady, the stars are always in alignment for visitation of beings from other worlds." She turned to her Queen "The stars are at the All Father's command, not the other way around."
The Grey queen nodded "Then let us ride out, and intercept our…guest." She rose to her feet and tucked a knife under the folds of her dress "We must give the savior of the Red a proper greeting…."
No Man's Land- Close to the Border of the Kingdom of Grey
Loki opened his eyes slowly. It didn't feel like he had traveled through space and excess of hundred miles an hour... He twisted his head from side to side and groaned. He put a hand on his face. What the hell was he doing here on Midgard?
No Man's Land- Near The Temple of the Oracle
Blaise struggled for a breath. She couldn't believe what she had just seen. Was any of this real? Could the reckoner be real? She shivered as a cold wind blew over her. Wasn't it only this morning that she was in the presence of her father telling him how ridiculous any of this was?
She shook the confusing thoughts away. This was probably some over the top coincidence, for heaven's sake, she was talking about the fairy tales she was raised on. She sighed and turned to her horse.
"you're not going to like this." she murmured into her horse's neck "but we have to do something..."
Blaise pulled herself onto her horse's saddle and was getting ready to press her horse forward when one of the Oracle's attendants burst out of the doors shouting
"Wait! Wait! Daughter of Red!"
The frail attendant had a Traveling Candle in his hand- a powerful teleportation device from the Kingdom of Grey. Blaise was repulsed by the magical object, and she involuntarily shied from him slightly.
"Away from me, knave." She snapped at him "I have a most pressing matter to attend to. And by the looks of it, our supposed Reckoner" she spat the words like venom "has landed very close to the border of the Grey."
The man thrust the candle in her grasp "Please, please." He begged "Daughter of Red, take this candle, you shan't intercept him in time if you don't."
Blaise eyed the black candle in her hand distastefully. She had been raised on mortifying stories of citizens of the Red meddling in the magic of the Grey, of people turning into stone, or the King of the Reds finding about a Red born magical child who would be set out on a hillside to die. No, magic had never brought the people of the Red any good at all.
She swallowed hard "Why? Why should I? What reasons have I to trust you?"
The attendant shook his head, and lit a match, reaching to light the candle "You have no reason to trust me. But what other option do you have?"
Blaise held her hand out, her fingers tightly wrapped around the candle.
"Think of the reckoner, and only the reckoner to use it." He ordered her, fixing to light the candle "And close your eyes, or you'll go blind."
The last thing she registered was a light so intense she thought she'd fallen into the flames of hell.
A/N: I know this is totally out of my comedy element holy crap. but I hope you all like it anyways :)
~Cheers
Your Friend, Fishing Four Finnick