Fighting Fire with Fire
The bowl of steaming stew smashed onto the cold hard floor and the pitcher of sweetened wine was flung across the room, shattering the mirror that hung on the wall to bits.
"Get out!" Loki struck the trembling maid.
She sobbed, stumbling back; her slender fingers clutched her bruised cheek. Her cerulean eyes were brimming with tears, and she was terrified of him.
Terror… Loki knew the look of terror in the eyes of another. He sees it all the time, and it gave him a sense of satisfaction. But there was something else too in her brilliant eyes. Disgust and revulsion. And that, Loki could not take.
"S-sir…" She squeaked. "The Ki-"
"Get out!" He bellowed; stomping over he raised his hand again and struck her hard across her face.
She fell, her golden locks in dishevel, tumbling down over her shoulder. She wept.
"Mon-ster…" She gasped before she could stop herself.
This angered Loki even more, his expression darkened, his magic flared and crackled uncontrollably.
"Get up and go! Or I will hit you again!" Loki hissed.
She whimpered, standing quickly to her feet she ran towards the door.
Monster! Monster!
Just as her slender fingers touch the knob, the door swung open and she slammed hard against Thor's chest.
"Wow! Careful there my dear" Thor laughed, catching her before she fell back.
"My Ki-ng" She stammered.
The moment Thor saw the tears in her eyes and the bruise on her cheek, all laughter and smiles were wiped from his face. His expression darkened, as he lifted his gaze to look at Loki.
"I'm sorry…" She sobbed, her finger wipe furiously at her tears. She was so embarrassed. She was made of sterner stuff than this. She knew she was… yet…
"No" Thor rasped, returning his gaze to her. "I am sorry. You do not need to serve this beast anymore. Take the day off" He said, her thumb rubbing circles over the shoulder.
"Thank you my King"
"Go" He took a step back and allow her to pass.
She nodded, and wiping her tears she took off down the hall.
Thor clenched his jaws as he entered the room, slamming the door shut behind him harder than he meant to. Anger, rage, bubbling in him again with every step he took towards the beast and not even the frost in the room could cool his blood.
The fact that Loki was still standing tall and proud after what he had done, angered Thor even more. There was no sign of remorse, or shame or fear of being caught. As far as Loki was concern, what he had done was acceptable.
"What was that?" Thor growled, stepping into the middle of the room.
"Discipline"
"For what?!"
"Why do you care?"
"Because she is my servant!"
"Ah…and you care for every one of them. How sweet" He mocked.
His crimson eyes bore into Thor's cerulean ones.
"You will not do it again" Thor rumbled.
"I didn't know that a King would bother with a lowly servant"
"Then let me make this clear to you" Thor stepped towards Loki. "You come into my home and you steal from me and yet I still make you my guest. But if you abuse my servants one more time, if you so much as touch any of them again, I will show you no more mercy"
Loki smirked as he watched Thor's dark expression.
"You are starting to speak like a King" He said.
"…"
"I will abuse no more servants your Grace" He took a step towards Thor and leans forth, dangerously close, and he whispered into Thor's ear. "The next one... I will kill..."
Thor shoved him away.
Loki laughed, shifting pass Thor with a languid motion towards the bed.
"Loki! Look at me!" Thor caught Loki's shoulder only to be jerked off.
"Don't touch me Aesir!" Loki spat.
"What is the matter with you?!" Thor roared.
Loki is impossible. There was no ending to his madness! There was no ending to the things that offend the monster!
"Loki!"
Loki turned around to glare at the Golden King. "You will send me no more servants, or I swear to you, you will find her head on your bed the next time you walk into your room!"
"So you will have none serve you?" Thor demanded.
"I am no pampered prince. I need no one!"
This time it was Thor's turn to laugh. He wondered if Loki had looked into the mirror recently.
His hair was a mess; his bandage was falling apart and in dire need of new ones. His clothes, well, if you could called what Jotun's wear as clothes, was a shredded piece of bed sheet he had taken apart. And Thor wondered when was the last time Loki showered, or at all, since Thor cleaned him up about a week ago.
Perhaps Loki had no need for anyone on Jotunheim, but he certainly needed someone now.
"Is this how the crown prince of beast looked like?" Thor mocked. "Filthy and reeking"
Loki hissed, his eyes narrowed in seething fury.
"Get out!" He growled.
"Of course. But when you are finally ready to admit that you need someone to fix you up… say my name. And I will come. Until then, none will enter"
Loki snorted. "You speak as if I would remain in here"
"Oh I know you will" Thor said. "I am no fool Jotun. Your seid that is healing you is also draining you. You have none to spare or you would have hidden yourself from Heimdall's sight, like a coward"
"…"
"As of now…You are nothing Loki"
With a blur movement, Loki reached out to backhand Thor, his lips curled in a snarl. Thor accepted the blow with a faint smile design to irritate.
"I am never nothing! I am the crown pri-"
"Yes. Yes. I heard you the first time. You are the crown prince of Jotunheim" Thor said. "But this is Asgard little Jotun. Not Jotunheim"
A sudden heat crackled through the room, as if lightning were about to strike. Loki shifted towards Thor, as if a predator. His eyes smouldering with fire, hate and shame.
"Get. Out. Now!" He spat every word.
"At once, your Grace" Thor gave a mocking bow and turned to leave. A smile of amusement curled over his lips. Truly, it seems that Loki has a temper as well as arrogance that could rival even his.
Blizzard stirred and roared just beyond Laufey's window. He had not seen wind so strong or felt one so cold for a long time. It beats ferociously against his fortress, rumbling it. It was as if Jotunheim was alive again. Her land roaring and shifting, the waves on the far shores rose and crashed violently against icy land. The glacial grew and move, the winter trees starting to awake from their centuries long sleep, sprouting its first golden leaf.
It was barely a week since the casket was returned, and already she is stirring with a vengeance.
"She is awakening" Farbauti rasped, as he came to stand beside Laufey by the window.
The emerald curtains fluttered and bellowed ferociously.
"Yes…" Laufey said. "But at what cost?"
"…"
"A war is coming"
"Your men will fight for you. They thirst for blood. Aesir blood"
"I know. But will they fight for Loki?" Laufey turned to look at his mate.
"They will fight if you command it my King, and that is enough" Farbauti said.
"I will not be King forever"
To that Farbauti had no come back. It was the harsh truth.
There will come a time where Loki will be King, and they dreaded that day. Not because they thought Loki would not be fit to rule; oh, Loki had the ideology, he had the cunning and wits… but would he have subjects to rule?
Sitting on the throne and declaring yourself king does not make you one. You cannot be king if none would follow you.
There had been talks and whispers that Helblindi should be on the throne, while more favored Býleistr.
Farbauti reached over to take Laufey's hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Three children all fit to rule. Which do you choose?
Laufey chooses Loki.
Loki who is too small to bear children of his own or mount another frost giant. As far as Laufey knew, there was no runt born to any of his nobles or High Lords; or a match would have at once been made.
Loki would have no mate, no one to come back to, no smile he could see when he opens his eyes in the morning or a gentle arm to return to for comfort. He will be alone for all of his days. So Laufey gives to him, an entire realm to be his company. He gives to him the realm, hoping they would love him in place of the mate he would never have...
It was a foolish dream he knew...
Loki may be a powerful sorcerer and an agile warrior but still the realm did not love Loki. Most loathed Loki for the horrifying things Loki is capable of doing and some still loathed Loki merely for his size. If truth be told, they fear an uprising.
Laufey heaved a sigh.
He loves Loki so so much. But yet, Loki, the child of his body, his first born, terrifies him.
Whenever he looked at Loki, or hear the things he had done, he could not help but wonder if it was his fault.
Loki had done great things, extraordinary things, yes…things one could only imagine, things that only exist in the wildest of fantasies, but they were both terrible and cruel too.
"I heard you have called for a war meeting" Farbauti said softly.
"Yes. And we all know how that would go"
Farbauti smiled; drawing close to Laufey he wrapped his strong arms about Laufey's waist. "They will fight for the realm"
"Until they hear it was Loki's idea. And Thrym will protest and curse" Laufey muttered.
Farbauti placed a gentle kiss over the side of Laufey's neck. "Though I bare no love for Thrym...even I cannot fault him"
"No" Laufey loathed to agreed.
There was not a day pass that he did not think of what Loki had done to Thrym for mere insults. He doubts anyone had forgotten it. There was no more mention of Loki's stature after that day. None dare to speak ill of Loki after that day. And if they did, they did it in a hush tone, whispered in the dark where Loki did not have ears.
All of them knew that what Loki did to Thrym was just a taste of the things he was capable of. They fear his dark sorcery, and truth be told, so did Laufey.
The bath house was enormous and steaming with mist. It was too hot, too humid for Loki, but he could stand it no longer. It had been three weeks since he last had a bath and he would bare it no longer!
His hair itched, he stunk, his skin was oiled in sweat, his bandages were filthy and his wounds beneath burn.
When he had stripped of what little fabric he had on himself, he stepped into the bathing area.
It was empty as he knew it would be. He had heard the roaring feast from his room and heard their drunken laughter and silly songs.
He eyed the large body of water before him.
The pool was large and steaming, and amid its thin layer of mist that settled just over the surface of the water, was an alabaster sculpture of a mermaid holding in her dainty hands, a large shell. Clear crystal water was pouring from it endlessly, and yet, the pool never seems to overflow.
Loki knelt down to his knees; his hand hovered just over its burning surface, feeling the smoldering heat that bite at his icy palm.
No matter how much he loathed Thor, spit at his name, he could not deny the ringing truth in his words. His seid that was healing him was also draining everything that was in him. At least what little was there anyway after the inter-dimensional travel, the constant veil of the casket from the gatekeeper's eyes, the many battle and healing of battle wounds. A huge part of his magic ceaselessly channeling to keep Odin in his sleep and the constant regulation of his body temperature to keep him alive in this fiery realm. It had always frustrated him that his seid was slow to return even after a good rest, what more when he had barely rested or eat at all... He hadn't counted on sustaining such a severe wound either.
As of now, he doubt if he even had the strength to cool such a large body of water enough for him to clean himself. But he'd be damn if he had to ask some Aesir to aid him. He would rather die than bend the knee to even one Aesir!
"Hiemo…" He whispered.
He concentrated his seid onto the open palm of his right hand. Slowly, a gentle blue glow enveloped his palm and it was cold… so cold it hurt him and numbed his skin. It was as if he was holding the very heart of winter in the palm of his hand.
He lowered them onto the surface. The moment the light touches the water, there was a loud crackle as if the breaking of a great glacial or the sharp clap of thunder.
And at once, Loki felt his strength was pulled out of his entire being, from all his limbs. A sudden exhaustion likened death washed over him, dragged him, pull him under. His vision spun, his eyes slid shut and he collapsed into the steaming liquid.
Fire! Fire everywhere!
Fire burns his skin, jolting his exhausted body awake.
He let out a shout of pain. Boiling water splashed as his hands flung out to catch the side of the pool. His feet jammed against the bottom as he struggled to pull himself out. The weight of the water dragged him down, clutched onto him as if a thousand hands grabbing and pulling him under.
His arms shook and ached in exhaustion.
He slipped; splashing back into the burning water. He swallowed a mouthful of it, and it trickled down his throat like scorching oil.
Help! Help!
"Thor!"
The moment that cursed name was wrenched from his burnt throat, Thor burst into the bathhouse. His red cape bellowing behind him, his eyes were red with mead and flashed with terror.
"You idiot!" Thor grabbed Loki by his upper arms and dragged him out, throwing him roughly onto the cold ground. Loki's arm flew out to break his fall, the impact knocking the wind out of his lungs and send fire sheering through his fractured ribs. He coughed; tasting blood on his tongue; his burning skin biting at him.
"Are you out of your mind?! Or is there nothing in that skull of yours?!" Thor shouted, looking at his own raw hands.
It was then that he noticed that he was shaking. Shaking in fear or perhaps anger or perhaps both, he did not know. But he could not stop trembling. He curled his fingers tight as if it would stop his shaking and let them fall to his side.
Loki hadn't so much as look at him, but Thor did not need to see his face to know that Loki was in a lot of pain. The part where Thor had just grabbed him with his naked skin was starting to darkened, and it looked burn.
"You fool" Thor went towards one of the shelves and took down a large towel.
"…"
"Here" He knelt down and placed the white fluffy towel over Loki's back.
Loki hissed in anger, grabbing the damn thing he flung it off him.
"Leave me" He gritted.
He felt like a fool. He had never felt so weak, so vulnerable and ashamed. He is so ashamed. If anyone knew of this, he would shame his own home! He is the crown prince! And he needed men to fear him! No one could know this, or they would laugh at him! And laughter is the dead of fear.
"Loki I mean you no harm" Thor said.
"Leave me Aesir! I do not need your help!" He bellowed in shame.
"No you don't. But I will offer it nevertheless" Thor put on his glove and reached out to help Loki but only to be roughly shoved away.
"I can walk on my own!" Loki hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously, his shaky hands went to swipe furiously at the messy stands that dangled over his face.
He did not need help. He needed no one! And he certainly did not need anyone to help him walk!
It took all of him, but he pushed himself up nevertheless. He dragged his knees and planted them firmly on the ground, he forced his exhausted arm to push his torso off the damn ground and slowly, he stood to his feet. He staggered, but he walked.
One step, two step.
He will walk on his own. He will get to his room on his own even if he has to crawl!
Thor watched him intently but he made no move to touch the Jotun again, simply walk close by the stubborn animal. His hands at the ready to catch Loki should he fall.
Loki moved slowly towards the wall and pressed his hand against the cool structure for support. His chest heaving, his eye lid getting heavier and heavier with every step and soon it was almost impossible to keep his eyes apart. His breath wheezed and he gasped for breath. He is so, so exhausted, so tired he wanted nothing more than to sleep.
He was almost at the door when Thor stopped him.
"Wait" Thor unclasped his red cape and gently wraps them over Loki's naked form. The silken fabric stuck intimately over Loki's damp skin, clinging onto him as if a second skin.
Thor knew the warrior three and the Lady Sif were waiting just outside the door. And Loki is a proud creature. He did not think Loki would want them to see all of him.
"My friends are out there" Thor warned Loki kindly.
"Oh. Here to laugh at the beast?" Loki sneered.
"If it pleases you, I will have them leave"
"It pleases me to have you leave!" Loki turned to stab a smoldering glare at Thor.
Thor frowned. "I am not here to hurt you. No one is. You are the author of your own pain and suffering"
"What do you know about suffering!" Loki spat venomously; his cold scarlet eyes glared furiously at Thor. "You! The Golden King so loved and adored by his people! You, the Golden King who's attention are crave by all!"
"I do not need to suffer to know that someone else is suffering"
"Maybe…But let him not preached of darkness when he has not seen nightfall" Loki pushed passed Thor.
The moment Loki emerged from the ornate door, the warrior three and the Lady Sif tensed, reaching for the hilt of their sword.
Loki hissed, baring his teeth.
Thor raised his hand to bid them not to hurt Loki.
"Go and make sure no one sees us" Thor commanded.
"We are not leaving you with this monster!" Sif protested.
"He cannot hurt me"
"He could be faking" Fandral said.
Thor smiled kindly. "I can defend myself"
"Oh I don't know…"
"Please now… would you do this for me? Make sure no one sees us" Thor said. "I promise I will make it up to you"
"Ah… well…" Fandral smiled mischievously. "Oh it's going to cost you"
Sif smacked Fandral hard over the back of his head.
"Hey!"
Volstagg laughed.
"As you command my King" Hogun bowed.
"Thank you my friends" Thor smiled.
Sif huffed in displeasure, glaring suspiciously at Loki. "Careful Thor..."
"Of course. When have I ever been reckless?" Thor winked.
Sif rolled her eyes but she too left with the others after a moment.
Loki laughed when the warrior three and the Lady Sif were out of earshot.
"What is so funny?" Thor turned to regard Loki.
"A King does not ask his subjects. He tells them and they will do as he commands or die for treason"
"I will not be such a King"
"Then you are no King. You are nothing more than a puppet dancing to the songs of your subjects"
Loki did in fact walk all the way back to his room on his own two feet. Terribly slow with many breaks in between, yes… but he did walk on his own. The moment Loki reached the soft mattress he collapsed over it. He threw Thor's cape off him and sluggishly dragged his wet body over to the heap of pillow at the head of the bed.
Thor followed him in, looking over the state of the room he no longer recognized.
That stew Loki had threw onto the ground the week before was still there. Untouched and spoilt. The pieces of shattered mirror where Loki had hurled a pitcher at was still there, the emerald curtains that surrounded Loki's four poster bed were shredded for makeshift clothes and the ebony sheets of the bed were clawed.
It looked more like he was keeping an animal in here than a prince.
He grimaced, turning his attention back to regard the Jotun.
Loki was already laying on his bed, his back probed up by a mountain of soft pillow, his head tilted back to straighten his trachea as to allow him to breath more easily. His breath still wheezed, though not as badly; his healing ribs moving erratically as it struggled to pull in air.
"Do you need to see the healers again? How is your breathing?"
"Perfect" Loki said, closing his eyes.
Thor shifted over to the bed to look at Loki.
Loki was dying. Even the simple burn over the Jotun's skin had ceased to heal. Norms, If Heimdall hadn't alerted him that Loki was about to do something really stupid, the prince might have drowned in his bath or been boiled to death in warm water.
Thor looked over the little Jotun.
Inky black hair was sprawled all over his pillow; his lean body was so starved Thor could see his every rib. They had healed a little better than before he admits, but Loki was still anything but fine, by how tightly stretched his skin were over his high cheek bones and narrow aristocratic nose.
And Thor wondered not for the first time "What are you trying to prove Jotun?"
Thor knew arrogance. Thor had been arrogant once, but even then, he was not so proud as to refuse help when he was dying.
Thor let his eyes wondered lower towards Loki's bandaged forearm.
It was damp, filthy and reeking.
He sighs, without a word he shifted to sit beside Loki.
"Let me look at your wounds"
Loki did not answer him. Thor did not expect him to. Loki looked too exhausted to even speak let alone argue. That stubborn walk had taken everything out of him.
Slowly, Thor unwraps the mangy bandage.
It looked horrible, and the more he unwraps them, the stronger the stench of rotted tissue. Thor did not need to unwrap it entirely to know that Loki's forearm had festered again, perhaps worst than before.
He may be no healer, but even he could tell that this was beyond the healer's scale. It has to go, but he wouldn't tell Loki that just yet. It did not give him joy to mutilate his enemy. It did not give him satisfaction to watch his enemy grief and weep knowing the healers would have to amputate his limb.
There was a sickly wet sound when Thor tugged the last of the bandaged off.
Loki winched, turning his head to look at Thor tiredly.
Loki's forearm was wet with pus, swollen and dark. It was as if the rotting fleshes of the dead.
"Do you like your handy work?" Loki whispered spitefully.
"Where is the fresh bandage?" Thor asked.
"Why?"
"Because it needs to be change"
"Why?" Loki asked again.
He wanted to know. He had thought long and hard. He couldn't understand this 'hospitality' ; he couldn't understand the meaning of food being left outside his door repeatedly and at all hours even when he had taken none of it. Were they mocking him? Floundering at the wealth of Asgard in his face? That they could waste food without a care while Jotuns fight over every scrap the land has to offer?
And now… this….this 'kindness' again.
Thor was looking at him in confusion. He did not understand the question.
"What do you mean?" Thor asked.
"I am not your friend. I am your enemy. Why would you help me?" Loki whispered. "What would you gain from this? Do you think you will win my favour? Why would you even want my favour?"
"I don't go around calculating gain or loses for everything I do" Thor said.
"…"
"I want to help you. Can't you understand something as simple as that?"
Scarlet bore into cerulean.
"The bandage…it's in the drawer" Loki muttered after a moment.
Thor gave a nod.
Loki watched the Golden King intently as Thor rummaged his bedside drawer. He still could not understand the Aesir.
But one thing he did know, it is that men are born unequal. That is the unspoken truth of the universe that some are born to use others, and some are born to be used. Some are born for greatness, and some are born simply to die, to be the stepping ground for the truly extraordinary ones. And Thor is the first fool he had ever met to choose to be used, when he was born with the power to use anyone he pleases.
Loki coughed violently, his chest hurts, sweat glistered his icy body, sticking against the soft casing of the mountain of pillows that probed his back up. There was a metallic tray covered with a layer of white cloth and a large wooden table with straps a little away from him.
"No" His eyes flashed venomously as he watched the dozen healers that surrounded his bed.
They were all clad in pristine white robe and jet black glove. Loki could tell that they did not care one bit about him. They were there on command. That suited Loki just fine. They disgust him as he disgust them.
Thor stood by Loki's side, looking at him gravely.
None of the healers could understand why Loki's seid had not healed him. None of the healers could understand why his seid had not fixed his ribs or healed his forearm. And none could understand why it was draining so much of the prince's strength. It was as if a large chunk of his sorcery had been channelled elsewhere instead of being used on him.
There was nothing for it.
If Loki's body could not take the strain of healing both his lungs and his shattered forearm, one has to go.
"Don't touch me" Loki hissed at Thor.
"It is either your forearm or your life"
"If you take my forearm, you take my life"
"You are dying. Do you understand?!"
"I would rather die, than lived as a misshapen beast"
"It's not even your sword hand"
"I will rather die than be misshapen any further!" Loki bellowed.
"Lo-"
"Look at me and tell me what do you see!" Fire flashed in the depths of Loki's eyes.
"..."
"Tell me! Answer me! What do you see my Lord of Aesir?!"
Thor frowned. "A dying creature"
"A runt. A frost giant runt, who should not have lived pass the first winter!"
Thor tightened his lips as he looked at the Jotun prince.
"I cannot lose a limb Aesir. I cannot!"
"Does your life mean so little to you Loki?" Thor asked softly.
Loki let out a bitter laugh.
"My life is no precious thing to me Aesir. I do not fear death" He said.
"Then what do you fear?"
Loki did not answer to that.
Thor let his eyes wondered once again over the Jotun.
Loki was skin and bones, weak and sickly.
He is dying, yet there is such a strong will to live in his eyes. Fierce and untamed... like wild fire. And for the first time, Thor thought he understood Loki just a little. He sees in him a wild spirit, a strong spirit... one that was so used to clinging onto hope, be it hope as fine as spider-web, Loki will cling onto it, because that is all he could do.
He is clinging now, clinging to everything he held dear, his arm, his life...with thread as fine as that spider-web. And Thor felt something he never knew he could feel for a beast like Loki. He felt pity. He felt sadness for him and a sense of reverence at his fiery will to rise above everything, despite all that fate had dealt him.
"I'm sorry" Thor said. He looked towards the healers for a moment before turning back to Loki. "But I cannot afford to have the blood of a Jotun prince on my hands"
Before Loki could move, before he could defend himself, Thor shifted to seize Loki. Loki's eyes widen, fear and horror clutched him.
"Stop! No!" Loki cried; his nails latched and clawed uselessly at Thor's armour, his legs jamming and kicking as Thor forcefully hauled him over his strong shoulder.
Like flocks of sheep, the healers move hurriedly towards the wooden table.
Loki trashed and screamed. His locks were flying and wild. His icy finger latched onto Thor's blond locks and pulled as hard as he could. Thor clenched his jaws in pain, his scalped tearing. He threw Loki onto the table, wrestling him down.
"Unhand me!" Loki kicked and twisted as they all wrestled him onto the straps.
They caught all of his limbs with their gloved hands. His ankles, his wrist, his arms! He jerked one leg loose only to be caught again by more hard pinching fingers.
"Release me!" Loki's dark nails tore across Thor's face.
Thor let out a hoarse shout, but he did not let go. Dampness of blood rolled down his face, but he would not let go, fighting Loki down.
"I will not let you die here!" Thor gritted, as he strapped Loki's trashing right arm into the strap.
Loki screamed in rage and fury.
"You want me to live so badly Thor?! Then I will have you save me! A life for a life!" Loki's free fingers swung to latch against Thor's bare neck, dark nails stabbing through burning skin, drawing blood.
At once, Thor was drowning in cold. The iciness on his throat spread at a terrifying speed till it consumed all of him, paralysing him. He gasped; his senses seemed to heightened, noticing beat of his heart and the rushing of blood in his veins. There was gushing in his ears as though of water.
Thor's knees buckled, but he did not fall. Loki was holding him up with his dark withering arm with an impossible strength.
Loki's face before him was terrifying, his eyes were dripping in blood lust and the voice that came from his lips were not his. It was deep and terrible, raising all of Thor's hair. He was chanting, hissing in a language that Thor had never heard and it was loud, so loud. It was as if the foul words were filling the entirety of his mind.
The healers were screaming, shouting for the guards, the entire room seem to shake, the curtains rip down in half and the glassy windows crack.
"Loki!" Thor tried to shout, but no sound left his lips.
An intense fear swept over him, a fear that did not grew from him.
Thor could feel himself being pulled under, as intense cold chilled him to the bone marrow. A cold that went deeper than his skin, his bones, his blood...It was swelling from his chest, his heart. Then he heard it... he could hear things that weren't there. Blood curdling screams, chilly laughter, and ululating wails, they all echoed in his mind.
And then he saw dark disfigured shapes rising behind Loki and the Jotun open his mouth as if to swallow. It was impossibly wide and dark as if the abyss, the scarlet of Loki's eyes morphed to black.
Thor felt his strength being drain in its entirety, sucked out of his very body.
He could not breathe... It was so cold, so so cold.
There was a loud bang. The guards had broken down the door.
"Loki..." Thor whispered, forcing with all his remaining strength to reach his numb fingers up, and touch Loki's face. "Stop..."
The last thing Thor saw before his eyes slid shut was a guard raising his great spear and bringing it down over the back of Loki's head.