The most brutal chapter yet, I'm tempted to rate it M

Intense violence/torture

She stood up and looked at the moon, saying goodbye to its beauty. She knew her time had come, and she did not want to fall a coward. She kicked him in the gut and took the sword and jammed it into his stomach, just as another guard took a throwing knife and pinned it to the side of her waist, and threw two more. She shrieked in pain and pulled them all out, throwing them to different guards.

But eventually they overpowered her, stabbing her several more times. She gave up in both pain and hopelessness. She was forced to walk back to the palace in the city, despite her bleeding wounds. They said that it was either that, or have her legs tied and dragged by a horse.

Each step she wished to simply collapse and die. The blood poured out of her wounds, staining her dress, covering her in red. Her hands were bound by a rope that, if not in so much pain, she could rip apart as she wanted to rip apart each of these guards.

Her legs felt like they were no stronger than twigs. She walked, badly bruised, stabbed and utterly exhausted. But her will of an Asgardian, of a fallen goddess, kept her going. It would take much more than this to kill her, but it could be done.

After a slow walk back, they made into the city walls, and to the palace. Everyone from earlier had dispersed and the festivities were over. She fell at the top of steps into the Great Hall, unable to will herself any farther. But two guards dragged her inside, and dropped her on the floor, before the seat of the new leader of Kvivik, Queen Dvoria.

Sylv coughed feebly and spit out some blood. The entire room appeared fuzzy and hazy, making her want to vomit from kicks she received in her stomach.

"My Queen and Grace, this servant was discovered to have attacked and kill several guards, attempting to prostitute herself to a guard, out of city walls, traitorous remarks in favor of Njolon, attacking innocent civilians and spewing hatred against her Queen and Grace and the great Kingdom of Kvivik."

Though Sylv was only half-conscious, she knew she hadn't done any of those, with the exception of one. But she couldn't lift her head to defend herself.

Queen Dvoria stood from her seat. "It is so early in the morning and you trouble me with a prisoner than you know well what to do with?" she said, walking down the steps towards where Sylv lay helplessly on the ground.

She kicked Sylv over, and her blood pooled on the ground. She looked at her and bent down. "Dear, dear...you are a familiar face. I remember you, from Asgard, yes, yes I do." The Queen said quietly, out of hearing range of everyone but Sylv.

"Oh but look at you now, an all-powerful god, bleeding on my floor, to play with to my content. We will have fun tomorrow, much fun indeed."

The Queen stood up and put her heel to Sylv's hand, stepping harshly. Sylv screamed out as she felt her bone crunching. The Queen walked away. "Take her below! Prepare a public lashing for tomorrow."

The guards carried her down into the dungeons, several floors below. They threw her into a foul smelling cage and locked the door. She leaned back against the wall, tears streaming down her face, but she did not want to give them the satisfaction of knowing she was in so much pain, so she did not sob.

After an hour on sitting against the filthy wall, the pain in her hand was still bad, but dulled. Her wounds were still bleeding but seemed to have slowed. She heard someone talking somewhere and managed to crawl to the front. She saw other prisoners down here, whimpering and sobbing. The guards occasionally kicked someone's gate in an effort to shut them up.

She thought of Loki, of his beautiful emerald green eyes. Of how they would have had a fulfiling life together. Now she was reduced to this, this pathetic, beaten servant, sitting on the disgusting floor in a dungeon.

There was nothing in the room, so she just leaned against the wall in a fetal position until morning, when she heard a guard walking down the steps and knew that the time had come.

She had been whipped twice in public but somehow she knew today would be focused on her. On the falling of a goddess. And it would not end there, no. Days of torture and slowly dying. A quick death is too much to ask for in this place.

The door swung open and a guard grabbed arm, yanking her out and slamming the door. He bound her wrists once more and they went up the stairs. The bright light made it impossible to see, and she closed her eyes for a moment. The guard threw her to the floor in the Great Hall. Her eyes adjusted to the light and looked down at her dress, completely filthy and blood stained.

She looked at her stab wounds and they were beginning to heal, but they were still fresh and stinging.

She heard talking nearby but hadn't the concentration to listen to it. She only had the will to lay there and pray for a miracle that she might somehow be spared the lashings and killed outright.

A few moments later she heard chanting outside, the sound of an angry mob, much like any public lashing. Someone, probably a guard, grabbed and basically dragged her outside. She could barely open her eyes and tears streamed down her face once more. She had her arms put around a rock and secured where her wrists were bound, into such a position she was hugging the rock.

The angry crowd roared and spit curses at her. She turned her head to look left and saw their ugly, mean faces. She moved her legs beneath her to sit differently, and saw a row of seats, where royal members sat, including the Queen.

She stood up and the crowd went silent.

"Hear me well, my people. For today is a day that we rejoice in our power over those who disobey the Royal Families!"

The crowd cheered.

"Let anyone who disagrees with this, speak now!" Of course, no one spoke. "Let the punishment to Sylv of Gradon commence!"

And with that, the guard ripped her shirt off, and she felt the first horrifying sting of the whip on her back. Her whole body went into shock from the pain and she screamed. Again. The whip went into the same open flesh as the first time. Again, and again, and again. Her voice became hoarse. The crowd spat more curses at her.

She had lost count of how many times she was lashed by the time she passed out.

It's over. It's over. It's finally over, now I may pass into Valhala...or should I be so lucky. I have done wrong but I made my mistakes right...Forgive me...

She awoke hours later on the floor of the Great Hall. Apparently, the Queen liked to watch her enemies writhe in pain in her sights.

Sylv could not move. She did not want to move. She just layed there on her chest, looking at the Queen. She was having a drink with a friend, and they pointed and laughed at Sylv.

"So my Queen, what do you plan to do with the vermin?" he said, looking at her admirably. She giggled. "Perhaps another lashing tomorrow, today was quite fun." The Queen grinned and walked over Sylv's half-naked, tortured body and poured some of her drink onto Sylv's open, fresh lash marks. She screamed with any bit of voice she had left and passed out once more.

This time she did not awake for an entire day. She had been left there on the ground. It appeared to be afternoon, the sun began to slowly go down like it had so many countless times.

Two guards came over to her, unlocked her wrists, and picked her up by her arms, beginning to carry her out of the hall harshly. The Queen walked into the Great Hall, accompanied by several people, who were all laughing and talking. Sylv looked up to see someone she knew walking alongside the Queen, and could not comprehend the disbelief of who it was.

Sylv sat up, and almost thought she was actually there for a moment. Loki was already awake and dressed. He was in a trance, communicating with the Other.

Sylv knew today is the day that the Chitari invasion begins, and earth would belong to them, and them alone. She stood up and got dressed. She had just finished putting her gloves on, when Loki opened his eyes. He looked at her and grinned.

"Finally my love, today, the humans will kneel before us. The Chitari are prepared." he said, standing up. She put her dagger belt on. "Today." she repeated absent-mindedly. Today could be the start of many things, many of which are very bad.

He walked over to her and lifted her chin up. She looked at him and put her arms around his neck, and he put his hands on her hips. "I will not lose you again." he said. She sighed quietly. "I cannot bear to think of living without you." She said emotionally. They kissed passionately for a moment, holding eachother as if it were the last time. Someone at the door knocked. "Sir, the tesseract is ready." It was Barton.

Loki brushed the side of her face and went to the door. They talked for a moment. "We're leaving soon. Meet me outside when you are ready." he said to her. She nodded and he left down the hallway.

She fit her throwing stars into her belt, as well as her daggers. This is it. She sat down on the bed and looked at the floor.

I wonder if I am strong enough...

She took her dagger and held it to her finger. It did not easily cut her, which was relieving. Regardless, she is still not as strong as she once was. She slid the daggers into their sheaths and went out the door, running quickly and light-footedly up the stairs, despite her discomfort last night. She went out into the bright daylight where many guards stood waiting around. She spotted Selvig and Barton.

"What is taking so long?" she asked, walking up to them. "I'm not sure, my lady." Selvig said. Just then they all spotted the hovercraft coming towards them from behind the compound. Several guards had the tesseract and the mechanism that would open the portal to the Chitari army. She adjusted her finger-gloves and looked up. Loki jumped down, scepter in hand.

"Place the tesseract in this one. Another will come for the rest of you." he said, as they heard another one coming. They loaded it into the cargo space of the craft, and Sylv went with Loki in the first one, as well as Selvig, Barton and 4 guards.

She sat down in one of the seats just as the craft began to lift. Barton was preparing his bow and Selvig examining the tesseract. They took off, speeding towards the most populated area in the US.

Kind of an intense chapter, hope you liked it. More to come! Reviews always welcome.