Silver and Scales

Chapter Fifteen: Loki's Gifts

The kingdom—aside from those who resided in the castle—had yet to discover that Loki had taken the throne, but word was sure to spread.

After the passionate craze in the washroom, Loki led Vyperia to his chambers and closed the door behind him. He turned on his heel when he heard the door softly click; his eyes found Vyperia in the moon-lit bedroom as she strode toward an opened window to look upon Asgard's beautiful architecture. A free spirit by nature, it was always a knack for Vyperia to gaze into the light and dark corners of the palace, or to stride in the gardens to ever admire Mother Nature's beauty. A look of content bestowed upon her peaceful features as her emerald eyes searched the heavens and the village below with appreciation, find solace wherever she was in the arms of life's fertility.

Her flowing robes met her bare feet as she gazed outside, immersed in its beauty.

Loki walked up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her body was extremely warm. As his fingers locked together along the mid-riff of her belly, he smiled as he felt her soft palms graze along his knuckles. He settled his chin idly along the crook of her neck.

"I have often wondered," said Vyperia, as if to explain her meek silence, "how different and similar that you are to your brother."

"Is this a new form of bedroom talk, Darling?" he asked her playfully. "Talking about Thor? That might be one of the worst attempts of temptation that I have ever heard from you, dear."

Vyperia chuckled.

"I was merely thinking aloud," she said dismissively. "I was just thinking about that fight in Jotunheim. Thor has brute strength, a warrior's mentality, something that is brandished through years of training and a robust diet."

Loki nodded slowly, though curious to know where her train of thought would end.

"You are agile, quick, and..." she turned her head to see his eyes questioning her. She smiled. "You are a warrior, but not so keen to flog a Frost Giant who crosses your path. It has always been in your nature to use your cunning and wisdom to make it out alive...and your parlor tricks."

"I certainly have done more than petty parlor tricks, Vyperia."

"I tease," she told him, grinning.

"Why have these thoughts crossed your mind?" he asked.

She turned slowly in his arms to meet his inquiring blue eyes.

"Shall I admit a jealous confession to you?" she requested softly, though her tone was not belittled with fear or apprehension.

"I would like to hear it," said Loki.

"I wonder if you could teach me."

Loki looked upon her inquisitively, his interest peaked.

"Teach you what, Vyperia?" he questioned.

"Magic." Vyperia answered shortly afterward.

Loki smiled, intrigued.

Vyperia had always shown some cool factors in her own design; her snake-like abilities were phenomenal in themselves, but they held only reptilian physiology. She had never been a scholar in the wonders of sorcery. She needn't study to understand her powers. Now she came to him with a small request, though he wondered what had brought about her the interest in his primal field.

"What kind of magic?" he asked.

He didn't bat away her interest, rather welcomed her to explain herself.

"Have you ever heard of the Feathered Serpent?" inquired Vyperia curiously.

Loki's knowledge of all things mystical and mythological was highly advanced.

The Feathered Serpent was an entity that many Midgardians from years and years ago believed to be a gigantic sea snake whose abilities were dual-natured between divine and demonic powers. Its divine nature was innocuous, taking the ability to fly and reach the skies; whilst its demonic ability was to creep on the ground and prey upon those who did not see its arrival. While Midgardians believed that this deity was a myth, it was a real creature who dwelt in the darker corners of Earth, hidden and protected by Vyperia, herself.

As Loki's privilege, he had the unnatural power to bestow supernatural abilities upon others; though he never dabbled in the art of such illusion, as it created unbalance in the world among those who craved too much power.

Vyperia asked this of her dear king because the powers that relayed from the Feathered Serpent were not given to her at birth.

"Of course, I know of him," acknowledged Loki. "You want his abilities. I might ask why the sudden interest in acquiring such power? Is it my influence?" he added slyly.

Vyperia heard the suspicion in his tone, though he sounded rather enticed to be able to grant this to her. She gave him a weak smile.

"It's a quest to have the upper hand," she said shamelessly. "I always side-step your rule because you are an Asgardian god, whether Odin chooses to see that in you or not. I have always respected you as a prince. Should it be irresponsible to ask for gifts?"

"Is that what these magical powers would be to you?" he asked her. "Gifts?"

She looked at him carefully.

"I hear mistrust in your voice." Vyperia muttered, searching his face. "I would never use my powers against you. I haven't ever done so in the past. Do you think that I will thwart you while you sit on the throne, above everyone else?"

"A king must remain suspicious. It's in his way," Loki told her rightfully.

"You would suspect your queen of treachery?" she asked in return.

He looked at her; he searched her bold, green eyes for some sign of manipulation. He was disingenuous by his nature; and he sensed that she had picked up some of his gifts during their years of courtship. However, after several minutes of rooting past the bars of her plight, Loki nodded in submission.

Vyperia grinned.

He led her away from the window to the middle of the room.

"I have never done this before," began Loki as he turned back around to face her.

"You can't do this for me?"

He shook his head.

"No, you misunderstand. I said that I have never done this before. I didn't say that I was incapable of doing so," he said. "Just...remain still."

Loki placed his hands on either side of her head. She watched apprehensively as he closed his eyes in concentration. Warmth then heat eluded from the tip of his finger tips. She kept her arms at her sides, growing with anticipation but racked with common fear of the unknown. This was something new to her, something that she had never seen him do.

She flinched when Loki exhaled a deep breath.

Images raced through Loki's mind. In his memory, a large python—the face of a terrifying serpent with elongated fangs, a long jaw, a forked tongue...its head bobbed and weaved in the dark chamber of Loki's mind. Red eyes peered ahead. Then a body followed behind its face. It was beautiful...

A thick row of feathers, colorful and gracefully blowing through the animal's slithering grace.

Vyperia stared at him, awe-struck but frightened, as Loki's eyes tightened.

Into Loki's mind, the feather serpent circled dark shadows. Its body camouflaged into the pitch black atmosphere, then returned to its normal hue of brilliant shades of pink, orange, blue, violet, green, and yellow. The viper hissed. Then it slowly raised off the ground, its red eyes shifting left and right as its curling body left the ground entirely. Its coils perched into the air...the low hisses came calmly. As it made its way back to Earth, the feather serpent's body slowly peeled away. A faded shell was left behind as a new serpent pulled out its dead skin, more beautiful than the last. The viper danced, a blur of a toxic rainbow in Loki's mind.

This was the serpent that Vyperia had mentioned, and it was one that she held dear to her. A myth that was not as fictitious as the Midgardians believed, the feather serpent's powers were demonstrated before Loki's eyes in his own mind, showing him just what Vyperia would be capable of doing once the abilities were within her grasp.

Then the snake turned to face Loki. Its red eyes watched him carefully. As it stared, it uttered a soft hiss under its breath. Its body began to expand, and from several of its coils spliced two snakelets. The serpents, young and writhing, slithered from the father and hissed as well, dancing with the feather serpent's coiling waltz.

Vyperia felt rising heat from his fingers, so hot that it started to burn her ears.

As the warmth began to seriously hurt Vyperia, Loki removed his hands from her face and pulled away as a light began to glow. It was a mystical orb of yellow light that steadied in front of Vyperia. Loki looked exhausted as he gazed at Vyperia, whose eyes stared curiously into the orb.

"What is...?" she inquired, as she held out her hand toward it, intrigued.

When her fingers met the inquisitive orb, it shot toward her and hit her with force. Vyperia was slammed down onto the carpet as if she had been struck hard with the force of a troll's club, donkey-punching her straight in the face. Loki winced as her body hit the floor with a thud.

He stepped toward her to examine her, torn between amazement and concern.

The look on his face was clearly "Holy shit, what did I just do?"

"Vyperia," he said to her motionless body. "Answer me if you can hear me."

Vyperia opened her eyes to see him hovering over her. She smiled at him.

"Did it work?" asked Loki.

As if to answer him, Vyperia's body disappeared below him; she didn't become truly invisible, but merely blended into the red carpet beneath her body. He noticed her easily when she made to move away from him—the blur was easy to recognize as she scooted away from him on her back. Loki reached out into nothing and grabbed her leg. The sudden force around her ankle caused Vyperia to lose her focus—her shadowed image flickered; and she materialized in front of him. Loki reached her. She emitted a squeal of delight as he pulled her back to him with immeasurable strength.

"Yes," she chuckled. "It did work."

"You can't fool with me with your parlor tricks, my dear," said Loki, amused by her attempt of wit. "I know what you can do. Ah, and your dear pet..." he referred to the serpent, "is a father now."

Vyperia grinned. Loki grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet.

"Thank you for this," she said enthusiastically. "For all of this."

Loki waved his hand in front of her...a single rose conjured in his palm. She looked at him with a gentle smile. He never ceased to amaze her with his tricks. Loki pushed the falling lengths of blonde hair away from her face; he inserted the rose behind her ear and kissed her deliberately on the cheek.

"I will never deny you anything, pet," he said, drawing her close. His hand pressed against the small of her back. "As long as you never deny me."

"You look at me now as if I shall fly out the window," said Vyperia softly, seeing the expression upon his youthful face.

"It would anger me to see if you did," he returned.

She raised a hand to his face; her fingers affectionately traced his high cheekbones. She palmed his jaw and pulled him into a meaningful kiss. He sighed, delighted by her response. The small smack of their lips separating silenced them for a swift minute.

"Would you mourn if I left you?" she asked. Her words were curious, but her tone reached for depth. "If I left your side, lost to the winds, and yet I did not love you...Would you mourn my death?"

"Would you trust me if I said that I would mourn?"

"I think," said Vyperia quietly, "that you would hide your pain behind something stronger that could outlast your sadness. I jest, Loki, about our relationship from time to time. I tease you and it is all good fun. Never doubt that I love you, dear husband."

Loki searched her eyes.

"And what, Vyperia, is stronger than deep sadness? What is it that would mask mourning if you were taken from me? Do you guess my reaction, or have you come to know me so well?"

Vyperia smiled.

"I am terrified when you become angry with me. I lust for you when I watch you in battle, when your blood boils from the heat of carnage. You are at your strongest when your eyes no longer hold that careful, sleek elegance; and when you no longer abide by the rules of a gentleman. Your vengeance is much stronger than your pain, and I am always torn between delight and sympathy when I see it." Vyperia admitted, her tone cool and collected.

"I trust your rage," Vyperia answered him truthfully.

He merely smiled at her.

Good answer.