Chanter 10

[2-3]

Twilight

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Since that night snow kept falling for three days. After that all the area of Asgard were steeped in the dark.

"Commander, I have a report to you." said Lady Sif who was standing in front of the door of Loki's chamber. But she was unable to get any response.

As she was about to tap the door, it opened of itself. Sif hesitated a moment to enter, looked around and came in.

There was pile of parchment written with ancient phrase on the desk and thick books and glasses filled with maroon liquid littered the floor. Sif picked up on of the glasses and sniffed at it. Tangy and a bit smoky smell greeted her nose.

When she searched the desk, she heard someone's footsteps coming to her. Sif hided herself and held her breath. Soon the door opened.

Loki came upon his chamber, picked up one of glasses and left again. Sif who watched him followed in his tracks.

Loki kept going into curved, narrow way. And finally passed a gorge that just barely enough for one person to go through, Sif could smell grassy scent and feel soft wind drying sweat on her brow. She saw the man walking along a lane. On the end of it a tremendous size of ash tree stood.

"Yggdrasil." Sif murmured.

It was so huge that though she tiled her head back vertically, she only could see its first branch.

Her gaze moved back to Loki. Now he was beside the root come out to the topsoil; it was already badly rotten. Loki strewed the maroon liquid on it. Then, from behind the base of a tree trunk, a dragon appeared. It had long body and its scale was shining with gold and green.

The dragon slowly strode to the roots and began to crunch it. Loki stepped aside and watched its strange and eerie figure for a long.

The door of hall burst open. And Loki entered almost like be flung by two warriors; one of them wore hide of wolf down on his shoulder and the other had on his left cheek an ugly scar received by snake's poison.

"Ah- it's quite hurt." Loki moaned mockingly and reared slowly. He looked up Odin sitting on the throne at a dais full in the face. Right below the dais, Thor stood; all the time during Loki coming into the hall his gaze fixed on Loki.

There were Lady Sif, Three warriors, few elders and guards on the aisle. Someone showed astonished expression and someone displayed contempt for him.

"Did you really do that?" uttered Thor in a low. There was a disappointment and a kind of rage crossed his face.

"Should I answer it?" said Loki briskly. "Whatever I say you believe I did."

"I'm not mood to joke, Loki." said Thor. "I asked you again. Did you lure Nidhogg to gnaw roots of Yggdrasil?"

"Yes, I did." Loki's answer was short and clear.

"Why?" Thor's voice trembled lightly. "You get Asgard people' trust. But why? Why you pull down your labor?"

"What is use for? Whatever I do the truth that I'm a Frost Giant never can be changed." said Loki. He turned and looked around.

"I hate this people pretending to be surprised. Inward, all of them desired my ruin. And now they must think as I expected, applauding their belief isn't broken."

Loki glanced back from them to Thor.

"Tell me Thor, Have you ever thought I could be a king?"

The silence fell for a minute.

"Of course, no you have. Because you think you were born with throne." said Loki scornfully.

Soon the hall filled with sound of agitation of people's.

"How- How dare you have idea to be an Asgard's king!" an elder having red bread bellowed. "If Odin had not bought you from Jotunheim, you should have been-"

"A king." said Loki coldly. "And I should have been if that old man had not brought me like that way and thrown me into the lies and despair." A manacle put his wrists creaked every movement by his anger. Loki gazed at Thor.

"And maybe by now I could pierce your empty head by an ice spear for Asgard people."

Some warriors' face turned purple with rage and they were about to lunge at him. But Odin raised his hand to curb them.

"I thought you were changed. And I believed you." said Thor. "As you said I had never thought you shall be a king until the day you said to me you would. But since that I thought it doesn't matter whoever be a king if you could rule the Asgard better than me."

The ministers and warriors held their breath and attended to Thor's words.

"But- you're not changed…. at all." said Thor.

The sentiment evinced on his face changed from rage to abandonment.

"And now.. whatever you've been punished, I will not defend you anymore."

Loki's countenance was quite weird as though he was not sure rather he had to be rage or sad, or it was just like someone who failed to show hundred expression at once. Soon his mouth twisted in a contemptuous sneer.

"It's too late. Thor." said Loki. "After three days of cold… and after three days of darkness….the twilight will begin."

Vermilion glow beat down one side of his face and made hard-edged shadow on the other.

Thor thought for a moment that it was a morning sunlight shone in the hall. But it wasn't. A huge mass of flames was flying toward the Asgard.