Here's a new story I really hope you'll like. I do not know when I'll post next yet as I just wrote 3 chapters yet ;)
I'm sorry per advance if there are some mispelling or grammital errors as I'm French. Weirdly, I can't seem to write in French as words flow better in English lol
Everyday, it's a-gettin' closer
Goin' faster than a roller coaster
Love like yours will surely come my way
A-hey, a-hey, a-hey
Buddy Holly - Everyday
Circling the imposing city of Asgard, the dragon roared angrily. Its golden scales were blinding the people who were running for their lives. The magnificent creature violently blew fire, almost burning down the farmer market. Screams of horror echoed in the streets, mixing with the children's cries. But the dragon didn't care. Its red eyes showed no mercy, only anger and grief.
The wise Hakurei was dead. Thor, son of Odin, God of Thunder and heir of Asgard, had slayed him viciously just to please his father for the Allfather needed Harukei's green scales to forge a sword.
The golden dragon roared once again. Was it all a dragon's life worth for the great Odin ? Were they just living just to be killed when someone needed a new sword ? With Harukei dead, only three dragons still lived in the Nine Realms. Was it really necessary to murder one of the last fire-breather ?
Stretching its powerful wings to maximum, the golden creature flew higher than the clouds themselves before letting go and falling straight to the castle. The einherjar army were stationed, their spears ready to hurt him but the dragon didn't slow its falling whatsoever. Instead, it relished on the fear in the Asgardian warriors' eyes as they watched the beast fall on them.
Mere meters before the inevitable crash, the dragon unfolded its wings and, blowing a big ball of fire to the einherjars before straightening its fly. The smell of burnt flesh assaulted its nostrils and, with a final roar, it flew away.
A single tear rolled down its scales as the beast landed at the other end of the planet. Its heart bled heavily as it remembered the sight of Harukei's corpse. Its little show of revenge was nothing compared to the pain it was currently suffering. But it also knew its claws were tied. There was nothing it could do.
As it laid on the moist grass of the meadow, it turned its massive head to look at the clear pond. Its reflection was staring at itself with sad red eyes. Its head was relatively smooth, up until the tip of its skull. There, two large emerald spikes sprouted back, curling slightly. More smaller spikes continued down its back. Its scales looked like they were made of pure gold and could be better described as armored plates, integrated patterns dancing on them. The scales on its underbelly were tinged green but, depending on the light, some speck on iced blue could be seen. Its tail was abnormally long and smooth, except for the end where several deadly-looking spikes stood proudly.
The mere thought of returning to the castle, feigning indifference, was making it sick but it had no other choice. Closing its eyes, it savored the feeling of the wind caressing its scale, the fire burning in its throat and the fast beat of its blazing heart before it allowed itself to slowly shift to its original form.
It cringed as it felt its bones breaking before shrinking. Its scales were burning it, melting painfully on its skin as its wings began to fuse with its back. Its pointed spikes drilled back on its spine and it had to bite its tongue to muffle its scream of agony. Its tail began to bleed as it detached slowly for its body before spontaneously combusting.
Out of breath and drenched in sweat, a man stood now in place of the beast. He shivered as the wind met his naked body. He was still shaking lightly with the aftershock of the transformation. He took deep breaths, trying to calm his fast heartbeat. It seemed to him that the pain of the shifting had never been worse.
His green eyes looked with envy at the pond with its clear and cool water. He gulped with difficulty. He wanted more than anything to dive in and let the refreshing water wash his pain away but he also knew that water would only increase his suffering. That was part of the curse of being a dragon. Water made him feel pain like no other. Since his first shifting, he had played his part well and no-one - not even his parents or his brother - knew the torture he felt when he touched water. Thankfully, ale and other alcohol didn't burn him like the water did or he would have died of deshydratation. But, despite the pain water inflicted on him, he didn't, even for one minute, regretted his decision to become a dragon.
The man has switched his everlasting feeling of freezing inside for hot red lava running in his veins. The spell - some might even call it a curse - had turned everything in him into blazing inferno. Him who had always been so cold all the time was now never enjoying the fire that has taken place in his blood that nothing could extinguish except Death.
Sighing, he rubbed his tired eyes. It took everything in him to convince himself to move. In his precipitation to avenge Harukei, he had shifted without a second thought, shredding his clothes in rags. He could definitely not go back to the castle naked as the day he was born... Well, truth be told, he would love to see his father's face if he did so. Oh the laugh he would have to witness shame and fury dancing in the old man's eye. That would be a sight to remember. But the only thought of his mother's reaction put a damp on his musing. After all, he was still a prince...
With a complex mouvement of his wrist, he turned a leaf into a tunic. He smiled when he noticed that the veins of the leaf had formed a complex pattern on the fabric. A small branch was soon also transfigured into a tight pair of trousers. He slowly got dressed before whistling. In a few minutes, his stallion would be here. That's what was great with magic. Even hundreds of miles away, his horse could still hear him and, thanks to a spell of his own creation, his steed ran faster than any creature known in the Nine Realms.
« That is enough ! » Odin's voice boomed « I cannot tolerate your behavior much longer ! You are a prince of Asgard and, as such, it is your responsibility to defend it ! I don't even want to know where you were when the dragon attacked. You should have been fighting alongside the einherjars and your brother ! Your magic could have helped us defeat that beast ! What am I going to do with you, Loki ? I mean, look at you ! Is that even a proper way to dress for a prince ? »
The prince's spine bended lightly as if the whole Nine Realms were on his shoulders. His father's words weighed heavily on him. True, he should have just told him that he actually was there but not on the side of the einherjars... Oh what he would have given to see his father's face if he would have been brave enough to confess being the dragon that attacked them ! But, Loki was scared. Even his mischievous way didn't compete with the fear the Allfather inspired him. He could only pray that, one day, he would be brave enough to stand down his ground against his father.
Closing his eyes, he just stood and swallowed Odin's disdain for him. Loki needed to take the right to selfishly. He was still young, with so much to learn but it seemed to him that he had wasted an eternity just being a weakling freak. But the time hasn't come yet for rising up against authority.
« I need to humbly ask for your forgiveness. I neglected my duty as a prince of Asgard and there is nothing more shameful. I know that my absence has upset you, but I can assure you, Father, that this will not happen again. » Loki lied effortlessly. Already, he was planning something as a retaliation for Hakurei's death as well as this public shaming he had to endure. A glint of a smirk graced his thin lips but, luckily for him, no-one saw it. « If I may have a question... was it worth it ? »
« Was what worth it ? » Odin asked, his one eye scanning his younger son with intensity.
« Killing one of the four dragons still living in the Nine Realms. » the prince answered, his head bowed. He knew his question would most likely bring him trouble but he just couldn't alway suppress the little voice in his head who was whispering mischievous things.
« Everything I do for my sons is worth it. » the Allfather said with a sigh. « It was supposed to be a surprise but, as always, your actions ruined it... I have asked the dwarves of Nidavellir to forge you a new sword for your God-title ceremony with the green scales of the ancient dragon Harukei. »
Loki suddenly felt sick. He felt his face pale as sweat began to drip down his forehead. Was he really the reason Harukei was dead ? His vision blurry, the prince tried to focus on his breathing. For the first time in a long time, a frozen embrace took hold of his body.
« I have a mission for you... » Odin's voice made Loki jump slightly. « In an attempt to show me the kind of prince you are, you mother and I have decided that you are going to be the knight of the rain deity the Gods of Olympia are sending us. He - or she - will only be there for two days once a year. You are to make sure nothing happens to the emissary. Only once you fulfill your duty for the 67th time will you have your God-title ceremony. »
The prince's eyes widened in shock. A Rain deity ? Was his father wishing for his death ? Granted, Odin didn't know the torture Loki felt at the contact with water but still... Furthermore, his ceremony was supposed to be held next year and now, he would have to wait 67 years ? His inner dragon roared angrily in his chest as the news began to sweep in. He had to take deep breaths to stop his transformation. No one had to know.
For the umpteenth time, Loki rolled his eyes as he willed himself not to hurt his brother.
« Come on, Loki. Smile a little ! Who knows, maybe the Olympian will be a girl... and a good-looking one at that ! » Thor had to shout for Loki's stallion was way before his.
Thor had invited himself to accompany his young brother in his journey to the secret bridge between Asgard and Olympia. Loki had done everything he could to stop him but didn't succeed. Had he been alone, he would have made it to the bridge in mere minutes. Sometimes, he cursed having to hide his magic. It was true that his mother taught him magic but he had since long surpassed his teacher. He kept his magical progress secret as he feared his father's reaction. A prince of Asgard should better be well trained in the art of weapons than in the art of magic, he had once told the two princes.
« Hey, don't be a spoilsport ! » Thor interrupted his brother's musing as he patted his shoulder. Somehow he had succeeded to catch up with Loki's steed. « I do not blame you for not being with me when the dragon attacked. By the look of your clothes when you came back, I can easily guess what you were doing... Tell me, were you with the fair Sigyn or the vixen Amora ? Truth be told, I would have prefered to be in your shoes than to fight that beast... Ah, the pleasure of women... By the way, are we there yet ? »
« The Golden Bridge is at the opposite of the Bifrost. » Loki answered with a monotonous voice. « Do we look like we're at the opposite of the Bifrost ? »
« Umm... no ? » Thor scratched the back of his head, looking behind his shoulder just to see that the Rainbow Bridge was still in sight. « That made me remember, do you still recall the journey we made to Alfheim. It took us, what ?... five days to get there ? Man, I hope we don't have to ride fuse days to get to the Golden Bridge... Hey, do you know if Olympians are nice ? I never get to see one myself, well except for Uncle Zeus but it was a long time ago. We were still children, remember ? And now, I'm officially a God and you, dear brother, will be in 67 years... Not yet a man but not a child anymore. Enjoy your years of freedom, Loki. Trust my experience... You know what ? I just had the most wonderful thought. What if the Olympian you need to guard is a beautiful woman and you both fall in love ? It would be so romantic, right ? Though, Father would never agree you marry anything but an Asgardian. Anyhow, it would be cool, right ?... Did you know Lady Sif happened to have made an official demand to join the Valkyries ? It is insane, isn't it ?... »
Having had enough of his older brother's rambling, Loki flicked his wrist. A green smoke appeared around Thor's neck, almost choking him. The magical mist disappeared seconds later. Sending a murderous glare to the sorcerer, the blond man tried to speak but instead, a loud frog croaking left his lips. Loki's mocking laugh soon resounded in the valley.
Can't wait to read your thoughts of this first chapter ;) Thanks for reading