(Author Notes: *Shiny new backstory squirrel* I made a web page for the illustrations I am making for this fanfic and other such fan art. Be warned that character descriptions of animals may contain spoilers. Follow this link to see - https fanficart - shelbyjo1 .weebly. c*

*The events of this chapter take place two months before Thor's coronation.)

Chapter 6: Freya

Loki woke to a face full of dappled grey feathers. Gowning he rolled out of bed and flicked on the light causing the ball of feathers to hiss menacingly and curl more tightly into the emerald green pillow its silver spotted feathers tinged with a subtle burnt orange. Loki didn't blame him, he didn't like mornings either. Slowly Shin-ah unfurled his wings and slunk off the bed only to climb into his gold wrought climbing perch and slither onto a hidden den behind the black and emerald green leaves. Soft snoring quickly ensued.

For a few more moments Loki stared longingly at his bed wishing that he could join his long time companion in sleep. It had been several centuries since he had first met the tiny wyvern. Like all the residents of Asgard Shin-ah had a long lifespan, but it had quickly became apparent that Shin-ah was not like any wyvern anyone had ever encountered. After years of observation Loki and Figga had come to the conclusion that Shin-ah probably suffered from a birth defect. He had never grown to the size of a full fledged wyvern, staying roughly the size of a small cat excluding his wins and elongated neck. Their largest clue came when Shin-ah became mature enough to shift his wing color.

Shin-ah came prancing into Loki's lab with his wings arched elegantly over his back to display his new luminescent, yellow wings. He swiftly leapt onto Loki's desk and spread his wings out for all to see, his chin tilted up with pride. Loki gently stroked the yellow feather crest on top of Shin-ah's head in approval. Carefully Loki lifted one of the wings to inspect more closely. There standing out darkly in contrast to the vibrant yellow where the silver spots near the tip of each feather. Loki and Frigga had conferred for weeks to try and find a way for the little wyvern to be able to disguise his spots, but it soon became clear that there was nothing they could do to help him have a normal life. So instead of releasing Shin-ah back into the wild as planned he became a permanent fixture in their lives. Not that anyone really minded.

Now, thanks to all the hands on work he had done in raising Shin-ah, Loki had become the leading authority on the rare and elusive species. One of the few people to have ever witnessed a wyvern colony in their nesting grounds and the only person to have ever tamed one, he had written several scrolls on the species and had been compiling notebook after notebook on his experiments with Shin-ah's venom, feathers, and claws. All naturally shed of course. As a result Loki had found a multitude of uses for them in spells and several creative ways of weaponizing the paralytic effects of the venom. Loki had found, to his immense delight, that the feathers had different magical properties depending on the color they were when they were shed and even after centuries he was still experimenting with the different effects they had on his spells and potions. Of course he had had to test all his experiments and what better test subjects than Thor and his gaggle of followers.

Loki laughed out loud at the memories as he began to dress for the day. It was ungodly early to be having a family meeting and he silently cursed his father and brother for their early-bird tendencies. He swiftly secured his cape over his shoulders and swept from the room with a flourish that no one was able to appreciate. He passed through his personal living quarters and out into the hallway only to pause at a rather amusing sight.

Thor lay sprawled haphazardly across the floor, 120 lbs. of nemean lion on his chest. Nubia made excited chirping noises as she rested her incisors on Thor's throat. Loki leaned against the wall letting his features fall into a pleased expression. Thor looked up at his younger brother, "Get this thing off me!" he bellowed.

"And why exactly… would I do that?" said Loki, relaxing against the wall to watch his brother squirm in an undignified heap. "It would be a shame to break up such a happy couple and what a long relationship it has been." Loki smiled indulgently and the feline as he recalled a few of the more memorable incidents. "Even when she was a mere cub she managed to stalk and capture you on a regular bases. It's a shame she is so gentle."

"You call this gentle?!" screamed Thor as he continued to thrash beneath the cat. "She has tormented me for the better part of my life!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. I think it's cute how fondly she takes care of you." As if to agree with Loki's sentiment Nubia began to groom Thor's long locks into disarray. "There you see? She is just making you presentable for the meeting." Smiling with glee Loki stood and began to walk away, "Do make sure not to dither for too long. You know how father is with his meetings." He continued on until his snickers drowned out Thor's roars of outrage.

Loki entered the Hall of Kings to an unusual sight. Odin sat on the throne as he watched what appeared to be a 6 year old girl playing with a winged snake. Standing just inside the doorway Loki scanned the room for some kind of explanation. His mother, Frigga, stood to the right of his father watching the girl warily. Uncle Njord was curled up on a nearby couch by a roaring fire pit. Between his fingers he twirled a gold coin as he watched it flash in the firelight. Next to him sat his son Freyr, who was currently stuffing his face full of fruits from a nearby tray. Not being particularly fond of the gods of wealth and bounty, Loki walked cautiously around the strange girl, through the throngs of major gods, and over to stand at his mother's side.

"So… this is an interesting morning," said Loki in a hushed tone. "Mind giving me a hint as to what is going on?"

"I thought it would be obvious to you by now my son." She gave him a knowing smile before saying, "Don't worry, your father will explaining as soon as we have all gathered." Suddenly her eyes began to sparkle gold, "Your brother seems to be taking his time this morning. I wonder what could have caused his tardiness?"*

A sly smile spread across Loki's face, but he made no effort to answer the question. He turned his attention back to the little girl. She was rolling a small orb back and forth on the throne room floor as the winged serpent watched anxiously from her shoulder. As he watched, her finger slipped and the ball went rolling across the hard floor. The serpent suddenly shot from her shoulder like an arrow from a bow. It curled protectively around the ball and glared back at the girl in anger. The girl stilled. She stared at the creature intently until reluctantly, he began to gently roll the ball back to the girl. She picked up the ball and waited as the snake settling protectively around the ball in her lap. Gently she reached down and began to stroke the serpent on its head in long, slow cresses.

"I don't trust that one," whispered Frigga. "She has never been stable."

"Why? She is but a child," Loki whispered back.

"She sees too much," said Frigga with a frown.

Loki watched the flaxen haired girl for several long moments, as a feeling of unease began to creep over his skin. He turned his gaze back to Frigga, "What is that creature?"

Frigga gave him a dubious expression, "Surely after your adventures with dragons and all the time you have spent observing your wyvern you at least took the time to research the other species of magical reptiles of Asgard?" When Loki continued to look baffled Frigga's green eyes pinned him to the spot in obvious reprimand. "I seem to recall assigning you a book on healing potions. There was a rather extensive section on rare potion ingredients."

Loki's eyes lit with wonder, "You mean to tell me that is an amphithere? The rarest animal in all the nine realms?!"

"Of course," Frigga said absently as her gaze turned cold and returned to the girl. "I detest how she treats that creature. That poor egg."

Loki's eyes fell on the white orb the girl had been playing with just moments before and a cold anger began to settle into his bones.

Suddenly there was a commotion at the door. Thor came in with his clothes in disarray and his hair in a rather interesting style. His face a burning scarlet, he hurried to his place beside Odin. Oden pause only for a moment to give his eldest son an odd look before he began.

"Thor, Loki. I would like to introduce you to your cousin Freya the völva," Odin said with authority. "I have summoned her here for a momentous occasion. As our most powerful seer of the potential outcome, she is key to the decision I will make today." He gave Thor one more questioning glance before giving the little girl his undivided attention. The girl began to glow as she stood up, and up, … and up. Loki stared in shock as the little girl with innocent eyes and flaxen curls became a goddess. He had expected her to be hiding power, but nothing like this. She radiated power like a beacon. Her hair falling in small waves of spun gold, shifting in a breeze that didn't really exist. The amphithere on her shoulder draped his wings over her back like a living stained glass cloak as the aphithere's egg in her hands emitted a soft blue glow. Her skin was a flawless cream and sheathed in pail blue that offset her piercing blue gaze. She gazed at the people in the room as if not truly seeing them, but seeing the core of who and what they have been, were, and could be. Her gaze brushed over Loki, pausing only long enough to give him the faintest of smiles. It was that smile that shifted his life. Though he did not yet know why, that smile chilled him to his very soul and sent every nerve he had on edge.

Finally, her gaze fell on Thor. Her eyes spearing him to the spot. It was several long moments before she turned back to Oden declaring, "Move forward with your plans All Father. It will set into motion events that will be both entertaining and for the betterment of all the nine realms." With no further comment she spread her arm as the amphitheater spread its wings as if they really belonged to the goddess and with a flash she was once again a harmless girl, but Loki no longer believed her innocent eyes.

Oden cleared his throat. "Well then the matter is settled." He turned to Thor and announced, "My son, I have been molding you for this day for so long that it is almost a melancholy moment for me that it has finally come. The time has come for you to succeed me as king. Step forward so that I can give you my blessing." Thor came forward to kneel before the throne and lock arms with Oden, each hand grasping the other's wrist. With power resonating in Oden's voice he declared, "I...Oden All Father, claim you Thor, Son of Oden and God of Thunder as my successor. Will you proceed me in all things and rule the Nine Realms with honor and might until your chosen successor or until your final breath?"

"I shall," replied Thor.

"Then shall this vow remain until the day of your succession. Then it shall be as the goddess Freya commands, that your rule 'be for the betterment of all the nine realms.' So mote it be." With that final statement Oden's staff came down on the hard floor with a resounding clang.

After much congratulations and celebration Oden ordered a banquet to be prepared in Thor's honor. Thor was seated next to Oden at the head of the table with Frigga and Loki flanking them on either side. Loki was beaming with pride for his brother. The day Thor had been fantasizing about practically since birth had finally come and he was entitled to a celebration. It was the heat of the moment that he blamed for his inattentiveness but several hours into the rivalry he noticed something off about his mother.

Frigga was barely talking with the guests, let alone the rest of the family. On further inspection Loki saw that she had never even touched her food and her complexion was pallid. She was repeatedly casting suspicious glances to the other end of the table. There at the foot of their table with a notable ring of empty chairs around her was Freya. The small child was staring right back, but not at Frigga. Those piercing blue eyes were once again boring into Loki and her prophecy began to echo in his mind again. "It will set into motion events that will be both entertaining and for the betterment of all the nine realms." Loki represent a shudder as he returned the seer's gaze and quickly turned back to his mother, the worry clear in her eyes.

As the drink flowed and the guests became more boisterous the party moved into the great hall. Finally he had an opportunity to speak with Frigga. He slowly edged his way over until he was resting against the wall next to her in the shadows, but before he could pose any question she spoke, "I know you and your brother. Better than anyone, even your father. This is too soon."

"Father must know what he is doing, he knows all of Thor's faults just as we do. Surly the seer…" Loki's tongue froze at his mother's look.

With her eyes blazing with protective fury she glared at her youngest son, "You know nothing of Freya!"

Startled by the venom in her voice Loki said, "Then enlighten me so that I may better protect myself."

With a heavy sigh Frigga ushered him into a secluded alcove away from prying eyes. "Freya is a völva, the Völva. She is the singularly most powerful goddess since the time of Ymir." Taking a moment for the shock of that statement to settle over her son she continued, "She could easily dethrone your father if she so wished, but that is not her game. She has no wish to lead and we are all the better for it. Her sight cannot be surpassed or suppressed. She sees everything weather she wishes to or not and the weight of all she has seen has broken her mind. She cannot separate past, present, or future and cares little for those she sees a specks in the flow of time that she perceives. Unstable doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the danger she poses!"

Cold shivers ran down Loki's spine as he considered the smile the goddess wore as she uttered the word entertaining.

Watching her son carefully Figga spoke again, "Your instinct shave always been good my son. What do they tell you about Freya's prediction of your brother's coming rule?"

His eyes hooded with emotion Loki concluded, "Nothing good."

(Author Notes: Sorry for such a long weight. First week of student teaching and I finally have a moment. Posts may be erratic for some time but please favorite or keep checking back as I will keep writing, just not at the same rate. "Thank you for your patients."

*Frigga's eyes glitter gold when she is communicating mentally with her familiar, Nubia.)

Loki's Notes

Wren are empaths that tend to mimic the emotions they sense. They have a toxic venom that will paralyze foes. They are often targeted by poachers for their feathers and venom that are rare ingredients for powerful spells. Very little is actually known or written about the wyverns as a species.

Feather Color meanings

Grey- neutral (asleep)/juvenile

Yellow- happy

Green- Unknown

Pink- bashful/affectionate

Red- warning

Black- Unknown

Blue- sad

Navy- depressed/sick/scared

Orange- Unknown

White- Unknown

Purple- Unknown