Summary: The war between Jotunheim and Asgard draws to a close, but thanks to a horrible twist of Fate (or perhaps not), the nameless runt of Laufey-King is not discovered by Odin and so begins a remarkable journey of life that should not have been. Jotun!Loki AU. Set pre-/during-/after Thor/Avengers Assemble. MCU-verse only.

Warnings: ANGST! Loki-whump! Language, adult situations, violence, child abuse, dub-con, sexual assault (also of a minor), substance abuse, one abortion scene (sort of), slavery, sex trade (maybe), some mild original character/Loki M/M pairings.

Comments: This is not a slash fic. Sorry. It's Loki-centric, although I definitely show the rest of the Avengers and etc. Please review! Constructive criticism welcome.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers. Marvel owns it. I do not get paid for this piece of work. Sadly, but understandably. LOL.

I am so pumped today. I did my first formal lecture - on poetry... and it went OK! I didn't kill my students with boredom. Time went by fast... too fast. And maybe I did a good enough job they'll ask me again. Heee~!

AN AMAZING PIECE OF FANART! BY... (drumroll) TheEverhearted! SO AMAZING AND CUTE AND SAD! http COLON SLASH SLASH i DOT imgur DOT com SLASH SLzwCkZ DOT png

OR... or... you can go to my profile and get the easy link there. XD

Thanks again to people hanging in there! I was afraid that this turn of events (which I had planned way back) would turn people off. Anyways, thanks again for reviewing!

To: Double-Gemini (Take note of the author's note below. Thanks for asking a great question again - I should really just put up a running note on his age), Raven's Dusk (we'll see how it goes...), DragonsFlame117 (I'm so glad you're glad!), wbss21 (heeheeheeheeheehee).

Distortions In Time
[Bitter Desolation, Incandescent Harmony]

Chapter 20
Starfall

Two down. Several more to go, the ulfrbarn pulled away and began to run forward, just as the miners burst into the open square of the villages. He would have been trampled if he had not already had the experience of running with the pack. The Pack... Just thinking about the creatures he called family, the ulfrbarn wondered if they were playing it smart and keeping their distance. I hope they stay away, he thought as he watched two more of the tall, grunty giants approach. This form of battle would bring them more harm than they could bring help… especially thanks to those lightning and sleeping staves…

The ulfrbarn contemplated the three sleeping Jotunn now stowed halfway up the sliding bridge which led up into the spaceship. These look small for long-distance travel, he thought, which means there must be a bigger ship somewhere above…

The two slavers were on him now. One is fatter and runs slower… maybe… Already the ulfrbarn's mind was teeming with possibilities. Face set in determination, he darted forward, just barely missing the spark of lightning which seemed to spark from the end of the device as it was aimed at his torso. Running forward, his pursuer easily keeping up with him, the ulfrbarn swivelled at the last moment and disappeared between the legs of the second pursuer who had come up on his right, attempting to herd him into the wall.

It was a dangerous gambit, for he could have easily been stepped on – but it worked beautifully – the two monsters crashed into each other, the spear of the taller cutting through the leg covering of the shorter. Pale tough skin ripped open with a small wound – and as they untangled their limbs, the ulfrbarn's hands were already filled with a set of miniscule throwing daggers. They were new – bought only three weeks before. Dipped in poison, they had become his favoured way for bringing down the grarulfr who ventured north – accurate and deadly. This time was no different. Within moments four daggers had sunk into the soft flesh, the poison had set in and the shorter, fatter one keeled over, stone dead.

No time for triumph however.

This time, the ulfrbarn was grabbed again, from behind and slammed painfully into the ground. There was a cracking sound – ice and bone painfully jamming together and something in his shoulder snapped. Crying out, he rolled, attempting to twist out of the firm hold on his feet. His fingers and hands filled with flame, but this time he was merely lifted and slammed again – this time into a drift, dowsing him swiftly. He fought, clawed, bit and squirmed.

Overhead, the wind whipped up, snow began to fall in gusts and ice began to creep with slow deadliness over every moving thing in city. The miners, looking about, grabbed the few surviving traders and began to edge away while the Gold Company found themselves being forced back to their shuttle. Their actions became more defensive as the radars beeped warningly - more Jotunn were streaming up from the south. Apparently another town had been alerted.

Yet, in the centre of the square, a battle was still being waged. Wind, snow and ice were forming large spikes and rills and drifts of snow dunes as the apparent leader of the slavers fought with the Jotunn dvegr. If there had been any doubt as to its powers, there was no doubt left now. It was a ball of fury and green magic and ice and fire – and it was not to be taken without a fight. Several Jotunn darted forward – but were held back as the others pointed out that the rest of the company had drawn back to the shuttle and were even now gathering around the youngling.

It was a lost cause.

The Jotunn watched as the small body was pinned by heavily booted feet and a wide, black, metal collar was fitted about its small neck, containing the magic. Almost instantly, the wind died down, the snow lightened and the ice stopped spreading outwards –

And silence fell.

[… silence fell on Jotunheim…]

There was another sharp cracking sound as one of the boots sank heavier onto one of the ulfrbarn's ankles – and a quiet whimper emerged before the Jotunn dvegr, the ulfrbarn, succumbed to its injuries and was hauled away with the three others. Nothing was said as the two shuttles rose while the ramps slowly closed and the last sight Elder Skyne saw of the ulfrbarn was a limp hand falling away from a too slender chest.

Was its magic gone? Perhaps... but only for now, he sighed sadly, but then smiled grimly. Not for long. The ulfrbarn carries the spirit of Jotunheim – and the spirit of Jotunheim always endures. As it always has been since the dawn of time.

-0-0-0-

"It is the duty of a King to be a father to his people." That is one of the basic tenets of Jotunn kingship – one of the first things Laufey's father had taught him when Laufey was but a young Prince and more than ready to take the throne. As a father, it was the duty of the King to protect and to fight for the people he called family – the entire Realm of Jotunheim. And so, in time of need, the King, if he could not be there when the time was right, would at the very least succour and aid in the healing of his subjects.

As soon as news reached Thrymheim, Laufey left with Helblindi for the north, sending word to Farbauti and Byleistr in Gastropnir to join them in Snjarhamr. Utgard's progress reports would be dealt with at another time. At the moment, there was much work to be done. When the King and Crown Prince arrived but two and a half sun cycles later, much winded but ready to take on the challenge of raising the city, they discovered that the Jotunn were still struggling to deal with the devastation. In the confusion of the fight, several homes had been damaged and the major causeway running through the small city had become impassable thanks to a strange build up of snow and ice which would not weaken easily.

"What happened?" Helblindi said, voice muted as he looked about. "Utgard is a grim place, but this is –"
"Slavers," sighed an elderly Jotunn, emerging from behind a stone wall he had been building up. "Came out of the sky so suddenly – without warning and the city was caught up in chaos – two companies landed…"
"No…" Helblindi glanced about. "How many were taken?"
"Three or four Jotunn, we believe," the old Jotunn said, then, catching sight of Laufey approaching. "Your Highness... it is an honour..." He bowed.

Laufey nodded and, coming up behind his eldest son, jerked his head to the left, "Come, we are summoned to the city council and there will receive an accounting from the village elders. If you are not too fatigued, that is."
"I will manage," Helblindi said tightly, following his father into the long hall filled with a simple table and a round of humble stools now holding ten Jotunn.
"Glad to hear it."

Everyone sat – Laufey-King in a seat of honour at the head of the long table with Helblindi on his right. The village elders shuffled about and then one particularly aged Jotun rose to his feet and nodded.

"Our tallies have been complete and we have spoken with all from Snjarhamr and up into the Offaerfjall," he announced in a creaky voice. "and from our census of last winter, we hold to our initial guess that only four were taken."
"Only four?" Helblindi mumbled at his father out of the corner of his mouth. "That is a paltry number. Have they become so weak?"
"If it was not for the aid of the Dark Elves and the company of Dwarves who had come for trade," the elder continued, "the battle would have lasted longer and would have taken more lives – but as it is…"

Laufey nodded, understood the unspoken plea, and said, "We will be sure to reward and compensate any visitor to our Realm who aided us in our time of need. Helblindi."

The Crown Prince was already taking note of the matter.

"So, only four were taken. This is a time for great rejoicing – that even a small outpost as this was able to defend itself at a moment's notice… but there must also be given a time for mourning, if it has not already started, for those who were taken and we pray may be returned."
"Yes, your Highness. Our Elder Skoll is managing those affairs."
"Elder Skoll, if you please, then."
"We have begun the period of mourning," Elder Skoll rose to his feet. His arms had been bandages and there was an as yet unhealed cut across his face, but he spoke with certainty and strength. "Two of the Jotun missing belonged to no kin and as such, a small service by the Mage of Snjarhamr will suffice. As for the other two…" With that, the Elder continued on, discussing the details of the ceremonies for those with family who were taken.
"And there is the, er, small matter of the ulfrbarn," Elder Skyne spoke up when Skoll had sat down and leaned back, report complete.

There was a round of dry, uneasy laughter and then an awkward silence.

"He was, after all, instrumental in the death of no less than three of the Slavers," Elder Skyne continued, voice even and firm.
"The… whom?" asked Laufey, raising an eyebrow.
"The wolf's child – a lagreinn."
"I am sorry…" Laufey cocked his head in disbelief. "A lagreinn? Fought the Slavers?"
"Yes... and killed three with his own hands – one by ice, one by fire and the third by a poisonous dagger."
"Fire and ice," the King leaned forward. "You sound as though you speak of magic."

An awkward pause ensued.

"We do not know to whom it belonged – nor from whence it came – but that it came from the plains of Utanheim some full-sun cycles ago… more than two centuries, for certain – and it bore with it the gifts of Heimsrsal herself."
"And it lived in Snjarhamr?" asked Helblindi, uneasily, remembering suddenly blue-black blood spread over white snow outside Utgard.
"Nay, it ran with the Great Utanheim Pack of thurblakulfr."

Laufey massaged the bridge of his nose, glad that Farbauti was not here – otherwise his mate would be beside himself at the loss of a chance to revive the kingdom's Rituals, runt or no. He has gotten sentimental in his old age... ever since... Laufey froze at the distant memory of the touch of a fluttering thing in his belly. Shut his eyes and whispered to himself, "No."

"Father." It was Helblindi, for the first time looking worried. "I must speak with you –"
"It is a matter of jest in Thrymheim and Gastropnir that those of the Offaerdalr are riddled with superstition," Laufey ignored his son to give everyone at the table a displeased stare. "Still, I thought that in a time of crisis such as this a certain amount of level-headedness could be maintained."
"We are not lying, your Highness," Elder Skyne replied courteously. "Nor are we witless. Here... Urtr and Tekli, bring the ice block."

Two elders at the back rose and then after a moment, shuffled in with a block of ice – thick and square and the size of Laufey's chair seat. It was covered in runic engravings set in the ice – all of which spiralled from a pair of hands smaller in width than his dinner plate. Laufey's breath caught and then exhaled suddenly as though his heart had been hit by a blow.

"And its parents have not come forth –"
"Father-King," Helblindi was saying.
"We will discuss this in detail later," Laufey-King rose then and made to leave, before pausing at the door and turning back to stare at the others. "There will be no ceremony for it. For IT."
"My Lord –"

But Laufey was already gone.

-0-0-0-

Helblindi wisely said nothing until Farbauti and Byleistr had arrived. Only then, he sought out his father and drawing their family together in the spacious quarters provided them by the Elder Urtr, he stood before his parents, feet apart, shoulders back, braced for what he knew would follow. A storm the likes of which he had never seen.

Or perhaps not...

"It is about the ulfrbarn," he said.
"Ulfrbarn?" asked Farbauti. "Those stories are circulating around still?"
"It is no story, Mother Mine," Helblindi said. "Father saw it as well – the hands were small – and set in the ice and the runes running outward were those of magical might. The accounts are too many to be a falsehood. It fought for our people – and it fought bravely."
"It should have died. It should have been... put down," Laufey bit out. "A grave mistake on the part of the parents."
"Your mistake, perhaps," Helbindi said, steadily, voice tight, his red eyes searching his parents' open faces and watched as the lines about Farbauti's old eyes deepened and how Laufey's grip on the arms of his chair tightened. "The both of you." He stared down at his feet. "And mine as well."
"What are you speaking of, Helblindi?" Farbauti finally managed to speak into the following quiet, only broken by the crackle of the small fire and the sound of some metal creaking in the distance. "Speak quickly and plainly."
"When I first went to Utgard those many years ago, it was because of the untimely death of Mage Opna. That and another matter also – a lagreinn which had been raised within the walls of the Gothahus itself."
"Within the –" Farbauti's red eyes widened and Laufey looked thunderous.
"I did as you just wished for the ulfrbarn – I gave it death on the northern plains of Utgard, at the hand of a pack of thurblakulfr." A beat. He would not show grief, nor the self-contempt which had settled in his gut since that day - a burden he had willingly taken to bear. "I gave my own. Brother. Death."

Farbauti made a sound and sat up straight, his hand suddenly painfully clamped about Laufey's arm, while Laufey glanced up at his son, and seeing the seriousness and pained expression on his child's face, blinked in astonishment.

"You speak of a brother."
"There was one, was there not?" asked Helblindi unrelentingly.
"Your only brother is –"
"There was another, was there not?" Helblindi repeated with icy clearness, forcing down an increasing need to vomit.
"There was an unfortunate... thing..." Laufey finally admitted with distaste. "We got rid of it before the final battle at Utgard."
"And you saw it killed?" Helblindi asked carefully, setting aside the issue of when it happened.
"I was – we all were more concerned with the battle field – and Farbauti, you were... I believe I sent you with the boys to Dagaheim."
"You did – I was not there either... he could have – he could have –"
"It didn't."
"He did," Helblindi sighed then, shoulders drooping. "My hands traced the lines on his brow myself. A spindly, mistreated thing and better off dead – but the Eybjarg seemed too dangerous to me – and cruel to deprive him of a hope of being with our For-Eldra. I fed him to the wolves..." A pause. "At least, there was blood – but no body left – and if – if – the wolves spared him –"
"Thurblakulfr spare no Jotunn, much less a mouthful of a runt, for they do not suffer us lightly," Laufey said dismissively. "Think no more of it, Helblindi. You did well."
"Thurblakulfr spare no Jotunn," Farbauti whispered, "but... Laufey-mine, he was – he was gifted beyond all measure and hungry for power and if Heimsrsal were to be with him, then..."
"Heimsrsal was with him," Helblindi said. "We saw witness in the ice as well."
"IT. Is. Dead. Farbauti," Laufey said. "It is dead – whether it died at the hands of the Mages, or at the hands of the wolves or at the hands of some unknown master in the stars above our heads – it remains, as always, dead to us. We speak no more of it."

With that, Laufey jerked to his feet and left the room - but not before Helblindi glimpsed something unfamiliar and unfathomable cross his father's face. Farbauti was weeping now, silently and Byleistr, quiet as ever, crept into his mother's arms and comforted him. He thought of the cold stars that shone down on them and his stomach clenched at the thought of a young brother beyond the voids of space, helpless and alone. Stories of Slavers and images of the monsters who would torment Little Brother until his long life was spent played in his mind.

Little brother, he thought, may you embrace the arms of Heimsrsal and end your misery. May you join the For-Eldra so one day I may meet you, he prayed. And deep down – dear little brother, be safe.

Oh, how he prayed.

And Farbauti wept. Bitterly.

[… fell…]

Laufey is totes in denial - and just not wanting to accept... or maybe still waters run deep. But poor Farbauti! Poor guy. And of course, Helblindi is all torn up and Byleistr is like, "Wut?"

Next week - Loki and the Slavers. ANGST AHEAD!

Author's Note on another few GOOD QUESTIONS:

From lotr195 -

What languages are you using? For Jotunheim and Asgard (and basically the Nine Realms), I'm using Norse stuff. For anything else (ie. aliens from the rest of the Marvel universe), I'm using made up languages that sounds like it could fit with the names that are given on Marvel Wiki. I hope this makes sense! . Since I've also studied Old and Middle English, Latin, French, Chinese and Japanese, there might be syllables or stuff that sounds kinda... yeah... *trails off*

Can Loki have babies? Yes, like all other Jotun, Loki is totes biologically capable - if he can find DNA that will mesh well or another short Jotunn. Heh. But technically, like his people, Loki is hermaphroditic. This fic will not deal with that - but there is a general idea for a sequel which would deal with this kind of stuff. XD

From Double-Gemini:

What is Loki's age at this point of time? Loki is around 13 years old. Poor baby.

Glossary:

Aldinn Stathr – Ancient Place
Atfirth – energies

blakkrbjorr – black beer
Blakkrbjorn – black bear
blakkrgras – black grass
blargras – blue grass

Dagaheim
dvegr – dwarf
dyrspeki – zoologist

Eybjarg (Chasms of Forever)

fauld – a part of armour around the lower midsection
Flara River – Treacherous River
For-Eldra – Ancestors
Forn Vegr – Old Ways

Gastropnir
Gnottvatn (Lake of Abundance)
Gothahus – temple
Grarfjall – Grey Mountains
grarulfr – grey wolves
Griotunagardar

hafnathr – sea serpents
heillgrjot – healing stones
Heimsrsal – Soul of the Realm
heithrsker – crystal flowers
Holdra River – Hero's River
holkimurtr – small flat fish
Holkn Vollr – Flat Plains
holmganga – a method of ending feuds/disagreements
hota-eik – white oak
hvaeta – wheat

Innaheim – Inner Realm

jarnkottr – iron cat (beast which Laufey released in Thor)
jarnvithr – iron wood

Kaldrfjall (Cold Mountains)
Kero Fornvetr – Casket of Ancient Winters
kostrboth – a method of proving virility for the purpose of marriage

lagreinn – small one (epithet)
Lengi Ofrithr – Long War
luthrblom – trumpet flower

manisilfr – moonsilver
melrakki – white fox
Myrkr Skogr – shadow forest

Nattura – spirits
Northri Stjarna – North Star

silvralmr – silver elm
silvrfiskr – silver fish
Sithr Efingi – True Heir
Skalldi
skordyr – Jotunheim goat
snaerharra – snow rabbit
Storrholl – Great Hall

thurblakulfr – giant black wolves
tunglbom (moonflower)

Utanheim – Outer Realm
Utgard

vaetki – nothing
ventrmellin – winter melon
villrkyr – wild ox
Virtha Aevi – Coming of Age
Vollrvatn – Lake of the Plains