Ahhh! So so sorry that I'm late! I hope everyone enjoys this update! I really did have some issues getting parts of this chappie written... So sorry!
Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed this story. You guys are so encouraging! cifer66, Guest, zippy zany, Silvermane1, Elizabeth and InsolentKatt
ALSO HEADS UP RE A NEW PIECE OF FANART MADE FOR DISTORTIONS IN TIME! notoverjoyed on Tumblr did a lovely piece. See my profile for the link OR visit my Kakashidiot Tumblr~!
Chapter 90
Steps to the Light
It was the nightmare of Thor's dreams. In the dark of the night, the exiled Prince would wake sweating and trembling at the vivid pictures which haunted his dreams. If Jane were there, she would sleepily pull him down and wrap comforting arms about him. If he were alone, he would rise from his bunk and walk into the desert and stare at the stars in vain attempt to find some calm.
This is no dream, he thought as his blue gaze roamed over the shocking vista before him. Smoke lay over the city, clouding out the familiar sight of nebula wisps and golden sunlight. Buildings lay smoldering and broken, some of them utterly ruined. Market banners and the guard flags hung tattered and dead in the windless air. Belongings were scattered across the road as though dropped in haste or thrown out. The streets were emptied.
A desolate land. A land of sorrow. And silence. The air, Thor thought as he turned about to watch three groaning warriors being dragged into the main hall on litters. It is too quiet. There is something wrong.
Glancing to his right, Thor's fist tightened at the telling blank look which had spread over Loki's face. He looked down and noticed that Loki's hands had tightened into hard balls as well.
"There is something wrong," Loki said softly.
"Other than the fact that our capital has been laid low?" Thor asked in disbelief.
"Can you not feel it?" Loki sighed in exasperation and then shook his head. "Perhaps not. Not yet."
"It is too quiet," Thor finally admitted.
Loki gave his brother a thoughtful look and then turned away, his green eyes scanning the horizon with anxiety.
"Am I right?"
"Yes," Loki finally said. "It is too quiet. Much too quiet. The Spirit of the Realm..."
"The Spirit of the Realm. Do you mean those Voices you spoke of on occasion?"
"You would not understand... You never did, not really."
"Well, I may not understand fully, but I can feel something is very wrong. I never thought this would happen," Thor said, voice tight. "Not really. I dreamed – I dreamed of it once or twice before, but never did I think it would actually..."
"Happen?" Loki frowned. "I, of all people, should have prepared for such a possibility-"
"Loki-"
"We need to find Mother," Loki was already moving down the stairs. "Now."
"We need to find someone who knows where she is-"
"Volstagg."
"Volstagg would know but how do we go about finding-"
Thor was interrupted by Loki's finger pointing across the courtyard toward a mass of horsemen dismounting at the far end of the square by the stables.
"There."
"Volstagg?" Thor barely recognized his battered, blackened, and bruised friend. "Volstagg!"
The brown-headed, heavily bearded man turned at the sound of his name and Thor's voice, his face a picture of disbelief, joy, and relief all at the same time.
"Thor!" The warrior bellowed, turning away from his charge – a wounded Asgardian now being carried off on a litter. "Thor! You have returned!"
Rushing toward each other, the two men clasped each other warmly and drew back to assess each other. Thor wondered what Volstagg would see. The taller blond-haired Asgardian was already filled with disquiet at the glimpse of fatigue and worry within Volstagg's expression. Glancing about warily and gripping his sword hilt continually, the older warrior looked as though he had never left his guard post.
"Where is – where is Mother?" Loki asked, getting straight to the point.
"Queen Frigga and the All-Father are behind the front lines. All-Father was in the middle of his third war council of the day when I left. The Queen was in the primary medic tent offering first aid."
"As I expected," Thor smiled.
"We should take you to the war council immediately," Volstagg turned back to nod at a familiar face beneath a captain's helm. "Captain Thardon commanded us return posthaste to the front lines, so it would be best that you ride with us. Jayne! Jayne!"
With that, Volstagg strode off, disappeared around the corner of the Royal stables, and then reappeared with a slender girl garbed in rough clothes. Behind her two horses followed on a long lead now in Volstagg's fist.
"-and you will have to return them as soon as may be," the girl was saying, "for Captain Arthe will have need of them for his scouting mission to the south."
"If they decide the need for it," huffed Volstagg. "Not much good we would be able to do spreading the troops thinly."
"We can discuss that in more detail once we get to the All-Father," Loki took the reins and swiftly mounted the horse. "Thor."
"Right behind you, Loki," Thor gave Volstagg a much put-upon look. "We should get moving before Loki leaves us behind in the dust."
"Behind in the dust?" asked Volstagg blankly. He glanced at the dark-haired prince who returned his questioning glance with a shrug.
"Thor has picked up quite a few Midgardian habits since we saw him last," Loki smirked.
"I wouldn't wonder," Volstagg grunted. "He was down there a bit too long for my liking. What took so long, Thor?"
"Learning my lesson," Thor smiled ruefully.
"And getting an opportunity to show that you learned your lesson," Loki added generously.
"Odd... How it was you that allowed for that," Thor mused.
"Yes, odd," agreed Loki, totally deadpan.
Briskly, Loki flicked the reins and followed his brother and the rest of Volstagg's small company out past the main walls of the royal courtyard and down the winding, broken streets of Asgard. Up close, the damage did not look as terrible. However, it was a shock to see the rubble which littered the causeways and the places where the less sturdy buildings of Asgard's capital had once stood.
"They brought firepower with them," Loki murmured.
"Firepower?" Volstagg twisted round in the saddle. "Oh yes. Firepower."
"Mercenaries?" guessed Thor.
"Yes," another soldier from behind said. "A motley bunch from the Far Reaches."
"It could have been worse," Thor gave Loki a nod.
"What could be worse than Marauders and Jotunn?" asked Volstagg.
When the princes did not reply, Volstagg's face tightened and the usually bluff, hearty warrior fell silent. Turning back to face forward, the older Asgardian sighed.
"Well, it looks worse than it actually is. Civilian casualties are moderately low, and we have managed to hold our position for the past four days-"
"For now," Thor reminded his friend. "We must remain on our guard."
"There is something wrong," Loki added. "The Realm has fallen silent. Its connection with Asgard has been damaged in some way."
"Father will know more about that," Thor looked even more unsettled. "No doubt High Mage Agaeti and Mother are working on it."
The company continued its way down and around, through the streets of Asgard's capital, until it began to enter parts of the city more ruinous than before. Here, large pillars and pieces of rock were strewn hither and thither. A makeshift stable and sentinel blockade in the road brought them to a halt.
"We must walk the rest of the way," Volstagg jerked his head toward the stables. "We will leave the horses here."
-0-0-0-
After a fifteen minute walk past several crumbling walls of what had been the artisans' quarters as well as the textile and weavers' guilds, the party of Asgardian warriors and the two princes finally reached the rear end of the foremost encampment camped down within the largest western market square. Upon every wall and within every tall building, sentries were posted and various squadrons moved up and down and around the area, glimpsed occasionally by the slanting alleys.
At the rear, as usual, white tents were lined as neatly as may be, filled with bustling physicians and mages who attended upon any injured. Those grievously wounded were mended as well as possible before being sent back to the more defended areas of the city. The rest, once first aid was administered, found their way to several rows of long black tents which were the soldier's resting tents.
Loki's sharp green eyes immediately fastened on a familiar golden head, and the young prince swung over a small wall between them and made his way to her side. On hearing his rapid footsteps or perhaps sensing a familiar presence, Frigga turned about. At the sight of her sons, a smile lit her face, her hands rose outstretched, and she drew Loki and Thor into quick embraces.
"Heimdall informed us of your coming – and expected you to join us on the morrow!" She shook her head. "You two have not rested-"
"Mother-" Loki began.
"I know," Frigga's eyes became solemn and she nodded and squeezed Loki's shoulder. "I know. We will speak of everything later," her blue eyes rested on the young medics and mages beneath her supervision. "Not here."
"Where is Father?" asked Thor.
"In his Council's tent." Frigga pointed toward a royal red pavilion which had drawn down its curtains. "Go to him. I will join you all within a few minutes."
Tearing himself away reluctantly, Loki nodded followed Thor. He turned a little, uncertainly. Frigga smiled and gestured at him, mouthing: 'Get going!' before turning back to her charges. Suppressing a sigh, Loki followed his brother. As he passed by various groups of soldiers, Loki watched as Thor's presence brought old friends to his side, as unfamiliar and familiar faces crowded round, as cheer and hope spread throughout the ranks.
AS THOUGH THE ADDITION OF TWO WARRIORS COULD CHANGE ANYTHING, something dark within him whispered. Loki gulped back bile which rose in his throat.
It is not him, he told himself. It is not Thanos. It is an old habit. It is your fear. He is not here.
[...and yet...]
[...the shadows of Darkness...]
[...smoky black hands tug at every corner...]
[...He is waiting...]
[...as he always has through time...]
And yet in some ways He is here, Loki thought as the flap of the red tent rose before him and fell behind him. In this war, Thanos has no doubt played a part. I can feel it. It is in the silences...
[...as he always has...]
"Thor, Loki," Odin's pale blue eyes rested on his sons momentarily before he rose. "Your arrival is most welcome – as is your haste. I appreciate your concern, but you two do realize what your mother will say when she finds out!"
"We just survived her scolding," chuckled Thor. "Barely. However, we felt haste necessary, considering the situation."
"The Jotunn and their allies stand before us, held at bay," General Tyr frowned. "Is there another threat?"
"The Realm has fallen silent," Loki said, somehow managing to keep his voice even. "Surely the All-Father has recognized the silence for what it is. I know that such a matter seems small to the warriors, but it is important for Asgard as a whole with long-term survival in mind. If Asgard is to rely on the power of its mages..."
"You felt it as well," Mage Agaeti sighed, easing back in his chair. "We have begun work on restoring the connection, but it is difficult unless we can cleanse the origin of the corruption."
"Mage Flarathir had a hand in it no doubt," added Odin with a frown. "He left Asgard and we took aside two of his favoured students and questioned them. They do not know what he did, only that he was unhappy with the order of things, with his supposed fate."
"I daresay he went to the source," Loki said.
"The Well?" Agaeti nodded. "Hrotha and I thought so as well. We have had peasants and farmers working every hour to remove the rubble. It will take another half a day before the entire area is made passable for any ceremony. The good news is that every mage is within the city and together the connection may be restored and Asgard's power and shielding may rise again."
"As well as my eyesight," Heimdall's golden eyes rested on Loki thoughtfully before returning to the large round table between the group of men. "I cannot see beyond the constraints of the city-"
"So you do not know that Mage Flarathir is dead," Thor frowned.
"He died?!"
"How-"
"On Midgard-?"
"He died on Midgard, leading a fleet of Chitauri to claim the planet as their own," Thor explained. "The invasion was halted. Thanks to Loki, we know that it was a plot of Thanos, the Mad Titan, in an attempt to regain another Infinity Stone."
"The Tesseract," Loki clarified. "We brought that one home and placed it within the Vault. The Mind Gem," here, Loki glared at Thor a little, "remained on Earth in the hands of a well-secured party."
"You left the Mind Gem with Midgardians?" Odin's blue eyes sparked with anger. "What were you thinking, Thor? Midgardians have no concept – no ability to handle such-"
"When was the last time you were on Earth, Father?" Thor's temper flared in response. Loki rubbed his eyes. "Humanity has learned and grown in ways so unprecedented-"
"Boys!" Frigga's voice cut in, silencing both men.
Surreptitiously the mages and generals stepped back, looking a little scared and relieved. Frigga, lowering the tent flap, drew near to the table. She contemplated the table top for a few seconds. Upon it stretched the thin golden lines of a hologram-like map, complete with moving pieces to show the placement of the Jotunn as well as Odin's own forces.
"Have you decided?" Frigga turned to her husband. "Will you offer a peace treaty?"
"You were planning to parley with the Jotunn?" asked Thor curiously.
"'Parley'?" Odin asked and the rest of the others in the room blinked at the curious expression which the All-Speech managed to translate to a certain extent. "A treaty?"
"I meant 'treat with them'," Thor rolled his eyes.
"Early this morning, we sent word to the Jotunn camp offering King Laufey a chance to speak with myself," Odin sighed. "He responded with a few additional strictures. I am uncertain as to whether we wish to take this step, whether it will do any good-"
"It will do good," Frigga said quietly, "when it is apparent to all that only death lies before them."
"Especially when Thanos is involved," added Loki.
"Thanos may have attacked Midgard," another general put in, "but I fail to see how that directly affects us-"
"If Flarathir worked for Thanos and attacked Midgard, then Flarathir may have in fact done as we suspect – corrupted and polluted the sacred connections between the Spirit of the Realm and Asgard, rendering us vulnerable. In this way, the Jotunn would be able to easier enter our Realm and attack us," explained High Mage Agaeti.
"The shields about the castle are no longer adequately powered and have fallen as a result," Heimdall added to Agaeti's explanation. "If anyone else were to join the Jotunn..." He let the unspoken suggestion linger a little in silence.
"Thanks to Thanos," admitted Loki, "I played a part in inciting this war-"
"As did I," Thor quickly added. "We are all a part of this now – and we will do everything in our power to make things right. If that means that we must parley with them, then parley we must."
"Try to speak sense into Laufey," Frigga urged her husband. "Tell him of Thanos and his part to play in manipulating us all. He should see reason."
"Optimistic," Loki grumbled to himself but he fell silent at Frigga's sharp look. "Well, other than attempting to find a peaceful solution, the, ah, parley would give the Mages sometime to reconnect with the Realm."
"Having you here as well may aid us," Mage Agaeti stroked his chin thoughtfully, his deep brown eyes shrewdly gazing at the young warrior-mage.
"In what way?" asked General Tyr blinking. "One mage can hardly-"
"It depends on the mage," Odin smiled grimly. "Not all mages are born equal."
"If you took part in the ceremony, Father, would you not be able to heal the magickal breach?" asked Thor.
"I would," Odin admitted. "However, I am old and my abilities... my abilities in that area are not what they ought to be. I am more like Laufey than I would like to admit: ill-equipped to be what some call the Other-Mate or the Realm's Shield. Thor, you took part in the Ritual as well – and would have a better chance than I. You are the child of this Realm and close to its heart. This is why you may carry such as Mjolnir."
"I cannot promise to fix anything," Thor's voice tensed a little. "I barely can hear the Voices of the Stars."
"But you have begun, so one day-" Loki laid a hand on Thor's arm.
"We cannot wait for 'one day'-" Thor turned to Loki. "You said it yourself – the corruption or whatever you called it must be cleansed now!"
"Which is why we will rely on Loki," smiled Mage Agaeti. "It is difficult to explain, but Loki is not a mage like the rest of us. He is also an Other-Mate, except where he comes from, they call it 'Other Soul' or the Voice Incarnate."
"Ohhhh..." Thor looked at Loki thoughtfully. "That is why you knew- That is why you See things others do not."
"Not quite," Loki frowned. "Others may achieve it-"
"But your Sight reaches farther, reaches further than any I have known," Frigga smiled, drawing her younger son into a sideways embrace. "You can do this, Loki. Please?"
"You do not have to ask," Loki said, voice suddenly tight and posture suddenly very stiff and prickly (a sure sign he was trying not to show tears). "I would do anything for Asgard." A pause. "Anything."
"I am glad to hear that," Odin said briskly. "If time is required then, I will parley. As Frigga said, perhaps Laufey may see reason and we may find peace. Frigga, I will rely upon you and Loki to aid the Mages in whatever they need. Thor, you may-"
"I will say with Mother and Loki," Thor said quickly. "It would not do to fan the flames of the Jotunn's wrath. Furthermore, even if my grasp of the magick is weak, but I could help focus or – or something..."
"Indeed you could," Loki was quick to agree.
"There is something amiss here," the First General Tyr muttered to one of his aides. "Loki has gained some strange power and Thor has gained forethought..."
"A tale worth telling there, I imagine," grunted another general.
"Two tales," added the aide, but he was not heard.
Already the gruff First General was making his way over to the All-Father's side, a familiar determined look on his face. Sharing a few knowing glances, the General aides and secretaries filed out of the tent, followed by the Mages. High-Mage Agaeti and Mage Hrotha turned to face the tanned, scarred face of the First General. Judging by the mild twitch of Mage Hrotha's eye, Loki could tell that the mage was annoyed with the warrior. Mage Hrotha's shoulders began to tighten.
"Mage Hrotha," Loki found himself saying, drawing the mages' attention away from the warriors. "It would be best if you showed me what efforts have gone into preparation for the ceremony."
"I agree," Frigga smiled. "If the princes and I are meant to be the focal point, we should have a clear idea of how the ritual will take the place."
"Absolutely," Hrotha returned Frigga's smile and allowed her to draw him out of the tent.
Loki and Thor, nodding and slightly bowing, left the tent after their mother. Underneath the grey light of the overcast Asgardian morning, Loki's expression looked more withdrawn and sour than ever.
"I think they are going to talk about me," Loki's voice lowered as they passed by a group of armed peasants who stared at the princes as they swept past.
"I think they are," agreed Thor, "but there is not much we can do on the matter. Father will straighten them out."
And what if he is incapable of straightening them out, Thor? Loki wondered. What if Father also does not trust me? What then? Will I end up dogged by minders the entire-
Stop, Loki told himself, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. Stop it, Loki!
"Loki?" Thor stopped and jerked on his brother's elbow, bringing both of them to a halt. "Loki..." The slightly taller warrior sighed as he glanced over his brother's thin frame and stiff face. "Father trusts you. Mother trusts you – and I trust you as well. Do not lose faith in us or yourself."
"The last time we met, things did not go well."
"The last time Father and I spoke things did not go well," pointed out Thor. "Yet I can stand in his presence with confidence, not because of my position or abilities – but because of our relationship, because I am his son. As are you."
"I am not, I was never-"
"Loki," Frigga, having left Mage Hrotha's side and returned to her two tardy sons, had caught the last part of their conversation. "How could you think that after all this time? After all that is between us?" Her blue eyes filled with sadness. "I always saw you as the son that Fate had stolen from me, the son who should have been. When you joined our family, I felt that it was meant to be. We have spoken of this before."
The three of them stood there, surrounded by bustling crowds of warriors and servants and medics and farmers-turned-footmen. Loki raised his unhappy green gaze from his shoes to his mother's sorrowful blue eyes to Thor's matching ones and then back to the red tent behind them.
"I know that what the shadows tell me is a lie, and I have begun-" Loki stopped and then began again, attempting to keep his voice level. "It is very hard."
"It is hard to ignore the whispers which have haunted you all this time," Frigga sighed, drawing her son into another tight embrace. "We now know who has spoken into your dreams, and the prospect of facing such a Darkness may seem impossible, but you must remember that you are no longer alone."
"I am being a fool," Loki's fists clenched. "Never mind me, I do not know what I was thinking."
"You were thinking as you always do," Thor patted Loki's back. "You were worried and were strategizing as usual... Do not fret, Loki."
"You and Mother will sort him out, I know," Loki smiled wanly.
"Always," promised Frigga. "Your Father always needs sorting as you know. Come, Mage Hrotha is anxious to show us the work."
Loki discovered that the crook of his arm had been claimed by his mother. Leading her away and following Thor who caught up with Mage Hrotha to discuss with him the latest court intrigues, Loki decided to focus on what he could do, on what he must do.
Asgard needs me, he thought. He looked at Thor's back and then smiled down at his mother. Asgard needs all of us.
[...He is waiting...]
[...as he always has through time...]
[...yet there are others...]
[...others who standing together...]
[...will always oppose...]
[...this is the delicate balance...]
Upon arrival, it was obvious to Loki that the Mage's Court and Academy had been targeted in the attack. Large portions of the apprentices dormitory lay blackened. A great fire, Mage Hrotha had explained, broke out due to the use of missiles. Various sections of the Academy itself had fallen into rubble thanks to the use of explosives, but other portions remained intact. Loki was relieved to see that the library had not been touched by the fighting. Mage Varthi, bless his soul, Mage Hrotha told them, took five apprentices studying in the library and erected a barrier immediately, holding it for a total of six hours until the wave of Marauders and Jotunn had been repelled.
Loki, remembering the stalwart, dour face of Mage Varthi, did not have a hard time believing Mage Hrotha's story. He was as stubborn as a mule at times, Loki mused, and as cranky as a jarnkottr[1] in the winter.
Unfortunately, the ceremonial halls had not been so lucky and the Well was currently beneath a layer of rubble which had once been the east wing of the hall itself and the three revolving stones above. The three royalty and Mage Hrotha, arriving at the Mage's Court, watched as peasant and soldiers and mages and apprentices, handing pieces of stone from one to another, formed two long lines leading out of the largest atrium (which now had a hole in its gracefully arching roof). On occasion, the lines broke apart, allowing for a mule or horse-drawn carriage to emerge from the large open doors with a cart and a larger piece of rubble upon it.
"They got down to the Well, Master Hrotha," gasped an apprentice between one large piece of rock and another. "However, they say we need to clear the area about it for the ceremony."
"Indeed," Mage Hrotha nodded and choosing one of the side doors, led the three into the main atrium and then down another side flight of stairs to a lower level where Loki and his fellow apprentices had held their Rites.
It was dusty and gloomy within. Occasional rays of light fell through gaps in the floor above their heads. As the four progressed down the long hall, the wing showed increasing signs of deterioration as the walls began to crumble and collapse inward and outward. Lines of workers had removed the stones at the far end where the main room had stood. It was there that Loki had made his promise; there where he had been named a Mage of Asgard; there were he entered down into the room of quiet, where the Well had been ensconced.
A green place, a sacred place. Loki's mouth formed a hard thin line at the sight of the stones being lifted away from the flattened portion of the building. On either side of them, the walls crumbled downwards baring the tiled stone floor to the murky sunlight. Closer to the heart of the operation, a large cluster of mages and apprentices worked, looking dusty and tired and hot from their efforts.
As the Loki, Thor and Frigga picked their way down past the broken statues and wood and tiles and brick, Mage Hrotha outlined the plans for the ritual. It would involve two circles of mages and seven lines radiating outward comprised of apprentices. Sigils would be laid on the ground and round about, the better to draw in the raw power of the Unseen from the surrounding environs.
"There are others," Hrotha huffed and puffed as they reached the center of the devastation, "but the power required to draw upon those distant powers would be..."
"Disproportionate to the result required?" Loki hazarded.
"I should..." Frigga's voice trailed off at the sight before them when the four arrivals finally reached the edge of the Well.
-0-0-0-
Thor looked down at the Well, looked at his mother's still face and Loki's drawn one, looked back at the dark water, and then looked back up in growing confusion.
"It is black – pitch black," he finally said. "No natural water can..." Thor recovered enough to ask: "Is that what you two meant by the pollution – or is it indicative of something worse?"
"Something worse," Loki stepped back a little gingerly. "A shadow lies between the Realm and its Spirit. No one should touch the cursed well."
"A terrible omen," Hrotha muttered. "I must return to Agaeti and speak with him at once. We must purify it as soon as may be."
"Agreed."
"If there was any question about the return of Thanos and his work within our Realm, then it has been laid to rest," Frigga sighed. "As we all feared."
"We will cleanse it and regain the power of our peoples," Thor assured his mother. "Thanos will not win this battle, nor will we allow him to win the war."
Loki, stepping back a little further, seemed to Thor a trifle too pale and nauseous. Loki was always more sensitive than us regarding magick. Considering what he endured at the hands of Thanos and his allies, Loki cannot see this as anything but a threat.
As his younger brother abruptly about face and stride off aimlessly, Thor glared up at the lowering smoky grey sky overhead.
Tomorrow, Father will hold parley with the Jotunn – with Laufey – and we will begin the process of healing Asgard. Thor sighed. Tomorrow can not come soon enough.
-0-0-0-
"It is cold," General Tyr murmured as he strode back and forth in the large, three-sided tent which his men had erected in the middle of what had once been a fenced in field for cows headed to market.
Farmer Kyrstonr, now one of the refugees making his way further west with his herd of cattle, had shaken his head at the sight of the trampled grass now churned into mud. War, the monosyllabic peasant had grumbled before drudging off after his family's cart.
Now, the field stood empty and the houses and the stalls and the various sized smaller pens ringed about it also were silent beneath the perpetually grey skies. It was an ominous quiet broken only by the occasional creaking of rope and tackle as a listless wind plucked at the white banners now raised.
"The sun is shadowed. The weather has turned sour..." Agaeti looked up from the parchment spread before him. A small lantern hung with a dim light, shedding a little bit of gold about the elderly Asgardian. "Early winter has fallen on Asgard."
"Do you remember when my father returned on a litter from Vanaheim. Vanaheim, the land of greenery, and Midgard, the land of the youthful sun," Odin stood at the open end of the tent and looked out across the dreary scenery before him. "Places of death, where my father and his father before him fell to the sword. Worlds that could not hold a candle to our Realm, but now Asgard has been touched by grief and Winter has come knocking at our door."
"Do not open it," Tyr grunted.
"I could say something about feeling a draft," chuckled Agaeti dryly.
"They come," Odin's voice lowered.
"Hm." Agaeti set down his pen, rolled the parchment and tied a quick ribbon around it before handing it to a waiting apprentice. "Let them come. Our people have set the ceremony in motion. Can you feel it?"
Odin, sitting down in the great oak chair reserved for him, did not reply, but his glance at the gently stirring flag outside the door was thoughtful.
[...you feel it?]
[...the turning of the tide...]
[...battered rise to their feet, strength renewed...]
"It has been some time since we saw each other last," Laufey said as he took a seat in a large chair provided him by one of Tyr's aides. On Laufey's left, two quiet generals stood as well as what looked like a foot soldier. "Quite some time, Odin King."
"That would have been when my son visited your Realm," Odin nodded with the air of tired wisdom.
"'Visited'," echoed Laufey blandly. "A simple word for a complex situation."
"It was... complex," Odin agreed. "Errors on all of our parts were made and have led to this... unnecessary conflict."
"An error on my part?" Laufey raised an eyebrow.
"Did your people not attempt to remove the Casket from the Vault? It provoked my son. It provoked war."
"They were lured there. You know that to be true."
"Lured?" Odin raised an eyebrow. "By whom?"
"You know by what," Laufey bit out. "In the end, the thing was a snake. Did it bite you as well? Is that why you cast it off to Jotunheim?"
"It?"
"The thing which masqueraded as your second son."
Odin's face tightened for the barest second before he leaned forward, "I have not cast my son off. In fact, I sent him back to you in order to repair what damage he did your world. Prince Loki is gifted in many ways, and I thought it a fair punishment for him as well as fair return for what he had attempted. Agaeti?"
"Ah! Loki!" Agaeti wagged his white head sagely. "A firebrand if ever there was one, but good at heart, yes. In the past, we had sent him on many missions and assignments to Realms or planets in distress. A double-edged blade, indeed. Sometimes extreme, always effective... always brilliant. All-Father told us that he had sent his son down in recompense, which I had thought at the time would aid Jotunheim to recover. He is after all-"
"That thing is not my son," Laufey's voice froze the very air between them.
"He is your son – and he is something else even more important." Odin said mildly. "Yet, I am glad to claim him as my own. He meant to teach Thor and I a lesson – and this war was the unforeseen result... but there is something else. Someone else who lurks deeper within the shadows and who weaves a treacherous tale for us all. It is why I asked to speak with you."
"Someone behind... behind..."
"Behind Loki." Odin folded his hands. "Something tugs upon Loki's heart and mind – a darkness, a shadow... and it has fallen upon Asgard. Can you not feel it? The still air and the dead waters?" His aide set two large mugs filled with mead on the small table between them. "Or perhaps you have already felt it... A hint that perhaps something is not quite right. Perhaps there has been an uncertainty at the back of your mind. Perhaps you wonder – is this how it was meant to be?"
"You think someone drove..." Laufey's hands tightened around each other as he continued, "Loki to his madness?"
"Loki was not mad, merely desperate to show us the truth of something." Odin sighed. "His inability to turn to us for aid, his pride and his fear... these all drove him into extreme measures. When was such pride and fear born? When he was a child, forsaken and unloved? When he was a slave, alone and determined? Or was it with him all this time... from the moment of his birth?"
"It is vaetki, a Nothing. It should have been disposed at birth." spat one of the Generals, who then flinched at the vicious look which Laufey bestowed upon him.
"Some would call such practices barbaric," Agaeti said smoothly, "but from what I understand, the, ah, runts of the Jotunn were aborted or killed upon birth due to deformities."
"Deformities and powers," Laufey elaborated. "There are stories that within the dark ages of the beginning, the Lesser Kindred built Jotunheim, but they were not stable and neither was their power. Since the initial destruction of Jotunheim, the Lesser Kindred have been removed from our people one way or another."
"They still are born," Odin noted.
"On occasion," Laufey sighed.
"How do you know that the, ah, Lesser Kindred are less reliable nowadays?" asked Agaeti, his blue eyes suddenly sharp. "Our records also hold many accounts of those you call Cursed, and although some were prone to instability, a large majority were harmless – and even more importantly, gifted and generous." Agaeti shrugged. "So, a few of the Ancient Kind made some errors... Can one condemn whole generations of beings according the mistakes of their ancestors? I think not."
"Especially if we consider the one behind Loki," Odin interjected. "Heimdall has seen a Shadow growing throughout the Realm of Midgard. It is growing – and Loki has come from the heart of it, bringing news of the greatest import: a Titan."
"A Titan," Laufey pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a few seconds before meeting Odin's gaze. "You would believe this tall tale of one such as – as Loki?"
"Loki is many things," Odin sighed. "A prankster, a trickster, a storyteller, an adept within magick and the illusory arts... but his heart remains with those who cherish him. He would not put Asgard or its people at risk. Loki may... at times... resort to extreme measures, but concerning a Titan? He would not lie."
"A Titan." Laufey sat back with a sigh. "I never saw one but my grandfather told me that many Titans roamed the Realms when they were young. In fact, I heard you aided the Celestials and other Ancients to imprison a Titan. Is that true?"
"Thanos. Yes, we imprisoned him," Odin shook his head, "but as I feared, he has been freed and now threatens us all – with the Infinity Stones. It was he who has overshadowed Loki's thoughts all these years. Loki sensed his evil purpose – and has been fighting it all this time."
Laufey said nothing. Odin, watching the dark-skinned aged monarch's face, fancied he caught a glimmer of something in the deep red eyes opposite him. The slash of dark which marked Laufey's lips were firmly turned down at the edges, but there was something else there that could not easily expressed. Pride, Odin wondered. After all this time...
"I know what you seek," Odin continued onward, carefully. "You seek the Casket and the restoration of your Realm."
"You have said that you will not return it," Laufey leaned forward then. "Why would I ask for it again, knowing your answer?"
"Considering our shared enemy and the importance of facing the Mad Titan together," Odin explained, "I would return it to you. We would then end this war and face our true enemy together."
"All-Father-" Tyr rose to his feet, looking the part he was to play – anxious and angry.
"Tyr," Odin gave his subordinate a look, at which Tyr took his seat, looking subdued.
"Your people will need to decide," Laufey guessed.
"Two days," Odin smiled and added smoothly. "I have already decided on my part. It is merely a matter of telling my people. Once decided, the scribes will write a treaty and we will exchange our war for a new alliance."
Laufey cocked his head.
"War for alliance."
"Yes," Odin rose to his feet then. "Will you agree?"
"In two days, I will have my answer, Odin All-Father," Laufey stood then, his dark wiry hair brushing the top of the tent. "In two days, we shall know either way."
"The Casket will be returned to Jotunheim," Odin nodded.
[...and...]
[...there stirred...]
After an exchange of further compromises on both parts, Laufey and his two generals and aide left, allowing Odin and his own party to depart in the other direction.
"So you will give them the Casket?" Tyr frowned at Odin's back.
"If I must," Odin replied and then glanced at Agaeti wryly. "You must know that it will not change anything... not now at any rate. It is too late for Jotunheim."
"Not unless," Agaeti paused.
"Unless?" Tyr asked.
"The Casket is only one of three. It is the medium, if you will, of two parts – the Realm's Soul and the Other Soul. The Other Soul changes from being to being, from king to king... If a Realm is blessed by the Norns, the line is not broken." Agaeti sighed. "The All-Father is gifted in some ways, but not entirely in this way."
"And Thor?" asked Tyr.
"It is hard to say," Agaeti replied diplomatically. "A question of whether it is due to lack of ability or lack of... application."
"Lack of application," Odin grunted. "The boy underestimates the importance of a Realm's Soul. Loki, on the other hand... I think he knows. He knows and has turned his back on his own Realm. No, Tyr," Odin clapped the old warrior on the back, "we may give them the Casket, but it is too late for them. It will mean nothing now, unless Loki is holding it."
At that, the three men arrived at the end of the southernmost line of apprentices. The apprentices, clad in the white and blues of the Mage's academy, did not turn at their arrival. Each were linked to each other in straight columns, left hands resting on the shoulder of the one before them. With their eyes closed and the right hands raised steadily before their chest, palms outwards, the mages' apprentices looked unnerving to Tyr's untutored eye as he passed by.
"What are they doing?" He found that his voice had sunk into a whisper for some reason.
"Drawing upon their own power," Agaeti explained quietly. "With the combined power of everyone and what is in reserve within the Realm's soil and the Other Soul of the Realm..."
"Thor."
"Yes, and Loki who is an Other Soul and has his own connection to the Stars," Agaeti finished, "we may push back the Shadow and corruption of Thanos, cleanse the Well, and link Asgard more firmly into the magickal framework it requires for health."
Now they were at the center. Loki, Thor, Frigga, Hrotha and Verra were standing in a circle around the Well, both arms out palms down with their heads tipped back and eyes closed.
"What are they doing?"
Odin said nothing in reply to Tyr's hushed question. Tyr turned to Agaeti, but the High Mage would not respond. He merely crooked a knobbly finger upward, pointing at the circle of Mage's banners surrounding the clearing. The elderly general did not need to see the gently stirring silks of gold and red to know that the wind was returning. As something stirred in the air and tugged at his own silver grey air, Tyr took a deep breath. It felt as though for the first time in a long time he was waking up.
[...and...]
[...there stirred...]
Loki did not hear the whisper of the wind or the gentle clatter of the flags. He did not hear the hushed whispers of Tyr or the occasional cough of an apprentice. He did not hear the mumble of Hrotha's workings. He was soaring upward, reaching out to the stars and drawing close the rough yet warm Spirit which had vitalized Asgard for as long as the universe had shone bright. He could hear the other songs of the young stars and the more experienced ones within Asgard's glow.
...you have come...
...Other-Soul...
...as was Fated...
He was falling back now, drawing the light with him. With a shout that sounded like a thousand trumpets, the Soul's power swirled around the tight circle before bursting out along the lines of acolytes. They were all connected now – carrying the life of Asgard outward.
...this darkness cannot last...
...not when we stand side by side...
Light and colour swirled about them and the connection was once again reforged. Shadows clung at the edges, but with each chanting, they would shrink and disappear all together.
...this darkness cannot last...
...it is our eternal battle...
...thus We stand at your side...
...dear ones...
It will take some time, he told the Spirit. It is not finished yet. Not yet.
Loki's green eyes opened and he gazed into the haze of magick which sank down from his fingertips into the Well, leaving him feeling wakeful and refreshed.
The colour of magick, he thought, is indescribable. It is so beautiful... and it can never end. Loki looked over at Thor. Thor's blue eyes were also gazing down entranced. We have all seen it... and we will never forget. And those who see, let them see – and let them never forget.
[...the wind stirred...]
[...and life returned again...]
[...and by the by...]
[...the Song would be heard again...]
"The magick is stabilizing?" Odin asked Loki the next morning.
Loki paced back and forward by the door of the Royal quarters, set up in what had been Lord Lothar's city home. The spacious rooms now housed the Royal family, the High Council, and other servants and aides. Thor and Loki, after refusing to appropriate someone else's rooms, had bedded down on their parents' floor on wide rugs of mountain bear fur and underneath equally thick goose down blankets hand sewn by the palace maids.
Having risen from bed at the crack of dawn, Loki discovered that his family had also begun to rise. Within an hour, the three of them were seated about the breakfast table. Loki found himself unable sit down and eat much. Despite his mother's scolding and Thor's repeated entreaties to sit down, Loki contented himself with nibbling on some toast and staring out the windows.
"It is," Loki paused for a moment, "but we need time."
"Today, Loki and Thor will continue the Focus," Frigga looked up from her eggs and glanced over at Thor. "Thor was able to concentrate quite well yesterday, so my involvement is less necessary," she added with some pride. "I will of course remain on hand should anyone tire."
"Merely standing about and being still," mumbled Thor modestly into his cup of mead. "Although my arms ached a little, on the whole I felt even more rested when I ended the ceremony."
"Thor did quite well," admitted Loki. "You said yesterday night that Laufey wants the Casket of Ancient Winter? Would you give it to him?"
"I could," Odin shrugged. He pushed his plate back and reached for the cup of tea which Frigga had just poured for him. "The others would not agree, however."
"The others," Thor frowned. "You mean the generals and the mages?"
"As usual, they cannot see beyond the past and the injuries of that long and hard war between Asgard and Jotunheim."
"Unseeing hatred and overwhelming fear does not make for reasonable discourse," Loki sighed.
"They cannot see that the Jotunn need the Casket? Loki tells me that without the Casket, the Realm will fall into nothing! Their Spirit has been damaged for so long," Thor frowned. "Just as ours is now. Yet they would allow something like that to come to pass on Jotunheim?"
"They do not know the true state of Jotunheim," Loki pointed out. "Remember how shocked you were when you landed there?"
"I suppose it is hard for many to imagine a world without a secure foundation," Frigga turned to Odin and added: "You have to make them see reason. Otherwise... the Jotunn and their allies may be pushed to their own deaths."
"Of course," Odin glared at his tea cup. "Today we will gather and discuss it, but without Loki, I hardly think the Casket will-"
"All-Father! I need to speak him at once!"
"Tala!" Upon hearing her maid's raised voice, Frigga ran to the door, pulled it open, and pushed past the two guards who had been stationed outside their chamber. "Tala, what is the matter?"
"I must speak with the All-Father!"
"Come in, come in!" Frigga pulled the girl in, giving the guards a sharp look.
"Mistress Iletha of the Wards just sent word – the rear camp is under attack. Several Jotunn have already entered the city from the south-east and-"
Thor and Loki bolted out the room at the girl's first words, followed hard by Odin who began to bellow orders as the three of them made their way down the hall and out to Lord Lothar's front entrance and stairs. By the time the three had arrived in the courtyard, a wide-eyed, breathless messenger was dismounting from his sweating horse.
"Where are they?" Odin barked out. "What news have you? How many have arrived in the city? From which direction did they come?"
"They make for the palace, Your Majesty," gasped the short man. "I did not see them with their eyes but Master Koren from the south sent word that he counted a goodly company – and they seem to be headed to the center of the city. At a guess, the palace."
"Yet the All-Father is here," muttered a guard. "Surely they do not think to-"
"The Vault." Loki said succinctly.
"Hold tight," Thor warned Loki as Mjolnir crashed through the wood door of Lord Lothar's home and settled in his hand.
"Hold tight for what?"
Grabbing his brother around the waist, Thor swung Mjolnir several times and then raised it, lifting the two men off his feet with a sudden jerk. As the crowded courtyard faded into the distance, Loki gritted his teeth.
"Thor!" He bawled. "This is rash! What are we to do when we arrive?"
"I do not know!" Thor yelled back as the city rushed past them. "You have not come up with a plan yet?"
"How could I?" growled Loki indignantly. "We have just heard the news!"
"Think faster!"
"How can I- Ah!"
A statue suddenly reared its head up in their path. Mjolnir swerved around it and continued onward, drawing closer to the rising towers of the Palace. Beneath the overcast sky, Odin's golden halls seemed more like a dirty bronze, holding only the barest dull gleam. As the two drew closer, Loki caught a glimpse of rising smoke and torrents of peasants and medics and other civilians milling about, rushing like thin streams through the veins of the cities. Coming from the south-east, as the reports said, there was a thinner line of blue. Several Jotunn were disappearing into the side entrance of the palace most often used by the servants.
"An inside job!" Thor shouted.
"'Inside job'?" Loki bellowed his question into Thor's ear as they darted over a bridge and under a causeway.
"Someone inside the palace told them where to go – or someone who had been there before told them about the servants' entrance!" Thor explained.
Mjolnir veered toward the entrance and within moments the two princes were brought to the upper steps where Thor immediately began to smash his hammer into the last of the enemy's company which now laboured up the stairs. Whispering a working which gave an added blast of fire power to his thin knives, Loki threw three of his blades across the servants' courtyard, taking down two more Jotunn. He darted inside and began to make his way through the halls where refugees and servants cowered, some of them gravely injured, others too frightened to move. Ignoring them, Loki followed the trail of devastation left behind the vanguard of Jotunn.
"We are not far behind, Thor!"
"I am right behind you, Loki!" bawled Thor. "Keep running!"
At his brother's encouragement, Loki sped up. Behind him, he could hear his brother's heavy boots pounding. Together, the two princes raced down the halls and stairs. Loki swerved around the corner at their left and disappeared down the last hallway leading to the Vault.
"Whoa!" Thor yelped as his boots suddenly slipped on a long patch of ice spreading across the floor. Skidding past the door, Thor swung himself to the right, called Mjolnir to his hand, and threw his hammer down the hall to splinter the ice and to punch through the door. With an unimpressive thud, Mjolnir bounced off the door's carved facade, leaving behind a heavy dent, and fell onto the ground.
Loki turned slowly and gave his brother a disbelieving look.
"What?" Thor shrugged. "It is but a door."
"I can not believe you tried that," Loki shook his head, barely masking amusement. "On the other hand, it did put a dent in it – which is impressive considering Father had the door reinforced after you... left."
"You can stop talking any time now, Loki," Thor made his way carefully down the stairs. "Is it locked from the inside?"
"Did you even approach the door?" Loki rolled his eyes, stepped through the doorway as the great doors rose in front of him – and came to a tense stop at the top of the great stairway.
It was here, he thought, here that Father and I last argued. Here, where I discovered... Here, where my worst fears were seemingly confirmed... Here, where...
The air within the Vault was unnaturally cold. Ice spread across the floor showing the clear path of the Jotunn's natural abilities as they had made their way down the hall. Two guards lay dead, hastily thrown aside and now half-wedged into the alcoves where Odin's many treasures stood.
Five Jotunn, Loki counted. The five stood there and stared in awe down at the silver and blue Casket which flared gently. It was small in size compared to the Jotunn giants. Loki drew in a sharp breath as the memory of wielding it returned to him with the impact of a sudden blow. Its handles fitted his palms perfectly; it had become a part of him. It spoke to me...
Several things happened at once. Thor shouted. The tallest, roughest Jotun – a captain, judging by his kirtle – leaned forward. Thor slipped his way down the stairs. The other Jotunn swung round to face the Crown Prince. Loki's hand twisted at his side.
The Jotun Captain's hand swept down – and through the Casket. A gasp. Thor's face filled with horror as the Casket disappeared in wisps of smoke. Recognizing the horror for what it was, the Jotunn whipped about and then stepped back uncertainly.
"It is-"
"An illusion?" Thor blinked. "Father must have... moved it! Loki – did you see-"
Thor, turning to his brother, paused as something familiar appeared from the recesses of Loki's 'pocket', the mysterious temporal fold which his brother had created during his mage apprenticeship.
Loki's long fingers closed around silver handles, and he smiled darkly as the power of the Casket coursed through his veins; as the cold turned his skin his natural blue; as his eyes glinted stonily, red as rubies.
"Looking for this?" He asked frostily and let the ice storm fly.
There you guys go! An update! Almost 9K long... a lot of work... and I hope you guys liked it! Let me know if you did! We're getting to the end... and after that... Well, we'll see if I do a sequel (aka book 4) for this monster - or if I get sucked into writing X-Wing fanfiction for Star Wars 7 since that is one of my favorite films now. Be sure to click on the art link on the profile!
Glossary
[1] Ironcat (from Jotunheim)