The freezing cold around him didn't bother him; he didn't even notice the biting wind on his skin or the ice and snow under his feet. His eyes didn't see the cloudless night sky or the imposing structures in the distance. His ears didn't read the footsteps of the giants that approached the one who looked like them and yet so different.
He stood realms away from the land he knew, the land that has been his home for millennia. He stood in the kingdom where he was the rightful prince, and the heir to the icy throne.
But none of it mattered to Lael.
Because the last thing he saw before the icy passage pulled him in still replayed in his mind. And he wished for the blue cube in his hands to send him back.
She needed his help; she needed him to protect her, to prevent them from taking her away somewhere he would not be able to reach her. He needed Jane by his side.
The intense feeling he felt would have scared him under different circumstances, but in this moment he didn't have the time to question it.
Jane was hurt.
The shouting, the loud bang of a gunshot. It still echoed in his ears.
And the sight of her body falling down, of the red blood gushing from the wound her own people inflicted to her small body… he needed to get back.
To protect.
To guard.
To heal.
Only when a giant stopped few feet away from him did Lael finally noticed his surrounding and the presence of blue skinned men that towered over him.
"You hold the Casket of Ancient Winters in your hands." The one in front of him spoke.
"I need it to send me back." Lael muttered, "Can someone get it to send me back?"
"Why do you wish to leave when you are among your people?" the nameless Frost giant asked, his red eyes observed the odd Jotun. He knew those markings, the family markings his queen had.
But that was impossible. His son, his only heir was lost to them. Killed on Midgard. And the Casket locked away on Asgard.
And yet here stood a Jotun, fully mature despite his size, as a living proof he perhaps made an error all those centuries ago.
"She is hurt. I have to go back to her." the boy who could be his son said and Laufey frowned.
"Who is she?"
Lael paused, not fully understanding what his mind was trying to tell him. What the very core of his body knew. But a simple question deserved a simple explanation, his mother taught him that.
So he gave the only explanation he could; only one that made sense to him, "She is my mate."
6 hours ago
The lights flew around them, making Jane dizzy at first cause they moved too fast. She had a feeling Lael was doing that on purpose, but she refused to comment on it. Let him have his fun. The mischievous smile on his face told her he enjoys her company and the fact she let him indulge.
Jane's steps faltered as the orbs suddenly flashed red and changed shapes to look like butterflies.
"Women like butterflies, don't they?" he suddenly asked, his voice odd in her ears. He sounded almost shy.
Jane looked to her right where he stood and shrugged, "Some do. I did as a child. I like stars more now, as an adult."
Seconds later the glowing butterflies exploded into thousand little sparks that spread over them. They didn't offer enough light for them to see anything, to see the path under their feet properly, but they looked incredibly beautiful.
"Did I got it right?"
"You did." Jane watched his magic do wonders above them, "It's beautiful… but they won't help us much."
He cleared his throat, and the moment was gone. The orbs returned in their original shape and lazily continued to move around them, throwing long shadows on the walls of the maze. Jane sighed silently and continued forward. But seconds later another sigh escaped her lips.
This time one caused by frustration.
They reached a crossing and found a yarn thread on the floor, the same yarn from the scarf in Jane's hands that she was slowly ruining beyond repair.
"We tried to take the left turn every time and after a while found ourselves at the place we already visited. We tried to take the right turn and the same thing happened again. I feel like there hasn't been a corridor we haven't visited already and still we found nothing." She was frustrated and it was obvious to the both of them.
"Perhaps we should try from the beginning." Lael tried to calm her down. Her distress didn't sit well with him.
Jane turned to look at him and Lael was startled for a moment to see regret in her eyes, "What if there isn't anything here? What if I'm simply wasting your time?"
"Jane, for the first time in my long existence I can say my time is not wasted."
"We are walking around in circles! Does that not bother you?"
He responded right away, without taking a single second to ponder on it, "No."
"I wish I could think the same thing." She muttered before turning around and following the path that brought them to this spot, collecting the wool as she walked.
"Why can't you?" he asked, making Jane pause to look back at him, "Why does it bother you?"
"Knowledge…" Jane said with a sigh, "Proof… I don't know."
Brown eyes locked to green ones and a sad smile formed on Lael's face.
"I will keep my word." She frowned at him, not understanding what he talked about, "If I am this lost prince, if I somehow find a way to travel between realms… I will bring you along to see the stars."
"I feel selfish." Jane admitted, "I want to find this elusive item but I don't know exactly why. Part of me wants to help you… part of me wants to prove to myself I am more then a researcher that sits in front of a computer screen and works solemnly on theoretical things… part of me wants to show Erik he underestimated me. He gave someone the results of my research, of the readings my machines made… I trusted him and the message he received said they are ready to seize my entire equipment."
"Seize?" Lael frowned. He knew what the word meant but he hoped he understood it wrong.
"Steal." Jane's voice was cold and detached. The sudden change shook him to the core. Just moments ago she was full of fire and now cold as ice.
"Why?"
She shrugged, "Because thy can? Because they think themselves to be above the law and allowed to do whatever they want? And who knows… maybe they are."
They remained silent after that exchange, walking in silence until they reached the entrance into the maze. Until they reached the beginning of their search.
And while Lael was ready to start again, to enter the confusing corridors of the maze, he could see weariness in Jane. She all but lost hope they would find anything.
He wanted to remind her they have just started, only been investigating for the few hours. But he doubted she would appreciate it. So he moved his hand in a specific way and an apple appeared in his hand.
He didn't have much food in the magical storage but what he did have he was ready and willing to share with her.
His very being demanded he takes care of her.
Odin's head snapped up from the parchment in front of him. A feeling like no other shocked him to the core, a feeling of fate of the realms changing into something new. It was odd.
But at the same time felt right.
Moments later the fates shifted again and the All-Father stood up abruptly.
Something was going on.
It wasn't on Asgard, he felt every corner of this realm like he could feel his own beating heart. It happened somewhere else, somewhere far away. One blue eye turned towards the large window, his second one lost many years ago on another realm as they protected the mortals from the invading force of Frost giants.
Thinking about Midgard solidified the suspicion in him.
Whatever was happening it was on that distant realm. And not just there.
Jotunheim was involved somehow as well.
The All-Father exited his large study and briskly walked down the long wide hallway towards the main entrance to the palace. Servants he passed by bowed in respect, curious about their king's rush. Odin was well known as a calm and collected monarch.
"Father." A loud voice made the old king pause and look in the direction he came from. Thor, his son and heir was walking towards him, a wide smile on his face, "Father, my companions and I have returned victorious."
"I am glad to hear that Thor. Now-"
"We must celebrate tonight with a great feast."
Odin looked away, towards the golden observatory in the distance, before he turned back towards his son, "The celebration feast will have to wait. There are more important matters we must attend to first."
"What could be more important?" Thor frowned; never since he became of age and claimed Mjolnir did his father ignored his victory.
Anger momentarily flashed in Odin's single blue eye. He was not blind to his son's flaws, despite some believing he considered Thor the perfect child. His heir was far from perfect, that was why he still refused to crown his the king of Asgard.
"Powers have awakened. On Midgard… and I sensed a power surge coming from Jotunheim. I must travel-"
"What are those monsters up to this time? Is it not enough they accused you of killing their prince? My friends and I will travel to Jotunheim and set them straight!" Thor's hotheadedness made Odin sigh.
"You will travel to Midgard. Now come."
People watched curiously as their king and prince rode down the wide streets towards the observatory where all-seeing Heimdal was keeping watch over the realms of the Great tree. Instantly the whispers started, people wondered what was going on that caused the king to travel to the watcher and not call Heimdal to the palace like he usually does.
But they didn't worry. There was no reason to. Even if a great enemy should rise somewhere in the realms their army would defeat them with ease. No one could gain a victory against Aesir warriors.
Heimdal awaited them already, his golden eyes keeping watch but noticing them approaching anyway.
"My king, I have failed you." He spoke when Odin and Thor entered the observatory.
"You have never failed me. Now tell me what you saw." A frown was on All-Father's face.
"A child by our measurement, a Jotun child, on Midgard. He held the Casket of Ancient Winters in his arms and it sent him to Jotunheim. I have not noticed his presence before, but he must have been there, on the realm of the mortals, the whole time for I have not seen him arriving."
Odin began to question everything that happened since his warriors defeated the Frost giants that traveled to Midgard little over a thousand years ago. He considered himself a hair and just, but now doubt started to appear.
Laufey claimed him a killer of the Jotun prince, yet he knew for a fact no child was harmed in the battle. His warriors knew better and would never dare to invoke their queen's wraith by killing an innocent child.
For centuries he believed Laufey was merely trying to bring unrest to the realms. Now he was no longer so certain.
"There was something else going on. I sensed great power on Midgard, and it was not the Casket."
"Indeed it was not. Mortals have found an item that was inactive for a long time, but it's power had awakened the moment a portal opened to transport the Frost giant back to Jotunheim."
"What is it?" a power surge of that kind of force left little possibilities. Not many items in the universe could accomplish that.
Heimdal moved his golden eyes from the void he constantly looked at and focused on his king instead, "I believe it is the Tesseract."
Odin knew of the item, he had heard about it from his father, but it is told the Tesseract was long lost in the far distant corner of the universe. It seems the old legends were wrong. The cube is much closer, and that makes it much more dangerous. There are creatures out there that could do the unimaginable damage with the Infinity stone in their possession.
It would be much safer if it had remained inactive. But since it had awakened there was only one possible course of action remaining.
It needed to be brought to Asgard and locked in the Vault. Once there the universe would be safe from its destructive power.
Odin knew what needed to be done. But he could not do it himself. His son would have to go on this mission alone, although he would have preferred to do it himself. Thor was still too hotheaded and dealing with Midgardians requires a certain finesse that his son unfortunately doesn't possess.
He will have to adapt and fast. Because there was no one else that could go.
Because Odin himself will be going to Jotunheim.
2 hours ago
Jane was ready to throw the ball of wool on the floor, sit on the ground and pout for an hour or so. It was getting frustrating. They have been walking for hours, and every corner, every path, looked exactly the same. The only proof that they haven't walked it already was the absence of the thread on the ground.
"There is nothing here." She mumbled, "I have led us in circles for hours… for nothing."
"Jane…" Lael gently placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him. The light coming from the orbs around them revealed the unshed tears that gathered in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I told you about the story and made you believe there is something going on that obviously isn't. I should have just stuck to the theory of the Einsten-Rosen Bridge like Erik said I should."
Two solid arms wrapped slowly around her, pulling her closer. Lael was never good at comforting people, it's been such a long time since he had company as it is, and even as a child he preferred solitude over company. Unless it was her, her company he would always welcome.
But Jane was different. Even after spending only few hours with her Lael could not imagine not having her nearby. It was strange for him to feel this way, but it also felt so natural. So right.
"The story was right about me… about the blue child. So why can it not be true about everything else as well?"
"Should I be calling you Loki then?" Jane asked as she gently pulled away from his hug and looked at his green eyes.
He merely shrugged, "It is not who I remember being, but it does not mean that is not who I am."
Jane nodded before asking, "Should we head back? There is nothing in front of us but a dead end?"
"Maybe that's where it is." Lael said and walked pass her, two of the light globes followed him while two remained with Jane who gaped at his back.
Was she really that distracted by the very idea of finding some powerful artifact from a legend and what it could mean for the science community, that is if anyone ever found out about it, that she didn't consider something so obvious? A groan escaped her lips before she followed her companion.
It took them almost an hour after they walked to the very end of a path to find what they were looking for.
There was no Eureka moment, no light illuminating an item sitting on a pedestal. There were only rocks on the ground.
And Jane tripped over one of them and Lael catched her before she could hit the ground.
"Where did these come from?" Jane muttered, feeling mortified.
"There was a small earthquake; I lost count how many years ago. Perhaps that dislodged the rocks from where they were before."
It was good enough explanation but that brought forward another question. Why weren't there more rocks just lying around in the maze corridors? In fact this is the first time they came across a pile of rocks on the ground.
Jane looked up, but the walls were too tall for her to see what is hiding in the heights. She was no Frost giant; she could not see a small niche in the stone where the Casket was waiting to be found again.
Lael could not either, but standing this close to it he could feel its pull.
He was never good at climbing, and Jane constantly warning him to be careful didn't help either, but eventually he succeeded. And found himself looking at the item that instantly started to emit a soft blue light.
The Casket of Ancient Winters sensed its master and greeted him.
Jane was in awe when Lael stepped back on the ground, his hand clutching a cube that glowed. She could see his skin now matched the blue glow of the artifact, while his eyes were ruby red. He looked otherworldly, but not in a bad way.
She could not understand how someone could look at him and see a monster.
"The story is real." She whispered.
"Come Jane." He offered her the hand that wasn't holding the cube, "Let us go back to the main cave and discuss what to do next."
Jane knew what she wanted to do next. She wanted to offer proof she was right, that there is something else out there for them to find. Other realms that could be reached with the Bridge. But offering proof would mean exposing Lael.
And she would never do such a thing. She would never put him in danger.
Her head snapped in the direction of the main entrance the moment they exited the maze. Jane could hear the strange noise that was difficult to recognize at first. But then she realized what it was. She never heard it live, but they were featured in the action movies Darcy loved to watch, probably because the lead male for some reason always had to end up shirtless at one point.
It was the sound of helicopter propeller. And even though they were deep underground it was loud enough for her to conclude they must be close.
"What is it?" Lael heard it too.
Jane turned towards him and apologized, "I'm sorry. They followed me before I hid in here and found you. You were avoiding them for so long and I led them straight to you."
"I will not let them harm you." There was passion in his voice that shocked her.
"I am more worried about you!" Jane protested.
Lael stood frozen for a moment, her words shocked him. It's been so long since anyone cared for him.
"I will not be harmed." He spoke calmly.
But Jane wasn't convinced, "How can you possibly know that?"
It was difficult to describe the feeling inside him, the feeling he had from the moment he took the cube in his hand. He didn't know anything about it but he knew it would take him home. Every fiber in his body screamed at him to walk out of the cave and he would finally return to where he belongs, to his family.
"This item…" he lifted his hand and the Casket glowed brighter for a moment, "It is not sentient but… since taking it in my hand I know things I did not know before. I will be fine."
What he did not consider is that Jane would not be fine. Because SHIELD agents waited outside, and they were shocked at the sight of doctor Jane Foster in the company of a blue skinned man.
And while the Casket activated and opened the portal it also served to distress the agents even more so they reacted in the only way they knew how. They started to shout at him to drop the cube while the youngest of them reacted in the worst way possible. He fired his gun.
The icy passage pulled Lael in, returned the lost prince to Jotunheim.
And left Jane Foster bleeding on Midgard.
Because this chapter ended with a cliffhanger I will do my best not to make you wait another month for the next one. Sorry bout that.
Few health issues, problem with the plot timeline that needed to be fixed and an idea for another story that refused to leave me alone until I wrote it down kept me from finishing this chapter two weeks ago.