"Are you certain there is a way to leave Alfheim without the Bifrost?" Looking strongly at Loki, Kvasir stood across the study where he had instructed the young prince to meet him. It was imperative that their endeavors continued. The previous attack of the Manticore was evidence of the fact that they needed to quicken their pace.
Loki replied, his countenance energizing, "In every world, there are weak spots in our reality, cracks in a dimension that cannot be seen with the naked eye, only accessed with specific magic; magic that I once had before banishment. If we can find where those seams are in this realm, we may be able to find a way to use them and pass through to different worlds."
Kvasir knew that such an ability existed, although accessing it without the use of dark magic was something he did not think was currently possible. Not without their artifacts that were destroyed years past.
"Haven't you traveled beyond your realm before?" Loki continued, forcing Kvasir to voice his own thoughts.
"We did, many times before the elders turned to darkness. Our magic was much stronger with the use of our artifacts as we were the keepers of the very fractals my daughter holds." He seemed to grow weary at the memories, even though he continued without hesitation. "Once we had sent Alfva away to her safety on Midgard, we destroyed the artifacts and tried to confine ourselves to our own realm. But," he snapped from his remembrance, "if there is truly a way to explore the realms without Asgard's aid, progress can be made."
"I heard through the grapevine that there was once an attempt to send Asgardian ambassadors to pursue peace. Doesn't seem like that turned up."
The corners of Kvasir's eyes crinkled as he chuckled, trying to lighten the weight of what was said. "Not at all."
He then led Loki to the map of Yggdrasil that hung in a gold frame, hand painted to reveal the details of the Nine Realms that made up their universe. Loki observed its intricacy.
"Where would we even think to begin?" Loki asked, partly thinking out loud while the other part wrestled with believing this was possible.
Kvasir answered quickly. "Ignore the planets surrounding the realms and start with the Nine. Surely a neighboring realm would be easiest to travel to."
"Do you suppose Nornheim? Or Vanaheim?"
"Either! Both could be holding answers so it's whatever we can get to first."
Loki thought deeply, trying to think of where he could begin with this magic. He didn't know how else they could travel beyond Alfheim without any.
"Are you certain you trust my help?"
The king was taken aback by Loki's sudden remark. He broke his gaze from Yggdrasil and faced the young prince. "Loki, you have given much to our people. There is nothing in me that would mistrust you."
Loki tried to express gratitude although he looked pained. "I am usually one to be filled with pride but I am without most of my abilities and am worried we will not find answers fast enough, even if all of this is possible. I will need to take time to study, to figure out what we can do with what we have."
"Ah, that is wisdom talking, not worry." Kvasir left the painting of Yggdrasil and blew out some nearby candles. "Go. Take the time you need and we will reunite when it is time."
Loki was put at ease by this. "Thank you, good king."
"The queen and I will inquire of the magic as well and see what we can discover. You will not be alone."
"I will come calling as soon as I've made a discovery."
Kvasir blew out the remaining candle, nodding in response. "You shall. Now, make haste."
Taking the bid to go, Loki dismissed himself from the study and stepped through the heavy doors that separated the room from the neighboring corridor. Soldiers guarded the entrance to prevent unwanted passage. As he left, he passed a wandering servant and he thought nothing of it, until the servant called after him.
"My Lord!"
Loki paused, brow furrowing as he spun to face the lone servant who had called after him. The elf that stood before him was dressed as a scullion, although he showed no evidence of having been tidying the halls.
"Were you the one who spoke?" Loki asked.
Approaching and allowing his eyes to meet Loki's, the servant straightened. "I beseech thee to forgive me." His voice was smooth and his caramel eyes were odd for a Light Elf. The way he smiled worried Loki and he knew, this was no servant.
"Whatever for?"
"I do understand it is not my place, but I couldn't help to overhear the predicament you and our king have found yourselves in."
Loki almost grew furious. A stranger overheard them? Those guards were good for nothing… "You are indefinitely correct by saying it was not your place."
"But I do believe I could be of help. You are in need of magic to pass through to the other realms, correct?"
Loki paused, cautious of his words. There were once traitors amidst the elves. Who's to say there wouldn't be again? "What makes you think you could offer us what we need?"
The servant bowed in attempts to ease the mistrust revealing in Loki's voice. "I can explain, my Lord… if you bring me to the princess."
"What?" Loki scoffed.
"Please." This time, the servant's eyes grew pleading, his smile having vanished. "She can explain everything."
...
Jennica hadn't moved from her chambers since her visit to the healers. The energy used to kill the Manticore had been abundant but not enough to stop her. She was filled with a newfound anger knowing her people could have been killed from the attack, that the darkened cloud rising over the outskirts had not left but was bigger than ever.
She was busy trying to make discoveries of her own. Oveaus was quiet and their connection had not been felt for quite some time, making her believe what Sol had said about him. He was nothing more than a ghost. What a waste. Now, they were in more danger than ever and he wasn't even speaking with her.
Taking off the locket from around her neck, she held it in her hands and felt the warmth of her fractals, relentlessly pulsing the energy she needed to survive. They would always be coursing through her veins for as long as she lived. This connection she had to them made it easier to learn their abilities, despite not having known of them until the past year. She opened it, thinking the command to life. It gave her a sense of victory. She had been practicing and it got easier every time. The artifact desired to stay shut but it would bend to her will the more she played with it.
Resting inside were the three fractals. The fractals she couldn't live without; three out of the eighteen that needed to be found. They were so small, broken pieces of an Infinity Stone, evolved beyond what it once was. It was so strange to see something so small, so powerful. Even to think of the rest collected together in one place was overwhelming. She began to wonder how Thor was doing with that and what Odin would have him do with whatever Fractals or Stones he'd discover.
"If only you could give me answers…" She spoke aloud to the Fractals that she held, picking one out of the locket and keeping it pinched between two of her fingers. "You're so powerful and yet you can't show me where to go to find the rest."
A knock at her door pulled her from focus and she returned the fractal to its nest, quickly closing up the locket. It was around her neck before she arrived at the door to open it, wondering who had come calling. Whoever it was, she hoped it was good news.
"Loki," she was surprised when he let himself in, quickly closing the door behind him. This worried her. "What's wrong? You already finished your meeting with my father?"
"Yes but something strange happened." His voice was slightly hushed. "A servant had been eavesdropping and claims to know of the magic we need to travel across worlds."
Jennica was appalled. "A servant overheard?!"
"I was upset as well! How the guards ever allowed that is beyond me. He says he can help us though and that you could explain his reasoning somehow."
As Jennica readjusted the locket's chain around her neck, she frowned in confusion. "What would I have to do with anything?"
"I am just as confused as you are, love. He insisted on meeting you, though, and I wasn't about to bring him to your chambers. I told him we could meet in the courtyard."
"I do appreciate you not intruding on my privacy." She did wonder what this was all about. If it was a lead, she wanted to take it. Maybe it was actually something they needed. "I'm ready when you are."
Loki escorted her to the courtyard, walking beside her but that didn't last for long. Her steps grew quick and she was soon ahead of him by a few paces. It was clear that she was eager to meet this elf and hear what he had to say. Loki wondered if he would even be there in the courtyard. The whole thing seemed odd and sudden.
The courtyard happened to be very empty and quiet at this time of day. They could see the elf standing near the small pond, waiting with his back turned to them. He was still and they approached him with caution.
"I have come with the princess," Loki spoke first to earn the elf's attention. At first, he didn't seem to hear them as he took a deep breath.
"I apologize for my emotion," he finally began, his voice trembling as he turned to face them, "but I was beginning to think I would never return."
Upon seeing his face, Jennica's eyes widened and immediately her countenance shifted from a cautious princess to that of a little sister.
"Oveaus…" she breathed out through tears that were welling.
They immediately embraced, Jennica crying when she realized he was real and not an illusion. He had kept his word, he was there and he was alive.
"I'm so sorry it has taken me this long." He pulled away and smiled. "It is good to see you in person, sister."
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Jennica tried to laugh through them. "I was beginning to feel angry with you."
"And rightfully so! But I am here now and I am here to help."
"Wait," Loki cut in, already sick of having to watch this ordeal from the sidelines. "You're the brother she's been communicating to… Where were you all this time?" He still didn't trust him.
"I was a prisoner of a Titan, captured in the Chitauri's world, the Sanctuary." Oveaus' response chilled Loki's bones colder than his own flesh could. "I was drained of my magic there but forced to help the Titan collect the Infinity Stones."
"He's still after them?" Loki pressed, suddenly no longer worried about whether or not he trusted this elf. Thanos had been mentioned.
"He has been for years and I've been his slave since I was a young boy. He envied me for my magic and used it to help him collect the Mind Stone."
Jennica understood. "That's why your magic was so weak and I felt you in darkness."
"Yes. He used me for a wicked cause that he is still pursuing, but Jennica, your fractals gave me what I needed to escape."
Loki tried to calm his racing, fearful heart. "Does he know of the fractals?"
The following silence was deafening. Oveaus' gaze lowered, pausing as regret filled his eyes. "He does. He is after them as well."
Loki cursed. Thanos was back to haunt him. His demonic children were no doubt scrambling across the universe to take the power only for the Mad Titan to put it to use by torturing others, just as Loki had experienced in the past.
Oveaus noticed the distant look on Loki's face and added, "Please do not be afraid. I have managed to set him back." Reaching into his belt that rested under the robe he wore, he pulled out a tattered pouch and emptied its content onto his palm. The eyes of Loki and Jennica widened at the sight. A fractal.
Loki immediately knew what stone this fractal came from by its deep blue glow. "How did you manage that?" He asked while not taking his eyes from the fractal.
"When I escaped I stole it and used it to transport here." Oveaus replied. "This one is used specifically for teleportation. It is just what we need to get to the other worlds."
"But does he have more?!" Loki was unwilling to let this topic go just yet.
"No, this was the only fractal he managed to find and now it is ours. We need not fear the Titan any longer."
This put Loki's mind at ease, for now. He released the tension he was holding in a heavy breath.
"But this is great news!" Jennica suddenly exclaimed, joy rising on her face. "Oveaus, we must tell our parents! They will love to see you and they will be ecstatic when they find out that you are alive—"
"No! No…" Oveaus calmed her by resting a hand on her shoulder. "We cannot tell them who I am."
This deflated Jennica's excitement. "But they've missed you so much."
"This quest we are embarking upon is too dangerous and it is likely some of us will end up dead. I couldn't bear to bring them the joy of my life only for me to die on this journey before I could even return back to them." When he noticed Jennica's smile had completely dropped, he added, "But if I live to see our victory, then they can gladly welcome me home."
It was so much to discover at once. Loki tried to snap back into his wits and he confronted Oveaus again. "You suggest deceiving the good king and queen? How can we even allow ourselves to leave this realm without their blessing and knowledge?" He was beginning to sound righteous. It shocked even himself.
"Ah, this I have thought of." Oveaus stuffed the fractal back into the pouch to be hidden once again. "I can arrive as an ally from another realm. I do remember Asgard aiding you in a previous war. Perhaps that would be the most welcoming option."
"You think that's enough to convince them?" Loki was highly skeptical. "We're talking about the universe in the balance here."
Oveaus chuckled, a playfulness glowing in his caramel irises. "You haven't even seen me at work, Loki. Plus, I've heard that you're really fond of lies."
