Visitation

by kalimecat

Loki has returned to Asgard and is imprisoned for his crimes. While in prison he has the occasional visitor, will the love of others bring back the fallen prince or is he truly too far gone?

35. Into the Void

A/N HELLOOOOOO READERS! Woohoo readers are you proud of me I am updating in less than a month? It is my treat to you all! Think of it as an end of the summer treat, because you readers are awesome. Readers once again I thank you so much for every favorite, follow and review you give. If it wasn't for you this story would have died long ago. THANK YOU. We are very close to the conclusion of this tale. But I thank you for taking the journey with me. This was actually a very fun chapter to write. I hope it is an enjoyable read for you. It is a little bit shorter than the other's but I did that on purpose...I wanted to leave you with a little suspense. Well without further ado, happy reads, happy writes and happy back to school. As always may God bless you.

Chapter 35

Once the Einherjar, guards and councilmen had been sealed in their elaborate staterooms, by Malekiths men. Malekith charged some of his men to stay behind and keep watch in the hallway to make sure none escaped. The Dark-Elf soldiers were brutal in their execution of the orders of their general. They took careful measures to strip the Aesir Warriors of all their weapons. They removed the soldiers of their armor and left them tied and gagged to their beds and chairs in their own quarters.

Meanwhile, Malekith and some members of his army who were the most skilled with technology began working on establishing communication with The Other and Thanos. The devices in the palace communication tower were sophisticated. It was much more impressive than what the Dark-Elves had been used to from two or three milleniums ago. Still the white-faced warriors busied themselves in trying to understand how to work the advanced machinery. There was a large golden machine that took up the entire size of the back wall of the tower. The machine had a monitor that was able to project hologram images and three dimensional forms. The monitor was used to send and receive visual technology was beyond that of the Dark-Elves. There were other tables scattered throughout the communication tower. Each table had a different device on it. Most of the devices were relatively small in size. They were scanners and copiers, printers and scribing instruments. Used by the palace scribes to record, translate and duplicate and archive official documents. The equipment was useless to the Dark-Elves purposes.

Likewise there was also another large panel in the center of the tower. The panel was also golden and it had several knobs, dials levers and buttons on it. The Dark-Elf warriors experimented with the panel. They pushed the buttons and tried the knobs. Eventually, they figured out that this device was used for verbal communications. Much like a two-way radio it was able to dial into certain frequencies ad establish communication on the other end. Their mothership had a similar type of panel board. It was this that they had used to communicate with The Other originally. Try as they might though they could not seem to find the frequency that allowed them to communicate with Thanos.

"Trickery!" Malekith hollered as he angrily flipped over one of the scribe desks. He turned to Loki. His eyes were burning with the fury of the Aether. He growled as he marched over to the self-proclaimed monarch

The helmeted Asgardian stood to the far side of the room. He gazed out the window. From his lofty position, Loki should have had a clear view of the palace grounds, the Bifrost and much of the Imperial City. However, his vision was obscured. With the naked eye he could not even see five feet out. The whole city was nothing but a smoldering cauldron of smoke, ash and red flame. Loki leaned his hands against the windows ledge. He breathed deeply and spoke ancient words in his mind. He used his powers in order to allow himself to pierce the veil of smoke that covered the city. His jade eyes became wide an unblinking as he beheld the destruction caused by the Aether. Well...not solely the Aether for this chaos had been rendered by his hand as well. His hand twitched slightly as he continued to stare down at the decimated city below.

Dark emerald pupils surveyed the land as the magic took effect. The rainbow bridge was broken, cracked and splintering in places. Huge holes and chunks had been ripped into it, It looked so terribly unsteady that it seemed as if the bridge could easily be split in two if even a horse was to walk across it. The once proud symbol of Asgard now seemed so unstable and unsteady that it seemed to sway as it hovered over the Forever Sea.

Loki's thin lips mashed together and he licked them. He recalled a similar instance. It hadn't been so long ago, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Loki could see Thor bringing his hammer down on the lovely bridge. He could see himself sitting up screaming in horror for Thor to stop destroying the bridge. All of a sudden there was an explosion, shards of plasma, crystal quartz and light and energy firing off. The Bifrost was broken, and the Bifrost observatory went careening into a empty vacuum of space, creating a vortex. His own body had been hurled off of the edge of the rainbow bridge that was still connected to Asgard. He could hear himself screaming in panic, his arms flailing wildly, desperate to catch hold of something, but all in all he had only expected death. When he opened his petrified eyes he was amazed to find his hand had managed to grab hold of the hilt of Gungnir. He followed the line of the staff and soon found himself looking up at Thor. The blonde-haired son of Odin's sea blue pupils held the same look of horror and surprise as his, but there was also a hint of relief and mirth playing there. When he looked pass Thor he saw Odin, holding Thor by the boot. The sight of Odin filled him with shame and embarrassment. He felt like a child who'd been caught by their parent misbehaving during their lessons. He knew it was wrong. He destroyed the bridge and he could have killed them all, but he wanted so desperately to explain his poor choices, maybe Odin would understand. But of course he didn't.

Loki tore himself from the memories. He looked passed the broken fragments of the Bifrost and looked the carnage that was there. He looked out further and noted the bodies strewn wildly about the bridge. The twisted forms of proud warriors lying here and there and everywhere. Their forms, crumpled, charred and severed of limbs. Their armor tossed hither and hither. Some had fallen upon their own swords, some skewered with arrows in rows like shishkabobs. There were toppled chariots and dead horses lying all about the bridge as well. In some spots there were sparking fires. Loki had never seen such a sight in Asgard in his lifetime. The rainbow bridge had always been such a beautiful, mystical and happy sight. It was the welcome mat for dignitaries to make their way to the Imperial City and Imperial Palace. Its glowing glory was a testament to Asgardian ingenuity. It was a marvel and wonder to all the realms. Now no light shined forth from it for it had been doused by blood. No gorgeous pastel colors radiated and reflected from deep with in, the only color coming from the bridge now was a violent and evil hue of scarlet. His cold palms started to sweat. Once more he was overcome with the sensation of his hands burning and the feeling of blood seeping deep into his skin.

The raven-haired mage turned his attention from the bridge and began looking at the city. His emerald eyes still large and unblinking. He hadn't realized how far reaching the tempest he had created had been. It had done more than wipe out the armies of Asgard, it had spread to the homes of the citizens of Asgard. The stately mansions of the wealthiest families in the Imperial city had been reduced to nothing more than hovels buried beneath piles of rubble. The golden pavement of the streets had been ripped up and bricks were tossed everywhere. Stained glass from the temple windows sprinkled the streets like a sick confectionery topping on top of the blood that seemed to pour from every lane and road. In the pools of blood that flowed like rivers throughout the streets of the Imperial City were goods and wares from the marketplace and the bodies of people. Teams of healers and town watchmen rushed about trying to put out the raging fires that were trying to engulf the once glittering metropolis. They also had crews that were frantically trying to remove the rubble and dig the other citizens out of mounds and mounds rocks and brick. The men would pull the bodies out of the piles of rubble. He watched as the carried a small, limp figure into the arms of an already trembling woman covered with soot. The watchmen tried to speak with her but the Aesir woman was inconsolable. She was scream at the top of her lungs, sobbing, pulling at her hair. It was done in an ornate style, but with in a few seconds it had been ripped from its bun and the braids had been pulled apart and it was flowing wildly about her loose and scraggly. Once she'd pulled down her hair, the woman still hollering began to rent her garments. She burst forth from her clothes, her bare breasts exposed. All at once the town watchmen began gripping the woman by her arms. A few attempted to cover her bare bodice, but the woman was struggling so that they could not. Eventually, the men just lifted her up and carried her away. They had to get everyone off the streets for the air was unsafe. All the while the woman was kicking and screaming, protesting and begging, her arms outstretched as she for the tiny body she was forced to leave behind.

Green eyes shifted, but everywhere they darted to there was some unfortunate body left lonely in the streets. The bodies of the young and the old, men and women, warrior and civilian, rich and poor all were scattered across the gold streets stained red. None had escaped the power of the inferno created by him and Malekith. Loki's hands felt as if they were on fire. They burned so hot that he wanted to run out the room and plunge his hands into a bucket of ice. It was only his better judgment that kept him from doing so. The hot sticky feeling of the palace guard's blood on his hand was starting to radiate. He could feel the damp, oozy, warm blood starting to spread from his fingertips and up his arms and into his chest. His whole chest was consumed with the feeling of warm Aesir blood cursing through his pores and trying to mix with his frigid Jotun blood. Before long he felt the scalding heat of Aesir blood trying to push its way into his heart. His heart felt like it would either explode or melt. He felt as if he were having a heart attack.

Loki closed his eyes for a split second the first time he'd blinked it what felt like hours. Quickly, his eyes reopened and he forced himself to look out at the city that he had so hastily and wholeheartedly helped to destroy. He looked out at the buildings. The stately edifices that he'd known so well were now nothing but ruins. They were charred, singed and falling to apart from the bombardment that they had just faced. From the window high in the communication tower he had a view of the Royal Academy. The beautiful bastion made of white marble was covered in the sickening residue of the Aether. The roof of the Royal Academy, the place where he'd received his schooling as a lad was caved in. Despite this, the school bell still rang. Once a happy chime he eagerly followed now it was a death knell. The Imperial University of Arts and Sciences where he'd attended and grown tremendously as a scholar, where he'd taught some of Asgard's best and brightest young scholars was completely wrecked. It had been a magnificent campus nearly the size of the palace itself; now it had been reduced to one meager building that was hardly standing. The opera-house where he'd spent so many pleasurable evenings immersed in the rich and glorious tapestry of culture was crumbled before his eyes. The ceiling of the opera house was made of diamonds and sapphires, strong gems, every part of the roof lied shattered on the ground.

Loki's white teeth sank into his lips. His gazed shifted down directly below and they fell upon the palace courtyard and Queen Frigga's garden. The sweet, gentle, safe places he'd innocently romped about when he was a little boy were coated in ash. It was easy to picture the palace grounds as vibrant and full of life. He could easily imagine the elaborate garden parties so often hosted there. The courtyard would often be festooned with colorful ribbons and banners and decorative lanterns, the women of court would be arrayed in all their finery and they'd waft about the lawn like beautiful living sculptures. Loki could hear the laughter and music and see himself and Thor running through the gardens chasing after each other and climbing trees. The pleasant images quickly faded as he was quickly called back to reality. The shadows dancing across the garden were nothing but the particles of debris that floated through the air. The only décor to be spotted was mist from the tempest he'd created. There was no light or warmth save for the trees that still burned.

Loki sucked in a sharp breath. The whole of Frigga's lovely garden was covered in a thick coat of ash like an evil fresh fallen blanket of snow. Her delicate, little flowers would suffocate to death under all that soot. Her prize winning chrysanthemums and junipers, her mighty sunflowers and exquisite roses that she took so much time to attend to were all destroyed. By him.

Loki waited with bait breath. The thin, raven hairs on the back of his neck standing on edge as he listened intently. He harkened his ears, ready to catch the lecture that he knew that timid little voice that still dwelt inside the cavernous parts of his black, black heart was itching to give. He was ready to hear the simpering, mewing, whining little intonation make utterance. He expected it to whisper about how guilty he should feel. He expected to snivel and murmur in the back of his mind about what a naughty, bad boy he was. He anticipated the fuss it would make about the people he had hurt and lives he had ruined and how he'd destroyed all his favorite place and wrecked dear mummy's garden. Yes, he was ready to hear the scolding. His back hunched, body on edge like a cagey panther ready to strike. For as soon as the small little voice reared its annoying little head he intended to pounce on it and devour it with his own verbal counter attack. He was set to spew off the most vile of venom and proclaim how this is what he wanted. He wanted to see everything burn and destroyed. His life had been wrecked by this so called loving family why did they deserve any different? He started wheezing for breath as he waited for the his old self to resurrect and display all the weak sentiments and attachments he'd once held so dear. He waited and waited. But the tiny voice never made a peep. Instead he was left with an empty, hollow feeling on the inside. It was all blank and vacuous in the inner recesses of his heart. So barren and depleted was he on the inside that Loki felt as he could feel a chilly wind whirling and whisking about in the pit of his stomach. It howled its way from his gut up into his chest and whipped through his rib cage like a breeze whipping through destitute trees on a winters day. It chilled his very soul.

He felt cold and numb. Anxiously, his green pupils darted about. He was practically begging for his conscience to convict him, but no conviction came. He could almost feel a sweet sense of satisfaction at all the chaos he'd caused. After all wasn't it so befitting that those who had scorned and derided him for his practice of the mystic arts should be brought low by its power. All those mighty warriors who scoffed and jeered at the fact that a prince of Asgard should take to enchantments like a maiden were now either dead and buried, imprisoned in their rooms or cowering in some hovel shaking in their boots. Surely, such a mighty victory was his moment of triumph at last. He started to hyperventilate giddily. He snorted with glee.

Then all at once he could see Sigyn's eyes. He could see her big, brilliant gold eyes staring back at him through the crowd of those screaming and running, pushing and shoving, she just stood and stared. Her eyes petrified, trembling and coated in tears, her cheeks trained of color her cute mouth contorted with pain and dread as she beheld him. The look drove something through his heart that made him feel as if she had shot one of her golden arrows at him. Even after he'd called out Lady Dagmar's name during their moment of intimacy she hadn't looked at him with such repulsion and fury. She had only looked sad and confused. He would have given anything to seen that look on her face rather than the horror etched there when last he had seen her.

Loki then allowed his mind's eye to wander and he allowed himself to picture the face of his mother if she actually had seen his handiwork. The agony he could imagine written so plain on her regal and beautiful face. He could only imagine the way her lips would quiver and break as she let out a sob at the sight of blood bath around him. He could no longer bear it. The cold shiver ran up his spine and Loki grabbed his head.

All at once a hot feeling engulfed his chest. His heart was pounding against his ribcage. It was beating so furiously that he thought his chest cavity would explode. His whole body was consumed by a feeling of fire. It was so hot all over, suffocatingly hot, stiflingly hot, burning red hot like lava running all over his flesh. Loki's breath hitched. He couldn't breathe. Instinctively, his hands wrapped around his neck as he sucked desperately for air. He looked down at his hands and noticed once again that they were dripping in red. His eyes went wide as he beheld the scarlet liquid oozing from his fingernails and running down the crevices of his fingers and past his wrist. Loki shook his head in disbelief. He thought he'd washed his hand of the impetuous guards blood. Frantically, desperately, vigorously he tried to rid himself of the flaming substance. He took to rubbing it on his tunics. Rub and rub as he might he couldn't seem to get the blood off of his hands. Even after he had smeared it on to his tunics and surecoat and trousers it was still their staining his hands. Soon the blood started dripping from his tunics. His royal vestments were completely drenched in the thick, crimson life juice. Before long a puddle of bright red Aesir blood was forming around his feet. Loki gasped and lifted his foot up only causing the horrific blood to splash in his face. He brought his hand to his face trying to wipe the blood away. He only succeeded in smearing his face with the blood. When he pulled his hand away from his face he saw that his fingers were still tainted with the gruesome liquid, but his fingers were no longer a light flesh tone but a blaring dark blue hue. They were gnarled, hardened and carved like chipped ice. His nails had grown long like claws and black as charcoal. Blood still dripped from them. "No!" He growled with shock. His green eyes darted around looking for something for which he could view his image through. Finally, he caught sight of his reflection in the pane of the glass window. His whole face was frozen solid. His flesh had become solid blue ice. It was laced with the hideous tattoos and markings that spelled out his heritage. His eyes burned as bright red as the blood that tainted his hands. It matched the terrible smudges of blood on his cheeks. Loki's mouth hung open. He looked just like the images of the Jotuns that he used to see in his history books as a lad. There was a horror story that Thor used to enjoy tormenting him with when he was very small. In the story Laufey and his men would stalk the Asgardian mountainside and steal young children from their snug little beds and gobble them up. The story would send him hurling out of his bed in the middle of the night and frantically racing to their parents room after imagining King Laufey's ugly mug looking at him through his window and licking his scarlet covered lips with bloodlust.

"Treachery! Trickery!" Malekith continued to shout as he marched to the new king of Asgard. The Dark-Elf generals protestations drew Loki out of his trance-like gaze at himself. He was finally able to blink and take a second look at himself. Upon a second glance he noted that his skin was not cobalt in color and jagged as the cliffs of Jotunheim in texture, but creamy and smooth like fresh churned butter. His eyes were no longer a beastly, blazing vermilion, but a wild, vivid emerald. He was relieved to find that his thin lips just help a tiny pinprick of blood on them and that had come from his own teeth pressing ruthlessly into his mouth.

"What are you muttering about?" Loki hissed as he turned to the bloodless Elf

Malekith raised his fist in Loki's face. "The Asgardians! They have done it! Aye they have out witted you," he fussed,

The keen featured king snorted a chuckle to himself, "That is highly unlikely," he replied.

"Then explain the reason why these devices are broken and we cannot find the frequency in which we can communicate with The Other and Thanos on."

"The devices work fine," Loki remarked as he walked passed the machines. He wiped his finger across a few of the knob and dashboards. He raised the finger to his eyes to examine for dust. There was not a speck to be found. He let a small smirk crawl across his lean face. "The palace communication system is in tip-top shape," he expressed, "But these means won't be of any use to you if you want to communicate with Other," Loki explained.

"What?" Malekith railed.

"Thanos' domain is outside the branches of Yddrasil and unreachable to anyone in the Nine Realms."

"Then how were you and I able to communicate with him before?" Malekith demanded.

"We, too, were outside of the branches of Yddrasil at that time. Both of us were trapped inside that...that..." Loki's voice broke for a second. His eyes shifted about anxiously. Reflexively, he wrung his hands as he remembered the barren asteroid he'd found himself on when he fell from the Bifrost. It was a dark place of rock and decay, gray and clouded, cracked and rotting...there was no food or warmth or comfort there. He was injured, confused, weak and hungry. He thought he would surely starve to death with no escape until the Chitauri search party and The Other picked him up from inside a crater he'd taken refuge in for sleep. "Void," Loki uttered after once again pulling himself out of his painful musings. His voice dropped an octave and his eyes skittishly darted down to the floor.

"Then what are we to do?" Malekith continued to shout. "We must establish some contact with Thanos. The Convergence will only last a short while. If the Aether isn't in place and things aren't in order perfectly than Thanos will not be able to make his arrival back into the Nine Realms," Malekith admonished.

"I am aware," Loki stated through gritted teeth. Yes, that was Thanos' end game. The Mad Titan had been banished by King Bor of Asgard eons ago to exist a drift in the cosmos. He could not get back into the branches of Yggdrasil accept for during Convergence. Once the cosmos were all aligned Thanos would be able to travel through time and space and once again enter the realms. But even still he couldn't do so without the Aether. The dark crystal was powerful enough to release him from his prison. Thanos had hoped that the Tesseract could have performed the task as well, but Loki had failed him in that. He could not fail Thanos again...not without incurring his wrath.

Loki shook himself "You don't need these tools to communicate with him," the raven haired enchanter informed the general.

"Then how shall we contact him. Perhaps we can still use the communication system on the ship," he proposed.

"No need," Loki waved off the suggestion. "I can communicate with them via trance," he sighed.

Loki descended from the communication tower and down through the winding halls of the palace and went to the Weapons Vault to retrieve the Tesseract Talisman. He had not thought about the tiny trinket since his youth. It was such a small bobble in comparison to the Tesseract itself. It was literally a chip off the old block. It was such a small, fragile necklace. It didn't seem very powerful. Yet it had always been said to have untold capabilities. Odin had been weary of its power out of fear. So skeptical of he was this mystical device that he had forbid all of Asgard's most esteemed and learned scholars and wise men and wizards from even daring to look at the Tesseract. Odin even had forbid his own son. Loki winced at the thought. He had never been Odin's son and the all-father had made that quite clear for all of his life. Odin had been right to fear it though and to fear him using it. Now the he knew the true power of the Tesseract he knew that the talisman would be all he needed to serve his purpose.

The impish new king smirked as he approached the vault. With Gungnir in his hand and all the guards and warriors rounded up and bound and gagged there was none to oppose him in his raid of the Weapon's Vault. It was almost too easy. Oh how simply he was able to walk through the most well guarded trove in all of the Nine Realms. He strode through it with pride as a husbandman may have strolled through his own vineyard. Each one of the best kept secrets and most powerful weapons in all the worlds were just his for the taking now. Oh how simply he could have plucked them up and used them for his own purposes. They were fresh fruits ripe for the picking.

"Can you see me, Odin?" Loki asked arrogantly as he wandered down the halls of the weapons vault. His expression smug. It was said that the great kings of Asgard could still see and hear all that transpired around them, he hoped the elderly man was getting a good glimpse of this. "And you thought you could keep the Tesseract from me," he chuckled to himself. He shook his head as he continued to scoff. "My, my, my what a fool you turned out to be in your old age, all-father," he insulted. "But perhaps you were always a fool. Surely, you were a fool for thinking that you could pluck a Jotun infant from a snow drift and rear him as your son...a prince of Asgard... There must have been a time when you imagined this...that I would turn on you... And your precious son." He hurled his voice to the air. He lifted up his long, nose higher in defiance. Some how he expected a booming voice to descend upon him and chastise him. Or maybe, he thought he'd see Odin's elderly form, shaky and weak walking down the cold stone steps mustering up the strength to yell at him to stop. Just like before when they'd met in this spot. But there was no such occurrence. The vault made of metal and steel and sturdy stone was a silent tomb. The only sound he heard was his own voice reverberating off the walls back at him. Loki figured if he wasn't mad before he had most definitely become insane. At least before he heard voices and talked to the voices. Now he heard nothing and still his silver tongue kept right on talking.

"Did you really think that you'd be able to keep it from me for all time after you locked it away here, Odin?" He questioned. Loki shook his head. His flowing ebony locks flopped in front of his green eyes before he tossed his hair back and let out an insane cackle. "Well you should have known better than that, all-father," he spat out the title. Perhaps he was a father to Thor and maybe he saw all the citizens of Asgard as his children and subsequently those of the Nine Realms, but he'd never been his father. "You should have known that once I tasted all that raw and unbridled power I would be satisfied with nothing less. Didn't you realize that I would become utterly insatiable until I wielded its power once again," he went on wildly as he walked the halls of the vault. "You should have known that no cell could keep me from it," he continued. "No cell could hold me!" His voice started to rise. "No cell could hold me," he whispered to himself as he continued to walk through the vault. "You couldn't hold me!" Loki railed to no visible presence. His gemstone eyes started to fill with tears. The raven haired enchanter bit his lips to keep the tears from falling down his cold cheeks. "You couldn't hold me from my destiny, Odin!" He shouted. "You couldn't keep me from my birthright. My birthright is to be king. Since you wouldn't give it to me, you've forced my hand and I had to take it. So you can blame yourself for this, father," Loki proclaimed his crisp voice shaking.

Finally, Loki's silver tongue fell still. When it did, there was an eerie calm that settled over the subterranean, metallic vault. Without his articulate tongue wagging on and on Besides his own voice there was not a sound to be heard in the Weapons Vault; save the steady hollow echo of his boots as he marched across the silver floorboards. His shrewd jade eyes searched intently through each and every corridor and corner of the vault for the Tesseract. Loki knew the Weapons' Vault like the back of his hand. He had long since memorized the placement of each and everyone of Odin's prized possessions. He knew that Odin would have been glad to have the actual Tesseract back in Asgard. He thought that Odin would try to find a special placement for it.

All the while his gaze fell on other familiar items. All at once he was taken to different, gentler, distant times. Each rare stone, each piece or armor and coat of arm, every weapon housed a distinct memory. He could remember when he and Thor were but wee lads. He had been too short to even reach the handle of the door to vault on his toes. He remembered times when they'd tip toe out of their beds at night to try to get into the Weapons Vault. They were so curious about the chamber. There were very few rooms in the palace that had been off limits to the young princes. Each time they escaped their bedchambers they were met with the stern faces of the palace guards. The guards would simply escort the two young royals back to there dutiful and fussy nursemaid, Helga. Helga would take them by the ears and drag them back to bed.

After a few incidents of this, Helga became infuriated with them and reported their misconduct to King Odin. It wasn't long after that that Odin started taking them on regular trips to the Weapons Vault. Loki could recall he and Thor walking side by side with the king of Asgard. He remembered his little, porcelain hand cupped protectively in Odin's rough clasp. He'd walk them through teaching them about the priceless artifacts that had been carefully tucked away for safe keeping in the vault. Thor was more curious about how to use each and every one of the weapons while he on the other hand had been intrigued by the history surrounding the weapons. Sometimes they'd become distracted and fall behind as their father lectured them and they'd scamper up behind Odin to take his hand once more. He could remember the affectionate glances that Odin that would cast in their direction. The gentle way the king's strong hand stroked through his hair.

He continued to walk through the hallways of the vault. He looked at the different treasures collected by the great kings of Asgard's past as he went along. There was the fabled gleaming eye of Nebezz. It was a large golden cats eye. It looked like a giant marble, but it was no toy, it was truly the eye of a giant and it was said to have the power to turn men to stone. There was the girdle of an Amazon queen, not only just a stunning piece of lingerie, but the girdle was able to give its wearer incredible strength, but the wearer could only be a woman. To his left was the sword of Surtur. Surtur was a rogue fire giant, who had once plagued and terrorized the people of Museplehiem. With his mighty sword of flames he was nigh unbeatable . Thor and he had brought that weapon back to the vault themselves after Thor had defeated the fiery beast. Without his consent Loki's thin mouth curled into a sheepish grin, it had been a great adventure. It had been another one of Thor's vanity quests. Thor wasn't progressing the way he had hoped he would in the ranks of the Einherjar. He was younger than he other Einherjar hopefuls and despite the fact that he was undefeated in his sparring rounds and training grounds there were some who argued that the other warriors were taking it easy on Prince Thor, maybe they did it out of respect or fear; not wanting to hurt a member of the royal family. Other's rumored that Odin had ordered for the other warriors not to wound Prince Thor or his pride. Either way Thor wanted to prove that he wasn't some pampered Prince who needed to be mollycoddled. He was a warrior of Asgard and deserved the title Einherjar and deserved to move up in the ranks, not because of his princely title but because of his noble heart.

All of Asgard had been amazed when Thor returned to with the sword of Surtur. Those who had mocked him were left speechless. The Einherjar lined the streets and when Thor marched to the drawbridge of the palace the bowed before his illustrious presence. They proclaimed him a great hero. He had to take the position of humbly walking in Thor's shadow. No one knew of what he did during the adventure, no one wanted to know and no one ever would. Now he had brought back more marvels and wonders to this trove than any of the house of Odin before him. If it wasn't for him Asgard wouldn't even have possessed the Cube of 1000 Winters. His attack on Midgard had even led to the recovery of the Tesseract. The power crystal would have been lost to Asgard for all time had he not sought out its power. Now because of his cunning, ever the Aether was here in Asgard (even though it was only here to destroy the golden realm). He himself was a living relic, a soulful weapon that Odin had added to his collection long ago. Did that make him the greatest of all of Asgard's kings. Loki let out a bitter chuckle. He was mightiest of Asgard's and it's most powerful relic.

Loki looked around wide eyes for a moment. The Weapons' Vault was empty. It had to be. But he swore he heard someone else stirring about in the chamber. His ears perked as he listened intently. He pressed his back against the wall and slipped his hand into one of the concealed compartments within the folds of his tunic and placed his hand on the hilt of his dagger. If someone expected to catch him unawares it would be that man who would be met with a surprise. But as he strained to listen he didn't hear heavy, plotting footsteps coming to overthrow him in his short reign, rather he heard laughter. He heard the sound of childish laughter echoing throughout the vault.

"Thor we are not supposed to be in here, without Papa?" Thor muttered nervously behind his old brother as he crept behind him.

"I know, Loki but Papa will be away for days meeting with the delipets," Prince Thor shrugged.

"That's delegates," Loki explained.

"Whatever," the blonde-haired child flagged off his younger sibling's comment. "Besides," Thor shrugged, "It's raining, its not like we can go outside and play, what else are we supposed to do?"

"We could read?" Loki suggested raising a little finger in the air. His youthful green eyes dancing.

"Read?" the light-haired child's face was twisted like he smelled sour milk. "Loki, that's so boring."

Loki frowned, "not if you find the right book," he tried to counter.

"All those books are boring," Thor responded absently, not even glancing back to see his brother's downcast eyes and bowed head. "I know what we can do," Thor immediately perked up. "Hide and seek!" he exclaimed.

Loki raised his head, his eyes still holding a tinge of sorrow at how his brother scoffed at literature. But soon the insult to his hobby was forgotten as a devious little smile darted from the youngster's jade eyes to his pink lips. Loki nodded. "Your it!" he shouted as he tapped his brother on the back and darted off.

Thor let out a growl of a laugh. The older son of Odin was boisterous in all his ways. "oooh, Loki I'm gonna get you!" he declared. "That was cheating!"

"Thor! Come and get me, Thor!" He heard his own young voice calling followed by fitful snickers

"Loki, you better not be using magic. If you are you are cheating big time!" Thor's loud voice scolded.

"I don't need to use magic to beat you," he giggled. Loki saw his younger self dance before his eyes. He might have been the age of 150 making him roughly 4 or 5 by Midgardian standards. He saw his slender body slink behind one of the podiums as he hid from Thor. Thor walked right pass him and didn't even notice. He clapped his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Thor was easy to trick in these matters. He crept from behind the podium and tip-toed behind Thor. He was only inches away from the blonde child, but Thor didn't notice. Eventually, Thor stopped walking and stood in one spot scratching his head. He could resist no more. Finally, he jumped in front of Thor and growled. The blue eyed boy let out a scream and tottered backward. His arms flailing about wildly as he tried to catch himself from falling. He took a step back and bumped into one of the pedestals that held one of the ancient relics. It was a medium sized orb, with purple lightning shooting off from the inside. The pedestal wobbled and the orb rolled off. Both of them gasped as they saw the orb tumbling toward the ground. Amazing, just before the orb was about to crack against the floor it floated back atop the pedestal.

Thor turned around and found the younger child with his brow furrowed, eyes squeezed shut and hands outstretched. Once the orb was secured back a top the pedestal. The little raven-haired boy let out a sigh and opened his green eyes. He turned to Prince Thor a beamed a radiant smile.

Prince Thor smiled back, "Wow, nice catch, Loki!"

The younger boy nodded contentedly. He dusted his little fingernails along the gold embroidered edge of his tunic. "Magic," he explained.

"Yeah, good thing too," Thor replied.

"You think magic is good?" Loki asked overly enthusiastically as he looked at his older sibling with adoring, dancing emerald eyes,

"Sure," Thor bobbed his head. "We would have gotten into big trouble if we broke anything in here," the older child elaborated.

"Maybe we should play something different," Loki suggested.

"We could play kill the Jotuns?" Thor offered.

"We always play that," Loki pouted.

"Well we have to kill them, brother. But this time it will be different. We'll pretend we are using the relics," Thor insisted.

Once again Loki's brows furrowed. He pursed his little lips and brought his finger to his chin and tapped it as he mused over the decision. Finally, he agreed to the game with a bright smile. He and Thor went walking through the vault to pick the weapons they were going to use for their new game. "Hey Thor," Loki called running up behind the taller child, "I scared you, didn't I?"

"What? No, Loki of course not. I don't get scared," the older son of Odin boasted.

"Then why did you scream?" The logical black-haired boy questioned as he managed to catch up to Thor. He felt like he nearly had to run to match pace with Thor's steps.

"Well perhaps I was a little startled, but I wasn't scared he qualified," wagging his finger at Loki.

"Sure," Loki rolled his eyes.

"I...I wasn't," Thor confirmed. "I mean how could I be? Who could be scared of a sweet baby brother like you?" He laughed and pulled Loki into a noogie. Loki squealed and squirmed as Thor's fist playfully dug into his scalp.

Loki could hear himself laughing and giggling as he felt Thor's hand that was rough and gentle at the same time ruffling his hair. Quick as it came the vision faded. Loki blinked looking around, but the children he once knew had vanished right before his eyes. As if conjured by some strange magic. Loki was nearly sure that if he peered just around the corner he would have still been able to see he and Thor running about playing their make-believe game. Unconsciously, his eyes darted behind the pedestal that held the Chain of Genbra, a shackle the could reign in dragons. He found his lips curling into a slight smirk, but the smile fell flat because the boys were gone.

Loki straightened himself. He tugged on his tunics and fixed them. His expression went back to a sneer. Such memories were simply foolishness. Perhaps the games had been enjoyable when he was a mindless youngster, but now he saw were they really were. They premonitions of things to come. Thor was meant to fight all the Jotuns. He and Thor were destined to be adversaries. Anyone that said otherwise was simply lying. The self-proclaimed king planted this notion firmly in his mind and banished the fond flashback from consciousness.

Loki felt as if he had been wandering through the chamber for ages, but finally he neared the back of the where he figured the Tesseract would be. Only the most powerful of relics were kept in the inner sanctum. Loki started to descend the steps that led to the inner recesses of the vault. In the distance he could make out an all too familiar dark blue glow. The light was dim and faint and yet it burned his retinas.

As he approached, he recalled the time when a young Dagmar had become drawn to the mystic blue light. The azure allure of the Cube of a Thousand Winters was all too powerful for the girl. Innocently, she'd reached out pudgy, pale fingers to clasp the handles of the cube. Just as she did the Destroyer was awakened. The robot glared at her with fire growing in its pit eyes and Dagmar's silver ones grew wide with fear. She let out a terrified little shriek and started to cry. She sank to her knees covering her face and head until he and Thor jumped in front of her to keep the Destroyer from attacking the young daughter of the Prime Minister of Vanahiem. They were able to get the Destroyer to go back to its cage, but not before Dagmar ran out the room screaming out of the vault.

Loki's face formed a frown. Poor, sweet, little Dagmar, she'd been so traumatized by the event that in all the time since she never dared to venture back into the Weapons Vault. Except for that one time more than 3 years ago now. That time when he'd been sleepwalking and wandered into the Weapons Vault unawares. Lady Dagmar had come in after him, seeking to protect him from hurting himself inadvertently. The thought of it nearly warmed his chilly flesh. He drew a sharp breath. She'd cared. She'd been like a protective mother not wanting her little boy to come to any harm. He dared to think that maybe her concern had been kin to that of a doting wife. Loki drew another sharp inhale, his chest felt tight, his stomach in knots. But oh how swiftly did her tender care for him change. The instant she saw his fingers graze the frosted handle of the cube and his flesh become as frigid as ice had she let out a bloodcurdling cry and fled from his presence. Her bright silver orbs were swirling with so much horror. When he finally caught up to her, her eyes were round and brimming with tears. She couldn't even bare the sight of him. He must have been so utterly and totally appalling to her that she slammed her shut begging and pleading for him to let her go. When she finally stopped yelling and struggling long enough to hear him and she opened her eyes and looked into his face that was once again clean shaven, pink lipped and green-eyed she fainted. Loki cringed he hadn't imagined the first time that he'd make her eyes roll in the back of her head would be due to repugnance rather than passion and ecstasy.

Loki shook his head. All the fear in Dagmar's eyes at the first sight of him as a Frost Giant could not compare with the shuddersome stare that Sigyn gave him in the throne room less than an hour ago. Out of her amber eyes radiated a distinct dread that seemed to come from the very depths of her soul. Her eyes let out the hair-raising scream that didn't escape her lips. It was a glass-shattering scream that made his eardrums bleed and burst the opaque windows of his heart. She looked at him for the first time as if she recognized him for what he was...a monstrosity. Everyone else had seen it and it was time that Sigyn did too.

She should have seen it long ago. So many times he'd dismissed her. So many times he'd hurt her and trampled on her flower like heart. He could see them in his royal bed, the emerald colored satin sheets wrinkled, tossed and tangled all about. The heady aroma of incense and dying candles mingled with that a distinct and raw scent of sex. He'd ravished her and he wasn't finished. Her hands were all over him and his mouth was all over her, desperate for another succulent taste. Her words were simple, but true. "You're enough for me...I...I...am I for you? She asked breathlessly.

"Yes, Oh yes," he gushed in her ear. "Were you the princess," he whispered tenderly while sucking on her left breast and making her moan, "and I your lowly stable boy," he panted as he peppered her right breast with sweet pecks and nips, "it would be enough," he breathed momentarily his heart pounding with the confession. He paused for a moment taking in every tortured and excited squirm of her body at his ministrations. He smiled before he whispered "To know I pleased you." There lips met and he tasted her luscious tongue once again.

The woman gave a watery, but elated smile from beneath him. Her silky hand ran through his wet, ebony hair. She stroked his face. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Oh Loki!" Sigyn exclaimed, tears pooling in her eyes as she forced her mouth apart from his just long enough to look him in his gorgeous emerald eyes.

"Oh Dagmar," he muttered back as he laid his head down upon her bare breast just in time to feel her pelvis rise against him.

All of a sudden her feverish, eager fingers ceased in their lustful caress of his torso and back. "Wh-what?"

Sigyn's confused question had called him out of his own fantasies. The woman lying in bed next to him wasn't the alabaster skinned, starry-eyed, raven-haired goddess of his dreams, but a warm, blonde maiden. She'd looked at him them with hurt and disbelief, shame and confusion. Her eyes lowered, her lips trembled and she clutched the sheets around herself. She was distraught and distressed by the things he said, but she was not disgusted by him. Her eyes still housed longing...love.

Her last gaze had not been so favorable. It was filled with dread and horror and grief. Then her pretty pink lips tightened and her blonde brows knit together tightly in anger and rage. She bit deep into her lip. He honestly hadn't known Sigyn could house such emotions. But he suppose such was the natural response of any person when the locked eyes with a monster. The dark gaze held there in her eyes toward him it was both off putting and almost attractive. Loki nodded to himself as he finally gathered his wits about him and continued in his journey through the Weapon's Vault.

It was about time that Sigyn saw him for what he was. Poor dimwitted girl. He'd done countless things in the past to show her his true nature, his later had been the most egregious, but still if she was smarter she would have seen it long ago. Like Dagmar had. If she was a more clever woman she would have run away like Dagmar had and ne'er returned. When she saw him rolling around in an ice covered cave writhing and in torment surely that should have been enough to scare any sensible woman away, but Sigyn wasn't so sensible, she was just a simpleminded girl. She should thank him. Thank him for taking the blinders off of her eyes. He'd done her a great service he truly had. He'd removed her from having to be enmeshed with him. He pitied the poor unfortunate soul cursed to love a beast.

The new king of Asgard was about to move on and continue searching the trove for the Tesseract, but not before he cast one final glance on the Casket of a Thousand Winters. Perhaps it was the cold that radiated from the cube but Loki felt a child run through him. This cursed little box had started all of this. "Do you regret bringing the Casket to Asgard, Odin?" Loki questioned. "Do you rue the days you laid eyes upon it?" He taunted to the air. He stepped closer to the cube. The cold that swirled inside of it only paled next to the ice around his heart. Her reached out his slender fingers, daring to touch that weapon that was the infallible proof of all that he was and all that he was not. His fingertips extended and retracted several times as the reached out to touch the cube. His hands hovering just above the handles casket. He gulped then gritted his teeth together. Such cowardice was not befitting of the most powerful man in Asgard. With tenacity, he took the casket by the handles. The icy feel of the metal bars against his flesh soon washed all over. He shivered as his body soon became frozen solid and his eyes a hellish red. He breathed deeply and each produced icicles. "Oooh I bet you do," he muttered. "For if you wouldn't have gone into the temple looking for this damned cube,' Loki ground out. He squeezed his fingers tight around the handlebars of the slammed his eyes shut feeling more and more of the mind numbing cold freezing his senses. Loki lowered his head, closed his eyes, his lower lips quivered, "then you would have never taken the son of your mortal enemy into your home," he breathed as his hideous crimson eyes popped open. He let go of the cube and walked a few paces forward.

He found the Tesseract and there contained closely was the Tesseract Talisman. Loki's skin started to go back to a hue that was a few shades lighter than most Aesir. A wicked grin spread from ear to ear. Loki started to take the entire Tesseract. "You are fortunate Odin, you raised me to be a man of temperance," he added. "So I'll only take what I need," he replied as he snatched the Tesseract Talisman from its pedestal. He slipped the powerful necklace around his neck and turned an about-face and proceeded to leave the Weapons' Vault.

As he made haste to return to Malekith he expected to feel the familiar pricks of his wearisome conscience tugging on his frozen heartstrings. Loki prepared himself for the nagging pangs of his old soft sentimental self to beg for him to stop. He was ready for the voice to remind him of how wicked and wrong this all was. He anticipated the sniveling call in the back of his mind to come back, to stop before it was too late. He had fine replies positioned in his mind to hurl at his conscience. It was already too late. Prepared as he was from the visitations from conscience they never came. There was no sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, no ache of heart, his eyes were dry. He moved quickly and drew closer to the door and was about to exit the Weapons' Vault. He still felt not even the slightest inkling of remorse for his terrible deeds. In fact he found himself smiling and his breathing was almost ragged with glee. And that was the scariest thing of all. Perhaps he really was too far gone. Perhaps it was too late for him. Maybe he really was just a creature of chaos

Loki returned to Malekith with a slick smirk on his slim face and the Tesseract Talisman dangling from the tip of his fingers. The white-faced Dark-Elf looked curiously at the strange looking medallion. He cocked his head to the side and stared at it. "Dismiss your guards," Loki instructed the general.

The white-faced elf squared his shoulder and bristled at the command from the one who wielded Gungnir. Malekith seemed skeptical, but did as was requested of him. With a strong and commanding voice he ordered his men to take watch outside and secure the perimeter and stand outside the door and keep watch in case of any treachery from the Aesir. "What is that bobble?" Malekith questioned in the language of his ancestors.

Loki shook his head, "Being that you know of one of the Aether, I would think you would recognize another Infinity Stone," he muttered..

"Some said that the Infinity Stones are the seeds of Yggdrasil," Malekith quoted.

"How poetic," Loki said nonchalantly. He rolled his gem-colored eyes and slipped the silver chain of the Tesseract Talisman around his neck. "That is an over simplification of the power of these stones, but they do make up all that is in the universe," he shrugged.

"And that jewel that you have there," Malekith continued to question. He stepped closer to Loki. His pitch eyes scrutinized the Infinity Stone even more.

"It is the Tesseract," he explained boredly.

"Tis so tiny," Malekith stated as he folded his arm and cast unimpressed glance at the talisman. "The Aether is by far superior," he boasted. He stretched out his arms by his side and tightened his hands into fist. He could feel the liquid crystal coursing through his veins. It gave him power.

Loki shook his head. The Dark-Elf's outdated information betrayed him. "This is but a tiny piece of it," he hissed. "The actual gem is locked within the vault," the green-eyed magician explained.

"And you could not retrieve it?" Malekith asked his tone condescending as his dark eyes looked over Loki.

Loki's smirk only deepened at the Dark-Elf general's remark. "I need not retrieve anything, it is all mine now," he stated. It was the first time those words had come from his lips. He let that seep in and take root. It was his. Every powerful weapon in the weapon's vault was at his disposal. Gungnir was snug and secure in the palm of his hand. The throne of Asgard was his. His eyes grew wide with excitement. This was all he had ever wanted and yet it was not how he had pictured it. He wanted to be a leader who inspired Asgard. Now he was a leader who would destroy Asgard, His eyes dilated even wider as once again he could feel the hot heat rising in his chest and he could feel the searing burning through his whole body. Loki breathed deeply and dared to look down at his hand and see if blood was once again pouring from his fingertips. He relaxed when his hands weren't painted red, He shook his head pulling himself away from his dismal thoughts. "This is all we need for the feat," Loki elaborated as he clutched at the talisman.

Malekith still stood, proud and unimpressed as he watched the newly appointed king fidget and finger the talisman. "What can it do?" The leader of the Dark-Elves continued to inquire.

Loki shook his head. Malekith's ignorance was less than comprehensible. He felt like he was teaching younglings once again. He reminisced on his days in the kinder classes at the academy. Most of the children were under privileged orphans, but despite their humble backgrounds all had shown promise as young scholars. He could see the eyes of his young pupils. They were all wide and energized with the thrill of learning. Their hands and flying up to ask questions and their mouths running to express their questions and curiosity. Most of them had probably moved on to studying in the fine universties in Asgard. Maybe they were training to mages, bards or librarians, alchemist or scribes. Maybe they had been killed in the attacks. The sensation of burning alive from the inside out started to rise from the soles of his feet. The feeling of his legs being lapped up in lava was all he could think about. His heart was racing. His eyes darted back and forth. He expected to find the floor on fire, or drenched in blood the bodies of young children scattered all about his feet. Loki shook his head, his chest was tight and he could only manage to let out a faint wheeze. Loki blinked a time or two clearing his vision. The flames he had envisioned dissipated before his eyes. The gold plated tile was cool and dry as could be. He looked around once more, but he didn't find the mangled bodies of innocent children piled high around his feet, rather he only saw Malekith waiting for an answer.

Loki cleared his throat, "The Tesseract is the it can connect points of space, open portals etcetera," the emerald eyed enchanter said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "I was sent to retrieve the large stone from Earth, I alone possessed enough knowledge of the gem to open the portal for Thanos," Loki stated as he took a sharp inhale. "This tiny particle will allow us to at least contact his domain," Loki explained. "It has enough power with in it for long range telepathy. Malekith nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer that the newly, self-appointed king had given. "In a deep enough trance, I can project my consciousness to the Other and likewise he to me,"

"And what of me?' Malekith demanded in a huff. His leather bound hands were curled into tight fist. "You think to leave me out of the conversation, it is I who have the Aether and I alone who can control it," Malekith pounded his armored chest.

Loki snorted, rolled his jade-colored eyes and then let out a unamused chuckle, "That is highly doubtful, you have no idea what I could do with the power that courses through your veins."

"You are not strong enough to handle such raw power," Malekith warned. "It would destroy you. It is not like your puny pebble." Malekith scoffed as he gestured toward the glowing blue talisman that dangled from Loki's neck. The general reached for it with his claw like nails and held it between his finger and thumb. He grimaces as he studied the Tesseract Talisman. He dropped it without a care allowing it to swing gently around Loki's neck. "It is not like your solid stone. The Aether ebbs and flows, moves and breathes it has a will and life of its own," Malekith explained as he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply thinking of the Aether. The more he thought about the power of the Aether the wilder it surged inside of him. It longer to escaped to be set free to spread its darkness throughout the realms and Malekith longed to do its biding.

"If you can meditate long enough then I should be able to project both of our consciousnesses into the void," Loki stated simply ignoring Malekith's last statement.

Malekith pursed his bloodless lips and sauntered closer to the Asgardian. "Oh you need not worry about me," he rumbled. "When I was a but a youth training in the Temple of the Aether one of test was to meditate for three days,"

"I am glad you are prepared," the Aesir enchanter yawned while rubbing his nails on the hem of his tunic. "Well if you have no further questions or concerned we may begin. Every moment that we continue this banter is a moment that Convergence draw closer. With your constant queries Convergence shall come and go before you even have a chance to unleash the Aether," Loki teased.

"Do not lecture me about the urgency of the Convergence, Laufeyson!" Malkeith snapped. He grabbed Loki's wrist, growled and bared his teeth at the king of Asgard. "I have waited twice your lifetime for this moment," Malekith challenged. Flecks of red flittered about in his irises. Malekith's eyes were intense. They were filled with the power of the Aether and brimming with hate. There was a rabid appetite within the elfin general for destruction. He would be insatiable until he saw the darkness of the Aether spread throughout the Nine-Realms. His hand was shaking as he held fast to Loki's wrist. Whether it was from his own rage or from the overwhelming power of the Aether recognizing that the worlds were drawing closer and closer together starting to surge with in him, Loki did not know. "For 2000 years I slept and I dreamt of nothing else," he confessed his lips moving wildly to make sure Loki understood every word. This was no mere game to him. It was not a vanity quest. It was his destiny to return the universe to the ancient ways. To bring about a time before the Light. Once the Dark-Elves had reigned supreme and unchallenged. They had been the mightiest of people ruling over the other elves with an iron fist. They struggled to live in a world full of darkness and fear war and violence. Then a new era of light and peace slowly trickled in. It destroyed their civilization and made them weakest among the realms. He could not bear it. He knew that the Aether was the key to bringing back a time of war and violence a time when daylight would be forced to make way for night. He had been so close, no race could stop their forced as the Aether crushed anything in its path that was until the Aesir stepped foot into the equation. Their forces were so great, their skills of warfare more advanced than those of the Vanir and the Light Elves. Bor had ripped away his victory. Had taken away the hope he had of returning the universe to its natural state of chaos and dog-eat-dog tactics for survival. No the mage need not talk to him about the Convergence. He'd waited more than 2000 years for this chance and he'd not allow it to slip from his grasp. There would be no Aesir to intervene and save the realms...not this time.

Loki blinked dully, then stared the Dark-Elf directly in his clouded, Aether darkened king gave displeased grinned not even allowing his stark white teeth to be seen. As quick as his lips flipped into smile the somersaulted in the other direction turning into a frown. He yanked his gold plated wrist from Malekith constrictor grip with ease. Malekith's eyes grew wide as he beheld Loki's defiance. The Jotun clothed in Asgardian skin turned on his heels and marched away from Malekith, his back proud and regal as he headed toward a seat at one of the center stations within the communication tower."Don't turn your back on me, Laufeyson!" The leader of the Dark-Elves hollered in his guttural tongue.

He watched with as the self-appointed king took a seat. Arrogantly, the raven-haired mage pushed his cape out of the way before taking a seat. He relaxed and sat comfortably in the high back chair. He sat upon it like a king. Gungnir held firmly in his left hand while the fingers of his right hand impatiently drummed on the arm rest of the chair. "Come take a seat, Lord Malekith," Loki dictated with a smug smirk plastered on his lips.

Malekith stood in place for a moment. "You do not give orders to me, Loki of Jotunheim," the white-faced elf retorted still speaking in the language of Svartalfheim.

Loki's horned helmet cocked to the side the smug look on his face never faltered, "If you intend to talk with The Other and Thanos in order to enact their bidding then I think I do," said Loki in the same language. Malekith continued standing just a few feet away from where the new king of Asgard, hesitating in making a move. Loki didn't repeat himself, he merely wiggled his finger and summoned the general over.

Malekith's blood boiled within his colorless skin. He could feel the liquid of the Aether swelling inside him. It was not just the power of the Aether the colored his vision and made hims see red as he stared at Loki. A grunt escaped his lips. The Aesir skinned whelp was becoming a little too big for his britches as far as Malekith concerned. The arrogance of the enchanter was inconceivable. Loki dare to give him commands. He was Malekith, Leader of the Dark-Elves, wielder of the Aether, ally of Thanos. He was not to be summoned as some mongrel pup to his master. If the emerald eyed enchanter though that he could order him about then he was sadly mistaken. Loki had no armies, no forces, no men who followed him. He had power, grant it, but he was starting to outlive his usefulness. Malekith cared not for the enchanter. He was crafty and shrewd, cunning and conniving. Malekith supposed he admired those traits. Truly, it had been his plan that had brought them this far but still he doubted that he would need him much longer. He was too much of a manipulator and liar and trickster unpredictable and dishonest. A wildcard. A wildcard was dangerous it could make or break his plans. He could have nothing coming between him and unleashing the Aether on this poisoned universe.

What was worse than his shifty nature was his dreadful sentimentality. To the Aesir he may have seemed ruthless, but Malekith could see beyond that. He could see it in his eyes. For just as Loki had been staring into his hard black eyes Malekith had been staring into his and he hadn't seen the viciousness there that matched his own. Yes, Loki had taken away his own brother's powers, but he hadn't killed him. he had some cockamamie excuse about why he hadn't killed the descendant of Bor, but the reason mattered not, Loki lacked the conviction to kill and that was weakness. He had killed the young soldier who had challenged him, but Loki could have easily destroyed the rogue soldier with one blast of Gungnir, instead he tried to subdue the lad. Even the kill hadn't been true. When Malekith killed he went for the heart. He didn't show any mercy to his enemies. He'd not give them a chance to linger, to speak or have any last thought other than the thought of his blade ramming them clear through.

The Dark-Elf general had risen through the ranks of Svartalfheim through force of arms. He'd trampled upon his superiors with his brutality and snuffed out any weakness he saw in their ranks. There were some generals their armies who waned in their devotion to the cause of the Aether. They started to take pity upon those that they had conquered. They grew weary of endless battles and the devastation it had brought to their lands Even their king had talked of withdrawing from the mission of returning the worlds to a state of endless night once he heard that Asgard was getting involved. Disappointed in his leaders, Malekith challenged them to blood duals and killed them in front of large arenas using the power of the Aether even after they had begged for mercy and pledged their allegiance to him. He won the devotion of his men through his raw display of power. The soldiers of Svartalfheim followed him because of his might because they believed he was the strongest one to lead them into victory. He'd won the respect and loyalty of the warriors through his display of strength not through bribes.

Still, The Other had guaranteed him that this pallor magician was the one he needed. Perhaps he had needed him to get the Asgardians to bring the Aether to him and perhaps he had needed him to lure Thor into a trap and to manufacture the concoction that would render the great, blonder thunderer powerless until the Convergence had ended. Maybe the enchanter had been useful in getting them back into Asgard and defeating their forces, but he would no longer necessary after they contacted the other.

Once they contacted The Other in The Void and found out what Thanos wished of them, Thanos would set things straight. Malekith was confident that Thanos would put this lanky Asgardian whelp in his place. Once Thanos was released from his prison upon the Convergence Malekith knew he would be rewarded, Thanos would be pleased now that his plans were coming to fruition and he would see fit to honor him for his faithful and dutiful service for more than 2000 years. Most assuredly Thanos would grant him to right to rule Asgard. He would reign over the descendants of Bor with an iron fist. He had had to sacrifice his own people for this moment. Now the people of Asgard would be sacrificed. And it would be Loki taking orders from him. With that, a smug smile that could have rivaled any one of Loki's arrogant signature smirks appeared on the Dark-Elf's face. Lord Malekith, leader of the Dark-Elves held his head high, he raised his nose in the air and slowly, with dissatisfaction, he obeyed and followed Loki's ever beckoning white finger. He made his way to stand opposite of King Loki and then took a seat in his royal presence.

******************************************************************************************************************************Loki's expression was beyond gratified as he watched the proud, elf capitulate to his whims. The general clad in black metallic armor stomped toward him like a recalcitrant child. Once the leader of Svartalfheim's forces was seated, the self-appointed monarch couldn't help, but add, "I thought you'd see it my way," his green eyes flickered with a mischievous glint. The corners of his mouth teased into a grin. The Dark-Elf sat in the chair he muttered strong curses in the Dark-Elf tongue under his breath.

"Will you get on with it!" Malekith snapped looking up at Loki angrily.

Lok's incessant smirk never faltered. "Patience General Malekith, these things do take time," he reminded his counterpart. "Also I need you to concentrate," Loki advised.

"I am concentrating," the Dark_Elf snapped.

"Then shut your mouth, close your mouth and focus on the task at hand."

Malekith hesitated to obey Loki's directions. His irritation for the new king of Asgard only made the Aether rage inside him. He watched Loki for a long moment. The dark haired enchanter sat up straight, back rigid as he pressed his fingers against the Tesseract Talisman. He watched as the raven-haired Asgardian inhaled sharply before he finally closed his lily white eyelids over his emerald eyes. Once Malekith was convinced that this was no trick by infamous conniver he allowed his eyelids to slide close as well.

By the time Malekith closed his eyes he could already feel the power of the Tesseract Talisman starting to take effect. It caused the power of the Aether to start to course rapidly through his veins. The Infinity Gems were always strongest when they were in close proximity of each other. Slowly, the room around them started to dissipate around his black eyes were closed he watched in astonishment as all the furniture and machines in the room started to vanish. One by one each instrument and desk faded into the background. Soon he was just in an ever expanding black abyss. Malekith wanted to open his eyes and thought he might have but he wasn't entirely sure since all around him was the same unaltering blackness that had swallowed up the furniture, walls and entire atmosphere of the communication to wer. All at once the General Malekith saw a swirling, mystic, blue light appeared and crept through the darkness. It peppered and sprayed through the darkness bringing just a bit of illumination to the dreary atmosphere. It was only then that Malekith noticed Loki was still sitting close by right across from him.

Now Malekith was an old magic user. He had studied the ancient and intricate magic of the Aether since he was youth. He had wielded the Aether for centuries. He'd unleashed the powerful gem on his enemies without mercy. He'd watched as its dark power would consume all matter of light. He'd caused it to run into rivers and dry them up or turn them in to ink so they were undrinkable. He'd seen the Aether tear through buildings and tear through cities like they were made of mere papyrus. In an Aether trance he'd been granted the power to see into the future destruction that the Aether would unleash upon its victims. But those visions would only last for a few seconds and he could not cause himself to have them. They were of the Aether's own volition when it would grant him a vision. This was something entirely different. He had never experienced magic like this, so concentrated focused and precise. . Entranced he beheld as the swirling, blue light and the darkness combined and slowly the darkness gave way to tiny speckles of light that looked like stars. The blackness was becoming an expanse of space. "What strange sorcery is this?" Demanded Malekith mentally as he watched his setting metamorph instantly.

"You need to remain calm," the articulate voice of Asgard's most revered mage coolly whispered into Malekith's frantic psyche. The Dark-Elf could fear the Jotun painted as an Aesir trying to burrow his way into his mind. Immediately the Aether reacted. It violently created barriers around Malekith's mind trying to keep the invader out. "I can sense your uneasiness. Your focus is poor. Thus the process is becoming more difficult," Loki explained. "The Aether is reacting to your emotions and it is fighting me. When you relax and settle down so will the power that is inside you," Loki admonished. "Trust me," the emerald eyed trickster whispered into Malekith's mind.

The problem was Malekith didn't trust the barrier of Gungnir. Loki was slippery, shifty and unstable like the black sands of Svartalfheim. Off his silver-tongue he proclaimed that they had the same goals. He said that they both longed for power, wanted Ragnorok and revenge...maybe they did, but even if they did that did not mean they possessed the same mindset about how to achieve those goals. Still, Loki had been nothing but true to his word. He'd done everything he'd promised and then some. "You need to let your guard down. We have to link on a cognitive level in order for me to be able to project both our consciousnesses into The Void," Loki smooth, breathy voice interrupted his thoughts. He knew that Loki was only a few feet from him and was using telepathy to speak with him and yet his voice sounded far away. "If you resist much longer we will lose the connection and you will be locked out of having interface with Thanos and the Other," Loki cautioned. The warning was not frantically reported rather simply stated.

The leader of the Dark-Elves tossed and turned the options over in his mind for a few seconds more. He beheld the body of Loki drifting further away from him until the image of the enchanter was out of reach. He watched the expanse of space start to close and narrow. The stars were removed from his vision and even the mystic light that seemed to come from deep within the Tesseract Talisman was beginning to fade. Malekith's empty eyes grew wide desperate to take in light, but the little light that was there was fading. Was Loki drifting to Thanos' domain without him? Panic set in to the Dark-Elf general's mind. He could not allow himself to be locked out of the conversation with The Other and Thanos. This could be his only chance to speak with Thanos before the Convergence. His last chance to hear what Thanos wanted before they began unleashing the Aether and bringing about Ragnorok. He didn't wish to receive the instructions down the line. That would make him dependent upon obeying Loki's orders. He had enough of taking commands from that insolent brat Loki. He had graciously allowed the would be Asgardian too play at being king. But his patience was wearing thin for this charade. He'd not allow Loki to receive all the credit from his soldiers for reaping doom and destruction up the Nine Realms. He'd not allow that alabaster skinned snake to be the one who would be called the scourge of the Realms. Nor would he stand by and have Loki received the accolades from Thanos which were rightfully his.

Reluctantly, Malekith let Loki in. With a few short, quick breaths he was able to still the Aether from rushing around him and insulating his mind. The Aether cooled within him and he was soon able to focus more on the task at hand. He felt the energy of the piece of the Tesseract which Loki was using encircle him. All at once, everything that had faded into the blackness came whooshing back to his minds eye. He could once more see Loki's body. Frozen in the same position of him sitting properly in the high backed chair in the command could see the mystic, blue light of the Tesseract that gave was to opening portals of space. All of a sudden, he felt himself moving as if his own body was being thrust through time and space. It was startling and thrilling all at once for the general who loved anything that gave him a familiar rush of power. He whizzed through the expanse of space. Stars, planets and asteroids shooting right by him. Then all at once he brought to an abrupt halt.

He dared to try to open his physical eyes. He could not. He did not know if this was because they were already open or if it was because what was happening was not an actual physical manifestation. The white-faced elf watched as things started to morph into a strange landscape. Around him was a cold, strong wind. The space was open. The ground was rocky, rough and porous. It was filled with craters, like the dark side of the moon. The landscape was so sparse that it nearly reminded him of his homeworld, Svartalfheim, there was no obvious sign of civilization, there were no rivers or vegetation, but there was also no shift black sand beneath him or ominous black ash foothills in the distance. Instead there were just blue cracks and crevices in the ground and jagged clefts that seemed to jut out of the ground from nowhere. There rugged looking caves.

Malekith continued glancing around. No one seemed to be present at first. He squinted and somewhere in the distance as if behind a veiled mist he could make out his own likeness. He saw his strong body girded up in the finest rough hide and black metallic armor money could have afforded him in his day. He was sitting quietly and unmoving. His lips tight and white brow furrowed as his hand rested on his knees. His heart started to pound, his pulse quickened and liquid crystal ran through his veins like hot lava. Immediately, his soulless eyes looked down. He could see his leather covered hands in front of his face. He growled. "Loki!" He bellowed. "what manner of trickery is this?" He demanded to no presence.

His eyes darted back and forth in search of the jade-eyed enchanter. Where was he? Had that wily whelp abandoned him in his own dreams. Just as Malekith was about to allow the Aether to burst forth from his chest and no doubt destroy this deep sleep that Loki must have placed him under did he see slow moving black boots march across the cratered ground. He noted the golden armor strapped around the lower legs and the tight fitting black leather pants. He noted the slim figure clad in Asgards finest regalia. From head to toe gleaming in glorious gold and green. He ever was wearing his horned helmet. "There's no need to shout, Malekith," Loki stated stoically as he appeared marching out from behind one of the crevices of this strange place. His hand firmly embracing Gungnir.

"Where are we?" Malekith demanded running toward Loki and gripping him by the fine silk of his surecoat. The raven-haired mage's lanky form towered over the Dark-Elf. "Tell me where in Yddrasil we are or by the Aether I swear I shall finish yo!" He threatened

Loki simply plucked Malekith's talons from his tunics. "He dusted them as he watched the elf's hand fall to his side. "We are in The Void," He stated simply in a hushed tone. "This is Thanos' domain."Loki explained as his eyes darted around to look at every nook, cranny and crevice. He thought he saw shadows. He turned his head sharply, he thought he heard harsh breathing. Immediately, his posture grew rigid. He was well acquainted with Thanos' demand and the vicious creatures that roamed about. The Chitauri, although animalistic, were the most civilized of the beast that prowled about the crater. He had been privy to their hospitality before. There were also Thanos' beautiful, but dangerous adopted daughters. Loki could recall the time he spent with the fierce maidens. After hearing about how Thanos had reared them...he almost thought of Odin as a gracious and loving parent. Those thoughts soon vanished after he was introduced to Thanos' terrible contraption. Strapped down to the torture device screaming his lungs out for his family to come and save him had extinguished the his hope in his father's love. He was convinced that Odin wanted him in The Void suffering.

The now king of Asgard felt another cold wind send a shiver down his spine. He could swear he felt the slimy cold scales of the horrible venomous snake that had been his constant companion in the final months he spent in The Void curling around his legs. The raven-haired enchanter bit his lip to keep himself from screaming. Luckily, he looked down at his booted feet and was happy to find that there was nothing there. He was tempted to wipe his brow in relief, but refrained. He was about to give Malekith further instructions about how to proceed in The Void. But before he could part his lips to say another word a creature appeared.

It seemed to manifest out of thin air. It crept out of a cave toward them. It was decorated in ornate armor. A dark hooded caped concealed most of its unseemly form. Its hideous face was almost completely covered by the hood, but what could be seen of him was a horrible mouth surrounded by twisted, glossy metallic brackets and lips and teeth soaked in blood. "I was wondering when you would arrive," the figure spoke up drawing closer to Malekith and Loki. "We were starting to think maybe you had not succeeded," he breathed. His voice was deep, raspy and throaty all at once. "My master has grown restless," he announced. His two thumbed had groped at the side of one of the rocks.

"Other," Lord Malekith said as he came before the blue faced underling of Thanos. He bowed his head to show respect.

Loki stepped forward as well. His strides even and steady, "You can inform your master that everything is in order."

The Other allowed a creepy smile to slide over his bloody mouth. "Good," he gurgled.

Malekith shot King Loki an incredulous look as he straightened his back. "I have secured the Aether," He boasted. "We have also infiltrated Asgard twice and we have brought the people of Asgard to their knees," Malekith raised a mighty fist.

"Do not underestimate the Aesir, General," The Other warned. "They are a mighty people. They defeated you before and even Thanos realizes they are a force to be reckoned with."

"Thanos need not worry about the threat of Asgard any longer," Loki promised. He raised his hand and held a slick smirk on his face.

The Other hissed and started to move. His hands dragging against the slick stones of the mouth of the cave. "Such talk we have heard from you before, Asgardian," he stated. "Recall your time on Midgard," he growled. "Meager Might of Earth, puh-shaw," The Other scoffed. "They destroyed the Chituari!"

"Yes," Loki began he started pacing before The Other. "That was an unfortunate miscalculation," he stated as he scratched at his porcelain neck.

"Unfortunate miscalculation! We were promised that the humans were nothing more than cowering wretches they were to offer little resistance," Thanos lieutenant reminded him.

Loki cringed under the scolding. "The humans would have quivered before me had it not been for the insurrection of Earth's Mightiest Heroes," Loki rolled his eyes as he recalled the sarcastic voice of the wealthy Midgardian who possessed a suit of iron. "Also had the army I was provided with been as formidable as you had claimed," Loki went on.

"Do not!" The Other roared. His rough voice shook the foundations of the desolate rock. He raised his two thumbed hand toward Loki. He expected the weak, soft-skinned enchanter would flinch as he had in times past. He stood firm and only batted emerald eyes at The Other. "Do not blame the Chituari for your incompetence and failure. If it wasn't for the fact that you were protected in the realm of Asgard you would have felt my masters wrath," he growled.

Loki took a step back and continued to massage his slender, pale neck. "Pleasant as that would have been..."

"Do not attempt to deceive us with pretty words once again, Silver-Tongue. Tell me that you have made good upon your word or I shall be forced to enact my masters punishment," he threatened.

"I threaten you not, Other, I come with glad tidings," he explained still grinning. "I may have miscalculated the outcome on Midgard, but I knew not of their heroes," Loki once again rolled his eyes. "I know the Asgardians and I know that these attacks have hit them at their very core. They have watched as their golden city has been ransacked by marauders, they have lost their loved ones and their most prized warriors, their king lies in Oversleep and their prince is in chains within the palace as we speak."

The Other started to hiss and he breathed. He took a few steps closer to Loki and Malekith. His features were still obscured under his dark cloak. "Odin and Thor are incapacitated?" He inquired. He leaned into Loki's face so that the polished king of Asgard so that Loki was able to see his bloody teeth in their full, scarlet glory. His breath reeked of a thousand rotting corpses. It was enough to make the raven-haired mage's nose curl and it made him light-headed.

"Helpless as babes," Loki confirmed his own sinister grin matching The Other's in its gruesomeness.

Blood drenched lips stretched wide. "Good. Good," he purred like a feline. He rubbed his double thumbed, pudgy, blue hands together. "And their weapons?" He inquired.

Loki's jaded grin deepened and his emerald eyed twinkled with mischievous delight. "I am in possession of Gungnir," he stated raising the magnificent golden staff.

"And the hammer?"

His clicked his tongue with agitation. "No one can lift Thor's hammer other than Thor save he be worthy," he expressed. "But Thor will not be able to lift it again until after Convergence, I assure you."

"How can you assure me of this?"

"I manufactured a potion for him. No one can take Thor's power away permanently except for Odin, but the potion I gave him, if taken willingly will render him powerless for 48 hours," the enchanter explained.

"And he has taken it? Willingly?" The Others voice was edgy and eager.

The corners of Loki thin lips turned up, "Guzzled it down like mother's milk, " Loki chuckled.

The Others thick purple tongue ran across his bloody lip. "Everything is in preparation then?" He asked rubbing his palms together.

"The Aether is prepared and ready to strike!" Malekith interjected into the two way conversation. "It groans with in me, ready to be unleashed, ready to spread its darkness throughout the Nine_Realms and to convert all that is good into all that is dark."

"Calm yourself, Malekith" Thanos' stooge chastised.

"More assurance is needed than just the fact that you have secured the Aether," he announced. "Thanos wants to make sure there are no mistakes this time," he said turning and facing Loki. The Aesir wizard did not cower.

"We have all the weapons in the Aesir Weapons Vault at our disposal," Malekith proclaimed

The dark-haired mage cast an incredulous stare at the Dark-Elf leader. "Is this true?" The Other pressed.

"yes," Loki confirmed. His gemstone eyes darting down for a moment before looking back at The Other's terrible mouth.

"Then you have access to all the Infinity Stones?" He inquired.

"Yes!" Malekith shouted feeling the power of the Aether flowing with in him.

"No!" The ebony coiffed enchanted interrupted. "Not all."

The Other growled. He tossed his hand up in the air. "it is of little importance now. The most important thing is that you have access to the Infinity Gauntlet." The blue faced messenger said as he started to pace about. "Don't you?" He asked once more his attention was on Loki.

"Yes," Loki confessed through gritted teeth.

"Perfect," The Other crooned. "Thanos will be ever so pleased. He will have all he needs to enact his plans on the cosmos," The Other breathed. His breathing becoming ragged with glee. The ugly smile was etched across his face, but it morphed quickly into a grimace. "And you are sure that the Asgardians will not rise against you before the Convergence has reached its peak?"

"I have taken to giving some insurance of that," Loki boasted.

"What insurance, Asgardian," The Other pressed. "I'll have none of your trickery," The Other raised his pudgy blue finger toward Loki's narrow nose.

Loki elevated his pointed nose ever so slightly above The Other's sausage like digit and turned his head sharply to avoid it. The Aesir are a loyal race. They value loyalty, honor and trust above mostly all else. This drives them to have particularly unyielding allegiance to the Royal Family. By holding Prince Thor hostage I have ensured that the Asgardians will not make any attempts to foil our plans. I have told many of Asgard's leading warriors and politicians that if they offer me any resistance it will not be them who will suffer, but Prince Thor who will on pain of death. They'll do anything to keep him alive," Loki admitted with a slight chuckle, "even lay down their swords and let Ragnorok descend upon them," Loki expressed with some level of glee. "They are fools," the new king of Asgard went on to proclaim, "...they adore him," Loki stated his voice dropped and his head twisted at a sharp angle and he sucked his teeth as a pang dug into him. There was a time when he all he longed for was such adoration from the people of Asgard.

The people had always loved Thor. They had always preferred the blonde son of Odin to him. When they were children it was evident when they'd pick teams for sports and games. All the children would fight over who would have the chance to play on Thor's team as they moved into adolescence Thor's fame amongst their people grew. Citizens would all go wild when Thor appeared in public. He could be walking in the market place or riding through the square or attending some sporting event at the arena and the people would flock to him. They'd jump around and fawn over him. Women would weep in his presence. He could never blame them for their displays before Thor, though. Thor was everything that the people of Asgard wanted. Though arrogant and foolish and stubborn as a bilgeschnipe heifer, Thor was also gregarious, jovial, strong, fearless and good-natured. Loki supposed he had never been any of those things. His lips twisted downward. For so,long as a young man all he'd ever wanted to be was Thor's equal to be seen as just as brave, just as strong, just as powerful as Thor. All he ever wanted was a moment of glory. He wanted to have a moment to bask in the sun of the in front of citizens of Asgard. He wanted to be washed in the applause of the crowd and feel that deep glow of esteem when the people cheered his name with pride. He may have become king but he and Thor still weren't equals. Because the people loved Thor, Even when he was bruised and beaten, defeated and powerless they still loved him. He was still their hero, champion and prince. He may have been king, but all he'd won was the disdain from the Aesir. He wouldn't be remembered as a king or as a conqueror or a 'd be remember as a petty tyrant, traitor a monster.

Loki felt his chest tighten, his lips arched downward into a frown. Loki closed his glowing emerald eyes. No. It was simply dreadful sentiment. He'd not feel bad for what he'd done. there was nothing to feel guilty for. He'd done what he had to do and if pressed he would have done it again and done it a thousand times over. He deserved to be king. It was his birthright; stolen from him one too many times. Well no more. He was king, he'd defeated Thor, defeated Odin, defeated them all and they would grovel before his feet and beg for his mercy. Loki immediately stiffened his jaw and looked up at The Other's hooded face.

"That is of little consequence," the white-faced elf declared raising his deep voice. "The Aesir could not defeat us even if they wanted to, now that we have the Aether!" He banged his fist against the dark star shape positioned in the middle his breastplate.

The Other's hood ever so slightly shifted in Malekith's direction, then quickly snapped back. The Other lifted his head and showed all his horrendous blood soaked teeth. He rumbled as he laughed long and hard. The guffaw was deep and rich and ancient creature hunched and rocked. He nearly doubled over with laughter. He started to cough as he continued to cackle. Finally, he straightened himself up, "You have done well, Asgardian," The Other informed the dark-haired mage dressed in dark green and gold regalia. "Thanos will be most pleased to hear that you have secured Asgard and tied up all loose ends. He was most confident that you would make good on the leniency and favor that he has shown you," The Other continued. "Still, my master graciously intends to bestow bounty upon you and reward you with the prize that you so covet," The Other whispered enticingly. Loki's emerald eyes grew wide and glistened as he listened intently. "He will grant you rulership of Asgard," he announced. He swept back his dark purple cape revealing his ceremonial robes and gave a stiff and painful bow before Thanos' new regent. He inclined his proud head ever so slightly before Loki and bent his old back before the young king.

Jade pupils were immediately dilated as Loki beheld The Other bending his hunched back in his presence. His heart pounded. His mind raced adrenaline and anticipation shot through his body. He felt it bubbling from his gut and overtaking his spine and draining into every limb and down to his extremities. His whole form was on edge with anticipation. This was the day that he had longed for with every fiber of his being since his youth. To have a place above his brother, to be the undisputed, uncontested, undeniable, indefiable king. With the backing of the mad titan there would be no one, no army, no world that would dare to challenge the authority of his rule. Finally, all would see his power. Loki's vivid imagination ran wild, once he was king of Asgard he would by default become the leader of the Nine Realms. He'd conquer them all and all would bow before him. Such thoughts of glory continued to make his pulse race and his breathing came out hard and heavy. His face was firm, but his uncontrollable glee was revealed as he let out an irreverent snort.

"WHAT?" Malekith roared from the sidelines. He took a step forward just as The Other was straightening himself up. He jumped in front of Loki. "I possess the Aether! Thanos promised me..."

The Other immediately hurled himself in the face of the elf general hissed and snarled and showed the Dark-Elf his bloody teeth. His hiss caused him to spray Malekith's drained bloodless face with blood. Sprinkles of hot blood peppered Malekith's skin like freckles. "You question us?" He questioned loudly. "Question him?" He growled. The leader of the Dark-Elves shifted backward on his foot. He dared not lift a finger to even flick the blood of his face. "You had your chance to prove yourself to Thanos many eons ago. It was your incompetence that has kept master Thanos at bay this long. You are lucky he had not exacted his vengeance upon you for such defeat. But if you are so dissatisfied with the grace he has shown you then perhaps I can tell him to dole out the punishment you are worthy of. I am certain he can devise something that will make death look quite comfortable," The Other threatened in a low and gravely voice."Have you any more protestations Lord Malekith?" The Other asked as he heard the general's mutterings.

"No," Malekith stated looking into the hooded face. There were no eyes to be found only a purple tongue lashing over sticky crimson lips.

A snort escaped from The Other. "Never fear, you will have your chance to unleash the Aether as you desired, Lord Malekith," The Other stated as he started to march around the Dark-Elf general. His long purple robe dragged across the cracked ground and every step he took sounded like the crunching of bones and he wheezed with every step and breath that he took. His thick double thumbed hands rubbed together greedily. "It is Thanos' will that Loki be king of Asgard, but I am sure that you shall find favor in his court," The Other expressed dismissively as he inclined his head toward Loki.

The magician gave the white-face general a wink, a cheeky smirk remained plasted on his severe pink lips, provoking the elf into a frenzy. The Aether went wild inside of him and all he could envision was releasing the Aether right then and there and letting the smooth faced Aesir taste the full force of the crimson liquid. "Of course, General Malekith, what is a king without his faithful subjects." The Dark-Elf general sneered at the comment and quickly muttered curses in his natural tongue.

"Now listen," The Other spoke sharply to both of them. "We will need precision and careful timing to accomplish our ends," he wagged a finger at them. "Thanos will only be able to make his entrance back into the Nine Realms during the peak of Convergence. The peak of Convergence only lasts a short amount of time and that is why the Tesseract. The Tesseract can hold the portals between the worlds open long enough to ensure Thanos had enough time to break free of this squalid prison," The Other explained as his six-fingers hand pointed to the barren crater that Thanos had been relocated to.

"And what of the Aether?" Malekith demanded.

"As the Aether surges through the realms its dark energy will break down the protective barriers around the branches of Yddrasil and allow Thanos re-entry," The Other elaborated. "As long as you are successful in unleashing it Thanos should find his prison bars corroded away and have no problem making his way through the realms and into Asgard."

"Sacrifice!" Malekith declared. "The Aether will require a sacrifice."

"Ah," The Other breathed his voice rattling. "We know of your ancient ways," he stated.

"I can assure you such archaic practices are not necessary when exercised by a true enchanter," Loki rebuffed as he turned to face Malekith.

Lord Malekith's pasty white face contorted with fury. "Over my dead body shall you possess the power of the Aether!

"That could be arranged," Loki reminded the leader of the Dark-Elves.

Malekith growled so ferociously that he nearly barked. "The Aether can only be wielded by me," Malekith declared.

"Silence!" The Other ordered. "You will both see through to following through with the instructions to the letter. Even one slip, one moment of hesitation, one minutes delay could keep Ragnorok from coming to pass," Thanos' stooge explained. "Thanos knows of your ancient ways and intends to abide by them," The Other conceded.

Malekith squared his armored shoulders and cleared his throat loudly in Loki's face. Loki winced and took a step closer to the wrinkled toad of Thanos. He started to protest the notion, but soon Malekith's bass voice interrupted him. "We could use the mortal child, she was the host body the Aether originally chose."

"The sacrifice has already been decided!" The Other decreed. There was a pause and stillness in the empty atmosphere as both Loki and Malekith waited to find out who. "It shall be Prince Thor."

Loki's brilliant green eyes bulged out of their sockets. He sucked in a sharp breath that was immediately caught on the lump forming in his throat and he started choking on his own spit. He just gave a few small coughs. They were hardly noticeable. The sounded like gentle puffs of air. He quickly composed himself from his coughing fit, but his lips still hung ever so slightly ajar as he stared into the face of the hooded figure.

Loki mashed his lips together. His Adam's apple bobbled as he tried to swallow. The slick, black hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his heart rate climbed with each millisecond that ticked by. He did not even bat an eyelash.

All the while, Malekith's bloodless lips formed a jesters grin. "I will kill him myself!" The Dark-Elf announced. He raised a fist in the air and squeezed it together. He imagined squeezing the last drop of breath from the blonde-haired Aesir prince's lungs. For 2000 years he had dreamed of such a moment. A moment in which he could exact true vengeance upon all the Asgardians and the house of Bor. He'd always pictured having the privilege of taking his vengeance on Bor himself. he'd wanted the great king of Asgard and defender of the Nine-Realms to suffer unspeakable torture at his hands. He was disappointed to find that when he had awakened that Bor had been whisked to the halls of Valhalla by the gentle, peaceful hand of old age. He had so wanted to send the king straight to Hel. He'd settle for his descendant though. He'd settle for Thor. He'd execute the handsome blonde hero mercilessly. The Asgardians of old had taken away the future of his people it was only right that now he take away theirs. He'd kill their crown prince right before their eyes and extinguish the hope in their souls. "I will kill him before all!" He roared. The Aether burning hot and furious with in him.

"An inspired idea, Lord Malekith," The Other nodded, "But it shall not be you who performs the execution,"

"What?" Malekith mouthed.

"But our very own King of Asgard shall perform the honors," The Other proclaimed as he leaned his bloody mouth closer to Loki's ear.

"I don't need to kill Thor, he is weak and powerless, more than contained," He shrugged as he started to pace.

"His presence is dangerous! While he is alive he is a threat to us," The Other insisted,

"Thor is no threat when he is confined and shackled within the palace dungeon," Loki argued.

"And if he breaks free?"

"Impossible," Loki declared as he shook his head and then lifted his nose and stood in perfect poise. "The potion will render him powerless for 48 hours that gives us until after the Convergence. Even if Thor regains his power it will be too late."
"There can be no mistakes. There can be no points of chance. Thanos' entry into your realm may take longer than the allotted time of Convergence. If that be the case then Thor could still rise against us ," The Other explained.

"I can control Thor," Loki said looking down and speaking through his gritted teeth. His hands clenched in white-knuckled fist by his side.

"It is not about control!" The other raged. "He is a beacon, a symbol for the people to rally around. As long as he lives they have that hope that Ragnorok can be averted. Destroy that hope by destroying him,"

"I..." Loki started to protest,

A two-thumbed hand was raised and the silver-tongue ceased to talk. "This is your proof to Thanos that you are his true ally," The Other sung as he walked closer the Loki. He circled around him like a slithering snake. Loki was almost sure he could feel slimy, cold scales winding their way around his boot and slithering up his leg. He gasped. "If you can't do this task than you are no longer faithful to Thanos and anything less than loyalty will not be tolerated," The Other reminded him. His hot breath was in Loki's ear. "If you aren't an ally then you are an enemy," he stated. "If you haven't performed the task to Thanos' liking then you have failed," he hissed. "You know very well what Thanos does to his enemies," The Other prompted. His fat hand reaching out to stroke Loki's chiseled cheek. "You know what Thanos does to those who fail him," he stated once more. Quickly his hand moved from the soothing motion of stroking Loki's cheek to grabbing the long ebony hairs that stuck out from under Loki's helmet and yanking his head back.

"Yes," Loki gasped. He saw out the corner of his emerald eye. The Other's sick red green. He felt large cold scale glide up his spine and around his neck. Before long his windpipe was constricted as the coils wove tighter and tighter around his throat. Loki's eyes filled water. His breath came out quick and shallow. Frantically, he scrambled. His hands groped desperately around the slimy snake skin that his neck was wrapped around his neck. The coils squeezed tighter. They squeeze the breath out of him like juice from a ripened fruit. His breath started coming out in swift, shallow huffs. He needed air. Spots were starting to form in front of his eyes. He felt light-headed and dizzy; on the verge of collapse. While his eyes were rolling in the back of his head he, just before he was about to lose consciousness he heard a terrible sound that he had grown all too accustomed to. The very vibration sent fear scuttling down Loki's spine. It was the harrowing hiss of his old prison warden. It might as well have been the roar of a hungry lion in his ear. Loki could feel blackness beckoning him, but just before the lack of oxygen overtook him he caught a clear glimpse of the sinister serpent. It hissed loudly once more exposing its razor-sharp fangs dripping with venom. The brown liquid dripped from the snakes fangs and onto Loki's porcelain flesh, searing it. Loki wished he could have screamed. His eyes went wide once more and he was able to see the snake set and ready to strike. The fangs were aimed for Loki's glittering emerald-eyes. Immediately, he slammed his milky eye-lids shut.

When he opened them the trance was broken

Sigyn lifted her head from Dyson's chest. The center of his breastplate was so wet it looked as if he had been standing out in the rain. With her right hand she tried to wipe the water from his chest afraid that his armor would rust. She found her hand still clutching his hand it was so cold. Sigyn wiped her gold eyes. They were soaked, swollen and bloodshot. She didn't know how long she had been weeping over Dyson although it felt like it had been hours and still she had more tears to shed for the brave palace guard. She looked around frantically, hopefully she had not spent hours crying. She didn't have that type of time for mourning. Her eyes took in the faint natural light that flooded into the throne room from the holes blasted in the roof by the Dark-Elf weapons. She exhaled as she noticed that the daylight was still with her.

She swiped the back of her hand across her brow and attempted to dry her eyes. They kept bleeding tears despite her best efforts to control her emotions. She couldn't help it. She looked at Dyson's face. He was so young and handsome. Death revealed his youth even more. Face in repose she was able to note how young he was. He wasn't forced to wear the stern expression of a soldier. He had no flaws in his skin, no wrinkles or blemishes, not even any notable scars. He didn't even have a proper beard. Sigyn smiled and watery smile as she traced the fragile line of his peach fuzz.

He was just a youth, little more than an adolescent. He was even younger than her. He had only courted one maiden, perhaps he had never even known love. But still he had looked at her the way no man ever had. She'd had many potential suitors, but none had held such love for her as Dyson had. Theoic although he was certainly fond her did not love her. If he loved her he would have protected her reputation. He would not have allowed her to face the scorn and humiliation of being called a whore by all of court. He would have proposed to her right away unafraid of what anyone thought. And Loki, well he had never loved her. He was an expert liar and magician, she was sure he could have convinced her he loved her, even if it wasn't true, if he wanted to, but he hadn't wanted to do. All he had ever done was reject her. She frowned deeply. Her heart ached. Loki had rejected her on every side and yet she'd foolishly kept pining away for him like some desperate harem girl, like a love struck whore.

Sigyn gasped and wrapped her arms around herself. She was a fool like everyone said. What had chasing after Loki ever gotten her? A slap in the face? Whispers behind her back? Disgrace? Pain? Now, poor Dyson had paid the price for her crazed love for a madman. Poor, sweet Dyson. Had she not been so desperate to get close to Loki maybe he would not have been in the palace to get killed. Maybe he could have just gone with his platoon to do the rounds before the attack. Maybe he would have gotten different orders or been told to stand post somewhere else. Maybe he would have gotten wounded in battle and been taken to the halls of healing within the palace. He would have been injured, but he'd still be alive. Now he was dead. He wasn't with his platoon because of her. She'd begged for his help and like a good friend he'd assisted her. What he'd done jeopardized his life and he did it out of love for her. Sigyn shuddered and started to sob.

But Dyson had loved. He loved her the best he could from a far. She'd never been his to hold, bu that never kept him from extending himself on her behalf. He loved her from a far although her heart belonged to another. He loved her the way she loved Loki. It was love unrequited. She knew how devastating it was to long for someone so much and never have them reciprocate the feeling. She knew what it was to want someone with all your heart and soul only to have them prefer another. It was a cold, lonely, hollow feeling. It was like being hungry during the Harvest Festival. You were ever waiting to taste everything that was good and perfect, you good smell cooking, but never got to taste the succulent morsels that you desired. She didn't want Dyson to die with that feeling of hunger and yearning. She was the last person he spoke to. She didn't want his last thoughts to be why doesn't she love me? That's why she kissed his lips. Maybe for a dying man a soft, peck felt like true loves' kiss. If she could give him that much comfort in his dying moments than so be it. Even if it was only an illusion. Besides, wasn't that what the Valkyries of old used to do? She thought that was what they used to do. Or maybe it was a play she had once seen. She hoped that Dyson felt the kiss. She hoped that it housed all the warmth, tenderness and love that he'd dreamt it would hold. She felt all those things for him in those moments. She truly did. He could go into Valhalla knowing that.

"You are free now, Dyson," Sigyn whispered as she twirled her tanned fingers through his sandy hair. "Free as the rest of us aren't," she muttered. Time was running out. Every second she stayed with Dyson's limp body was one second that brought Asgard and the Nine Realms closer to Convergence and closer to Ragnorok. She reached her hand into the folds of her cloak. There in the pocket she still had the unopened scroll from the Vanir midwives. The document was still sealed and in perfect condition. Despite all that she had been through. She at the parchment with narrow eyes. She felt like an imbecile. All this that she'd done. She'd come so far to give Loki this scroll thinking that somehow it could stop the wickedness in his heart. That was simply ludicrous! Loki's heart was consumed with evil. If he even still had a heart. What he'd done was so unspeakable, so horrendous. He'd let the Frost Giants into Asgard, he'd set the Bifrost on them, he'd led an army of monsters to attack the innocent mortals, he'd led the Dark-Elves into Asgard, he'd attack their people, he'd bound and gagged Prince Thor, he'd appointed himself king and he'd murdered Dyson without even batting an eyelash, right in front of her very eyes. A man like that was a soulless beast.

Hadn't he noticed how young Dyson was? He was just a boy. Hadn't he recognized him? Had his memory grown so sparse that he couldn't recall the young man who used to work in the stable and keep his horse groomed and saddled just the way he liked I?. Did he recognized the boy who used to take his laundry with his grandmother? His grandmother had been Loki's laundress for many years. She took pride in keeping the prince's emerald silks, pressed and polished and neatly folded and clean and crisp just the way he requested. Surely, Dyson had helped. Surely, he'd entered into Prince Loki's chambers to deliver a basket of linens to his grandmother, Loki must have seen him growing up. Maybe once when he was very small, not so mindful of court etiquette, maybe he'd asked the dark-haired prince to show him a feat of magic. Did Loki truly not remember or did he just not care?

A man so callous and cold could not be moved by words scrawled on a scroll. Sigyn could have kicked herself. All she had done had been nothing but a fool's errand. Sigyn worried her lip, she tasted blood on it, but not her own. It was Dyson's. The blood staining her pink mouth had grown cold and stale. It tasted terrible. Lady Sigyn started to gag. The taste was jarring, but it strengthened her resolve. Dyson had done all that he could to stop Loki. To prevent Ragnorok. She had to do the same.

Sigyn sucked in a sharp breath and wiped her bloodied lips on the back of her hands were trembling and a light coating of red stained the back of her hands. She pushed herself to her knees from a sitting position. There was no more time to waste. There wasn't a moment to spare. Every moment she waited was one moment closer to the end of time. It was one minute more that made Dyson's death and the death of all the other warriors of Asgard in vain. Lady Sigyn bowed her head before the dead palace guard once more. She bent her head low and placed a a kiss on his cool forehead. She brushed the strands of sandy hair away from his face so that his youthful beauty could be displayed. She didn't know if the Dark-Elves had any pity in their hearts, but if they did perhaps they would feel some since of guilt at the sight of a bold young boys broken body in their midst.

Finally she stood to her feet. Lady Sigyn Arndottir pressed a finger to her lip as she forced her frantic brain to try and think how to proceed. Where had Loki ordered the Dark-Elves to take the other Asgardians to. She had been so petrified and shocked at seeing poor Dyson stabbed that she hadn't heard anything else around her. She had to find them. She had to get Lord Algrim and the members of the High Council to rendezvous with Captain Frell and the rest of the men who were planning the final attack to stop Ragnarok from raining down on all of their heads. They needed every single soldier that could be spared. Every able bodied man and woman of Asgard who had ever specialized in combat needed to be with the final battalion to make a last stand. Sigyn immediately hiked up her long dress and started to flee out of the throne room and run right back into the catacombs.

Sigyn went to grab one of the torches on the wall to help guide her through the twisting tunnels with in the palace walls. He blood smeared hand reached for the torch. Just as she did so though she caught a glimpse once more of Dyson's corpse. Pang struck her in the heart. Dyson had died a warriors death and he deserved a warriors burial; not to be left rotting on the alabaster floors of the palace, where the flies and ravens could come and pick at his flesh. Admiral Arn's daughter took one of the arrows from her quiver and placed it into the fire. She rotated the golden arrow around in the flame several times, but it would not catch fire. It did heat up though. The heat ran from the arrows point all the to the peacock's plumage at the end of the arrow. The heat radiated through the metal and singed Sigyn's pretty tanned fingers. Quickly, she let go, and the arrow dropped to the ground. Sigyn stomped on it as if it was on fire at first, Then, realizing that it wasn't she picked it up and blew on it to cool it. Once the arrow was cool, Sigyn got an idea. She ripped the edge of her skirt. And wrapped the piece of fine fabric around the tip of the arrow. Sigyn shook her head. All her fine garments were being ripped to shreds. Soon she'd have nothing but rags. Her mother would be horrified. However she would have gladly welcomed the rags if it meant they survived Convergence.

Once the silk was secured around the arrowhead the blonde-haired handmaiden to Queen Frigga dipped the arrow back into the flame. Immediately, the silk caught fire and Sigyn pulled it away from the torch. Sigyn's lips were tight and her chest was heavy as she gazed into the arrow'd flame. Tears trickled down the side of her face. She took her bow out of her quiver and set the flaming arrow tightly between her forefinger and thumb as she pulled on the bowstring. Her posture depicted that her aim was set. She pulled on the arrow tightly. "You haven't see your grandmother in a long time, Dyson," she whispered as she sniffled. "Her arms will be there to greet you as you enter into Valhalla. Your parents will also welcome you I am sure. You will sit at the endless banquet of the the bravest warriors in all the realms because you have proved yourself a hero, this day. Your name will be remembered, Dyson, I promise, if we make it through Convergence...I will tell Odin of your great stand against Loki and he will build you a memorial. Your sacrifice will not be in vain Dyson... it will not," she promised. Her arm shook with weariness from holding the arrow in one setting so long. "I promise! I promise, Dyson," Sigyn eulogized and she launched the fiery dart into Dyson's chest. The lit, golden arrow soared the the expanse of the throne room the arched so that it made its way to stick to the center of Dyson's chest. The arrow had done as it was enchanted to do. It never missed its target.

Sigyn watched as the soldiers body was soon lapped up by the orange flame. She bit her lip. It wasn't a funeral pyre or a barge to be set to drift in the Forever Sea, but it was something of a . proper Viking burial. Normally, there would be many mourners, but she was his only mourner. Traditionally Asgardians sung at funerals. So the daughter of Admiral Arn lifted up her voice and sang a sad hymn over Dyson's burning body. With each refrain of the chorus tears cascaded down her face. Finally, her voice was too overcome with emotion to continue in song. Silently, she offered one final prayer for the departed. "You didn't deserve to die, Dyson," Sigyn expressed as she wiped her watery eyes and running nose."I will do everything in my power to put a stop to Loki's schemes and if this letter won't," she whispered as her hands clutched tightly around the scroll, "Then this will," she pledged as she pulled one more of her golden jewel beset arrows from her silky quiver. She stared at the arrow's tip intently. Sigyn mashed her pouty, pink lips together there was still a bit of blood residue lingering on her lower lip. She could still taste the horrible metallic taste of cold blood, salt and sweat on her lips. It tasted like agony, death and bitterness. It was the taste of the appetizer of vengeance.

A/N: Thank you readers! You made it to the end of another chapter and we are inching closer and closer to the big finish. If you've been reading all this time and you never left a comment let this be your moment. As a faithful reader you deserve to let me know what you think and feel and what you want to see happen at the end of this story. I can't guarantee I'll be able to fit in every request, but I'll try.