Loki Of Jotunheim
"Loki, you must not do this...listen to me!"
Sif reached up and cupped the face of her beloved in her hands, forcing him to face her
"Whatever is woven as our destiny, we can face it together-"
"How can we face it together if you are no longer living?"
He rasped, his expression distraught,
"Do not ask me to walk hand in hand with you towards your doom Sif, especially when it is I who am to be the cause of it!"
Karnilla looking on, stoney-faced from her throne, after having delivered the blow which had thrown the lovers into turmoil, spoke again,
"Cause be the saviour.....that is the prophecy-"
"To Hel with the prophecy!"
Sif broke in angrily,
"We've come this far, we cannot give up on each other now!"
"But your sinister one makes a valid point Lady Sif, you are headed to disaster and if you continue on this path you will meet an untimely end."
"That may be so, but life without him would not be worth living."
Sif declared, indicating towards Loki, who now stood with his head in his hands.
"Ah but you need not suffer that loss, just as he needn't suffer the agony of you losing your life."
At that, Loki slowly raised his head and reluctantly met Karnilla's gaze,
"Go on."
Karnilla rose from her throne, and miraculously produced a bottle seemingly from thin air,
"This potion, contains water from the Vimur river....it enables the one who drinks from it, to forget."
Loki's eyes widened, and he appeared to swallow hard,
"Legend has it, that is the river from which Sigurd drank and forgot his love for Brunhilde, Odin's most famed Valkyrie."
Karnilla smiled,
"The very same."
Sif felt panic rising in her chest, she feared this situation was about to spiral beyond her control. She studied Loki's expression, and could see he was in deep contemplation, which caused a deep stabbing sensation within the cavity of her chest.
"I don't want to forget my love for you Loki...."
She protested, tears suddenly forming in her eyes,
"....without you, my life would be meaningless-"
"As would mine!"
He replied curtly,
"I have endured torment and heartache for eons, harbouring an unrequited love for you Sif....so how am I supposed to live without you now that I finally have you as my own?"
Once again he approached the Queen, but this time with his hands outstretched imploringly,
"Please, Karnilla....there must be another way-"
"There is no other way my dark one, and if you truly love your shield maiden then you'll be willing to sacrifice your own happiness in order to save her life."
"You cannot ask this of me!"
He roared, his voice louder than Sif had ever heard.
Fearful that he may lose his temper again with the Norn Queen, Sif darted forwards and placed her hand on his shoulder. He immediately reacted by pulling her into his arms protectively, an act that made her heart want to burst with joy and yet break with sadness.
"You are mistaken Loki.."
Karnilla was saying now,
"...I am not asking you to do anything, I am merely advising you and offering you a solution."
"No one decides my fate for me."
Sif responded before Loki had time to speak.
Karnilla eyed her steadily, then turned back to him, completely dismissing her declaration,
"I shall leave you be in order to think the matter over Loki"
Slipping the ornate bottle into her belt she shot him a long, meaningful look,
"It'll be for your conscience to decide."
Sif felt Loki tense up. His jaw set tight, and she was certain she heard him grinding his teeth in agitation.
"Of course there would be some compensation, to help comfort you whilst mourning the loss of her love"
Karnilla suddenly added, and proceeded to conjure a second bottle out of nowhere.
"What is that?"
Sif demanded, somewhat indignant that Karnilla was implying that her love could be so easily substituted.
"This potion contains water from the river Gjoll....it has the ability to restore what one has lost, though it can only restore what was rightfully theirs' to begin with, and if it truly matters to them."
Karnilla explained.
As curious as a cat, Loki took a step forward and Karnilla smiled mischievously at the trickster God,
"That's right Loki, this concoction can restore your powers."
Loki's eyes widened at this, causing Karnilla to laugh.
Unexpectedly she tossed the bottle towards him, and due to his quick reflexes he caught it easily in one hand.
"Take a mere sip, and you'll see how effective it is"
Sif held her breath whilst looking on nervously as he eyed the bottle with caution, before eventually removing the cap.
"You can trust me sinister one, you know I'm your ally."
Karnilla reassured him.
Lifting the bottle to his lips, he hesitated only briefly and then apprehensively took a swig of its contents.
Almost instantly a golden glow emanated from him, causing him to shudder violently, and then dispersed almost as quickly as it had appeared.
"Loki, are you alright?"
Sif asked.
Nodding in response, as though temporarily lost for words, he raised his hand and with a flick of his wrist shards of ice formed in the palm of his hand.
"What is this?"
He asked, his confusion audible in his tone,
"I can produce smoke, but I've never been able to conjure ice without the casket of ancient winters."
"Your powers have been restored, and the potion returns what is rightfully yours, Loki of Jotunheim...."
Karnilla reminded him ominously,
"....and that is just a sip, so you could be infinitely more powerful if you were to drink the rest...but.."
With that she strutted towards them, and with one swift motion, removed the bottle from his hand,
"...I cannot give this to you unless you give up your love for the Lady Sif."
**********************
That night, as darkness fell across the land of the Light Elves, Sif was loathed to find herself creeping along the cobweb-laden hallway in search of the room her beloved trickster had been allocated.
Karnilla had agreed to offer them accommodation as her guests, but stipulated she would not permit them to share a room, as she wasn't willing to risk the wrath of Odin by openly condoning or encouraging their union.
However she had added, with a playful wink and devious smirk, that should either of them steal into their lovers chamber in the middle of the night, like a "love struck, over amorous youth" then she would be none the wiser and therefore unable to prevent it.
Sif's face burnt like a brand at hearing this, yet somehow she now found herself willing to risk the embarrassment.
She'd been lying awake for several hours, the solitude was proving too much to bear and the urge to be with Loki was too great.
Her heart was heavy, and she feared what thoughts he may be harbouring after Karnilla's revelations.
The affects of the potion he had taken, had clearly had an impact on him.
Whilst being escorted to their respective chambers, Loki had proudly chanted the runes in order to repair Sif's tattered gown to its former glory. And whilst she found the gesture very touching, the sheer excitement of having his powers restored, was clearly visible for her to see. And this caused her concern.
She had been reluctant to go to him, secretly hoping that he would seek her out instead.....but this was Loki after all, and his absence made her apprehensive and suspicious.
Upon reaching the door of the other guest chamber, she tapped gently in the hope that he'd hear without it being audible to any prying ears.
She didn't entirely trust Karnilla, even though Loki did.
A few moments later, it creaked open and she was greeted by her semi naked beau. The sight of his smooth exposed skin, still caused the breath to catch in her throat.
He smiled gently at her, his glittering green eyes shining with mischief,
"Ah, I was hoping you might pay me a visit."
She flushed like a red rose, and hurriedly slipped inside as he held the door ajar for her, before quickly scanning the hallway for signs of her having been followed.
"Well it seems to have become a habit, so why break it now?"
She joked.
Striding across the room, and despite still wearing his leather trousers and boots, he proceeded to lay down causally on the bed.
"You are regrettably overdressed though."
He pointed out, and suddenly made a gesture with his hand whilst muttering words that were foreign to her.
Before she knew what was happening, a golden glow shrouded her, forcing her to temporarily shield her eyes from the glare. When she opened them again, blinking, she looked down to find that in place of her red gown, she was now wearing a white, silk night robe.
Unsure whether she should laugh or chide him, when she looked up he beckoned her over to join him on the bed.
She did so, though somewhat hesitantly...
"Loki, I know how much it pleases you to have your magical abilities restored.....but, in all seriousness, we have much to discuss."
Immediately Loki seemed to tense up,
"Such as?"
"Everything, all that has happened. I fear that Karnilla will use her potions as a bargaining tool in order to persuade you to give me up-"
Loki sat bolt upright, and gently placed the pad of his forefinger against her lips,
"Please, do not speak of such things Sif. Having my powers restored is no substitute for your love."
Her eyes searched his, and she could see that he was telling the truth, but his reluctance to discuss the issue still caused her to feel suspicious.
As though sensing her apprehension, the trickster God held her gaze, and shot her one of his heart-melting smiles,
"Do not look so melancholy my love, don't you see how this has opened up infinite possibilities for us? Nothing and no one need come between us now."
"What possibilities?"
She asked, although almost afraid to hear his explanation.
"My natural abilities. They are incredibly powerful, once I've mastered them I truly will be a force to be reckoned with-"
"You speak of the abilities to freeze people? As you did Heimdall? Is that what you mean?"
She blurted out, aghast at the very thought of her beloved unleashing such a force upon her friends.
"Not necessarily...."
He replied, his tone remaining calm,
"....but I am prepared to do whatever it takes in order for us to remain together."
Sif swallowed hard,
"Loki, I never want to be without you, but I can't allow you to harm our own people-"
"Your people Sif, I'm a Jotun half-breed remember? It seems fitting that I embrace my heritage in order to use those abilities for our protection."
"It is convenient how you are willing to embrace your Jotun powers in order to cause destruction Loki, when previously you were ashamed of your parentage!"
Sif snapped angrily,
"You could not even bear for me to look at you in Jotun form, yet it suits you to wield the powers of a frost giant."
Loki recoiled as if he'd been slapped in the face and turned away from her, clearly stung by her words.
"I do not want us to fight Loki, this is what I am afraid of can't you see? Karnilla has poisoned your mind by dangling that potion in front of you, she wishes to draw you in so that you'll be hungry for such powers and you could end up sacrificing our love in order to have them!"
"You are wrong, she is an ally....she can assist me in mastering the powers so they needn't be fatally destructive-"
He fell silent when Sif suddenly jumped to her feet,
"How do you know this? Have you spoken with her in private?"
When he didn't respond, she felt dangerously close to erupting with rage.
"So you have spoken with her, behind my back, and she's clearly been filling your head with all kinds of disastrous notions. She wants you to give me up, why can't you see that Loki?"
She yelled, her vision suddenly blurring with fresh tears, although they were highly likely tears of anger.
"No one will ever be able to persuade me to do such a thing!"
Loki roared back at her, his own temper now flaring.
"Why won't you believe me? I Love you more than life itself."
Sif tried desperately to swallow the lump down that had formed in her throat,
"I do believe you love me Loki, but you must understand how hard it is for me. I know that I love you, but there's still so much I've yet to learn about you. These past few days alone there's been so much to take in, everything that's happened in the past, all the lies, deceit and chaos. Your conspiring with Amora, and now Karnilla..."
Her words trailed off, and to her horror she suddenly burst into tears.
In an instant Loki was on his feet, and enfolding her in his strong arms,
"Please Sif, don't cry my love. You've no idea how it grieves me to see you so. I know it will be difficult for you to trust me, but I won't do anything to cause you pain. I'd be willing to surrender the magic if it compromised my being able to be with you."
Burying her face into his chest, she steadied her breathing and forced a smile.
"I just want to be close to you Loki, to know you...there's still so much I don't know. Amora addresses you as Lopt-"
"Lopt is the Jotun equivalent to Loki, and I only learned of that recently. I'm still discovering myself Sif, I didn't even realise that a Jotnar's touch doesn't always have a freezing effect, it's merely a defence mechanism-"
"And who told you that, Karnilla?"
Loki sucked in his breath as he realised that he was merely adding fuel to the proverbial fire,
"I'm sorry."
He muttered pitifully.
Slowly Sif took a step back in order to look up at him,
"Show me."
She said, her voice little more than a whisper.
He blinked at her, his eyebrow raised quizzically.
"You can use your power to change form....I want to see it again."
Visibly shocked, Loki made a face and shook his head.
"Please Loki, I want to be close to you and know everything about you, we can learn together can't we?"
"Sif, I've never done that before."
He protested, unaware that this admittance merely enhanced her desire further.
"So that is a good reason as any to try, is it not?"
He was staring at her agog now as if she had lost her senses, his expression a combination of bewilderment and disgust.
But as she gazed at him imploringly she could sense his resistance crumbling.
Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes in concentration, and she found herself holding her own breath as slowly his pale skin began to change once more in colour.
She stared wide-eyed in wonder as his transformation took place, and when he eventually opened his eyes, his red orbs looked back at her nervously and filled with apprehension.
He needn't have been nervous, for as she took in the stunning shade of blue, in stark contrast to his raven locks, and his piercing eyes now shining like rubies rather than emeralds, she felt completely overcome by his otherworldly beauty.
She drew closer to him and reached out to gently touch his face, causing him to avert his gaze in embarrassment.
"Please don't look at me so long and hard Sif..."
He murmured sadly, clearly uncomfortable
"...I must be repulsive to you."
Desperate to try and convince him otherwise, she boldly placed her hand against his chest, his skin cool and soft; though slightly different in texture beneath her fingertips.
"On the contrary, you're exquisitely beautiful Loki."
His head snapped up and his ruby red eyes widened in astonishment, a look of utter disbelief on his handsome face.
"Touch me."
She instructed, with new found assertiveness,
"I trust you Loki."
Despite the certainty in her voice, he seemed hesitant, so Sif reached out, took hold of his hand and clasped it to her chest, positioning his palm over her heart. For a moment she swore she felt his own heartbeat quicken beneath her hand.
"You are certainly no monster Loki, you must believe me when I say that I adore you in any form."
Their eyes locked and suddenly she became aware of how intimate and sensual this seemed. Her fallen prince, usually so dominant and strong now appeared incredibly fragile and vulnerable. Overcome with the desire to feel as close to him as possible, she found herself reaching down to loosen her robe.
It fell down around her waist, and ignoring his look of uncertainty she embraced him tightly, pressing herself against him; revelling in the sensation of skin on skin contact.
A barely audible gasp escaped his lips, and she had to bite back a smile.
With or without his magical abilities, there was no doubt about the power he had over her, so the thought of her taking control for once rather thrilled her.
And to her astonishment, he willingly and subserviently surrendered to her desires.....