Loki opened his eyes to darkness.
At first he tried to stand, which was proved impossible by the thick chains attached to ankles, wrists and neck. Adjusting his sight, the god finally recognized his surroundings as a stone cell – metal bars incrusted in a cave, in reality.
It took him a couple of moments to understand what was happening. A trickle of blood descending the side of his face was quick to remind the prince of the previous day (or so he assumed, as there was no light whatsoever to say otherwise). He had been subdued – violently, of course – and imprisoned for the death of Balder.
A tad disappointed for being caught, he sat there vaguely wondering how much time his punishment would take. What poor excuses for torture his beloved father would concoct this time.
As always, Loki tried unsuccessfully to reach his magic, though, also as every other time, he could still somewhat sense it. Thus, given enough time and patience, he would be able to find a crack in the prison's defenses and escape. These dynamics became indeed tiring after some centuries.
It was with considerable surprise that, not ten hours later, he directed his gaze to two large guards entering the space just past his cell. A shivering lump covered in dark cloth was held in the arms of one of them.
It was… strange, unusual for anyone to come so early. More often than not, Loki would spend months by himself before the court would tire of his lack of pleading and decide to ‘aid’ him with some techniques of choice - fire, whips, venon, little did it matter.
However, what would be inside that bundle? It seemed to be a animal, if the tremors were anything to go by.
Before he could maunder more, though, the men crouched beside a small set of chains (much like Loki’s, if not by size) and revealed their load – rendering the god absolutely speechless for what seemed an eternity.
Now on the ground, right in front of him, was one of his youngest sons, Nari.
Not quite grasping the meaning of this most unpleasant change of events – what would they do, keep his child there until he gave up on his dignity?! – Loki let his mask of indifference slip to show all his rage towards this dishonored move.
"What do you think you are doing, peasants? Release my son this instant."
His orders were largely ignored, the guards not even looking at him as they attached the metal cuffs to his crying child.
This was prepostereous! How could Odin do something like this, subjecting an inocent infant to such humiliation! Granted, the All-father had never liked his children, no matter how sweet and loving they were. But Nari was so young! He and his twin brother, Vali, were barely fifty years old - had just enough height to reach Loki's knees.
The men left with not a word said, which enraged the prince to no end - they would pay for this later.
Now, however, the most important was to calm his little one until someone came to rectify this dreadful situation. Nari cried profusely, his face hidden by his knees, those brought close to his chest.
"Nari, my son, look at me." Loki uttered with as much calm as possible, his voice and eyes soft as always when with his children.
The boy looked up, relief obvious on his tear streaked face for noticing his father there. "Pappa?"
"Yes, I'm here." He forced a bright smile on his lips. "There is no need to cry, dear. Give me a smile."
The child complied, though still holding fear in those big brown eyes. "What is happening, Pappa? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, my son. It's just a misunderstanding, I'm certain." At this Nari relaxed minutely, not at all comfortable, but trusting his father would take care of him.
More hours passed, in which Loki sang his child to sleep and then kept his silence while trying to come up with a solution for the predicament.
Finally, steps were heard on the stone, along with...growls? A dog, no, a wolf? Why were they bringing a wolf in here-
Realization hit him like Mjolnir. Odin had sentenced his child to watch him being defenselessly attacked by a wolf? That was cruel, even for him, but Loki would manage. He had to. He would mantain his silence for as long as possible, for Nari not to be woken. And maybe, given some time, he could summon enough magic to spell his child's slumber for it to keep going for many days.
Before he could think of anything else, though, the same two men came through the same passage as before. A crazed wolf, restrained by a metal leash, to no use tried to bite them.
The noise made Nari come to. Cursing the gods, Loki tried to raid his mind for any possible solution. The boy's frightened cry was definitely pure torture.
He kept his eyes on his child for some seconds, but was forced to turn them away - to the other occupants of this godforsaken dungeon - when the familiar click of his cell being opened for the animal wasn't heard.
In this single moment, it was as if an avalanche had hit him with its full force. His eyes locked with those of the retreating guards and he understood - the beast wasn't there for him. For the first time in all his long life, Loki knew what was true desperation.
All notions off dignity were forgotten, and he shouted as loud as he could, for anyone willing to hear him. "No! Please! He's only a child!"
The only answers he received, though, were louder crying and more growls from a wolf now moving towards his little one.
And there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could do to save his precious son.
"Baby, please look at me." Although unstopable tears rolled out of both pairs of eyes, their locked gaze was clearer then ever. "Pappa loves you."
The smallest of nods, permeated by sobs, was his response. Not breaking the contact, Loki reached for every once of power he could, all the energy in his body, forcing magic to his veins if just for some moments. If the only way to ease his boy's suffering was to endanger his own life, then so be it.
While green eyes became hazy, brown ones closed for the last time, the little face holding them relaxing along with the now magically numb body.
All the things Nari would be feeling now were Loki's to bear. The cold rock beneath his knees, the raw throath from crying, the too heavy chains harming his fragile frame. And finally, the hot breath of the wolf on his left shoulder, right before the searing pain of flesh being torn apart.
Paws and teeth and blood were hardly registered by the father, the pain of yet another child lost, and by such brutal means, proving too much to deal with.
All of a sudden, the phisical agony came to an end. The barely recognizable carrion was left behind by the wolf, which now turned toward the heartbroken being inside the cell.
Exhaustion gripping to his bones, the man fell to the ground as his chains would allow, incapable of tearing his eyes off what once was his beloved son. His child who liked boats, blue flowers and his mamma's voice, his baby.
The beast, towards which Loki couldn't even muster well known hate, came closer to him and laid on the stone as well. It was visibly tired, if the man was paying any kind of attention.
An eternity passed in absolute silence, not even breathing echoing between the walls.
Then, a warm golden glow made Loki avert his eyes from the bloody mess of bones, flesh and cloth. Where one second before had been a wolf, now - for his horrible and incomprehensive surprise - there was none other than his remaining child, Váli.
Once again focusing, fresh tears fell from the god's eyes at the sight of his sleeping and naked boy and the implications of this reality.
Half a minute took place, in which the grieving father summoned enough strengh to, unsuccessfully, try to reach for his son.
Then the guards came once again and, without giving time for any form of response, one of then slitted the last little one's throath.
Loki may have screamed and rampaged and shed more tears, but it all was lost in a mind drowning in darkness.
Men came, dragged him to another cave, tied him to rocks with bloody metal chains. There may have been venon on his face and delicate hands on his hair, but it was for naught. For his mind and soul would for a long time be filled with only blood, soft cries, emptness and deep brown eyes.