Chapter 1
As Prur approached the castle, everyone was relieved to be home. Laufey and Loki waved to the crowd below with frozen smiles and dropped to the ground as quickly as possible.
Vindsval was waiting for them. He smiled happily and greeted Laufey warmly as he, Loki, Thrym, Goupr and a small group of guards made their way to the throne room.
- Your Majesties, welcome home! I hope you had a productive trip?
- Yes, very much. - Laufey answered a little woodenly.
Loki walked beside him as they made their way to the throne room.
- Are the villages doing well? - Vindsval asked.
- As always. - Laufey replied.
- And Vaftrudner? Is he still as fierce as ever?
- Very much so. A natural element in the shell of Jotun.
- This is good news, very good news. - said Vindsval.
The moment the doors of the throne room closed, Vindsval grabbed Laufey by the neck, pulled him to him and put a knife to his throat.
- Drop your weapons. Now! - he shouted, his eyes staring wildly.
The group froze in shock. Laufey's guards pointed their spears at the two men.
- Vindsval, drop the weapon. - Thrym said in an overly calm voice, raising his hands in a reassuring gesture as he approached him; the knife at his belt glinting in the light. - No one wants to come to...
- Don't come any closer or I'll slit his throat! - Vindsval shouted. Thrym stopped dead in his tracks.
He was caught.
- Stay away from me or I'll kill him right where we are; and we haven't even gotten to the good part yet. - Vindsval hissed at them.
- Okay Vindsval, we believe you. Just take it easy, okay? - Thrym said as he walked back to the group.
Vindsval began to drag Laufey's body towards the throne, ignoring the group before him, or Laufey's struggles. In various parts of the hall, a blue glow began to appear; Jotun warriors emerging from it.
Some of the warriors surrounded the group, while the others took their places around the hall; each of them armed with a spear.
Vindsval stood on the podium and looked at the surrounded group.
- I said, DROP YOUR WEAPONS! - Vindsval shouted, noticing that no one had dropped their weapons. The group froze for a moment.
Everyone threw their weapons to the ground.
- If you knew how long I've been waiting for this moment. - said Vindsval, looking at Laufey. He laughed to himself. - You know, secrets are a pretty interesting thing. Especially when they're shared with close people.
A group of two warriors brought Raorl and Kwall onto the raised dais. A trickle of blood dripped from Raorl"s nose. A wicked smile stretched Vindsval's features when he saw him.
- You know, Raorl, I've never liked you.
Raorl didn't answer him; he just glared at him for a moment before lowering his head in defeat. Vindsval smiled at the sight.
Vindsval looked at the group and saw that Thrym had not dropped his weapon. He frowned.
- Drop the hammer, Thrym. You don't want me to bring one of your children. - he said.
Thrym froze in shock. He dropped the hammer to the ground with a clatter.
- That's what I thought. Now Loki. Where is he? - Vindsval insisted, looking around them.
He saw him.
His face twisted into a kind of happy expression.
- Here he is. You, bring him to me. - Vindsval said to one of the warriors beside him. One of the warriors walked toward the small group in front of him.
Goupr tried to stop him but was struck in the face by the warrior's spear. He fell to the ground, a small line of blood forming on the side of his eyebrow. Thrym fell to his knees beside his friend, guarding him. The warrior walked past them and grabbed Loki by the wrist. He began to drag him towards the throne.
Loki struggled all the way but without any success.
The warrior threw him to the ground when they arrived.
Loki slowly began to stand up.
Something was wrong.
Something is wrong.
Something is wrong.
Protect it.
Protect it.
Loki stood up, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, and hiding his stomach with the other.
All the while, Vindsval looked down at him and just smiled at him with his smug smile.
- You know, I hear you and Laufey aren't on very good terms. How bad. - he mocked him. Loki just gave him a disgusted look. - What a strange thing gossip is.
Loki stared at him with daggers in his eyes.
- When I become a king...
- You will never be a king. - Loki interrupted, still glaring at him. - No one will follow a man like you.
Vindsval only laughed.
- So my brothers and sisters will unite to declare me their king when Laufey dies. And you will be the one to kill him. - Vindsval said, looking down at him from the podium.
Loki froze. His eyes widened.
- They will never believe you. - Loki said, his eyes still wide.
Vindsval raised his eyebrows in surprise. A wicked smile spread across his face.
He had an idea.
- Join me, Loki. - he said. - Together we can rule Jotunheim. With your magic and my ideas, Jotunhaim will fall at our feet. Together we can rule it.
Laufey just watched the happening in front of him. Vindsval's hand covered his mouth so he couldn't speak.
He looked at Loki.
Please. Don't do it. - he thought.
- I would rather die than stand by you, you monster. - Loki replied, venom in his voice.
Vindsval's smile slowly faded. His gaze darkened.
- Very well then. - he said. - You have made your choice.
Vindsval looked to one end of the room.
One of the warriors came up behind Loki, grabbed him by the hair, and lifted him off the ground. Loki dug his nails into the warrior's arm. The warrior did not let go; he only tightened his grip on his hair. Loki cried out in pain.
- Look at him, Laufi. - Vindsval said conspiratorially in his ear. - Look at him and tell me what you see.
Tears were streaming from Loki's eyes. Fear was etched on his face.
Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear.
-Please, Vindsval, let him go. - Laufey said. - Please.
- Oh, how sweet. - Vindsval mocked. - Good last words.
And with that, the warrior drew his knife and plunged it into Loki's heart.
Everything was moving in slow motion.
The warrior's knife emerging from his body. The screams of the others.
Laufey's face.
Then there was only darkness.
Loki's hands lost their grip and fell lifeless to his sides. The warrior let him fall to the ground.
His body hit the ground with a thud. A pool of blood began to form beneath him.
Laufey looked down at his mate's body. A tear rolled down his cheek.
- Bring me the chief healer. - Vindsval said over the silence in the hall. - His judgment will be needed here.
Two of his warriors left the hall.
- Don't cry, brother. - Vindsval said mockingly, gently, to Laufey's shoulder as he raised his knife to plunge it into his throat. - You're next.
The doors to the hall opened as Laufey wrenched free of Vindsval's grip and wrenched the knife from his hand. He lunged forward. The two fell to the ground and down the steps of the podium.
Pupul gasped in shock as he saw what was happening.
Several ice blades flew from one end of the hall, killing several of the warriors.
Thrym raised his hammer and killed the warrior closest to him.
A massive fight began.
Puluk wasted no time in rushing towards his queen. He closed his eyes and began to weave his magic around Loki.
Laufey and Vindsval were fighting on the floor. They had each other's throats, neither releasing their grip. Laufey rolled them over to land on top of Vindsval.
Tears began to form at the sides of their eyes. Laufey prayed that Vindsval would soon give up; or faint.
Vindsval had no intention of doing so. He placed one hand on Laufey's throat while with the other he reached for the knife that lay beside them.
Laufey noticed his action and quickly backed away, avoiding the knife strike to the face.
Both of them quickly got to their feet. Each with a knife in hand. Vindsval rushed in first. Laufey hit him in the face.
Vindsval staggered back but didn't lose his balance.
It was Laufey's turn to attack. He rushed forward, ready to attack. Vindsval threw himself to the side, dodging the blow. He ran towards Laufey and plunged the knife into his shoulder, disarming him.
- Give up, Laufey. I won. - Vindsval breathed in his ear.
- Never. - Laufey groaned. He moved his foot under Vundsval and knocked him to the ground. The knife remained in his shoulder.
While Vindsval was still on the ground, Laufey pulled out the knife and ran toward him, ignoring the pain in his shoulder.
He lunged at Vindsval, still on the ground. He put the knife to his throat and pulled.
Streams of blood began to flow from his open throat. Vindsval clutched his throat, trying to stop the bleeding, but with no avail. His blood continued to flow between his fingers.
He was drowning in his own blood.
Laufey got up from the ground and looked at him. His hands were splattered with his brother's blood; his hand still holding the knife.
Vindsval's eyes were wide open, starung at Laufey in fear.
Laufey was unmoved.
- May you rot in Hell, you bastard. - Laufey said, venom in his voice.
He ran toward Puluk.
Kwall approached Vindsval after Laufey had fled to Puluk.
Vindsval was still drowning in his blood. A pool of blood was beginning to form beneath him.
Kvall bent down and cast a spell on Vindsval's skin. Vindsval began to glow silver, as did his warriors.
- All loyal to Vindsval will shine! - he shouted over the battle in the hall.
Vindsval had stared at him. He tried to speak, but only gurgles came from his mouth.
Kwall stood up and looked at him with disgust.
He turned and returned to the fight, leaving Vindsval to writhe in death.
Laufi threw the knife aside and stood next to Puluk.
- Is he okay? Is he alive? - he asked breathlessly. His face was filled with panic.
The healer opened his eyes and looked at Laufi with fear.
- His heart is beating too weakly. If I stop my surge of magic, he will die. Help me move him to the healing rooms. - he said over the commotion in the hall.
Laufey bent down and lifted Loki into his arms.
He and Puluk ran toward the healing rooms=
Thrym spotted them and began to make his way across the battlefield.
He had almost reached the gate Laufey and Puluk had passed through when he saw several of Vindsval's warriors heading that way.
Thrym threw his hammer and killed two of them.
He would catch up with them later.
Laufey kicked the door open.
He and Puluk laid Loki on the nearest bed.
- Step back. - Puluk told him. He focused his magic even more.
Laufey could see the blue glow of Puluk's magic circling Loki's body.
Puluk's hands were shaking. He didn't stop his magic all the way to here, and now he was paying the price for it.
Loki's eyes opened slightly before Puluk collapsed to the ground.
Laufey ran to the other side of the bed to help him up.
- Puluk, are you okay? - Laufi asked.
- Yes, I'm okay. - Puluk replied. He took the offered hand and stood up.
- His pulse is good. I was able to secure a lot of the tissue in his heart, as well as his chest. He'll be fine.
The door slammed open.
- We won! We won! - Thrym shouted as he entered the room, followed by Goupr.
- Is he okay? - Goupr asked, looking at the small figure on the bed.
- Puluk said he was fine. - Laufi answered.
Thrym had stopped pacing around the room and shouting; now he was standing beside his friend by the bed where Loki lay.
- It will take him a while to recover. - said Puluk from the edge of the room. He was carrying a large blanket. He walked over to the bed and wrapped Loki in it. - Let's hope it won't take long.