Chapter 8
Most of the arena had been evacuated to safety or to seek medical attention, but those who had stayed, did so with bated breaths. Nearly a full fourth of the colosseum had collapsed in the battle and the sand still had yet to settle.
Odin held the remnants of his family closer to him as they stood on the sandy floor of the broken arena. Frigga and Loki shook in his somber embrace, silently weeping in fear that their worst nightmare was about to be realized at the careful lifting of each slab of rock mixed with a tangle of enforced rhubarb or small row of dusty metal seats. They had all seen who had won the fight. It was a green, sorrow filled victory. Had their hope really, truly, been in vain? Was everyone else right to believe the royal family was just full of denial? Would the only one they be able to pull out of the rubble alive be that vial, mysterious monster who appeared out of thin air without Heimdall’s or any of their guard’s notice till it was too late?
“We got a body!” Heimdall shouted out with a point of his hand as a winged beast lifted up another boulder of rock.
Frigga and Loki turned their heads inward, fearful of seeing the dull, breathless corpse of their loved one, once so full of bright, golden light.
Odin was the only one able to muster enough courage to look on and observe the lifting of a limp body, gently out of the ruble. “It’s not him!” He whispered in disbelief.
Frigga and Loki turned in time to see a healer rush toward a lightly bronze toned man with white rubble dusted all over body causing his hair to appear white.
Is he like me!? Loki couldn’t help but think at the sight of the indistinguishable purple shorts of the green Titan.
The stranger was quickly carried off to the castle’s infirmary where many members of the crowd had already been placed.
“I want him arrested as soon as he’s awake.” Odin bellowed to a nearby guard.
“Odin!” Frigga couldn’t help but chastise, gaining hope at the lack of red blood on the stranger. “He-he won! If Thor’s alive-”
“There’s another body under him!” Heimdall quickly shouted, interrupting them. “It looks like Thor!”
Frigga clutched her husband's arm tighter with a hand over her mouth, her fingers nervously twitching over her lips.
Thor was carefully lifted out of the rubble. He was in a similar state of ruble coated unconsciousness as his mysterious Titan opponent turned slumbering man. The only difference was his armor and clothes were caked in dark green blood, no doubt from his opponent's protective stub of a hand.
“Go. Follow him to the infirmary. I have to stay and see if there is anyone else trapped in the rubble.” Odin declared, lightly pushing his wife and son away towards the castle. “Send Huginn or Muninn if he wakes up.” He wasn’t heartless, he had a job to do.
Frigga quickly took Loki into her arms and glanced back at her husband with an understanding nod. “We will talk soon.”
Odin returned her nod with a curt one of his own. “I hope so.”