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[Jotunheim - The Great Hall]
The story of how he lost his eye was known by few and speculated by most. There were rumours that made mention that Odin had lost his eye in a grand war fighting death itself. Yet, it was simpler than that.
A watered well with no end, filled with knowledge. Knowledge that could not be taught, but only earned. He knew the stories well. A select part of the body must be given. Depending on what was given, a reward or curse was to be bestowed.
He was rash, lucky and foolish. Odin knew this all too well. He could have lost his life, but back then, power was everything.
The risk was worth it.
Knowledge was power. With knowledge, he could see things, he could feel things, he could understand things. His peering gaze ignored Tyr’s abrupt mumbling. Instead, his focus was fixed on Farbauti.
As his gaze delved deeper, one thing was clear. She was no Loki. His son was the greatest liar he knew. A skill that was bestowed upon him the unknown.
Yet, upon realisation, he couldn’t help but shudder at the thought.
“You’re telling the truth,” Odin stated silently.
“Odin,” Tyr started.
“The eye does not lie,” he replied. His gaze never squandered, but he was confident that Tyr knew what he meant. “The eye never lies,” he added quietly as he took a step forward. “Yet… more questions arise,” he noted with a calculating pierce. “You had no intention of telling me.”
“No,” she ushered back in response. Her head fallen in shame.
“Yet you did,” he responded ever so quickly. He didn’t know why, but the urge to be on the attack with words felt great. “Against your sons’ wishes… you did.” A deep breath was let loose. “Why?”
“Because I am a mother… just as you are a father, and just as your queen is a mother,” she responded despondently. “I had no intention of telling you… because I did not see you…but I see you now, Odin Warmonger… I see the tepid fear creeping into that wretched soul of yours. I see that we are the same, even though we’re not.”
The effect was immediate. One moment, he was composed and the next, he was shaking. He couldn’t help but raise his arms as he stared into his palm. Fear was evident with every tremor that coursed through his body.
“But fear is good,” Farbauti continued. “Without fear, you cannot heal,” she mustered as she walked towards him.
“Can one truly heal?” Odin asked quietly.
“We are all part of the Norn’s creation… woven against Yggdrasil,” Farbauti murmured. “Bestowed with a path that we cannot fathom… The will to heal is there for everyone… but not everyone can take it. It must be earned… not given,” she answered.
Odin nodded once more.
“Would you like to see him?” she asked gently.
His eye widened in return, shock and surprise coursing through his body.
A chance.
“The Casket of Ancient Winters… use it and see,” she ushered in a whisper as she took a step back.
His hand quivered as he turned them to the side. He wasn’t sure if it was desperation or whether it was an attempt to ease his guilty conscious, but he hoped and prayed as seidr flowed through his core, that this was no false hope. A bright yellow light filled the room as Helblindi, Byleistr, Lorelei and Tyr covered their gaze.
And suddenly, it vanished.
In front of him was the Casket of Ancient Winters.
Transportation magic was tolling, but Odin did not care as he levied his gaze against Farbauti.
“If this is a lie,” Odin started.
“I would forfeit my life before making such a lie about my son,” Farbauti answered.
He blinked in surprise.
She called him Son.
He sighed as he planted his legs in a parallel stance. Maintaining his Jotun heritage, he closed his eyes and focused on a single thought.
Loki.
The sudden clanging sound flickered into existence. Odin knew then and there that the Casket of Ancient Winters had opened. He opened his eyes and wondered in confusion as to why there was no snow.
Is it because… I’m not a complete Jotun? He wondered.
But then suddenly, his vision blurred. His footing was light, and at that moment he was dead to the world. All he could remember was Tyr’s and Lorelei’s scream.
Aroused and awakened, he realised that he was an astral projection floating in a part of space that he was not familiar with.
I’m outside the nine realms, he realised.
A dream long forgotten… Nei, a dream long stopped. A vision stopped before absolute destruction.
A strong smell aroused him greatly. He knew that it was coming from the cosmic bed. Thick amethyst smoke shrouded with hints of jiggered blue and yellow smothered his vision. Yet against all, he saw what he never expected.
Ripped tunic of green and gold.
Loki.
Impossible, he thought.
Nei, merely improbable, he acknowledged with a small smile as tears welled on his eyelid.
His blue skin glistened against the murky amethyst as it sparkled like diamonds in the darkened outer rim. Battle scars coursed through his body as far as the eye could see. His torn green tunic flickered as if there was a gentle breeze frocking from behind.
He wanted to touch, he wanted to hold, he wanted to hug but he knew that he was barred from such action.
It was instantaneous when he realised. There was no Bifrost and there wasn’t enough dark matter for him to venture outside the nine realms.
So, this is my punishment… by the Norns… to know, to be powerless and to be impotent.
So instead, Odin did nothing but watch.
Seconds turned to minutes before the hour hand struck true. A coarse rippling effect fluttered into existence. Immediately, the blue was gone and, in its place, was his Asgardian form.
And then, suddenly it all vanished. He was on the floor, gasping for air as reality beseeched him.
“Odin,” Tyr screeched.
It was like a heavy weight had been lifted of his shoulders as he found himself standing.
“Easy,” Tyr commanded.
Yet, Odin did not care. He had seen the truth. He had felt it, and he knew it.
“Odin?” Tyr mumbled.
His gaze hardened and Tyr couldn’t help but gulp at sight. No words were needed. In that moment, he knew that Odin had seen the truth. Tyr turned and faced Lorelei who was still frozen in her spot. All he did was nod, and he noticed the most relieved sigh he could remember from the young courtier.
His breathing is ragged. “Impossible… how?”
Farbauti’s eyes narrow. “The blood of Ymir flows through him.”
“The blood of Ymir flows through everyone,” roared Odin as he took a step forward. “Cease this needless conversation and answer me,” he continued in a fit of rage.
Farbauti couldn’t help but smile. “You hear what you want to hear, but not what I am saying… the blood of Ymir flows through him,” she answered as she placed a hand on her heart.
Like a candle being blown out, Odin found the answer he was seeking. Surprise and shock embodied him.
“Funny how things work… isn’t it?” Farbauti asked with a gleaming smile as she walked towards Odin. “After all… it was you and your brothers who killed Ymir,” she answered mockingly as she pressed a finger towards his chest.
He begrudgingly took a step back. The memories were still fresh. Back then, he was young and naïve. He thought he knew better, he believed he knew better, but he was wrong. Yet now was not the time to be contemplating on the past. “And how do you know?” he snarled grimly.
“Because the night I saw him… for the briefest of moments, Laufey’s rune of grey glistened a colour of gold,” Farbauti ushered.
“No,” Odin whispered.
“It did,” answered Farbauti. “Haven’t you ever wondered what causes Loki’s rage? What causes him to act in the manner he does?”
He had no response and couldn’t help but shudder at the thought. After all, those are questions that have haunted him mercilessly.
“He does things differently… doesn’t he? He pins himself on the line of black and white… We all know that with good… there is evil, yet within him… both exist,” Farbauti answered.
His thoughts darkened as he wondered if it was a curse. Is this my punishment for vanquishing Ymir?
“Sorry… did you say Ymir?” Lorelei asked nervously. “As in the founder of life itself?” she continued. “That is a myth…is it not?”
“The warm temperatures of Muspelheim had travelled across the dark paths and entered Niflheim. It mixed with the ice,” answered Farbauti. “It is not myth, child… The primal god… the exact replica… that exact blood flows through your prince.”
“Ymir was evil,” Tyr noted as he turned to face Lorelei. “Nasty business who sought nothing but destruction and pain.”
“He is the reason you are here,” Farbauti answered.
“That does not change the pain or destruction,” Tyr snarled in return. “He deserves death from the moment he was born… it was just fortunate that Odin and his brothers were able to finish the job. The nine realms and more would be in a terrible state otherwise.”
“And does that mean Loki should die as well now?” asked Farbauti with a short smile.
Tyr bit back his tongue as the walls of his mouth stayed firmly shut. He had been goaded, and he verily realised it as he turned to face Odin.
“No,” Odin answered with a strained voice. “He is not Ymir.”
“But he does have the temperament of Ymir. The rash decision making… the way he intends to seek victories… it is instinctive,” Farbauti sneered.
Slowly, Odin nodded in response.
He always wondered why Loki acted in such a way. He thought that Loki was rebellious. He never considered it to be his nature.
It makes sense.
Odin sighed as he found himself remembering more of the past.
[Flashback Begins]
The halls were quiet, quaint and scuffled with marks and bruises as everyone clung to the suspense that plagued them. The people were still as they held onto their empty breaths as their gaze remained locked upon the stage.
Music and dancing were the norms for such momentous events, but this was not the case. What was meant to be Thor’s day of his successful ascension into the ranks of a warrior was overshadowed by the presence of an overwhelming axe aimed at the Queen’s head as she was forced to kneel before the public.
It didn’t take much insight to realise that a coup was organised by the older generational Einherjar who were not satisfied with the King’s ruling. They argued for victories and spoils. They yearned to conquer realms.
They had allied themselves with the elves from Alfheim. Arsenal of weapons ranging from swords, axes, and hammers to magic casters.
“I promised you, Odin. That one day there will be retribution,” Lord Styr said grimly, “you were our King. We had a plan… a dream that would set the worlds around the universe under Asgard’s thumb… yet you betrayed such oaths. For what reason? For this cow that you would call Queen. All because she asked you to stop?”
His soldiers jeered and mocked as Odin’s struggles grew tenfold. He tried to fight through, but it was nigh impossible. Such was the might of the magic deployed by the hands of Alfheim.
“Let the King and Prince kneel. Let them feel subjected to the levels of such horrific violence. I want them to suffer as much as I have suffered. For the losses we tallied,” Lord Styr roared.
The mage stepped forward with his staff in hand. A twirl later, both Thor and Odin were forced to their knees in quick succession as they let loose a whimper of rushed, gasping air.
“Wonderful,” Lord Styr stated as he walked towards the Queen. He plucked the axe from his comrade and allowed the blade to run across his tongue ever so gently. “Are we ready for the grand finale? You should be happy, my Queen. This blade is as smooth as it can be,” he said with a chuckle.
His aim was true as he brought it down. Yet, the sound of sharp footsteps brimming into existence provided him with a distraction. Immediately, the axe stopped mid-flight. He looked around himself in utter confusion because he honestly believed that the mage’s magic should have been more than sufficient to nullify everyone in close proximity.
Yet, as the door opened, he couldn’t stop the panic that was festering within him.
Green and black walked towards him as his golden horns provided a beacon of light in this timely darkness.
“Loki,” said Lord Styr. “So, the banished god of lies has chosen to present himself.”
Loki smiled as he let his jarred teeth shine.
Lord Styr could not help but note the resemblance of Loki’s jarred teeth to one of a ragged beast.
He was the banished Prince, returned. He was the dark Prince of Asgard that was unwanted, but he did not care.
“The dark Prince of Asgard,” Loki said as he walked towards the centre stage. He walked past Odin and Thor. While looking at them disappointment flashed across his face as he shook his head, “How pathetic.”
“Loki, well-,” Lord Styr started.
“Silence,” Loki replied curtly, “I did not give you leave to speak… let alone breathe, you imbecilic mule.” With his open hand, he made a fist. Immediately, Lord Styr was drawn to the floor. He smiled as he walked past. “Mother,” he said with his arms afar.
His hands were engulfed in a wave of green as he walked towards her. His seidr did as he asked. He watched in delight, as the ropes that bounded Frigga were untied.
Drawing her into a hug as she stood, he heard her say, “you have returned.”
“Mage,” Lord Styr shouted.
He expected swift action, but no sooner than the words had left his mouth, he found that the mage was slowly falling to the ground with multiple knives sticking from his corpse.
“No,” Lord Styr said horrifically.
“I will be back,” Loki said to his mother as he walked away.
As he did, he could hear her silent whispers echoing on his eardrum, “be careful.”
Styr was horrified. He did not need to say anymore as everyone’s eyes turned to face the mage. Two knives covered both eyes, another knife sticking out the mouth and another in the nether region. The latter provided Loki with a chuckle.
“Who else is impressed with my aim?” Loki asked with a glowing smile. Shaking his head, he turned towards Lord Styr. “It’s now your turn,” he said as he walked closer to him.
“No,” Lord Styr hummed as he tried to move from his spot. He found that he could not as Loki’s magic held him firmly in place.
“Do not fret. I will give you the Loki special. Not one with swords, not one with knives nor magic,” he cackled as both hands were placed under Lord Styr’s chin. “Now, now, you are a soldier of the mighty Asgardian race. You… who would walk and talk about making the universe kneel under Asgard’s thumb… cannot and must not show fear,” he said soothingly. He gave a final twist. The crackling screams filled his heart with pleasure as a pool of blood drenched the floor.
With Lord Styr’s head held by his measly hair. Loki cautiously eyed Styr’s followers. With his arms wide as Styr’s head dangled in one hand, he let his jarring teeth shine while he gave a mock bow with the other hand. The pleasure that followed, was grotesquely appealing. He was delighted as his followers knelt one by one into submission.
“Let this be a lesson to all… let it flutter across the nine realms,” he said as he discarded Lord Styr’s head onto the floor as he took the nearest seat with his dagger in hand.
He watched, as the Queen stepped toward him and stood behind him. His mother’s hand running across his hair provided him with a sense of warmth. His piercing green eyes blazed in return as he once again faced the crowd, “to mess with what I consider as mine… means death.”
[Flashback Ends]
Loki was different. He was no Asgard, and his definition of honour was significantly different to what Asgardians were use to. There was also the fact that Loki walked in a manner that was considered unpleasant. If the Asgardians weren’t terrified, they were shellshocked by the audacity that Loki would strive in.
But that’s who you are.
“Odin,” Tyr’s voice chorused. “You’re not thinking about?” he queried.
“Yes, Lord Styr,” he noted silently. “He always did do things the hard way… didn’t he?” he asked in an even quieter tone.
“It was him,” Tyr answered in an equal tone as he silently fidgeted on the spot. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat embarrassed as shame festered into his heart. He always wondered why, always coming up with the most obscure reasons. Yet, the answer was always there, in front of our faces, he mused.
“It seems… that in my olden age, I have much to learn,” Odin noted as he turned to face Farbauti. “Yet… even with the newfound knowledge, there are no means of transportation.” A chortle filled the air as Odin’s eye welled with sadness.
The irony was sweet and bitter, all at once.
“He will return,” Farbauti answered as she stepped forward. The gap between herself and Odin had marginally decreased. “He will return,” she added with conviction.
“The blood link between Jotunheim’s heart and Ymir’s blood that flows through Loki,” Odin noted. His voice was quaint, and somewhat quivering.
Farbauti couldn’t help but let a short laughter fill the empty space between herself and Odin as she silently shook her head. “You think like a man… when you should be thinking like a woman,” she answered as she stepped forward once more. Letting her hand rest on Odin’s chest, she said, “Yes… Jotunheim has a claim on Loki’s heart because of Ymir’s blood flowing through him… but home is not a place, home is… a feeling. He was raised on Asgard… it is his one true home… and nothing can change that.”
He opened his mouth to respond but found himself without a voice as panic crept into his woven heart. In the corner of his eye, he could see that Tyr and Lorelei were slowly but steadily shuffling towards him. Is this a panic attack?
His vision was blurring. He expected Tyr and Lorelei to be at his side but was surprised when it was Farbauti standing in front him.
“Breathe, Odin,” Farbauti commanded.
His gaze hardened. He followed her command as he breathed in, and out.
“Relax,” Farbauti commanded.
And he did. His breathing was softer.
“We are all but a part of Yggdrasil… a leaf on a branch… destined to fall, perish or burn… but I do not feel, that day is today for Loki,” Farbauti mused gently. “Think it through… you found the one Jotun who was blessed by Ymir’s blood… after thousands of years… of all the people, you found him. Do you truly think this is the end of his story?”
He nodded as his gaze hardened.
“His story does not end here… it is merely the beginning,” Farbauti continued with a smile as she stepped back. “What you should be thinking about is what can you do with this newfound knowledge? You could sit… you could watch… but we both know, if Loki is anything like you… he will avoid you and Asgard. So, the question remains… what you will do.”
What will I do?
And then it clicked. He was a father first, and a king second.
His hand formed a fist as Gungnir materialised.
“Odin?” Tyr asked worriedly.
“Relax,” Farbauti stated with a brewing smirk. “You are about to witness something truly magnificent,” she stated calmly.
Seidr seeped into existence as a wave of gold engulfed Odin. His aura darkened and deepened as a rich feel of warmth filled the icy halls.
His muscles tensed as he looked to the ceiling. For those around him, they could only see the bluish icy ceiling. Yet, Odin could see further. He could pinpoint the direction in which Asgard was.
His thoughts were his own, but he knew that the gatekeeper could hear and see.
A task till the end of time itself.
To look and not to never stop.
Till he comes within the nine.
And then, Odin would reap every drop of dark matter in existence to claim his treasure.