History Lessons
Loki and Thor bounded along after their father, grinning and laughing at each other. Odin had promised them a field trip rather than their usual classroom-bound history lesson. He led them through the familiar golden palace until they reached a set of unfamiliar white stone stairs. They were heavily guarded here and on the next landing which supported a set of thick stone doors. Thor paid them no mind, but Loki eyed the guards with curiosity. What exactly did they guard? Did they even know?
The royal family passed without hindrance. There were no guards inside the chamber. Whatever Odin was showing them, it was dangerous.
Loki and Thor hurried to catch up and walk alongside their father as he began speaking. “Once, mankind accepted a simple truth. That they were not alone in this universe. Some worlds, man believed to be home to their gods.”
Thor smiled at this and puffed out his chest. There was no doubt in his mind that Odin meant Asgard, and Thor in particular.
“Others, they knew to fear. From a realm of cold and darkness came the Frost Giants, threatening to plunge the mortal world into a new ice age.” Odin made eye contact with each of them to drive the gravity of his statement home. An ice age would wipe out the mortal tribes, vulnerable to cold and hunger. Loki couldn’t imagine the death and devastation. “But,” Odin continued, “humanity would not face this threat alone. Our armies drove the Frost Giants back into the heart of their own world. The cost was great. In the end, their king fell, and the source of their power was taken from them.”
Their father brought them to a halt at the very end of the chamber. Loki had admired various weapons, artifacts, and treasures on their way down. Golden gauntlets, braziers of eternal fire, legendary hammers, tablets of forbidden knowledge, all manner of magical weapons, but before him sat the best of all. He could feel the frozen power radiating from the blue box. It was just inside. Something whispered to him to take it, to release the magic that called to him.
“The Casket of Ancient Winters,” Odin named it. “The source of Laufey’s power. Only frost giants can access its formidable and dangerous magic. The Nine Realms are safe so long as it remains outside of their reach.” He waved a hand and the wall behind it opened, revealing a monster of metal and fire. “The Destroyer will ensure that it is so.”
Loki and Thor stared in awe at the Casket and its protector. Thor reached out to touch. Loki shrank away, waiting for his father’s reprimand. None came. Thor backed out at the last moment and let his arm drop. Even he was cowed by the threat to their enemies.
Their father went on. “With the last great war ended, we withdrew from the other worlds and returned home to the Realm Eternal: Asgard. Here we remain as a beacon of hope, shining out across the stars. And though we have fallen into man's myths and legends, it was Asgard and its warriors that brought peace to the universe. But the day will come when one of you will have to defend that peace.” He looked at each of his sons in turn. Thor grinned back.
“Do the Frost Giants still live?” Loki asked. The erasure of an entire race seemed a tragedy. Even if they had attempted to do that to others. Even if they were evil. They were already defeated, already stripped of their power.
Thor spoke, jumping into a heroic pose, “When I'm king, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all!” He brandished his hand at Loki as though he held a sword. Loki felt himself smile, anxieties forgotten as he was swept away in his brother’s excitement. “ Just as you did, Father!” Thor exclaimed, searching for Odin’s approval.
Their father’s eyes twinkled. “A wise king never seeks out war. But he must always be ready for it.” He turned from the Casket and began leading them back up the passage. The wall closed behind them, once again concealing the Destroyer.
Thor sprinted to catch up, “I'm ready, Father!” he promised, latching on to Odin’s hand.
Loki tore his eyes from the Casket, “So am I,” he grabbed his father’s other hand, vying for his attention.
Odin squeezed each of their hands in his, demonstrating his rare approval. “Only one of you can ascend to the throne. But both of you were born to be kings.”
Thor was born to be a king. He was the heir. Loki would never get the chance to prove himself a hero to their father. But oh, how he wanted to.