Chapter 1
Ragnarok Bridge Battle AU
POV Loki
My daggers plunged into the rusted and decaying chest of the draugr. The corpse let out a guttural wheeze as it dropped onto the shimmering crystal of the Bifrost. Quickly taking out a few more that were in arms reach I finally get a moment of reprieve.
I could still feel the phantom stinging of the taser that Thor had left on my back on Sakaar. The trip back to Asgard gave me a much-needed recovery and break. From escaping the Grandmaster to procuring a ship, being cleverly crossed by Thor, and finally meeting up with a band of misfits to eventually make it back to Asgard, my day had been quite eventful if I do say so myself.
I took a much-needed deep breath in and out, leaning my head back with closed eyes as the sounds of battle continued around me. The grunts of fighting and shouts from the Asgardians as they tried to board the ship we brought, mixed in a cacophony of sound. However, one voice seemed to shatter through that barrier entirely. I sheathed my daggers back into my pocket dimension and turned toward the voice. It called out again, a warm velvet tone that never failed to give me pause no matter what I was doing.
It was that thick mop of ash blonde hair that I noticed first, the way it moved with ferocity as she shoved draugr off of the Bifrost with only a flick of her fingers. The vibrant green of her magic was second, the way it twisted and ebbed around her fingers and hands. It was as much a part of her as she was of it. Blasts of green magic vaulted back draugr and even disintegrated some entirely. Once the path was clear Amora rushed toward me. It was instinctual to open my arms, she ran right into them. Throwing her arms around my shoulders I held her tightly to me, pressing a kiss against the top of her head. Her face was buried in the leather of my torso, her grip remaining the same strength for the small amount of time that we embraced. Even in the midst of battle, sweaty, exhausted, and covered in draugr guts, I could still breathe in that scent of peppermint she wore with exuberant pride.
As Amora took a step back from holding me I found myself tightly gripping her hands, the presence of her magic still pulsing ever so slightly. She looked up at me, her face still without flaw. I stared into her eyes, a shimmering jade colour that flowed with ancient knowledge of times long since forgotten. I forgot how easy it was to get lost in them, it was her greatest power. Yet, as I stared I noticed that they weren’t imbued with magic. The eyes that captivated me so viciously were just her, and it was at that moment that I truly understood. I finally understood what I couldn’t for the last millennium. Amora was standing before me, her eyes staring into mine and I felt calm. I felt safe. I felt…
“Hela told everyone that you and Thor had perished at her hand” Amora’s voice even when filled with worry made my chest tighten.
“It’s a long story” I chuckled, plastering a grin on my face.
“I bet…” she pressed her lips together in a smiled and brushed something off of my right shoulder pad. She paused, breaking our gaze and opting to look back at the battle waging behind her. We didn’t have much time.
“You won’t be coming with us will you?” It was more of a statement than a question, I already knew her answer.
“I can’t…Lorelei is somewhere in the nine realms and I must keep my little sister out of trouble”
She was lying.
“You’ll leave Skurge?” I asked.
“It’s for the best I’m afraid” She gave me a sad smile in response.
I was so used to her lips being enchanted with a candy red that I finally noticed that they were just a simple flesh-coloured pink. No enchantment. In fact, her whole look was a surprising change. A simple green tunic that hugged her curves, black leather pants, and black boots I remember stealing at some point, were all she had on. It wasn’t the flashy display that I remembered so fondly, but to be honest it suited her. Anything suited her. Even wearing the simplest of clothing, Amora managed to make it look intricate and captivating.
I cursed myself for becoming distracted but with Amora, it was as easy as breathing. In the back of my mind, however, I knew that I was merely stalling for time. Time we didn’t have. I held her hands tightly, squeezing them as I looked down at her. Amora’s hands left mine and reached up to trace the base of my golden horns and eventually settle to cup my face. I wrapped my arms back around her waist, pulling her closer, not wanting to let go.
“Promise me you won’t die, Odinson” she whispered, somehow audible within the shouts of battle.
“It’s like you haven’t known me since 1000 AD” I smile, trying desperately to hide my sadness.
It might have taken millenniums to muster the courage but I quickly leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. They were soft and perfect. I tightened my grip around her waist, digging my fingers into the fabric on her tunic. I could feel her hold on my face tighten and soften as well.
I was the one who broke the kiss, it was for the best, or I would never let her go. Even as I did it I felt the pull. I’ve wanted to do that since my youth but always feared the enchantment that rested on her lips. It was gone, there was no more enchantment. I had nothing to fear.
We didn’t say another word, Amora gave me one last look, a look that said more than either of us could muster. I let my arms drop back to my side and let her go, I watched as she peered over the side of the Bifrost. Waves crashing below, I watched her in admiration and trust. Amora approached the edge, the toes of her boots meeting the edge of the crystal. In a single fluid motion, I watched her jump. In a single breath, Amora shot back up, levitating in the air, midflight. She didn’t look back at me, nor did she look back at the fighting. Instead, she took off into the cosmos, a cloak manifesting around her shoulders and over her head.
As I watched her fly off I couldn’t push her gaze from my mind. It was that single unspoken vow that we took that I held onto. In a single look, we told each other all that we needed, all that we agreed upon happened in that one second. I made a promise that I intended to keep, for if I didn’t I knew that I would be sent to Hel, not by Hela, but by a much more sinister creature.
I knew where to go, where we would meet once everything had settled.
I made a promise.
I would see Amora again.
Even as my head snapped back to the commotion and I went back to helping the Asgardian people, I still kept that promise in the front of my mind. The whole of our interaction sat there; in the mere minutes it took.
I, Loki Odinson, swear to travel the nine realms for as long as it takes…if it means I would hold her again.
Amora. My Enchantress.