Chapter 16
HELHEIM
Odin was blinking slowly with his brow heavily furrowed. He’d witnessed it all silently. When he did speak, it was a statement that revealed shock and surprise…and something more. A statement that was the tiniest of steps towards the All-Father of Asgard actually admitting to himself that perhaps, just perhaps, he could be mistaken.
“They yielded.”
Many of the ghosts huffed while many more exchanged looks of disgust. There was a general consensus of groaning that immediately commenced. The humans glanced at one another and mouthed insults about him to each other. The elves and more aloof creatures looked down their noses at him. Hela and Farbauti shared a look with one another at the same time and both of them rolled their eyes.
MUSPELHEIM
“What are we doing, sire?” Fandral asked while steering the skiff that he and Hogun were occupying.
“As I said, your task is the dangerous one.” The skiffs were traveling at the same pace and direction next to one another. Even though they were traveling fast, it would be nothing for a person to walk from one to the other with ease. Which is exactly what Loki did, ignoring the aborted noise Thor made in objection. He handed Hogun a small map of the area, with four points highlighted. “Your task will be to position these four canisters at these coordinates.”
“Won’t the flamed beast see us coming?”
“No, but once you leave the skiff you will be visible.” Hogun nodded slowly to himself in understanding while Thor frowned at Loki. “Cloaking spells can only do so much as we don’t have the luxury of time. When nothing happens Surtur will approach the warriors out of boredom.”
Fandral glanced around in sudden surprise. He could see his comrades quite easily. “He cannot see us now?”
Loki smirked just a little. With the two skiffs touching he was able to extend one shared cloaking spell over all of them at once. Surtur couldn’t see their approach. But as long as they were sharing the same spell they would be able to see the fire demon as well as each other. Once the skiffs separated they would have individual spells so they wouldn’t be able to see one another unless they were both on the same skiff. Well, it was his spell so he could add and remove it at will, which would become part of the entertainment. “No. But the spell only surrounds the skiff and those on it.” He focused on the objective with Hogun. “Once the canister is placed, activate it. It will continuously emit coolant.”
Fandral asked curiously, “What will you be doing while we’re planting these?”
Loki’s smirk grew mischievously. “Thor and I will be the entertainment.”
“Should I tell him jokes?” Thor seemed to ask this with all seriousness.
Loki’s shudder was not just for show. “The nine realms will thank me for destroying you if you do so.” The thunderer huffed at him good naturedly.
“To what end, sire?” Hogun was strictly focused on practicality.
If Hogun did this right, the four canisters would form a very large square. “With these activated it should provide enough moisture in the air for Thor to call in a storm.”
Thor smiled grimly. “This plan is agreeable to me.”
“I thought you would enjoy that.” Loki rolled his eyes at Thor, but there was a tease in his gaze as well. He sobered and pointed to a spot that was in the middle of the formation of canisters. “If we can lure him here, I should be able to freeze him.”
“How?”
There was a certain look that entered Loki’s eyes as he stared at Thor and answered cryptically. “A weapon I borrowed from the Vault.” Loki wasn’t about to give the specifics, because Hogun was clever enough to know that his use of the Casket of Ancient Winters would be suspicious. But he wasn’t able to keep the anger that he still retained out of his eyes.
The thunderer slowly nodded, not about to ask for anything more specific. Not after that expression. Instead he asked, “This will destroy him?”
“No.” Loki smirked at Fandral. “But that is where your expertise in piloting will be most useful.” Fandral paid attention. “You will need to fly us close, so that the spell I will use will destroy him.”
“Close, sire?”
Loki’s smirk had a grim edge to it. A bit of gallows humor. “Close enough to burn us to cinders if we’re not successful.”
Surtur found the pathetic AEsir attempts to defeat him too amusing. He had lived for quite a long time and had a very long memory. Their first attempt today was exactly the same as when the AEsir had sought to defeat him before. In all this time they hadn’t changed. How tragic a species, who didn’t learn from history. He, however, did, and he had no intention to allow himself to be imprisoned once more.
He tilted his massive head slightly as he looked down at the skiff that hovered before him. It moved slowly upward, holding a single passenger. It would be so easy to destroy it but he waited. Surtur knew by the armor it was Asgard’s young king. He wanted to look this arrogant king in the eye before destroying him.
Surtur chuckled deeply, the sound feeling like an earthquake as the world trembled slightly from it. “Do you truly believe you can destroy me, boy?”
Loki crossed his arms loosely over his chest, humming softly before replying. “Hmm…perhaps not destroy you, but you will be stopped.”
“Such an arrogant fool…”
Loki blinked and asked as if shocked, “Arrogant?” He then grinned by baring his teeth. “Yes, I suppose I am. But fool I am not.”
Surtur glanced over as he watched one of the AEsir disembark from a hidden transport to place something on the ground. The fire demon grimaced as he felt a wave of cool air emit from it and travel up into the sky. A second later the AEsir vanished once more. The device’s effect was a mild irritation but nothing more. Surtur looked down on his adversary with contempt. “You bring toys to a battle? Your AEsir tactics bore me. You have not evolved since the beginning…and a species that cannot evolve falls.”
The trickster snickered quietly. “Also true, but then I am not static. I am change. I have evolved and I will continue to do so.”
“You will die.”
Loki smirked slyly. “Eventually, but not yet.”
Amusement curled his lip and without pause Surtur’s fist came down to smash the skiff. His humor ended in a pained snarl as Mjolnir smashed into his flamed flesh, causing him to miss, before the hammer flew off around him. Flames literally leapt into his eyes, focusing his rage on the skiff instead of trying to locate Thor. Only his fist connected with nothing. The warriors in the distance all flinched in preparation and could only stare in surprise as the image of the skiff flickered and faded. Surtur snarled as twenty more skiffs slowly rose into the air to surround him, each of them occupied by Loki and a cheer broke out amongst the warriors.
Surtur’s flamed eyes narrowed, roaring in anger. But instead he focused that rage on Hogun who had just placed the second canister. He stomped his foot into the ground, the burnt soil cracking and opening a fiery fissure in its wake. The moving fissure was targeted and followed Hogun as he ran and dodged back to where the skiff should be.
But Hogun miscalculated and ran into the edge of the hidden transport, falling onto his back with a grunt. A hand extended out of nothing, Fandral, and Hogun grabbed it. They both disappeared from sight a second before flames engulfed the area.
“NO!” Thor snarled the words before he used Mjolnir’s momentum to hurl himself forward.
All the Loki doubles sighed in unison.
For a tall being Surtur was surprisingly quick and used both flamed hands to capture Thor in his grip. Cries of dismay and horror broke out amongst the AEsir and Sif stiffened.
Surtur’s brief look of triumph faded as he opened his palms to see that he was empty handed. From the shrouded skiff Loki stared down his nose at Thor who was sprawled on his back, unimpressed with his tactics. It had been a well-timed teleport and that was the only reason that Thor wasn’t currently barbeque. Loki leaned down and hissed, “Idiot.”
Thor looked over his shoulder as he watched Hogun appear and place the third canister, a distracted Surtur entirely unaware, before he grinned up at his brother. “But it worked.”
Loki sniffed imperiously and turned to teleport away. “Which does not negate the reality that you are an idiot.”
Thor rolled back to his feet, his tone insistent, “It still worked--…”
“Thor.” Loki snapped the word at him and if anything Thor’s grin broadened. “Desist attempting to goad me and do something useful.” The trickster sighed once more before pointing to the sky as a hint where true clouds were starting to form for the first time in living memory before he vanished.
Thor yelled after him. “It’s not an attempt if it works, brother!”
Surtur picked a skiff at random a second before feeling the bite of lightening. Slowly he turned his head to the left, seeing Thor on the skiff as the cloaking spell faded. The thunderer was directing the lightning with Mjolnir. Surtur fairly sneered as he spoke, “I might find such a trick impressive if I were mortal.”
“Trick?” Thor felt like he’d been punched in the chest. Never had his might been compared or dismissed as a trick.
Disdain filled Surtur’s tone, “I am a fire demon, weather witch.” From the shadows Loki felt a smile stretch across his face at hearing such words directed at Thor. Surtur continued speaking, neither of them seeing Loki. “You would be better served producing a storm, assuming such could be done here.” Surtur didn’t hesitate, sending a ball of flame at him. Thor fought with the controls but the skiff wasn’t capable of moving fast enough. Luckily he was able to turn and use Mjolnir like a bat, deflecting the impact. He hissed but otherwise ignored the burns on his hands and arms as magic cloaked around him and hid him from sight as he moved.
Surtur jerked this way and that, searching for Loki. He could feel the bite of cold magic but not find the source, hidden from sight by a cloak of magic. He bellowed and swatted, sometimes at nothing and other times at skiffs that proved to be empty. He was completely unaware of the fourth canister being placed.
Suddenly the fire demon paused. He honed in on the distant warriors and decided on another tactic. He called his fiery minions forth and sent them to smite the remaining AEsir. He ignored the skiffs, the illusions fading as he strode through them, intent on his targets. Those able to fight fanned out, a line of protection for those too injured. Sif and Volstagg worked with Tyr, ordering the men into position. Instead of using their weapons to smash their opponents, this time the coolant was used as a delaying wall. When the ice melted the numbers were the same, a second before another wave would freeze them again.
Thor saw Surtur’s intent and clenched his jaw as he called in the storm, thankful the gases and fumes were balanced against the heavy moisture in the air. A second later it started to rain. The sound of hisses and clouds of mist filled the air, which only granted more fuel for the storm as the rain started to intensify. The small fire demons howled in pain as they were extinguished, the rain helping the time the larger creatures were frozen to lengthen.
Surtur roared, his flamed foot sticking to the ground, fusing to a bed of ice that the canisters had been silently creating when combined with the rain. He jerked as much as he was able, seeing out of the corner of his eye a small skiff flicker before appearing as the cloak of magic hiding it dissipated. The Asgardian king stood alone on the platform, a relic clutched tightly in both of his blue hands and his red eyes burning with hatred.
The fire demon blinked in surprise, knowing a Jötunn by sight. “You…you cannot be.”
Loki had chosen his spot strategically. Hidden within the shadow of the volcano so that no one could see him. The path of the casket froze one leg and then the other. Loki bared his teeth at Surtur. “I told myself the same, yet here I am.”
“They will betray you.” Surtur roared in pain as the ice and frost moved to immobilize him further, the rain cooling the fire within him.
Loki smirked bitterly as he retorted. “You have to trust to be betrayed.” Trust that at one time had been freely given to Odin. Trust that now he guarded with the ferocity of a dragon protecting a clutch of eggs.
“This will not defeat me!”
Loki was brutally efficient, muttering under his breath. “It doesn’t have to. It just has to slow you down.”
Surtur roared again and fought but there was no denying the icy power of the Casket of Ancient Winters. It wouldn’t hold forever. It wouldn’t even hold for long, but then it didn’t need to. Just long enough was all that was needed.
As soon as Surtur was frozen from bottom to top Loki banished the Casket of Ancient Winters back to dimensional storage, feeling himself breathe again as the blue immediately receded. Through the frozen enemies the AEsir were able to see Surtur frozen and a cheer broke out amongst them. Volstagg thrust a victorious fist into the air but Sif remained grim and focused.
Loki moved back to the skiff that Thor was occupying with a thought. A wave of his hand and the skiff with Fandral and Hogun appeared. The duo moved quickly and all four of them moved to the same transport.
“You did it.” Thor nodded with pride at Loki as he spoke. He had no idea as to how it was done and he knew better than to ask as he would never understand Loki’s magic.
Loki flicked his eyes in his brother’s direction. “Not yet. This won’t hold him for long.” All three men shifted uncomfortably while Loki looked over the edge to judge the distance between the skiff and Surtur’s head. He exhaled slowly, suddenly wishing there was another way. He didn’t know why now of all times his survival instincts had to kick in. He suddenly wished he’d done this all differently. “Fandral, move the skiff closer.”
Fandral blinked, glancing at Thor nervously as he asked, “Closer, sire?”
“There.” Loki pointed to a specific area and with a swallow Fandral grasped for courage he didn’t feel and piloted the skiff.
Thor watched his brother silently as Loki’s eyes closed, deep in concentration. Loki’s lip curled, fists clenching and feeling magic dancing against his skin. He had no doubt that he was glowing green but it was just like his manipulation of fire. One had to risk being singed to put out flames with magic.
“Is this close enough, sire?” Fandral knew this was where Loki indicated but that didn’t mean the trickster king wouldn’t change his mind.
Loki nodded slowly and Fandral looked relieved. The audible cracks of the ice breaking apart caught their attention. It wouldn’t be long before Surtur was free once more. “Once he is free I will manipulate the element at the core of him with magic. You will have seconds to steer clear of the blast radius. Be ready for my signal, Fandral.”
“Blast--…” Fandral looked from one man to the other as he asked, “What signal, sire?”
“You’ll know.” Loki smirked ever so slightly.
“Brother?” Loki slowly turned his head, locking eyes with Thor who looked expectant. There was no doubt in those blue eyes that he would succeed. “Put out the fire and we will return to Asgard victorious.”
Surtur would not just be caged but defeated. But Surtur was over a thousand feet tall. To get close enough to destroy the core of the demon he would have to literally be within the creature. The nine realms would continue forward. Thanos would not have his prize. Not through him. This was a good death.
Hate and love. They’d battled for dominance in Loki’s conflicted mind and heart for years. Centuries. Some years he hated Thor more than anything and others the reverse was true. Perhaps he did forgive Thor just enough to not wish his death. After all, he wouldn’t have died for Thor if he hadn’t forgiven the thunderer for what had been. But an heir was needed to keep the vault secure. Asgard would need a good king and Thor was finally worthy of that duty.
Loki looked back outward, making sure his voice was heard and carried. “I name you as successor to the throne of Asgard, Thor Odinson.” Thor started to frown and Loki shrugged lightly. “I have no heir. Someone has to sit on the throne.”
“Loki, I do not challenge you--…”
The ice shattered, flames engulfing Surtur once more. The fire demon bellowed with laughter, held tilted backward.
“I know.” Loki didn’t at the beginning, certain that the throne meant everything to Thor. He was wrong, even if he would never admit that out loud. He wasn’t the forgiving sort. Thor’s missed opportunity concerning Odin’s funeral rites may be equal to his missed chance to say goodbye to Frigga but as far as he was concerned he would never forgive or forget. At least, he had thought so.
But Thor did the one thing that he didn’t think the thunderer could do. Not just forgive him for all he had done, which was a given since the older man forgave him too often. But had stood by him as king. Thor had accepted it without anger or resentment. Loki hadn’t counted on that.
So much Loki thought about saying that he either wouldn’t or couldn’t. He looked back over his shoulder and allowed a rarely seen, genuine smile to spread across his face. A smile that brought awed looks from both of his companions and Hogun to blink in surprise. Loki spoke softly, but he knew that Thor had heard him. “Goodbye, brother.”
Realization flashed in Thor’s eyes as Loki started to run forward. Thor was the mightiest AEsir warrior to have ever walked the realms…but Loki had always been faster. Thor leapt as Loki did, his outstretched hand wrapping around nothing as Loki spun in mid-air, a smirk on his lips as words poured out of his mouth and his fingers moved intricately as he fell.
Loki felt like his fall was infinite. A few short years ago, he fell to run away from himself. There were many reasons wrapped within that act of falling from the bridge but that had been the strongest. Not necessarily to die, but just to cease being. This time was different and he acknowledged it to himself. His reason wasn’t to seek death. This time he was saving life.
Thor lay over the edge, his arm still stretched outward as he screamed an anguished cry. “LOKI!!”
Immediately Loki’s fall from the Bi-frost slammed into Thor. That horrible memory of watching Loki let go. The utter helplessness he’d felt as his little brother slipped through his fingers, the first of many times. Just like before, he was powerless to prevent it. Loki grinned, a second before he was engulfed in flames. As Loki disappeared, the first of Thor’s tears fell.
Fandral was pale and shaking. He’d heard about Loki’s initial fall from Asgard, though he suspected the official story was far different than what really happened. He’d heard about Loki’s actions on Midgard. Thor had described what Loki had done on Svartalfheim since Loki had always been tight lipped about it. This was different, to actually see it. A thousand years of knowing the trickster, but he’d never seen him do anything truly heroic. Until today.
Hogun was a quiet man who had never kept his distrust of the younger prince a secret. But that distrust had slowly faded as he was shown the kind of man that Loki was if allowed to live by his own choices. He was not one to express himself openly. Not after Vanaheim. But that didn’t mean he didn’t feel the emotion.
Even as Fandral moved the skiff away as fast as it could travel, Thor wasn’t the only one to grieve without shame.
Surtur’s laughter cut off sharply. No time to speak. No time to curse. Just enough time for flamed eyes to widen before an arc of flame shattered outward and his large body became useless pieces of rock, ash, and ember.
The initial explosion of fire coated rock and embers had knocked all the AEsir off their feet. Its sound reverberated all around, the fire demons screaming just before they followed Surtur. As the explosion slowly quieted a cheer of victory rushed through the AEsir as Surtur’s minions crumbled to ash.
Volstagg grinned mightily, raising his fist high into the air again with a victory cry. Sif blinked slowly, not moving at first. Volstagg was not the most observant of men but today he noticed her lack of reaction. He came up to Sif’s side, seeing her distraction and misinterpreting it. “Loki is the greatest mage of Asgard and I am certain Thor will return to us unscathed.”
She pressed her lips together tightly to keep the tremble undetectable. So was she.
Their heads turned as the skiff approached and hovered in front of them before slowly lowering to the ground. Hunther stood up a little straighter, pride in his gaze. The shuttle lightly docked. Fandral was pale as a sheet and Hogun was as grim as ever with his shoulders slightly slumped. Thor was sitting at the edge with his head hanging low.
The cries of victory and celebration slowly quieted, looks exchanged. Volstagg’s brow furrowed, looking from the skiff to where Surtur had fallen. It dawned on the warriors that four men had gone into battle but only three had returned.
Sif took a step forward, her movement catching attention. Jaw tight. Eyes forward. She refused to show these men her grief. Later in a quiet moment she would give into her tears but for now she allowed the portrayal of a stoic warrior to wrap around her like a cloak. She brought a fist to her heart and bowed low in the direction of where Surtur had been defeated.
Hunther moved in a similar fashion only a second behind her. What many would do out of a sense of duty he did from respect. Volstagg’s face was the picture of heavy sadness, but he and Hogun didn’t hesitate in joining in. Soon others did as well as word spread that Asgard was without a king once more.
Author's Notes:
I know. I'm an evil, evil author. But then again it's not like there wasn't a warning. Now, this isn't the end of our tale so chide me for leaving you wanting closure.
Next:
Aftermath; One AEsir changes