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Chapter Text

That damned arsehole! Looki looked at himself again in the ice mirror. Yep, no hole. Where the mouth should have been, there was nothing, and the part that fused the tentacles to his hipbones lacked the twin siphons that usually an octopus would have. Loki looked down on his brand new tentacles and he wanted to cry again. Cry in outrage and yell and destroy everything within reach. This punishment was too much, and just because of a prank!

Earlier that season, Loki had confused the shoal to arrive a little later than usual and then he had cast an illusion to make the fish look like birds, feathered and all. The other mers had panicked and Odin had been forced to punish him. Loki had accepted that he may have gone a bit too far, but to get his lustrous, black and blue tail shifter into octopus' tentacles!? And for a thousand years!? Ludicrous, absurd, preposterous! His beautiful tail!! Loki whined. He couldn't go out between the other mers like this.

So now, Loki had retreated to the deepest part he could find and lived exiled in a cave filled with bioluminiscence creatures and plants. Sure, he could just go out, ask for forgiveness from the city and present his face to every citycent and that would make it all over, but Loki had pride! And so, that's how a week passed by. And then other, and then another. And Loki noticed that he was gaining weight. The irony, oh, the irony. Of course he was getting fat! He couldn't go and shit, so everything stayed inside. Ugh! He looked at the mirror again and frowned.

“You are so full of crap!” he grumbled, angered.

As time passed he discovered that he just needed to eat less. His body could burn everything he ate, it just took longer. It also meant he couldn't eat as much as he had before. A century in his punishment and Loki had found the perfect balance between how much to eat and how much to move. Once, he stopped eating altoguether and found himself looking like a skeleton. Now... Now he just ate some fish, a kale maybe, algae... Little bites. It was maddening.

His autoexile meant nothing, Loki discovered soon after. Mer people still remembered how good he was with enchantments, curses and other magical properties and sought him out for love potions, enacement spells and beauty routines. And Loki... Loki was petty and unforgiving. He refused at first, but little by little he started giving in and by his third century of punishment he had a steady income of clients. Everything was almost well until Odin anounced his marriage.

People stopped coming to him until the wedding week approached. Then, everyone wanted to know everything about looking their best. Looks, always the exterior. Loki got fed up and 'closed his business'. There were complaints about it but they abated short of the wedding day. After that, no-one came back.

Intrigued, Loki went out of his hiding place and listened to the rumours: the queen was a witch. She had powers of her own and her remedies were the most sought out. Loki felt rage at it and, jealous, sneaked around the palace. He wanted to see that witch! And see he did. She was a beautiful mer, with a cheerful song in her voice, golden hair dancing around her head and breathtaking blue eyes. Loki snorted. Odin had fallen for the exterior. Loki's next step was to meet in person. He managed to get an audience with her. He wouldn't go by himself, but with an illusion.

“My great Queen,” he greeted, lowering his head. “I come to you for aid.” His exterior was that of a pale mer, poor hair without shine, a massive scar on his chest and an ugly arrangement on his face. “I am told you can cast remedies for the ugliest creatures. “Please, help me!”

But she didn't raise to the bait. She studied the illusion and smiled serenely.

“My good mer, what you need is not for me to change your appearance with magic, but to find something else within you,” she said, melodic voice and all. Loki's jaw almost dropped in surprise.

After a couple of more words she sent him away, asking him to try a look inside himself for something to love and to come back when he found it. Even if it was small. And then, Loki understood. Frigga didn't give them spells, she gave counsel. And only used her magic if it was absolutely necessary. Loki retreated to his cave, now convinced that Odin had chosen the right one.

As centuries passed, less and less people came to him, which suited him well, until only the most desperate came for his aid –those to whom Frigga wouldn't give her magic it would seem–. Some of them were criminals, Loki knew. They wanted cloaking spells or deathly draughts. Loki, on his part, started asking for other ways of payment –he had enough trinkets already, but that was hardly the point–. He gave them time limits for usage and asked for their most beautiful and pure features in exchange. Usually they refused to pay but sometimes there would come a desperate enough soul looking for the impossible.

00000

“I want to be human!” the young girl said. “I know you have gone to the human world before. I want to go there too. And live above. I am sick of being confined.”

“Confined?” That was new. It seemed that the rules about swimming near the surface had changed. The girl nodded.

“Ever since prince Thor went up and almost got caught in a net, the King has decreed that o one is to go near the surface ever again.”

Loki hummed. It would be another two years until his punishment ended –he could almost feel the taste of his favourite dishes– so he shouldn't aid the poor pup to go against the rules. Then again, if the pup became human, she wouldn't be breaking any rule.

Aided by his tentacles, he turned around and rummaged through his belongings. He found it, a medallion. He pushed the rusty thing on the young girl's hands.

“Listen, and listen well. Swim at full speed towards the surface and don't stop until your head comes above water. Then, put this around your neck and go to the shore. As soon as your fins touch the sand, they will become legs. If you ever want to come back down, cut your hand and drop your blood over it, then throw it to the sea and jump in. Your tail will be back in a second. It is important that you do not lose it. Never take it out when going near water. Understood?” He saw the girl nod, then he proceeded to give her some tips about how to survive with humans. How they acted and what not. He also told her that he hadn't been up there in a while, so things might have changed. He shooed her away and went back to his own tasks. But she didn't move, still on the same spot, medallion in her hands.

“And the payment?”

Loki thought about it.

“On your first blood, bathe under the moonlight by the shore,” he answered. She nodded and left.

Now, alone again, Loki meditates. He has not been out for over two centuries. He missed his nephew's birth and his subsequent birthdays. He never sent a gift nor word of good natured wishes, which means he is a stranger to his new family. Before they were only Odin and himself and now... Now Odin has a wife, a Queen, and a son. He saw Frigga, once, and deemed her worthy, not so much of Odin as to being their Queen, but he never took interest beyond that. How old was Thor now? Surely older than a couple of centuries. A pup still? Growing into a young mer? Or maybe he was bratty? That he had almost been caught by humans meant that he was rather rash or stupidly curious.

Two years more. In two years he would be free to go back. Not that Odin told him to keep to himself. In fact, he was sure his brother wanted him to stay at the palace so everyone could see his punishment and forgive him. Loki frowned, he would never let this ugly thing be seen if he could prevent it, but his little experiment of exchange of hexes and the like for trinkets and the like had resulted in people seeing his ugly tentacles. They were dark, grayish, spotted. Even Loki's breathtaking tail's colour had been altered. And he had been forced to live almost a thousand years without shitting! Loki became angered again just thinking about that. He was sure his stupid older brother never thought about it when he decided to shift his beautiful lower half into this monstrosity.

He frowned to himself.

“Now, are you going to grow restless?” he admonished to his reflection. “Surely you can wait for a little longer before doing another trick, can't you?” His frown stayed in place. Growling, he swam away, tinkering between his possessions until he found it: a ring. It was just an ugly band that looked faded golden, but it had power. It had the power to help him regain his tail. Through all these centuries Loki had never tried to change back into his tail, nor to change into human, but the thought had remained in his head, tempting. Loki knew that if he dared change his shape without Odin's magic lifting the curse, Odin would know and after that his punishment would be worse. Loki shuddered.

To be stuck in this form for life would be the worst, so he decides to turn in for the day and bows to stay in his best behaviour until Odin gives back his precious tail. He needs rest. With a last glance to the ring he goes to his little niche on the wall of the cave and closes his eyes.

00000

Loki was fuming. Where was Odin? The time limit for his curse had passed already. Two hours ago. Two hours!!! Loki could say that these past centuries he had been in his very best behaviour. Not one prank, he had been fair in his trade and never bargained with people who could pose a threat to the kingdom, so where was he? Why hadn't Odin come? Odin knew where he lived now. Odin was swimming late and Loki had lost his patience.

With great effort –mental effort, mind you, Loki was as fit as ever, and even though he hated his tentacles, he had had one thousand years to acquire himself with them and was very dexterous– he went out his cave and crept towards the city. It took him to reach about another two hours. Loki felt irritated to no end. On the other hand he was anxious. What if he had crossed paths with Odin and missed him? No matter. Odin was King, and as King he would come back to Asgard sooner or later –Loki hoped it was sooner rather later–, and then they would talk. He wanted his tail back. And his asshole! He wanted to eat whatever filled his mouth to the brim and then go and take a great dump. The greatest of them all. In fact, Loki was sure that he would need a name for such a feat.

As he approached the palace he noticed something. Eveyone were out: not near their houses, no, they were literally out of their houses but in the palace's grounds. They were swimming about, chatting happily. Loki, panicking, cloacked himself with another enchantment and approached cautiously.

“...you. I bet their wedding will be more impressive than his parents'.” It was one of the things Loki caught. He waited by a rock, listening, gathering intel. After a few minutes getting water of the rumours and gossips Loki was ready to tear appart the whole place. Odin, that bastard! He had completely forgotten about Loki! His hands grabbed at the rock, as his tentacles clenched. The rock started cracking under the pressure of his strength.

He took mouthfuls of water, filtering it slowly. As slowly as he could abate his temper. It didn't help that the people around him were swimming happily to celebrate his stupid nephew's birthday –and wasn't that just a charming coincidence?– and talking about all the beautiful and accomplished pups that were trying to get the pup's attention, and betting on who might win the golden son of Asgard's heart. Loki felt his claws growing bigger as his anger got the better of him, pupils becoming black, vertical slits that parted moss-green eyes into two, fangs also growing bigger, wider, longer. He needed to hunt prey. To slash with his claws, to tear and rip and destroy.

He impulsed himself out with the help of his tentacles and swam as far away as he could before his temper released a wave of pure magic. He didn't know where he was, he just knew that there was a shark in front of him, ready to attack. Well, if Loki died by the sharp maw of the animal, he wouldn't be sorry. The fight was a fierce one. The shark got a hold of one of his tentacles and sawed the limb. No matter, their blood was already mixing in the water. Loki clawed at the animal, feeling feral himself.

He didn't know how long he fought the massive creature, he only knew that the longer it took, the more dangerous his situation. The blood would attract other predators, and surely more than few mers. The last thing he wanted was to be seen like this by his fellow mers. But, his mind supplied, did it mater now? Odin forgot and Loki was sure to be cursed to the end of his life. Wouldn't it be better to be done with his suffering now?

A decision made in a split second, in an altered state of mind: he would let the shark tear his head off. He closed his eyes, jaw set, hands fisted. He was ready. Then, something darted from behind him, passing close to his cheek and landed on the shark. The creature shook, trying to take off whatever had pierced it on the snout off, but it couldn't. Loki opened his eyes to see a bident stabbing the poor creature. Instead of focusing on the shark, Loki looked over his shoulder, black hair providing a curtain for his face for a few seconds. Through the strands he could see gold and red. Another mer. With a long, strong, red tail, marbled with golden scales here and there. Blonde mane over his head. He wore a necklace made of shark's teeth.

The red-golden mer swam past him towards the retreating shark. He got the bident out and finished the injured creature. Loki frowned.

“What in the Seventh Seas do you think you are doing?” he blurted out. The blond mer twisted to look back at him. Gorgeous blue eyes locked on his.

“Saving your life?” the young mer, for Loki could only see him as a pup, said with a cocky smile.

“Well, I was in no need of saving,” he growled, still desestabilised. He was panting slightly, taking shallow sips of water, filtering faster than he could get the water to his gill.

“Oh, I don't know,” the arrogant young mer said, smiling. “You seemed to be in a pinch with that shark. If I am not mistaken, it was about to tear your head off.” The pup was smiling flirtatiously.

“And it didn't occur to you,” Loki said, trying to calm down a little,” that that is what I was aiming for?” His hands were fisted once again, claws digging in his palms. His fangs hadn't receded yet. They grazed his lips. His words seemed to surprise the pup, for he lost his shining smile.

“What? Why?”

Loki growled and left. Or tried. Wtih one less tentacle, he found it was more difficult to swim around.

“Don't follow me!” he growled at the pup when he felt the waters move.

“But! But!! You are injured!” the pup protested.

“Of that, I am well aware, pup. You ruined my momentum and now I am not in the mood to die, but to retreat and be misserable. So thank you for wrecking my very busy schedule,” he snapped at the blonde and tried to swim faster. It hurt. Having lost a tentacle. It hurt too much, but he kept going. The pup was still following him. Loki felt his patience running thin –not that he had much to begin with but still– and was about to send the pup back when he talked first.

“My name is Thor, what's yours?”

Loki stopped in his tracks, looking at the now smiling blonde pup. He seemed happy that he had managed to take Loki's attention.

“Thor? As in Crown Prince Thor?”

“The very same in the flesh,” the pup said, spreading his arms as if showing off. Loki frown deepened once again.

“What in the name of the Sea are you doing out here!? Go back to the palace and partake in your celebration party, pup!” he admonished. The pup seemed to be thrown back by his outburst, but Loki was in no mood to treat the son of his brother with any kind of respect. This little asshole was half the asshole his father was, right? Half asshole, half impressive. He had gotten the perfect mix between Frigga's beauty and Odin's hardness. The only thing Loki could see of the pup was his father's arrogance.

“I... I smelt blood and...” Thor's golden face had become pale. “I thought I could help...” he added with a small voice. Loki sighed.

“Do whatever you want,” he barked and went back to his way. Injured as he was, it took him longer to reach his cave. He also paid no mind to the pup. So much so, that when he arrived and went into his niche to relax he was almost startled to death by the pressence of said pup. “What are you still doing here?”

“I... I thought you... I mean, I wanted to escort you, since you are injured and... You are not bleeding anymore, but you still might attract...”

“Attract what?” Loki asked now. He was feeling very tired, so instead of yelling he just asked, fire almost gone. The pup turned bright red then and Loki couldn't help but to rise an eyebrow.

“Ah... Unwanted company... I mean... You are very attractive and...” the pup was stammering, his flush growing up to the root of his head and down to his neck. He was rubbing his nape, nervously.

Loki couldn't help himself, he barked a laugh, then he lost it. He was laughing so much and so hard. He couldn't remember the last time he had done so.

“So... You thought I would be attacked by other mers? You are so endearing, pup,” he said, still laughing. The pup was now completely red, though he didn't look embarrassed but affronted.

“I was just doing my duty,” he protested.

“Yes, of course. Now, let me tell you one thing, pup. No one dares attack me. No one would want to be on my wrong side, because I simply can trap them inside a crab's shell,” Loki commented, while starting to tend to his wounds. Then, realization seemed to dawn on the young mer.

“You are the sea witch!” he exclaimed.

Loki looked up at him, surprised.

“Excuse you?”

“Yes! I mean, I've heard tales of you! The Sea Witch. A mer with tentacles that can grant wishes for a high price. Oh! My luck!” Thor seemed ecstatic.

“What in the seven...” Loki muttered.

“No! I mean. I have wanted to meet you, you see? And today!? What are the odds!! I need a favour. Or no. I mean, yes. But I will pay. I am the prince, after all, I can pay.” The pup beamed. He seemed convinced that whatever he needed Loki would provide for a monetary price. Then, a thought passed through Loki's mind.

“Pup, do you know my name?”

The boy nodded, enthusiastic.

“You are Loki, the Sea Witch.”

Loki felt another pang of anger.

“Do you know about the Royal Family. About your father and his siblings,” he asked then, carefull, studying the young's face. Another nod.

“Yes. Father had two brothers: Vili and Ve. They died after the last great war so father was the only one left to rule, he was the youngest of three brothers,” he said, proud of himself.

Loki felt his blood run cold. He had been forgotten. There had not been three but four brothers. Loki and Vili had been the oldest ones, twins of the same egg. As soon as he could, Loki had renounced his claim to the throne, passing it to Ve. When!? When had he been erased from their lives? Was it because Loki exiled himself? He felt numb. He looked at Thor, past him really, but his eyes were locked in his direction. The pup seemed uncomfortable.

“Is that so,” Loki said, quietly.

“Em... I think I will leave you here now. You seem to need to rest,” the pup said, turning to leave. Loki nodded, but Thor was giving him his back so he couldn't see it.

Chapter Text

It'd been several days since Loki met his nephew. He had been left alone, it seemed. Better that way. He went back to look for the shark's body and collected what he could from the remains. Other fishes had taken their task of cleaning very seriously, but Loki could salvage some. Some parts of sharks, in particular this one, could be used to make very powerful draughts. It took him a couple more of days of recollecting here and there and then he set off to his little above-water cave. There he set his utensils and prepared the black marmite to brew. Some of his enchantments needed to be prepared by fire and his concoctions usually could be used underwater, but for a few he needed to be extra careful and dry the ingredients to make the most of them and underwater that was clearly impossible.

If you had asked Loki for remedies when he had just started playing with his abilities he would have laughed at you if you suggested him to use dry ingredients. Now he knew better. In his long life he had travelled all around the world, seen the Sevent Seas and walked on land –his first time as a human had been embarrassing at best so he tried to forget it–. He had also met a lot of different kind of shamans, sorcerers, witches and priestess, and from each one of them he had learnt something new. He had also discovered that in-land magic could become more powerful than underwater magic depending on the tides and the season. He had also learnt how to read the winds and the sand.

A very accomplishe magician, some liked to joke, branding his seidr as mere tricks. And he had let them, for all his life, he had let them. It wouldn't do for any of his fellow mer to discover that Loki alone could cause so much chaos as to throw Asgard off and destroy the whole city with just the flick of his tail. But today, oh, today! He was going to throw a baldness curse to Odin. A very wicked one. Odin would grow hair everywhere –except on his scaled parts– and his head would become a shinning ball. No eyebrows either. The beard... Loki was still considering if he would let his little brother keep the beard –after all, Odin's black beard managed to keep the troublesome mer in place whenever confronted by their king–, so maybe no. Maybe he would let the beard intact, for the sake of Asgard.

With the aid of his tentacles, he moved from one part of the cave to another, making sure he had enough wood for the fire, enough clean water, enough bottles. He frowned. Not enough bottles. Muttering a bloody Medusa, he went to collect some quartz. Ugh! If he had to make new glass bottles his moment of revenge would take longer. He should have been more mindful, but the past years he had been more focused on the end of his plight. And now. Now he was stuck, because he doubted dumbhead Odin would remember that he had cursed his older brother.

He growled, breathing heavily. The vial in his hand was almos thrown to the other side of the cave. Almost. He didn't. He needed the vial intact. Taking a deep breath, Loki tried to calm himself. His eyes swept through the place, making a mental note of more things that needed restocking. He also took notice of his wooden shelves. Some were slightly rotten. Frowning, he bowed to find more good wood and craft a new one.

His way out in the open was painful and slowler than ever. It seemed that losing a limb had affected greatly his movility.

“Well, what did you expect? You screwed big with the shark,” Loki admonished himself.

Once outside the cave he let the sun and gentle breeze to caress his form. His hair shone under the golden, warm rays. Then, painstakingly slow, he moved through the grass and dirt towards the natural ravine that contained his most interesting rocky materials. He had been keeping this little island secure from humans by way of wards and magic, so all the narutar resources were still intact, and Loki's own needs were meet with little, so the island was still rich. It took him almost all day. The sun had already started to set, painting the waters with orages, yellows and reds when he heard it. Loki stilled, hands and tentacles filled with his findings of the day. He heard it again. Hurrying to a more secure ground, he invoked the bag from the cave and put all inside, then slided towards the sound.

“..lp! Help please! HEEEEELP!!”

Loki stopped, heart hammering against his ribcage. A human. It was a human. In his island! The human kept yelling.

“I'm coming, I'm coming,” Loki grumbled, while he went to the human aided by his tentacles. When he reached the rocky shore he saw what was left of a shipwreck, no human corpses, and one human trying to reach dry ground. His legs didn't move and his white, but dirty, shirt was stained pink. Bleeding, then. Loki sighed, annoyed. “I am going to have to either kill it or help it back to health,” he mumbled, while rubbing his face.

“Please, please... IS SOMEONE HEEEERE!? I CAN SEE YOUR SMOKE!! PLEASE HELP!!”

“STOP YELLING YOU FUCKING TWAT! I CAN HEAR YOU PERFECTLY FINE!! I WAS JUST DECIDING IF I SHOULD KILL YOU ON THE SPOT OR NOT BUT IF YOU KEEP AT IT I'LL JUST SNAP YOUR NECK!” Loki answered, angered beyond meassure. Not only was he short on materials, he would be delayed into making his baldness curse.

“YES! I mean, yes! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm just so relieved...” the human, a male, a man, said before fainting.

Loki groaned.

“Why couldn't you just walk!” he whined. Then, he readied himself to drag the man into his cave. Upon touching his skin Loki knew he had a fever. The moon was already up and the sea an inky black mass when Loki finally laid the man in a makeshift cot. He had had to sew it with the left overs of the wreck. Now, the most unpleasant part of the task started. Loki bared the man, from head to toe, trying desperately to remember about his knowledge on human anatomy.

He set one hand over the forehead and the other over the chest. Then, closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and focused on the man, aided by his seidr. He found buised ribs, but none broken, a hit on the head, a broken femur and some lesser issues. First, he should try and settle the bone. It took him too long, and the blissful oblivion that had swallowed the man before was starting to disappear, so he went back to his herbs and looked for some that could dull the pain or the mind or both.

Through the length of the night, Loki tended to the human, driven by some mad sense of duty. Maybe that that the man had been damaged on his lower part made Loki feel identified. He, also had lost something important waist down. And now it wasn't only about the exterior beauty of his tail, it was also the movility and the easiness with which he could have changed it into a fine, strong pair of legs. The tentacles just got in the way of everything. Sometimes he felt that they had live of their own.

He had stopped brewing the balding curse's first draught and had set his table and utensils for healing potions. He managed to get some bandages with which support the healing leg. Finally, with the first rays of the day shinning over the waters, Loki put his hands on chest and forehead once again. The man would survive, his fever wouldn't kill him. He retreated to the lower part of his cave, where he had a small pond that connected with the sea below. Loki had won his rest for the day.

00000

“Loki! Come! I found it!!” the man, Svad he had introduced himself, was waving the arm that wasn't gripping the cruthc. If only to get him off his hair, Loki had tasked him to go and gather some seashells and starfish. With a heavy sigh, Loki made his way toward the human.

“Did you? Is it really it?” he asked, not quite convinced.

“It is, really,” Svad said, smiling when Loki approached.

The man was strange. Upon waking up he had not yelled at Loki, nor tried to hit him or kill him or insulted him, he had just thanked him. Then, he had said the most startling thing. Without looking away from Loki's eyes he had said that he was the most beautiful creature he had ever contemplated, as if awestruck. Loki had averted his eyes first, selfconscious, and had crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at his tentacles, feeling dirty.

That had been yesterday. And now, Svad, who couldn't and wouldn't stay put inside Loki's cave, resting, as he should, was offering his arm for Loki to help him walk on land.

“I have been told that octopi are quite intelligent. The other day I just heard the most bizarre of tales about one. A frined of a friend has this restaurant of seafood, and in one tank...” Svad started telling a story about the animals. For some reson, Loki surmissed, Svad thought Loki was half octopus. Not that he wasn't, but not in that sense. Loki was almost sure Svad thought Loki's brain was half octopus. “... to find both of them gone!” Svad finished with a laugh.

“Such a pity. They are quite savory and I prefer them grilled myself,” Loki commented while looking up at a seagull. This made Svad stop in his tracks. Loki almost tripped him with his tentacles.

“What? You eat octopi?” Svad looked shocked. Loki smiled wolfishly.

“Why, yes. They are a personal favourite,” he said, licking his lips without looking away from Svad's amber eyes. “Do you like octopi, Svad?” Loki said, purring. He always used this voice to mark something dangerous was about to happened, but the man's mouth just hung open, a bright flush marking his cheeks.

“I... Think they might become my favourite, yes,” he answered, breathless.

Loki patted him on the elbow, let go of his arm and went to pick up the seashell.

“Good boy,” he said. Turning back to Svad. “This one will suffice. Now, go back and rest! If you don't get well soon I'll put you out of your missery myself!” he snapped.

Instead of flinching or coiling back, Svad laughed, put both hands on Loki's face and kissed him. Startled, Loki's tentacles wraped about Svad's form, while his own arms stayed at his sides. The man grew bold, one hand travelling to the nape of his neck while the other wrapped around his waist. Loki's arms shot out then, to embrace the man too, opening his lips to tease him with his tongue. They lost balance and fell down. Svad groaning in pain, Loki because some of his tentacles were crushed under their weight.

“Oof! Hurts!”

“This is why I told you to go back!” Loki snapped again. “And as much as I would love to have an affair with a handsome seawolf like yourself, I'd rather go back to my devices. I have a revenge to plan.”

If Loki was leaving Svad behind, it didn't have anything to do with the heat on his checks, or the fact that he didn't want the man to discover how crippled he really was. That had been a discovery on the second day of his punishment: no sexual organs. Really, Odin never planned anything at all. Or maybe he was just that cruel.

When Svad finally arrived the cool inside of his cave, his face was red but from another way of exertion. Maybe he should had swallowed his pride and helped him. Even if Loki's magic and remedies speeded up the recovery, the man was still a convalescent, right?

“Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you away,” Svad said while sitting on the cot. Loki huffed.

“Listen, pup, I am older than your grandparents. You didn't scare me away.”

“Then, why did you leave? I thought you were enjoying yourself.”

Loki turned around, a twirl of limbs and angry scowls. But he didn't say anything. Svad was studying him, face serious. Loki looked back at his work table, hands grinding the seashell with the pestle.

“I am cursed, pup. And you live too short. So nothing good could come from you and me enjoying anything.”

“I don't particulary care about that. But if that's how you see it. Just mark this: I would love to have you... Or for you to have me.”

Loki looked back at him, surprised. He was smiling now, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Loki smiled back.

“I think I will pass this time,” he said, going back to his work, this time with good humor. “As I told you before, I am planning a revenge and I cannot get sidetracked even if for a few decades until you drop dead. And not after I have exacted my revenge will I let myself get lost in the pleasures of the flesh.”

Svad hummed from the cot.

“And what if you managed to get what you wanted, lest say... Tomorro. Would you think about it? With me?”

Svad was eyeing Loki in a way that he had not been stared at since... Well, Loki couldn't even remember. Svad's stare was scorching and he felt his cheeks heaten. It didn't help that Svan was gropping himself while bitting his lower lip. Loki felt thirsty.

“Maybe... I could make a little detour... If it will make you stop and let me do my thing,” he said, half angry. Svad sobered up, but didn't stop touching himself.

“How would you like me...” he asked in but a whisper, full of desire.

Loki felt like moaning. He had never felt so... Wanted. Slowly, he let the pestle and mortair back on the table and went towards the cot, one tentacle at a time. He stood there, between the man's legs, one stretched over the cot, the othed resting on the floor. Loki lowered himself and with deft hands unlaced the man's breeches. Svad groaned. Carefully, he let the cock free, caressing the skin, tangling his fingers on the pubes to then fondle the sack.

“I have sharp teeth, it would be advisable for you not to do anything too sudden,” Loki whispered, looking into Svad's eyes before lowering himself and taking the member into his mouth.

For long minutes, the only sounds in the cave were those of Svad's ragged breathing, the sea, and Loki's suction.

“Loki... Loki please...” Svad didn't seem to know what he wanted from him, and Loki didn't care to ask, he was focused on the cock inside his mouth. It had been an age since he had had any kind of sexual encounter and he was going to enjoy it. Svad's hands found his hair but the man didn't try to control his pace, he just massaged him and Loki couldn't help but moan. Within seconds, Svad was spilling down his throat.

The next minutes neither talked. Loki wasn't looking up at the man, and Svad seemed to be looking at the marmite. His cock was soft once again, but still quite appealing, if you asked Loki. Or maybe it was because he hadn't had contact with men in such a long time... He touched it out of curiousity making Svad shiver and cover his hand with his own. Loki looked up. Svad seemed to be looking for something, but Loki didn't know what. Then, the man smiled.

“What?” Loki snapped, frowning.

“You truly are the most breathtaking, gorgeous, attractive and beautiful creature I've ever behold,” Svad whispered, caressing his cheek. Loki froze. “I wish we could stay together.” His hand slid down his face to touch Loki's neck, then it went to the back and he pulled Loki to him, until their foreheads were connected. “I wish I could help you with your revenge,” he said, kissing Loki's lips softly. “You have ruined me for everyone else today, merman. And I wish I could just let you go, but I fear you are going to have to erase my memory of you, or I'll haunt the Sevent Seas unil I catch you and chain you to myself,” he mumbled to Loki's lips.

Loki answered with a feroucious kiss, hands and tentacles wrapping about the man's form.

“You should make me yours before you depart, then. But know that it won't be an easy feat. You will have to chain my will to yours for life and I have not found any ounce of seidr in your blood, mortal,” Loki said, peppering Svad's neck with kisses and little nips, making him gasp.

“Then... then how can I... ah... how can I... have you...” he asked. His cock was hardening again and Loki was more than pleased to help him with it. This time it took a while longer for Svad to spill, and when he did, it landed on Loki's face and chest. Both of them were breathing heavily. “Beautiful... I... How can I please you?” he said, realizing, for the first time, it seemed, that Loki had not had any release.

Loki pulled away.

“I told you. I am cursed.”

“Then... Are you really a man?” Svad sounded unsure but hopeful and that hurt. It hurt so much that Svad wished he was human. But instead of lashing out he just went back to his work, not looking back.

“Go back to rest, sleep if you can.”

00000

His curse was finished. Loki grinned. That stupid, twat would get what was coming for him. Loki couldn't help himself and laughed out loud.

“In a good mood, I see,” Svad said, from the entrance of the cave. Loki swirled around in a fuid motion. These past days he had become used to having only seven tentacles and now he could move easily about his space.

“On your own two legs, I see,” he retorted. Svad just flashed him a smile. Loki had to give it to the man that he was handsome: tanned skin, dark red hair, amber eyes, and that smile... If Loki wasn't as petty as he was he would have thrown away his personal vendetta and just stayed with Svad in the island, enjoying his short human life. But he was petty, and he wanted revenge. He had not been denied basic biological functions through a thousand years to leave his hammerheaded brother alone. No, no, he wanted revenge now.

“Aye. If your charms work, I will be safely delivered by the shore in a couple of hours.”

Loki feigned hurt.

“You dare say such things of my charms? The nerve!”

Svad laughed, one hand combing though his hair.

“Yes, well... I cannot really be sure. You might want me to drown,” he said, smiling playfully. Loki approached him with a smile of his own and kissed him.

“I will remember you fondly,” he promised.

“I...” Sadness covered his amber eyes, smile dimming. He cleared his throat. “I will also think of you fondly.”

“Ah! Wait, I have something for you,” Loki stopped him, one tentacle grabbing at his wrist. That teared a laugh from Svad's throat. Loki took a necklace with a shark's tooth. “This... I enchanted it to help you whenever you are on a ship. If any mer is to interfere with you, they will sense my power and leave you alone.”

Svad lowered his head, but not his gaze, so Loki could pass the cord. The tooth rested right in the middle of his chest. Loki's hands lingered there, not looking at Svad's face.

“If I ever tell this tale to anyone they will think me crazy or too drunk, for I have fallen for a mer man instead of a mer maid.”

Loki's eyes darted up, surprise painting his face. Svad cuppled his face between his hands. Then, without saying anything, he kissed Loki, softly, sweetly. At last, he departed, boarding a small skiff that Loki had assembled for him. It had runes engraved to keep it afloat, dry when raining, cool under an unforgiving sun, and to never lose the course.

00000

Finally, Loki was back to his cave deep under the sea. He had his draught and some more. He had gotten a few tokens from Svad that he could use for future enchantments and he had rediscovered his own attractiveness. He looked at himself in his mirror. But of course he had mesmerised the human: black hair, thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, vibrant eyes, smooth skin and useful tentacles. He stopped mid motion. Useful tentacles. Loki groaned. He could have used them to play with Svad! And he didn't! What a waste!! Well, no matter. He was going to curse Odin and then demand his tail back and after such a long time wearing tentacles Loki was sure he could make a concoction of his own to transform his tail into tentacles once again. He could even go in search of Svad. Oh! What fun they would have!

He went through his knickknacks and then froze. Someone had been there. While he was away. Instantly, he searched his wards. They were all up, no one with blood different than his could ender. Loki searched through his belongings, worried that someone might have stolen from him. The water current at his back shifter and with a swiftness never seen before he turned, ready to attack, claws and teeth sharp as ever.

“Oh! You are back!” the intruder said with the most cheerful tone and eyes full of hope. “I thought you have left and would never come back. Thanks Medusa, you are back!” Thor swam towards him and embraced him. Loki, stunned, put his hands on the pup's shoulders and tried to push him back. It only served to join them at the hips, chests far appart. Loki felt his cheek heatening.

“What are you doing, pup? How did you enter?”

The pup didn't release him, he just squeezed him harder, making his blush spread to the root of his hair. Damn, but that pup was as strong as an adult!

“I have something to ask of you, witch! I am ready to pay the price. You are my only hope!” he said instead. Releasing him slowly. Loki's eyes narrowed when the pup's hands lingered on his back a tad too long before he remembered what personal space meant, blushing furiously. “Sorry, I was just so glad to see you back.”

Loki nodded, turning around to tinker with his vials, trying to regain a bit of composure.

“And what is it that you require, prince?” he said, half turning. The pup's face had lost the smile but as soon as Loki asked, the bright, toothy thing came back.

“I need legs.”

“... What?” Another one? The pup was clearly mentally challenged. No, scratch that, he was stupid. As far as Loki knew, it was this pup's fault that now they had been banned from the surface, and now the idiot wanted to go up? “Weren't you almost caught by fishermen some years ago?”

“Yes, well, that is of no import,” Thor said, dismissing it with a hand gesture. “The important thing is that I am in love. I saw her years ago. She was drowning, so I helped her, but instead of thanking me, the old folks thought I was the one trying to drown her, so they tried to retaliate. But I have forgiven them and I can only think of her. She was so small in my arms. Her hair is brown and straight and her eyes are intelligent and...”

Loki stopped listening. The pup was infatuated, that much was clear. And he wanted to go above water. And he was Odin's son. He fought the smile that tried to creep up his thin lips.

“Very well. I can do that. See this ring?” Loki interrupted. The pup seemed overly excited, wasting too much air. Loki proceeded to explain the mechanism of the charm in the ring. It was somewhat similar to that of the medallion he had given a couple of years ago with a few differencies: this one had a time limit –if the purpose wasn't fulfilled in said time limit then, the bearer would be inflicted by a weakened state of body and mind–, one couldn't come back to being a mer and if tried, one would disappear between seafoam. Of course, Loki explained everything, every little detail, even the more grotesque ones. That didn't deter the pup's intentions. He still wanted to do it, so Loki sighed, as if worried for the pup. Internally he was screaming, dancing, laughing.

All these centuries... These past days, weeks? Planning his revenge and it was here, served to him. All he needed to do was to give the ring to the pup, activate the enchantment and sit back and wait. If the pup fulfilled his purpose, then he would become a human boy and be human until his death in less than a century. If not, he would become a weakened human boy and would die in a lustrum, tops.

Odin would suffer. Oh, he would suffer. But he couldn't do anything to Loki. By law, Loki was being truthful. He didn't coherce the pup, he told him all the ups and downs and gave him the chance to not accept the exchange.

“Okay, Understood.” Thor's face changed then, expression grave. “And the payment?”

Loki searched the pup's face, parted his lips and passed his tongue over them. It was a nevours habit he had acquired in his short time in the surface.

“Your eyes.”

Chapter Text

The rules were simple, Thor thought. Swim to the surface, look for the shore, cut his finger, put the ring on said finger, don't lose the finger, never take off the ring. Once on dry ground his tail would become a pair of legs and his anatomy would become that of a man. The witch told him a lot of details about how his body would react and about the changes. Thor listened intently. He understood all the rules but, at the same time, he couldn't help but notice the small things about the Witch. His hands moved around to illustrated what he was saying, he had the habit of passing his tongue over his lips every few words, his eyes went up and down and narrowed while explaining something he thought would be slightly difficult, his black hair floated around him in such an enticing way that he had to focus on the mer's forehead to not lose track of what was being said.

There was also the fact that he had hugged him and had felt reluctance at releasing him. And oh!, wouldn't you look at that? One of his tentacles twitched, as if annoyed, whenever he caught Thor looking somewhere else. Thor nodded. He understood and then he remembered the woman. She had been so light in his arms and when he had taken her above water and she started coughing and breathing! His heart had almost stopped. Her eyes were half closed and when she asked him who he was she seemed confused and lost. She didn't even know that they were still on the water.

Then, the ship had approached them and a sailor had thrown an harpoon at him, then some more had tried to catch him on their nets. He let go of the woman and swam down, but followed the ship until it reached the harbour and then spied about, trying to get the woman's name. The only thing he managed to get was that they all thought he had kidnapped her and tried to drown her.

For years he had tried to forget her eyes, her voice, her face... But he couldn't. He just couldn't. And now, after so long –it had felt like an eternity– he had had enough of his father's prohibitions. Until his birthday he had just had a few feeble plans but then he met the Witch and saved him. And then, and then... He remembered the tales of the Witch. He was as powerful as his mother, more than her in some areas even. He could turn me into a human, he had thought, cheerfully. There would be a price to pay, but he was a prince, he had everything in the realm, so no price was high enough. And even if he was a pauper, he wouldn't mind either.

After his birthday, after he was told off by the Witch and he went home he had stayed long hours thinking, mulling over going or not going. It took Thor almost all his braveness to decide that he would go for, if he became human, he would be leaving everything behind for just a woman whose name he didn't even know. He knew he was being stupid, but True Love shouldn't be stopped, nor soulmates should be separated.

When he finally decided to go to the Witch and found the cave vacant his heart had dropped. He reasoned that maybe the Witch was out doing some chore or another, so he would come back later. And he did. He swam the long distance back and forth for the following days, to an empty cave, feeling more and more desperate each time he arrived and the Witch was nowhere to be found. And then, he had seen the Witch, and his heart almost stopped. The Witch's face had somewhat changed. It didn't look as haunted as he had seen him before. Thor would never know why he darted forward to wrap his arms around Loki's torso, but he thought that it might have something to do with the fact that the Witch could give him what he wanted.

“Okay. Understood.” He schooled his face. He needed to be ready for whatever the price was. What if the Witch asked for the first born child he would have with the woman? Could he pay such a price? He bit the inside of his mouth, trying to prepare himself for the answer. “And the payment?”

The Witch looked at his face, searching. His brows furrowed so very slightly, eyes narrowing millimetrically and that damned tongue appeared again, caressing his thin lips. Thor didn't let his mind wander about. He should stay focused.

“Your eyes.”

Thor's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“My eyes?” he asked, feeling dumb. Was Loki going to gouge them out? He entangled his hands at his back to stop the shacking.

“Yes. I have just the container here,” the Witch turned around and Thor's eyes wandered to where the severed limb was. There was a stump between two perfectly healthy tentacles that had tried to close in proximity to close the gap, leaving it to rest oved them. It twitched slightly, as if it also wanted to aid Loki in his search and Thor had the almost irrepressible need to touch it. In fact, his hand had wandered far enough already, approaching the limb when he became aware of what he was doing. He retracted his hand, feeling ashamed.

Loki turned around, grinning. His pupils became vertical slits when he saw Thor's retreating hand, then he growled, showing his sharp fangs.

“What are you doing?”

Thor blushed. He had been caught, hadn't he?

“Nothing,” he said, promptly. Loki narrowed his eyes, stump twitching. Thor's eyes went to it, as if attracted by a magnet and then they went back to Loki's face. His blush spread to his neck and chest. Loki snarled, hand gripping a vial a tad too strong.

“Does it make you uncomfortable? My imprefect form?” Loki growled. Thor panicked. What if he deemed the deal nul?

“No!” he rushed to answer. “It's not that. I just... find it... cute...” he said, starting mid voice to finally, with a small voice, almost a whisper, confess his sins. Thor looked away. But it seemed that the Witch wouldn't let him off the hook. He approached Thor in an instant, enveloving him with a few tentacles and his free hand grabbed him from the chin to make him look him in the eyes.

“And what, pray tell, is cute?”

Loki seemed angry.

“I just want to touch your stump,” Thor confessed. “I can't help but want to touch you- IT. I mean it. Not you. I mean, not that you are not very touchable, you are, but, I mean...”

Loki released him, shocked. The pup kept stumbling with his words.

“Enough of that, pup! Forget about that. We have a more serious task at hand. There are a few more things you need to know before you truly accept the exchange,” Loki cut him off, and the pup went silent. “First of all, the ring's charm has a time limit. As I explained it to you before, if you don't manage to get the woman before six months have passed, then you will become a dumb and weak human. You might even forget your own name, so you better get the woman, understood?”

“Yes,” Thor said, nodding eagerly. “I suppose that a peek on the cheek, if given by love would suf-”

“What peek? No! I mean sex! You have to bed her in six months or less!” Loki cut him again. Thor blushed again, stammering. Loki rose a hand to stop him. “Let me finish this: if you don't manage to bed her, then you become an idiot. If you do manage to bed her, you become a human, fully, and will live the short live spawn of a common human. There's no going back from this, pup. You will be human wether you get the woman or not.”

At that, Thor felt himself assured.

“I am ready to throw away everything for her,” he said.

“Perfect, our Crown Prince is an idiot even without the aid of magical items,” Loki muttered, though loud enough for Thor to hear. The pup had the intuition that he had done that on purpose. “Now, for the payment. I'm not taking your eyes physically, I'm just taking away your sight. You will still have the same eyes, but the only thing you will see is an endless night.”

Thor frowned then.

“Then, how am I supposed to find my lo-”

“Tru Wuv will guide you,” Loki said in a mocking voice. Then he sighed. “I have prepared this compass,” he showed him a rusty compass, it lacked the red little needle that pointed to the N. “It has a magic enchantment that will help you find her. It'll grow hot whenever you approach her location and will go cold as ice if you don't. I am giving you this for free because it would be completely unfair for you to not have any way to locate her.” Thor took it. “Now, to the important matter: you won't be able to see, ever again, even if you manage to bed your human before the six months' mark, understood?”

Thor looked up from the compass. He saw Loki's narrowed eyes and felt insulted. The Witch thought that he would balk now? Ha! He was as close as ever to the woman, he wouldn't stop now that he had almost reached bliss. He nodded.

“Not being able to see will only be a minor hindrance. I love her. I am ready for it.” He looked back at the compass in his hand, so he missed the look of sadness thrown at his way. But that was for the better, for Thor would have been enraged to be pitied so by the Sea Witch who lived like a hermit.

“Well, now, let me make a contract, I don't want to leave any detail to the currents,” Loki said and went around the cave, tinkering with his possessions.

It was well past his curfew when Thor got out of the cave. He had performed the ritual for the contract with Loki, signed with his blood and all, and now he was headed to the surface, heart hammering in his chest. He had been given three items in total: the ring, for obvious reasons; the compass, to help him locate his love; a wristband of surface-anima skin that would help him understand any language spoken to him, no matter where he went.

Loki hadn't taken his sight yet but he had put his palm over his eyes and changed while holding the ring in a tight fist. After that he explained that as soon as he became human he would lose his sight and to not panic, for he would feel disoriented. He also mentioned that he might feel unbearable pain while his body's shape changed, but he was resolved.

Finally, his head broke the water and he felt the cold breeze of the night on his face. Looking around he located the shore, but he didn't went there just yet. He wanted to make sure this was the correct place so he swam around until he found the harbour. Then, and only then, did he swim towards a beach and started his part of the ritual. Using one of the many shark teeth of his necklace he cut his one of his fingers –the salt of the water made the thin, red line itch– then he slip the ring into place and before swimming towards the sand took off everything that would mark him as a mer, regretting not having left that in his chambers.

He was ready. He swam towards the beach and crawled on the sand. When nothing happened he went deeper inland and waited. Nothing. He kept doing it until he felt it. It started at his caudal fin. It was a tingling sensation. Then, unexpectedly, a shocking pain ran through him from head to fin. The pain was so sharp he couldn't even scream, just try and get enough air in his atrophied lungs. Then it felt more real, he could hear the cracks, he could feel the rip of his flesh. It was agony and there was nothing Thor could do to stop it. He fainted.

00000

“...n't touch him! You don't know if he is dead!”

“And that's exactly why I have to do it, Amora.”

“Loreley, please. What if this is a trap from bandits?”

Laughter.

“Seriously, Amora? We are both powerful enchantresses! And he seems to be naked, so, no weapons. Now, don't be such a spoilspot. He might be alive and- Oh, the Lord above and all His Angels!”

“What!? What happened? Are you al- By all the Saints, dead, living and the ones yet to be born!”

Silence. Giggles.

“I would say he must be a smith.”

“I would say I agree with you. With that hammer.”

More giggles. Thor groaned, pained. Where was he? Someone sushed. Then whispers. He fell back into oblivion.

00000

Thor woke up. Everything hurt. Over all from his hips down. He tried to move his tail and found that instead of one massive tail he had two less massive ones. Huh? He touched himself. Instead of finding scales and fins his hand was still touchin skin. Huh! It worked. It worked! He was human! He must be. With careful touches, and no little amount of pained groans, he explored his new fond legs. They were muscular –as had been his tail– and furry. He also inspected his chest and arms. They were furry too. Huh!? He had not had hair on his torso and arms before, just the mane on his head, his eyebrows and a beard he had been growing for the past century for the sake of using little decorations and wearing plaits.

“Oh! You are awake. Nice, it's well past midday. How are you feeling? My name is Loreley. My sister and I found you yesterday. You have been sleeping like the dead. We feared you would never wake.”

Huh! Thor looked into the direction from where the voice came. Oh. He had thought that it was still night. «You will still have the same eyes, but the only thing you will see is an endless night.» The words resonated in his head. He felt fat tears dropping from his eyes and wouldn't you know? Now that he didn't have a third eyelid he was missing it. And how come tears came hot first and when they reached the hands on his lap they were cold? He didn't understand. And everything still hurt.

“I... Ah... I have to find someone,” he said, trying not to hiccup. “Can you help me?”

“Oh! Oh, honey!” Thor heard steps, then he felt the surface where he was resting dipping at his right. “You cannot see?” Thor shook his head, bitting his lower lip. He felt a warm hand on his face, another petting his hair. “Do you know their names?” A no again. “Well... Do you have a clue about them? Where they live?”

“I... I have a magic compass...” he tried, weakly. He was scared now. How stupid! Of course from the safety of home everything would seem easy. But now that he was thrown into the human world, with no referencies, no sight and only a compass that grew cold or hot to aid him in his quest, he felt stupid, young, lonely and lost.

“Ah, yes. I left it by the nightstand at your left. You were gripping it quite hard. I feared you would break it.”

Thor's body twisted towards his left, a hand proving the air until it collided with a strange surface. Then his hand slid through it until it reached the familiar hum of the compass. Thor grabbed it and retreated his hand, taking it to his chest. He sobbed.

“Don't worry, boy. My sister and I can help you.”

Thor shook his head. He couldn't accept help from strangers.

“I have nothing to my name, and I don't know if they have anything to give you as reward. I don't even know if they would want me around,” Thor said, voice almost broken. The woman embraced him and Thor clung to her, crying now. He couldn't stop it.

“Shh. Shh. It's going to be okay, alright?” she said. Loreley kept at it, saying encouraging things to him while rocking back and forth. Finally, his grief subdued enough for him to mutter a thanks. She let out a laught. “We have to help each other for free from time to time, you know? Aw. I thought you were older when we saw you at first, but now that I look at you closely... How old are you, boy?” Her hands were now drying the tears of his cheeks.

“I don't know... Between sixteen and twenty. Seventeen maybe?”

If Thor could have been able to see, he would have seen Loreley's shocked expression. And if he had known how to read minds, he would have known that she thought he had escaped a cult and that she resolved to help him to her fullest.

“That won't do! Do you know when is your birthday?”

At that, Thor nodded.

“A month and three weeks ago,” he said. His head started to hurt. And he was thirsty. He opened his mouth to ask for water when he found that Loreley was pushing a recipent of some sort on his hands.

“Here, have some water. You need to drink. And after that, you eat breakfast. And then, we will talk about finding people, your compass and maybe about your size so we can get you proper clothing,” she said. To Thor, she sounded as commanding as his mother. “Not that I don't enjoy a beautifully scuptured man naked in my bed, but I think you are still too young for me.”

Thor almost chocked on his drink. Blushing to the root of his hair. She giggled.

“I... I'm sorry. I didn't think things as thoroughly as I thought. I should have taken some clothing and...”

“No, no. Don't worry, boy. Ah! You haven't told me your name yet,” she said, then she stopped herself, abruptly. “Because you have a name, right?” At Thor's nod, she sighed in relief. “Good. Now, I am going to go find my sister and when you are finished we can talk. I'll leave these here.” Thor felt something not quite heavy landing over his left leg –he still had legs– and the shifting on the surface when Loreley rose. “They are clothes. I'm not sure they will fit you, but they will be enough for now.

“Thank you, Loreley. My name is Thor.”

Thor didn't see Loreley's nod.

“Nice to make your acquaintance, Thor.”

She left. Thor ate in silence.

Chapter Text

Thor was clothed and fed by the sisters. They promissed to help him and something in their voice was compelling Thor to believe them. Loreley even had taken measures of his bone structure and looked at his teeth and had reached the conclussion that Thor was, in fact, eighteen years old. Truth be told, he had not felt that he should do the math to know how old he was in human years. He knew about his six hundred and sixty seven years of being a mer, but in hindsight it would make sense that he tried to know his age in human years, since he would stay a human for ever, right?

After the meal, he told them all –well, with a little editting to the fact that he was a merman– and they seemed quite taken with him. Amora took his hand between hers and promissed to help him, while Loreley told him they could take their cart to town and from there he could start looking. He was so thankful that new tears spilled from his eyes.

“If I ever get the chance to repay you,” he was saying and they sushed him.

“Do not worry about that, young one. Now you have to learn how to clothe yourself. You got it all backwards on the first try,” Amora said, giggling a little. “What did you wear before, just robes?”

They had not commented anything about the part in which he gave up his sight for the chance to find the woman of his life. Unbeknownst to him, the sisters had shared a look: they were truly convinced that the boy had been raised in a cult and had managed to escape with the aid of the mentioned Witch and that the woman he kept talking about was some sort of savior.

Later that same afternoon, the three of them were on their way to the town. Amora had wanted to acompany him all his journey, but Loreley had reminded her sister of their duty in the forest. They dorpped him by a nearby inn and talked with the innkeeper, then they left and Thor suddenly felt like he was naked, bared for all to see.

The innkeeper was told that Thor had lost his sight in an accident and that he couldn't see now, but that he did before. The man gave Thor a sturdy, wooden cane.

“To help you walk,” he had said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Thor had nodded and then he had gone around the small town, trying to get used to it, to the smells, to the sounds, to the streets. He sighed and felt sorry for himself. He should have thought thorough about this, instead of jumping ahead. He wanted to go back home, but then, the image of her face flashed and his heart skipped a beat. No! This was worth it! He asked people about how to reach the harbour. It took him almost all afternoon to reach it, stumbling with small rocks and sticks on the path, colliding with people.

The sun was getting low when he finally reached the warehouse where the records were kept. Then man that went out to meet with him sounded annoyed, and maybe drunk. Thor wasn't feeling truly cheerful about this, either. His legs hurt like they were being torn appart with each step.

«It will have side effects. Until you get aquired with them, they will hurt you, so better walk around as much as you can, no matter how painful, understood, pup?» If it wasn't for the Witch's words, he would have given up getting up and walking. It felt strange. His whole body was heavier.

“So, yer lookn' fer a lass?” the man asked, for the fifth time. Thor nodded, exasperated.

“Yes. About four or five years ago a young woman was almost drown and taken here. I am looking for her. I need to... To speak with her. It is important.”

“Ye know her name?”

Thor shook his head. He refused to let his lower lip wobble again.

“I was tasked with finding her just by this knowledge, good sir,” Thor said. He heard a weird sound. Was the man scratching something? He didn't like that sound.

“I can look at it, uncle,” a new voice said from Thor's back, at his left.

“All yours, lad!” the man said, and left.

“Well, boy follow me, let's take a sit.”

Thor did his best to follow the new one, not stopping to consider that he might be robbed, attacked or killed. And why would he? He was a prince, no one would dare to attack him. Luckily for him, the new man wasn't trying to do him any harm.

“Do you know who I am talking about?” he asked at last, after being led by the elbow into an establishment that smelt weird. The man put something in front of him and guided his hand towards a cylindrical recipent.

“First, lets drink. Then, you tell me why you want to find Jane. And if it convinces me, I might send her a letter to ask if she knows you,” he said.

Thor smiled, eyes brighting up –not that he could see it, but the other man could and he frowned towards an oblivious Thor– as he took his cylindrical recipent and drank. It burnt his tongue and throat, and tasted horrible. He had a coughing fit, but the other man just laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

“What is this foul thing?” he rasped, almost out of breath.

“It's just ale, boy. You seem rough enough to be drinking this stuff, but it seems I misjudged you. I'm Erik, by the way. What's your name?”

“Thor,” he half answered, half coughed. The ale still burnt him. “And can I get some water? I am not used to drink this kind of beverage.”

“Mind how you ask for things, boy, of you will find yourself on the wrong side of an argument,” Erik said. “You are lucky I give a rat's ass about you, if not, old Dunnar would have whipped the floor with your ass, lad.”

Thor almost jumped on his seat from the surprise. No one had ever talked like that to him –except, maybe, the Witch, but the Witch was powerful not a plebeian– and he felt highly offended. He opened his mouth to put the man in his place when he smacked the table with his own cylinder.

“Hm,” he settled for, noncomitally. It wouldn't do to anger too much this man, for he had the information that he required. “So you know the woman I am looking for?” Thor asked after a few moments of silence.

“Maybe. If the woman you are seeking is the one I think,” Erik said. The place had started to fill with men, talking boisterously, laughing hard and making lewd jokes. “Where do you come from, boy? Who sends you?”

“I...” Where, indeed. And who. Thor wanted to smack himself on the head. Once again, he had opened his mouth without thinking.

“You cannot say, eh? Well, then. Tell me this, how important is that thing you must tell this woman?”

“Life threatening,” Thor answered, sitting straight in his seat. “I only have six months to convince her, or else I... Someone I know will suffer and won't be able to come back home,” he added after a few seconds of consideration. Suddenly, he felt exausted and dejected.

“Well, if this woman is the one I know of and I do send her a letter, tomorrow, it will take half a month to arrive where she is. Then we would need to wait for her to read it and then to answer, if you are lucky. Though, boy, I think you should try to contact your parents and go back now. She is no doctor in medicine, she cannot save whomever is going to die.”

Thor looked straigh ahead, unseeing. If he could see Erik's face he would have seen the pity in his eyes.

“And if she is not... I will be wasting more than a month waiting here,” he said, lower lip starting to wobble. He bit it to stop it. In front of him, Erik sighed.

“It's getting late, lad. Do you have some place to stay?”

Thor nodded and talked about the inn where Amora and Lorelei had left him before.

“The innkeeper said that I could stay two nights,” he said at last. Thor couldn't see how Erik nodded, but felt his hand on his shoulder.

“I'll take you there. And tomorrow I'll go see you. We can talk in your room. For today, I think you should rest.”

Thor let himself be led back to the inn.

00000

The rain was soaking through Thor's clothes, his shoes had holes, the umbrella he had been given by a couple who took pity of him had been damaged when he tripped because of the mud. The worst of it was that the contact with the water was making him shiver instead of feeling protected. He had tossed away the damaged umbrella and clutched his walking cane in one hand while he gripped the compass on the other. It was lukewarm but Thor didn't know if it was because of his hand or because he was finally headed the correct way.

Days before, when Erik had talked with him, he had discovered that the woman he was seeking was Erik's Jane. She was the daughter of Erik's friend and, Erik's words, it had been a signal from the almighty that he had been staying at that town those years ago, because no-one knew Jane and she fell ill. With no-one to take proper care of her she would have perished if not for Erik. The man had taken her in and contacted her father, just to find that her father had died on a shipwreck –the very same she had survived–, so he waited until she was better and then sent her to another friend's house, near the capital to fully recover.

The capital, for Thor's dismay, was about three weeks away by carriage. By foot, and depending on the weather, it would be near three months or even longer. More, in Thor's condition. A wrong step could mean a delay of days. No matter, Thor had said that he could do it. Erik, worried about him, had written a letter that he was to give to Jane personally.

“Her full name is Jane Foster, unless she has gotten married to that boy she had fancied since infancy, in which case she would be Jane Blake, understood?” Erik had said, gripping him by the shoulders. Thor didn't let the prospect of Jane bein married to someone else take root in his head, for if he did, he would fall to his knees in despair. He had never thought that Jane could be married.

And so, the second day of his stay at the inn, Thor had prepared everything he could in order to leave. He would be using his compass to guide him. Erik had pleaded him to wait for a few more days, offering his roof –even when he didn't quite trust Thor–, so he himself could accompany him a part of the way. But Thor had refused, he was in a hurry. Without his sight, the only thing telling helping him tell the night and day appart was the warmth of the sun, but the days were turning colder.

And now, he was walking in the mud, being soaked by the rain, playing that a lightning wouldn't fall on him. The hand that had the compass was shaking, his breathing was ragged, but no matter. He had to succeed! He had to! He hadn't traded his life as a prince for nothing. He would meet with Jane, they would get married and Thor would live as a human with a happy family, thinking fondly of Asgard as a warm memory and nothing else. He wouldn't miss it, not then and definitely not now. If he stopped to think about his father and mother, about his friends, about everything that he was leaving behind then... Then he would break and cry and call for the Witch and beg him to take him home. He would give the Witch whatever he asked of him. That was why he wouldn't think of Asgard yet. He just frowned deeper and grunted as his cold feet advanced through the slippery ground.

“I'm closer,” he whispered. “I'm closer,” he repeated. A thunder echoed in the distance. Thor grit his teeth. “I'm closer!” he growled. His feet kept moving. One step after another. His staff got stuck on the mud several times, but no matter, he kept going. “I'M CLOSER!” he yelled to the storm and as if answering, another thunder rumbled, this time reverberating through his chest. The wind changed and the rain stopped coming from above. Now it came from every direction. “Ha... Haha... HAHAHAHAHA!” Thor felt exhilarated. For some reason, the rain didn't feel as cold, the wind was at his back, helping him advance, thunder echoed with every step he gave. “THE STORMS ARE MINE!!” he yelled at the night, rising his arms.

His heart was beating fast in his chest and in a childlike spontaneous fit, Thor ran. He ran and ran and ran. He let the storm guide his steps. The compass warmed up in his hand and he couldn't help another laughter. He kept walking through the storm until his feet touched stone instead of mud. He poked around with his staff. Definitely was a cobblestone's street. Or the beginning of one. He had reached a town, it seemed. Just to make sure, he went to his knees and touched with his hands. Yes, a street.

Rising up, he adjusted his ticky clothes and kept walking, the storm had abated short of him arriving. If he had been able to, he would have seen a silver moon peeking out through the clounds, illuminating his path, and a myriad of stars peppering the inky blue sky. The sight was breathtaking and the ones that were still up at such an hour marvelled with it. They also saw the soaking wet boy, wielding a wooden staff while walking. He resembled a drowning rat, but the bright smile on his face made him look like the luckiest man alive.

00000

Loki counted the bubbles that went up from the geyser. He hadn't reached one hundred when Odin appeared.

“Loki!” he growled. Loki ignored him, keeping his attention at the bubbles with a bored face. “Loki, what have you done!” Odin grabbed him by a shoulder and forced Loki to look at him. “Where is my son? Where is Thor!?”

“How should I know? He is your son, not mine! Not that you would care if I had children. But, oh, right, I cannot have children because I am deformed!” Loki shot back, venom on his eyes.

“Whatever you mean with that, brother?” Odin asked, but then he narrowed his eyes and stopped whatever Loki would have said by speaking. “What have you done to the Crown Prince, Loki? Your nephew!”

Loki growled and shook himself from Odin's grasp, aided by his tentacles. The contact with them made his little brother gasp in surprise.

“I did nothing worng by him, brother. He came to me, as many have done in these past years. We stuck a deal. I did my part, he paid for it. It's all legal as you will see here,” Loki said as he produced an algae sheet that was shining. Odin took it from Loki's hands and started reading.

All was said in the contract and by Asgardian's laws it was legitimate. Odin read it several more times, trying to find a loophole, anything to get his son back.

“To the human world,” Odin mumbled, defeated. “You sent my little pup to the human world, alone...” Odin's greying beard trembled as the mer readed againg the contract. He looke up, eyes focusing on Loki's face. “What do you want?”

“Excuse you?” Loki felt baffled. What?

“I'll give you anything you want, so long it doesn't harm the people of Asgard,” Odin said, desperate. “Anything! Do you want to be king? You will. Though Thor has to be your heir.”

“What? No! If I had wanted to rule I would've never let you have the crown, imbecile! Who do you think I am? Do you really think so little of me that I would toy with the fate of the future ruler of Asgard? Have you become senile?”

“Then why! Why?”

Ah, Loki thought, Odin doesn't know. Odin didn't see. He kept his eyes on Loki's face. He had dismissed his tentacles altogether. The bubbling anger trapped in his chest exploded.

“The crap you drop in my ocean is only equalled by the crap that spews out of your mouth!” Loki exclaimed. “I knew you were never the brightest of us lot, but to think that you only had half a functioning brain baffles me beyond reason. I don't know how the whole Kingdom haven't been consumed by disaster already, given how little you know about your own family.”

“How dare you-!”

“I DARE,” Loki cut him off, breathing heavily. “I dare because you inflicted a disproportionate punishment upon me for a little prank. A prank as many others I have done through all our lives, but that you conviniently used as an excuse to keep me out of the picture so what!? I don't even know why I was punished to live in a cursed body with no digestive system beyond that of chewing and dissolve and no reproductive system either, for a whole THOUSAND YEARS. I don't have an ASSHOLE! It was torture, Odin. I didn't know what to do. I even contemplated cutting myself open to take everything out! I starved myself, fearing I would feel that agony again.

“And let me tell you, plankton brained twat, that the mark for the end of it was WEEKS AGO! And what did you do? You throw a party for your pup and forget that you have to lift a life crushing curse from your older brother. Or what? Did you expect that I would be content living like this for the rest of my life? No, Odin. I refuse! I will break this curse even if it's the last thing I do, and let me tell you one thing, your little, golden pup has given me my first ingredient by agreeing to this.” He shook the contract then made it disappear.

“I will lift it!” Odin rushed to say when Loki turned around to leave. That stopped him.

“What?”

“I will lift the curse, if you give me back my son.”

Loki laughed. And laughe and laughed. He laughed so hard he almost chocked. Odin paled, fearing his brother had gone mad.

“No, Odin, you will lift the curse because that's what you should do. I won't bargain on it. But if you won't, don't worry, I will find another way, even if I have to rip to shreds the Seven Seas to find all the ingredients for the spell.”

Odin's hand grabbed Loki's arm in an iron fist.

“All right! I am sorry, Loki. I forgot! It's been so long and I have been occupied with matters of state, with the well being ouf our people. If you have not forgotten, even if you are not in line of succession, you are still Asgard's royalty. You have neglected your duties for all these centuries.”

“Ah! And you expected me to appear at court looking like this? Would you have done that, were you in my scales? I doubt so, Odin. Release me!”

“Please, Loki, tell me where is my son. Why is he in the human world?” Odin said, but he didn't release Loki, his hand just gripped harder.

“He fell in love at first sight with a human and went to pursue True Love. I aided him, nothing more. Now, release me!”

Odin let him go reluctantly. Then, he made his trident appear out of nowhere and pointed at Loki's tentacles. He said some words in the Old Language and Loki felt heat and pain on his lower half. It was agonizing. He blacked out.

When he came to himself, he noticed that he had been laid on his small niche and that Odin was in his cave. He looked heartbroken. When Loki slid out of his niche he noticed something else: he had his tail back, lustrous fins, shinny scales and a horrible scar marrin one side –presumably where the shark had teared one of his tentacles–. He glided his hands over his scales with a greedy touch. Loki could read minds but he needn't to read Odin's to know that his brother thought he was being lewd, scandalous and indecent. Loki frowned. Well, sorry for wanting to make sure, he thought.

“Now, Loki... I will pay for him. Please, let him come back.” Odin suddenly looked older than what he was and Loki felt shocked. “Loki, please. I beg you. What did he pay? I will pay double!”

“No,” Loki said, shaking his head. “You will pay half.” His words seemed to surprise his brother. “I took his sight. Now, come!” he commanded and Odin obeyed. Loki took a sharp crystal and scratched his brother from forehead to cheek over one eye, then put his palm over it and whispered an enchantment. When he finished, he pulled away, closing his fist, then he looked towards a nearby shelf. He reached with a tentacle to get a bottle but found that nothing happened. He looked down and barked a laugh; of course nothing happened, he didn't have the blasted, horrible thing anymore. He swam towards the shelf and took the bottle in his hand, slipping what he was holding in his other hand inside and using a cork to seal it.

“Is this all?” Odin's voice came right from his back and Loki shivered.

After all this time alone, proximity such as this seemed too intimate for him. When he turned around he felt crowded. Odin placed both hands at Loki's sides, gripping the shelf at his back, not touching him, and leaned in, narrowing both eyes. One was blue, the other was grey and unseeing.

“Yes, it is!” he answered irritated. He wanted Odin to give him some space but Loki didn't want to have to push him away. He didn't want to touch anyone at the moment. “And if you leave me do my work, I can give the pup his sight back. But first I need to tocate him.”

Odin nodded and lowered his arms but he kept his distance close. Loki felt breathless. What was Odin doing?

“I will stay until you finish, then I will go back to the castle and inform the Queen about her son. Beware, Loki, for if she finds a way to break the contract nothing will stop me from unleashing my-”

“Unleash whatever you want, see if I care,” Loki blurted out, annoyed. “I doubt there's anything else you could do to me worse than what you already did,” he said as he tied up his hair. It wouldn't do that a stray strand got mixed in, and as much as he loved the effect of his inky black hair floating around his face, it was safer to get it tied. Normally, mer people wore their hair in plaits and usually let it free when they went to the surface to confuse fishermen. Long, free hair was appealing, no matter the gender, and human, men and women both, seemed to relish in their long hair.

He fought the frown when he saw his brother's expression through the mirror-glass. Odin was looking at his bare neck. Not giving it more importance than what was due, he set himself to work.

Chapter Text

It had been roughly five long months. Thor had acquired a dexterity never felt with his staff. He had also managed to find himself on the same town where Jane resided. He knew because the compass had become red hot in his hand. He had felt incredibly glad at first but now... Now he wasn't. It was hot –and mercifully enchanted to not burn him– all the time, no matter where he went and when he had first arrived at the closest inn no-one had given him information about Jane Foster –and neither of Jane Blake–. It was like no body knew her. Not giving up, Thor had tried to find somewhere to earn his keep.

In these past five month he had learnt that it didn't matter where he came from, he could find help in little and rare occasions, as it had happened at first, but then people would turn the cold shoulder to him. He had lost weight, not being able to eat three meals a day, some days even subsiting on only water. And now... Now he felt different, changed. He felt more mature.

In the past two weeks he had managed to become a smith apprentice. How, he had no idea, but it seemed that he had a knack for it. Even blind, Thor's hammer never missed the mark. Thor relied in his smell and hearing while in the forge. The metal tingled different when it was almost ready and the smell of it when it had been melted to the exact point was distinct. His master was convinced that Thor was godsent to him, for before the boy had showed up his situation had become dire.

Now Thor had a purse with coins –not that he quite knew how to use them and he was sure people tricked him most of the time–, a place to stay, new clothes and a lead. The only thing he didn't have was time. How in hell was he supposed to talk Jane into his bed in less than a few weeks? That was the work of months! A courtship shouldn't be rushed! Then, Loki's voice invaded his head «No! I mean sex! You have to bed her in six months or less!». He felt his face blush.

His staff collided with something that took him out of his reverie. Someone cursed.

“I apologize, I didn't see you,” he said, trying not to laugh at his lame joke. Of course he didn't see him. Well, self mocking had helped him deal with his blindness so far.

“You didn't see? What are you, blind?” the man retorted, grunting and cursing some more under his breath.

“As a matter of fact...” Thor said, flashing his most endearing smile towards the man. Other men laughed. They were surrounding him.

“Look at the boy, he thinks he is funny.”

At the first hand that touched him, Thor managed to slap, then, listening carefully, he knocked down two of them. He was holding his own in the fight, but the problem was that he was outnumbered and he didn't know where they were or how many or when the ones he threw out managed to get on their feet. In the end, they took him down and kicked and punched him. His pouch of money was taken, his staff broken and his boots stolen.

Thor curled on the floor, in pain. He started crying in relief when he found the compass –it had disappeared from his pocket– and clutched it to his chest. He felt pain on one ankle and he thought he had sprained one of his wrists. He couldn't do it. He wouldn't be able to find Jane on time and then his mind would become dull and his body weak and he would surely die without remembering his family down in Asgard.

“What the-!?” someone exclaimed. Thor ignored them and kept feeling misserable. He didn't have enough energy to get up. “Are you all right? Oh! God! What happened to you?”

The voice seemed familiar. Small hands were touching him, assessing him, it would seem.

“I'm all right, thank you for your concern. It was just a small fight,” his voice croaked. He hiccupped. And then, he felt even worse, because this kind stranger was worried about him and maybe they saw what happened. Embarrassed, Thor tried to get up.

“Jane! There you are. Why did you run off in this direction? I told you it sounded like a scuffle- Oh! Thor?” Erik's voice said.

Thor's head shot up, unseeing eyes searching in the direction from where that familiar voice came. New tears started to well in his eyes.

“Do you know this boy, Erik?” the woman –Jane, Erik had called her Jane– asked.

“Yes, he is the one I was talking to you about.”

“Well, he seems hurt.”

“They have stolen my money,” Thor said, feeling slightly better. “I'm sorry, Erik, they broke the gift you gave me.”

“Don't worry about that stick. Come here, boy. You can stay with us tonight, and tomorrow we will call in a doctor.” Feeling infinitely grateful, Thor let the man help him up and be guided. “How long have you been here, boy? I tried to find you but it was like you have disappeared into thin air,” Erik asked when they were settled in his house. Jane was tinkering around, preparing things. She called for them to tell them that she was going to Darcy's house for the night.

Thor sighed, rubbing his face with his good hand.

“It is a bit of a long tale, good friend. I would appreciate something to drink,” he said, tiredly. And he could hear Erik's smirk. His hearing had become that good.

“Is ale good enough or are you going to ask for water again?”

Thor boomed a laugh.

00000

Odin had had to restrain himself several times already. The claws on his hands kept wanting to scratch. Of course, he had stopped it. There had been a close call when he had crowded his older brother near the shelf. He had had to grip it, lest he grip his brother's arms and rip them off. Oh, how he wanted to sink his teeth on Loki's throat and tear it. Angry was a mild word to descrive how he felt. Though shame also washed through his body.

Of the four brothers, Odin had always been the reckless one, he knew. He also knew that Loki's punishment was too much, but he had had to do something flashy for the people to forgive Loki. If it hadn't been done, Odin was sure the people would have sublevated, asking for Loki's head. And Odin had given Loki an easy outing: to ask for forgiveness to each and every individual. He sighed. He should have known that Loki's pride would prevent him from doing something like that. He would rather suffer the whole of his sentence than to say sorry, the arrogant idiot.

And true, Odin had forgotten about it with the latests incidents that kept happening to the mer population. He completely forgot that the curse didn't lift on its own, that Odin himself needed to lift it. It just happened that the people grew restless with the ban, and that his son's birthday was on the same day. It just happened that the people needed the distraction, and Odin himself too. And he forgot. He forgot, because as soon as Loki was out of his fin, he forgot that he wasn't an only child, that he had had three brothers and now only one remained.

“Alright! I have located your pup,” Loki's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

“You did? Is he... How is he?” he asked. Swimming around to look at Loki's scrying ice mirror. He couldn't see anything, just their faces looking down. Odin frowned. He had forgotten Loki's face too, and now that he could look at it he saw... He saw his brother Vili, and the differencies between their own faces, and also the similarities. His heart ached. What had happened for them to have grown so distant?

“Well... He is in the correct path to find his human,” Loki said, focused on his mirrror.

Odin remembered Loki's own words: «Do you really think so little of me that I would toy with the fate of the future ruler of Asgard?»

“I do,” Odin said, looking at his brother's face. Loki's eyes snapped to his.

“What?”

“I do think little of you, Loki. I have thought little of you since the moment you let Ve die in your arms. And Medusa knows I wish you were trustworthy enough to me so I wouldn't worry about Thor never coming back, but I've seen your madness before and I fear this time, too, is one of those.”

Loki snarled at him, flashing his sharp teeth, hand darting to Odin's throat. Odin deflected it, grabbing him by the wrist, his other hand gripped Loki's neck and he squeezed, feeling satisfaction when the soft tissue of the gill there was oppressed and his brother's breathing was cut. Loki's other hand clawed at his face and Odin, growling, released him. Loki had hit him on his blind side. He heard him coughing, trying to breathe.

“That I let Ve die!” Loki rasped. “My seidr storage got almost depleted when I tried to save his life! I almost died. I took him back to try and save him. I was counting on you to keep the Crown Prince Vili alive on the battlefield and what did you do? Nothing! NOTHING! YOU LET MY OTHER HALF DIE, ODIN! NEED I REMIND YOU THAT VILI AND I WERE TWINS!!!” Loki lashed out. The ground beneath them trembled as well as the whole cave. Bubbles rose from the cracks and sand and small rocks fell from the ceiling.

“I did what I could to save him, Loki! And no, I haven't forgotten!!” How could he? Loki and Vili looked exactly the same. The only way to differentiate them was through their eyes: Vili's were more bluish and Loki's greenish. Save that, Loki was the exact picture of the deceased Crown Prince Vili, the one who would have been King. And of course he couldn't forget the pain in Loki's eyes.

When Loki woke up after that ominous day, without anyone telling him, his tormented cry had resounded through the whole Kingdom. Loki and Vili had not only been twins of the same egg, they had also been linked by seidr. They ofted would talk about how they were two halves of a whole. Odin would never forget Loki's first words after his cries. His wild eyes, the scratches on his face, the bald spots where he had teared his hair and scales. And then, he had locked his eyes on his youngest brother.

“Odin! Odin!!” Odin had went to him and Loki had grabbed his arms, claws sinking in his flesh. “I cannot feel his heart beat! I cannot hear him! It's all so still. So quiet! Why isn't he answering? Where is he? Where is my soul!? I need him! I need him! I cannot breathe!”

Odin had embraced his brother. He was broken. After that, Loki didn't want to have anything to do with the Royal House and abdicated his title of Crown Prince, claiming madness of the heart. At first, no-one believed it, that Loki could go mad. He had always been the most level headed of the four princes, the voice of reason, if a bit mischievous, so the Council refused to accept Loki's decission. But that changed shortly after. Whenever Loki found anything that showed the twins, either together or alone –tapestries made of the best quality scales, stone busts– Loki destroyed them. For a while, no mirror nor reflecting surface was permited. Loki couldn't stand looking at his dead brother on the other side of the glass, never to touch him again.

“I tried to save him, Loki. I was injured too. But he...”

“He what, Odin? He what!”

Odin closed his eyes, it was painful to remember.

“He made me swear in the Old Language that I would protect your life. He sent me back. He opened a portal and sent me back just as a spear pierced him from behind.” Loki was throwing daggers at him with his eyes. “He loved you Loki, more than himself. He had discovered that... They had sent an envoy to infiltrate our camp to kill us all, but to capture you alive. They had discovered how powerful you were, even when you were still growing in your control over your seidr. They wanted to drain it from you. Vili wanted me to stop that.”

Loki's face became a blank mask. Then, suddenly, Loki yelled. He bent himself in half, yelling with all his might. More tremors shook the cave.

“I will rip them to shreds!! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEACE TREATY!”

He shot towards the entrance of the cave. Odin threw himself in his path and wrapped his arms around him. Loki thrashed, trying to free himself, but for all that he had tried to keep his strength, the unusual meals and his confinement had left him weaker than before, and Odin seemed to not have been sitting idly on his throne.

“No, Loki! Stop!”

“You cannot stop me, Odin, I am going to destroy them!”

But all of Loki's fight have been drained and the only thing he could do was sob in his brother's arms. Another wave of shame flowed through the King while he held his trembling brother in his arms. He had never stopped to consider how it was for Loki to lose his brothers too. He had only seen Loki turning his back to his responsibilities, prefering to cause mischief wherever he went. Some pranks were harmless but the one he pulled with the shoal... People would have starved if the shoal had not arrived at all. They all knew. Loki's pranks had started to escalate on those times and Odin had listened to his advisors that a punishment was in order to stop the prince from inflicting everlasting damage.

He had not tried to understad Loki at all. Loki's pranks didn't meant that he had forgotten his brothers, they were just his way to grieve, and Odin hadn't been there for him, as he had promised Vili. And now? Now his Queen was ill with worry, his son was lost and his brother on edge to lose his mind. His arms tightened around Loki instinctively and he whispered calming words to his scalp. Mixed with those words were pleas for forgiveness and then he was crying too.

“I'm sorry, Loki. I'm so sorry. Please... I'm sorry.”

Long moments went by and both mer calmed down. Loki pulled away, slowly, not looking at him in the face. Colour had risen to his eyes and cheeks, lower lip trembling in a way that reminded him of Thor.

“I... I have to... Restore Thor's sight... I... I would appreciate if you would leave me alone, Odin. I don't want anyone around,” he said, squirming uncomfortably in his arms.

Odin nodded, but he felt reluctant of letting go. Slowly, he took Loki's face and kissed his forehead.

“Please, save my son,” he said and left.

00000

It was quiet after Odin left. So, so quiet. Quiet enough for Loki to reach into his mind, as he had ever done since that day to find nothing. He huged himself for a little bit. Just a little bit more of self-pity. Taking deep breaths, he looked around. What a mess! He had done a number in his cave. Though, now that he wasn't a tentacled disgrace, he could go back to his previous chamber in the Palace and have all the access to his materials and instruments and... No. Just thinking about going back made himself gag.

He set himself into preparing the draught that would give Thor back his sight. For that, he would need several things and go to his cave on the surface. He would need to cook some of the ingredients. And dry some algae.

He gathered everything and put all his items inside a haversac made of net, grumbling things and calling his brother an idiot. A sentimental idiot. And temperamental. And stupid. And he was a twat. And how could have he forgotten about him like that? Surely it was Frigga the one who was in charge and his brother was just for appearances.

Swimming was different now. He had not forgotten how to use his fins or his tail, but it was weird now. And difficult. And it hurt to move. It seemed the scar tissue from his encounter with the shark would provide troublesome while travelling. Sighing, he deaded the search for ingredients to make a salve. And he would need to put the salve above water, having dried his tail first. Such a nuisance!

“Now,” he said out loud once in his cave. He shifted his tail into two human legs. His left leg had an ugly scar, that came from right under his hipbone to the side of his thigh near the knee. It also looked like it was missing a chunk of meat underneat the skin. “How horrible,” he grumbled, frowning.

Limping out of the water, he dressed himself with a linen robe that fell to his ankles, fitting it with a string at his waist. He then, resetted his hair in a tight bum. He had seen Thor, but in truth he hadn't quite located him. Also, per the contract's laws he couldn't meet with Thor so if he wanted the draught to reach the pup he would need to send it to him, which meant he needed for Thor to stay still in one location, and by what he had seen in his scrying mirror he was moving, following the woman.

He remembered some of Odin's words then. «I do think little of you, Loki.» Where had that come from? And then, his frown deepened. Of course, he had asked the dumbass himself. Loki had not told Odin nor Thor about the failsafe on the pup's contract, he wasn't stupid. Also, he wouldn't leave Asgard without their future king. He might have a personal vendetta going on against Odin, but that didn't mean that he wanted the whole Kingdom to suffer. So long the pup held on to the compass, the contract could be reversed. If Thor failed, Loki would wait a few years before approaching him and activating the counterspell, allowing Thor to come back home. But if he succeeded, then Loki would send him a letter explaining in detail how to activate it himself so when his mortal woman perished or he got tired of being human he could come and reclaim his birthright.

As far as he had seen, the pup was holding onto the compass as a lifesaver.

Loki sat down on his cot while he waited for the first ingredients to soak up in the boiling water of his marmite. He would need someone who could travel fast to deliver the draught. He would also need someone in whom he could trust. Someone to whom Loki needn't to lie about any thing. Someone who would understand the errand and wouldn't bat an eyelash about mermen and magic and...

“I need Svad!” Loki exclamed, jumping to his legs. He ran outside and climbed the closest hill, slipping once or twice over the damp grass. He reached to the skies and from there a great skua shot down and perched on his outstretched arm. “I will need your services. You have to give this note to a seawolf. You will be able to follow him if he is at the open sea. It is vital that this man, and only him gets the note. Then, wait for his answer and come back to me,” he told the bird. The bird's eyes shone with green light before coming back to normal. Loki tied a small pouch to one of its claws. It already had a short note asking him to meet.

The animal shot up and left, beating with its wings agains the winds. Now, the only thing Loki could do was wait. And also, he would be using his balding curse on Odin soon. The fool would look like a drowned rat all the time, whereas his head would be a shinny round thing. He was still really angry at his stupid little brother and wished he had at least broken his nose.

Chapter Text

It was a difficult trip. Even with the wards that Loki had put up in the skiff he would need all his knowledge and attention. If he were to fall off it, he could die, so he tried to stay in. Then, a few hours away from the island, a storm broke out, lashing at him. He managed to tie himself to the skiff but with how violent the water had become he fell off. Svadilfari was sure this was to be his demise. He even felt as if someone was out to kill him, personally, as if he had insulted them in some sort of way. He tried to climb back up the skiff using the rope but then he found it cut from the skiff and himself sinking. He lost consciousness.

He woke up ashore, sun shinning brightly. He coughed water on the damp sand and then tried to assess where he was. Someone was yelling.

“Hey! Are you alright?”

“We found him!”

“He is here!”

“Hey, hey, don't move!”

His arm hurt. Too many voices, booming around him. He just wanted to go back to sleep.

“This... This cannot be...”

“What did you find, Roland?”

“Look! Look at his back!”

“Impossible!”

Svad looked at his hurt arm. Some debris had stuck on the limb and he was losing blood. He lost consciousness again.

00000

“Are you certain?” Frigga was pinching her left hand with her right, a nervous habit she had when something worried her immensely. Her golden hair had lost her lustre, the playful glin in her eyes was gone and she had not sung ever since they discovered Thor gone.

“Yes, my Frigg,” Odin said, taking her hands. If not to console, to at least stop her from hurting herself. “But he promissed to help Thor.”

Frigga nodded, looking away. Then, she looked at Odin.

“I've met him before,” she confessed. Odin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Ages ago. He came disguised as a beggar with a deformity.” Her eyes shot down then up again. “It seems I passed whatever test he had thought and deemed me worthy enough to be your wife,” her smile was weak. “That's what I've been telling myself all these centuries. I thought he would come back again but he never did. And when he didn't come to Thor's pressentation day I thought he just... That everything was to his liking.” Her lower lip trembled. She wasn't looking at Odin now. “That he approved of us. But maybe it was all a ploy to lure me into a false sense of security so he could snatch away...” at her last words, she couldn't keep going. Odin embraced her.

“This has nothing to do with you, my Frigg. My brother and I have had a difficult relationship ever since the last war. This is just a way to punish me, not you. I'm sure that as soon as he gets what he wants from me, Thor will be safe and sound.”

Odin desperately wanted to believe his own words, but after seeing the outburst of Loki at the cave earlier he wasn't so sure. If Loki was still hurting from what happened so long ago, no doubt he would do something rash and hurtful to Odin for the sake of revenge, even if that meant collateral damage.

A messenger came then. Odin left his wife in her self-imposed solitude.

“My King,” the mer lowered his head. Odin waved for him to speak. “They saw him leave for a secret cave he has above water. Some of the spies say that he is brewing. There are suspicion that it might be a curse to definitely kill the prince.”

“Very well. Do not attack him. And before you destroy his work, make sure it is a curse and not the cure he had promissed. If it ends being the cure and any of you has spilled even a drop of it...” he left the threat unsaid, the mer was well trained so he didn't shake, but the slight widening on his eyes told Odin everything he needed. “Now, leave.”

He went about his daily routine, held court, talked with his advisors, oversaw some trials and visited the troops. He even sparred with some of the pups. Everywhere he went people would ask him about the prince and he would, with a serene face, reasure his people. It was only when he came back to his own alcove where he let his own inner turmoil surface. Alone in this little corner of the palace he let himself grieve. Then, as if possessed, he swam through the empty hallways to the oldest part of the palace. It wasn't forbidden, but after the was, this part was left unrepaired –at the time they used the resources to rebuild the city and help the population–, though it was sealed.

This part of the castle didn't have any bioluminescent decoration nor enchantments to light it so it was dark, cavernous even. He reached the wing were the princes had resided in their youth. His own room had been vacated long ago. Ve's room had been sealed as it was, no-one daring to enter it, but that wasn't the one he was seeking either. He reached his destination and with a deep breath he opened the door. Twin beds on oposite sides, scraps of stone and furniture littered the floor, the walls had claw marcs all over them. Knowing it had done nothing to prepare Odin for the sight of Loki's despair.

Loki had destroyed almost everything on the room. The only thing that had been intact was Vili's bed. Loki's looked burnt –Loki was powerful enough to sent a boilin stream of water any direction he wished– but Vili's was perfectly preserved. Odin could feel Loki's seidr surrounding it. Investigating showed him a rune scratched on the floor near the bed. Ignoring it now, Odin set himself into looking what he had come for, Loki's notes.

At the time, a healer of the mind had recommended Loki to write his feelings down, as letters to Vili, even.

Odin had been too busy preparing himself to take the crown, so he had not paid any attention to his brother –he had also been resentful because Ve should have been alive, and at the time he thought Loki had been key to the demise of their brother. In hindsight, he saw how stupid and arrogant he had been– and even when he was told that Loki had destroyed his chambers, he had just thought about a litte disarray. Now, seeing it for the first time it sank into him that Loki had been suffering greatly. He had even demolished half the outter wall.

Shaking his head, Odin kept looking for the notes. He was sure that in them he could find something to keep Loki controlled. Now that he had seen the extent of his brother's insanity he feared he would become a danger to everyone. Finally, after long hours he found a sheet of algae, dyed light yellow. On it, words written by the hand of his brother:

I hate him. I hate Odin. He did this to us. He will pay. I will make him pay. If he doesn't suffer as we have suffered then what's the point on him living? Now I understand, my Soul, that the ones that are left alive are the ones being punished. I am being punished. For not being strong enough to fight at your side. For not being powerful enough to save out little Ve. For being stupid enough to trust stupid Odin could even take an injury in your stead. My Life, he is evil! I've seen it! Everybody around here is evil! They want us to suffer. And I am. I am. But they will too. Soon, I will burnt it all to ashes. I'll drain all the water and see them suffocate. I will private them from their lungs and throw them to the surface. I will...

My Love...

I lied. I don't care about them. I miss you.

Loki's words stung. How had they become so far appart when they have been so close once upon a time? Odin feared that these words were still roaming inside his brother's mind and so, he set himself the goal to find a way to chain Loki's powers. If Loki was rendered magicless, he would be less of a danger and more of a hassle. Nodding to himself, Odin went back to his own chambers.

00000

“Jane, wait!”

Jane stopped and looked back. He friend Darcy was running towards her with a worried expression.

“What's wrong?”

“Another one is following us,” Darcy said as she caught up, panting a little.

“What? Again? I don't have anything to say to them! I only remember falling to the sea and then being hauled up to a ship,” Jane complained. Ever since the shipwreck she had somewhat become a celebrity among the common people. They thought that the God of the Ocean had saved her and wanted to listen to her tale. Other's even asked her for her blessing, as if she was a priestess!

“Yep. This time is a woman. She says that her little boy drowned and that she needs you to pray for his soul or something.”

Jane shook her head.

“Praying won't do anything at all,” she said. In her mind, praying was only good for the living, for it was them who needed the console, whereas the dead were on another realm. “I didn't pray for myself, you know? I was just thinking that I wanted to live,” she said to Darcy, who nodded.

“I know. But they don't. Do you think we should continue or stop today? I don't think we have enough supplies,” Darcy said, looking worried. “Maybe if we walk all night we will be able to leave her behind.”

“No. We need to rest. If she finds us, so be it.”

When they reached the inn, there were a pair of royal guards asking the innkeeper, a roudy woman who looked like she could take on them on her own.

“I don't know, lad, I already told you,” she was saying when the two women entered.

One of the guards kept talking with the innkeeper, while the other looked at them. His face lit up. He walked briskly towards them.

“Jane Forster and Darcy Lewis, I suppose,” he said, and not waiting for them to answer he continued, “My name is Fandral, called The Dashing. I am here on behalf of His Grace the Crown Prince Sigurd. Here's a safe-conduct in hiw own writing that you may travel anywhere you wish within the kingdom so long you come with us to the Palace. Today.” Fandral finished with a dashing smile and Darcy rolled her eyes while she giggled. Jane just glared, frowning.

“And can we know why are we being summoned?” she asked. Darcy elbowed her. “I mean, not that we are not grateful, but this all seems a bit... fishy.”

Fandral just smiled warmly at her. At his back, his colleague was still arguing with the innkeeper. Some of their discussion came to them: they were talking about wares, wages and vegetables with such passion that one would think they were talking about conquerion another kingdom.

“I cannot say, for I have not been told the reason, just to the deliver the offer. It seems that there's someone following you and our Prince just desires a short talk. You can refuse, of course.”

“Of course,” Jane repeated. She was sure that were she to refuse, both guards would just knock them down and carry them to the Palace, unwillingly. She sighed. “Alright, lead the way. But first we want to eat, wash out the dirt of the road and rest for a while. Would it be an impediment if we set out tomorrow first thing in the morning?” She was knackered and another long journey would only add to her temper.

“Whatever you wish, my lady. Alvar!” The other guard stopped midsentence, nodded to the innkeeper and went to where they were. “My ladies, meet Alvar, he is my shield brother. We will be your escort to the Palace. Alvar, say hi to the ladies.”

“Greetings,” Alvar deadpaned. That sent Darcy into a fit of giggles.

“He is hilarious,” she commented, more to Jane than to anyone else, then, looking directly at Alvar, se said: “Hey, handsome, you can sleep in my room tonight.” For effect, she added a wink. Alvar's face didn't change, he nodded and then went to get them rooms to rest.

“That's Alvar for you, always so serious. There was a time when we thought about calling him Alvar The Grim, but he can crack a smile now and then, just not when he is on duty. Fortunately, there was this other warrior that-”

“All very interesting, Sir Dashing,” Jane cut. “But I think we can share tales with our dinner. For now, we would like to go to our rooms.”

Fandral nodded, not losing his smile. Before they could get too far, he took their hands and kissed both women on their knuckles.

“A pleasure having met you, my ladies. I will see you for supper, then.”

“Dinner, lover boy, dinner,” Darcy said. Fandral just laughed.

00000

The journey to the Palace was long, but not longer than it would have been on foot. It seemed that the Prince was cocky enough to think they would have accepted his invitation and had sent a carriage. Jane was ready to be bored to death when the carriage stopped. She peeked outside and saw Alvar paying the driver. The man left without further comment, throwing nervous glances at Jane. She narrowed her eyes.

“Darcy,” she whipered, kicking her friend.

“Auch! Woah! Wha-!?”

“Shh!” Jane hurried her to lower her voice. “Something strange is happening. Get your dagger and be ready.” Sure enough, just a few moments later, Fandral's cheerful voice came from outside calling them off. They descended from the carriage. Jane was ready to punch and slash her way out when she found that the two horses that were pulling the carriage had been saddled.

“Now, my dears, I'm afraid that this big thing was just a diversion. We will need to ride to make it in time. I gather you do know how to ride?”

Even when she didn't show it, relief washed over her. She had feared that Fandral and Alvar were just two mercenaries, though this didn't quite quell all her worries. She nodded to Fandral's question, Darcy did the same.

“Good, we have wasted enough time as it is,” Alvar said, bringing his mount along. “You were right, Fandral. They are still following her,” he added to his colleague.

“Mm... I'm not opposed to a little sparring, but with two ladies in tow it would be more advisable if we can lose them. If not... I suppose I will have to bare my steel and dip it in deek red ink,” he said, cheerfully. Jane shuddered. The man had talked about killing his opponents as if he was talking about the colour of a flower. Dangerous.

“Let's get going, then.”

It took them a total of ten days to arrive galloping at full speed and camping out in the open, but instead of being granted audience right away, Jane and Darcy were sent to guests rooms. They were instructed to relax and told that the following day the Prince would see Jane. Darcy was free to roam around or go to the market down in the city.

“Well, whatever it is, I suppose they won't be killing us soon,” Darcy joked. Jane nodded. “And who knows? Maybe I will get Alvar to escort me to buy some new dresses,” she said, winking. Jane laughed.

Ever since their journey started Darcy had tried to get any kind of response from Alvar that wasn't a scowl or a purse of lips. For Jane if was clear that Darcy only wanted to amuse herself at his expenses, but maybe the man really thought that Darcy wanted something else. She shook her head, laughing.

“You should tell him that you are just teasing. He seems so serious he might really believe you want something serious.”

“How dare you!” Darcy said, throwing a pillow at her. “I might want something serious.”

“Yes. You seriously want to see him blush, or stammer, or bit his tongue or...” Another thrown pillow and more giggles. They fought for a while.

“Well, I think I should go now. Tomorrow seems that's going to be a really exciting day.”

“I know. And would you believe it? I thought the Crown Prince had disappeared when he was a child.”

“Ah, yes. I forgot to tell you. Some days before we were found by Fandral and Alvar I heard that the prince had been rescued and that he didn't remember who he was. It seem that he now knows. Or maybe, being a survivor from the sea, he wants to talk with you about that.”

“What?”

“Oh! Right. You see, like, three or so weeks ago there was a huge storm near the shore. The next day they found the prince on the beach. He survived drowning! Like you did! Maybe he thinks you two are kindred spirits.”

Jane wasn't so sure about that. After seeing Darcy to her room, Jane tried to go to sleep but it eluded her. She couldn't help but relive her own private hell. It had been... How many years now? Four? Five? She didn't know and she didn't want to know. She had been with her father in his ship. They were delivering fine fabrics, spices and other goods. Her father had deemed her old enough to start learning the trade, and of course that was when pirates decided that they had to attack them. And not just that. Right after the pirates left their damaged ship a thunderous storm broke out and she fell to the cold water.

She didn't sleep at all. When the light came, Jane prepared herself for the meeting with the prince. She was guided after breakfast to a finely furnished study and told to wait there, that the Prince would arrive soon. As she studied an ornate box over the wooden desk she went over her memories once again.

Cannons had been fired, hooks had been launched, they had been pillagered but that was not the worst. Some of the pirates had wanted her. She had fought with all her might and her father had tried to protect her: he had pleaded, he had promissed to give them all that they had left to no avail. Then, as a last resource he had managed to get a gun and fired it. He was killed on the spot. Orphaned, robbed, on the open sea, Jane found herself defenceless. She was hauled up. She had been convinced her fate would be that of the whore for those pirates until one of them had stopped the others.

“Let the child go,” his voice had been firm and dangerous.

“She is no child, mate! Can't you see her tits?”

“I, for one, cannot! Bare them!”

Commotion and laughter and then she fought because she would not be manhandled like. She wouldn't go down without a fight. She would use whatever means to protect herself. She had just lost everything, but she could at least save a little bit of herself. She would!

“Yes, well... Your boy, Henry, just started to sprout hair, but that doesn't mean he isn't a child,” the same pirate said. Still calm, still in control. He was smiling. “I doubt you would like to see your boy in a situation like this?” he said, cocking his head to the side. “If you will take this girl, then I will take your boy. Fair? They should be around the same age.”

With a growl, the man had let her go.

“You will not touch my boy.”

“So long as you don't force any children, your boy is safest with me,” the man had replied, courtising. The other pirates had laughed and then they started commenting on how it was fortunate that they wouldn't be taking her. After all, a woman on a ship always came with bad luck, even if she was not yet developed. After that, they seemed to forget about her and went about the ship, taking everything they deemed interesting.

She saw how they killed the crew members who didn't surrend, feeling powerless.

“Hey, girl,” she looked up and saw another pirate. This one had a golden tooth. “You should be grateful, the man who saved you... You should remember his name. He is...”

“I'm so sorry for having left you waiting for so long, my lady,” a voice –a voice she remembered quite well– said at her back as the door opened and then closed. She turned around to see the man, the pirate. He was older now, but his eyes were the same, his smile crooked to the side on a cocky grin, his hair was longer, too. He seemed hardly surprised to see her, as if he had known all along who she was. Her knuckles went white from the strength she used to grip the desk.

“Svad,” she said.

Chapter Text

“What are you doing here, Svad? Where's the Prince?” she asked, putting the desk between the two of them. Svad just smiled and walked in a relaxed way to a nearby armchari.

“It seems that there's been a bit of confusion here, girl,” he said, sitting sideways on the armchair, both legs over one of the armrests. “You were taken here by my own command.”

Jane located the letter opener over the desk, shaped like a dagger, with her peripheral vision. As uncopiscuous as she could, she moved towards it. Though it seemed like Svar had read into her intentios, for he smiled at her, then chuckled.

“What's so funny!” she snapped.

“Oh, you, my dear,” he said. Then, he got up in a fast, smooth motion. “You see, I was drifting through the sea and ended on the shore at the back of the Palace. People saw me and they approached to help. After that, I was pampered and fed and clothed.” He motioned towards his clothes. At that moment, someone knocked on the door. “Enter,” he called.

The door opened and a servant pushed inside what looked like a table with wheels. On top of it rested a tray with a tea set, finely decorated. Under it, another tray with pastries.

“This is the tea you ordered, Your Grace.”

“Very well, thank you, Letther. Leave us.”

The servant bowed.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

They were left alone once again. Jane had a bewildered look on her face, mouth agape, eyes wide. Her hand trembled when she pointed at the pirate with an acusatory finger.

“You... You are impersonating the prince!” she exclaimed, almost without voice.

“Me? No, no, my dear. I am not doing such a thing. I told them right away who I was. It was them who didn't seem convinced that I was a fearsome pirate,” he chuckled, self-depreciating. “But I wanted you here not because of me, but because of you.” His eyes focused on her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

“What do you want.”

“Nothing much. Just your help delivering something for a friend,” he said, serving himself a cup of tea. “Tea?” he asked, one eyebrow raised. She shook her head. “Suit yourself.” He also took a pastry and upon inspecting it with critical eye, he took a bite. “So... Jane Forster... A friend of mine is looking for you. Well, not you, but someone who is looking for you,” he commented as he took another pastry. Then, he downed his cup of tea in one go and beckoned her. She moved to the middle of the room with reluctance. Svad looked her up and down, circling her. “I am not a good man, Jane. And one of my worst qualities is my jealousy. I am a jealous man, Jane, and that this man is interested in you makes me want to strangle the life out of your pathetic body. But I also wouldn't want to enrage him. No. What I would like is to hide him from everyone else, chain him to a post and have my wicked way with him whenever it suited me but...

“Now I am a prince. I am a pirate, don't get me wrong, but it seems I'm also a prince. The prince of this kingdom. Kidnapped as a toddler. They say I am the Crown Prince Sigurd,” Svad laughed. “I didn't believe it for a second. I just happen to look similar enough and be in the right age range, but them and I... We all know I am not their missing, loved child. They just need a puppet and I gladly will pay the price of being so. After all, the commodities here are... astounding.” He tinkered with the pens and other things on the desk. Jane had moved as he did, not giving him her back.

“So you need a messenger. For a man who's looking for another one who is looking for me... Doesn't seem like a trap or anything.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“It seems that it is of the utmost importance that you give him this,” Svad produced a small bottle from between his sleeves and placed it on the desk. “He has to drink it. The one you will be giving this little thing. He is tall, blonde, young, he has-”

“No,” she refused.

Svad only lifted an eyebrow.

“He has blue eyes and answers by the name of Thor. He is also blind,” he continued, as if he had not been interrupted.

“What makes you think I am going to deliver this to a blind man I know nothing about?” she exploded, throwing her arms into the air.

“He is going to find you, sooner or later. My friend hopes it is sooner rather later. Thor has been cursed and this is a cure to such curse,” he said, smiling. Jane could tell he was laughing at an inner joke.

“If it is so important, then give it to him yourself!”

Svad shook his head.

“It doesn't work like that. You have to be the one to give it to him. It has something to do about hope. And also, he is looking for you, so you will see him and he needs this.”

“I won't do it. I don't even know him.” She crossed her arms again. Svad sighed, rubing his forehead with a hand.

“Look, girl, I am not asking you. I am commanding you. You cannot say no, you don't have a say in this. If not to help him, to repay the debt you have with me.”

Jane snorted.

“Yeah, debt. If your people hadn't attacked us, if you hadn't created the situation in which I needed help then there would be no debt to talk about. No, in fact, I don't think I owe you nothing.”

“I will reward you.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I don't want any of your rewards,” she hissed. Svad sighed again.

“Look, they don't have heirs. I happen to have a birthmark similar enough to the one the Crown Prince should have –which I am not, let me assure you– and I am in no hurry to marry and produce more princelings.”

“What are you trying to say.”

“We get married. Oficially married on paper, without the pomp of the ceremony, just some paper with our signatures. You go on with your life, I with mine and if you become pregnant I will claim it as mine. Once I'm gone you will become the ruler of this place and your children will be provided for.”

She looked at him, dumbstruck. She walked backwards, Svad didn't follow her, though he kept his eyes on her face.

“What? Have you gone insane? I am not going to marry anyone, least of all you!”

“I won't ask for anything, just your name on a sheet of paper and two of your most trustworthy friends. People who would never betray this secred. If word got out that I am married, then your life would be in danger.”

“All the more to not do it!”

“Look, I am not planning on staying long, but I cannot, in good conscience, leave them without an heir. Once we are married you can go find a sweetheart or whatever, and as I told you, I wouldn't care if you had a child that looked black, with white hair and red eyes. I would still claim it as mine.”

“And why would I want to launch myself in a life of politics, assassinations and conspiracies when I am leading a perfectly safe life right now? A life that doesn't involve bearing a target on my back.”

Svad laughed, not unkindly, but not warmly either.

“But Jane, you already have one of those! You were rescued by a merman, no matter what the sailors say that they saw. The merman rescued you.”

Jane tensed. That part of the tale... She had never told anyone. Not one soul. And no-one believed the sailors that said that a merman had tried to drown her, when everyone knew that her father's ship was sinked by pirates. She looked away.

“That's not what happened. I just grabbed a plank that was flowating and...”

“And happened to cross upon another ship, a safe one, in the middle of a storm in the open sea, without a compass, no one to help you? Yes, for sure. And now there are talks of you about being favoured by the gods. Jane, once I am gone you will be safer, because the Princess of the kingdom is the woman Favoured by the Gods. So long as I stay here, on the other hand, will make you look bad. That's why we hide it at first, and announce it later.”

Jane looked at Svad, he was still by the desk. But he seemed to have lost his patience. He crossed the room in a few strides and grabbed her hand, forcefully. Her first instict was to hit him, but when he placed the bottle in her hand and closed it with his own she could only stare up at his amber eyes.

“You...”

“I trust you will do good by the lad, Jane. But you have until tomorrow night to give me an answer about the other matter.”

She frowned. He retreated and sat down at the desk, taking out a sheet of paper and began writing.

“I already gave you my answer.”

“And I already heard it. I will hear it tomorrow night. If it's still the same, there's nothing I can do about it, but the matter with Thor is settled. You will do it, no matter of your answer to my question.”

He went quiet then, focussed on writing. He was dismissing her by doing that. Angered by it, she strode to the door and left, slamming it close when she exited.

00000

Three days later, Crown Prince Sigurd was giving his best wishes to the two women, assigning Alvar and Fandral to accompany them to their own destination where they would surely meet with Thor. Svad wasn't quite convinced of the succeed of this plan, but Loki had assured him that Thor would come upon them soon enough. After they were far enough, Svad turned around and went directly to his chambers to change, he needed to attend court.

These past weeks they have tried to groom him into the perfect Prince, and the perfect future King. Poor devils, they didn't know he had all the intentions to flee. That the King and Queen still thought he was their long lost boy... He wanted to laugh at them, just to see the horror in their faces, but he also knew he shouldn't. He had had a really disastrous timing to appear, with all the convoluted politics and underhanded methods ruthless nobles used to gain favour. He had had to study the whole Royal House, learn all the minutiae about stupid things he cared not about.

What Svadilfari's soul needed was to feel the salt breeze of the ocean on his face, the rush of the chase, a good fight against a resourceful foe and a few good drinks on his favourite tabern with a pretty thing sitting on his lap. Though, lately, that pretty thing on his lap had become less feminine and more masculine. Ever since he had woken up and had seen Loki's green eyes and his long, black hair cascading around his naked body he had not been able to be with anyone else. As he had said before, Loki had ruined him.

That day, as he had taken as habit, he went to the beach down the Palace to take a stroll under the moon. He had been acquiring habits for the sake of knowing who was monitoring him, just changing his schedule slightly, taking notice on who saw it first and who said anything. He was being watched, and surely it wouldn't be too long before one of his cousins decided that the first in line should disappear once again without a trace. Nothing would give him more satisfaction than to wreck their ambitions, and the appearance of Jane Foster had been a blessing on that matter.

Svad was mulling over his plans when he heard it. At first it was no more than a murmur floating barely above the hum of the sea. Then it started to grow in intensity. Svad readied his weapons, not unsheathing them yet and walked towards the sound. As he approached Svad could distinguish words, it was a song. Alluring. He knew that voice, though he couldn't understand the lyrics. He broke in a run at the base of the high cliff. After a few turns he saw it: a figure resting on the rocks, bathed by the moonlight, hair floating with the breeze. The figure was the source of the song.

When Svad approached it, the head turned into his direction and the breath got caught in his throat.

“Loki!”

His legs moved on their own towards the figure and as soon as he was within reach Svad hauled him into a tight embrace, never minding being soaked to the waist.

“How effusive,” Loki said, voice smooth, as he returned the hug.

“How- Why? I thought you couldn't come!”

Loki's laughter filled his ears.

“I couldn't before. I had to make some preparations and you know that some draughts take more time than others to brew.”

“This is most fortunate, then. Just this afternoon the woman accepted to give Thor your vial. Though I don't trust her that much, but I am sure she will deliver it in time,” Svad said. He couldn't help his hands as they travelled freely over the other's skin. When they reached his waist and down he gasped in surprise. Instead of the flesy, soft tentacles he found himself touching a scaly, smooth tail. He looked down.

“This is my true form, one could say,” Loki said, almost shyly, flapping it slightly against the water. “Do you like it?”

“It's... different...” Svad was speechless. He wanted to touch, he wanted to see, he wanted to taste... He looked up. “Come to my room, no one will disturb us there,” he said, hunger showing in his eyes, as he licked his lips, hands never stopping touching.

Loki circled his arms around Svad's neck.

“Then take me there... Though I could walk there myself if you were to lend me something with which to cover up,” Loki's smile was wolfish.

Svad groaned before claiming his mouth with a hunger so raw he felt he would die if he didn't have Loki right then and there. It seemed he wasn't the only one, for Loki's kisses and touches matched his in intensity and demand. He felt Loki's growl more than he heard it and then he was thrown off, Loki between his legs, nimble hands unlacing his breeches.

His hand tangled itself on Loki's hair when he took him in his mouth. Oh, how he had missed those lips, that tongue. But it didn't last long, as Loki retreated. Svad wanted to protest, though something else happened. He looked at Loki's face, surprised when he positioned himself better between his legs, still holding his hard cock in on hand. His other was used to level himself, lowering his body and then Svad had to take deep breaths. It was another kind of heat that enveloped his member, slick and tight. Loki closed his eyes, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he guided Svad's cock inside somewhere in his body. It took about a minute or two for him to be completely sheathed. Both were panting, though Loki was trembling and his forehead was pearled with sweat.

“Wh-what...? Oh, gods! Loki... I...” Svad couldn't breathe, the muscles around his cock began working in a strange way, tearing moans and whines of pleasure from his throat.

“Yes... Mine!” Loki growled biting him on the neck.

Svad felt delirious, he started shaking. Grabbing Loki he tried to flush them together, he needed him closer, closer.

“More... Closer... Loki,” he started panting, feeling feverished.

“I've got you... Mine... Svad... Mine!”

Svad whinned, unable to control himself, as his hips jerked. The orgasm hit him like a wave as Loki's internal muscles milked him. He couldn't stop babblering gibberish, legs wrapped around Loki's waists, one arm around his back, a hand on his hair. He saw tiny black dots, and heard a ring in his ears. When he calmed enough he realized he was panting still, laying on the uncomfortable rocky floor at the base of the cliff. Loki was lapping at his neck.

“I love you,” he murmured, still feeling somewhat drugged. He felt Loki's low chuckle through their chests.

“I know it's just the drug talking, but thank you,” Loki whispered, making him shiver. “But do not worry, the effects will wear off soon enough. And it's not dangerous for humans.”

“How did you drug me? When?” he asked, trying to calm down his breathing, heart still hammering in his chest.

“Well... During intercourse with other species, we release a special mucus to make our mates compliant. This way they are more relaxed and don't freak out when they realize they are fucking mer.”

Svad looked at Loki, who was now supporting his weight on his arms. He looked down, towards where they were still connected.

“I am inside you,” he said, dumbly. He felt his soft cock slidding out, though. He frowned. Loki's small laugh made him look up at him. He looked beautiful bathed in moonlight, a blush high on his cheeks, lips redded than he had ever seen.

“I told you, I was deformed. But now... I am whole,” Loki said, a glint in his eyes.

Svad's cock gave a small twitch, though it was too soon.

“Let's go to my chambers.”

00000

Thor felt the compass in his pocket growing hotter by each step he gave. Something within his chest told him that this was the right decision after all, that everything would sort itself out and that he would be with Jane in less than a week. He had a spring in his step. Day after day he had felt how the compass guided him in the right direction. He had felt so powerless at first, but when he had accepted that there was nothing else he could do, a kind of calmness had washed over him.

He was so happy he started humming. Even though he didn't have his siren's song anymore, his voice was still attractive to the ears and unbeknown to him, the people that crossed his path stopped to stare at him in awe. There was a bold maiden who offered him a freshly baked bread for his singing. Thor still didn't understand the concept of money, but in a tavern he had been told the most basic concept of it. In Asgard they had some sort of currency, too, but it worked different.

After the bread's incident Thor decided that he could as well sing for coins. At first, it was easy and he got enough –or so he thought– to buy a sleeping bag. He would need to sleep on the road, as it were and having a not-so-hard surface where he could lay at night would be a blessing. Of course, he had never heard of the bards' guild, but they did heard of him. And they found him an intruder.

People stopped going to where he sang, almost no one gave him coins and he was even once thrown some stones. He stopped singing, smile faltering in his lips. He had always idealized the humans, for they were so short lived they must be full of love and compassion. It turned that no, that they hated him on sight, even when he had done nothing to them. His heart hardened each time a human gave him a harsh word, a shove or laughed at him for walking straight into things for not being able to see.

“Just you wait,” he grumbled into his sac one night. “When I become king of Asgard I will wipe you all.” Hot, fat tears had welled in his eyes as he gripped the hot compass. Maybe the best way of action would be, after finding Jane, to ask the Sea Witch to turn them both into merpeople and live far away from the filth that populated the land, back into the safeness of the ocean.

But no, he couldn't let his darkest thoughts invade his mind. After all, for each human that mocked him, there was a helping hand, a tender caress, a word of encouragement. He couldn't let the worst of the world make him take a rash decision about a whole race. What if in his wrath he hurt innocent people? That thought alone made him feel bad.

But now none of that mattered. The compass was so hot in his pocked he was sure smoke was rising from it. He was almost there. He even dared to ask a man where he was, without feeling stupid for once, for not knowing something that should have been obvious.

“Here? You are arriving at the capital, boy. Why?”

“The capital?” Thor had exclaimed, excited. “Thank you, good sir! Oh! I have an apple, would you care to share it?” he said, happily reaching into his pouch.

“Naw, boy. Keep it to yourself. You look like you need it more than me,” the man answered, patting him on the shoulder.

Thor almost felt insulted. He was one of the healthiest mer at the Palace of Asgard, but he dismissed the man's concern when he felt the compass become so hot it almost burnt him. He gasped. She was there! Right there! He took air to call her name when the heat stopped abruptly. After that, the compass grew colder and colder.

“No... No! No, no, no, no! It can't be! No, stop! I was almost there!” he said, taking the compass out with trembling hands, holding it in every direction. This time, instead of losing hope, he took deep breaths, knelt to recover his staff –when had he let go of it?– and trying to still his beating heart he closed his eyes and felt the smooth metal of the device in his hand. Slowly, he started to point it to different directions –it had become so cold in his hand that he almost dropped it– until he felt it. If he had not been concentrating on it, he would have missed it, but there it was! It became lukewarm when outstretched towards his right.

It seemed Jane was travelling too. Well, if she would not stay put, Thor thought, the only thing left to do was to follow. And he better recover the lost time. He set himself into the road once again.

Wait for me, Jane, he pleaded, determination on his blind eyes.

Chapter Text

Stopping to learn

They rode fast, but not as when they were headed towards the Palace. Now they could relax, though Jane was still skittish about Svad's proposal. She hadn't told Darcy yet because she knew what her friend would say: to jump at the occasion without second thoughts. But she simply couldn't throw away her freedom. And she wouldn't. What if the next in line was Princess Melibea, or that that idiot, Roger, could be the one winning support to start a revolt and take away the crown from Melibea? She wasn't there to help calm down the upper classes. In fact, she was dead sure that her presence would only become a nuisance for them all and that the revolt would happen nonetheless, where it her or Melibea the one being crowned Queen.

Still... She had refused the second time too, but Svad had given her all the papers needed for their “marriage” to be legal. It was sealed and aproved and the only missing thing was her own signature and that of her two witnesses. Even if for one second she contemplated to sign it, one of her witnesses would be, without a doubt, Darcy. She might seem like someone who couldn't hold a secret to save her life, but, in fact, she could. All her chatter was a great mechanism to divert attention from delicate matters and it always worked. She commented meaningless details and made them huge and important, making people forget the real ones. She had a way with words that Jane wished she had.

Instead, Jane went directly to the matter at hand. Sometimes she had been belittled for being too straightforward by condescending people. Some times it was men, other women. Always people who thought that she had to keep her mouth shut and look pretty while she was still young. Ugh! Those situations made her wish she carried a dagger so she could stab them. Or mabye a small mace so she could knock some sense into their heads. Instead, she held her tongue and refused to give them more of her time.

“We should reach the town shortly,” Alvar commented. “If we are lucky, we will arrive before sundown.”

Jane looked at their companions sideways. She knew that they were with them not only as protection, but to also go back as soon as Jane signed the certificate, in case she changed her mind, so Svad could have it stored safely. If Jane were to lose such an important thing anyone could become the Crown Princess by way of marriage and that was dangerous.

“Yes, please. I almost can't feel my ass,” Darcy moaned. “I want to rest on a comfortable bed, too. Though now that I've tried the ones at the Palace I doubt anything will feel comfortable ever again,” she added. Then, turning towards Alvar, she smiled. “Would you care to share a room with this pefect speciment that it's myself?” she said, then wriggled her eyebrows.

Alvar's face didn't change, but they all saw a small blush creeping into his cheeks.

“I am afraid I have to refuse. We are not here on a leisure travel.”

“Ohohó? Does that mean that you would if we were on a leisure travel,” she asked, bending slightly towards him and winking.

Alvar kept his eyes on the roda, but now the blush was more notorious and he was frowning.

Jane heard Fandral chuckling. She looked at the blonde.

“If they share that means we share and I hope you know that that means you are taking the floor,” she deadpaned. Fandral nodded once.

“Of course, my lady. I wouldn't dare to lay my hands on my future ruler,” he said, winking.

Jane rolled her eyes.

“Well, tomorrow morning I have to send a letter, but we leave after breakfast, so please, be ready to go by then,” she said, looking back at the road.

00000

He had to admit that he had gotten lost. Even when the compass was helping him, not seeing the roads made him lose his direction. It was such a nuisance. His staff hit yet another tree as he tried to walk through what seemed to be a forest. Thor just hoped he wouldn't need to defend himself from feral animals. And then, a fear he had not had before sank in. What kind of wildlife was on land? What if he was surrounded by land sharks or stepped on a land stonefish? Were there poisonous vegetables?

Thor was feeling hungry. If he didn't find a village or a town or another person soon he would starve! Once again, he regreted not having thought his decisions throrough. Suddenly, something hit him square in the face. A lowbranch. He groaned, falling to his butt. Then he heard a laughter.

“Hehehe! Oh! Boy, I haven't laughed so hard in quite a quile,” the voice said. It sounded old.

“Then I hope you laughed enough,” Thor grumbled. In the distance a thunder roared. “For I am not going to entertain the likes of you any more. I do not understand how you people delight in the suffering of others!” he bellowed, angry. “I am quite done with all of you. It's only a matter of time that you all get what it's coming.” Through his anger, his words sounded like profecies. The old voice laughed some more.

“Do forget this old fool, boy. I live alone in these woods like a hermit and practise my old ways and magic. I saw you would be coming here and went out to meet with you. Never would I thought that I would find a seer instead of a lost child.”

Thor frowned. A slight drizzle started to sing around them, waterdrops forming musical notes when hitting the leaves of the trees.

“I'm not a seer, old woman. I'm but a blind idiot. I was blinded by stories of heroes and princesses and honour. But now I see I was just a stupid, dumbass who had never seen the real world, too preoccupied with his own life to see anything else. I fear that my quest is too much for me,” the drizzle started to fall heavier. Thor's own tears spilled from his eyes.

A warm hand rested then on his cheek, soft and tender fingers whiped them away.

“Oh, but my dear boy, that is the way for any youngster. You weren't born knowing. We are born with the hability to learn and learn we do. You are learning now, are you not?” Thor nodded. “There you have it! Even if you never reach the end of this quest of yours, the journey will shape you into a better version of yourself.”

Thor just nodded, numb. He knew that if he didn't finish this there would be no lesson to learn. His mind would cease to exist. Though... Maybe a better fate would be to try and go back into the ocean. Disappearing into seafoam seemed a far kinder end than becoming weak of mind and body.

“I suppose,” he said.

“Now, get up before we get soaked. I will let you stay with me. I sense magic in you and I would appreciate if you could tell me tales of the outside world.”

Thor nodded again, feeling relieved that he would be sleeping under a roof and not out in the open. Maybe he would be given something to eat. He was tired. There was also a small voice in his head that told him not to trust this stranger, but his legs hurt and his heart was heavy. And what other option did he have? So he got up and stumbled until they reached the old woman's hut.

“My name is Thor, what is your name, old woman?”

“You can call me Hela. Now, sit here. I am going to see if I have something dry for you to wear.”

Thor did as bid and waited. Hela threw at him a towel that smacked him from behind, enveloping his head. She laughed at him

“Why?”

“Because you need to be aware of your surroundings, boy. It is clear to me now that you were not born like this, so you don't know how to rely on your other senses. You should practice that, if you want to stop getting lost into the woods. What would have happened if I was an old witch ready to eat you?”

“Witches don't eat people!” Thor said, frowning, while he dried his head. “Witches may be temperamental, but they eat normal food. Not even their familiars eat people... Most of the time..,” he added, doubtly. Hela laughed again. Thor couldn't make sense of the sounds around him but she must have stoked the fire, for he started to feel warmer now. “Thank you, for your help.”

“You shouldn't thank me yet, boy. I might want to kidnap you for my nefarious spells,” she admonished, smaking the back of his head as she passed by, taking Thor by surprise.

“Ouch!”

“Told you! Too relaxed! Now, let's have something to eat. You have some stories for me, right?”

Truth be told, even when Thor had been too busy following Jane's footsteps he had heard quite a lot of things and his short lived work as a street singer had given him access to information he had deemed uninteresting –even though he had repeated some of those thing in the form of a song–, so he had, in fact, more than a handful of stories about the world outside the woods.

In the end, they stayed up all night, sharing tales, while the storm passed by outside. Hela would throw things at him without warning from time to time, but it wasn't until Thor managed to dodge a metal cup that she patted him on the head and told him to get some sleep.

“May I thank you now?” he asked, a bit reluctant to be sent to bed. For him it was eternal nightime, so the faint light outside didn't tell him that he needed, in fact, to go to bed and rest.

“You may thank me when you leave, no sooner than that. Now, go to sleep!”

00000

Three weeks and Thor was still with Hela. The compass laid forgotten inside his pouch under the cot she had assembled for him. She kept throwing things at him from time to time to force him to be more aware of his surroundings. She made him go on long walks around the woods and she taught him how to hunt his own meals. For such an old lady –as she liked to call herself– Hela had a lot of vitality.

She performed her spells and sounded relieved to talk to Thor about her magic without fear. It seemed that she had been chased away from her previous home when people started to blame her for their misfortune: a bad harvest, missing children, cattle dying. In the end it was just about bad luck, poor weather followed by infestation of insects. The missing children were found much later, when she already had cloacked herself in shadows to try and salvage what she could from her house –people didn't dare enter and they still debated on wether to burn it to the ground–. They had been kidnapped by slave traders: the knights of the Kingdom had stopped them while they tried to cross the borders to another one, where buyers awaited. The children, now young adults and late teens, were restored to their homes.

Thor understood from her life that even if you tried to do good by others, there would always be people who would want you harm, and that it didn't matter where that feeling came from, if from hate or envy or fear, that sentiment would spread like a fire in a dry forest.

Hela forced him to listen to the currents of his own magic, daily. Thor felt like that was a huge lose of time, but she insisted and so, he studied himself. He found that he could command weather and that his forte was raising storms out of the blue. She also told him that it seemed to be intewoven with his emotions: the less control he had over his current emotion, the most likely for a storm to happen.

That applied, as she explained, with any kind of emotion: he could be happy and a thunderstom would boom around him as easily as if being sad made a dounpour. She forced him to practise hitting stuff with his staff. She was adamant on that, saying that his ability to defend himself was more important than not hurting others.

Then, one night, while talking with Hela about how he had been able to chase a stag and touch it before it ran away, he realized something: he hadn't thought about home nor about his quest at all as the weeks had morphed into months. He was happy. He was so happy with Hela that he had forgotten about Jane, about Lok, about Asgard. In fact, he suspected Hela might had been adding something into his food to help him, but now... Now he felt that he owed Hela something, because she had told him from the beginning: he needed to be more aware. And his own first reaction to Hela had been not to trust her.

“Why?” he asked then. She stopped knitting.

“I'm an old woman, boy, I was lonely.”

“You could have asked me, I would have stayed.”

“Ah, yes, but your mind would have wandered back to your duty and you would have become restless.”

“I have a time limit,” he confessed, bitting his lips. “If I don't meet the conditions I'm as good as gone,” he said, murmuring.

“I must admit I wasn't expecting that,” she said, voice shacky. “Is that why you have that magical thing with you? I thought it was just a locating spell.”

“Ah, yes. The compass is helping me find the right direction. Though I am unable to follow the paths correctly. That's how I got lost in these woods.”

Hela nodded, but said nothing about the real mean on the locating part of the spell. It was like a beacon, something to be activated to find the boy.

“Maybe you should get rid of it as soon as you find whatever you are looking for.”

Thor beamed, throwing a crumb in the general direction of the woman.

“I was planning on giving it back to the previous owner,” he said, smiling sadly. “Throwing it into the ocean.” He was looking at his hands, seeing nothing but darkness. He looked up. “I have to go. I've lost too much time. I truly appreciate what you have done for me, but I cannot stay here any longer.”

“Very well. I will require some payment, though.”

“Payment?” Thor felt puzzled at first, then sad. Of course, payment. It was all about money, wasn't it? “I don't have any valuables with me, nor money. You must already have checked my bags.”

“No, not that. A lock of your hair will suffice. I can use it for my spells.”

“Well...,” Thor was reluctant. He knew how some spells needed body parts of other beings and how some of those spells could be really harmful.

“I'm not going to bespell you, boy. I can swear it to you,” she shot, sharp as ever. “Though your hair seems to have some kind of magic quality that I would like to have stored.”

“Very well, you may have one lock. But I will decide how thick it'll be.”

She nodded, not that Thor saw her, but the faint rustle of her clothes told him.

That night, Thor slept with the compass in his hand, clutched at his chest. He dreamt of green eyes, long black hair and sharp claws. When morning came, he didn't remember anything.

00000

“So, how does this work?” Svad asked. He was tracing Loki's oval opening on the front of his tail with two slickered fingers. Loki was layin on his giant bed, gripping the bedsheets, while bitting his lips, head bent backwards, exposing his pale, long neck. Svad could see the gills there closed while he his mouth was wide open, chest rising and faling. “Are you female?” he asked then, pushing both fingers into Loki's heat. Instantly, the muscles started working on his fingers, as if sucking them in.

“N-no... Ah!... I am... male... Mmm...”

Svad was completely mesmerized by Loki's responses. He seemed extremely sensitive on this part. Earlier, when he had showed it to Svad he hadn't been able to locate it. While it wasn't being used, that part of his anatomy was hidden, or covered, by thick scales: the hole itself had been a tight ring of muscles, almost dry. It took a bit of teasing for the muscles to relax and open, and then a flood of slik had coveder it from within.

“Then... What is this? Surely not your asshole...”

“No-o... No... Ah, Svad!... It's... for the... eggs...”

Eggs? Now, Svad was more interested if possible. Merpeople reproduced with eggs... But then, what about the breasts of the merwomen? A specially lewd sound from Loki distracted him from his mussings and he decided to finish what he had started before continuing with his questions.

“Would you mind if I...” Svad didn't know why, but he was feeling shy, asking Loki if he could fuck his hole.

“Yes! Please!... Inside, now!! Svad!!”

Loki seemed so lost. Svad's own cock had been hard between his legs, but now, seeing Loki so flushed, eyes full of desire, almost black, panting in his bed, it twitched with a vigour he never knew he would had. Delicately, he pulled out his fingers, making Loki whine, and took out his cock. He sat astride on Loki's tail and guided himself to Loki's opening.

It was bliss. The rest of it was hazy at best. He could still feel everything but he also felt detached from his body. Loki rolled them, putting himself on top of him. His neck was biten and licked and without thinking he bited Loki too. His teeth might not be as sharp as Loki's, and he tried to avoid his gills, but he managed to sink them, though not deep enough as to draw blood. Loki's response was a full body jerk, an impossible tightening of his insides and a startled gasp. Svad spilled inside.

He didn't know how long he laid there, with Loki between his legs, panting, he just had the feeling that he had come more than once, though everything was too hazy to really remember.

“That drug your body produces... Is there a way for it to be a little less effective? I would love to remember what we do,” he commented, soft cock sliding out of Loki. He felt his chuckle agains his chest while his neck was nuzzled.

“I could brew something to help you be immune to it, though it is also to help you to be more... active,” Loki said against his neck, lapping and nipping.

“Not complaining about the active part, just that I would like to be in control of myself,” I wish to see you fall appart too, he left usaid.

“Well... If you were a mer, the only effect it would have would be to ease your ovipositor inside. Another use for the... ah... slick, as you called it, is for us to coat the eggs as we lay them out.”

Svad nodded, arms circling Loki's waist.

“And how does that work? I thought you said you are not female.”

“No. I am not,” Loki laughed and then kissed him. Mm, his mouth tasted salty, but it was heaven. “Male and female mer can carry eggs, but only males have ovipositors.”

“Then... Does that mean that you can become pregnant? From other males, I mean.”

“No. Well, other males can lay their eggs in me, if that's what you are asking, but for an egg to be fertilized it needs more than being laid and then sprayed. The slick in females, while combined with male spray is what fertilizes the egg.”

“Explain that, you handsome, misterious, half fish” Svad said, feeling lost, pulling Loki's hair affectionately.

“Let's say that you are female. I lay my eggs on you, after a fashion, your body slicks them, then I spray them. After a while, when the eggs start growing, the female overture will stretch and the eggs will come out, covered by a protective membrane. Sometimes, the female cannot keep the eggs before the membrane phase is done. When that happens, they can pass the eggs to a male for him to carry the eggs for the rest of the term.”

“And how does that work, if only males have ovipositors?”

Loki's eyes shone with mirth. Their bodies were still flush together, though Svad wasn't inside him anymore. Loki shifted and then his overture was touching Svad's annus. Svad gasped at the feeling. Something had latched around his skin, making what felt like a protective ring.

“The most external muscles can do this. Both male and female ones. Then, the female only needs to push and the male to pull. It can take from a few minutes up to a couple of hours.”

Svad was still gasping for air, cock stirring.

“So... You lay your eggs out with the shield-mucus... And then?”

“Then...” Loki said, kissing lightly along Svad's collarbones. “The eggs keep growing, until one day the pups break free... Usually out of seven only one or two become pups...”

“I want to see it...” Svad gasped. Loki stopped to look at him, puzzled. “I mean... Your ovipositor. Where do you have it?”

Loki blushed, but nodded. Slowly, he disentangled himself from Svad. The man sat up, leaning on his arms. Loki, still between his legs, wasn't looking at him. From the overture a small tip poked out and then it kept going out, and out and out. It was of a pinkish colour, almost as long as Svad's forearm –from wrist to elbow–. The tip couldn't be wider than a finger, but it got thicker and thicker the closer it got to the base. On the base, it covered the whole overture, hiding it from view.

Svad touched it, relishing on the shiver that ran through Loki's body. He played with it, finding it quite flexible. And just as the inner muscles, it exuded the slick, not from the tip, but from the whole length. Slowly, he explored it with greedy eyes and hands. Loki's eyes were closed, lips parted, sucking in hair, dark red on his cheeks. Then, something incredible happened. Svad was exploring the tip and found a small dent. He pressed his thumb in, not expecting what ensued. The tip opened, swallowing his finger and Loki collapsed over him with a loud cry, trembling uncontrollably

“ah... Ngh!... Sv...”

It seemed that whatever he had done had rendered Loki speechless, as well as weak. Svad's cock was fully hard in seconds. Seeing Loki unmade like that was addictive. One of Loki's hands tried to grip his wrist, but the attempt lacked so much strength that it just fell over Svad stomack.

“Beautiful,” he whispered, enthralled.

Loki's eyes were shining with unshed tears, he was panting and unable to speak nor move. How wondrows. The reaction made him wonder if this was the reason why Loki had gripped him so close before. Maybe the act of laying eggs was so pleasurable that left the mer completely vulnerable. Svad was greedy, and as such, he drank every reaction as he penetrated Loki's ovipositor with his finger.

“Ngh... ngh... hah... mmh...” Loki's sounds were enough to drive him mad with desire. A wandering thought passed his mind, on how could a man desire better a mermaid. Seeing the beautiful display now the whole thing seemed completely ridiculous.

Loki's pupils were so dilated with want that he could barely see the green in his gorgeous eyes. The tears spilled down, wetting the red cheeks. Loki was gasping for air as if he had never used his lungs before.

“Do you think I could stick a finger in your overture, Loki?” he asked then. Loki tried to shake his head, but to no avail. Svad kept teasing him, changing his thumb for a longer middle finger. He expected Loki to shake again, he didn't expect that instead of one, he could fit two fingers. Wanting, needing more, his other hand went to Loki's tail, searching for his overture at the base of the ovipositor. Loki's hand tried to stop him, but the attempt was halfhearted at best.

The overture was too tight but just touching around made Loki shake with such an intensity the whole bed moved. Svad wondered if Loki was like this always. Was this what he was missing when the slick affected his mind? Oh, gods! Now that he had seen it, he would dread to miss it again. Testing, he fitted a third finger inside Loki's ovipositor, the other hand teasing the whole length having given up on assaulting the overture.

There was a gasps, a chocked cry, then Loki ached on the bed, and then he fell over it, limp, panting, eyelids half closed. Svad hands were soaking wet and the firmness the ovipositor had was fading, as it slowly retreated inside Loki's body.

Svad was panting too and when he rolled to get a towel he saw he had spilled over his stomach. Fuck! He had never experienced something like that, coming by way of pleasuring his partner, not touching himself. He retrieved a couple of wet towels and set himself to whipe them both.

“You are an asshole,” Loki panted. Svad's eyes snapped up to his face, worried. Then, he saw he was smiling. “I am not letting you near it ever again,” Loki concluded. Svad barked a laugh.

“Well, next time you can use it on me. In me,” he said. And fuck! He was so, so ready to have Loki take him. But Loki only smiled and shook his head.

“No. I won't fall a second time for your trickery, pirate.”

“Oh, c'mon! You enjoyed it!” he whinned, not being serious at all on his protest. “I am sorry. I didn't mean to overstep.”

Loki was laying on his stomach now, face half hidden by the pillow and the black strands of his hair. Svad could still make out the glint of amusement on his eyes, as well as the smile on his reddened lips.

“I know.”

“It's just... You take away my self-control,” Svad said, frowning. “It's like I cannot help it. As if someone else was controlling me.”

Loki chuckled. He looked apologetic.

“That must be the siren's song. We all have it, but until we learn how to use it, it manifest in different ways.”

“Oh, so it was all your fault, I see,” he commented, throwing away the used towels. Later, some servant or another would come in and take everything to wash. “Now, let's be serious. What happened?” At Svad's question Loki blushed, from the root of his hair to his chest, and hid his face completely on the pillow. Svad put a hand on his shoulder. “You can tell me, you know?” He saw the nod. Then, Loki appeared again, leaning on his forearms.

“I've never laid eggs before. I mean, I've had sexual partners before, but I've never... I always felt too young for that. And then, when I was ready, something happened and everything spiralled out of control. I never thought about that again until... Until tonight.” Svad didn't say anything, just put his arms around Loki and hugged him. Loki continued. “I've been told by others that the insides of the ovipositor is more sensitive to stimuly than any other part of our bodies. When we are mating, male and female latch onto each other and don't separate until the last egg is safely within the female.”

“So... What you are trying to say is that sex is not as good as having babies,” Svad deadpaned, Loki laughed and hit him with a pillow. Svad was amazed at this side of Loki. This playful, carefree, charming side. A sinking feeling settled in his belly. Loki would live far longer than he. Loki would live his while life without him, rendering him into a fond memory and nothing more. His arms tightened around the mer. That made him fearful. He would be losing Loki. No matter that the mer would live, Svad would die sooner rather later. There must be a way to stop that, he thought.

But this train of thought got lost when his legs stopped feeling the scaly tail he had become so acquired with to have a pair of legs tangling with his own.

“Now I can change into a human whenever I want,” Loki whispered to his ear. Svad shivered.

“That gives us more to play with,” he said, trying to sound playful and chase away the dreaful realization that his mortality would get in the way of being with Loki. That thought came full force, then, threatening with chocking him.

“For now, let's rest. I know for a fact that you will have to explain about your mistress tomorrow.”

Svad nodded. Loki settled on top of him, head resting over his chest. Svad wasn't sure he could sleep now.

Chapter Text

Thor had wasted enough time already, but now he had better control over his own body and his surroundings. Even though he couldn't see, he could hear, and smell and taste and touch. His staff helped him a great deal and the lessons Hela had forced upon him served to help him focus on the magic inside the compass. Now, whenever it pointed to one direction, instead of following it in a straight line like before, he mapped the ground with the staff, rose his head to the sky to feel the sun, even licked his finger to know from which direction the wind came.

At first, he thought that following the paths and roads would have taken him more time than just simply following the compass direction, but now he knew that if he followed them he could find villages, towns and markets where he would try to sing again to gain some coins and buy supplies and a new pair of shoes.

Things were getting better. He was walking faster, father and didn't get lost. In one occasion someone tried to rob him but he manage to scare them with his staff and they left him alone. He walked, talked with people, helped a little girl recover her cat from a tree –when her mother discovered that her daughter had forced a blind young man to help her she chastised the girl and gave Thor a portion of pie– and listened to stories.

Then, he arrived at his final destination. No matter where he walked, the compass kept the same temperature, so Jane was there. He set out to find her, asking at the market, in shops, at the inn. No one knew her, or if they knew they wouldn't tell. For a few nights, when he readied himself to sleep, he thought that maybe she was dead and that the compass was hot because she wouldn't move anymore. He didn't know, after all, if the compass stopped working if Jane died.

His money was running thin and soon he wouldn't have enough to keep paying a room at the inn, so he asked at every craftmanship house and guild he found if they needed an apprentice. No-one needed one, and least of all blind. His luck seemed to have run out until he found Eitri. He was in need of help and would take him in if only to help him push things around. At first, neither of them were quite sure about this, but with Thor needing to know where exactly were each of the tools and materials the forge was in a constant state of orden.

Soon after, people, guided by curiosity, started coming to talk with Thor. Thor entertained them while he sweept the floors or got more water. One afternoon Eitri gave Thor a hammer and positioned him before the anvil. Thor hit the metal until Eitri told him it was enough. Even if Thor couldn't see it, Eitri could and with another pair of hands doing more things, the work advanced fast.

At first, Eitri had offered Thor a room in his house, but Thor refused. As long as he had coins he would be keeping his room at the inn. He adapted at best as he could, each passing day making him sadder and sadder. He had a rough estimate of how long he had left. Maybe a couple of days, maybe a whole week, but he couldn't be sure anymore. He was giving up hope, being so close and yet so fat away. Still, he had found peace. He had done everything he could, everything in his hands. And then, he was assaulted and rescued.

No, he was putting up a front of calmness. He was restless. The mere thought of having to approach Jane after all that had happened to him and asking her to bed him... Now, as he, sat with Erik telling him of his journey he couldn't help but feeling caged. He wanted to go to Jane that instant and spill the truth and ask her if she would... If she would... With him...

“Well, that was interesting, lad,” Erik patted him on the shoulder, his voice sounding sad. “Now you can tell her whatever important message, right? I only wish I could have stopped you, earlier. I've known where she was all this time and could have sent you directly to her by ship and then by carriage. Or you could have sent her a letter...” his voice died. Thor could hear the embarrassment in it and laughed.

“I could have dictated it too, good friend. But I couldn't risk anyone else knowing the information,” Thor said, smiling. Now, maybe he could just talk with Jane and listen to her and... And what? He felt nervous, the palms of his hands started to sweat. He had never thought what he would do or say when he found Jane. He had always imagined that he would got to her and she would recognize him and jump into his arms and kiss him and they would be happy together for ever.

“Well, enough excitement for today. I'll guide you to the guest room and you can rest today here. Tomorrow I'll take you to Jane so you two can have your important discussion.”

Thor nodded, yawning. He hadn't know he was so tired. Maybe, now that he had found Jane he felt he could truly relax.

00000

Jane, Darcy, Alvar and Fandral went around the kingdom on horse. Before Jane decided anything definitive –and yes, she was now giving a little bit of though about Svad's offer, crazy as it sounded– on the contract she wanted to meet with all her father's associates in person. Luckily for her, they weren't that many and didn't live too far waya from each other. The only thing that slowed them down were the practical decisions, the new agreements and the signing of new documents.

She still wanted to keep what her father had built during his life and leaving all the affairs alone would mean that some or other associate would take charge sooner or later, pushing her away. She was resoluted to not let that happen.

Still, some of them frowned upon her for trying to take the reins of her father's trade and fought fiercely, if politely, against her with words and actions. One even suggested she settled down already and that she was old enough to have children. Only the pressence of Darcy had prevented her from punching that old man on the throat. And then, after that comment, his son had come and suggested they married!

It was true that she had contemplated to settle down with Donald, her childhood sweetheart, once she was back home, but now she didn't have a home and after a quick exchange of words with Donald, she saw that their views were too different for them to work at all. It was true that she was still attracted to him and that that last time together had been amazing, but she just couldn't picture herself with him on a more mundane way.

So, yes, she was thinking about Svad's offer through another way. If she was married, these kind of people would leave that matter alone, though they would still wonder what was her husban doing, letting her roam around. It made her want to laugh and scream at the same time.

Then, she received a letter from Erik. In it, he told her about a young man that had a message for her, something he needed to tell her in person. He detailed how distressed the young man had been while trying and failing to find her and how he had disappeared as soon as he could to pursue her. She re-read the letter but failed to find anything truly useful like his name, his physical appearance and the like. Jane didn't think too much on it, after all, there were lots of people trying to “tell her something important”, and dismissed this new one as the rest.

It wasn't until she arrived at her last destination, the town of Nidavellir, that word of a young, blind, blonde man was looking for her. Jane and Darcy had shared an exhasperated look between each other and Alvar, sensing something had offered to monitor the man. After a week he deemed the man harmless, though they didn't approach him. Alvar kept his daily monitoring, telling Darcy and Darcy telling Jane.

One afternoon she decided. She talked with Fandral, she would be signing the marriage papers that day, but she needed another friend and as if godsent, Erik had come to his house there –it always baffled Jane that Erik had almost one house in each important town, though she suspected he just rented them, and most surely he only had one or two–. She had called him and he had signed as her witness. As soon as the ink was dry, Fandral and Alvar had left.

That same day she saw a blind boy. He was andsome, had strong arms and an ease in his step. She also saw some men staring at the boy. Worried, she kept an eye on them. Nothing happened. Erik was there with her and then.

“Hm! Sounds like someone is having trouble, let's go this way better and call the authoryt-”

She didn't stay to listen and ran, Erik asking her to stop. She found the boy on the floor.

“What the-!?” she exclaimed, going down her knees. The boy was crying, clutching something to his chest. “Are you all right? Oh! God! What happened to you?” Well, she thought, what a stupid question: he just got mugged.

“I'm all right, thank you for your concern. It was just a small fight,” the boy answered. He tried to put up a front, it seemed. The poor darling. And when he hiccuped, trying to swallow his tears her heart broke. She tried to stop him when he tried to scramble up to his feet to no avail; even injured, the boy was fast and he used the nearest wall to help himself. Jane felt useless.

“Jane! There you are. Why did you run off in this direction? I told you it sounded like a scuffle- Oh! Thor?” Erik's said at her back.

Her head shot up towards Erik, confusion in her eyes. Could this be the boy Erik had told her about in his letter?

“Do you know this boy, Erik?” she asked.

“Yes, he is the one I was talking to you about,” Erik confirmed.

“Well, he seems hurt,” she said, stating the obvious. With a look and a motion of her head, Erik rushed to the boy's –Thor?– side to aid him.

“They have stolen my money,” the boy said, smiling brightly. “I'm sorry, Erik, they broke the gift you gave me,” he added, motioning one hand towards the general direction of the broken staff. Jane bent down to pick it up. Maybe she could buy the boy a new one tomorrow.

“Don't worry about that stick. Come here, boy. You can stay with us tonight, and tomorrow we will call in a doctor.”

Jane nodded her agreement and went with them towards Erik's house. Once they had settled the boy on a couch, she left. She would be staying with Darcy.

When she opened her door, Darcy's eyes were stormy.

“You said it would take litte! I've been waiting here for hours! What happened?” she demanded.

Jane rolled her eyes, laughing. It'd been thirty minutes, at most.

“Well, I took a detour. Erik wanted to show me something and then we found this poor boy being mugged.”

“And you had to step in, ever the heroine, right?”

“Yes, well... I arrived late, but the boy seems better now. He is with Erik. Tomorrow... Well, remember Erik's letter?” Jane waited until Darcy nodded. “This boy, –I think Erik called him Thor–, is the one in the letter.”

“Is he handsome?” Darcy asked as they set the table for dinner.

“Darcy!”

“What? I need to have my priorities right!”

“Well...”

“Well? Is he or isn't he?” she pressed. Jane pouted.

“... He is,” she admited after a few more seconds of stubborn silence. Dacry squealed, delighted.

“At least he is not a freak like the ones that have been following us, is he?” she asked, cheerfully. Jane hit her on the shoulder.

“Why are you asking all these silly questions?”

“Well, a boy that's handsome and has been following you for who knows how long just to talk with you and that's blind? Either he is stupid or he wants something more,” she said, wriggling her eyebrows while smiling. Jane blushed.

“Oh my god, Darcy! Stop!”

Darcy giggled.

00000

To say that Thor was nervous was an understatement. His whole body seemed to be ready to burst, hands sweating, heart hammering in his chest. With Erik's help he now had an accurate date on when the curse set upon himself will go off if he doesn't get to bed Jane. A week and two days. Well, one. A week, let's say. If by the seventh day he hasn't gotten near his goal then... Then he will spend his last day as himself writing a letter to his mother. He will call the Witch and ask him to deliver it. He wouldn't deny him, right? Even now he was still his prince and surely such a feat the Witch would be able to do without as much as breathe.

So now, he was awaiting Jane at Erik's house, sitting on the couch, trying not to jump at every little creak the wood made. When the knock came Thor leapt to his feet, and almost falls on his face, rushing to get the door. His eyes searched around but he couldn't see anyone there. He could smell and hear them, though.

“Yes?” he asked, hopefully.

“May I come in?”

Jane! It was Jane. His heart almost jumped out his chest.

“Of course,” he walked back, holding the door open. When he heard her clothes shift and her footsteps inside he closed it. He turned around, not knowing what to say. He opened his mouth and then something was thrust onto his chest. His hands rose to grab it.

“Here, for you. I mean, sorry!” Jane said, frantically, as he fumbled with the gift, trying not to drop it.

“Um... Thanks,” he said, feeling stupid. It was a new staff, it seemed. “Em, Erik told me to use his study, but I don't know how to reach it and maybe you would be more comfortable in his sitting room?”

“Yes, that would be perfect.”

Thor followed Jane's footsteps, and with his new staff at hand he managed to sit on the couch without bumping onto anything.

“Well...” he said then, not knowing how to ask her. Should he be forward or maybe it would be best to simply explain everything to her from the beginning? Would she believe him. Too late he realized he had been silent too long, fidgeting.

“I understand you wanted to tell me something of import,” Jane said in his stead. Thor's cheeks reddened.

“Em... Yes. Yes. I mean. You... Do you remember me?” he said, looking in the general direction from where her voice came, eyes searching but not locking on anything.

“Um, no.”

“Oh.”

Well... Damn! That complicated things. Thor sighed, trying to gather some strength.

“You see... I was swimming. Just swimming. That day,” he started, reminiscent. “I had had a fight with one of my friends and wanted to show them that, that humans weren't dangerous.” It was difficult to tell everything now. But where do one starts in Thor's situation? “So I swam up to the surface. I was really angry for a moment. Then I smelt that foul scent that some of your ships have when they spew iron balls at each other. I followed it and then... I saw one of your ships falling to pieces and you... You fell to the ocean too.” Thor stopped. He could swear he heard Jane gasp.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw you fall and sink... I had to do something. So I darted towards you and pushed your upper body over the water. There were others falling, too, but I couldn't do much for them, so I focused on you. I didn't even know your name, just that I had to save that human girl in the dark, red dress.” Thor stopped to take a gulp of air, this seemed to be going better than expected. Jane was still there. If he could have seen her face, though, he wouldn't feel so confident, for she had an horrified look on it. Only two groups of people knew what she had been wearing that day: the pirates and her father's men. Not that Thor knew this, of course. “But it was difficult to swim with you wearing it, so I cut it. I didn't expect to find another dress underneath,” Thor blushed. Yes, the white dress underdress had been almost see-through. “I found another ship and managed to get the attention of the sailors. They attacked me and took you away and... Well. The only thing I can say is that I don't mind the harpoons, since you are alive and well now,” he concluded, smiling.

“I cannot believe this,” Jane muttered.

“I know it's a bit strange but-”

“No! I mean. How do you know about the dress? Were you with the pirates? What is this? What do you expect from this?”

Thor was shocked. Jane had stood up and in a reflex action Thor was on his feet too. His mouth opened and closed in a mockery of a fish.

“I...” No, he couldn't say that he didn't expect anything from this, that would be a lie. He did expect things from this. Many, in fact. “I love you,” he blurted out. “I fell in love with you and... And I cannot think a life without you and some months ago I managed to gather up my courage and ask fo a way to be with you and... But... I...”

“Yeah... Yes. Of course. You love me. You see me for less than... I don't know how long, and we never talk and you say you recued me and what? What do you expect, truly? You say you love me? Ha! That's not possible. What is it that you truly want from me? Money?”

Thor could hear her harsh breathing and her words stung.

“No, I... I just want to be with you... The only thing I wanted was... I... I'm sorry... I...” He didn't know how to continue. What was he going to do now? His eyes filled with tears. Jane was rejecting him so strongly. This is it, he thought, discouraged. I won't be able to woo her and I won't see my family again. “I let myself get cursed just to have the oportunity to be with you,” he whispered, voice cracking. Outside, a soft drizzle started to wet the cobblestone.

“I was told to deliver this to you,” she said, tone frozen. The sound of cristal hitting wood came from the auxiliar table near the couch. “Fare well. Don't bother me again.”

“Wait! Jane! Please, hear me out!”

The storm outside got worse, raging full out. Wind shook the windowpanes and thunder echoed. Jane stopped. If Thor could see, he would have seen fear in her eyes.

“What's going on,” she muttered to herself.

“I... I'm sorry,” Thor said. He heard Jane's clothes shift.

“Sorry for what? It's not like you can control this storm,” she said. Thor blushed. He should. He should be able to control it. More thunder filled the stance. For long moments only the downpour and the thunders were heard in the sitting room. Jane moved again. By what Thor heard, it seemed she had picked up whatever she had put on the table. “Take this,” she said with a sigh, clasping one of his hands and putting in it a small bottle. “I was told that a friend of yours sends this. Something about your father having paid for it.”

Thor inhaled sharply, jumping.

“Who? Who sent you this?” he asked, gripping Jane's shoulder with his free hand. “Was it a man? Did he have long black hair? Green eyes?” Thor couldn't see Jane frowning, as she had expected Thor to describe Svad. Instead, he was talking about someone else. Then, as if burnt, he let go of her, face looking down, at his hand. “If this comes from him...” Thor whispered. In a swift motion, he opened the bottle and downed it in one go.

“No!” Jane said. The boy didn't even know what was in the vial. What if it was poison. Thor looked at her. More like in her general direction, frowning.

“I don't fe-UGH” His eyes stung. They were burning. Everything was burning. His ears were ringing. He slept.

Chapter Text

Frigga wanted to claw out Loki's eyes and fed them to her pet barracuda. He looks smug, swagging his tail around and smiling toothly towards her.

“Queen Frigga! To what do I owe the honor?” he asks. She huffs. As if he didn't know.

“I want you to free my son from your agreement.”

“That, my queen, I cannot do.”

She stops herself in time. It wouldn't do to tear appart that mer's gills now. Maybe later.

“You are harming the Royal Family with your actions, Witch. Know that this act against the Crown Prince and only heir-”

“So have more,” he interrupts her. She looks at him, shocked.

“What?”

“Have more heirs! I never understood how such an essential thing never ocurred to you before. Specially to you, Frigga. I would have expected such foolishness from my brother, but you? You seemed sound enough to have spares.”

Frigga flinches. She knows that Loki did not add the “like my parents” on purpose. Yes. If Thor is out of the picture, the title of Crown Prince falls on Loki, so these circumstances are beneficial for him, but since Thor went missing on land, Loki had not done any demand about the crown nor any title.

“What would you need in exchange? What do you require? What do you want?” She is desperate. Then, a thought. Her eyes grow wide in surprise. “Do you want an heir?” she almost whispers. The look of utter surprise on Loki's face does nothing to erase the thought from her mind. “I will bear your eggs. Just give me back my baby.”

“What? No! Ugh! Why do you always think I that I- No, never mind,” Loki seems completely repulsed by the idea, which helps her relax a little. “Look, my queen, we made a pact. A contract. We both signed it. I explained everything to him. He went anyways.” He waited a few seconds, for effect. “It's unbreakable.”

“That's what Odin told me.”

“But you don't trust him?”

“But I don't trust you.”

“Ouch,” Loki counters in mock hurt. “You wound me, my queen.”

“Thor has been gone for almost half a year now, Loki. I want my son back,” her voice wavered.

“There's nothing I can do to break our contract,” Loki said, looking at Frigga directly at her eyes. “Though there may-”

Frigga had enough. Enough of pleading. Enough of formalities. She was fed up with Loki and his antics. He had put her family at risk and she would make him set things right or so help her, she would do it her own way. He shield and sword materialised on her hands and she charged forward. Of course, Loki didn't expect her to attack him, so his attempts at defending himself were weak at best. She hit him with her shield and pierced his flank with the sword. Loki screamed, blood tainting the water around his head, the wound on his side painting it red.

“I will not hesitate to kill you, Loki, if that will help me break your curse,” she hissed. Loki chuckled, then made a pained expression.

“You think my death will break the contract? No. You should know how these things works, Frigga, you are also a witch, are you not?” he growled. Just for the satisfaction of it, Frigga twisted the blade ever so slightly. Loki grunted in pain but did nothing to stop her or push her away.

“For that exact thing I know there is a way to stop the curse, to break it,” she growled between her teeth. “You and I know you are powerful enough to counter even your most deathly ones, so don't test my patience. You might be my husband's brother, but you have never tried to befriend me and you made me your enemy the moment you put your claws on my son.”

Loki seemed to think on something. Frigga stayed alert.

“Are you ready to pay the price,” he whispered. His face was becoming paler by the second, eyes dulled by the pain and loss of blood. She pulled out the sword, not relishing Loki's pain as she thought she would. She vanished it and the shield and covered Loki's wound with her palm, her other hand gripping Loki's shoulder. His own hand covered her's at his side, wile the other gripped her at her biceps. They shared not words but a glance, eyes locked on each other as Frigga's seidr mended Loki aided by his own.

As soon as Loki's wound is closed, she retreated her hand and put distance between them. Loki's eyes followed her.

“Name the price,” she said. He just did something with the hand that's not holding his side and a golden image appears before them. Her face paleed. “Bastard!” she exclaimed.

“Ah, this is the reason... You are barren,” Loki's comment wasn't mocking nor chastising, a mere fact. He looked at her dead in the eyes. “You used your seidr to make sure your first lay would be strong, but only one survived and reached maturity and now...”

“Now there won't be any more sons of Odin coming from me,” she said, fisting her hands. “What are you going to do with this information?” She knew, as well as he, that if word got out, people might ask for a change of queen, a fertile one.

“Nothing,” he answered, then frowned. “With this... Are you aware that you cannot pay the price? Not with your condition.”

Frigga didn't say anything for a long while.

“Who can?”

“Odin.”

“I won't put the king in danger, witch.”

“As you wish. Now if you excuse me, I have other matters to attent to.”

“WAIT!” This conversation... Everything was going too fast and she had only managed to vent out a little bit of anger and piss off Loki, who had her son's life in his hands. “What would you require for a... new contract to invalidate the last one.”

Loki smiled sharply at her.

“Nothing from you. It will be Odin the one to pay. You cannot create life anymore but he...”

“He still can have pups,” she nodded, finally understanding where Loki was coming from. “You require his fertility to give back our son his life.”

“It's a teeny, tiny bit more complicated but that sums it up, yes.”

“You are really horrible, Loki.”

“Why, thank you. I had the best teacher and a thousand years to practise,” he bowed mockingly. Frigga didn't rise to the bait.

“I will speak with him.”

“Do it fast. He only has three days left.”

Frigga knew that time was short but until then she hadn't realize how little she had left. She should had acted months ago.

00000

When Thor woke up the first thing he noticed was that something was piercing his eyes. The second thing was light. He yelped in surprise. A lot of noise, and one of the wood planks on the wall opened inwards, making Thor jump, surprised. A middle aged man was looking at him, still on the threshold. They looked at each other for long moments, neither talking.

“How long have I been sleeping?” Thor asked the stranger. Then man seemed to relax after hearing him.

“Just about three days. We thought that you drank poison,” Erik's voice said. Thor frowned, confused, then, realizing what was happening he focused his eyes on the man.

“Erik?” he asked, trying to get up –to no avail, his body felt weak and clumsy.

“No, Thor, wait! You have been unconscious for three days. You have to rest. I'll get you some water,” the man said, rushing to his side to push him back on the bed.

“Erik?” Thor asked again, looking imploringly at the man, grabbing his arm. “Is this you? Is this truly you?”

“Thor? Are you all right?”

“I... I can see.”

00000

This time, Odin had come with Frigga too. It wasn't ideal and Loki was feeling annoyed at best. Couldn't they let him work in peace? Repressing a sigh he turned towards them with a mask of indiference. Then, he frowned. Frigga's third eyelid was closed and Odin had dark circles under his eyes. With a fast look at his chart, he made sure that, yes, there were two more days left for Thor to succeed. He looked back at his brother.

“What is it this time?” he rasped then almost flinched. His own voice sounded so aggressive to him.

“Loki, he is my only son, the only heir,” Odin said with restrained fury. His arms were in tension, hands shaking slightly while fisted. Loki was sure that his brother would beat him black and blue if it wasn't for Frigga's pressence. Or maybe they both would do it if Loki said the wrong thing, which, incidentaly, was awful given how anything Loki said was the wrong thing.

“I know. So? You should have kept trying,” he spat and went back to his ingredients. He huffed. Of course. Of course he needed to go back up again. Why did all his draughts and spells needed so much cooking and brewing on the marmite lately? Ah, yes, human curse. Something cold and sharp touched the side of his neck between his gills.

“I brought Odin. We are both ready to pay whatever the price to switch contracts, so get on with it.”

Deliberately slow, Loki turned around to lock his eyes with Frigga's, a sneer on his lips.

“Listen, I am already fed up with you two. There is a failsafe! A panic set back for him,” he confessed. Maybe if he had told them all about it first... No, he thought when he saw the bewildered look on Odin's face. A fierce satisfaction rushed through him, making him shiver with pleasure. Suffer, idiot, suffer! He let the smile spread on his face for a while then he sobered up. “I gave him a compass. He just needs to do a little ritual before the sun sinks on the horizont on the last day of his six months trial. If he does it, the only damage done will be the loss of his memories on land, he will come back home and never think about his human again. So long he doesn't lose it, he will be fine.”

Frigga looked so relieved, all tension flowing out of her frame that Loki did feel remorse then.

“I will send word to him, then,” Odin said. His relieved face didn't make Loki feel bad, instead, it made him growl.

“Yes. You better do. And now leave me alone!”

He took everything he would need later inside a fishnet and swam away, relaxing when he noticed that he wasn't being followed. The compass was only the B plan and Loki wanted a C plan just in case. He shouldn't leave too many loose ends, the pup was kind of stupid and he couldn't risk that his nephew lost the compass.

00000

Two days left. Thor was tense. Jane was wary. She had seen him fall to the floor, shaking uncontrollably, pupils redening, all his veins swelling around his eyes and then he had been unconscious for three days. She had been sure that Thor had swallowed some kind of poison, but now, Thor could guess she was skittish at best around him. If she didn't trust him before, now she made sure they didn't touch. Thor was feeling heartbroken. He had wanted to tell Jane the whole affair about his curse, but then he realized that that would put her in a difficult situation. She would have to give away part of herself to save the life of a stranger and she wasn't like Thor, she wasn't in love.

That thought hurt. It hurt even more than knowing that his end was so close. All that he had done for his love was one-sided, it would seem. Still, Jane took him to the market that day. People watched Thor with huge eyes –somewhat word of the miraculous recovery of his sight had spread fast and people looked at Jane with more reverence than before, to her chagrin– and spied on them with curiosity.

Thor seemed unaware of it, though it wasn't that difficult to fake when you were seeing the human world on land for the first time. He had to keep the want of running around pointing at things but he couldn't stop himself, whenever he saw something interesting, pulling Jane's sleeve and asking her what was one thing or the other, smile so big it hurt his cheeks. On some occasion he even felt childlike in his questions about things. People had stopped hasking him in a mocking way if he had never seen one thing or another when he said that no, he hadn't with a straight face.

Word of the blind young man who could see now spread around and people, albeit curious, didn't tease him for not knowing what a puppet show was, for example. He was so fascinated by all the wonders in the human town that he missed all the smiles that Jane flashed his way. He didn't even notice when she stopped being dragged around to walk at his same pace, laughing as warmly as he did. They spent the whole day together and when the night dyed the place they went back, Thor to Erik's house and Jane to Darcy's.

On their way there, Thor saw a small, broad man walking on oposite direction. He was talking excitedly to Jane about how he had loved when a big bird had stolen the fish from the furry, four legged, earth-fish –cat, Jane had corrected him, pulling a worried face. If about his sanity or another reason that was left untold– when the man noticed them and stopped dead on his tracks.

“Thor, boy! You are alive!” the man, Eitri, by his voice, said.

“Eitri!” Thor ran towards him and engulfed him in a massive embrace, to the surprise of the man. “I am so sorry for skipping work so shamelessly,” he said, after releasing the man.

“Do not worry, I got word of what had happened to you,” he said, looking nervously at Jane. Then, he approached Thor in a conspiratory way to ask in a quiet voice, “Are you sure she is not a witch?”

Thor looked at him, confused at first, to then laugh so hard that the other two jumped, startled.

“Not at all, good friend! If've meet witches before and know how to recognize one. She doesn't have even the slightles drop of seidr,” he said, clapping his hand on the man's shoulder. “I would like to have a few more days of leisure, if it is fine by you?”

Eitri looked at him, then nodded to himself.

“I will give you five more days. I cannot wait to see what you are capable of now that you can see, boy,” he said, smiling. Then he left Thor and Jane and they continued to their destination.

“He is the blacksmith,” Jane said after a long moment of silence. Thor nodded.

“Eitri was kind enough to take me in when no-one would.”

“Were you happy?”

Thor looked at her in the eyes, smiling. Jane gasped when he took her hands, but didn't fight his touch. Slowly, he lifted them to his lips and kissed her fingertips.

“I was waiting,” he simply said. He didn't add the for you.

“But were you happy?” she pressed on. Thor couldn't help but think on how lovely her eyes were, or feel how fast his heart was beating by just holding her hands.

“I was. But I doubt my life will still hold the same way after...” he tailed off.

“After...?” she encouraged.

None of them realized how close their faces were now, nor that they were talking in whispers.

“Does it matter?” Thor asked, feeling lost in those bright brown eyes. He could see a faint blush paiting her cheeks.

“I suppose it doesn't,” she mumbled before rising to her toes and pressing her lips to his. Thor moved one hand to her back, the other cupped her face. Her hands didn't stay idle either, both going to the back of his neck.

Thor sighed, contently, as he felt something stirring in his chest. It felt as if something was untangling, warm, helping him breathing better.

They didn't say a word on the rest of their way back and when they arrived at Darcy's house, Thor took one of her hands again and kissed her knuckles. She went inside, looking back before closing the door. Thor waited until he could hear the bolt of the door to turn away and go to Erik's house. Once in bed, he took out the compass and looked at it. The metal had kept warm all this time but now that he had found Jane, why would he need it? He looked at the ring on his finger, then. It looked almost black and the realization that it had been once golden and that it had changed colours made him think about it as a bad omen. Black... So, if he had had his sight, he could have seen it changing as days passed. Had Loki enchanted it to do that for him or whas that some sort of normal behaviour for this spell? He didn't know.

When morning came, he hadn't slept at all. Thor just rose and went to the harbour. He found a rocky hill past it and stared at the rising sun. The day was grey, it would rain. Thor gripped the compass, feeling its warmth. Letting out the breath he had been holding he prepared himself. He took a step back and swung his arm releasing the compast into the air. He managed to follow the arc it did and saw the point where it collided with the water.

He wouldn't need it anymore, after all. Today, and tomorrow. Two days. If in two days he had not been able to bed Jane it wouldn't matter that he had the compass. And if he managed to do it, it wouldn't matter either way. Taking a last look at the sea, he turned around, feeling determined to give his all in his last forty eight hours.

This day, though had a surprise awaiting for him when he returned to Erik's house. A blond man he knew very well was there, looking frantic.

“Fandral?” he asked, surprised.

“Thor, my prince,” Fandral answered, bowing. Erik and Darcy, the other ones at Erik's house looked between the two, surprised. “I have come with an important message from His Majesty, your father, King Odin.”

“Fandral, my friend, drop the formalities,” Thor said, approaching his friend and gripping his shoulder. Fandral looked up at him. He seemed worried. “What is it? Is it mother?” Thor asked, a pang of guilt assaulting him.

“No. Your Royal parents have been trying to get the witch to lift your curse. They have been trying to bargain your freedom from the contract,” Fandral said. Thor smiled ruefully.

“I've been told every little detail about the contract, Fandral. I know there's no outing it. I must fulfill all the requirements or suffer the consequencies of my stupidity,” he said, with a laugh. “Anything that befalls me is of my own doing. Please, friend, do not blame the witch.”

“Very well,” the other blonde said, licking his lips. And he proceeded to tell Thor of a way to lift the curse, and still not breaking the contract. It involved the compass. The very same compass he had just thrown into the ocean. When he told his friend as much, Fandral paled. “No! I must go! I have to... Do not worry, my prince! I will find it. You won't suffer such undeserved punishment,” he said, running out the house.

Thor couldn't feel his legs. He couldn't hear. There was a ringing in his ears. He didn't know how he ended sitting on a chair, he just knew that he was the most stupid creature alive. Then, he started laughing and then crying. Loki had tricked him all right. It was even possible that, upon not managing to get Jane, Loki would have come to him after a while and told him how to go back being a merman.

“Please, friends,” he said to Darcy and Erik, who had tried everything they could not to ask too invasive questions as well as trying to reassure him. “I just want to be alone.”

He went back into the room Erik was lending him and laid down on the bed. He closed his eyes and cried some more.

00000

The fog was intense when he saw the figure at the beach. Entranced by its shape he followed in its footsteps. They arrived at the cliff. The figure turned around. The winde blew away the mist and made the long black hair dance alongside with the clothes the figure was wearing. Upon approaching, Thor recognized the witch, Loki. He gasped, surprised. He had never seen any creature as beautiful as this one, eyes and skin shining ethereally under the moon. Loki rose an arm and presented him with a vial.

“You must drink this, pup,” his enthralling voice said. Thor felt his knees wobbling. “Do not worry about your reactions. They are just your human nature. We were made to attract humans, remember, pup?”

Thor remembered, or so he thought. He just nodded.

“I want to kiss you,” he whispered.

“It'll come to pass once you have recovered. Now, drink.”

Thor reached to the vial with one hand, the other darted to catch the wrist and pulled Loki closer, but he disappeared in a flutter of bubbles, leaving behind only his scent and the vial on Thor's other hand.

He woke up, startled, on the bed Erik had lent him, with a strong sense of longing.

Looking out the window he saw it was night time. He belittled himself for wasting so much time in self pity, but he found that he had no energy left in himself to fight.

Chapter Text

Fandral had always been the fastest swimmer, but even he had a limit, so when he finally reached the palace he was out of breath, ready to pass out. Pushing himself, he delivered the bad news and almost instantly fell unconscious. The queen herself took the task of aiding his recovering with her seidr. The palace healers had somber expressions on their faces. It was a reality that Fandral might have killed himself with exhaustion.

As soon as his message was delivered to the king, Odin left in search of his brother. Time was a matter of concern, now, and he needed to find him as soon as possible. He went directly to the lair he knew Loki had above water on that island. Aided by his own seidr it only took him a few hours instead of half a day.

Odin emerged from the water inside the cave and crawled on the stone, then invoked his seidr and shaped his tail as a pair of legs –that little trick wasn't only Loki's, though he lacked the knowledge to make other's tails go as his brother did– and walked through the tunnel until he reached the chamber that Loki used to make his dry draughts. He watched his brother from within the shadows moving around.

Loki's elegant fingers were tinkering with vials, dry leaves and other supplies, going from one point of the almost round place to the other, taking bottles and setting them back on shelves. There was a marmite over a firewood near one stonewall, the substance bubbling by the heat and on what looked like an auxiliar table sculptured out of the rock a book laid open. Loki consulted it from time to time, muttering under his breath. He also turned the pages in a frantic way, using a feather to write or cross out things.

His black hair was done in a tight braid, not a single thread out of place, but his face contorted in concentration and frustration alike, and his hand moved as if to push hair away. Not for the last time, Odin ached by looking at him. In his mannerisms he could see Vili as clearly as he could see the sun filtering through window-like holes. Loki grunted and went back to his other working table, to grind more herbs with his pestle and mortar.

“If you are only going to stay there and looking dumb, you better go back to your kingdom and look dumb there,” Loki said, not looking up from his grinding. “You are distracting me.”

“He lost the compass,” Odin said, not moving one bit from the cool of the tunnel. Loki's hands stilled. He looked up at Odin, eyes widening.

“... What!?”

“He saw no point in keeping it once he found his mortal, it seemed. Fandral came with the news a little while ago,” he said, looking at his brother, waiting for Loki to laugh in victory, to mock him, anything. Instead, Loki pales and looks at him, frozen.

“What are you saying...”

Odin frowns. He was sure Loki would be ecstatic, smiling with glee at being doomed the Royal House, because now, even if Loki had renounced his title he was the last one who could continue the line of succession, which meant that if Loki were to have pups, they would be the ones to inherit the crown. All the power in the Sevent Seas. But what Odin sees is a scared man looking for solutions and he is hit with memories of Loki's past pranks: some went well but others backfired and when they did, Loki was not amused, he was worried. So, it seemed, sending Thor to the human world had been another elavorate prank gone too far. Odin sighed, feeling older than life. How could it be that the youngest brother was more mature than the oldest?

“Thor is convinced that it doesn't matter one way or another. He only has... What? A day? Two?” Odin shook his head. “Then he won't be able to come back to us, ever.”

“That... That's not possible,” Loki licked his lips, nervously. “I mean... He is a handsome pup, is he not? He takes after Frigga. The woman will come around and...”

“And what, Loki? If he had found her right away, maybe. But now? They have varely met for a couple of days at best. He might think himself in love, but the woman won't fall for his charms if he has no voice to aid him.”

Then, in a single breath, Loki came back into frantic motion, like a spring set free. He took a sample of the draught he was making and emptied the marmite, then he added two more, smaller ones and ran past Odin to a small spring hidden inside the tunnel. Then he went back to his working chamber, followed by huge floating watterbubbles and fills the three marmites, stirring the flames underneath. He swirled about the palce and Odin stayed put, watching him. Loki filleted several things and added different colored powders to each marmite. One started bubbling instantly.

“Your son,” Loki said, while working. “Is a complete idiot. And I am completely sure he takes after you on that regard.” His voice sounded strained and it was then when Odin finally realized that Loki was limping, favouring his right leg. He opened his mouth to ask but before he could utter a word, Loki addressed him. “I will need you to paint yourself with these runes. You have paint here, and a mirror over there. Make haste!” Loki's firm command made Odin obey, to both brothers' surprise.

The sun was casting down on the horizont when Loki finally put out the fire. Two of the marmites had been left to cool down outside, but the third one was the first Loki put in a cup. Without battling an eyelash he drank from the hot liquid in one swing. Odin had finished the runes along his body and was looking at his brother as he bared himself from the robes he had been wearing and let his hair down.

There was a pink scar on his side, where Frigga had stabbed him –she had not held any detail of their encounter– and on his left thigh he saw something ugly marring the leg. It also looked as if he was missing part of the muscle underneath the skin. That was where the limp came, Odin thought. Loki glared at him as he passed by his side to go outside and retrieve the marmites.

Once inside, Loki used the contents of one to draw runes on his legs, arms and chest, then, with the aid of a mirror, he covered his face with even more runes. Odin was on edge. On the one hand, he wanted to grab his brother by the shoulders and shake the explanation on what was going on from him. On the other hand, he wanted to go away to his son. He looked warily as Loki filled another cup with the third marmite's draught.

“What is this?” he asked, taking the cup. Loki pursed his lips in distaste.

“Drink,” he said, simply.

“No, unless you explain.”

Loki sighed.

“Very well. To break your stupid pup's contract we need to make a new one, and to give him back his gills and tail I need your life essence.” At Loki's words, Odin set the cup down. “It's not going to kill you!” he almost yelled. “It is to transfer it from you to him! You are still capable of laying eggs, are you not?” Odin nodded. “Then that's the only thing I need.”

“So you will leave me barren.”

“As barren as your wife, yes. But your stupid child will be able to sire an army by himself,” Loki snapped. “Make haste! We are losing precious time.”

Odin downed the thing. It tasted sour and sweet and made him get cramps all over. Beside him, Loki wimpered. He saw how his lower body changed into a tentacled form, and didn't miss the one missing limb, a stump twitching by his left side. He also saw twin siphons at Loki's lower hips.

“This is how it should have looked like, planktonbrain!” Loki hissed. His skin looked cerulean, ill. Loki's tentacles grabbed him, enveloping him and then he started chanting, holding a bottle half filled with an iridiscent, milky liquid on one hand. The other went to Odin's head, thumb pressed on his forehead. The runes started to burn him, them both if Loki's pained chant was to be believed, and shone in the darkness of the cave.

It hurt. It felt like his skin was being pulled out of him while still being in place. His breath was stolen too. He didn't know how long they were like this but by the time Loki was done, both were panting on the floor, sweating. Loki had his human legs back and was craddling the bottle, now filled to the brim and sealed. Odin looked down at his hands and found them wrinkled. Loki was smiling at him, viciously.

“You look like father,” he commented, passing him a mirror. And Odin saw himself as old, his hair white, his face wrinkled. The worst part was that he felt old.

“What is this?”

“Your contract,” Loki answered. Odin looked around and found a sheet of paper. “That's just a formality, the contract has already been sealed and you have paid for what you asked. Now...” Loki said as he got up on wobbly legs, supporting his weight on the wall. “I have to go and deliver this...”

Odin saw how his brother walked unsteadily outside. He got up too, with a lot of effort, and followed him. The moon was high on the sky, advancing rapidly towards the horizont. Loki was on the shore, letting the water lap at his legs, with one hand raised, calling the mist.

“Are you going to send him a prophetic dream?” he asked, even though it was clear that that was what Loki had planned.

“Yes and no. This is to warn him of my impending arrival as well as to skywalk.”

“Skywalk,” Odin deadpans.

“It's been too long since the last time I did it, brother. You will remember that time I covered my body with that colourful plummage to soar on the sky,” Loki said, not looking at him.

Odin nodded, nonetheless. He remembered. They had been young, so young, and had discovered the latent magic within themselves. Vili was constantly shifting between land creatures to sea ones; Ve shifted only his lower half, enjoying the different ways he could move around and Loki... Loki changed to whatever caught his fancy. It had been on one merry afternoon that Vili had come to them from within a fores, a furry animal drapped around his neck. He and Ve had been worried, since the twins had gone into the woods together and now only one was coming out. Loki had jumped from his twin's neck towards Ve's face, changing mid air, throwing his younger brother to the ground, laughing.

It was a fond memory. But as much as he wanted, he couldn't reconcile that Loki with the man before him.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the mist enveloped Loki and swallowed him. Odin grunted, as he dropped himself into the water and shifted, submerging himself and going back to Asgard.

00000

Thor dragged himself out of the bed and forced himself to meet with Erik and eat what he put on front of him, smiling sadly at him.

“Thank you, my friend. I do not know how to repay you.” He left unsaid the or if I will ever get to do it. Too much dramatism so early in the day. His last day as himself. Darcy, Jane's friend, entered the house like a gale and sat right opposite Thor, to Erik's surprise. Then, she shooed away the older man and didn't utter another word until the man was leaving, grumping about being kicked out of his own house.

“So,” she started. Thor's eyebrow rose.

“So?”

“You are a prince,” she deadpaned. Then she looked him up and down. “You don't really look like one. But if you really are cursed...” She awaited for him to elavorate. When he didn't she rolled her eyes. “Fine, don't tell me. But tell her, alright? I mean, what's with you princes and following Jane around? At least one of you could be interested in me, for a change,” she huffed, standing up and leaving to return shortly with Jane in tow. “Talk!” she commanded, sitting Jane where she had been mere minutes ago, and left.

“Um...” Thor didn't quite know what to say. Jane was flushing and Thor couldn't help the jump in his chest. Yes, Jane was most becoming. “I love you,” he blurted out when his eyes made the pink turn into red on her cheeks.

“You said so,” she said, looking away. Then, she looked straight at him. “Why are you so set on being with me? We varely know each other.”

“Well... When the curse was set upon me... I was given six months to... To meet with you and, and... court,” he answered, blushing. Thor tried to regain some composture, coughing into his fist and then opening his mouth to say something else. At this point, he thought, anything would be good, yes? “So, I went to look for you but... It was difficult because...”

“You were blind,” she completed. He nodded.

“There were people who attacked me, and people who helped me. I almost died in a hole on the ground,” he frowned. “At least that's how it felt at the time. But then it started raining so fast that the hole filled and I could swim to the top.”

She nodded and looked at her lap.

“I cannot believe this,” she said, then. “You say you love me, that you got yourself cursed just to get a way to meet with me and then Fandral comes and says you are a prince and...”

“You also know Fandral?” Thor cut her, smiling. She looked briefly at him and then at her lap, nodding. “Fandral has been my friend since we were both pups. I was so surprised to see him with a pair of legs, but I suppose he got his from a different source than I did,” he commented, lightly. Jane looked at him then, narrowing her eyes.

“And he didnt know you were here?”

Thor shrugged.

“Maybe he was sent to find me. But that matters not now,” he sighed.

A comfortable silence sat upon them. Thor looke through the window, listening to the life outside: people walking around, talking with their neighbours, birds chirping, a dog running after a cat who was being chased by a boy and a girl.

“I am married,” she said, suddenly. Thor looked back at her so fast he felt a pang of pain on his neck.

“Wh-what?”

“I got married shortly before we met here. It's a secret marriage,” she said. Her demeanor was tense, but she seemed to relax after having said it. “I am allowed to have a lover, or several, he doesn't care, it's just for political reasons. He said that he would recognize any child I had as his, no matter how the child was born but my upon my honour I won't be with anyone else while I am married to him.” Her voice was firm, but the frown was back to her face.

“Oh,” Thor felt like he couldn't breathe. He had arrived quite late. For everything. How hilarious. Some twisted power was toying with his very life, here.

“Or that was what I was set on doing,” Jane added, crossing one arm around her middle, while covering her mouth with her hand and looking outside through the window. “And then you came along. And you are charming, handsome and can hold an interesting conversation for longer than most, despite not knowing basic things about daily life. But that also makes you endearing and I can't... Stop this.”

Thor got up and crouched beside her, taking her free hand and looking up at her.

“Stop what?” he asked, gently. She looked down at him and took his hand in both of hers.

“It's so unfair how attractive you are. My heart hasn't stopped hammering inside my ribcage since we kissed and now I am to sit back because some kind of curse is going to wisk you away from me before I have had time to know what I want?” She sighed, shaking her head. “What I mean is that you are physical attractive, you are handsome, but it seems that you are much more than your exterior and I am going to be losing the opportunity to discover it because of lack of time.” She let out a little grunt. “You must admit it's quite disappointing.”

Thor couldn't help the smile on his lips, teeth showing, eyes wrinkling at the edges.

“Would you do me the honour to stay with me this fine day, my lady?” he asked then, warm in his voice. She nodded readily.

“Of course,” she said, getting to her feet. Thor did too. Then she flicked him on the forehead. “But I am not buying that bullshit about you being a prince on top of... everything,” she added, laughing.

Oh! But her laughter made butterflies –those strange and delicate creatures that floated around flowers, he had been showed some– swarm in his stomach.

“Everything?” he asked as they gathered their things to go outside.

“Well, I am not stupid. You must be the fishboy who the fishermen tried to catch when I was rescued, if your tale is to be believed,” she answered, winking and went ahead of him

Thor gaped. She knew! Not that he had tried to hide it, and even though he had kept his talke as bague as he could... Well... How else would have someone saved another someone from drowning on choppy seas? He tailed after her, laughing too, ready to make the most of his last day.

Chapter Text

As Loki had predicted, he had had to give explanations as to who his lover was. There was the audience with his royal parents, then with the advisors, then some daring servants had asked about the “woman with long, black, hair,” and there was worried talk about bastards. The Palace seemed quite interested in these topics and when Loki emerged from Svad's private chamber, only wearing a loin about his lower hips, not concealing almost anything but his legs, the gossip about a possible pregnacie was cut short. Instead, there was a minnor scandal.

The common people thought Loki had bewitched Svad to become his mistress, though the most believed and popular theory was that Svad had seen Loki in a brothel and had fallen head over heels with him and then wisked him away. When he had told Loki about it, Loki had laughed so hard his face had become red, tears flooded from his eyes, and he slid to the flood where he stayed laughing breathelessly for an embarrassing amount of time.

Everything was going well for the pirate. He had managed to get some spies and people of his own here and there and was seizing power in such a natural way that no-one noticed. Not even his scheming “cousin”. Of course, they didn't really know about doing the dirty work, did they? At least not in the same fashion Svad knew. One evening they had dared to tarject Loki to try and intimidate Svad. He had been away on a season with the council and when he went back to his chambers he found several people knocked out on the floor, binded, wearing strange clothes and weapons. Loki was calmly sitting by a long couch, legs stretched over it, while he read a book. His hair curtained over his face but Svad could make out a smile on his lips.

“What happened?” he asked, kicking one of the uncoscious men.

“That? Oh! Forgot to throw out the trash,” Loki said dismissively looking down and the tied men. Svad kicked another hard enough to make him groan in pain. “It seems it was an assassination attempt,” Loki added, mirth in his eyes.

Svad, then, proceeded to disarm them all before kicking them awake.

What happened next, Svad prefered not to remember. Though it was most satisfying to wake up the next day and go to breakfast with Loki at his arm, the mer smilig brigthly and chirping about everything. His cousin had paled while Svad helped Loki to his chair.

“How's your leg, dear?” Svad asked.

“Today it's fine, Sigurd, you needn't worry.”

“I worry, Loki. After yesterday's exertion I wouldn't like to have to ask for the physician.”

Roger looked at them, uncertain, but he wasn't going to let the oportunity to meddle between them.

“Exertion? I though Sigurd wasn't with you yesterday.”

Svad had to bite his tongue to not laugh at the lukewarm attempt to suggest that Loki had been with a lover while Svad was away. It was also difficult to school his face into a mask of neutrality.

“Oh, no, he wasn't. But five armed people entered his chambers and tried to slice me with poisoned blades,” Loki said sweetly, smiling at Roger. It was so funny seeing the prince fighting against Loki's natural charm while he hated him. Svad was sure Loki would bed Roger just to spite him –even though that wasn't a thought he liked to entertain–, and wouldn't that be such a sweet revenge? Being let by his most basic desires, just as he had accused Svad of doing.

“Wh-what?” Roger's voice faltered. Melibea, on her part, was stonefaced looking the exchange with a bored demeanor. She was used to their bantering by now and it seemed she had been subjected to enough assassinations attempts herself to be indiferent but she smiled with a bit of humor when Loki glanced at her.

“And how fares you, my princess?” Loki asked, charming smile on his lips, batting his eyelashes for her. Roger flushed. In indignation or for another reason, Svad didn't know, but he kept an eye on his “cousin”.

“I fare well, Loki. Thank you for asking. Ever since you recommended me thos herbs my coughing has subsided significantly,” she said as she sipped her tea in a gracious manner. Svar had half a thought of letting her in on his intentions about the succession matters. Maybe later.

“And do you know who sent those men,” Roger interrupted. Svad snapped his eyes towards him.

“Not yet, cousin. But worry not, I am onto it,” Svad said, ensuring that his smile was as threatening as possible. His cousin glared at him. Oh, so he wasn't as scared as he thought. Interesting. “Why, do you want to help? I have them ready for interrogation. In fact, a friend of mine is already doing some questions,” he commented while sipping from his own cup. Roger seemed to relax. Noted, he knew those men were loyal, or maybe they didn't know the identity of their employer.

That morning was uneventful, but it served to show them that physical attempts were useless. And when the poisoning began to border on ridiculous Svad almost made Roger to eat from Loki's meal before the mer did. He was only placated by Loki's hand on his knee under the table. Everybody knew that Loki's meals and drinks were being poisoned but no-one knew how to stop it or where it came from. Even Melibea was starting to get antsy.

Loki, on his part, looked every bit amused and took a spoonful of his seafood soup, eating dauntingly. Everyone else, even the servants, held their breaths. Loki just smiled, humming.

“It is most savoury. What happens? You should eat too before it gets cold,” Loki said, smiling sweetly, while taking another spoonful of it. Roger looked down at his plate with uncertainty and Svad chocked up a laugh, drinking from his wine. Had Loki switched the plates?

There was a moment even when the King and Queen hesitated to eat. Svad just took his spoon and started eating.

“You are right. It is most delicious,” he commented. After that, everyone else started eating, except Roger, who looked at his plate with distrust.

“If you will excuse me,” he said, getting up. “I am not feeling well.” He bowed to the King and Queen and left. Loki's eyes followed him until he was out the door, smile still on his lips.

“I think you should go outright against him,” Svad suggested that night, after they had shared the pleasures of their bodies, while he held Loki against his chest.

“Mm... I don't,” Loki said, trailing a finger on his chest. “But I think you have it all backwards, my pirate,” he added, kissing over his sternum.

“Do I?”

“Yes... As you, landwalkers like to say: the tree doesn't let you see the woods.”

“Hm.”

“Wait until tomorrow morning. It's going to be delightful,” Loki said, sitting up and looking at him with an amused smile, hair sliding down his shoulders. “Which reminds me, I have to go back. There's so much I still haven't done now that I have my tail back!” Loki's tone was excited and that set a stone on Svad's chest.

“You are leaving?”

“Why, yes, of course! I am a witch, after all. I am thinking about setting up my shop once again. And then there's the fixing of my little brother's misdeeds. Can you believe he let those resentful people stop talking about me to the pups! On history lessons they skip my parenthood alltogether, as if I appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly, the Sea Witch came to live on this cave,” he added with a mocking voice. Svad couldn't help the laughter.

“So, are you going to give him that potion to... What was it for in the end?” he asked, frowning, trying to remember if he was told at all. Loki giggled like a naughty child.

“It will leave his head bald, but make hair grow everywhere else. Except on his eyelids and the palms of his hands,” he said, most proudly of his invention. “I brewed it myself. It's a mix between a tonic to grow back hair and a customary balding curse.”

“Mm... You are a dangerous foe. I will endeavor to keep you content with me,” he said, pulling him down to a kiss.

“I have to go,” he murmured to his lips, eyes bright. Svad's heart was hammering in his chest.

“Don't,” he pleaded. “What of you lose track of time and when you come back I'm long dead?” He tried to keep the despair out of his voice. Loki chucled.

“I won't. And look, I will give you this,” he materialized an earring out of thin air. It had an opaque blue stone on it. “As long as you wear this, I will know that you are alive, and where you are... And if you are still...” his other hand trailed down Svad's torso until it rested over his flacid cock, “active.” Loki bit his lower lip, pupils dilating.

Round two, it seemed. Svad pined Loki down in a swift movement and kissed him with the same desperation a drowning man breathed air.

Come morning, the most shocking of events happened within the palace. Loki had been right. They all had had it all backwards.

Princess Melibea had come down with a strange ailment that night and when her attendant had come to wake her up, she had asked for a very specific atidote for a ver rare poison. After that, Svad's spies had managed to air everything: Melibea had been the one after one life, though not Loki's. It seemed that Loki had been deflecting her attempts at Svad's life putting himself between the pirate and the striking hand. Since she was a princess, she wouldn't be sentenced to death. Instead, she was exiled to a villa closer to the mountains and her name was erased from the succession's line. Roger, who had not been involved, had known almost everything. Since he did nothing to either aid the princess or hinder her, his punishment was still being debated. Svad considered very seriously to keep him. After all, Melibea had managed to make everyone think Roger was the mastermind behing the assassinations attempts.

00000

Jane had Thor's hand in hers. She couldn't stop blushing, as much as she wanted. She had tried really, really hard not to let Thor's exterior cloud her reasoning, but the young man was just so... She would be lying if she handn't imagine running her hands over his stomach. She couldn't keep calling him boy. Not with a body like that. Not when he did not talk like a boy anymore and more like a man courting his intended.

And Thor was equal parts shy, bold, confident and clumsy. He seemed to know when to smile and how to listen and while holding hands or being close to each other, his hands never slipped to unwanted parts. He was a gentleman. But he was also lost as to what to say to woo a woman. He just had three sentences: I love you, you are beautiful, may I kiss you? The last one had been one blurted out after she had been explaining how the polinization of flowers worked. It had come out of the blue, for Jane, and she had stammered and blushed so fast the woman on the florist had laughed and gifted Thor a flower to give Jane.

He, then, had proceeded to braid it on her hair, caressing it while whispering beautiful. Okay, it seemed that with those three sentences he had it all figured out, but she wanted to hear a different tune about how he loved her and how beautiful she was.

For lunch, they ate at a local tabern with huge windows that showed them the beach. They decided they would go take a walk on the sand later.

The day went fast, faster than her liking. She had so many questions ready for Thor, but everytime she looked at his happy face she couldn't remember anything. Though the most important one was still dancing in her mind: what will happen to you when if the curse isn't broken? She had asked him if he knew how to break it, he said he did, but didn't elavorate. They walked in silence, hand in hand, barefooted. Whenever the tide rose and lapped at their feet they laughed and moved to the drier parts of the sand.

Thor had been happy all day, but as the sun apporaches the horizont his face becomes somber. The sun is apinting golden trails on the sea, half hidden already by the waves when Thor stops and looks at her.

“Jane I... I am sorry. I should have thought better about doing anything but... Humans live short lives and I didn't know... I am sorry for putting you in this situation, Jane,” he took her hands and kissed her fingertips. “You have been most gracious with me, when you should have just turned around and left me behind.” He smiled, sadly.

Jane mirrored it.

“Well, that you are good looking doesn't hurt, and it also helps,” she joked. Thor bent over and kissed her as the last rays of sun shone over the waves. She felt him gasping and trembling.

Then, a strong wind got up, making the water to spray them. From within the ocean a dense mist covered the sky. People screamed as animals everywhere turned around. From within the waters, a whirlpool rose. Riding on top of it a magnificen creature. Jane's heart stopped. Never had she seen someone so beautiful yet frightening. A mass of water separated her from Thor, who had fallen to the ground, gasping while clutching his chest. The black ring he always wore had turned purple and seemed to be bitting into his flesh, spreading blackness on his skin.

The creature from the sea landed a few paces away from Thor. He, for he looked male, clicked his tongue with displeasure, a snarl on his lips.

“Typical, the youngest the pup, the stupider,” he knelt down beside Thor who seemed to have recognized the man. Jane saw how Thor's hands held on to the black haired man's arms while he fought to breathe. “Relax now, princeling,” the man said, his voice soothing. On his hand she saw a bottle she hadn't noticed before. With the help of his teeth he uncorked it and made Thor drink, applying the bottle to his lips. Thor drank to the last drop.

“...the price?” he said with a broken voice, still suffering from whatever pain was assaulting him.

“Your father paid for it, again. You are a lucky pup, aren't you? Your family loves you very much,” the man said, bending over to kiss Thor on his brow. Thor seemed to fall asleep on his arms and that was when he looked up at her. His hair was mesmerizing. “Come here, Jane Foster. He is your responsibility now,” he spoke to her, directly.

She got up, not bothering to shake off the sand and kneeled at Thor's other side.

“You are the witch,” she said. It was not a question. The man's eyebrow rose. “Who are you to Thor?”

“I am Loki. His uncle,” the man answered. His voice was like velvet, his eyes like gemstones and his lips very appealing. “And the more we talk, the easier you will get tangled in my web, dear. You are not immune to the sirens song,” he added, caressing her cheek. “What you are feeling now is not real, pup. It will fade in a few hours.

She was shaking.

“Not real,” she felt her body moving closer to Loki over Thor's sleeping form. “Can you lift whatever spell now? I will need all my wits to get this bulking nephew of yours into his bed.”

Loki smiled, amused.

“I can.”

“Will you do it?”

“For a price.”

Jane was frustrated. On the one hand, she wanted to kiss that smirk away from the man. On the other, she was acutely aware that she needed to take Thor indoors. People had left the place deserted when they saw the whirlpool and she would likely won't find any helping hand now.

“Name it,” she resolved.

“You will give him sanctuary and stay with him for the duration of his human days,” he asked.

She thought about it. That meant living with Thor or at least providing for him when he wasn't able to do it himself. Though he had his own job and she was sure he would be able to fend for himself but maybe he needed to be taught about currency, and he was likely to not know about Jane's line of work and how she needed to be on the road most of the time as well as writing letters.

“Done.”

Loki nodded and put a hand on her forehead while his other went to his own throat. He said some unintelligible words.

“Now, take him with you and be happy and have lots of pups,” he commanded with a smile on his face. And though now she could see he was handsome, the intense want had disappeared completely. Now, the only way she wanted to erase his smug smile was in way of making it meet with her fist.

00000

With all the trouble made by Odin and his pup Loki was free to come back to his own devices. He was happily swimming towards his sanctuary when a group of Einhejar surrounded him. Even outnumbered as he was he knew he could shake them off and defeat them easily, but he was curios as to what had he done again to suscite this. So he smiled.

“After you,” he said. They were all wearing scowls. Oh, they weren't pleased with the aspect of their new king, were they?

They escorted him all the way back to the palace. People in Asgard looked at him, some laughed, some scolded. There was a small group of pups who made agreeing gestures at Loki and even one dares to shout that they liked his latest prank. Latest prank, he wonders. Maybe there had happened something else while he was out? He hoped not. He was showed to a private conference room.

Odin and Frigga looked at him. She looked tired and he looked old. Loki had to fight not to laugh. Now, it was funny to see his brother like this, though he was sorry for Frigga, to have been dragged into this mess just because his brother had plankton instead of a brain in his head.

“Now what?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What did you do, Loki?” Odin asked, he really looked like their father. He even sounded like him.

“What did I do? I just freed your pup from the curse he selected himself to be put under and rescued him from a doomed future.”

Odin shook his head. He also looked tired. Loki glanced at Frigga, she looked different, smelt different.

“No, Loki. Not to Thor.”

“Oh. You have eggs,” he said. Frigga stared at him, Odin didn't. “No. No, you are not blaming whatever is happening on me. I was away. If she has eggs they are not mine! I would never lay a hand on your mate, Odin, no matter how hate-”

“That's what you want me to believe,” Odin interrupted in the softest of tones.

“Odin,” he hissed. “It's my queen! I could wage war against her, but defiling her would go against all-”

“Then where did thos eggs come from? She won't speak to me, and the only other male she had been with was you.”

“You know as well as I do that other female could have given her them, too,” Loki snarled. Then looked at Frigga with critical eye, pupils becoming black slits. “Oh, I see.” Frigga looked away. “You know that if you keep it up you are going to kill yourself, right?” he scolded her.

Odin seemed startled and looked at his wife too, his only seeing eye watching her, pupil becoming a slit too.

“Frigga, what are you doing?”

“He was right, we need more pups,” she said.

They all fell silent.

“Mystery solved, she created them with her own magic. Unless you spray her soon, the eggs will rot inside and cause several health probles that could result in death. Now, can I go?” he said turning around, but then he stopped short and looked back at his brother. “Is this why the people were congregated to see me arrive? They think I've knocked up the queen?”

“No, they were told a shortened version of what had happened to Thor. The pups think that what you did for Thor was charming but the adults are not happy with you playing with Thor's hope of love. After all, some of them lost their own pups to human form because of you.”

Loki narrowed his eyes.

“Then, can I go, Your Majesty?” he asked again.

Odin swam towards him.

“Not yet. You have caused an unnecesary situation,” Odin began. Loki huffed.

“Oh, yes. I am going to be punished again. For what, this time, Odin?” he scowled.

Odin didn't answer. Even though his appearance was that of an old mer, he moved as fast as ever, clasping Loki's wrist in an iron grip to then put a bracelet on it.

“You will be living with Thor until he decides to come back home. Until then, you are to be a human,” Odin sentenced.

“No!” Loki looked at his tail, then at Odin again. “You can't take my tail again from me!” Horror painted Loki's features. His other hand balled and he threw a punch to his brother's face. It landed on his nose.

“ARG!” the mer grunted, releasing him and covering his face with his hands. A trail of blood painted the water. Frigga laughed. Both brothers looked at her, surprised.

“He deserved it. I am ready to bet the whole kingdom that all this could have been avoided if my husband had not been such a... planktonbrained idiot,” she said. “Oh, come on, Odin, I love you, but you have to admit that you have been too rash to your brother. And after meeting him enough I feel like you paint him in such a poor light I'm surprise he hasn't taken the Kingdom back from you in a revolt just to spite you.”

Loki smiled at Frigga.

“I don't expect you to forgive me for what your pup has gone through,” Loki said approaching her as he materialized a vial from the nothing. “This is a tonic to help with your eggs. I haven't have the time to make a proper diagnosis, but I would say that you can only produce heirs through magic, and not biology alone.” Frigga took it from his hand and gave him a most gracious nod. Loki looked at Odin over his shoulder. “You better spray her soon, algaeface. You are lucky that I find myself fond of niblings and that I won't be upset to take care of my nephew again.”

“Fandral and Hogun will escort you to the surface. The bracelet magic won't activate until you reach it.”

“How gracious, let's prevent the witch from dorwning,” Loki mocked bowed at him and left. Catching Friggas voice.

“You truly are stupid, Odin. Why did you have to do something like that? Do you think his grudge against you will diminish now? Sometimes I don't know why I married you.”

Chapter Text

Svad didn't know what to think about his new situation. Upon returning to the castle after learning that Jane had signed the documents to prepare his disappearance he found that his “father” had taken ill and that his “mother” was in vigil at his bedside day and night, so now all the state affairs had befallen onto his shoulders. Now that he was regent, disappearing would be more difficult –or completely easy, depending on if you wanted to be forgotten or become the king in the shadow– and with both his cousins taken care of, he found no excitement in matters of the palace.

People had started wondering where Loki were and trying to match him with the daughters of this and that lord. Of course, they also drop the occasional comment about this and that young man who wouldn't care to be closer to him. His acting skills had become abismally better now that he cannot outright kill anyone who slights him –being a pirate had its perks– but the positive part of it is that he can just ask other people to do it while he is in a banquet or a ball. No one can really link him to the disgraces that befall the people who cross him. There was even the rumour that he was protected by a sea spirit.

Cursed, he would say if people cared to ask. He had been cursed. On some days he cannot sleep or eat thinking about his own mortality and how old Loki is, and how he still has a lot to live. Then, on other nights he does sleep, but he is awakened by the reminiscence of Loki's lips' taste, the tight heat within him, his hands. He is being driven mad with desire, but he makes not the mistake of taking anyone to his bed, that would be leaving an open door to slip someone undesirable into his life: an assassin, a spy, someone who wanted to gather information so they could be the king in the shadow.

He sent a letter to Jane Foster some days prior and her answer had arrived late that day: she had delivered the potion, the boy was now seeing, a creature from the deep sea had come to break the curse that had the boy's life at risk. When he read that part he had had to stop to breathe and calm himself. Loki had gone himself to break the curse? What was going on? He had so many questions.

“When are you coming back?” he asked to the night.

00000

Loki felt the pain of the forced transformation as soon as his head was above water. Hogun and Fandral helped him to be kept afloat so he wouldn't drown while screaming his lungs dry. It always hurt when someone else forced your transformation, but Loki was sure Odin had added a little bit more to it just to take revenge on him. Well, some things never change.

Fandral wrapped his arms around his waist, keeping his chest above water while Hogun swam underneath, chashing away predators or curious fish. Loki snaked his arms around Fandral's neck, being mindful of his gills, one hand gripping hair and the other scratching his back. He was half aware of them travelling to a shore.

“By Morgana,” Fandral complained. “If I hadn't seen your claws retract myself I would think you still have them and are trying to skin me.”

“Be silent, pup,” he gasped. “I'm trying to concentrate.”

“To concentrate on what?”

“On not feeling the change,” he growled then. “Why is it taking so long!?” he moaned.

Fandral shivered around him and he was sure Hogun was laughing somewhere nearby.

“Shut up, Hogun,” Fandral grumbled.

He was laid on his back on the shore, water lapping at his new body. It hurt to move so he focused on breathing in and out, eyes closed, head bent one way. When a shadow cast over him he opened his eyes a sliver.

“What is it, pup?” he was feeling breathless.

“Would if help if I gave you a massage? It helped when Queen Frigga gave me my legs for the first time,” Fandral offered. Behind him, Hogun laughed again. Fandral, who was now propped on his hand at both sides of Loki, looked back over his shoulder to yell at his friend. “It does, and shut up!”

Loki laughed. The pup face was flushing a bright red. Teasingly, he reached with a hand to turn Fandral's head back at him and when their eyes connected he smiled.

“I would love that, pup,” he said, purring. Fandra's blush spread down his chest and he seemed lost of words for a second, then, he beamed a smile. “Start with the feet, would you? And do not touch the scar on my left leg,” he instructed. Fandral nodded, scooting back, still wearing his tail, and took one foot in his hands. “Ugh!” Loki buried his fingers on the sand, grinding his teeth. It was uncomfortable and painful. Hah! Odin had given him a pair of really stiff legs, maybe thinking that he would have a hard time getting on his feet like this, but he was underestimating how stubborn his older brother was, clearly.

Fandral was now at his right knee, forcing it to bend. Loki just looked at the sky where lazy clouds floated like big, white wales. He was aware of Fandral's hands on him and wasn't surprised when the pup used his weight to help bend his leg at the hip. Feeling a bit mischievous, he hooked it around his waist and pushed Fandral towards him. The pup lost balance and ended up almost crushing him.

“Fuck!” Fandral cursed.

“Careful, pup, don't hurt me,” he purred in his ear, delighted to feel the pup's shiver. Oh! It was so much fun to tease the young! Fandral looked down at him, breathing heavily, eyes darting from Loki's eyes to his lips.

“Oh my god!” he exclaimed. “You are having fun!” The pup blushed again, this time with indignation. “I was trying to help, you know?”

Loki laughed at that, throwing his head back.

“Yes, and in the meantime you though it would be fantastic to take a little bit of advantage. I've been alive longer than you, Fandral, I know when someone is helping and when they are gropping. If you want something with me, I'm afraid you have to get in line and ask my brother for permission, first,” he said, smiling.

“Your brother? What brother? Why his permission?”

“Well... I would find it immensely hilarious that you went to ask for his blessing to lay with me, but mainly is to annoy him, you see? I would dread to think that Odin hasn't had a troubled thought about me,” he winked.

Fandral, who wasn't as stupid as he acted some times, got it at the first try.

“You are the Prince's twin!” he exclaimed, jumping off Loki. “I am sorry, my Prince! I didn't know! Forgive my boldness in-”

“Fandral, pup! Relax. I was just teasing,” Loki said, rolling his eyes. “You, pups, get riled up so easily. It's almost as funny as to fight with my brother.”

“Are you quite done trying to get in his pouch?” Hogun yelled from the water. “My gills are getting dry.”

“Go to your friend, pup.”

“And your other leg?” Fandral asked, looking uncertain.

“I can work with it myself. Now, shoo!” Loki said, motioning with a hand. Fandral was still blushing, but seemed more composed now, and smiled flirtlingly at Loki.

“You know, my Prince, I wouldn't mind getting into your pouch at all,” he said, winking. Loki's smile became a little edgy.

“I don't doubt it, but there's a huge line already, pup, and you are faaaar in the back of it.”

“But I'm still on it?”

“I might throw you out of it if you keep pushing,” Loki growled, though it was playful in nature. Finally, both pups got underwater and left him there, laying on a beach, naked and not knowing where in the Sevent Seas he had been landed.

00000

Erik left, offering to rent his house to Thor for a very low price, not that the man knew that, but Jane did and she was feeling grateful. Thor had gone back to his job with Eitri and since then he had done nothing but to grow in muscle –and admirers–. Jane tried to ignore how some women and girls stopped to ask if he could make small daggers or letter openers for them, commisioning them just for the sake of seeing Thor wearing his white shirt, rolled sleeves, under his leather appron. On some days Thor shed the shirt, claiming it to be too hot and that was when the blacksmith got filled. Luckily for all parties involved, Eitri had little patience for those who werent customers and a fast hand in hitting people with a staff.

Darcy kept mocking Jane about her no-relationship with Thor. It was clear that both of them felt attracted to each other, but now that Thor was out of danger she couldn't help but wonder if she had only felt compassion for him or if there was something deeper there. And then, there was the marriage issue. She was married to Svad, officially known as Crown Prince Sigurd, newely claimed as Regent. She was finishing writing a report when a loud knock startled her. She put away her pen and went to the door. On the other side was a young boy holding a letter for her. It was waxed. She frowned. Was it from Svad?

“How much do I owe you, boy?”

“Nothing, ma'am. I was paid already,” the boy said, voice still high pitched but parched with low notes.

“Very well, thank you,” she took the letter and closed the door, going to her study while inspecting the seal. It wasn't like nothing she had seen before. Not from Svad, that much was clear. She opened it.

Hello, miss Foster:

I write to inform you of my impeding approaching to your location. As per my king's wishes I am to guide his son in his days on land as a biped and so I ask of you to help me secure lodgings. Fear not for retribution, since I've got coin aplenty.

Yours, Loki.

There was even a smiley face drawn below the name. Jane groaned. She knew little of this man but she already dreaded to have him close by. And what was with that awkward way of speech? Sighing, she put the letter inside a drawer, closed it by key and went back to her report. Once finished, she thought about how to proceed. Should she tell Thor or keep quiet? For now, she would go meet with him. They had a date. Just thinking about that got her nervous. She had never had a proper courtship. Things with Donald had been just... Lik always, like when they were kids. They had liked each other very much, but in the end nothing came out of it. And now... Now she had a suitor, a real one.

Before leaving she stopped in front of the mirror to check herself with critic eye. She deemed herself good enough. Steeping out, she fixed her coat and walked towards Erik's house. A few paces away she saw something bizarre: Thor was crushing a black haired man in an embrace. The man seemed as tense as a bowstring, arms hanging at his sides. Jane approached. She couldn't believe that Loki was already there.

“Jane!” Thor called excitedly when he saw her, loosening his deathly hug but not letting go of the man. Loki's head turned around to look at her. His face morphed from annoyed to serenely contented.

“Ah, miss Foster,” he greeted. His smile was irritating Jane, who just plastered a smile.

“Loki! What a coincidence. I just received your letter,” she said between her teeth. He seemed surprised by it.

“Truly? I though it would have arrived yesterday at the latest,” he said. Thor looked between each other, seemingly puzzled. “Will you release me already?” Loki snapped at Thor, face changing from friendly to irritation in mere seconds. Thor did as told and stepped back. “Well, you may forget about it. It seems that my ward here already procured lodgings of his own and I will be imposing on him for the duration of our stay,” he said approaching her and taking her hand to then kiss her knuckles with a flourish bow. “I am most grateful to you for having been taking care of Thor.”

“Thor, I'm starving,” Jane said looking directly at Thor, but not janking away her hand from Loki's. Thor was frowning at them, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why don't you go inside and prepare everything? It will only take me a minute,” she smiled sweetly at him. Thor beamed as a response and with a nod got inside. Once Thor was out of earshot she glared at Loki. “Did you not tell him you are his uncle?” she hissed.

“What? No! That would ruin all my fun!” Loki said in a sushed voice, scandalized. “But in truth, I have come with money for you. For your past troubles,” he said while rummaging through his stachel and taking out a velvet bag that tinkled. “Take this.”

“Why?”

“As payment.”

“I would have helped anyone that needed my ai-”

“That matters not. You helped the Crown Prince of Asgard, and such, as the representative with the highest rank I feel indebted to you. Take it and forget about this matter,” he said, stubbornly. She really wanted to smack him, but in the end she took the bag and put it in her pocket.

“Okay. Forgotten. Shall we? I really am starving,” she shoved past him and it seemed that that amused him, for Loki laughed.

“After you, my lady.”

00000

“... so I decided that I would sell mine two coppers cheaper, and do you know what she did? She lowered hers five. Five!” Loki was laughing while talking about his travels. He had landed almost on the other side of the country and with every step he had managed to make friends and foes aplenty. His fame as an herbalist had grown like foam as his remedies were always on point and put to shame some old remedies that had always been used for certain ailments. As his clientele grew, other witches and brewers had become wary of him.

Thor was laughing too, enjoying Loki's tales. Truth be told he knew how to spin stories and make them entertaining enough. And he couldn't be happiest. His father had sent, not anyone, but the Witch of the Seas to take care of him. His father had gotten him out of his own mistakes. He tried not to think about what had been to be paid of him to be there, enjoying his lunch meal with Jane, alive and well. Healthy.

“I can't believe you. You may as well could have swindle people off their coins if you wanted to gather so many enemies in that profession,” Jane said, giggling. After her second glass of wine, she was more relaxed. “Excuse me,” she said, getting up. When she passed by Thor she put a hand on his shoulder, briefly, sending all kind of pleasant sensations from there. As soon as the bathroom's door closed, Loki looked at Thor.

“Buy her some flowers,” Loki said. Thor frowned in confusing. “Flowers, pup. Red, blue and yellow. I'm sure you will find some that go with her hair,” he said and went back to his meal.

“Hm... I... I will,” he said, then, hesitantly, he asked, “Are you really here to help me?”

Loki huffed, half annoyed half amused.

“Yes. It is in my interest to make you two the merry couple so I can go back to my own life, Thor. Don't get me wrong, you are a charming boy, handsome and youthful and all those compliments people throw at each other, but there is this mortal who is not as young as your woman and whom I would love to have in my bed for as long as he can get his cock up, so...”

Thor felt his face heatening up.

“Oh... I... I'm sorry for... Keeping you here... Em... Maybe we could invite your mortal to stay with us?” he ventured, trying very, very hard not to imagine Loki coupling. And failing by the second. He had seen Loki naked in his human form before, mer people didn't wear clothes and Thor's imagination was quite an active and fertile one. Loki dismissed the though with a short laugh and a gesture of his hand.

“I would rather he invited us to his... house, pup. We would have more space for each other,” Loki said, smiling. That smile was hidding a secret, no doubt.

Just as Jane was coming out of the bathroom the door bell chimed, the shrill of the bell coming in amplified by Erik's own invention.

“I'll go get it,” Jane said from the hall way. Thor focused on Loki once again.

“And how is your leg?” Loki stopped mid motion, looking at him until Thor squirmed. “Sorry, I shouldn't have asked you. If it is a delicate-” Loki cut him off with his other hand, finished his forkful, chewed and swallowed, acompanying it with a sip of his wine. Then, he answered Thor.

“It is fine. Of course, the lost muscle won't grow back, but I can walk longer distances without a crutch and only needing my cane for short periods. I will admit I just procured one to myself because it looked stylish,” he said, smiling sideways.

Thor could still see clearly the shark attacking Loki, bitting off one of his tentacles. He frowned.

“I should have killed that shark sooner,” he muttered. Another memory came to him, that of a switching stump and the desire of touching it. “Can you turn yourself into half an octopus now?” he asked, curious. Would there be a missing tentacle, too?

“Well, yes. Now I can. Though my own version of that shape is improved. There's still no mouth underneath the tentacles, of course, but I added twin siphons to produce ink and to be able to shi-”

“Loki, your friend has summoned us to his summer villa,” Jane interrupted, holding a letter in her hand. “It seems he knows you are here and he has asked me to take you there,” she sounded annoyed. “Why can't he write directly to you?” she complained.

“May I see?” Loki said, standing up, one hand towards the letter. She nodded and gave it to him. Thor looked at them, suspicion rising once again. They shared something, something he didn't know and that only made his stomach feel heavy. He shook his head slightly. No, Loki and Jane were not involved romantically. That was not possible.

“Well, it seems we will have to prepare for a couple of weeks on the road, pup,” Loki interrupted his train of thoughts with a chirpy voice.

“Is it your mortal?”

“Why, yes, he is. And now, Lady Jane, would you do us the honour to accompany us? I know your company will be most charming.” Loki was smiling as if the affair had already been resolved and that the three of them were going to wherever that summer villa stood.

“What? Why?”

“Why, indeed. Because you and my prince here are in a delicate step in your relationship, dear. The flames of love need to be stoken on the earlier stages if one wants it to last long and strong,” he said, self satisfied.

Thor couldn't help but marvel at the easiness with which Loki could talk with Jane, when he only stammered with words and struggled to say what was on his mind. Then, a thought crossed his mind. Two weeks on the road. Just the three of them... That meant that Loki could be able to find something else to do and Thor and Jane would be alone and... Well, he also had Loki to practise talking with Jane. It was perfect. He was feeling quite excited by the prospect when he remembered something.

“I am afraid that I won't be able to go, Loki,” he said, slouching, feeling defeated.

“Oh? And why, pray tell, is it that you won't be coming?”

“Because I have to go to the forge,” he said, as if it was obvious. By the face that Loki was pulling it wasn't as obvious as he had thought. “I have to work there six of every seven days,” he clarified. Loki still seemed unimpressed, or either to not care at all.

“Well, I will have to talk with your employer. Maybe some arrangements can be done,” Loki said before turning to Jane. “Expect we will be staying at least a month and a half, two weeks to arrive and another two to come back,” Loki instructed. “Make sure to take with you everything you will need. I will find a carriage, do not worry about the luggage, but make sure that you don't take more than three trunks, or our trip might be extended.”

Jane was agape, and also seemed affronted.

“I don't need three trunks for luggage!” she exclaimed.

“Excelent!” Loki said with a gleeful smile. Then, he turned his green eyes towards Thor, focusing on him with such intensity Thor felt like squirming. “Now, you I know, don't have enough clothes, so we are going to go shopping to provide you with something adecuate to wear. For now, though, lets finish our meal.”

Thor and Jane shared a bewildered look at being ordered around by an outsider. Thor couldn't help it and started laughing. Jane followed suit shortly after. Loki was looking at both of them, perplexed by their reaction.

Chapter Text

The carriage was uncomfortable. That was Thor's only thought. He had tried to sleep, but the road was bumpy and even though there were cushions he still felt tired after a night of excitement. Jane, on her part, was fast asleep, head resting on his shoulder, their hands interwined. To distract himself, Thor looked at Loki, who sat opposite of them. He was wearing a soft looking shirt, fitted to his body by a waistcoat. The sleeves seemed to have enough fabric on them to make three of each, but the effect was interesting to see, with all the shadows and lights they produced. On his legs, dark pants that were pulled inside high, leather boots, right below the knees.

Loki was looking outside, eyes closing from time to time. He had cut his long hair to shoulder length that morning –to Thor's horror, but after he explained that for long travels it was better shorter hair Thor had to give him that. He himself had chopped off his golden mane to shoulder length soon after his own trip began on the human roads–, and now he had it tied down with a black stripe of silk, resting over his shoulder. Thor's eyes focused on his neck. It was covered by the neck of the shirt and closed with a cravat.

Curious, Thor followed Loki's line of sight. Outside there were only trees, nothing worth noting, but the moving scenery started to lull him and he found himself nodding off. He was woken up by a sun of ray and a soft hand on his face. It was moving his head to separate it from the carriage's wall, then, it rested his head over a cushion. Cautiously, he peeked from behind his lashes: Loki was reclining back into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest and looking back to the window. Thor closed his eyes again, not knowing why his heart was hammering in his chest.

The next time he woke up, the carriage had stopped, he had a blanket over his shoulders and there was not trace of Jane or Loki. He got off the carriage and looked around, guided by the voices of the driver and Jane's laughter. They were sitting some paces away, enjoying a gentle slope while the afternoon sun warmed their faces. Jane was eating a sandwich while Loki told one of his stories, being interrupted here and there by the driver with questions. Loki seemed to be in good humor, and Jane sported a healthy rubor on her cheeks, smile bright and contagious.

“It seems you could sleep through a storm,” Jane joked when he joined them. He laughed, too.

“It wouldn't be the first time,” he said, sheepishly, sitting beside her. Loki handed him a flask and a sandwich.

“Eat, pup,” he said, and went back to his tale. It was an interesting one. He had been trying to evade some angry villager because he thought that Loki had left his wife pregnant. “... But the funniest thing was that she had been pregnant for three months, and I had only arrived two weeks prior. So, he is pointing at me with his hayfork and I point this out to him, to which he looks surprised and turns his head to his wife, who is also there trying to convince him that I had nothing to do with it. So, you see? He is now confused and slowly, very slowly, turns to his other side, where his cousin is looking at me and everyone else are quiet –you could have heard a pin drop–, and he said: «Craig! How could you!? I thought you as my brother!» and Craig, his cousin, runs away yelling: «Aye! And you said you would share everything with me. Cheers, mate!» Everyone, everyone, were so surprised that they didn't run after Craig until he was quite far,” he finished with a short laugh and a sip to his flask.

The driver, Hoffmann, has bent over, hitting his leg with amusement.

“Well, enough of stories. There's still a lot of road to cover before we reach the inn,” Hoffmann said, getting up.

“I will help you out, good Hoff,” Loki said, following the driver. When he passed Thor he whispered a “kiss her” and left.

Thor blushed, looking at Jane, who was looking at the horizont.

“This is beautiful. I'm glad I came,” she said, sipping from her flask. Thor elected to eat his sandwich, lest he said something stupid like she was more beautiful than all the stars in the firmament at night but with less eloquence. In fact, he was so nervous that when he tried to follow Loki's advice he just managed to give Jane a short peck on the cheek. “Ah! Thor, wha-?” She looked at him, eyes widening, blushing.

Oh. Maybe it had not been such a bad idea, after all. He smiled shyly.

“You are more beautiful,” he said. Her blush deepened. Then she frowned and pushed his shoulder without much strength.

“Shut up!” She got up and ran away, not in the literal sense, but in the sense that she started gathering her things to go back into the carriage, cheeks still aflame.

Thor couldn't help the chuckle. When he looked towards the carriage he saw Loki's approving smile and then it was him who looked away hastily. Had he been looking at them all the time? How embarrassing! Colour crept up on his face.

“You are doing it well, pup,” Loki's voice whispered in his ear, his warm breath caressing the shell. Thor shivered.

“You think so?” he asked, feeling proud that his voice didn't quiver. Loki sat beside him.

“I know it. You will have her wrapped around your little finger by the time we reach Svad's summer's villa.”

“Who's Svad? I thought we were going to someone's called Sigurd,” Thor asked, frowning.

“Ah, yes. I can see there would be a slight confusion. Well, you see? These humans thing that Svad is their long lost prince Sigurd, and so, they have given him everything that Sigurd would've had were he to still be alive. When I met him his name was Svadilfari, though, and it seems your lady Jane also knew him thus way. And, wouldn't you think it a happy coincidence? They have been exchanging letters!” Loki seemed excited by the prospect of Jane and this Svad being friends. “We could go do couple things! You and Jane and Svad and I,” he said, chuckling. Thor looked at his hands, surprised to find them balled into fists. Loki's hand covered his. He looked up at him. “That's if you would like, my prince. You can have her all for your own,” Loki said, winking, as if he knew why Thor had reacted like that.

Well, Thor didn't, so a little bit of help would have been welcomed, but then, Hoffmann called them and the trip resumed.

Once the carriage was in motion, Jane, who was feeling more rested, took out a game of cards and they passed the rest of the afternoon and early evening playing. Loki won most of the rounds, making the merry couple, as he called them, groan more than once in defeat. His myrth was contagious, though, and his teasing was well received.

Jane felt boldened enough as to kick him on the shin when she caught him cheatin. Thor couldn't have felt happier.

00000

After the first three days of trip the road became so boring and endless that Jane was feeling antsy. Thor could sleep everywhere, anywhere, unbothered by the crackling. Loki can settle with anything, too, taking to read like a fish to water –ha!– and Hoffmann... Well, she tried to stirr conversation with him a few days ago, stting by him, but she kept getting distracted by the horses' butts as soon as one started to shit mid motion. She had not gone out since, to the driver's amusement. And she was bored.

Thor was sleeping, Loki was reading and there wasn't anything she could think of doing. Scooting down on he seat she put one foot up oposite her, near Loki's thigh.

“Are you bored, princess?” Loki asked, not looking up from his book. He had taken to calling her by her hidden title whenever Thor was out of hearshot, and calling her that within the confines of the carriage made her heart rate spike. She glanced at Thor to make sure he was still sleeping. A small snore made her relax.

“Well, quite so. If I try to read I get motion sick and there's so much one can do inside a carriage for so long each day,” she tried with a polite tone. Jane had discovered that depending on his mood, Loki could be talked in an infinite manner of ways. It was always surprising when she found the right tone. She had once snapped at him and he had snapped back. That day they had been bickering back and forth and when they arrived at the inn, she was sure Loki would trip her or maybe something horrible would happen, but he only clapped her on the shoulder, bright smile on his lips and had thanked her for the interesting evening.

“I see. Not all mortals can master this art. It seems you will be quite useless in the future,” he said, dismissively, calmly turning a page. She put a blank mast and waited. Loki peeked up, faint smile on his lips. Oh! So this was his game today. “Are you so bored you have to stare me to death, dear?”

“No. I was just wondering... It seems that in your family you are either eyecatching or intelligent, and I find myself unable to look away from your face,” she deadpaned. She had to fight not to laugh when she saw Loki's smirk.

“It is a family trait on some. I was lucky enough to take after my mother, though, as opposed as my brother and his son. But what can I say? Empty heads need to fill themselves through the eyes.”

Ha! He was hilarious. She had to stop breathing for a secont, lest it became a giggling fit. Once she was more compossed, she tried another one.

“Even blind people take in beauty. It's such a nice thing that pieces of art cannot talk, for it seems that they have nothing interesting to say.”

Loki lost. He laughed first. Clapping at his thigh. His laughter startled Thor awake.

“Wha-!?” he tried to ask. Jane felt a rush of emotion in her chest at his bleary face and surprised eyes. Loki was still laughing. It was so contagious that in mere seconds Jane and Thor were laughing too, though Jane suspected Thor was just slightly bewildered at it and not knowing at what they were laugh exactly.

“Well, thank you, dear. I am well aware that I am a most fine piece of art,” Loki said when they managed to stop laughing. At his words, Thor looked in confusion between the two of them.

“Just a game we partake on some times while you sleep,” Jane said when Thor turned to her. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. After all these days in such a close confinement she was less shy to share these kind of acts in front of others. She could see the glint of interest in Loki's eyes everytime they got closer. She had surmised that he simply liked seeing couples after catching Loki looking at other pairs of lovers sharing small gestures between them.

That night, while they ate their dinner at yet another inn, Hoffmann was the first one to start a conversation, directing his questions to Loki. Jane could sense some weird interest the man had for Loki, and she had become less and less trusty of him after catching him chatting in shady corners. She hoped he wasn't part of a plan to rob them, she hated messy business like those.

“And why do you call us “pup” all the time?” he asked.

“Well... That's because you are all pups. Under one thousand yeas,” Loki said, as if it was obvious. Thor had frowned at that.

“You are aware that under the law once one reaches their fifth century they are legally adults,” Thor grunted. Oh, so he had become an adult not long ago. Jane made a mental note to try and know his exact age later. She was twenty three herself, and she wouldn't like to be courted by a child. That would be... strange.

“Aye! And, as you can see I already have greys,” Hoffmann said, poitning at his hair. “And you call me pup, too.”

Loki looked at them with something akin to fatherly condescension.

“Ah, yes. But that's because you are all under one thousand years. And I am not,” he grinned. Jane huffed. Sometimes Loki was like a child, you couldn't reason against his logic, just go along with it until he himself pressented the fault to it and then exploit it.

“I see,” Hoffmann said, then he changed the subject, talking about his own job as a driver and about what kind of horses were better suited for some specific landscape. Loki seemed interested in it.

“So, how are you taking it so far?” Jane asked Thor. She was used to long travels, but she didn't know about Thor. “Are you liking it? I gather this is your first trip by carriage.”

“Yes, it is. I am having so much fun,” Thor answered. His smile was too bright. Jane sometimes dreaded it, for it attracted too many people. But Thor was just so friendly that it was inevitable. He took her hand in his and rose it to his lips, not looking away from her eyes. “The only way I have known to travel on land until now was by foot, but it is interesting to know that you have other faster ways.”

She knew that he had heard of horses, heard horses, been near them and petted them before, but until he recovered his sight he had not seen one and it had been so funny to see his reaction to the shape of one. He had run towards one and had petted it excitedly. It had nibbled at Thor's hair and it all had been so endearing.

00000

It was night time. They were so close to arrive now that Hoffmann had offered to keep going that night too instead of staying at an inn, to save time. Loki had thought it suspicious, as all the other things that that man had uttered from his mouth. Loki had saw through him from the first breath he had let out. They were heading into a trap of sorts, so he had studied the maps and made sure to know which roads they were taking, making notes of which inns they encountered and the names of the small towns and villages they crossed.

So far, they were en rute, but that this particular day Hoffmann had offered such a deviant thing from their schedule had given him pause. Tonight, at last, they would be attacked. Of course, he had made sure he didn't drink from what the man had offered them, nor ate any of the sweets. The pups, unsuspecting, had accepted them. But no matter, Loki could fend for them all.

He was sure the way to proceed would be something akin to stop because of a barrier on the road or a loose wheel. Then Hoffmann would get off, call on them, make sure they are alseep, call on his fellow ruffians and then proceed to take away with all the valuables. Come morning, they would find Hoffmann tied up and unconscious with a bleeding wound on his head. Then he would spin a tale on how he had tried to save it but to no avail.

Loki almost huffed, ridiculous. The carriage stopped. Loki smirked.

“Sirs, my lady, we have a problem,” Hoffmann said from the outside, not even bothering to check on them, so sure his trick was working, and going directly to the trunks.

“Is that so?” Loki answered. The rustling outside stopped. Loki climbed down the carriage, closing the door after him and saw that Hoffman was on top of some of the chests, stopped mid motion at unlacing the fastenings. There were other men there, waiting to take the loot. “And what is it? The fact that you are robbing us or the fact that you got caught?” Loki's smile widened when the men formed a circle around him, laughing omniously while taking out daggers, swords and even pistols. He can't help the chuckle, letting his head hang down, hands on his hips, legs appart. He is proyecting serenity and confidence to irk them. If they feel slighted it'll be easier to enrage them. Being blinded by emotions in a fight is the best advantage you can give your opponent, in Loki's opinion.

“Come, pretty face, we have been told you are the Prince's whore. Are you that good at sucking cock? I would love to try it,” one of the men said, the others laughing. Loki laughed too. What a childish way of insult.

“Oh, yes. I am an artist at sucking. I can suck cocks, cunts, assholes, blood, money, gold,” he ennumerated, showing his smile to the men surrounding him. They laughed then, excitement spreading among them. “I could show you but... I don't think any of you would be a suitable partner. I bet you would fall down fast,” he cooed, purring. Of course, he was talking about the sucking blood part. Not that he really sucked blood, but biting his opponents bloody was most satisfying while fighting abismal creatures in the darkest parts of the ocean. The grip on the handle of his cane is loose enough to look relaxed, but firm, so if he needed to use it, it wouldn't fly away from the impact.

“What you say, Grant? You have been complaining about the lack of whores here. You can have him while we finish this,” one man said to another. Grant was tall, muscular but lean and even from this far Loki could smell how he reeked.

“I think I will, thank you, friend,” Grant said, licking his lips while looking Loki up and down. Loki stretched his arms at both sides of his body in a fluent movement, palms up, smile on his lips, invintingly. Oh, this was going to be fun.

The men then went back to unpacking the luggage while Grant strode towards Loki. No sooner was he within arms reach Loki grabbed him by his wrist, broke the cane on his face and pulled him down, exposing his throat after he grabbed him by the hair and bit down until he tore appart flesh. He let him fall to the dusty ground, spitting the flesh on his mouth and bending down to clean his mouth with a handkerchief, checking out that his clothes were not stained.

The surprise of the fast attack and ruthless kill stopped the ruffians mid motion again, but this time they all attacked him, some firing their pistols –and missing–, others brandishing their swords and daggers. Loki deflected easily enough most attacks and blocked others with the blunt of Grant's discarded sword. Through the corner of his eye he saw Hoffmann running away while the rest of the gang attacked Loki.

The sun had started rising, taking with it the sound of hooves on the ground, from both sides of the road. Loki had been fighting for hours and finally had managed to take down most of the men, but they have tried to take hostages and that had made things more difficult for him. Even though he was good at fighting and strong, he had not taken into account that his left leg would give him trouble.

A blade made contact with his flesh, slashing his left arm over his triceps, another one managed to cut his breeches on his right thigh. He grunted, worried that he was losing. He had to protect the prince. His pup nephew. And his chosen mate. And he had to protect himself. If it wasn't for the damned bracelet he would have called for a shocking spell hours ago. As it was, to perform magic he needed to draw runes and use powders like a seidrless creature. How grating!

It seemed that the drugs' effect had finished, for Thor came out of the carriage. His surprised face morphed into one of rage as he charged against the men that had Loki almost cornered. The first riders arrived, back up for the robbers. They had firearms with them and didn't hesitate to shoot. Thor lauched himself torwads Loki, throwing them both to the gound. When Loki sensed the bullet fly through they had been mere seconds before, he felt lest bruised and aggravated by the manhandle received from his nephew.

The second group of riders arrived then, with firearms too. The shot their weapons at one another, but in the end the new group had more ammonition and the raiders retreated, followed by their new foes.

“LOKI!” a familiar voice yelled. Loki shook off Thor and got up.

“We are fine, Prince, we just want to arrive at the closest lodge to rest,” he said, not looking at where Svad was, electing to climb back into the carriage. Gods, he was tired.

Jane, inside, was wide awake, dagger ready on her hand.

“Thor didn't let me out. He told me to stay in,” she said, sheating the weapon within her boot.

“Do not worry about that, we will be arriving soon at another inn and then we can rest,” Loki said, accepting her words as the apology that they were. Reclining as best as he could, he closed his eyes, still panting from the exertion. He heard her shifting.

“Let him rest for now, go on ahead, you can leave your men here and we will be arriving shortly after,” she said through the window before pulling the curtain.

He knew she was talking to Svad, but right now he wanted to sleep and not to be fussed over.

00000

The place was part of the villa: a “small cabin” they had called it. It was a very big house, though. After the incident, Thor's blood was boiling. Instead of going back into the carriage he had prefered to make the rest of the way on foot. At first, some of the men the prince had left with them as extra protection while he chased the bandits had looked at him with uncertainty but when they had gotten on, and saw how Thor kept their pace, they were surprised. Well, Thor needed to burn all the adrenalin and restlessness that had taken ahold of him after he had seen Loki fighting for his dear life, slashing right and left with dagger and sword on hand. There were corpses on the ground but the dread he had felt when his assailants had managed to draw blood from the black haired man had been so acute that he almost ripped their heads off.

Then, in a matter of seconds, the prince had appeared and “saved the day”. Thor huffed. He had arrived when they didn't need him anymore, right at the end of the fight. In his opinion, it had been just a way to boast.

They arrive at the small mansion, as Jane called it and were directed to a study. It was spacious, with severa bookcases and shelves filled to the brim with trinkets and ornaments. There was a sturdy looking desk by the giant window and on the other side, between two armchairs a round table with a base filled with flowers on it.

As soon as Loki entered, Thor noticed, he went to the vase and inhaled their perfume. There was chattering, the prince's men entering and leaving trays with refreshments on the desk. Jane went there to get something into her stomach and drink. Her hands were shaking. Then, the door to the study opened and the prince entered, looking directly at Loki without taking notice of anyone else.

“Svad,” Loki purred. Thor's eyes widened in shock. He had never heard such a sound coming from Loki's throat. The man, Svad, seemed frozen in place, but then, as if coming alive again, he unlaced his cravat, walking towards Loki in long strides.

“You are hurt!” he growled, wrapping the makeshift bandage about Loki's arm.

Thor looked at Loki. His sleeve had become darkened and stained with his blood and none of them had noticed until then. He felt ashamed for not noticing before. Then, as he was watching the two interact the air around the room changed.

Both men were looking at each other intensely. Loki's lips were parted, one hand resting on Svad's arm, the other over the round table. Svad had, on his part, one hand on Loki's elbow, the other over the knot he had just tied. It took the blink of an eye and Svad was upon Loki, kissing him ferociously, arms snaking about his waists to press their bodies together in a tight embrace. Loki was pulling him in with a hand on the back of his neck, the other gripping his shoulder.

Thor watched the scene, agape, frozen in place. The men grunted, panted, moaned, oblivious to the rest of the world. Svad's hands slid down to cup Loki's ass and lift him over the round table, guiding Loki's legs appart to make room for him. As they rubbed together Thor could not, for the life of him, move. Then a hand grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him away. In mere seconds the room was cleared and the door closed.

Out in the hallway, with Jane's hand shaking over his wrist, they could hear their moans and cries of passion. The vase crashed on the floor and Loki's enthralling voice chanted with only one name, a chorus of his own name echoing with the prince's voice.

Thor looked up from his boots at Jane. He felt shook and by the look on her face she was too. She coughed.

“Well... We, um... We better go somewhere else while they... talk... About matters...” Jane said. Thor nodded, feeling uncomforable.

Within his breeches he had become hard.

Chapter Text

After resting all morning and part of the afternoon, they travelled through the evening until they arrived at the proper villa. It was a magnificent mansion, decorative stone on the outside, resting on a gentle cliff that ended on an artificial lake that gave way to a labyrinth of bushes. The terrain had been cleared all around it, and only on the far away distance one could see where the private woods started.

Jane had been given a horse, while Thor had decided to go by foot again at her side. Loki, on his part, was sitting sideways on Svad's lap while the prince rode his stallion, both arms around the other's neck. From time to time, the black haired man whispered something in the prince's ear, making him chuckle.

Before leaving, Thor had seen how Loki discarded his cravat, leaving his shirt open down to his stomach. It was impossible not to notice the numerous teeth marks marring the white skin from neck to navel. Thor had looked away as soon as Loki caught him staring, fisting his hands, cheeks reddening. After Jane had taken him out of his reverie, in the hallway, he had felt numb, hot and cold all at the same time. Jane had suggested him to take care of his little problem. At first, he hadn't understant what she meant.

She had taken him to a different room them where, after a painfully awkward silence and then a highly embarrassing set of questions, Thor had discovered that his ovipositor was not, in fact, an ovipositor.

“What? So... It only sprays?” he had asked Jane, bewildered. She had responded with a gaping mouth and a red face.

“Uh... Sprays?”

“Ah... Eh... Well... Males, in my species,” he had started.

It had become a talk about the reproductive system on both species for both of them. When they had finished, Jane had left Thor, and Thor had realized that he still sported what she had called a hard-on. Not knowing very well what to do with it, he had tried to do what felt good and was surprised when the orgasm hit him, coursing through his body like an electric current and then he had sprayed out. It had felt awkward but after all the tension that had accumulated, it felt also freeing.

And now, while he walked beside Jane's mare, he watched as Svad and Loki touched each other, whispered things to each other and wondered if he should be doing the same with Jane. He looked up at her and she looked back at him, smile on her face. He couldn't help but mirror it. Would she welcome it if he were to kiss her neck as delicately as Svad was doing with Loki? Would she part her lips, invintingly, were he to caress her back?

He wanted to know how to court a human, and the only one who seemed to know how to do it properly was otherwise engaged with his own courting. Focusing on Jane again he noticed she was also looking at Loki and Svad.

“What's wrong?” he asked, when she frowned.

“Mm? Ah, nothing. It's just... I've told you that I knew Svad before, right?” Thor nodded. “Well... I had a meeting with him before knowing you and he talked about this man he wanted to, to... I don't know, own? Possess? He seemed half crazed talking about him. I was just wondering what kind of person could make someone so lost and then I discovered it was your un- uh- Loki. You see? It was a bit of a shock. But then again, it makes sense..” she said, looking pensive. Thor looked back at where Svad and Loki kept chuckling about their own internal jokes.

“What do you mean?”

“Loki's voice. The siren call?” she pointed out. Thor looked at her and then at Svad. Summoning the eye, his pupils became vertical slits. He scanned Svad from head to toe.

“No. He isn't under the influence,” he said, letting his pupils become round again to look back at Jane. She was frowning again. “What is it?”

“I fear that if something were to happen to Loki, Svad might do something... drastic,” she said, bending over slightly so she could whisper to Thor. “He seemed... Bewitched. I don't know. I mean, I have seen men lusting after their lovers time and again, I've seen a lot of the world and its people, but the way Svad reacted when he saw Loki...”

Thor smiled at her.

“You needn't worry about that. Loki can fend for himself,” he said. And to try and take away her worries, pecked her on the lips. She gasped, sitting straight on her mout, covering her mouth with a hand, blushing. “You are most becoming when you blush,” he said after a beat too long, feeling pround that he could remember some of the lines Loki had taught him. “The hue painting your cheeks is most-”

“Svad!” Loki's voice interrupted him. His head snapped in his direction. Loki had squealed. Thor focused on the black haired man and saw him completely red, frowning. He looked embarrassed. His hand was gripping one of the prince's wrists while the red-head laughed.

“It's not as if I have never done it before, Loki,” Svad purred, which made Loki's blush darken.

“I know. But never before so many people and out in the open,” Loki hissed back. Upon closer inspection, Thor realized that where Svad had had his hand before was inside Loki's breeches –the laces were undone–. Thor looked away, feeling his own cheeks growing hot.

“Thor?”

“It's nothing, Jane. I just saw something... I don't know if I wanted to know...”

Jane giggled.

“Here we are,” one of the guards said. Their attention went to him. “I you may, Your Grace, I will take care of accomodating your guests.”

“Very well, Gerroyd. Though you don't need to concern yourself with Loki. He is sleeping in my chambers.”

“If we get any sleep done at all,” Loki added without missing a beat, wriggling his eyebrows. There was an eruption of laughter. Gone was his shyness of before.

00000

“What concerns you, pup?” Loki asked from behind. He had one hand on the back of the armchair and was leaning over, hair loose playing with his neck. He had stopped wearing cravats and waistcoats altogether as soon as they had installed at Svad's villa –everyone here were close confidants of the prince, so he was called as such. Only when people who were strangers of sorts called him Sigurd, to maintain the charade– and went around with his shirts opened down to his stomach, the only thing closing them a sash at his hips.

“It's nothing,” he said, looking back at his book. Lately, it had become more and more difficult to be near Loki and he didn't understand why. He had seen Loki naked before so why was it so... exciting seeing him half naked?

“Oh? Trouble in paradise?” When Thor doesn't speak, Loki nodded to himself. “I see,” he said, perching himself on one of the armrests, thigh almost touching Thor. “So it's everything. What have you done, pup? Or better yet, what have you not done?” Loki winks at him, knowingly.

“Stop calling me pup! I am not a pup. I haven't been a pup for-”

“Yes, of course, you are not. It's only that you, being Odin's son, and Odin being younger than myself, I cannot see you any other way,” he stopped him, dramatically. “Alright, if you really don't like it, I will stop,” he said, smiling. Thor was still frowning. Loki saw him as nothing more than a child. “Now, really, what is it?”

“I... I thought I would be happier being with Jane,” he confessed, looking at his lap. At his side, Loki gasped, shifting.

“You are not?”

Thor shook his head, bitting his lips.

“I suppose... I idealised it,” he let out a bitter laugh. “It is as you told me... Tru Wuv...” He rubbed forcefully away the tears that were welling in his eyes.

“Oh, pup,” Loki whispered. Fantastic! Thor thought, now I have his pity. “You don't have to feel bad about it.” Loki put his arm around his shoulders, squeezing him. “Cheer up, will you? It's never easy to be in a relationship with someone whose culture is so different to yours.”

“But you make it look so easy!” Thor whined, lower lip wobbling. “I don't understand. I'm doing everything you told me and I am still unable to... to...”

“Wait!” Loki said, gabbing him by his chin and forcing him to look at him. “Are you telling me, that after I landed you this marvellous vacation you have yet to bed your woman!?”

Thor shook his head again. Loki jumped to his feet, startling Thor.

“I will talk with her. Do not worry, pu- Thor. I'm sure I can convince her of-”

Thor stopped Loki, getting up too, and putting a hand on his arm.

“That is not necessary, Loki, truly. It's just... Being here... I mean, it's not that I don't appreciate the beauty and how much you are doing for me, but this place... I cannot relax.”

Loki seemed pensive.

“Is it because she is married to Svad?” Wait, what? “You shouldn't worry about that. It's only in paper. They have never coupled,” Loki said, then he snorted. “I doubt she could satisfy him in bed. Look, pu- Thor, truly. Believe me. You don't need to worry about Svad wisking your woman away,” he promissed, putting both hands on Thor's shoulders and giving a little squeeze. Then, deemed the problem solved, he left Thor in the small library and exiting to the grounds through one of the floor-to-ceiling windows' door.

Thor stared after him.

“WHAT!?”

00000

“I thought I told you already that I was married!” Jane repeated, exhasperated, for the umpteenth time, crossing her arms over her chest. She was glaring at Thor, who was, in her opinio, acting like a complete idiot.

“Yes, but you never told me you were married to Crown Prince Sigurd!” Thor countered, irritated. She huffed. How could he be so dimwitted.

“I thought it safer for me to not reveal the name of my spouse, forgive me if I want to try and keep my head over my shoulders.”

“What does that suppose to mean?”

“It means what it means. Someone in my current possition is in mortal danger. If I'm not careful enough any assassination attempt could be passed off as something else: a shipwreck, a riding accident, a robbery gone worng. Get it?”

She didn't wait for Thor to answer and stormed out. She went directly towards the pond and sat down at a stone bench, looking at the colourful koi. She didn't aknowledged it when someone sat beside her and hugged her. It was so infuriating that it was Loki the one who came to comfort her.

“I'm sorry, pup.”

“Your nephew is an idiot.”

Loki chuckled.

“That I know. He takes more and more after his father, I fear. Maybe I should have never agreed to send him here. His mother's influence was a blessing.”

She dried her tears with her hands, but they kept flooding.

“Why is he acting like this? It seems so sudden. Things weren't like this before coming here.”

“Oh! I think he is just worried you will leave him for someone else, pup.” Loki's hand was rubbing circles on her back. She hid her face on his neck.

“You smell good.”

“Thank you.”

“No. I mean... Not good. Well, yes. I mean... You smell like... Home. Safe?”

Loki chuckled again and she could almost feel it reverberating in his throat.

“It's my own special mix.”

She pulled back a bit to look at him in the face.

“You make your own perfume?” she asked, awed.

“Why, yes, pup. I do most of my cosmetics myself,” he said, grinning. No, preening. He looked like a peacock showing off his feathers. She couldn't help the grin, nor the surprised laugh.

“You are the worst kind of narcissitic creature I have ever met. I'm sure there are no thing that can compare to your standar of quality,” she admonished, playfully. He squeezed her before releasing her.

“Oh, you would know, wouldn't you? But I can assure you that my beauty products are all the best. If not, for next week's ball I'll demonstrate.”

“What, you will be painting yourself?” she asked, amused.

“No, pup. I'll giving you a make over,” he winked. “Thor's jaw is going to break the marble floor when he sees you.”

“That's a most gracious offer, witch, but I don't have a dress for the occasion. You can think me simple, but I never thought that Svad would be hosting social events here.”

“Oh, pup! He is a prince. His people adore him. And he needs to flaunt me around. How could he not, having such an armcandy like myself?” he smiled brightly and Jane shoved him, making him laugh.

“Thank you, Loki. You cheered me up.”

“You are welcome,” he said, and waited for her to start going back into the mansion to say: “After all, you are going to be the mother of my nephew's pups.”

She stopped abruptly and turned around, cheeks bright, mouth agape. Loki was showing his mock-bright smile. He was serious.

“Y-you don't know that!” she shot, embarrassed and ran back inside before Loki could say something else.

00000

Thor was worried he had sunk any possibility to be with Jane. He had gotten a bit... He didn't know. He just knew that knowing that Jane had a husbad somewhere was one thing and that seeing him in the fles was another thing. Jane didn't act particulary interested in Svad and Svad seemed more inclined to pass his time with Loki than with the rest of them.

In fact, in the last days, he had discovered that neither Svad nor Loki had any kind of regard of the others. They could be found in all manner of intimate acts in any place at any given moment. It took a smile, or a look or a touhc and they would be on each other. Thor had become acquired with Loki's voice while in the throes of passion. And by know he was sure he could tell what kind of depraved thing was being done to him just by the tone, intensity and velocity of his demands.

He went to his chambers and closed the doors, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. How messed up of him!

“He could be your father,” he admonished himself.

Yes, Loki could be his father. He had said so himself, after all. He was older than Odin. But there was something to him, an allure that called for all the gazes around him to be locked on his form. Was this the real reason why his father had cast out Loki? The rumours said that Odin had been fed up with Loki's antics and that he had sent him to live far away. Thor had found that it was difficult not to laugh when Loki was doing one of his tricks, so long one wasn't the target.

Then, a weird though passed through his mind. What if Odin had asked Loki to be his consort and Loki had refused? Then, hurted by the slight to his honour, Odin cast Loki away in the shape of an octopus, so no one would desire him. The thought was so ridiculous that even Thor had to laugh at it.

Still... What if?

No! He should stop thinking like this. It wasn't like every single person Loki met would fall for his more than obvious charms. It was truly bizarre to think that way. That he had started falling for the ma-

Wait...

Wait a second.

Thor's eyes widened. He covered his mouth with both hands to prevent the yell that wanted to escape his throat.

00000

Jane wasn't sure about it. The dress was daring, though it showed nothing, just accented certain shapes in her body. The soft blue of it combined strikingly well with the red crystal resting on her chest hanging from a silver chain at her neck. The shape was that of a rose. Her hair had been done up in an intrincate style that had pearls and other flowers interwined with the strands.

Loki certainly had a good hand on these matters. He was now appying some make-up to her face.

“Not much,” he had said. “Just enough to highlight your best features.”

He worked in silence but up this close she could see that he was having so much fun. Maybe if he had a child, a girl, of his own he would be doing the same for her as she grew up. Or maybe he had already had children and they were long dead? He kept calling everyone pup. Could be that it?

“Close your eyes, pup,” he instructed. She did. His brush was soft over her eyelids. “Perfect. You are done! Now, try to stay like this until the feast starts. When the ball starts you can throw away your shoes and loosen your hair, but it would be in good manners for you to kept as a doll until then.”

“Wait... That's hours from now!” she exclaimed, looking at the clock. “Why did you have to come and dress me so soon?”

“Because, pup, I have to doll up too,” he winked. Then he left her there. She huffed.

“Hit a window,” she cursed him. He made a mocking face, aided by his hands. She could just stick out her tongue. They shared a giggle.

Once the door was closed she tried to relax, breathing slowly, looking at herself in the mirror. Well. This was going to be so awkward. All the people attending the ball were nobles of the country, most of them were the responsibles of the laws that got around –or at least their families were– and here she was, the daughter of a trader, going to be mixed among them. What would she talk with them about? Would they find her dull or interesting? What if someone tried to take too many liberties with her? What if people thought she was Svad's misstress and tried to... to...? She didn't know. She was so nervous.

The soft knock on her door made her jump in her seat. With a squeaky voice she called in. Thor opened the door and came in, closing it after. He looked stunning, with a blue and gold coat, waistcoat of a plainer design, white leggins and golden shoes. She noticed his cufflinks were the same shape and colour as her pendant and earrings. The looked at each other.

“You look...” he started. Then, after not finding words, he cleared his throat and tried again. “You look breathtaking,” he said.

“Thank you. You look quite handsome,” she returned the compliment. And it wasn't a lie. His hair had been combed and tied at his nape, stiled so it would go down over his shoulder to stop at his chest.

Things had been awkward ever since Thor had confronted her about her marriage. None of them knew how to talk normally to each other.

“I wanted to apologize,” he said, catching Jane offward. “I was rash, the other day. I am just so unsure... I'm not... I mean. You are so beautiful, and kind and intelligent and... And I am just a brainless brute who thought that True Love existed because a bunch of stories said so. I truly like you, but I find myself more and more selfconscious of my lack of-”

“Thor,” she stopped him, standing up and walking towards him, taking one of his hands in hers. “Don't worry. Anyone can make assumptions and have mistakes,” she looked at him and he looked back. They smiled at each other. “I think we are better suited as... Maybe not as lovers,” she said, cocking her head slightly, noticing how Thor's gaze fell to her neck. “Or maybe more than friends?”

Thor's swallow was so hard that she heard it.

“I wouldn't like to insult your intelligence by asking of you anything that-”

“Shh. Do not think about that now.” She put two fingers over his lips to silence him. “Let's not think about that tonight, yes? Let's... Let's enjoy ourselves today, without anything to hold us back, and tomorrow... Tomorrow we can talk about us. About what we want and how much and... Alright?”

Thor took her hand, kissing her fingers without looking away from her.

“Alright,” he murmured.

They were so lost in each other's pressence that the knock startled them. A servant had come here to tell Jane that she should ready herself to go to the dinnin hall.

“I'll be right there, thank you,” she called from the inside without opening the door. Then, she looked at Thor. “Shall we?”

He smiled at her and offered her his arm.

“Whenever you are ready, my lady.”

Chapter Text

The evening was going expledidly well, in Svad's opinion. He could sense all the eyes darting from time to time to the Royal Table where he had Loki seated at his left –the common place for the spouse– and Jane at his right. It was an inside joke and Loki had been so delighter he had almost cracked in public, but his face had kept a seren smile and coy glances here and there. They both knew the guests' thoughts on Loki being the Crown Prince's companion, and they both laughed at that. If only they knew. Loki had even made half a joke about it once and Svad had had to stop himself from spreading the rumours about Loki being the Prince of other kingdom. It would have been disastrous, though, people like to gossip and poke around.

That afternoon, after Loki took a bath he had been applying a salve on the skin of his left leg, masagging delicately the skin and being mindful of the scarred parts. Svad had been watching from the threshold. His black hair had been brushed aside and, still damp, was tracing Loki's throat in a most sensual way. The mer had chuckled, not looking up from his task.

“If you keep staring at me like that, my dear, you are going to make me combust,” he had joked, glancing up briefly, a playful smile on his thin lips. Svad uncrossed his arms and walked towards him but Loki rose one hand and stopped him. “Ah-ah! I have just bathed and I would prefer to still smell of my oils than sweat when the ball proper starts,” he said.

Svad rolled his eyes.

“As if your sweat is not sweet enough,” he muttered.

“And that's exactly it. I have already cast minnor spells to conceal my unearthly charms but unless I transform myself into a monster, they won't be enough if I smell like sex. Need I remind you that humans had been natural prey for merfolks for millenia?”

Loki had a point. Even his nephew had something around him that made people lower their guard –or otherwise rise– and even Svad hadn't been immune to him at first. He had seen the lad as a sweet boy and had almost offered to get him under his wing, but then Loki had entered the picture and any thought of the young blonde had been whipped out of his mind. He had asked Loki about it and he had answered with an interesting information: merpeople were made to attract humans –they used to fed on their flesh– but some times humans could feel the danger and became aggressive against them.

“Did you do the same for your nephew?” he asked, leaning over the threshold again, watching Loki dress himself.

“I did. I gave him a draught –though he doesn't know that– and put a minnor enchant on his cufflings.” He was brushing his hair anew, Svad was mesmerized. “They match with lady Jane's necklace.”

“Ah, you are so proud that things ended well in the end, aren't you?”

“That, I am,” he said while he tied his hair up on a simple way. He let some strands loose from it, framing just one side of his face. He added a slight touch shadding on his eyelids before finishing with his clothes.

“You and your cosmetics,” Svad commented, chuckling.

Loki grinned at him and went back to fastening his clothes. His breeches were a dark blue, the legs were so wide that of he stood motionless they looked like a skirt falling right to the floor where they almost covered his feet. His shoes were a polished black, matching the sash that fitted the breeches and his undershirt –with the same dark blue– to his waist and had some golden accents on them. His waistcoat was embroided –dark green over a darker blue– with silk thread giving it a shining glow whenever the light reflected on the pattern. His jaket was dark blue too, but it was embroided with golden threat and had golden buttons. It wasn't as tight fittin as the waistcoat and its length was enough just to cover it and part of the sash. When he finished knotting the cravat –green as the details of the waistcoat– he took a dark red cord and looped it twice around his waist, knoting it on the side. The rest of the cord fell over his leg and danced whenever Loki moved.

“You look...” Svad felt speechless. Not that it wasn't the norm lately. Loki always had a way to rob him of his words, by way of his own, his actions or whenever he decided to doll up. Loki walked towards him. He wasn't doing anything special, just walking. He couldn't take his eyes from his hips.

“Would you help me with this?” he purred, offering him a golden chain with several coins hanging from it. “It's supposed to be around my head but...” Lowering his eyes, Loki bit his lip before looking at Svad through his eyelashes.

Svad swallowed.

“Loki... If you really want to arrive untouched to the ball I suggest you to stop trying to get into my pants,” he said, voice croaking. His throat had gone dry.

“Of course,” he agreed, but didn't change the way he was looking at him. The little minx!

Svad took the chain from his hands and, following his instructions, adorned his head with it. Once it was done he grabbed one of his hands and put it over his crotch.

“See what you did?” Svad whispered to him, and Loki just laughed, grabbing him harder and making him shudder.

“You better do something about this, soon. The first guests will be arriving in about half an hour,” was his only response, before leaving the chambers, cane in hand.

Svad looked at him until he closed the door and then flopped on the bed, groaning in frustration. This was the worst and the best part of Loki, always keeping him on edge.

He had managed to get presentable in time and receive the guests at the door, with Loki at his arm. He knew them all by name and title, but by protocol he only needed to greet them by their surnames. And since he knew there were people who were bound to try and top one another he added fuel to the fire. Using the title to greet one guest and then just the surname of their opposers at court, as if favoring one over the other, was the best way to confront them. More so if you also sitted them beside each other.

Oh, one would think Svad was oblivious to the enmity of the families at court, but he was oh-so-very conscious of them and liked the drama that unfold whenever he misstepped. Loki, who had been away for too long to have kept up with it, was catching up fast at his side. He even winked at a woman who had openly insulted him when he was gone. She blushed, indignant, and turned around.

The sun was setting and all the chandeliers were being lighted when Thor and Jane came from the door that led to the gardens. The lad wasn't as appealing as Svad remembered and he didn't have the urge to teach him how to become a pirate in his stead, but Svad still cloud appreciate that he was very handsome and that maybe he shouldn't think about him as a lad, but as a man. Their eyes locked for a brief moment. He nodded towards the blonde, but for all answer he received a hard look. Oh! Interesting.

He had heard the fight between the lovebirds and had laughed in his chambers until he couldn't breath. He certainly didn't have any plan on bedding Jane. Not that she wasn't a very comely woman, but she just lacked something very important that all of Svad's past lovers had. Not that Thor neede to know, it was interesting to see how the young man glared at him.

By the time the dinner started, though, Thor had become a little star. No one really knew him or where he came from but his regal demeanor and his good manners set him appart from common folk and nobles alike. The gossip was non-stop and when Svad sat on the royal table with Loki and Jane at both his sides, and Thor at Jane's other side, the rumour mill was unstoppable. Who was the blonde man? And the woman? Where had Loki been all this time?

Some of the courtiers had theories already: Jane was Svad's mistress, brought here to put Loki in his place. Jane was Loki's mistress, and the three of them shared the bed. Thor was Loki's boytoy and had come with his wife and the three of them shared the bed. The four of them shared the bed. And so on. Their imagination was so limited that Svad couldn't help but chuckle merrily.

Loki, at his side, smiled and blushed as he knew how to do, making people around them shift uncomfortably. Everyone knew that Loki was to not be crossed. Some still thought that Loki's main plan had been to get rid of Princess Melibea from the start, to prevent a possible future flame to get ignited between Melibea and Sigurd.

As the dinner drew on, different topics were discussed. Once the novelty of the royal guests had been exausted, their minds were back to their own little feuds.

“I must admit that I never though that Lord Richards would come, knowing how Von Doom was attending too,” Loki commented while cutting into his fish. He was so refined while eating that all the ladies present were being put to shame, except maybe Jane, who, no doubt, had received some classes from the mer.

“Oh, they didn't know the other was coming,” Svad answerer, taking a sip of his wine. He saw Loki's grin. “Please, stop. At least not today. Tomorrow, when they are to leave.”

“I am going to do nothing,” Loki said in the voice he used to say that others would do for him. “After all, I don't think Lord Richards would find it unsavoury that I speak with Von Doom. He is an intelligent individual.”

Svad snorted.

“Yes. An individual that suspects you of being fae and wants you on a table so he can cut you open,” Svad muttered.

“Oh, please. He wouldn't do anything like that here.”

“Some where else, he might. I am not risking you rousing his interest again,” Svad said. He was starting to regret having invited Victor now. Loki liked the thrill of danger too much and being put too close to a man such as Von Doom made Svad feel restless.

“Too late,” came Loki's voice.

Svad's face snapped at his left.

“What have you done?”

“Oh, nothing. He asked me for a dance and I promissed I would dance with him after the two first. Those I have reserved for you, darling,” Loki said, happily.

At his right, Svad felt a little commotion. When he looked he saw that Thor was glaring on to the guests' tables. Following his line of sight he saw that there was a man who was glarin at the royal table. Following that other line of sight he looked back at Loki.

“Loki, what in the Sevent Seas have you done to Lord Strange?” Svad asked, not knowing if he wanted to know or if he prefered to be kept in the dark. Loki just smiled brightly at him as the dessert was served.

00000

After the dinner, they have been herded to another room, this one filled with chairs, armchairs, couches and tables. On the tables there were boxes with cigars and cards. On the walls there were paintings and bookcases and there were two fire places. On the marble floor, rugs and carpets of exquisite manufacture adorned and helped to prevent people from sliding. There were also cabinets filled with drinks. The floor-to-ceiling windows had been opened as to let the summer breeze in –and to help ventilate the reek if the cigars, thank goodness, Jane thought– and some servants were serving tea and other hot beverages.

The dinner had been splendid and Jane was sure she still fit in the dress because Loki had given her one that, even while hugging her form, didn't compress her. And she was so grateful for it, since she had eaten more than ever in just one meal. How did Svadilfari kept in good shape if he always had dinners with so many courses? And with desser! That would remain a mystery to be solved, because she refused to talk with him.

At her side, Thor had fidgetted, conscoius of being watched, until she had started small talk with him: complimenting his hair, his clothes and his manners. In turn, Thor had complimented her dress, her make-up and her fast addaptability.

“Oh, this?” she said, lifting her fork before eating a piece of fish. “Loki taught me. Didn't I tell you that he was going to give me classes of social gathering?”

“That you did. Though I must admit I didn't know there were so many silverware to be used.”

“No? But you don't seem stranger to them,” she pointed out. He smiled at her, sheepishly.

“I didn't want to disturb your classes with Loki, so I picked up a few books,” he admited.

Jane could hear some sighs coming from the lower tables. With the corner of her eye, she located at least three young women besotted with Thor already. She stuck her tongue to the roof or her mouth in fear of barking out a laugh. They were so obviously smitten with Thor that it was endearing.

“And did you happen to read about dancing?”

At that, Thor shook his head.

“No, but one of the servant girls offered to help me with that. I think I can manage most of the dances without crushing your feet.” Another bright smile. Another row of sighs. Jane was fighting so hard not to laugh now.

“Oh. And who says I will want to dance with you? Maybe I will just sit down and wait until Loki offers me his hand,” she joked, finishing it by sticking her tongue out before going back to her meal. Thor chuckled and more sighs followed.

“Well, if that's what you wa- No. No, Jane! I mean. I want to dance with you, will you dance with me?”

He looked serious. She smiled at him, patting his hand.

“Of course. But don't step on my toes!” she said, winking. “Though, you are aware that you will be asked to dance by others, right? You can refuse, of course, but for the sake of socializing you shouldn't do it too much. Maybe every two or three?”

“Dances?”

“Partners,” she corrected. Thor looked dismayed then. She giggled at that. Two dances with each partner, that was what the etiquette dictated.

“I don't know if I am ready for that,” he said.

“Ready for what?” Loki asked, leaning over Svad to look at them. Jane almost jumped on her seat, startled.

“You have an acute sense of hearing, I gather,” Jane said, looking at him. He winked at her and she grined.

“That, I do. So, ready for what?” he asked again.

“Thor is worried he won't be able to dance with all his partners without embarrassing himself,” Svad answered before the other had an occasion to speak. At her side, Thor tensed.

“Aw, pup,” Loki said, looking endeared. “You can dance with me, too, you know? It won't be a problem at all,” he winked at his nephew and then went back to his meal.

Jane squeezed Thor's hand under the table.

“What's wrong?”

“He called me pup... Again.” Thor looked sour.

“Well, he slipped,” she defended Loki and Thor looked at her, surprised. “C'mon, he has been calling you pup since the first time you two met, right?” He nodded. “There you have it!” she said, triunfally. “Also, you kind of looked like a sad puppy,” she added, and Thor shoved her playfully –in a very discret manner– and she giggled again. “So, there you have it. You can dance with me, with him, and refuse others saying that you are “otherwise engaged” and be free.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he smiled and went back to eating, now with renewed vigour.

After that, the whole dinner had been a slow and fast affair and suddenly Jane found herself on the playing room where people socialized before the ball proper started and they went dancing. Of course, if there were people who would rather stay, they could. Both rooms were linked by a double door that was currently closed while the servants prepared the floor and served the tables that Jane knew were set at the walls, as well as providing chairs for when one didn't have a partner or prefered to rest their feet.

It was almost midnight when the doors opened and the people were invited to go in the ballroom. Jane and Thor had kept themselves near the bodyguards that Svad had selected for them as to not be accosted by the other guests. They would be introduced to them in due time, but it was clear that most of the guests were curious about them.

“Well, it seems it's our moment to stop being anonymous,” she commented to Thor, feeling suddenly so nervous her stomach contracted. Thor took her hand.

“Do not worry. We are all here for you,” he said, kindly. They looked at each other and took a deep breath.

“We can do this,” she said and they giggled.

“Though it's not my first ball, I find this human tradition quite enjoyable and different to the times I spent back at home. I wasn't this nervous since my coming of age ceremony,” he said while they followed Svad and Loki into the ballroom. “I knew a lot of the courtiers already and had played games with some of them –that year all my friends were coming of age, but I was one of the first–. I almost slapped some foreign dignitary in his face with my fin. That was how nervous I felt,” he chuckled and Jane tried to imagine Thor with a fish tail.

“Can you shift?” she asked him.

“I don't know. I haven't asked and...” he looked down at the black ring still on his finger. “I was told that if I didn't take this off I wouldn't need to worry about shifting while near water. I haven't taken it off yet.”

“Mm... Maybe you could ask Loki later,” she suggested.

“I will.”

“Ladies and gentlements,” Svad said, everybody quieted down and focused on the prince. “First of all, I want to thank you for answering my invitation to this lovely evening. As most of you might have discovered already, this is no simple ball. I invited you here today so you could meet someone,” he announced, then, turned to Jane and offered her his hand. She took it. It had been rehershed so many times she was even comfortable with touching him. “This is Lady Jane Foster. Some years ago, she was blessed by the God of the Seas and came unscattered from a shipwreck in the outer seas, in the middle of a storm.” His voice was steady and his hand gentle. Jane was grateful that she wasn't shaking. Instantly, a murmur rose through the people gathered there. “Jane and his companion, Thor Odinson,” Svad continued and the people went quiet once again as Svad released Jane's hand and Thor advanced and took it, “decided to grace us with their presence. Thor is also blessed by the faery, as he was blind before, but now he can see as well as any of us.” Another excited murmur followed his words. Svad rose one hand, cutting it short. “They are my guests tonight. I expect you to treat them well,” with this, Svad motioned to the musicians who started playing.

The people scattered to their partners and looking for a place in the room. Thor put a hand on Jane's waist and led her through the sea of people. They were aware of the eyes that followed them but Jane refused to feel cowered.

They took their places and when the music changed they all started moving as if they were part of a well oiled cog.

Through the corner of her eye, Jane surveiled the people that surrounded them while keeping small talk with Thor. It seemed that Thor was doing exactly the same, though instead of focusing on the people his eyes seemed to follow his uncle.

Loki was a sight to behold. His clothes alone set him appart from the rest, but the fluidity with which he danced in Svad's arms made heads turn. Every single accesory he wore made it quite difficult not to stare at him, trying to drink it all. Jane focused back to Thor and then she understood. She couldn't help the pain in her chest, nor the rueful smile. But it made sense, right? Jane was just a human and Thor should have never come into the land.

Thor made her swing, never stepped on her and over all was a more than good partner. The only lacking would be that he wasn't extremely good at speaking while dancing and that his mind was preocupied with something else. When their second dance ended she excused herself and went outside to clear her mind and to conceal in the darkness the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

00000

He had been dancing for what felt like hours, but according to the watch near one of the giant mirrors, Thor saw that it had been less than one. He had danced with Jane, then she had disappeared and a dark haired woman had asked him, through a fit of giggles, if he would dance with her. He had nodded and danced, but he was feeling distracted by two sources: Jane's strange behavior before she disappeared between the crowd and Loki. He stepped on his new partner and even though he tried to excuse himself, she seemed to not mind it, until the song finalised, when she said that she needed to rest.

Thor felt bad, she was limping slightly. With no partner with the next dance, Thor walked towards one of the tables and took a flute of champagne.

“If I were you I wouldn't drink yet,” a playful voice said at his side. Loki was leaning on the table, looking towards the ballroom. Thor, on his part, kept giving it his back. His mood had been sour all evening and he still didn't quite understand why.

“Why not? This is supposed to be a beverage for celebrations,” he asked, looking at the glass.

“Well, we are going to be here quite a long time. If you get drunk too soon you are going to miss the fireworks,” Loki said, chuckling. Then, as if noticing something amiss his face became serious. “Have you had another fight with your fiancé?” he asked, nonchalantly.

Thor almost chocked on his drink.

“My what!?”

Loki looked at him, confused.

“Jane. Weren't you going to marry her and have little human bastards roaming around with their biped bodies?” he asked, eyebrows rising.

“Ah... Well.. I...” Thor flushered. Of course Loki would think that. He had not talked about it with him, only with Jane. “We might no... I mean... We are going to see how things goes today and tomorrow we will talk and...”

“Oh, I see...” Loki was frowning now, his face a mask of fury. “So you wasted it. In the end this served no purpose but to-” he cut himself before continuing. Thor saw his nostrils flaring as he took deep breaths. “Look, Thor, I will admit that at first I didn't care if you succeeded or not, but after all this time there's nothing else that I want,” he said, looking at the dancing people. Thor couldn't take his eyes off Loki. His green eyes locked on Thor's blue ones. “For you to succeed. But if it's not Jane, then there's nothing I can do,” he mumbled softly, but loud enough for Thor to hear. He had his arms crossed over his chest now. “If you don't remember how to revert into a merman and want to go back home, just tell me. Any time is fine, alright?”

Then, just as he had appeared he left, but Thor was faster and grabbed him by the biceps.

“Why are you being so considerate with me?” Thor was confused. At first, even though Loki had explained everythin about the curse to Thor, he had done so in an obscure way with difficult terms and a short temper, but now he seemed to have more patience with him and whenever he looked at Thor his eyes were soft.

“Let's say that you have grown on me,” he answered with a smile. “I thought I would hate any pups produced by Odin, but it seems that the amount of Frigga in you counters his, my prince,” he added, leaning in as if confiding some scandalous secret. “I am just glad you inherited her golden hair. Can you picture yourself with the family's black hair?” he chuckled and Thor felt butterflies in his stomach. Slowly, he released Loki's arm.

“When can we dance?” he asked, feeling slightly dizzy.

“Oh! We can dance right now. Come, I will tell you how I like to be handled. It's so much fun to have another's hands upon yourself!” he commented, excitely. “You should try it some time. It's thrilling.”

Loki guided him and when they were on their place he moved Thor's hands to rest on his hips.

“Do you know this one?” Thor nodded, heart hammering in his throat. “Good. Remember be firm while lifting me. I wouldn't like to have another accident regarding legs,” Loki laughed and Thor fought to swallow.

The music started.

Chapter Text

Having his nephew swing him around was as much fun as he had thought. Thor's hands were strong and steady and even though he lacked some finesse while dancing, he had potential. Being lifted so easily from the floor was exhilarating, almost as floating around. And he loved to float around! That was why he loved living underwater. Often times he would let the currents take him away, curious as to where he would end. Other times he went up and changed his scales for feathers. Soaring in the sky could be compared to swimming in the ocean. There were currents, one floated and the feeling of freedom filled his chest.

Now, with this dance having the feminine party being thrown around, he was happy he had selected his nephew instead of Svad. It wasn't as if the pirate didn't know the steps, but even though the man was fit and strong, his nephew possessed a superior musculature, and Loki wasn't exactly a lightweight. More than seventy kilos of muscle, skin and bones weren't easy to lift, that was for sure, but Thor made it look so easy that he was anticipating other men asking him to dance to this kind of dance later, just to see them struggle to lift his body. So much fun!

As he twisted around he located his next... partner. Victor had waited patiently for Loki to approach him for his dances, but Loki had been dancing –ha!– around, evading him and going from partner to partner after the first two. Of course, he knew that the moment Lord Richards approached him to even ask where he could go to relieve himself, Von Doom would explode into an indignated mass of disapproval and would swear vengeance on the slight inflighted upon his persona. Loki knew how far to push Von Doom now, so he would be the next one he would go to.

“You should go looking for her, Thor,” Loki recommended. Thor looked at him, apologetic and confused. “I don't know what's going on, clearly,” he huffed,” but you need to talk with her now. Even if you are not going to marry her now...”

“We are not going to marry later either,” Thor grumbled.

“Yes, you said that.”

“I don't know if I want to go back home, yet,” he added and Loki nodded. To go back now would mean he failed and Thor was still too young to pass up his bruissed ego and go to mom and dad to cry. Luckily for him, Uncle Loki was here to rescue him and lent a shoulder to cry. Though not for long, he had pissed off enough guests now so he would need to do some damage control. Which meant to piss them off further, if possible. He loved it when people first were interested in him and then he ruined the mental image they did of him by speaking. It was truly delightful to shatter their dreams.

“You can stay as long as you need,” he told Thor, though he would very much appreciate if the pu- young man would just want to go back. He wanted his tail back!

“Um... Thank you,” Thor said, surprising him, looking at him in the eye. “For staying with me, and trying to help.”

Loki beamed at him and Thor mirrored with his own smile.

“You are welcome.” Oh! The irony. It wasn't that he was there of his own accord, though, but he would do whatever he could to enjoy this punishment. At least he had an asshole now. The dance ended and Thor's hands gripped his hips. Loki threw him a questioning look, but he was looking somewhere else. Then, the next one started and Loki thought no more of it while they swirled around the rest of the couples.

00000

“What troubles you?” Jane looked up from the koi. Loki was sitting at her side, hair disheveled, cravat missing, a healthy rubor on his cheeks and panting slightly. He had also shed his jacket and waistcoat, it seemed. Jane didn't know if Loki was like this because he had just had a rendezvous with Svar or because he had been dancing non-stop.

“Your nephew,” she said.

“Ah, yes... He spoke to me,” he took her face delicately with one hand and with the other whipped the trace of tears from her cheeks. “How long have you been sitting here?”

“I don't know.”

“Well, child, you should go back in and enjoy the party. There are plenty of young fools who would love to have a dance with you. And now that we have changed into the second part of the ball, you can decline to dance the two customary dances,” he winked. Jane giggled.

“I don't know. It's just... I thought I was ready for this? I mean, we have not done anything beyond kissing and still... I miss him already. His embrace, you know? Once he stayed with me all night and we just... Slept together. And I woke up with his arms around me,” she knew she sounded like a fool. “I was ready for him to leave. I knew it couldn't be love. A crush at most,” her voice wavered. New tears fell from her eyes. “Why did he have to make me l-” she cut herself. She couldn't even say it out loud. Taking a deep breath she continued. “I knew it wouldn't last, from the start. But tonight... Tonight I have discovered something, and I'm not sure he even knows it.”

When she looked at him, Loki had his head cocked to the side, the chain on his head shimmering between the black of his hair as it fell over his shoulder. It was so unfair! Why did these creatures have to come into her life and shake it up from the foundations? The worst of all was that she couldn't even hate them.

“I should do something about this,” Loki said, suddenly, looking back at the mansion. His hair floated around him, making the coins jingle. Jane stopped him.

“No! You have done already all you could think about.”

“It's not right for a mer to play like this with the feelings of others,” Loki scoffed. “Unless he pretends to drag you down and nurture his pups with your flesh, what he is doing is not right.”

That... Was surprisingly sobering. She looked at Loki with horror.

“Wh-what?”

“Ah! No, don't worry, pup. There are laws now. We are not supposed to bewitch any more humans now. We have enough to eat and besides, no-one would want to eat something that has the same face as us nowadays,” Loki said, trying to downplay it.

“What. You mean, all those stories about mermaids and fishermen...”

“Almost all true, I'm sure,” Loki smiled, shrugging. “But in times of my father it was deemed unsanitary to keep human corpses to fed the litter. Even when the flesh could be preserved, somewhat, it wasn't as good as fresh and some pups got very ill, so after much consideration it was prohibited to consume human flesh unless it was fresh. But it was too much work to take the pups above water to feed them –they got tired easily– and by the time the freshest of catches arrived some fish had already nibbled on it.”

If Loki thought that his history explanation had calmed her down, he was sorely mistaken. She was now looking warily at his teech each time he spoke. She remembered clearly how pointy and sharp they had been when he came out of the water months ago, the claws on his hands. Even though he looked human enough, now, she wasn't exactly reassured.

“I see...”

Loki's smile lost some of it shine.

“No, you don't! You are afraid of me now.”

She didn't try to deny it.

“Has Thor ever eaten human flesh?” she asked. To her surprise, the laughter that Loki let out was much more reassuring.

“Of course not, pet!”

“Have you?”

Loki's laughter was cut short. He looked at her in the eye, his smile now making her shiver.

“I might...”

Oh... Oh gods! Loki had eaten people! She felt nauseated.

“You... you...”

“When I was very little, my mother took me and my twin up on a little excursion. She caught a sailor for us,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “It was nasty. And it reeked of cheap alcohol. Not that we knew what that smell was, but to this day I will remember it.”

“So... You won't... Eat any of us?”

Loki laughed again.

“No, pet. You don't need to worry about that,” he said, patting her hand. “There, are you feeling better now?”

Jane's eyes widened.

“You! You just told me that to take my mind-”

“Off of painful things, my dear. Now, go wash your face and come back into the ball, you should be having fun,” he winked and left.

00000

Svad wasn't fuming. No. He was just plain angry, and he knew he was feeling jealous. Loki had been dancing with Von Doom for almost an hour now and even when he knew that Von Doom wouldn't lay a finger on the mer in any sexual way, the predatory gaze he threw Loki was making him want for his sword. It seemed that Loki had succumbed to his own wants and had shown Victor a parlour trick –maybe some colours coming from his fingers, or changing the shape of an ornament– and now the man was chasing after Loki.

He went back to the conversation Duke Marlowe and Lord Richards were having. He was doing it on purpouse. By giving his attention to Richards, Von Doom got agraviated and the more Von Doom demanded of Loki the more attention Svad paid to Richards. It seemed that the man had caught on it, so when the music stopped, he bowed to Loki and left him. Loki swept the place with his eyes, then until they rested over Svad's. He smiled mischievously and Svad had to repress the impulse to roll his eyes.

“Well, my Lords, it seems that Loki reclaims my attention, have a good night,” he cut whatever they were saying and left.

Loki met him half way but before they could say anything they were interrupted.

“My prince, may I speak with your companion?” Svad's eyes darted to Lord Strange.

“But of course, Sephen, darling. Let's go,” Loki answered instantly, offering his arm. When Lord Strange didn't take it Loki took his instead and dragged him away mutting a “I'll see you later,” to Svad.

Svad sighed, rubbing his face before turning around and go to take another drink. He had just put his fingers around the glass when a small group of giggling young girls surrounded him.

“Your Highness,” they said in unison. Svad groaned internally. He smiled instead of snarling and gave them a small nod of aknowledgement.

“We were wondering if Your Higness would honour one of us to a dance,” one of them managed to say before turning beet red. Oh god! Not again.

“I am sorry, my ladies, I have promissed to-”

“Ah! Prince Sigurd, I was looking for you,” Jane interrupted him. They all turned in her direction. Her face had been washed and a lighter make-up had been put in the stead of the heavier one she wore during the dinner. She looked lovely, nonetheless. “There are some discussions we didn't finish about our contract,” she said, graciously positioning herself at his side and taking his arm, ignoring the girls that were glaring daggers at her.

“About the shipment, am I correct?” he continued with her charade. Whatever she wanted to talk with him about, he was not going to miss the opportunity to be otherwise engaged. “I am sorry, my ladies,” he repeated to the group. “But it seems I have been caught. Maybe later,” he smiled at them and gave a small nod, walking away with Jane at his side. “Thank you,” he muttered.

“You are welcome,” she answered. “Now, to business. I do really want to talk about shipments and a fleet,” she said, turning towards him once they were seated. She looked serious.

“Of course,” he answered. “Though I cannot use the Royal's fleet to anything else but to waste on myself and the family, I could commission a ship for you.”

She nodded.

“I have the planes of a specific one.”

“Your father's?”

She nodded

“The very same. Isn't it ironic? Your crew sunk it and now you will be building it again,” she glared at him while smiling. It was such a contrast between hate and friendliness that Svad couldn't less that chuckle.

“You are very cute. Maybe one day you should go out into the ocean with your own crew and assault pirates. You could be the pirates' pirate.”

“I will think about it. Though first I would need to be taught how to wield a sword.”

“Ha! You would be a fearsome adversary.”

The answer she was going to give gets swallowed when Lord Richards and Lord Von Doom start to accuse each other of whatever nefarious thing this time. Svad's eyes swept the place, searching for Loki, but he is still having a tight conversation with Lord Strange. Both men look at the other two Lords and then go back to their conversation, uninterested and both roll the eyes the exact same way. Svad can picture them saying “mortals” at the same time and can't help a little laugh that he concealed as a cough.

“I would like to see you trying!” Von Doom was saying when Svad arrived at them.

“Please, gentlemen, this is a party, a moment of celebration, if you cannot behave accordingly I will have to ask you to leave,” he said, motioning for Stark and his men to be ready just in case he needed to escort them out. Stark nodded at him, they were ready.

“Ah! Forgive me, my prince,” Richards said first bowing before leaving. Von Doom glared after him and then made to leave to the other side but Svad stopped him.

“A word, Lord Von Doom?” he asked, coldly. It was more an order, so the man had no other choice but to follow him to a more secluded area. “I will advise you to leave Loki alone,” he said, impassible mask on his face. Von Doom's eyes widened.

“I assure you, my prince, that I have no intention of-”

“Bedding him, of course. You just want to cut him open and put his organs on flasks and study his blood, mm?” Von Doom's face became a blank mask now, but his eyes talked about a passion that ran deeper than the pleasures of the flesh. Yes, this man would hurt Loki just to get the answers to the questions that kept him awake at night. He said nothing, so Svad spoke again. “If you ever try to get even a drop of his blood, Victor...” he let the threat hanging on the air. The man nodded, bowed and left, most surely to his state, Latveria, where he would let his fury run wild.

“Want me to follow him, sir?” Stark asked from the shadows. Svad nodded.

“But not you. Send someone else after him. I want you at my side.”

Stark bowed, mockingly, and left. He and Stark had known each other since they were cabin boys and had had many adventures on the seas. That part of his previous crew had accepted his offer of being Royal Guards had reassured him. If he had his men, people who he knew how would react and where their loyalties lay, he could relax. Not that he didn't think some of them were the worst kind of mercenaries, but at least he knew how to keep them on his side.

“That was so vulgar of them,” Loki's velvety voice purred into his ear from behind. Svad nodded. “I would have kicked them both out. Or better yet! A duel! At dawn. That would get rid of at least half the problem.” He was drinking in a relaxed way from his flute and looked amused. So he was serious about killing one of them.

“Who would be your champion?” Svad rose to the bait. But Loki only snorted.

“I wouldn't chose. I know next to nothing about the importance of their families in your country, dear. I wouldn't like to... influence such a major change,” he said, nonchalantly. But Svad could detect in his tone the amusement that would bring Loki. After all, it all would happen in the blink of an eye.

“I've been thinking about staying and becoming king here,” Svad commented, half turning around to take Loki's glass and drink from it. “But then I feel caged, just imagining it, and hate them all.” He looked at Loki's eyes. They shone with a strange intensity in the dimlit alcove. He had half a thought of closing the door that linked it to the ballroom and locking it. Loki had shed his cravat, jacket and waistcoat and was now wearing more chains at his hips. The one at his hair was tangled with his black strands and made him look even more ethereal in the pale moonlight that seeped through the windows. Instead, he took another sip.

“Would you like me to drown this place?” Loki asked serious. Smile in place, Svad knew Loki would be able to do that.

“No. I might be heartless but there are people who don't deserve that just because of the assholes that are over there,” he grumbled and Loki, chuckling encircled his shoulders, plastering his body to his in a sinuous way.

“Then, let me help you relax for a second,” he whispered to his ear before nibbling at it. Svad shivered, throwing away the glass and wraping his arms abou Loki's waists. He took his mouth forcefully. He had been waiting for hours! He deserved a reward after all that he had suffered under Loki's teasing. He was going to pummel him so hard the mer wouldn't be able to walk straight for a week. He had just backed Loki against a side table when someone cleared their throat from the door. Svad left Loki's liks and glowered at the intruder.

“What!?” he barked.

“I'm sorry to interrupt, my prince, but there's a matter you must atent to immediately. Some guests had started a fight and they are outside preparing to duel,” the servant looked nervous and his face was politely turned away, though his face was red.

When he had interrupted them Svad had gone as far as to slide Loki's shirt down his shoulders while biting and kissing his pale flesh, hand tangled in his hair to bend his head back and expose his throat to his mouth, and his lips pere parted. Anyone who looked at Loki now, even with all the preventions the mer had taken, would be enthralled for sure.

“Go, dear. I will see you later at bed,” Loki purred, freeing his body from between his legs. “You may go,” he added then, to the servant, in a chastising tone. The servant had lingered there too long.

“I shouldn't have thrown this stupid party,” Svad sighed, resting his forehead on Loki's shoulder for a second. Loki's hand caressed his hair.

“But you did, and we are having fun, aren't we?”

“I suppose.”

Svad took the time to tug himself in place and Loki helped him look less rumpled. Before he left his lover, he kissed Loki tenderly on the lips.

00000

Thor finally found Loki on a side alcove adjacent to the ballroom. He was reclined on a lounge, drinking from a glass. His clothes were dishevelled and he could see faint marks on his throat and part of his exposed chest.

“Ah, Thor,” he greeted. “Are you having fun, my prince?” he purred. Thor was surprised by that. He seemed... different. Loki got up but almost fell down. Thor was instantly there grabbing his amr to steady him. Loki leaned on him and chuckled against his neck. “I must have had more to drink than what I thought. Thank you, I can stand on my own now,” he said, smiling at him.

Thor didn't smile back but that didn't seem to matter to the man. He released his arm slowly, grieving the loss of contact.

“Why aren't you dancing?” Thor asked.

“All my potential partners are busy,” he said, dismissively. “Care to acompany me on a walk? I think some fresh air will suit me.” He started walking without waiting for Thor to follow him, taking his cane with him. Thor hurried to follow him. Loki was leaning on his cane more than he had seen him before.

“Are you all right, Loki?” he asked. Loki looked at him. Then chuckled.

“I must admit I have danced more than I thought I would and overestimated my endurance. Would you care to help a poor cripple like myself,” he asked with a smile. Thor offered his elbow instantly, kicking himself mentally for not having thought about that before. “Thank you, pup,” Loki said with clear relief in his voice. The cool breeze of the night danced with his hair in an alluring way. Thor was surprised when he didn't feel bad being called pup by Loki then. The walked through the stone path bordering the koi pond and reached the entrance to the labyrinth. Loki looked inside, interested.

“Do you want to enter?” Thor offered. Loki shook his head.

“Not now. Maybe tomorrow. Would you like to play hide and seek with me inside?” he smiled at him and Thor felt his insides move. Yes, very much. He could picture himself chasing after Loki. “I will be it. So you better hide well, little pup, I can be a very vicious predator,” he added, something menacing shining through his eyes.

And Thor could picture it. He had seen Loki fighting against a shark three times bigger than himself without weapons and against those humans before they arrived. And suddenly he was aware of how dangerous and powerful Loki was. He was just holding back. Loki could have gutted that shark on his own just fine if he had wanted. Loki was never prey, he was predator. Always. Thor looked away, swallowing hard. A thrilling feeling making him shudder.

“I don't know. I prefer to chase after people,” he said as they moved away. They walked in relative solitude through the garden. The moon was already past zenith and was way on its way to the horizont. Loki's leg gave in and he almost fell. Thor reacted fast and grabbed him by the hips, pulling him in. “Are you alright!?” Thor exclaimed. Loki's hands were gripping Thor's shirt at his chest, a slight tremor going through them.

“I... ah... I should retire for the night, after all,” Loki's voice sounded strained.

Thor looked down, following Loki's eyes. His left leg seemed to be unable to keep him up. Then he saw the cane over the grass. Looking around him, he saw a bench a few paces away and without warning he lifted Loki from his thighs, guiding them around his waist to take him there. Loki let out an undignified sound that he would never acknoweldge later, but his startled face morphed into one of warmth when he was seated on the bench.

“You are such a good boy,” Loki said, laughing softly.

Thor didn't comment on that and went to retrieve the fallen cane, face flushed red. He had had Loki's body pressed to his in such an intimate way that he feared his body would react again without his consent. Once seated beside Loki he passed the cane and the man did something surprising. He stretched his left leg over Thor's, mumbling something akin to “much better”.

“Maybe I should go fetch your... The prince?” Thor stammered. What was Svad for Loki? His mortal? His companion? His... spouse?

“Don't worry about Svad. He is used to swim between sharks,” Loki dismissed it, then pointed at the sky. “In a few seconds the fireworks will start,” he noted. And sure enough, a few seconds later the dark sky was painted by light and colour, illuminating the gardens. Through the corner of his eye he could see couples that stood looking at the sky. Loki's own face was tilted upwards. But Thor could only look at how the colours pained Loki's pale skin and reflected on his eyes.

He was halfway leaning towards the black haired man when a voice startled him out of his reverie.

“Oh! There you are, Thor. Ah! You were with your uncle, sorry. I hope I didn't interrupt,” it was Jane. Thor's face snapped up to look at her. “What?”

“Uncle?” he said, dismay in his tone.

“Why, yes. Can't you see the uncanny resemblance between me and your father?” Loki asked. Thor looked at him. He had lifted his eyebrows in a questioning way. Then he frowned. “Ah! Yes, you don't know half the story, do you? Of course. I was erased from the memory of the Kingdom,” he spat, bitterly. “If you will excuse me.” He got up and left, gripping the handle of his cane with maybe too much force, and limping.

Jane looked apologetic.

“I'm sorry, I thought you knew already... I... I'm sorry,” she said. And she truly looked sorry. For what, he didn't know.

“What do you mean?”

“You seem... Surprised that Loki is your uncle and since you are attracted to him...” she started to say, and then she cut herself off, looking at his face. She spat a blasfemy. “I better get going, lest I say something else that you'd rather discover on your own.”

And then, he was left on the garden's bench, a lovely show of fireworks over his head and a ringing in his ears. He was attracted to Loki... As in attracted. And Loki was his uncle. He laughed. What else could he do?

“No wonder he never looked at me twice,” he growled between his teeth.

Chapter Text

Thor had followed them after the party. He had seen how Loki had clung to Svadilfari and how Svadilfari's arm never left his waist. His uncle. How couldn't he see it before? The subtle comments about his parents, his own likedness to his father, how much he knew about the Royal Family and the familiarity with which he talked about his king. He shouldn't have followed them. He was now listening to everything, hands balled into fists, his whole body trembling. Outside a drizzle started to wet everything. But still he could hear them. He could hear Loki pleading Svadilfari, asking for more, moaning in pleasure.

The weather got worse, the rain falling stronger and stronger. But still he could hear them. Thunder struck nearby, drowning their voices for a blissful moment but after it passed, he could hear them. The worst part of it was that in a way he wanted to hear. So he listened, holding his breath.

“...stop. Don't stop!!” Loki's voice reached his ears and Thor bit his lip. He could also hear Svadilfari saying impossible things to his uncle. His. Thor's uncle. When he couldn't take it anymore, he turned around and went to his room. He didn't know if the thunder that followed him hid the sound of his boots against the floor, but he couldn't care less.

Part of Thor hoped that Loki was with Svadilfari just in the same destructive way he had went to fight the shark. He remembered. He remembered Loki being upset that Thor had called him The Sea Witch. Of course, he thought bitterly, he would have preferred to be calle uncle.

00000

As promissed, Svad was giving everything that time. Loki had been teasing him too much these past days and now he seemed quite smitten with the resoults. He kept asking him for more even when it was clear he was about to pass out.

“Keep fucking me, even if I am unconscious!” he had demanded after pushing a small vial into his hands and telling him to drink. And that... The contents of the vial had invigorated him in a way he didn't know that existed. It didn't matter how many times he had come already, his cock was still up for a next round. It was frustrating and pleasing at the same time. Loki bit his neck and he responded in kind.

He knew that Loki was in one of his moods. He was escaping through sex. If he was lost in the sensations of his body he wouldn't think about the troubles in his mind. With a growl, Svad pulled out and turned Loki over his stomach to then push in one go and stayed there, motionless, for a few seconds. They were both panting. Loki's body was shaking under his.

“Is this what you want from me?” he asked, not knowing from where the emotion was coming. “Am I just your toy? A human with a life so short that will be just a faint memory for you the moment you blink!” Loki didn't say anything, he just squeezed him with his internal muscles. “Fine, I will be your toy for today. But tomorrow you can find another place where to sleep.”

With that, he resumed his brutal pace. This time after he came there was a loud ringing in his ears and he could se dark spots. He could feel himself panting. When he could see again he realized he had slumped over Loki's prone body. He rolled off, feeling unbalanced. He wanted to break something.

“You are not a toy,” Loki mumbled, still laying on his stomach, head between his arms. Svad flinched. “If you were a toy I would have discarded you long ago,” he said then, looking up at him. His eyes shone with unshed tears, his cheeks were red and his lips swollen by how hard he had bit them. At the sight of the tears Svad felt his stomach drop but then Loki moved and he could see the mer was still hard. Loki rested half of his body over his, head leaning over his chest.

“Then... What am I?”

“You are my very special human lover, Svadilfari,” Loki whispered to his chest while his hips stared to move. He was rubbing against Svad's side. “I had never shown my vulnerable sides to my toys,” he mumbled against his throat, hot breath making him shiver. “I need you more than at a physical level,” his teeth grazed Svad's skin and the pirate couldn't help the throaty moan that escaped his lips. “But right now, what I need from you,” his hand grabbed his half hard cock. “Is for you to fuck me into oblivion. Because if you don't do it I might do something stupid like transform my nephew into a dog just to annoy my brother,” his voice hitched near Svad's ear, still rutting against his thigh. “And as much as I loathe to admit it, I can tolerate him now. I might even like him,” his voice became a seductive purr. “It can only be you, Svad. I'm thirsty and your nectar is the only thing that can sate me.”

Svad rolled over Loki then, and the man adjusted him between his legs, humming his desperation and pleas, ondulating himself against Svad's body.

“You enjoy the torture you inflict upone me, don't you? Cruel, cruel creature.”

“We are made to consume humans. And even if I don't devour your felsh...” Loki bit his lip invitingly, rolling his hips in a way that positioned Svad's cock over his hole. “Please, Svadilfari.”

“You are going to kill me if you keep this up,” he answered before taking his lips.

In the end, he didn't sleep at all that night. And it wasn't the storm outside's fault, exactly.

00000

Come morning Loki didn't move much. His legs were sore. Not only his legs, though. His whole body felt sore. When Svad woke up he curled around him and kissed his mouth, then nibbling down through his chin, throat and chest he ended up with his membre deep in his throat. The only thing Svad was able to do was moan helplessly, hand messing further Loki's hair while the other gripped the bedsheets. When he finished, Loki only kissed the head and retreated, licking his lips.

“Thank you for the breakfast,” he purred before nestling in the bed and sleeping some more. He heard Svad huff and rise. The next time Loki was conscious of his surroundings was late afternoon. Svad was sitting on an armchair, reclined back with one leg completely stretched. He was looking without seeing towards the fireplace. He looked as handsome as always, if a bit tired. Or maybe fed up. Yes, he was most surely fed up.

“I want to leave this place,” he said, then.

“So leave,” Loki answered, stretching under the sheets. Svad chuckled and rose, walking towards the bed. He knelt on it and crawled until he was over Loki.

“You make it sound like it's easy.”

“It is easy. I'm telling you, an ex-crown prince,” Loki winked and using his arms propped himself up to meet Svad's lips in a soft kiss. “What's for dinner?” he asked as he let himself fall over the pillow. Svad followed him down and kissed him, answering against his lips.

“I think some leftovers. There was a lot of food made and not everyone ate,” he sighed, resting his head over Loki's naked shoulder. “All that food... They wanted to dispose of it. I asked what they meant by that. Maybe they would be giving it into the local villages but no. They were going to just throw it out. So we are going to be eating leftovers until they rot or we finish them,” Svad mumbled against his skin. Loki could feel his breath and lips. It was a relaxing feeling.

“Tell me the bath is ready,” Loki whined when Svad started sniffing against his throat.

“It could be. You smell delicious.” Svad acompanied his statement by licking a long stripe of skin from his collarbones to his jaw. Loki let the shiver run through his body.

“Playful, aren't we?”

“You have been sleeping most of the day.”

“I am sore,” Loki pouted. “It would have been completely unadvisable for me to leave the bed without proper rest. Help me up, pup,” he demanded. Svad laughed against his chest, but helped him out of the bed. “Ouch!”

“You asked for this yourself,” Svad admonished him without real heat. He was smiling warmly at him.

“You are not angry at me anymore,” Loki commented while he sat on the bed, while Svad called for a servant to prepare the bath.

“No. Are you surprised?”

“A bit. I thought that I really had crossed a line here and broke you,” he answered, brushing his hair with his hands. “After all, you are my favourite toy,” he added with a vicious tone, smiling at the pirate, all teeth. Svad blushed, frowning.

“Do you blame me? I cannot help but to be very aware of my mortality compared to yours.”

There were several seconds in which they regarded each other in silence.

“I could...” Loki started, breaking the stillness that had befallen the room when the servants entered and set to prepare the hot water and utensils for the bath. Once it was done they left, trying not to throw glances at Loki's naked body. Instead of finishing what he had been saying, Loki lifted a hand waiting for Svad to take it. And the pirate did. Loki really needed a bit of help walking that day and was more than happy to share it with Svad. “You can leave me soaking in the tub, if you have other matters to attend.”

Svad said nothing to that and instead took a soft rag and dipped it in the warm water. He washed Loki reverently, in silence. None said a word.

“I don't think I would survive that,” Svad said at last.

“Mm...”

“No. Really. I am too possesive of you to live centuries upon centuries worrying whenever you run off with a new lover. Because you would do that. Your spirit cannot be contained by just only one.”

Loki remained silent while he felt Svad's hands rinsing his body. He let the pirate help him out and dry his skin, not looking at him.

“I once had a mate... A... I had my one true love,” Loki whispered in the darkening room. The sun was setting already.

There was nothing else said.

Instead of joining the rest of the people at the dinning room they had their meals brought to Svad's chambers. That night, after eating, they slept tangled with one another, only exchanging soft kisses and light caresses.

When morning came, Loki left the bed –and a still sleeping Svadilfari–, dressed with a pair of dark breeches and a brown shirt, took his favourite leather boots and his cane and went to take a stroll around the villa. The morning had a crisp quality to it and the breeze was gentle and cool still. His steps led him to the entrance of the labyrinth. He loved riddles, even if sometimes he got impatient and cheated to resolve them. He had yet to crack this one and since his mind was still in turmoil, maybe distracting himself from it would help.

He was very fond of Svadilfari, he thought, as he stepped inside. He was very fond of his smile, of his scowls, of his acidic humor and his little regard for other people's lives when they didn't suit his purposes. Svadilfari was almost everything he wanted in a partner. Almost. He had been stupid enough to get attached to the pirate. He had wanted to play the affectionate creature with the mortal for a few years, but now... Would it be so bad to turn Svadilfari into a mer? He wondered. It was a taboo. It was worse than mer going into the surface to live as humans for a short period of time until they died. It was easier to take away greatness than to rise a little fly to it.

He reached a forked path. Four different routes, mm, interesting. He took the second to the right. If Svadilfari wanted, Loki could turn him into a mer and they would live together longer. But then... What if that almost quality that he lacked got between them? He would be linked for life with someone who hated him or who he deemed unworthy. Then, again, he had his standars too high for that. He had not bonded ever since... Well. He had not bonded and he hadn't the slightless intention of bonding now.

“Mm... Right or left?” he asked aloud when he found his path blocked and only two options. The right one continued until it turned right again. The left one seemed to be divided at the end, presenting two corners instead of one. “Left. And then right.” It was easier to bond with a human if you yourself became a human than to turn a human into mer and bond. And there would be need of bonding, since Odin, nor anyone on Asgard would let Loki keep Svadilfari at his side if it wasn't for personal reasons. Keeping a pet wasn't the same if said pet was sentient at the same level as a human. And it would be seen as an insult to all the other mer that had risked themselves to live with their humans for a short period of time –not that that worried him, but since the Crown Prince was in that situation he was sure he wouldn't be winning any sympathies– instead of kidnapping them and turning them into mer.

“How beautiful”, he murmured. He had arrived at a circular path, wide enough to have a small fountain in the middle and four stonebenches. He surveilled it, circling the fountain. Four entrances, or exits, four benches, one fountain. The sound of water was relaxing. He sat down and materialized a book, opening it at random.

00000

He had seen Loki enter the labyrinth early in the morning. Instead of following him inside he concentrated on finishing his breakfast. At least he was not with Svad again. Yesterday Loki hadn't shown at all and he had been frankly worried. Summoning a courage he didn't have, he had asked Svadilfari where was Loki. Svad had answered with a shrugh and a “sleeping”. A half-assed answer if you asked Thor, but beggars, as he had learnt recently, can't be choosers.

Thor had tried not to glare at the prince but it was difficult not to do it. Svad had Jane as his wife, if only in name, and Loki in his bed. He had come to the land to be with Jane and had discovered that what he seeked wasn't what the fairy tales told them all: True Love was horseshit at best. And after a long morning wondering what was what he really felt about Jane and concluding that she was more like kin than bond-partner he had wanted to smash his head on the wall.

In the end, the mocking advertencies that Loki had shot him what seemed to be so long ago had turned real and he found himself in a strange friendship with the woman that was supposed to be his true love and what seemed to be a crush on his recently discovered uncle. Now that he thought about it, there were some similarities between his dad and Loki. The way their lips were drawn, the hair was exactly the same as well as the eyebrows. There was a likeness between the noses but Loki's was clearly more beautiful and Loki's eyes were completely different than his father's.

He resolved to take a walk, unable to stay inside, where Svadilfari was, and not want to go to the man and threaten him. Who was he to ask anything of anyone? Svadilfari had everything Thor had wanted and was currently wanting, and it seemed that he had managed to get it withou any effort whatsoever. It was infuriating.

Thor saw Jane wearing what they called men's clothes, holding an iron sword. It looked blunt, though he couldn't say for sure from afar. She was speaking with Stark, Svadilfari's trusted advisor on security. She was frowning in concentration, listening to Stark's words. Then, they sepparated a few paces, stood in a strange way and started to fight one another with the swords. Jane lost her grip on her sword and Stark kicked her foot, making her fall down.

It seemed she was determined to learn, because she got up and went for the sword as soon as Stark finished giving some pointers. They went back into the stances and started fighting again. And again. Thor smiled fondly. She was truly a sight to behold, but his heart didn't skip a beat anymore when he looked at her. With a sight he went to the koi's pond to fed them and was scolded for fedding them.

He decided to join Jane and Stark on their lessons. He knew how to wield a trident and a bident all right and his spear skills weren't lacking, but fighting on land was different from fighting underwater. By the time lunchtime arrived they were all buised and tired but smiling. Stark was happy that they were such fast learners and Jane was happy that she had been able to kick Stark. Thor was simply happy.

Thor decided to wash a bit before eating and when he entered the room found that only one chair was empty.

“Where's Loki?” he asked as he took his seat. Jane looked around too, but she didn't seem worried.

“He went to clear his head, nephew dearest,” Svad said between mouthfuls of his meal, while reading a newspaper. Thor had to fight himself from growling. “You know, blondie?” Svad asked, putting away the newspaper and looking at Thor. “Whatever happened in your homeland was fucked up. I don't know all the details, but I think it's an assholish move to erase a member of the Royal Family like that. And well...”

“What are you trying to say? What do you even know about us?” Thor grunted, not saying the “outsider” that he had wanted to wield as a knife.

“I know enough. I know that for Loki, being erased is a delicate mater, and that you, the Crown Prince, not knowing who he is is a low blow.”

“And what do you want me to do about that? It happened long before I was born!”

“For starters you could go and call him uncle. And treat him life family, instead of just seeking him whenever you want a little bit of magic,” Svad snapped, hitting the table with his hand. Everybody jumped on their seats, startled, except Thor, who was glaring daggers at the pirate. “And you could, I don't know, promise him you will restore his lineage and name as soon as you go back home. You aren't king yet, but that doesn't mean you cannot start doing things now.”

Thor glared for a few seconds more before looking down at his plate. He finished his meal and left for the gardens.

“You are an idiot, Svad,” he heard Jane say to the other.

To clear his mind he walked and walked and walked. Uncle? Family? How could he!? He had never seen Loki as family before. Not even when he first met him, wriggling his tentacles around. No. He had been intrigued by that shape and after the incident with Jane any other trail of another kind of feeling was erased form his mind. He had hugged Loki when he finally came back to his cave and had been reluctant to let go.

He walked without a real destination in mind and arrived at the entrance of the labyrinth. Shrugging, he stepped inside. Then, he let his thoughts wander around until he arrived at the most random of ideas: Loki's adorns for their bonding ceremony. Thor stopped dead in his tracks. And wasn't that a hilarious thought? Why would Loki, who still saw Thor as a pup, who saw Thor as his nephew –and not a potential partner at all– want to bond with him? Yes, Thor was the Crown Prince. Yes, he would become King and rule. But hadn't Loki had that same life before? Clearly that wasn't something that attracted Loki at all. Then, if not rank, what could? He was attracted to the pirate, that much was true.

He ended up entering a round place with a fountain in the middle. Surprised by the abrupt change in scenery he looked around taking in all what he saw: some flowers blooming on the ivy covered walls, the statue that was on top of the fountain looked older than the fountain itself, Loki sleeping over one of the stonebenches while the sunbeams bathed him, a book resting on his chest.

Thor almost yelled in surprise. He stood very still for what felt like hours, looking at Loki's form, the sound of birds and the water of the fountain making it impossible for him to listen to his breathing. He stepped into the sun and approached the sleeping man. Loki looked nothing different than he had had before. For a panicked moment, Thor though that after reviewing what he felt about his newfound uncle would have made said man to look stunningly beautiful. Instead he looked the same, which was nothing short of breathtaking, but still...

He kneeled besides him, resting his back against the fountain and looked at his face. It was turned towards Thor and a few strands of black hair were dancing over his pale skin. Without thinking, Thor reached and tucked them away behind his ear. Loki didn't even stirr, his breathing as even as before. Emboldened, Thor leaned in and pressed his lips to Loki's as softly as he could, lingering there, feeling the warmth of the other on his mouth. It was when he broke the contact when Loki emited a small groan. Thor's heart hammered so fast and loud in his ears that he was sure it was it what had awakened the sleeping man.

Loki mumbled a few more things before turning his head away and starting to stretch, eyes still closed.

“You skipped lunch,” Thor said in a low voice. Loki's head turned his way, eyes bleary, and smiled at Thor. Thor swallowed. “Uncle, you souldn't sleep here. If you are tired there is a number of beds in which you can rest,” he tasted the new word around his mouth. It was strange but the pure delight in Loki's eyes when he heard him say it was worth the strangeness of it all.

“You are right, dear nephew,” Loki said, his voice slightly raspy. He sat up slowly, still stretching with every single movement. “Mm... Maybe we can beat the labyrinth and go get something to eat. Well, I will get something to eat,” he winked at Thor and Thor couldn't help but smile.

Standing up, he offered Loki, his uncle, his arm.

“It will be my pleasure,” he said.

“Oh, my! How chivalrous of you,” Loki commented, taking his arm. The book morphed into his cane, but still he didn't let go of Thor's arm.

“Will you need to use that cane for ever now?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. It was stupid of me to let that shart sever one of the tentacles, mm? I thought that maybe my tail would be left untouched but as you can see...” Loki sighed. “This will teach me not to do anything as stupid in the future,” he chuckled.

“Then we woun't be able to try that hide-and-seek game later on the labyrinth,” Thor said, looking around to see if he recognized the path they were taking.

“Oh, no. We can. I can run and move. It's just a bit painful sometimes. But you needn't worry about this old man, pup. I will manage,” Loki said, grinning at him. “And I will win.”

Thor smiled then, a plan forming in his head.

“Then we should make a competition out of it,” he suggested. Thor, surprised that it had worked, saw Loki's eyes shine in interest.

“Oh! Yes! And we should offer prizes.”

They chattered the rest of the way out about the rules of the game and how many people should participate to make it interesting. Through all of it, the only clear thought that crossed Thor's mind was the warmth of Loki's hand on his arm.

Chapter Text

Dinner that night was definitely a tense affair. Loki had an inkling of what was going on but really, that was boring, more so when he was excitedly talking about a small contest about finishing the labyrinth, the rules and a possible reward for the first one who crossed it without cheating. Of course he had found really funny to release some beasts inside to help motivate the participants and even though Svad said that it would certainly add to the game, Jane had outright refused to participate. Boring.

“So, I was thinking that then we could add a few runes on this pathway and over several of the walls so when someone comes across it the path changes and then we could add some arrow traps over there...” he was showing Svad a rudimentary map he had drawn after coming out of the labyrinth that morning with Thor. His nephew had been as excited as him about a competition and he had even suggested they add moving walls. Oh! That would be so much fun. “And then if you step on that trap the tiles on the floor would change directions, so if you ever came back across the same place you wouldn't really know.”

He was sitting on Svad's lap, feeling his hand on his hip and being fed by his other hand while he planned over his map. Svad hummed here and there and laughed when he suggested something dangerous.

“Ha! No, Loki. I'm sorry but I have to stop you there, we cannot put a pool of lava inside the labyrinth,” Svad laughed. Loki puted for about half a second before smiling again. He could feel how tense Jane was, sitting between Svad and Thor and his nephew's eyes on him. Maybe he was not used to having an uncle? Oh. Oh!! That was true, he was his only uncle, wasn't it? Even Frigga was an only child, as far as he knew. He looked up from the map and grinned at his nephew. His nephew! He wanted to take Thor everywhere now. It would be so much fun!

“What do you say, Thor? Do you think a pool of lava would be a bad idea?” he asked Thor. By the corner of his eye he could see that Svad was smiling genuinely at his nephew. Oh! Svad was warming up to him too! He loved it. Family was the most important, after all. Not Odin, though. He could live without Odin. Stupid little brother. Why did all little brothers had to be so stupid? Well, he now looked like an old fool. Hum! Served him right!

“Oh, I don't know, uncle,” Thor said, and Loki felt his heart swell with warmth. “Maybe a pool with some gulper eels, solane's viperfish or even mantis shrimps,” he suggested, smiling.

“That is a thought, nephew,” Loki answered, jumping excitedly over Svad's lap. The man laughed and steadied him with both hands, lowering him to kiss him on the neck.

“Behave, I'm not a chair,” he whispered to his skin and Loki shivered happily.

“Sorry, love,” Loki mumbled kissing him on the lips. Then, he turned to his nephew whose frowning face changed into a bright smile in milliseconds. Mm... Interesting. “Now, I want to know how many people are going to participate. I will need to prepare some ingredients for the spells needed if we are going to give life to the labyrinth. And I know, we won't be using manticores nor gryphons,” he added before Jane could even open her mouth. She smiled at him and shook her head.

“I woud participate if it wasn't for the fact that you are trying to design a death trap. How are the contestants to arrive alive at the end of the maze if you keep adding all these things? The mist of misfotune? Really? A normal labyrinth is difficult on its own without you needing to add more to it. Most of the participants would be trapped for hours.”

“I know, isn't it fantastic?” Loki said, jumping over Svad again like an overexcited child.

“That's it! If you cannot stay put go to your own chair. I want to eat,” Svad admonished him while laughing. He took Loki by his hips and lifted him. Instantly, his arms circled Svad's neck.

“Savage!” Loki pouted when Svad seated him on the empty chair at his other side. Instead of retorting, Svad beeped on his nose and kissed his cheek, sitting back on his own chair. “Well, as I was saying, the fountain should contain some sort of drugged liquid, so in case anyone drinks from it, they will have hallucinations and...” he continued through the whole dinner, adding notes to the margins of his map and taking note of all the suggestions Thor made.

And now, after he was sitting on his own chair, Loki felt the mood lighter. He bickered back and fothr with Jane about the possibility of using lions instead of minotaurs and she, dramatically, hit the table with her head. As Thor patted her shoulder reassuringly Svad kicked Loki under the table, just hard enough to for them to make eye contact.

“You should let them rest. Give it time. We have still weeks here, so you can plan it slowly.”

“But after the planning comes putting it into action! That also takes time,” Loki pouted halfheartedly and Svad came to rest on his knee and gave him a light squeeze. The look of pure desire in his ambers eyes was enough to ignite something within Loki's stomach.

“Who wants dessert!” Jane exclaimed, breaking the moment. Loki looked at her, but she was glancing at Thor who was looking out the window with a frown on his face and a tormentous look in his eyes.

“We can take it on the reading room,” Svad suggested, getting up extending his hand to Loki, who huffed and rolled his eyes before taking it.

“I can walk fine already!” he protested when Svad took him by the waist.

“I know, but I cannot let this fine excuse to touch you,” Svad grinned wolfishly.

In the faraway distance, thunder rumbled.

00000

The storm had become worse gradually but Thor had no intention to stop it. The servants had closed the windows and lit the fire of the hearth. They were sitting on comfortable chairs and armchairs. Jane was reading aloud from a book of jokes and Loki's laughter filled the room He was sitting on Svad's lap again and he paid attention to Jane while Svad just entertained himself by touching him or kissing him.

Thor couldn't help the scowl on his face, so he had taken a book and feigned that it was out of concentration more than jealousy. Oh, yes! He was jealous. Svadilfari still had everything and he wasn't even a real prince! Not by blood, as far as he knew. It had been a happy coincidence that he had that stupid mark on his back –his uncle had decided to lift the confusion that the pirate having two names created– that seemed similar enough to that of the real prince. And still he had the gall to touch a real prince with such filthy hands.

“...a song,” Stark was saying. He looked up. Everyone froze.

“Stark...” Svad started to say.

“Oh, please! You pay me for knowing things Sigurd,” Stark mocked. “C'mon Svadilfari, we all know already that he is the merman that saved you from dying. The magic being on the lost island,” he added, putting both hands at one side of his face and battling his eyelashes rapidly in a mock gesture. The rest laughed. Thor looked aroun, Jane was interested and Loki just sat relaxed on top of Svadilfari.

“It's not me who has to give permission,” Svad harrumpted, his hands gripping harder at Loki's waists. But his uncle only laughed.

“Oh, that I can give. I have singed since I was a newly hatched pup,” Loki said, smiling, and graciously got up from Svad's lap. “Though I must warn you, my voice, as the rest of my peers, can affect your perception of your surroundings. I could command you to put your foot on the fire and then eat it after it's propperly cooked and you wouldn't know how it happened,” he said, smiling dangerously.

“Ehh... On second thought...” Stark smiled and bowed lowly, then he left. The rest of the crew scattered too. Loki, who had walked to the fireplace, put his hands on his hips and laughed.

“So easily scared,” he purred.

“I want to listen,” Jane said. “I mean, I've heard Thor sing before.”

What Thor nor Svad knew was that Jane had been cleared off of Loki's song, so she would be unaffected. And while Thor thought that Jane and Svad would be affected, and Jane though that Svadilfari would be the only one, Loki knew that none of them would be. Why? Simply because he could control his song. Young mer people were unable to control their song in a way that made humans unaffected so they had to practise. Since the hunting of humans had been more or lees banned, not many mer practiced their song until they could sing without enchanting the listener. Loki, on his part, had done that.

“Oh, I don't know... I know a lot of inappropriate songs,” he said, coyly, winking at Jane who only stuck out her tongue.

“You shouldn't worry about enchanting us,” Svad said, reclining in his armchair and stretching his legs. Thor followed Lok's eyes, he was openly staring at Svad's bulge. But Svad was busy picking at his nails with a dagger.

“Don't you know any lullaby?” Jane ventured, intrigued. “Do your people sing those to their young?”

“Oh. Well... Yes, I know a few... I used to... My mother used to sing them to us when we were little,” Loki's voice had gone soft. Thor's heart was hammering in his chest. He had never seen such a open look in his face, such tenderness. Coughing, maybe to clear his throat, Loki made a small harp appear. He plucked the strings to see if it was on tune. Thor leaned over his knees, interested. Loki took a seat on the armrest at Svadilfari's side, but Thor was too interested in hearing Loki sing to feel slighted by his uncle's choice. “This is an old one.” And he started to sing.

Thor didn't know that song. His mother, Frigga, had singed a great deal of lullabies to him when he barely knew how to use his fin. Loki's face had a faraway look. It was as if he was reminiscending something dear yet painful, if the tears slowly clouding his green eyes were to be counted. Still, he didn't stop singing until the last note of the lullaby was sang. Then, instead of saying anything he let the hapr drop to the floor as his tears fell from his eyes, turned around and left them.

The storm outside, that had been claming down, grew back into full force as Svadilfari shot up and ran after his uncle. He looked at Jane.

“What was that?” he asked, trying to make sense on what had happened.

“Do you think he had children before and they died young?” she countered, her face serious. “I'm tired. I'm going to bed. If tomorrow these sudden summer rains don't ruin it again, I will have another lesson of swordplay,” she said, stretching. She came to him and squeezed his shoulder. “Don't be up too late, I think your uncle will love it if you can discuss the bloody maze tomorrow at breakfast with him.” And with that, she left too.

Thor stayed there, thinking about her words. He truly knew nothing about his uncle.

00000

He woke up with strong arms around him, a steady breath on his nape. It was as usual, but not as comforting as before. He stayed there, laying on his side, watching the night bleed out into the new day as the light won the inevitable fight between light and darkness that repeated itself twice a day. Svad's lips rested on his bare shoulder.

“What are you thinking?”

“Shoul I curse you?” Loki asked in response, after a while, not looking away from the sky.

“What kind of curse?” he said, tightening his grip and kissing his shoulder again.

“One that robs you of half of yourself,” he whispered. He felt sad.

“I don't know if you would like only half of myself,” he retorted, bitting. It was his way to chastise him for thinking too much. “What is it that you want, exactly?”

“You are going to die,” Loki said, with a sigh.

“I know.”

“You got upset with me because you were going to die sooner than I.”

“... I'm sorry.”

“No. You are right. You are going to die. But what...?” Loki turned around to look at Svad in the eye. “What would you say if I told you that there's a way to live with me, for as long as I do?” Instead of answering, Svadilfari let go of him and got off the bed, reaching for his breeches. “Svad?” Loki couldn't help the slight tremor of fear in his voice.

“I'm not going anywhere,” he said, still not looking at Loki. He sat on Loki's side of the bed, giving him his back. “You want me with you...”

“Yes.”

“I...” He looked at him now, he looked confused. “I don't know what to say, Loki. I do want to be with you. But I have been trying to get myself used to the fact that we will not be forever together. It takes a lot of effort on my part not to start breaking things when I think that long before my death you will be with others and...” He stopped to take a deep breath. “I don't want to be the one to drag you down –don't laugh, it wasn't a pun– and keep you further away from your family or the other merpeople. If you are already despised... Won't I be another reason to add for that?”

Loki propped himself on one forearm.

“You wouldn't be a reason nor an excuse. There's a way for us to... to be together and they wouldn't have a say in it.”

“Yes? Like tying our souls or something and if you die I die and if I die you die?” Svad said jokingly, but after seeing Loki's serious face his smile was erased. “No. I won't do that to you,” he said, frowning and turning away. Loki sat up and moved to stay behind Svadilfari, leaning over him and resting his chin on Svad's shoulder.

“You wouldn't be doing anything to me, I would be the one doing the thing...”

“Have you been linked like that before? How do you know you will still want me around in a century? In two? Humans have shorter lifes for a reason.”

“... I have... Twice.” Svad looked at him, surprised. “It doesn't hurt, and it doesn't break your soul. The only thing that breaks is your heart,” Loki said. He knew he wasn't being quite clear. “Though if you die I don't die. I just keep living with an acute feeling of emptiness.”

Svad turned completely towards Loki and embraced him.

“What happened? Who?”

Loki took a deep breath.

“The first one was my twin. It's something that sometimes happens with twins. Our link made us able to hear the other. We could talk from afar to each other. We were never alone. Once, Vili swam too low, too close to the abyssal zone, way below the normal bathypelagic zone where we usually dared each other to go down. He was so lost. He couldn't see and he didn't know wether he was going up or down.

“You see? We have very sensitive eyes adapted to go either up or down. We have a third eyelid that we close when we go up into the surface so they won't get damaged by the intense light. When we are on our usual deep we don't really need it and our eyes can see infrared waves but even with that, Vili was unable to locate me and go back up. He was truly lost and scared. He couldn't hear anything beside his heart in his chest and it was difficult for him to breathe. Then, he saw an abyssal creature coming right at him. It had come from the nothing and attacked him. He yelled for me, not with his voice, but with his mind. I located him and threw light spell after light spell in his direction as I swam down.

“I found him. I dragged him up. We managed to dislocate the creature that was bitting his arm. We never told anyone where we were that day, but if it hadn't been for our bond, he would have been lost for ever and eaten by the creatures down below,” Loki was looking down, eyes lost into a distant past.

Svad rose his face, putting a finger under his chin.

“You saved him thanks to your link.” Loki nodded. “And the other?”

“Her name was Sygin. I turned myself into a man and lived with her. Then she died. I heard her screams, but when I finally arrived by her side it was too late.” Svad hugged him. “The worst part is not hearing them. The worst part is when you realize that you are alone and that you won't be hearing them again. The silence is more deafening than their yells.”

Svad's arms tightened around him.

“And you want to go through that again just because I am selfish?” he said, kissing Loki on the neck.

“I suppose I like to suffer?”

“No... You are just being stupid. There's no reason for you to be tied again to such a fate. Besides, with your charm, you are making so many friends I wouldn't be surprised you get killed way before I have time to grow grey,” Svad said, using a lighter tone in his voice. Loki laughed.

“You are right. I'm being stupid,” Loki said, looking at Svadilfari. “Why do you always know what to say to cheer me up? It's so strange that a mortal like you can do it,” he added, kissing him on the lips.

“That's something I wonder myself. Now, let's get up and go have breakfast. I'm sure your nephew will be thrilled with the new ideas you have about the labyrinth.”

“How do you know that I have new ideas?” Loki asked, playfully.

“Because you never stop thinking.”

“Well! I have this idea about the prize. It isn't refined, but I think that it is an interesting item and besides, the greatest reward is beating the labyrinth,” he started chattering. Svadilfari laughed and threw at him his shirt.

“Get dressed!”

“Yes, sir.”

Chapter Text

Loki was looking up at the wall of the labyrinth with an intense focus. So much so, that Thor could gawk at him openly without risking being discovered. His profile was as elegant as ever and the way he kept still while slightly frowning was quite mesmerizing on itself. Suddenly, Loki came into montion, jumping and grabbing the edge of the wall, though he didn't get enough momentum and seconds later he let himself drop. Thor walked back a few steps, watching.

Loki, on his part, walked away a few more paces and ran towards the wall, jumping. This time he almost made it, but Thor saw his left leg give in and heard Loki's grunt. In seconds he was there to take Loki's weight in his amrs.

“Damn! I swear I want to go back in time and kill myself myself for being such an idiot!” he was grumbling. Thor felt another wave of fondness wash over him. “Let me down, nephew. I've got this!” he said, wrigging himself free and walking even further away.

On his third try he did manage to get half up, hauling himself and using his righ leg more than his left, he managed to sit on top of the wall. He giggled in victory.

“What now?” Thor asked, laughing too.

“Now you enter and I'll be following your progress.” When he lifted an eyebrow in question, Loki gave him a dismissive gesture and added: “Oh! C'mon, you already knew we would be here all morning.” He got up on the top and started walking. Then, he hopped on top of another of the walls, losing his balance for a second and almost falling. Thor felt his heart stopping. “Ups! Better not to fall, hahaha! C'mon, nephew! The adventure awaits us!” he comanded, and then, Thor lost sight of him.

Heart in his throat, Thor rushed to the entrance and tried to find Loki. It shouldn't be difficult, right? He should be able to find him right away! But he couldn't see him.

“Loki!? I cannot see you!” he yelled after a few moments of panic. Then, he heard his uncle right above him, at his back.

“What, are you scared of something? I'm not going to get lost, Thor! I have already beaten this place twice. I just wanted to see all the worng turns to know which walls should be moving.”

Thor looked at Loki and found him squatting on the wall's top, looking down at him and then up at the horizont, as if trying to draw a mental map.

“It's not about getting lost,” Thor mumbled. Loki looked back down at him and smiled.

“You shouldn't worry. At least not yet. Worry when you become king. Then you can grow grey and wrinkled with it. Mark my words, you will hate it,” he said, laughing. Then he got up and started skipping over the wall then jumping from one side to the other.

Thor felt his stomach turn. What if Loki fell? What if he got injured!? No, please. Loki shouldn't be playing such dangerous games. Finding no other solution, Thor jumped up too, trying to get to the top, but inside the labyrinth the sun hadn't dried all of it from last night storm –thanks to him imagining Loki and Svad in bed together, again– and it took him too long. By the time he reached the top. Loki was quite far.

“Loki! Uncle, please, let's get down. It's dangerous and the stone is slippery,” he pleaded, while trying to reach him. Loki just giggled, glidding from one wall to another with such ease it looked like he was floating, hair following him in a dark cloud. Once or twice he looked back and Thor had a strong sense of déjà vu until he remembered where he had seen Loki looking back at him before. It had been the first time he had laid eyes upon the witch.

Thor had snuck out his own birthday party, bored to death by all the nobles trying to push their daughters onto Thor's arms. He had seen a strange mer stalking by some rocks, looking bewildered and angry. He saw the transition from normal to berserkr in mere seconds, muscles becoming taunt, eyes completely open with vertical pupils, fangs growing larger and pointier as well as the claws. He had never seen a mer become berserkr before and, as far as he knew, only very powerful mer could become that. The mer almost pulverised the rock in which he was glaring towards the palace and for a wild moment he feared the mer would attack, but instead he swam away and then... Thor saw tentacles unfurl and was so bewitched by the movement he had to follow.

Several times he thought he had lost the curious mer, trying to recollect if he knew of mer who were half octopus. Only one. The Witch. But he had thought the Witch would be an old crone filled with wrinkles and graysh hair. Instead it was a berserkr. A berserkr who was fighting a zambezi shark no less! On his own! With bare hands! The shark looked to be nearing the length of four metres and was attacking as ferociously as the mer. Maybe that mer was just an octopus, after all. If he was the Witch, he would be throwing magic, right?

He watched as the fight became more and more aggressive and he felt fear when the cloud of blood obscured his field of sight, but they were moving constantly, so they reappeared soon after. Then, in a split second, he saw something change. The mer's demeanor shifted and he stopped moving at all, hands lowered and eyes closed. Without time to think, Thor reacted, calling in his bident and throwing it with impeccable aim.

When the mer turned around to look at him, face obscured shortly by his long black hair Thor forgot how to breathe. Even with all the scratches and wounds, the sickly, pale tone of his face –most surely caused by the loss of blood– the mer was a sight to behold. Powerful, deathly, beautiful. And when they talked Thor discovered he was a fast thinker, sassy and had no regards about anyone else. He had faint markings all over his body. Thor had to strain his sight to see them but they were there, binding the Witch form. A curse? He couldn't be sure yet. What he was, though, was intrigued.

And then he got his confirmation. He really was the Witch! After that, Thor didn't remember much about that day. The strongest impression was that the Witch was a powerful mer with seidr that could grant his wish. Now, looking at Loki moving switfly about, even doing somersaults Thor felt strange. This man, this powerful berserkr, who had an incommesurable amount of seidr, knowledge was his father's older brother, his uncle. And he wondered who from the two was more powerful. He suddered. If Loki wanted he could make all of Asgard disappear. He was dangerous and still as deathly. He thrived in killing those who slighted him. Thor could remember clearly how he had taken care of the raiders almost on his own. Quietly. As if he hadn't wanted to wake them up.

“Is this how you are going to get me down?” Loki mocked, smiling, looking free and childlike, enjoying the chase. “Come get me, Thor!” he taunted.

Thor growled and jumped.

“You asked for it, uncle!” he grunted, as he landed on the new wall. Loki just laughed and ran in circles around him, taunting.

“You won't be able to touch me,” he said throwing a kiss and a wink.

The chase continued through the morning. More than once Thor's fingertips almost touched Loki's hair, clothes or arms, but he was always out of reach. So close yet so far away. It was so ironicly frustrating that a soft drizze strated to fall, wetting the stone. None had realized it, though both of them welcomed the refreshing feeling after being under the sun running and jumping around. It wasn't until Loki skidded and fell down with a yelp.

“LOKI!” he yelled. In seconds, he was climbing down besides his uncle. Loki was sprawled on the floor, facing down, laying on his left side. He was shaking. “Loki, are you alright!? Are you injured? Loki!”

“Stop yelling, Thor, I can hear you,” he said, muffled by his arms. When he looked up he looked pained, but he was also laughing. Thor felt confused. “I should have known not to taunt you too much. Luckily for me the ground here is still soft after all that water.” he said then chuckled some more and winced when he tried to get up. “Be a dear and help me up, will you?” he said, reaching for him with both arms.

Thor felt the time freezing. Loki, laying on his back with his cheeks red, eyes glistening, hair around his head over the grass. His clothes were damp now, shirt open by the lack of buttons and cravat, only staying put by the waist. He hauled him up to his feet, but Loki didn't use his left leg.

“You are hurt, after all. Should I carry you back?”

“Oh, yes you will. This is completely your fault,” Loki said, cheeky grin on his face. Then, as if nothing he climbed to sit on his shoulder. How he did it, Thor was not sure, but he had now his uncle on his left shoulder, holding him with his left arm, right hand on Loki's shin. “What are you waiting for, steed? Go forwards!” he comanded, kicking him slightly on the stomach with the heel of his right leg.

Thor started walking then, worried any brusque movement would further the injury on Loki's left leg.

“We should call the physician when we reach the mansion,” he said while Loki directed him out of the labyrinth. He kicked and pulled his hair like a little excited kid, and ever Thor's mood couldn't say somber, even though he could see Loki massaging his injured leg.

“No, don't worry about that, Thor. I am weaving a calming charm right now.”

“Is that what you are doing? I thought it was just a massage.”

Loki laughed, bending slightly to the side almost managing to make Thor lose balance.

“No, Thor. I am drawing the runes over it. When we arrive at the mansion it will start working and by dinnertime my leg will be just fine.”

It took them another fifteen minutes to finally get out of the labyrinth, cross the garden and reach the crystal doors. Svadilfari came out, a worried expression on his face when he saw Loki on his shoulder.

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” Loki said.

“He fell down the wall,” Thor answered at the same time. Loki pulled at his hair, vengeful while Svad looked instantly at Loki, checking for injuries. He reached with both arms towards his uncle. For a second, Thor had the thought of stepping back and tightening his grip on Loki. Instead, he hunched forwards while Loki's arms wound up around Svad's neck and Svad's hands gripped his waist.

“I am fine, now. My nephew, as you saw, took me here. I just need a little rest for the runes to finish their job,” Loki said.

“Still, I don't like it. You could have gotten severely hurt!”

“What am I, a child? Both of you are insufferable! I've been alive way longer and before you two even were eggs!” Loki snapped, materializing a couple of crutch and storming inside. Thor couldn't help but to laugh.

“He does act like a child,” Svad said, frowning. Then he looked towards Thor. “Thank you.”

Thor looked back, surprised.

“What for?”

“You are really trying to... To get to know him better. Maybe you don't know yet but for him, family, is the most important thing. That you are willing to override whatever your father did, means a lot to him. He is happier thanks to you,” Svad clarified then went inside.

Thor felt weird. On the one hand he felt good knowing that thanks to him Loki was happier. On the other hand, that it was Svadilfari the one telling him instead of Loki was irritating.

“He is family,” he mumbled to himself. Maybe that was the way to go? Clearly, Loki had been playing with him as one would play with family and he had touched him, yes, but not in any sensual way, no the same he did with Svadilfari.

“Hey!”

He turned to see Jane coming his way, Stark in tow. Both seemed knackered and were sweating.

“Hello,” he greeted, smiling at Jane and nodding at Stark.

“I'll be inside. Tomorrow, same time, same place. This time try to come ready,” Stark said before leaving them. He saw Jane nod and then she turned towards him, smiling.

“Had a good morning?”

“More or less.”

“So, how's the labyrinth thing coming along?” she asked as they entered.

“I don't have the slightles idea, to be honest,” he siad and both laughed. “I don't know what's going on in his head. I don't even know why he is planning so many things. He was even saying that either we take out some of the tricks or we have to make the labyrinth bigger,” Thor commented, shaking his head. “I honestly don't know how we are going to do any of this before we have to go back,” he sighed.

“You are right. If the planning stage doesn't reach the final point already, there won't be any contest,” Jane said.

00000

He knew it had been childish to hide from Thor and Svad all afternoon until dinnertime arrived, but he was just so angry at them! It wasn't the first time he fell from high ground! Once, when he had been with Sygin, they had been attacked by barbarians. Sygin managed to escape while he lured them. They shot him with bows and some arrows pierced his shoulder and he fell off a cliff that was quite higher than the stupid mansion. And here he was! Alive! Ugh!

But his pride had been hurt by the fall and then by how they had tried to baby him, so now he refused to walk into the dinner hall aided by his cane. When he entered, Jane greeted him first and then Loki ignored his nephew and his lover, sitting by Jane's side and chatting with her while they were served. He was aware of the stares of the other two, but he refused to look or talk with them until they apologized, and he could hold gudges for centuries, so...

“So, what's going to happen with the contest?” she asked him.

“That? Well, I will need to expand the whole thing, or either blow up three more kilometers to the east to flaten the terrain, which will be too exhausting and I decided it'll be as originally planned,” he commented, while taking spoonfuls of his soup, still not looking at either men.

“Really? And can we know what was the original plan?”

“Oh, yes! It was a game of hide and seek. Though to make it more interesting there's going to be several its. The goal will be to trap the one with the pize,” he said, smiling.

“What will be the prize?” Thor asked.

“Who's going to be chased?” Svad asked.

Loki ignored them.

“Really? I don't know. What if one of the its steals the prize from the winner?”

“Ah! That's where I enter into play. I am going to be hiding in the maze and they have to find me. The first one to catch me will have the prize –I made it already, it's gorgeous– and I will teleport them to the exit. The rest will have to get out on their own,” Loki sipped from his wine. “Are you in? It's going to be fun, no strange creatures, no magic trick,” he winked at Jane and she shoved him playfully. He, then, caught her and and kissed her knuckles. “I could also give you some balm to help with the blisters and the hardening of the skin so your sword practise won't be as excruciating.”

“Really?” she asked, almost relieved, even though her hand must be paining her. He nodded and turned her palm upwards. With his other hand he drew a rune over her hand, not touching the blisters, and blew softly. She sighed. “That's quite nice! Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” he said, winking again.

It was such a pity that she and Thor weren't going to get together. She was the perfect human for his nephew. He approved! Even if at first he didn't care that she would be a dullar. But now that he knew her it felt like a waste. Maybe if both of them participated in the game, he could do something to help, to mend their relationship. He was already picturing several romantic scenarios for both pups when Svadilfari too his hand with a firm grip.

“I know why you are upset with me, and I am sorry, but please, stop acting like a brat,” he said with a stern voice. A shiver ran through his spine. Oh! He was going to make Svad pay that night. And well, at least he apologized, right?. “Pleas, Loki. Look at me,” he did, “I am sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way. It's just that the longer I know you, the most reckless I discover you to be.”

Loki grinned.

“Did you know that when we first met I had just been in a fight with a zambezi shark? That was the reason one of my tentacles was missing. I let it bit it off,” he said grinning viciously. “I was so, so angry and hurt that I was ready to let it rip off my head. And in hindsight it was just to get back at someone who had hurt me,” he whispered the last part so only Svad could hear it. “So, take into account that I am going to go to extreme ways to avenge any slight done to me, no matter what.”

“Duly noted, but please, make it so that next time you want to get revenge, you won't be the party that gets injuries, no matter if it's Odin, your mother or the holy beast in the west!” Svad grumbled, looking dead serious. Loki felt another shiver.

“Tonight...” he started, deliberately slow, “I am going to fill you up with my seed, pup. Get yourself ready,” he purred. Svad's reaction was instant, his pupils dilated and he licked his lips.

“Your wish is my command,” he whispered and leaned in to kiss him.

Thor, at the other side of the table, was still being ignored. After all, he had not apologized to his uncle.

00000

He was alone in the reading room, flashes of lightnings illuminating from time to time the dark stance, followed by the rumble of thunders that shook the windowpanes. The storm outside was raging, but Thor was doing everything in his power to will it away. He was trying. It was just not enough. He knew that his uncle was currently having sex with his human lover and meanwhile he was there, left in the dark to sulk. Because he was sulking.

How could he be such an idiot and fall for his own uncle? Or even then, for someone who already had a lover! He tried to remember how his life had been before coming to the human world and discovered that he had always been kind of idiotic, it was just that people let him be. He huffed! Why had no one told him no, even once? Only his father and mother said that word to him! And now he was in a pinch, because he didn't want to go home until he had Loki pinned down underneath him, panting, pleading for release, scratching his skin. Thor blushes and another thunder echoes through the distance.

He had discovered that afternoon that lately it didn't matter his mood, it would rain, and then most intense he felt the worst the storm. So, if he was exuberant with happiness, storm. If he was in the pits of misery, storm. If he was angry with the world, storm. It. Didn't. Matter! And it was also exhausting.

“That's because you are unconscously channeling your inner seidr through your ability,” a voice told him. Thor jolted up, surprised. Had he said that out loud. The voice laughed. “No. And I cannot read minds either, pup. It's just that I have seen this before. Though never with the weather,” Loki was leaning against a bookcase so casually that Thor was tempted to think that he had been there for at least several minutes, though he wasn't looking at Thor.

“I'm sorry about this morning,” Thor said, sitting down again. Loki nodded. “I shouldn't have treated you like a kid. But in my defense you were completely acting like one. It was a bit difficult not to do it.”

Loki chuckled and walked towards him, finally looking at him in the eye.

“I was going to ignore you until you came to me first, but since these storms keep getting worse I swallowed part of my pride to come and help,” he said sitting on the armrest and putting a hand on his forehead. Thor froze. “Mm... There's something disturbing your core. Wait!” Loki procceeded to sit astride over his lap, hands on both sides of his face and foreheads connected.

Thor felt something weird and then he was disoriented. He heard a muffled voice but he couldn't make out the words.

“Wh-what?”

“...not you. It seems I will need to do something about it. And for that, we have to go to my cave. I have all my useful things there. Medusa knows I thought this would be short affair and you would be back already.”

“What do you mean?” Thor felt drunk, but he could understand Loki now, though he was unable to focus.

“Well...,” he could see what seemed to be a grimmace on Loki's handsome face. “Your father... Tasked me with a purpose to being here.”

“You are my sitter?” Thor asked incredulously, squeaky voice and all. “Why?”

“Because you cannot do anything unsupervised and need at least one bodyguard –at which I am better than most of the pups assigned to you to date, clearly– and because he wanted to punish me.”

Loki lifted one hand and Thor took his arm unthinkingly. There was a bracelet there. He had seen it before. Loki wore it all the time.

“What is this?”

“It's a rudimentary human curse. Like the one on your ring. Mine are better, of course, but since the king made this one, I cannot lift it on my own on risk of disobedience. You know what's the punishment to that, right?”

Thor nodded.

“Capital punishment...” his head lolled to the side. “Nooo! I don't want you to die!”

“Don't worry, nephew dearest, I don't have any intention of letting that happening to me.”

“What can I do to help?” he asked. Fuck! He was trying to focus, but it was becoming increasily difficult. “What have you done to me?”

“That? Oh! Nothing. A simple spell to map your seidr. It's in disarray, thanks to the hasteful way in which your curse was broken. That's the reason why whatever you feel attracts the stomrs. Don't get me wrong, it's too hot during the day and having such a cool and gentle breeze at night is fantastic, but humans cannot live with this degree of humidity all the time. They get sad.”

“You smell well,” Thor said, eyes dropping. He was falling asleep.

“And that's a side effect. Saying stupid things,” Loki laughed. Thor realized that Loki was still sitting astride over his lap. “I can correct it, I have the means, it's just that I have to go back to get some things... And for that, you have to want to go back home.”

“But I don't want to go back yet...” Thor's hands moved on their own, caressing his uncle's thighs. He pulled him towards his chest and hid his face on his neck. Then, filled with raw feelings he whispered to his skin, “I don't want to leave you, I'm happy with you.”

To his surprise, Loki hugged him back.

“I like you too, my little pup. My nephew,” Loki answered.

And Thor hummed, content to be inside his uncle's heart. He smiled. Fuck, he felt wasted. Just like that time he had drink glass after glass of cheap ale and everything was turning and twisting around him.

“I want to sleep with you,” Thor said, emboldened by the feeling.

“I'll take you to bed,” Loki said against his ear, caressing his hair. Thor shivered.

Oh, yes! Please! He thought.

When he woke up, he was in bed and Loki at his side. At first, his heart stopped in his chest, then started to beat furiously. What had happened? He didn't remember meeting with his uncle after dinner. A fast check and he discovered, pouting, that both of them were clothed.

“D'aw...” he whined. But instead of letting their state of clotheness sour his mood, he just scooted closer to his uncle's sleeping form and threw an arm around him. “Mm...” He went back to sleep.

Chapter Text

When Loki woke up he knew instantly he wasn't in his bed. The smell and the sounds were all different, the arms that were holding him close to a warm chest and even the wamth that came from that body. Still, he was feeling pretty comfortable, and the smell was that of family, so he just cuddled further into those arms, eyes still closed.

He was falling into sleep again, lulled by the steady beat of the heart. It had a familiar rhythm, so different from the humans'. A content sigh left his throat when, in between awareness and dream he felt strong harms tighten around his back and waist. He started half dreaming of when he and Vili cuddled like this. Vili would always hold him. Vili liked to hold him tight and spin him around. Their mother had told them time and again how when their egg hatched Vili was hugging Loki, as if to protect him. In truth, that was just a natural way for twins to be: if through the incubation none of the twins assimilated the other, the stronger one would act like a shield to the weaker one. Though Vili and Loki had turned out to be shield and sword instead.

Suddenly, Loki woke with an acute feeling of vertigo. Only a mer's heart had that kind of cadence and only Vili cuddled him like that. He jolted awake, propping himself, hands on the mattress. The arms weren't quite holding him, more like enveloping his body, so they gave way as soon as he moved and he found himself looking at his sleeping nephew instead of his dead brother came to life.

Heart hammering against his ribs, Loki felt the wave of shame wash over him. What an idiot! To think that Vili was still alive. Ha! It's been so long. His mind was alone, there weren't answers to his questions when he threw them into the void. It was empty, save himslef. Then a rush of despair consumed him filling his eyes with tears that didn't take long to fall. Seconds later he was sobbing, inconsolable.

Through his grief, he found himself being rocked back and fothr, a hand rubbing circles on his back and soft things being said in his ear.

“I want my brother back,” he sobbed. He was so tired of wanting things that he couldn't have. “I want my wife back. I want my children alive.” He kept repeating the same things through his weeping.

He didn't know how long his nephew consoled him, but when he managed to stop crying and feeling empty and emotionless again he was just laying on the bed, facing up the ornated canopy. Thor had gone somewhere else and he was exhausted. His head hurt and his eyes felt raw. He was half aware of people talking.

“...see him.”

“Not now. I already told you. I understand that you might be worried but this is a family matter and-”

“No, boy. You don't understand at all. It's not that I “might” be worried. I am worried.”

Loki kept laying motionless. He recognized Svadilfari and Thor's voices. And though he was hearing the words, he couldn't make sense of them. It didn't matter, though. His mind was still filled with silence.

“It's not about that. Really. What, are you worried I am going to jump on him or something?”

“Ha! Even you wouldn't be as stupid as to take advantage of that... Wait... You are serious?” a longer pause. “Boy, you are disgusting. He is your uncle!”

“Humans and merpeople are different, boy,” that was the first time Loki heard Thor's voice sounding so cold. “You would do well to remember that I was born way before your great-grandparents.”

Another long pause.

“Have a good day, prince of the fish,” that was mockery.

The click of a door. A few moments later Loki felt the mattress dip and he could see Thor through his peripheral vision, though he still focused on the ceiling.

“Oh, you were awake. I'm sorry. Did we wake you up? How are you feeling?”

“Water,” he said, with a raspy voice. Thor disappeared and came back with a glass filled with the clear liquid. He drank, aided by Thor's hand on the back of his head.

“Better?”

No. But he nodded. Then he curled on his side giving his back to Thor. What he hadn't counted on was that Thor would climb back into the bed, under the sheets and hug him from behind. Loki didn't have enough strength to shake him off, and they were in his nephew's room so...

“I didn't know I had cousins,” Thor said to his neck. Loki nodded.

“You had them.”

“... What happened to them?”

Loki tensed but Thor's answer was to tighten his embrace and once he relaxed Thor did too.

“Not now,” he answered. He felt Thor nodding. He closed his eyes. “You had an aunt, too. She was perfect, albeit not beautiful. Not, at least, for the standars of her people. Lucky me.”

“Tell me about her? Sygin, right?”

“She was... Her hair was red. More like carrot dark orange. But she insisted that it was red, not carrot, so red,” he felt his own lips twitching upwards at the memory. “Her eyes were brown and her skin looked too pale under so many freckles she looked like the sky at night. She was taller than most people in her village and since her parents didn't have any son, she had been helping with the wood and hunting. She didn't take shit from anyone, and her way of talking was a no-nonsense one. The first time we met she was fishing on the fiord near her village. I had never been there before and when I emerged and she saw me she hit me on the head with ther oar,” he chuckled at that. Thor's hands squeezed him a little.

“So, she could fend for herself.”

“Yes. She was brave. However, she was scared to death when she first saw me. She fought, even when her legs were shaking. She jumped out of her boat and swam to the closest bank. I recovered from her attack and took her boat and the lost oar to the bank too. She was ready to run away yelling for help when I called her back.

“'Hey!', I said. 'You forgot your boat!' The look of bewilderment on her face was priceless. She was dripping wet, her hair, that had been bushy until she jumped into the water, was plastered to her head and face and she had started shivering.”

“What did she do?”

“Ah! She cursed her luck. Let me think... I think she said...”

Yes, he could remember it like it was yesterday. All her furs were drenched and it wasn't exactly a warm day, but she had taken out the dagger at her hip and pointed it at a now very human, very naked Loki.

“Stall yer feet, monster, lest I gut you!” she had said. Her voice was cracked on the edges and even though she was shivering, her eyes shone with a determination that made Loki stop.

“I am not here to fight. Though I should! You attacked me,” he said aggresively, though his hands were palm up in a calming way.

“Ye poped up from t'water! Ye had wyrd ears. Ye had scales!” she countered.

“My name is Loki,” he had said then, trying to initiate a conversation. This was the first human that wasn't affected by his voice and he was curious, after all.

“Good. Now leave!” she had waver her dagger at him, motioning for him to go back into the water. “We didnae anger any deity yet.”

At that, Loki laughed. She thought he was an angry god! Hilarious.

“So you fought the first time you met?” Thor asked, taking Loki out of his reverie. He nodded.

“It wasn't until weeks later that she trusted me enough to get closer. And she was always looking up my shoulders in a pointed way. I didn't know yet that for her people, seeing a naked man before marriage was considered something wrong, but one day she got fed up of me appearing naked before her and threw at me some clothes. She had sewn them herself.”

“You loved her,” Thor said, his lips grazing Loki's neck.

“Yes. I did,” he said, turning around to face his nephew. “That's way if you ever fall in love again with a mortal, I want you to know that it is worth it. It is worth all the sadness, all the heart ache. Don't be afraid nor think about when she will die. Just enjoy it while it last and make sure to make good memories, but never forget the bad ones either.” He smiled at his nephew and patted him on the cheek. Then he wriggled himself out of the bed and stretched. “Good, then! I have a lot to prepare. We have an upcoming contest and I have to send the invitations. See you later, Thor!” He walked towards the door and opened it, but before leaving he looked back and smiled at his surprised nephew, still in the bed. “Thank you,” he added before crossing the threshold.

He closed the door.

Svad was at the other side, leaning on the wall, sulking. He smiled at him.

“What happened?”

“Nothing... Well... I had a falling of sorts,” he said, dismissively. Svad came to him and hugged him instantly and kissed his jaw.

“Your twin?” he asked, simply. Loki nodded. “You seem better. Shall we? I have set some of your favourite meats for breakfast.”

“Excelent! One can never have enough breakfast meats!” he chirped.

00000

Stephen Strange was not happy. He had first met Loki some months ago in one of the reunions for the magic users of the area. The other mages, witches, warlocks and sorcerers had been excited for that reunion since the one convening it had been one of the founders –which was quite impossible since the order was older than time– and upon arriving at their designed destination he had realized that the founder who had called them was an immortal siren. And the spitting image of all the relics that were passed down from generation to generation that depicted Loptr.

It turned out that Loptr had been a misspelling error and that Loki had found that hilarious so he didn't correct anyone. It also turned out that Loki was a prankster and as soon as he could his magic was running amok, causing a series of events that none in the guild would ever mention in their lifetimes if possible.

Then, he had been called into the palace and he had seen Loki there again, at the fake Prince Sigurd's arm, looking smug. He had thought that maybe Loki had had something to do with the fake prince being crowned and all, but it seemed to be just a wild coincidente and Sephen just couldn't fathom how Loki's world moved. Maybe he inspired chaos just by breathing.

And then, he had asked Loki, naively, for a balding curse. It was supposed to be just that, but Loki's recipe had had the desired effect plus some... And that just screamed curse. It had been supposed to be a quiet affair to punish an idiot and now he had to deal with the aftermath. The one requesting the curse had been terrorized by the idiot for long enough, so he had asked for something that he knew would be a punishment but that also wouldn't link him to it, to which Stephen had mentioned a balding curse: a young, handsome man losing his hair was a tragedy, but that wasn't unheard of. But after getting bald, that the rest of your body got covered by fur... Well...

So he had attended the stupid ball thrown by the prince and he had glared at Loki as much as he could until the mer had deigned to talk with him. Oh, he had gotten a way to break the fur curse added to the balding potion, but the baldness was still there. On the plus side he had just told his second client that that was the most he could do in his current predicament.

And now Loki had sent him an invitation to a... a game! A hide-and-seek game. If it wasn't because the reward was a scroll with runes designed by the mer Stephen would have burnt the invitation and continue with his quiet life. But the description of the scroll had piqued his interest and he was damned if he wouldn't try to get it for his collection.

He sent a reply with his own raven, even though Lok's was still waiting for the reply.

“Ha ha ha!” Loki's raven said when he went to look for Myrt.

“What? Do you have anything to say?” he asked the bird. It didn't answer. “Thought so.”

“I am the best raven on Loki's flock,” the raven said after a moment and Stephen froze. He looked at the bird. “No matter what that asshole Munin says. Hugin is best,” the raven said, proudly.

Stephen put Myrt back and went to Loki's raven.

“So you do have something to say,” he mumbled, studying the bird. “How did you learn how to speak?”

“Hugin always speak. Munin only whisper. Munin idiot. Hugin best.”

“So, since you are better than Munin-”

“Best than Munin,” the bird corrected.

“-you will be able to give Loki my answer without delay,” he finished as if the bird hadn't interrupted him. The raven seemed to grow when it swelled its chest with pride.

“Yes.”

Stephen nodded and gave the bird the answer. It took it with a paw and set out.

“Loki is full of surprises,” he mumbled to himself. Then he set back to work.

00000

Loki stepped inside the labyrinth first. In half an hour all the contestants would enter and then the race will start. Of course, Loki hadn't told anyone that he had used some runes to conjure a mist of confussion inside the labyrinth. After all, if there were a little bit of surprises, it would be more entertaining.

When the half an hour passed and the contestants entered the labyrinth, Loki activated all the runes. Some were teleported to the other side of the labyrinth, while others were just pushed towards specific paths. Now that they all were inside and away from each other, Loki used a magnifying charm for his laughter so it would be carried to all the corners of the maze. Mockery usually served to rile up people. Some made haste just to erase the grin from your face, but losing one's cool only served to make yourself fail. And Loki loved to trample over others and have the upper hand.

He started running.

Soon enough he was found by one of Svad's friends at court. He had been presenting himself as crippled from the beginning, so all the participants thought he wouldn't be able to run fast or far, nor that he would be nimble. Well, time to reveal that little card: he was. He was fast, he was nimble and he knew how to dodge.

He hid, he ran, he dodged and jumped over people. He even made people run away from him. Instead of trying to escape, he looked directly at their eyes and laughed, then he ran towards them at full speed. They all reacted like scared rabbits! It was so much fun. Once or twice he was almost caught when some of the participants teamed up against him.

He was running through one of the darkest paths when he felt something at his back. Instead of turning around or looking over his shoulder he kept going and when the air at his back shifted he ducked. A numbing spell came passing over his head through where he had been before. Then, he looked back and saw him: Strange.

“Using magic so soon?” he mocked.

“The prize is worth it. Those runes...” Strange answered, smiling.

“It's only a decorative scroll embedded with some jewels and details in gold leaf,” he said before running again. Strange followed suit.

“Oh, yes! For a normal person. But for someone with the knowledge, it's a very powerful enchantment,” he said before throwing another numbing spell. Loki dodged but he hit the wall with his shoulder, though he used the collision to get impulse and take another path.

Bad luck followed him as he entered one of the round openings with fountains and benches just as other two, with Strange at his tail. Oh, well...

00000

He had been running around in circles, he knew. The runes had trapped him in that endless path. He heard a rustle above his head and when he looked up he saw Loki perched over the wall before he jumped down with an elegant somersault landing on foot, knee and hand. Their eyes met.

“Loki,” he breathed. He had entered the game after hearing those friends of Svadilfari talking about cornering Loki and “theaching him a lesson”. He had been so enraged and worried that before he knew he was running inside the labyrinth. Problem? Even though he had tried to not step or touch the runes they were in any shape and size, almost everywhere, so he had been trapped in one of the multiple traps Loki had set inside. To spice it up, he had said while painting them.

Loki smiled at him, winking and ran past him. Thor couldn't catch him, his body didn't move on time, but he twisted around and followed him. If he managed to catch him the game would finish and Loki would be safe. But first, he needed to get out of the infinite loop trap. He mirrored Loki's steps at best as he could and noticed that he was stepping on some of the runes while ignoring others. He was nearing the end –or the beginning, depending on how you looked at it– of the loop. Loki skipped two runes and stepped on a third before turning left. Thor did the same and... He was out! He could still see Loki's back.

He ran again after him but from their left someone jumped on Loki, making both to collide with the wall at Thor's right. Then man had caught Loki all right. Both looked at each other and smiled.

“Congratulations, Stephen,” Loki purred. “I hope you take good care of this enchantment,” he said taking out a scroll and giving it to the lord. As soon as the man had the scroll in his hands he released Loki.

“I suppose we will be seeing each other on the next meeting. In a month, wasn't it?” he said, not taking his eyes from Loki. He nodded and Strange, finally, stepped back while Loki waved his hand. Fireworks were shot into the night sky and Strange was teleported away. A cheer came floating weakly between the ruckus that the fireworks made.

Thor stayed at his uncle side, feeling a bit less pressed. Loki was fine. The game was done and Thor hadn't had the need to chop off hands or skin people. Only thinking about those filthy humans trying to touch his uncle with their dirty hands...

“Are you alright?” he asked his uncle. He was leaning heavily on the wall, panting.

“Yes, yes,” he said, dismissively. Always dismissing people's worry for him. Why? “Though I will be better with a glass of some quality liquor while sitting on my favourite chair. Why are you so worried?” he stepped away from the wall and started walking. Thor noticed with relief that he wasn't limping. He also noticed his lips twitched upwards whenever they heard some of the participants falling on traps and yelling.

“Well... I overheard some fiends planing something nefarious and I had to make sure you were alri-”

Loki's chuckle cut him off.

“Oh, Thor. Why do you always want me to be in trouble? I am quite able to take care of myself,” he said turning around and putting his hand on Thor's shoulder, squeezing lightly. His eyes were warm and his smile soft.

“Maybe I just want to be the one to save you,” he mumbled, unable to look away from his uncle's eyes. Thor didn't know what he expected as an answer to that confession, but he surely wasn't ready for Loki's sigh.

“You can't save everyone, Thor. It's an admirable quality for a king, but you just can't,” he said before turning away and starting to walk again. “What you can do, though, is to make it easier for your people,” he continued, and Thor listened. “How? You may ask. Well, first of all, ensure that there's going to be peace, but not at the expense of your people. If the only way to have peace is for your people to live miserable, it's better not to have that kind of peace. It would be fleeting...” Thor realized, when Loki stopped talking, that he was speaking from experience. “You will be a good king, one day.”

The arrived at the entrance where Strange was being congratulated by some of Svadilfari's guards –his pirate friends, really– and Loki walked towards the prince, who offered him his arm. Loki took it and they walked back towards the mansion where a little feast was awaiting them to celebrate. Instead of walking behind them and staring at their backs, Thor jogged and walked at Loki's other side.

“Wait, what about the other contestants?” he asked Loki. He looked at him with mirth in his eyes.

“The runes will be ifted shortly and they will be able to get out. I drew the correct path back on the cobblestone,” he said, grinning. At his side, Svadilfari barked a laugh.

“They earned it!”

“Well, most of them. The others will arrived at the end in a few seconds,” Loki said looking back at Svad.

Thor looked back and saw some people already on the entrance, being directed by Stark and his men. Jane was with them and when she saw him she ran towards their group. Oh! So... Loki already knew about those men...

“Thank you for releasing us, Loki,” Jane said when she caught up with them. “I thought you would punish us all.”

“I was tempted, my dear,” Loki commented. “But then I remembered that not all of them are mud-tracking, dust-gathering, salt-free bipedal assholes, so...” he smiled at her, charmigly. She tripped him but he didn't fall, just gripped Svad stronger and his other hand darted towards Thor's own arm. Thor's heart skipped a beat. The moment passed and Svad and Loki entered the mansion.

“You are welcome,” Jane whispered as se passed by Thor.

And he grinned.

Chapter Text

He had decided. Since there was nothing that could be done with Jane except having a fantastic friendship, he should be going back home. He had had a long vacation from his responsibilities and sooner or later he would need to go back. So why had he stalled it for so long? Maybe in fear that Loki would decide to stay by Svadilfari's side, since the man was mortal, but he had put his own personal needs before his duty for too long, and as much as he would like to snatch Loki from the human's arms time was in his favour. It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing that he just needed to wait for the competition to disappear. It felt unfair and Thor hated it, as if he was the winner all along. Though... All that wouldn't matter if Loki never saw him as a possible partner, so he would need to break through his uncle's skull that he wasn't just his nephew but a very good partner: he could provide shelter, food and protection and... Loki too, he realized. In fact, it was possible that at the moment, Loki was more powerful than him.

Thor let a heavy sight out, slumping on the nearest chair. What to do? How to do it? During last night's feast he had noticed that from time to time Strange and Loki spoke in hushed tones with grave faces to switch into gleeful smirks and condescending smiles whenever they were interrupted. Could it be that Loki was already selecting his next lover? Dread squeezed his innards. He breathed deep once again.

If he was going to leave the human world, he should tell Jane first so he went to her room, but she wasn't there. He caught the attention of one servant and asked. She as at a study given to her by the prince. Following the instructions, and after getting lost twice, he finally reached his destination. He knocked on the half closed door.

“Come in!” came the reply.

“Hello, Jane. Are you busy?” he said as he entered and saw her sitting by the desk sorting through some papers. She looked up and smiled.

“No, don't worry. Take a seat, just give me a moment,” she said, taking her pen and writing a few things in several documents.

“Are you sure you are not busy? I can come later or...”

“No, no. Really. Don't worry, Thor,” she smiled at him, reassuringly. “It's just that you caught me with the reports,” she laughed. “It seems that as long as post reaches where you are, work will follow,” she sighed. “Okay. The rest can wait. Tell me,” she said, straigthening her papers and putting the pen aside.

“Well... I have decided to go back to my... work,” he said, wincing at the word. Really. He had been on vacation from his dutys for almost a year now. He hoped his people would forgive him. If he was to work towards being a good king the first thing he needed to know is being in said kingdom and do his duties as Crown Prince. And seeing how Jane was still working even while in vacation made him self-conscious. He truly was a brat.

“Oh! That's fantastic! Are you going to try and make that sword that was comissioned?” she asked, brightly. Thor looked at her, confused. Then he remembered. He had another work. He blushed, how could have he forgotten about that?

“No... I mean... My birthright work. I am going back to Asgard, my kingdom,” he said, looking down, ashamed.

“Ah... Eh... Well... I think that's good,” she sounded uncertain. “I suppose that's better than going back to being a blacksmith, right?”

“I've been putting my duties aside and... Well.. You haven't,” he took a deep breath before speaking again. “Even Svadilfari is doing his work while we are here,” he grumbled. That a fake prince was taking more seriously his job of regent hurt Thor's pride to no end. When he looked at her, Jane was grinning, knowingly.

“Oh... Jealous,” she purred in a way must too close as Loki did while mocking or seducing. Thor's eyes widened fractionally. Loki's ways were truly rubbing off on Jane and that was disconcerting. She looked different, too. Her posture was straighter and her movements held more grace. Thor knew she had been attending swordmanship classes with Stark and that Loki was with her almost everytime he wasn't plastered to Svadilfari or doing mischief here and there, correcting her speech when she didn't speak correctly or her posture. Jane was being honed, to what purpose, Thor didn't know, but it suited her.

“No. Not jealous. Just... I think I am disappointed in myself. The lives of my people will rest on my shoulders one day. Maybe not next year, nor the next... But in a couple of centuries. I still have yet to learn how to read the currents as my father does. You see? If you can read the currents, you know when to expect the shoal to appear, you know what kind of storm is happening above water and prepare accordingly,” he said and after that he started an excited explanation of several more things. Jane laughed here and there and asked pointed questions. Time for lunch came and they were surprised to have been caught up so much.

“Oh! But I know what you mean,” she was saying as they entered the hall. “I mean, Loki knows all of that and he had been talking non-stop about this and that. He also likes to criticise whatever your father says. You know? He is basically bitching about how bad his little brother is at his job and how people should fire him and hire someone else. I once, jokingly, said that if he knew so much why didn't he become the king and he-”

“I said that I am a great advisor but as king I would be terribly unfair and would bring the kingdom to the ground, yes,” Loki interrupted her, appearing right beind them, making them jump. He grinned. “How adorable, you two.” He patted both of them on the head and walked past them to sit on Svadilfari's chair. They sat on their own.

Svadilfari entered a second later, reading a report and went straight to his chair sitting on top of Loki who instantly circled his waist with his hands. Svadilfari jumped and looked at his uncle, surprised.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, nothing. It's always me the one on top, sometimes I enjoy being the bottom,” Loki said winking.

Thor tried very, very hard not to imagine his uncle at the bottom... Not now when he had enough memories of him on the floor, panting from exertion and damp. Nop! He was not going to think about that.

“So, Jane! Where are you going after this?” he asked, turning towards Jane, the pitch alightly higher than normal. Jane stiffled a laughter before answering.

“I am going to the capital with prince Sigurd,” she said, taking a bite of her meal. At Thor's confused look, she continued. “Well, he promissed me at least one ship and the best shipyard in the kingdom is at the capital. There are, also, several matters I need to sort personally. It seems people are starting to think that I disappeared and some of my associates think they can take the reins. I'd rather die, to be honest. As long as I am alive, it's all mine to work with and I am not letting them getting their dirty paws on what my father built with so much effort.”

Thor nodded. Now, with something to focus on, he all but forgets about his uncle. He wasn't sure if he would like to see in detail the pirate sitting sideways on Loki's lap. Nor imagine himself sitting on his uncle's lap. When the end of the meal approached, Thor cleared his throat.

“I have decided to go back to Asgard. In two days time,” he said, not quite looking at the rest. He heard a squeal and fowned. Loki looked ecstatic, his smile was open wide, teeth and all and his eyes shone full of happiness. He then jumped on Svadilfari who almost fell down before gripping the back of a chair to steady himself.

“Oh, yes!” Loki exclaimed then climbed down and went to Thor to grab his hands. “We don't need to wait two days, idiot! We can go tomorrow. No! We can leave right now!” he said extremely fast. Thor was utterly confused.

“We?”

00000

Loki wasn't just happy. He was the happiest! He had feared he would need to stay for at least ten years in the human world and had done his peace with it but to hear that Thor wanted to go back now? Oh! He couldn't wait to shed the stupid legs and feel the cold water on his skin. He would miss Svad, that was true, but damn! He could always come back later to meet with him

Taking a last look around the room to see if he could take any bauble with him for further enchantments he surmissed that he had everything he needed which was: himself and the clothes he was currently wearing. He could always get more later on if he came back.

Spring on his step, he walked towards the stables. Thor was already there, petting one of the horses. The pup seemed so engrossed touching the muzzle of the animal and being afectionate to it that he didn't notice Loki. Well, not that he ever noticed Loki, right? He could sneak upon his nephew whenever he wanted. And so he approached silently and was about to tap him on the shoulder but he stopped. That he knew, this was the first time he had seen his nephew this close without being noticed and it wasn't as if he spent time looking at him so he took his time. He did have hair like Frigga, though Thor's was more golden like than hers. His nose looked slightly like Odin's and the chin may remind him of his uncle Gunnar.

Loki took a step closer and inhaled deeping: he also smelt familiar. It was reassuring that Thor was foreing and familiar at the same time. It made it easier for Loki to think of him as family as well as to trust him, while being able to tease him and think of him as his own person. Luckily for Thor, he had demonstrated time and again that he wasn't like his father –not even like Odin when he had been a pup– which helped Loki to like him better. He must have made a sound because Thor suddenly moved, turning towards him. They were too close and Loki lost his balance while trying to take a step back but instead of falling a strong hand gripped is arm and he found himself plastered to his nephew's chest.

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. And thought it was hard to admit, he hated that he kept acting so clumsy around his nephew. Thor must think him incapable of living and surviving on his own. How outrageous! His own internal lashing against himself was cut short when he felt Thor's lips on the side of his neck. What? A shiver ran down through his spine. Huh?

“I'm sorry! You startled me,” Thor said, pushing him away, hands gripping both his shoulders, but not letting go of him. The pup was flustered, his hands were trembling slightly and he was looking everywhere save to Loki's face. Well, wasn't this strange? And awkward. What was going on?

“Yes. Well, in that case I should be the one apologizing. I wanted to see how long would it take you to notice me,” he said, laughing nervously. He could feel the warmth of his nephew's breath on his skin still. ”Well, nephew dearest, do you have everything? We will be taking a short trip to the nearest river and from there we will follow the current to the ocean. One of Svad's friends will acompany us to take the horses back when we don't need them anymore.” He waited for his nephew to release him, but Thor only nodded, still not looking at him and still gripping him at arm distance: not wanting him closer yet not wanting him farther. Interesting. If it wasn't so unsetting. “You can let go, I won't fall,” he tried with a crocked smile and a wink. Thor blushed so ferociously that even Loki felt embarrassed.

But, that also had the effect of Thor taking his hands away from his shoulders. Loki felt cold where they had been mere seconds ago.

“Sorry,” Thor muttered. Loki nodded.

“Shall we?”

00000

The trip had been so boring. Three hours later they were saying good bye to Svad's friend number forty eight... Or maybe forty seven, he didn't really care. The thing was that Thor had been so quiet during the whole trip. Even though Loki had tried to engage him into a conversation several times, Thor had only responded with monosyllabes, nods and the occasional look.

He wondered what was wrong. Maybe his nephew didn't like him as much as he showed before? Maybe now that he was going back home he would become distant? Oh! He knew what was going on, then. Thor was just too far above Loki, now. He was the Crown Prince while loki was just the Sea Witch, with no name to his person nor power except that of his own creation. The realization was bittersweet. Well, it shouldn't hurt that much though, he was used to being betrayed, after all. What was another family member backstabbing him? Just add him to the list of people you won't be inviting to important ceremonies and be done with it, he thought, bitterly.

They walked until they were by the river bank and Loki started taking off his clothes. He heard Thor inhale sharply. What now?

“U-uncle?” he heard him ask, uncertainly.

“What?” he snapped back, without turning around as he took off his boots and started to unlace his breeches.

“Um... What... What are you doing?”

Loki stopped and counted to ten.

“Do you plan on using your tail while being restricted by human clothes?” he asked, still not turning around. Why was he so angry? Ah, yes. Betrayal. Though he didn't have all the facts yet. Loki knew he had jumped to the conclusion, but he prefered to think the worst first and then go up from there. Safer that way, less nasty surprises, really.

“Em, no. I was just surprised that... I mean, it's nothing weird or anything but it is a bit...”

At this, Loki turned around, fully naked now and quite annoyed. The retort died on his tongue when he looked at his nephew. He was red trom the root of his hair to well below his shirt and he was fidgeting, not looking at him at all. Huh? He walked and stood in front of him, Thor was uncomfortable. Lifting a hand he made Thor look him into his face.

“What is going on?” he asked. Thor opened his mouth to say something but then his eyes dropped down for a second before darting upwards, panicked and he shut it up. Something is going on and Loki didn't want to think about it now. He wanted his tail back and to be away for a while and to stop thinking that it hurts that Thor didn't want him as family anymore now that he is going back home. “I don't know what's going on, but you better start getting naked because I want to take this off!” he said, shoving Thor by the face and rising his other arm to show the bracelet.

“Oh... Yes... Sorry... How?”

“Get naked!” he snapped again and Thor got into motion. Huffing Loki went back to his discarded clothes and took a leather strap then proceeded to braid his hair into a tight plait that would keep his hair in check. Most mer wore their hairs like that under the water but Loki had always liked to wear it free. It was inconvenient for hunting or fighting, though, so he only did it when he was sure he wouldn't run into a problem. Here, though, he didn't know what could happen.

Loki remembered this river. It had been so shallow in the past, but now it was deep and dark enough for them to swim to the ocean. It would be faster this way than riding there or going by foot. And yes, if Loki prepared a spell they could be transported to the ocean in mere minutes, an hour at most, but he wanted his tail back now.

When he was done he turned around and saw that Thor was already naked and walking towards him, not looking at him at all. Okay, fine!

“Now what?” Thor asked.

“Now we have to perform a little ritual. It's just saying some words.”

He directed Thor on how to answer his ritualistic questions and when they were done the bracelet fell off his arm on its own. Then, Loki took the ring off of Thor's hand –he still didn't know why his nephew hadn't done it himself– and they head to the water. Loki couldn't help the loud moan of satisfaction when the water lapped at his feet, making them grow some scales. Without waiting another second he jumped into the water and let himself sink. The reversing of the human form was uncomfortable and he hated the feeling of his bones and internal organs movement but it was just a relief to be able to be himself again.

Through the transformation he kept his eyes closed and let the underwater currents caress his skin.

When he opened his eyes, though, he found that Thor was looking at him from a distance, red and gold tail completely done. Loki frowned. How long had he been staring?

“Uncle,” Thor started.

“No. We have a long way to go. We will stop at my cave first and then go to Asgard. I want to meassure the number done to your core and seidr, lest you call something on to the kingdom. Remember that you are still unstable.” Thor nodded and swam at his side, still not saying a word. When they reached the ocean, several hours later, Loki was fed up. “Speak up, pup! I know you don't want to be near me anymore, but if you are going to be like this I'd rather know in advance,” he snapped. Thor grabbed him by the wrist and looked at him in the eye.

“Who said I don't want to have anything to do with you?” he exclaimed.

“You did! With your distant form and giving the cold shoulder. Look, I know that I am not the best company but if you were going to toss me aside anyways it would have been kinder to-”

Loki was cut off by Thor's mouth. Not by his words, sailing away from his mouth, but his mouth. His pup nephew was kissing him.

Chapter Text

Thor had panicked. He had really panicked when Loki started behaving cold towards him and he should have known that it was his fault. He had been so nervous to coming back with Loki that he had felt unable to engage in a conversation with him and then, by the river, Loki had gotten naked and Thor had tried not to gawk but he couldn't help it and then Loki had spoken to him and he had lost it. He looked down and saw his body and his heart almost stopped.

Then Loki shoved him away and went to braid his hair and Thor felt cold inside. After the short ritual and Loki went into the river Thor wasn't sure anymore of what was going on so he just followed him and watched. His uncle's body changed gradually in a mesmerizing way while Thor's was almost instantaneous. He watched Loki, how his body tensed and relaxed as it became as it should. Thor felt like an intruder. It was the first time he saw his uncle's tail and it was clearly breathtaking.

There wasn't anything that he wanted more than to touch him but he stayed away, kept his hands to himself and just looked. Though all his self-control went away when Loki confronted him about his behaviour and when Loki snapped at him when they were out in the ocean he panicked. He panicked and kissed him. He kissed his uncle and when Loki tried to pull away his other hand grabbed him by the back of his head to keep him in place.

Shortly after that, Loki kissed him back. It was bliss. He felt his uncle's arms snaking around his torso, holding him firmly against his chest and the sinuous movement of his tail against his. Loki prompted his lips to open up and he did, their tongues meeting halfway, pushing, fighting to be the winner in a war that had no other purpose than conquer. Thor's hand gabbed his uncle's hair, messing up the plait, to pull his head away and look into his eyes.

Loki's lips were red and slightly swollen, his pupils were blown and his gills were working fast. Steadily, Thor went to his uncle's thorat and traced the delicate skin of his gills with his tongue. Loki sivered, nails clawing at his back, and let out a high pitched whine. Thor knew by experience that not every mer was sensitive there but Loki's reaction was the strongest he had ever seen. He traced the skin again and again until Loki's whines and shivers made the older mer were so strong and loud that other creatures could hear them from miles away.

As Thor continued his onslaugh Loki's arms left his back to try and push him away, weakly. It was clear that Loki's body was enjoying this, as Thor could feel agains his tail how Loki's scales had moved to show his entrace. And he wanted. He had wanted to possess Loki for a long while now and having his body so compliant was like a dream come true. He had no eggs at the moment, but if he had had, Thor was sure he would take this oportunity to lay them in Loki. Oh! That would be the most wonderful thing to happen. Instead, he could just push inside and spray Loki's pouch. His own scales started moving as his ovipositor pushed out.

Then, Loki tried to push him away again, incoherent sounds coming from his throat. Thor retreated and looked at his uncle. His hair was messed up, there was a high blush on his cheeks and he was panting, but there was a tremor to his form that had little to do with excitement and now his pupils were contracting in what seemed to be fear. Fear... Thor's excitement died in an instand and he released his uncle.

“Oh! Ah... I'm sorry,” he said before turning around and swimming away from his uncle.

00000

Loki gave himself a few moments to regain his composure befor rubbing his face with both hands as hard as he could. He was as idiotic and plankton brained as Odin, it would seem. Because in all fairiness the clues had all been there, laying in plain sight. He felt embarrassed because now some of Jane's actions made more sense than before. Ha! He prided himself in being quite perceptive but it seemed that with family matters he was as bad as a new born pup. He cursed and threw himself after his nephew. No doubt his mind was in turmoil and that was dangerous in his current situation.

Thor was a fast swimmer but he lacked something Loki had, enhacement by seidr. Loki caught up with him and grabbed the end of his tail with a firm grip, making sure not to touch the caudal fin, then yanked him back, stopping his speed so abruptly that. Thor made an undignified sound and tried to swim away again but Loki was faster and stronger and managed to get a hold of one of his wrists before releasing the tail and going for the other arm.

“Stop moving!” he commanded and Thor complied, shocked at his tone of voice. They were both panting for very different reasons now. “Calm down first!” he said then, pointing a finger at his face. “First, we take care of your seidr problem, then, we talk, all right?” Thor nodded and Loki, without letting go of his wrist, lead the way. “And don't swim off again! We have still a way to go until we reach my cave,” he grumbled over his shoulder, glaring at the pup. He could feel Thor's quick pulse under his fingers and the blush on his own face wasn't now from the exertion to catching up with the pup.

He was internally berating himself for not seeing it sooner. He might have been able to nip the problem at the bud and now... Now he had an infatuated pup who had discovered in mere seconds one of his most sensitives parts and knew how to make him flustered like he hadn't been in ages! And that... felt... good.

No! Thor was just a pup blinded by the maturity that Loki seemed to possess and nothing more. His own heart shouldn't be beating so fast against his ribs. Besides, he already had Svad, even if his human wouldn't live a long live at his side, that didn't mean he should... No! Stop that trait of thoughts, Loki. He gripped the wrist harder before releasing some of the pressure. He didn't say anything and Thor seemed unable to speak too.

It's a long way and his shoulder is screaming for him to release Thor and change possitions but for the life of him he cannot let go of his nephew. His mind is frantically looking for a solution to this problem. Though... Was it truly a problem? He himself had had his crushes when he was a pup of older mer. He thought they knew everything and he saw them as so powerful and knowledgable... But then he outgrew them in power and knowledge and they lost their appeal once he became of age and they flocked towards him. Uninteresting. As will happen with Thor.

Thor will realise in time that what he is feeling is just a fleeting thing and they both will be so happy and be a family and... They reached Loki's cave. It was still in disarray, but no matter, he knew where the things he needed were located. Without looking at his nephew he released him and went to gather what he needed. He used one of the surviving niches to gather there the rune-stones and ointments that can be applied underwater and other trinkets. He turned to look for his knife when he sees Thor looking at him. He stopped.

Thor's eyes were hungrily taking into his form, that much was true. He was tense, hands closing and opening as if wanting to hold... Loki could see the specific place where Thor's ovipositor was pushing against his tail's scales to break free. There was a low growl in his nephew's throat and Loki shivered, bracing himself agains the rocky wall. His own mouth couldn't contain the moan that escaped his throat and in less than a second his nephew was upon him, ravagin his mouth, hands touching him every where.

No... No! He had to stop Thor. This was a mistake. But Loki couldn't fight against it either as his own hands move to pull his nephew against himself. This time he took control of the kiss and guided his nephew's hands through his body. They were both whining and panting and moaning and when Loki's ovipositor foud its way out the contact with Thor's was almost enough to make him lost in bliss. Their ovipositors rubbed and twirled arount each other as they kissed and touched and then Thor's hand was at the base of his ovipositor, coaxing it to retreat. To his surprise it did, leaving his hole open and gaping.

The feeling of Thor entering him was bastly different to Svad's. For starters, his flesh was more flexible and vibrated with Loki's own sucktioning muscles. It also reached deeper. It was so deep inside that there wasn't anything else he could feel at the moment. He felt unable to breathe, his whole body trembling uncontrolably, hands gripping weakly at Thor's shoulders. He was dazed by the pleasure.

“Loki...” he heard his nephew's voice. “I have wanted you for so long... Loki... My Loki...” Thor's lips kissed delicately his gills and Loki whined. He felt delirious, lost in bliss and detached from himself. “I want... to fill you with my eggs... Will you let me? Will you let me lay them in you?”

“Yes...” Loki said, breathless.

“I want to fill you, now... Always...” More kisses, his tongue tracing his skin.

“...yes...”

Loki couldn't hear what Thor said after that as his whole body trembled and shook in waves. His eyes lost focus and his eardrums rang. Moments later, and Loki wasn't sure how long it had been, he could see again through dots in his vision, feel his own body again. Thor was still inside him, his ovipositor spasming and spraying inside his pouch. He had sunk his teeth on Loki's left shoulder and seemed untable to dislodge himself from Loki.

They stayed like that for a long while until Thor retreated from within Loki –it made him shiver again– but he didn't top biting him. Slowly, Loki noted that both his wrists were restrained at both sides of his body by his nephew's hands. After coming back to his senses, Loki realised what they had just done. Not only that, he had encouraged his nephew. He felt chocked. Loki already knew he was a horrible person but to do such a thing to his pup nephew? The depravity that ran through his veins was darker than he thought, huh?

He tried to say something but his throat was closed off, so, instead, he stayed there, limply, while his nephew regained his mind. He was ready for the horror that he knew would follow. Thor would realise what a grave error this had been and after Loki helped him with his seidr they wouldn't see each other again, Loki would make sure of that. He knew how to get out of the way and he had more potential lairs to escape if necessary. He swore on his blood: he would do whatever was on his hands to protect his nephew.

00000

Thor could taste blood. It was delicious. He could also feel a fast pulse on both of his hands that wasn't his. He blinked several times. Something smelt really good. He inhaled deeply and then felt something trembling beneath him. His mouth hurt. Slowly, he opened it and sepparated from where it had been clampped. There was a wound with the mold of his teeth. Tiny incisions on a delicious skin that marked that one as his. His tonge tasted the skin and blood and the form underneath shivered again. It wasn't trying to run or shake him off. Thor hummed.

Little by little he came back to himself. He had been dragged by his uncle Loki to his cave so he could map what was wrong with his seidr and then... Then he had seen Loki moving around, part of his hair floating around his head like a halo, free from what once was a tight braid. He had seen Loki look back at him and retreat, cornering himself. And he had seen desire... And after that he couldn't quite remember, but if his retreating ovipositor was an indication of anything then... He had fucked up, hadn't he? He had done one of the most horrible acts any mer could do to another and... And now his uncle would never forgive him.

His hands gripped harder and Loki inhaled sharply at the pain. He released him and in an instante he was at the other side of the cave. He was scared. He couldn't look at his uncle. What had he done?

“Thor... Are you...? Can you talk?” his uncle's voice was uncertain. Thor nodded. “I would prefer to hear it, honestly.”

“I can. I... I am sorry...” he said as best as he could without chocking on his words.

“Thank goodness...” he heard the relief in his uncle's voice. When he looked up he saw that Loki wasn't scared or anrgy or hurt –beyond the bite marc wound– and that he looked worried. “To think that your first berserkr cycle would be like this... You don't have to worry, pup. It wasn't your fault. All right? I understand. You cannot control it yet,” Loki said and Thor felt stupid once again.

“What cannot I control?”

“Your berserkr form, pup. It seems that everybody thought you wouldn't have one but... Anyways, you don't need to worry. I can teach you to rein it instead of letting it control you. But later.”

It was as if Loki understood something that Thor didn't. Then it dawned on him. Loki thought that his attraction to him was a matter of his berserkr state! No! He had to tell him that he... That he lo... But... Would Loki believe him? He had done something unforgivable to him.

“I am... so-” a hand covered his mouth. Thor, startled, tried to retreat but found only rock at his back.

“No. Don't be. It wasn't that bad,” Loki was right there, covering his mouth with his hand looking lovely and ravaged with shiny eyes, red cheeks and even redder lips.The skin on his gills seemed to be swollen and the bite mark on his shoulder was darker now. “In fact, it was very good,” Loki whispered. “But this won't last, for you, nor for me. In time you will see that this was a mistake, but worry not, for I know that pups can and will make mistakes. That's part of learning after all.”

Thor took away Loki's hand, lookin at his wrists. The marks of his fingers were darkening against his skin and Thor felt his heart throb.

“I hurt you,” he said with dismay.

“Yes,” Loki said, his face was serious but he wasn't rejecting Thor. “As I told you, you still can't control your berserkr.”

“But I love you,” Thor confessed. “How could I hurt you if I love you?”

“You were... Ah... Possessed by your own desires.”

“I don't understand.”

“Don't worry, pup. Really,” Loki said, caressing his face and combing his hair away. “I didn't know you were so experienced,” he added with a mischievous smile. “Who taught you?”

Thor blushed but instead of answering he kissed his uncle again.

“I won't deny that I had a number of lovers, but I never felt so out of control with any of them. I never felt the need to fill them nor to hold them still or, or bite!” Thor mumbled to his uncle's lips.

“I see... Have you laid eggs before?”

Thor nodded.

“Though I was always careful so they wouldn't get fertilized.”

“Look,” Loki said, using one finger to apply some viscous thing on his forehead then on his chest. “I am sorry that you had to see me with Svad. I understand how you feel, but this... This should not happen again. Are we clear? It was pleasurable, you are very good, but I don't want to get involved with you in such a manner. Not only it would be very difficult for us to be together –I love moving around and can't stand to be tied down to only one place– I doubt Odin would be happy with me seducing his one and only heir.” Thor nodded and let Loki work on his skin. It was soothing. “I just hope that now that you have tasted the forbidden fruit you can let go of it,” he added, kissing his cheek. “Let's try and see each other as only nephew and uncle, shall we?” he purred and before Thor could answer he said a few words and all the world dissolved.

There was a whirlpool, black and blue and red and all the colours in between. Then he could hear chanting and he felt something tug at his lower stomach. There was a voice whispering to him that it was alright, that they were putting things back into order and that he should feel better when he woke up. The only thing that made him feel better was the thought that it was Loki the one talking to him.

00000

“Odin,” Frigga greeted. She was laying on the algae bed that had been put for her. Until she could expel the eggs she shouldn't move. It seemed that this time the eggs were all fertilized but she didn't want to get her hopes up too soon. True to Loki's word, the tonic had helped.

“My Frigg,” Odin said, tenderly. The warmth that was expressed through his remaining eye washed over her and she couldn't do less than to smile.

“Why are you here so soon? I thought you had court today.”

“It got delayed. I got a message from my brother.”

Frigga tried to ignore the tension with which Odin always spoke of Loki. The passion with which he talked about his older brother went from veneration to the deepest hatred. Some times Frigga wondered if Odin simply wanted to bed his brother, then she saw another thing that made her believe that Odin would gut Loki with his own claws and not bat an eyelash at all. She had also tried to gather all the rumours about Loki that she could and she had discovered little on that matter.

The most scandalous thing that had happened between the four brothers was when they had gone to the surface and adopted different shapes. Oh! Such scandal, she had thought with sarcasm. Well, now it was one of those times in which Frigga was sure Odin would strangle the life out of Loki.

“And what does he say in it?”

“Thor is back. They should arrive in three days time,” he answered smiling at her and swimming to her side to take her hands and kiss them. “We will have our pup back. And he seems in good health, though until I see for myself I won't believe it but...”

“Thor is coming back?” Frigga couldn't believe it, but she felt so happy. “My pup...” She hugged her husband. “We should prepare a feast!” she exclaimed. And Odin laughed.

“Yes. But you won't move from here. I will send all the attendants that you require. We don't want...” he motioned to the lump on her lower abdomen, then caressed it.

“Very well. But I want to be there when my pup comes back,” she said, laughing.

“You will.”

And, while Frigga rested that day, no one told her, but everyone saw it: her hair shone brighter, her eyes were bluer and her song seemed to have come back to her voice. She was, once again, the most beautiful merwoman in the kingdom and they all were happy for their queen.

Chapter Text

With the taste of his uncle still fresh in his mouth, Thor couldn't stop his eyes from following him on his swimming through the cave.

“I received the invitation a few moments ago,” he was saying, to Thor, to himself, to no-one. “Which means that they received my message two days ago, which means that they expect us to arrive tomorrow. And they expect me to become once again Odin's older brother!? No! This must be a trap of some sort. I know that algaeface. He must be planning something. A feast? And I am invited? Ha! There's something that doesn't-”

“Uncle?” Thor asked. He was starting to get dizzing watching the fast and switf movements his uncle made. Loki stopped and looked at him, eyebrow lifted. “Don't worry about that. I am sure it was my mother who wanted you to attend. You don't need to be on your guard. And I will also be there,” he smiled and Loki smiled back and Thor felt his heart hammering and he didn't know what to do. Loki was convinced that Thor would stop feeling whatever he felt for Loki in a short period –a century at most–, that he would get bored and then move on. Then he seemed to remember Thor's mother and paled.

“Your mother is going to gut me!” he exclaimed.

Thor would have swam towards him and hugged him but he was still feeling drained and dizzy. After his uncle had mapped him, he had set right the conduits of his seidr inside himself so he wouldn't be channeling it through storms. He had also told him about being berserkr. As soon as he had realized what that meant Thor had felt blood rush to his ears. He was a berserkr. Just like his father. Just like his uncle. He would be a great warrior. If he could rein in his impulse as berserkr then he could be a great king, too.

“I doubt she will,” he said to his uncle. Loki stopped and looked at him.

“Oh. I don't. She is quite able to stab me. If she ever suspects I have tainted you the last thing she will consider is that she would be killing a member of the Royal Family. Even thought it's not like it will happen again. But has happened already,” Loki had crossed his arms in front of him and was looking at his side and Thor could admire his long neck. His uncle's gills looked more appetising than ever and he had to control himself lest he leaped and attacked him again. Loki's moans and whines were forever etched in his brain.

“But surely she will be happy that we came together. That you helped me,” Thor tried again. Loki looked at him as if considering his words.

“Would you say that to her for me?” he asked. Thor nodded. “Would you lie for me?” He sounded surprised. Thor shook his head.

“It wouldn't be a lie. You helped me.”

“I cursed you!”

“I asked for that curse!”

Loki huffed, but he dropped his defensive stance.

“She won't see it that way. She already thinks I chose the worst conditions to the curse just to get back at Odin,” he said, looking away again. Thor cocked his head.

“Did you?”

Loki looked back at him, smiling.

“Maaaaybe... I might have made it harder than what was necessary for you...”

Thor loved that smile. It was playful and mischievous and unrepentant. He snorted.

“It's not as if you didn't try to disuade me,” Thor pointed.

“I could have done a better job. And I knew who you were all along. It was just a petty revenge.”

“But Fandral told me about how to break the curse. You said there was no way out and still put a loophole in it.”

Loki looked pleased.

“That I did. As much as I would have enjoyed seeing planktonbrain crying because his pup was even more of an idiot than before, I can't in good conscience sentence an innocent pup to such a fate.”

“So you are still plotting some kind of revenge against my father?”

Loki didn't answer, only smiled.

“Are you feeling better? We should get going. But before that I want to make sure you have recovered enough.”

Thor nodded and when Loki extended his hands towards him he grabbed them. Loki closed his eyes and seemed to be deep in contentration. Thor felt something strange poking at him within himself. Seconds later Loki released his hands and nodded.

“So... Am I good enough to leave?”

“Yes. Let's go.”

00000

There was a retinue awating for them half way to the capital, guards mostly, that surrounded them and gave them some necklaces and ornaments to put on like rings, wristbands and straps to braid into their hairs. Thor let his usual servants do his hair and help with the fastening of some of the items, looking at his uncle through the corner of his eye. He didn't let anyone touch him and weaved the golden threads, pearls and small clams on his hair.

They waited until he was finished and even though Thor couldn't see himself he knew that Loki had done a better way with himself than the servants had done to him. Seeing his uncle looking so regal, wearing a shoulderplate with runes that represented his status was nervewracking for him. Loki exuded authority and after he was done none of the guards nor the servants dared to touch him as they had before.

If one were to ask Thor, he would say that Loki looked more like a monarch than his own father. The way he had gone ahead of the party to flaunt his status, the sure, sinuous waving of his form, the delicate yet precise movements. It was undeniable that Loki had been breed and raised by royalty and now more than ever Thor could see the likeness between his father and uncle.

As soon as they entered the capital the fanfare that had been prepared for them was cut short. People murmuring among themselves. They had been told that Prince Thor was coming home and that he was bringing a member of the Royal Family with them. Everyone had assumed, if their faces were any indicator, that Thor had married and was bringing a princess. Thor could hear some of the whispers: “Prince Vili!” “Wasn't he dead?” “No! That's his twin brother! I thought they died together.”

But it was a brief pause, the people went back into track and greeted them as they had been told to do, as they wanted to do. Some of them even recognized Loki as the Sea Witch and then became even more excited. Loki had a charming smile on his lips, teeth as white as pearls and as iridiscent, winning back some hearts with a gaze or a gesture of his hand. Their people were excited to see one of the king's siblings alive.

“There was a rumour about it going on, you know?” Fandral said at his left.

“What kind of rumour?”

“That Loki killed himself after being unable to keep going without his twin brother. But that's just stupid. The dates don't add up. I mean, the war was some two to three thousand years ago and only in the last thousand years the prince was lost to the people, which means that if he really couldn't live without his twin brother he should have been dead longer. Don't you think? And my parents remember him going around playing pranks, though whenever a delegation came he was always proper.”

“There were other kind of rumours about that, too,” Hogun added at Thor's right. Thor turned his head. “Rumours that said that he would lay with any of the ambassadors as long as the peace treaties held strong and to forge new alliances.”

That wasn't the kind of information Thor wanted to know.

“I don't know. He was a member of the Royal Family. I doubt he would have done something so shameless,” Thor said, only half certain. He searched his uncle's profile.

“No doubt those rumours were started by people who wanted him and couldn't have him,” Hogun continued. “I am not inclined to that kind of shape, but even I can appreciate that he is alluring and his song must be one of the most enthralling things in the Seven Oceans.”

“That's more likely. I doubt he would let about anyone touch him without his permission, and I've seen him kill a man with his teeth,” Thor said. Both Hogun and Fandral looked surprised. “And I know he is a berserkr,” he added, just for the effect that it cause. Fandral intake of water and Hogun small stop before continuing. Everybody knew not to anger a berserkr.

They finally reached the castle. His parents were there already, waiting with smiles so huge and bright that they made Thor feel stupid. He had made his parents worry, had he not? Then as he approached he too in the differencies. The most acute one was his father: he looked centuries older, still broad and strong but skin soft instead of taut and his hair was completely white, he was wrinkled and wore a patch over one eye. His mother looked almost the same, though there was a weariness about her eyes and it seemed that she was incubating now. What had happened!?

As per protocol, the king and queen greeted Loki first, who directed his own greetings to Odin and then to Frigga. Once that was done he swam around and positioned himself at Frigga's other side. Then Thor greeted them and went to his father's side. Once together they waved at the masses and then disappeared inside the castle. Thor followed the three royal adults, feeling like a pup all over again. All the confidence that he had gained in himself had vanished once he was under his father's sight. He still saw him as a pup, he could feel it, but uncle Loki had seen him grow and rise against his challenges.

Once they were behind doors and undisturved his father grabbed Loki by the shoulder with one hand and by the jaw with the other, exposing his neck.

“What in the Seven Hels is the meaning of this, Loki? Who did this to you?” he bellowed. Loki shook his brother off.

“None of your business. What are you, my father?” Loki growled.

“No! I am your king and I demand to know what kind of depraved creature would abuse of a mer's gills until they are like that!” Odin answered with his own grunt.

Thor blushed and looked at the wall, trying to be inconspicuous. His eyes crossed his mother's for a second and he saw her's growing slightly bigger. Then her mouth formed a perfect “o”. After that, she looked between him and his uncle and then she took one hand to her face, frowning. When she looked back at Thor she didn't look angry but disapointed. While the brothers bickered she approached him.

“Son, I don't want to know any details, but tell me that you didn't do anything stupid,” she pleaded. Thor was sure that even in the dimlit stance his cheeks were glowing red.

“I... Em... I mean... I might have... gone... berserkr?” he tried. His mother only sighed.

“Pray that he won't want revenge on whatever you did to him. And when you start remembering come to me, I have a cleanshing draught that can help you forget,” she told him.

“What... makes you think I would want to, to forget?” he asked her, quietly. She then looked shocked. “He didn't do anything to me, mother,” he assured hed. “It was all me... He even tried to stop me but I pushed and pushed and... But he says that I shouldn't worry...”

There. There it was. The horror.

“Thor... My pup... You didn't... Did you... force him?”

Thor paled.

“I don't know. I don't remember yet. Only bits... And he said that it was all right. That I didn't- that he didn't stop me and that he could have.” He saw his mother looking towards the brothers who were now yanking each other's hairs and giving flicks with their tails.

“I will ask him. Mean while... Don't get near him. All right, son? Don't approach him. I want to know if he wants to ask for compensation and... If there is going to be a trial-”

“-tired of your shit! You are my little brother, don't act as if-”

“-can't care!? I am also tired, Loki! I'm tired of all those people going after you time after time and you doing nothing but-”

“-I can defend myself, Odin!”

“Really? Because last time what I saw was that you were ready to throw away yourself just so you wouldn't anger them!”

Thor and Frigga were startled out of their conversation by the two other mer.

“Look, brother,” Loki said, trying to calm himself. “I don't appreciate that you try to act as my guardian at ever little evidence that I have had an affair. I am not a pup. That you think that you need to, to defend my honor, which is disturbing, has nothing to do with me!”

“Loki...”

“No! I already told you! My gills are just slightly swollen because I filtered some filth, all right? And it has been centuries! We both know you can drop whatever crappy promise you made to Vili of protecting me. You can't! Because I am protecting myself quite well.”

Both brothers went quiet then, glaring at each other.

“You weren't attacked,” Odin demanded.

“No,” Loki growled.

“And you were with my son.”

“All the time!” he snarled, showing teeth.

“Good... Then... I don't have to worry like last time.” It was more a question than anything. Loki smiled in a unkind way.

“You won't. No-one will come in demanding my hand in marriage and claiming to have been bewitched.”

Thor's ears perked up at that.

“What? What happened last time?” he blurted out. His words made his father and uncle startle and look at Frigga and him.

“Nothing, pup,” Loki said, looking away.

“Nothing, son,” Odin said, at the same time, also looking away.

Thor narrowed his eyes and looked at his mother. She was also looking away.

“Why won't you tell me? You were talking about that as if some nefarious creature had tried to, to kidnap uncle Loki and when he couldn't just came to you and asked for an alliance through marriage,” Thor said, scoffing. And then he saw the tension in Loki's jaw, how his father's hands were balled into fists and how his mother's shoulders squared as if ready to attack. “If I am to rule some day, I think it fair that I am made aware of any possible threat against me and my family,” Thor said with an authoritative voice. A voice he had never used before with his parents. A voice that he had found while living amongst humans. His parents seemed surprised by it, but not Loki.

“Your parents can tell you if they want. I don't care. I'm tired. I'll see you later at the feast. If you will excuse me,” Loki said in a cold tone, bowing mockingly, but with narrowed eyes and a snarl on his lips. He didn't wait until he was given permission and left. Thor looked at his parents.

“Well?”

“Son-”

“No, father! I have been kept in the dark of many important things. One of those that I have an uncle who could have claimed the throne from you if he wanted, so, I demand to know what's going on and why uncle Loki is not welcomed here while this has been his home before.”

Odin sighed. His mother squeezed his shoulder and left. Thor was surprised by this. He looked back at his father again.

“This is not easy to tell...”

“And how does mother know?”

“She... She found out herself. She is a great queen and has helped me time and again with relations with the other kingdoms and she found some documents... She has seidr, pup, she can scry.”

“But what happened!?”

Odin motioned for Thor to sit. He did.

“This happened some centuries after the war had finished. Even though we had managed to live peacefully there were still people who resented the other side. We decided that the best course of action was to invite a delegation from Jotunheim to Asgard. If the people saw both of us acting friendly they would calm down. They agreed, but they demanded we sent a delegation there first. Loki was sent there with some other nobles.

“We got reports that things were going well, and that the people there adored Loki. It seemed that he had managed to charm them with his words. I was worried about him. I would have gone in his stead but the mere thought of seen a Jotun and not being able to slice their heads off made my blood boil. Then, the time for them to come back arrived and the envoy started making preparations to leave. A cousin of the king wanted to come with them in the guise of strengthening our relationship further and it was allowed. Then, a few hours from the border, some raiders attacked and tried to take Loki hostage,” Odin seemed to find that notion funny, though he still looked grave. “The very idiots thought it would be easy to kidnap Loki, and he just... unleashed his powers and teleported everyone back into Asgard –raiders included–. They were caught. The subsequent days were tense.

“You have to understand, Thor, that if we were to make a misstep, war could still break all over again, so we couldn't outright punish the raiders. We had to investigate and we discovered that the king's cousin had pacted with these raiders, who turned out to be other nobles from Utgard-Hall, to kidnap Loki. At first we thought that what they wanted was war, then that they wanted some ransom,” Odin rubbed his brow, looking every bit the old man he was outside. Thor was speechless.

“What happened next?”

“The king himself appeared before us demanding his courtiers to be released on the threat of war if we didn't.” At Odin's words, Thor's jaw dropped. “Then, he demanded more. He wanted Loki's hand in marriage as compensation.”

Thor let out a raged groan.

“How dare they!?” he exclaimed. Odin smirked in a familiar way. That tiny detail distrated him from his outrage enough for Odin to continue.

“That was exactly my reaction. After some more investigations were done, we discovered that everything had been a ploy from King Thrym to take Loki as his spouse from the beginning. He didn't care if his cousin managed to kidnap Loki or not. What he was aiming for was for us to make a mistake so they could ask for Loki in exchange.

“Apparently, he had fallen in love with Loki while he had been an ambassador there, even though Loki barely exchanged words with him outside the polite, correct way. They were never alone in the same place and they never spoke of courtship but Thrym was convinced that it was Truel Love,” Odin laughed at that. It was an ugly sound and it resonated within Thor.

So Loki had been also punishing Thor for pursuing Ture Love by way of his curse. Now he saw the whole picture. On the one hand, having Thor cursed like that would wound Odin, which served the purpose of revenge. On the other hand, Thor was being taught a lesson aboud what it meant to love someone who you knew nothing aobut and claimed to want to be with them for ever. Thor felt lucky that Loki hadn't decided another route to make Thor realize his stupidity.

“Then... Uncle Loki refused?”

“No.”

That answer wasn't what Thor was expecting at all.

“What?”

“It would have been enough for us to be at war again. So he didn't refuse.”

“Then... Then, uncle Loki married Thrym?”

“No.”

Huh? Thor was confused now.

“Father, please, be clear.”

Ah! That smirk again. And then Thor connected the dots. That smile was exactly as the one Loki used while speaking with humans he deemed mentally challenged –or plain stupid– and wanted to mock them. Thought it wasn't exactly as Loki's, either. Ugh! How could have Thor missed the similarities between his father and his uncle? They looked so much alike! Though, in his heart, Thor couldn't help but to admit that Loki had gotten the best part on their genes. His father wasn't exactly ugly but if you were to compare both brothers there was a clear winner, letting aside the fact that Thor couldn't see his father as outside the tag of “father” which implied that he did not think of him in such light. Ever.

“When the convoy that was travelling back to Jotunheim with your uncle and his future spouse arrived at the border, it was attacked. Apparently, some strange rumour said that whomever married Loki would be the rightful king or queen of Jotunheim. After that, a civil war broke within their kingdom and Loki disappeared from their radar.”

“So... The fact that none of my generation knows about uncle Loki is because of this?”

“Yes and no. I didn't plan for this to happen. But I suppose my advisors did it while I wasn't looking. Since there's still the belief on Jotunheim about Loki, we tried to make it appear as if Loki wasn't here anymore, and then...”

“Then you vanished him and transformed him into an octopus,” Thor supplied.

“It's a bit more complicated than that, pup.”

“So it seems... I think I would like to retire now...” His father nodded. He bowed and went to the door but stopped before opening it. “Then... You didn't do it actively, but you neither stopped the people to believe that uncle Loki never existed,” he said, not turning to look at his father. “Why would you do something so cruel without telling him?”

“I was trying to protect him... And us. If word got out that Loki was still alive and well, I'm sure the kidnapping attempts would increase again and even assassinations attempts.”

Thor nodded.

“But it's been long enough. Do Jotnar still think that they have to marry uncle Loki to be the rightful monarch?”

“... Yes.”

Thor turned around, surprised. What?

“Why?”

“Loki became a legend, and now he is more than a tale for them. The latest report from our spies tells me that they believe Loki to be a Deity of the Seas.”

“That's... Absurd!”

“I know. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be easier for him to just... Become fully human and die with them...”

Thor didn't know what to say. His head hurt with all the information thad had been thrown onto it.

“Does mother know all of this?”

“Just enough. She started scrying into the matter more deeply after our last, eh... conversation, with your uncle.”

Thor looked at his father: cursed twice because of Thor's own stupidity, tired of being anrgy at his brother, tired of having to protect their people constanlty with the shadow of another war –after all this time– hovering over their heads. How come his parents have never told him about this?

“Why didn't you tell me sooner? Not... Not the details, but that we have been risking war, that the peace was so fragile that the life of one mer could throw into chaos the two kingdoms?”

“You were too young then, and I had decided to leave Loki like that. Without having to face him it was easier to throw him away.”

Thor growled, indignant.

“I can't believe you, father! You would rather have Loki imprisoned than at your side trying to set things right?”

His father looked exhausted, sadness washing over his features, shoulders hunched.

“I'm not proud of many things, pup, but I am ready to make sacrifices for the greater good.”

Thor stormed out then.

He couldn't understand his father's reasoning. He wouldn't! If it was up to him, he would protect his uncle. It seemed that what was taught at school was true: the mer Jotnar were savages who didn't deserve to be a kingdom on their own right. He went to his chambers to rest before the feast, mind in turmoil.

Chapter Text

She had found Loki in his old chambers. Odin had sealed that part of the palace so no-one would enter but Frigga had overriden that spell ages ago, curious to know more about Odin when she first came to be his wife. What she had discovered had been difficult to swallow. The pain that those halls and chambers hosted had been so strong that they held magic on their own. Odin never hid anything from her, but he didn't tell her outright about things unless she asked, so she had taken it on herself to investigate.

In doing so, she had discovered that there was a shadow prince, one that had been forcefully forgotten. Now she knew that it had not been planned from the start, but still it had made her quite angry with her husband that he had hid Loki for so long, that he had used so much enegry and resources into making it seem that Loki had never existed. Logically, she could understand that faking Loki's death or erasing him from existence and memory was the best way to protect him, but doing it at his back had just worked wonders. Maybe if Odin had swallowed his pride and talked with Loki instead of what he did.

“But can't you see it, Frigga? It was the best opportunity. In a thousand years time of Loki's disappearance the Jotnar would forget about him and if we aided them into suppressing the rebellion they would be indebted and we could control it from here. The war threat would be avoided and Loki, protected,” he had tried to explain. “I couldn't have been able to plan it so good myself.”

No. Frigga had not been able to see it. She had only seen cruelty. If Loki had been part of the plan, then she would have understood. But all that sharkcrap that Odin had done had backfired in the form of Loki cursing her son.

And thinking about Thor. He had left a pup and came back a man. In the rough year he had been away in the human world he had been shaped. He looked better, healthy and, for her utter surprise, in love. He had left thinking himself in love and had come back being in love. The receipt of such love had worried Frigga. Loki was older than Odin, as powerful or maybe more with his craft and resented them all after being ostracised and only sought as a witch. Frigga wouldn't be surprised if he decided to destroy the whole palace on a whim.

When she reached Loki's chamber she hesitated less than a second before knocking. She waited. For long moments, nothing happened but she had no intention of leaving. She knew Loki was inside and Loki knew who was outside. It was a battle of wills. In the end, Loki opened the door, just fractionally, and Frigga entered.

She had never entered these chambers before, though she had been tempted to do it so to see half of it in ruins and the other halp perfectly preserved was a shock. From the outside, the hole on the wall couldn't be seen. Was it a glamour? It must be.

Loki was on the preseverd part of the room, sitting on what Frigga supposed was his bed, hugging what looked like a cushion. It seemed to be enchanted to not rot underwater.

“What?” Loki snapped after the long silence.

“Did my son hurt you?” she said. No point in beating around the bush. He seemed surprised.

“What?” his voice was different now. More a question than aggression.

“I can add two and two together, Loki. And my son isn't a colsed book either.”

Loki looked away, frowning. She had been with him before but she had never seen him so conflicted. He had been in control of most of his emotions and now... Now there was a fragility about him that worried her.

“He didn't... Force himself on me,” he said, not looking at her.

Frigga inhaled deeply taking a deep breath and and filtering more water so she could think what to say next. She had feared Loki would want retribution. Forcing yourself on others was one of the worst crimes and that her son might have done it... She couldn't live with herself if she had brought up such kind of man.

“But I doubt you would have encouraged him either... It doesn't matter if you didn't stop him. If you didn't want to-”

“Oh! But I wanted,” he cut her. Now he was looking at her, cruel smile in place. “I did enjoy every bit of it. Once his hands were touching me I encouraged him to keep going.” Frigga knew he was taunting her, prompting her into action. “I seduced your pup, my Queen, and now he will do as I bid, not matter what others tell him about me,” he said cocking his head slightly, sultry look in his eyes.

Well, if Loki continued like that she may as well hit him, right? After all, he was asking for it. Though she wouldn't really hit him. She still hadn't apologized for stabbing him before and she refused to hurt him again, to let him goad the worst of her out. If he wanted to be punished, the he would need to look somewhere else.

“If you, indeed, messed up with him and encouraged him, as you seem so bent to say, then you have forced yourself on him,” she said, calmly. There was no reaction from Loki at first, but he lost his smile gradually and then looked away again. “Thor is not so young or naive as to be so easily led into coupling, Loki,” she added after a fashion. Loki's face snapped back at her, surprise in his eyes. “He seems infatuated. Though I doubt he would have acted on his impulses if it was a recent discovery so tell me, what happened on land?”

Loki, Frigga saw, was breathing fast, taking small but continuous gulps of water and filtering them rapidly. He was nervous if the way he clutched the cushion to his chest was any indicator and she saw, surprised, how the most lovely blush crept up his face. He really was a sight to behold. Though now that she knew his personality she couldn't help but pity him: attractive people attracted all, not just good, but also bad, and what she knew of him just proved her point. It was no wonder he was slightly rotten on the inside, he was tired of other's people sharkcrap.

“I didn't realize that his attention had diverted from his human,” he confessed with a small voice. It didn't suit him, she thought. “I kept trying to help him with his human, pushing both of them together, when all he could see was... I don't understand,” he looked at her, pleading. “I'm sorry.”

She shook her head. She was uncomfortable with the idea of her pup infatuated with a man so old, but both were consenting adults, and Loki kept saying that whatever had happened between them wasn't forced. She was worried, though. Maybe even if Loki had been forced, he would still say he wasn't. Out of a sense to protect? Who? Himself or Thor? Why was this mer so difficult to understand?

“How long have you know?”

“Three days ago he kissed me.”

Oh! So he hadn't known until Thor had-

“Wait. Did Thor attack you?”

“No!”

They looked at each other. Loki seemed as confused as she felt. What was going on?

“So...”

“I have a human partner too,” Loki said then, looking straight at her. That wasn't something she expected. “And I have been very affectionate with him... In front of Thor.” She nodded, encouraging. “And he might have gotten a bit... jealous. A tad possessive, too. At first I saw only what I wanted to see: my nephew wanted to build skinship with me to make up for lost time. Heh! I'm an idiot.”

Frigga sat down beside him.

“So you didn't know.”

“No. And he must have suffered for it.”

“Is that why you let him...”

“Ugh, no! I am not made of stone, sister, you made a damn fine specimen and one of my worst traits is that I take what I want. I am more worried about him not being able to see me as his uncle ever again. But I suppose he never saw me that way to begin with. Which makes me feel stupid because I saw him as my nephew and now... Now I have made a grave mistake.”

So he had welcomed Thor's advances not out a sense of pity or self-sacrifice but because he was a horny dumbass. Noted. She slapped him even before she could stop herself. They looked at each other, surprised.

“I... I'm sorry...” she said, dumbfounded.

“No... I mean... I deserved that... I probably fucked up any possibility that Thor could let go of his little crush in a short period of time.”

“So you don't intent on pursuing a relationship with Thor?” she asked.

Loki looked at her as if she had grown a second head.

“Why would I do that?”

She looked at Loki as if he had grown a second head.

“Why wouldn't you?”

“Uh?”

“My son is the Crown Prince. He will be King one day. You could be at his side and rule through him.”

“I can do exactly that with just being his Crazy Uncle Loki, an advisor,” Loki explained. “And I would have less duties and more freedom. I could leave the castle almost whenever I wanted and not get tied down by responsibilities.”

“You don't want the crown?”

At that, Loki laughed then cackled. He was laughing so histerically he even hid his face in the cushion. Frigga didn't know what to do. She had not thought that Loki would be after the crown but she had had her suspicions. Now, seeing Loki she wasn't so sure he would ever want to sit on the throne. And his laughter wasn't only melodic –even if a bit breathless–, it was contagious. In seconds, the whole room was filled with both their laughters.

“Why would I want that? I have gone to extreme lengths to get away from the responsibility,” he said once he managed to control himself. He was still laughing softly.

“I don't know... That's something everyone seems to want around here,” she answered, laughing too.

“Well... They are stupid if they thing being the face of the kingdom is better than just a cog.”

She agreed. Being a queen was exhausting. She had to be Queen Frigga all day long, even in her sleep.

00000

“A delegate from Jotunheim,” Odin said, not looking away from the courier's face. The young mer was starting to feel nervous under the scrutiny.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And they want to meet... When?”

“I wasn't told, Your Highness. I was told that the rest of the information was in the scroll.”

Odin waved and the courier scurried away as fast as he could.

That had been fast. Too fast. He shouldn't have gotten distracted. Jotnar spies were as slippery as eel. Of course they saw Loki getting to Asgard. Maybe they even spotted him earlier than that. How long had they known? How many were still in the capital? He needed to thread carefully if he wanted to avoid unecessary confrontations.

Once upon a time he would have asked Loki to make the sacrifice. Now... He would rather cut his own hand than let them have his brother. Enough was enough. Even if Loki wasn't his brother, he was one of the most powerful seidrmasters in Asgard and relinquish him would put the whole kingdom at danger. He had no doubt that if Loki were to marry the next Jotnar monarch and they were to wage war against Asgard, he wouldn't rise a hand against his former homeland. But Odin prefered not to put that faith to test, lest the Jotnar have any way of manipulation.

A war would be disastrous.

Losing his brother again would be worse, a part of himself said.

Yes. The king in him would do what was best for his people, but the brother would do whatever in his hand to protect his family. He read the scroll with dread and breathed in relief after it. Jarnsaxa. The delegate was Jarnsaxa. That was... not bad. Not perfect, but could be far, far worse. At least, Jarnsaxa wasn't obsessed with Loki as most Jotnar had turned to be and if memory served him well she and Loki had been friends before... He issued a royal invitation for her to attend the feast at the high table that night.

Reclining in his seat he meditated about his life. His earliest memory was of two similar faces smiling at him. They had been so identical that he had been confused for a whole lot minute. Then there were blurry things but he remembered to always swim behind twin tails, fascinated by the complete synchronization between the two. As he grew older he started to see diferencies between his older brothers. Of course they seemed to be breathing at the same time and people even thought that their hearts beat at the same time and rhythm but Odin observed and saw. When Vili was brass Loki was calmer; when Loki played pranks, Vili minimised the outcome; when Vili would resort to his hands, Loki would lash out with words.

These diferencies didn't end with their personalities, their external appearance was also slightly different: the eye colour, even though was almost the same and from afar or after a quick glance would seem alike, was different. Their tails had complementary patterns that were mirror like, but Odin discovered that no-one had realized it. Oftentimes Odin could tell them appart just by looking at their navels. And as people were able to diferentiate him from Ve, he was able to tell apart who was who between the twins with a glance.

Once, Ve had approached him while he was studying the twins.

“You look at them all the time, Little Din,” he had said. Odin just nodded, not taking his eyes away from his brothers.

“It's... He is a piece of art! He is beautiful, powerful, interesting... I bet that when they rule everyone will love him until he dies,” Odin had said. Ve had looked at their brothers then.

“Who are you talking about? Loki or Vili?”

“I hate Loki,” Odin had said, frowning. “He thinks he is so funny, but his pranks always make Vili look bad. And they share the blame all the time when it should only be Loki!”

Ve had looked at him in utter surprise.

“How can you say that, when they are exactly the same?”

“But they are not! They are completely different! Vili is kind and warm and Loki is cold and laughs at your face all the time.”

Ve had then turned to look at their older brothers. Odin remembered that day quite well, since it was the day he realized his love for his brothers was different. He loved Vili as the perfect example of how a future king should be; he loved Ve as how an older brother should be; and he loved Loki in a twisted way, because he also hated Loki. In Vili and Ve, Odin never found fault, but in Loki everything was wrong. Even when he was smiling Odin felt rage, as if he was borrowing Vili's perfect smile and twisting it into something ugly. Then, he realized that Loki was the only one of his brothers who always played with him, who told him about his pranks in advance. Loki took him into adventures and helped with his seidr. Loki wasn't the perfect role model nor the perfect and composed older brother: Loki was just a normal mer who happened to have a crown over his head.

That was one of the reasons Odin hated Loki. Loki seemed to never take his duties seriously, but when it came to it, he was always on point and knew everything from everyone. And still, he could lose his composure, he swore and flirted and drank like a human sailor in a tabern and he didn't take serously when people offered to marry him: he was just living as if nothing, while doing everything. In comparison Vili and Ve looked like automats, dead inside, without hearts. Odin hated that. Odin hated that Loki shone so brightly that his brothers lost all their shine, even when they had their own right to shimmer as brightly!

Rubbing his face, Odin let the past in the past. Nothing good would come from him thinking about such things now. There was a difficult political situation ahead of himself and he just hoped Loki would act accord his station instead of the free spirit he used to portray wherever he went.

00000

Loki looked splendid. He had hung about himself small, golden chains in ways that highlighted his loveliness but also pointed out the many scars marring his skin. He had a few new ones. Scars won after the war, it would seem. The most recent one seemed to be the one at his abdomen: a dagger? Maybe a sweord. On the left side of his tail there was what seemed to be a chunk of meat missing. The skin was scarred horribly and only a handful of scales were growing back, too small and listless to compare to the rest of Loki's breathtaking tail.

Of course, instead of taking away from him, those scars only added to Loki. It was a declaration that whatever had happened to him, it had been worse for his foes. As if saying that Loki could not be killed and that he was dangerous and deathly. Jarnsaxa examined the prince and found out that now, Loki looked like an adult instead of a young mer trying to look mature. She knew that this new version of Loki would stir trouble in Jotunheim.

She also knew that Thrym had been an idiot for starting a war against Bor and his sons. Of course, no-on would believe that Thrym had seen Loki when he was but a pup and followed him to the surface. Thrym, the idiot, had fallen prey of his own desires and had sent a petition to Bor: he wanted to wed Loki. Bor had refused, as Loki was still too young and he and Vili were almost all the time together. Separating twins at such young age was known to bring misfortune.

But Thrym did not surrender. A couple of decades later he tried to abduct the prince, taking instead his twin. Of course, Thrym didn't mind much which one of the twins he got, as long as he had Loki's face. Though the kidnappers never reached Jotunheim with the prized cargo, for Loki had charged against them with a fury only know in tales of old. He had fought almost twenty mer to get his brother back and when Vili managed to release himself from their hold, both princes showed why they were to be feared. There were not even one hair nor scale left of the kidnappers.

Vili had claimed then that if anyone tried to touch his little brother Loki, he would be the one seeing to the matter personally. People in Asgard rejoyced then, since the Crown Prince and his twin were to be the most powerful couple of siblings ever seen. After that, Loki's powers were known through the Seven Seas. And Thrym, the fool, decided that that was just a signal from the gods of old telling him that Loki was his intended: beautiful, powerful, deathly. His obsession grew bigger as the centuries went by and he sent his spies to gather intel about the younger twin. Apparently, the youngest son of Bor was able to tell the twins appart as easily as breathing. How he did it was kept a mystery for everyone.

Thrym, then, had waged war against Asgard in the hopes that Loki and Vili would be sent to the battlefield. The disappearance of warriors in such circumstances was not uncommon so if Loki were to disappear while in combat... Jarnsaxa never like that, so she tried to monitor the twin princes and thwart any intent of abduction. She managed to do it fairly well, until the rumour that a spell had been created that could siphon Loki's powers out and use them agaisnt the Aesir.

That had been the factor that killed the older son of Bor. Shortly after, the war was won by Asgard as a sudden spike in berserkr warriors made it impossible for the Jotnar to fight them.

Still, Jarnsaxa was completely sure that no one outside Thrym's closest circle knew why the war had started. Everyone else believed it to be just a rebellion against the Asgardian yoke. And luckily for Thrym, all his confidants, the ones who knew, were dead. Well, not luckily. He had hunted them all and killed them but Jarnsaxa knew and she wasn't dead. That meant that Thrym never knew that she knew.

Looking back at the prince she couldn't help but remember that time he had gone to the court at Utgard. It had been a diplomatic party and Loki had shone like a pearl under the sun, but she knew that he had just gone to see if he could kill Thrym himself. How did she know? Loki had confessed it himself. And he had told her that he would avenge his brother. She had been afraid of the prince, then. His eyes were unfocused and his smile terse, there was a gleam to his skin and scales that spoke of illness of the mind.

“I am going to gut him... And I am going to drag him down to where the abisal terrors thrive and let them eat him alive. And I will witness it with glee... He took my everything from me...”

And then, he had crumbled down. Jarnsaxa had taken him to his chambers and had let the strange mer cry on her shoulder feeling awkward. After that, Loki seemed completely different towards her and that riled up severan of the other Jotnar. He had been polite, and if a friendly enough, never close enough to the rest of the court for rumours to rise but then Loki had become closer to Jarnsaxa and he seemed genuinely relaxed with her, which in turn made the rest of the Jotnar court become colder. Though that was short lived because since she was spotted talking with the prince, the king bestowed over her favours and had her at his side whenever he could. In the end, Loki never tried to assassinate anyone and went back. It seemed that the king had forgotten everything about the prince and there were preparations for the party that would be going to Asgard next but then...

Then the idiot king tried to kidnap Loki once again. And Jarnsaxa found herself once again in the middle of it all. Thrym took her and several others, marched into Asgard and demanded his cousin and his “friends” to be released from what seemed to be a group kidnapping. And then he demanded Loki. Jarnsaxa, while in Asgard, made plans to disappear for ever, she wouldn't mind looking for a place to live in Niflheim and the night she was to scrurry away to never be seen she found king Thrym cornering the very object of his desires.

“You have bewitched me! You have to take responsibility,” he was saying as he grabbed one of Loki's arms.

“I have done not such a thing, king Thrym. If you would be as kind as to release me I won't treat this as an insult and seek retribution myself,” Loki spat back, snarling. The water grew colder around them and Jarnsaxa shivered.

“I have spoken with your father and brother.”

“Good for you, Your Majesty,” Loki said, shaking the other mer. Jarnsaxa could see that the prince had used seidr to make her king release him.

“Loki, can't you see it? We are made for each other! Ours is truly a tragic love. You, who were to be king of Asgard, and me, the one who is king of Jotunheim. Our kingdoms were enemies in the past, but now there will be peace between both of our people and we can finally be together. Do not worry, my love, I will convince your father and brother. We will be together soon,” then he had tried to force Loki in a kiss that the younger mer evaded as best as he could, receiving it on his cheek instead.

Long after the king had gone Jarnsaxa was still huddled, in shock.

“You can come out now, Saxa.”

Startled by the voice she had come out. Loki looked angry.

“Are... are you all right?”

“No. But I will be... If that fool think we are a match made “in heaven” as the humans say then I can manipulate him and turn this to my advantage.”

“You won't destroy Jotunheim, right?” she had asked, scared by the look on the prince's face.

“No. I only require the blood of a few... And as far as I know about your homesea, not many will miss them.”

And then, Jarnsaxa had been burdened with even more secrets. Loki had been spying and gathering intel about the kingdom and no body had known. At that time Jarnsaxa feared for her own head, but Loki had assured her that he would never hurt his friends and that he would always think of her as one.

To this day, she still wondered why she bothered. She would have been a happier mer if she had never involved herself in the royals' affairs. If she simply had ignored the gutwrenching feeling she got the first time she discovered her king stalking a pup from another country. She was the carrier of so many secrets that she was sure her life was in constant danger.

She let her gaze roam around the Royal Table and fixed it on the new Crown Prince. She had heard about him before, but since Jotunheim was thrown into chaos after Thrym's disappearance –to the outside they told that he had been killed, but no body was found– she had not been to Asgard so this was the first time she saw the pup. It was clear the pup was pup no more: handsome, strong broad shoulders and thin waist, elastic red tail that seemed to be peppered with gold all over it. He was smiling while speaking with his royal mother and threw his uncle glances from time to time.

It was clear that this was the first time Loki sat with the Royal Family in such an even since he had been declared missing or dead and now she wondered if those news were only told in Jotunheim. She wouldn't put it past Odin selling them fake news to forget about his older brother. Her eyes found the Crown Prince again. He was such a fine mer she wondered why he wasn't wed already. She swept the hall and saw that quite a lot of young mer, and some older too, were staring at the prince entranced by him, ignoring Loki completely. Heh! It seemed that the handsome prince had now a competitor about who was the “fairest of them all” as humans liked to say.

Jarnsaxa went back to her meal and after a few bites she felt eyes staring at her. Her head snapped up and she looked directly at Loki. He was the one looking. As soon as their eyes met he put on his most charming smile and the worst part of it was that he was genuinely smiling at her. She couldn't help but reciprocate with a coquetish one of her own. His smile crooked slightly, then and he winked at her.

She smothered a giggle by bitting her lower lip and he answered putting his tongue between his teeth and sticking it to his upper lip. She then stuck out her tongue, wrinkling her nose and he huffed, looking away as if trying to hide his chuckle, but that was just for show, he wasn't hiding anything.

Jarnsaxa, satisfied, looked around her in the table, paying attention to the conversation once again until she felt another kind of stare. This time, she found the Crown Prince looking at her with a blank stare, eyes colder than the Artic. Huh? Wasn't this prince supposed to be like underwater sunshine?

Chapter Text

Thor had watched his uncle through the whole feast, fascinated by how he had managed to blend in his attire strong symbols like his shoulder plate with delicate ones like the thin chains that hung around his torso. Loki looked regal and his movements looked precise and natural, though he knew it must come from practise. Thor remembered all those time he had to be with tutors who tried to teach him how to move and behave. He never saw the appeal to any of that so he did the bare minimun, just enough to get by, though now he saw what could get accomplished by putting effort on it.

He also watched his father and mother: they were as graceful as ever and the three of them were aweinspiring in their own right. Thor felt clumsy, even though he knew his own etiquette was flawless by now, he wasn't as natural as his parents or uncle. The feast was going well, in Thor's opinion, though he could feel his father tense, looking from time to time to the head of guards. That was enough to give Thor enough information: he was expecting something to happen.

A movement from his uncle distracted Thor. He looked towards him and found him making faces at someone and that... That was not proper while sitting at the Royal Table. He followed his uncle's eyes and found an old Jotnar woman: she had bluish skin and swirling patterns on her in white. Her hair was tightly braided and she was making faces at his uncle in return.

He heard his uncle's chuckle and looked back at him. He was enjoying himself... with that woman... Thor looked back at her and studied her form. She wasn't bad looking, but she was old. Maybe even older than Loki. Why would his uncle want to have anything to do with a mer like that? She looked plainer and plainer the more he looked and then she looked back at him. She seemed surprised then confused. He kept staring at her until she looked away, with a frown. That was when he decided to look at the rest of the hall. People were engrossed with their meals so maybe no-one noticed. But if they noticed looking at the Jotnar... Well, he could always say that he had never seen one before.

He felt a little satisfaction to have made the woman look away so his meal wasn't as sour as it would be. After the feast, his father gave a speech and re-introduced his long-lost older brother Loki, Prince of Asgard, second in line of succession. At that, Loki's eye twitched ever so slightly and Thor knew that he was annoyed that his father had put his uncle in the line for the crown yet again.

Then, his father invited the guests to enjoy themselves and dance and celebrate the return of both princes to the capital. And the people did. And Thor saw how uncle Loki grabbed his father's wrist and his tense smile and heard him say: “Brother, a word?”

Thor wasn't a pup anymore, but curiosity was a trait that even the oldest mer had so he followed them discreetly. He found them soon enough.

“Are you daft!?” Loki exclaimed in a hushed voice. “No, are you on drugs? Are you eating those poisonous eels that were forbidden-”

“Loki. Stop. And no. I am neither drugged nor stupid. This is the best course of action. If you are in line of succession there's less possibilities for... some mers to try and...”

“What... Are you saying that the Jotrnar are still as dumb as a thousand years ago?” Loki huffed. “Odin, really, you can't keep doing things for my own good without consulting me first! You may be the king, but I have been raised to be the best of advisors and the right hand of the king, and if necessary the left too! You cannot make these decissions without-”

“You don't understand, Loki. They have already sent Jarnsaxa.”

“I know. I saw her! And I assure you that if you free me of my princeling duties I will be able to fend for myself better. If you shackle me with the crown, I will be tied down by rules and norms and customs! If I keep being the Sea Witch I can do away with whomever tries anything against me without fearing the law!”

“Yes! And then you won't be ablte to come home. I recall you were quite upset for being forgotten. What are you, a pup of one hunded? Make up your mind, Loki!”

“No! What gets me this angry is not that you do these things. What gets to me is that you still don't count with me to make these plans! If you want me back, you have to talk with me, whether you like it or not.” Loki and Odin stared at each other, identical frowns on their faces.

Then, both men looked straight at Thor. Loki sighed and rubbed his face with one hand while Odin's face became an exhausted mask.

“Thor, come here, pup,” Odin said. Thor went to them. “You should be out there, enjoying yourself and dancing and singing. What are you doing?”

“These are matters that interest me. We are talking about repercusions to the crown and to the kingdom,” he defended himself. Both men looked at him, dubious. Thor rolled his eyes. “Oh! Please. I also have been groomed to be the Crown Prince and I am still being groomed to be the next ruler. I have to be involved in matters of state.”

“Then, I should be added to it too,” a voice came from the far end of the corridor. Jarnsaxa swam towards them and Thor frowned.

“Why should you be? You are not Asgardian,” he half growled, frown deepening when she stopped at Loki's side and without saying a word or asking for permission fixed some of Loki's chains. Loki put one of his arms around her and Thor saw red, but didn't act. Not yet.

“'Saxa should be because I asked her to,” Loki said with a calm voice. “Come, let's go somewhere else.”

00000

To Jarnsaxa it was clear that the Crown Prince didn't like her, which was a pity because she wouldn't mind sharing a passionate night with him, but alas! You can't always have what you wish. She still didn't know what she had done to the princeling to make him dislike her so much, but she was a fast thinker and good analizing and she had a few suspicions. It could either be that Thor didn't trust Jotnar in general or that he hater her closeness with his uncle in particular.

“And what is it that you want to tell us?” Odin said without preamble. Jarnsaxa didn't even flinch.

“Through time, peace has been reached in Jotunheim. After the king disappeared, the nobles and royals rose to war and almost destroyed the kingdom. But then news of Loki's death reached us and people stopped fighting. Though there's still a lot of tension between the major and most prominent houses, the people are not inclined to be at war again. Lots of coral reef were destroyed and algae farms almost went out of business. They'd rather rise their weapons against their nobles than against fellow mer.”

“So, there's no more nonsense, Saxa?” Loki asked her. She nodded.

“Not quite though. Most of the population couldn't care less about you but...”

“But?”

“Some of them made up a religion about you.” Loki stared at her. “They worship you as a god.” Loki's face was blank. “And some say that you were originally Jotnar but that you were kidnapped at birth and that you real name is Loptr.”

Loki let out a long sigh.

“Worshipped...,” he said with dismay.

“Don't worry about them, though, they do think you didn't die but ascended and that you will be reborn someday in a Jotnar form and that then you will guide Jotunheim to the age of splendor.”

Loki nodded.

“Which means we wait until some Jotun pup is said to be his reincarnation and that's it,” Odin said then, not looking convinced. Jarnsaxa shook her head.

“If only. If they discover that Loki here is alive and well they will claim it to be false and they will want to kill Loki for heresy.”

“So, no matter what we do, they are going to pursue me. Peachy,” Loki said.

“Or we could convince them that in truth they were waiting for Vili but people mixed you two up since you were twins,” Thor commented. Three pair of eyes set on him. “What I'm trying to say: they said that whomever married Loki would be the rightful monarch, but since Loki and Vili were twins how could they be truly sure that it was Loki and not Vili the one “stolen”? They sound dumb enough to believe that the one who ascended is the one missing, right? And look: my uncle has marrins and scars, he can't be a god, just a mortal mer.”

Jarnsaxa looked at the young prince appraising.

“We could make it work... People would stop pursuing the twin that's alive to venerate the one who is dead... That could also help into improving the relationship between our two kingdoms...”

“Sounds like a plan. It'll need polishing but I'm sure you can pull it off,” Loki said patting his nephew on the shoulder. He was about to say something else when a fish appeared out of nowhere and stopped right in front of him. It was a strange fish, for it had a seal on the flank. Loki seemed to recognize it and paled. “If you will excuse me, this is an important matter.”

“Loki-”

“Uncle?”

“Let him go!” Jarnsaxa stopped the king and the prince while Loki swam away. “That seemed to be an important message from his order of seidrmasters.”

“His what?” Odin asked, confused.

“The landwalkers one?” Thor said.

Jarnsaxa looked at both royals and sighed.

“Do you even know Loki?” she asked, bewildered.

00000

“So she is on the move?” Loki asked Strange through the portal. Strange nodded.

“I don't know where she got such life force but she looks young again and it seems she has a siren song too.”

“That is impossible! She was born human, through and through!” Loki exclaimed. “Are you certain she is targeting you all?”

“So far she has gotten three down and even though Mordo isn't keen on believing what I say, he is following my advices now. We don't know where or who will be the next. I wouldn't have contacted you if I thought we could keep her at bay by ourselves. I know you have... duties,” Strange said, motioning to Loki's appearance.

Loki winced. He hadn't taken out the decorations and surely looked silly to a mortal.

“Yes, well... We were in a feast. But worry not. I'll be arriving in three days maximun and then we can start developing a plan.”

“Thank you.”

Loki sighed.

“I just wish I could have prevented this. I though I already did but... It seems I didn't.”

“Don't worry. Neither of us thought that she would try to strike again.”

Loki nodded and after giving a few pointers on how to stay alive if they encountered their foe, he vanished the portal.

“So, you are going up again?”

Loki turned around and smiled warmly.

“'Saxa,” he said, swimming towards her and hugging her. She hugged back.

“I can't belive they made you prince again! All that planning to step down the line and now with a word you are back again. Must suck!” she said, laughing.

“I does, but did you look at my sister?”

“Queen Frigga? Yes, I would say she is about to lay, right? Maybe in a couple of weeks?”

“I bet there will be at least two,” Loki grinned. Jarnsaxa smiled too but then became serious.

“You are leaving again.”

“Yes. This is why I cannot be tied down. I have too many...”

“Projects?”

Loki snorted.

“Let's call them projects, yes.”

“Can I help?”

“You stay here and help Thor with his plan. If we are lucky enough it will work and I'll have less threats to worry about. I don't want to add even more Jotnar that want my head.”

“You can leave it to me.”

“And don't touch him!” he added, half warning half joking. “I can recognize that gaze of yours anywhere.”

“What can I say, Your Majesty? Your nephew is hot as fire.”

Loki laughed.

“Take care. And take care of him. And be patient. Half his brain came from my brother.”

“I'll bear that in mind,” she said hugging him again. “Be careful, all right?”

“I always am.”

This time, Jarnsaxa snorted.

00000

Svadilfari had a sour look on his face. His “father” had died and his mother had decreeted him to be the new king. Hurray... He still wondered why he didn't leave when he could. Now he was the king of that fucking kingdom and had to make public that he was already married. And such a woman was in front of him, looking as sour as he did.

“You are joking.”

“Sorry, I'm not.”

“For fuck's sake, Svad!” she almost yelled. He looked unimpressed. “You said that... that...”

“Things didn't go as planned, Jane. It's not as if I want this to happen.”

“They will want a ceremony,” she growled, slumping on the nearest chair, defeated. “I don't want to marry you again.”

“They won't have a ceremony. We have all the documents so there's no need for one, but the people will want to see you and I together,” Svad sighed, rubbing his face. “I'm thinking about appointing some heirs and in the course of a few months disappear for good.”

“Yes. Dumping everything on me! Look, I have a business to run and I can't spare the time to be the queen of this kingdom,” she said. And he agreed.

“There are other options. We could apply for a divorce.”

“Can that be done?”

“I'm the king now, I'm sure I can work on it.”

Svad saw Jane tensing up.

“You will make good on your word about my ship, won't you?”

“Certainly.”

“Then, let's do this. Let's give them a queen. But as soon as my ship is ready, I'm out.”

“It's just fair.”

“God! I just wish Loki was here. He would be laughing on the floor by now,” she whinned.

“Why would I be laughing at the floor,” Loki said, popping out of thin air. Both humans jumped on their seats, startled.

“Loki!” Svadilfari rose and ran towards the mer before enveloping him in a crushing hug.

“Loki!” Jane said while running towards them and elbowing Svad so she could be the one crushing Loki in her arms.

“What's going on, pups?” Loki asked, surprised.

They explained, and sure enough, Loki was cackling in a matter of seconds, breatlessly, on the floor, fighting hard to breathe.

“You could at least show a little bit of concern,” Jane admonished before she started laughing too.

“You are both idiots,” Loki said before laughing again.

“Yes. Idiots who need your help to solve this,” Svad said, and even though he tried, he couldn't help but laugh too. Loki's laughter was always contagious and Svad would admit that he had missed it, even if Loki hadn't been far from them for that long. “But what are you doing here? I thought you needed to do mer stuff under the sea,” Svad asked once they calmed down.

“It seems that there's a rogue mage on the loose who is hunting and killing people from my order and leaving clear messages. She wants to meet with me. So I've come to deal with her.”

“How long will you be staying, then?” Svad asked, putting his arms around Loki again. Loki rested his hands on Svad's chest.

“How long do you want me to stay?” he purred. At their side, Jane coughed.

“Maybe if you can help us with this, we can help you with your rogue.”

Loki looked at Jane, exposing his throat to Svad who didn't miss a beat and started kissing it.

“That's a most generous offer, but I would prefer if you were to stay clear of her path. I wouldn't like it if she were to hurt any of- ah, Svad...- you... Mm... Continue...”

With the corner of his eyes, Svad saw Jane roll her eyes before she left. And he continued, as Loki had asked.

“I've missed you,” he mumbled on the skin before biting it lightly.

“So it seems,” Loki moaned. “Take me, take me now!”

Oh! How he had missed his beautiful mer.

00000

Amora looked at the corpse of her sister, Lorelei. She felt a cold fury through her veins.

“Who did this to you?” she asked to the nothing. “I will rip them to pieces.”

Kneeling down, she closed the eyes of her dead sister, feeling rage. She would find the one who was hunting them down. Amora had been out collecting herbs and debts so she wasn't home when they attacked. But she would find the perpetrator. On the wall, written with Lorelei's blood, was a message for someone she didn't know.

This one wasn't of yours. But that doesn't matter. Whether they are of yours or not, I am going to hunt them all until you come and see me. Let's talk, dear Loki. I miss you so.

First of all... She needed to find that Loki. It seemed that whomever had attacked Lorelei was also targeting other magic users to lure that Loki out. She needed answers and she would get answers. With the wave of a hand she had a rucksack prepared. For now, she needed to clean Lorelei's body and their home. After that she would bury her dear sister. Then, she would go on the road. She would have her revenge.

Chapter Text

That day Thor discovered with a sinking heart that Loki had left again. Thor had been sure that at least Loki would come to him to say good bye, and then he would have tried to stall his uncle's departure but Loki just left over night and there weren't even a note for him. Soon enough he was distracted from this by his mother's words.

“Are you certain, mother? A sibling?”

“Or siblings.”

Thor's grin didn't quite fit in his face as he hugged his mother. Her embrace was warmer than ever and she looked radiant.

“I'm so happy, mother!” he said.

“Me too,” she laughed. They started talking about names and what positions his little sibling or siblings should be ready for when they were grown up. Loki had been groomed to be Vili's advisor, so maybe Thor would have his little sibling as advisor too. But if they were a natural with the weapons maybe the master-at-arms of the kingdom would be better suited. The excitement was cut short when a servant anounced Lady Jarnsaxa. Frigga gave her permission and the Jotnar entered.

Thor had to concede that she wasn't that bad looking. And her sense of humor was acidic in an amusing way.

“Good day, Queen Frigga, Crown Prince,” she said, bowing graciously. Her hair was, as always braided in mutliple little plaits plastered to her head and falling to her back. Thor wondered if she did them all herself or if she had an attendant to help with them.

“Lady Jarnsaxa,” his mother greeted with a nod. Thor nodded too.

“I've come to talk with the Prince, if you will give leave, Your Majesty.”

“Of course, Lady Jarnsaxa. Thor, you can go.”

It was all protocol. And Thor hated it. After his time in the surface he had realized that protocol often times was just in the way. It was as if it had been made to hinder people talking with other people. Maybe he would relax it a bit when he became king. He nodded to his mother before kissing her on the cheek and leaded the way out to his study.

“Very well, pup. This is what I have learnt about the matter these past days, but I think we will need more information before we start the rumour. It has to be tightly controlled at first if we don't want it to backfire and for that we will need...” she started as soon as the door was closed.

Thor had half a thought of regreting his idea, but thinking about freeing his uncle from being pursuited by crazed fanatics fueled his determination.

The meeting extended until supper time and they were called to the dinning hall. Jarnsaxa parted ways with him then: guest or not the dinning hall was for the Royal Family only.

00000

Jarnsaxa had to give it to Loki: his nephew was a handful. He could go from having the most brilliant idea to make the dumbest comments in the same sentence and without stopping to breathe. Patience had been her ally through their meeting because the prince had talked like a sheltered brat even though he could say sensible things from time to time. And even with half plankton-brained cells he was still yummy.

It had been sort of a miracle that she didn't get distracted with the way his muscles moved under his skin or how his tail reflected the light from the spheres, but she had managed. After all, the pup was only an eye candy and she knew nothing would even happen between them.

That night, while she ate, she thought about the next step they could take when a whild idea occurred to her. What if Asgard sent another delegation to Jotunheim? After all, since the High Houses were now at relative peace, that another kingdom aknowledged them would help cement a new line of monachy without the need to buy it. However, it should be done in a way that the population didn't see it as Asgard pointing the one that suited them best, and in sending people there they could spread the word about Vili and Loki and making Vili the one they were truly seeking. After all who remembered now the specifics of the war? She had been in it and even she couldn't trust her memory regarding some events.

Finishing her meal quickly, she went back to her chambers to redact the proposal. She had the draft of it, now she needed to get into details, not too many, for if you wanted a plan to succeed you sometimes needed to leave things to chance instead of trying to control even the smallest of details. She worked on the plan, none-the-less, for hours. There were lots of protocol to review in case the people sent to Jotunheim were not acquired with their customs and she would rather cut her caudal fin off than to let this part to chance.

Satisfied with the first draft, she went to sleep. From there, if it was approved, they would just need to select the people they would sent. Not too old, to prevent bad blood, and not too young, to prevent brass comments. She knew that it would be difficult to select the correct mers but maybe with a few pointers Thor would find the correct people to send there.

00000

“I don't trust her,” Odin said after he finished applying the muffling runes. Thor nodded. Odin sighed heavily. “You don't trust her by your own reasons, I gather?” he asked his son. Thor blushed and looked away. “What is it?”

“She was... She looks too comfortable with uncle Loki,” Thor said, still not looking at him.

“That would be understandable. She was appointed as his personal guide when he first arrived at Utgard-Hall. She taught him how to behave and how to greet the nobles in a way that wouldn't be insulting while mixing it with the protocol held in Asgard. She was also his chaperone in case anyone was interested in him. Loki's mission was also about finding suitable spouses not only for himself but for a bunch of nobles to strenghten ties.”

“They are... friends?” Thor looked at him now.

“You could say that. Though she is dangerous. She is Farbauti's niece,” Odin said. At his son's confussion he added, “Farbauti is late King Thrym's half-brother. If he had wanted the throne after his half-brother disappeared, he could have claimed it and he and his spouse Laufey would be the monarchs, but with all the mess left by...”

He saw his son nod in understanding.

“Is that why you don't trust her, father?”

“It's part of it, yes. She works in the shadows. Not many people know about her origins, not that she actively hides it but more often than not, people don't ask and she doesn't say it. It has worked in her favour: she knows a lot of dark secrets, she is a spy and not, and she can manipulate the right people in her own advantage. That she is close with the royal family from another country only makes her more dangerous.”

“I see.”

“And you, pup? Why are you so upset about her?”

Thor blushed again and Odin felt his patience growing thin. Instead of asking again he just kept staring at his son until he mumbled something. Since Odin didn't quite understand what was said, he just lifted a brow.

“I don't like how familiar she seemed with Loki,” Thor admited, crossing his arms over his chest. Odin waited as long as he could but he didn't manage to swallow the chuckle. And at Thor's affronted look the chuckle became a laughter. He couldn't help it, his pup looked even more like a pup, sticking his lower lip out and frowning.

“What? Don't tell me you are jealous. Are you going to guard your uncle's chastity until he marries?” Odin started laughing again, feeling breathless. “You... you will find... hahaha, that... difficult to... hahaha, to do!” he tried to say.

Thor looked ashamed and angry now, but his son didn't say anything, only looked away.

“Well... I know I can't control his movements but I don't think it appropriate of him to go around flirting with whomever crosses his path. It does not-”

“Thor, son. I have to stop you here,” Thor stopped at his words. Odin looked at him, fondly. “Loki has been a little flirt all his damn life and if my father couldn't stop him from taking whomever he wanted to his bed before I doubt he is going to change now.” He took a long gulp of water and filtered slowly before continuing. “The only times when he... Settled down were when he got married.”

“Married? Ah... Yes, he told me about it. Sigyn,” Thor said and Odin looked at him, surprised.

“He told you about Sigyn?”

“A little.”

“Mm...”

Odin was surprised. Loki hadn't told anyone about Sigyn until he already had two grown kids and even then it took a lot of coaxing. Shortly after he told them about his wife and human kids they were attacked and since then, any important matter was hiden close to his heart. Odin didn't blame him for that, though.

A globe shone by the door indicating them that someone was outside waiting for permission to enter. Odin undid the runes and then proceeded to open the door. The sturdi plank –carved with runes as to not rot– swung over its hinges and Jarnsaxa entered with a grin.

“I've got an idea...” she said, glee sparkling in her eyes.

00000

Frigga had kept drinking the elixirs that Loki had left her with instructions for her eggs. Most of them, she knew herself from her own training as seidrmaster, but some seemed so foreign that the only explanation was that Loki had developed them himself. She was grateful, very grateful to him and the only way she could think to thank him was by having strong, healthy pups. Looking at herself in a mirror she frowned.

She hadn't told anyone the reason why she had not been able to carry more eggs to the final stage but she was sure that she had been poisoned at one point or another. At first, every new batch of eggs took root perfectly well, but when the time to laid them came they just... broke. At first, the doctors had told her it was because she was putting too much pressure into herself, and that her body would do what it could when she calmed down. After centuries of marriage and not even a single child she had started to believe that it was, indeed, her fault, so she stopped holding her breath whenever Odin gave her eggs. She just knew what would happen so if she didn't raise hope then she wouldn't feel disappointed.

Then, it was decided that she had to do a route around the allied kingdoms. She had informed Odin that the eggs, as always, had taken root, but she didn't expect for them to reach the last stage. Odin had also been convinced of such, but instead of glowering at her, he had just taken her hands and kissed them.

“Some day,” he had said with a sad smile. “There's no rush...”

Well... There was rush. Odin needed an heir. It was either that or appointing Loki as the next in line and at the time Frigga didn't know the mer enough to trust that decission. For her, Loki was a wayward mer with too much power and too little interest in the matters of the Royal House. It was then when everything changed. She was away from the palace at other countries and protected by her own loyal people. She laid the eggs. It was a surprise to everyone, most of all for her.

Out of the whole batch only one had been fertilized correctly and had a tiny mer inside. At the time, she was in Vanaheim, quite a ways away from Asgard so instead of going back, the King himself came to her –with the permission of the ruler of Vanaheim, Frey–, and saw the little thing. Until the egg hatched, the Queen stayed away and soon after they made the trip back.

Arriving with the little prince in her arms, Frigga had been celebrated, and her suspicion became a reality when she spotted several sour faces: she had been poisoned all these years to prevent her from having pups. She wasn't sure who the perpetrator was, though she had a list of candidates. And this reality became a problem, since ever since they had Thor, not only one egg had taken root. The poison used against her prevented any egg to be assimilated correctly and they just dissolved inside her body.

It was true that after all these years, with Thor a grown mer already, there shouldn't be a necessity for another prince or princess, but Frigga feared for her son. He had been targeted several times, though she had been able to keep him in blissful ignorance, but she dreaded the day that they ones trying to take her down would manage to hurt her pup, and so she knew it was a duty to produce another heir. She hated it, because she wanted a pup just for the joy of having another child and not as a tool. If it had been up to her, she would have had a large family.

Sighing, she examined her next elixir and after drinking it she realized. It was laced with an antidote. Frigga recognized this taste, as it was one of the many she had brewed and administered to Thor whenever she suspected he had been poisoned. So Loki knew. Or at the very least suspected.

Once again, she felt grateful for having managed to get to know her brother-in-law.

Having taking all her elixirs and potions, she closed her drawer with a minnor enchantment and activation runes –it would be counterproductive if the very things that were boosting the eggs now were to be trampled with– and left her chambers to go to court. That day she was to hear the complains of the population at the border. But before she could reach the hall she felt such a sharp pain that she became breathless. Her attendees were with her in seconds and she was rushed to the medical wing.

She knew this pain. She had felt it before only once. She couldn't breathe.

“Call for the King,” she ordered as she was laid on one of the nests. Frigga laid sideways. Oh! This one was big. “Call for the King!” she repeated when some of her attendees stayed put, looking at each other. They scattered but her personal guard, Sváfa, stayed at her side, glaring at anyone who tried to approach her Queen even if they were doctors. Sváfa was privi of Friggas suspicions and she would not let anyone take away the new prince or princess from her, she had sworn on her blood that she would find the culprits and bring them to justice.

In matter of minutes, the King, the Prince and some nobles were there. She looked at Odin, who looked back, hopefull. She nodded and saw the exact moment her husband's heart swelled with happiness.

“They are coming,” he whispered. The room was hushed and Thor and Sváfa made everyone leave save her personal nurse and doctor, who came rushing from a side corridor.

“Yes.”

“How many?”

“I don't know... But they are big...”

Big was good. Big meant strong. Big meant less likely to be killed.

The rest of the day, she laid on her side as the eggs were pushed out. Their shell wasn't soft nor didn't give way as they did when they were first laid. It had gotten hard and as she remembered, it took time for her body to open up and push them out. By the end of the day, five eggs had already been laid, connected between each other by a sturdy mucus.

Odin stayed with her, though Thor was sent to rest. Odin didn't move, holding her hand throught the whole process. When she laid Thor, Odin had been so far away, but now... Now he was right here, at her side, combing her hair and whispering sweet words of love and adoration.

It wasn't until the early morning that the whole batch was out and she could close her eyes for a while. Upon waking, Sváfa would tell her that she had had the most beautiful smile on her tired face.

00000

“Congratulations, you have competition,” Jarnsaxa told him, slapping at his shoulder. He frowned at her smile and she held her hands palms out in a non-threatening way. “I mean it well. Now you can dump some of your responsibilities on your little sibling, can you not? You could even, I don't know, marry another merman and never have children for your sibling could be the one producing heirs,” she winked and Thor's frown deepened.

“What do you mean?”

“D'aw, pup! Do you remember what I do for a living? I know how to connect the dots. And let me tell you, you have horrible taste in mer. I mean, sure, the cover is interesting but the insides are rotten,” she laughed.

Thor repressed the want to strangle her, mainly because the anxiety of being busted, yet again, filled his mind.

“Who are you referring to?”

She rolled her eyes.

“C'mon! You don't have to act with me. I already know.” She looked both sides before leaning in. Thor did the same and she whispered in a barely audible voice: “You have the hots for Loki.”

“That's not-”

“It is! And if you think you are so good at concealling it let me tell you that you should take up some acting classes, because you are quite transparent.”

Thor felt the heat rise to his cheeks.

“What do you want?” he grumbled, sure that the Jotun only wanted to extort him.

“Me? Nothing much... Just help you to hide it better. It wouldn't do for more people to realize that you want to be with uncle dearest in a private nest for ever and ever. Not now, anyways, because people could think that you have been hoarding the prize for yourself and that Asgard wants to take what's rightful theirs, do you catch me?” she said, one eyebrow raised. She also looked mildly annoyed. “Look, pup, your uncle asked me to protect you and I have all the intentions of doing it.”

Thor sighed.

“So you don't want to blackmail me?”

“Who? Me? Why? If I asked Loki he would give me his heriloom in a second. No. I don't want treasures, nor richies or the like. No, no. Listen. As repulsive as his personality is, Loki is my friend, so I will try to help him as best as I can,” she looked at him, pointedly. Thor was quite lost now. This woman was the weirdest mer he had ever found. “First of all, you need some classes on how to hide what you are feeling and thinking.”

Thor narrowed his eyes.

“Mm... Maybe after we send the envoy. I have the list of people in my study.” She nodded.

“Good. Ah! Were you going somewhere?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. It seems that my pup sibling might hatch at any time now and I want to be there.”

“Then, by all means, don't let me entertain you any further,” she said, smiling sideways and pulling away while extending her arm to the corridor. Thor rolled his eyes. He had to admit that the woman had her charms and that she was growing on him.

Just a few hours later the notice was given. The new prince of the Kingdom had hatched safely, followed shortly by the princess. Out of the batch of eggs, two had had pups in them. In the upcoming days, the whole kingdom knew the names of the new royals: Baldr the beloved and Sigrun the victorious.

Chapter Text

Sif wasn't ready. Well, to be fair, she was. She had been taught to the tiniest of details everything about how to navigate through the court at Utgard-Hall. She had to refer to the people by name and then by title. Instead of saying, for example, Lord Finn, she had to say Finn-Lord. Ridiculous! But she was ready. She had listened to Jarnsaxa and followed every word. Even the Crown Prince agreed in that she was ready.

Still... She wasn't ready. Travelling so far away on her own, even if she was to go with a huge group, was unnerving and her mission was too important to blunder. She was no diplomat, she was a guard. Ever since she was a pup she had wanted to be a Royal Guard and protect the Royal Family. As a trainee she had befriended the Crown Prince, to a degree at least, and she had gotten beaten up so many times and been back for more that people thought that she was unbreakable.

It had taken her years upon years of effort, blood, pain and satisfaction to make her into the warrior that she was today. And that was exactly why she was being sent: should she be isolated from the rest of the group, she could fend for herself to an extent. A real diplomat would be in real danger, but she could hold her own enough to ask for help or even to rescue herself, which was why she had also had etiquete classes and had been told how to hold her stance in a lady-like manner.

That had been the worst part of it all, if she was honest. Now, the real test started: in a few hours she would be in her way to Jotunheim.

00000

“Are you sure she is ready, Saxa?” Thor asked. After these months together, he and Jarnsaxa had become closer and Thor had heard a lot of stories about Loki. Crazy stuff like how he had been just sitting, staring at the algae moving and half the attendants to a ball had stopped in their tracks to stare at him. It sounded so absurd that Thor had laughed the best part of a quarter of hour until he could regain his normal breathing, just for Jarnsaxa to add a detail about how a dancing pair had stopped too and fought to go to Loki first making him losing it again.

“As ready as she can be. She is intelligent, her looks aren't bad on their own and if someone pisses her off she can stare anyone to death. She is perfect. Any worry she may nurse about this it's just in her head,” the Jotun answered, taking one piece and moving it. They were playing a game of Talf and so far she had won every single round. “And if you keep playing this bad you will never win against Loki, you know?”

Thor felt his cheeks grow warm.

“I know.”

“Good. Now, remember how to move to capture pieces or should we go about that once again?”

“I know!”

“Well, you don't really look like you know. We have been playing every single evening for the last two months and you have never ever-”

“I KNOW!” She went quiet and stared down at him. He looked away. “I'm sorry, Saxa... It's just... Are you sure about this plan?”

“As sure as the currents move around. Look, princeling, Loki loves playing games and he doesn't care if he loses so long he had a good time. Fight him, make him laugh, make him suffer for the win, make him think he won and then defeat him and you will show him that you are more than your looks. Believe me, he is quite fed up with people who only think about looks, and that includes himself.” Then she sighed and muttered, “Medusa knows how bitchy he becomes when he realizes that he had been admiring himself at a mirror. Cyclothymic bastard...”

Thor regarded the Jotun with a frown. According to Saxa, this was the best way to approach his current plight. However, as long as Svadilfari was alive, Thor had nothing to do, but if he could show his worth to Loki then... Then maybe he could start a courtship later on.

“I'm not sure...”

“And that's why you keep losing. Look, first, you need to stop showing what movements you are going to use because, seriously, you are so easily read.”

00000

Frigga saw the whole envoy parting towards their new destination. She wasn't privi of all the details but she needn't to know to form her own opinion. She had an inkling about what was going on and she truly hoped that whatever her husband and older son were planning succeeded. When she couldn't see the last of the envoy, she turned around and went to the nursery. Her little pups were sleeping peacefully, holding each other hands. She smiled. They weren't truly twins, since they had come from different eggs, but they had been born at the same time.

Baldr had the golden hair of her family, whereas Sigrun had her father's black hair. Both their noses were identical, but Baldr's eyes were brown while Sigrun's were dark blue. Everyone had been surprised about Baldr's eyes at first. However, both of Frigga's parents had brown eyes, so it wasn't that shocking for her.

With infinite tenderness her hand caressed the heads of her pups. Sigrun sighed contently but Baldr didn't even stirr. In fact, the soft pink on his cheeks was receding to a pale grey. Frigga's alarm blared out. Something was wrong with her son. A low growl formed in her throat. With the pass of a hand over her daughter and some enchantments she took Baldr in her arms and raced towards the medical wing. She shouted to Sváfa to protect the princess and took her other guards with her.

They reached it in record time and the doctor rushed to her. She had been casting a healing spell on her way but it didn't seem to work on her pup. Fear gripped her insides like a claw when Baldr was taken from her arms and laid down for inspection. Through a haze she heard words like poisoning, curse and dark seidr. Apathy took her outer form while wrath raged inside her. She would find them. She would hunt them down, one by one. They would rue the day they though they had a say in Frigga's family, in how many pups she could have. Frigga was sure now, that there was someone inside. She had had her suspicions but she always thought they were outside the Palace. Now, she had all the proof she needed.

“Mina,” she calle the doctor. The mer looked at her. “I am going to the King. If anything happens to my son while I'm gone...” she just looked at him in the eye and he nodded, hands still glowing while trying to keep the poison from doing further damage. More doctors and nurses rush to aid and Frigga left, weaving a protecting shield about the place.

When she arrived at her husband study, he was with some council members. They all stared at her, startled.

“Frigga?” Odin whispered in surprise.

“My King,” she said, bowing respectfully. “I come to inform you that one of your sons has been poisoned.”

Sváfa appeared then with the princess in her arms. Frigga took the pup and left, followed by the king and his assistants. They arrived just in time to see something not quite shocking but worrying: the doctor was on the floor, hair and blood floating around him as well as her guards either with broken necks or still alive but dying. There was an ashen looking mer by the table where little Baldr was lain, one hand risen over the golden head. A flash and there was something engraved on the tiny chest.

Frigga launched herself after the one attacking her little pup, holding Sigrun to her breast while waving a sword with his other hand in sure motions that slashed at the ashen mer. She was covering her face with a veil but her purple eyes were enough for Frigga to know who she was.

“Get her!” someone shouted at her back. But Friggas eyes were on her prey, who was holding her side where the sword had cut.

“You,” Frigga growled. “You tried to kill my Thor, and now you go against my Baldr! I will rip out your throat!”

00000

He had seen Sif depart with the company of Fandral and Hogun and he was calmer than he thought he would feel about it. The plan in motion, the only thing left to do was to wait. This kind of thing would take time, that was for sure, but the people that had been sent to Jotunheim had been handpicked by him and trained by Jarnsaxa so he was confident, if a little nervous.

The last thing that Thor wanted to happen was for his people and friends to get harmed in any way and that was the only thing that kept him on high alert. After all, if he was to reign Asgard one day, he needed to be prepared for the worst while doing his best.

“Stop overthinking. I told some... friends that they were on their way and to take care of them as best as they could,” Jarnsaxa said, resting against the valaustrade and looking towards the departing group. “I trained them well and we will be getting reports weekly once they are settled.” She was smirking sideways in an infuriating way and Thor felt the desire to smack her but, in deference to her seniority over him, he didn't.

“I know. Still, I wouldn't like if I passed over something important just because I got relaxed.”

She nodded.

“That's wise. Now, I've been told that you are going to attend court from now on and that the king is going to ask of you your input on state affairs more often, am I wrong?”

“No, you are not,” Thor said, shaking his head. “But I still don't feel ready.”

“You are. The only thing you need to work on is your blank face.”

“My what?”

“Blank face. You have to hide what your are feeling or thinking while listening to the court or the advisors so as to not reveal whichever plan you agree with so they won't be able to use your preferences against you and rule through you.”

“Mm... Loki is way more suited for that.”

“Ah! Yes. Well... Loki never uses a blank face. He prefers a smile here, condescending on most of the cases, and if something delights him he will frown or laugh. He is so unpredictable that that's his “blank face” mask. It's more difficult to achieve, but once you master the blank face, if you want, I can try teaching you that skill. Though don't go thinking it's going to take you less than a century because-”

Thor never heard the end of her sentence, as an alarm blared. Thor looked around and swam as fast as he could towards his father's study –which was more like a small court room in which he had meetings with his closest advisors and councilors– and saw his mother leaving followed by the king, soldiers and some councilors. Thor swam a little bit faster to catch up to his father. He reached his side just as his mother leaped into the medical bay, sword in hand.

He launched himself too and what he saw didn't make sense, though the fear that seized his heart was overriden by the need to protect his little siblings.

What followed he couldn't remember clearly, just that they managed to reduce the assailant, stop his mother from killing the mer before they could interrogate her and that more doctors came to try and save the wounded as well as save the little prince from the poisoning.

Later that day, Thor was cuddling with the two pups, Baldr having somewhat recovered, though he still looked ill, and Sigrun playing with his hair as she tried to catch the floating strands with her tiny hands and put it in her mouth. Someone knocked and he called for them to enter. His mother smiled at him with such warmth that he couldn't reconcile this version with the feral mer he had seen hours ago.

“Mother,” he said, smiling.

“My boy... My pups...” She embraced them tightly to Sigrun's glee and Baldr's discomfort. She took Baldr from Thor's arms into her own, caressing his head worriedly.

“Still nothing?”

“No,” she said, still looking down. “I had had my suspicions that she was involved... But I never thought she would try to attempt to...” She sighed. “When you were little, varely two years old, you got lost in the outer ocean. No one knew how that had happened. How could a pup so young swim so far away alone? But you were strong and people didn't doubt that you were able to do such feat,” she said that word with contempt as if she loathed it. “You were just a pup, no pup could have done such. You... You were almost eaten alive. We found you in time, though.”

“I don't recall...”

“You wouldn't. For you it was all a game. When I asked you, you only said that a friend had taken you out to play. Your father agreed with me that it was suspicious so we decided to tighten the security.”

“That I remember. I was always followed, no matter what I was doing or where I was going. It was so stiffling.”

She laughed.

“You hated it, but we didn't know who wanted to you dead. For a while I thought it could have been Loki, but after that first time I never saw him again.”

“When you say that you saw him you mean...”

“Didn't I tell you? He came to see me as soon as I married your father. I thought he could have come back and tried to take you away but that was unlikely. So I kept investigating and I discovered that your father had been courting several other mer before we married. It wasn't set on stone that he would marry any of them or that he would kept them after he married so I suspected one of them had wanted the throne more than what they had let on and when I appeared I hindered their ambitions and plans. I...” she took a deep breath. “I was unable to conceive. Until I was away from the palace, and from them, I couldn't take any eggs to term. That's when I had you.”

Thor was silent, meditating about the implications of what his mother had revealed to him.

“Does father know?”

“No. If he knew he would rip them all to shreds and I have no doubt that not all of them hated me for my luck. Sometimes your father can be a bit... temperamental.”

Thor snorted. Yeah, a bit. A bit over the top. His father and uncle both reacted in extreme ways over small slights so he didn't want to think how they would react to such a huge thing like this.

“So we need to gather all the information before.”

“Yes... I will admit I let my blood lust get the better of me, but I was so scared when I saw her hovering over your brother.”

Thor looked at Baldr, who looked back at him and gave one of his most adorable toothless grin. Thor grinned back as Sigrun finally got hold of his hair and shoved it in her mouth before spitting it out, disappointed by the taste. Thor laughed. Then looked at her mother.

“She did something to him, right?”

“Yes... A curse. I know not yet what it does to your brother but it won't be pretty. For nor I have stalled it.”

Thor nodded.

“Once uncle Loki is back we could ask him.”

“We could.”

The stayed in silence for a while, the pups making their own sounds. Baldr decided to sleep in his mother's arms while Sigrun thought that maybe this time Thor's hair would taste better and tried to catch it again.

“I think I...” Thor started then in a small voice. His mother looked at him, encouraging. “I might... lo-like Loki,” Thor admited, blushing.

His mother smiled at him.

“To my utter surprise. I know he can be charming, but I cannot find much likable about him yet,” she said and Thor knew she was jesting. He chuckled.

“Yes. One needs to be with him long enough.”

“As long as your father has?”

“Maybe not that long,” he retorted and they both laughed.

“My boy... If you truly think you will be happy with him I have nothing against it. Only if he wants it too. Though...”

Thor's smile soured. He knew what his mother was thinking about.

“I know...”

Her smile was bittersweet, too.

“Only one would suffice.”

“It would feel like betrayal.”

“I know.”

“Wouldn't Baldr be enough?” he asked looking at his mother. She shook her head, sadly.

“If you can find a way through the law. But in your current condition... You would need proof that you are unable to lay and fertilize eggs, or even if you could, that no egg of you could take root. That would be extremely difficult to prove medically and I doubt you would want to go around laying eggs on strangers to see if they take root or not.”

Thor felt uncomfortable about that. Then, with even a quieter voice than at the beginning of the conversation, he admitted another thing.

“I only want to lay my eggs on one mer...” he but whispered, unable to look at his mother.

“What if he wanted pups of his own?”

At that, he looked at her, surprised. She was looking down at Baldr. On her part, Sigrun had started falling asleep in her big brother's arm.

“Wha- I... I don't know...”

“It's only a rumour but... There were people saying that the Sea Witch, who was definitely male, could have his own eggs fertilized and then laid out...” she said. Then se looked at him. “It is only a rumour, Thor, but if he could give you heirs-”

“I wouldn't think twice,” Thor answered, heart hammering in his chest. “I know that producing an heir is important but I don't want to have any if it's not with him.”

“And if the rumour turns to be false and he cannot... What do you think people will say? Do? They might accept him as your spouse for a fashion, let's say, for half a millennium. Then they will want pups. A Royal Wedding, a Royal Birth... Those kind of things are the ones they want to see. They want things to celebrate, to have an excuse to gather around and be festive.”

“Can't they-” he started, but cut himself off, bitting his lip. “I am being extremely selfish, aren't I?” he peeked at his mother and she smiled at him fondly.

“Not quite. We all are a little bit selfish when we are young. In time, you will learn to do what's best for your people, even if it's not what you need in your personal life.”

That... Wasn't reassuring at all. In fact, it made Thor's heart sink.

“That is our particular curse, isn't it? We rule over them, but they rule over us...” he muttered. His mother caressed his head as delicately as she had Baldr's a few moments ago.

“They give us power to rule over them. It would be unfair if they couldn't have some sort of power over us.”

Thor sighed.

“I apologize for leave in pursuit of true love. Now I know that I was just a deluded pup. Though now...” he sighed again. “Now I wish I was still a deluded pup, so I could ignore this pain.”

Either he ruled with Loki at his side, as his uncle, his advisor, or he let Baldr rule and lived with Loki as spouses... If Loki accepted him.

It was his own responsibility, though now that he had two younger siblings the idea of teaching both of them how to be a ruler in his stead wouldn't leave his mind. He wanted to be selfish once again and leave everything behind himself. But first, Loki would have to accept him, right? He couldn't go around chasing people he didn't know if they lo-liked him back. Look at how well it had gone the first time around.

“I should go now. Here, give Sigrun to me,” his mother said. He passed his little sister onto his mother and helped her adjust both sleeping pups. He kissed her head. “Don't worry too much about things that have yet to happen. Prepare for them, but worry only when you are to confront them.”

He nodded.

Chapter Text

Loki was sprawled on the couch, lounging languidly while waiting for an answer. They have been setting traps for their little murderer but she was too cunning for them. The up side on all of it was that now that Loki was here, the deaths had stopped alltogether though he wasn't relaxing yet. She had called him on land for some reason and if he didn't discover it before their inevitable meeting then he was screwed. All his life he had known that he needed to have the upper hand whenever he was against Hela.

Hela. Terrible and powerful and very, very mortal, had managed to keep alive all these centuries. How? Well, if what the reports said was true, he had a very omnious feeling about it. He knew that she was quite intelligent and somewhat cruel but he never, in his wildest nightmares, thought that she would go as far as she had. No, no. It wasn't possible that... Why was she acting up now? Had she been laying in waiting to strike? Why now? Something must have happened for her to get out of her lair.

He had tried to contact Angrboda –after all, nothing like a parent to stop a trouble child– but he couldn't find him. It was as if he had banished from the surface of the earth and from the deep of the ocean. Loki knew he wasn't dead but that after having sent so many messages explaining the dire situation that Angrboda didn't deign to at least answer it left him with a bitter after taste. He knew they weren't on good terms but still, they had been great friends and companions, hadn't they?

Anyway, now he was waiting for Stephen to contact him about the new developments in the barriers. He snorted, remembering how taken aback Stephen had been when he had called him by his given name instead of his surname. The wizard had been so surprised and then he didn't want Loki to call him by his name so of course Loki kept using it. The more the better.

Loki sighed, lifting the letter that was resting on his chest to look at it again. Svad had written to him that his idea had been a success. Naturally, it couldn't have been in any other way. His little plight about becoming king and being married and blah, blah, blah, had been resolved by: he and Jane had been married from before they “rescued” Sigurd and Loki had been just a smoke screen to missdirect people from his real sweetheart. Of course, since Jane wasn't of royal nor noble birth, she had to be protected so her identity was kept a secret and people wouldn't pressure the now King Sigurd to marry since he already was married. Lots of ladies had wept.

Letting out a smal laughter, Loki sat up before standing up, stretching. If only they knew that Svad wasn't the faithful kind. After their reunion they had talked about it and it seemed his pirate had had some encounters with some female friends. He had seemed bashful at first, when he admited that he had laid with others, as if Loki would get angry over that. Loki had just laughed and asked for details in case he had found out something he liked to try together.

A knock came and seconds after Svad entered the room. He was dressed with normal clothes, cotton and leathers, nothing too fancy.

“Any luck?” he asked.

“Not yet. But we have another trail. What do you know about dark magic?”

Loki rose an eyebrow.

“What kind? There are lots of dark magic. In fact, most magic is just neutral.”

“The kind that rises people from their graves.” Oh. “Not good, I take it.”

“No. Not at all. If she is rising them from their graves...”

“The people who have seen it say that the corpses weren't talking, just moving around throwing magic like projectiles.”

Loki narrowed his eyes, frowning. His mind was trying to anticipate her next moves but it seemed she had surprised him.

“This is not blood magic. It cannot be,” he said, one hand rubbing at his chin. What was she thinking? What did she want to do? He looked at Svad, serious face in place. “You say no talking and throwing magic. Anything else?”

Svad nodded.

“Some refused to destroy and tried to attack her, but the others reduced them.”

Mm. That was interesting. What could cause a-

“I got it!” he exclaimed. He walked towards the shelves and began searching. “Come and help me,” he commanded. As soon as Svad was at his side, he pilled book after book on his arms and only when he was sure he had all the tomes he needed did he direct Svad to the desk. “I need you to read through these over here and look for words like risen from the dead, undead, magic users.”

“You have a lead?”

Loki looked up from the book he had opened, skidding through the pages looking only for specific words and not quite reading.

“Yes.” As only question, Svad's eyebrow rose. “Necromancy.”

00000

News from all around the place were coming to the tower. Stephen would have appreciated if Loki had lent him Hugin and Munin but it seemed the mer was using them too. Not that he would have enjoyed the chatty pair, it would have been a disaster if both birds were to cross paths or worse, be in the same place at the same time. They tended to be rather competitive.

Myrt, his own favourite, was resting now after a really intense week of travelling. The poor thing was exhausted and even though he could have brewed some tonic for it, the raven wouldn't have understood that it had all the energy back, not used to that kind of thing. With a sigh he went back to read all the reports, making notes on who had seen what and where and when. They were using the biggest map they had been able to find and on it Stephen made sure to mark where and when their foe had been seen. He had also developed a colourful chart to help make sense on it.

The thing that granted Stephen most about this situation was that Loki and their assailant seemed to know each other but Loki had not disclossed anything about her other than she was centuries old, she was supposed to be completely human and that she wasn't supposed to be able to do what she was doing; no name, no way of recognizing her were they to cross paths.

At his complains about this, Loki had just told Stephen that if they crossed paths, he would immediately recognize her, no matter her outter appearance. That was discomforting, though. Loki had assured him that she was powerful enough to use such elavorate glamours that even if he were to describe her, that wouldn't help in the least. Better not to have a preconceived idea on how she looked, lest they mistook her for a perfectly normal person and attacked an innocent.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. The report wouldn't write itself and better be done with it. He had his own project to finish and there were several guards he was working on that could if not stop their foe completely, at least would slow her down. He dipped the quill in the ink and began writing anew.

00000

Svad looked at Loki's face. He was as handsome as always, even with his brow furrowed and clenching jaw. He looked tense and dark shades had started appearing on his eyelids. Svad was sure that Loki wasn't sleeping as much as he should, not getting enough rest. His green eyes darted from side to side, reading fast each sentence written down on the book he was consulting.

“If you don't stop and rest from time to time you won't be able to make progress,” he said. Loki just hummed, but kept on reading. Svad sighed. “Please, Loki, come to bed. It's late and you need to sleep. If you wear yourself down before you have to fight then you won't be any help at all.”

His last words seemed to do the trick, as Loki's eyes darted to Svad's, narrowing.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“I'm just saying-”

“Are you suggesting that I'll be a liability just because I'm not sleeping? Please! You should know your place, mortal,” he spat.

And that hurt. Ever since Loki had come back his attitude towards Svad had changed. Gone were most of his sweetest gestures. He rejected Svad's attempts at cuddling together and avoided him whenever he tried to embrace him or to kiss him. Svad was tired of trying. He knew that Loki was under much pressure, but his heart didn't, couldn't, and so every word cut him deeper.

He got up, silently and went towards the bed. It was big enough for two, though not giant, and even though he knew that Loki would come in a few hours, sleeping alone wasn't appealing at all. He fisted his hands, trying to reign in his feelings. How laughable, he, a mercenary, a heartless pirate who had killed hundreds, was feeling devastated because one of his flings didn't want to go to sleep. He let out a shaky breath before taking a blanket and a pillow and leaving. He would be sleeping on the cot in the other room. He would rather sleep in a smaller bed. What was the point, really? They have drifted appart, no matter how much they had enjoyed each other before.

Throwing the pillon on the cot he slumped on it with a grunt and covered himself with the blanket, not even bothering to take off his boots. Laying on his side he closed his eyes, frowning, arms crossed over his chest, and trying to fall asleep, Svad didn't notice the soft noises coming from the adjacent room nor when the door opened. His own thoughts were louder than any creak of the floor and it wasn't until the cot dipped at his back and he felt a hand on his shoulder that the realized that someone else was in the room.

Startled, he tried to sit up, reaching for his dagger. How careless of him! It could be an assassin and he would die in such a pathetic way. As he tried to push himself upwards he felt the hand on his shoulder gripping harder and pushing him back. He thrashed and managed to turn around to see his attacker, dagger ready on one hand. He stilled. Loki was looking at him with sad eyes, tears falling silently from his eyes.

“...” he didn't know what to say, though he tried to say something.

“I'm sorry,” Loki whispered. “I didn't mean it.” Svad nodded. “I'm just...” Loki seemed unable to continue, taking a deep breath, tears falling from his eyes still.

This time, when Svad tried to sit up, Loki let him. He wasn't looking at him. Svad took the oportunity to embrace him.

“I know.”

“I shouldn't have said it. Doesn't matter you know or not. It wasn't right. You are helping me with this. Even though it's something that affects you, I know, but it's still my own mess and... And I should rest a bit more,” he said to Svad's neck. Loki made a noise between a chuckle and a sob. Svad felt that a pang of pain on his chest. In his chest. “Please come back. Don't sleep here. I promisse I'll go to bed, right now. Just... Just don't-”

Svad kissed Loki, effectively stopping him.

“I understand, Loki. And I appreciate that you are apologizing. But forgive me too, I have not been patient enough with your moods.”

“No. No, you have. It's just me. I'm angry with myself. I never thought she could become a threat like this to you. And maybe a couple of centuries ago I wouldn't have minded her, but it's just so strange that she...”

“No. Stop that now. Let's go to sleep. Tomorrow we can continue. We will find a way to stop her and you will be able to ask her or, I don't know, whatever is it that you have planned.”

Loki smiled at him, not saying anything. And it was heartwrenching. He looked vulnerable, and that wasn't something that suited him, but Svad knew that Loki, even with all his eccentricities and fronts was broken. His hand moved on its own to cup Loki's face, thumb drying away the tears.

The went back to the other room in silence, Loki's hand in his. The mer was gripping him with so much strength that it was bordering on the painfull, but he didn't mind. They fell into the bed and once they were under the sheets and blankets Svad circled Loki's form with his arms, tangling his legs with the mer's.

“I'm sorry,” Loki hiccuped into his chest. Svad felt the familiar sting of tears in his own eyes. Why was he so affected? This had never happened to him before.

“Don't think about it. Just sleep,” he whispered to Loki's head, kissing his hair, hands motioning on his back. “Once the sun comes up, everything will look better,” he said then, and Loki nodded. It wasn't until several minutes of Loki's even breathing, signalling that he was already asleep, that Svad managed the courage to say out loud, “I think I love you for real.”

And he was scared to death by that.

00000

“We have a lead,” Jane said, bursting inside.

Loki and Svad looked up from their research as she put down at the table the latest report sent by Strange.

“Seems like there's a pattern. If we go backwards from here to here, her first victim or maybe her lair is supposed to be around this woodland area,” Svad said comparing the report with a map. Jane nodded.

“And some of our scouts have recognized one of her rottest followers. It seems that she started quite a while ago, but she didn't leave any message then.”

“She was accumulating power,” Loki said, not looking away from the map.

“Any results with your research?” Jane asked.

Loki nodded.

“Yes. I've managed to identify half the proccess she is using to rise her victims, or army, I would say. It looks more and more like she is building her own army. What I am lacking is the life component. She would need an incredibly powerful source of life essence to do what she is doing without exerting herself, and by the reports we get she looks young, deathly and powerful.”

That was the only mystery that Loki was unable to solve. How and when did Hela get her hands on life essence so powerful? She would have needed something akin to a fertility god to keep the corpses from rotting after rising them. Where did she get that power? That was his main concern. Without knowing the source, he prefered not to engage in a direct way with her.

“Well, we have sent more scouts. The people have been warned and some meassures have been taken but there are some angry citizents that don't understand the new meassures and rules about staying home after dark and always go accompained everywhere. Some of our informants say that there are movements rising against the monarchy, saying that this supposed assassin has been hired by the crown to subdue them,” Jane said while reading another report.

“That's unavoidable, unfortunately. There's always going to be people like that, doesn't matter how good or bad you do,” Svad said, shrugging. And then when Jane and Loki stared at him he added, “I am trying, really. It's just some of the noblemen don't care enough and it's difficult to fight inside and outside the courtroom.”

Loki studied Svad while Jane gave him a reprimand about how he should work more since he was taking advantaje to his situation and that if he was going to let the kingdom fail then at least he should make sure it wouldn't be a hard fall. Loki had had years upon years of court training and he still found it difficult to help rule a kingdom, even more rule said kingdom, so seeing how fast Svadilfari had taken upon himself the task to become a ruler made him feel proud of him. Svadilfari had had less than a year to get used to it and even when he was far from perfect, he did a decent job.

He also took his time to study his face: tan, amber eyes, dark eyelashes, rougish smile, appealing lips. Loki could still see how handsome he was and he still felt that rush through his body whenever Svad smiled at him but ever since coming back there was something missing and he didn't know what. He still was attracted to Svadilfari, that was for sure, but the thrill... Loki couldn't explain it.

With reluctance, he focused again on the matter at hand. It was important that they didn't lose focus on their objetive: they wanted to stop Hela, not to kill her. Yet, at least. If Loki found out that Hela was impossible to contain then he would have no other choice than to dispose of her. He winced internally. That would be disastrous. If he could, he would rather avoid that outcome.

Meeting finished, Jane left them to their own devices. Svad was closing books and putting things away, tidying up a little. While he did it, Loki followed him with his gaze. Then, Svad stopped mid motion and looked traight at him. Loki reclined in his chair, spreading his legs slightly, invingly, bitting his lower lip. That seemed to surprise the pirate since the book he was holding fell down to the floor with a dry snap and in seconds Svad was over him.

They stumbled towards the bed where Svadilfari hurried to undress them both at the same time they kissed and touched each other. Then, as suddenly as all the fire had come it was gone. Loki was completely naked while Svadilfari was still in his pants, kneeling over him on the bed. They were frozen, looking at each other, panting loudly.

Loki opened his mouth to ask if there was something wrong when Svadilfari moved slower than ever, lowering himself to kiss sweetly at his lips. It was nothing like he had done before and that tore a surprised moan from Loki's throat. Svadilfari's hands were caressing his flanks, grazing his skin so tenderly that it sent shivers through all his body. Loki's own hands, that had been idly gripping the sheets underneath them moved then to touch Svad. He pulled the pirate over himself, running his hands through his bare back until they reached the waist of his pants and then sneaked under them to grab at Svad's globes, pushing their groins flushed.

That motion made both men groan.

“Svad,” Loki gasped. “Let me... Let me do it,” he panted between kisses.

Svadilfari was still touching him, leaving feverished skin under his fingers. He was touching him so slowly, so tenderly. Loki needed more.

“What is it that you want?”

“You, now!” Loki growled.

Svad moved away from his mouth, tracing his chin, his jaw, with wet kisses until he reached his ear.

“No,” he breathed and Loki shivered.

Whinning, Loki used his strength to roll them over, sitting on the other's lap, cock pressed to Svad's groin, already leaking.

“Please, now,” he pleaded, feeling a knot inside his stomach.

Svadilfari scooted up to the head of the bed and rested there, taking off his pants, to Loki's glee. He advanced on his pirate and put his legs at both sides of his waists, hand grabbing Svad's cock and lining it with his hole but before he could do it Svad took both of his wrists in his hands and pulled him down for another kiss.

“Don't be so hasty, you have not prepared yourself propperly,” he murmured against Loki's lips and Loki shivered again. Svad was acting differently. On any other day, the man would have been more than happy to go in dry. In fact, Loki was sure Svad would have agreed to any of Loki's choosings. As if in slow motion, Loki saw the man reach over to take a vial filled with oil and coating his fingers on it. Then he saw Svad's hand disappear between his legs and with a gasp he felt the digits rimming his hole, not pressing it yet, just feeling him.

“S-Svad...” his voice trembled and his body quivered.

“Shh.”

“Wh-what's going on?” he managed to ask between gasps. One of the fingers pressed in ever so slightly.

“I want to prepare you.”

Loki was sure that something had changed within the man but he couldn't concentrate on what with that finger teasing his entrance. Then, before he could ask another question it slipped inside, forcing gasp after gasp out of himself. He had been fingered an innumerable amount of times but for some reason this time he was feeling breathless. When the second digit joined the first Loki's hand went to his cock. Svad's other hand grabbed his wrist and guided it to his own shoulder.

“Please...”

“Just wait a little bit more.”

And then the fingers scissored inside him. Now, both hands were gripping the pirate's shoulders. Their eyes were locked on one another but for the first time, Loki felt unable to read what was inside the amber of his lover. He could see the man's flushed cheeks, how he was trying to stall his own needs by breathing evenly through nose first, then mouth, pupils so dilated the colour was almos eaten out from his eyes. Loki was sure he wasn't the representation of composure either but seeing Svad on the edge of losing his self control was addictive.

When a third finger joined in Loki lowered himself to take the pirate's mouth, invading it with his tongue, desperate to taste him. Svad's free hand was at the back of his head within seconds, keeping him in place. Loki managed to tilt his head enough to deepen the kiss and his moan of surprise was drank directly from his lips when a shy fourth finger tried to fit inside. Oh, gods! What was Svad trying to do?

But then, before he could think on anything, the man retired his hand and took him by his waist, positioning him. Loki broke the kiss to look down at his pirate in wonder.

“What do I do?” he whispered, panting.

“Lower yourself, slowly,” Svad answered. His hands were gripping him maybe with a little more of strength than necessary but Loki didn't mind and followed his instructions. Svad's cock slid inside perfectly fine and Loki whined, thristy for more, but Svad's hands pressed harder whenever he tried to go faster. “Slowly, love. We have time.”

Loki managed to listen to his petition, albeit a little annoyed.

Svad set a slow but firm rhythm and it was driving him mad. He needed more. Faster. Harder. He needed to feel that fire that Svad had shown him time and again but now... Now he was showing him a completely different side and that scared him a little. Because he liked it, but he dreaded what was behind it.

In a sudden movement, Svad threw Loki on his back and he thought that the man would finally fuck him senseless but instead... Instead he kept the maddenly slow pace. The worst part of it all was that every time he sheathed himself inside Loki, he managed to hit that sweet little bundle of nerves that humans had and that... That made him unable to think, tearing cries, moans and whines from his throat, that were swallowed by a thirsty mouth.

“Faster, Svadilfari, please. Fuck me faster,” he whispered when the man decided to lick, kiss and nibble at his neck.

“No,” was the only answer.

Why was Svad doing this? Loki couldn't deny that he was enjoying this but the way the man was touching him, how he kept kissing him, caressing his skin, thrusting... It was almost... Almost as if he was...

Making love to me, he thought.

Then, the pirate changed his angle, one hand wrapping around his neglected cock and all Loki could think and say was yes, more and there. His whole body shook when the orgasm hit him by surprise, and mere seconds later, Svad was filling him too.

And as the pirate rested his forehead on Loki's neck, panting hard, Loki couldn't help but think that Svadilfari was, in fact, in love with him. And why did such a thing made him so fearful? Instinctively, his legs clamped around Svad's body, keeping him in place. If he didn't look at his face, that question could go unanswered and he could ignore it for a bit longer.

After all... He wasn't as sure as before that he wanted his human in love with him anymore.

Chapter Text

Fixing her coat around her shoulders, Amora checked once again her map and compass. She had charmed them to show her the most recent magical signatures, using what she had found around her house to track it and had linked those to the name Loki. As she travelled, she tried to gain some intelligence on the man –she supposed it was a man, though it might be a woman, who knew– and the only thing closer to her target was that the newly crowned king's lover's name was something along to Lucas or Lucian or Lucky. Which was as close as Loki as she wanted it to be. She didn't know how this Loki looked like, so even if she knew how the King's lover looked like, it would be useless. And this was her only lead so far, aside the seidr trails, of course.

She checked once more before taking a new route. Instead of teleporting, she was walking like a normal person –it wouldn't do to make herself a target– after discovering that she could get more clues by talking to people after they saw her coming instead of appearing out of thin air. She knew, of course, that most people distrusted magic users as a principle, so being as inconspicuous as possible was the best she could do at the moment. That didn't mean that she didn't have any spell ready to launch in case of being attacked. She had a few ready under her sleeves. Quite literally. She had written them down on on strips of paper and used some runes to potentially increase the strength of them. They were ready to use, but once she ran out of them she would need to use her own raw magic and sometimes that, without proper preparation beforehand, meant inaccuracy and waste of power.

After another three days' trip, she finally found a new different lead: there have been sightings of a dark haired woman roaming on the outskirts of a small village, nearing the abandoned hut of a local hermit. It was just a “might have seen” kind of whisper told by drunk people, but it was as good as she was going to get so she replenished her food and refilled her flask with fresh water before setting on the road again. Though this time she did teleport. It could be that the dark haired woman was the hermit. It could be nothing. It could be that that woman was the one who had attacked her beloved sister. Taking a shaky breath, she tried not to let her mind wander. She needed to be focused. If that woman was the attacker, she needed to be ready for any possible battle. If she wasn't, well, maybe she could get a little of information and warn her in case she was a magic user too.

Amora fastened the leather straps around her body, securing her small haversack and leather pouches and changed the possition of some others, putting the ones with herbs and runic stones closer to her hands. She also checked twice her own ward spells about her clothes –she had to be mindful of possible daggers or swords– and made sure she could access her own daggers easily.

With another deep breath she teleported again, several metres away from the hut. As silently as she could, she started stepping towards it, gathering her surroundings, listening carefully. Nothing. She took another step. A twig snapped at her right and she froze, head and eyes twisted towards that direction, holding her breath and feeling her heart hammering in her chest. She had started to relax with a cold, sharp blade caressed the skin of her neck.

“Well, well, well... What do we have here?” a sickeningly sweet voice whispered in her ear. “Seems like I have caught a little rat roaming where she souldn't.”

Amora gulped and swallowed past the lump on her throat. This could be the owner of the hut or an assailant. She didn't want to attack yet, still, she reached, carefully, for one of the spells hidden in her sleeves.

“I am sorry if I was trespassing. I came because I heard a rumour and wanted to know if it was true,” she said, voice calm.

“Is that so? Then tell me, child, what is it that you seek?” the voice said. Definitely a woman, Amora though.

“Do you live in that hut over there?” she asked. The blade dissapeared from her neck and she turned around, slowly, lifing her hands in a non-threatening way. She took in the woman in front of her. Her eyes shone with determination, her skin was pale and it seemed thinner on one side, as if it was directly covering the bones. With a quick glance towards her hands, Amora saw that one hand looked normal, while the other didn't. The hand that wasn't normal seemed to be only skin and bones, no muscle, no fat, nothing else. The normal looking hand had a bracelet made of what seemed to be blonde hair and it radiated power. Noted.

“No. I don't. Do you?” the woman said, purring.

“No.”

“And why would you be here, little rodent?”

“I am seeking answers and the owner of the hut might have had them.”

The woman threw her head back and laughed, her dark, long hair spilling like the starless-night over her shoulders to cascade at her back.

“Don't bother. It seems that hut have been abandoned long ago,” she said, eyes bright with amusement.

“So, you came here for answers, too,” Amora pressed. She had been taking small steps back, widening the distance between the two of them.

“No. I just came to kill him.”

“Him?”

“It was a man, the one who lived here. He promissed something to me, but when I came to collet he had already fled.”

Loki, Amora though. But no. She tried to keep her breathing even, calming herself.

“I am looking for a man too.”

“Are we all?” the stranger said, grinning dangerously.

“Not like that, no,” Amora said, cocking her head while smiling sweetly. If the stranger was going to flirt, why not her? She changed her stance, losing all the tension and ondulating her body. Her wavy, golden hair shone under the midday sun and her red lips became slightly redder. “I don't look for men for that, they come on their own. Sometimes even women,” she winked and the black haired woman smirked.

“Aw, look at you. Are you trying to seduce me? You are too young, though,” the woman said and Amora batted her eyelashes.

“My name is Amora. Yours?”

“Hela.”

Hela. Amora would remember it. Then, something changed. Something in Hela's eyes, or maybe her posture, or on her face. It made Amora shiver.

“So, what are you doing out here, Hela?” she asked, still showing herself as flirty and relaxed. Hela just laughed. And laughed. She laughed for a long while, making Amora even more uncomfortable.

“Amora, the Enchantress, yes?” Amora's smile froze on her face. Only a few knew her by that title. “Lorelei called for you when I killed her,” Hela said, smile twisted into something cruel.

Amora charged. She threw one of her hidden spells, a blinding light, followed by a sound bomb: incapacitate your enemy through eyes and ears and they wouldn't be able to tell where you were.

She launched herself after the bomb exploded, unsheathing her dagger and wielding it. She tried to cut Hela's throat in a smooth slashing motion, but the woman just deflected her and threw her own spell: a powder that got into her eyes, nose and mouth. Amora grunted and jumped back, thowing a shielding spell as she fell to her knees, coughing and rubbing her eyes. She tried to calm down when she realized that the burnt she was feeling might as well meant that the powder was burning her eyes for real and reached for her flask.

Adding a bit of cleanshing herbs to it she poured it on her open eyes, letting it flood into her nose and mouth too. It calmed the burn but she couldn't focus her sight. Frantically, she looked around her, trying to locate Hela. She was no-where to be seen but just when she was going to go into pursuit she threw herself to the side, effectively evading a giant blade that had flown into where she had been mere seconds ago.

Roaring, she got to her feet and threw a few more of her pre-made spells: binding ones for the feet, one that took away the colours from the vision, another that made you feel like you were breathing ice and a final one that would pierce you if you tried to move.

None connected. She broke the binding ones with one of her own, deflected the colour-less vision one and for the piercing one she made it land on a tree. The only one that seemed to be affecting her was the ice-breathing one, but instead of making it difficult for Hela to breathe, it seemed innocuous. Amora could see her breath, though.

Hela smirked and then blew in her direction: a wave of ice-cold gale impacted her square on the chest, throwing her to the ground. She grunted when her back connected to the dirt, breathless for a second, before she rolled and jumped to her feet, unsheathing another dagger. She dusted some powder over it and threw the dagger as she chanted. The weapon flew straight towards the woman's heart and it pierced flesh but it didn't bury itself to the hilt: only the tip managed to break skin.

Amora gaped. She had imbued the dagger with a sharpening spell and had coaxed it to buri itself to the hilt in the woman's chest. Hela was more powerful than what she had given her credit, thinking the killing of Lorelei a fluke. Hela took out the dagger and threw it to the ground, looking at it, then she looked back at Amora.

“Did you really think that that would work? I must admit I thought you would be stronger than your sister, but it seems that both of you are quite... Average,” she commented, as if bored.

Amora didn't answer, she just reached for one of her stone runes and a pinch of herbs.

“Kat-îa!” she yelled as she crushed the stone. Then she mixed the herbs on it and blew it towards Hela. Amora repressed a smile and concentrated on her attack when Hela cursed and jumped away, erecting a shield. But Amora's attack was one of pure strength. It's only purpose to feel like a mountain had befallen on top or you, to pin down and the shield shattered.

“I was going to keep you intanct, but I will rip your arms from you while you are still alive!” Hela shrieked when she was hit by Amora's spell.

“I would like to see you trying,” Amora spat. She prepared another spell, one that would take away Hela's connection to her magic. It wouldn't last but it would give Amora enough time to chain Hela down. It was clear that Hela had not been ready for Amora to attack and that Amora had come prepared for a conflict only made the black haired woman even more angry. She was pinned down to the floor, breathing heavily. Amora should hurry, the spell could break at any moment.

She knelt down beside Hela's prone figure and set to work. It would take a bit of time but she couldn't rush that ritual unless she wanted to fuck up and to let Hela go. She started drawing the runes around Hela while the woman kept saying her threats but then she shut up. Amora didn't pay attention to her at all, she had to finish the binding spell so she concentrated on her tools. Then, something happened. Hela started to laugh breathlessly. Amora looked at her as if she had sprouted another head. She was crazy, that was for sure. Then, Amora noticed something. Suddenly, the light was starting to leave.

Startled, she looked up at the sky and say something that made her stomach clench with dread. The Moon had started to cover the Sun. No. No, no, no! No, that couldn't be! How could Amora be so stupid!? An eclipse? How could she have forgotten something so important? She rushed back to her work. If she managed to start the spell before the Moon ate the Sun then it could be salvageable but if not... If not, she knew what she had to do.

The last of the runes was finished, she reached to her pouch and spread several powders and herbs around Hela, but she was just laying there placidly watching the eclipse. But no matter. Amora was almost ready. Right before she opened her mouth to start chanting Hela leaped to her feet and closed a hand on her throat, throwing her to the ground, chocking her.

Amora could see the eclipse now: the Moon was covering the Sun almost completely now. She felt something grazing her forehead and she focused on Hela again. She had cut her and now she had her other hand on her wound. Then, all her enegry started to get sucked out. It felt horrible. Even if she tried to move her body felt weak. She was going to die. She was going to die because she didn't foresee an eclipse hindering her spells and she would never be able to avenge her sister's death.

Lorelei, I'm sorry, she thought, tears welling in her eyes. Between the tears she saw something strange on Hela's black hair. The woman was leaning over her, hair falling over one shoulder and, interlocked with her own black mane, there was a thin lock of gold. It seemed to be shinning. Was she imagining this? It looked like the hair bracelet she was wearing on her wrist.

“...-ki at last,” she heard Hela said between her clouded mind. The pressure of the other woman lessened and she felt that she could breathe again.

Hela was on her feet looking somewhere else. Amora followed her eyes and saw a portal a few paces away. People were coming from then and they charged at the black haired woman. Amora saw through a haze spells being thrown, heard people crying in pain, saw fire and blood and then she passed out.

00000

Amora woke up with a start. She was laying on a comfortable bed, covered up to her shoulders. She was also wearing a nightgown, which meant that her clothes and utensils had been taken away from her. She sat up, crouching, and assessed her surroundings. Her things were resting over a table and a chair respectively. She also noted that the nightgown covered her well and was simple.

A knock came from the door and she looked at the wooden surface, narrowing her eyes.

“Come in,” she called. A man entered then. He was wearing a red cape, had dark hair and greying temples. His eyes were deep.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Fine,” she was still looking at him with suspicion. “Where am I?”

“You are in my sanctuary. We retrieved you from Hela's clutches. A little bit later and you would be gone.”

She nodded, then, she sat down propperly, using her pillow as backrest and covered her legs with the sheets once again.

“I thank you.”

He nodded.

“My name is Stephen Strange,” he said then and waited.

“Amora,” she procured.

“Well, Amora, we have been following and monitoring Hela for a while now and this is the closest we have been to capturing her. My colleagues tell me that you could have singlehandedly managed to bind her if it hadn't been for a disruption in your weaving. Is that correct?” She nodded and waited for him to continue. “We would like you to work with us. We are also working with a man that knows her pretty well. Well, he says he used to know her. But she isn't behaving as Loki thought she would and-”

“Loki!?” she exclaimed, jumping off the bed and grabbing Strange by the collar of his clothes. “What do you know about Loki? What does he have to do with Hela!?” she demanded.

“Calm down! You are still recovering,” Strange said with a stern voice. She released him and let him lead her back into the bed, grumbling like a little child. “Loki is an ally. He is trying to stop Hela and thus far he had been able to thwart her attempts to enlarge her army.”

Amora blinked. What?

“What army?”

“The undead. I mean, her victims. She is using necromancy to rise them from their graves.”

Amora paled.

“No... My sister...” She felt something hot trailing down her face. “She killed my sister...” she whispered feeling hot rage invading her senses. But Strange was right, she was still too weak. “How can I help?” She said after a short deliverance, looking at Strange.

“I will tell Loki what happened and he might or might not come and see you himself. If he comes, he will want to talk with you. If not, I'll assign you some chores until you are restored, then we will go out hunting.”

She nodded. It seemed like a good plan. And if there were more people after Hela, then, maybe, she would be able to exact revenge. She would be aided by other mages, after all.

00000

Loki wasn't running away. Not at all. It was just that this mortal woman had faced Hela on her own and almost won. It wasn't that he couldn't look at Svadilfari in the eye anymore. No. He wasn't feeling guilty for not feeling the same as Svad felt. He liked the man, true, and he enjoyed their time together very much but lately it had become too much to bear for him. What Svad felt was ten, no hundreds of times stronger than what he felt. And it was not right. But he was not fleeing him. Loki was in a mission and this woman, Amora, had some answers to his questions that he required to know.

So, two days later from receiving Strange's message, Loki found himself on the Tower, awaiting for the woman to show up while serving two cups of tea and some pastries. He loved these pastries. The biscuits were flavoured with several different fruits and they tasted like heaven. Loki loved the fruits from land.

The door opened and Strange entered followed by a stunning, blonde woman who was throwing daggers at him through her eyes. She looked tense and was bruised but her determination shone on her irises, he nodded to Strange and the man left, if a bit reluctant.

“Take a seat, dear,” Loki said, signaling to the chair oposite him. She did, still glaring at him. “We have much to discuss, and as far as I understand it you have a personal vendetta against Hela, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. Is there any question you have for me? Doubts?”

“How do you know Hela?”

Loki took a sip of his tea and bited one biscuit.

“I knew her parent,” he commented.

“Knew?”

“Well... I don't know if they are alive or are dead now.”

“So... You have known her for a long while, then?” she asked, moving her head in a way that made her hair go over her shoulder to her back. “How come you didn't stop her before?”

At that, Loki sighed.

“I thought that she wouldn't be able to accesss her powers once again. It has been so long... I was sure she couldn't... But I failed to keep an eye on her and now it seems she is looking for me.”

Amora was staring at him with an unimpressed eye.

“Are you saying that you were supposed to keep her in check?”

“No, not quite. I wasn't supposed to nothing, but I felt indebted to her parent so when she was stranded on land I tried to give her the basic things and teach her. I never thought she would live this long...” he said rubbing his forehead and then added more to himself, “She was supposed to be completely human.”

“What was that?”

Loki's head snapped upwards and his eyes darted to Amora.

“What was what?”

“That last thing you said. I didn't hear you,” she looked at him with suspicion.

“Nothing of importance, I can assure you. Now, you fought Hela. Tell me everything you remember.”

After a few more seconds of being glared at by Amora, she started talking. She spoke of all the rumours she had heard and that it was just a fluke that she found Hela, or more like Hela found her. She spoke of when they exchanged short words and how she had been unable to pass up the opportunity to attack her. She descrived shortly their fight and how she was defeated by such a base error that she felt anger and shame in equal meassures.

“And then your friends came through a portal and she fled. That's it.”

Loki nodded, deep in thoughts.

“Did you notice anything in her clothings?”

He studied her as she thought about it.

“Yes. She was wearing a hair bracelet. She also had a golden lock of hair braided on her own hair. Both seemed to emit some sort of power,” she said and then descrived how half of Hela's face seemed to be consumed meanwhile the other half looked healthy. “She looked half dead, to be honest.”

“A golden lock, you say?” Loki asked with dismay. She nodded. “And it was emiting some sort of power...”

“Are you allright? You look paler than before,” she asked and their eyes met. She shuddered. “Should I be worried?”

“No... No. This... This gives us some leverage. No, not quite leverage. But a bit of advantage. If what she is wearing is what I think... I... I might know where she got her powers back. Excuse me, I have to send a message,” he said standing up and going for the door.

He passed by Strange and went directly to the nearest well where he gathered the water and then ran up to the nearest workshop room. When he reached it he was panting, his leg strained more than ever, but he dismissed it as best as he could and filled a wooden bowl with the water, adding some herbs and powders and setting it alight. When the fire receded he used his fingers to draw runes on the water. Once he was satisfied he went to the nearest desk to look for paper and quill to redact a message. Of course, he would need to enchant it so it wouldn't get destroyed underwater but that wasn't difficult. He needed this message to arrive as soon as possible.

“What's going on, Loki?” Strange asked from the door.

“I think I might know how to defeat her. She isn't as powerful yet, Amora showed us that, so we might still have a chance to stop her. But first I need to know if my suspicion is real.”

“And if it is?”

“If it is,” he said as he finished writing and started to enchant the paper, “then that means that I have to prepare to face her sooner rather later. And we will have ways of stopping her. Amora has given me a vital piece of information.”

With the last rune of protection scratched on the back of the message, Loki folded it and went to the water bowl again, sinking the square in it and chanting something. The water in the bowl dried up in the blink of an eye, taking the message with it.

“And now?” Strange asked and Loki turned around to look at him with a serious face.

“Now we get ready... and we wait.”

Chapter Text

Hela looked, surprised, at the blood on her hand. She had been lashed with pure magic again and again and some of the idiots in front of her had managed to wound her. She had had to flee. It wasn't dishonourable to retreat when you were being overwhelmed by your enemies. And she had been making enemies along her way, hadn't she? The first few deaths weren't on purpose, if she was being honest with herself, but raising them from their graves was. She was done with acting like a victim. If she couldn't reach Loki peacefully, she would wage a war.

She looked down at ther legs with a small degree of disgust. Yes, she had had to make Loki come out of wherever he had hidden himself all thes past centuries and she knew that he liked to roam around so maybe if she caused a big enough problem he would come to “stop her” and try to reason with her. So far she had gotten some humans to notice her but she was sure that Loki was already with them.

Pushing through the shadow paths she stumbled on her newest lair. It wasn't quite a lair, but she liked to call it that, she liked to think of herself as a monster with a lair. After all, she had been treated as one all her life, why stop now? Hela smirked, amused by her own trail of thought. It was so invigorating being the “villain”.

“You are late,” a voice came from her back. When she turned around she saw her associate. She smirked.

“Yes, well... I was found out by my next target and then she summoned help. I was unprepared for all of them to show up so fast but now I know more about my enemies so if there is a next time, they will have a nasty surprise,” she said while changing her clothes. She didn't mind that the man was in the room, she was old enough to not bother with these kind of things and anyways, he wasn't interested in her in that way.

“Did you get what you wanted?” he asked, leaning against a wall.

“Yes and no. I was half way through it when I was interrupted, but now I have some very interesting news for you. And now I know that Loki is back,” she said, pulling up her hair, being carefull of not messing with the golden locks attached to her hair and wrist. When she looked back at the man she saw his interest and she smirked again.

“He is back...”

“That he is.”

“Come to the medical bay, we will take a look at that,” he said, motioning with his head towards her wounds. She had used a holding spell but it wouldn't hold for much longer so having her wounds attended correctly and dressed propperly sounded great, though she was slightly sour that her powers couldn't heal her yet. But no matter, in time she would be able to do it without even thinking.

“Lead the way,” she said and as he exited she followed.

“I just want to make sure some points about Loki...”

“Yes, yes. I won't be killing him. I just want to talk with him. He owes me at least that.”

“Only talk?” he said with a mocking tone of voice.

“Yes, no. Not only talk, but he doesn't need to know, does he?” she said, half smirking. The numbing spell was wearing off and she was starting to feel pain. Nothing she couldn't deal with, but still uncomfortable.

“Be sure you won't kill him after your... talks.”

“Don't worry, you will have him,” she promissed, rolling her eyes. “But not after I'm done with him,” she pointed out, glaring, before sitting on a cot and undressing again so her wounds would be visible

“I understand,” the man answered, his eyes turning colder. “Just don't give him dead. I want him alive.”

“Of course, my lord,” she mock-bowed.

He left her in the medical bay to be attended by some nurses. Once he was out of hearshot she rolled her eyes again and muttered some insults. He might be useful and they might have a similar goal, but his obsession was pitiful at best.

00000

The message had been sent two days ago and still nothing. Loki paced. He was planning several courses of action now that he had a suspicion about where Hela had gotten her newfound powers. She had been formidable in the past but now... If what the reports and witnesses said was true, now she was double or maybe four times stronger than before. He still wasn't sure how she had survived so long. Maybe... Maybe she wasn't completely human. But how? He was sure the ritual had worked!

A knock on his door made him stop in his tracks. He moved his wrist and the door opened on its own. At the other side an unimpressed Amora awaited.

“May I come in?” she asked. Loki nodded.

“Of course, my dear. Here, take a seat,” he motioned for one chair and she sat down. Loki took the one opposite her at the other side of the table. “What is it?”

“I've come to share my bonding ritual. The one I used to trap Hela. I'm told you are the most exceptional sorcerer here,” she said, a hardened look on her eyes. Her voice never wavered and her hands were steady.

“Very well, pup. Maybe with your intel and my knowledge we will stop her.”

“You don't want to kill her,” Amora said. It wasn't a question.

“No,” Loki answered anyways. “I want her back to her supposed normal self. She will die on her own if she doesn't have her powers. She is so old now...”

Amora frowned, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

“How old is she?”

Loki looked at her, studying her features, deciding if he should confide in this human or not. Should he? Shouldn't he? Did it matter if this woman knew? Maybe the more they knew about Hela's origins would help them. And truly, he didn't want to kill Hela. Taking a deep breath he prepared himself to answer.

“Roughtly? One thousand years.”

Loki had been expecting the surprise, but he didn't foresee the pallor that took Amora nor the horror on her face.

“Wh-what?” she asked almost in a whisper.

“Is it so surprising? I myself am three times older... Roughly,” he said, nonchalantly, though he was feeling tense on the inside.

“Wh-!? No... Okay. Who are you?”

“Me? I am a mer. We are half fish, half human magical creatures that live underwater. Our life-spawn is way longer than that of humans, so we may look as immortal, but we are not. Hela's parent is... was a mer like myself, though we performed a ritual so she would be completely human. That she has lived this long means two things: One, the ritual didn't work; two, the ritual worked but she found a way to enlongate her life.

“Normally, I wouldn't worry about other seidrmasters doing their craft, but I had put some restrictions on her that should have dampened her powers gradually until she had none left and thus, die of old age as any other human. As we are facing her now, I know that it didn't work, for some reason.” Loki finished with another deep breath and then looked at the wall, trying to focus himself on the present. The memories were assaulting him.

“Why are you so scared of her? It seems to me that you never fought her before and that she didn't act up either,” Amora asked and Loki focused on her beautiful eyes. He felt saddened by her loss. Losing a sibling was never easy. Less of all if you had warm feelings for said sibling.

“There was a profesy. No... Not a profesy. I had a vision while scrying one day and she was in it. She was raising the dead from their resting places, on land and in the sea alike. Those who had drowned came to her, too. She commanded a large army of undead and her wrath shook the earth beneath her feet. On top of that, she was wielding powerful seidr, destroying landscapes and changing them to her will with the turn of a wrist. She brought calamity and she thived on it.”

“Oh...”

“Yes,” Loki sighed. “And I fear than in trying to prevent it I just gave her the motivation to become the creature in my vision. She was also, as you descrived her, half alive, half dead.”

00000

They had alerted everyone, even the hermits, of Hela and the threat that she possed to them. They had revised tactics and they also speculated on wether Hela had gotten help from someone else, if yes, who were they and why would they want to help Hela. Was it mutual help? So many questions.

Loki put down the pen and sighed heavily. He couldn't help but looking back at the beginning and berate himself. What had looked like a good deed, a helping had for a friend, had turned sour. His hands trembled while he remembered how it all started.

It had happened some years before he got cursed by Odin. Angrboda had been trampling with her own body using seidr to create life without the “help” of a male mer. She had managed to grow her own eggs and she had been feeding them potions and spells through her body, thus altering her own appearance. She didn't look normal anymore, but something hideous. Still, she was his friend.

“What are you up to, pup?” he had asked her and she had smacked him on the head.

“I'm just a couple of years younger! Don't treat me like a century old pup,” she growled in response.

“Yes, well, sorry for being older,” he retorted back. Then, he looked her up and down. “Now, do tell, what are you doing? By the looks of it, something dangerous and forbidden.”

She had stared at him with a blank expression before answering.

“I would rather cut my head off than to let a male spray me,” she had said, voice dead, eyes dull.

“Oh.”

Yes. Oh. She had been beautiful once. But she lacked status, so many male mer thought that she would be an easy prey. While forcing yourself on others was thought to be one of the worst crimes, some mer didn't think twice about it when their prey couldn't defend themselves after the act. Angrboda was a strong mer, but all her life experience –and not always a pretty experience– had taught her that other mer, male and female alike, wouldn't think twice if they could obtain what they wanted through force if there would be no repercusion.

She had secluded herself and used spells and enchantments so her appearance would be disgusting to others. That had helped her to be left alone. But she wanted pups. She wanted to love. To give love. Her only “problem” was that she did not want to have any kind of intercourse. It made her uncomfortable and she never thought anything of it, never desired it, even when she had started to mature. Which, in the eyes of others, had come off as her being friggid, or to not have found the “correct one”. What they didn't understand was that she, in fact, didn't even feel the need to find “the correct one”.

She liked contact, yes, and she could cuddle as anyone, within reason, but the tought of doing more than caressing or kissing... Loki hadn't understood either, at first, but he never pressured her to talk or do anything she didn't want to do. Or, at least, that was what Loki hoped.

Now, with a batch of eggs in her pouch, Loki couldn't help but wonder where she had gotten them.

“Did someone pass them to you?”

“No. I created them from my body. They are alive. But they are not responding well and I need to finish some rituals that might be harmful.”

“Ah...”

Yes. Ah. She had called him in for a favour, it seemed.

“You are a clever one. If you accept to do it, know that it'll take between two dais and two weeks. I couldn't explore them correctly. Their existence is linked to mine so it is difficult to tell them appart from myself sometimes.”

Loki had meditated about it. Was he up to the task? Would he “waste” up to two weeks of his life for something like this? He was planning one of the most hilarious pranks that would ever happen and he was busy reading the currents' pattern, but looking at the tired expression on Angrboda's face he made up his mind.

“You can count on me,” he had said. She just nodded, then made a disgusted face.

“Then, let's get this over with. The sooner, the better.”

And then, she had passed her eggs to Loki.

It had been the weirdest experience for him. He had never felt anything like that before and through the next few days he could feel the eggs moving within his tail. Angrboda had checked on him daily and kept doing her rites, giving Loki potions and writing runes on his skin.

Then, a few days before he had to lay out the eggs Loki scried for Angrboda and saw. When he told his friend what he saw, she pleaded him.

“Are you sure you want this?”

“Yes! Loki, you saw her, she had a siren's song and she was... She was destruction.”

Loki had suggested to make the eggs develop into humans and not into mer and Angrboda had agreed, anything to save her child, so they went up into the surface. Angrboda walked on her feet, Loki had to wait until the eggs were ready.

“How many do you think will be left? You managed a batch of seven,” Loki had asked then, feeling the eggs inside and looking at the bump on his tail.

“I was counting on three or four,” she answered, absentmindedly braiding Loki's hair.

The day passed in silence between them after that. They were in what in a couple of years would be Loki's lair on the surface. And then... The time came and the eggs were laid. Loki and Angrboda performed a ritual to make the pups into human babies. There only thing left was to wait and see.

Three eggs had had children inside, the other four were empty. Out of the three, one died right after hatching and another when barely a month had passed. Only a little baby girl was left. Angrboda and Loki made sure that she was human.

“Her life spawn should be one hundred at most,” Loki had said.

“I know. I will stay with her. Will you come visiting?”

Loki had smiled and caressed her cheek.

“Only if you let me near your child without fearing I will corrupt it.”

And that had been the last time Loki saw Angrboda and Hela. About Hela he heard things and for a while he kept an eye on her, but then... Then he had had to make that stupid prank with the shoal and Odin had gotten batshit mad at him and cursed him and everything else went out of his mind.

Regret was an ugly feeling and Loki hated to feel that. So he was going to do whatever was in his power to prevent more disaster, to stop his vision. Because he knew that those kind of visions could be changed. They were the future, and the future was always transformative, a never ending change based on endless possibilities and actions made on the present.

He got up from his chair and went to get his coat, a new plan forming in his mind.

“I'm going to finish this,” he muttered.

Chapter Text

The Golden Lock

It was simple, really. He just needed to ally himself with Hela and he would be able to have Loki in his grasp. He hoped she would deliver him in one piece, though, since he had already made preparations on his research room for him. He had a nice table with strong straps where he could hold even the strongest of individuals, many drugs to keep Loki subdued and he had commissioned the best scalpels and tools with the finests of stainless steels.

To say that he wasn't tempted to have a room prepared for Hela too would be a lie, but as of now, she was what he needed to capture Loki. And, besides, he could always go after her once he had had a good look at his first test subject. With this in mind, he looked at the woman. Half of her body looked like just skin and bones, the other half like a healthy, young woman. She looked attractive in a deathly way.

Someone knocked on his door. A servant entered with a small note written with a precise calligraphy.

Found him.

He grinned. Perfect. With calm movements he got up from his chair and went to his wardrobe to change. Something interesting was about to be unfold and he wanted to witness it.

00000

They were under attack. Undead people, as some common folk had started to call them, were throwing spells at them, fighting them. And they were winning. The tower was surrounded and each time they lost one of their allies they would rise to fight against his friends.

Hela, mixed between her horde of dead bodies, sang to the corpses. She was laughing and pointing at places where most of her army would attack and then they would overpower them.

Strange was running out of spells fast and he had used his last scroll half an hour ago. He took out his sword and ran towards Wong as he was felled by an assailant. Strange managed to sever one limb and haul Wong up before they both turned. They needed to find some leverage, any place they could make into a stronghold. As they sprinted between their foes, Strange could feel their putrid breaths on his skin. Looking around himself he could see some of his late friends turned into lich. Though they didn't seem to remember their living friends, or maybe, because they were still alive, they didn't mind killing them.

The liches glowed with a phantasmagorical light that surrounded them and they seemed to have pledge their immortal no-lives to Hela, now. He saw Mordo, almost whole, walking side by side with Hela and felt a shiver run down his spine.

“Where the hell is Loki!?” Wong cursed.

“I don't know! He said he was going to get us some reinforcements and left right before the attack started.”

“Move out the way!” Amora yelled, popping out of nowhere and running in the opposite direction. She skidded a little when she stopped but she managed to cast a powerful fireblast that hit the first wave of un-dead liches. The fire, that at first was a normal red-yellow, became green and started consuming the creatures to the bone. The weaker ones couldn't undo the spell and perished a second time.

“Good spell. You should teach me some other time,” Strange said, grabbing Amora by the arm. “Now we need to find some other place to attack from, before they overwelm us, come!”

She didn't need too much prompting, even though her eyes lingered on Hela for a little longer before following.

“I swear to all gods, known and unknown that I will skin her if she makes my sister fight me,” she growled.

“Don't swear something you don't know you will be able to do, one of them might be listening,” Wong scolded Amora.

“Stop fighting. We need to regroup. I will go east and you two go west. Find whomever you can.”

Amora and Wong looked at Strange before nodding and going to his left. He charged in the other direction, weaving minnor locating spells.

The sun had started setting when he reunited with Wong and Amora. They haven't found many survivors, unlike Strange, who found none. He had drawn runes over the bodies so they wouldn't be reanimated. Or, at least, he hoped it would work that way. In the worst case, the runes would hinder the reanimation.

They managed to slip by Hela's forces and were well into the woods when the night fell over them. The ones with still a bit of power used it to weave silencing and concealling spells around the group. It would be disastrous to get caught in the dead of the night, exhausted and without resources. They camped without a fire, two staying up at a time to keep watch.

A horn blared the night. Countless torches lit the darkness. The clamour of an army woke them all up.

“What's going on?”

“Who are they?”

“Keep on your guards!”

Strange, though, could feel it.

“... Loki.”

00000

Several hours before Loki had teleported himself into Svadilfari's study. The man was hunched over a bunch of letters and several maps, marked with tokens or inked words.

“I need your help,” Loki had said, walking in long strides until he was at the man's side. Svadilfari, startled, had looked up just to get his face cupped by Loki's hands, eyes frantic and scared.

“Wh-?”

“I need your help, Svadilfari. I need your human strength and your commanding skills. I need your army. I have to defeat her but I cannot do it alone. I should have accepted your offer back then but I was arrogant enough to think that I could defeat Hela on my own. But I can't. I can't! Medusa knows I wish I could. That I had stopped her sooner. Now she has risen an army of undead and most of them are liches. I may be powerful but even I need cannon fodder. And your gods know how horrible that sounds but I need any advantage that I can manage and-”

“Loki, Loki!” Svad cut him off, taking his hands from his face, grabbing him softly by the wrist and hugging him. “It's all right! Okay? Everyone needs help and it's not bad to ask for it when you need it. So calm down and explain the situation.”

“I... I...” Loki looked at the desk again. With a quick glance he could see what it was about. Revolts. It seemed that people, fearing Hela's attacks –even though they didn't know who was the one responsible– had risen against the crown when the deaths started to be more notorious. When the dead started walking again. Loki's problem had become Svad's. “I'm sorry...”

“No... I... I'm sorry, Loki.”

“What?”

“Yes. After some thinking...” Svad released him, but didn't look him in the eyes. He took a deep breath and finally looked at him. “I will help you with this, but only because it'll help me too. After that, I don't think I can keep seeing you. At all.”

Loki felt like he had been punched on the chest.

“Why?”

“You know why, Loki. You don't feel the same as before. And I won't be young for much longer. It hurts too much, Loki. And I'd rather you disappeared from my life than keep feeling like you are only half here.”

Loki enveloped Svad into his arms and hid his face on his neck, breathing there.

“I like you, Svad.”

“But you don't love me, Loki.”

Loki kept hugging him. He couldn't let go of him. Not now. Not because he needed Svadilfari's power on the human world, but because he still need the mortal man, the pirate he had rescued. But he was right. The feelings for his mortal were fading. He still wanted Svad near, but not... Not as before. And it hurt that both knew it. It hurt that it had to end. It hurt that... It didn't work.

“Svadilfari, I...”

“Now, let's talk about what you need. Did you locate her?” Svad cut him off. “We have more pressing matters right now. We can talk about this later, when there are no more lifes in danger.”

Loki nodded, sobering up.

“You are right. I will need you to movilize your army. And while you prepare them all I will ready a portal to send them where they are needed. The Tower is under attack and Hela is there.”

Svadilfari looked at him with horrorized eyes.

“I will try. I have had to quell some revolts but I know I can gather enough men and women to fight.”

“Women?”

“Well, yes. Jane gave me the idea. Of course, there are less women than men. The standars are higher for them than for men. We cannot risk them as much as men.”

“You are talking non-sense, you know that, right?”

“I know. I suppose.”

“No. I mean, you, saying that you cannot risk women as much as men. And that the standars are higher for women than for men. What do you mean with all th-?”

“Loki! We have no time to talk about wether my ruling is ethical, moral, supportive or stupid. Right now we need to go stop Hela. Later. Later on we can talk about this as much as you want. You can yell at me and demand whatever you think is right.”

“Yes. You are right. We can talk later. Now, gather your army. I will work on the portal.”

Loki turned to leave but then stopped, walked towards Svadilfari and kissed him, hands on his hair. Svadilfari's arms sneaked around him and they pressed their bodies together. They kissed like the would never see each other again, like this was the end of the world, like one of them would die today... And that might be right, but Loki didn't think about that too much. Just broke the kiss, gasping for hair and left.

He found the perfect place to cast the portal on the palace grounds and set himself to work.

Hours passed and Loki felt his back cramping but he was pressed for time so he kept drawing on the ground and muttering minnor spells that would sustain the main one. He needed it to be big enough so a big amount of people could pass through it at the same time. He needed it to be stable enough so as to not suddenly close, severing people in half if that would happen. He needed it precise, so they wouldn't land on a lake, a river, a volcano... And he needed it for yesterday.

Instead of stopping to eat, he just focused on finishing as fast as possible.

In one of his pockets he had a special spell. It had been made specially for Hela, though he knew he would need a little bit of help bringing her down, but there wasn't a reason to kill her, yet. Even though... Even though she had been slaughtering people all around. Still, Loki didn't want Hela dead.

I was nightfall when Svadilfari, wearing armour and riding a warhorse, approached him. He was followed by so many people that Loki didn't bother counting.

“We are ready,” Svadilfari said.

“Thank you, King Sigurd,” Loki answered. Then his eyes swept through the army before going back to work.

“Most of them are going through with this because they have been told that we are going to fight against the evil that has been terrorising us for these past months. If not for that, I would have risked a revolt in my own house,” Svad whispered after he dismounted, crouching near Loki to survey what he was doing.

“Well... Tell them that they are going to face a true horror and to be ready to fight their own friends, because when they fall, and they will fall, Hela will rise them to help her,” Loki muttered. “Step back. This is almost ready and I don't want any missing limbs,” he said then, in a louder voice. Rising his arms –for show, if he was being honest– he started to chant. It took him the most part of five minutes. After the first one, though, the runes and lines on the ground started glowing, making the horses, and the humans, nervous.

The tides became wilder and when the waves broke onto the shore the sound was deafening. A slight drizzle started falling when he was only three minutes into the chant. By the time he finished they were all damp. Loki took a deep breath and lowered his arms before rising them in a fluid but sudden motion, making the ground jump up forming an enormous arch made of irregular stone, dirt and roots. It was more wide than high, and there was only darkness at the other side, even with all the torches that were around.

“Is it done?” Svad whispered. Loki nodded. Svad turned to his men and women and as he jumped on his horse he talked again, “Go forth!”

His army clammored then and followed him into the portal. Loki stayed behind, keeping it open. It wasn't until the last of the infantry had crossed that he followed inside.

00000

There were chaos around him. Lots of yells and cries. Soldiers against liches. Svadilfari knows that if it weren't for Loki's effotrs at the rearguard, shooting defensive and aggressive spells to the vanguard most of his soldiers would have perished already. All in all, part of him cannot shake the feeling that were it not for Loki, all this situation wouldn't have happened in the first place. That part of himself is the selfish one, the one that curses Loki for making himself so appealing that everything else disappears from Svadilfari's mind as soon as he sets his eyes on the mer. He cursed under his breath when a fireblast almost melts his shoulderplate, moving fast to cut it off himself at the straps with a dagger.

His horse died then, under a withering spell that fell short of his leg, hitting the animal instead. With some difficulties, he managed to get off the beast before getting crushed by its weight, but when his body hit the ground he heard a nasty sound coming from his left arm. He cursed again.

“Don't despair, we have the upper cards!” he yelled, rising his sword. People around him roared and he could swear they were fighting with more vigour now. He ran onwards, Stark popping out of nowere to follow him. They crossed eyes and with a simple nod Stark disappeared again.

The battlefield reeks of blood, mud, charred skin and worse things.

A fire blast landed directly on front of him but a screen glowed and the fire didn't go beyond it. The magical shield fell and he looked, if briefly, over his shoulder. Loki's face looked pale and there were streaks of sweat running down his temples, leaving muddy trails. He is worried about Loki. He worries Loki will give his all and then some more to end this situation. That he will put all the blame on his shoulders and then will get consumed by his own spells. Svadilfari felt his heart hammering inside his chest and it wasn't from the rush of the battlefield.

“Damn. DAMN!” he cursed as he charged forwards.

“Sigurd!” a voice yelled at his left. When he looked there he saw Loki. He had teleported there. He had both arms up and was throwing a green blaze of fire, his people all behind him while the fire consumed the bones of the weakest liches. He went to Loki.

“What!” he asked as he cut through some of the undead that were trying to surround them.

“You have to cut her,” Loki instructed as he changed one arm so a new glittering shield protected their right flank from a poisonous wave. “Cut off her right hand, and then cut off the golden lock on her head! That will weaken her enough for me to trap her!”

Svadilfari looked around and found that they had gone startingly fast through Hela's minions and they were considerably closer than expected. He also saw that the mages, wizards and witches that had survived from the tower were trying to surround her. She didn't look frazed in the least. Her eyes were locked in Loki, who was staring back. There was a manic smile on her strange face.

“Got it,” Svad growled under his breath before signalling. Stark and his men would get his back while he went for the new objetive.

He sheathed his sword and mixed in between the fighting bodies. Stark and Clint as his shadows prevented un-dead to attack him from behind while the rest cleared his path. Hands gripped his ankles more times than he could count but they were severed by sharp blades. They were all battered, bruised and sweaty, breathing heavily when they finally got to Hela. She was still focused on Loki, throwing his way spell after spell.

In a fast, fluid movement, Svadilfari unsheathed his sword and swung it downwards. Hela screamed, her left hand gripping her bleeding limb and turned around, eyes almost popping out of her shockets. She seemed to recognize him.

“You! Filth!! How dare you lay your hands on him!” she spit at him, left hand stretched towards him. She said something and Svad covered himself with his left arm, forgetting that he had not had his shield for a long while now. It felt excruciating, as if it was burning from inside out. But no matter, he had to finish this. Stark appeared from no-where and kicked Hela, then hit her with his mace on the back, which gave him time to recover enough to grab her hair and cut half of it. She yelled again, and grabbed his injured wrist while she spit another curse.

The pain was too strong to do anything, he fell down.

00000

When he reached them, Hela had managed to get another hand grow on her right arm. He could see that she had used the life energy of Svadilfari's left arm as it looked like a dry twig. But she was subdued, the power of the golden locks already fading. What was left of her hair had started greying already and her face had now wrinkles.

“Loki,” she growled.

He didn't say anything, he just took out a scroll and teared the rune out before throwing it at her. She disappeared.

“Where is she?” Stark demanded, pointing his weapons at him.

“In the palace's dungeons, chained and restricted by spells, runes and magical shackles. Now we can go back. The liches won't be an issue. I'll take care of them,” he answered, panting. He had wasted a lot of energy and he hadn't had time to rest. He saw Strange in the distance. “The other seidrmasters will need my help. For now, you all retreat and take your wounded to the medical tents. I summoned ones a few kilometers away. They are closer than what you think,” he added when he saw Stark's blank face. “Now if you will...” he turned to leave when something strange happened. A golden flash at his back made him turn fast. He saw a man with a mask in front of him.

“Well, hello, friend,” the man said while he punched him on the stomach.

It wouldn't had done anything, if Loki was in normal circumstances. As it was, exhausted, depleted and not quite focused, the hit landed and he fell forwards.

“Hey!” he heard Stark yell.

Another of golden flash and he wasn't in the battlefield anymore.

Chapter Text

Everything hurt. Even before he came fully back to consciousness, everything hurt. His eyes felt dry, his tongue like sandpaper, his whole body was heavy and he was unable to move. He tried to groan; no sound came out. He couldn't focus his sight, but he knew his eyelids were open. Just for a second, he could move his head. There were sounds now, incohenernt, unintelligible words. People were talking. Humans? He could feel the presence of several others around him. Their disgusting screeching sounded like human speech.

As more clarity came to him pain flared. He wanted to scream, but his throat wouldn't cooperate. His body was shaking –of that, he was sure– while he regained his senses. Tightness all around, as if something was pulling from every side. His eyes finally focused and what he saw horrified him. His face was a petrified grimace of a silent scream, right in front of him he could see his own body, laying? Horror painted his features as his eyes danced through the picture. Something blurry moved, covering the view. Too close for him to see, to focus. But he could hear the thing emiting sounds. Was that a human?

“I see you are awake now,” it said in a screeching way. He could not understand the sounds. What was it saying. “Maybe the poison is still in effect, but worry not, it'll fade just in time for you to feel everything. Given your nature, I doubt you will need to be sedated for this process. Ah, and don't try to fight and leave, this table is engraved with sigils to keep your magic in check. You just need to keep your heart beating until I'm done putting the samples in jars. I suppose you don't mind me taking a look at your lungs? They are fascinating... How do they work?”

The thing, the human, kept talking whilst it moved and Loki's view was finally unblocked of the horror yet again. His mind was still half fogged between whatever drug had been administered to him and the pain that travelled through his body. As memories of the most recent events surfaced he came to a realization: whomever had captured him had tied him to a table under a mirror so he could see what was being done to him. And he wanted to scream. He wanted to run, to hide, to cry. His arms wouldn't move, his tail was unresponsibe. The only part of himself that he could somewhat control were his eyes.

His body was cut open and he could see... The reflext to retch, to vomit, invaded him. Nausea and dizziness overcame his senses as he almost blacked out. He could feel... Too much. It was too much. He was choking on blood.

00000

Amora had seen the golden light. She had also felt when Hela's pressence disappeared from the battlefield. And even though she was incredibly pissed off, she knew that that was because Loki had succeeded on his own task. Now, after a few seconds that could have meant her death, she went back into her task: getting rid of the liches, while other seidrmasters felled the normal undead.

She was tired, her feet hurt and she felt cramps all over her body, but still she kept going. It was of the utmost importance to get rid of the pests before they could regroup, and since Hela seemed to have been taken care of, some of the liches were weakened. To her side, quite away from her, she saw Strange fighting someone else. She blasted a wave around her that made the undead trying to surround her fall down in pieces –none of them were liches–. She wanted to sit down, take a rest, maybe drink some water. Instead, she hurried to aid Strange.

As she approached the man she noticed his oponent glowed faintly. He looked quite normal, but upon further inspection, she noticed that this man was no man at all. He was another lich and a powerful one. And he was winning against Strange, cornering him. Amora rushed as fast as she could, which was quite slow after having had to fight non-stom almost the whole night. As she was approaching she heard Strange giving a speech at the lich –which indicated her that they knew each other when the lich was still alive–, and pleading him to “turn himself” or something, which, in Amora's opinion, was an idiotic thing to do, since this lich had clearly choosen to become one in exchange of power and had not been forced.

Anyways, she prepared one new flare knowing that it wouldn't destroy the lich but at least it would deter it. And it did. And it changed focus.

“Mordo, please!” Strange pleaded from the ground. Amora didn't know when he fell down, but the lich, Mordo?, it was looking at her, annoyed as the green flames consumed his flesh.

“Stupid flea!” it growled.

“Yes, flea... At least I'm still alive and in control of myself!” she retorted, throwing another flame. Mordo dodged this one and threw a spell of his own. Amora grunted as she fell down. They were pressed for time and the more it took them to subdue the undead and the liches, the closer to failing and losing this battle.

If only they had another battallion somewhere.

“Strange! Any idea on who could help now?”

“Only one, but I would need a breather and a summoning circle!”

They rounded Mordo and tried attacking at the same time from different angles. The lich deflected and laughed at them.

“Pathetic. I am not even going to bother turning you into one of my brethren.”

“Not that I would like to be linked to you in any way, shape or form, mister,” Amora sneered as she took out one of her scrolls and trhew a rune at the lich. It landed right between his feet and lit as soon as it touched the ground. The lich hissed, what was left of his skeletal form lighting in a reddish glow. The rune expanded underneath his feet and stripes made out of that rune rose from it, entangling themselves around Mordo, trapping him.

“Wha-!?”

“Not now, Strange. Help me!”

With shaking hands, Strange formed sigils in the air, lighting the binding runes. Mordo resisted as hard as he could but there was nothing he could do now. Coming from their back, Wong appeared and joined them into suppressing the lich. In mere seconds he was turned into a phylactery.

“We must do away with the most powerful liches just like this,” Amora panted, parting her scroll into smaller pieces, each one containing one rune. “Distribue this,” she instructed Wong. “If we bid our forces correctly, we might win this one.”

“On it,” Wong said, throwing a worried look at Strange before leaving.

“Now what?” Strange asked Amora.

“Now... We need to make that summoning circle you talked about,” she answered, letting herself fall on the dirt, needing to rest. “But... If we can... Let's catch our air first...” she added, panting still.

“I'll keep watch,” Strange nodded.

00000

There was chaos everywhere. And he was in pain. He had heard the camp medic saying his general outside the tent that they needed to cut off his arm to save his life. And they had cut it off. They had also given him quite a lot of heavy medication, but for some reason it didn't work to dull the pain but to make him groggy and still very, very aware of his lost limb.

It was clear that he had been taken far from the battlefield, but not far enough he couldn't hear the clamour. Shrieks, metal clashing against metal, people cursing, cries for help. He really hoped they were winning since Hela had been taken care of, for now. But they had lost Loki. Loki... He had been taken away from them right as the tides turned into their favour.

The tower... They should have enough mages, right? They had managed to get rid of the weakest ones and the strongest could be trapped in phylacteries, and said phylacteries destroyed afterwards. His arm hurt. Or, lack of arm hurt. It felt as if it was on fire and ice at the same time but when he tried to shake it, nothing happened. He was also very tired and a bit dizzy. A plan... He needed to think of something... People were still fighting out there, they were not out of danger. Things could end up disastrously if not taken care of correctly and he was in no shape of directing an army, nor making plans. He needed... He needed Loki... But he had been kidnapped. Right in front of his eyes. Who? He rammed his head trying to find any suspect, to no avail. He losed focus every other second and the pain coursed through his whole body, seizing him. He needed someone to find Loki.

“St...Stark...” he managed to whisper. The man appeared in his peripheral vision.

“Commands?” Stark asked, as he kneeled besides his cot.

“Find... find...” Svad couldn't almost articulate. “...ki...”

“I will! Rest for now.”

Everything went dark. The pain persisted. In the far distance, thunder echoed. Svadilfari fell into a restless sleep.

00000

Thor raged. Wind rose in anger, making the heavy rain come from all angles. Thunder roared mere seconds after lightnings light the night. They had been so close to finish the conflict and leave. And now... Now his uncle was gone and the only one who knew where he might be was the witch. Hela. Hela! He wanted to rip her to pieces. It was her fault. Everything was her fault. And his fault. If he hadn't been so naïve to trust a stranger... But there was no time to regret. They needed to retrieve his uncle.

Breathing deeply through his nose he reigned it his temper and the storm subdued. They needed to be able to travel and if he lost his temper it would be impossible to move from location. Still, he needed a minute to relax his fists and jaw. He was too tense and he needed to focus.

Thor had received the message and instead of doing the obvious thing –answering it and be done– he gathered some friends (warriors, more like) and planned a trip to the surface. His mother made them all bracelets that would help them morph into humans for a short period of time to a high cost for her. At first he has been hesitant to accept it, but she insisted and even almost hit him, so he took it and swam as fast as he could.

And now that they were on land, they needed to move. First they needed aid for travelling. They also needed some intel on how the things had progressed. They made haste. Acquiring more fitting clothes and weapons was done in hurried silence. Since the story about king Sigurd parting to war against the witch who rose the undead lots of blacksmiths were open through the night, just in case.

As soon as Thor and his company told them they needed weapons to fight the undead, they were given them for a cheaper price. Though Thor insisted on paying the full price, since, he reasoned, they didn't know if Thor was really telling the truth. But they did not accept it, so Thor left the money inside a boot.

“We will go to the castle first, maybe we can gather some intel there. Then we will try to contact the Tower and see if someone can transport us there.”

“My prince, maybe we should acquire one of those four legged things to travel faster,” Fandral suggested. Thor nodded.

“If we need them. For now, we run.”

And they ran. The sky wasn't a block of ink anymore, thought it would take another hour of so before more clarity covered it and a bit more until the first rays of sun washed away the darkness. They were halfway to the city castle, thought –a long journey ahead, they would also need to plan for rest if they wanted to last at all, even when their endurance was supperior to the average human, they really didn't know what they would find once they reached their destination, what kind of dangers or enemies they would need to fight–, so they decided to sit for a few moments before resuming their quick pace.

Just as they sat down an eerie light surrounded them and from the groun a portal emerged sustained by small rocs, twigs and dirt. It smelt unstable even for someone like Thor. On the other side, there was one of the human friends of his uncle, looking gaunt and exhausted.

“Strange?” Thor asked.

“Thor! Come over, we need you right now! There's not time to explain, but I will once we are done,” the man said, voice distorted by the portal.

“This portal doesn't look-”

“We don't have time, Thor. Please, cross, now.”

Thor looked at his companions. Fandral nodded whilst the others gathered their belongings. Without more delay, they crossed.

Chapter Text

The table that was red

Everything was wrong. Everything he saw there was wrong. The only word in his head was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! It had taken him way too long to locate Loki and who had him and even longer getting inside and seeing... Seeing for himself. Stark had already sent word to the others and now the only thing left for him was waiting. But that was too much. Too much!

“How could any sane person...” he didn't finish his sentence. Because there were no sane people inside that place. Only the deviants. Those with such a rotten and twisted mind that only in the company of similar thoughts they could find solace. One thing that irked him so was that he hadn't seen it coming. Him! Anthony Stark! He was supposed to be the best of the very best regarding intel and this... Everything had been such a sudden impact. Not even in his worse nightmares would he had fathomed anything like this could happen.

“Dammit!” he cursed under his breath, resisting the urge to kick something. He shouldn't get attention and any sudden movement could alert his prey. Still... That he had to wait now was so, so wrong. The longer it took for them to arrive, the worse it would be for Loki.

Stark closed his eyes and clenched his jaw when another muffled scream floated through the air. He couldn't do anythin. Only wait.

00000

“Richards!” Victor Von Doom gruntled. Just mere seconds ago the whole place shook and a deafening boom expanded through the halls. Ever since their falling, they both Lord Von Doom and Lord Richards had been at odds. In every meeting they would always fight, if somewhat politely, over the tiniest of details. Victor regarded Richards as a thorn in his side and every time he was immersed in any of his projects, Richards would miraculously appear out of no where and hinder his progress.

Last time there had been more than words. There had been fists thrown each way and Richards had told him with a stern look that “his experiments lacked ethos, and he was deranged”. Ha! Victor was tired of his foolishness. Once they had been on the same page, thought the same thoughts, shared the same interests. But in Richards view, Victor's method was wicked and evil, and he had laughed in his face. What else could he do when he knew how far Richards had gone before? But he had changed and now only Victor was brave enough to pursue the world truths.

The chambers shook again, small debris falling down the ceiling, dust starting to cover everything. He shouldn't get caught in his own mind at a time like this. He needed to move, fast, and know exactly who and why was he being attacked. In mere minutes, while more explosions went off and part of his place got raided, he was in his armour. With the snap of his fingers more armours appeared –exact replicas of the one he was wearing– and walked behind him, powered by runes. Magic! Fae creatures were the best ingredients and if you were daring enough you could learn more spells from the sentient ones. It was such a pity that he had to halt his latest experiment, but first was safety. He just hoped his people could gather everything neatly and leave with the specimen alive. It wouldn't do to lose such a magnificent one. And to think that he had needed the aid of a withc!

Another tremmor almost made him lose his footing but he managed to keep himself standing in a somewhat dignified way.

“Richards!!” he growled again. He needed to leave now. Turning towards his armours he instructed them to either fight the intruders or destroy his archives if they were to fall on the wrong hands. “Next time, I will go to your state and burn your mansion to the foundation,” he mumbled, angrily.

00000

The sun was coming up yet again for the second time since they had reached that dreadful lair. Thor strided through the halls with a scowl. No one dared to stop him or talk to him, not even his mer companions. After they had arrived at the battlefiel they had done their best to aid their land friends but it had been difficult. It was one thing fighting underwater, swiftly moving with the currents; on land they had felt clumsy and inexperienced but they had managed to help and not get gravely injured nor in the way. Then, they had rushed towards where Stark had shown them.

Thor hadn't had a second of respite. He hadn't slept a blink and was feeling very irritated by the mere sound of people's breaths. He halted his steps when he reached one specific chamber. The smell that came out of it was so foul he had to repress the gagging reflex. Breathe through the mouth, Stark had recommended, and so he did. Once he entered, he saw Svad's people cleaning away the place. Right by the centre of the room was a wooden table. It looked sticky, stained. There were restrains on the table. It was of a very specific length and shape. On the wood, if you knew how to look, there were runes engraved, as well as on the cuffs.

The floor was dark and sticky with some kind of substance. He swept the room with another glance, briefly looking at what objects were still on the shelves and other surfaces: flasks and jars, saws, tweezers... Jaw set, hands fisted, Thor tried to regain some control over himself. He turned around and walked outside, towards the tent that they had set as a temportary meeting room.

“...not done. I think we wouldn't have been able to find this place without that intel. So I am very grateful for that, Lord Stark,” Lord Richards was saying when Thor entered. The man had already been dispatched to hunt Lord Von Doom some weeks ago by word of prince Sigurd on suspicion of treason so he had taken his own men already and was almost reaching Latveria –Lord Von Doom's territory– when he received word from Lord Stark: they needed his help, and fast.

“It was my pleasure. Now, if you will let me, I need to lay down and drink myself dumb. I want to forget everything I've seen inside that castle of horrors,” Stark said, not bothering to bow before leaving, thought he gave Thor a nod of aknowledgement. Thor followed the man's figure with his eyes for a brief moment before looking back at Lord Richards, who was now seating heavily on one of the chairs, sighing deeply.

“I never knew Victor could do something like this,” he mumbled, one hand on his face. His whole demeanor screamed exhaustion and disappointment. The man had fought fiercely on the raid and had sustained several injuries. “I should have known. I should have stopped him. Talked him out of his obsession...”

“It wasn't your fault,” Thor said, taking a seat at the other side of the small table. “And thanks to your aid we managed to rescue-”

“Not everybody were alive!” Richards cut him mid sentence. “I'm sure there are some who might die even after we took them out. And others might never recover, even if they survive... And Loki...” Richards paled. He already had a bad complexion but now he looked grayish.

“Do not think about that, Lord Richards,” Thor said, more to himself than to the other man. “Loki, my uncle, will survive this. He is strong.”

“I don't doubt it, Lord Odinson, but... But you weren't there when we found him and...”

No. Thor haven't been there. He had been trying to supress the rest of the undead Hela had risen from their graves, tasked with the protection of the mages so they could regain their seidr and open new portals or subjugate the liches. And when they had finally received the message from Stark –it had been sent to Svad, but the man was still unconscious–, Strange had opened another, if still unstable, portal to get here.

He had launched himself to the battle as soon as he knew who he needed to pierce with his bident. At some point it had broken and he had just started using a warhammer. If he had learnt something from Eitri was how to use the hammer. He had been enraged and everything was mixing inside his head. He could only remember smashing as many armours as he could on the head, just to find out none of those had been Victor Von Doom, which had been a disapointment.

Now, while others worked into keeping everything under control, accounting of the confiscated materials, attending to the injured and burying the dead, Thor's only thought was one. He hadn't need to be told who had been chained to that table, in that room. There had been left a shape on the wood, one he could recognize, if not by association, by mere intuition. There had been a few scales on that table. And everything had been dyed a dreadful red colour.

00000

His mind was calm. He felt warm, heavy, tired, thirsty, but calm. There were people coming and going, but their steps and words were muffled. He was resting over a really soft and warm surface. He was enveloped by a cloud, it felt. Warm, heavy, soft, cozy. He slept some more. He woke up again. This time there wasn't any kind of light coming through his eyelids. He sighed, contently, feeling exhausted. Little by little he became more aware of himself.

At first he was disoriented. Where was him? Why was he there? What had happened? Where had he been before being where he was now? With infinite effort he managed to open his eyes. Night. Soft light came from a window to his right. His whole body hurt. He felt like he couldn't move from waist down, his head pounded, his throat was sore.

“Are you awake?” someone spoke from the shadows.

“...” he tried to speak but only a dry grumble was made by his throat.

“Here, let me help you drink some water.”

He was grateful for the drink, the hand on his head that helped him and the glass touching his lips. “What happened?” he asked after a few more sips.

“You were badly hurt so we took you back here as soon as we could from the medics' tents. The battle was a mess but the mages have finally managed to get all the liches under control and the undead back to being just plain dead. Those who could still be recognised are being delivered back to their families so they can be re-buried or, if this was their first time dying, buried,” Stark said with a hint of sarcasm. “We thought you might die. You have been sleeping for two weeks. You woke up several times yelling and screaming in pain. The medics had to give you a strong opiate medicines and once they were recovered, the surviving sorcerers and sorceresses started aiding the injured.”

“So... Is it over?” he rasped, coughing. Stark helped him drink a bit more of water.

“Yes. Honestly, there were times I thought I was done for. And on one of my darkest moments this marvellous woman came out of nowhere and saved my ass. You know? If I can find her again I will propose she join our merry band.”

Svad laughed, then coughed again.

“Was she a warrior of the kingdom?”

“Sure. That or she stole the armour, heh.”

“Then she will be in the records. I will find her for you,” he said, closing his eyes. “Where is Loki?” Svad didn't have any kind of doubt that Stark had managed to locate his mer and by now he must be doing his little tricks or even concocting draughts. Or maybe he was interrogating Hela. He didn't care at the moment, to be honest. But Stark didn't answer. He looked at him, worry starting to eat at him. “Stark. Where is Loki?” Stark looked away and dread filled him. “Stark?”

“He... We found him.”

“Continue.”

“...”

“Continue!”

“He was barely alive... He... He is still unconscious. The doctors say that he might not wake up ever.”

At these words, Svadilfari tried to get up, leaning on his left side just to slump. He let out a surprised cry. Musteting all his strength and determination and hauled himself up, looking at his left side in bewilderment.

“Where the fuck did my left arm go and why can't I feel any pain on it?” he whispered, as he teared off his shirt. His whole torso was bandaged, some of them were dirtying with blood as he got off the bed. Stark didn't stop him, but didn't help him either, just looked away, uncomfortable. He was lacking his left arm but he couldn't feel anything, no pain, no absence...

“Apparently, what Hela did to your arm was spreading, so they had to cut off from the healthy part to save your life. It would have reached your heart in mere hours and you would have died.”

Svad looked up to Stark from his shoulder. “I have to go see Loki,” he mumbled, fighting to walk. He almost fell. This time, Stark helped him, but just to put him back into the bed.

“Later. He is unconscious and you are still ill. Your fever is rising up again. Svadilfari, please, don't fight me on this.”

But he did fight. He punched the other man on the face, thought it was too weak to even make his head move.

“No! Take me to Loki! I need to see him,” he said, trying to get out of Stark's grip.

“SVAD!!!” Stark yelled. This gave him pause. If his surroundings were any indicator, they must be in a royal lodging, which meant prying eyes and ears.

“Okay... Okay. For now...” he said, letting himself fall onto the bed again, looking towards the window, away from Stark.

“Svad... I think it is time we go back home... We are not made to rule, nor to be on land for so long. We have been following you all this time because it was funny seeing all these pompous idiots licking up our asses and kissing our boots. But after this? No, man. I need to go back into high sea.”

Svad nodded, still not looking at Stark.

“You are completely right, Tony...” After a few moments in silence he looked at the other man. “I am going to need a really big hook for this,” he added, half smile on his face.

“Yeah... I will ask around and commission the gaudiest one.”

Svad nodded and went back to looking out the window –not that he could see much, just the night sky, some stars and the reflection of the torches outside.

Stark walked towards the door. Before exiting he looked back at his mate. If he had had a mirror... He looked like death itself. Cerulean and clammy skin, sunken, unfocused eyes and dull hair. Try to survive this, we have to go back to the seas, he thought before clossing the door behind him.

Chapter Text

He disappeared without a trace

“Darcy you are strangling me,” Jane half complained as her friend crushed her into her arms.

“Shut up, you bitch! Whore! I thought you died. Do you know how long I've been waiting for you? I searched for you everywhere but no-one knew anything about you. I really feared the worst had happened to you, idiot!! I hate you!!” she answered, tightening her embrace. Jane huffed, feeling breathless by the strength of her friend.

“No, really... I almost can't...”

“Okay, okay. But if you ever pull a stunt like this I am killing you myself,” she said, disentangling herself from Jane, but holding her still by the shoulders. She shook her friend while she growled. “I was worried sick! I thought you were gone for ever,” she kept saying, unshed tears welling on her eyes.

“I'm so sorry, Darcy. It won't happen again. I'm sorry,” Jane said, hugging now. Truth be told, she was still pretty shaken.

After Svadilfari had taken his men to the battlefield she had busied herself with the task of preparing medical aid, looking for invigorating beverages and supplies just in case the battle were to drag on longer than expected. And then she had set off. And then she had got lost. And then... She shuddered. She had been surrounded by the undead. Those creatures had done away with her mount and she had managed to escape by the skin of the teeth. Curiously enough, after a short fashion the undead had stopped to chase after her to turn towards a set destination and she... She had been foolish enough as to follow the flow.

In truth she didn't quite know how she found herself in the middle of the battlefield. It had felt as if she had been possessed. It was a miracle she was alive at all. Through the confusion of the fight she managed to arrive to a safer place and from there she devised a plan. First, she needed to find someone in whom she could trust, then she would go back to her original tactics.

And, to be honest, if anyone were to ask her, she wouldn't be able to relate what had happened these past few days. Or was it weeks? She wasn't sure anymore. Darcy had finally calmed down enough to leave her be inside the small, wooden room. And gods knew she needed the space to gather herself. One of the things she needed to do now was locate Svadilfari –in case he was still alive– and see where the others were. She was sure after all this they would need extra hands and help to rebuild, count the missing people, the dead, the newly dead, aid the injured...

“Why am I thinking as if I was the one responsible to solve all this?” she admonished herself. “I should just focus on my own company... Okay, I will help out a little,” she sighed in defeat. She couldn't, in good conscience, leave everything as it was. “Fuck my luck!”

00000

Once they had had controlled the undead and had some semblance of order, Thor went into the dungeons in the palace to have a long chat with Hela. Strange and Wong had busied themselves making portals here and there to help move the injured and now they were at one of the prince-now-king Sigurd's manors. They were using it as a sort of command post as well as a hospital for the worst injuried. Loki and Svadilfari were using two of the rooms in one wing. Their rooms were adjacent and there were guards around to prevent people to get to them.

Just thinking about how he had seen his uncle when they had finally found and rescued him made his blood boil. He should have crushed Von Doom's head, but none of the armours were him, even thought he spoke through them. The man had managed to escape the grasps of Lord Richards and now was on the run. He had sent Fandral and Hogun after him, aided by Lord Richards, who had been a close friend with Lord Von Doom. But it seemed that Latveria was too inhospitable for them and Von Doom knew his territory well, they might never find him.

And now, to take off his mind of unpleasant and unsavoury matters, Thor was talking with the surviving mages. Or more like, they were pestering him. Since he was the closest thing they knew to Loki, their leader, and since Loki was still convalescent, they were all coming to him with worries.

“I truly know not, friend. Maybe you should try talking with Lord Strange. He seems to know a bit more,” he was saying.

“Yes! But Strange is busy with Wong and won't see us. Can't you at least try to wake Loptr up?” Thor frowned at him, thundering look in his eyes, narrowed. The man gulped, excused himself and scurried away. Thor sighed. He was exhausted.

He walked away, slumping down on the nearest seat he found, resting his head on his hands. What was he to do now? He should send word to his parents.

“Thor,” a sweet voice called. He looked up and felt half of the tension leaving his shoulders.

“Amora?”

“Thor, baby!” she said, opening her arms. Her smile was one of exhaustion, she had dark circles on her eyes and grimme mixed on her skin with cuts, bruises and wounds. He sprung into her embrace.

“Amora! I didn't know I would see you. Are you alright? Where is Loreley?” he said while hugging her and then stepping back. His smile died on his face when he saw her tears. She was smiling still.

“She is gone.” Thor paled. “I left her at home but I have had this dreadful nightmares that she would... I have not seen her on the battlefield nor between the captured liches. And I am certain that she is still back at home but still... I can't help but fear that she...”

He gripped her harder and crushed her into another embrace.

“I will look into it. And just in case, I will prepare a phylactery. I will ask my mother and uncle to make the best one. I-”

“No, Thor. Don't worry about this. You don't need to go to these extremes. You didn't cause any of this,” she said, sad smile on her lips.

And Thor... Thor felt cold. He did. He was responsible. If he had never given his hair to Hela, she wouldn't have... But how was he to know that his own hair had power enough to make her strong once again? Though he was still dubious of what the woman had told him from her rune filled cell, he was positive his aid had been used in some form. She had laughed at him in such a cruel way. But he had not been angered by that. Despair had crushed his heart and shame washed over him. He had left her, he laughter still ringing in his ears.

“I will do right by you and Loreley, Amora,” he promissed. Then, to take off a bit of weight of the conversation, added, “And you should go take a bath. You reek like the corpses over there.”

She laughed now, a sad ring to the melody, but still not as dark.

“You are one to talk, blondie,” she said, patting him on the arm. “I will see you around. Or are you leaving soon?”

“I know not yet. I must wait for my uncle to regain consciousness and then... We don't know how long it will take for him to recover enough to move,” he said, looking at the mansion.

After a while, he decided to head inside. He needed to see how his uncle was doing. The healers had said that he needed rest and had done all what they could to keek his heart beating and his lungs breating. Thor would have preferred if they had prepared a water tank for his uncle to rest, but they couldn't provide enough water with the essentials for an unconscious mer to survive –the water needed filtering and they weren't sure if their knowledge on fish was enough to prevent Loki from getting his wounds infected–, so their solution had been a bed and damp cloths that needed to be changed regularly. They also added numbing lotions and lots of disinfectants to prevent rotting and festering.

So far, they had treated Loki with normal human medicine, only aiding it with spells instead of the other way, to close his wounds. Close his wounds... Thor hit the nearest wall with one hand, while the other balled into a fist, nails biting into his flesh. Close his wounds. With closed eyes, he felt hot tears streaming down his face. Close... They had had to stitch Loki. He had been cut open when they arrived, he had been told. Loki had been half aware of his surroundings, eyes half closed, mumbling delirious things, chained. He was awake during the procedure Von Doom had inflicted on him.

“I will hunt him down and rip off his head with my own hands,” he vowed, before straightening up and walking up the stairs.

00000

Stark accompanied him to where Loki was resting. He had been told everything already. Well, not everything. Stark just gave him an abridged version. There would be a huge scandal. In fact, he was sure the scandal was already happening since too many people had seen Loki's tail and one couldn't silence them all. The worst about that was that Svad himself had been unconsicous while it happened, so he couldn't do anythingt o minimise the impact at the moment.

“Leave.” Tony nodded and left, closing the door softly after him, but Svad's amber eyes were focused only on the laying figure. He felt slightly faint, vision blurred, but still, he couldn't leave. Stark had fought against him for a while before agreeing to let him be there. Two convalescent men, one unconscious, one almost. He took one of Loki's hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss it. The fingers were longer and stronger than when he was in his human form, ending with dark, retractil claws. He still couldn't wrap his head around how they could grow and shrink at all when it didn't look at all like feline claws or that there were space inside the fingers. Loki had not elavorated on it either.

Loki's lids trembled. An unnatural, gutural sound came from within his throat. Svadilfari felt a cold sweat all over his body, frozen in place. Had he never known Loki before this exact moment he would have feared for his life. Then, his eyes were open, looking at him how a predator would scrutinise a prey.

Svadilfari felt breathless. Was this how humans had felt before, when mer hunted them down for their flesh? His hand had let go of Loki's and he could only try to swallow, mouth gone dry. Loki looked positively feral, in a frightening way, even though he also looked unbearably ill. Do not move an eyelash, a voice whispered in his head, lest you befome its meal. And wasn't that funny? Not even when Loki had looked as monstruous before had he been scared of him. But right now, there was something ominous around him, a dark aura.

The room felt as if had been engulfed in shadows and the only light were Loki's eyes: cold, cruel, calculating. The feeling of being about to get gutted was so accute that Svad, for a very brief moment felt stupid for having come in without any kind of blade. Loki was, after all, an otherworldly creature.

00000

“That's the last of them,” Strange sighed, slumping on his chair inside the tent that had been provided as temporary office.

“Knock, knock, Mage Supreme,” Amora said from the entrance. She was smirking. Strange felt even more exhausted now.

“Enchantress Amora, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I thought I would pass by and ask how things were going. I might even offer a bit of help if needed,” she said, winking playfully.

“Much obliged but that won't be necessary. Wong and I have been able to gather the others and we are now almost done with the worst of it. Also, all the documents have been filed. But if you want to help with something, you could go and ask Amina if he needs a hand with the portals,” he answered, going back to the reports.

“Oh. Then I gather you already have enough resources to keep the phylacteries in check?” she commented offhandedly while looking at her nails. Strange lowered his reports to look at her.

“I don't have time for games. Get to the point or get out, miss Enchantress.” He reclined on his chair, crossing his legs.

“All right, candy man,” she said as she sat down, not missing how Strange mouther the words “candy man” with a confused look. “I have this idea of how to store them in a safe way, even if we were to keep them together. I mean, we still don't fully know if it would be wiser to keep them in one place or to distribute them far a wide. What if some stupid idiot gets wind of a powerful artifact buried near dumbsville and tries to dig it up to wish for looks, money or power? But then again, a whole case filled with them would also attract attention, so I have been thinking about how to store them.

“We also don't know whether they can communicate with each other if the phylacteries are within proximity of each other or how far. That's why I've also been squeezing my brain fluids to get to a solution and the best I could come up with was performing a silence ritual on them, using either circles or engrave runes to imbue it into them. Problem here is if the engraving would count as damage, which could cost us some escapees. Though that's not really a concern right now, since they must be as exhausted as us and as far as I know, liches within phylacterias require quite a few centuries to recover.”

Strange was listening, interested in all this.

“So, you have come up with more solutions? As you have said engraving could count as damage, but if we could use a circle of protection and some sigils maybe we could counter it and make it into a feature of the phylactery.”

“You might be onto something there, candy eye,” she smiled. Strange mouthered the nickname again, making a sour face. “Another thing is, if we start making preparations now and, lets say, get to it by the end of the week, it'll take us at least six months to engrave only half of what we have. We should also factor in that the more powerful the lich, the more difficult for us to keep it in check.”

Strange nodded.

“So delevoping a way to get several phylacteries at once would be best than doing them one by one.”

“Exactly! I knew there was a functioning brain behind those sexy eyes of yours, pretty mouth.”

Strange sighed.

“Enough with that, Amora. You are starting to get on my nerves,” he scolded her. She just shrugged.

“Spoilspot!”

They kept talking about the matter with the liches, with Amora throwing here and there different kind of nicknames for Strange, to Strange's annoyance. A couple of hours later they were sharing their good byes –Amora wanted to go get something for dinner and Strange needed a bath.

“We should make haste with this or winter will come upon us and getting all the needed materials might become impossible until spring or worse, summer.”

“I will try my best. But I would love to have some of those helpers you got from that Caramell Hall. They would come in handy,” she said.

Strange sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, knowing exactly what Amora was doing. She wanted him to correct her but he was too tired to rise to the bait.

“Yes, well. See you tomorrow, Enchantress.”

“As you wish, Sorcerer.” She blew him a kiss, to what he responded with an overly dramatic dodge.

00000

“Svadilfari!” Loki grumbled, fighting to sit up and, even through Svad rushed to stop him, he managed to do it, slumping against the headboard. Some of the cloths that were covering his form to keep him moist and hydrated fell to the floor with a wet sound. The whole room reeked of medicine.

“Loki...” Svad was sitting besides him. He had looked paralised and he worried he had affected him somehow. He wasn't really in his best shape. He felt nauseous.

“You lack an arm,” Loki's voice trembled as he delicately put his hand on the shoulder. He felt his pirate shiver under his touch. Ignoring that, he leaned forward and rested his forehead there, muttering some words. Svadilfari felt some kind of vibration at the edge of the remnant.

“What are you doing?” he asked, softly. Loki looked up, still touching him with his hand.

“I'm trying to make it grow back,” was the answer. Simple, matter of factly. As if it was something that could be achieved by just saying it out loud. He pressed his hand a bit harder on him and his frown deepened. He looked in pain.

Svad took his hand off and brought it to his mouth, lips on skin. “Don't do it, Loki. I know you can't. And you are convalescent.” He was kissing his hand. “You just woke up,” Svad added in a chocked voice.

“And you!” Loki snapped, but in a soft voice.

“Your skin looks grey.”

“Yours is yellow!”

“You are sweating.”

“And you have a fever.”

“And you...”

They kept bickering back and forth in hushed tones, caressing each other faces, hands intertwined, foreheads together, peppering kisses here and there.

“I feared Hela had taken all of your life essence,” Loki said in a strange voice. He sounded strangled.

“Well, she didn't. But she did suck my arm dry, and I had to cut off that damned twig,” he muttered, breatheless.

“You should go back to sleep. You are still injuried. And I can smell the blood of your wounds. Some might have reopened.”

“Have you seen yourself? You are covered in stitches under those bandages, my lovely siren, and you shouldn't be this warm. You might be getting a fever too.”

They looked at each other in silence, foreheads still together. Dusk came to pass and night engulfed any and all light, except that of the torches outside the window. If they were really still, they could even hear the people outside at the camp. A knock on the door startled them.

“What?” Svad barked.

The door opened, Stark waltzing in with a grin, “Hi honey, I'm home!” he said in a too cheerful tone for his mood.

“What is it, Stark?”

“Well, I just came to tell His Highness,” he said, mockery bowing, “that dinner is ready and that you have to take your medicines and go back to your fucking bed and fucking sleep. And also that half tuna here has a visitor. His nephew wants to tend to him now that he is awake. And, my dear King, it is also time for the healers to take care of our goldfish and give it a bit of medicine of his own.”

Loki weezed. Then coughed. Then whined. Svad helped him lay down again and Stark rushed towards them to aid. He took the driest clothes off and changed them for damp ones.

“It's always a pleasure have you around, my dear Tony,” Loki said. “Once we have recovered enoug we shall have a feast.” He closed his eyes, turning his head.

Now that he wasn't so focused on Svad he could feel his own body screaming. His fin felt heavy, his skin was clammy, he felt thirsty. There were parts that were tight and others... Other parts weren't even there, were they? What had been done to him? He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Half opening his eyes to spy on Svad he saw how Stark helped him get up and felt a pang of pain in his chest. His mortal was like this... And it shouldn't have happened at all.

“Well, master surimi, I'm going to take His Majesty here for a while so you can rest. I gather Point Break knows how to take care of you?”

Loki barked out another laugh.

“Point Break?” he asked between chuckles and coughs.

“Your blonde friend-nephew-puppy.”

“I expect you will tell me where that name came from, with all the details, Tony dear,” he said, grinning. He saw Stark nodding. “And yes, Thor knows how to take care of me best.”

“Then, we will be going,” Stark said.

“I will see you tomorrow, Loki,” Svad added from the door.

Loki only nodded. They left the door open and after they exited, Thor entered the room.

Chapter Text

Witch Hunt: The Wicked

00000

He didn't know what he had been expecting, really, but not what he saw. He had deliverately avoided going into his uncle's room, scared of what he might see there. But no amount of mental preparation had been enough to shield him from the shock. Loki looked... Dead. And that frightned him.

“What are you doing there, come inside, pup,” Loki commanded from the bed. His voice sounded cavernous, dangerous. Thor shivered. He felt as if the whole room was being engulfed by a dark mist. Something was wrong. And Loki calling him pup again didn't make much sense, did it?

“How are you feeling?” he asked walking towards the table on the far end of the room. It was on the oposite wall to the window. Instead of getting some light he just used his mer vision to navigate the dark room. He tinkered with the potions and vials containing Loki's medications. Instead of letting more humans into the room, Thor had asked them to instruct him into what he needed to do and from there he would ask Loki, since the mer was more than capable to healing himself. Even so, Thor knew his uncle needed to rest well enough to gather enough seidr to get into work. He was waiting for Loki's answer.

“Stop tinkering with those, nephew, the won't do anything,” Loki purred from the bed.

Thor turned around in a second, scowl on his face. What was going on. He felt his chest tightening.

“What do you need?” he whispered, not moving at all. Loki was reclining on the headboard of the bed, long black hair erasing his pale skin from the view. He could see some kind of green glimmer coming from within his eyes, but that light didn't reflect on anything else.

“I am so hungry... So thirsty... I need a bit of meat, nephew... Will you catch some for me?” he purred again.

Suddenly, everything was okay. His body lost all tension and he couldn't feel his injuries. There was a fog...

“Yes...” someone said. Or was it him?

“Good pup... Go get me someone tender, my teeth... Some of them are missing, you see? And my claws are still recovering. Maybe a child will suffice?”

“Yes...”

His body moved on its own towards the door.

00000

As soon as Thor crossed the door Amora threw her scroll at his feet. Long, sturdy vines made of seidr trapped him, making him trip and fall to the floor. Strange and Wong entered the room –wax seals on ther ears with tiny runes drawn on the seals– and lit it with floating fires. Loki's skin was completely ashen, his tail was dull and from the root of his hair towards the middle of his face the skin had become black. Even the sclera was black, leaving just an unnatural green shining from his eyes. The blackness had also spread from the fingertips of his hands and his caudal fin was purple.

“He is, indeed. Look at all that gangrene,” Wong muttered. Strange could hear him thanks to the runes on his waxed ears. The wax prevented them to fall for Loki's siren's voice, though he seemed to be just smiling, teeth sharper as ever.

“Loki, we have come to help you, but first you have to lift this spell,” Strange said.

They both saw Loki laugh and speaking. They couldn't hear it and Loki laughed again, then bent forward, coughing blood.

“Look, we are trying to help you here, but if you are going to be so rude as to-”

“I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP, HUMAN!” they heard the roar. Loki's eyes were wide open as well as narrowed –a strange unsettling vision– and his jaw was dripping with blood. Both sorcerers felt a shiver run up their spines. “YOU ARE THE ONES TO DO THIS! YOU ALL SHALL PAY!”

“He has lost it, we have to contain him and get him to drink the potions. If it keeps like this he will lose all sanity,” Strange muttered, and Wong, after nodding, sprung into action.

Amora came into the room to aid them. It all came down to a battle of wills when they discovered that Loki could get into their heads. They fought back and forth. At some point Loki managed to get Wong into the bed, offering his arm to the mer, but then he was yanked away by a spell thrown by Amora and Loki hissed in her direction.

By dawn they had come into an impasse. The fire balls that had been lighting the room had long been consumed. Ragged breathes could be heard and Loki's skin was almost completely black, making him look like a shadow.

“Loki, please, you will die. Let us help you!” Amora implored. She was tired of this. She was only trying to help because of Thor. But all this situation was bullcrap. How could a half dead mer be so strong? If it wasn't for Thor, she would have already weaved some heart stopping charms and lung crushing curses.

“You think... I am going to trust you filthy lot? And after what you have done to my nephew?” the mer growled, voice a grunt from beyond the grave. “You will be lucky if I don't raze down this place as soon as I-” he was interrupted by another fit of coughing.

Wong and Strange took this opportunity to send binding seidr towards the mer. One of the tendrils wrapped about his neck, silencing him. He raged but to no avail, he couldn't speak. No sound came out. The others binded his arms to the bed and some more secured his tail. They couldn't risk getting hit.

For a brief moment only the sound of birds could be heard, a faint light painting the room. They looked at each other, small cautious smiles on their faces. But they couldn't be too sure of their victory.

“He has been corrupted, somehow. We should first tent to his wounds and purify the water we use to keep him moist,” Strange instructed. “And we need to give him lots of liquids. He has been vomiting half his own blood all night.”

Just as they began working on treating the immobilised mer the door was torn appar with a huge explosion. They turned around, startled.

“Fuck my life,” Amora grunted. They were way too tired to keep fighting whomever was there now.

At the other side of the door, still in the corridor, and covered with some debris, Thor's thunderous form awaited.

“What are you doing?” he asked, in a low voice.

00000

Stark and Graham were tending to a feverish Svadilfari when they heard the commotion in the hallway. Both of them shared a look and Graham went out, silently, holding a dagger, while Stark finished what he was doing. It wasn't until he heard the muffled scream from outside that he rushed out to find Thor on the floor, tied down by some kind of magic, and Graham grabbing at his neck, grasping for hair.

Weirdly enough, it looked as if the light coming from the torches had been diminished. He then heard a whimper from the room and he went back it. Svadilfari was trying to get up mumbling incomprehensible things.

“Whoa, there, asshole! We might be under attack and you have to stay here and alive if we want to get out of here,” he said as he pushed the weakened man back onto the bed. Stark only insulted Svadilfari when he thought he was doing something overly stupid or dangerous. And now he was.

“Loki... Loki... Needs... he needs... He is calling...”

Stark could understand now what he was saying and that worried him.

“No, he doesn't. He has people with him.”

“no... don't... blood... he needs...”

“What? What on hell are you saying now? Are you an expert on merfolk now?”

“...no... calling...”

“Fuck this!”

Stark got all the sheets he could find and used them to secure the pirate to the bed. Then he put a damp towel on his forehead and applied another to his lips. As he was now, drinking could prove a disaster and he didn't want his mate to chocke with a glass of water.

“Stay here, will you?” Starlk said, half sarcasticly.

“...no...ki...help...”

“Yes, yes! I will!”

He ran outside again. Graham had managed to get off whatever the hell had gotten a hold of his windpipe and now was trying to help Thor.

“Bloody mages,” he was muttering.

The magical ropes that were keeping Thor in place had given him a shock and he was now shaking his hand.

“Grams, leave it to me. Go get help and come back.”

“You are mental, Tony, if you think I will let you alone here with whatever is attacking us now.”

“Well, one more to the call,” Stark said, half resigned to die. They went to work, trying to break whatever had been thrown at the blonde.

Thor, on his part, had a blank stare.

“Thor, mate, you have to tell us what happened,” Graham said. Thor didn't even blink.

Then, they heard a muffled boom coming from Loki's room. They looked at each other, worried.

“Do you think the sicko that had strappled tunnaboy to that table is back?” Stark asked. Graham snarled.

“If he is, I think I will pay him the same way. Fish-feet has helped us a lot in the past. It's time we give back some.”

They nodded and in unison charged agains the door that... Didn't bulge.

“Bloody magicians!!”

“...ood...”

Stark and Graham looked down at Thor.

“What?”

“...ood...”

“Thor, what is it?”

They both knelt besides the blonde.

“Loki needs blood...” It looked as if Thor was coming back into himself. He was frowning and blinked rapidly for a few seconds. His eyes focusing on his surroundings. “Ah! Loki must be using his song. We have to give him blood and flesh to recover. He is in critical condition,” he said, then started wriggling, trying to disentangle himself.

“What does that mean, mate?”

“Aye, elaborate.”

Thor did, and after a quick request both pirates made haste into getting him a few things.

00000

They had finally caught him. After two weeks on the surface. They finally caught that scoundrel. Fandral and Hogun looked at the human from their steeds, eyes cold and unfeeling. They had caught him in their net. Quite literally. And it was one made of Asgardian steel, smelted under pressure on the most active underwater volcanoes, where the heat and the toxicity was so high one could die just by proximity.

The human was trying to shake it off by way of physical prowess and several enchantments. None worked. Hogun growled, face fit of his title. How dare a mere human try such things on a mer. On a Royal! He would have gutted the creature already if not for the other human, trying to talk with their prey. Fandral was just as grim as he was –quite the unsettling thing if you knew him– and seemed to be waiting for the humans to finish their talk before striking.

“I never knew you would be capable of such atrocities. And in the name of what?”

“Of progress!! But I don't expect you to understand, Richards. It's been too long since you became a coward.”

“A coward!?” the other exclaimed, scandalised. “You call being a coward respecting the boundaries of ethos and moral? Do you hear yourself when you talk or only the sound of your voice reach your ears? Are you aware of what you are saying? That any cruel act can be justified by-”

“YES!”, prey hissed. “And you will never be able to understand. I know. Brillian mind, but too weak to do what needs to be done. They are not even human!! And even if they were-”

“Oh, don't go there, Victor! I received a short report of what was found on your basement. Do you really think you will escape judgement? There's enough evidence to convict you to the capital-”

“Ha! As if they would dare touch Von Doom. They wouldn't. And they won't,” prey spat. “Because they are scared, afraid of the truth! I have unveiled marvels beyond comprehension and I intent to-”

“You won't be facing human judgement,” Fandral intervened. Both humans looked at him. “We will work a breathing charm and maybe something to help compensate the pressure, but he is coming down with us.” Then, he smiled, toothily. In any other circumstance, it could have looked charming, but as it were, he looked menacing.

“You cannot do that, creature,” Von Doom protested. “I am on land and I will only be judged by my peers on-”

“Oh, but we can, prey,” Hogun cut him off. “And we will. How are you, any of you, prevent us from taking you down with us? You are physically weaker, you can't resist our voices. The only reason you are, right now, is because we are skilled enough as to speak without charm. But get this into your little, rotten head: we can, at any given moment, say one word, and you yourself will be cutting your own body open. It would do you good to remember you are just prey, and we, hunters.”

That silenced both men. The ones that had accompanied them into the pursuit shivered.

“So don't give us any reason to use that extreme measure, hm? Be a dear and behave,” Fandral added, with now a warmer smile. The humans still were frozen in place.

“Let's get moving, then,” one of the soldiers said. “We have him.”

The prey was secured on top of one horse, tied down by more Asgardian steel thread.

As they made their way back, a bit more relaxed now, Richards decided to chat with the two underwater visitors.

“Is it true?”

“What is?”

“That you can charm us into hurting ourselves.” He looked worried, but also seemed to be thinking about ways to escape his demise, worse came to happen.

“Well... We might have added a bit to it,” Fandral said, cheerfuly, in a lower voice, loud enough for Richards to hear. “We can, of course, charm you to come to us. But none of you would truly do anything to put your own well being in such a perilious situation. That kind of song only appears once in a while and as far as I know, currently only two or three mer have that hability. One of which is waiting for us.”

Richard nodded, not knowing it the blond man, merman, was referring to Thor or Loki and feeling only half reassured. One thought crossed his mind: he just wanted all this craziness to end so they could go back to a, mostly, magicless life.

00000

Thor scanned the room and felt sparks dance around his body. Anger rising within. Loki was pinned down to the bed, looking worse than death, laboring to breathe, while the three sorcerers used their seidr to keep him mute and immobilised. He also had to fight the drak fog that tried to sweept into his consciousness again.

“Thor, my nephew, my pup. Release me, help me,” an incorporeal, sensual voice whispered into his mind. “Give them to me. I'm so thirsty. I'm famished. I need you. Help me, nephew.”

Even when the voice sounded appealing, Thor was able to focus on the real intent. He was being charmed into killing the humans and feeding them to his uncle. Instead, he walked in, settled over his uncle's pinned form, astride his tail, and grabbed his jaw with one hand –if a little too forcefully, his uncle never complained–. On his other hand, he was carrying a bowl. None of those presen had noticed it. He applied the rim to Loki's parted lips and poured the liquid into his mouth.

The mer drank as if his life depended on it. And in truth, it did.

Just as Loki was finishing the bowl, Stark entered the room, carrying a bloodied bag with him.

“Here you go, Point Break. Oh, fuck! What the bloody hell happened here?” No one answered him. Thor just thanked him for the bag and bid him good bye. “Are you sure you don't need me to-”

“No, friend Stark. Please, go back to your own friend. I will take care of Loki. And if you could take them out too...” Thor spied the three sorcerers. They were stunned into silence by what was being done, and also looked drained. “They seem to need some rest.”

“Yes... Yes, we do,” Wong said with a sigh. “I guess you have this sorted out?” Thor nodded. “Then, I will be going. Later one we will explain what we were doing. If you don't mind.”

Thor didn't mind. He'd rather be alone with his uncle than have a chat.

“I'm sorry that you had to see this, Thor,” Strange said as he exited. “I will rebuild the door so you have privacy.”

Amora hesitated as Strange reverted the time on the door, making it go back into it's original form before Thor broke it down.

“We were trying to restrain him, to prevent more-”

“Not now, Amora,” Thor grunted. Not looking at her. His eyes focused on Loki's half closed one. The mer was licking his lips in such an inviting way... But his eyes looked unfocused. As if he wasn't truly there.

“I'm sorry.”

“I know.”

With a click, the room became quieter. Even though the sun was raising already, it still looked dark inside.

“Nephew... More,” Loki almost moaned. But the voice came directly to his head. Loki was still silenced.

Thor shivered, still on top of his uncle. A siren's song that strong that didn't need to be sang for real was too dangerous. And his human body was reacting in the most inapropriate of ways, given the situation at hand.

“Yes, Loki,” he said. With slightly shaking hands he took out a piece of meat from the bag. By the smell of it, it seemed to be lamb. Loki moaned in the most indecent of ways, wriggling undernead him. Then his moans changed into that of pain. Of course he was in pain. He was still recovering.

He reached the piece to Loki's mouth and he tore a piece with his now extra sharp teeth. They spent the most of the next two hours with Thor –still sitting astride his uncle, thought not putting any weight on the tail– feeding Loki with raw meat and fresh blood. By the time all of what he had gotten for him was finished, Loki looked better: his hair had regained part of its shine, skin reverting back into a pale white. Even his scales were looking more like Loki's luscious tail.

“... Thor?” Loki asked, starting to shiver.

“Loki... Are you feeling better?”

The mer grimmaced.

“Somewhat. Everything hurts... Could you get off?”

Thor did, still not paying any kind of attention to certain part of his human anatomy that needn't to be so active in such a dire situation. Loki had almost became half wrait!

“I will get you some more medicines. And your fin looks dry. Wait a second.”

He set himself to work. First he located the sigils that were keeping his uncle pinned down and got rid of them. Then he lifted his body to reach undernead him for the bedsheets. Loki didn't say anything. Just let Thor move his body while he changed the moist clothes and bedsheets with damper ones –saltwater mixed with medicine and painkilling remedies–. The sigh he made when Thor started combing his hair to braid it made his hands tremble, heart stopping for a few beats before coming back into action faster than needed.

“I must apologize later,” Loki said in a low lament, voice back into his throat.

“Only if you want,” Thor said, back towards his uncle, while he tinkered with the potions. He was sure he saw some bottles with salve for-

“I also have to apologize to you.”

Thor stopped mid motion, not daring to turn around.

“How so?” he asked, looking at the wall, heart hammering in his chest.

“I didn't give you credit enough. If I had, we could have solved this sooner and with less... Casualties.”

Thor turned arount just in time to see his uncle grimmacing.

“Don't say that, Loki. You couldn't have known that I was the reason she got all her powers. Nor did you think she could over power you, or that you would get caught.”

“Yes. But I should have foresaw some of it.”

Loki was looking towards the window, breathing evenly now through his nostril. Now that his hair was out of the way, Thor could see his gills sealed on his neck. He licked his lips. Loki's gills were so, so sensitive to teasing...

He frowned. He shouldn't keep having these kind of thoughts. Even less when his uncle was bedridden.

“To be frank with you, Loki, I also thought you would solve everything quite fast and come back even before the delegation arrived Jotnar territory,” Thor said. “I should have come to your aid sooner. I should-”

“No, Thor. You are the Crown Prince and you have enough on your plate. You are my nephew, you shouldn't need to come and clean after your old, dumb uncle.” Thor felt bittersweet pang of pain in his chest. Nephew... Uncle... He refused to call Loki that word. He had not been using it for the past few hours on purpose. It was a barrier he wanted to erase. “I'm also sorry for using the song against you. I knew it would work with you so long as you had human form and tried to manipulate you to give me-”

“I explained to Stark a bit of what happened to you,” Thor cut in. “I also asked him to tell it to the others.” Thor saw color rising to Loki's cheeks. He looked embarrassed. And wasn't that a very becoming look on him? “Stark told me that Svadilfari was trying to go get you some... food, too.”

“Ah...” Loki covered his face with a weak hand. He must be feeling really ashamed of himself. “I suppose I linked to him when Stephen, Wong and Amora wouldn't bulge into becoming my prey.”

“Don't feel bad about that, Loki. You were just trying to survive.” Thor walked up to the bed and sat on it, damping his clothes, as he took Loki's hand off his face in a delicate motion. “They surelly understand that we are not humans and when we are in mortal peril we react in different ways...”

Loki's rueful smile made Thor's heart skip another beat.

“You shouldn't try to console me this much, lest I believe you and start doing whatever I please in the future.”

Thor laughed at that.

“But aren't you already doing so?”

Loki chuckled, weakly, but in good humor.

“You might be right on that one, nephew dearest.” Loki patted Thor's hands with his free one. “Now, I believe is time for me to rest. I have a full stomach and the medicine is making me drowsy. I doubt I will be a good companion in the following hours.”

“Do not fret, Loki. I am willing to stay here until you feel better.”

Loki smiled again, this time a bit more optimistic, and turned his head towards the window, closing his eyes.

“Be a dear and close the curtains, will you?”

Thor nodded. Then, as if possessed, he leaned in and kissed Loki's brow.

“Seems like your fever has receded,” he said, weakly. It was obvious that he hadn't done that for the sake of measuring Loki's temperature, but Loki just sighed, contently, faint smile adorning his lips.

“It would seem so.”

Thor closed the curtains and sat back on one of the armchairs that had survived the fight. He would not leave that room until Loki could start casting healing spells on himself.

Chapter Text

As sure as the rivers reach the seas

Strange was rubbing at his temples. His headache had become too strong and now the slightest of sounds were annoying. After spending the whole night at Loki's bedroom trying not to become his meal, having to deal with more reports about the decimation of the Tower's mages, and so on and so forth, he was feeling not only annoyed, but exhausted. His eyes burnt at any movement. He needed to sleep, but he couldn't. He had sent Wong to rest so he would take charge once Strange retired.

Amora, on her part, had dropped like the dead and was snoring somewhere, unbothered. Or maybe she just pretended to be unbothered. She hadn't been subtle about finding a red-headed lich and contacting her at first sight of such one. Her sister, wasn't she? Loreta? Lorraine? He couldn't remember the name given. He couldn't even focus on the parchment in front of him, as the letters danced around, blurred.

“I know this is about capturing von Doom,” he whispered. And yes, he knew. He had recognised Richards' seal on the message when the hawk arrived. He wouldn't have sent word if they hadn't found him. “God, I need to rest,” he grumbled, rubbing at his eyes. He tried to focus again but the letters kept dancing around. With a resigned sigh he cleared his desk and went to his bed.

He didn't want to keep on worrying about things outside his control but once he was in the dark, a shiver ran up his spine. Strange could clearly remember Loki's voice as he had tried to charm them. Granted, Thor had given a short explanation to Stark, who then had relied it to them but still... He had never felt that powerless before. Even at the battlefield he had been able to somewhat fight and resist but against Loki? If the mer had been completely healed, they wouldn't have lasted long enough. Maybe. He couldn't know for sure. But he wasn't keen on solving that question.

“Now... Sleep!” he grunted at himself, trying to ignore the queasiness that was invading every fiber of his self, hating that he was so tired he couldn't even fall asleep instantly.

They also would need to come up with an interrogation stage for-

Strange groaned again. Why was he unable to stop working and just rest?

00000

With Loki's warm hand on his shoulder, Svad could feel a small tug at his bone. The mer had not stopped trying to make his arm grow back again, even when he was still very much battered and his own reserves of magic almost depleted. He surmised it was because that magic was trying to heal him, so it felt wrong letting Loki try to restore him.

“You shouldn't be doing this. It's not going to work and you are just wasting-”

“Shut up, for a second. Will you? I need to concentrate. I have to unveil what's wrong with you and I can't focus if you use your stupidly, velvety, sexy, warm voice like that!” Loki snapped. And wasn't that funny? Being complimented in such a fashion that was more an insult than something to get happy about.

He grunted in acquiescence, after all, Loki was doing him a favour. Even if by doing such a favour he looked paler and paler, skin turning clammy, starting to sweat profusely and-

“Hey!” Loki almost fainted. Svad managed to catch him with his arm before he fell out of the bed and managed to lay him down. His breath was coming in short. “You are exhausting yourself beyond your capabilities. What are you planning on doing? Kill yourself?”

“Sh-ut... up...” he said, with almost no bite. His frown was deep and even thought he looked as white as paper, there was an unhealthy rubour on his cheeks.

“Look, I don't know why you are so keen on making my arm grow back, but if it's out of some stupid sense of guilt I'd rather you stop. You don't owe me anything!” Svad whispered in a hurried rant. If he ever rose his tone, even slightly, he would end up yelling. He was losing his patience with the stupid mer. “I don't care if you feel indebted to me, but I want you to know that it was not you who drained my arm, nor who cut it off. Got it?”

“You... dare. You dare talk to me like that? You, a mere human?” Loki growls, angry. Both of them are quite angry now. Neither knew how it had happened but suddenly they are both irked by the other.

“Yes, I dare,” Svad hissed. “Because you keep doing unnecesary things! Some days I think you should have just let me die that day and be done with it. Instead, here you are, one of the most powerful creatures, unable to grow back a limb that was severed because of magic, or seidr or sorcery! Maybe you should just focus on yourself, fishbrain, and stop thinking about us, mere humans, who are but a spec of dust in the grand scheme of your freaking life!”

Then, the pirate got up, feeling unsteady, eyes unfocused, filling with unshed tears, and walked towards the door.

“Svad. Stop right there. We are not done.”

“Oh, no, we are!” he yelled, not looking back at Loki, and slammed the door shut.

Once he was in the hallway, he leaned on the door, sighing heavily. His whole body was shaking with adrenaline and he felt a headache rising from the effort of not shedding tears.

“You should rest more. You are too emotional right now to be saying what you truly feel.”

He looked up to see Thor in front of him. Fucking Thor. Just what he needed. He had seen... He had noticed. Svad wasn't blind. And he also didn't know how societal norms were in Loki's world, so he didn't quite understood what was going on, but one thing was crystal clear: Thor was doing everything in his power to sway Loki towards him. And Loki... Loki either didn't mind or wasn't aware. That was driving him mad.

Still... The young man –mer– was right. He was too emotional at the moment. In pain, exhausted, scared. Every single time he closed his eyes he could recall Hela's eyes on him, her hand gripping his arm, absorving his life.

“I know,” he simply said, and woobled towards his own room. “Tell him I'm sorry,” he added as he entered his room, in a dry tone.

Svad felt broken. Scared. Scared of sleeping. Scared of losing Loki for ever. Scared of not feeling the same for the mer. Scared of never going back to the sea.

As he got to the bed, he recounted all the times he had almost died. Most of them, he had almost drowned at the sea. The rest he had been stabbed or cut by swords, but all of those had happened while assaulting other ships. This last time, though... It had been inland... He shivered. What a dreadful thought. Dying far away from his beloved sea.

00000

Loki was still feeling quite agitated. What had happened? What had happened with Svad? It was true that their relationship had been growing steadily cold but, this? This was something else. And Loki couldn't wrap his mind around it. He couldn't understand. A soft knock on the door made his heart race. Was Svad coming back?

“Enter,” he commanded. But his disappointment was immense when Thor's blonde mane poked through the door, instead of Svadilfari's red locks. “Ah, Thor...”

“Loki!” he said cheerfully. “I bring good news. In the following days we will be receiving medical aid from my mother. She told me that she will be sending these potions that will strengthen your health enough to travel back home and then the healers there and herself will be able to take a look at you and-”

“Thanks, nephew,” Loki cut him, feeling affronted. At Thor, for not being Svad. At Frigga, for offering aid. At Svad, for being an idiot. He huffed, looking away from his hurt nephew. It was clear the pup's feelings were weak.

“Svadilfari told me to tell you that he is sorry,” Thor tried again. And even thought Loki tried to not show it, that made him relax. He hadn't realise that he had been holding in his breath.

“Thank you, Thor,” he said again, this time, less biting, softer. Thor's smile lit up the room.

“Did you get into a fight?” That question made Loki huff again.

“Not a fight. He is just a dumb, drybrain. Must be because of his lungs. Not enough water, too much air.” Thor chuckled. Then, his features changed. He sobered up. “What is it?”

“I spoke with Hela...”

“Yes, and?”

“Well, she... It... It was my fault.”

Loki narrowed his eyes. He had had an inkling about where Hela had gotten all that power and after seeing her up close –or more like, close enough–, he had put two and two together, but confirming it with his nephew was something he hadn't think about doing yet.

“I know,” he simply said. Thor's shoulders slumped, as he sat down beside the bed. “And you are not responsible. She took it, or you gave it, but the core of the matter is that it was her who used it as she did, not you. You didn't-”

“But I've known that certain body parts can be used for seidr and I've known ever since I was a small pup that seidr ran through my body... Loki, I knew she could do something with my hair. I just ignored it.”

Loki frowned.

“And you would have been able to stop her how? At the time, if memory serves me right, you were a weak human, fresh from the water, blind, powerless, and your core was in disarray so you couldn't propperly control your own seidr. So, pray tell, how would you have stopped her? She could have taken it without you even knowing. She could have killed you and then revived you. So no, you might have known in theory, but you are not responsible for her actions.”

Thor didn't say anything. Loki sighed.

“Just don't do it again,” Loki spat, temper shortening even more. He was in no mood for this.

“Yes, right.”

But Thor didn't look reassured at all. His eyes were set on the floor. Loki huffed.

“Will you stop that? You just entered here with that stupidly cheerful smile on your stupidly handsome face and now you are moping! If you are going to be like this leave!”

He didn't quite know what, but something he had said made Thor's breath itch and then stop. After that, he semed to breathe normally again.

“Okay... Em... Loki... After you recover... What are you going to do? I thought that you would come back home but maybe you... I don't know...” Thor said, hand combing through his beard.

“I don't know.” He looked away, his nephew's hands were distracting. “Maybe I will just go to the Artic. Cold water might sit well with my scales and the currents there are said to be beneficial for certain injuries.” His bitter tone was so noticeable he winced at himself.

“That far?”

“Yes, why?”

“Can I come?”

Loki's head snapped back, eyes darting to his nephew's. He smiled, feeling feral.

“Would you come?”

Thor nodded.

“I would love to.”

Loki chuckled, amused.

“Oh, I don't know, nephew. What of your regal duties?”

“What of them?”

This time, Loki let out a heartfelt laughter. Thor was really asking to go with Loki, adventuring, away from restrictions and protocols and... Was this really Odin's son? He grabbed one of Thor's hands in his and kissed his knuckles, tenderness swelling in his heart.

“Yes, you can. I will need someone to help me carry all the loot. And when we come back to Asgard I will need someone to help me recall all our achievements. Oh, you have never been to Nidavellir, have you? I think after a short stay of, lets say, a couple of years in the Artic waters, we should go there. And then we could go to Vanaheim, that's where your mother is from if I recall correctly.”

Thor was overtly excited, beaming a smile. And for a brief second, Loki could see a resemblance with his brother in him. The dumbass. He kept smiling at the blonde, fondness washing over him. Then, in the blink of an eye, Thor's smile became strained and he was tugging to recover his hand. He hadn't realise that he had been caressing it between his thumbs.

“Yes. It sounds like a perfect plan.”

Loki's smile also became tense. He had, for a brief moment, forgotten what afflicted his nephew's heart. Shame wasn't something he usually felt, but this time it overcame him, colour rising to his cheeks. He averted his eyes.

“Yes... It seems so...”

The mood had become strange between them. A shift at his side told Loki that Thor was moving. He looked back at him just as the bed dipped. Thor was sitting on it now. He put one hand at his side and leaned in as his other hand caressed away some whild strands of hair that were free from his plait. Thor took his lips. And Loki closed his eyes, his own hands rising to frame the blonde's head, sinking between golden locks. Thor's hand moved to the back of his head, pulling him closer and Loki opened his mouth, deepening their kiss.

Thor moaned and just like that, the spell was broken. Loki pulled away, pushing at his nephew.

Neither said a word. They just sat there, feeling each other's heat, breathes uneven.

“Maybe I should go,” Thor said after long minutes. Loki only nodded, not looking at him even when he reached the door. “I will come back later with some more food.”

The door closed with a click.