Chapter 313: Of Fairies and Tails
13th May 2013, Realm of the Shadows
(Loki Odinson POV)
The parasite gasped in shock until it let out a small scream of shock. It was distinctly feminine, unlike her previous neutral voice. Slowly, a light started to gather around the wound, until it consumed her, and she was destroyed with a scream.
The destruction destabilized his clone, but it didn't matter, his purpose was fulfilled. The Throne room was completely unguarded, and it was time for the Morrigan to finish her part of the plan. The loss was felt by the other Shadows as well, especially the King who screamed in fury letting out a giant blast of light that completely destabilized the dragon and even sent Loki flying back, without his invisibility.
The King of the Shadows immediately noticed the God of Mischief and glared at him. With a wave of his hand, he telekinetically sent Loki flying to a wall and kept him frozen.
Without Loki directing the chaos dragon, the dimensional breach started to close, making Loki's main method of attack useless. The God of Mischief gulped in fear as the towering King of the Shadows glared at him with hatred in his eyes, "YOU!"
Loki couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, as the giant being in front of him held him telekinetically. The light coming from his eyes was almost blinding, the King's rage being expressed, "YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR ACTIONS, TRAITOR. YOU WILL PAY FOR AMORA'S DEATH."
It didn't make any sense. Yes, the Shadows were connected, but killing one of them should not have brought this much of a reaction from him. Whoever this was had a deep connection to the King himself, meaning that Loki had struck a nerve somewhere. And now the King was yelling in anger. Its expressions looked surprisingly natural, surprisingly mortal. Loki needed to take advantage of this to have any hope of escaping this place in any way. Even the name was surprisingly familiar to Loki.
Loki was supposed to escape unseen, the same way he entered in the first place so that the next part of the plan could proceed. If he doesn't leave soon, Odin and his allies will presume that he had perished and will proceed, which would ensure his doom. He needed to get out of here, or he would be dead. He didn't have the raw power to fight a single Shadow, so he needed to use his most powerful feature, his silver tongue.
Still gasping from the telekinetic pressure, Loki spoke out, "She meant a lot to you, didn't she?"
Amora, what a familiar name. Wait a minute, wasn't that the name of that Enchantress woman? She was a famous seductress that was obsessed with Thor and getting him to marry her. She was a good sorceress, all things considered, but she ended up going too far and tried to enchant Thor. It was quite the scandal, and her sister Lorelei who had helped her with her ambitions happened to be one of Frigga's handmaidens. They were both banished to Vanaheim for their transgression, something that was surprisingly merciful compared to Odin's usual stern punishments when it came to harming his heir.
The similarity between the two names wouldn't have meant much if it wasn't for the Morrigan's theory about the Shadows' origin.
The God of Mischief didn't let the grieving King answer and instead muttered absentmindedly, "She was right. By the Norns, she was right."
"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR THIS NONSENSE!"
Loki gave him a humorless laugh, "Amora, the Enchantress. That's who that was, right? She was your queen, it's why you left her behind, it's why you mourn her so dearly. You loved her, that I can understand, even respect. The Morrigan had a theory, you know? About where you came from, and how you had such intimate knowledge about the cycle of Ragnarök. Because your existence is not natural, and your knowledge is too detailed, so it was theorized that you were once Asgardians from another universe that chose to cannibalize our cycle for your benefit."
Seeing the other Shadows shuffling around, he knew that he was right, "What right did you have to do this to us? You treat us no better than slaves and cattle. We are Asgardians, just as you used to be. There's still something left of your old selves, if there wasn't, why would your king act like we do when his lady love tragically died? I am not asking you to stop what you're doing, but truthfully, ask yourselves if you were in our position now, what would you do?"
The King must have noticed the fact that his subjects were not as inflexible as he thought they were, so he visibly calmed down and responded, "We did it because we had no other choice, small god. What we did, to our greatest shame, was not for the sake of being cruel or cowardly, it wasn't for greed or power. We did it because there was no other way. Our people were burning, the women and children screaming, having abandoned any hope of survival. What we did, what we do, wasn't honorable, but it preserved both our people and yours. It is not a perfect solution, I will admit this much, but by doing so we ensure the survival of both our people, and that is what's important."
Loki didn't understand most of what the King was insinuating, but from the way the other Shadows were nodding with resolute expressions on their faces, they did. Perhaps the Shadows were not malicious in intent? Loki didn't know the full story, and frankly, he really didn't care all that much. He had tried to play off whatever Asgardian Honor they had, but for some reason the Shadows still consider their actions to be honorable. He didn't have enough information to proceed, and he genuinely didn't know how he could get out of that one.
Oh, Loki could still use the emergency escape that the Morrigan had given him, but it would be traced easily enough to the Throne Room and the plan would be ruined. But should the Morrigan finish her role, the Realm will be sealed entirely, and he would not be able to activate it anyway.
So, he had a choice ahead of him. He could escape with his life and betray his people and sacrifice his own freedom. Or he could sacrifice himself and die as a free man, reincarnating as a free one in the next cycle. The choice was surprisingly easy.
The King continued in a fake mournful tone, "And now, we must discuss the vile treason of Loki, son of Laufey, that cost us the life of our queen. What can you say to defend yourself, young god?"
Loki was going to die today, and he knew it the moment those malicious eyes loomed down at him. But this was as good a death as any. He had defied the Gods of the Gods themselves, saving his people. He would be remembered as a hero of Asgard, not the disappointment or monster that people have been whispering about all his life.
He simply needed to distract them now until the Morrigan's trap activates. The effects should be very obvious and clear anytime soon.
Instead of staying silent, Loki burst into laughter and spoke up hysterically, "You think yourselves to be honorable? Do you think yourselves to be wise? You're not, not even close. I don't know why you're doing this, and I don't care. What you did to us was wrong. All those people, so many ancestors, were sacrificed in your name without even knowing your hand in it. Oh, you like to think that you're gods, better yet, the Gods of the Gods, but you're not gods, you're just parasites that use us and long for our lives. You feed on us. On the memory of love and loss, birth and death, and joy and sorrow. Our lives are little more than your playthings, and you wonder why I betrayed you. You caused me nothing but suffering, you took away my life, my emotions, my family, and you ask me, why I have betrayed you, vile creatures?"
Thankfully, as soon as he was finished, the Morrigan's trap revealed itself. The Morrigan was ruthless. Her student Loki might be, and she would let him die for the sake of the bigger picture. He respected that, even if she became far more calculating ever since Lady Selene left.
What the Morrigan was able to do was nothing short of breathtaking, and Loki could do nothing but appreciate the genius demonstration of magic. It was amazing. The Morrigan had somehow fully connected the convergence properties to this realm, making it slowly shrink and lose its borders.
The witch bent the entire realm to her whims, bending space and time itself to create the perfect prison. She mimicked the convergence on the very borders of the realm, inside and out. The realm was still there but no one could exit it, no one could navigate it. Not a single kind of energy could enter or leave this place, not even Ragnarök's. It was only the faint connection between the realm to the cycle that made sure that this cursed dimension is not forever lost to the chaotic void between universes. Of course, as it is, the Shadows could claw through this connection and try to undo it, but the Morrigan's plan did not stop there.
Loki had won, he had delayed the Shadows enough for the plan to work. It was a fitting end for these Shadows, trapped in their own realm, fully closed off to the rest of the multiverse. They will stay alone in this realm, with only one way to escape this banishment, death.
Oh, Loki was not planning on staying trapped in here with them. He will accept his death graciously and hope that he would be a better man in the next cycle.
The King of Shadows who was incensed by his speech, immediately noticed what was happening, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
"Why, I have won, oh, King of the Shadows. You are a prisoner here, in your realm. Asgard has been freed from your tyranny. You have lost, trapped in this realm, for all eternity."
The King of the Shadows recast his telekinetic push and walked towards Loki, "You think this little trap is enough to stop us? Oh, it's a clever trap and it might delay us slightly, but in a few centuries, we would disable it without much issue. You have achieved nothing other than buying your realm a meagre amount of time, where you'll stay to be tortured every single day in here, hoping for the sweet release of death. I will shred your soul to pieces, so that you never reincarnate, that you become nothing more than an old tale of what happens when you defy us. You're nothing but the villain in your story, the small pathetic antagonist. I know that for a fact because that is your fate. You will never be a hero, Loki."
Loki was frightened by the King's words. For the first time, no plans came to mind as the giant man punched him harder than he had ever been punched before. The King screamed at him, "YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A FAILURE. A BEING OF MISCHIEF, AND LIES, THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE, THAT IS HOW YOU WILL ALWAYS BE. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRATEFUL THAT I INCLUDED YOU IN OUR STORY ANYWAY."
His mind hazy from the impact, Loki thought to himself. Yes, he was the God of Mischief, and Lies, but something was always missing. The name stories resonated deeply with him. How fitting, wasn't his life barely even more than a story, a myth? His mother once told him that 'Every story ever told really happened. Stories are where memories go when they're forgotten.'
His mother's words resonated with him. Yes, all the lies, all the mischief simply preludes to the endless canvas that is his life. His mischief is nothing more than an amusing story, a comedy. And weren't all lies stories, in the end? After all, Loki's tricks were lies that he turned into truth. Could he do the same with any stories?
Perhaps he wasn't even the God of Lies, merely the God of Stories. That title strangely felt right, and something deep in Loki simply snapped into place. The young god felt himself being rushed with power that felt strangely familiar. No, it was always his power, but he had never understood it before.
In this small realm of death and shadows, Loki found himself and the blast shook the entire realm, sending the King of the Shadows flying back. Was he a reality manipulator with his stories? No, he wasn't. Loki could tell how easy it is to make his stories a reality because of the chaotic residue left by the breach. The now-revealed to be God of Stories had manipulated pure chaos into his illusion of Nidhogg, but this was on another level.
But that would not serve him for long. As long as his stories become reality, he would consume more of the chaos. This was a temporary situation at best. But for a fraction of a second, Loki was the most powerful being in this realm.
Yet, he could not leave this realm. He was just as trapped as the rest of the Shadows. But what if that wasn't true? What if Loki could rewrite his own story? It was an immense undertaking, but this was an outside realm, where the laws of the main universe are not fully enforced and will not cause too much backlash as long as there is no paradox. It was a mad idea, but it was the only chance he had. The question is whether there's enough chaotic residue to power the spell.
The King stood up once more, releasing far more power than before, "I will enjoy killing you, pest."
"No, you won't," Loki answered with a smirk, "after all, I was never here."
The God of Stories relished the look of surprise on the King of the Shadows' face when reality changed suddenly. Loki made it as if this encounter all happened to a solid clone of his, that he created just before the void was resolved.
Meanwhile, his real body clouded itself and left towards the throne room, met with the Morrigan and left the realm the moment she activated her trap. As soon as the narrative was over, and Loki set foot on Svartalfheim, Loki felt himself being drained like he never had before, before giving his mentor a smirk, "it worked!"
That was the last thing he uttered before darkness consumed his vision and he fell unconscious.
As usual, I generally post four chapters a week, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. (The month is over, so I'm going back to the usual schedule)
If you want to support me, check out my Patreon. I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.
Chapter 313: Of Fairies and Tails
13th May 2013, Realm of the Shadows
(Loki Odinson POV)
The parasite gasped in shock until it let out a small scream of shock. It was distinctly feminine, unlike her previous neutral voice. Slowly, a light started to gather around the wound, until it consumed her, and she was destroyed with a scream.
The destruction destabilized his clone, but it didn't matter, his purpose was fulfilled. The Throne room was completely unguarded, and it was time for the Morrigan to finish her part of the plan. The loss was felt by the other Shadows as well, especially the King who screamed in fury letting out a giant blast of light that completely destabilized the dragon and even sent Loki flying back, without his invisibility.
The King of the Shadows immediately noticed the God of Mischief and glared at him. With a wave of his hand, he telekinetically sent Loki flying to a wall and kept him frozen.
Without Loki directing the chaos dragon, the dimensional breach started to close, making Loki's main method of attack useless. The God of Mischief gulped in fear as the towering King of the Shadows glared at him with hatred in his eyes, "YOU!"
Loki couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, as the giant being in front of him held him telekinetically. The light coming from his eyes was almost blinding, the King's rage being expressed, "YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR ACTIONS, TRAITOR. YOU WILL PAY FOR AMORA'S DEATH."
It didn't make any sense. Yes, the Shadows were connected, but killing one of them should not have brought this much of a reaction from him. Whoever this was had a deep connection to the King himself, meaning that Loki had struck a nerve somewhere. And now the King was yelling in anger. Its expressions looked surprisingly natural, surprisingly mortal. Loki needed to take advantage of this to have any hope of escaping this place in any way. Even the name was surprisingly familiar to Loki.
Loki was supposed to escape unseen, the same way he entered in the first place so that the next part of the plan could proceed. If he doesn't leave soon, Odin and his allies will presume that he had perished and will proceed, which would ensure his doom. He needed to get out of here, or he would be dead. He didn't have the raw power to fight a single Shadow, so he needed to use his most powerful feature, his silver tongue.
Still gasping from the telekinetic pressure, Loki spoke out, "She meant a lot to you, didn't she?"
Amora, what a familiar name. Wait a minute, wasn't that the name of that Enchantress woman? She was a famous seductress that was obsessed with Thor and getting him to marry her. She was a good sorceress, all things considered, but she ended up going too far and tried to enchant Thor. It was quite the scandal, and her sister Lorelei who had helped her with her ambitions happened to be one of Frigga's handmaidens. They were both banished to Vanaheim for their transgression, something that was surprisingly merciful compared to Odin's usual stern punishments when it came to harming his heir.
The similarity between the two names wouldn't have meant much if it wasn't for the Morrigan's theory about the Shadows' origin.
The God of Mischief didn't let the grieving King answer and instead muttered absentmindedly, "She was right. By the Norns, she was right."
"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR THIS NONSENSE!"
Loki gave him a humorless laugh, "Amora, the Enchantress. That's who that was, right? She was your queen, it's why you left her behind, it's why you mourn her so dearly. You loved her, that I can understand, even respect. The Morrigan had a theory, you know? About where you came from, and how you had such intimate knowledge about the cycle of Ragnarök. Because your existence is not natural, and your knowledge is too detailed, so it was theorized that you were once Asgardians from another universe that chose to cannibalize our cycle for your benefit."
Seeing the other Shadows shuffling around, he knew that he was right, "What right did you have to do this to us? You treat us no better than slaves and cattle. We are Asgardians, just as you used to be. There's still something left of your old selves, if there wasn't, why would your king act like we do when his lady love tragically died? I am not asking you to stop what you're doing, but truthfully, ask yourselves if you were in our position now, what would you do?"
The King must have noticed the fact that his subjects were not as inflexible as he thought they were, so he visibly calmed down and responded, "We did it because we had no other choice, small god. What we did, to our greatest shame, was not for the sake of being cruel or cowardly, it wasn't for greed or power. We did it because there was no other way. Our people were burning, the women and children screaming, having abandoned any hope of survival. What we did, what we do, wasn't honorable, but it preserved both our people and yours. It is not a perfect solution, I will admit this much, but by doing so we ensure the survival of both our people, and that is what's important."
Loki didn't understand most of what the King was insinuating, but from the way the other Shadows were nodding with resolute expressions on their faces, they did. Perhaps the Shadows were not malicious in intent? Loki didn't know the full story, and frankly, he really didn't care all that much. He had tried to play off whatever Asgardian Honor they had, but for some reason the Shadows still consider their actions to be honorable. He didn't have enough information to proceed, and he genuinely didn't know how he could get out of that one.
Oh, Loki could still use the emergency escape that the Morrigan had given him, but it would be traced easily enough to the Throne Room and the plan would be ruined. But should the Morrigan finish her role, the Realm will be sealed entirely, and he would not be able to activate it anyway.
So, he had a choice ahead of him. He could escape with his life and betray his people and sacrifice his own freedom. Or he could sacrifice himself and die as a free man, reincarnating as a free one in the next cycle. The choice was surprisingly easy.
The King continued in a fake mournful tone, "And now, we must discuss the vile treason of Loki, son of Laufey, that cost us the life of our queen. What can you say to defend yourself, young god?"
Loki was going to die today, and he knew it the moment those malicious eyes loomed down at him. But this was as good a death as any. He had defied the Gods of the Gods themselves, saving his people. He would be remembered as a hero of Asgard, not the disappointment or monster that people have been whispering about all his life.
He simply needed to distract them now until the Morrigan's trap activates. The effects should be very obvious and clear anytime soon.
Instead of staying silent, Loki burst into laughter and spoke up hysterically, "You think yourselves to be honorable? Do you think yourselves to be wise? You're not, not even close. I don't know why you're doing this, and I don't care. What you did to us was wrong. All those people, so many ancestors, were sacrificed in your name without even knowing your hand in it. Oh, you like to think that you're gods, better yet, the Gods of the Gods, but you're not gods, you're just parasites that use us and long for our lives. You feed on us. On the memory of love and loss, birth and death, and joy and sorrow. Our lives are little more than your playthings, and you wonder why I betrayed you. You caused me nothing but suffering, you took away my life, my emotions, my family, and you ask me, why I have betrayed you, vile creatures?"
Thankfully, as soon as he was finished, the Morrigan's trap revealed itself. The Morrigan was ruthless. Her student Loki might be, and she would let him die for the sake of the bigger picture. He respected that, even if she became far more calculating ever since Lady Selene left.
What the Morrigan was able to do was nothing short of breathtaking, and Loki could do nothing but appreciate the genius demonstration of magic. It was amazing. The Morrigan had somehow fully connected the convergence properties to this realm, making it slowly shrink and lose its borders.
The witch bent the entire realm to her whims, bending space and time itself to create the perfect prison. She mimicked the convergence on the very borders of the realm, inside and out. The realm was still there but no one could exit it, no one could navigate it. Not a single kind of energy could enter or leave this place, not even Ragnarök's. It was only the faint connection between the realm to the cycle that made sure that this cursed dimension is not forever lost to the chaotic void between universes. Of course, as it is, the Shadows could claw through this connection and try to undo it, but the Morrigan's plan did not stop there.
Loki had won, he had delayed the Shadows enough for the plan to work. It was a fitting end for these Shadows, trapped in their own realm, fully closed off to the rest of the multiverse. They will stay alone in this realm, with only one way to escape this banishment, death.
Oh, Loki was not planning on staying trapped in here with them. He will accept his death graciously and hope that he would be a better man in the next cycle.
The King of Shadows who was incensed by his speech, immediately noticed what was happening, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
"Why, I have won, oh, King of the Shadows. You are a prisoner here, in your realm. Asgard has been freed from your tyranny. You have lost, trapped in this realm, for all eternity."
The King of the Shadows recast his telekinetic push and walked towards Loki, "You think this little trap is enough to stop us? Oh, it's a clever trap and it might delay us slightly, but in a few centuries, we would disable it without much issue. You have achieved nothing other than buying your realm a meagre amount of time, where you'll stay to be tortured every single day in here, hoping for the sweet release of death. I will shred your soul to pieces, so that you never reincarnate, that you become nothing more than an old tale of what happens when you defy us. You're nothing but the villain in your story, the small pathetic antagonist. I know that for a fact because that is your fate. You will never be a hero, Loki."
Loki was frightened by the King's words. For the first time, no plans came to mind as the giant man punched him harder than he had ever been punched before. The King screamed at him, "YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A FAILURE. A BEING OF MISCHIEF, AND LIES, THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE, THAT IS HOW YOU WILL ALWAYS BE. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRATEFUL THAT I INCLUDED YOU IN OUR STORY ANYWAY."
His mind hazy from the impact, Loki thought to himself. Yes, he was the God of Mischief, and Lies, but something was always missing. The name stories resonated deeply with him. How fitting, wasn't his life barely even more than a story, a myth? His mother once told him that 'Every story ever told really happened. Stories are where memories go when they're forgotten.'
His mother's words resonated with him. Yes, all the lies, all the mischief simply preludes to the endless canvas that is his life. His mischief is nothing more than an amusing story, a comedy. And weren't all lies stories, in the end? After all, Loki's tricks were lies that he turned into truth. Could he do the same with any stories?
Perhaps he wasn't even the God of Lies, merely the God of Stories. That title strangely felt right, and something deep in Loki simply snapped into place. The young god felt himself being rushed with power that felt strangely familiar. No, it was always his power, but he had never understood it before.
In this small realm of death and shadows, Loki found himself and the blast shook the entire realm, sending the King of the Shadows flying back. Was he a reality manipulator with his stories? No, he wasn't. Loki could tell how easy it is to make his stories a reality because of the chaotic residue left by the breach. The now-revealed to be God of Stories had manipulated pure chaos into his illusion of Nidhogg, but this was on another level.
But that would not serve him for long. As long as his stories become reality, he would consume more of the chaos. This was a temporary situation at best. But for a fraction of a second, Loki was the most powerful being in this realm.
Yet, he could not leave this realm. He was just as trapped as the rest of the Shadows. But what if that wasn't true? What if Loki could rewrite his own story? It was an immense undertaking, but this was an outside realm, where the laws of the main universe are not fully enforced and will not cause too much backlash as long as there is no paradox. It was a mad idea, but it was the only chance he had. The question is whether there's enough chaotic residue to power the spell.
The King stood up once more, releasing far more power than before, "I will enjoy killing you, pest."
"No, you won't," Loki answered with a smirk, "after all, I was never here."
The God of Stories relished the look of surprise on the King of the Shadows' face when reality changed suddenly. Loki made it as if this encounter all happened to a solid clone of his, that he created just before the void was resolved.
Meanwhile, his real body clouded itself and left towards the throne room, met with the Morrigan and left the realm the moment she activated her trap. As soon as the narrative was over, and Loki set foot on Svartalfheim, Loki felt himself being drained like he never had before, before giving his mentor a smirk, "it worked!"
That was the last thing he uttered before darkness consumed his vision and he fell unconscious.
As usual, I generally post four chapters a week, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. (The month is over, so I'm going back to the usual schedule)
If you want to support me, check out my Patreon. I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.
