Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page : patreon.com/Samael61
—
Midgard
Loki had done it.
Or at least, he was mostly certain that he discovered a way to reverse the gravitational curve. Now, it was time for a test.
Conducting it in Asgard was not advisable. The seidr of the planetoid could be affected in unknown ways. Midgard did not share that issue, and he was far from any settlement.
Starting with tearing small openings, his seidr flooded into the higher dimensions. Bonding with the particles that were curved, he began to change their polarity.
It was akin to changing a single word in a book to its antonym.
He felt light, as the gravity lost its hold on him. His feet left the ground, and Loki grinned.
Then he shot up to the sky, feeling the wind racing across his skin. He had changed too much at once, and rather than simply negate gravity, his body had become a conduit for anti-gravity.
Gradually, he slowed as the reversed curve began to settle into a line with a slight bump. He came to a full stop and opened his eyes.
He was near the edge of space.
The white sea of clouds floated beneath, and he could see the moon, the stars, and the sun.
Loki felt like laughing, but there was no air for him to do so.
He bent the curve again, shooting down to the planet, just above the clouds. The sunlight shone through, giving the great white expanse before him a warm, orange hue.
As he soared through the charming scenery before him, Loki finally laughed, as freely as he felt now.
He propelled himself forward, increasing the speed to test his limits. A layer of seidr covered his body against the air resistance.
Inadvertently, he went over Europe, and more than one kingdom saw a falling star skimming the clouds.
All too soon, he had to return home.
—
Asgard
"Guests?" he asked. Thor had been waiting for him outside the palace to inform him of recent visitors to Asgard.
"Karnilla, the Queen of Nornheim, and her apprentice, Lady Amora," his brother said.
Loki knew of Queen Karnilla as part of their studies into the Nine Realms, but it was mostly through word of mouth.
"Wonderful." More guests for them to entertain.
"Mother and Father expect us to be in attendance," Thor reminded, quite unnecessarily. If the guests were important enough for the Allfather to receive, then the princes were expected to be there.
"Are they ever not?" he muttered to himself.
"You seem happy. Do you know Queen Karnilla?"
Loki touched his lips, realizing that he was smiling unconsciously. "No. I am happy for a different reason."
"Ah, you succeeded in another seidr experiment," he realized. Loki tended to be unaware of his expressions whenever he was delighted with the results of his work or too concentrated.
"I did."
"Will you tell me what it is?" Thor asked. As a child, he had considered seidr mere tricks, until Loki showed him that without seidr, they were no different than ordinary Midgardians.
It was a sobering lesson.
"Perhaps later." He wanted to keep some of his capabilities secret. Not that he didn't trust Thor, he just didn't want attention.
His father had accepted the guests in his workroom, which meant it was business-related rather than a diplomatic visit.
"Queen Karnilla, welcome to Asgard," Thor greeted, and both siblings gave shallow bows. While technically under Asgard's protection, Nornheim was allowed to govern itself, and except in rare cases, the Allfather did not interfere.
"Thank you, Prince Thor, Prince Loki," Karnilla replied, giving an equally shallow bow.
"This is my apprentice, Amora." She gestured with her hand to the blonde female waiting on her left.
"I am sure my sons can keep your apprentice company as we speak," his father decreed, which meant this business did not concern them.
"As you wish, Father."
—
"I must say, I heard great things about you both, my princes," Amora said once they were out of the room.
"Thank you, my lady," Thor nodded.
"A mighty warrior armed with Mjolnir and a master of seidr unlike any before him," she added, all the while her eyes were glued on Thor.
"Anything in particular you wish to see, Lady Amora?" his brother asked, playing the perfect guest.
"Please," she hooked her arm around Thor's, "just call me Amora, my prince."
"Then you may call me Thor," his brother offered in return.
Loki glanced at Amora and shook his head. She looked at Thor like a starving bilge snipe would look at a herd of cattle.
And his brother was clueless.
Per the Allfather's orders, they had to keep the lady company, which included sightseeing across Asgard. He was fortunate, as Amora preferred Thor's company, so he could sneak away.
His brother would have to take this one.
The test results would have to be entered into the system, and then he could rest before starting his next project.
Svartalfheim.
Heimdall would never, under any circumstance, allow him passage to the home of the Dark Elves. Fortunately, he did not need the Bifrost anymore.
The Aether was an object of immense power that Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, tried to use in an attempt to revert the universe into a state of total darkness. King Bor, his grandfather, had defeated the Dokkalfar around four thousand years ago and hid the Aether away.
The Dark Elves were destroyed when Malekith apparently ordered a suicide charge to take out as many of Asgard's armies as possible, leaving Svartalfheim an empty world, with plenty of ruins that were forbidden to all.
The chance to explore the ruins of a dead alien civilization was too exciting to pass up.
For now, he intended to rest.
—
"Loki, you must help me," his brother pleaded. Loki lowered his sunglasses, levitating the lounge chair to face Thor.
"With what?" Seeing his brother's face, he could guess.
Three days, and Amora had already tired Thor with her constant flirting.
"Lady Amora. She won't leave me be," Thor complained. Amora was a lovely lady, with blonde hair, a beautiful face, and comely assets, and she knew how to dress to impress.
She just wasn't what Thor sought.
"Have you told her you are not interested in a romantic relationship?" he asked to be sure. They were too young to be interested in a long-term partnership or marriage. Thor could have forgotten to mention that part.
"I have. She just won't listen," his brother grunted.
"Downside of being so handsome, brother," Loki winked," You were bound to have crazy admirers."
He took out a small casket of mead from his pocket dimension, using his Jotun constitution to chill it.
"Please do not jest," Thor said. He took the flask and downed the entire thing in one go.
"I'll talk with her after I am done here." He had already removed the tracking spell on Thor, sending it to the other side of Asgard.
Amora would be on a wild chase for a while.
"Why are you even trying to fish in this empty lake?" his brother said, waving his hand at the fishing pole.
"I am not trying to fish, Thor; I am resting near the lake. The pole is just to confuse the people," he said. He had, in either life, never gone fishing.
Though there was nothing to catch, he still could live the experience.
Thor chuckled, "Sometimes, I think you are just too old for your age."
"I was a mortal before being reincarnated. Could be because of it," he admitted, swirling the mug of mead in his hand. He knew Thor would not believe it, which would make it even sweeter should it ever be necessary for him to admit.
His brother shook his head. "Just speak to Amora, will you?"
"Fine," he agreed, and summoned another chair. "In the meantime, why don't you sit down and enjoy the scenery?"
He was sure he could knock some sense into Amora and save his brother from this menace.
"Alright." Thor took a seat with another chilled mead casket to enjoy the day.
—
Come morning, Loki went to find Amora after breakfast. She was in the gardens with her master, Queen Karmilla, and his mother.
"Mother, Queen Karmilla, my lady," he greeted them.
His mother beamed at him, while Karmilla gave a shallow nod. "Ah, the newest master of seidr. Asgard is certainly fortunate to possess such a gem like you."
Karmilla was ancient; he could feel it, yet she somehow kept a youthful appearance. Her hair was a rich brown color, and her blue eyes that carried so much history were still glinting with strength.
"Thank you, Queen Karmilla. May I borrow your apprentice for a couple of minutes? There is something I'd like to ask her," he said with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.
"Of course," Karmilla said, gesturing to her apprentice.
The two moved away from the gardens and from any prying eyes into an empty training ground.
"How can I be of assistance, my prince?" Amora wondered what the second prince of Asgard could want from her.
"I assume you are smitten with my brother, seeing how you went as far as to put a tracker spell on him," he said. It would be troublesome for everyone if that ever got revealed.
Being in love was no excuse to cast a spell on a son of Odin Allfather.
"So?" She crossed her arms.
"My lady, did he not tell you that he was not interested?" Loki was not really in the mood to play games.
"He did. However, I am certain I can change his mind," said the sorceress.
Now it was Loki's turn to cross his arms. "Take it from someone that has been with Thor his entire life, you won't."
Thor needed a wall to withstand his thunder, a shelter for his rain. Amora was neither of these.
"What is it to you?" she glared. He could see that she was getting irritated.
"I usually wouldn't interfere, but my brother asked for my help since you would not listen to him. Have some pride, Lady Amora, and don't chase after someone that doesn't want you," he advised.
No meant no.
"It sounds like you are jealous," Amora said. Loki shook his head, disappointed at her illogical attempt at changing the subject.
"That someone whose only trick is enchantment is chasing my brother? You would have to do a lot more than that to earn my interest. Even then, I would never pursue a woman that does not wish for it," he winked.
Amora was, by all records, a good sorceress, but not enough that he would have any interest in her.
"I understand; he is handsome, gallant, strong, and has many more desirable qualities," he said. "It's just, chasing after someone that is not interested in you is just pathetic, especially when you have so much talent in seidr."
The Allfather knew just how much the females swooned for Thor, praising his martial might, muscles, golden hair, and almost every other part.
"What would you know of my capabilities in seidr?"
Loki gathered an orb of plasma in his hands, smirking at Amora, "I know a lot more about seidr than people think."
"I am trying to understand your feelings, but there can't be a more miserable life than being wed to someone that does not want you," he warned.
Not that her infatuation would ever go that far.
"I…" she began, lost for words. "Fine, I won't pursue Thor anymore. Happy?"
"Me? No. My brother, on the other hand, definitely will be."
"And as I said before, you have potential; don't waste it."
—
"I solved your little problem," he whispered to Thor during lunch.
"Truly?" his brother turned to him, spoon halfway to his mouth, "Thank you, brother; I don't know what I would have done."
"This must be what they call suffering from success," he grinned.
"Just wait until we find a female that wants to chase you," Thor smirked. Unlike him, Loki was not interested in flirting with the ladies.
"I am a recluse, Thor; that won't happen."
"We shall see."
—
Once the relationship between Thor and Amora had turned to one of guest and host, he was free to study more on the Dokkalfar.
The records were sparse, more focused on battle tactics, technological capabilities, and the state of the war than on their culture, seidr, or beliefs.
There were also a lot of inconsistencies.
For example, it is said that Malekith was destroyed when he ordered the suicide attack, yet the only evidence was that he was not seen again.
How could Bor be certain of the fall of the Dokkalfar when Malekith's body was not retrieved? Would someone that wanted to plunge the Nine Realms into a state where only his kind could live be so mad as to order his people to their total deaths?
Long before the birth of life, there was darkness, and from that darkness came the Dark Elves.
That was what the books said.
If the Aether was strong enough to transform the Nine Realms into that darkness out of which the Dokkalfar were born, could that mean if the plan succeeded, Malekith could have restored his dead kin?
Putting himself in Malekith's place, Loki considered what he would do.
There wasn't enough information, and assumptions were dangerous to make at the best of times, but if he knew his kin could be restored, sacrificing enough of them to create a distraction for the rest to escape was a sound strategy.
Especially with how many losses Asgard had suffered when the Dark Elves used their ships as improvised explosives.
They would be in no position to track any missing ships.
Another part, they also did not have an individual like Heimdall, who could see and hear all that was happening in the Nine Realms, barring if someone was strong enough to hide from his absolute senses.
Meaning, if there were Dark Elves hiding out there, waiting for an opportunity to strike back, such as Ragnarok, there would be no way for Asgard to know.
But that alone wasn't enough.
To transform the entirety of the Nine Realms into darkness, the Dark Elves needed to use the Aether during the Convergence, when the worlds aligned and the dimensional boundaries between the planets weakened.
And the last Convergence happened around four thousand years ago.
Should the Dark Elves be in hiding, then they would be waiting for another millennium.
His father was born shortly after the war and did not have any firsthand information to give. Reports on Malekith, mostly concerning his battle tactics, did show that he was not some berserker striking out at the universe.
He was calculative enough to make sacrifices and smart enough to retreat when necessary, as well as brutal to the end.
There was one person who had clashed blades with him and survived, but he was in Valhalla right now.
Meaning, if he wanted to learn more, he would have to be creative.
—
In the next chapter:
"I'll admit, you caught my handsomeness well," his brother said, thinking it was just another conjuration.
"That's not all," the simulated Thor replied and threw a haymaker at the real one.
"What the?" Thor exclaimed, his voice rising an octave. That punch was almost as fast as his.
The copy grinned, stretching his arms.
His brother realized that this was not a mere projection. Walking around his copy, Thor began to inspect it with parted lips.
"He is as durable and strong as you," Loki said.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.