Cursed
To
In the Asgard library Zara sat rather patiently, iron cuffs coated with silver keeping her hands bound and dampening her magic. Loki had disguised them when they passed through the portal, and they were still undetectable. Asgardians passed them by, eerily looking right through them and not paying attention to the book Loki was reading that seemingly turned its pages by itself. Loki had magically hovered his iron knife before her and she didn’t dare move, even though he had his back to her.
“Found it yet?” she called out, knowing her voice would have been silenced to other ears by the magic field.
“Quiet,” Loki snarled as he flicked another page. His eyes finally caught the word ‘Zara’ on the page and he glanced across at the outline drawing. It depicted a statuesque female with symbols across her skin, some presumably hidden by the flowing dress. Her hair was in multiple extravagant braids and her face, though drawn, bore resemblance to the Dark Elf that Loki had captured. He smirked and went to the paragraph that contained her name.
Vadesare, a Dark Elf sorcerer, was the most powerful that Svartalfheim had seen at the time, and it is thought that he is the strongest to have ever lived. He fell in love, but she did not want him for she thought his magic was too dangerous. In his last hours after being wounded in battle, he put a spell on his love, Zara. She unwillingly absorbed his magical power, though she was to be cursed for life. Zara fell into an everlasting slumber, and was woken a century later by another magician with a spell. She was bound to him to do anything he wished, as disobeying caused her grave pain. When the Dark Elf had gained all that he had desired, he set Zara free of the spell and she slept until summoned once more. The Dark Elves consider her a goddess, as her lifetime has by far surpassed any other Dark Elf, and because she has the ability to heal.
The summoning spell is unknown, as no Asgardian has bore witness to the ritual. However, many have heard the freeing spell. The most common version is printed below.
Loki skimmed the Dark Elvish spell, knowing that it was of no use to him. What he truly needed was a way to make her belong to him. With her incredible power behind him, no one would be able to stand in his way of taking the throne.
“What is your summoning spell?” he asked before he slowly turned to face her. They locked eyes in an intense stare, Zara pausing to think of why he would need it.
“I don’t know it,” she answered with a shake of her head.
“Liar,” Loki stated, able to see right through her fib due to his talent of easily reading people. The tone she had used conveyed slight nervousness and her breathing had quickened.
“It will do you absolutely no good,” Zara said simply while uncrossing her legs to rest both feet on the marble floor.
“What do I need, then?” he demanded without raising his voice, but by adding urgency to his tone. Zara leaned forward in her chair, keeping a straight back as she tried to decipher Loki’s fierce expression.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Loki asked, almost stumbling over his words with shock that his intents were being questioned.
“You’re powerful; I can sense it. You don’t need my help with whatever you are trying to accomplish,” Zara answered calmly. She kept her face relaxed, trying to coax the strong magician out of his desire to control her power. Though Zara was never happy about her situation, at least she was always aiding her race. Loki was an enemy.
“I want to rule. I was born to rule,” Loki justified as he jabbed a finger at his chest for emphasis. He took a step closer and Zara kept her focus on his narrowed eyes. “I need power, whether it’s a thousand soldiers or one.” The corners of Zara’s lips turned upwards.
“What exactly do you want to rule?” she wondered as a passing Asgardian walked through Loki, pausing to shiver before continuing on their way.
“Asgard… Midgard… Jotunheim- The whole nine realms.”
“And what’s in it for me?” Zara questioned after imaging how thrilling it would be to conquer all of the nine realms. “Malekith is capable of doing that too, with my aid.”
“I would give you freedom,” Loki proposed, knowing from her slight outburst earlier that she desired to be liberated from her binding curse.
“Impossible,” Zara shrugged with immediate disregard.
“After you aid me and follow my orders, you can have a realm to rule,” Loki continued, noticing that she was listening intensely to him. He grinned a little as he realised that his velvet words were winning her over. “You may still have to be bound to me by your spell, but I would command that you make your own choices. I would not set you to sleep.” Zara hesitated as the possibility rushed through her mind. Though she had only served Dark Elves in the past, Loki’s offer was almost irresistible. All Zara truly desired was the ability to completely control her actions.
“How do I know that you are not deceiving me?”
“Are you aware of the agony promise spell?” Loki asked, glad that the beauty also was intelligent.
“Of course.”
“I will use it to promise you your realm. In return, you give me the spell to make you my warrior,” Loki offered with an uncontrollable grin. He was so close to power he could almost taste it. Zara considered her two options. The safest bet was to remain under Malekith’s control, but then she would no doubt be put back into her slumber until her abilities were needed once more. Or Zara could take a risk and join Loki, who was serious enough that he would perform the agony promise spell. Magic would bind him to fulfil his promise or live in eternal physical agony, only escapable by death. She could finally have the control she so desperately desired. With all of Zara’s power, it was ludicrous that she could not use it to her will. Her thoughtful expression relaxed into a small smile.
“Perform your spell, and then you may perform mine,” she said and Loki smirked.
“Found it yet?” she called out, knowing her voice would have been silenced to other ears by the magic field.
“Quiet,” Loki snarled as he flicked another page. His eyes finally caught the word ‘Zara’ on the page and he glanced across at the outline drawing. It depicted a statuesque female with symbols across her skin, some presumably hidden by the flowing dress. Her hair was in multiple extravagant braids and her face, though drawn, bore resemblance to the Dark Elf that Loki had captured. He smirked and went to the paragraph that contained her name.
Vadesare, a Dark Elf sorcerer, was the most powerful that Svartalfheim had seen at the time, and it is thought that he is the strongest to have ever lived. He fell in love, but she did not want him for she thought his magic was too dangerous. In his last hours after being wounded in battle, he put a spell on his love, Zara. She unwillingly absorbed his magical power, though she was to be cursed for life. Zara fell into an everlasting slumber, and was woken a century later by another magician with a spell. She was bound to him to do anything he wished, as disobeying caused her grave pain. When the Dark Elf had gained all that he had desired, he set Zara free of the spell and she slept until summoned once more. The Dark Elves consider her a goddess, as her lifetime has by far surpassed any other Dark Elf, and because she has the ability to heal.
The summoning spell is unknown, as no Asgardian has bore witness to the ritual. However, many have heard the freeing spell. The most common version is printed below.
Loki skimmed the Dark Elvish spell, knowing that it was of no use to him. What he truly needed was a way to make her belong to him. With her incredible power behind him, no one would be able to stand in his way of taking the throne.
“What is your summoning spell?” he asked before he slowly turned to face her. They locked eyes in an intense stare, Zara pausing to think of why he would need it.
“I don’t know it,” she answered with a shake of her head.
“Liar,” Loki stated, able to see right through her fib due to his talent of easily reading people. The tone she had used conveyed slight nervousness and her breathing had quickened.
“It will do you absolutely no good,” Zara said simply while uncrossing her legs to rest both feet on the marble floor.
“What do I need, then?” he demanded without raising his voice, but by adding urgency to his tone. Zara leaned forward in her chair, keeping a straight back as she tried to decipher Loki’s fierce expression.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Loki asked, almost stumbling over his words with shock that his intents were being questioned.
“You’re powerful; I can sense it. You don’t need my help with whatever you are trying to accomplish,” Zara answered calmly. She kept her face relaxed, trying to coax the strong magician out of his desire to control her power. Though Zara was never happy about her situation, at least she was always aiding her race. Loki was an enemy.
“I want to rule. I was born to rule,” Loki justified as he jabbed a finger at his chest for emphasis. He took a step closer and Zara kept her focus on his narrowed eyes. “I need power, whether it’s a thousand soldiers or one.” The corners of Zara’s lips turned upwards.
“What exactly do you want to rule?” she wondered as a passing Asgardian walked through Loki, pausing to shiver before continuing on their way.
“Asgard… Midgard… Jotunheim- The whole nine realms.”
“And what’s in it for me?” Zara questioned after imaging how thrilling it would be to conquer all of the nine realms. “Malekith is capable of doing that too, with my aid.”
“I would give you freedom,” Loki proposed, knowing from her slight outburst earlier that she desired to be liberated from her binding curse.
“Impossible,” Zara shrugged with immediate disregard.
“After you aid me and follow my orders, you can have a realm to rule,” Loki continued, noticing that she was listening intensely to him. He grinned a little as he realised that his velvet words were winning her over. “You may still have to be bound to me by your spell, but I would command that you make your own choices. I would not set you to sleep.” Zara hesitated as the possibility rushed through her mind. Though she had only served Dark Elves in the past, Loki’s offer was almost irresistible. All Zara truly desired was the ability to completely control her actions.
“How do I know that you are not deceiving me?”
“Are you aware of the agony promise spell?” Loki asked, glad that the beauty also was intelligent.
“Of course.”
“I will use it to promise you your realm. In return, you give me the spell to make you my warrior,” Loki offered with an uncontrollable grin. He was so close to power he could almost taste it. Zara considered her two options. The safest bet was to remain under Malekith’s control, but then she would no doubt be put back into her slumber until her abilities were needed once more. Or Zara could take a risk and join Loki, who was serious enough that he would perform the agony promise spell. Magic would bind him to fulfil his promise or live in eternal physical agony, only escapable by death. She could finally have the control she so desperately desired. With all of Zara’s power, it was ludicrous that she could not use it to her will. Her thoughtful expression relaxed into a small smile.
“Perform your spell, and then you may perform mine,” she said and Loki smirked.