Cursed
Fire
“I doubt that Malekith is dead,” Zara said as they cantered across the rainbow bridge towards the bifrost. Loki had been silent for the whole ride, and she wanted to at least attempt to make conversation with her new companion.
“Why is that?” he asked for the sake of knowledge, not sparing Zara a look.
“Dark Elves have great strength and durability, and Malekith possesses even more power. I am suspicious about him being unable to survive his ship falling on him,” she explained. Though Loki did not acknowledge her, he was considering the consequences in his head. “He will want revenge, Loki.”
“And we will have an army to protect us by then,” he insisted, powerfully brushing off her concerns. After dismounting their horses, Loki strode in and smirked at the stunned expression Heimdall wore.
“You…” Heimdall breathed. Loki raised the sceptre and a blast sent Heimdall crashing into the wall, rendering him unconscious.
“Come. Help me,” Loki ordered Zara as he left. He pointed the staff at the rainbow bridge and began cutting through it with immense heat. Aching memories of the previous time this happened tore at Loki, but he pushed them aside and focused on how this time he was in control. Zara concentrated her own energy on the other side of the bridge and watched on as the beautiful structure cracked. They did not have to complete their destruction of the bridge as the bifrost soon became too heavy and plummeted to the depths of the unknown that Loki had once dropped into. Upon their horseback return across the bridge, lines of guards blocked their way.
“Let me,” Zara said before Loki could command it. She raised her right palm and sent a burst of energy out. The Asgardians were propelled backwards by the invisible force and remained on the ground, though they were not dead. Loki grinned, impressed by her power and pleased that he had control of her. They continued riding their horses into the majestic hall where many Asgardians had gathered with the hopes of hearing from Odin about what was happening. They all stared at Loki with utter shock as he galloped towards the throne, and whispers began circulating about who Zara was. No one dared to retaliate or question their existence, mainly because they saw that Loki was carrying Odin’s sceptre. He sat in the throne and glowered at the crowd with a hint true delight in his eyes.
“Odin is my prisoner, and your hero Thor has been banished to another realm once again,” Loki announced, using magic to amplify his voice. “I have a Dark Elf goddess by my side, and we are your King and Queen now. Kneel before us!” His blue eyes pierced through the Asgardians as they slowly took to their knees and put a fist to their chest. The few left standing charged at Loki, but after a wave of the sceptre and a pulse of energy from Zara, the tiny resistance was crushed.
“They do not truly follow you,” Zara noted in a whisper. Loki glared at her but prevented himself for scolding her doubt in him.
“Does not matter. All I need them for is to be my soldiers. They mean nothing to me,” he said lowly and Zara gave a short nod. There was such resent in his tone that she decided not to pry for now, and instead turned her gaze back to the incredible following they now had.
After the feast, Loki entered his sleeping chambers and took in the untouched sight of his belongings. He was surprised to see his tidied bed of emerald cloth, his bookshelves still full without a gap to spare, and all of his clothes appeared to be present in his open wardrobe. Zara entered the room cautiously and took in the spectacular sight of white marble walls with vivid green and gold columns. The sound of something falling caught her attention and her head snapped around to the bedside table. Loki was nowhere near it as he had retreated to the balcony, so Zara silently approached the table and lifted up the photo frame that Loki had pushed down with magic. A beautiful, aged Asgardian was smiling in the photo, the top half of her hair pulled up in royal braids.
“Put it down, Zara,” Loki said from the balcony, his back to her. Zara set the frame on the table, and Loki flicked it facedown once more with the power of his mind.
“Who is she?” Zara asked softly, trying to mask her persistence with care as she stepped outside with her master. She leaned against the golden railing and took in the sight of vast Asgard before her, a mixture of nature and elaborate buildings that glimmered in the sunset.
“She is dead,” Loki said after a moment of silence. Zara’s breath hitched in her throat as she realised that she had crossed a line. “Your Dark Elf warrior Kurse killed her, and I killed him. I always get my revenge.” Loki pushed himself from the barrier and headed back inside his old bedroom.
“Duly noted,” Zara muttered to herself. She too left the balcony and shut the glass door behind her, spotting that a single bed had appeared in the corner of the room. It was decorated with jade and ivory sheets and pillows, and stood on ebony legs.
“You will sleep here. You do not leave this room, understand?” Loki ordered sternly and Zara nodded. He then gestured towards the door to his en suite. “Go bathe yourself. We have an early start tomorrow.” Zara did as she was told, keeping a blank face despite her delight inside. She was simply grateful for the impeccable sleeping chamber and how she was given a hot bath. No Dark Elf who had controlled her had ever even offered such simple things to her.
“Why is that?” he asked for the sake of knowledge, not sparing Zara a look.
“Dark Elves have great strength and durability, and Malekith possesses even more power. I am suspicious about him being unable to survive his ship falling on him,” she explained. Though Loki did not acknowledge her, he was considering the consequences in his head. “He will want revenge, Loki.”
“And we will have an army to protect us by then,” he insisted, powerfully brushing off her concerns. After dismounting their horses, Loki strode in and smirked at the stunned expression Heimdall wore.
“You…” Heimdall breathed. Loki raised the sceptre and a blast sent Heimdall crashing into the wall, rendering him unconscious.
“Come. Help me,” Loki ordered Zara as he left. He pointed the staff at the rainbow bridge and began cutting through it with immense heat. Aching memories of the previous time this happened tore at Loki, but he pushed them aside and focused on how this time he was in control. Zara concentrated her own energy on the other side of the bridge and watched on as the beautiful structure cracked. They did not have to complete their destruction of the bridge as the bifrost soon became too heavy and plummeted to the depths of the unknown that Loki had once dropped into. Upon their horseback return across the bridge, lines of guards blocked their way.
“Let me,” Zara said before Loki could command it. She raised her right palm and sent a burst of energy out. The Asgardians were propelled backwards by the invisible force and remained on the ground, though they were not dead. Loki grinned, impressed by her power and pleased that he had control of her. They continued riding their horses into the majestic hall where many Asgardians had gathered with the hopes of hearing from Odin about what was happening. They all stared at Loki with utter shock as he galloped towards the throne, and whispers began circulating about who Zara was. No one dared to retaliate or question their existence, mainly because they saw that Loki was carrying Odin’s sceptre. He sat in the throne and glowered at the crowd with a hint true delight in his eyes.
“Odin is my prisoner, and your hero Thor has been banished to another realm once again,” Loki announced, using magic to amplify his voice. “I have a Dark Elf goddess by my side, and we are your King and Queen now. Kneel before us!” His blue eyes pierced through the Asgardians as they slowly took to their knees and put a fist to their chest. The few left standing charged at Loki, but after a wave of the sceptre and a pulse of energy from Zara, the tiny resistance was crushed.
“They do not truly follow you,” Zara noted in a whisper. Loki glared at her but prevented himself for scolding her doubt in him.
“Does not matter. All I need them for is to be my soldiers. They mean nothing to me,” he said lowly and Zara gave a short nod. There was such resent in his tone that she decided not to pry for now, and instead turned her gaze back to the incredible following they now had.
After the feast, Loki entered his sleeping chambers and took in the untouched sight of his belongings. He was surprised to see his tidied bed of emerald cloth, his bookshelves still full without a gap to spare, and all of his clothes appeared to be present in his open wardrobe. Zara entered the room cautiously and took in the spectacular sight of white marble walls with vivid green and gold columns. The sound of something falling caught her attention and her head snapped around to the bedside table. Loki was nowhere near it as he had retreated to the balcony, so Zara silently approached the table and lifted up the photo frame that Loki had pushed down with magic. A beautiful, aged Asgardian was smiling in the photo, the top half of her hair pulled up in royal braids.
“Put it down, Zara,” Loki said from the balcony, his back to her. Zara set the frame on the table, and Loki flicked it facedown once more with the power of his mind.
“Who is she?” Zara asked softly, trying to mask her persistence with care as she stepped outside with her master. She leaned against the golden railing and took in the sight of vast Asgard before her, a mixture of nature and elaborate buildings that glimmered in the sunset.
“She is dead,” Loki said after a moment of silence. Zara’s breath hitched in her throat as she realised that she had crossed a line. “Your Dark Elf warrior Kurse killed her, and I killed him. I always get my revenge.” Loki pushed himself from the barrier and headed back inside his old bedroom.
“Duly noted,” Zara muttered to herself. She too left the balcony and shut the glass door behind her, spotting that a single bed had appeared in the corner of the room. It was decorated with jade and ivory sheets and pillows, and stood on ebony legs.
“You will sleep here. You do not leave this room, understand?” Loki ordered sternly and Zara nodded. He then gestured towards the door to his en suite. “Go bathe yourself. We have an early start tomorrow.” Zara did as she was told, keeping a blank face despite her delight inside. She was simply grateful for the impeccable sleeping chamber and how she was given a hot bath. No Dark Elf who had controlled her had ever even offered such simple things to her.