Cursed
Fem
No words were spoken between the two as they prepared themselves in the early hours of the morning, nothing compelling either of them to break the professional silence. Zara then followed Loki through a maze of Asgard’s corridors until they reached a cordoned off area. Loki put the guards to sleep and then placed his hand on the door handle.
“This is literally a doorway to Jotunheim. If you need to return without me, just look for the seven ice sculptures depicting dancers and the return portal will be obvious,” he explained while conjuring his magnificent armour.
“What do you need me to do?” Zara asked, curious as to why she was being brought along. Loki hesitated and glanced over his shoulder at her, briefly revealing uneasiness in his eyes.
“Protect me,” he said quietly before shoving the door open. A blast of chilled air made Zara instinctively pull her white coat tighter across her chest, whereas Loki’s inner Frost Giant made him stand taller and embrace the freezing temperature. “Not a fan of the cold?” As they walked forward, he had noticed Zara’s uneven breathing and the way she subtly frowned while tugging her coat further closed.
“I don’t prefer it,” she admitted with a grimace. She was just glad that Loki had provided her with a snug pale blue dress, warm and stunningly complementary to her skin tone, and the fur coat. They trudged across the icy rocks until they met Laufey and his guards inside a large hall that had been spectacularly carved from ice.
“Son,” Laufey sneered, his red eyes enlarging as he spotted the stranger. “Why are you here?” He had a voice that drawled and sent a shiver down Zara’s spine. The giant before her was truly impressive in size and in his ability to withstand the freezing temperature.
“I want your throne, father,” Loki answered, also sarcastically addressing the king. “I am stronger than you. I am prepared to lead Jotunheim to glory.”
“You and what army?” Laufey taunted, showing his disbelief. Loki smirked smugly before turning to Zara.
“My queen is my army, as well as all of Asgard,” he replied, proving that his arrogance was not entirely fictitious.
“Your queen? What is she… a Dark Elf?” Laufey chuckled before shaking his head. Zara narrowed her eyes at the Frost Giant king, not taking kindly to her race being mocked. “Svartalfheim is barren, the Dark Elves are gone. At least choose a queen from a powerful realm.”
“The Dark Elves live,” Loki informed him as calmly as he could. It was difficult for him to not be excited about having more information than his enemy. “She is a powerful sorcerer. As a master of magic yourself, I am certain you can appreciate what she can do.” Zara spotted two Frost Giants slowly shifting forwards, and out of the corner of her eye she saw others creeping closer to Loki.
“Have her as your warrior. Take a Jotunn as your queen. Perhaps Ornaz?” Laufey proposed and a female Frost Giant stepped forwards. Ornaz gazed at Loki with lust, but Loki didn’t even acknowledge her.
“I have promised the throne to Zara. It is not negotiable. Your throne, however, is. Step down and live, or stay and die,” Loki stated loudly, becoming rather impatient with his father’s talk. Ornaz took another step towards Loki and Zara decided that the Giant was too close. Zara sent heat energy to the humungous female and Ornaz immediately stopped in her tracks, red eyes burning with fear. Loki hesitated and stole a glance behind him at Zara, noticing her clenched fist. The sleep had rejuvenated her powers, and now Zara’s fingertips were crackling with magic she couldn’t wait to unleash. Large drops of water slid down Ornaz’s body and the other Jotunns became aware of the attack.
The ones who had been inching closer to Zara suddenly lurched forwards and she dodged in time to miss an ice spear. After it had cracked the ground, Zara grabbed the weapon and melted it in half with her magic. She then fired a blast of immense heat to the soldier, sending him flying and screaming with pain as he shrank in size. Zara whipped around and took a hold on the next spear that had narrowly missed her head, pulling it towards her so she could set her hands on the Frost Giant’s blue body. He started melting beneath her touch and yelling for her to stop.
Loki had already fought off Ornaz and impaled her on an icicle, and he had noticed that Laufey was keeping a close eye on him. With a grunt of effort, Loki used his sceptre to deflect an attack from an icy axe, and then emitted heat from the staff to kill the fellow Jotunn. As he did so, another Frost Giant ran at him, and Zara estimated that Loki wouldn’t turn in time to see it. She threw the ice spear she was holding and grinned when it pierced the attacker’s torso. When the Giant collapsed, Loki spun around and saw Zara’s cocky smirk for a split second before another attacker distracted her. The confidence radiating from her was enough to convince Loki that she was worthy of fighting by his side. Loki teleported forwards to appear in front of Laufey who was watching on with a hint of surprise on his stern face.
“Hand over Jotunheim,” Loki said and Laufey grimaced.
“You wanted a war, and now you have one,” Laufey replied through gritted teeth. Loki’s jaw locked but he accepted the words, figuring that it would prove him more than worthy of the throne if he took it by force. He called for Zara and they left for Asgard in silence, though they both wore grins from the power they knew they held.
“This is literally a doorway to Jotunheim. If you need to return without me, just look for the seven ice sculptures depicting dancers and the return portal will be obvious,” he explained while conjuring his magnificent armour.
“What do you need me to do?” Zara asked, curious as to why she was being brought along. Loki hesitated and glanced over his shoulder at her, briefly revealing uneasiness in his eyes.
“Protect me,” he said quietly before shoving the door open. A blast of chilled air made Zara instinctively pull her white coat tighter across her chest, whereas Loki’s inner Frost Giant made him stand taller and embrace the freezing temperature. “Not a fan of the cold?” As they walked forward, he had noticed Zara’s uneven breathing and the way she subtly frowned while tugging her coat further closed.
“I don’t prefer it,” she admitted with a grimace. She was just glad that Loki had provided her with a snug pale blue dress, warm and stunningly complementary to her skin tone, and the fur coat. They trudged across the icy rocks until they met Laufey and his guards inside a large hall that had been spectacularly carved from ice.
“Son,” Laufey sneered, his red eyes enlarging as he spotted the stranger. “Why are you here?” He had a voice that drawled and sent a shiver down Zara’s spine. The giant before her was truly impressive in size and in his ability to withstand the freezing temperature.
“I want your throne, father,” Loki answered, also sarcastically addressing the king. “I am stronger than you. I am prepared to lead Jotunheim to glory.”
“You and what army?” Laufey taunted, showing his disbelief. Loki smirked smugly before turning to Zara.
“My queen is my army, as well as all of Asgard,” he replied, proving that his arrogance was not entirely fictitious.
“Your queen? What is she… a Dark Elf?” Laufey chuckled before shaking his head. Zara narrowed her eyes at the Frost Giant king, not taking kindly to her race being mocked. “Svartalfheim is barren, the Dark Elves are gone. At least choose a queen from a powerful realm.”
“The Dark Elves live,” Loki informed him as calmly as he could. It was difficult for him to not be excited about having more information than his enemy. “She is a powerful sorcerer. As a master of magic yourself, I am certain you can appreciate what she can do.” Zara spotted two Frost Giants slowly shifting forwards, and out of the corner of her eye she saw others creeping closer to Loki.
“Have her as your warrior. Take a Jotunn as your queen. Perhaps Ornaz?” Laufey proposed and a female Frost Giant stepped forwards. Ornaz gazed at Loki with lust, but Loki didn’t even acknowledge her.
“I have promised the throne to Zara. It is not negotiable. Your throne, however, is. Step down and live, or stay and die,” Loki stated loudly, becoming rather impatient with his father’s talk. Ornaz took another step towards Loki and Zara decided that the Giant was too close. Zara sent heat energy to the humungous female and Ornaz immediately stopped in her tracks, red eyes burning with fear. Loki hesitated and stole a glance behind him at Zara, noticing her clenched fist. The sleep had rejuvenated her powers, and now Zara’s fingertips were crackling with magic she couldn’t wait to unleash. Large drops of water slid down Ornaz’s body and the other Jotunns became aware of the attack.
The ones who had been inching closer to Zara suddenly lurched forwards and she dodged in time to miss an ice spear. After it had cracked the ground, Zara grabbed the weapon and melted it in half with her magic. She then fired a blast of immense heat to the soldier, sending him flying and screaming with pain as he shrank in size. Zara whipped around and took a hold on the next spear that had narrowly missed her head, pulling it towards her so she could set her hands on the Frost Giant’s blue body. He started melting beneath her touch and yelling for her to stop.
Loki had already fought off Ornaz and impaled her on an icicle, and he had noticed that Laufey was keeping a close eye on him. With a grunt of effort, Loki used his sceptre to deflect an attack from an icy axe, and then emitted heat from the staff to kill the fellow Jotunn. As he did so, another Frost Giant ran at him, and Zara estimated that Loki wouldn’t turn in time to see it. She threw the ice spear she was holding and grinned when it pierced the attacker’s torso. When the Giant collapsed, Loki spun around and saw Zara’s cocky smirk for a split second before another attacker distracted her. The confidence radiating from her was enough to convince Loki that she was worthy of fighting by his side. Loki teleported forwards to appear in front of Laufey who was watching on with a hint of surprise on his stern face.
“Hand over Jotunheim,” Loki said and Laufey grimaced.
“You wanted a war, and now you have one,” Laufey replied through gritted teeth. Loki’s jaw locked but he accepted the words, figuring that it would prove him more than worthy of the throne if he took it by force. He called for Zara and they left for Asgard in silence, though they both wore grins from the power they knew they held.