Wintermorph Chapter 3

Vara then went back to the main palace, accompanied by Thor and another one of her soldiers. Thor was in pretty bad shape and she would need to make this quick. She had to single out the leader, well, other than Loki, and kill him in front of everyone. It was a cruel way to earn their respect, yes. But Loki had taught her how to handle her people. And it worked. An iron hand inside a silk glove. She walked into the main palace and saw golden bricks laying everywhere. She stopped and looked around, seeing the destruction and it only maddened her more. Her red cuts popped into view and stayed there as she hissed and headed towards the throne room. She walked down the hall with purpose and fire in her eyes and Thor limped next to her, with help of her soldier. She glanced at him and knew he needed to get to a healing room soon or he too would die. She stopped and faced him and her soldier.

“Thor, you don’t need to be here. Please get to a healing chamber.” She said, tenderly putting her hand on his shoulder.
He looked up at her and smiled.

“Perhaps you are right.” he whispered.
She nodded and looked to her soldier.
“Take him where he wants to go. Do as he says. You are his to command now.” she smiled at her man.

He nodded and turned Thor around, heading back out of the hall. Vara turned and continued her march down the hall. She burst through the throne room door suddenly and looked around. There were a good 100 men there, surround by her personal guard. They were all on their knees, bleeding and wounded. They looked up at her and she looked them in the eye as she strode up to the rabble.

“Who among you do you name as leader?” she said confidently, looking around.

“Never you, you ignorant little…” one Fire Giant tried to get to his feet and lunge at her, his hands still tied behind his back. Vara looked over at him and swiftly kicked him in the face. He fell back and scrambled back to his knees.

“Today is not the day to try my mercy.” She whispered to him.
“Now, I ask again.” she said loudly.
“Who among you do you name as your leader?” she looked around again.

“Loki.” one whispered.
She looked to him and nodded.

“Loki has fallen. To my very sword.” She said, with no indication of pain or heart ache.
Her men looked to her with shock. They guarded the palace day and night. They knew the inner working of the relationship between Vara and Loki like no other in the realm. They knew how much they loved each other. They all inclined their heads to her, to show her respect. She nodded to them as the rabble began to talk amongst themselves. Words like ‘killed’, and ‘lover’, were thrown around.

“Yes, he fell to Laevateinn. Now. Do I need to kill you all for your insolence, or will you give up your leader?” she urged them again.
After a few moments, one man got to his feet and looked her dead in the eye.

“It is I you seek.” He said, claiming responsibly.
She nodded and walked up to him.

“Kneel.” She said, feeling a chill in her spine. A Loki chill.
He did as she asked, despite cries from his men. He hushed them up and knelt before Vara. She took out her sword from its scabbard at her side and held it over his head. Then she noticed the lava running through the veins of Laevateinn was no longer fiery red and orange, but blue and all its shades. She stared at it and everyone grew quiet.

“Blue lava.” one man said to another but she had heard.
She turned to him.

“What about blue lava?” she asked him.

“A broken heart bleeds blue lava on the day of Ragnarök.” He told her the prophecy. She listened, took it in, and she understood.
Her heart was in shattered pieces. She then turned her attention back to the leader.

“I assure you, the blade is just as sharp as it was when red lava ran in its veins.” She said to him, more as a comfort. His death would be swift. She lifted her sword and he dipped his head, getting ready for the deathblow. But the sword swished past his head and embedded into the golden floor. He looked at the blue veins of lava at his side and then up at Vara.

“No more blood will be shed this day.” she whispered to him.
“Now you owe me.” she said to him.
She looked around at all of them.
“You all do.” She said to them.
“You will all be imprisoned in Muspelheim until I feel otherwise, and trained in stone work.” She said, taking hold of her sword and pulling it from the gold floor.
She turned and began to walk to the door.
“There is another mausoleum to be built back home.” She added as she reached the door.

“My queen…” one man came into her sight just outside the throne room.
She looked at him and he inclined his head, before holding out Loki’s staff to her. She looked at it and remembered the first time she saw it, glowing in the dark throne room of her father. How different it looked now. Dull and as dead as its owner. She reached out and gingerly took it from him.

“Thank you.” She said to him.
She remembered how it used to stand next to her own staff in their bedroom. Her eyes teared up, but she needed to hold it back for later.
“Take them to the observatory. I will be along shortly.” She ordered her private guard. They nodded and began bringing them all to their feet.

She walked off. She had to go see Thor before she left. She walked up the mangled and crumbling stair case up to the healing chamber while her men took the prisoners down to the observatory.

When she reached the door of the healing chamber, her guard was standing at the door. He bowed as she opened the door and walked in. She walked in on Thor writing letters.

“Sweet baby Sleipnir, Thor. You should be healing already.” she said to him, walking up to the desk.

“Vara, I feel an Odin sleep coming on.” He said, looking up at her wearily.
She nodded and understood. This was prophesized. He would be sleeping for a long time.
“Heimdallr will stay at the observatory; the others will be granted asylum on Midgard with the Avengers. When I awaken, we will gather again, and rebuild Asgard.” He said, putting the last wax seal on the last letter before pushing away from the desk.
“Watch over my brother.” He said, walking over to her and leaning heavily on her.

She dropped Loki’s sceptre and grasped him, steadying him on his feet. She walked him over to the healing chamber and sat him down on the side.

“Where is my Lady Sif?” he asked her and she looked down at him.

“I sent her to tell Eldur that the battle was contained here. She should be back soon.” She said, beginning to take off his armour.
If he was going to sleeping for ten years, or more, she wanted him to have a comfortable sleep.

“I’ll ask Heimdallr to keep an eye out for me. If anything happens, my army will be ready to defend you. Sleep easy and heal.” She said, placing his armour on the floor next to the bed.
He chuckled and closed his eyes, resting. No doubt he wanted to wait till Sif got there. Just then the doors opened slowly and Sif walked in.

“My darling.” She said, walking up to Vara and Thor.
Vara frowned, she never called him that.

“My lady.” Thor held out his hand and she tenderly put her hand in his.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed them softly. Vara stepped back and let Sif walk into her spot.

“I’ll take my leave now. Sleep well Thor, see you when I see you.” Vara said, bowing to him.

“Vara, there is a letter for you too.” Thor said, gesturing to the desk.
Vara nodded and walked to the desk, picking up the letter addressed to her. She looked at all the letters, and they were addressed to just about everyone in Thor’s life who was still alive.

“Thor, what about these others?” she asked looking over to him.

“Have Hogan take them to the vassals.” Sif said, looking to Vara.
She nodded and pocketed all the letters, to give to Hogan, when she found him.

“Farewell Vara. See you when I see you.” Thor repeated her goodbye.
She nodded and bent down to pick up Loki’s staff. Sif watched her carefully as she picked it up, almost wanting to grab it herself, but it belonged to Vara now. Vara looked at it, saddened yet again by how dull it looked.

“Do you miss him?” Sif asked her suddenly.
Vara looked at her and smiled weakly. And nodded.

“I don’t…” Vara started but Sif stopped her.

“Wait outside. Let me put my love to bed, and then we can talk more.” She asked Vara and she nodded.
Vara turned and walked out the room, closing the door behind her.

Sif suddenly turned to Thor and her eyes flashed green and then became a more brilliant hue of blue. Thor noticed and frowned.

“I thought she’d never leave.” She said to him, with a harsh edge to her voice.

“Sif?” he asked and she thrust up her hand and grabbed his throat.

“No brother, well, at least not all of her.” she smiled and in that smile Thor saw Loki.

“LO…” he tried to scream but Loki hiding in Sif’s body clamped his hand around his mouth.

“Shush now, don’t get so worked up, you’re about to be put to bed.” Loki said, pressing the buttons on the bed quickly and pushing Thor down into the gold mist. The machine began to take its effects as Thor grew weaker and his eye lids drooped.

“And here we are again, brother.” Loki said, looking down at Thor as he fell asleep.
“You never learn. I always win. One way or another. So you stopped Ragnarök this time, but what about next time, or the time thereafter.” Loki said, bending over the bed and planting a kiss on Thor’s cheek.

“Get well brother. So I can kill you myself.” Loki said, standing up right and walking to the door.

He opened the door and saw Vara talking with the guard. She turned and smiled at Sif, but he could see the hurt in her eyes.

“I asked him to stay here, to keep watch over Thor.” Vara said to him, thinking he was Sif.

“Ah, there’s no need.” He said to her, in Sif’s voice.
“Heimdallr will be here, and a few of our guards as well. He’ll be fine.” he said to her. She nodded and looked to her soldier who nodded and walked off to go join the others.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.” Vara started but Loki interrupted her.

“You were saying something about Loki, before you left.” He asked her and she nodded.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over this day.” she said, suddenly showing the emotion she had been keeping back for the battle.
She lifted her hand to her eyes, blocking them and Loki could see that he was torn apart inside, for having to make the decision to kill him. Loki suddenly pulled her into a hug and held her tightly, forgetting that he was supposed to be acting like Sif.

“He’ll be reborn. We Asgardians always are.” He said, trying to comfort her.

“Will he remember?” Vara cried harder into Sif’s shoulder.
Loki nodded.

“Yes.” he said.

“Then he’ll hate me.” Vara cried harder.
Loki nodded. It would definitely take a while to get over the fact that she killed him.

“Perhaps, but you must try and find him. He loved you so fiercely in this life; it will carry over to the next.” He tried to convince her to not give up on him.

“You’re forgetting one thing Sif.” Vara said, pulling away from her.
“Loki wasn’t an Asgardian.” She said sadly.
Vara didn’t know of course, that Loki had bribed the names keeper to not erase his name. He would be reborn indefinitely, but not because he was an Asgardian. Sif nodded and looked at Vara. He couldn’t do anything else now for the sake of keeping up this ruse.

“No, he wasn’t. You’re right.” he said to her.
In that one line, was the truth about himself that he had always struggled to accept. It seemed Vara had accepted it much faster than him.

“I’ll miss him, like I’ve never missed anyone else.” Vara said finally. Sif nodded.
“When he was locked up, or missing, at least I knew there was a chance of him coming back. But now…” she stopped.
She smiled weakly as a tear ran down her cheek.
“Farewell Sif. Till we meet again.” she said, coming in for one more hug.

Loki hugged her, and cherished that moment. Until he could separate his consciousness from Sif, he wouldn’t see her again. Even then, it might be too much of a shock to see him as a woman. He would have to die again, and be reborn again, hopefully as a man, before he could come for her again.

“Till we meet again Vara.” He said softly, and sadly, almost letting his female Sif voice falter.

He reluctantly let go of her and she left. He watched as she left, walking down the steps. He wondered how she still managed to walk, given what she had been forced to do. He would be a pile of messy tears if he had to kill her. He sighed and watched her till she was no longer in sight and then he leaned back on the door, taking in what had just happened. He fell to his knees and began to sob quietly. Now he understood the pain of a Midgardian divorce.

Vara reached the bottom of the steps and took out the letter Thor had written to her.

‘Dearest sister. I’m sorry to ask this of you, but I do not have the strength to be awake much longer. I know you now have control of your people, and I must ask you to take up the role of guardian of the Yggdrasil. Your army is strong enough, and with Asgard on her knees, the people of the World’s Tree need you. Just as I did today. I thank you for the sacrifice you have made, and as long as I am king, Muspelheim will have my kindest thoughts, and my love. As will the royal family.’ She read.

She looked up and felt the tears running down her cheeks. She didn’t even know she was crying again, or maybe it was still. She wiped her eyes and looked back down to read further.

‘If there is anything left in Loki’s palace and suite, you may with my permission take anything you want. I doubt he will mind if his wife has all his earthly possessions. Many regards, till we meet again. Thor.’

Vara looked up again. She hadn’t even thought that far yet. They still had things in the palace. She would need to clear it out. She folded up the letter and stuck it in her pocket and headed out towards the Bifrost Bridge. When she reached the observatory, her men were waiting for her.

“I need 100 men to help me clear out Loki’s palace.” She said not really expecting anyone to volunteer, but it seemed she had won the respect of her men and many stepped up right away. She nodded to them and smiled.

“Thank you.” She said, looking to her general.

“Have them all locked in the Pit. Their classes begin tomorrow.” She said to him, referring to the prisoners.
He nodded and began overseeing the crossover from Asgard. Vara turned and walked back down the bridge just as the first lot went through. She sent 80 men to the palace, and told them to take anything that wasn’t bolted down. She took the other 20 to Loki’s suite in the main palace. Together, they took everything that Loki had left behind. Beds and books, couches and mirrors. Everything that entailed a life of a prince of Asgard. They even took a healing chamber that had been moved to his palace, to ease Eldur’s bones as a human. Off in the distance, Vara could hear Sif crying. At the horror of Ragnarök, no doubt. She was a warrior, but even a warrior could only take so much. Vara and her men left her to her grief as they left the main palace.

They carried everything down to the observatory and waited their turn. By the time everything was ready to be moved through the Bifrost, Vara finally remembered she had to take his body with her. She stood at the observatory, as everything went through. When nothing was left, but the golden box that now held the body of her husband, and her general and Heimdallr, she smiled at the golden box. It was fitting for a prince of Asgard, the lord of lies and silver tongued spells. She reached into her pocket and handed the unopened letters to Heimdallr.

“Sif asked me to give them to Hogan to deliver to the realms. I haven’t seen him, when you see him again, can you give them to him. Heimdallr nodded and took them from her. She looked to the box again and her general walked up to it and began pushing it into the observatory. Vara said goodbye to Heimdallr and they went back to Muspelheim.

As she and her general walked out the other side, Eldur, Isa and Astrid where there at the gate, waiting for her and Loki to come walking through. But all they saw was the coffin, Vara and her general. They also saw Vara carrying their father’s staff. Isa ran up to her mother and Eldur just hung his head. He didn’t have to hear the news. He knew his father was in the golden coffin.

“Mom, what’s in the box?” Isa asked her mother as she walked up to her.
Vara looked up at her and smiled weakly, tears brimming her eyes.

“Who do you think?” she said softly, holding up Loki’s staff for her to see.
Isa gasped again and tears flooded her eyes. She threw her arms around Vara and they hugged tightly as Eldur walked up to them.

“It’s dad, isn’t it?” he asked and Vara nodded over the shoulder of her daughter.
“It all happened so fast.” Vara said, letting go of Isa.
“He was at the pergola behind the main palace, fighting a Fire Giant rebel. I… I looked away for one moment, and when I looked back, the Giant was bearing down towards me.” she said, wiping her tears away with a flat hand.
“Your father… he stabbed him in the back with his ice sword.” Vara said, watching as the general stopped next to her with the box.
“The Giant turned, and stabbed him instead of me.” Vara stopped and began to sob softly.
“He saved me, one last time.” Vara said, smiling weakly again.

Isa and Eldur seemed to accept this. Their father was many things, and he loved their mother fiercely. They had seen him protect her from everything from wild Bilgesnipe, to run away Megastags that now inhabited the forests of Muspelheim. They had not seen in the last few months that his anger grew to breaking point.

“We need to build him another mausoleum, of white marble like the others. But I want a statue for him as well.” Vara said, beginning to explain to her children how she wanted him to be remembered.

“I think we should rename the lake.” Eldur said, remembering how much work his father put into making the vast amount of ice that melted into the lake.
“Lake Loki.” he suggested and Vara nodded.
It was appropriate after all.

“Put his coffin in my mother’s mausoleum for now. When his is ready, there will be ceremony as we move him.” Vara said to her general.

He nodded and called to two others to help him with the heavy golden coffin. Vara was pretty sure it was made of the fallen bricks of the main palace in Asgard.

“And the prisoners? What fate awaits them?” Eldur asked as Vara hugged her daughter as she sobbed into her shoulder.

“The Pit, for now. Stonemasons in the employ of the royal guilds later. Prisoners, none the less.” She explained to Eldur.

He nodded as he watched the last of the Giants being led to the transport that would later take them to the dark desolate prison called the Pit. It was cold and damp and dank. Torturous conditions for a Fire Giant.

“And what of the man that killed Dad?” he asked, and Vara could see bitterness building in his eyes. Just like Loki’s eyes when she first met him.

“Dead. Burning in Asgard.” She explained to him.
He nodded and looked to her sword. He noticed the sword lava was blue.

“Blue lava.” He exclaimed and he then looked up at her.
“A broken heart bleeds blue lava on the day of Ragnarök.” He repeated what the soldier had said to her. Vara rolled her eyes at him.

“Not you too. Where are you reading these scrolls?” Vara asked him.

“Asgard. Vanaheim has a copy too.” He said to her as she reached out and took his hand. She nodded and remembered how much he liked to travel.
“Let’s go home.” She said, walking hand in arm with her children.

So the rest of the realms went on. A white marble mausoleum was built for Loki, with roses carved into the pillars, and the silent gold coffin lying on top of a pedestal of marble in the centre of the main room. At the back of the room, was a giant marble stature of him, in his battle armour, looking as dashing as ever, his helmet atop his head, and staff in his hands. Vara had almost forgotten that he didn’t really deserve to be revered as a hero. But for the sanity of her children, she hid the truth from them. Not a day went by that she didn’t go to that mausoleum that kept his body preserved with magic, just like her mother and father’s bodies. Eldur and Isa went on with their lives, but Vara’s seemed to have stopped. Just like when she would visit her mother’s mausoleum, she seemed to go to Loki’s for just about everything. To rant and rave, to find solace and peace. Loki had taken the place of her mother.