The Reckoning of Asgard Read online

  “King Thrymr, it is not the actual destruction of Yggdrasil that needs to happen. It is just the perceived threat that needs to occur. If the Norns believe the Sorceress may destroy Yggdrasil, then they will give the elves what we have always desired.”

  “Which is?”

  “The destruction of Midgard.”

  ***

  From a safe distance Loki watched the discussion between Sundaliji and Thrymr. Even from where he stood, he sneaked glances at the frost giant princess who continued to take his breath away.

  It had been too long. Even though as a statue his body had not being able to move, his mind was never at rest. All he thought of was her the entire time. He still had the piece of string he thought foolishly would somehow please her as a gift. This time, however, he had a gift she would admire.

  He twirled the crown made by the dwarves on one finger.

  “Have you been thinking of me?” he wondered aloud.

  Minutes passed into hours. The sun set and its fiery blaze turned all the snow a deep shade of pink. Soon, darkness enveloped Jotunheim and Loki watched as the stars appeared slowly, one by one, then in a great rush, filled the night-time sky. The half crescent of the moon rose on the horizon blotting out the stars near it with its brightness.

  Untouched by cold, Loki watched as the frost giant castle lit up with candles and torches so that the ice walls of the castle sparkled like the stars.

  Loki remembered that castle, remembered it as if it was yesterday. He watched Yorli’s bedroom, watched as candles first lit the room, then a short time later, the candles were extinguished.

  Loki glided over the snow, his feet never breaking through the top of the snow. He easily evaded the frost giant guards as well as the white wolves and polar bears that prowled about.

  He found a spot clear of guards and animals and climbed the wall to Yorli’s chamber.

  As he reached a hand over the edge of the balcony that adjoined her room, he felt the sharp edge of an axe touch his neck.

  He said: “Easy, princess, I mean no harm.”

  Yorli snorted: “Then why do you scale the walls of my castle to enter my private chambers at night, unseen by guards, unnoticed by wolves or bears?” she demanded.

  “Let me climb the rest of the way and we may discuss this matter in a more civilized manner.”

  “I will keep my axe.”

  “And I will keep my sense of humor.”

  Loki swung one leg over the lip of the balcony wall. He quickly pulled himself up and over and sat on the railing, facing the princess.

  “I see you do not remember me,” he said.

  “You do look familiar,” she said, her voice remarkably calm considering that she felt that her heart was ready to burst from excitement. “I seem to remember someone who dressed better and looked a little fitter. I see the years of standing as a statue did you no favors.”

  “I am shocked. I thought I had not aged a day. I do not see any more lines on my face and the crow’s feet around my eyes do not appear any deeper. I must admit that my fashion sense is probably hundreds of years old, but fashion has its cycles and so I had hoped this outfit was back in favor.”

  “No, it is definitely not back in anyone’s favor.”

  “My apologies then, princess, as I was hoping that the first time you laid eyes on me again after so many years, that my appearance would be impressive.”

  “What is impressive is your attitude.”

  “Well, at least you find something about me that is impressive.”

  “Your ego though still grates.”

  “And I thought it was my best quality.”

  “Loki, what are you doing here? If my brothers or father discover you, the punishment is death.”

  “I just had my head removed from my shoulders by a dwarf-king. I made his blood boil by saying some inappropriate things about the dwarf princess I kissed so long ago. And so, he took his axe and lopped off my head.”

  “You look fine. In fact, it may have been an improvement.”

  “Well then, I see I am making progress. You have not thought of me at all during the time I stood cursed as a statue as punishment.”

  Yorli was glad the night sky hid her features and so did not betray her emotions. She said: “We frost giants too were banished, kept from our realm. And when we woke, we returned as quickly as possible to Jotunheim. I have not had the time nor the desire to think of anyone else but my people and our safety, the safety of this realm.”

  “A pity as I hoped you had thought of me and thought of me fondly. I see my efforts have been in vain. Then I will have to try other pastures. I hear the dwarf princess misses me still.”

  Yorli’s voice rose slightly. “You say a dwarf-princess rivals the beauty of the frost giant king’s daughter?”

  Loki smiled. “I see you have never met a she-dwarf,” he said. “They are not all beards and hairy arms, you know. They really are quite fetching. And good kissers too as I recall.”

  “I think it would be best if you left.”

  “Then come with me.” Loki went to one knee and clasped her hands in his. “Asgard lies fallow. Only my sister and blind brother look to rebuild it. I am sure we could find them a more suitable realm.”

  “Fine. If you seek to find favor with me, you will need to do something for me.”

  “Anything, princess. Name your price.”

  “You are the patron God of Thieves. You are the Trickster and the Deceiver.”

  “Guilty as charged.”

  “There are items of magic the frost giants need.”

  “Name them and they are yours.”

  “There are heroes in Midgard who have weapons of magic.”

  “Uh-oh, I think I know where this is going.”

  “Dwarves forged weapons of magic for the wars against the frost giants.”

  “So, you want me to steal Flamebringer, the shield of protection, the war hammer and the Gloves and Belt of Strength.”

  “You are no fool, Loki.”

  “If I were a fool, would you then love me?”

  “Bring me those weapons, those banes of the frost giants. And then we may talk. With those items, my father and brothers may look favorably on you.”

  “It is not their good books I am trying to get into, but it shall be done all the same.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Loki Visits Trondheim

  Loki muttered as he wandered about the near empty streets of Trondheim during the middle of the night: “I do wish I had my necklace, the one that disguised my appearance.”

  As he walked through the Hive a smile spread across his face as he smelled the aromas from the bakeries, butchers, slaughterhouses, and blacksmith forges.

  How he missed this, the thrill of the chase. He knew the frost giant princess still had feelings for him, else she would have hacked him with her axe the moment she saw him. In a few minutes, he would gather up those silly weapons that the dwarves had forged. He would prove his devotion to Yorli, she would demonstrate to her father and brothers that he was trustworthy, and then they would marry.

  His smile grew.

  He stopped so suddenly that if anyone had been walking behind him, they would surely have walked right into his back.

  He was there. He could smell the weapons of magic.

  He found himself in front of Grum’s and Arastead’s forge. No candles were lit inside the forge and he thought he could faintly hear snoring.

  Practically skipping with excitement, he entered the forge. He quickly circled the downstairs but did not find the enchanted weapons.

  Must be upstairs where everyone sleeps.

  But at the bottom of the stairs, he stopped. Halfway up, staring at him, was a cat.

  Loki said: “So this is the one who defends the forge.” He rummaged in his pockets. “I must have a cat treat somewhere. Or maybe a piece of string.”

  A voice he did not recognize said: “You should leave.”

  “I am sorry. Who said that?”r />
  The cat licked a paw cleaning itself.

  Loki looked around, but still could not find who spoke. He walked up the stairs.

  “You really should leave,” said the voice again.

  He noticed the voice had come from up the stairs. “I will not leave until I have found what I came for,” said Loki.

  The cat stopped cleaning, the end of its tail twitched. It stared calmly at Loki.

  “You are a most unusual cat, are you not,” Loki said as he climbed a few more steps until he was quite close to the cat. “In fact, you are most unusual. No one told me you were a wizard’s familiar.”

  And the cat said: “That is because you never asked.”

  “Oh ho,” chuckled Loki. “You are a most unusual cat.”

  “I am more than unusual,” said the cat. “I am in fact quite astonishing. I know what you are doing here. And I am here to stop you.”

  “Well, that will be a first. I have fought much bigger foes.”

  Peg’s eyes flashed eldritch green.

  “Well, that is an interesting opening move. It appears I cannot move my legs. Still, simple enough to dispel.”

  Loki mumbled a counter-spell. He began walking up the stairs again as he snapped his fingers. “That spell was for you,” he said.

  Now it was Peg who could not move.

  Loki easily walked past her on the stairs, then said: “Now, to find what I came for.” At the top of the stairs, he silently stood. All he heard was the even breathing that always accompanied people who slept deeply.

  Even with no candlelight illuminating the room, he easily made his way around, grabbing Farling’s sword and shield, Grum’s war hammer, gloves and belt.

  And as he walked down the stairs, he made sure not to step on the magical cat.

  At the bottom floor, he turned and looked up at her while snapping his fingers. She moved her head and twitched her tail. Her eyes watched Loki coolly.

  Loki said: “Farewell, wizard’s familiar. It was an unfair fight, but still, you did well.”

  Loki turned and made to leave.

  Peg said: “Rethink what you are doing, brother.”

  “A-ha,” shouted Loki triumphantly. “I knew there was more to you. Galdr, I should have known, you sly old blind fox.”

  “All wizard familiars are by nature extensions of me,” said Galdr through Peg. “They are my eyes and ears. Even when I was alone up North, I gathered information from Hugin and Munin, and when this familiar met her wizard, I was able to see and hear everything they did.”

  “I forgot about that annoying ability of yours.”

  “Rethink what you do, brother. We cannot trust the frost giants. They are our oldest enemy.”

  “Yes, but the problem though is that I do not think with my mind, I think with my heart. And my heart belongs to a certain frost giant princess.”

  “You always were emotional, brother. Still, I beg you to leave those weapons behind.”

  “I cannot, brother. These are what will win me favor with her and her family. No other gifts will do.”

  “A pity our father is not around as he was really the only one to whom you would listen.”

  “Yes, a pity. Farewell, brother.”

  “Farewell, brother.”

  ***

  Grum was inconsolable.

  When he woke, and Arastead had told him everything that Peg had seen, Grum sobbed tears of frustration. Then his feelings at having his war hammer stolen by Loki, the Trickster no less, turned to anger, and he went downstairs to the forge, fired it up, and hammered swords, horseshoes, and anything else on which he could get his hands.

  Farling asked: “Arastead, how much longer do you think Grum can keep up that pace?”

  “Either until he drops of hunger or thirst as he still has not eaten anything since he woke,” answered Arastead. “Or just sheer exhaustion. How are you doing?”

  “That my sword and shield are gone?” said Farling. “Well, it is not the first time my father’s sword has been stolen. Something tells me it will not be the last. Still, I did like it. And that special shield of protection did come in handy. Ah well, a shame really. I will miss it. Perhaps we will just have to find new weapons of magic.”

  “If there are any to be found?”

  “None that I know of. What of the dwarves? Could they not make new ones? I thought that with the Book of Princore that they could make items of magic with it?”

  “Perhaps, but as I recall, only a Norse god may ask the dwarves to make an item of magic. And the dwarves require payment and we have nothing of value.”

  “Well, we will just have to find something they value, like Loki’s head on a plate.”

  “Well, we do know his head can separate from his shoulders without killing him. How long his head can stay away from his body, that I do not know.”

  “So, he stole our weapons that the frost giants hate so that he may gain favor with them, especially the frost giant princess?”

  “That is what Peg told me. Or, at least, what she communicated as she does not use words so much as uses pictures to describe what happened.”

  “Well, we must tell everyone: King Frederick, King Cormac, Einar, and especially Freya. Although something tells me she already knows.”

  ***

  “So now you seek the help of the dwarves?” said Jakobus.

  “As I understand, there was an agreement to teach me the intricacies of the Book of Princore, a book of magic,” answered Arastead.

  It was the next day and the dwarf king had been invited to a council meeting in the great hall of King Frederick’s castle in Trondheim. In attendance were Frederick, Margret, Farling, Grum, Arastead, Nas, and Mage.

  “Yes,” replied Jakobus in his usual booming voice, “but teaching you the intricacies of the Book of Princore does not necessarily mean I will create weapons of magic for you.”

  “King Jakobus,” began Frederick, “you know the frost giants are more powerful than ever. The Norse gods are few. Asgard is open and is difficult to protect. If the frost giants desire Asgard, little stands in their way. The weapons once owned by Farling and Grum were some of the only enchanted weapons that can hurt the frost giants.”

  At the mention of Loki’s name, Jakobus twitched. His voice dropped to barely above a whisper: “Loki is behind this?” he said.

  Arastead interjected: “Yes, Your Majesty. Peg, my cat and familiar, saw Loki steal the weapons.”

  Jakobus’s voice returned to his usual boom and bombast as he said: “He still loves the frost giant princess?”

  “It would appear so, King Jakobus,” answered Arastead.

  Jakobus’s face turned bright red. “I did not think chopping off his head would actually kill him,” he said. “Still, I had hoped to be done with him. It appears the Trickster is up to his usual mischief. He wasted no time.”

  Frederick asked: “Will you help us?”

  “If it means causing grief to Loki, I will help,” answered Jakobus.

  “What of the payment Arastead mentions?” asked Frederick.

  “I consider the return of the Book of Princore as payment,” said Jakobus. “And bring more of that high-grade forge coal.”

  “What of the elves?” asked Frederick. “Are there any weapons we might need in case the elves open a gateway to this realm?”

  Mage cleared his throat. “King Amaliji owns the Vorpal Blade,” he said. “A sword he wields most expertly as he demonstrated when he destroyed Grendel, troll-king. So that one is gone.”

  “Ogre, tell me the story again,” said Jakobus, “for this is all new to me.”

  Mage stiffened.

  “King Jakobus, please address me either as Ogre Mage or simply Mage,” he replied. “The elves often referred to me as ogre, and it was not meant as kindness. It as if I called you dwarf; would you appreciate that?”

  Jakobus chuckled. “My apologies, Mage,” he said. “I did not mean to offend.”

  “Apology accepted, King Jakobus.” And
Mage told a thoroughly engaging version of King Amaliji, the Vorpal Blade, and the troll king.

  Once Mage finished, Frederick asked: “This Vorpal Blade, it would work just as well against the people of Midgard,” he said.

  Mage nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he began, “the Vorpal Blade severs heads and limbs easily.”

  “Grim news, indeed, Mage,” said Frederick with a frown.

  “Remember, elves are still mortal,” said Mage. “Swords cut their flesh, arrows pierce their armor, and horses trample their bones. But it is their ability to fight that unnerves. They have retained their fighting skills from the days of old when Odin would send them on their missions into other realms. They are utterly fearless in battle.”

  Nas added: “Yes, it was only through the abilities of the wizards years ago that the elves were banished from Midgard. There are very few wizards now in Midgard, and none with the magical strength of the wizards of old.”

  Mage nodded. “Right now, Midgard is safe from the elves,” he began, “as the gateways are closed between realms. But the elves will not rest until they find a way to Midgard and crush everyone and everything in their way.”

  Frederick asked: “Do you think they seek an alliance with the frost giants?”

  Mage grunted: “I am sure they will be in discussions with the frost giants,” he said, “as the frost giants kidnapped Alchemist, Old Monk, and a Midgard blacksmith named Lanson. The elves are none too pleased with that development. In addition, the frost giants stole Aesirslayer, bane of the gods.”

  “Lanson is alive,” blurted Grum, ignoring the rest of what Mage said. “It is his forge we purchased. It was in that forge that we found my war hammer, Farling’s shield, and the Book of Princore. Why would the frost giants have him?”

  “He is valuable to Alchemist,” said Mage. “He appears now to be valuable to the frost giants.”

  “If he were valuable to Alchemist,” said Nas, “then there may be some items of value up in Alchemist’s stronghold.”

  Margret interjected: “I heard no news yet about his stronghold in Aarlund. We must visit it.”

  “I understand the Heart Tree has been destroyed,” said Jakobus. “If it has not been too long, we may still be able to harvest its wood. Any weapons of magic we create, if the wooden shafts or grips are made with the wood from a Heart Tree, those weapons will be powerfully strong.”