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“Guards! Please! Anyone, help!” Loki called from the great vault. His fath- no, Odin had fallen into the Odinsleep, and he felt helpless at his side. Two guards rushed in, and quickly ran to their king’s side.
“What happened, Prince?” One guard asked him. Loki didn’t know what to say. Overwhelmed with emotions, he just shook his head and wiped the tears from his face.
“He, I didn’t, I don’t know what-” Loki stammered. The guard needed an answer, he knew. “Odinsleep,” He managed at last. The guard nodded, and with his companion, lifted the king off the steps and made their way out of the vault. Loki sat on the steps as the heavy doors closed shut. His hands shook with every short breath he took.
“Laufey’s son,” He whispered. He willed the illusion off the tips of his fingers, watching the blue fade over them again. It was true, which meant his entire life, his whole family, everything he believed- it was all a lie. He shook his head, pulling the illusion back up. He needed to go somewhere, anywhere. He stood and walked to his only place of true comfort in the palace.
The royal library of Asgard was vast, filled with books from across all the realms. Loki had been through at least a third of all of them in his life; reading was his escape from everything that hurt him, it took him seriously when no one else did. But now, he ran through the many isles of books, searching for anything about Jötunheim. His whole life he had been less than- less than his brother, less than his friends, less than a son. He knew that Jötunheim was a cold, icy wasteland full of soulless monsters. He needed something, anything that said otherwise. He wasn’t one of them, he couldn’t be.
The prince finally found the section of books about his people. It was small, and most of the books were torn or decaying. No, he had seen these before- they were the tales he was read as a child about the nightmares and horrors of his homeland. But there was a small book pressed up to the wall that Loki probably would never have seen if he hadn’t picked up the strong amount of seidr coming from it. It was probably the size of his pinky finger, but it was as thick as two fingers put together. With a shaky hand, he pulled the book from its space. His fingers began to turn blue again where he made contact with the book, and he resisted the urge to drop it and forget about this useless conquest. But something told him to read it- something was pulling him towards it, and so he took the book to his usual seat in the far corners of the library. By the time he moved to open it, his entire body was free of its Aesir illusion, and he shrouded himself from view in case anyone were to walk in.
He pulled open the delicate cover, and the book surrounded itself in gold seidr- his mother’s seidr. The book was no longer the size of Loki’s pinky, but the size of a heavy book of legends or spells, and he had to balance it on his lap to keep it upright. His mother knew, of course, about his heritage, and saved this book for him, shrouded by her magic. But what could she want him to know about his people that he wasn’t taught in lessons?
The title page read, “Origins and Tales of the Jötnar; Before Extinction”. Before Extinction? The Jötnar have not gone extinct. Loki thought. On the bottom of the page, scrawled in what looked to be blood, read, “They will not erase us.” Loki turned the page, curious. What is Asgard hiding?
My name is Myrian, I am the child of Klysi and Fori. I am a traveller, from the Ironwood Forest. I am a friend to Laufey and his majesty’s family. I come from centuries of seidrmadr, and I am considered a prophet among most. I am writing this now because I fear for the people of this realm. We are running out of resources, and Asgard is making quick advances on our territory on Midgard. Asgardian soldiers have already begun their assault on our land. Many peasants and common folk are worried for their lives, their children. Yes, these golden people are killing children where they lie asleep at night. I assume they are trying to stop our people from repopulating, as we do not have male or female as many other realms do. Even then, these children are innocent. It was announced that the queen, Farbauti, is with child. I only hope they do not slay it as well. I hear the soldiers laughing at night as they set nurseries in flames. They have no remorse. I’ve tried to intervene, but by the time I get there it is not worth finding the soldiers, only consoling the weeping parents.
The fires they are setting are not only quick housefires, they are setting them out in areas where nature is untouched. They are trying to dismantle our resources, and if my seeing is correct, they plan to ruin our climate. They will heat our environment until people become ill, and then they will steal the Casket of Ancient Winters.- our realm’s very lifeforce. We do not have enough warriors to beat the golden people. I fear that we will go extinct if something is not changed. The Norns run a strict path, I only hope that they will take pity on us. However, I do not know what the Norns will do for us, and so I can only hope that this book will survive our fall.
Here I will write out the tales and origins of this realm. I will tell of the beauty we once were, and the culture we once had. I will give updates on the war, what we have lost, so that people may know the truth that Asgard will try to cover up. This all may be gone in but a matter of centuries, but if one Jötunn child can read this and feel pride for their realm, then I will have succeeded.
Jötunheim may go down in history as a realm of monsters, but we are not monsters. We are an adaptable people, an ancient people, a tribal people, a strong people, and our flame will not be put out so easily.
Loki read through the whole book. He saw his people rise and fall in the pages, he heard the hurt in Myrian’s voice as he wrote, the hope slowly dying out of him. He truly did not think his people would survive; in truth, he may not have survived himself. Loki weeped for the children that Asgard reaped, weeped for his mother that Odin had slain right after he was born, weeped for the people who fought with no true hope of survival. Jötunheim was forced into hiding and giving into all the lies that Asgard told of them. They were defenseless, and slowly, they would die without the Casket. Yes, Loki was saddened. But there was something else there, stronger, building up inside him as he read.
Loki was furious. Anger seeped out of him in waves. He was shaking as he read of how beautiful his culture was, and how Asgard snuffed it out with no remorse. He was terrified of the people he called family, the warriors he fought with, the citizens he lived with. If they knew the truth, how many would kill him where he stood? How many would call him a monster? What would Thor do, his own brother?
“I’ll hunt them down and slay them all!”
He’d said it so many times in their childhood. Would he go through with it, if he knew? Of course he would. He wouldn’t know otherwise. Asgard taught lies upon lies that Thor would probably trust some faceless warrior over his own brother, if he knew the truth. Loki seethed with rage. Jötunheim deserved their culture back. They deserved to live. They deserved revenge on Asgard for all they did to them. Loki was a prince of Jötunheim. He held a royal position. He had seidr. He may not be able to give them their culture back, but he could give them revenge.
Loki dropped the book to the ground. He pushed away the magic that shrouded him from view, and got rid of his Aesir illusion for good.
“Asgard will pay for what they did. To me, to my family, to all of the Jötnar. This realm will burn where it stands.” Loki gritted out between clenched teeth.
“Loki!” Frigga ran into his area of the library, stopping once she saw that his glamor dropped, “What happened in the vault, dear?” She said quietly.
“Liar. You’re all liars. All of you!” Loki exclaimed. She saw the book on the floor. He knew. He knew all of it.
“My son-”
“No. I’m not your son. I’m Farbauti’s son. And Laufey’s. I was never your son. Odin took me from them, ripped me from my own family. He- he killed my mother!” Loki choked out. He realized he was crying freely now, but he didn’t care. They deserved to see him hurt. They deserved to see how much they wronged him.
“Loki…” Frigga didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t imagine being in his position. She always knew this would happen, and part of her knew it had to happen like this. Though she still broke down in tears when the child she cared for for all these years claimed that she was not his mother. This was not her loss to mourn, however, she knew this.
“I’m going to Jötunheim. I’m giving them their lifeforce back, and once they are stable I will lead them into Asgard and destroy it.” Loki walked past her, heading for the vault, but stopped in his tracks. He turned, and hugged her, much to the queen’s surprise, “Thank you for the book. Please, leave here, go to Vanaheim. Teach magic. Children will love your lessons- I,” he took a breath, “I know I did.” And with that, the prince was gone.
True to his word, Loki teleported himself into the vault. He pulled the Casket into an interdimensional pocket, and teleported out to the Bifrost. Heimdall was waiting for him.
“I know what you are planning, Prince,” The gatekeeper said.
“I know. And I am prepared to do whatever I need to in order to continue,” The threat was clear in the Jötunn’s voice. Heimdall stood still, for a brief while. Then, surprising Loki, he stepped aside.
“Bring them justice.” Loki nodded, an understanding between them. Loki would most likely have to kill him, no, he would have to kill him, and Heimdall would no doubt fight back. But it was nice knowing that at least someone didn’t see him as a monster.
Heimdall opened the Bifrost, and Loki was whisked away to the home he never had. He would make Asgard fall, in the name of all those who fell to the golden realm before him.