Loki

Chapter 22

Yardaff watched Loki vanish, then turned to Krunagh.

"Odin is inside the palace, I take it?" he asked.

"So it would seem," Krunagh answered affirmatively; "there has been no sign of him on the battlefield. Likewise, his son has failed to make an appearance; it's likely that Thor is a second line of defense, after these warriors."

"My brother will handle the son of Odin," Yardaff told Krunagh; "he came here for that specific purpose."

"I see," Krunagh said.

Yardaff watched the battle for a moment, assessing the situation and trying to determine the best course of action.

"Spread the word," he finally ordered his general: "I'm going to find the Lady Enchessa and hopefully direct her into forming a breach in the Asgardian defenses. Once I make it past these warriors and into the palace, I will need all of our forces to redirect their efforts to preventing any soldiers from coming after me. In effect, we must take the palace. Is that clear?"

"Yes, My Lord," Krunagh said. "It will, however, take some time to get the message to everyone."

"I'm aware of that," Yardaff said, "and it's just as well - it will give my brother the time he needs to dispatch the son of Odin."

"I see," Krunagh said, and he inclined his head. "It will be done," he avowed.

"Good," Yardaff said, and the two Jotuns went their separate ways, never to meet in this life again.

~o~

Yardaff ran just behind the front lines of the battle, spreading word of his plan and lending aid to his people wherever he could while he searched for Enchessa. He was glad to see that the year he had taken for the Jotuns to train to battle the people of Asgard had paid off well - everywhere he looked, every Jotun was proving himself more than a match for a dozen Asgardians each. Still, there were at least a dozen Asgardians to each Jotun in the battle, and Yardaff's progress in his search was slow as he cast spiked ice missiles into the fray to protect his people from being caught unawares.

By the time Yardaff found Enchessa - though he didn't know it - Loki and Thor had already gone. He found her, surrounded by Asgardian warriors and having the time of her life with them. With a graceful twirl, she sent a blade of ice radiating out from herself, cutting down all the Asgardians who stood around her except one. The last warrior, she grabbed by the throat and lifted off his feet. She laughed, her eyes gleaming with delight, as her victim writhed helplessly in the air, being simultaneously strangled and tortured by the burn of her frost touch.

The sight made Yardaff feel sick.

He quickly threw an ice dagger at the Asgardian soldier's head; the blade shattered the warrior's skull, killing him instantly and putting him out of his misery.

Enchessa dropped the Asgardian's remains. "Hey!" she shouted indignantly, turning angrily on whoever had just cheated her of her fun.

"Lady Enchessa," Yardaff said sternly, walking up to her.

"Oh, it's you," Enchessa said mockingly. "So nice of you to join us in battle, Your Highness."

"What in the name of our ancestors do you think you're doing?" Yardaff demanded of her furiously.

"I'm giving these monsters what they deserve!" Enchessa spat.

Yardaff was forced to join her in fighting off a knot of Asgardian warriors that converged on them. "Our goal is to breach the Asgardian defenses and kill Odin," he reminded her as they fought.

"I see no reason why we can't exterminate as many of these beasts as possible while we're here," Enchessa retorted.

Yardaff finished off the last of their attackers, then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the front lines. She struggled against him, determined to continue her massacre. "Allow me to give you a reason," he hissed at her, and as soon as they were far enough from danger that they could talk, he pulled out his royal decree and handed it to her.

"What is this?" she asked, taking it.

Yardaff knew he didn't need to answer; she would know exactly what he had decreed just by holding the enchanted ice crystal.

Her eyes widened as she looked at the royal decree and learned its message.

"You have shamed our people with your arrogance and bloodlust," Yardaff told her coldly, "and you have committed the highest order of treason. What else did you expect?"

She looked up at him, her expression furious and indignant. "Why are you defending these creatures?" she demanded of him.

"My Lady, it is you I am judging, not the people at whom your wrath is directed," Yardaff said. "Now, I may yet grant you amnesty, if you can redeem yourself…though after what I've just seen you do, I doubt you can. Regardless, if you wish to have any chance of remaining a citizen of Jotunheim, you will cease with your unnecessary bloodletting antics and put your abundant power and skill towards the true goal of this battle. Form a breach in the Asgardian defenses, now - get me through and into the palace. Once that's done, help the rest of our people keep the Asgardian forces from coming after me and take the palace. Are my orders clear?"

Enchessa glared at him silently for a moment.

"Yes, My Lord," she finally answered bitterly.

Yardaff nodded.

Enchessa took a breath, then turned back to the battle and readied herself. Yardaff raised one hand over his head and conjured an ice dagger, and the surrounding Jotuns grouped together into a spearhead formation with Enchessa at the tip, ready to charge. Yardaff held the formation steady for a moment, then let out a furious battle cry, and the Jotuns drove forward to pierce the barrier of Asgardian warriors.

The Asgardians did their best to fend off the assault, but even though they yelled like mindless warriors, the Frost Giants were too cunning in their tactics for the Asgardians to entirely repulse. The group was just strong enough to carry its momentum all the way through, and Yardaff ran past the line of Asgardian warriors for the palace.

The Jotuns fought to keep the breach in the Asgardian armies open, and all the Frost Giants converged on the gap, flooding to the inside of the ring of Asgardian warriors and changing from the attackers to the defenders.

The palace of Asgard was compromised.