Electrostatic

Laufey

"Better to die with honor than live with shame." - The Saga of the Jomsvikings,

Laufey

I hurried after the guard who alerted me, my armour haphazardly hanging off in places, I tried to buckle my shoulder pads as I nearly collided with a wall of muscle.

A spluttering Matias audibly winded careered around the corner halting at the sight before me, his face blotchy with red blushes, apparently doing anything past a walking pace was a strain for Matias.

"Lady Alison, I'm sorry I could not keep them away. I tried. I reached out to Laufey he has allies with the dark elves, for the information you asked for... but they wouldn't deal with me. They said they would only communicate with the new ruler of Asgard... the God Killer." His pink blotches had faded and a sickly pale colour began to take a hold of him.

I had never seen a Frost Giant before, well I had never seen Loki in his blue form. The three soldiers that stood before me were well deserved of the name giant... each one of them more fearsome than the other. Their sheer size overly obvious finally made me understand the taunts Loki endured; being small for his kind.

Their skin was like blue alabaster, bright but stone washed grey at the same time, they appeared to be like walking frostbitten corpses.

Their eyes matched their macabre image; blood red with a darker rotten red irises, the narrow ridge of their brow prominent and decorated with bone like lines. Each giant had a different symbol embedded on their forehead the white bone-like marks drew my eyes to them what did they mean? Did Loki also have a set of his own runes?

They seemed to be unimpressed with my flustered appearance clearly a god killer did not look like this in their imagination, granted I was not putting my best foot forward politically here, damn you Loki.

The middle giant offered his outstretched fist he let a large pendant on a thick brown string drop into my hand. I knew I couldn't touch his skin, I'd heard the stories.

"King Laufey offers an invitation to Jotunheim, he requests your presence for war council. He expects you in three days. Bring his offspring you may need an escort."

I turned the pendent over in my hand it looked like a birds skull but the beak extended into a key. The cold metal still wearing permafrost patterns from his touch.

"Thank you, what is your name soldier?" He looked slightly taken aback at my question. Looking towards the other two in a silent question.

"His name is Fjord. I'm Relcan and that is Bor. We're King Laufey's Army's Commander, Advisor and emissary. He gestured to each giant as he reeled off their positions, I assumed they didn't get much social interaction outside of Jotunheim.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, I do hope there is a peaceful future for both Jotunheim and Asgard that our invitation is given on amicable grounds?" I remained neutral giving them no indication of inferiority. This was what I was trained for; political peace we needed as many allies as possible in this war and the Frost Giants would be a valuable friend.

"Of course King Laufey gives his word you will not be harmed." His red eyes tried hard to convey sincerity but the colour drained every emotion into a sullen rage.

"And Prince Loki?" I raised an eyebrow seeing the holes in his promise.

"He gave no details regarding the orphan." He smiled at the thought of harm towards Loki, it did not settle well with me.

The three large men then backed away disappearing in a cloud of black and blue smoke. Images of snow capped mountains shimmered behind them.

***