𝐀𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝕃𝕠𝕜𝕚'𝕤 𝔸𝕗𝕗𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖

Munnin's Lair

Trigger warning: Abuse.
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You whirl around in an attempt to pinpoint the origin of Munnin's voice, but with nothing but inky blackness surrounding you, it was hard to discern.

While your eyes strain in an effort to see, your other senses become more acute. You tune in to the tiniest of noises and follow every obtrusive scent with rapt attention. In spite of this, you secretly wish you had no sense of smell, as the stench of damp rot lingers up your nose.

"Is the mortal scared?" Munnin's voice teased you; he knew anyone would be afraid in this situation.

You freeze up, partially out of uncertainty over his whereabouts and partly out of fear of the dark.

"Does the mortal want to cry out for her lover? Oh, go ahead, mortal. Call out for Loki, scream his name."

Squinting into the shadows, you listened intently as he spoke, feeling sure that he was somewhere off to your right. You take a defensive position, arms raised, anticipating an attack from that direction.

"I do hope you scream as well as he did. His wails were music to my ears." He continued, only to throw you further off track by hearing his voice come from the opposite direction now.

"You are a monster, a coward who preys on vulnerable children!"

In response to your sharp rebuke, he merely laughed arrogantly to himself. But his chuckling seemed to be originating from everywhere, adding to your confusion. It was proving increasingly difficult to locate him in the blinding dark.

"You are right, I am a monster, and I take pride in being one," he said smugly, and you quickly switched your footing, angling your body towards where you thought his constantly shifting position was.

"But you are also wrong. I don't just prey on children, I never set myself such limitations. Not when adults of all ages can fear me just as good."

Your heart raced and your anxiety level soared as you spun around at the sound of his voice so close to your ear. The mystery of his whereabouts terrified you and now you suspect he was toying with you on purpose to reduce you to a trembling mess.

In a frantic state, you shout into the unknown, "Stop moving! Put an end to your scheming mind games. If you plan to attack then do it without the trickery!"

As you wait for a reaction you tried to calm your heavy breathing, but then you notice a warm glow emanating from afar; it slowly grew brighter, allowing you to make out more of your cryptic surroundings. Your eyes scan everywhere in search of Munnin, however, you failed to spot him.

Suddenly, a voice from above you causes you to jump in alarm. As you gaze up, you discover Munnin gliding silently from the rocky ceiling. With a twisted look on his face, he stares at you as his sharp talons hit the ground.

His unkempt black wings flutter at his side. He gets a kick out of seeing the look of horror on your face.

"I'm truly excited for you and I to be alone, may I offer you the warmest of welcomes—welcome to my humble abode," he said, his face set in a grin, his arms outstretched as if to show off his dwellings.

The dim light suddenly illuminated all the walls, and after a moment of shock, you examined your surroundings and realised that you were actually within a cave, a putrid space filled with what appeared to be rotting animal carcasses.

"What, no gift? I thought it was customary for mortals to bring a gift when entering someone's home" he remarked with an amused tone, "don't worry mortal, I won't hold it against you. I will just take something from you instead."