Sorcha's Secret World, Part one.

Chapter 40, Eye of the Tiger.

The first time I was called out on a job, Loki had waved his hand and told me to take Thor instead. "I'm certain you two will enjoy playing the hero together, you don't really need the both of us there now, do you?"

I was surprised, we had fought side by side since the moment we were assigned as each other's partners. I wasn't sure what lay behind this, if Loki simply wanted some peace and quiet for himself, or if working together in front of Thor and playing the hero didn't suit the image he was trying to project.

In the end, the point was moot, because less than half an hour after arriving on the job Loki caught up with us anyway.

"You both would be lost without me," he shrugged at our questions, "you don't have two brain cells to rub together between the two of you."

"I missed you too," I whispered as soon as Thor was out of earshot.

Loki winked. "I couldn't let you have all the fun by yourself now, could I?"

After that, we worked together with the three of us.

Thor was often brash, loud and boastful, but he was an amazing fighter. I had to get used to fighting without Mjolnir of course, something I wasn't accustomed to and forgot at times in the heat of battle, pulling the hammer out of Thor's hands to the blond giant's annoyance.

"It would be preferable if you to learned to do battle without relying on Mjolnir, darling," Loki explained to me when we were alone.

"It was a great tool while you learned to control your own powers, but it is quickly becoming a crutch. It's far too convenient for you to rely upon that hammer.

Your own spellcasting is sloppy and wasteful with your anima, and you haven't stuck any effort into enlarging your spell repertoire. You can do better than this. You must do better than this if you are to grow in your powers."

I felt a dark ugly blush of embarrassment creeping over my face. I thought I was doing so well, and Loki had mentioned so often how powerful I was. I thought he thought the world of me. I felt humiliated.

Loki took my chin in his hand, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

"You have the potential to become one of the greatest sorcerers this realm has ever known, but you must hone your skills. You must keep pushing yourself to new heights if you truly wish to become this realm's Great Protector.

Because that is what you want, isn't it?"

I hesitated. I had never truly thought of myself as ambitious. I knew Loki was, but it had never been in my nature. Before gaining my powers, I had been quite happy to live a completely unremarkable life.

Had I, though? Had I really? Had I not always secretly believed I could be more, I just didn't know how?

"Yes." It came out of my mouth before I could stop myself. "I want to protect this realm, protect its people. I want to make certain another Solomon Island won't happen again, not on my watch. I want those who are intent on serving the Dreamers, on destroying our realm, all of the realms, I want them to fear me. I want them to think twice before they mess with me or those under my protection ever again."

Loki studied my eyes for a second as if to measure my resolve.

"Good. You'll need that fire, that conviction, if you are truly to become just that.

I am not much of an Elementalist, but like any sorcerer worth their salt, I know the basics. I can help you. And while Thor isn't a sorcerer by any means, he can help as well. It would be good for you to practice against someone bigger, stronger and more experienced than yourself."