Sorcha's Secret World, Part 2: Mystery and Mischief.

Chapter 21, The AllFather.

"Run. Now! Just go! Summon an illusion to walk with me, go invisible and leave through Agartha!" I whispered to Loki.
Odin was riding ahead on Sleipnir towards the Asgardian encampment, and Thor and Sif were walking slightly ahead of us.
Loki hesitated.
"Just go! Before it is too late!"
"I can't." He said softly. "I can't leave you, not now. Not anymore."
"I'll come and find you, I promise! Just go!"
I was frantic. I could not lose Loki, now. Not after all we'd been through.
"I don't think I can take on Odin and all his Einherjar by myself for long! Just leave!"
The corner of Loki's mouth crept up in a small smile.
"You absurd creature, I'm not expecting you to fight Odin and the whole of the Asgardian army by yourself for me!
Think for a moment, darling. If I am to be led to stand trial, where are my guards, where are my chains?"
I blinked. Loki had a good point.
"Then what does Odin want?"
"I don't know," Loki shrugged. "Only one way for us to find out, I suppose."
I eyed him curiously. His words and demeanour were calm and seemingly free of concern. But I could see from the look in his eyes and the set of his jaw that he was worried too.
Thor looked behind him, worry clearly written on his big, handsome face.
"Run!" he mouthed. "I'll hold them off!"
Loki shook his head at him and grinned.
"You two are two peas in a pod, you know that? I swear the Norn are laughing at me somewhere for saddling me with the both of you!"

The great hall lived up to its name. It was large, and rather dark inside, lit by a huge firepit in the centre and braziers by the walls.
Wooden tables with armed chairs lined the side of the fire, and at the end of them stood an elaborately carved wooden throne with a horned skull on top.
"Jotunn," Loki whispered as he saw me look at it. "Charming, isn't it?"
I took a deep breath and tried very hard not to say anything I'd come to regret.
Odin took off his helmet and handed it to a servant.
"Leave us," he commanded. The servants and guards filed out of the hall. I looked at Sif, who stayed. If Sif was staying, so was I. I wasn't going to leave Loki's side.
Odin didn't say anything, so it seemed like the right move to make.

"Well, this is a fine mess you have all made," Odin finally said once we were alone.
"One son that refuses to come home, preferring to play the hero here on Midgard instead of living up to his responsibilities..."
Thor blushed.
"... and another who sells his soul to Hel." Odin finished.
"What were you thinking, boy? Did I not warn you? Did your mother not warn you? What would she say if she was here with us today?"
Loki stared at his feet, a blush creeping up over his face. He looked for all the world like Jessie did as a child when I had caught her painting her walls pink with my nail varnish.
"How could you be so reckless! 'Where Loki goes, chaos follows in his footsteps!' It's as true today as it was centuries ago! Now, look at what you have wrought!"
Loki cleared his throat.
"If I am about to stand trial..."
"Stand trial? We have bigger concerns that your past misdeeds, boy!
You got us all into this mess, you had better aid us with getting out of it!" Odin's voice thundered with rage.
"You have meddled with magics you have no understanding of, attempted a creation dark and vile beyond imagination, and far beyond your skills!
This homunculus you refer to as 'Beaumont', you are certain he has your soul?"
Loki nodded.
"I have checked for myself, AllFather," Sif said respectfully. "No soul inhabits the body that stands before you."
"Come here, boy," Odin reached out and placed his hands on both sides of Loki's head. Loki winced at his touch, but Odin wasn't ungentle.
Odin closed his eyes, a white glow forming around his hands. After a short while, the glow dissipated and Odin opened his eyes.
"I detect no soul, but the link is still there. It seems your magic did exactly what you want it to do, boy."
"What?" Loki looked confused. "What link do you speak of, Father?"
"As I said, your magic did what you wanted it to do. You created a receptacle for your soul, a phylactery. "
Odin shook his head impatiently.
"Beaumont does not possess your soul, you foolish boy! He's a soulless husk, a walking, talking storage device! Your soul is linked to you, you still own it, at least up until your death. Then it will be Hel's."
"It is still mine?" Loki blinked and shook his head in disbelief. "I still have a soul?"
"Of course you do! This is what you get when you meddle with magic you do not understand!
Your soul is yours, it's merely stored elsewhere!"
"How? How do I get it back?" Loki asked eagerly.
Odin sighed and shook his head. "The obvious way, boy. You destroy the phylactery. Kill Beaumont, and you have your soul back."
Loki looked at me, his eyes bright. For the first time, he truly believed he was the real Loki, for the first time, he had a glimmer of hope he might be able to get his soul back.
My heart soared, perhaps we'd get through this all in one piece after all!