Namira was his sacrifice. In her dying moments, she gave herself up to him completely in every possible way. The realisation was bittersweet. As the world grew dim, Namira felt his lips on her own, his voice sounding soft and far away as he spoke to her, "Thank you for your sacrifice, Namira."
That was it then. She wasn't sleeping beauty waiting for a true love's kiss, no grand ascension was at her door. She was a sacrifice, a blood offer, but all he same it was comforting to know her death would feed him more power while Loki would continue to grow weaker and weaker.
If she wasn't so tired, she would've laughed at that knowledge.
Namira returned his kiss, lightly as her body grew limp and she took her last breath before all went quiet.
"Not another of his thralls." The voice sounded irritated, bored, "I miss the death of warriors that come upon my doorstep." Namira ignored the voice, her eyes tightly shut, but it came again, "You are what everyone's been fussing about? Tsk."
Namira dared to steal a glance at the woman. The silver eyes and silver hair were an immediate revelation, "Hel."
The woman's lips curved into a smirk, "Very good poppet. I understand my father is the reason you are here. Thor must not be pleased to lose his little treasure."
Namira closed her eyes again, ignoring the echo of footsteps and voices around her, ignoring the woman who taunted her now with her death, "Welcome to my home."
Namira's nose wrinkled in distaste as her eyes opened to glance around the realm, "I don't like your home. This isn't... I expected... I don't want to be here."
The Goddess laughed at her, a direct reflection of Loki's traits she had inherited, "This is the gathering of the dead. If you liked it, there would be something wrong with you. Only I like it. It is not a matter of whether you like it or not. It must be done and done swiftly... for there are worse fates than Hel."
The words were ominous and left Namira without a doubt that this was true.
Namira didn't feel she belonged in Hel, even if Hel wasn't the hell she anticipated but rather more docile than that.
Hel's laughter grabbed her attention once more, "It would seem the God of Thunder is refusing to be rid of his chance at power." The Goddess's hand reached out, her fingers caressing along Namira's cheek, "One day you'll be mine permanently... for now... enjoy the time he has rewarded you with."
Before Namira could question it Hel and her realm disappeared.
Thor's roar filled her ears as she watched from the other side as he wielded Mjölnir and spoke angry words in a language she did not understand while the God of Thunder invoked ancient rites of revival.
The heavens echoed with thunderous power as Thor channelled divine energies into Namira's lifeless form. As lightning danced across the sky Namira's life force surged back into her body before her eyes opened to the world once more. Gifted with a second chance at life Namira felt a stinging pain on her shoulder blade.
Thor laughed as he looked at her, "It worked!
Namira stared at him wordlessly, her soul still landing, her mind still processing what had just happened, "I... I'm back?" Thor smiled in answer, "Yes... Yes... Your sacrifice... It returned so much of my power that I have but a few limits left now."
Namira smiled lightly, hesitantly, "You saved me."
Thor knelt down next to her, his hand cupping her face as he caressed her cheek, "No Namira."
He smiled at the look of surprise, confusion and suspicion on her face, "You saved me."
Thor's mouth captured hers in a hard, demanding kiss, a kiss that claimed her, a kiss that whispered of devotion, of passion. A kiss Namira quickly and happily returned.
When they broke apart, Namira looked into his eyes, "I'm scared. What if... What if he tries again?"
"Let him try. He'll suffer my wrath. He'll fail again. You are mine now. Oath-sworn, blood-promised. Your life is mine. Your soul is mine. There's nothing he can do to you now that could take you from me."
Eased by his reassurance Namira nodded, but before she could answer him to agree, to once again thank him for bringing her back to life a loud voice boomed through the cave, "How DARE you?!"
Namira was immediately shielded by Thor as he moved in front of her, between herself and Odin, "She was owed to me."
The God of War and Death's power radiated from him, black and deadly, but Thor merely stood his ground, "By our laws, by our tradition, she is mine. Loki had no right to her life, to harm her. Father I"
His words were cut short, "You give such power away again, for this?! For her?!"
Thor's voice came back resolute and confident, "And I would do so every time if need be. I tell you again, sworn by oath and blood, she is mine and I claim her."
TBC...
