Blind Success {Book 1 - Blinded Trilogy}

17 - Storms and Punishment

"Take a look at a castle. Any castle. Now break down the key elements that make it a castle. They haven't changed in a thousand years. 1: Location. A site on high ground that commands the territory as far as the eye can see. 2: Protection. Big walls, walls strong enough to withstand a frontal attack. 3: A garrison. Men who are trained and willing to kill. 4: A flag. You tell your men you are soldiers and that's your flag. You tell them nobody takes our flag. And you raise that flag so it flies high where everyone can see it. Now you've got yourself a castle. The only difference between this castle and all the rest is that they were built to keep people out. This castle is built to keep people in." Lieutenant General Eugene Irwin, The Last Castle.

You know, I had seen a few movies where people were punished in certain ways for certain things... Never in my life could I imagine ever being in their positions... Until now... I was told that storms were very rare in Asgard, but when they did happen, there wasn't much left to the imagination. Rain poured, wind howled and sometimes hail the size of a clenched fist falls. Or so I had heard until this exact moment in time. Yep. I was in the storm. Guess why? Go on... Guess. No? Okay fine. I am currently chained just outside the palace gates. Arms spread and held up only by the shackles that connected my wrists to the poles either side of me. I had been outside for maybe an hour and I was already soaked to the bone.

My teeth were chattering so hard I was sure that they would all crumble from the force; hair clung to my face like a black, slimy octopus and because my feet were bare I was ankle deep in mud that I'm pretty sure wasn't mud... If you catch my drift.

A shiver went through my body as I hung my head, my arms straining against my binds. I focus on the drumming of the rain on the pavement; matching my heartbeat in rhythm.

Footsteps approaching caught my attention. I could tell by the combined sound of jingling armor that they belonged to palace guards. As I kept my gaze on the ground in front of me, I saw when they stopped in front of me. Scowling when they couldn't see me, I struggled against the shackles that held my wrists, pulling back and lifting my head to look at them only to be struck by the butt of a sword or spear. I grunted as my head jerked to the side.

I heard them laugh, whispering something between themselves. When I felt a hand on my forearm, I tried to pull away, bile rising in my throat. Growling low in my throat I snapped at his fingers like a deranged wild animal.

"Easy... Wait." I jumped at the voice in my head. It wasn't Loki's. The voice was female. I looked around to see if the female in question was nearby. One guard's hands were running along my right arm again while I could hear the other running his hands over my left. "Svala..." I heard the female voice again as the hands that once started at my wrists were nearing my elbows.

I was still trying to get away from them, but I couldn't. I head butted the guard on my right. Of course that hurt my head from hitting the helmet he was wearing. Beautifully colored spots dotted my vision as I shook my head after the impact. I heard chuckles but I was now disorientated and couldn't decipher where they were coming from. I'm in deep shit.

Loki's P.O.V.

I had watched helplessly as Andrea had been dragged from her cell. I wanted to help her, but I didn't know how. Things had been said about her being taken out and to endure the storm that had started last night, but what worried me wasn't the storm. It was the guards. The citizens and royals may think that the guards are righteous followers, those who will willingly obey the orders of their King or Queen. What they don't know are the acts they get away with. Two particular guards were talking about going to see Andrea. Their reasoning far from pure.

I stood by the wall at the front of the cell. I saw the guard that Andrea always gets along with walking down the aisle, doing the daily check on the prisoners. When he comes to mine, he stops and looks at me. "I have to see the Allfather." He raises an eyebrow at my request.