Mischief On Earth ✔

Of Confessions And Control

* music above *

"Alright Herrick. I'm here. Let us leave."

Herrick's words were deliberately biting. "My my, someone's in a hurry. Are you sure you don't want to spend more time with the mortal? Ah wait. You're planning to return here........aren't you?"

Loki's jaw clenched. He knew what the Einherjar was doing, and the worse part was that it was working. Still he managed to clamp down his retort and kept his fists hanging by his side, so he wouldn't do anything he'd regret.

"Cut it out. Let us be gone on our way," he almost snarled.

"As you wish." He bowed, and then suddenly snapped his fingers.

"I should probably tell you something though. I lied."

Loki frowned.

"The King and Queen has announced that your exile is to  be shortened, but you are to return only after you have grant the mortal her three wishes. Meaning, you may return as soon as all the wishes are given, and not have to wait for one month.

"So you can't go back to Asgard just yet."

Something akin to alarm niggled at Loki. "Then.......why did you call me here?"

Herrick bowed yet again, deep and low. This time he didn't straighten up, but instead flicked his eyes up to Loki's face and kept them there.

He smiled then, a very cold and very unfriendly smile.

"To treat you to a Midgard performance," he said.

At his words, a troop of mortals came out from the shadows nearby and surrounded Loki. They were dressed in circus garb, and all were smiling pleasantly.

Without warning one of them did something and next thing Loki knew he was breathing a jet of fire into the air. Then the one next to him did the same, then the next one and the next one and the next one.

"Amazing aren't they?" Herrick called from outside the ring. "They're called fire performers. They breathe fire, eat fire - here let him show you!"

The man to Herrick's immediate right demonstrated exactly that.

Loki had never seen anything like this before and was more than a little startled. He managed to find his voice and asked,

"What are you doing Herrick?"

And Herrick only smiled.

Flames to his right and left were spewing and gushing up into the air. The heat surrounded him, and there came this familiar hammering in his skull.......and then the ringing in his ears, and then the nausea.....dimly he heard, don't take away my baby! My son!

Laufey's son!

"No," he gasped, as he realized what was happening. His right leg buckled and his hand went up to his head, pressing hard against his temple. "No! Herrick stop!"

His vision was becoming fuzzy but he could hear just fine and Herrick's maniacal laughter swept all around and over him.

"I'm sorry, what? I can't hear you over the sound of my glee!"