Uniting Asgard [Book One]

Chapter Eleven

Loki arrived back home, feeling a sense of remorse and guilt for not patching things up with Alice before he left. He wasn't angry at her, but he knew she still would be. He hated himself for putting his hands on her and wished he could just go back and apologize, yet, he didn't have the time.

"Welcome back." Heimdall greeted him.

"Thank you. I heard the news. Do you know how bad it is?" Loki inquired.

"All I am aware of is Armod is gathering an army of villagers." Heimdall replied.

"Of course it's him. It's always him isn't it?" Loki scoffed.

"Thor is meeting with the war counselors now. I have told him about your arrival." Heimdall told Loki.

"Thank you." Loki sighed.

Loki stalked towards the newly built, but much smaller, palace and was greeted with a servant presenting him his horse. He got onto the saddle and galloped towards the building. As the villagers all watched him pass by them, they whispered and murmured as to where he had been. By the front doors of the Thor's home, which was a smaller model of the once great palace, he jumped off his horse and as he paced down the halls, all the residents in the newly instated court bowed their heads or curtsied. He pushed opened the door to the war room and everyone from the table stood, causing a few pawns on the large map to fall. Loki glared at everyone as he looked around the table and sighed.

"What is Armod up to now?" Loki seethed.

He took his seat at the table as he awaited their responses.

"Upon taking note of the absence of Thor and you these past few days, Armod has gathered his men to rise up and get Thor off the throne." A man spoke.

"His army isn't as large as ours but they are violent. They've already pillaged two small villages since you have been gone." Another told him.

"What was the death toll?" Thor inquired.

"An estimated forty men, women, and children." A third man replied.

"I'm sick of this bastard. How have we not captured him yet? How is our army that stupid to not throw him in jail!" Loki argued angrily.

"Well-"

"It was rhetorical!" Loki exclaimed as he slammed his hands on the table.

Thor furrowed his brow as he looked up at Loki. He had never seen Loki this worked up and annoyed with anyone in years. He knew of Loki's past history with Armod but Thor knew something else was bugging Loki. Armod never worked Loki up like this before. Usually, Loki would be calm and collected when dealing with him, ordering an army of his men to suppress the rebellions and jail his men.

"We'll do what we usually do." Thor stated calmly as he patted Loki's back.

"Shall we alert the army to get prepared?" An advisor required.

"Yes. And tell them that their king shall be leading them." Thor announced.

"And I will join too, to fight alongside the king." Loki spoke.

All the men turned to look at him and Loki observed their confused faces.

"What? Have I said something out of line?" Loki questioned them.

"Loki, you don't go out into the field." Thor stated.

"Well, because our army is incompetent and cannot arrest this man, I will do it myself. I'll even kill him if I have to." Loki told him.

That evening, after dinner, Thor and Brunhilde made their way towards Loki's own home. They entered his study and Loki snapped his head to see who opened the door.