2 | 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃 ▹ LOKI LAUFEYSON

ii. the tremor

A M O R A

"Thor and Loki have returned."

There once was a time when those words would have filled Amora with a relief and sent her racing to see the arriving warriors. Now, as Emelía walked away, anxiety and anger threatened to eat away at Amora's stomach. She could feel what fortitudes she had built over the past few days beginning to crumble.

When Loki was discovered alive, the intense joy and relief that flooded Amora was beyond words, and she and Frigga immediately began working to properly locate him.

Unfortunately, their search did not last long. The very next day, Heimdall came bursting into the throne room with word that Loki was attacking Midgard, attacking innocents. After combining her mystical strength with Frigga's to transport Thor to Earth, Amora had been left to go about her usual work and fret over her friends.

She had desperately hoped that Loki was under some sort of spell or disillusionment, that the real Loki was inside and fighting to stop the chaos and death.

However, as the gatekeeper informed them of Loki's acts against the mortals, Amora could feel herself retreating into an emotionless shell. The violent shift from joy to anger was enough to make her seek detachment. The Loki she had once known was lost and any thought of his redemption seemed like the hopeless prayer of a child.

That portion of her life--her relationship with Loki--seemed to die and wither away from her mind as the old Loki seemed to fade from existence. As more news of his crimes came, it became almost easy to maintain an aloof frustration towards the fallen prince. The only other emotion that she gave was sympathy for the suffering.

But now that was over; they were back. He was back. She had not even laid eyes on him and the mere mention of his name sent her into a mental tailspin.

Quickly dismissing her patient, Amora came to an unnerving realization. Loki had undoubtably suffered injuries during the battle and Odin would have sent him to be treated upon his return.

What if I have to treat him? What will I do? What will he say?

Looking down, Amora realized that her hands were trembling and quickly rested them on the bed to hide her anxiety. She could not take her eyes off of the hands; any glance upward could bring her face-to-face with Loki.

But it is inevitable, she reasoned.

With a deep and steadying breath, she lifted her eyes to view the healing room. At first, nothing appeared out of the ordinary: patients waited quietly for treatment, healers scrambled about attempting to keep up with the amount of Asgardians needing assistance.

Then, a thought struck Amora. Something is not right.

It was true to say that the healers were bustling about at their normal pace, but this was different. Their movements were more tense and anxious, and she had mistaken their nervous glances for observance. Something--or someone--in the healing rooms had created a new, tense atmosphere.

Continuing her scan of the room, Amora could feel her heart begin to pound. Her fingers almost painfully gripped the sheet of the treatment bed as the sound of her heartbeat filled her ears.

A fleeting flash of blond hair caught her eye as Vanna rushed towards the partitioned areas. Amora dismissed it as the healer entered one, but as soon as she took her eyes off of the blonde, they locked with a pair of bright, green eyes.