A Different Shade Of Green

Swallowing Pride

Loki felt his skull crack. For what seemed like the hundredth time. The torture had become less brutal but the beatings still shattered his spirit. He was thrown against the floor, he felt the stitches rip out of his tender shoulder, he screamed in pain as his skin ripped apart again. They taunted him regularly, he still hadn't eaten, and he had only been allowed water to keep him alive. He considered many times not drinking, and wasting away into nothing. Was staying alive worth it? It had been three weeks since he was captured, so why had no one come? Surely it would have come to mind to look in Jotünheim? Or were they too scared?

Something stirred the silent air. The frost giants ahead of him stopped their beating and headed for the door. He could hear muffled voices and crashing. Loki stood, leaning against the wall for support against his leg, he hadn't been chained and therefore ventured towards the cell door, and he looked Right, only to see a vast corridor with identical cells in a parallel format. Footsteps informed him that someone was coming close; he crawled back into the dark corner he had emerged from, thinking that this may hide his figure and prevent any more harm coming to him. This time it was Laufey that addressed him, Loki held his breath, if Laufey himself had decided to visit, then things were going to get much worse!

"it seems that things are going to get a lot easier boy." he smirked, this sent a tremor of fear directly into Loki's heart as this smile was not welcoming, but bitter and bloodthirsty. "Why don't you just let me die? It's pointless Laufey! There's nothing you can do! You'll never break me," Loki shook, terrified, yet brave, he knew that Laufey had nothing he wanted, he must have no idea that he himself looked upon his body as useless, he wasn't afraid of death, it wasn't his first confrontation with death.

Laufey scoffed. "Are you willing to bet on that boy?"

Before Loki could reply he was grabbed by the shoulders, he grimaced as his wounds were raw and bleeding badly. The giants didn't seem to care as they dragged his weak body along the ice floor and into the halls of Jotünheim. His eyes were closed and he struggled against the searing pain in his shoulder, by now the blood had begun to form a trail behind him, he hoped that this would be the end; maybe they were going to threaten to kill him? He'd accept death willingly now. But nothing he had imagined could prepare him for what he saw next.

Loki was thrown against the floor facing Laufey's thrown, he was on his knees, head bent down, staring at the pool of blood forming between his knees.