Excelsior: Loki

Chapter 8

Although Katja and Loki thought that the en suite was dusty, the stairwell was practically made of dust. As the two trudged downward, Loki began to fall behind, his footfalls quieter than before and Katja could only tell by his breathing that he was behind her. It began to get dark, Katja only being able to make out the next couple steps, so Loki conjured a torch, its bright light unveiled that they had almost reached the bottom of the stairwell. Katja's patchwork shoe touched the cobblestone floor and Loki soon joined her by her side. 

"I know what this is if you would like to continue the tour," Loki whispered, almost not wanting to disturb the scary silence that the new setting had created. 

"Let us go, I do not like the feeling of this room." Katja grabbed his hand and tried to lead him back onto the stairs but he wouldn't budge.

"I never did either." 

"Loki you need not tell me. I can tell it brings you pain." Katja tried again, but he seemed to be glued to the ground.

"But I must tell you, Katja, when you asked why do I hate myself, it is not only my appearance that brings me pain but my entire life. From the moment I was born I was living under two shadows: Odin, who I was trying to live up to, and my brother, Thor, who I tried to outshine. Constantly I was pushed aside and time and time again Thor was praised for my doings and I was punished for his mistakes." Loki walked across the cold room and lifted something quite heavy, the clanking of metal made clear what it was. He moved the torch to it and the yellow glow revealed cuffs to the wall.

"I have had to bear the burden of these shackles for too long." He turned towards Katja, "These were mine, this room was my private dungeon in the Winter Castle, but now it seems that the Winter Castle is my private dungeon. It's funny, I always wondered how mother was able to visit me so often. It didn't strike me that our rooms were connected."

"Loki you do not need to wear these shackles anymore. Come, Loki, I beg you, let's leave!" She took the chain from his hand and dropped it to the floor, the impact causing the old, rusted cuff to form a crack.

"Katja, you don't understand! I may not be in the prisons but I am still a prisoner. I am still the monster I was, save for now the outside matches the inside!" Loki snapped out the torch and his piercing, blood red eyes cut through the darkness and stared straight at Katja, startling her so that she jumped and backed into the wall.

"Even you who I trusted is afraid of me. I'm not Asgardian because of what is lacking in my blood, but because of what is missing in my heart. You may think you can fix me but I am a dying animal, so leave me in my peace." He turned from her, and Katja knew better than to bother him. She found it funny, how he apologized earlier for being dramatic and yet he still was. Some things never change. 

Katja left the dungeon, left the en suite, and then walked into the library, the gleam in her eye and confidence in her step meant that she had a plan. So she sat at the nearest desk and drafted a letter, giving it to Dagrun to be delivered. 

++++++

"Gods, it disheartens me to see you, Tormod, looking so hurt and despaired. " Teodor clambered up beside Tormod, who was taking an angry stroll through the town. 

"Over what? A girl? Tormod, you know that she can't compare." The two pass under an archway, where several young ladies have their bare legs hanging down from above and Tormod caressed one of them, she gasped, but once Tormod reveals himself, the girl giggled. 

"Every man in town is just half of the man you are, look at me I barely reach your thigh," he then poked Tormod's leg. "Everyone here wants to be with you, Tormod, and it's not very hard to see why!"