The Magician's Apprentice

Trolling the Trickster

For a terrifying and exhilarating moment, all I could sense was my weightlessness, the wind screaming in my ears and that horrible swooping sensation in my stomach.

But thankfully I found on something else to focus on, which happened to be Loki screaming.

Focusing on the sound on his voice, I casted my senses out only to find out that it was just me and Loki. There was literally nothing else in this dimension; no land, no walls, no ceiling, nothing. It was empty, as Stephen described.

I maneuvered myself near Loki and shouted over the whistling in my ears, "Stop screaming like a little girl! You're in no danger."

"Where are we?" Loki demanded, and I felt a touch of satisfaction to hear that he was unable to hide the panic in his voice.

"Dunno," I lied nonchalantly, mostly to make him panic further.

"You will return me back!" Loki demanded angrily.

"Mmm, nah," I said, savoring his growl of rage.

"Listen, girl," Loki snarled. "If you do not return me to my brother in five seconds--"

"You'll what?" I interrupted, unimpressed. "You'll keep falling? Wow, I'm terrified."

While I sounded calm, I was secretly unnerved on the sense of power the god was emitting from his rage. I knew he was capable of dangerous things, but as long as I had my sling ring and we stayed in this dimension, I should have the upper hand. I hoped.

Unfortunately as I thought of this I adjusted the grip of my sling ring, and Loki's clever eyes must have noticed because he asked slyly, "That ring you have. What is its purpose?"

"Nothing," I said evasively, suddenly remembering Stephen telling me specifically "not to give him anything he'll use as a weapon."

"Oh?" Loki asked. "Then would you not care if you . . . lost it, by any chance?"

With impossibly speed his hand lunged out and yanked it off my hand and quickly stowed it in one of his pockets.

"Hey!" I exclaimed angrily. "Give it back!"

"Mmm, nah," Loki said in a perfect imitation of my tone.

"Give it back!" I repeated, unable to hide desperation and fear in my voice. How was I failing the task Stephen gave me already?

"What is this, anyway?" Loki asked, admiring the object with mild curiosity.

"It's a sling ring," I explained, hoping that this would convince him to give it back to me. "It gives me the ability to make portals, and--"

I paused when I sensed him scrutinizing me carefully. "Were you the one who sent me here?"

"Of course not!" I lied instantly. "That was the guy who was teaching me."

"What guy?" Loki asked suspiciously.

"I'll tell you if you give me my ring back," I said irritably.

"Oh, fine," Loki said with a sigh. "Here." With that he tossed it to me and I heard it whistle past my ear.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed angrily to him. "Did you really just toss something to a blind girl?"

"Sorry," Loki said, although I could sense the sneer in his voice.

Swearing under my breath, I casted my senses further out in search for my lost sling ring. Thankfully it was closer than I expected, so I conjured a whip and lassoed it on the ring to pull it back.