A Falling Bluebird

Dokkalf

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Before Loki could be lulled to sleep by how comfy the carpet looked, he was led from the room by a woman - presumably Topaz.

He tried to remain awake and attentive, but she wasn't talking and everything looked the same...

The last few halls were a blur, and then there was an open door before him and he collapsed inside, sleep immediately overtaking him.

Beneath him, the floor was hard and cool. He didn't dream, too tired, though there was little rest to be had. People talked but he didn't listen, ignored the voices and sank deeper into slumber. Whispers, he turned away from them, onto his side and curled up, dead to the world.

Hours later and Loki's eyes slowly cracked open.

Talking and the first thing he saw was a green face, with brown eyes staring soulfully down at him. "The new one is awake!" It spoke, the pink of its mouth flashing.

Movement at the edges of his vision and Loki blinked, rubbed his eyes. Once they were open again, another face appeared. Well, mask. A familiar mask.

"You're the small creature!" He exclaimed. It simply stared down at him with the same unfathomable gaze.

A hand, large and green, was shoved in his face. Loki eyed it, but tentatively grasped it and was pulled to his feet.

He had been left in a corridor of some kind, graffiti sprayed everywhere and one wall displayed an impressive block of tallies. The two creatures with him were on opposite spectrums of size. One reached Loki's waist and the other was barely a half-inch shorter than him, not counting the wavy hair piled atop its shaved-sides head. It reminded him somewhat of the Hulk, but with major differences - scars and a warm, if brainless, smile.

"Who are you?" Loki backed away from the odd pair, but didn't feel too alarmed. He had evidently been asleep in their presence. If they wished him dead, he would be.

"I am an Assimilator of the Great Behemoth." The large creature said and sat down with a thump. "We won't hurt you. You're ours now."

"He means 'we' as in 'me'." The short one butted in. Its face was covered completely by a round white mask, with a slit at eye height and a shorter one at its mouth.

The 'Assimilator''s smile turned into a confused frown and it looked down. "I am multiple. There is no 'me'..."

Loki raised an eyebrow. From what he could remember through a tired haze, he had been offered a different position, better than being the Grandmaster's prostitute. "You are gladiators?"

"Essentially," Short creature said and then sighed at Loki's questioning look. "We fight in the ring, team or solo matches. If you win, you get food and a rest. Lose, and either death or they activate the 'obedience disk'. That circular device on your temple." It decided whatever obligation to inform him was fulfilled and walked a way along the corridor, sat down and seemed to go straight to sleep. Evidently time was valuable.

Instead of following the little creature's example, Loki set off along the hallway. It wouldn't go anywhere - a loop or dead end, he suspected - but walking helped him think. And he didn't want to strike up a conversation with the Hulk-like being.

No seiðr. The thought bubbled up from somewhere deep in his chest. It set bands of iron about his lungs, squeezing, until Loki felt for the innate power and it sent a comforting rush through him. He couldn't use it, but it was still there. Though he couldn't think of why it slipped through his mental fingers whenever he tried to use it. Stubbornly, Loki attempted to shape it into a simple illusion - a small snake, weaving about his fingers, but nothing happened. Even with Odin's restrictions, such harmless, powerless magic should have been alright! Had something happened?