Chapter Text
“And for another… we have the Hulk.”
Loki didn’t even look to make sure the Hulk was actually charging towards Thanos. As soon as he heard the unmistakable roar, he dove for his brother, dropping the tesseract in the process. He barely noticed his error. That damn thing was proving to be more trouble than it was worth anyhow. All that mattered was that he and Thor didn’t die.
Thor was obviously unable to carry his own weight, so Loki had to half drag him behind a pile of rubble. Luckily, everyone was too focused on the Hulk pummeling Thanos to notice their escape. Loki took one look over their cover before sitting a recovering Thor up.
Already knowing the answer, he asked, “I don’t suppose you have an escape plan?”
Thor shook his head. With effort, he managed to say, “We can’t let him get the tesseract.”
Loki rolled his eyes. “We can’t win against them.” As he said this, Thanos had proceeded to pry away the arms keeping him pinned against the wall.
Glaring, Thor somehow managed to say with the authority of a king, “Run if you wish, but I stay until the end.”
Loki had no intention to leave Thor behind, but he knew that they were no match against Thanos. Thor might be willing to die in battle, but Loki wasn’t keen on becoming a mere speedbump on Thanos’ road to victory. Without the other Avengers, Thanos will soon be one stone closer to his goal. No, if Loki was going to fight Thanos, it would have to be with more allies and weapons, and he just didn’t have that right now.
As Thor was gaining enough strength to get to his feet, the gears in Loki’s mind turned. There was a way to lose this battle without retreating or dying, but it would require the completion of a spell that even his mother didn’t dare cast. The risk had never been worth the reward to her, for if the spell was performed incorrectly, the caster would die. After a few moments of deliberation, he decided it was worth the risk now.
He grabbed Thor by the shoulders, trying to convey how serious his instructions were. “Brother, make sure no one distracts me from my spell, and be sure to be by my side when I wake up.” Though visibly confused, Thor nodded. Loki released him before sitting with his back against some rubble. He added, “And whatever you do, don’t die.”
Loki didn’t wait for a response, already preparing himself for the spell. He held his arms out like a preacher addressing his congregation as he quietly yet coherently spoke the words he had read in his mother’s study all those years ago. When his hands began to tingle, he continued to speak, but slowly brought them to his chest. He almost misspoke when intense pain made itself known over his heart. As the chant continued, the pain somewhat subsided, but a feeling of intense weakness spread from his chest to what felt like every single cell in his body.
Finished, Loki let his hands fall as he slumped over. Some of the pain had stayed in the form of a headache and he was out of breath, but at least he was alive. He slowly stood on shaky legs, using the rubble he had been sitting against to steady himself. The first thing he noticed was that Thor was no longer with him.
“NOOOOOO!” Thor screamed.
Loki peeked around the rubble to see Thor trapped and Thanos stabbing Heimdall. Well, he didn’t have time to mourn, but the fact he was dead and Thor couldn’t move posed a problem. Loki had counted on Thanos allowing Thor to live when he won. Unlike Loki, Thor had never failed him, and Thanos would no doubt be impressed with Thor’s fighting and courage. Not to mention, there was Thanos' obsession with equilibrium. If there are two brothers, he would only want to kill one.
He noticed the missing Hulk, and he recalled the sound of the Bifrost while he was chanting. It didn’t take long to put the pieces together as to what happened. Thor would definitely be left alive as long as he didn’t anger the titan. Thankfully, Thor was just gagged, stopping him from saying anything stupid.
Loki watched, regaining his composure and waiting for the right time to reveal himself. He found his opportunity when Thanos said, “There are two more stones on Earth. Find them, my children, and bring them to me on Titan.”
They kneeled before him. “Father, we will not fail you.”
Loki stepped out from his hiding place, making his way towards the group. “If I might… interject. If you’re going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that arena.”
Thanos smiled mockingly. “If you consider failure experience.”
The jab annoyed him, despite being from an enemy. “I consider experience experience.” Again, he had to regain his composure as he inched his way closer. “Almighty Thanos… I… Loki… Prince of Asgard...”
He stopped, looking to his brother in reassurance, and maybe a bit of fear of what was to come. “Odinson…”
Thor stared back, silently demanding to know what was going on. Hopefully, that little clue was enough to make him realize which side Loki was on. If Thanos caught it too… Well, it was no consequence to Loki.
He continued to speak as he got closer. “The rightful king of Jotunheim, god of mischief…” He discreetly formed a dagger in his left hand. “do hereby pledge to you… my undying… fidelity.”
He bowed his head, mentally preparing to launch an attack he expected to fail. As fast as his tired muscles would allow, Loki swung the dagger towards Thanos’ throat, only for the space stone to keep his arm in place. Thanos looked completely unsurprised by the attack, and even had an air of amusement.
“Undying…”
While Loki didn’t expect to actually die, he felt like he was staring death in the face. It was like being stuck in an arena with a savage beast that was only being kept away from him thanks to a leash made of old, worn rope.
Thanos grabbed Loki’s outstretched arm and slowly twisted it around. “You should choose your words more carefully.”
The spell may save him from death, but it didn’t save him from the pain that caused him to drop his dagger, nor did it save him from the agony of being grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground. Loki could hardly take in any air as Thanos slowly tightened his grip. No doubt he wanted to torment him for as long as possible before he killed him.
As one last act of defiance, Loki choked out, “You… will never be… a god.”
He felt his neck snap as everything went black.
Loki had been injured and sick multiple times throughout his life, but as he awoke, he felt like he had been thrown around by the Hulk for several hours. It didn’t take long for him to remember what had happened. Without opening his eyes, he could tell he was laying on a couch. A pillow was supporting his head and a warm blanket was covering him. He could smell something cooking as a fire crackled nearby. He smirked to himself, sensing his plan was all coming together. He had been unable to explain to Thor what the spell was, but it appeared his brother paid attention to Loki’s instructions anyway.
Opening his eyes, the smile disappeared from Loki’s face. He hadn’t been on Earth long, but he liked to think he knew what the inside of human buildings looked like. He sat up, taking in more of his surroundings. The couch was just a glorified wooden bench with cushions to lay on, the blanket was pure, brown fur, and there was a cauldron over the fire. The closed curtains, while in good shape, were nothing fancy. Neither was the tiny table with chipped paint by Loki’s head.
The door creaked loudly as it opened, catching his attention. Rather than his brother or anyone else he knew, a woman stepped inside. She had her blonde hair tied back into a messy ponytail, wore a simple, light green dress that had lost its color over the years, and she was carrying a basket of vegetables. She looked surprised to see Loki up, but it was nowhere near the amount of surprise Loki felt at seeing her in general.
She sighed in relief before closing the door behind her. “You’re awake! We were all so worried!”
Loki simply asked, “Where’s my brother?”
The woman’s face changed to show slight worry. “Your brother?”
He impatiently replied, “Yes, my brother. I need to speak with him about Thanos and how to move forward.”
“Thanos?”
Loki stared at her like she was an idiot. “The titan who attacked our ship.”
She looked like she came to some sort of realization, but any hope of finding Thor was dashed when she asked, “Is that what happened to you?”
He stood up, only for the room to start spinning. He barely registered the woman ordering him to sit back down, only to push him back on the couch. As his vision cleared up, he saw her drag a wooden chair over by the couch. Her basket had been forgotten by the door.
As she sat down, she asked, “What does your brother look like?”
Loki blinked a few times in an attempt to get rid of any haze in his vision. “He’s Thor.”
“I’m afraid I need a description.”
Loki made eye contact with the woman to see that there really was no trace of recognition. She continued to sit patiently, waiting for Loki to say something. He finally and halfheartedly described his brother, saying, “Tall. Blond hair. Missing an eye.”
She released a breath Loki didn’t even realize she was holding. “Your brother’s not here.”
Loki raised an eyebrow. “You say that like it’s a good thing.”
She nodded. “It means he’s not confirmed dead.”
He looked around the room as if it held all of the answers to this mystery he found himself in. It’s safe to say that this wasn’t Earth, but he had no clue as to where he was. “What is this place?”
“You’re in my house on Gangalo.”
It took a moment, but Loki remembered where he had heard that name before. During his week on Sakaar, he had heard briefly of Sakkar’s long-lost sister planet. There had been a small debate on whether or not Gangalo even existed. He hadn’t bothered to participate or even pick a side since Gangalo’s existence was inconsequential to him. The only reason he had paid attention at all was because the planet was supposedly immune to certain powers of the infinity stones.
The woman explained, “You were among the dozens of bodies that fell from the sky yesterday. We’re confident we’ve gathered them all, but I’m sorry to say… you were the only one found alive…”
He asked, “Does time work on this planet like on Sakaar or the rest of the universe?”
“I’m surprised you know about that. I know nothing about this Sakaar, but from what we’ve seen, time works differently here than on Asgard.”
Loki's heart nearly stopped at the implications. He was on an isolated planet and Thor was nowhere to be found. If his brother was looking for him, it could take months or years on Loki's end before the two of them reunited. Given the time difference, that was even assuming Thor would look for him right away. Then there was the problem with the infinity stones. Loki highly doubted Thanos would be able to collect them all with the Avengers in his way. However, with Gangalo's supposed immunity, Loki would have no way of knowing if Thanos miraculously pulled off his plan.
He whispered to himself, “I have to go…”
He shot to his feet, stumbling due to dizziness and weak muscles. The woman had stood just as quickly, but he paid her no mind as he took one step to the front door. She practically jumped in his way, using one hand to grab his bicep and bracing the other against his chest.
She protested, “Where do you think you’re going?! You need to rest!”
He exclaimed in anger, “I don’t need a babysitter! I need to find a way off this planet!” He tried to get around her.
It didn’t take much effort on her part to stay between him and the door. “And how do you expect to do that?! The last ship on the planet was disassembled for parts long before I was even born!”
He jerked his arm to get it out of her grasp, the simple yet sudden movement almost causing him to fall over in his weakened state. Judging by her expression, it didn’t go unnoticed. “I won’t be able to get anywhere if I just sit here!”
“You can barely walk!”
“I’m fine!”
“No you’re-!” Exasperated, she closed her eyes and put a hand on her forehead. Smirking in triumph, Loki was going to go around her when he noticed she gained a smile of her own. Crossing her arms, she said, “Tell you what? If you can get past my friend outside, you can go wherever you like.”
He nearly laughed as his weak legs took him to the door. “Very well. I’m sure your friend can be reasoned with. You said he’s outside?”
She didn’t even bother to follow him. “Yes. You can’t miss him. His name is Jormungandr.”
With his hand on the doorknob, Loki bowed his head to her in thanks and to say goodbye. He opened the door and walked out with confidence. “Sir Jormungandr.”
He froze at what he saw. Rather than anything resembling a man or other intelligent creature he had seen in his life, Jormungandr was a giant snake of the likes Loki had never seen before. He was about as tall as the house, and it was difficult to tell exactly how long he was because most of him was hanging off a cliff and went into the ocean below. He was dark blue, but his underbelly was noticeably lighter. He had black frills on each side of his head and one long frill that travelled down his back for at least 20 feet. Upon hearing his name, Jormungandr reared his head up as he observed the person who had addressed him.
Without another word, Loki stepped back inside the house and closed the door.
Looking absolutely smug, the woman said, “I don’t think anyone’s ever addressed him as ‘Sir’ before.”
Glaring daggers at her, Loki walked, or rather staggered, back to the couch. The woman, unfazed by his pouting, made a move to help him, but he held up a hand and shook his head. She simply shrugged at his refusal as he sat back down.
She approached the cauldron over the fire, saying, “I wasn’t sure if you’d wake up tonight. I already put ox meat, carrots, and potatoes in the stew. Is that alright?”
Loki laid back down, staring at the ceiling. “It’s not like I have any other options.”
“I wouldn’t mind making something else for you.”
He took one look around the room that just screamed, 'poor.' He had a hunch this woman didn't have caviar or anything he'd normally eat. “But no doubt they’d all be unappetizing.”
She glanced at him before turning her attention back to the stew. “Many consider it unwise to insult the person preparing your food.”
“I'm trapped on an isolated planet while being held captive by a monster snake and a peasant. If you were going to poison me, I’d eat it without a fuss.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said sarcastically. “The peasant is named Sigyn Iwaldidottir by the way.”
“Loki. I’ll respond to both Odinson and Laufeyson.” At her questioning gaze, he continued, “Adoption.”
She visibly contemplated what he said before replying, “So you’re the biological son of the King of Jotunheim and the adopted son of the King of Asgard?”
Taken aback by her correct guess, he asked, “How did you know which was which?”
She grabbed a bowl and a ladle. “Pesta-the village healer-found out you were a frost giant while she was examining you.” As she scooped some stew into the bowl, she added, “I suppose being a prince explains the clothes you were wearing... And why you have a hard time following instructions.”
“Were?!” Loki looked down at himself and noticed for the first time that he wasn’t wearing the outfit that he wore on the ship. Instead, he wore a brown shirt and pants that a peasant on Asgard would wear. At least he got to keep his boots. “What in Hel's name am I wearing?!”
Sigyn sat back in the wooden chair by the couch with two bowls of stew. “The fall and whatever else happened to you did a number on your clothes, so Grim offered some of his. He and Pesta are the only ones who saw you without anything on, I promise.”
She silently offered him a bowl, which he took with much hesitancy. “That part's a relief I suppose, but I’d still prefer my own clothes instead of these rags.”
“…You’re not one for politeness, are you?”
He sassed, “I’m polite when it’s beneficial to me.”
She brought a spoonful of stew up to her mouth as she mumbled, “Well the rags fit your personality.”
Loki wasn’t quite sure he heard her right. “What?”
Sigyn shook her head and stood. She looked guilty, but her eyes held something akin to understanding. “I’m sorry. That was a bit far on my part. You can throw as big of a tantrum as you want, I hardly care, but I would suggest showing a bit more gratitude to Pesta and Grim when you meet them.”
She set her spoon in her bowl before heading to the front door. Loki asked, “Where are you going?”
She turned back towards him as she explained, “You obviously want to be alone so you can grieve your fallen comrades. I was very snippy myself when-”
He rolled his eyes before interrupting with, “I’m not grieving.”
Sigyn eyed him, seemingly not convinced. “So you’re like this all the time? Why?”
He wistfully answered, “Oh, it’s a long story about being abandoned by one father and ignored by the other. You know how it is.”
They stayed in silence for a few moments before Sigyn put a hand on the doorknob. “Yell if you need anything.”
As she cracked the door open, Loki suddenly remembered that he still had no clue about where he was. “I actually do need something. Answers.”
After a pause, Sigyn closed the door and sat on the chair for the third time. “What would you like to know?”
“I’ve heard of Gangalo before, but there was no mention of any inhabitants. Who else is here? What exactly is this... village?”
She adjusted herself so that she was in a more relaxed position. “The village you’re in is called Mannelig. There are other villages like ours here and there. That is, mostly made up of Asgardian descendants.”
Loki decided to eat his stew as he listened. “You’re Asgardians?”
“I’ve never set foot on Asgard, but I suppose I am. As Hela and Odin became more and more cruel, dozens of people decided to flee in search of a better life. They happened to stumble across this planet. Other creatures here include giants, like Hymir, trolls, dwarves, Jotuns, spriggans, Dullahan… and you’ve already met the one sea serpent we’ve found.”
He recalled the giant snake out front. Jormungandr seemed very relaxed, almost like he belonged where he was laying. “Is he your pet?”
“He’s not really considered a pet. I suppose I’m the closest person to ‘owning’ him. We’re rather close, and one of my jobs is to make sure he doesn’t eat something he shouldn’t.”
“Is that why I’m with you? Because you have control over something that can keep me trapped?”
She looked like she wanted to roll her eyes, but she continued with her explanation, “Normally, you’d be staying at Pesta’s infirmary, but we’re keeping the fallen bodies there. Also taking into account that there are still patients recovering from a recent troll attack, there was no room to keep you. As one of the few people that live alone in Mannelig, I figured I could share my house until you either find a place of your own or someone from space comes for you.”
Loki set his half-finished stew on the small table beside him. “I ordered my brother to be by my side when the spell wore off. Either he’s forgotten or something has temporarily separated us. Hopefully, he’s sensible enough to at least look for my body between his kingly duties. If not, I’m sure I can find a way off the planet.”
Sigyn replied, “Then I suppose my home is your home until then.” She thought for a moment before saying, “You said ‘kingly duties.’ Is Thor the king of Asgard or Jotunheim?”
“Thor has been King of Asgard ever since the death of Odin and Hela. Jotunheim hasn’t had a king since I killed Laufey. Last I heard, it was a planet in chaos.”
A pause. “And Asgard?”
“Had to be destroyed in order to kill Hela. All of the Asgardians were on the ship Thanos attacked, heading to Midgard.”
Solemnly and with sadness in her eyes, she nodded. “We suspected some sort of attack. Pesta said all of the bodies had wounds unrelated to the fall.” She asked with almost childlike curiosity, “What were Odin and Hela like as a father and sister?”
He scoffed. “If you’re looking for something sentimental about them, you won’t hear it from me. Odin had Hela locked in Hel when she wouldn’t comply with his new, peaceful ways. Thor and I knew nothing about her until Odin died. And that was less than two weeks ago. As for my father… he cast a large shadow upon me, and I wasn't exactly his favorite.”
Despite the little amount of information he gave, her curiosity seemed satisfied. “Well, Pesta will be happy to hear that Odin changed his ways. Better late than never, I suppose. And I’m sure she’ll be thrilled that Hela’s gone.”
He tried piecing together why the village healer would particularly be so interested in his family's affairs. “I don’t quite understand,” he said.
“Before she left Asgard, Pesta was the royal executioner. She never had a kind thing to say about Hela.”
Loki wasn’t going to lie (for once). Hearing that there was someone on the planet that knew his father on a personal level intrigued him. “Mm. I see.”
“Speaking of Pesta, she wants you to stop by the infirmary when you're feeling up to it. Partly to check up on you and partly so that you can identify some bodies.”
“I doubt I’ll be much help.”
“Maybe, but I think we owe it to those people to try.”
He wrapped the blanket around himself, suddenly feeling the need to fall asleep. Part of him wanted to fight the drowsiness and stay awake, but he saw no reason to keep his eyes open. Sigyn was obviously not a threat, and it sounded like Jormungandr was under her control. As much as he hated sleeping in unfamiliar places, his body was begging for him to take a nap.
He felt Sigyn adjust his pillow. “I know this is a lot to take in. In the meantime, you should rest. I’ll do my best not to disturb you.”
Loki was asleep in mere seconds.
He woke up the next morning to the smell of breakfast, feeling infinitely better than he had the day before. Sigyn must have been able to tell, because she had no qualms about him walking down to Pesta. That was why they were strolling away from her isolated house and to the rest of the village.
Now that there was no sea serpent taking all of his attention, Loki was able to properly observe the environment. The entire village was on cliffs overlooking the sea, but it was otherwise surrounded by a coniferous forest. The few deciduous trees were just starting to change color. The buildings Loki and Sigyn were approaching were made of wood and very unassuming.
Loki commented on the houses, “You people are very plain.”
Sigyn took no visible offense. “We try and keep things simple. What’s the use of having extravagance?”
“It’d certainly make this place less boring.”
Once they were among the collection of buildings, Loki was finally able to see the other people. There was a blacksmith hammering something on an anvil, a couple of farmers tending crops, children playing, and others going about their business. The only thing the aforementioned villagers had in common was that they momentarily stopped what they were doing so they could stare at Loki. As much as he loved attention, he didn’t exactly enjoy being looked at like an animal in a zoo. He’d glare back at the onlookers until they got the message and got back to what they were doing.
He told Sigyn, “There’s quite a lot of staring.”
Unconcerned, she said, “I’m not surprised. We don’t get many visitors. Let alone someone who fell from space. The infirmary is just up ahead.” She pointed at a building that was noticeably larger and longer than the others. As they approached the door to the infirmary, they heard running footsteps behind them. Turning around, they saw that a small boy was running towards them, or at least Loki thought it was a small boy. The child was covered in tree bark and small twigs that he somehow glued to himself. Even his hair wasn’t spared from his head-to-toe costume.
The boy approached and raised his arms to the side. “I’m the Bark Man!”
Loki had never encountered this situation before, and simply looked the child up and down. “…Oh…?”
Sigyn, taking the unusual sight in stride, introduced the two of them. “Arrow-Odd, this is Loki. Loki, this is Arrow-Odd.”
“'Odd’ does seem accur-” Before he could finish his sentence, she elbowed him in the abdomen. It didn’t really hurt, but the message was clear. He rolled his eyes and knocked on the door, not bothering to look at Arrow-Odd as he said, “Pleased to meet you.”
The door opened to reveal a short woman wearing a hooded shroud. Her long, gray hair was unkempt and she was hunched over at what looked like an uncomfortable angle. Despite the fact she looked like an old hag, she smiled and spoke like a sweet grandmother. “Well, look who’s decided to join the living. It’s lovely to see you on your feet.”
Loki replied, “You must be Pesta. Luckily, I was able to get past the giant snake today.”
Pesta laughed. “A frost giant unable to get past that big pushover?” It took a moment for him to register what she meant. He looked to Sigyn, his gaze full of accusations.
Sigyn had a smile and overall expression of feigned innocence. “I told you you’d have to get past Jormungandr. I never said how much of a challenge it would be.” She gently took Arrow-Odd’s hand and began leading him away from the building. “Let’s get you to your mother, Bark Man.”
Loki watched them go, but Pesta’s voice brought his attention back to her. “Come. There’s much to do.”
He hesitantly followed her, stepping into a building smelling of herbs. All of the visible beds held injured men who were either sleeping or too occupied with pain to pay any attention to Loki’s arrival. He assumed all of the bodies Sigyn had mentioned were behind the row of curtains just a few feet away. Pesta led him to a table littered with equipment and supplies.
She sat him down on a nearby chair. “Now, let me have a look at you.” She held his face in her hands, and intensely observed his face. “What might your name be?”
“Loki, Prince of Asgard and Would-Be King of Jotunheim.”
She looked into his eyes as if searching for something. “Yes… I see traces of Odin in you.”
“Odin merely adopted me. Laufey-”
Pesta interrupted, “Do you think biology is the only thing that makes a person?” Loki eyed her, trying to figure out what she meant, and more importantly, what she wanted him to say in return. Apparently, she didn't expect him to say anything. She simply grabbed his wrist and put two fingers on his pulse. “How is Odin nowadays?”
“Dead. Along with Hela and Asgard.”
She gave a nod. “Ragnarök, I presume.”
“You know about that?”
“Of course I do. It was a very popular prophecy.” She let go of his wrist. “I can feel your heartbeat again. It appears whatever spell you used wore off.”
“You couldn’t feel it before?” He didn't remember that being a side effect of the spell.
“No. If Jormungandr didn’t smell that you were alive, you would be with the other bodies.”
Loki decided to change the subject, not wanting to think about waking up amongst rotting flesh. “Sigyn said you were Odin’s executioner.”
“Until Hela was old enough to be, yes. Her method of killing was much quicker than mine.”
“What did you do?”
She turned back to her desk in search of a hidden object. “I’d curse them with maladies.”
“That sounds brutal.”
He couldn’t see her face, but he noticed her freeze for a moment. “It was…” She grabbed a potion, poured some of it into a bronze cup and handed said cup to Loki. “Drink this.”
He took the cup and stared down into it. “What does it do?”
“Temporarily eliminates your sense of smell.”
Loki looked between her and the potion as he took in what she said. “And why would I want to do that?”
“I’ve done as much as I could to keep the smell at bay up front, but past the curtains, the stench of death is prominent.”
“I’ve been in battles. I’ve killed. I’ll be fine.” He held the cup out to her.
She didn’t bother to even glance at it. “Have you ever smelled bodies that have been dead for two days? Some of which emptied their bowels post-mortem? All of which are in an enclosed space?”
He looked back at the potion, realizing that he had never smelled that, nor would he allow himself to. He downed the liquid like it was a shot, hoping the taste would be palatable. Thankfully, he barely tasted anything, and the smell of herbs quickly vanished.
Pesta asked, “Would you like a moment to prepare yourself?”
“I’ll be fine,” he repeated.
She signaled him to follow her and the two made their way to the curtains. She struggled to heft a curtain to the side, prompting him to help. Battle-hardened Loki was hit with a grisly sight of bodies lined up in beds, many of which stared to the sky with dead eyes. No bed was empty, but some had two occupants to hold. The bodies Loki would usually see were fresh enough that they almost looked asleep, but these… He could barely grasp the idea that they had ever been alive in the first place. It was surreal enough for his stomach to do a flip and to put his senses on edge.
Pesta must’ve noticed his unease. “If you wish to turn back, I will allow it. You don’t have to scar yourself so that we have names to put on-”
Pride and his ego stepped in. “I’ll do it,” he interrupted.
The next few minutes were spent quietly walking down aisles, observing bodies. Just as he predicted, he didn’t recognize face after face. There was this unspoken need to remain silent in order to preserve the unique atmosphere. The presence of the dead demanded to not be disturbed, so Loki would just look at a person, not know them, and move on without a word.
It wasn’t until towards the end of the twisted tour when he recognized someone. He bypassed the four beds between him and the deceased, letting his feet lead him. Sooner than he would’ve liked, he was looking down at Heimdall. To see him like this was so unnatural, it was like Loki’s soul itself was protesting. It was somewhat surprising, since he already knew Heimdall was dead and they were never close to begin with. They were rarely even on friendly terms.
He told Pesta in a quiet voice, “He’s the only one I know.”
She responded in the same volume, “My condolences all the same. What should we put on his epitaph?”
“Epitaph?”
“For when we bury him in the funeral mound.”
He shook his head. “There will be no burials. Put the bodies in their own boats, set the bodies alight and let the boats carry them out to sea.”
“It will take some time to make so many boats.”
“These people can wait. It’s what they would’ve wanted.”
Pesta nodded. “If Hymir and Knarr work together and take little breaks, we might have enough by tomorrow night, but I can’t guarantee it.”
Loki continued to study Heimdall, not giving her a response. He couldn’t discern what he was feeling. For a moment, he thought it was grief, but this was nothing like what he felt when his mother died. It was nowhere near as painful.
He watched Pesta walk away out of the corner of his eye. “I’ll be up front,” she told him.
When he heard her open and shut the curtain, he took a step closer to Heimdall. He began speaking, barely above a whisper, “There were times I wanted you imprisoned. Even dead. You were a constant thorn in my side that I desperately wanted to be rid of… And yet, now I see that I actually saw you as infallible. Part of me is expecting you to stand. Part of me is expecting this body to be fake. I’m sure you’re laughing at me now, wherever you are. I’m stranded, feeling torn about someone I didn’t care for, and…” He took a deep breath before he continued, “If you still see all, I need you to do me a favor. Tell my parents… Tell them… I don’t know. Something meaningful.”
Heimdall, of course, didn’t respond. Loki actually felt rather silly for talking to a dead body, but he also felt compelled to continue. “You were a worthy adversary, and I will make sure you have the funeral you deserve.”
Finally, Loki left to rejoin the living.
It took just as long as Pesta predicted to make all of the boats, but that was because so many people helped. Once word spread that the Asgardian custom of burial mounds had changed to lighting the body on fire on a boat, everyone who knew anything about building a boat volunteered. Loki had described the longboats that were usually used, but the ability to make boats that size and shape was lacking. Instead, fishing boats were built without the seats.
The night they were ready, each body was placed in its own boat and carried miles away where there was a rocky beach instead of a cliff leading out to sea. A surprising number of villagers showed up to the funeral, many carrying candles. Even Jormungandr attended, most of his body underwater while he reared his head back to tower over everyone else.
Loki watched the boats float away, thousands of yellow lights rose from the fires as the souls flew to Valhalla. The villagers behind him made sounds of awe and surprise at the beauty.
He whispered to the lights, “Farewell.”
As the boats disappeared, the villagers slowly began to make their way back, but something compelled Loki to stay behind, keeping his sight on the waves. Soon, only he, Sigyn, and Jormungandr were left. She stood next to Loki, holding a lantern that would eventually help them get back to her house.
She put a hand on his shoulder. “You did what you could for them.” When he didn’t respond, she continued, “I promise, it’s okay to feel whatever it is you’re feeling right now.”
Loki almost chuckled, not looking away from the sea. “I didn’t know most of them, and the one I did know wasn’t even a friend. It’s not like I’m mourning them.”
“Then why are you still here?”
He turned his eyes to her, unsure of what to say. Her lantern cast a glow on her face that showed an expression of… Loki couldn’t tell for sure, but it certainly wasn’t judgmental like he was expecting. It looked more like a mixture between kindness and… patience?
He looked out to the sea one more time before saying, “Let’s go back.”