Loki's Endgame

Chapter 56

Loki leads you through the garden, onwards towards a place he and Hela had been referring to as "The Grove". You trail through the grassy meadows slowly, running your hands over the tall plants which pass you by. The garden has no marked paths, bathed in natural, undisturbed beauty.

Loki leads you by the hand, walking slightly ahead of you. He turns every now and then to give you a gentle smile, clearly inspecting your wellbeing. As you run your hands over the vivid pink willowherbs, you smile back at Loki, desperate to prove to him you were okay.

You were definitely not okay.

Your legs are burning in pain, each step is like walking on hot coals, each muscle working as if you were wading through thick mud. Your heart feels laboured and strained, causing your breathing to shallow and your body to feel shivery and clammy. Despite feeling freezing, sweat drips off from your forehead, which you quickly wipe away before Loki can see.

A fever wasn't a good sign, nor was the pain in your chest.

You were dying. Every step was a step closer to fading away completely.

A flash of colour deviates your attention back to the meadow. Loki has turned on his heels to pivot, sweeping his arm around dramatically to hand you a vivid purple cornflower with a grin. He says nothing, kissing you sweetly on the forehead before tucking another flower behind your ear.

Even the miniscule weight of the flower resting on your ear is causing your neck to cramp painfully...

But Loki wasn't going to know that. Not a chance in hell...

Or... Niflheim...

You mentally shake yourself, determined to focus on reaching your destination without the drama of dying. As you reach the edge of the meadow, large crags protrude from the ground, reflecting warm sunlight onto your rapidly paling skin.

Loki weaves in and out of the crags, pulling you closely behind. You notice, despite the environment, the garden is completely void of life, no insects, no little woodland creatures, no birds in the sky.

Nothing.

As Loki continues to zigzag through the crags, you feel your legs beginning to fatigue under you, barely supporting your weight. Finally, as if understanding your need to take rest, you walk around a large rock face and meet with the nuclei of the power and energy you had felt at the gate.

The Grove.

It is the most startling garden you have ever seen, and you audibly gasp in wonderment. An ancient tree stands in the centre of a beautiful lake, its branches willowing and dimly glowing above the crystal waters. Even from a distance, you can see each tiny, perfectly rounded pebble on the lake bed, despite its depth being seemingly endless.

You look back into the branches of the tree, seeing tiny fruits resembling apples growing on the branches. You inhale deeply, their rich and sweet scent filling your nostrils. Everything just takes your breath away.

Loki watches your expression carefully, eyes filling with pride. He takes a step towards you, draping an arm over your shoulder and pulling you in close. You rest your cheek against his chest, still finding yourself fixated on the garden. A part of you feels afraid, afraid that if you look away, you'll never see its beauty ever again.

"Beautiful, isn't it?", Loki chuckles softly, running a hand over your hair.

You nod, whispering almost to yourself in awe, "Where are we?!".

Loki hears you, dropping his head a little to speak into your ear, "This is my mother's garden, created by the Goddess Idun as a gift. They were great friends, she and my mother, even after..."