💚 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕓𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 ℙ𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 💚 ᗩ ᒪOKI TᗩᒪE

Wait for me

"It matters not what colour, I'd simply love to have such an ability." You admit. "To be able to touch Jotun skin without consequence would be..." You pause and heave a sigh.

Loki grasped your palm and brought it to his lips, gently kissing the middle of it.  "It would be incredible, darling. But it is not necessary."

Once again, you sensed his unconditional love for you, exactly as you are. You knew it did not matter that your stubbornness filled you from head to toe; he adored you anyway.

The duration spent walking downhill passed quickly, and in no time you found yourself gazing at the lake in the distance.

Bear had made certain to lead you to the correct side of the lake that contained the life tree, and as you approached, you immediately detected the land sickness, confirming that this was indeed the origin.

"I wish to speak to the tree, if I may?"

Loki nodded.

Bear and the others inspected the surroundings while Loki escorted you towards the tree; however, with each step you took, the unsettling sensation that had formed inside you intensified.

The voice of the previous elder tree, who had been initially reluctant to speak, echoed in your mind, and the repetition of his words now made more sense.

"Should it permeate the soul of the land, there is no stopping it."

You were aware that each realm possessed a life tree whose roots extend deep into the ground, drawing life directly from the undisturbed centre.

You finally understood what he meant, having previously been unsure of what the soul was. But it was now plainly evident. The life tree is the soul of the land, and something sinister was attempting to harm it.

You knew that if it succeeded in destroying the roots, the entire realm would perish.

You rest your hand on the tree, and the instant you do, a vivid image flashes through your mind.

You witnessed what you had feared the most—what you had desperately hoped would not be the case. But the tree granted you foresight, revealing precisely what was threatening the lands.

A kellite.

You saw a very detailed depiction of the kellite creature, first seen in Alfheim that was on display in Caspian's museum of oddities. It was here, burrowing somewhere beneath the ground, spreading its poison and infecting the entirety of Jotunheim; fully engaged to claim its next domain.

Loki observed you standing completely motionless with your hand still clinging to the tree.

"Eden? Is everything alright?"

"Isla." You whisper.

"What did you say, darling?"

"Her name is Isla." You turn around and give him a false smile. You could not tell him that it was confirmed to be a kellite and that, like Fumi, Jotunheim was almost certainly doomed.

You had previously researched these long-forgotten relics, so you knew the crafty creatures liked to burrow. When they delve deeply, it is nearly impossible to locate them and equally difficult to lure them. They were adept at avoiding exposure.

You didn't have the heart to reveal that the sole option was to abandon Jotunheim and declare the realm lost, relocating all its civilians, lest they succumb along with the land. You question whether or not they would even leave their home. The strong feelings within you told you they wouldn't.

"Our life tree is a female?" Loki quizzed.

"Does it surprise you?" You spread your faux grin wider. "Life trees are predominately female, they are more robust, and are able to withstand many challenges."