The World

Chapter Seven

 Cas hadn't been sitting there for long, it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes, when an alarm blared through the palace. Her head shot up as the sound blasted around, her ears barely picking up shouting and the clatter of guards running about.

A sharp bang came from the door shortly after, the alarm and shouting still present. Cas stood and made her way to the door, the amulet falling back against her chest. She opened the door to reveal a guard standing there, equipped in full armor and carrying sword and shield. "What's going on?" She demanded.

"There's a prison break going on, my lady," he answered. "Thor requests your presence in the dungeons to help keep them from escaping."

Cas nodded, "Wonderful," she said sarcastically. "Alright, I'll be right there." She closed the door and closed her eyes, feeling her power flow over her. When it was gone, she was clothed in armor similar to that of the battle of New York, only with a few modifications.

Are these your handiwork? She asked Loki, noting the black leather sleeveless coat that hung to her mid thigh, the knives now strapped to the underside of her armguards, and the hum of magic that coated her armor.

Of course, who else would they be?

She rolled her eyes. That question was also in regards to the prison break, she told him. Did you have anything to do with that?

Nope, not a thing. It was just as much of a surprise to me as it was to you.

Wonderful.

Cas opened an ice mirror portal that transported her to the entrance of the dungeons. Almost immediately, she was attacked by a pair, one of which sported horns curling from his temples, the other in mismatched armor. "You guys have terrible timing," she complained, drawing the two long knives from her belt to fend them off.

"Lady Cassandra!" Thor called.

"Hello, Highness," she called back, dodging an axe. "Where did these guys get the weapons? And how the heck did they escape?" Cas glimpsed the fallen guards and shook her head, "Never mind the first question, I figured that one out."

Thor flung his hammer, taking out one that thought to stab her through the back. Not that it would have done much good with the new enchantments Loki had so thoughtfully placed on her armor. "I am not sure, Lady Cassandra," he answered, stepping around her to catch it again. "None of them appear to have any sort of magic, not that it would work on anything outside the barriers-"

"Knew that already!" She cut him off, stabbing another horned marauder over by Loki's cell. "Try again!"

The prince rolled his eyes. "There isn't a way for it to have happened that I know of," he told her, narrowly having his head removed from his shoulders.

Cas ducked under a familiar axeblade. "Volstagg!" She yelled, dodging a spear, "Watch where you swing that thing, lest you want to bury an ally!" She didn't hear his reply, too preoccupied with the fight around her. A stray sword knocked the knife from her hand, but she was reengaged before she could draw another. "Blast these!" She muttered, seeing who had engaged her. "I hate axemen."

Even as she managed to avoid his crazy swings, however, a swordsman crept up behind her while she was distracted. "Cassandra! Left!" Came a yell from the cell to her right. She obeyed instinctively, stepping in the ordered direction. A sword stabbed through the place she'd just been standing to impale the axeman. Cas took advantage of the swordsman's attempts to withdraw his sword and lopped off his head.

"Thanks," she told Loki briefly, before dodging Thor's hammer. "Thor!" She yelled, "As I told Volstagg, watch it!"

Loki chuckled, returning his attention to his book.

A few minutes later, the dungeons were mostly clear of escapees. Cas, along with Thor and Fandral and Volstagg of the Warriors Three, glanced around as the palace shuddered, sending a rain of dust down on them.

"Thor, go check on Jane and Fri-the queen," Cas told him. "I think we can manage the rest of this."

Not a word of protest came from Thor, the prince took off out of the dungeons at a run. Cas bent to examine one of the fallen guards, a frown crossing her face. "Fandral," she called, not glancing up. The blonde man made his way over, wondering what had caught the Frost Guardian's attention.

"What is it, La-Cassandra?" He caught himself, remembering she didn't like the title. Cas glanced at him briefly, flashing a smile to show her gratitude, before returning her attention to the guard. Or rather, what was left of him.

"Look at this," she pointed it out. "It's like his entire body was burned to a crisp. There's nothing left but his armor, and it's practically untouched. What could have done that?"

Fandral shrugged. "Only thing that comes to mind is some kind of fire magic."

"But none of the marauders wielded magic of any sort," Cas reminded him. "It's nothing like I've ever seen before either," she murmured. What did this to them? She asked Loki mentally. Did you see anything, anything at all?

Yes, of course I did. Loki brought the memory forward for her to see. Cas looked it over carefully, brow furrowing.

Why did he let everyone else out and not you? She wondered. That doesn't make any sense at all. Unless he thought you might get in his way somehow.

Only way I'd do that would be if he tried to hurt Frigga, Loki answered, or someone else I consider important to future plans. Otherwise, I would stay as far out of his way as I could get without leaving Asgard.

"Cassandra?"

Cas blinked and looked up at Fandral. "Sorry, what'd I miss while trying to find out what happened here?"

Fandral frowned, "How were you managing that, Cassandra?"

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, I don't know, everyone who saw the beginning of the escape is either dead or unconscious, aren't they?" Sarcasm dripped from her every word. "Fandral, really?"

"You mean-" he looked at Loki and she sighed, shaking her head.

"Yep, I'm definitely seeing the thick headed warrior society thing now," Cas grumbled. "Come on, let's get the cells working again and get these guys back where they belong. We can figure out what happened later." She stood and glanced around. "Anyone know how to reactivate them?"