The Lost Asgardian (Loki)

Entry 8)Momma's Little Demons

"Father, with all of my respect, I humbly ask if you are certain that this pitiful creature is, in fact, Loki's reincarnated wife...?" Asked a man with a perplexed expression. It was the one with jet-black hair that curled at the napes of his neck.

"It is," the woman seated next to Zeus replied dryly. "I was in attendance the day she married the bastard."
By now, I was lost. Nothing was making sense, and I was just feeling crazier by the moment. "I implore us all to speak in a language that the mortal does not recognize..."
"We're not saying anything she is not already aware of, Artemis!" A man with unruly dirty-blond hair scowled. He was dressed in the same golden armor as most individuals seated with the exception of one man wearing silver and mint green armor, and the man with black hair who wore silver and blood-red armor.

"Hold thy attitude, Hermes," Artemis spat vehemently. "Tis her own fault Loki and his spawn still live-"
"Not if she is reincarnated and holds no memory of a past life!" Hermes scowled back.
"You are sounding very similar to brother Apollo-"
"If he were here, he would be fighting the same way I am," Hermes insisted with a glare towards his sister. "This human cannot be held responsible for actions in a past life."
"She is the very same person, my stepson, just reincarnated a thousand years since her previous time of walking Asgard," Hera said, casting me somewhat pitiful look.

"Perhaps brother Hermes holds a strong point." This time, it was a dark skinned man with jet-black hair and deep brown eyes who spoke next. He sat three chairs away from Hermes and was seated next to Artemis. "How can we punish a human who holds no real idea of who or what she used to be...?"
"Dionysius, the reason is quite simple. She is here not for her actions committed a thousand years," said another man.
"Then why the Styx is she here, Ares?" demanded Hermes.
Ares gave a satisfied smirk. "She is but the tiny lamb to lure the big-bad-wolf."

Bait.

It was just a tiny four-letter word, and yet it filled me with terror. I was nothing more than bait to force Loki's hand. The plan seemed absurd to me. I was still struggling to accept the idea that I was supposedly Loki's reincarnated wife. But even if it were true, why would they think he would care? If any part of this was true—which I was starting to believe—it made no sense that Loki would be concerned about the Olympians holding me.

Ares' words seemed to make every Olympian present realize the true purpose of my presence. After that, an eerie silence descended. The gods and goddesses exchanged meaningful glances, as if they were communicating without words. It was as if they didn't want me to hear the rest of their discussion. The tension in the air was so thick that a pin dropping would have been deafening. Finally, it was Zeus who shattered the silence.

"The bewitching hours have passed with the god of mischief not claiming his reincarnated wife. Take a finger to send to him. With every refusal to visit, we shall take another."
That was the moment I decided to make a run for it, though I couldn't quite rationalize where I thought I could possibly go. The throne room stretched over a mile in length and width, and surrounded by immortal deities, my chances of escape were slim at best. Despite my lack of coordination or idea of where to go, I sprinted, driven by sheer desperation. But my escape attempt was short-lived. A blow to the back of my head sent me stumbling, nearly falling flat on my face. Though my hands broke my fall, my head throbbed painfully. I knew that if I didn't at least try to save myself, I might lose more than just my fingers.

"P-please d-don't..." I stuttered, my voice trembling with fear. Ares released a cruel laughter as he used a sandal clad foot to roll me over onto my back. "Your pitiful mewls are wasted on me, mortal."
"Loki's not going to come for me!" I cried as Ares removed a long, cruel looking dagger from a holder on his thigh. "He's n-n-not g-going to come!" I don't know why I was so certain, but strangely, I felt my words were true. I didn't feel for a moment Loki would be coming to my rescue. Somehow, deep in my subconscious, I knew he wouldn't come because he was smarter than any of the Olympians gathered gave him credit for. Loki wouldn't be coming to my rescue because he already knew this was a trap. Nobody here planned on making an easy bargain with him. These immortals planned on using me to lure him here to kill him. My bet was that Loki was already aware of this.


"How unfortunate for you," Ares commented as the other Olympians either looked bored or simply uncaring of my cries and thrashes for help. No amount of my thrashing or wailing could remove Ares. Soon enough, he used a heavy foot to smash into my throat to hold my left hand in his. Hermes and Dionysius did not watch this exchange, both were looking sick at what their brother was doing. Hera watched with pity, Zeus and Poseidon engaged in conversation as normally as they would as if I wasn't about to get my finger ripped off. "This little piggy went to the market..."
"GET OFF!" I howled, trying and failing to throw this monster off of me. My resistance was pointless. Ares had me pinned by the neck as easily as if I was a newborn puppy and he were an adult human. There was no comparison in size and strength. He outdid my slender frame in height and muscle. I couldn't stop him as his calloused fingers chose between which finger of mine would be the one to go. Ares foot pressed down on my throat, choking me silent.
"I elect the finger that once held the ring of your monstrous husband..." Ares purred. His large, calloused fingers gently clasped the fourth finger of my left hand.