His Queen | Book 1

Forty One: Jötunheimr

The Aesir cautiously moved into a circle, backs to each other, eyes on the Jotnar surrounding them. It was a trap right from the beginning. Sigyn holds out a hand and appeared her spear.

"This boy has grown tired of your mockery." Thor fired back at the Jotun king.

Ice spears formed in the hands of the giants.

Sigyn's eyes never wavered from the Jotuns in front, ever so slowly stepping towards them. Waiting to lunge at them. "Loki." she softly said. "Do something."

Loki breaks away from the circle and quickly stepped t6p his brothers side who still faces the King of Jotunheim. Lips snarled, brows furrowed, hand gripping Mjolnir. "Thor." Loki's voice projected loudly. "Stop and think. Look around you, we are outnumbered." he implored.

"Know your place, brother." is all Thor said, never looking at his brother. Eyes on the giant king.

Vali dared to look away from the giants closing in on his part, and glanced over to his uncle and father. There was something inside him that didn't sit right with all this. He held his uncle under a lime light of adoration and respect, and just then to ignore his comrades, lest of his own kin, during a dire situation... something shifted.

"Uncle." he then said, warning him. When he didn't reply, "Thor!"

"You know not what you think your actions will unleash." King Laufey stated. "I do." he is firm. "Go now, while I still allow it."

"Uncle." Vali said again. This time more ungracious.

"We will accept your most gracious offer." Loki bowed his head to the Jotnar king. They were not going to get answers out of them today. It is best they leave. Loki turned on his heel and took three steps. "Come on, brother." he growled.

Thor slowly turned away. Sigyn let out a cold breath.

"Run home, little princess." a Jotnar said.

Fandral shook his head. Vali drew his short swords.

Loki stopped walking. "Damn." They were so close.

Thor laughed, dropping his hammer between his fingers and catching it by the draw string. He spun him hammer as quick as lightning and upper cut the giant sending him flying into a wall of ice. "Next?" he asked.

The Jotnar attacked. The chance to lunge they have been waiting for. Finally! Thousands more creeped up from the depths of the ruins and shadows each barring a weapon. The Asgardian gods defended keeping to their circle.

Sigyn kicked out her foot and sent a giant back to his knees to slice his chest open with her spear. Blue blood comes spilling out. An ice sword comes charging down at her and she drops to one knee lifting her spear above her head. The ie spear breaks against her weapon and she turned it in her hands and drove it through the Jotun. She pushed him back and let his body fall.

A thunderous foot fall behind Sigyn and she ducked under the swing of another ice sword. She sliced the Jotuns leg and he roared with pain, throwing up the sword in attempt to strike her. She deflected it away from herself.

Vali jumps onto the shoulder of the giant with a battle cry and drives his sword through the spine of the Jotun. Riding his body all the way to the ground with a thud. "I have not had this much fun in so long!" he cheered, moving skilfully and quickly like a fly between the giants. Bringing them down as he went.

Volstagg cried out. They turn to his cries of pain searching for an indication he was injured or dying. His arms are black with ice. "Don't let them touch you!" he shouted, his arms rendered useless and unable to move.

A shadow loomed high above Sigyn devouring her tony form. She quickly turned to face her foe and with a quick lunge she put her spear into his chest. But he fell forward. Sigyn gripping her spear as the weight of the giant fell onto her, sliding back on her feet she forced his body to fall sideways. He landed with a heavy thump.

She see's two more giants coming at her. She put her foot to the giants chest and pulled out her spear. A giant hand swung over her head and Sigyn dodged to the side, rolling as the second Jotun slammed his ice sword into the ground where she was seconds ago.

Breathing ice cold air. Her throat hurts. Her lungs hurt. Her foot slips and she misses the giant. He advanced on her again. She slipped again and found herself on her back. The giant laughed and raised his foot. She rolled to the side and got to her knees and sliced his calf. He screamed.

His hand swooped for her again and she rolled backwards.

The second giant swung his sword back and forth pushing the fair goddess backwards each time. He swung again, raising his arm for another swing. She dived in. Sliced his leg. He is on his knee. She pierced his back and he cried again. She fashioned a dagger from thin air and cut his throat.

The first giant is storming towards her. More are coming too. They never end. They just keep coming. She cannot see her son.

She frantically looked around for her husband. "Loki!" he was too far away to hear her. She defended against another Jotun. "Loki!" she called again.

Loki drives his dagger into the chest of a Jotnar and he falls to his knees. His hand wrapping around Loki's arm. The Jotnar's touch was lethal, like acid. Where his fingers pressed into the leather of Loki's sleeve, it froze, broke apart and fell away like melting ice. The giant's hand was now touching Loki's skin.

Loki was not in pain. He did not scream and cry and try to break away. He remained. Sigyn is now running to aid her husband, when a giant blocks her path. She makes quick work of him.

The giant holding the Aesir meets his eyes. Both just as curious and shocked. Loki stabbed him again and this time he killed the giant. The giants hand fell away. The blue creeped back into this fingers. Loki stared at his arm in bewilderment of what he was seeing. And in no time he was back to normal.

Loki finds his gaze shifting upwards and he sees his wife standing across the way. Her eyes wide with concern. Cold breath. Breathing heavily. How does he explained this? How much did she see? Loki lowered his arm in tempts to hide it.

Sigyn began advancing towards him. "Loki. We cannot..."

"Behind you!"

Sigyn spins around. There is a Jotun. His arm is on motion. Sigyn moves her spear forward. The giants arm makes contact with her. Her side burst with fiery pain and her lungs are devoid of air. She feels the ice cold creeping down her already sore throat trying to claw its way back into her lungs.

Her weapon is lost.

Sigyn's body slams into the ground and the ice send her barreling towards a deep dar crevice in the foundations. She tried to grab something to stop herself sliding. Her right arm can barely reach above her head. And her gloves slip right through the slippery ice.

"Sigyn!" Loki throws himself after his wife.

She turns her body. Sliding on her stomach. Trying to grab anything. The ground falls away suddenly from beneath and she is now barrelling over the edge.