Taming The Afterlife

Le Rescue-ish

"That is one heck of a castle." Chuck commented. I saw a moat of lave surrounding the castle  like structure and thousands of screams could be heard from inside. As we ventured onto the bridge I noticed metal spikes coating the floor. They went through my shoes and I could feel my feet bleeding. 

I instantly made protective shoes for myself and my companions. "You have your powers?" Tori asked in a confused voice. "So do I." Thor said, just as confused. We crossed the bridge and the heat from the lava alone was making me sick. 

I began to grow light headed and did my best to keep walking. I saw thousands of cells lining the walls from floor to ceiling. Some were empty but most were full. Over all of the shouting and screaming I saw a great room filled with people eating at long tables. It appeared these prisoners took lunch in shifts. 

"How do you suggest we find Sera?" Asked Chuck Norris. "I have an idea." Thor said, raising his hands above his head. Lightning left his fingers and thunder roared causing the entire room to go silent. "Does anyone know a woman named Sera?" Thor shouted with his hands around his mouth.

All fingers pointed to a man sitting at the table eating what looked to be a burnt animal leg. He had messy green hair and a smile painted on his face.

When he saw our eyes were on him he got up in an effort to run but my brother caught up to him before he got to far. "Not so fast. I am told you know Sera, is this true?" Thor questioned, holding the man up by the collar of his shirt. 

They clown smiled before giving a lazy shrug. "I meet so many people down here that it's hard to keep track. Technically everyone knows her." I gave Thor a look and he placed the clown on the ground. I charged the man and placed one of my knives on his neck. 

The green haired man only laughed with an insane look in his eyes. "I need information and you're going to give it to me otherwise you can say goodbye to your head." The clown continued to laugh despite my words. "Go ahead and be my best, we're all under the same spell so it'll just come back!" 

"The scars on your face never fixed themselves." Tori said with a growl. "That's actually an interesting story. My father was an alcoholic-" He started but I cut him off by releasing him. "This man is no help." I told Thor, annoyed with his idea.

"You are looking for Sera?" A man without a nose asked from across the table. I nodded, growing very impatient. "A woman by that name used to sit by my side at the table every lunch hour. Then one time she didn't come to lunch and I haven't seen her since." He explained with not emotion on his nose-less face. 

"Is there someone in charge that we can talk to?" Chuck asked. "Surtur's throne room is back there." The nose-less creature said, gesturing to a door far in the back. "Great, thank you!" Thor said before following me through the room. 

I weaved my way through the crowd before bursting into the so called throne room. "Hello, I have a bone to pick with you." I announced, pointing a knife at the lava and rock formation that was sitting in the throne across the room. "First I have some people you should meet." I extended my arms as Thor, Tori, and Chuck entered the room. 

"Keep him busy!" I instructed them before running up a tall staircase. I had a gut instinct and I decided to blindly follow it. I climbed the spiraling staircase until I reached the top and saw a silver metal sphere with a bolted door. My eyebrows knit together in confusion but I went up to the door and braced myself before breaking the lock. 

Opening the door, I no longer felt sick and I almost felt alive. The change in temperature was remarkable, it was freezing inside and I let my skin morph into it's natural blue form.  My red eyes found a small body curled into a ball on the other end of the room. 

My heart filled with joy at the sight of my wife but it instantly fell when I realized the state she was in. I slid across the ice floor and stopped at her side. I used my magic to help myself become human as not to freeze her anymore. She was in her battle suit from the day she had died but her skin was so pale it was almost blue. 

I tried to roll her over to face me but she refused to move. "Sera it's me, I'm here to take you somewhere safe." I said in the gentlest voice I could find. At my words she poked her shivering head up as if the check if I was real or not. "Who's me?" She asked, earning a chuckle from me. "Your husband."

"What are you doing here?!" She asked, rolling over and trying to sit up only to fall back onto the ground. "There was some kind of mistake and I'm here to bring you back to heaven with me." I explained, pulling her off the ground and into my arms. 

"Loki I need to-" She started but I cut her off with a gentle shush. I brought us both to a stand but was practically holding Sera's frozen body along with my own. "You can tell me anything once we're out of here. Just sit tight, Tori and Thor are downstairs."

I looked down at my wife but grew concerned when I saw a look of pure terror on her face. "He's back." She breathed, breath freezing before it left her mouth. I turned my attention to the door to see a familiar figure standing there. My biological father was standing there with joy in his red eyes.

"It's been a long time." He growled, forming an ice spear in his hand. Sera's weak grip on my tightened as he spoke and the pieces clicked in my mind. "Not long enough." I said as a small fire built up in my chest. 

"You're wife and I have gotten very acquainted with one another. I'm sure you know she's quite pathetic. Even still, she doesn't come close to you." My father hissed, pointing the blade of ice at us. 

I gently placed Sera back on the ground, not once taking my eyes off of the monster before me. "I've grown a lot since we last met." I barked, melting into my frost giant form. I let the coldness of the room around me soak into my skin and energize me. 

"The last time we met you killed me." Laufey reminded, beginning to pace around me. "I will happily do it again." I growled before charging at him.