The foolish feeling of supposed romance was short lived. Parting dampened the emotion that was once so fresh. Leaving the forge behind, Loki made his way down the cobblestone path, his black boots thumping on the pavement. The breeze rustled his hair as his eyes wandered across the silent village. It made him feel... empty.
In some odd way, he longed to have Jennica's fingers entwined with his, even after being separated from her, and even when trying to let his heart rest from such emotions. But then, despite her affections, was he even worthy of them? After all he did in the past, expecting a second chance seemed out of his reach.
So this is what you're hoping for... do you really want to change your path now? Permanently?
It erased the lingering smile that had been on his face. His gaze wavered to the ground. The feeling of, dare he think it, love for Jennica brought on a newfound joy that he did not believe he deserved. He took away so much joy from other people. Why did he deserve to have any?
I thought it was a temporary redemption. I thought you made a vow to never let your conscience win...
Why had she been brought to him? Was it to merely torture him with memories of what he had done? Anger came to life in his heart like a newly kindled flame. He stopped his walking and tried to dissipate the emotion. The betrayal. The lives he took, the family he ripped apart... everything he ever did. His mind would not let it go.
The rage now burned in his soul like a roaring fire. The rage towards nobody else but himself. Running away from the village, he made his way back to the cliff where he had been with Jennica just moments before.
"Why can't I just forget?!" Loki shouted across the gorge, hearing his voice echo over the nearby mountains. "Why can't I just forgive myself?"
The words slipped off of his tongue in a mere whisper as the tension in his body wrapped around his heart... squeezing. The conscience would win, the guilt would take over and he would succumb to these feelings of remorse.
He stood there in silence until a roar of thunder interrupted his depressing thoughts. Turning around to see a flash of light that was the bifrost, he watched as it brought Thor near the village, alone. The sight of his brother without an army made him feel sick to his stomach, and a grimace tugged at his lips. He looked away, not even bothering to care if Thor approached. It would be an annoyance. There was nothing that could be said to ease his spirit. He looked back to the mountains, observing their sharp, jagged landscapes.
"Brother," he heard Thor say suddenly behind him, after a few minutes had passed in silence, "I regret to say that... Father did not agree to our plans. I have not returned with the army."
Loki, upon hearing and knowing this, closed his eyes and breathed out a sigh of frustration. He expected such an outcome, and knew it before even hearing the words of confirmation, but even still, did Odin have to be so unreasonable? There would be no hope without Asgard's assistance.
"We might as well give up." Loki muttered, barely loud enough for his brother to hear.
Thor's brows creased. "That's not the words I expected to hear from you. I thought that getting back at Ulric was something you greatly looked forward to."
"It would only waste lives." Loki turned to face his brother, who clearly understood once he had spoken. "For once, allow me to make decisions that are usually yours. This isn't even our realm, but after everything I've done, having a chance to do what is right feels... well, it actually makes me feel something for once. I don't think I could see Jennica witness the fall of this resistance."
"Brother, you're giving up too easily. There is still hope. There is always hope!"
"Is there?" Loki questioned with the pain of disbelief as he took a few steps towards Thor. "With everything that's happening, and with the odds against us, how do we have hope?"
His words were painstakingly true, but Thor gave a bittersweet smile. "There was hope with you, even when there were those who thought the opposite. Loki, I know you are only saying these words because you are downhearted." Loki's gaze pointed to the ground. He nodded subtly, knowing what an understatement that was. "Please, do not become so." Thor continued, patting his younger brother on the left shoulder.
Loki was still full of self-hatred, and it was hard to stop. It only brought on negativity that plagued his mind, depriving him of the positive outlook he had come to possess. Everything was changing. Despite that, he forced a smile. He would not grow weary. He couldn't. It meant too much... especially for Jennica, who had begun to pour her heart and soul into the cause.
He spoke in a gentle tone, "Thank you... brother. Hearing this means the world to me." I can't believe I'm saying this! To Thor!
Clasping a large hand on Loki's shoulder, Thor led him back to the village for some well deserved rest. Morning was expected to be long and tiresome.
***
"On your feet!" Dellinger shouted, yanking Loki out of his bed. The delirium of deep sleep clouded his judgment and so he allowed Dellinger to pull him through the door only wearing loose fitting pajamas.
The sky was still dark and the stars were bright. A group of groggy people stood a distance away, speaking with volume and tension.
"What is happening?" Murmured Loki, beginning to wake up his body and mind. His pajamas changed into that of his original green and black attire, with the help of his magic.
"A scout spotted Ulric's army approaching the village. They are attacking us first!" Dellinger roared in anger. "That was supposed to be us! Striking fear into Ulric's heartless chest, but here we are. Helpless!"
Jennica's heart sunk and wrenched with dread. She too had been awoken with the chaos, but her mind swam with energy. Detecting her discouragement, Loki placed a hand on her shoulder, yet she hardly paid any mind.
Trying to pick her brain of any possible ways they could still fight and pull through, Jennica thought intensly. However, she had not been brought up as a princess or leader of any sort. She had no experience or skill for the matter. She could only offer up silent prayers. Sol stood nearby, her face pale, revealing the worry she had tried to keep pent up. Jennica watched the saddened state of her birth mother. It pained her greatly.
Thor gazed at the black horizon, unsure of what to do next. Should they flee? Leave everything they've known behind again... could he admit that he had failed them? His heart raced at the thought of attempting a fight. The elves were too skillful to be defeated single-handedly by himself. Escape was the only option. Ulric could not win this fight.
A sigh escaped his lips, releasing a fraction of the tension in his body. This was not his home, these were not his people, but they were of the Nine Realms and they were lives.
During his contemplation, a sharp pain crept into his eyes through his tear ducts, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut. It began to burn. A faintly familiar burn.
"Thor?" Loki could see his brother blinking from the burning in his eyes, rubbing them and looking delirious himself. "Are you alright?" There was no answer given.
Opening his eyes, Thor saw completely different surroundings. Home. Standing at the edge of the rainbow bridge outside of the bifrost, he understood what had taken over him, the power that was being shared through golden eyes.
"Heimdall, is this the help you spoke of?" Thor spun around on his heels to catch a glimpse of the guardian who was standing right behind him.
"I have very important news." Heimdall began without further explanation, other than the slightest hint of a smile. "Your father has changed his mind and will send troops for assistance shortly."
Thor was taken aback, nearly appalled at the sudden change. "What persuaded him?"
"I have my ways." Heimdall's faint smile only became more noticeable. Even still, Thor was surprised.
"It was all you?"
"Your father is a wise man, as hard as it may sometimes seem." The gold in Heimdall's eyes sparkled with his words. "But sometimes wishful thinking can be mistaken for wisdom. He may be king, but he will always be your father, and you will always be his little boy."
That helped to ease Thor's heart. "So he was able to see beyond that?"
"All he needed was to be reminded of the king he raised. Your mother was always there for that."
"Yes..." Thor's voice softened. "She was." The loss of Frigga was still such a fresh wound. "When will he send the Einherjar?"
"Right now. I see your plans are a little rushed."
"Ulric is ruining our plans... again... and the people are in disarray of what will happen."
"No need to fear. For all of the Nine Realms and for the greater good, the outcome will be as you hope."
A weak and distant voice seemed to echo around Thor, interrupting him before he could respond. It called for him.
"They need you." Heimdall said. "Give them this hope and calm their anxieties. Till we meet again... soon."
The golden glow of an Asgardian afternoon faded into the darkness of Alfheim's night.
"Thor!" Even shouted in his face, shaking his frozen body.
When Thor had regained his bearings, he placed his hand on Even's shoulder to calm the anxious elf.
"All hope is not lost..." he forced out of his mouth, feeling as though he was in a new body.
"What do you mean? Are you okay?! We thought you might have been..." Jennica's voice faded away as she caught her breath. She had been hyperventilating in worry for him. Everyone stood around.
"I am fine. Do not worry. I have joyful news to share!" He turned around in a circle to look into everyone's mournful eyes.
"What joy is left? Either we abandon our cause and homes or die!" Odelia shouted in rage.
"Asgard will give us the aid we need! Odin has been persuaded, and his army is coming." Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Jennica breathed deeply, readying herself. Her heart gave silent praises to whomever was listening above, and courage returned to her soul. The village dispersed to gather weapons and armor before the Einherjar arrived.
Running back to her small room, Jennica swiftly dressed into her armor, also adjusting the belt that held her swords. The gift made her think of Loki's assurance in her power and how they would keep each other alive. There would be death during this battle, but his blood was too precious to shed.
"You're going to fight?!"
Jumping from her thoughts, Jennica's head darted up to see Oveaus, his voice loud and distasteful.
"Yes, I am." She snapped, for once, very unhappy to see him there. "And don't you dare try to talk me out of it."
"Do you not care about my words?! They will slaughter you and take what Fractals you have left!"
"You have no right to try and control my life, Oveaus! And you cannot stop me from saving my people, our people!"
"Jennica you cannot–"
She struck him, her hand going through his ghost, watching him disappear into thin air. Huffing and tightening the belt around her waist, she marched to the door, Loki opening it before she could.
"Loki!" She exclaimed, jumpy from the adrenaline coursing through her.
"Jennica." he responded with a grim, downtrodden expression. They stood for a moment, making no movement as she waited for him to say something. There was nothing. No words. He pulled her into a warm embrace.
"Don't you dare get hurt." He whispered into her ear.
Nuzzling into his neck, Jennica muttered, "You either."
Her warm breath on his cool skin made him realize just how much he wanted the outcome of the war to be in their favor. In her favor.
Pulling away, gazing into each other's eyes to see the share of worries and doubts, Loki placed his hand on the side of her face, caressing her cheek. There were no more words to be said.
A rumble in the sky was all that was needed to let them know the bifrost was approaching. Heimdall was bringing the army. The pair walked out in silence to the outskirt of the village where everyone was meeting up. The bifrost landed near there.
Heimdall appeared in the flash of bright light and colors, along with eighteen thousand troops. It did not match the twenty thousand that made up Ulric's army, but it was a drastic improvement, and an improvement was all they needed.
"We shall meet Ulric's army halfway between here and the kingdom." Thor told Heimdall, loud enough for the army leaders to hear.
"Understood." Heimdall agreed with a nod of his head while his grip on the Great Sword tightened. "We will head out at once."
The army gathered into an orderly group, rows neatly lined to march into battle. Jennica was motioned to stand in front of them. She held her locket close to her heart. It would be her guide.
Be brave... be strong... Princess.
Her expression stiffened with determination as she turned to face the group of men and women who were ready to fight, fire in their bellies and lions in their hearts. In a newly found loud voice, she shouted,
"For Alfheim!"
The villagers raised up their right arms, pulling down their sleeves to reveal the double cross imprint on their wrists, shouting with war cries that the Asgardian soldiers joined in.
Side by side with Thor and Loki, Jennica led the army out of the village. They would meet Ulric and they would fight, no matter what stood in their way.
***
The clear night sky did not reflect the minds of the army that stood with minds racing. They took their stance after they met their enemy. Elf against elf, warrior against warrior.
Jennica's jaw clenched in determination and fear at the sight of the elves before them, with thick armor, chariots and catapults, unlike what the Asgardians or villagers possessed.
Thor gripped Mjolnir. Loki pulled out his daggers. Jennica unsheathed her swords. The two armies stood fifty feet away from each other. The air grew heavy. The moons above reflected off of the armor, making them beacons in the dark. Standing in anxious silence, the front rows said their final prayers.
As the war cries at last rose up, the two armies began to charge each other, running into battle. The shouts only grew louder. With enemy soldiers riding their chariots, some of the villagers were trampled beneath the horse hooves and the golden wheels.
The Asgardians slashed the legs of the horses pulling the chariots. They stumbled and fell, the horses crying out in pain and falling to crush their rider.
The catapults began launching boulders. Few men were crushed beneath, their bones shattering, their blood spilled. Jennica watched as more hurled towards their army. She dug inside of herself. Deeply. Quickly. Extending her hands, she repelled them away with the powers and guide of her locket.
Loki ran deeper into the army of Ulric. He dodged swords and dug his daggers into the hearts of those targeting him. He breathed in. Out. He dodged. Kicked. Swung. Killed. His disheveled hair draped down the sides of his face.
Jennica drew near where he was. Did she dare go in so deep? An aura of raging power radiated her being as her swords were ready, killing the remaining soldiers surrounding her. The purple in her eyes brightened, sharp and furious. Her Fractals grew mighty and repelled whoever was near and ready to kill.
A rumbling roar surrounded them. Some soldiers were unphased, others froze at the sound, only leading to their slaughter. Thor sent a shockwave of lightning in the midst of Ulric's army, killing a dozen soldiers and knocking over many others. The roar sounded again. He at last looked up in time to dodge Leomaris, who had flown in from hiding. Loki's eyes widened at the sight of the low-flying dragon.
"He's here!" Jennica shouted in warning to the others, running further into the battle. "The dragon!"
Thor launched himself into the sky as he spun his hammer, bringing himself to the hostile dragon, whose throat was glowing with fire waiting to be released. Thor pulled himself onto the back of Leomaris, slamming Mjolnir into the side of its head. Leomaris screeched in pain, flying in every direction to shake off his attacker.
The armies continued to clash. Each one suffered more losses every minute. Blood was spilling, the stench filling the air. The soldiers fought through their aching lungs and burning arms. Heavy armor weighed them down more and more. Screams of pain, the snapping of bones, and steel against steel filled their ears. Fire tore through the rebellion's ranks.
Jennica continued to send out bursts of energy, destroying a few of the catapults. Odelia pulled out a bow and arrow from a distance, lifting the tip of her flaming arrow and shot at another one of the catapults.
As the fight continued, the planet still spun. The air was the same air. The sky began to turn as red as the blood of the fallen soldiers. The sun still rose. The sky was a canvas of beautiful colors. Beauty was painted above the tragedy and violence taking place on the ground.
"Where is your king?!" Loki roared over the warfare. "Where is the coward?!" King Ulric was nowhere to be seen. He had left his army to fend for itself.
Leomaris had struggled his way out of Thor's grasp and crashed into the archers, smashing them under his immense body. Chasing the dragon, Thor followed closely and grabbed him by the tail. He whipped him around to throw him against the last remaining catapult, destroying it and killing a few other enemy soldiers.
"Where is Ulric?!" Thor demanded as he grabbed one of the kingdom's soldiers by the chestplate. After receiving no answer, he bashed the soldier's head with his hammer, frustrated from the lack of answers.
A deep, roaring voice shouted over the fight. "Ulric?!" It was Leomaris, wingspan fully spread and raging fire steaming out of his nose.
Thor turned to see the monstrous dragon towering above him.
"Ulric... my oppressor! Where is he?" Revealing his sharp teeth to Thor, Leomaris seemed to grow larger as he stepped towards the Asgardian.
"Dragon, you dislike Ulric as well?" Thor exclaimed in response to Leomaris, who had paused his devastating.
"He tortured me... and caged me! I wish to break and burn only him!"
A grin grew on Thor's face as he met the dragon's fiery-filled eyes. "It seems as though we have something in common."
"He... he can talk...?" Jennica muttered under her breath at the sight and sound of Leomaris' speaking to Thor. During her distraction, she tripped over a dead body, whose face had been ripped in half.
The overwhelming anxiety kept her thoughts trailing. Everything seemed to slow around her. The sunrise was disoriented. Her heart thumped loud.
Death... blood and death... it's everywhere...
"Your highness!" A muffled voice sounded from behind her, begging to ground her in reality. It was Dellinger. "Watch out!"
Jennica turned, watching as a soldier charged her with his sword raised, ready to slice through her body. There was no time for her mind to think quick enough for a move of self defense that would save her life. The fear paralyzed her and the Fractals were numb.
Dellinger jumped between her and the man, the soldier's sword going through his back. His breath caught in his lungs, strangling in his throat from the pain. The sword peaked out of his chest from where it impaled his heart, the flesh tearing, oozing blood and water.
"No!" Jennica shrieked, mentally pushing the soldier away with the locket's energy. His body landed on a spear.
With the painful thoughts loading her mind until she could no longer think straight, Jennica knelt down beside Dellinger's dying, bloodied figure.
"No... please..." she cried. He had helped them so much. He saved her life. "Stay with me... we'll find a way to save you!"
"F-Forgive me... Princess..." Blood filled his impaled lungs and spilled out of the corner of his mouth. "Thank y-you." He gasped mere seconds before his eyes rolled back and his body grew limp.
Jennica's lower lip quivered as tears began escaping her eyes. Whimpered screams threatened to escape her lips. Never before had she witnessed a person die in her arms. It filled her with shock, suddenly eliminating all painful emotions. She froze, unable to think or move.
"Jennica! On your feet, you'll get yourself killed!" Loki lifted her up with one hand and squeezed tightly, preparing to throw himself back into the battle.
"D-Dellinger... he–" Jennica mumbled, trying to snap her mind back into the fight.
"Do not let your mind wander. It will only distract you from survival." His mind was racing in a million directions, but he had one recurring thought. Ulric was who this battle was against, not his army. He was the enemy they had to defeat.
Arrows whizzed past them, Jennica ducking just in time and Loki catching one, snapping it in half. Painful rage began swallowing her and she crushed soldiers beneath the energy of the Fractals. They became nothing but a pile of flesh.
"Hey, snap out of it!" Loki grabbed her shoulders. He frowned at the tears spilling from her eyes. "I know you're not used to death but don't harden yourself. That isn't you." Lifting his eyes, he could see the bursts of energy killing the soldiers that tried to attack; even without Jennica's knowledge, they were protected by the Fractals. The locket was wise.
Loki looked down at Jennica, feeling safe in the shield that formed around them. Grabbing her by the hands, he said, "Let's get your kingdom back."
"W-We need to keep fighting, then–"
"Nono, we need to find Ulric. He's the enemy. This army is just under his control." His fingers gripped her chin, but not harshly. "Do you trust me?"
It would be foolish to say yes... it would have been, but not that day, at that moment.
The purple in her eyes began to fade back to their chocolate brown and she nodded. Alfheim would never be free if Ulric still held it in his grasp.
In full understanding of each other, they disappeared, magic engulfing them in a spell of teleportation.
In the blink of an eye, they were miles away. Before them stood the castle, the reward they were so close to achieving. Everything was happening so fast...
Jennica looked at Loki, who was nearly crushing her with his body weight as they lay on the hard ground. His face was pale and his skin cold.
"Loki?!" She called out his name in worry, putting her hand to his cheek.
"I'm alright, Love." He answered with a weak smile. "Give me a moment."
Jennica helped him sit on the cobblestone path to allow him to regain his energy.
"What good does this do us if you're weak?"
"The castle was miles away, was it not?" Loki began, breathing heavily as the color returned to his face. "Teleportation was the fastest way."
"But you've drained your magic."
He passively waved his hand. "It will return, as it always does. You need to trust my judgement." Even if it can be quite fickle.
With a nod, Jennica showed that she understood, but Loki was in no state to fight. He would have to stay behind for a moment, at least until he regained his strength. After all, fighting Ulric was her task. She was the instrument of fate.
"Maybe I should leave you here... you are too weak to fight." She suggested the thoughts out loud. It scared her to be on her own, but it scared her even more to think of Loki fighting in such a state.
"Jennica... please..." He took her hand in his own and kissed it. "We don't know who Ulric has protecting him. I will be well in a moment."
"You've said every day since my training that I have what it takes, that I'm unbelievably strong. I want to believe your words, for once."
"Ulric is a monster, you'll get yourself killed."
"But this is my kingdom." No one could argue that, not even Loki.
"Fine. You may go on ahead to search for Ulric, but I will be right behind to fight any soldiers protecting him." He said, still unsure about staying entirely out of the battle. Weakness was not an excuse to use on himself.
"Alright. I'll agree to that."
Using her assistance, Loki stood up with difficulty. His vision became unbearably blurry and gray, but he kept himself up and swallowed his nausea.
Jennica frowned. "Are you sure that you can handle this?"
"I can handle anything." He answered with a wink.
***
With one swing of his Great Sword, Heimdall sliced through three soldiers, silencing their shouts. Other Asgardians surrounded him, providing as much assistance as they could. Both armies had vastly lessened in numbers.
Thor had persuaded Leomaris into fighting against Ulric's army, giving them the upper hand. The dragon clenched enemy bodies in his mighty jaws. The heat of his fire scorched the land.
The air grew heavy, along with the strong smell of the morning dew mixed with blood. The archers shot their arrows, making their mark with each shot. Energy was failing. It was running low. The lives were depleting. It would come to an end soon.
War cries, the ending of lives... the battle only continued. Even was off in the distance, kneeling beside a lifeless Odelia. Both good and bad were suffering severely. The righteous were falling to the wicked, and vice versa.
But it wasn't until Thor noticed the absence of his brother and Jennica that true panic began to arise within him.
***
Once Loki had gained the ability to walk on his own again, he and Jennica traced the path to their oncoming encounter with the king. Jennica squeezed Loki's hand tightly before unsheathing her swords once more. Soldiers stood guarding the drawbridge.
"No one is to see the king."
Jennica extended her hands, knocking the five soldiers back, rendering them unconscious.
"Too easy." She mused, to which Loki raised his eyebrows in his own amusement. They marched right in.
The throne room was silent. Not a single soul was in sight. In its quietness, it was rather unsettling. They meandered in further.
"We should–" Loki cut himself off at the sense of a presence behind him. His daggers came up in defense, crossing under a sword that had nearly sliced his skull.
"Remember me?" Vigdis asked, kicking him in the gut. Loki doubled over but forced himself back up, wincing.
Before Vigdis could put her sword to use, Jennica propelled her against the stone wall, holding her there under a strong burst of energy.
"No! Go find Ulric. I can handle her!" Loki shouted, firm. Time would be wasted if neither of them went for the heart of evil.
Jennica was hesitant, but she obeyed anyway, not willing to let a single moment of precious time slip away.
Running deeper into the castle that appeared to be empty otherwise, Jennica darted down the nearest hallway. Her deep breaths and footsteps echoed down the empty corridors. There were countless places in the large castle where Ulric could be. Where could she start first? Her energy could not be spent merely searching for him.
Stopping in her tracks, she thought. She closed her eyes, digging deep. Her locket would guide her, just as it had at the start of the battle. She felt. She felt for the other shard that Ulric possessed. Surely he would still have it. The power would lead her to him.
She felt it. She followed it.
Ulric was near. She was close. Her obsidian smallswords rested in her tight grasp. With every step she took, a new wave of emotions swept through her very being. This was for her kingdom. For her family. For all of Alfheim.
Vigdis' cold stare met Loki's as she dug her foot into his chest. He grabbed her ankle and twisted her around, slamming her body to the ground. Panting breaths escaped Loki's mouth as his energy continued to waver. Vigdis swung her sword at his neck, barely grazing him.
"You are weak." Vigdis taunted after throwing a punch in Loki's direction. "You're not even a Light Elf, why fight for this cause?"
Without answering, the prince kicked her over and pinned her down. He held his dagger above her forehead. This was his chance to finish her.
"Go ahead." Vigdis smirked, taunting. "Kill me." She could see the uncertainty in his eyes. The millions of thoughts that flashed under the emerald irises.
"Darling, I never meant to kill you." He replied, setting his daggers aside. With a newfound energy refilling him, he began to conjure a spell, putting her mind in a dream-like daze.
Pulling her up, he took her towards the direction of the castle dungeons. Karma would be so sweet. He had a plan in mind.
Two doors. Two very large, dark wood doors stood in Jennica's way. Pushing them open took an incredible amount of courage.
The room was wide and open and filled with the smell of pine. Armor and weapons lined the walls. A long, wooden table covered the span of half the room, scattered with maps and plans for battle.
"I was hoping you would come."
Ulric's voice revealed where he stood by a large window on the opposite end of the room. The sunrise shone its orange light through it, reflecting off of the stone floor. With a frozen expression and death itself in his eyes, he looked at her figure, tempting it to tremble.
The solidity of her swords kept Jennica's fear from overwhelming her, and she made sure Ulric could see them.
"Do you really expect to end me here?" Ulric mocked, laughing as if this was a game. "'The brave young girl who saved Alfheim' would sound tremendously inspiring... if it really were possible."
"Do not avert this conversation to find my weakness." Jennica spat with an unyielding tone. "You know what I have come for, and you know what you have done."
Ulric faked a smile. "My dear, this is not how I wanted your little stay in this realm to go."
"Far from it." There was a pause as the glares hardened. "Tell me. Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Imprison my father, banish my mother and take everything away. Tell me now!"
Ulric's anger was aroused and his eyes narrowed, until he began to slowly circle her figure, carefully choosing his words. "You must understand that in these worlds, ruling and becoming one of the most high is a rank everyone strives for, no matter what they wish to go through. I was a rightful heir. The throne was mine! Your parents were simply in the way. And once I discovered the treasures becoming king held, I wanted it all the more. Including the precious Fractals, the one which your darling Prince of Mischief so generously gave to me." He pulled out a chain from under his cloak; it hung around his neck as the shard was fused to the links like a charm. "I have already mastered its power. But you, you're just a simple minded girl raised on Midgard, with no hope of ever using them properly. Stand down, Jennica. You do not stand a chance." He stopped in front of her, glaring down with his cold, blue eyes.
"You're a beast." She swallowed her trembling, trying to mask the blinding fear and rage.
"You should be thanking me!" His voice raised. "I could have slaughtered your parents, but I kept them alive!"
"For what purpose?!"
"To make them suffer." He paused as a disturbing grin began to break his sober expression. "I wanted to show them what it feels like to have what you deserve taken away from you. I meant the kingdom no harm. Submission to me is all that is needed to keep Alfheim in the perfect peace it has always possessed."
"You took away everything I had left of my true life!" The words flooded out of Jennica as tears threatened to blind her vision. "I lived a life I was never born to live. It made me what I wasn't. You've murdered, you've destroyed... you are blind to the truth of ruling. But maybe I should thank you, because it led me to this moment. This moment when I can avenge the people you hurt and robbed."
"And what gives you the right to defy me?"
The air seemed to stand still as Jennica straightened, standing tall with more courage than the army on the fields. "I am Princess Alfva of Alfheim. This is my home and these are my people. Stand. down."
Ulric placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it. Gazing at the glowing metal, he replied,
"How cute. Well," his eyes shifted to Jennica, his rage piercing her courage, "you had your chance. All you had to do was surrender, but you truly desire death. It is a pity. I did not wish to harm you."
"Until now?" Jennica retorted, to which Ulric clenched his teeth in anger, swinging his sword at her head. She put her swords up in a protective motion, crossing them under the silver blade that threatened to slice her body.
Feeling deep inside of her, gathering up her reserves of energy from the Fractals, Jennica pushed with all the power of her mind, but the smirk that spread across Ulric's face made her blood run cold. He was repelling her.
"I already told you." He whispered. "You don't stand a chance."
Ignoring his statement, Jennica kicked him in the stomach, causing him to double over for a second. She lunged at him and swung her swords at his chest. He grabbed her wrists, twisting them away and making her cry out in pain. She was on the floor in seconds.
Begging for the locket to assist her, she flipped him onto his back. He groaned but stood up swiftly. The clash of weapons filled the room and the belongings within were soon scattered in disarray.
Jennica began to doubt herself. Yet, she could not lose sight of victory's prize. She had two shards. He had one. Jumping over him and swiping his legs, she succeeded in the move that worked on Loki during training, but Ulric was relentless. His fingers gripped her hair and pulled her down until her head smacked the floor, spots dancing in her vision. He flipped the table and as it and its contents came crashing down, the Fractals formed a shield around her and threw them away.
The minutes passed. She threw daggers at him from the weapons hanging on the wall. He caught a few and threw them back, but none pierced her skin. It went back and forth like so: their powers repelling each other, weapons flying across the room and damage done until they were doing nothing but exhausting each other.
There had to be a way she could win, despite her inexperience. Ulric swung his sword again. She dodged. Kicked. Breathed in and out. The sharp pain of his sword gashing her forearm brought her mind far away from focus. The wound stung. It bled profusely, soaking the sleeve of her shirt. Grabbing her by the neck, Ulric pinned her down. She felt the swords drop from her hands and clatter on the floor beside her, her spine pressing hard to the wood.
"I will enjoy killing the princess that escaped!" He seethed, blood dribbling from his mouth where she had struck him during their fight. She was wincing after the sight, his face too close for her liking.
She thrashed, refusing to beg for mercy, refusing to seem weak or afraid.
Fractals, hear me... guide me... make me strong!
Her mind screamed into its depths, freeing it of any other thought until it was an empty fortress of solitude for her powers to take root within her being. In her mind's eye, she saw her kingdom, she saw the Fractals, she saw the universe being torn apart from unbalance and visions of death that she did not want to be written into history.
Before the fury and fear grew too hot and suffocating, the invisible hands had wrapped around her again, the guidance returning, an angel riding with the Fractals. Strength coursed through her veins, her bones, her muscles...
Pinning Ulric's body beneath her in a sudden turning of the tables, Jennica grabbed hold of the chain around his neck, pulling and snapping it away. The links shattered and the third Fractal was separate from the king. His eyes widened.
"You..." her fist radiated with the energy of the third shard. "Your reign ends here."
The leftover magic in Ulric's veins drew itself from his body in the worst wave of pain a being could conceive. Purple streams fed themselves into Jennica, her magic growing stronger as the enemy grew weaker. He withered beneath the energy, shriveling away into a dying elf that was aged from centuries of living.
The sight made Jennica stiffen in horror, even as realization began to settle in. "You're one of the elders, aren't you?" She asked, needing to know. "The elders that used dark magic!"
"The l-last of us... wh-who should have succeeded." His voice was frail and trembled from his newfound weakness.
The anger and determination still had a hold on Jennica's heart. "Dark magic has no place in this realm."
Willing the energy from all three Fractals, she cast Ulric across the room and against the overturned table, his back cracking on contact. His face contorted from the sudden wave of pain.
"I don't plan to kill you." She admitted at last. "But this kingdom no longer lies in your grasp. You will live out the rest of your days in the dungeons as a prisoner, just like you treated my father." She stood tall, feeling the might of all Nine Realms roaring in her soul. "I believe it is only fair."
Jennica's attention quickly averted from Ulric to Loki, who had entered with Kvasir and the other prisoners he had helped to escape from the treacherous dungeons. They were weakened, but they had arrived, safe at last and ready to serve.
"You rescued them!" Jennica exclaimed in relief as she ran up to them, leaving Ulric behind. She kept an absent minded hold on the elf, or so she tried.
Loki opened his mouth to speak before his eyes shot up, widening with a rush of adrenaline as he yelled, "Behind you!!"
Jennica turned to see Ulric's now standing figure charging them like a maddened bull, a strange rush of energy filling him again. Her hands flung up in reflex as Loki grabbed hold of her shoulders.
The sudden rush of raw energy emitted in a wave that cracked the stone floors and walls. Ulric's body flew across the room again. His back shattered the window at the far end, and he disappeared as he fell, screams echoing with the shockwave and he disappeared with a thud as he made contact with the ground below.
Dead silence was a result that came to drown them. Jennica, Loki, and the group of former prisoners walked toward the window, slowly recovering from their shock.
Whispering to herself, Jennica persuaded, "I didn't mean to... to..."
Eyes shifted to the ground to see Leomaris and his fire engulfing the grass and everything around it.