LOST MAGIC - Ch 4 - THE ESCAPE ( ENGLISH )

LOKI AND SIGYN - LOST MAGIC- CHAPTER 4 (ENGLISH)
THE ESCAPE


Loki had not begun to think.

When he had seen that everyone's attention, including that of Heimdall, was directed to the Allfather finally rising from the ground, he was prepared to flee. When the chains had been broken and the spell removed from the Odin’s body, as he predicted, and the green mist had descended all around the audience, he had cleverly taken advantage of a turn in his favor from a situation that others would have deemed hopeless.

Nimbly, he was directing almost blindly towards the point where he remembered to lay the Allfather’s gold scepter and once his fingers met the polished metal surface of the weapon, he grabbed the stick, starting to run without losing a moment.

He knew that the fog would disappear soon; moreover, he had created it, prompting its appearance in the case someone had succeeded in breaking the spell, to confuse the ideas to those persons whom had freed Odin from imprisonment.

For this he had to hurry to get out from underground as quickly as possible.
He had taken off running the long empty corridor, ignoring the sound of his hurried footsteps echoing on the stone walls, which could attract the attention of Thor or Heimdall.

He could not afford to stop and watch if his escape plan was working, otherwise he would have lost even that slight margin of advantage that, for the moment thanks to his astuteness, he had succeeded to earn.

He kept running until he saw before him the two twin braziers that lined the stairs leading to the upper floors of the royal residence.
Then, accelerating his already fast pace even more, he jumped to the stairs, ready to wield the scepter of Odin against any guard that crossed his path.

Strangely, no one was patrolling the area.
A little earlier, under the guise of Odin, he had ordered the two guards who were standing before the doors of the prisons to take a break. They had immediately listened to him, seizing the opportunity to break the monotony of their work of sentries.

Probably, at that time, they were wandering the corridors of the castle in the company of a beautiful and frivolous Asgardian woman.

A slight smile returned to insinuate the sharp face of the God of Mischief, while he thought that maybe this time, in spite of everything, luck was starting to turn on his side.

Once he reached the top of the stairs, he slowed down, reminding himself that it would be much more prudent to proceed with caution, without rushing to lower his guard.

With his eyes that, in the gloom of the stairs, seemed to belong to a hunted animal, not scared but ready to attack anyone who had interposed between him and his new intent, Loki approached the enormous golden door that separated the rest of the building from the dark, isolated area, home to thieves, traitors and assassins.

Slowly, to avoid that, inadvertently, someone could see he, the tall man with long black hair put his hands on the heavy door golden, just before he pushed it slightly outward.
Accompanied by a breath of fresh air, a faint glimmer of light peeped from the other side of the door, penetrating the shadows to light the green and acute eyes of the God of Mischief.

Almost holding his breath, Loki peered through the small slot over the open door, looking down the next corridor.
It didn't seem that there were any guards.

However, not far from the door behind where he was momentarily hidden, a small group of ladies were quietly going around the hall.

The women, all elegantly garbed in long dresses with bright colors, chatted happily with each other, totally unaware of Loki’s presence hidden just beyond the door leading to the undergrounds.

They were still too far away from him because the prince would have been able to understand what they were saying. Although, from their relaxed expressions and smiles on their faces, it was evident that nobody had warned them of the threatening presence of the God of Mischief among the protected walls of Asgard.

Retreating slightly in the shadows beyond the door, he started to think quickly.
Getting rid of those weak and foolish ladies would not be a problem for him, but Loki had no reason to hurt them.

He was a traitor and a liar, but not a cruel rude assassin.
He had to devise another way to ensure that they do not see him.
He could return to seize the guise of someone else, even that of Thor, but he preferred to not abuse too much of his powers.

He was already tired because of too many days spent keeping the spells on him alive and on Odin and because of the clash with his brother in the prisons, he had lost another slice of his energy.

If he had used the magic power that remained to transform himself into someone else, he would end up totally depleting the forces and this obviously should not happen.

Maybe he would not do a spell on him, but he could make sure that there were the women to spontaneously change the road.
Simply put, he had to create a diversion.

Something that would force those ladies with their chitchat to leave the passage free, and Loki already knew what the best solution was.

Slowly, he returned to lean toward the half open door, peering out.
The women had approached more to his momentary hideaway and now Loki managed to intercept some of the phrases they were exchanging and see their faces much better.

He even remembered encountering one or two of them in the past, when he was still considered the son of Odin.

They were the handmaids of his mother Frigga, when she was still alive.
At that time they did not seem at all sorry for the horrible end that had happened to their queen and spoke thoughtlessly with the other, talking about the preparations for an upcoming wedding.
To Loki that foolishness didn't interest.

Ignoring the voices and laughter of women that, to his ears seemed shrill and empty, the God of Mischief then proceeded to make a new magic, or rather another of his tricks.

Quickly, focusing his attention on a spot on the floor before the handmaids, Loki made a quick gesture with his right hand, never detaching his look from the ground and, in a moment, a few steps from the women, exactly where he had focused his magic, appeared a huge gray mouse who began to squeak and scamper quickly to the skirts of the now startled ladies.

<< What is that? >> exclaimed that more neighbor to the little animal from the great ears, and stop blathering about marriage.

<< It's a rat! >> another shouted, and put her hands to her mouth and began to hop ceaselessly, suddenly agitated.

The animal, as if all the words of the last lady were correct, sniffed the air with it's nose before returning to squeak and stand out a long leap in their direction.

Without taking their eyes off the little animal, the handmaids narrowed to one another, shouting in unison, as if by doing so they could protect themselves from the little furry rodent that had triggered in them the same repulsion of an eight armed monster.

Only one of them did not join the horrified chorus, breaking away from the group, stepping forward, and exclaiming as she turned to her friends: << Come, my friends, is only a mouse. He won't do us anything. He has more fear of us than us of him. >>.

<< Speak for yourself. >> snapped another woman, holding her long red skirt with her hands.

<< Are you serious? He is a horrendous rat and I bet that he comes from the prisons. Look, the door is open. >> added one closest to the courageous lady.

<< .... Strange. >> she said, turning quickly to the big golden door and looking straight in the direction where Loki was hiding: << Usually it is never open. Where are the sentinels that have the assignment to guard the jails? >>.

For an instant the God of Mischief had the absolute certainty that the woman had perceived him among the shades beyond the left half of the open door and, in a hurry he withdrew himself of some more footsteps inside.

He had had the impression that their eyes were crossed for a brief instant: his eyes, green and acute and those light brown color of the young dame, deprived of the fear that reflected the looks of the other women, but instead full of determination and perhaps also a point of fun in to ascertain that her friends were so scared because of a small mouse.
The blond-haired woman was now moving a few steps in his direction.

Loki shook with anger; knowing that if he hesitated he would certainly be discovered.
Then, with a new wave of his hand, he conjured two more mice, and this time he brought them out directly from behind the door behind which he was crouching, making them both larger and threatening than the former; with red eyes and sharp claws.

Despite everything, this time even the blond-haired woman winced when she saw the new couple of rodents dart a few footsteps from her feet from the monstrous semblances.
<< Ahhh, more mice! They are horrible! >> yelled one lady.

<< Sigyn, come away from there! Leave those ugly beasts where….. Oh my....! Let's go! >>.
As she spoke all the ladies began to flee, dragging the woman with blond hair who had even tried to get close to the door of the cells to discover the trick of Loki.
Taking a slight sigh, the God of Mischief watched the women walking away quickly from him, disappearing around the bend down the corridor.

So Loki let the three mice made of smoky illusion vanish in the same nothingness from which they were created, and in a moment he opened the door completely, out into the hallway now totally deserted.

It had taken him longer than necessary to convince the women to leave, but now he had the road in front of him completely clear and he had no intention of losing other valuable minutes for nothing.

So, of course Odin, Thor and Heimdall had now discovered his escape and it would be a matter of minutes before each Asgardian guard was alerted to his new betrayal, Loki began to run, moving farther in the direction opposite to that the ladies had taken.
He kept running, until he saw before him the stairs leading to the lower floors and to the garden.

He had just dropped a few steps, when he heard footsteps approaching in the running.
Suddenly stopping, Loki looked around frantically, until he could see who was responsible for those new hasty steps.

There were two massive men dressed in armor, yellow cloak and helmet of the guards of Asgard.

Undoubtedly it must have the Einherjar that were supposed to relieve the sentinels guarding the prison during the night shift.

Neither of the two men had a valid reason to stay on guard and they did not seem to even have noticed the silent presence of the God of Mischief watching them carefully on top of the stairs.

Loki knew he had to act quickly if he wanted to exploit the advantage of surprise.
So, without thinking if it was a gamble or not, he jumped, landing on the first guard and making him tumble to the one immediately behind him, in a tangle of arms and legs flailing sprawling.

Then, before even one of the two Einherjar could figure out who it was that seemed to be some sort of living hurricane, Loki tore the spear from the hands of the first sentinel, throwing it away where the man could not reach it with ease and with a kick stunned the other man who was going to try to grab his sword.

Loki could kill them both, striking them with their own weapons or with the spear of Odin, but instead he limited himself to strike on the temple of the first sentinel, who was still conscious.

The second was already unconscious after he had struck with his boot, so the God of Mischief restarted to run away, leaving the two Einherjar lying on the ground without consciousness.

It was dangerous to leave two guards slumped at the bottom of the stairs in the residence of Odin, however Loki had no time to hide his misdeeds.

So, the God of Mischief reached the principal front door of the building and, after it opened, without any kind of caution, he hurriedly came out in the gardens.
Immediately he was greeted outside by the blinding light of the sun, now raised over the Eternal City, illuminating the surrounding area making all the colors of the world too vivid and intense.

Many of the inhabitants of Asgard had now woken up and had begun to carry out their usual activities, so the gardens were not deserts as Loki would have wished.

Grooms, riders, women with their companions; all crowded the streets outside the palace.
Loki watched the scene full of life and excitement, almost with disgust and contempt.
There they were: the Asgardians.

He despised them.
He despised them all, because they were not worth anything without his leadership, without a king who ruled over them they would not even have been able to tie their shoes by themselves. Yet when he returned from Midgard they had not lost a moment to look at him as if he were a nobody; a monster, a madman; judging and condemning.
The pale and slender hands of the God of Mischief violently shook into a fist, while a new wave of anger made him sink for a moment, yet in the usual madness that always lurked in his mind.

If only he had wanted, he could wipe out those Asgardians like leaves in the wind.
He could tell them the whole truth, informing them that he had always been between them under the guise of the Allfather and would have rejoiced to seize the bewilderment in their eyes, in seeing the collapse of all their foolish certainties.
He could have……

Suddenly, the siren of the prisons began to resonate in the air, stopping the dark thoughts of Loki and the calm scene that had appeared in his eyes only a moment before, was in an instant complete upset.

Then Loki, rousing himself, began to move, knowing well that now Odin and all the other were on his traces and that the Allfather, obstinate and raging as he is, would never have let him run away from Asgard.

He directed his footsteps among the people that now  had stopped quietly wandering through the gardens, and they had begun instead to wonder why the siren of the prisons had started playing.

He raced, shifting them without even giving them a look and ignoring completely the surprised and to the same time indignant glances that they launched against him.
Only few had the time to realize that what passed close to them as a lightning was Loki; the prince that they all believed dead.

Some, probably those that possessed the most acute sight among the other ones, perceived among his hands the scepter of Odin and they had begun to howl to show him petrified and confused when he passing.

In other moments Loki would have rejoiced from that fear, tasting the drunkenness that the power and wicked actions, could give him.

At that time however he had neither the desire nor the time of it.
Loki had to hurry to get to the stables and all his attentions were addressed in that escape.

In the few moments after Thor beat him in the undergrounds, Loki had thought to everything.

Thanks to his expedient he had succeeded in attracting Heimdall in the cells, and now that the guardian of Asgard also had left his posting, the Bifrost was totally unguarded.
With the golden staff of the Allfather, Loki could easily open a passage between the worlds through the Rainbow Bridge.

He would have carried on to another planet, taking the time it takes to calm the troubled waters that were pouring out of Asgard now that everyone knew his new treason against Odin.
Then he would return.

This was not an escape but simply a temporary retreat.
What he needed now was nothing more than a horse to quickly reach the Bifrost.

To this he was directed to the stables.
Loki kept running, ignoring the furious beating of his agitated heart, until he reached the top stables.

Here, the chaos that was quickly spreading in the whole castle didn't seem to arrive yet. So, taking advantage of this, Loki slowed his walk, moving briskly toward the first rider who he had seen along the way.

A squire low and plump, dressed in brown humble clothing, was helping a little old Asgardian into the saddle and, when he saw Loki march in his direction as a ram to the attack, opened his mouth shocked, forgetting to even keep on sustaining the other man that, only thanks to a lot of fortune, succeeded in staying seized to his horse.

The God of Mischief approached the squire looking coldly and being reciprocated on the other with a lost and confused look; the same look that could have belonged to a man years after the death of someone, if he saw him reappear in front of him as a malevolent spirit risen from Hell.

A slow glacial smile appeared forcefully on the face of Loki, while he realized that the other had recognized him and was afraid of him.

As if to confirm this, the squire suddenly muttered: << P ... .Principe....  Loki?! Are really...... Yo ... You? >>.

He stammered in a very irritating way: << But.... But.... But ... I ... I ... I thought.... That…. >>.

<< You thought wrong, servant! >> Loki hurried to shear the latest disjointed words of the other, perceiving the violent beating of a vein on his right temple.

At that moment, he wanted more than anything to grab that person by the neck of the jacket he was wearing baggy and throw it away from him.

Instead he merely ordered with an alarming calm, chanting the words one by one as if he were talking to an idiot:<< Tell this pompous knight that he has to immediately get out of the saddle. I have to hurry to leave Asgard. >>.

<< But.... But ... But.... I do not ... I cannot..... >> began to replicate the other.

<< Hey, you, what ways are these? >> Suddenly asked the man on horseback, that or he was half blind or he was totally crazy to turn to what way to Loki already evidently furious: << Who would be the pompous knight to which you are referring to with such disdain? >>.

<< You are, sir. >> Loki glared with his eyes: << And now, with your permission, I'll take the horse! >>.

And, without leaving the time to the other to understand his intentions, he pressed a hand around the collar of the elderly knight and with a violent sharp tug, he dragged him down from the saddle.

He fell on his face to the ground, avoiding nearly falling above the dismayed squire that quickly had leaned on him to make sure he was not injured.

Who instead really had no intention of wasting time to make sure the old knight was all right was Loki, that jumped in the saddle to the great white horse who departed galloping in a hurry, leaving behind a trail of pebbles and dust raised by the hooves beat on the road.

Confusion reigned everywhere now, while the guards were grouped into squads, collecting their weapons to prepare to stop his escape.

Domestic and nobles fluttered to the palace in a panic and screams of terror were lost in the grandeur of the vast garden outside the walls of the castle, eaten away by the sound of rushing waterfalls flowing below the long Rainbow Bridge that Loki was seeking to achieve.

He had just passed the big portals leading to the Bifrost, when suddenly the prince heard behind him the voices of some men who summoned him to stop and the sound of about twenty hooves on the smooth solid surface of the Bridge of the rainbow.

A group of five Einherjar at his heels.

Without thinking twice the God of Mischief gave a new violent hit to the reins spurring his horse to accelerate even more than his walk.

Panting and puffing from the nostrils, the horse from the candid mantle rushed forward and galloping along the edge of the Bifrost.

Loki felt the powerful body of the animal in the race that moved, stretched tight between his thighs and reacted with fury to his orders, without losing control even though he was riding to a palm from an empty space.

If the God of Mischief had moved a few centimeters to the left, he would have been able to see the vastness of the surrounding space with its soft colors that passed from blue to purple to pale red.

Further down, the waters were moving violently towards the waterfall at the end of the bridge and seemed to reflect the same restlessness that had been brewing in the heart of the disowned prince.

Loki always liked that view.
Many times, when he was at peace with Asgard and his tormented soul, he had gone alone to the Bifrost in the evening, for observing the night sky, boldly thrusting his legs out of the Rainbow Bridge, to let them dangle in empty space over the waters of the waterfall, enjoying the calm melancholy; Dreaming…. Dreaming what he now didn't desire so much anymore…..

Closing his eyes tightly for a moment, Loki forced him to return to the violent reality in which he knew that the Einherjar were always behind him, and that he had better not ignore them if he wanted to be able to leave Asgard.

Hunched over his horse's neck, the God of Mischief spurred again the animal to run, until in front of him it began to delineate the rounded shape of the observatory of Heimdall.

Loki was also well thought of having made it to reach its destination, when three of the guards who were chasing him made their appearance running with their horses beside him, while trying to hit him with spears and swords.

Odin must have given them the order to stop his escape at any cost.

Gritting his teeth in a sort of menacing growl, Loki lifted a hand to them, with a fast and fluid gesture that emerged from the tip of his fingers, darts of green fire that he shot to the three guards who were still trying in vain to unseat him.

These, while seeing what he was doing, reacted to his attack with a little delay.
The green fire struck them all, scattering them, while one of three hit by the blast caused by the power of Loki, ended even with the tumbling down from the Rainbow Bridge, ending with a scream in the waters below.

Wasting no time to contemplate the excellent result of his action, the black haired prince then let go of one of the bridles of the beast that he rode and, looking back on the saddle, he devoted all his attention to the last two guards who still stubbornly chased him.

Then, realizing what had happened to their comrades, became more cautious and had started to follow the God of Mischief from a more reasonable distance, perhaps thinking that if they were far away, he could never hurt them.

A new terrible and savage smile made its way on the face of Loki, while already looking forward to his victory on the two remaining guards.

Then, without wasting time, he pointed the scepter of Odin in the direction from which the couple of Einherjar were arriving, casting against them a gilded ray.

The Asgardian guards prepared for a new attack by the fugitive, quick to pull the reins of their horses in a desperate attempt to avoid the mighty burst of light energy coming from the scepter, that spectacularly, in spite of their most bad expectations, avoided them both, ending up somewhere behind them.

Then, laughing like real idiots to understand they are still alive, they stopped their horses and one of the two even found the courage to yell at Loki: << Bad aim, God of Mischief! >>.

In response, Loki slowed in turn the white horse, and smiled back at the guard, replied with a chilling calm: << Oh, but I did not aim at you. >>.

<< What ... ..?! >> The guard did not finish the sentence, because suddenly a loud noise behind him made him jump.

On the face of the other Einherjar was painted instead a full expression of horror.
He had already understood what was happening and in fact, turning to his companion and murmured: << I fear he says the truth.  He did not aim to us but to the supports of the bridge. >>.

And, as if to confirm his words, with a new monstrous groan of metal, one of the huge pillars supporting the Rainbow bridge began to lean quickly toward them.

Then, terrified like a few other times in their life, the Asgardian guards simultaneously spurred their horses to retreat.

The beasts, pawing and snorting furiously managed to deviate just a moment before the great column gave way completely, going to fall with a violent and deafening crash on the Bifrost, a little far from the two stunned Einherjar, avoiding horses and horsemen, but blocking them in their path.

At best, they now had been able to proceed afoot among the rests of the pylon abandoned on the wrong side of the rainbow bridge that, strangely, had withstood the tremendous weight of the huge column of metal.

Hesitating only a moment to turn to the two a new lopsided smile, Loki made them a mocking salute and then once again spurred his horse into a gallop.

For a moment, the two uninjured but disoriented guards continued to watch the fugitive who vanished on the long multicolored bridge.

Then, they turned to the horses, decided to go to inform Odin of what happened.