Avengers 1. Chapter 1: Arrival

It had only been seconds. _Seconds…_ Loki, _adopted_ son of Odin mused as he and his elder "brother" Thor soared through space and landed at the gates of Asguard. Loki looked downward with disdain at his chained wrists; here he was masked and collared like a dog, all the while forced to share the same space with his brother future KING of Asguard. If the insult of his failure hadn't been enough, he Loki, _rightful_ ruler of Asguard was now forced to walk shamefully through the streets to the palace he once called home.

_O but what a home it was. _He mused spitefully to himself. _Always forced to live in your shadow _brother. He inwardly snarled casting a wicked glare at Thor.

"Come brother." The rumbling voice of Thor interrupted his thoughts. Loki cast a wary eye upon his brother, who did not make eye contact but instead lead him forward pulling him and the Teseract container behind him.

He had been so close. So very close. His dreams of becoming savior and ruler had almost come to fruition when his brother and his merry team of Midguard misfits had finally gained enough traction to do something. Loki snorted through the mask casting his glace at the Teseract. _So much for world domination._

They ambled past Heimdall the Gate guardian who gave Thor a knowing nod, and glanced over Loki with a hidden grin. Loki was forced to choke back a snarl, not that the mask would ever allow him the pleasure of talking. _Next time I will be sure to kill you…_

Thor led Loki over the broken kaleidoscopic-crystalline bridge that linked their world to the portals of other worlds such as Earth; the lonely and sickly planet that Loki and his brother had just come from. In fact it was that very planet that Loki had intended to conquer first, leading his great army against. I was supposed to be easy. Loki snorted at the thought. He had not only lost the Chidori, his massive "indestructible" army, but he had also gotten his own ass thoroughly handed to him during the battle. Just when all seemed to go according to plan too…

Loki suddenly stumbled, pulling him out of his revere. He begrudgingly looked forward at his brother's back …forced to follow trudging quietly behind Thor once again. _Fitting…I suppose I shall always walk in your shadow._

Loki allowed his eyes to wander past the bridge and into the distance where Asguard stood; a gleaming golden beacon in the crisp spring air. The sunlight reflected off of the oceans and gold towers…it was a site that Loki himself had been sure he would never see again. Yet here it was. A mix of emotions came to his mind, but he suppressed them, wishing that he could discard the memories of his past.

They hadn't walked far across the bridge, when the armed guards came into view. Their armor gleamed in the bright light of the noonday sun, and the emblem of the royal house shone proudly on their banners and breast plates as the ensemble came close to the brothers. They encircled Thor and Loki, promptly escorting them to the palace. They began the drudging march through the streets of Asguard and their citizens. Thor was at the front of the assembly _Putting on a show for his petty citizens. _Loki thought venomously. Along the way people lined the streets, many cheered while others bowed before the assemblage. _They think him a hero… _ Loki thought furiously. He cast glares at random civilians, gaining some minute satisfaction in their cowardice and inability to make further eye contact.

The walk into the palace seemed endless, and the cheering fans of Thor were almost more than Loki could bear. The whole walk had made him feel sick. But not regretful. No, there was no remorse in his actions; and thus had cast useless emotion from his heart.

The company rounded a corner in the hall of the large castle, and came upon the Great Room where the almighty Odin Allfather perched upon a mighty throne of gold. The man Loki once had called _father._ Each great step Loki took echoed off the magnificent walls and arched ceilings of the giant circular room. This room was once one that created much joy in the young demi-god's heart; now the walls felt cold, judgmental. Not too dissimilar from the company that was hosted within them.

A company of soldiers rushed up and took the Teseract container away from the duo, and un-cuffing one of Loki's wrist irons in the process; they then proceeded to rebind it. _ How welcome I am in my own home_ he mused.

He glanced around the large room briefly, noting that his mother was not there. _No, she is not my mother…_ the voice in the back of his head corrected him, _she cares nothing for me, else she would be here._

"Thor," The booming voice of King Odin rang around the room demanding immediate silence. Odin's smile widened as he regarded his oldest son with admiration and love, his arms wide open. The elder leader quickly descended the stairs of the throne room to where his true son was standing.

"Father!" Thor quickly embraced his elder in a tight loving hug; Loki quickly averted his eyes; the scene made him fell ill. The elder man pulled away from his young son, and regarded the young man standing beside him in chains.

"Loki Odinson. My son…" Although Loki did not look up, he could sense the fall in his father's features. If only he could speak now, he would correct his father. _Not your son…_ Loki thought bitterly.

The Allfather continued, "We thought you for dead…we all did….only to find that you had instead been alive this entire time." Loki could hear the catch in his voice…Loki focused his attention on the spacing between the tiles in the floor. _Lies,_ a voice in the back of his head seethed, _none of them mourned you…_

"But not only were you alive," Odin growled, his voice beginning to rise "but you were attacking the very planet that we had specifically placed under your brother's care and protection! You brought an army to attack a peaceful world, one that we had no quarrel with." Without looking Loki knew that the color was starting to rise in his father's aged face. "You brought war upon the Frost Giants whom we had made peace with and murdered their king, betrayed your brother, risked the lives of thousands both on Midguard and in Asguard." The Allfather paused, examining his youngest son's face for a reaction. "You are charged with treason on multiple planets, you have consorted with a hostile force…You are destructive in your actions and nearly caused the death of your own family." Odin finished his voice harsh. Thor looked away.

Silence descended for but a moment when the king broke it. "Unbind his face."

Two guards rushed to fulfill his command removing the damnable contraption from Loki's maw. Loki glanced up, eyes full of malice. He eyed his adoptive parent with an outwardly neutral look then returned to looking at the floor.

"Speak my son, what have you to say for these egregious actions." It was not a question, it was a demand. Slowly Loki raised his head taking care to meet his father's eyes. A potable silence filled the chamber as all awaited his answer. Loki could feel a smile register on his face and his eyes sparkled with contempt.

"I would do it all again if I were able, _father_." He said plainly, the light in his eyes dancing from the lighting.

Shock registered on his father's features, and then much like a storm, anger quickly followed. "Take him away to the dungeon."

A small smile spread across Loki's narrow features. He had won a small victory this day in his would-be father's house.

Two large guards came behind him and grabbed either of his arms. The muzzle was placed around his jaw once again and he felt himself being guided out of the large room accompanied by several guards.

Loki could hear Odin's booming voice echo off of the chambered room as he left. "Thor, my son. Return to me as soon as you can. I seek your council on the matters of your brother." And with that Thor was behind Loki, escorting him down the long winding pathways toward the dungeons.

Once the party had reached the dungeon, the guards escorted Loki into his cell. The chamber itself was made of solid stone, much like the surrounding corridor. The corridor was only three cell lengths long, and only as tall as two men. The cells were simple; a stone bed lay suspended by heavy chains attached to one side of the wall, a stone shelf was suspended for personal items and a chamber pot was placed under the bed. Loki remained impassive in his inspection of his new living quarters facing the back wall as the guards shut the large iron bared gate behind him, effectively locking him in a stony cage.

"Brother…" Thor's voice was soft, and had traces of remorse. Loki did not turn around but instead decided to stair passively at the back wall. Thor, receiving no sign of acknowledgement, turned to leave the dungeon. "Brother I am…truly sorry." With that, the demi-god left leaving Loki to his thoughts.

On his way out of the chambers, Thor ran into one of the servant girls his family owned. "You, girl." He said, his deep voice causing her to stop in her tracks. "Please see to it that my brother-" Thor had to stop and re-gather his thoughts casting his eyes to ground; "see to it that the prisoner receives proper medical attention. He has come back injured from battle." His voice was haggard. "Take care, he is dangerous." He added as an afterthought. The young woman nodded and rushed off into the castle and Thor set out to find his Father. They had much to discuss.


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival part 2

/)*(\\\

Frigga lay in her bed, sickly and weak but wishing more than anything that she could have made it down the stairs to greet her sons. She had tried to stand, but the servants had insisted that she stayed bedridden until her illness had passed.

She had been in mourning for so long now…the untimely death of her youngest son had weighed heavily on her, only later to find that he was not dead…she did not understand why the illness had not left her when she had found out about his survival.

O how she longed to see them, to hold them. Especially Loki, her youngest son; He was hurt in a way she could not bandage physically. His very soul was injured…

Frigga was not sure how it had happened, but in her heart she knew that her youngest son was in pain. She longed to see him, to comfort him. To let him know that he was still family and that his transgressions did not have to be his undoing. She still loved him as her son. They all did.

Suddenly the physical pain was back and Frigga gasped and wreathed; her body contorting under the stabbing aches of her illness. She feverously wished the pain would subside, but it seemed to go on longer than usual. Her servants were at her side in seconds, dabbing at her head with a cold cloth.

Frigga stared past the servants and out the large window, saying a silent prayer to the Gods that her youngest son would find peace in his soul, and could forgive her for not being at his side in his time of need.

'~'*'~'

Loki glanced around the small dank cell inspecting it carefully. The second he had been clasped by the shackles that now encased his wrists he had felt the vast majority of his magics drain, making him feel weak and dizzy; however upon entering the stony prison, he had noticed that his magics had left him completely. He growled inwardly at such weakness. There weren't even any guards outside or inside this ridiculously dank prison. It would seem that escaping would be easy…if he didn't feel so weak and drained. Loki growled to himself; there were defiantly magics in this prison tailored to his specific skill set. _How busy you have been in my absence Father. _Loki growled inwardly.

He had not been in his cell long before he heard the distinct shuffling of footsteps nearing the dungeon door. He listened as the giant wooden door swung gently open on its rusting hinges and could hear someone come up to the front of his cell. A moment later the door opened gently, and was quickly closed. Loki, who was now in the corner of his cell, remained seated and staring at the ground.

"…Master Loki?" A female's voice questioned. He did not acknowledge her presence. The woman sighed audibly and set down whatever she was carrying on the suspended stone bed. He could hear her rummage around for a minute or two and then take the few steps that lie between them, closing the gap. The woman sat down beside him and gently dabbed at a scrape on his forehead.

The girl went to re-dip the cloth in tonic only to look up and be met with a piercing stare. She found herself looking into cold, hard eyes; pain and smoldering furry were written within. She swallowed trying to push down the initial feelings of panic, and re-dipped the tonic onto the cloth she had brought.

The young woman could not have been much younger than Loki himself. She was unextraordinary in almost all aspects and although her short, bedraggled copper hair was distinctive, her most striking feature was her mismatched green and blue eyes that were barely visible through the copper locks. They did little to dissipate Loki's foul mood however.

The girl moved uncomfortably, she did not like being held under his gaze. She felt as if a predator was staring her down to be its next meal. She instead returned her focus to his face and the wounds that were present.

Loki's face remained hardened. If the tonic stung, he showed no outward signs. The girl paused for a moment and took a quick breath, inhaling then pungent odor of the tonic, then gently dabbed at the bridge of his nose which had a deep cut across it. She did her best to ignore the initial intimidation that she felt radiate off the powerful prince. She stepped back for a brief moment, and then gave him a good looking over.

His gaze was steady, cold. It betrayed no emotion save that of anger, and another emotion the girl was not so sure she could place. She did her best to avoid his gaze.

She examined the prince, studying his face for a moment trying to decide what her next move should be. She suppressed a sigh. She had wanted to ask the prince if there were injuries on his body that needed tending to, but she was unsure how to ask and even less sure that he would answer. _I guess I will never know if I do not ask…_she stopped only to regard the muzzle on his face. _There is no way he could answer me with that muzzle on though_ she thought disparately, _ I suppose I am going to have to remove it if I ever want the possibility of an answer to exist._

Silently she walked behind him and started to undo the bindings of the muzzle. Loki's eyes followed her every movement until she was behind his back; his cold stare seemingly judging her every motion. She finally undid the last latch and the muzzle slid free. The imprisoned prince stretched his jaw moving it from side to side.

"Ah, much better." His voice surprised the girl, it was soft and not at all one that sounded like a killer she thought. In fact it sounded quite pleasant, which gave her hope that he might just answer her question.

She tried again. "Master Loki?" The moment the words left her mouth she felt that it was a mistake. The prince turned slowly and addressed her with a cold penetrating stare.

"Yes?" His voice sounded haunted, and caused the girl to shiver.

The girl swallowed her fear, and pushed on with her question "Excuse me for asking your Highness, but do you have any other wounds that need dressing such as shoulders or legs?"

"As a matter of fact I do." Loki replied a playfully sinister edge to his voice his expression seemingly playful, "but I'm afraid that I cannot undress myself with bound hands." He held up his chained wrists to exaggerate his point. "I am afraid you will have to do it for me." The servant girl's face reddened immediately and Loki smirked.

"Very well, master." She said turning to hide her embarrassment and wishing the color was not so obvious on her face. "I will call in some other servants to aid in your undressing and will be back shortly." She gathered her tonics, bandages, and the muzzle and left his cell. As she left she smiled to herself, the blush finally leaving her cheeks. _He is just as mischievous as I remember_.

Thor entered the large circular chamber once again walking up to his father's throne for the second time that day."Father." Thor's booming voice echoed off the gold metallic cylindrical walls. Odin stood from his gold throne and walked down to greet his eldest son.

"Thor. It is good to have you home again my son. The Gatekeeper told me of your victory on Midguard. He also told me of your comrades…and of the tragedies Loki has caused." Odin's face fell at the mention of his youngest adopted child.

"Loki has…changed father; he is not how we once knew him. His isolation has driven him to deeper insanity." Thor paused and paced once in front of his father before continuing "On Earth he is responsible for the deaths of many innocent people."

"Then what would you have me do my son? Surely you realize that his imprisonment can only be temporary."

"I do" Thor agreed "but I feel as if he is not lost to us. Back on Earth I saw regret in his eyes when he had witnessed the destruction caused in his name. I know not what ends he seeks but we must stop these poisonous dreams of his. I feel that we can still save him father."

Odin paused and regarded his eldest son for a moment. It was true that Thor had grown in his exile, and that even now he had grown more since he had left the safe walls of Asguard. "Perhaps there is another way," He signed "perhaps we can still reach him." Odin stopped, lost in thought. He paced in front of Thor, giving his long bushy white beard a tug. "However for now I think it best we keep him imprisoned. Thankfully we have created a new cell that negates his magics….he has always been very talented in that of the arcane. We will be keeping him imprisoned there until a solution can be met."

"Yes. I suppose that is the best course of action for now. But we must be careful; Loki's trickery knows no bounds." Thor sighed. Sometimes he wished that his youngest brother was not so crafty.

"Yes…" His father replied, his voice sounding broken suddenly.

"Father, what happened to Loki was not your doing." Thor looked up desperately into the face of the older man and saw only pain and sorrow.

"We will find a way father." Thor said clapping his hand on the Allfather's shoulder. "He is not lost to us, not yet."

The Allfather turned, letting Thor's hand fall of his shoulder. He said nothing. Thor sighed and looked away. He could see that nothing he could say would break his father's revere.

"Father, I wish to retire for I have had a long day." Odin nodded and Thor bowed, and then started off towards the opening of the great hall. He was half to the entrance of the hall when his father's voice stopped him.

"Thor." His father's words caused the young warrior to turn around "You realize the council will want to speak with him in open court…we cannot protect him forever."

"I know father…I know."

**Hey all! This is Hyrulemaster! Thank you for reading my story! I have a few more chapters done, but I would like to hear what people think of my story so far! ^^ This is my first fanfic with my own character Quillith, so naturally I'm curious to see what people's opinions are. Also in the upcoming chapters there will be a few new characters (of my own creation, which are minor servant characters) in addition to some old traditional faves like the warriors three, Sif, and who knows who else! Anyways thank you for reading! May the God of Mischief trick everyone always! XD**


	3. Chapter 3: Arrival part 3

'~'*'~'

The servant girl took a deep breath. She was standing outside the large wooden doors to the dungeon, not entirely sure she wanted to go in. She sighed; she knew she had to. It was her duty as a slave to the royal family to do their bidding after all. Slowly her hand encircled the ancient black handle and pushed on the large door, having to throw most of her body weight into it to have it open. Steadily the large door creaked open and the musty smell of the dungeon hit her. She glanced to her right, seeing that the imprisoned prince still stood within his cell. However she felt a rush of blood go to her face when she realized that he was shirtless; only wearing loose but well-fitted, long black pants that matched his slicked long black hair. He was well toned, but slender much unlike that of the other warriors she had witnessed, and much the opposite of the imprisoned prince's older brother. She had to hold back a gasp however at the large bruises that covered his body and some cuts he had sustained on his abdomen, his pale complexion did little to hide the wounds. It almost looked as if he had been tossed about.

She shuffled in as quietly as she could but wasn't able to tear her gaze away before he noticed.

"Oh, I see you have returned." His tone was flat.

"Master" She replied simply, then quickly turning her back to him, busying herself with the tonics and bandages she would need to dress his wounds with.

"Girl" the word was even and dismissive but was attention grabbing none-the-less. She turned slowly from her task and looked at the chained prince, meeting his steady but almost inquisitive gaze. He studied her for a moment before continuing."I'm afraid your tonic will not heal a frost giant's son." His smile was almost pleasant.

The servant girl turned her attention back on her business, pausing a moment before answering. "If I may speak, Master; in the past this tonic has worked on healing your wounds just fine." Loki's eyes sparkled with curiosity, but his face was guarded and impassive. Seconds later a wicked grin crossed is face.

"And what does a servant girl know of healing wounds?"

The girl only shrugged, not trusting herself to speak again. She had been warned of Loki's silver tongue and was more afraid of betraying her secrets to him than she was of King Odin himself. She turned to him now, bandages in hand. She observed him cautiously; his eyes were piercing…powerful. She swallowed again, whispering a silent prayer to the Gods that entering the cell would not result in her untimely demise. He was an unsettling fellow to be around, she decided; but she had a job to do, and she intended to do it. Slowly she unlatched the magical gate to the cell that held the strong magister captive, and walked in.

She walked up to him and set down her various tonics and bandages and began the task of dressing his entire abdomen (which she tried not to think about). The last thing she needed was to be distracted in the face of a war criminal. He was cooperative though, holding out his arms so she could dress his abdomen and slender arms. She tried hard not to think about her present task, wishing the rush of color from her face; after all she was used to dressing wounded guards or castle soldiers as they came back from various kinds of fights or battles. However that was often done in the castle's med bay with the aid of other servants; and that was typically done on guards or men of more virtuous intentions. This situation was quite different however; it was far more personal than she would have preferred. A lone servant in a dank dungeon, dressing wounds on a very attractive but incredibly cunning and deadly war criminal loosely bound by magical bracers that she herself was not entirely sure could hold him…

"Do you fear me, girl?"

The question shattered the silence of the small dungeon, catching the girl off guard. She looked up only for a second, and then averted her eyes. A silence passed between them.

"ANSWER ME!" He yelled suddenly, causing her to start. She looked up only to be met with his wolfish grin. It was immediately evident that he had enjoyed her initial fright.

"Well…" She said staring at him, and then looked back down at the bandages she held in her hands. "No."

A strange and uncomfortable silence filled the dungeon.

"No?" The prince said, disbelief coloring his voice, "Tell me then," he said with a chuckle "if you do not fear me, then why do you cower so?" His asked condescendingly.

The girl kept her eyes averted, not sure if she should answer. She glanced up; his face smug and waiting. She decided it was worth a try. "Well your Highness…normally it is not my place to say, but I know that you are a dangerous man by all accounts that I have heard." The girl said, barely above a whisper. Loki nodded still smiling.

"Come, tell me. What have you heard of me?" His tone was playful, but dark; the girl shivered inwardly.

"Well…" She said stepping back to examine him, making sure she had not missed any wounds on his body that were visible. She then noticed one of the bandages starting to pull away and hastened to tighten it. "I have heard of your recent intended conquest of Earth and the hundreds of lives that you took there. And about your brother who was sent to stop you…only through gossip naturally, and I was here in the castle as you rose to claim the throne when your brother was exiled and your father in Odin sleep." She tightened the bandages that were around his waist, secretly thankful that she was not looking at the prince's face. She spoke more quietly "I have heard rumors of how you supposedly brought war on the Frost Giants and slew their leader; how you engineered an entire plot to become king…" She held her breath a moment before continuing "I have heard whispers of betrayal but I cannot know if such rumors are true." She said dismissively, "I try not to hold stock in things I don't know are fact. But, one fact I do know to be true about you is that you are cunning…always seeming to be one step ahead." She heard the prince laugh, and wondered if she should continue, she decided that she may as well. If he was going to kill her, he might as well know her thoughts. "I also know that you are one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, magister in all of Asguard and that your coercion skills are unparalleled in most aspects." She finished and looked him over, his crystal grey-blue eyes suddenly catching her mismatched ones.

"And despite that, you claim that you do not fear me? Either you are stupid beyond belief or you are blinded by your own arrogance." He scoffed.

She kept her eyes to the excess bandages she was winding up, but regarded him seriously. "That may be true, but I do not judge a man on his past transgressions, my lord."

"Oh don't you now? And yet you claim not to fear me when here you stand a shivering and impassive, harlot. You will never amount to anything other than licking my boots…" He snarled. "You claim not to fear me as you cower in my presence. That makes you a terrible liar." Loki sneered, excitedly watching her expression change from impassive to aggravated.

The small slave girl stood suddenly and glared up into the magister's eyes. "I fear no man. What I have for you is the deepest of respect sir." Her mismatched eyes flared under her short, scraggly copper locks.

Another long silence followed, and the girl cringed inwardly at her stupidity. Not only had she just spoken out of turn to her lord, but she had also just stared down a man who was her superior. She broke eye contact first and backed away, then turned her back to him.

"Ah, respect is it?" The imprisoned prince sneered mockingly "Do you mean to tell me that you do not fear me in the slightest? Do you truly believe that that this 'respect' of yours could save you from me causing you pain and agony beyond your wildest dreams?"

The girl knew that she should not answer, and that to do so would only bait her into whatever intentions he had set forth but she replied regardless. "My death would serve no purpose other than to end my own suffering." She said quietly. "I don't think you would waste your time on someone like me." She said flatly not looking into his face.

"You wish for death?" The tone was sadistically curious.

"No one wishes for death Master," she said softly "some just pray it will happen more swiftly than others."

With that she paused briefly to gather the rest of her things, then looked up and regarded Loki evenly.

"Now," she said, breaking their conversation, "is there anything else I can get for you Master? Some blankets and a shirt perhaps? I will send in the rest of the servants to see to it that you have a comfortable evening."

"Yes I suppose that will do." Loki chuckled and turned his back to her as the girl turned and opened the cell door to leave, a lupine grin still covered his slender features.

"Slave girl." She turned to face her master, who was casting a glance over his shoulder at her. She waited patiently as she locked the cell door. "What is your name?"

His eyes were searching, but softer than before. The slave girl was not sure to what end her name was important, but she was sworn to serve her masters which unfortunately meant answering questions to a dangerous magister prince. She suppressed a sigh.

"Quillith, my liege." She answered reluctantly.

"It has been a pleasure then, Quillith." Said Loki, his voice seemed light hearted now, which made Quillith feel even less secure.

"My lord" She said with a bow, and then turned to leave the dungeon. Before she crossed the threshold of the door she turned, and bowed once more, leaving Loki to his own thoughts.

Quillith sighed; finally the day was over for her. She walked down through the servants' quarters, around the bend in the hallway and up a flight of stairs. As she walked, she gathered her thoughts about the day's events. It was late in the evening now, and the stars had hung in the sky for a few hours. She pulled out a large brick in the wall, and was permitted entrance to a secret room. It was very small, and had been walled off for centuries it seemed. The stone was old and crumbling, but still insulated against the elements. It was circular and just wide enough to lie down in; a small window hung towards the top of the ceiling and a sturdy fashioned rope ladder hung from it. Quillith smiled to herself and climbed up the rope ladder out onto the windowsill. She smiled as she pulled herself onto the ledge…the two giant moons of Asguard hung in the sky like giant crystalline orbs, an aurora borealis coloring the beautiful night sky. She sighed to herself as she sat in the crook of the window. It was one of the few pleasures she had in this world…no one knew of this room (at least as far as she knew); it was her own little corner of the world. Over the years she had collected small treasures that decorated the walls here: rocks, dried flowers, shells, thrown out things…and most importantly, the book her mother used to read to her. It was a children's book, but it was her greatest treasure. It was her only recollection of her mother after all…

She sighed, her feet dangling out the window and the cool summer air whipping through her short red locks. Tomorrow would be another day of chores and servitude, and more importantly seeing to each of Prince Loki's needs. She whispered a quiet prayer to the heavens that they would watch over her and help guide her. She paused to take one more deep breath of fresh air and slowly climbed down the ladder.

Minutes later, she wove through the dimly lit servants quarters back to a corner of the room where no one dared tread. This was her place. The place of the invisible child; the cursed one... She took her spot on the floor, the worn straw doing little to cover the cool stone floors. She smiled to herself as sleep's warm embrace encircled her, enticing her into the dream world.

~'''~

Loki sat in his new chambers. The cool air of the dank dungeon caused him to shiver slightly, but he ignored it. He decided to lie down on the stone bed, and stared upward at the ceiling, reflecting on the events of the day. When they had left Midguard it had been midday, but by the time they had arrived on Asguard it was already late noon. The prince sighed and put an arm behind his head; the day certainly hadn't turned out how he thought it would.

Honestly he was surprised that the Allfather had let him live; he had expected to be killed on the spot upon returning home. _No, not home. This is not your home,_ A venomous voice in the back of his head reminded him, _not after what they have done to you; casting you out, discarding you. They LIED to you. Deceived you into thinking that they cared…none of them can be trusted. Now that the Teseract is back in its rightful place, how long will it be until they banish you? Strip you powers? Until they hand you over to HIM? Perhaps they are only keeping you to pry the secrets from your brain…_

Loki lie on the stone slab of a bed, wishing feverously that sleep would find him. For once, he had no plan. No great escape. He had no idea where the Teseract laid or how he could escape this magically enchanted prison with bound hands. His mind wandered to the Teseract and what had become of it. Suddenly a large maroon face came to mind, with blazing purple eyes and a wicked grin. Thanos. Loki involuntarily shuddered at the image; if there was one being he feared in the universe more than the Allfather, it was Thanos. Loki had talked to the agent of Thanos who had promised him suffering if he did not deliver the Teseract into his Lord's hands…and promised Loki that there was no where he could hide if he failed.

Now Loki neither a place to hide nor the Teseract. A cold sweat broke out on the young prince's forehead. He turned on his side with his back to the wall.

_I suppose I can only wait for him to find me._

Loki shuddered once again, and fell into a wrestles sleep.

Thor laid on a massive bed at the center of his chambers; a great circular room surrounded him. The walls were lined with axes and swords, shields from various places and armor; his trophies of battle and war. But they seemed so petty now, so…childish. Thor sighed and looked towards the ceiling which held a new map to the galaxy that he would gaze upon when thinking of her. His heart ached suddenly, as he tried to put his most recent trip to Earth out of his mind. He had promised her that he would return…and he had, but not for her. Instead he had returned to fight his brother, one who he had thought dead since the attack of the Frost Giants on Asguard and Thor's own exile to Earth. Thor growled silently, clenching a fist and rolling over on his side.

"Brother…what happened to you to twist your mind so?" Thor wondered aloud no louder than a whisper. He pushed thoughts of his younger brother from his mind, but thoughts his time on Earth suddenly came flooding back. Gods he missed her. The dark energy that his father had to compile to generate a gateway to Earth had been an immense undertaking…and still Thor was unable to see Jane. He secretly wondered if he would ever be able to return there to see her again. The Earth organization S.H.I.E.L.D. had said she was safe, but somewhere deep in his soul Thor knew that now nowhere was safe. Not anymore.

The demi-god sighed again, and rolled on his back closing his eyes. He wished that sleep would find him quickly and feverishly hoped to see her in his dreams again tonight.

**Hey all! First of all, thank you all for the reviews and kind words! I am so happy to hear from you! Second thank you for reading this chapter of Loki Imprisoned! Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter! ^^' Things have been pretty busy around my place, what with packing to go back to college and all that! Anyhow, I have more of the story done than I am posting currently so that I can work on getting it right, so I appologize for the delay. Loki is a hard character to nail down! But I guess that just means that I can work on really developing his character. Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and more will come soon! **

**Also one last thought; I am interested to see what people think of my character Quillith, and the story overall! Please let me know! :)**

**Thanks a bunch all!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Memory Vault

Sunlight beamed through an open window, as Quillith rushed past feverously trying to pull on her worn leather boots. Somehow she had woken up late today. The sun was already on its way up, and was about to crest the hill which caused her to push into a run down the winding hallway. She passed many doors and raced up the long flight of stairs and down another long stone corridor into the kitchen. As soon as she was through the large double doors Harlin was on her.

"O-oh! Master Harlin" She said bowing quickly, "I-I'm sorry I'm-I'm late sir." She panted between quick breaths.

Harlin was a big man in all terms of the word. He dwarfed Quillith's slender figure in more than one way. He also had a large, gruff sandy-blond beard unlike the majority of his hair that was missing from the crown of his head. His large crooked nose took up a majority of his face, which did not seem to be aesthetically pleasing. The massive chief chef's brown eyes were livid.

"Where have you been?! His Highness and the young lord will be expecting breakfast at any moment! And here you come, bedraggled and barely out of bed! Do you think yourself above the rest of us girl?! Do you think you should be able to sleep the day away while we toil and sweat the morning away?!" The elder man snarled.

"N-no sir!" Quillith replied quickly wishing to get out of the man's way before a fight ensued.

"Then GET MOVING!" He yelled and Quillith ran to her station, nodding to a few of the fellow servants as she passed. The hot stoves of the kitchen were already causing her to sweat, and the sweet smells of the morning food were making her stomach knot with hunger. She dodged around in the massive kitchen until she found a tray that was ready to be sent out to the waiting King and his son.

The gold tray was decorated with a wide assortment of fruits and cheeses, bread and a cask of wine. Quillith heaved the feast onto her shoulder and carried it out to the waiting royalty.

As she walked into the large dining hall, she inwardly reflected on how beautiful the room was. The gold of the morning sun reflected off of the gold tables and chairs, and the crystalline goblets sent rainbow-like shards dancing across the ceiling and tables. She attempted to avert her eyes from the King as he began to sit down; staring was rude after all.

The King wore the whitest robes, flecked with gold trimming and intricate gold spaulders. His golden eye patch matching his spaulders perfectly. The oldest prince was absent from the table at present. Quillith quickly cast an eye around the dining table to see if he was near. She spotted him immediately; after all the giant son of Odin was hard to miss. He took a seat near his father, and Quillith approached.

Quillith made her way toward the older prince, and went to set the tray down in front of him. She grabbed the wine flask and offered the young lord a cup which he refused with a wave. Quillith sighed inwardly and set it down. The young lord looked up and seemed to be studying her. Quillith tried not to look embarrassed so she bowed quickly and was turning to leave when his voice caught her attention.

"Girl," Quillith swallowed involuntarily hoping she wasn't in trouble, "you are the one I sent to tend to my brother last night, are you not?" She turned around quickly and kept her head down.

"I am your highness." Quillith said, mentally trying to keep herself from wringing her hands.

"Good and how is he this morning?" Thor inquired as he grabbed some of the fruits off the platter Quillith had offered him.

"I-…I have not been down to see the young master yet this morning." Quillith kicked herself inwardly at her own stupidity.

"Ah, I see. Well, see to it that he receives proper nourishment this morning. I wish to speak to him later and do not wish to catch him in a foul mood." Thor said before taking a bite of cheese, and then continued, "I am also assigning you to him full time. See to it that he is tended too and is comfortable. If he requests anything no matter how menial it may seem, it must be verified by a guard or by myself before he is awarded it. Is that understood?"

"Of course my Lord." Quillith gave a simple half bow, attempting to quell the sudden urge to shiver. "Is there anything else I can do for you this morning?"

"No, that will be all." Thor turned his attention back to his father and began to engage in conversation.

Quillith bowed and quickly turned to leave. Hurriedly she walked as fast as she was able, winding her way back through the kitchen.

She grabbed an empty tray and whisked through the kitchen, selecting the tastiest looking portions of the morning meal. Once she had compiled what she thought was an irresistible tray, she headed towards the back of the kitchen, taking care to stay out of the eye sight of the many chefs if it was possible. She had almost made her way to the door when a large hand was clapped on her shoulder, nearly knocking her and the tray off balance.

"And where, lil miss, do you think _you're _going?" It was the deep booming voice of Harlin, the master chef. He was not happy. Quillith turned slowly on her heels so as not to disrupt the tray and faced the big chef.

"Down to the prisoner's quarters, in the dungeon." She cringed under Harlin's stare. His narrowing brown eyes suddenly widened.

Abruptly the kitchen seemed to grow quieter. Quillith looked around in surprise, and confusion.

"The prisoner," Harlin said his voice barely above a whisper. "You mean the Lord Loki?"

Quillith only nodded, unsure of the sudden change in atmosphere. The look in Harlin's dark eyes unsettled her. The large man brought his face close to hers and quickly glanced over his shoulder before continuing.

"Take heed then lil' miss," Harlins gruff voice was colored with fear, "the young Master is a sly, cunning and devious man." The large bearded man glanced around once more, looking anxious then returning his focus to Quillith "Keeping 'im here's a bad omen if you ask me. He's a crafty one; so don't be do'n anything stupid now ya hear? He could hex ya with 'is dark magics. Then we would all pay the price."

Quillith backed away slowly, pushing out the door. She turned and hurried out of the hot kitchen, not stopping until she was a good distance away from the hot cooking room. Her heart was still pounding in her ears as she descended the stairs to the dungeon.

Before she entered the large prison room, she paused outside the big wooden door.

_He could hex ya with 'is dark magics. Then we would all pay the price._ Harlin's words reverberated in her mind.

Quillith growled shaking the thought from her mind. She was afraid of no man, she reminded herself, and that meant that she was not afraid of the magister prince. Inwardly she braced herself for what she was sure to be a _pleasant_ encounter.

She threw her weight against the old thick door and it wheezed open.

~'''~

Loki had endured a haunting dream that had kept him from sleep for most of the night. The cold stone bed hadn't helped either, but Loki had accepted that there was a high probability that he was going to be here for awhile and so he should make an attempt to become accustom with his new living quarters. At least until he could figure out some way to escape his imprisonment that is. Then he would need to find the Tesseract and escape from Asgard either without being noticed or by force. Secretly he doubted he could take on all the inhabitants…especially his brother _and_ his father. He let out a sigh and put his face in his hands. _Where did I gone so wrong?_ Suddenly Loki felt sick to his stomach. _Surely there is a way…_ he said to himself trying to force down the panic that rose in his mind at the thought of failure.

_Failure._

The word had haunted him ever since his brother had been chosen to be the king. He snarled suddenly as his brother's face came to mind. _Why does he pity me?_ He thought venomously, _it is HE who should be pitied. I wanted nothing more than to claim my rightful place, but instead you used me as a stepping stone brother…I should have become the king. _I_ was fit to rule when you were not…It was I who-_

The sound of footsteps echoing off of the outside hallway pulled Loki out of his internal monologue. He glanced up curiously, doing his best not to look as tired as he felt. _It would be a sign of weakness after all…_ the voice nagged.

'~'*'~'

Quilith nudged through the doorway to the dungeon, taking care that she did not spill any of the delectable contents on the tray she carried. "Good morning Master Loki." She smiled above the tray at her master who was seated on the edge of his stony bed. She glanced at the young prince who was either ignoring her or did not notice her enter. She supposed that the ladder was true.

"I have brought you some breakfast if you are hungry your highness." She tried again; still no response. The caged magister did not look up as she approached.

Quillith cleared her throat. "Did you sleep well last night?" She attempted, hoping it would spark some kind of response.

Loki snorted. "I suppose 'well' would be a relative term."

Quillith looked up from the tray and eyed him. "Were there not enough blankets sir?"

He said nothing. Quillith sighed dejectedly setting down the tray.

"Tell me girl," He said suddenly. "Do you know what happened to my clothes?"

"Your…clothes, Master?" Quillith said dumbly. Unless she was blind, he was still wearing them.

"Yes, the ones I arrived in yesterday." The prince sighed. "They were quite comfortable."

"Oh!" Quillith finally understood, a flush came to her face. "Of course my Lord. They were sent off to be studied by the magisters court."

Loki looked at her with a quizzical glance.

"Er, you know…" Quillith said, uncomfortably. "To be made sure that you could not use them to cast spells or escape or something…" She finished lamely, and paused casting him a sideways glance. His face was expressionless. Quillith was unsure of what to say except for "I could certainly fetch them if you would like sir…once they're done being examined that is."

"It would be much appreciated." Loki did not even look at her; instead he kept his gaze to one spot.

Quillith sighed defeated. "Is there anything else you would like sir?"

"No." The word had a finality to it that gave the impression that the young prince was in no mood for idle banter.

"Very well then Master." Quillith bowed and left the room. _What a pleasant and cheery fellow_ she thought sarcastically.

Thor in all his muscular-demi-god-of-Thunder-manliness thundered down the circular winding stairway. It was at least noonday; the rays of the sun shone brightly outside off the tall Asgardian buildings. _It is good to be home at last._ The demi-god had mused to himself as he had taken in the beautiful scene at breakfast this morning.

Now he was on his way down to the down to a secretive room, feverishly hoping that he could help add to the knowledge of his forefathers. In his fight with the Chitauri, Thor had learned much about the alien species, such as their weaknesses and how to combat them. With the help of all of his allies on Midguard the task of defeating his brother's…army…had been a simple one. In his mind Thor still rejected the idea that it was his brother who had brought suffering of such magnitude to the Midguardians. Thor growled to himself as he passed the hallway that lead to the dungeon. _No matter what your transgressions are Loki…you will always be family; you will always be my brother._ Thor thought sadly.

Thor continued down the long stairway until he was almost at the bottom; strange magical lights that lit the hallway cast deep shadows on the stony walls. Thor turned down a long dimly lit passage, following it until he reached a large golden door. It was massive in size and Thor guessed that it weighed at least twenty times what he did. Behind the large engraved door lay the Vault of Memories. Thor himself had never entered this room before, but had heard of it many times. It was said that the memories of all of Asgards rulers, past and present, were stored here. Not only that, but thousands of warriors had stored memories of battles, bards had stored their songs, the council had stored files of court and so forth. Odin had once explained to Thor and Loki that the Hordraizl, the memory vault, was much like a library. He had told them that they could access vital memories and gain crucial knowledge instantaneously, or learn a battle strategy without ever having to be on the battle field.

Hordraizl contained almost any information anyone could ever want; and that is why it was concealed. It was powerful, dangerous even, because any person could access it; use it. Status or rank mattered little to the memories, and anyone could find what they desired. Its location was a secret to all; the room constantly moved around, never staying in a location for long and could only be stopped by the will of the Allfather. It was supposed to be impossible to locate using magics unless one was king and held the staff of the throne, the staff of the Allfather. Then they were supposed to be able to access it by will. However no one knew what the long term effects of accessing so many memories were, and thus far none had tried.

This day Thor had come to store his memories of the Chitauri by request of his father, in the event that they would need them again someday in the future. Thor had not resisted but the idea made him uneasy. He was not sure what he would experience when the magical device copied his memories. His father had told him that it would feel like a thread was being pulled from his mind, but would not be painful if Thor did not resist the incident.

Thor was just about to reach out and touch the massive door when a voice caused him to turn.

"There you are my son." Odin walked down the hallway towards Thor, his large golden staff at his side. "I am surprised that you were able to find the room so quickly."

"You gave me good directions Father." Thor chuckled as his father came up beside him. "Besides, I think I know this castle better than I know Mjolnir"

"And you told no one where you were going?" Thor shook his head; His father had made it clear that he was to tell no one where he was going.

"The servants only know that I am 'out' until day's end." Thor glanced at his father, who regarded him with satisfaction.

"Good," boomed the Allfather slamming his staff into the ground, "Then we shall get started. As soon as the words had left the old king's mouth the door started to open; pieces of the door began to float apart in large angular shapes revealing a long pathway with a large white/blue core. Odin nodded towards his eldest son, who hesitantly proceeded into the dimly lit chamber. As he entered Thor suppressed a gasp; around him the "room" was seemingly empty void with a singular crystalline bridge that extended out to a platform. Large electric blue runes zoomed past him in the empty space in a circular fashion up above his head and under the suspended pathway as he made his way across the crystalline bridge. Down between his feet he could see energy surge across the small bridge out to the core and seemingly out to the rest of the darkness. As Thor approached the center he could see a small cube that had one hole in every face of the cube with a core at the center that seemed as bright as a star.

His father's voice brought the young prince back. "This is Hordaizl, Thor." The king had to talk loudly over the sound of the powerful vibrations the cube was emitting. "Its power is almost unmatched in terms of the knowledge it holds." Odin clapped a hand on Thor's shoulder, "are you ready to begin, my son?"

"Yes," Thor paused then looked at his father questioningly, "How does one begin exactly?" Thor said bashfully. He was nervous, but did not want to show it to his father. Something about this place unsettled him.

Odin leaned in close to Thor so he would not have to shout over the massive vibrations.

"Giving a memory to Hordaizl is much like accessing a memory; first, the staff of the Allfather must be present" Odin said, glancing at the long carved golden staff he held in his hand. "Second, to give a memory, you must focus on the topic and recall a memory of it while touching the cube. Then Hordaizl will search through you memory and copy every one that has to do with the topic. Be careful that your mind does not stray for if it does it will copy everything your mind thinks of. Many have lost their life to Hordaizl because their mind was weak, and untrained. Their very essence was drained from their person from being tapped into Hordaizl for too long." Odin paused and regarded his eldest son carefully before continuing, "This is a dangerous task my son, and I would not have you undertake it if I did not think it could be done.

"And if I were to want to access a memory? How does it work then?..." Thor asked carefully "You can access memories, can you not?"

Odin hesitated visibly, then nodded, seeming to have come to a conclusion. "To access a memory you must do everything in the same order, however instead of grabbing the cube Hordaizl you must grab Henzdiel, the falling star that is contained within the middle of Hordaizl. Henzdiel is one of a kind, and is not to be used idly. It, much like Mjolnir, has the power to create or destroy with the knowledge it possesses and is therefore a dangerous tool that must be locked away at all times."

Thor wondered at the cube, and found that he was transfixed by Hendziel. "Father…where did this 'star' come from?"

Odin chuckled smiling at his brave eldest son. He had grown wise in his recent exile and was evermore showing his merit as future king. "No one knows where it was found, and few in the universe even know of its existence. It has been said that it was captured as a sun died and that this was at the center of the massive star…" Odin waved his hand dismissively, "but none can say with any accuracy what is myth and what is fact."

"I see…" Thor approached the glowing etched cube slowly. It appeared to be made out of some kind of ancient crystalline stone and was etched with electric-blue markings where the energy coursed through it. Out of the holes in the cube of Hordaizl, the fallen star Henzdiel lay. Thor felt a chill as he neared the housing pillar which the cube floated atop with Henzdiel locked in the center.

Thor cast a glance back at his father who hollered "Are you ready my son?" Thor could hardly hear him shout over the vibrations that seemed to be emitted by the powerful cube.

Thor nodded. "I am ready father." He shouted above the noise.

Odin said nothing, but slammed his mighty staff into the ground. Suddenly, shockwaves seemed to emanate from the staff which pulsated around the room and time seemed to slow. The massive vibrations and pulses of energy seemed to slow by at least half. Thor looked quickly around the room, then back at his father. Odin nodded his eldest son; Thor hesitantly reached out and grabbed the cube.

His mind was the first thing the cube touched as blue energy surged up his outstretched arm.

Thor gasped. It felt like needles were digging into his brain; he tried to focus…on what?

"The Chitauri my son!" Odin yelled from afar. "Do not forget to recall you memories! Once you do the pain will stop!"

Thor scrambled to remember-

_THUNK._

_Thor's massive hammer collided with the large alien, hitting it square in the jaw. The creature let out a gargled howl as its jaw broke and it was sent flying backwards. Mjolnir barely flew back into Thor's grasp before he swung the mighty hammer again at an oncoming foe._

_THUNK. _

_And another. And another._

_THUNK. THUNK._

_The stream of Chitauri seemed to be endless! Suddenly a mighty roar bellowed forth from the great green monstrosity, as it flew towards Thor and the oncoming Chitauri. Banner. If someone had told Thor that he would have been fighting alongside such a beast but a month's time ago he would have scoffed at the idea-_

_Thor was on the "squadron", as the metal man Stark had named it, with the "human" known as Banner. The massive green Midguardian ripped up an armored plate and slammed it into the fleshy body of the flying monstrosity when-_

_Stark whisked by Thor, with at least a dozen or so Chitauri tailing him. Loki was nowhere to be seen-_

_Thor glanced and saw the small earth woman, known as the "Black Widow" fly by on a Chitauri Fighter with Hawkeye watching her movements closely. He had made short work of the Chitauri fighter flyers as had Stark, but Black Widow was being pursued by Loki. Thor himself was busy bottlenecking the portal as the human known as "Captain America" had told him t-_

_Thor watched in amusement as the two humans Stark and this Steve Rodgers fellow bickered over their petty differences. Commander Fury, Natasha and Banner were in the room all arguing about "phase 2" of Midgard's ridiculous program to-_

_"This only signals that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war. If not for your work with the Tesseract, Loki would have never been attracted to-"-_

_Agent Phil Cole's son lay bleeding on the ground, Thor trapped in a giant glass cage. His brother Loki was grinning manically at him from across the room about to flip the switch. Thor glanced back at the weapon in the fallen man's hands. This had all happened because of him-_

_"Jane Foster was asked to consult at a base in Toronto very suddenly yesterday. Private jet, large sum of money…she'll be safe." Cole's son looked at Thor, who nodded appreciatively. She was safe…that is what mattered-_

_She was in his arms suddenly, her warm lips pressed against his with the passion of a hundred suns. Thor had known love for war…but never love such as this. He was helpless against it, enveloped by it. He did not want to leave her for a second. He wished only to lie next to her, caught in her embrace until the end times-_

The tall Demi-god gasped; sweat poured from his brow. Subconsciously he let go of whatever was in his hands, and his legs gave way. Thor sprawled out on the cool crystalline bridge of the chamber and vaguely acknowledged a noise somewhere behind him. It took him a few moments to realize that his father was at his side, looking at him anxiously.

"How are you feeling my son?" Odin asked his son slowly.

Thor groaned in response. Odin chucked, Thor had reacted much the way he had during his first experience with Hordaizl. "Do not worry," Odin said, "the effects will wear off quickly. Can you walk?" Thor nodded as he slowly got to his feet.

"F-father…" Thor breathed heavily, "I need to…rest."

"Of course my son." Odin nodded solemnly. His eldest son deserved a rest after this most draining of ordeals.

Odin slammed his mighty staff into the crystalline bridge one more time as he watched his eldest son drag himself out of the chamber. Odin took a moment to glance back at the magnificent Hordaizl before turning and following Thor out of the mystical chamber.

When they were both outside, Odin turned to his son. "Thor, my son. Go rest now before dinner. I can see that you are tired." He clapped a hand on the warrior's shoulder. "You did well, my boy."

Thor grinned, "Perhaps it will go better next time."

The Allfather's face suddenly became solemn "There shall not be a next time my son. I cannot allow you to go through such a danger again. Hordazil and Henzdiel are only meant to be accessed once by any given person, for each time they are accessed both tap into an individual's life force, draining them of a significant portion of their life. The more they are accessed the more life force of the individual they consume. But now is not the time for such a discussion."

Thor nodded defeated, and began the long climb up the circular stairs to his chambers.

Odin watched his son until he was out of sight, then turned so his back was facing the young demi-god and focused his attention on the massive golden door. The Allfather slammed his mighty staff into the ground and held out his hands; the door responded instantaneously. The pieces of the door glided back into place, sealing the sacred chamber; all of the intricate mechanical locks clicking behind him as he turned and swept down the long corridor. Behind him a stone wall lay, no longer the entrance to the chamber of Hordaizl.

**Thank you all for reading another chapter of Loki Imprisoned! :) We will hear more from our favorite God of Thunder, and God of Mischief in the upcoming chapter! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and support!**


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