Loki might be an Old God, but he's not above using some New Tricks...(Character Sketch) |
The Ragnarok Trials A Story and a Sketch I am called Loki. And before you ask, yes...I am he. No, not the one in green-and-antennae chic, but the real one. The mischief maker, the lie smith, the smoke rising from the flames of Asgard. The one left to rot in a cave until the Ragnarok came and I could contribute to the Cause by dying on schedule. Lucky for me, the Old Gods (myself included) took a right nice tumble into obscurity, only the blessings of the new God--the one called Christ--preventing all of us from fading into nothingness. Unluckily, it didn't free me from my prison. Chains, once forged, do not break from lack of belief in them. And so, newly encased in flesh and trapped by chains, I remained in my cave for centuries. But at least I lived. And then the Angels came, an offer of freedom in hand. Work for them, enforce Christ's law and solve the crime running rampant through the Old God community, and escape my prison. Betray them and return to my chains. All for the low, low cost of turning my back on my kind. The ones who'd left me to rot in the first place. I accepted their offer. And now I represent law and order. At least until I've worked off my sentence. Loki Laufeyson, God of Chaos and of Lies, solves crimes for a living. Literally. His life is his salary, and what is at stake should he fail in his endeavors. And meeting with his bosses is rather like dealing with an acid-spitting snake. Other than that, though, things are actually going pretty well. When, you know, you take into consideration the whole turn-against-your-own-kind-or-return-to-chains thing. But then Loki gets word of a horrific crime. The crime he was convicted of millennia ago, when the Aesir ruled Scandinavia and all the World Tree. Baldur has been murdered. Again. And everyone seems to believe that Loki is behind it. So not only does Loki have to solve the crime, he has to prove to everyone that he wasn't behind it himself. And this time, if he doesn't succeed, chains will be the last thing he needs to worry about. ***** This endeavor represents my third foray into the greatness that is "Invalid Item" ! Seriously, it's an amazing contest and you should enter, judge, or even just donate in order to keep it going. Great stuff comes out of this thing and it should keep going for as long as our esteemed host can feasibly keep it going. If you want to read my two other attempts (which won First and Second place respectively), here they are: "A Demystification: Eve" [18+] (My first place winner) and "The Ballad of James McKenna" [18+] (Jimmy won second place) ***NOTES*** For those of you wondering "What's with the weird titles and the random word in bold every day", they all have to do with this particular round of the Character Sketch. The theme this go around is Music, so the titles all represent the songs that influence each day's entry. The focus word must also appear at least once, as we are not required to actually directly quote the lyrics in our entries. Also, I do try to edit when I write, but if I miss something, I am not allowed to go back and fix it until AFTER the contest is over. So there are typos all up in this bizatch. Please ignore them as much as possible. Thank you. |
Day One: Doctor My Eyes May 31, 2013 at 2:41am Day One
Doctor My Eyes
Focus Word: Hello
Word Count: 1631
It was storming in God Town. A real rager, too, from the feel of the thunder pounding through my feet and the frequency of the lightning forking its way from the churning maelstrom above. Knowing my brethren, it meant trouble.
I didn't really care. Until my bosses showed up and told me to handle things, I wasn't about to go sticking my nose into trouble. They'd already ruined this ugly mug enough with the ... [Read more] Day Two: Army of Me April 16, 2012 at 3:07am Day Two
Army of Me
Focus Word: Demand
Word Count: 2405
The storm was just finishing up as I stumbled out into the night, pain lashing its way through my every limb. It is a disconcerting feeling, the sharp clutching of flesh embodied, and one that I am entirely unique in experiencing. A side effect, if you will, of dealing with my more ascendent masters, who now summoned me into their realm.
Since Christ came and the Old Gods fell, kicking and screaming, into obscurity, we h... [Read more] Day Three: Bold as Love April 17, 2012 at 10:03pm Day One
Bold as Love
Focus Word: Bold
Word Count: 1868
Gabriel's gift did not last long. Perhaps two hours; just long enough to get the poison of Heaven out of my less-than-worthy blood.
I awoke in my soiled clothing, smelling of sweat and wet dog, musky and unappealing. Grimacing, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stretched, stumbling into the bathroom. At least Gabriel sent me home. Michael had a tendency to dump me right back to where I'd come from, leaving me t... [Read more] Day Four: Pursuit of When Things Explode April 18, 2012 at 5:39pm Day Four
Pursuit of When Things Explode
Focus Word: Dream
Word Count: 3065
The elevator ride was a lot longer than I thought it would be. Odin watching me, no doubt, scanning for weaknesses with that lost eye of his. The thought made me laugh. Below me, the Watcher was blind, and above, the one-eyed man saw more than ever. It was the last remaining of his gifts; Christ had hidden from him his charms. His prodigious mind was all his own and, thus, remained. Not many gods could fi... [Read more] Day Five: I Need a Dollar April 19, 2012 at 9:59pm Day Five
I Need a Dollar
Focus Word: Dollar
Word Count: 1744
Baldur was laid out on a pyre. If we hadn't been so far from water, I'd have been sure Odin meant to go through with a proper Viking funeral, but it seemed the Peace God would become one with the sky on solid land, no sea water to hold his spirit. Of all the things that have happened in recent days, it was this sight that troubled me most. A funeral without water meant no everlasting rest, no ocean home for our... [Read more] Day Six: Head Over Heels April 21, 2012 at 12:33am Day Six
Head Over Heels
Focus Word: Admiration
Word Count: 2872
Odin abandoned me to the streets of town around sunset of the first day.
I hadn't wasted as much time as you might have thought. In one day, I'd formulated a portfolio and, far more importantly, gotten Odin to call off the hit. You have no idea how much easier it is to work when half of town isn't plotting slow and painful ways to kill you. Or maybe you do. I don't know. But if you do know, I'... [Read more] Day Seven: Temptation April 22, 2012 at 12:06am Day Seven
Temptation
Focus Word: Temptation
Word Count: 1537
Oh Lord, as the Angels say, deliver me from temptation . Because I simply cannot resist.
Some time around dawn, his lips found mine. I hadn't expected it, but when it happened I threw myself into it with my whole being. Time turned to honey, slow and sweet, and he tasted even sweeter. We were definitely drunk--he liked wine and I liked drinking with him--but that didn't matter, because I was aware enough to... [Read more] Day Eight: Aim April 22, 2012 at 6:58pm Day Eight
Aim
Focus Word: Aim
Word Count: 1815
Upon Gabriel's departure, I set about getting schnazy. After all, I had a wake to go to.
What? You didn't expect me to send Gabriel along and not make an appearance myself, did you? Nah. I had my own investigating to do, a few lines of questioning to follow, and drinking contests to initiate (and win). And I wanted to see Hod. He was Baldur's brother, and they were close despite the mistletoe incident, what with every... [Read more] Day Nine: I'm So Sick April 23, 2012 at 9:54pm Day Nine
I'm So Sick
Focus Word: Sick
Word Count: 1743
The party was in full damn swing by the time I got there.
I couldn't see Gabriel at all, but then I hadn't expected to. What amused me was that I couldn't even sense him. Sneaking was a kind of lying, and so I should have been able to tell he was there, but the Angel was completely invisible to me. Even in human form, without access to the majority of his divine power, Gabriel could outstrip all of us.
... [Read more] Day Ten: I've Been Loving You Too Long April 25, 2012 at 12:33am Day Ten
I've Been Loving You Too Long
Focus Word: Habit
Word Count: 2010
Freya pushed her way into my path after I finished saying good-bye to Baldur.
She is one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. After Aphrodite, she might be the most beautiful woman I have ever met. For those of you wondering why my vote for sexiest Old Goddess in town didn't go to one of my own pantheon, it's because Freya can be damned scary and, frankly, I don't like being fri... [Read more] Day Eleven: Let It All Hang Out April 25, 2012 at 9:27pm Day Eleven
Let It All Hang Out
Focus Word: Chill
Word Count: 1692
"Sorry, Loki, my TV is on the blink."
I smiled and shook my head, dismissing the apology. "Don't worry, Herms. I'm here to talk, not to watch daytime television."
Hermes laughed. It was a warm sound, the laugh of a consummate liar, though I knew it to be authentic. The Greek trickster was handsome, like all of his kind, with golden curls, green eyes, and sun-kissed skin that always gl... [Read more] Day Twelve: Virtual Insanity April 26, 2012 at 9:59pm Day Twelve
Virtual Insanity
Focus Word: Sanity
Word Count: 1740
I was in Heaven almost before I sensed the tug.
"You have a day left," Gabriel said, voice harsh and arms crossed against his chest. "One day and Michael will pass judgement upon you for your crimes against Christ's law."
This might seem odd to those of you who've been following along closely. Gabriel knew I was innocent--his adventures in crazy Norse land had actually proved that to hi... [Read more] Day Thirteen: Called Out In The Dark April 27, 2012 at 2:58am Day Thirteen
Called Out In The Dark
Focus Word: Time
Word Count: 2832
Athena wasn't at the library, nor was she at the Courthouse. So I trekked to the other side of town, crossed the boundary of God Town and entered a plain, but serviceable development called Kensington Place. It seemed that Athena was another of those unfussy types, though I suppose that was to be expected from the Virgin Goddess. Building 2A was actually the third building in, but the number was big enough... [Read more] Day Fourteen: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood April 28, 2012 at 6:54pm Day Fourteen
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Focus Word: Intention
Word Count: 1954
Leaving Athena's apartment, I realized that I was in no condition to go see Ares. That woman is rough , I'll tell you. Had me singing in octaves heretofore unknown in Loki-land, she did. The occasion had left me sore and more than a little worse-for-wear, so instead of heading to the War God's abode (at which location Aphrodite surely awaited), I scooted around God Town and back to... [Read more] Day Fifteen: Where Is The Edge April 29, 2012 at 8:01pm Day Fifteen
Where Is The Edge
Focus Word: Brink
Word Count: 2109
It was morning when I said goodbye to Hermes and headed off into the town to find Ares. Apparently, he was better at Halo than I thought, winning at least eighty percent of the matches and bringing me to a draw for the rest. If you must know, I won only once, and that because I cheated. What? I wasn't about to lose every time to that bloody Greek, thank you very much. As it was, I owed him a fair few rounds a... [Read more] Day Sixteen: Little Lion Man April 30, 2012 at 10:54pm Day Sixteen
Little Lion Man
Focus Word: Disappointment
Word Count: 1900
I sat alone in my room, unmoving, unblinking, staring at the same spot on the floor as I had been for six hours.
It was too cold, Gabriel's silent anger chilling the entire building no doubt, but I made no move to warm myself, relishing instead the pain of my freezing fingers. I hadn't eaten in almost twelve hours, since Hermes had made grilled cheese and poured a bag of Doritos into a bowl, and m... [Read more] Day Eighteen: Nightingale May 2, 2012 at 3:00am Day Eighteen
Nightingale
Focus Word: Fly
Word Count: 2951
A nightingale greeted me with its song as I exited the building. It was beautiful, the lilting chirp of its song bringing in the night, but all I heard was a knell, leading me to my death.
Michael did not touch me, thank all the gods, but neither did Gabriel, the two Angels instead electing to walk with me into God Town and into the waiting crowd of my admirers. You know, the ones that wanted me dead. Michael walked af... [Read more] Day Nineteen: Burn it Down May 3, 2012 at 2:34am Day Nineteen
Burn it Down
Focus Word: Flame
Word Count: 2184
Michael sheathed his sword, the metal snick announcing my doom before the whole world, or at least the parts of it that knew Old Gods existed.
"You're going to let him kill me?" I whispered through the corner of my mouth closest to the Angel. "Seriously? Petty revenge never seemed like your style, Mike."
Fiery eyes glanced down at me, their intensity shocking even in dismissal. "You believ... [Read more] Day Twenty: My Way May 4, 2012 at 5:07pm Day Twenty
My Way
Focus Word: Final
Word Count: 1713
Around us, the crowd disappeared, along with the dais and the remains of the god called Heimdall, the one-time Watcher of the Norse, driven mad by his own blindness. With a sweep of his hand, Michael cleared it all away, and returned everyone to their own homes, leaving only my compatriots and he to stand in the town center.
"You violated my command, Gabriel, and aided him," Michael whispered. "What have you to... [Read more] |