Legacy

The Trials of Loki, Pt 1

Rarely did Volstagg return home to his unruly brood without bringing them something new to play with. He loved surprising them. It was one of many joys in his life: the wide-eye excitement that gathered around him, the grabby hands that tugged him down to their level, the screams of delight upon discovering a new treasure, and ultimately the cries of war when such treasure was inevitably broken. This was the routine at Volstagg's family compound. However, on this particular morning, the new toy came not from his pocket or a pack on his steed's back, but in the form of a Prince of Asgard.

"Children," Volstagg called out to the disheveled five who halted in their charging tracks, piling up on one another and staring with intrigue at Loki. "I am relying on you to make our Prince feel at home in a way that only you can."

The children exchanged glances with each other, their eyes lighting up, the little wheels in their heads cranking at full speed whenever they were struck with a new idea. Volstagg had forewarned them of Loki's visit, and he may have dropped the words 'test' or 'trial' as inspiration for the kids' planned activities with their guest. He knew that was all he needed to say for the kids to take control of the situation.

Loki regarded the children with an fearful twitch in his eye. He stayed mounted upon his steed where he apparently thought he would be safe.

The children rushed at Loki with a flurry of introductions while Volstagg dismounted with a satisfied chuckle, making his way inside where the waft of Hildegund's cooking lured him like a honey-glazed siren. He greeted his mountainous wife with a peck to the cheek and snatched a plate from the cupboard behind her.

"Do not leave that slippery serpent alone with our children." Hildegund gazed out of the window, arms crossed over her girth, watching as Loki was dragged reluctantly into the backyard. "Flosi is quite impressionable to smooth talkers, especially royalty. Look how she's already taken to him, trying to hold his hand." The woman shook her head in disgust.

"Worry you not, my voracious Valkyrie," Volstagg said, piling his plate high with lamb roast and turkey legs. "Our children are a force to be reckoned with. Loki won't dare try any tricks if he knows what's good for him."

Hildegund shot him a fiery glance, clearly stating her dissatisfaction at his lack of concern.

Volstagg sighed. "I will watch over their games."

There was no arguing against this woman, not when the state of his dinner that night depended on being in her good graces. He gave her another kiss on the cheek before snatching a chair from the dining room and heading into the backyard.

The children hadn't wasted any time in starting their games. They had set up a mock-up courtroom on the lawn, having taken this whole trial thing literally. Volstagg laughed as he walked past Loki, who had been ordered to take a seat on a tree stump the height of a toddler's chair. He was already chest deep in humiliation, for upon his head were a set of colorful plastic antlers, mere fragments of the reindeer statue Volstagg had snagged from Midgard on his last visit. The children had somehow kept the antlers intact enough to fashion a helmet out of them. It sat crookedly upon the crooked prince's head, covering one eye completely. Behind him stood Flosi, the poster child of nine year old puppy love, braiding whatever strings of Loki's hair she could free from beneath the helmet.

"Turkey leg?" Volstagg thrust his plate under Loki's nose.

Loki grimaced, lifting a glare up with his one visible eye. "I'd rather be drawn and quartered by a heard of Bilchsteim than consume the flesh of a beast."

Right, Volstagg recalled. He was a vegetarian. Sworn off meat ever since he mothered Sleipnir. Weird.

"Suit yourself," Volstagg said, planting his chair down in what he believed was the courtroom's public seating area.