Captive - Loki Fanfiction

Chapter 16

"Guess what?" Brutus said excitedly, dropping down on the bench next to me. "We met some Realm-Travellers!"

I looked up from my bowl of food with interest, sitting next to the campfire where I had been eating alone. I tried to conceal the fact that I was surprised the Realm-travellers had approached me. I was still feeling pretty upset that they were standards and I was still a pathetic inferior in-training. I hadn't seen them for three days because of my busy schedule and was nervous that they had started avoiding me because of my low rank.

"Really?" I said with a forced grin.

"Yeah!" Nyssa interjected, appearing behind Brutus. "It looks like Nosey Loki has been recruiting as many people as he could!"

"Who?" I said.

"Nosey Loki!" Brutus said with a laugh. "It's our new nickname for that prissy pelican."

"Yeah, haven't you noticed how weird his nose is?" Victoria said as she reached for some stew.

"No, what's wrong with it?" I asked, amused by the silly nickname. I wondered what Loki would think if he heard of it.

"It's just long and pointy," I heard Nicolas say as he edged his way towards us.

"I can't believe you," I laughed. "I swear you guys are the worst! So what about these Realm-Travellers?"

"There are some training to be elites just like me and a handful in Trina and Nyssa's military units as well," said Brutus. "Victoria has discovered that most of the serving-children are Realm-travellers as well."

"We spoke with a few after medical training," Nyssa said. "They were stopped by soldiers in Nidavellir and taken here. They only arrived yesterday and guess who they knew! Quadim!"

"Huh?"

"Quadim is an elder in the Realm-travelling community," explained Trina, passing Nico a bowl of stew. "Everyone knows him, he's travelled with every troop. He was an extraordinary warrior and taught us so many battle moves. He's practically the reason Brutus is so good with a sword. He was a brilliant wrestler as well."

"He taught me the neck chop that I used on those people who attacked you and Nico," Victoria added proudly. "I taught that to the kids today."

"How is that going?" I asked. "Looking after the serving children?"

"Great," grinned Victoria. "I still get to do my warrior duties like patrols and all that and it's fun ordering them around."

We all laughed and I felt a bubble of relief in my stomach. We were still friends and I wasn't alone anymore. Above us, the sky was speckled with numerous stars although the sun hadn't completely disappeared behind the mountains. The dark leaves of the nearby trees rustled softly in the wind.

"I've got to go," I said sorrowfully, noticing Björn looking at me meaningfully from afar. It was early evening: time for my mystical training with Loki. "Have fun!"

"Bye!" they chorused, all waving at me as I got up and walked back into the tent section of the camp, ignoring the same old curious looks of the other warriors. I was now accustomed to the attention I received from the rest of the camp. Everyone seemed to have their different opinion of me; some feared me, others admired me and a few hated me, including Calder, Álfjótr and a handful of his warriors. I dreaded weapon-training sessions with his military unit as the in-trainings and standards sneered insults at me, hid my water canteen and mocked me for my every failed move.

The lesson with Loki was short and curt as usual. He didn't speak of what had happened earlier that week, nor did he show any sign of anger against me. He was just subdued and stiff. Lessons with him were now beginning to show results. My powers seem to growing stronger and branching out into different capabilities. I was able to use them to cause more physical pain on my targets. I could project Loki across the room, cause him head-splitting headaches and torture him by making him hurt himself. I also began to able to read people's thoughts. I couldn't do this with Loki as he seemed to guard his mind vehemently but I noticed I could slip into my trainers or fellow in-trainings' minds and read their thoughts and feelings. That evening, Loki taught me how I could modify people's memories and twist them into my own craft.