The days passed quickly to the surprise of everyone aboard the Ocean Viper. Despite the circumstances that brought them there, Maeve found herself enjoying the company of her brothers more than ever, as well as Thor and Loki. They spent many nights up late telling stories of battle and lore, gazing at the stars, and dancing while singing the old sailor songs.

On the eighth night aboard the ship, Maeve woke up at some point in the night. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and sat up in her designated hammock. Sliding out carefully so as not to wake the others, she walked up the steps to the top deck, where Loki and Asmund both stood watching a point in the distance. A thick gray mist swirled around them, menacing. She could tell on sight that it wasn't just due to the weather. It had the feeling of sinister magic.

"What's going on?" She asked worriedly. Both of the men turned, having not heard her quiet footsteps.

"We're almost there," Asmund responded. He scratched the back of his neck. "We believe the island is enchanted somehow."

"And that's where the mist is coming from?"

Loki nodded, keeping his eyes on the ocean as if he was afraid to look away. "It can't just be mist. I don't know what it is, though. Maybe a defense. Something about it seems... familiar." He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him.

"It's cold," she whispered, mostly to herself. Asmund wandered away from the couple and stood on the other end of the ship. "What if Roscoe's cold, too?"

Loki's silver tongue failed him. He couldn't find the words to comfort the girl, so he just held her tighter.

The mist swirled around the ship menacingly, almost like it was watching them. Waiting. Biding its time. I don't like this, she thought to herself, frowning.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Asmund grip the railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white, matching the faint moonlight.

"Asmund?" She asked. "Are you okay over there?"

"Get downstairs." His words were clipped, angry, scared. "Both of you. Get downstairs and close the doors. Don't breathe in the mist."

"What? No, what's going on?" She ran over and placed a hand on his arm. He shook her off instantly, but not before she felt a heavy wave of anxiety and fear spike from him. She stepped back and tried to control her breathing until the secondhand panic faded away.

"Maeve, please trust me. Go downstairs now." He closed his eyes and sank to the ground, his back up against a wooden mast.

"Asmund!"

"Maeve," Loki managed to get out from behind her. His green eyes were glazed, though he was clearly trying to fight something off. "Listen to him. Go down and don't inhale in the mist, whatever you do."

She opened her mouth to protest leaving them. "Loki-"

"Do as I say, darling." Each word sounded forced, like it hurt him to speak at all. He leaned against the rails and his eyes shut.

"I'll go get help." She ran down the stairs and into the lower deck where Thor and Corey still lay sleeping. "Wake up! Wake up!" She yelled, shaking them.

Corey groaned and rolled over. "Maeve, come on, not now-"

"I need your help, something's wrong on the top deck, Asmund and Loki are acting odd and I don't know what to do-"

Thor's eyebrows drew together in concern. Wordlessly, he strode up the stairs and went to open the door, but couldn't open it. He struggled with the doorknob before turning around, an angry expression on his unshaven face.

"The fools have locked us in," he said. Throwing all of his weight at the door did no good, either. He and Corey even tried together to no avail.

"They've trapped us with magic," Corey said dismally. "Why?"

"They're trying to protect us," Maeve said, her voice quiet with fear. "From the mist."

"What mist?" asked Thor. He sat down on the stairs, eyes still on the door.

Maeve sat next to him and sighed. She wished she had a flower to keep her mind off of things. "I went upstairs to see what was going on, and this gray mist surrounded us. Whatever happened, it affected Asmund first. He was completely terrified and told me to go downstairs. Then Loki told me the same thing. I came down to wake you two up, and now they've locked us out."

"What can we do?" Corey remained standing, unable to stay still. "There has to be something."

Maeve shook her head. "I think we have to wait."

And wait they did. They waited hours on the stairs, speaking little, worrying extensively. More than once, the princess heard a pitiful scream or moan from the top deck, which only scared jer further. Finally, the door creaked open. Maeve didn't hesitate to push her way through the princes. She needed to see the two most important people in her whole world, to see for herself that they were all right.

Loki sat near the door, so she assumed it was him who let them up. Fear was splayed across his pale face and he sat with his knees to his chest, back up against a wall. Upon her arrival, he immediately drew Maeve into a hug, a tight embrace she didn't expect. She held on because she could tell how much he needed it.

Maeve put a hand on his cheek and asked softly, "Are you all right?"

"I am now. That's all that matters." He held her in his embrace a moment longer before pulling away. "We're here, by the way."

"What did the mist do to you?" She whispered, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"The Fog of Uggr," he responded, shuddering. She reached up to smooth his messy black locks. "The Mist of Fear. I always believed that it was just a legend, but I'm positive that's what it was."

"It messed with your mind?"

Loki nodded, a faraway look in his jade eyes. "Hallucinations. Hours of them."

Maeve decided not to ask what the mist had forced him to watch. "Are you okay now?"

"I don't know. I'm doing better than your brother." She glanced over her shoulder. Corey was trying to talk to Asmund, who just stared blankly, his skin ashen. Nothing changed his expression. The future king of Vanaheim seemed to be inconsolable. "Whatever he saw must have been terrible."

Maeve walked over and crouched next to Asmund. Putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, she asked in a calming voice, "Are you okay?" Like always, he nodded. "You're a liar. New question: are you okay enough to do this?"

"I... yes." He rubbed a hand over his face and stood, albeit shakily, but at least he was up. "We need to find Roscoe and get off of this island as soon as possible."

"We're anchored," Thor said as he prepped the deck for departure. "If everyone is ready, we can go."

The moment Maeve stepped foot on the island, it felt different. Wrong. Dark magic seemed to float through the air, surrounding their every move. Asmund and Thor led the way, followed by Corey, with Maeve and Loki in the back.

Loki noticed her shivering and thought quickly. "Here," he said, summoning one of his cloaks. He fastened it around her.

"Thank you." She smiled up at him. Maeve knew the cloak was more than just a warming device. It was an Asgardian tradition. By wearing his cloak, Loki was warning everyone they could possibly meet that she was under his protection. If she was hurt, her attackers would answer to him.

The five crowded around the map, trying to locate their position. "We're here." Corey pointed to a place on the edge of the island. "He's at the heart of the island."

"It's already dark," Thor said, glancing around at their surroundings. "Why don't we just find a place to camp for the night and start fresh in the morning? I think everyone could use some sleep."

Nods of agreement swept around the group, and they found a clearing surrounded by trees and vines. With a snap of his fingers, Loki created a small campfire. Maeve pulled his cloak tightly around her small form and sat next to a small flowering bush. She ran her delicate fingers over the blossoms and pulled away. The flowers were ice-cold to the touch. Even nature seemed dead in the Jotunheim. Once we find Roscoe, I'm never returning here, she vowed internally.

"I'll take first watch," Asmund muttered. Thor opened his mouth to protest this but Maeve silenced him with a sharp look. She knew that even though her brother was exhausted, he wanted to be alone. Whatever the fog showed had hurt him more than he wanted to show.

She laid her head on Loki's lap, trying to simultaneously comfort both him and herself. He gently ran his fingers through her hair until she fell asleep. Loki fell asleep soon after but woke quickly due to nightmares. Asmund hadn't moved at all in that time, just sat staring as the flames danced in the night.

"You should get some rest. I'll keep watch for a while, and then I'll wake Thor."

Asmund shook his head, ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair. "No, I'm not sure if that's possible."

"You're not going to be any help to us exhausted," Loki said. "This is unfamiliar territory for all of us, and mind you, the sorcerers here are going to be more valuable than the oafs with strength. We need you."

"You're right, I suppose. We have a few hours until dawn, I think. Might as well make use of them." Asmund yawned and laid down on his cloak, slipping into dreams.

Loki found himself staring at the princess lying on his lap, peacefully asleep. She shivered slightly, and he readjusted her cloak so it would cover her better. He kissed her softly on the forehead and glanced around.

He hated the Jotunheim. The prince had never even visited the realm before, but the ominous air set him on edge. Something about it felt wrong, unsafe. He could hardly wait to leave before something bad happened, especially with the cryptic warning Maeve told him about from Heimdall echoing in his ears.

This will not be easy for any of you, and I mean that for more than just the spell you seek. The road to finding him is a difficult, treacherous one. If you intend to follow it yourselves, trust each other and resist any temptation that comes your way.

As the god of lies, he was no stranger to secrets and knew that there were many hidden around the group. He, for one, hadn't told anyone what the Fog of Uggr showed him, even though it involved many of them. He didn't want to appear weak or afraid in front of Maeve, especially because Thor was nearby. Growing up as the second son had instilled in him a massive inferiority complex, and while he loved the princess in ways he never dreamed that he would, he lived with the fear that Thor would whisk her away, just like he took away so many other things he loved.

On the other side of the fire, barely comprehensible over Corey's snoring, Asmund began muttering worriedly in his sleep. Loki leaned in to hear him repeat the same word over and over.

"Gale. Gale. Gale."

The name piqued Loki's curiosity. On the ship, that was all he kept mumbling under his breath through the hallucinations. He almost used his magic to break into the Vanir's mind but thought better of it. Asmund could keep his secret. For now.

Instead, he stared at the fire, filled with a sense of dread and a bad feeling that the Jotuneim was not the place for him to be.

heyyy it's been a few days! i hope you guys enjoyed! what do you think is going to happen next?

vote and comment, xo!