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❛ ᴇᴛᴏɪʟᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐓𝐖𝐎 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴀɴ ɪʟʟ-ғᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴀᴠᴏʀ ꒱


❝ WHOSOEVER HOLDS
THIS HAMMER, IF HE
BE WORTHY, SHALL
POSSESS THE POWER
OF THOR ❞

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A S G A R D

Eleanora never tired of seeing the beautiful colors of the Bifrost as they raced past in a blur under her horse's hooves. Her gaze was more on the road beneath her than the watchtower ahead, unlike the warriors who surrounded her. The cosmic energy that was in harmony with hers hummed around her, the whisper of ancient power tickling at the edges of her mind. The familiarity brought her comfort in the aftermath of her fight with Loki, the reminder of which made her frown with worry. She didn't like going into battle— for even with Thor's best intentions, she knew that was how today would end— when they were at odds with each other.

They neared the end of the Bridge where the golden light of Asgard bled into the darkness of space. Twinkling stars shone from the blackness, both far-away specks of planets and spheres of heat and light that whirled through the sky alike. Heimdall, to no one's surprise, had been expecting them, but instead of his usual post at the very end of the Bridge, he faced them at the watchtower's entrance.

With all of his usual cockiness, Loki waved off the rest of the group. "Leave this to me. Good Heimdall—"

"You're not dressed warmly enough," the Watchman cut him off, his amber eyes gazing into the distance despite his attentive presence in front of them.

The blonde smiled faintly at his interruption as the side of her that felt a lingering pettiness from their fight cheered at Heimdall's perceptiveness. Loki's brows furrowed as he feigned confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"Do you think that you can deceive me?" the guard asked in the same even tone.

Her husband let out an appeasing chuckle, the kind he would often use with courtiers who he deemed extremely insipid. "You must be mistaken. . ."

"Enough!" As usual, Thor's patience had lasted all of two seconds before he took matters into his own hands. Though she was still a bit peeved with him, Eleanora felt her usual protectiveness rear its head as she watched Loki be sidelined once more— she saw it in the slightest dip of his head and the small step back that he'd taken, allowing his brother to pass. Thor continued, oblivious to his brother's reticence. "Heimdall, may we pass?"

"Never has an enemy slipped my watch until this day," Heimdall said steadily, unphased by the prince's demand. "I wish to know how that happened."

"Then tell no one where we have gone until we've returned. Understand?" The blond brushed past him, encouraging the rest of his friends to follow.

As he walked past, Volstagg commented snidely, "what happened? Silver tongue turn to lead?"

"Even lead can be polished to a shine, unlike the shite that spills from your tongue, Volstagg," the Star retorted, loud enough for the others to hear.

The red-haired warrior only laughed good-naturedly. "Ah, I see the little wife has learned her sharp words from her husband, has she not?"

"Oh, I assure you, my sharp words are entirely my own. But I suppose it's only natural for them to echo those of the man I love," she replied smoothly, her gaze flickering over to Loki, who stood nearby with a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. She hoped that meant that their argument had been forgiven.

They arranged themselves into position with Thor at the helm, Loki and Eleanora behind him on either side, while the Warriors and Sif formed a quartet at their back. Heimdall went activate the Bifrost by placing his sword into the aperture that acted as the key. White electricity filled the orb as the outer shell began to spin very quickly to point the Bifrost in their desired direction.

Before he sent them on their way, the Watchman gave them a final word of caution: "be warned. I will honor my sworn oath to protect this realm as its Gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, the Bifrost will remain closed to you and you'll be left to die in the cold waste of Jotunheim."

"Couldn't you just leave the bridge open for us?" Volstagg inquired.

"To leave the bridge open would unleash the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim with you upon it," Heimdall replied severely.

As expected, Thor merely grinned at the concept of danger. "I have no plans to die today."

"None do," were the last solemn words they heard before the Watchman sent them on their way.

✧ ✧ ✧

J O T U N H E I M

While she'd wanted to travel most of the Nine Realms (Eleanora was perfectly fine with skipping over Helheim, Muspelheim and Svartalfheim), Jotunheim had not been particularly high on her list. After Niflheim, she'd discovered that intense cold had an adverse effect on her with how warm-blooded she tended to run. Loki, on the other hand, had been extremely comfortable— even balmy in the climate. It seemed to fare similarly here as Jotunheim's brutal cold cut right through her lightweight Asgardian clothes. As a defense mechanism, her source immediately ignited to life and a silvery glow surrounded her to ward off the chill.

Hogun shot her shimmer an apprehensive look. "Can't you stop that? You will give us away if you're not careful, Star."

Eleanora glowered at him. "As you said so well yourself, I'm a Star— shining is what we do best."

She couldn't help but agree with him, though; while the cold was what she felt first, her initial impression was that it was dark, and it made her glow stand out even more than it usually did. There was no sun. In fact, it was almost as if the warmth of the sun's rays had never touched Jotunheim at all. The rocks were varying shades of muted colors, interspersed with white from snow. All around them was gray, gray, gray, and sometimes it was a slightly less gray that bordered on blue. Any natural plant life was dry and shriveled in the harsh climate, clinging to the rocks as it fought to grow. It was truly a miserable planet.

"We shouldn't be here," Hogun said instead of responding to a futile point, once again speaking the truth. Eleanora had never wished for the warmth of Asgard more.

"Let's move," Thor announced, unwilling to back down from a challenge even when the logical thing to do was leave.

Since they didn't have much of a choice, they went forward into the wasteland. While she would have preferred being at the back or middle of the group, the blonde walked next to Thor so that her light would help them see their path. She flinched at the sound of crumbling rock, giving the collapsing wall of ice and stone a wary glance as they passed it. Snow fell lightly around them and dampened her hair. She shivered, her celestial light intensifying as she became even more uncomfortable.

A flash of green lit up the dull world, causing Thor to shoot his brother an annoyed look. "What did you do?"

"Am I not allowed to provide my wife comfort?" Loki asked innocently, though his tone was anything but. "Think of it this way: the warmer she is, the less she will have to glow. I am doing us a service."

Eleanora had to admit that she suddenly did feel much better; the cold did not bite as it had. She could even conjure a small smile, which she sent to her husband in gratitude. His features did not change to confirm whether he saw her expression, but she knew that all was well between them. While it might have seemed like a callous or shallow gesture to the rest of the group, the little pulse of his magic was more than just a surface-level reassurance to her. Despite her newfound relief, she still jumped at every echo of crumbling rock and whistle of wind; the sooner they got off this planet, the happier she would be.

They met no one, even as they approached what served as the palace. Ever vigilant, Sif spoke the question that was on everyone's mind: "where are they?"

"Hiding, as cowards always do," the blond sneered.

They spread out a little as they reached the main entrance, but Loki grasped his wife's arm before she could get too far from him. He gave her wrist a squeeze that clearly meant stay close. He needn't have worried; she had no plans to go off wandering into the frozen wilderness, but she was content to let him think he got his way.

A deep voice resonated around them and she pressed nearer to her husband in alarm. "You've come a long way to die, Asgardians."

Unperturbed, Thor answered loudly, "I am Thor Odinson!"

The couple exchanged an exasperated glance that clearly conveyed: idiot. Indeed, darling. The Jotun continued, too focused on the crown prince to care to notice them: "we know who you are."

"How did your people get into Asgard?"

The Jotun, Laufey, spoke again, his tone oozing hatred as he addressed the blond, "the House of Odin is full of traitors."

Of course, this did not go over well at all. Thor's normally cheerful blue eyes flashed with fury at the insult to his father. "Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies!"

"Your father is a murder and a thief!" Laufey snarled, rising to his feet. "And why have you come here? To make peace? You long for battle. You crave it. You're nothing but a boy trying to prove himself a man."

Eleanora did her best to strengthen her will against her fear. She'd known that Frost Giants were, well, giant, obviously, but seeing one in real life— rather than in her books— was a test of her courage. Laufey was a good deal taller than the Asgardians, who were already quite tall. His blue skin made the angry orange slits he had for eyes seem extra menacing. He was as cold and harsh as the planet he lived on; if there had been a shred of kindness in his eyes or tone, she would have been less afraid, but there was nothing that could pass for humanity in his gaze.

No one else displayed outward signs of unease when more Frost Giants appeared around them, but the Star couldn't resist the urge to turn her head and watch them nervously. Thor ignored them as he grit his teeth in the face of Laufey's jabs. "Well, this boy has grown tired of your mockery."

A new sound entered her ears and she tensed again at the sight of the ice-swords that the Jotuns were creating. Keeping his hand on her arm, Loki tugged her over to his brother, to whom he whispered urgently: "Thor, stop and think. Look around you, we're outnumbered."

The blond glared at him and shook off his advice. "Know your place, brother."

"You know not what your actions would unleash," Laufey told him frostily. "I do. Go now, while I still allow it." He took slow, thundering steps to come stand in front of them. Then, terrifyingly, he flicked his gaze towards her, and the light in his orange eyes became greedy. "You are lucky that I do not demand tribute in the form of your pet Star. The wonders it would do for Jotunheim. . ."

Eleanora could only stare in wide-eyed horror as he lifted his hand, as if to caress her face. She knew it would be bruising cold to the touch, though she was certain that her natural heat would help her combat it. Next to her, Loki's already impeccable posture had become impossibly more rigid. Thankfully, Laufey's touch never came as her husband stepped smoothly in front of her to block off the Frost Giant's access to her. She could see from his profile that his jaw was clenched in quiet fury, though his tone belied nothing as he spoke calmly, "we will accept your most gracious offer." Not wanting to risk his wife's safety, he wasted no time in pulling her away from the Jotun. "Come, brother."

There was another strained silence as Thor made up his mind, but eventually he caved and turned to follow the dark-haired prince. The moment of hope that they would actually make it out of there was dashed the moment Laufey called after them snidely: "run back home, little princess."

That was when everyone knew they were there to stay, and she could only agree with her husband's defeated, "damn."

Thor didn't even hesitate to send his hammer swinging towards Laufey, a single hit sending the giant flying into the stone. A smirk that could have rivaled Loki's in cockiness appeared on his lips. "Next?"

"Grab the Star!"

Eleanora didn't know which Jotun yelled that, but it didn't really matter— the damage had been done. They swarmed her, and even Thor's best swings weren't enough to ward them all off. His friends leapt into battle as well, both in self-defense and in an effort to alleviate some of the pressing crush that had descended upon her.

The Star didn't bother to hold back her celestial light anymore; they knew what she was, now. Her light spilled onto the gray world of Jotunheim, providing the first rays of warmth that the planet had seen in eons. Startled by the display, the Jotuns fell back and some even covered their eyes against it. They didn't hold off for long, unfortunately— just enough for her to conjure her light-whip and give it a few lashes.

In a dim sort of interest, she registered that her abilities burned their freezing skin, enough to noticeably hinder their fighting ability. She was more focused on her own survival, though, and she only catalogued the information to help her in her attack. She cracked her whip again and again through the air, the snake of light illuminating the frosty ground. She could hear the others fighting their own battles, but the sound of blood roaring in her ears nearly drowned them out.

Eleanora concentrated on the footwork she'd been practicing with Frigga, keeping light on her feet and using her smaller form to her advantage. She darted through the slower-moving giants like a shooting star, her silver light the only indication to the others that she was still there. She would have gladly used her explosive abilities, but she was worried that the rest of the group was too close and she would unintentionally hurt them— they were only immune if they were actively touching her.

Thor— damn him— simply laughed as he encountered enemy after enemy. "At least make it a challenge!"

Laufey answered his provocation easily. More soldiers, this time bordering on pure brute dropped into the clearing with furious roars. The blonde didn't have the energy to pay any further attention to his battle. She could feel herself heating up, though she wasn't as afraid of it as she had been the first time. Frigga had helped her learn to control her total-power state so that she didn't burn herself out as quickly. She still didn't want to use it if she could help it, but it looked like she wouldn't have a choice. Her light-whip flared brighter in response, becoming more like a tongue of flame than a rope.

Intent on defending herself, Eleanora didn't notice when one of the bulkier giants came up behind her until it was too late. The cold wasn't as bad as she'd anticipated it would be, perhaps due to her heightened condition. He wrapped his meaty arms around her even as he growled in pain, her warmth having the adverse effect of cutting into his skin. She kicked uselessly, and her light-whip sputtered out as she didn't have the use of her hands.

Just as she felt the icy grip of the Jotun tightening around her, she heard a familiar voice over the chaos: "Eleanora!"

Loki's voice cut through the din like a knife through butter, raw with rage that one of these beasts would dare lay a hand on his wife. She felt a surge of relief flood through her, knowing that her husband was still fighting by her side. In a swift motion, he lunged forward with his dagger, aiming for the Jotun's exposed flesh. With a grunt of effort, he plunged the blade deep into the creature's side.

The Jotun howled in pain, releasing Eleanora from its grasp. She stumbled backward, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she regained her footing. With a grateful glance at Loki, she summoned her light-whip back into existence, the radiant energy pulsating with renewed vigor. As she turned back to the battle, she didn't notice the dying Jotun grab her husband's arm in a vice-like grip. She didn't notice Loki's armor falling away under his grasp, exposing the prince's pale skin. She especially didn't notice that, rather than the frostbite he'd anticipated, her husband's skin turned blue.

✧ ✧ ✧

A S G A R D

In the end, they had to retreat due to the Frost Beast that Laufey summoned. While it was killed thanks to Thor's flying abilities, there was no way the six— five, really, since Fandral was injured— could defeat a whole army. Heimdall had not opened the Bifrost for them, but Odin had come in all his righteous fury. Now, they were facing his wrath back in Asgard as he turned on Thor.

"Why did you bring us back?" the crown prince demanded as soon as the light of the Bifrost faded around them.

"Do you realize what you've done? What you've started?" Odin growled.

"I was protecting my home."

The Allfather glared at him. "You cannot even protect your friends! How can you hope to protect a kingdom?" He tossed Heimdall's sword, Hofund, to the Watchman and gestured sharply to the quartet. "Get him to the healing room! Now!"

Hogun and Volstagg carried Fandral out of the watchtower with Sif trailing behind them, leaving just the royals in the orb. Thor disregarded their departure as he continued their argument. "There won't be a kingdom to protect if you're afraid to act. The Jotuns must learn to fear me, just as they once feared you."

"That's pride and vanity talking, not leadership," the king scolded him. "You've forgotten everything I taught you about a warrior's patience."

Thor offered a rebuttal, but Eleanora wasn't interested in their disagreement. Instead, she reached out to place a hand on her husband's arm, having noticed that he'd been quieter than normal. Before she could, he shifted his hands in what could have passed for a casual gesture had she not known him so well. He lifted his hand to adjust his armor in place of letting her touch him. Her hand closed on empty air and she frowned at his avoidance. Softly— though there was really no way Thor or Odin would have heard her speaking— she murmured, "Loki, did something happen on Jotunheim? Are you hurt?"

A myriad of expressions flashed across his face, one of them being a mixture of appreciation and annoyance. (If he had deigned to explain, he would have said the former was because she cared, but the latter was also because she cared. He was not ready to face the truth himself, let alone share it even with his wife.) In the carefully practiced Silver-tongue of his, he answered, "I'm not injured, no."

The blonde noted his cautious reply and became even more worried than she had been before. She didn't get to say anything further, though, because their argument had reached its climax. Odin's voice had become deathly calm as he announced his sentence: "Thor Odinson, you have betrayed the express command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you've opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!"

He centered his staff in the keyhole of the watchtower, and the Bifrost's white energy crackled to life once more. He slowly lost his quiet tone as he let the anger overtake him again. While he spoke, he tore his son's embellishments of honor from his armor. "You are unworthy of these realms! You're unworthy of your title! You're unworthy of the loved ones you have betrayed. I now take from you your power!" He summoned Thor's hammer to his hand, beaming its energy at the prince as he finished his proclamation. "In the name of my father and his father before, I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!"

Loki and Eleanora wore similar expressions of stunned shock as their brother was shot from the Bifrost and into the vast expanse of space. Odin raised Mjolnir to his lips and whispered a final oath: "whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."