Cerberus

"I'd have to see it with my very own eyes to believe it!" Volstagg exclaimed airily, a light chuckle escaping in his breath as he leaned back on his chair. "the younger prince… Milking cows and cleaning horse crap… It's certainly a hard image to conjure!" He paused for a moment; the joking tone visible in his lively mint eyes "though not impossible… I'd give up any banquet to pay him a visit. I'd go to that extent!" He finished with a laugh that made his bushy red beard shake below his chin, followed by his peers. Some of them even banged the table with laughter, almost tumbling the glass cups on top. The alcohol already ran rampant through their veins after the copious amounts of mead they'd drunk and none of them were planning on stopping any sooner.

"We're not allowed to approach him" added lady Sif, who'd stopped polishing the blade of her sword to take another sip from her drink. "Is that right, Thor?".

"Indeed" Thor's gaze turned downwards at the mention of the prohibition. "Allfather ordered for us to not communicate unless he broke the rules of the banishment". He looked at the contents of his glass absentmindedly while he remembered the last of his father's commands before he had left to Vanaheim.

"In case he did such a thing, I'd have to inform him; as King and not my father, and he spared to tell me the details of what would happen if Loki dared to break any of his rules." He finished with a sigh, taking the last sip. He then placed the glass back on the table, his eyes looking everything but joyful.

"What made Odin go up to such extents?" Sif enquired the older prince, her dark eyes and silver armour reflecting the light of the chimney that burned behind them.

"Well it's clear Odin has finally realised who's worthy and who's not of belonging to the royal family!" Fandral spoke in a mocking tone, opening his arms sardonically, a smirk playing on his lips. His cheeks had adopted a flush that had only gotten redder after his fourth cup of the sinful beverage, liquid courage on his tongue than now moved fearlessly to speak up his thoughts.

Despite the derision in Fandral's voice, Thor's brows turned angry at his friend's comment, not finding it pleasing in the least. "My brother is a prince, just as much as I am, why would you say that Fandral?" He tucked a strand of his blonde hair behind his ear in annoyance, leaning over the table in a menacing gesture. The fire behind him casted shadows on his face that made his otherwise gentle features appear the more threatening.

Fandrall's expression quickly turned serious as he sank into his seat, his blonde moustache sinking downwards in a grimace, aware of the severity of Thor's reaction. However, he was determined to keep talking: "I heard servants comment that he's not even allowed to enter his chambers, that he's been sleeping on the stables like a dog". He continues with a sneer, appearing unprovoked by the prince's tone.

"Well banished or not, he's still a prince to me". The God of thunder replied sternly, shocked that Fandral still wanted to extend the argument. "And he's my brother, so you'd care to speak respectfully of him while on my presence".

"Thor, I'm just saying," Fandral kept going, his mind unfiltered due to the alcohol in his system "Do you really think that if Odin held him in the same esteem as you, he would have condemned him to such a punishment?" Thor listened carefully with slitted eyes, ready to retort his comeback as soon as the warrior had finished. "Clearly the Allfather is making room for when your time comes to assume the throne, everyone knows he covets the seat so much more than you do! I'm only trying to make you see things as they are!".

"That," The older prince began "is the most twisted thing I've heard you say in a long time". He paused for a second to look at him the face, his eyes throwing daggers in his direction. "My father is wiser than that. A punishment, as severe as it is, will never count as a way of throwing him out of the family, how can you think that?"

"Well, I remember you telling us that he'd taken away his title as crown prince". Added Sif beside him, openly agreeing with Fandrall's argument.

Thor then shook his head in disapproval, standing up to make his point clear "My mother would never allow for this to extend too much in time, she's already devastated from knowing he can't even use his chambers." Thor was aware of the special place Loki held in Frigga's heart. Even if his brother never explicitly spoke about it; it was clear to everyone. The princeling favoured his mother's company -Thor would dare to say- over anyone else's. He had always noticed the way he behaved with her as kids. However, now that they'd grown into young adults, it was much more noticeable: on the way his tone switched to a much softer murmur when both spoke privately during dinner; on the smile that always formed on his lips when they talked about shared interests; on the way his eyes gleamed with admiration when he escorted her in and out of the great halls, his hand gently holding hers.

"Do you really trust him to comply, Thor?" Sif looked up at him, snapping the prince out of his thoughts. Her eyes twinkled with a mix of confusion and hopefulness; her brows were raised in question. "It's probably very humiliating to him, to have Odin treating him like this" The shield-maiden paused for a second to bite her lip hesitantly. "Won't this make him to plan a greater comeback? We all know of his resentfulness". She looked around the room searching for agreement in the faces of the warriors three.

"He still hasn't forgiven me for snitching on him that one time. He changed the words on the banners when we came back from that scrimmage in Nilfheim." Volstagg chimed in, following Sif's train of thought. "I remember the letters changing to something along the lines of "Everyone is back smelling like a troll's...-" He trailed off, suddenly taking in the way everyone was looking back and forth from his face to Thor's, expecting an upcoming reaction. He then stopped talking, realizing he was only but worsening the atmosphere.

"Anyways, it was long ago, and he still reminds me of it every time we argue". He finished crossing his arms defensively and sinking into his seat as well. The mood in the room, which had been lively before Loki was brought up into the conversation, was slowly decreasing into an uncomfortable silence that left Thor's friends with more questions than answers.

"It's different this time". The God of thunder ran a hand through his beard as he thought his words through. "I've never seen my father so determined to reprimand him. I could sense in Loki's behaviour that he was… scared, and shocked that Odin really went as far as to making him leave the palace." He sat down again, Frigga's worried expression clouding his mind as he recalled the way she'd expressed him her worries before.

"And how long do you think this… punishment, of sorts, will last?" Sif finally asked, a question that seemed to linger in everyone's mind. The mead had worked his distilled magic, and such doubts their friends kept questioning themselves had an easier way out than it would've had, had they been sober.

"Odin said he now must learn to live like a regular Asgardian." He paused to shake his head; the disbelief clear in his face. "He thinks it's the only way he has left to bring his cocky spirits down." He finished with a sigh, his hands reaching the back of his head and scratching his scalp with a groan of exhaustion. "I've never doubted my father's judgement, but this might be a first for me as well". He spoke half-jokingly, a sigh escaping his lips. "Loki will never believe himself less than royalty, I know that much." He stared at the swirly carvings in the ceiling in thought, now speaking to himself out loud more than to his friends sitting around him. He let his thoughts wander for a moment, trying to imagine the case in which Loki actually came back a changed, humbled prince. He couldn't help but snort out a chuckle in disbelief, shaking his head once again.

If he wasn't agreeing with Odin on the destiny of his brother's fate, no one was to know. Even so, as much as he tried to understand the Allfather's wishes, part of him was convinced that Odin's attempt to correct his brother would most likely fall on Loki's stubborn, deaf ears. On top of that, Thor feared for Sarthi.

Sombreness clouded his features as he recalled the state in which she'd found the young groundskeeper. Her body folded inside the cubicle; battered to exhaustion, covered in bruises and dirt; her breathing shallow and her face stained with tears. Loki could make use of his worst flaws with unparalleled expertise, and Thor feared that over any other thing. Such a punishment, though aimed towards Loki, would most likely fall on her instead. If Thor knew his brother well enough, he'd bet on Mjölnir that the poor girl would be suffering his younger brother's animosity, petulance, and self-centeredness more than what he'd ever wish for anyone. No one liked to deal with Loki in such a state, let alone keep him like that for too long.

"Whoever's capable of moulding but an inch of Loki's character for good… Will have my total admiration until the end of times" He proclaimed almost ironically, sighing in disbelief, not being able to repress one last snort at the thought.

***

The trip to the cerberi's den was long and rough. The three-headed canines lived deep in the western forest, and to get there, the round trip usually took a whole day to make. Sarthi knew this very well before offering the prince to accompany her. She thought of a task that could keep her busy for the whole day; that would probably be less draining than having to jump from one chore to another while having to supervise his work at all times. Because at the end of the day, that was what she was supposed to do: keep an eye on him; make sure he worked his ass off, like his life depended on it.

To get to their destination, they had to go through the easter forest, cross the Naiad's River, and finally get to the foothills of Bor's Mountain. It wasn't an unknown route to her, but she doubted the God of Mischief was familiar with the area as thoroughly as she was. True, she supposed he might've gone hunting in these woods like any royal would do, but that didn't mean he knew them as well as she did. All he had to do was follow her, but she'd appreciate it if he did it in silence.

"Has anyone ever told you you're short for an Asgardian?" She heard from behind. Loki had settled for a consistent pace a few steps behind her, something that nagged her for multiple reasons. She found it very unsettling to hear another set of footsteps crackling leaves behind her, it made her think she was being followed. It also made her slightly anxious that she wasn't able to look at him. There was a possibility he could conjure one of his many bizarre magic tricks and catch her off guard; she was expecting that too, at any moment.

"Maybe you've got some dwarf blood in you, who knows…" He trailed off in response to her silence. "I wouldn't be surprised, honestly, it seems fitting: all this… handiwork you busy yourself with, definitely dwarf genes". He finished with a snicker that made Sarthi roll her eyes all the way back to her skull with a huff, she could almost picture his cocky gesturing as he talked. The girl tried her hardest to remain unprovoked by his comments. "And let's not even talk about your disposition: that temper of yours is one of a dwarf without a doubt, I'm sure you've been told more than once".

"I don't have a bad temper by default if that's what you're suggesting". Out of all the miscellaneous topics the prince had tried to make a conversation of, this one was finally getting hard to avoid. Sarthi had nothing against dwarves, but she'd do anything to enjoy some of the forest's stillness for a few moments, even if that meant answering him back to quiet him. "And if by "handiwork" you mean, keeping this whole thing running," She made a gesture with her hands to acknowledge their surroundings "then I think it's a poor choice of words; it's more than just handiwork".

"Can you believe it" Sarthi could hear the feigned surprise in Loki's tone "at last, the woman speaks!" She repressed the urge to roll her eyes again, trying to focus on the figures the tree's shadows casted on the ground; or the chirping of the birds; or the distant rumour of the river. Sadly, it was all in vain. "You know it's an enormous offense to turn your back to a member of the royal family, and you've been doing so since this morning." Loki trailed off, unamused. "And let's not bring up that you've been ignoring me for the whole time too, which is considerably rude, since I've done nothing but obediently follow you to wherever we're going. Don't you think you could at least be nice and polite, and engage in a proper conversation?"

Sarthi sighed for the millionth time that morning, running a hand through her hair. This was going to be a very, very, long day, and she hadn't even gotten through half of it yet. "I don't want to talk". She retorted, her head slightly turning towards his voice. "I like the silence".

"You like the silence" the prince mirrored jokingly, shaking his head in disbelief. "And why is that? Maybe spending too much time with beasts deteriorated your eloquence?" He replied with a smirk. Making the girl finally give in to answer him was the first step to finding out what made her click. If she stopped avoiding him now, gaining her favour would smoothly come along next.

"No, I like the silence because I find your desperate attempts to converse extremely irritating." She replied exasperated. "I didn't ask you to come along to keep me entertained, if that's what you're trying to do". She balled her fists at her sides while her feet started stomping through the fallen leaves, hoping his insistence would finally wear off.

"Why would I possibly want to entertain you, woman? Maybe I'm the one who wants to be entertained. Ever thought of that? An ingenious conversation is the least you could humour me with". The slight growl of disgust in his words made her cringe at the same time a spark of amusement rose in her chest. She looked up at the treetops, taking in the way different flowers began to bloom in some of their branches. She tried to look smug. "Why does Loki avoid the silence so desperately?" She then turned her head again sightly, though still not looking at him. "Does it remind him of his solitude?" She finished with a smirk, two could play this game.

There a was a pause for a moment that lasted a bit too long for the rhythm their bickering was going at. Calling him a loner might've been going too far. Though Sarthi thought her aggressive backlash would make him remain silent. How naïve of her. "No. It reminds me that I'm stuck walking into nowhere with a witless dwarf that knows nothing but to disrespect her prince." Much to her enjoyment, she could once again hear the bother in his tone. The sound of rushing water in the riverbed was now only a few minutes away, and Sarthi hoped that getting to cross it would make the situation come to an end.

"A prince, you say?" She asked rhetorically while pushing some overgrown ferns aside as she left the forest's path. "I don't see any around here." Sarthi smirked at the end, now looking ahead to the river that flowed in front of them. The God of Mischief simply snorted behind her, or at least that was what he pretended to sound like, though it came out as a huff, unable to hide his discontent. Her audacity was starting to get on his nerves.

"You will see one if you keep testing my patience". He warned her before walking the few steps that separated their distance and stood beside her in front of the riverside. Loki looked down to her braided head just in time for Sarthi to redirect her eyes to meet his fuming glare. The groundskeeper crossed her arms on her chest as she turned slightly, widening the space between them. "What part of "you're not in a position to threaten me" you didn't understand yesterday?" That was the first time that day she'd looked at him directly. She searched his face with a very rehearsed menacing expression, slightly shaking her head in annoyance. "I don't have to be nice or polite for you to respect me". She then turned towards the river once again and without thinking twice, she stepped inside.

Loki looked at the picture in front of him, flabbergasted. How the water engulfed her body as she dipped her right arm up to her shoulder to rummage the bottom of the river. He could still not believe how clueless he was about the events happening today. One minute they were walking non-stop through the forest and a second later she was waist-deep inside a river. A moment later she pulled out a long, thick rope covered in seaweed and several clinging shells, signalling it had probably been underwater for a long time now. Sarthi looked back at the staring God, still standing outside.

"No, there's no bridge if that's what you're implying". His dumbstruck expression and raised eyebrows might've given him out. "The naiads in this river bargained with the locals to refrain them from building one". He watched as the girl stood straight and slightly raised the rope for him to take it as well. It took him a good number of seconds to take the hint and step into the river as well. He grimaced as he felt the cold water flooding into his boots and wetting his socks and pants, again. Soaked twice in less than a day, delightful. His only comfort was noting how the river's depth only reached him mid-thigh whilst half of the groundskeeper's body remained covered in water. She struggled to walk in long strides and grabbed the thick rope like a vice in order to not get dragged by the strong stream.

Crossing it shouldn't take more than fifteen steps, but more than once he thought he'd caught her foot slipping. He so wished to see her dipping down all the way to the bottom. It didn't happen though. The moment they reached the other bank he watched as she sat down on the grass and pulled out her boots, stockings inside included. She then tied them together and swung them around her shoulder before rolling up her pants to her knees and resuming their walk.

***

The conversation had died down after crossing the river. Nothing could be heard aside from the faint "watch out" coming from Sarthi whenever they stumbled upon a weirdly shaped rock in the way or particularly deep crack on the soil. Loki sure felt offended by the treatment; she spoke as if he'd never set foot on a forest before, it was irritating to say the least.

Midday passed in silence, their footsteps being the only witness of their presence in the forest. The God of Mischief remained walking behind her. He'd mimicked her doing and now his heavy boots hung from his left shoulder, though he wasn't fond of the feeling of soil and dried leaves sticking to his feet. Nevertheless, it was better than walking with soggy socks encaged in wet boots. He tried to busy himself looking around absentmindedly, noticing how the scenery slowly changed around them: the bushy woods had now given way to an open field that extended into what he recognised as the foothills of Bor's mountain.

"Where are we going?" He then dared to ask, hoping the answer wouldn't come with a side of defiance. "I told you this morning, how come you can't listen?". He'd been wrong. "You've dragged me all the way here, wanting to know where you're taking me is rather reasonable, don't you think?" He growled with annoyance; his palms raised in defeat.

"The cerberi's den. It's at the foothill of the mountain". She didn't stop walking, the girl simply pointed out in the distance, signalling what he assumed was the location they were headed to. "And no, I didn't "drag" you here. On the contrary, I offered you to come, and you followed".

"It was a rather pushy request. Is it inside the mountain?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, though there was no way she'd see that, since the groundskeeper didn't even have the decency to look at him when she talked.

"Yes." She started, her pace slowing down as she spoke "The rock's composition… makes the mountain a natural temperature stabiliser for the animals living inside of it. It keeps them warm in winter and chilly in summer." She turned for a brief second to find the God listening intently, much to her surprise. "Besides, cerberi rarely leave their pack and they're not very friendly towards other creatures. There weren't many places to keep them all together." Sarthi took a moment to pat her pockets and check if she carried all she needed in her belt. "Allfather wanted to keep them far away from the rest of species."

They got to their destination faster than what Loki thought. The green grass in the fields swooshed calmly with the summer breeze; he even noticed a cicada or two crawling up the tallest wheat sprouts. It was relaxing, he even dared to consider appreciating the beauty of it, had his feet been clean and his boots dry. He glimpsed towards a set of trees strategically placed at the margins of the fields that slowly came to vision the more they approached it. Behind it, a grove hid what he assumed it must be the hiding place for the canines.

Sarthi then stopped in her tracks only a few steps away from reaching the edge of the prairie, and turned towards him again, she seemed calmer this time, carefully untying what looked like a sachet and looking inside, checking its contents. "I'm guessing you've never been near a Cerberus before". She began, her eyes turning up look at him in the face. "I know they have three heads, and that they were gifted to Bor as a peace treaty between Hel and Hades' domains". He ran a hand through his dark locks as he tried to recall the last time he'd seen such a creature in flesh. The only images his head could conjure were the ones he'd seen in bestiaries stored in the library: imposing, gigantic dogs, with teeth as long as spears and fearsome eyes that reflected the fire Hades' kingdom was swallowed in.

"Don't make any rough movements". She then proceeded to reach out and yank away the pair of boots hanging from his shoulders, her own pair following behind, and setting them on a pile on the ground. "Hey" he began, knotting his brow annoyed, but she cut him off before he could keep going. "Stay behind me; and stay calm". Sarthi's tone turned even more serious if that was possible. "Cerberi's sense of smell can be extremely sharp: if you're anxious, or scared, or in distress, they will know. That may give you away as an easy prey, and I don't want to go back having to explain why you died dismembered".

"A dog with three heads will not dismember me, much to your disappointment." He replied sarcastically as he slitted his eyes. "No. They won't as long as they don't notice your smell". She retorted with a light sneer, turning around, and making a beeline towards the grove. Loki furrowed his eyebrows confused as he followed her "My smell? What about my smell?" He asked as he grabbed a fistful of the shirt he wore and brought it to his nose to sniff it. If this was her attempt on commenting on his odour one more time… "I gave you my clothes yesterday, so that'll help for the time being." She cut his train of thoughts, making him stop in his tracks to bring the shirt to his nose a second time. He couldn't smell anything. "But cerberi are not dumb. They'll notice eventually that you're not me. You're just an intruder who's wearing my scent." The same puzzled expression he had on as he observed her getting waist-deep in the river settled on his face once again.

The closer they got to the opening of the cave, the stronger the stench got. The place smelled of rotting flesh and faeces, and it only got more tangible when he started to step on what felt like tiny pieces of bones under his bare feet. "Oh, Norns, this is disgusting!" The back of a hand slapped his arm to stop him from whining out loud any further. "Shh" the groundskeeper brought a finger to her lips as she turned to hiss at him "Be quiet, I'm serious".

"I know you are, no need to swear on it, Hel". He replied nonchalantly as their pace slowed down to furtive footsteps. Loki then noticed the rhythmic rumbling and the hot, stinking breeze emerging from the hollow of the rock. The cerberi slept, and snored, but that did not stop the girl from stepping inside the cavity in the mountain. She turned around once again to check if the God remained behind, and Loki, refusing to be seen as a coward, advanced a few quick steps inside as well.

"I can't see anything". He whispered loudly, holding onto the rock wall for leverage as they walked a few metres inside. The stench only got stronger, and he gagged in disgust as he tried to ignore the slimy texture of the soil his bare feet were stepping on. They were now deep enough in the cave that the light coming from outside didn't help his eyes to make out shapes or forms. The only thing he could distinguish in the dark was the back of the girl's braided hair and the tingling of her loaded belt as she walked in front of him. But then she stopped, and he'd only known for the way he'd bumped into her when trying to take another step ahead. Loki quickly receded a few steps back, unsure of what was going on.

Next thing he heard was a gentle whistle coming from the groundskeeper, a three-tone melody that she entuned softly three times before raising what it looked like a hand, whispering back to him "Stay where you are". Just a moment later, the soft snoring he could hear from the depths of the cave turned into cracked yawns, just before the soil under his feet started to shake and vibrate with the rhythm of heavy paws approaching them. "She's coming over" the girl whispered calmly, though he sensed what felt like contained excitement in her tone. The sound of heavy breathing flooded his ears as the footsteps got closer and closer, and the reverb only got more pronounced, signalling it should be a rather heavy animal.

Loki swallowed silently: six red, blinking orbs appeared in front of them. They glowed like fireballs, lighting up the little crevices and edges of the rock surrounding them. As they got closer, he started to tell apart the wrinkles and colours of the snouts under them; then it came the ears; and the upper body; and finally: when the creature stopped in front of them, its sharp claws and black fur. The animal's breathing was strong enough to sweep away those short bits of hair that clung to his forehead, and before he could try to make out what the stench of its breath was composed of, he noticed the groundskeeper raising her open palms to the beast's nose.

"Hello, my sweet girl" she whispered giddily, the smile clear in her voice. "It's me again". The God of Mischief observed with anguish as she let the animal sniff her palms, just to drag its multiple snouts down her neck and upper body. What he wasn't expecting was for the Cerberus to open its mouths, baring shiny, ivory fangs, and jutting out their three tongues to attack her face with kisses. He'd already seen too many things today, but a three-headed monster licking the groundskeeper's face just like a lap dog would do was not something he was expecting. She made a squeaky sound at the feeling of the animal's wet tongue touching her skin, but still managed to giggle all the way through. That was, until one of the beast's head stopped on its tracks, rotating its head directly to where he stood behind her.

The creature stopped the affectionate licks, and their snouts twitched instinctively. In the blink of an eye the three heads hovered over him, purposefully sniffing him up and down. Loki shut his eyes with strength and stood as still as he could: trying to remain calm and collected after seeing the fangs the creature hid inside its mouth was more challenging than he expected. For a few seconds, the sniffling sound the beast made was the only thing he could hear, but a rumbling growl slowly started to come out of the Cerberus' throats the more it sniffled his body. That was a bad signal. He looked at the girl from the corner of his eye, and he noticed how she was cautiously observing the scene unfolding in front of her. "Don't speak" she hissed at his side. "You're fine, don't move".

That didn't help. The beast's growls only got louder at the same time it bared its fangs, taking a step back to eye him up. He had to do something, or the cerberus would have him for dinner. He wished he had his daggers with him, but no, they had to be locked up and under a gatekeep spell inside his chambers. He balled his fists at his sides, feeling his seidr boiling through his veins and concentrating with a tingle on his fingertips. A faint green light started glowing inside the cave and mixing with the red glow the creature's eyes gave off. "Loki, stop". He heard the girl whisper once again. "And let it bite me? You wish." The cerberus barked, a deafening howling sound that pierced through his ears like a shard of glass. He hissed as he lifted his left hand, green sparks now coming out of his fingertips and lighting the hollow in the rock.

Before he could make any other movement, the woman ran to stand between him and the animal, arms raised up in defeat. "He's okay!" She whispered to the creature; eyes raised up to meets its glowing orbs. "He won't hurt you, he's with me!" The beast seemed to react to the sound of her voice, instantly toning down the aggressive growling and closing her mouth, hiding her teeth. "There, that's it". She then raised her hands to caress the middle head tenderly, stroking the fur on its head and face, before scratching behind her ears. The middle head quickly resumed its licking while it happily hummed at the treatment, though the left and right head still ogled askance at the man standing behind her.

"Don't ever do that again" the woman stated sternly as she caressed away the creature's hostility. Loki furrowed his brow as he grimaced "It was ready to attack me, in case you didn't notice". The groundskeeper turned her head to the sound of his voice and retorted "She was scared. I told you to not move".

"You really expect me to stand still in front of this… thing?" The girl crouched to the floor, taking one of the beasts' gigantic paws with both of her hands and placing it on top of her knee. Then, she pulled a pair of what looked like giant iron clippers out of that stuffed tool belt and started to chip away at the claws and cleaning them with a cloth attached to her hip. "You can't appear menacing in their presence, it's much worse than showing yourself vulnerable". She commented while she moved to another paw. "If you can't listen to my instructions, I'll send you back to the pens, is that what you want?" She then looked up at him, brows raised expectantly.

"Oh, this is ridiculous" Loki huffed, turning in his heels, and backtracking his steps in the dark towards the cave's entrance. "Stop!" He heard the girl shout from behind. He didn't, he kept walking, following the light that led him outside. "Loki, come here!".

"Let her plead", he thought. He was tired of this girl's temper. He wasn't going to be bossed around for any longer. Why would he bend down to a woman he could kill with a snap of his fingers? "I'll send you back to the pens", what would Thor's friends think if they saw him in such a place? Bile rose to his throat as he snarled angrily, shaking his head in denial. This couldn't be happening to him. He refused to believe this was his life now. His train of thoughts stopped with the howl of the Cerberus roaring close to his ears a second time, making him turn around and raise his arms to cover his face instinctively. The centre head of the animal was suddenly at mere inches from his face, and the girl stood by its side, a blank expression on her face.

"Hold up your hands." She spoke in a soft voice as she stroked the animal's back, looking intently at Loki's movements. "Slowly" she added, observing as the God of Mischief followed her orders. Daylight seeped inside the cave at the distance they stood, and their silhouette cut through the rays of sunshine that entered the cavity. In this light, Loki could now tell apart the different textures in the animal's face and body: the pointy ears, and the red irises that adjusted to the brightness. He did as he was told, and held up his hands, palms up, trying to appear harmless, his brows slanting downwards with genuine fear. The beast resumed its sniffling once again, this time concentrating in his palms and neck. He grimaced at the feeling, finding it revolting, but remained silent as his pupils followed the dog's movements. When the animal was done getting acquainted with his smell, it took a step back, not growling this time.

"You'll find out eventually" the groundskeeper started, petting the Cerberus' right head tenderly, though her voice was still severe "that not every untamed beast is a threat". The God remained silent, glaring at the pair. "Come back in" she added, her voice a tad softer this time. "I still need to check on the rest of the pack."

***

Johann could not believe the sight in front of him: Sarthi, accompanied by who might have been her killer, walking towards the stables. And were they talking? He hoped she was acknowledging the prince's presence only to order him to do something. He'd been looking around for his boss the whole day, where had she gone? And why was she putting herself in such danger? If he could spare her the burden to talk to Loki, why would she do it herself? Why would she risk her life once more? He'd seen with his very own eyes, what that wretch was capable of doing, why would she even dare to come near him?

"Sarthi!" He exclaimed, walking with long steps towards the stable's doors, trying to read the banished prince's lips to no use. "Sarthi" he called out from afar, seeing the girl's face turn to his voice.

"Johann" She smiled at the sight of him "Any good news?" She tilted her head in a questioning gesture.

"Why- Why is he... y-you" He stuttered for a moment, astounded by the calmed atmosphere. "Where were you I've been looking for you the whole day!" He finally managed to blurt out.

"Why? Did something happen?" her eyes opened in concern and searched around the field, unsure of where to look at.

"No, I mean… Yes! Something definitely happened: he happened!" Johann shamelessly pointed towards the dark-haired God that had been observing their interaction with an impassive expression. "Watch your next words, kid" the prince threatened, arms crossing on his chest.

"I told you… Y-you don't have to personally deal with him! We can take care of that for you!" Johann was not even faced by the God's words, he didn't even look at him, focused on just listening to what her boss had to say.

"We both heard what Odin said". Sarthi began, raising her brows in an acknowledging expression "If it's my duty, I'd rather stop avoiding it."

"It doesn't have to be just your duty, we're here to help, remember?" Johann's voice sounded agitated; he didn't understand why she would risk her life in such a way.

"But it is my duty, Johann. It's what the Allfather commanded. The sooner I tackle it, the better for everyone." She simply answered, patting him in the shoulder for reassurance, before looking back at Loki. He stood unmoved, observing between the two of them, eyes slitted in focus, curious about the conversation.

"It's been a long day. We've visited the Cerberi" Sarthi added after a few seconds, nursing the side of her neck. "I'm going home now, see you tomorrow Johann". That being said, the groundskeeper turned around and headed towards her house, not even caring to address the prince.

That left Johann with no choice but to throw a murderous glare in Loki's direction, having now to directly address him, just like he'd been doing in more than one occasion for the past week. Johann, as naïve as it could sound, wasn't scared of Loki. Sure, anyone would believe him a fool for standing proudly and with his head high in front of the former royal, and such a behaviour didn't come unnoticed by his peers. But Johann firmly believed on the promise of Odin's protection when handling Loki in his punishment.

The young stable boy relished in the feeling he got from seeing the banished prince struggle with his new reality. He would do anything to let the prince know that: From disgust glares to snarled commands, and even mocking his attempts at manual labour every now and then. Anyone would think that Johann was out of his mind, and many were expecting a comeback on the Loki's behalf, sooner than later. But so far, all he'd gotten had been silence and indifference. However, he had to protect Sarthi from Loki. He would ensure she had his revenge, and while he was at it, he would have his own too.

"I will be watching you closely" he said through gritted teeth, pointing at Loki's face. The God merely chuckled as he started walking towards the stables "I've no doubt of it, Johannes."