08: Odin’s thoughts

"How dare you look at us!" yelled a drunken man. He and three other men surrounded a lying little girl and kicked her in the ribs.

The little girl had her face hidden by an old hood. She was lying in a retracted position, like a beaten dog, her entire body hurting. A small coin was hidden in her hands. She would do anything to protect it!

Even through all the pain, the little girl did not shed any tears, for hope bloomed in her heart.

After five minutes of constant kicking, the four men walked away while spitting on the girl.

The little girl's body bled, but she still stood up and began running toward a small shop. The girl was small for her age, and her body showed malnutrition. Some of her ribs were broken making her spit blood.

Her clothes were old, reeking, and torn apart. She did not have the money to buy better ones.

Hell, the coin in her hands was the only money she had, and it originally didn't even belong to her.

After thirty minutes of slow walking, because of her broken ribs, she arrived in front of a small old shop with flowers on the front.

She went in and asked for medicine.

Yes, the money wasn't for her. It was for her ill dad, that took care of her all alone during her small life. Once again, she didn't have enough money to buy herself or her father something to eat.

Pain and hunger were now an old friend of hers.

—(Line Break)—

(Odin's Pov)

My second son is a genius. No, even the term genius might be an understatement to define him. While, as his father, I may be biased, I know that this is the truth.

It was something I never expected as I adopted a Frost Giant.

My two sons are like the sun and moon, light and darkness, day and night. One had the heroism and goodwill of a hero, while the other one had the intelligence and cunningness of a villain. Thor is blond with blue eyes, the complete opposite of Loki, who had midnight-black hair with emerald, green eyes—as his Asgardian form.

One is a genius fighter, while the other one is a monster at using magic.

An absolute monster.

He took his studies like a fish in a pond.

At 15 years old he started advanced studies, while talented and determined Asgardians just begin to learn things. And Loki wanted to start even earlier. His mother had, however, managed to calm his thirst through books and spells.

In a matter of a few years, he had achieved more than most genius Asgardians could ever hope to achieve in half a millennium's time.

He learned ever faster than short-lived races like Midgardians!

We, Asgardians, and other long-lived races need more time to grow up and learn things. But he is different. He continuously became better at everything he tried. When I asked him about that, he answered,

"The grind never stops."

Whatever this means.

Sometimes I have the feeling he was born already mature and apathetic. Which is impossible, except if he was a primordial entity, which he isn't. Loki always was aware of his surroundings. But even though he was already mature, he still grew even more in the past few years that he was with us.

His eyes hold twinkles of obscure knowledge.

'I would never fully trust someone, for there is always the possibility of them betraying me in my mind' that phrase was said by Loki when he was only ten years old!

How could someone that had grown up in peace and prosperity hold such a view?

Loki was strange. He was always distant, his emotions like a waveless ocean. He did not feel much. Frigga, his friends, Thor, Heimdall, and I are the only person that can procure him a speck of emotions.

You could tell him that an entire galaxy had just been submitted to slavery, and he would respond with a nonchalant "ok".

But despite that, we all loved him. He was funny and caring—only for us.

I wonder if he will ever find someone to love. As I asked him that, he answered that magic was his one and only crush.

He was such a talented person that even Thor, filled with divinity from birth, couldn't hold a candle to him in matters of divinity. And he wasn't even born with one! He should have immense difficulties in awakening his divinity.

But no, he would soon awake it.

I once foolishly thought that Loki would only master illusions. Oh, how wrong I was!

Loki not only used illusion in masterful and ingenious ways, but he also mastered a vast variety of spells—especially for his age.

He can summon all the elements and hold with his telekinesis things weighing more than tons.

There are many types of magic, some coming from the deepest part of the soul, while some coming from the universe itself. Loki, however, prefers using his mind and called it his most powerful weapon.

Despite being an absolute prodigy in magic, Loki didn't abstain from training his body. While not on the level of Thor—who has been pushed to his limit because of Loki's exponential growth—he is still much stronger than he should be.

To my greatest fortune, he chose the best weapon there is—the spear. Thor mastered many weapons, but his favorite is the hammer, probably because of Mjolnir.

Those two weapons really defined their distinct personalities. Thor with the hammer, using brute force, while Loki with the spear, a weapon needing control and balance.

Loki also learned many other things, but what he did not like took more time. He was interested in the universe and all its secrets, but he didn't like history that much.

And now, he stood before me, waiting to receive his final test before getting into the field. He was only 50 years old, but he was going to do what Asgardians only begin at 200 years old.

If he passed the test that I had made, then he would go to the battlefield as a commander and start his training to become an excellent king. There his life will be completely different, and I only hope it won't change him too much.

After all, he will have the fate of planets in his hands.

A.N: tommorow is my birthday so idk if I will be able to upload.

Powerstones and Reviews would be a great birthday gift! Thank you all for reading