Chapter 1.4 A New Beginning Part 4

Inhaling sharply, the young man's eyes widened in fear and he began to laugh nervously, locking eyes with Thor. "Drott! Don't let him kill me!"

Digging the tip of his dagger into the young man's neck hard enough to draw blood, Loki looked around at all of the men who had surrounded him, swords drawn. If he used his captive correctly, he could gain useful knowledge and determine what to do and where to go from here. "Where are you taking me?"

Thor's sword was already drawn, and he eyed the Jotun with newfound respect, shocked that he'd broken out of his bondages so easily. He'd tide the thick rope quite hard, and it wasn't easy to break out of his rope if he was the one tying it. "Release him, Loki. No harm will come to you if you do this."

"Ah. You know my name. That must mean you've been paid quite a large sum to give me to someone." He readjusted his hold on Leon, digging the dagger in closer to his throat. "I will not ask you again. Where are you taking me?"

"We are taking you to the kingdom of Muspelheim. King Surtr has paid us to take you to him." Answered Thor, choosing his words very carefully. "Now let Leon go."

Muspelheim. So that's where they were taking him. Muspelheim and Jotunheim were enemies, and it was surprising to hear that King Surtr would really be ready to go to war over someone like him. Of course, this was also one of the realms he did not want to go to, and hid his frown, his mind running a thousand miles a minute to form a plan B.

He couldn't allow himself to be taken there. "Why is he buying me? Am I to be a slave?"

"No," Murmured Thor, not missing the droplets of blood streaming down Leon's neck. "I was told that he wants you as a bride. Now if this is his actual plan I do not know, but I have told you all that I've been told."

Loosening his hold on Leon, Loki glared at all of the men, wanting them to fully understand that the next man that groped him or attempted to cause him harm would be killed. "If I am touched in such a lascivious fashion again, I will not hesitate to strike you dead. Is this understood by all of you?"

Thor's men all looked at him, so he nodded slowly, reassuring Loki of this. "No one will touch you without your permission, Loki. Now release Leon. I don't want to hurt you."

If Loki understood the arrangement correctly, Thor and his men were to deliver him to King Surtr unharmed in every way. That meant that this Aesir's words were an empty threat. Nevertheless, he released Leon, kicking him forward hard enough to bruise his ribs from the back. "I am not a cheap whore! I'll be dead in my grave before I let mongrels like you attempt to ravish me."

Thor caught Leon when Loki kicked him, the force of the kick causing them both to topple over to the ground. Leon groaned loudly and clutched at his ribs while coughing up blood, his breathing labored. "I-I think he broke one of my ribs, Drott!"

After kicking Leon, Thor's other men warily approached Loki, knowing that they couldn't hurt him, but not wanting to be so weak that they would be harmed themselves. "Drott? What should we do?"

He originally didn't think that Loki was this strong, and knowing that he was strong enough to break out of his bonds made Thor reevaluate their entire journey and how they would do it. He knew that Loki was a powerful sorcerer, and now that Loki was free and not gagged there was nothing stopping him from casting a dangerous spell.

He needed to restrain him.

"Don't touch him."

The pair stared off dangerously before Loki finally gave in, putting his dagger away with seidr, and raising his hands. He knew for a fact that he couldn't allow himself to be taken to Muspelheim, but he also didn't want to return to Jotunheim."If you tell me who you are, and where you're from, I won't kill you. If you promise to not touch me during the entire duration of our journey, then I will not touch you. I will bow my head and go willingly."

Thor didn't believe this for a second. "How are we supposed to believe you?"

Loki grinned dangerously then, a glint in his eye that made every man here uncomfortable. "If I didn't want to go with you, I would've killed you back at the palace when you kidnapped me. I know you've been following me for a month, and I have enough of an understanding about this situation to know that I can make demands that must be followed."

Thor was beginning to realize that Loki was unlike any other person he'd ever encountered, and frowned deeply, sword still drawn. "Why would you allow yourself to be kidnapped?"

Loki's grin only grew. "Ah-ah, captor. This isn't how this works. I'll only answer questions as long as you answer mine first."

Thor felt like he was in a mind game that he didn't know how to get out of, as if he told Loki the truth about himself, that didn't mean he would be able to get him and his men out of here alive. But if he lied, that could end up fucking him in the ass and screwing him and his men over.

From what he knew about Loki, he knew that the Jotun was a powerful sorcerer, and physically stronger than he originally believed him to be. He had no way of knowing if Loki had enchanted his voice, and every second that the niouvi spoke had Thor's heart racing. Time was of the essence, and if he didn't make a decision fast, he and his men's lives would be on the line.

Very carefully, Thor answered Loki, telling him what he wanted to hear without giving him too much information. "I am Thor, leader of Megin Vigr."

It was hearing this that made Loki's mind kick into overdrive. Thor was the leader of the most formidable guild in the realm, and this meant that he had the power and the ability to cause political unrest throughout the realm should he choose to do so.

Loki knew that he was priceless and that anyone who managed to gain him as a wife would be getting an upper hand that many could only dream of achieving in this life. Any children that came from him would be physically stronger and more mentally adept than those that came from a regular woman, and they'd have the potential to be extremely gifted at seidr. He was a powerful sorcerer as well, and beings like him weren't very common. Anyone that gained him on their side would gain power and protection beyond reason.

If he offered himself to the Aesir, he and Thor could both get what they wanted from each other. Thor would get god-tier children, protection for his settlement, and a power on his side that could overthrow kings. In return, Loki would receive his freedom, and the ability to truly work on ruling the entire realm with an iron fist.

He could see it now; he would be in Thor's ear and gain his trust, managing to convince him to work on conquering various kingdoms in this realm so that they could rule together.

Offering himself as a bride for free was something that Loki believed he would never do, but marrying Thor seemed to be the only way he could get what he wanted in this life, based on where he was right now. It was this plan that he decided to go forward with, choosing his next words very carefully.

"I have a proposal for you, Thor. Will you listen?"