368

Harrokin

"What—"

Lorelei initially screamed and recoiled, but quickly composed herself and whispered faintly, "Harrokin, stop."

Upon hearing her soft plea, Harrokin's fierce gaze softened briefly. His aggressive stance halted abruptly, freezing in place for a moment.

"Stop right there, don't move..." Lorelei repeated, then turned and hurriedly fled, clutching her skirt as she disappeared around a nearby corner.

Harrokin's expression flickered, then he regained his composure—or rather, his consciousness.

"You bitch, I won't let you get away!" His eyes blazed with anger and fury once more as he gave chase in Lorelei's direction.

After a brief pursuit, he spotted a blonde woman facing him, seemingly Lorelei, who made no attempt to escape.

Without hesitation, Harrokin leaped forward with his battle axe in hand, roaring, "Prepare to die!"

The blonde woman startled, swiftly raising her hands. An unseen force surged forth, halting Harrokin mid-leap and deflecting the blow of his battle axe.

Before Harrokin could strike again, she called out urgently, "Stop! What are you doing?"

"Hmph, I'll kill you, just as I did Haldo! You and he deserve no less!" Harrokin growled.

"Haldo?" The blonde woman was taken aback, then realized, "You're mistaken. I'm not Lorelei; I'm her sister."

Harrokin furrowed his brow upon hearing this, scrutinizing the blonde woman closely.

Soon, he noticed enough differences in appearance and attire to confirm she wasn't Lorelei.

"Where is your sister?" Harrokin ceased his attack, though his tone remained hostile. "If you're covering for her, I won't spare you."

"I've heard about Lorelei and Haldo. Seems you're quite the ardent admirer of Sif," Amora remarked, smiling faintly.

"This doesn't concern you!" Harrokin snapped irritably, grabbing her collar. "Tell me where Lorelei is, or you'll meet Haldo's fate!"

Amora seemed poised to resist when her expression suddenly changed. "You killed Haldo?"

"Yeah, his blood is still warm on this axe," Harrokin declared, shaking the bloodied weapon. "That's what he gets for betraying Sif."

Amora stared at the blood, momentarily stunned, then a small smile crept onto her lips.

A life lost—the certainty of Lorelei's predicament dawned on Amora, dispelling her earlier annoyance with Harrokin.

"I suggest you run for your life," Amora advised. "If you've killed one of your own and an innocent, Asgard won't take kindly to it. You'll face execution, with no one to intercede."

Asgard, a small realm with few inhabitants, operated on loose laws where punishment often hinged on the king's or public's will.

"Innocent?" Harrokin challenged. "You think Haldo was innocent?"

Amora clarified, "Yes, Lorelei has a way with men. Few realize it. Haldo betrayed Sif under her spell."

"I don't believe that—" Harrokin began, but the memory of his recent actions stopped him short. Could Lorelei truly possess such charm, as Amora suggested?

Did he act of his own will?

The realization struck Harrokin with panic, his impulsive emotions fading swiftly.

Amora used the moment to break free. "It seems you're starting to understand."

The more Harrokin contemplated, the more panicked he became—regret, guilt, and fear coalescing, sweat beading on his forehead.

With a clatter, his battle axe fell from trembling hands.

Harrokin looked up at Amora. "Does she really possess such power?"

"I do too, actually," Amora admitted, "but unlike my foolish sister, I don't abuse it. Need a demonstration?"

"No..." Harrokin acknowledged he had likely slain the wrong person, clenching his fists as his breath quickened. "Damn it, how could this happen!"

His thoughts shifted abruptly. "Forget it. Since it's done, I'll finish Lorelei off too!"

As he moved to retrieve his tomahawk, Amora interjected, "Where will you find her?"

"I—" Harrokin hesitated.

Amora continued, "Lorelei is my sister, but I don't mind you ending her. In fact, I'd relish seeing it."

"But understand, Heimdall will find you before you find Lorelei. There's no escape; death awaits you in Asgard."

Harrokin gripped his battle axe tightly, brow furrowed. "But I can't leave Asgard."

"I can help with that."

"You?" Harrokin eyed her skeptically.

"Come with me. We must hurry; Heimdall may already be searching for you," Amora said, leading the way.

They entered Landvety Forest, racing through it. Unexpectedly, they encountered a four-horned goat along the path.

Seeing the goat grazing peacefully nearby, Harrokin's expression turned complex. "I was supposed to be at the hunting festival. Looks like that's out... Damn Lorelei!"

"Don't worry. She won't fare well; she might be imprisoned for a millennium," Amora remarked, smiling faintly as they continued through the forest toward the shores of Marmora.

"Why are we here? Planning to swim the Sea of Marmora to flee Asgard?" Harrokin frowned.

"Of course not. Come with me, and you'll understand," Amora said, entering the sea and conjuring a bubble. "Get in."

With no other choice, Harrokin joined her in the bubble.

Instantly, the bubble submerged like a submarine, swiftly carrying them through the sea to a small island.

"There's a spatial passage here. You can leave Asgard through it," Amora explained, leading Harrokin into a cave.

Before long, a glowing tetrahedron materialized before them.

"Is this the spatial passage?" Harrokin exclaimed in surprise. "I had no idea this existed."

He scrutinized it, then turned to Amora. "Are you sure no one else knows about this place?"

"Absolutely," Amora affirmed.

However, at that moment, the tetrahedron flickered, and the upper body of a young man emerged from it.

He was slim, with shoulder-length black hair and a perpetually amused smile.

"Ah!" Amora startled at his sudden appearance, the two of them exclaiming simultaneously, nearly retreating from the tetrahedron.

Once calm returned, Amora stared at him incredulously. "Lo...His Royal Highness Loki?"

...

When Loki saw Amora and Harrokin together, he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned before smiling politely. "I didn't expect such liveliness today, haha."

As he was about to step out of the space tetrahedron, his expression changed. His gaze fixed on the bloodstains on Harrokin's battle axe.

Loki's smile froze briefly. As he looked up, his eyes locked with Harrokin's in mid-air.

Loki's eyes flickered momentarily, then he displayed determination and ruthlessness, reaching out to seize Loki.

Loki recoiled swiftly but was a step too slow. Harrokin grabbed his collar and yanked him out of the space tetrahedron.

"I apologize, Your Highness Loki!" Harrokin declared, raising his battle axe with the intent to strike Loki's head.

Loki didn't hesitate; forgetting his identity momentarily, he drew a dagger and aimed for Harrokin's eye.

"Stop!"

Amora intervened just in time, placing her hands firmly between them, her voice sharp and commanding.

Both Loki and Harrokin froze, their eyes momentarily clouded. They blinked as if awakening from a trance.

Amora seized the opportunity to separate them, and they both regained their senses.

Loki held another dagger defensively, eyeing Harrokin warily.

Harrokin prepared to attack again, prompting Amora to rebuke sharply, "Harrokin, have you lost your mind?"

"If I don't kill him, I'm as good as dead, and you won't fare much better!" Harrokin retorted coldly.

"If you kill him, Asgard will hunt you relentlessly, and Odin himself will take action," Amora's voice rose with agitation.

She had never expected to encounter Loki here. Now, torn between killing him or letting him go, she felt a pang of regret.

Loki remained silent for a moment before a smile tugged at his lips. "I don't need my father to intervene. I could contact Heimdall immediately if I chose. But I prefer not to expose the secret of this portal to Asgard. Although it seems I'm not the only one who knows of this place now."

Harrokin tightened his grip on his battle axe.

Loki studied him intently. "No doubt you killed someone to escape Asgard. I'm curious who it was."

Amora sighed. "He killed Haldo."

"Haldo?" Forseti was surprised. "You mean Sif's lover, Haldo?"

"Yes."

Loki smiled knowingly. "Betrayal rarely ends well. Harrokin, you've taught Asgard a valuable lesson."

Harrokin said nothing.

Amora fell silent, and the three stood in the cave, lost in thought.

Finally, it was Loki who broke the silence. "If each of you agrees to a condition, I'll consider today's events null."

"What conditions?" Amora asked.

Loki turned to Harrokin first. "Have you heard of..."

"What is it?" Harrokin frowned.

Amora interjected, "The Warlock's Eye is an ancient magical artifact, mentioned by my mentor."

"That's correct," Loki nodded. "Harrokin, I need your help to locate the Warlock's Eye."

Harrokin paused. "Where should I begin?"

Loki gestured toward the space tetrahedron. "This tetrahedron connects four realms: Vanaheim, Vanirheim, Midgard, and Muspelheim... The Warlock's Eye is believed to be in Muspelheim."

"Oh, and the other end of the portal leads to magma hotter than any other. Can you handle it?"

"Fine," Harrokin replied tersely.

"Good," Loki nodded, conjuring a faint magical rune between his hands. He explained, "This will mark you so I can find you, in case you decide to flee."

Harrokin hesitated but eventually consented, allowing Loki to place the magical mark on him.

"Very well," Loki clapped his hands. "I hope you find the Warlock's Eye swiftly in Muspelheim."

Turning to Amora, Loki pondered briefly before shaking his head. "I haven't decided yet. We'll discuss your role later."