"The Talk"

The dome-like structure was not far from their spot. They walked through the twisting garden pathway, smiling and nodding at the habitants while Loki paced their ecstatic screams by telling them that he was in a rush to meet the Master Mage. Her parents were analysing the huge metal doors which guarded the temple inside. There were many guards standing outside the gate at equal distance, just as Nevaeh had seen outside the palace of Asgard. Nevaeh glanced behind to watch the servant Thor halt near a cow, apparently preparing himself to milk it by his royal hands and she slapped a hand over head. Loki was enjoying every moment of this and he was positive that if he were really here, instead of an illusion, Nevaeh would've repeatedly nagged him about the role he had assigned to his beloved brother.

The sky long gates opened themselves with a heavy creaking noise. They stepped inside to watch a huge, golden fountain right in its middle. Loki was narrating the entire structure. He told them how the fountain's water came from the spring they'd passed by earlier. Two semi-circular pathways around the fountain led the way into the temple, soon opening into a wide tunnel. A bunch of guards were standing straight and unmoving inside the tunnel's path in the same rigid manner. He saw her father nod approvingly at their over-all appearances and alertness. They passed through many door and passages while Loki pointed here and there, telling them what happens where as they walked straight ahead.

'I feel a lot of magic here. Is the place magical, the structure, or the people?' asked a puzzled Ariel. Loki hastily went a few steps ahead to walk next to her.

'It's all of those, ma'am. The entire perimeter is guarded by protective spells and charms performed by the mages themselves. This is us.' Loki gestured towards an ancient door opposite the tunnel. It opened itself to reveal a huge, spherical room which was dimly lit with innumerable candles. They slowly stepped inside and felt warmth on their bodies as a fire crackled adjacent to them inside a square, stone pit.

'Loki, my boy,' a familiar voice called from a corner.

Nevaeh tilted her head, clapping a hand over her mouth and suppressing a gasp as she saw another familiar man stand in front of them wearing lavish gold and red robes. 'My heart breathes relief after your return. You had us worried. And you, little one, I thank you for keeping him safe,' he added, looking at Nevaeh with a thin smile on his face. Nevaeh blinked at Odin, disguised as a wise Master who had both his eyes, and she was lost for words.

'Master Mage, this is Nevaeh,' Loki said as Odin came near them and gestured them to take a seat on huge chairs next to the fireplace. 'And these are her parents; Ariel and Samuel Queen.'

'It's a pleasure to meet you,' Samuel said bowing a little as he halted near a chair opposite the Mage's desk.

'Likewise,' said Odin.

Nevaeh was still blinking at him, sitting down in silence as her psychological mind started brainstorming over why Loki chose his father's appearance for this particular job. She squinted at the other Loki sitting next to her in a chair and then glanced at Odin, who, according to her suspicion, wasn't a mere illusion, but was the real Loki disguised as Odin. Nevaeh narrowed her eyes as though she were taking a look at a suspect in some murder-case. Odin winked at her in the slightest, making her laugh a little out of the sudden. Her parents shot her disapproving looks and she quickly cleared her throat.

'I am so happy that we are finally here. I have heard a lot about the temple. Loki has told me many incredible stories,' Nevaeh smiled, lying through her teeth because the temple never existed for him to tell her any of such stories in the first place.

Odin smiled warmly at her. 'Really? Care to share one of those?'

Nevaeh stared at his elderly yet still visibly mischievous face with mild annoyance. Her parents shifted in their seats to look at their daughter, clearly expecting her to say something.

'Sure, why not,' she said, eyeing him with subtle danger. She retold them the time when a minuscule Loki refused to cut his hair and asked a "friend" to create an illusion to hide that fact, just leaving out the part where his mother cut it for him later. Loki internally scoffed as he heard her story, feeling slightly crestfallen because he was expecting her to try and invent a new, wild one and fail miserably while doing so. Soon her parents wanted to know all about their teachings and the Master was keen on answering their questions with humongous details, pleasing her parents' expectations.

'—and such training for a brave girl like yourself, it would be a gift for humanity,' he finished smilingly. Loki noticed that her parents exchanged slightly anxious expressions with each other but quickly smiled when they saw him, Odin, staring at them.

'Of course it would, we – we have no doubt,' Ariel said hastily.

'Child, place both your hands over – this.' Odin drew a square outline by his finger on the wooden table which shined a thin gold. Nevaeh glanced at Odin for any signs of explanation but none came, so she slowly placed her hands inside the outline with a hint of uncertainty. Odin dramatically closed his eyes while raising his eyebrows and the outline grew brighter, making her parents' tad nervous.

'Ah, an extensive witch; well-rehearsed in the mystic arts of defensive magic. A profound healer, capable of healing nature; trees, birds, fierce creatures, and people. Yet considers herself to be inadequate in the same area. Practices non-verbal spells and has the brilliance of transforming a few verbal charms into non-verbal ones. You are quite the inventor, aren't you?' Odin finished the last question as he finally opened his eyes and glanced wisely at a humbly smiling Nevaeh who was sitting with her palms inside the outline. Loki glanced at Nevaeh's parents who were for some reason tightly clutching hands while staring at Odin with considerably blank expressions on their faces.

'Well, they are handy, especially on Earth because we don't perform visible magic in front of anybody,' said Nevaeh, slowly withdrawing her hands after an approving nod from Odin, or the real Loki, or the way she was referring to him in her mind; Lodin.

'Yes, because Earth isn't used to having many wizards residing on their planet. Speaking of which, why don't you leave us alone for a while? Let the adults talk for some time,' Odin said wisely.

The other Loki stood up when Nevaeh opened her mouth to speak and gestured her to walk with him outside. She grudgingly got up from the chair, and headed out of the chamber with her parents breathing a sigh of relief that she did as she was told without being a smart-mouth.

The door shut behind them as soon as they stepped a foot outside the chambers. Nevaeh sharply glanced behind; she couldn't hear a single sound from inside the room. She quickly pulled out her wand and pointed it towards the door as though Loki wasn't even present there.

'What are you doing?' Loki asked.

'I want to hear what they're talking about,' she said. Nevaeh frowned heavily, analysing the tip of her wand once as her charm did not penetrate the door. She prodded the door with her wand. Loki's eyes flickered for a moment and he quickly went near her.

'Don't do that! You are distracting me!' he snapped.

'So? You are just standing there anyway,' Nevaeh said, now sharply flicking her wand towards the door making him mildly alarmed.

'No – not me! The one inside! You are distracting him!' Loki snapped.

'Oh,' she said apologetically, 'I am sorry. Let me try something less distracting.'

'Look, you need answers, and I am getting them for you. I told you to go outside because your parents will never open up in front of you,' he said, leaning next to a pillar.

'But why won't you let me listen through the door?' she asked.

'The – the doors', the entire structure is impenetrable. I have nothing to do with that,' Loki lied.

Inside the chamber, Odin was staring at her parents with a blank expression on his face and her parents were staring back at him. The only sound echoing inside was that of the fire crackling merrily inside the stone pit. He had innumerable questions in his mind but he wanted to approach them with caution. With restraint...