Questions

Thor walked through the corridors of the palace, the book in his hands open as he read through its passage while also navigating his way back to his room. The book he was reading was a large tome upon enchantments and runic magic, something that particularly interested Thor due to its application to weaponry and the abilities it could gift him.

Some were basic enchantments that would allow one to summon their weapon to them at will no matter where it would be. Others included making a blade sharper, more durable, absorb the properties of what it slays and many other fun little extras that could make whatever he wielded just that bit more dangerous.

And unlike with most magics, runic magic came quite easily to him, well easier.

After all, it was just a matter of memorising the Norse Runes and what each one did in certain situations and how they reacted when inscribed a certain way. Then after that it was a simple matter of putting one plus one together.

Compared to things like Mind Magic and Illusions, it was fairly easy to understand once you had the basics down. But that was easier said and done with their being a number of runes that reacted in certain ways when paired with other runes or having a certain amount of magic put into them or inscribed a certain way. It was a complex art that could take years to fully master, but it was something he was interested in. Especially because there was effectively no limit to what he could accomplish with them after he learned the basics.

It was also something his brother Loki wasn't that interested in. He seemed more focused on illusions and using magic in offensive ways. Which Thor could admire as he too studied the offensive application of magic.

But that didn't mean that Thor entirely focused on that side of magic and instead, spent his time learning the supplementary side of magic as well.

"Have you heard the news, brother?" Speaking of his brother, out from the shadows stepped Loki, his minor illusion disappearing making him more visible. Like always, he loved to show off his superior skills in magic, which at one point in time annoyed Thor a little, mostly because it reminded him of how inept he was at said art.

But now he was indifferent to such displays.

Though his progress in magic was slow in comparison to Loki, Thor had seen progress. Sitting down and studying was not something he enjoyed, but he was working on it and he was seeing rewards because of that. His magical capabilities while small at this point in time were coming along nicely at a gradual pace. As his mother said, he was climbing a hill, struggling to take each step further up the hill but when he reached the top, it was all downhill from there. That was when he would see rapid progress.

"What news?" Thor asked, curious as to what would make Loki smile in such a way. It was not his usual mischievous smile that he gave when having set up an elaborate and humiliating prank, but instead a smile he gave when wanting Thor to ask questions, maybe tease him a little about the whole ordeal.

Loki gasped in mock astonishment. "You don't know?" He asked, feigning shock in such a way that would have convinced most people, but Thor knew Loki better. "My, oh my, I'm surprised you haven't it's such a hot topic, everyone is talking about it."

The emphasis on "everyone" told Thor that this was not the truth. This was not something he heard the guards or a few servants gossiping about. No, this was something Loki had come upon by sneaking around the palace, something his father had not yet revealed to Asgard. Which, meant his father wanted it kept secret for now, but Thor was far too curious to not want to know the truth.

"What is happening, Loki?" Thor asked, tired of his brother's usual antics.

"Oh, nothing really," Loki replied dramatically, walking down the corridor with Thor following behind, the book he had in his hands closed as he gave his full attention to his brother. "I just heard from one of the guards that King Rugga has decided to declare war against Asgard."

It took a few moments for the news to sink in and when it did, Thor quickly grabbed hold of Loki's shoulder and spun him around. "What do you mean?" Thor demanded as Loki looked at the hand gripping his shoulder tightly with a slight look of shock and for a moment, a flash of anger. It was a shocking thing to see in his usually smiling and carefree brother, enough so that Thor removed his hand.

"Exactly what I said, brother," Loki responded, turning his attention back to Thor as he did so. "King Rugga in his great wisdom has decided to declare war upon Asgard. Father is not pleased as it ruins all his carefully laid plans for the peace negotiations he was hoping to have and now many of them Jötnar tribes have decided to join with King Rugga."

Thor remained silent as Loki pried off his grip with a great deal of effort.

King Rugga was a respected King and warrior of Jötunheimr, belonging to the ancient race of Storm Giants that once inhabited Asgard before the arrival of the Aesir in the time of his great-grandfather, Buri. He remembered the history well, his grandfather had come beseeching the Storm Giants to allow the Aesir to build a great city.

The Storm Giants had accepted and once it had been constructed, more and more Aesir flooded into the city. Eventually, it became overcrowded and due to the Aesir being divided and with no clear ruler at the time, began to act independently.

Factions of Aesir Gods went to war with the many tribes of Storm Giants that inhabited Asgard all the while Bor had consolidated power in what became the capital city of Asgard, known as Asgard. Eventually, many of the weaker tribes of Storm Giants fled the realm to the lands of Jötunheimr and settled in the more temperate mountain regions.

This had resulted in the Storm Giants mutating and evolving into more beastly and powerful creatures.

King Rugga had risen to power soon after his father, Odin had taken the throne, establishing himself as a respected and powerful ruler. Many of the Jötunheimr rebellions had been personally led or funded by King Rugga who despite his desire to become immortal, also wished to take back his homeland.

If King Rugga had decided to declare war on Asgard personally, instead of simply aiding the various tribes of Jötnar that did so every few decades, then most if not all of Jötunheimr would join his call for arms.

"Be careful brother, you might hurt yourself by thinking too hard." Loki teased, breaking Thor from his thoughts. "I must say, I've never seen you so quiet. What's wrong? Shocked that not everyone likes father and worships the ground he walks on as you do?" It had always been something that annoyed Loki, watching his prideful brother just throw it all away in favour of pursuing the recognition of a man who seemingly did not care for him.

He could see the potential in Thor, just like everyone could.

The power within him, the skill he possessed, the determination that drove him to push to higher and higher heights. Loki would be blind to not see it and it was something he hated about Odin, the fact that he could just dismiss everything Thor did and for what? It made no sense.

"Shut up." Thor whispered, his fists clenched tightly by his side as his stride became slower.

"Why, because I speak the truth?" Loki pressed. "Why do you always push yourself to earn his acknowledgement, you don't need it. All your life, he has barely been present, barely even knows you exist, that we exist. Compared to his banished son, Vidar and his favoured son, Tyr, we are nothing. You're all of I've got and I'm all you've got. To him, we're nothing. All that power at your fingertips and you can barely make a few sparks appear. At his age, father was doing far more than that. Even I can do more and he dismisses me just as he does you."

"Shut up." Thor whispered once more and again, Loki paid no attention to his brother's rising anger. However, the few guards that passed by did and shifted uneasily upon noticing the lighting crackling around Thor's fingers.

This, however, did catch Loki's attention. "Oh look, you're angry." He mocked, completely unbothered by his brother's anger. "What are you going to do exactly, hmm? Are you going to attack me for what, speaking the truth? We both know it, everyone does. You and I mean nothing to him, why can't you just accept that?"

"Loki." The voice of Odin broke through the tense atmosphere catching both young boys' attention. Both looked up to see Odin standing there in the corridor, his figure clad in majestic golden armour and a number of guards equally as armoured behind him. "Enough."

"...Yes father." Loki bowed, teeth grit and jaw clenched.

After a few seconds of deliberation, considering whether to push his luck a little more or not, he quickly left the scene leaving Thor there. This was not the first time he and Thor had argued over this topic, though never quite to this extent. Thor was stubborn, something Loki knew better than anyone and so he had not held back, perhaps his own frustrations leaking through. But just like always, Odin or Frigga would intervene, breaking apart the brothers before they could come to any sort of conclusion.

Loki knew why, Odin was scared of what would happen when their dog was let off his leash. He was scared that he'd no longer be able to control Thor, manipulate him for his own means. Well, Loki wouldn't allow that to happen forever, eventually, he would free his brother from Odin's control, which he swore to do a long time ago and was not something he would forget.

"Father, I-"

"You allow your brother to get under your skin far too easily." Odin replied shortly, and Thor ducked his head at the chastisement. "Learn to ignore his words or you will forever be at a disadvantage."

Thor looked up and went to speak, but Odin walked straight past him with his armoured guard following behind him silently. The young prince remaining stood in the corridor listening to the rhythmic sound of armoured footsteps.

-X- Line Break -X-

That night, Thor sat upon his bed staring out of the open balcony to the night sky of Asgard. The sky was clear revealing the beautiful view of the stars, a sight that usually enraptured Thor and helped calm him whenever he had trouble sleeping.

Tonight, however, it didn't seem to be working.

Today marked the first day in Thor's life upon which he would experience life in Asgard during a war. With King Rugga having declared war upon Asgard, vast swathes of Storm and Frost Giants had answered his call to war. In the matter of a few days, King Rugga had increased his force from their original two thousand to twenty thousand and their numbers were set to increase daily with more and more Frost and Storm Giants pouring in.

Already his father had landed on Jotunheim with a vanguard force of five thousand and according to Heimdall had dealt a critical strike, forcing King Rugga out of his stronghold. From what his mother had told him, his father would remain in Jötunheimr adding a number of magical protections around the fortress to make it a near-impenetrable stronghold until the main force of thirty thousand led by Heimdall, arrived.

Still, despite knowing how powerful his father was and knowing of his victory over King Rugga and his forces, Thor was still worried. After all, in the few times, his father had taught him, Odin had explained that a fight could be lost by even the strongest individual by a single lucky strike.

"And why are you not asleep?" Turning around at his mother's voice he saw the queen of Asgard walking towards him, after having closed the door behind her upon entering.

"I-I-I'm just worried." He admitted and with a comforting smile, pulls Thor into a hug something which Thor reciprocates.

"Do not worry, my son." Frigga replied, running a hand through his blonde hair to calm him, which works. "Your father is a powerful man and will return to us soon." Thor remained silent but nodded his head. "Now, let's get you to sleep, you have your training tomorrow."

After helping her son to bed, Frigga leaned down pressing a gentle kiss on his brow before pulling away. But before she could get off the bed, Thor spoke up once more. "Does he love me?" He asked, his voice quiet and vulnerable.

Frigga looked at her son in confusion at the questions, but soon her face softened as a gentle smile came upon her face once more. "Of course he does." She whispered, once again sitting on the bed and embracing him.

"But…" He murmured, unable to voice his concerns.

"Shush, now." Frigga continued, stroking his head to calm him. "Your father has many responsibilities and has gone through a great deal in his reign as King. But one of the happiest moments in his life was when he held you in his arms for the first time." She replied, a smile upon her face as she remembered the moment. "Your father loves you, he may not show it but never doubt that he loves you. You are his son, his heir and that will never change."

After a few moments of silence as he absorbed her words, Thor eventually nods his head.

Smiling once more, Frigga leans down to place another kiss on his brow before leaving the room. Thor himself watched her go before turning to look out the window once more.