Chapter 21

"It's strange, isn't it? Attending your own funeral." Loki's voice floats on the wind. Turning, I search for him but he's nowhere to be seen.

"I'm sure you know all about that, don't you?" I snark, "Faking your death so many times, and yet people believed your act every time."

He laughs. "Indeed they always believe what I show them because when you're skilled in the arts of magic and deception," The outdoors stills and my vision fades, "You can show people what they need most." His voice fades as my sight turns dark.

I gasp and try to move, but I smack my head against something hard.

"Ow." I try to move my hand to rub my forehead, but I can only lift them a few inches from my body before they smack into the hard thing. My breathing quickens and I begin to freak out as I realize I'm in the coffin.

"H-hey! Let me out!" I yell into the box, but no one replies. I'm on my own, and I'm going to have to save myself. But how?

Since I've been dead, and probably had to heal my head, I probably won't have enough energy to blast myself out. Guess plan B, then. I feel around my pants and snag my pouch. I open it, and feel a sudden gust of wind blow through the box.

"Thank you, Mr. Pouch." I say, and try to relax. The air continues to circulate through the coffin, and laying in the dark and quiet quickly becomes nice.

"Do you want help?" Loki's voice flows through my head.

"No. I can get out just fine, I don't need you." I say, and he laughs.

"Shame." He says, and I begin hearing scratching above me. It grows louder and closer, until it reaches directly above me. Suddenly, my box is flipped so I'm upside down and have to hold myself up in an awkward handstand. Then, the feeling of being thrown up into the air overwhelms me, and I scream as I come crashing down. The box shatters and I lay amongst the rubble, contemplating murder.

"I said I didn't need your help, asshole," I growl, and get to my hands and knees.

"Yes, I am aware. That's why I didn't help you, he did." I look up and he gestures to behind me. Slowly I flip around and find myself face-to-face with a huge wolf.

He sniffs, and I freeze. "Fenris?" I whisper, and he snorts.

"Fenrir, actually." Hands wrap around my arms and pull me up, and I stumble away from them. "Is every solution to your fear to run away from it?" Loki asks, and I pause.

"Is every solution to inconveniences to fake your death?" I shoot back. I open my mouth to say something else, but a chill runs up my spine. Fenrir begins growling, and I turn to find myself facing a forest quickly being covered in frost.

Backing away from the terrifying dog, I shakily say, "This isn't me."

Loki pulls out his blades, and my pouch spits something shiny into the air. I catch it, to find a dagger that was so close to cutting my hand open. I prepare myself as blue men walk out of the forest and advance towards us.

"I assume you know how to fight?" He mutters, readying for the fight.

"Uh, my fighting skills are more on-par with the blind squirrel theory." He glances at me with an expression I swear to be fear, before he turns to the giants.

"Return back to your realm. This is trespassing and your King demands you to-" The lead giant laughs.

"Our king? No," he growls, and Loki slowly steps in front of me. I don't need protection from you, I can handle myself. I'm so tempted to say, but I hold my tongue to see how this plays out.

"No, all you are to us is the terrified little boy that attempted to destroy our home. Who almost succeeded in wiping us completely out. You are no king, now give us the child. Or," He grins, and the others hold their weapons slightly higher, "We would be very happy to take you both."

"I'm afraid neither is an option," Loki says, and they charge. I summon the little bit of energy I have to create a ball of light in my hand. Straining, I send it high up into the air and force it to explode in a burst of blue light. Hopefully, that will be enough to alert the Avengers of our location.

Before I realize it, one of the blue monsters advanced on me. I hold my dagger out and try to block the swings of his huge sword, but I feel quickly outmatched. Blow after blow I manage to block him, but he gets in a few slashes to my arms and sides. I surprise myself by returning most of the injuries to him.

As we fight, I try to build up my magic, and right as the giant makes a swing for my head, I create an illusion of myself and make the real me invisible, and on his downswing, my illusion and I both dodge. As the giant is busy with my fake self, I sneak quickly behind him, then I slash deeply into his back, hitting his spine. He roars out but collapses to the ground, and I pop back into sight as I feel my nose begin to run. Swiping it away, I find myself thankful I paid attention to anatomy because I had struck exactly the spot that makes people paralyzed.

Stay in school, kids.

He reaches for his sword, but I get to it first. I swing it down and thrust it into his chest and he collapses to the ground, dead.