[Thor and Loki]
One of the blonde boys, visibly larger in size, gained the upper hand and pushed his opponent to the ground.
"Thor! Thor!" cheered the surrounding children.
Thor looked pleased with himself, lifting his head proudly. As Odin's son, he naturally commanded admiration for his bravery among his peers.
Meanwhile, a solitary figure with black hair sat under a tree, appearing somewhat out of place. Despite his small stature, his demeanor seemed mature beyond his years, his eyes betraying a wisdom uncommon in children.
"Loki!" Thor approached him eagerly. "Come and wrestle with me!"
Loki shook his head. "No need. I know I'm no match for you."
Undeterred, Thor persisted, "How do you know if you don't try? You're the only one who hasn't wrestled with me yet. Come on, Loki, be a man!"
Loki hesitated as the other children started teasing him. "Loki, are you scared? You're the only one left who hasn't faced Thor."
Under the pressure of their jeers, Loki reluctantly agreed, "Alright, Thor, but don't drag me into the ground."
As Thor pulled Loki to his feet, Loki quickly added, "You wrestle every day. Don't you get bored? Maybe you should find something more challenging."
"Like what?" Thor scratched his head, puzzled.
"Something more challenging," Loki explained patiently. "Remember what Mr. Scala taught us? It means doing things that are harder but more rewarding, like defeating a dragon instead of just a rabbit."
Thor's eyes lit up. "Defeating a dragon! That does sound more exciting."
Loki sighed inwardly. "No, Thor, there are no dragons in Asgard."
"Then what's challenging?" Thor asked eagerly.
"Have you heard of the Thunder Tree?" Loki asked suddenly, ignoring Thor's question.
"The Thunder Tree?"
"No," the children replied in unison, intrigued.
Loki launched into an enthusiastic explanation, "The Thunder Tree grows in Vanaheim, nourished by lightning. In Vanaheim, every brave warrior seeks its fruit as a mark of absolute glory..."
In truth, Loki's knowledge was half-heard and exaggerated, but the children listened intently, captivated by his storytelling.
"And then?"
Taking a dramatic pause, Loki continued, "Did you know there's a Thunder Tree in Asgard? Just one."
"In Asgard too!" The children gasped in amazement.
Thor couldn't contain his excitement. "Where is it? Where's this Thunder Tree?"
Loki teased them, building anticipation, before finally revealing, "It's in the Sun God's medicinal garden."
"The Sun God's Medicinal Garden?"
Loki nodded knowingly. "Yes, and the Thunder Tree happens to be bearing fruit—it blooms every three thousand years and bears fruit every three thousand years."
"Let's go pick the Thunder Fruit!" Thor exclaimed eagerly.
"But how do we get into the Sun God's garden?" someone asked skeptically.
"Yeah, it's guarded by the Sun God himself."
"Don't worry," Loki reassured them. "The Sun God is not there, and his garden is rarely guarded."
"What are we waiting for, then?" Thor urged. "Let's go!"
Amidst excited chatter, the children hurried towards the gardens near Forseti's home, near the Landvety Forest.
"There are so many rocks..."
Arriving at their destination, they found numerous piles of stones surrounding a courtyard. Among them stood a massive tree that reached beyond the courtyard walls, its grandeur visible even from a distance.
"That's the Thunder Tree!" the children exclaimed in awe.
"Let's get closer. The stones will help us climb over the courtyard wall easily."
They scrambled over the rocks, some climbing precariously to peer inside.
In the center of the courtyard, amidst more stones, stood a towering tree. But what drew their attention was not the stones but the Thunder Tree itself.
Loki grinned mischievously as he looked at Thor. "Go on, Thor, show us what you're made of."
Encouraged by Loki's support, Thor confidently climbed the tallest stone and leaped over the wall into the courtyard.
Excitedly approaching the Thunder Tree, Thor observed the small sparks dancing along its trunk, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Looking back, Thor found Loki giving him a thumbs-up from atop the wall—a gesture of encouragement.
Bolstered by Loki's approval, Thor stepped onto a large stone beneath the Thunder Tree, preparing to climb.
"Kakkaka..."
Suddenly, a strange sound echoed—the shifting of stones, as if something were moving.
Losing his balance, Thor looked down to see the stone he stood on rising slowly!
Before he could react, the "stone" extended limbs and opened its eyes—it was no stone but a stone golem!
"Om!"
Despite his surprise, Thor kicked back instinctively.
"Om!" The stone golem moved swiftly for its size, grabbing Thor in its massive hand.
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