Chapter Text
The sudden, firm tug on his left ring finger, to say the least, surprised Loki. He pulled his hand back as if burned, even though the odd sensation didn’t cause any actual pain. He held his hand up to examine it both front and back, but he found nothing marring his blue skin other than the raised markings that had always been visible. It felt like something snug attached itself to his finger. He also felt a slight prickly, tingly sensation, like when one leans on an arm or leg too long.
A past story sparked in his memories. A tale the elders would tell at wedding feasts. For two lost souls, the spirits of providence would tie a string connecting the two, permanently binding their fates together.
Loki brushed his thumb over his finger. He felt nothing except his skin, but the gentle pull must have been caused by something. He felt his heart flutter faster in his chest. He inhaled deeply, trying to regain control of his breathing. Was he one of the poor fools fate decided to toy with?
“My prince, are you well?” Loki looked behind him and saw the bowing guard who addressed him.
“I’m fine,” he answered. His clipped tone cautioned the guard to drop any further inquiries.
Loki fisted his hand and hurried down the hall to his room. He shut and locked the solid door behind him. He raised his left hand to his eye level once more. The feeling had not abated. He feared he all ready knew the answer, but he needed confirmation. With a twist of his right hand, he cast a spell to reveal any illusions.
His eyes widened when a thin, red string appeared, tied to the end of his left ring finger. It looked like a wispy red strand of a spider’s web. He rubbed his thumb over it, but he felt nothing. When he moved, the string moved with him. He vigorously shook his hand, but it didn’t budge or loosen. He grabbed at the strand, but it floated out of his grasp. He pulled his hand back and the strand would straighten but never tighten enough to snap.
The red string hung suspended from somewhere outside his balcony. He went out and leaned against the edge to see where it lead. The red string brightly stood out against the falling snow lit by the moonlight. It drew up into the sky like a kite string, but the other end hung too high to see. Clearly, his intended did not reside on Jotunheim. And because of the tyrants ruling Asgard, he currently had no means of travel to the other realms to search for his partner.
Did he even want to find who the other end tied to? He was Loki, son of Laufey. Heir to Jotunheim. He scoffed at the thought of needing anyone. But want? Yes. A selfish, lonely part he hid deep behind layers of cold reserve longed to share his thoughts and desires with another.
The following years, Loki practiced and mastered his talent for teleportation. He constantly felt the pressure of the string on his finger, but periodically it would pull, sometimes more fiercely than others. He planned to search all nine realms if necessary for his intended, but news came that the Allfather intended to pass his throne down to his only son. Loki felt it was for the good of all if he could delay the succession of the fool Odinson for a little longer.
***
Despite the season being considered “winter”, Loki still felt warm from the desert climate. He squinted his gaze towards the building he saw the oafish son of Odin recently enter. A shadow fell over him. He looked over his shoulder and saw two of his bodyguards sweat and shift uncomfortably on their feet. Despite his illusion spell to make them look human, his men still uncommonly towered over the beings in this realm.
One of them asked, “Sire, should we take care of the Asgardian prince now while he is unarmed and alone?”
Loki quirked his lips up slightly in a smile and looked back towards the building. “There is no need for undue haste. He aggressively invaded our land and incited a war. My people call for vengeance. Although, suffering alone on this miserable excuse of a world to age, decay and die with these creatures, by the order of his own father no less, seems more agonizing than any punishment I could devise.” He heard them sigh at his response and sensed them back up further into the cooler shadows of the alley.
The tingling pull tugged at Loki’s gloved hand again. Ever since he arrived here, it had become more frequent.
Loki rubbed his thumb against his ring finger as he spoke again. “You may return to our arrival point. We will reconvene when I am ready.”
The other guard leaned in, his voice shaky with hesitation. “Sir, is that wise? The king sent us for your protection. If Thor-”
“If Thor what? He is mortal and powerless. I’m quite capable of handling myself against things far more impressive.” They started to argue against his reasoning, but his hard stare over his shoulder silenced them. They bowed their heads in acceptance and wandered back into the alley and disappeared.
A female shout drew Loki’s focus back towards the store. He saw a young woman speak with the prince, then invite him into her large vehicle. Loki planned to follow, but with one step in their direction, he felt a strong pull on his hand stopping him. He looked down at his fingers before curling them into a tight fist. He didn’t have time to waste, but it had never been a hinderance such as now. He felt like some force was trying to guide him in the opposite direction down the road. Loki looked up and saw in the distance the circular glass building Thor occupied earlier that morning. Perhaps it might be worth a few moments of his time to investigate.