The biting cold seeped through my body as I collapsed onto the thick blanket of snow. My limbs ached from hours of grueling magic training. My breaths came in short gasps, forming small puffs of mist in the freezing air.
I tilted my head back, gazing up at the endless expanse of blue sky. Flocks of birds soared high above, cutting through the soft clouds that drifted lazily across the heavens.
"This is exhausting," I muttered.
Meanwhile, Loki stood a few steps away, his usual relaxed demeanor unwavering. He crossed his arms over his chest, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he observed my exhaustion.
"I didn't expect you to progress this quickly in just a few days," he remarked.
"You're right," I replied between ragged breaths. "Even I didn't expect to master so many intermediate spells in such a short time."
"To be honest, your initial progress is even slightly faster than Linnie's."
"Really?"
"Yes, just a little faster than my little girl. Of course, you've been training with my suggestion method, while Linnie used a far more conventional approach."
I shifted my position, sitting upright on the thick snow. My mouth hung slightly open as I stared at Loki, disbelief evident on my face.
Noticing my astonishment, Loki simply shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm telling the truth."
"Whatever you say," I replied, lying back down on the snow. My eyes closed, my mind drifting to nowhere in particular.
"Strangely enough, I'd really like to see your bird form, Yatagarasu," Loki suddenly said. His voice was light, like the cold breeze, shattering the brief peace I had just found.
I jolted at his words, quickly sitting up and staring at him with wide eyes. "You know about that?"
Loki furrowed his brows, his lips curving into a thin line as if suppressing a laugh. "Did I never mention it before?"
I shook my head, my body tensing.
"Come on, have you forgotten who I am, Yatagarasu? I'm Loki, King of Utgard and the finest sorcerer in this realm. If I wanted to, I could uncover everything about you."
A mischievous smile played on his face as he stepped closer and casually sat beside me, draping an arm over my shoulder. "But I'll admit, it took me some time to confirm my hypothesis. And after seeing how Fenrys reacted when I brought it up, I knew I was right."
I quickly brushed his arm off, discomfort creeping into my tone. "I told you, there's nothing between us," I muttered, trying to sound firm.
Loki chuckled lightly at my denial. "Ah… young relationships are always complicated, and frankly, I don't care. I'm more interested in how you can change forms."
"So… what exactly are you getting at?" I asked, cutting him off before he could throw in another of his usual annoying jokes.
He tilted his head, his eyes sparkling like a child discovering a new toy. "I just want to see you transform into a bird. That's all. Nothing more."
At first, I hesitated. But seeing the eagerness in his expression, I knew he wouldn't take no for an answer. This man was the kind who wouldn't stop until his curiosity was satisfied.
I exhaled deeply, calming my thoughts. "Henshin!" With the small incantation to activate my shapeshifter rune, my body began to transform. My form shrank, jet-black feathers enveloped my skin, and my arms morphed into sturdy raven wings.
Loki looked awestruck. He raised his arm in front of his chest as if inviting me to perch. "Come here."
What's with this guy? I'm just an ordinary bird. Why does he seem so excited about it?
Though puzzled by his enthusiasm, I obliged, flying low to perch on his arm.
"This… is incredible," he whispered, gently running his fingers over my feathers. "Is this your true form?"
I couldn't answer. In this form, speech was beyond me. Instead, I gave a small nod.
"Can't you talk?" he asked again, seeking confirmation.
I responded with another nod.
A brief silence hung between us before Loki's voice suddenly echoed in my mind. "Can you hear me?"
Startled, I lost my balance and fell off his arm. My wings flapped frantically, but I couldn't stabilize myself in time. Loki, meanwhile, burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as he bent over.
"Relax," he said between breaths, still laughing. "That was just a telepathy spell I devised myself. I wanted to see if you could pick it up."
I glared at him, still feeling awkward.
Loki returned my gaze, his expression now serious. "This telepathy could be very useful for you, especially if you want to communicate with Fenrir or others while in bird form. I can teach you if you'd like."
I nodded eagerly, realizing how beneficial such a skill could be.
He began teaching me the basics, explaining how to channel energy and the mindset required to activate the spell. Every gesture and word he demonstrated felt like solving a puzzle. I had to try repeatedly before finally succeeding in sending him a message: "Thank you, Master."
His face lit up with satisfaction, but he didn't let me stop there. He pushed me to keep practicing until I could use it proficiently without a lengthy incantation.
"Well done," he finally said. "Now for your next challenge: learn to activate it with just a suggestion. It's much quicker, and no one will notice you're doing it."
"But by the way, how did you know?" I asked, still curious.
More than that, I wanted to confirm how much Loki knew about us and whose side he was truly on. The gods? Or the Jotun?
"That was easy," he replied with a relaxed smile. "I noticed the flow of your magic and mana—different from both humans and Jotun. I had a hunch you might have a rune for shapeshifting. And, well… your reaction to my question answered it for me."
I froze, surprised at how easily he had figured me out. But it also made me uneasy. Did he know who we really were? And if he did, which side would he take?
Lowering my head, I avoided meeting his gaze. "Aren't you… suspicious of us? Don't we seem suspicious to you?"
Loki's smile turned faint.
"I might have a guess. But so what?"
"Huh?" I looked up, half-stunned, not understanding his words.
"Come on, whatever you are, the fact is you haven't caused any harm in my domain. You even saved my daughter. What's wrong with that? From the start, I knew you weren't bad people."
I was stunned. His words carried a sincerity that was hard to doubt.
"Sure… I don't know your goals, but I trust they aren't malicious, right?" he asked with a wide smile as if putting his faith in me.
I stayed silent. My wings, once tense, relaxed slightly. A faint smile appeared on my face as I lowered my gaze.
"I can't argue with you at all."
However, amidst the silence that had settled, Loki broke it once again. But this time, his expression was serious, and his voice carried a deeper tone, as if there was a significant issue he needed to address.
"Yatagarasu, listen to me," he said, his voice low and commanding.
I fixed my gaze on him attentively.
"Someone has sabotaged my teleportation magic," he said, looking straight at me. "That's why you ended up in the dangerous Spino territory."
"You suspect a spy?" I asked, trying to process the information.
Loki nodded slowly. "Yes. But I haven't been able to identify them. Whoever it is, they're exceptionally skilled at hiding. Their mana trail is almost invisible to me."
"Do you think… it could be the gods?"
Loki frowned, appearing to disagree with my suggestion. "It shouldn't be. I've ensured that everyone in my palace is a Jotun. No one can escape my notice. I'm very certain of that."
"Then? Who else could the spy be working for?"
"Perhaps a neighboring kingdom? Thrymheim? Dallas? Or maybe Gymisgardar? I'm not sure which. This place is rich in energy and magical knowledge. Naturally, it's a target for many other kings."
I tilted my head. "Other territories?" I asked, intrigued.
"Yeah," he answered simply before raising an eyebrow as if realizing something. "Wait, don't tell me you didn't know there are other kingdoms besides Utgard in Jotunheim?"
I nodded. As he said, I had no understanding of Jotunheim's political or cultural geography. I only knew its demographics from exploring a small part of the realm.
"Yeah, makes sense. I often forget you're just a bird. No wonder you don't understand these things." Loki crouched in front of me, smiling with understanding. "It's fine. If you want to learn, you'll find books in the library, second shelf from the western end. There are about thirty books covering the cultures and politics of other regions."
I nodded firmly.
Silence enveloped us again. My thoughts churned, trying to figure out who would dare attack Loki and direct the chaos toward me.
Then, suddenly, Loki laughed, disrupting the serious atmosphere as always. "I guess this has been my personal issue all along."
I sighed, somewhat relieved. "What will you do, Master?"
He grinned mischievously. "That's a secret," he replied, winking.
I frowned, dissatisfied with his answer, but decided not to push further. As usual, Loki always had plans that were hard to predict.
*****
[POV ???]
My hands busily stirred the flour in the palace kitchen, but my mind wandered far away. I still couldn't believe Yatagarasu had been found so quickly. And… a Spino egg? How did he even manage to carry such a dangerous thing? Was he truly insane?
I bit my lip hard, unintentionally drawing blood. The faint taste of iron on my tongue jolted me back to reality.
"Are you okay?" asked Emma, a fellow maid standing beside me. Her face looked concerned, and her eyes scrutinized me sharply. "You've seemed… uneasy since this morning, I think?"
I quickly forced a smile, trying to ease her worry. "I'm fine, sweetheart," I said playfully.
Emma scowled, her bear-like ears perking up as she pulled her face away. "Don't disgust me! We're both female maids, okay? I'm normal, so stop causing trouble."
I chuckled softly, trying to dissolve the awkwardness. "Hey, I was just kidding."
I nudged Emma's arm with my elbow. She stepped away in response. Smiling mischievously, I did it again, and she stepped back further. We kept repeating this until she reached the edge of the table. Without hesitation, I continued to bombard her with nudges.
She huffed in annoyance, resigning herself to my antics. Seeing her exasperated face truly satisfied me.
I stopped when I noticed a senior maid approaching us. Emma let out a sigh of relief, while I felt a tinge of frustration. In the end, we returned to our tasks, mixing dough for the midday meal.
But my mind continued to whirl. This plan was unraveling too quickly. Loki might already be growing suspicious. But… does he know who I am? The thought sent shivers down my spine.
Calm down. I can figure this out later. For now, I just need to act normal. Enjoy my time teasing Emma, as long as I don't make her suspicious.
Amidst our cheerful laughter, I made a vow to myself: I will see this mission through, no matter what happens.