Page 11 of Fenrir

“Because you are a beast! Monster. You are an abomination. I should destroy you now instead of chaining you to this boulder,” Odin boomed, and thunder crashed again.

Fenrir’s stomach plummeted.

Odin held out his hand, and his spear dropped from the sky. He pointed it at Fenrir and rushed forward. Fenrir fought harder against the chains. Just as the spear should have pierced him, it didn’t. The spear stopped.

Everyone went silent as Loki materialized in front of Fenrir.

“Father,” Fenrir choked out.

Loki’s twin blades clashed against Odin’s spear, tossing it aside. Odin’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s my son,” Loki said. “And you will not kill him.”

“I am the God of gods. Who are you to tell me what to do, Loki?”

“You may be the proclaimed God of gods, but I am older than even you, Odin Borr’s son. And I say you will not murder my son, Fenrir.”

Odin reached out for his spear to return to him. “You know the prophecy. You know what has been said about him. If he lives, he will destroy us all. Even you.”

“If that is his fate, so be it. Who are you to change it? You know that never works. What will be will be. It is the way we have always done things. If you try to alter his fate now, who knows what calamity you will bring down upon us.”

“Are you willing to bear the consequences of what he might do?”

“I knew the prophesy the day he was born. I didn’t kill him then, and you will not now. The fates will decide the future for my son, not you.”

Fenrir’s heart raced as the two gods faced off. He’d never seen his father stand up to Odin before. Usually, his father bided his time and got his revenge from a distance. But this time, Loki was there. Right there. Standing between Fenrir and Odin’s wrath.

“I should run you both through for everything you’ve done to us. You and your three abominable spawn.”

In a blink, Loki’s form morphed and grew to over seven feet tall. His skin color deepened until he was entirely blue, and smooth velvety horns protruded from his forehead and folded backward over his shiny black hair.

“I am up for the challenge if you are,” Loki boomed. “I was born before you were even a twitch in your father’s groin.”

Thor and Heimdall took a step forward, but Odin stopped them. His eyes moved to Fenrir and then back to Loki.

“Very well. He may live. But his sins are upon your head, Loki Farbauti’s son.”

“His sins always have been,” Loki replied.

Odin disappeared as Loki turned and looked down on Fenrir with diamond-colored eyes.

“Thank you,” said Fenrir. “Thank you, Father.”

Loki walked forward, and his expression saddened. He flipped his blades away and then pulled Fenrir into a hug.

Though Fenrir couldn’t hug him back, the coolness of his father’s skin bled through Fenrir’s torn shirt. Tears formed in Fenrir’s eyes. It was the most tenderness he’d ever experienced in his life.

“I am so sorry, my son. But this is for your own safety and the safety of the rest of us.” Loki stepped back and nodded.

Panic filled Fenrir. “Father… Father… please. Don’t do this. I won’t hurt anyone. I promise I won’t.”

Váli and Vidar pulled him backward. Fenrir’s legs gave out, and they dragged him across the ground toward the giant boulder. His pants ripped, and then the flesh on his knees. His beast roared at the pain wanting to be released, but Fenrir denied him.

“Please,” Fenrir begged. “Please don’t leave me here.”

Váli and Vidar secured him to the rock, then Váli kicked him in the ribs. “Be grateful you don’t have acid pouring on your head the way your father used to.”

Vidar pulled a blade from his back and pointed the tip at Fenrir’s throat, leaning on it just enough that a stream of blood flowed down Fenrir’s neck to his chest. “I should kill you for what you did to Tyr. And if you touch one hair on my father Odin’s head, I will kill you, Fenrir.”

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