After a threat to break all of his bones, Loki set off to Svartfelheim to fulfill his promise to Thor. Now Part 2
Read Part One Here- PART 1
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When Loki arrived in Svartalfheim far underground, he traveled past great piles of gold and silver to the workshop of whom he considered the greatest craftsman of all, the sons of Ivaldi. They were three brothers legendary for there great feats of engineering.
Loki entered their workshop: “Hello sons of Ivaldi!’ he said bowing and extending his hand to the side in a grand gesture. I beg you to tell me is it true?
“Is what true Loki son of Farbauti?” Asked the tallest son of Vivaldi.
“Well, I have heard, after asking around that Brock and Eitri are the greatest dwarf craftsman in all the nine worlds. Loki said incredulously, “Is that the case?”
“It’s a lie” replied one of the sons of Ivaldi. “we are the finest craftsman in this or any other world, now or ever”
Loki raised an eyebrow in disbelief “Well, I don’t know.. I’m sure Brock and Eitri can forge just as well as you can” said Loki
“Bahh!”, exclaimed the shorter brother. “I wouldn’t trust those fumbling fools to forge my horses' shoes”
“I see...” said Loki, well we simply must get to the bottom of this, I propose a challenge between you and The brothers Brock and Eitri, the Aesir gods will be the judges, and the makers of the greatest treasures will be proclaimed the greatest craftsman!”
We can make anything they can make and better, what kind of treasures? Said the youngest and wisest of the three sons.
Hmmm... “one must be a golden head of hair that will seed to the wearers head and grow naturally over time. As for the other two, use your best judgment.” Loki said with a crooked grin.
“Ha! that will be easy.” said the taller son of Ivaldi.
“I’m sure it will, I will see you in Asgard in three days” Loki left the workshop quite pleased with himself and made his way across Svarfilheim on his way to meet with Brock and Eitri. He walked into the workshop and leaned against the door frame and began to examine his fingernails.
“Well well well, look who’s here Eitri, what brings you to darken our door Loki?” Brock sneered.
“The sons of Ivaldi are making three treasures in tribute to the gods, and they will be judged by the gods. They wanted me to tell you that you and your brother Eitri could never create anything as magnificent as they could. I believe the term the used was “fumbling fools” as I remember”
Brock, however, was no fool, “did they...” he said peering at Loki with a sideways glance. “if’ I’m being honest something about this has quite a foul odor, are you sure this isn’t one of your famous tricks? trying to stir up trouble between Eitri and the Ivaldi’s boys?
Loki did his best to look as offended as he could, “No… no nothing to do with me, I just thought perhaps you would like to know what was being said is all. He said innocently
Well fine then, we will make three treasures to be judged by the gods? But what say we make it a little more personal eh, what say you? Brock asked
“Well what did you have in mind”- replied Loki
Brock then stood up and walked over looking Loki directly in his eyes: “Your head” He said, “You have a lot of things going on in that head of yours, I’m sure Eitri can make something very useful out of it.”
And things were going so well, Loki thought. No matter all I have to do is make sure that Brock and Eitri lose and the gods will get six wonderful treasures and Sif will get her new hair not to mention I keep my bones intact. “That’s fine, see you in three days in Asgard,” he said. Brock grinned. Loki left.
The brothers went into the forge, it was dark and dirty lit only by the orange glow of the coals. Eitri went over to the bellows, “alright Brock, you work the bellows, nice and steady and don’t stop until I yell up to ya, it has to be a steady heat, a fraction too hot or too cold and it will ruin everything.” Brock nodded. Eitri watched until the glow of the forge was where he wanted it and headed for the door that led to the forge itself. He grabbed a pigskin from off the wall. “I’ve been saving you for something like this...” He said. And as he walked out the door a big black fly flew in on his way out. It buzzed the room somewhat maliciously and landed on the wall. This was no ordinary fly, this was Loki. He had the power to change his form into almost anything. But for an occasion such as this, a fly would do.
Brock pumped the bellows in steady time, Loki the fly landed on Brocks' hand and proceeded to bite deeply, Brock didn't flinch. He kept pumping in perfect time. He bit again and nothing. A voice called out from the forge “alright that’s got it!” It was Eitri who then came walking in the room, the fly took off and landed back on the wall. Eitri handed him a ball covered in golden needles. “It’s perfect, you did a great job!” Eitri gushed. Brock nodded, looking around for the fly that had been bothering him. “Now I’ start pumping, and don’t stop until I tell ya to stop!” Eitri said grabbing a golden bar from the bench and running out the door. Brock pumped in feeding precious oxygen to the forge perfect time.
This time Loki the fly came down and landed on Eitri’s neck, he stepped aside to just evade a bead of sweat that rolled down his neck. It was hot in the room, and the higher the flames in the forge dept the hotter it got. Loki wasted no time in biting Brock’s neck. Again nothing happened, so he bit harder and a drop of crimson blood joined the sweat now flowing steadily as Brock worked. “That’s it!” a voice rang out and Eitri burst into the room with freshly quenched golden arm ring. “It’s perfect!” He cried.
“I call it Draupnir,” Eitri said
“The dripper? That’s a funny name for an arm ring.”Brock replied
“That’s because you haven’t seen what it does.” Then Eitri went on to explain what made the arm ring so special.
“Alright, I have one more, and this is one I’ve had in mind for a while, it will be my greatest work, so you have to be very careful, it is even trickier, So you have to do it just right or we will have wasted our time,” said Eitri. He then picked up the largest ingot of pig iron Loki had ever seen and placed it in the forge. Brock nodded and Eitri left the room. Brock waited for Eitri’s word and then he began pumping. Eitri began to hammer and bend and shape the Iron. Loki’s fly heart sunk, If Eitri completed his masterwork the gods would be impressed for sure, he would surely lose his head.
So Loki the fly circled the room with dark intent and landed between Brocks' eyes and bite on his eyelids. The dwarf kept pumping, so Loki bit harder and deeper, more desperately. Blood began to run down his face and over his eyes stinging and blinding him.Brock began shaking his head and blowing air up towards his eyes trying to dislodge the fly but nothing worked, and poor Brock could see nothing but blood. Finally, he waited until the down stroke and quickly swatted at the fly almost killing him. But Loki was able to dart away just in time. Brock went back to work immediately.
“That’s it!” A voice rang out, Eitri came walking through the door as the fly flew out. Brock turned to Eitri his face a mess of sweat and blood. I honestly don’t know what you were doing there at the end. The heat was all over the place. But it’s done, not all it could have been but it’ll have to do” Eitri sighed.
“Now you can take the treasures to be judged and cut off Loki’s head. I prefer it here in our shop, besides, there I have work to do.”
Brock looked at Eitri while wiping the blood and sweat from his swollen eyes, I believe I'm gonna like cutting off Loki’s head.” Brock replied with a grin remembering the fly. It had become personal.
Thanks for reading, next one is the conclusion!
Always do.