Odin the All-Father claims victory was won by divine might
Europe, 1602. Not the history you know. This realm is ruled by Asgardian magic, recently triumphant in the Great War against the Frost Giants.
But in the deepest shadows of his heart, Odin knows the truth. He won because of weapons. Because of FIRE. He is not omnipotent; he is merely armed. And he is afraid.
They are more than pets, All-Father. They have potential. But they freeze in the long winters. They need the warmth of the Flame.
NO! The Flame is reserved for the gods. Give them fire, and soon they will forge steel. Then weapons. Then they will look up at us and realize we are not so different. They must never know our vulnerability.
You have done well shaping these "humans," Loki. They are amusing pets.
LOKI (Thought): He calls himself a god, yet rules through fear of his own creation. If being a "giant" means having compassion, then I accept my nature.
HE GAVE THEM THE WEAPON! Seize him! Take him to the highest peak of the Caucasus Alps!
ODIN : Bind him tight. Let him see what it means to defy the King.
Do your worst, old man! The cold cannot touch a son of Jotunheim!
It was not the cold Odin sent. It was Alioth. The CloudBeast. The devourer.
AHHHHHH!!
In Asgardian lore, the liver is the seat of emotion. Of hope. Every day, Odin sought to have Loki’s hope devoured.
And every night, cursed immortality regenerates the flesh, preparing him for tomorrow’s agony. An eternity of tomorrows.
I... regret... nothing
Three thousand years later. A figure climbs the mountain. It is THOR. He looks rough, unshaven, wearing tattered leather armor, carrying an ordinary iron axe instead of Mjolnir. He is currently "unworthy."
KR AKO OM !!!
SK RE EE EE !!
Brother. My labors to regain my worthiness have brought me here. The All-Father... has granted permission for your release.
CLANG!!!
Look at them, Thor. They didn't just survive. They thrived.
The fire burned. And he was right to be afraid.
THE END