The Pirate King

THE TREASURES OF THE GODS - part 2

Loki, in fly form, decided that there has been no greater time for subtlety. Eitri’s masterpiece could be something that would provoke the gods, and if the gods had been inspired enough, then he would lose his head. Loki landed among Brokk’s eyes and began to chunk the dwarf’s eyelids. The dwarf persevered to

pump, his eyes stinging. Loki bit deeper, more difficult, greater desperately. Now blood ran from the dwarf’s eyelids, into his eyes and down his face, blinding him.

Brokk squinted and shook his head, looking to dislodge the fly. He jerked his head back and forth. He contorted his mouth and tried blowing air up at the

fly. It become no precise. The fly persisted to chew, and the dwarf should see nothing however blood. A sharp pain crammed his head.

Brokk counted, and at the lowest of the downstroke he whipped one hand from the bellows and swiped at the fly, with such velocity and such electricity that

Loki slightly escaped together with his life. Brokk grabbed the bellows once again and endured to pump.

“Enough!” called Eitri.

The black fly flew unsteadily about the room. Eitri opened the door, permitting the fly to break out.

Eitri checked out his brother with unhappiness. Brokk’s face turned into a mess of blood and sweat. “I don’t understand what you have been gambling at that time,” stated Eitri. “But you came near ruining everything. The temperature was all over the

place on the give up. As it is, it’s nowhere near as astonishing as I’d was hoping. We’ll simply

have to see.”

Loki, in Loki shape, strolled in through the open door. “So, all equipped for the contest?” he asked.

“Brokk can go to Asgard and gift my items to the gods and cut off your head,” said Eitri. “I find it irresistible great here at my forge, making matters.”

Brokk stared at Loki thru swollen eyelids. “I’m looking forward to cutting off your head,” stated Brokk. “It got personal.”

In Asgard, 3 gods sat on their thrones: one-eyed Odin the all-father, red-bearded Thor of the thunders, and handsome Frey of the summer time’s harvest. They

will be the judges. Loki stood before them, beside the three almost equal sons of Ivaldi. Brokk, black-bearded and brooding, become there alone, status to one aspect, the things he had introduced hidden underneath sheets.

“So,” said Odin. “What are we judging?”

“Treasures,” said Loki. “The sons of Ivaldi have made presents for you, amazing Odin, and for Thor, and for Frey, and so have Eitri and Brokk. It is as much as you to determine which of the six things is the best treasure. I myself will display you the gifts made by using the sons of Ivaldi.”

He presented Odin with the spear known as Gungnir. It was a beautiful spear, carved with complex runes.

“It will penetrate anything, and whilst you throw it, it'll constantly find its mark,” stated Loki. Odin had however one eye, in any case, and now and again his purpose may want to be less than perfect. “And, just as important, an oath taken in this spear is

unbreakable.”

Odin hefted the spear. “It is very pleasant,” was all he stated.

“And right here,” said Loki proudly, “is a flowing head of golden hair. Made of actual gold. It will attach itself to the top of the individual that wishes it and grow and

behave in each way as though it have been actual hair. A hundred thousand strands of gold.”

“I will take a look at it,” said Thor. “Sif, come right here.”

Sif rose and came to the the front, her head blanketed. She removed her scarf. The gods gasped after they saw Sif’s bare head, bald and purple, and then she

carefully placed the dwarfs’ golden wig on her head and shook her hair. They watched because the base of the wig joined itself to her scalp, and then Sif stood in

the front of them even more radiant and exquisite than before.

“Impressive,” stated Thor. “Good process!” Sif tossed her golden hair and walked out of the corridor into the sunlight, to show her new hair to her friends. The closing of the sons of Ivaldi’s superb gifts was small, and folded like fabric. This fabric Loki placed in front of Frey.

“What is it? It seems like a silk headband,” stated Frey, unimpressed.

“It does,” stated Loki. “But if you spread it, you will discover it's far a ship, known as Skidbladnir. It will usually have a honest wind, wherever it goes. And

although it is big, the largest deliver you may believe, it's going to fold up, as you spot, like a material, so that you can put it into your pouch.”

Frey become inspired, and Loki became relieved. They have been 3 extremely good gifts. Now it turned into Brokk’s flip. His eyelids had been crimson and swollen, and there was a massive insect chew at the aspect of his neck. Loki concept Brokk seemed completely too

cocky, especially given the notable things Ivaldi’s sons had made. Brokk took the golden arm-ring and located it in the front of Odin on his excessive throne. “This arm-ring is called Draupnir,” stated Brokk. “Because each 9th night, eight gold arm-jewelry of same beauty will drip from it. You can praise human beings with them, or shop them, and your wealth will growth.”

Odin examined the arm-ring, then driven it onto his arm, up high on his biceps. It gleamed there. “It could be very great,” he stated. Loki recalled that Odin had said the equal component approximately the spear. Brokk walked over to Frey. He raised a cloth and revealed a huge boar with bristles made from gold.

“This is a boar my brother made for you, to pull your chariot,” said Brokk.

“It will race across the sky and over the sea, quicker than the fastest horse. There will never be a night so dark that its golden bristles will now not deliver mild and permit you spot what you're doing. It will by no means tire, and will in no way fail you. It is referred to as Gullenbursti, the golden-bristled one.”

Frey seemed impressed. Still, concept Loki, the mystical ship that folded up like a material changed into every bit as wonderful as an unstoppable boar that shone inside the dark. Loki’s head changed into pretty safe. And the remaining gift Brokk had to present was the one which Loki knew he had already controlled to sabotage. From under the material Brokk produced a hammer, and placed it in front of Thor.

Thor checked out it and sniffed.

“The manage is instead brief,” he said.

Brokk nodded. “Yes,” he stated. “That’s my fault. I changed into operating the bellows. But earlier than you disregard it, allow me tell you approximately what makes this hammer particular. It’s called Mjollnir, the lightning-maker. First of all, it’s unbreakable—doesn’t

remember how tough you hit something with it, the hammer will constantly be undamaged.”

Thor looked involved. He had already broken a extremely good many guns over the years, typically by using hitting matters with them.

“If you throw the hammer, it will in no way miss what you throw it at.” Thor seemed even extra involved. He had lost some of otherwise great guns with the aid of throwing them at matters that angry him and lacking, and he had watched too many guns he had thrown disappear into the gap, never to be visible once more.

“No count how tough or how some distance you throw it, it'll usually return on your hand.”

Thor was now really smiling. And the thunder god did not often smile.

“You can change the size of the hammer. It will grow, and it'll also shrink down so small that in case you wish, you can hide it internal your shirt.”

Thor clapped his fingers together in delight, and thunder echoed throughout Asgard.

“And but, as you have got determined,” concluded Brokk alas, “the take care of of the hammer is certainly too short. This is my fault. I didn't maintain the bellows

blowing while my brother, Eitri, turned into forging it.”

“The shortness of the take care of is a minor, cosmetic trouble,” said Thor. “This hammer will guard us from the frost giants. This is the best gift I actually have ever visible.”

“It will defend Asgard. It will shield everybody,” stated Odin with approval.

“If I had been a giant, I could be very frightened of Thor if he had that hammer,”

said Frey.

“Yes. It’s an fantastic hammer. But Thor, what approximately the hair? Sif’s stunning new golden hair!” requested Loki barely desperately.

“What? Oh, yes. My wife has very satisfactory hair,” said Thor. “Now. Show me a way to make the hammer grow and reduce, Brokk.”

“Thor’s hammer is better even than my terrific spear and my superb arm-ring,” stated Odin, nodding.

“The hammer is greater and greater outstanding than my deliver and my boar,”

admitted Frey. “It will preserve the gods of Asgard secure.”

The gods clapped Brokk on the lower back and informed him that he and Eitri had made the greatest present that they had ever been given.

“Good to recognize,” stated Brokk. He became to Loki. “So,” said Brokk. “I get to reduce off your head, Laufey’s son, and take it back with me. Eitri could be so pleased. We can flip it into some thing useful.”

“I . . . Will ransom my head,” said Loki. “I actually have treasures I can provide you with.”

“Eitri and I have already got all of the treasure we need,” stated Brokk. “We make treasures. No, Loki. I want your head.”

Loki thought for a moment, then said, “Then you may have it. If you could trap me.” And Loki leapt high into the air and ran off, some distance above their heads. In moments he became gone. Brokk checked out Thor. “Can you trap him?”

Thor shrugged. “I in reality shouldn’t,” he stated. “But then, I might very a good deal like to strive out the hammer.”

In moments Thor again, retaining Loki tightly. Loki became obvious with impotent fury. The dwarf Brokk took out his knife. “Come right here, Loki,” he stated. “I’m going to cut off your head.”

“Of direction,” said Loki. “You can, of route, cut off my head. But—and I appeal to potent Odin here—if you reduce off any of my neck, you are violating the

phrases of our settlement, which promised you my head, and my head only.”

Odin inclined his head. “Loki is proper,” he stated. “You have no proper to cut his neck.”

Brokk became irritated. “But I can’t cut off his head without slicing his neck,”

he said.

Loki appeared pleased with himself. “You see,” he stated, “if human beings thought thru the exactness of their phrases, they might now not dare to tackle Loki, the wisest, the cleverest, the trickiest, the most intelligent, the pleasant-searching . . .”

Brokk whispered an offer to Odin. “That could be honest,” agreed Odin. Brokk produced a strip of leather and a knife. He wrapped the leather-based around

Loki’s mouth. Brokk tried to pierce the leather-based with the tip of the knifeblade.

“It’s not operating,” said Brokk. “My knife isn’t slicing you.”

“I may have wisely organized for protection from knifeblades,” said Loki modestly. “Just in case the entire you-can’t-reduce-my-neck ploy did no longer paintings. I am afraid no knifeblade can reduce me!”

Brokk grunted and produced an awl, a pointed spike used in leatherwork, and he jabbed it through the leather, punching holes via Loki’s lips. Then he

took a strong thread and he sewed Loki’s lips together with it.

Brokk walked away, leaving Loki along with his mouth sewn up tight, unable to whinge. For Loki, the pain of being unable to speak hurt even extra than the ache of

having his lips stitched into the leather. So now you know: this is how the gods got their finest treasures. It turned into Loki’s fault. Even Thor’s hammer became Loki’s fault. That turned into the issue approximately

Loki. You resented him even when you had been at your maximum grateful, and also you had been

grateful to him even whilst you hated him the most.