Silver and Scales

A/N: This is a Loki fan fiction that is full of character development; it is not an assortment of smut. If you want to read a story that is full of intimacy, enduring conversations, passionate embraces, raging arguments, and a story that delves into a created relationship between Loki and an OFC, this is a story for you. :) I hope you love it. KNEEL! ;) Couldn't resist...

Chapter One: An Asgardian Celebration

Loki peered at his reflection into the delicate pond in the basin of Asgard's resplendent garden. With few hours before his brother's coronation left to go, he glanced at himself through the glistening waters, curious and wondering if he looked at all nervous. A youthful face that had seen the winters of a thousand years, Loki Odinson bore features of slight innocence though a strong capability of beckoning to mischief. It was a very good description as any. As God of Mischief, nobody could expect anything else. In his casual clothes, Loki was handsomely dressed as and was an Asgardian prince. His attire was an elegant mix of forest green and royal gold; it often clashed with his brother's crimson red and silver metal. His eyes, ever lightly blue and shining with pride for his brother Thor, smoldered with municipal envy.

He had been looking forward to this day as long as Thor had; but Loki was the second-born, and his desired reign over Asgard would not come unless Thor proved to be unworthy of the title of All-Father. While Loki prayed that Thor's safety would not be sent to a realm such as Midgard or Jotunheim, he wondered if ever he could be the true king of his beloved home.

Thor had always treated him as a brother, never a subject. He loved him, and he knew this.

Loki's thoughts were silently interrupted by a face that appeared over his shoulder. A visage of loveliness, a pair of light green eyes met his through the water's reflection like a clear mirror. A face framed by long, straight blonde hair observed him through the water's calm surface. Loki recognized the face and felt the familiar tug in his stomach at the sight of his old childhood friend.

He rose from his bent position and turned around to look upon his childhood friend.

Vyperia Sallerius appeared to him in blue and white robes, decorated by small pieces of jewelry in her beautiful hair; she wore a friendly, pleasant formal smile on her face.

"You wear a long face, my prince of Asgard," she greeted with a respectful bow of her head.

Loki observed her swiftly. He rose to his feet and expressed his gratitude with open arms,

"Ah, Vyperia, you came."

She broke her formal deposition as a loyal royal-maiden and enthusiastically flung her arms around his neck, pulling him close in a tight, loving embrace. Loki was stunted for a moment, but held her fast, welcoming her joyous greeting as if he had been spared genuine affection for the longest time. A small sigh of one missing her emitted from his mouth and she planted a sweet kiss on the apple of his cheek.

This was Vyperia, the goddess of guardianship.

She was his first friend, aside from Thor, when he first came to Asgard as a child.

Young Loki and Vyperia instantly had bonded through their commonality of magical abilities. Loki's mastery of the arcane arts had easily enticed her; and he knew that although he felt different from the rest, she was not the only one who stood apart from the other Asgardian shield-maidens and goddesses.

Vyperia was different by, not personality or good humor, but because she was regarded as a mutated phenomenon among those who were gifted with mere Asgardian strengths and abilities as the Amazon warriors of Greek mythology.

Her abilities were not uncommon to those of a super-human snake charmer.

Loki had learned that, in her own right, she was the embodiment of viper (noted for the reason why she was named 'Vyperia').

One thing that was particularly bizarre about her was her sensitive sensors of her touch. Her body was sensitive to the ground; if someone should walk by her, she could feel the vibrations through her feet (or if she was lying on the ground, through her entire body). Her other sensory enhancement was her smell, though it only applied to the one time that she had been in Midgard—for some reason, it only applied to humans, of whom she could track easily with just her nose.

As characteristically close to a snake as one person could be, Loki had always found her prehensile tongue engaging and entertaining. By definition, a prehensile tongue was an abnormality in a person's anatomical mouth: a physically long tongue that was not accompanied by a chemical imbalance.

By normal standards in her domain, Vyperia's tongue assumed the length of one foot. This was it's original size. If desired, she could extend the elasticity and her tongue would wrap around her body several times. While it was extremely bizarre and disturbing to others like the Warriors Three, Loki had always found it particularly amusing to see her literally lick clean a plate that was several feet away.

Vyperia had fought several times alongside Loki and Thor. She was a formidable warrior, though no one could tell this aptitude about her while she embraced him in the garden. Pleasant, entertaining, sweet, and usually in a good humor, Vyperia was ever so gentle in her regular mannerism. Loki, though, had seen her when she had become furious; and although he never feared that side of her, it still was an unpleasant sight to see.

She beheld some daunting tactics if ever she became hostile.

As a snake-like predominant woman, her strength was formidable enough to squeeze a victim so hard that, during the battle at Nifleheim, she had stopped a Dark Elf from breathing. He had fallen to his knees, motionless, after thirty-seconds of constriction within her grip.

While Vyperia's prehensile tongue could always be a source of entertainment, she had a nuerotoxin, described by humans as an extremely deadly poison that is comparable to a lethal injection, that was secreted from her tongue on demand. This venomous ability was extremely deadly. The venom was a paralysis-inducing agent that, after a few minutes, would follow with agonizing pain.

Loki had seen this done first hand when she had performed such a lethal performance on a human who had killed a newborn infant in front of her when she was still in her youth.

Vyperia, beautiful and smooth skinned, possessed a manifestation (which granted her the noun of a mutant) to develop a dermal scale armor along her body. Scales, comparably strong to that of a Midgardian's riot shield, would creep onto her body like an extensive body armor. Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, and had nicknamed her 'Scales' after this happened.

One other manifestation that Vyperia was infamous for, and was the reason why so many condemned her to such an impersonated reputation, was that she could literally shape-shift into a monster that was half-woman, half-snake. It was a beastly occurrence that had only happened when she had been cornered by an array of Dark Elves: an absolute last resort. It was both disturbing and fascinating, and beheld much of Vyperia's abilities to the highest extreme—she was a deadly weapon.

While others perceived that Vyperia was a snake under a sheep's skin—sweet, soft-tempered, generous, and compassionate—but a judgmental, conniving, vengeful, vindictive, grudge-monkey underneath all of that—Loki had perceived something greater than her than that.

They were wrong. She was sentimental, loving, kind, and very loyal.

"You look absolutely handsome, Loki," complimented Vyperia, "a true prince of the All-Father."

"I would return the compliment," commented Loki with a charming smile, setting his hands on her shoulders at arms length, "but there are no words." He gestured to her primped blonde hair. "You did something different, didn't you?" His hand on her shoulder inquisitively swept a few stray strands of her hair off her shoulders.

"The other women believed that it would make me look less pale if it fell pass my shoulders instead of hanging up on the top of my head like a bird," retorted Vyperia self-consciously. She looked at him, embarrassed. "Why? Does it look peculiar? You don't like it?"

Loki stopped her from trying to fix it; his hands grabbed hers quickly before she could touch her hair.

"Darling, it looks fine," he assured her. "For what it is worth, I think that you look as stunning as you do now even if you had no hair on top of your head."

She blushed softly.

"Do you flirt with me, Loki of Asgard?" she retorted coyly.

"Yes," Loki answered truthfully. "Is it working?"

"One-hundred years and you're still apt to court me on a whim—you are truly the god of mischief," answered Vyperia, though flattered all the same. "Loki, it is your brother's big day. His coronation...I think that if you and I went to your mother and father and told them what we have been doing, it might ruin the moment, don't you think?"

"I think that they already know, Vyperia," replied Loki shamelessly. "If you had let me conceal you during courtship, we might have been able to avoid their gazes much longer. I am a master at magic; it would have been easy to do it."

"Well, why didn't you?" Vyperia returned, straightening.

"As I recall," Loki began and immediately Vyperia's face flushed red at his segue, "you told me that even if our gatherings were caught by the guards, even Heimdall, it was...Oh, what did you say? I'm very certain that it complimented my apparent skill in—"

"Shh," Vyperia said quickly. She covered his mouth with her hand. He was surprised momentarily by her silence of him, but understood her sudden hushing when he saw three others coming from the distance. The Warriors Three and Lady Sif, all beaming, were several feet away.

"Don't say it aloud," she uttered, laughing slightly as she lowered her hand.

"They know too." Loki added.

"How could they know?" hissed Vyperia, mortified although still appearing to laugh during this revelation. Loki's apparent delight in her embarrassment was infectious; even she couldn't stop smiling in her petty torment.

"I might have picked up some bragging rights when I told Thor."

"He knows too?" Vyperia reacted incredulously.

"In my defense," Loki pointed out, "you don't make it very hard to see the attraction."

She stared at him.

"We have been old friends for a very long time," he said, without sarcasm or intent to tease her.

He sounded warm and meaningful.

"You are not like the other Asgardians, Vyperia. You're strange, bizarre, and you've got that odd prehensile tongue going for you there—love it, by the way—but always know that that is the reason why we became friends."

"Because I have a long tongue, that's why you like me? Oh, Loki..." she teased.

When he merely smiled at her, she softened. Her eyes met his with an intention of being one who grasped the intensity of the conversation. A moment between them like this had always reverted to one of eminent passion. And love...

"Your brother may be the first-born, Loki. However," she began seriously, "you will always be my king."

Her genuinely cheerful eyes slowly fell to a gaze that was steadily one of mourning. He noticed the small switch and easily knew that she was bound to a conflict.

She looked upon him with a quiet gaze of one who knew something secretive and couldn't say but wanted to—and Loki sensed that in her eyes. It was something different, something off. Loki conveyed confusion. He had never seen it in her face before.

"You are the All-Father's second-born," she said seriously. "You are an Asgardian. Know that no matter what happens, whatever you do, whatever you become...I will stand by you...to whatever end."

Loki set a gentle hand along the confines of her smooth jaw, attempting to fish out the small piece of information that had made her sound so quiet and ill-spoken. She sounded almost as if she carried such a secret that would fault their relationship. The gaze in her eyes was one of silent condemnation. She could not speak it, as if sworn to it.

"Vyperia, are you ill?"

She shook her head.

"I know that you have always been envious of your brother, Loki," she said with a forced smile, one that would fool any Midgardian's line of questioning, but he could see past it with ease. "I know it because I have Felt it before with many of those who have been left by loved ones in Midgard. I know that you have always felt like you have lived in Thor's shadow, but I have noticed you. You are different, but you are mine."

"Vyperia, what are you not telling me?"

Before she could give him a reply, the Warriors Three had approached them before her lips could part for a decline or a formidable answer.

"Well, well, well, look who is finally dressed for such an occasion as this!" greeted Volstagg boisterously, cheerfully.

Loki slowly released Vyperia. She glanced at him furtively, knowing that their mutual tension in what had underwent would not go unfinished. She dreaded and welcomed his line of interrogation.

Her slight burden upon what she knew of his origin had haunted her since she was young, when she first learned of Loki's true parentage. As goddess of parenthood, she knew almost instantly that the child that had been brought to Asgard from Jotunheim had not been one of the Asgardian maidens. Her parents had no need to inform her; and no one aside Frigga or Odin knew. To Vyperia's disappointment—and in her older years—to her displeasure, she was sworn by oath to never tell Loki that it had been Odin who had taken him from his home after slaying several of its natives. While Loki's true father still lived, it was Vyperia's burden that she knew that Laufey had realized that his son had gone missing.

Odin's reason for taking Loki had not been one that Vyperia (Goddess of Guardianship) had particularly liked; and for years, she harbored this sordid secret.

Loki, unaware of this, glanced at his romantic partner in distant confusion and concern, though looked upon Volstagg with glad tidings.

"You look like you could use a feast, my friend," Loki joked, dilapidated still from the intense conversation from which he had been withdrawn so abruptly.

"I am always ready for a feast," agreed Volstagg.

He stroked his full beard in contemplation before turning his attention to the ever-glowing shield-maiden of parenthood and fertility. "My dear, you look beautiful. I don't think that I've seen you dressed so properly since we left Nifleheim."

"Dressed properly?" she returned, turning to him. "If you recall, I was wearing a suit of armor."

"Scales do not count for clothes, Vyperia," coined Volstagg good-heartedly.

He meant no perversion by this comment. It was in his nature to jab at Vyperia's ability to manifest her own protective skin.

"I don't remember seeing you climbing out of Nifleheim unscathed," Lady Sif chimed in dutifully. "You barely made it out alive."

"I admit," he said with a raised hand, "that if it hadn't been for Scales, we wouldn't have made it out alive, and Thor, of course."

"I'm certain that it had been Loki who saved our asses that day," remarked Vyperia. "Thor might have led us into battle, dear friends, but it had been he who availed us in smoke for a quick getaway."

Loki smiled at the credit that she passed onto him.

Leave it to Vyperia to give it where credit was due. A redeeming quality about her was a sense of honor in her loyalty to him.

"Of course, he always comes through!" cried out Volstagg. He playfully punched Loki in the arm.

Vyperia smiled warmly at her dear friend. Loki met her eyes and returned it.

"When are you two going to make it official, hm?" asked Fandral, who picked up the exchanged glances between them. "It could be a glorious after-event of Thor's coronation! Thor, King of Asgard. Loki—prince of Asgard. Vyperia—princess of Asgard...with a little venom."

"Thor's coronation is his day," replied Vyperia respectively. "Even if I wanted to go public with my new found affection for Loki, it would be inappropriate..."

"Oh, what new found affection, Scales?" harassed Volstagg humorously. Vyperia glanced at him as he mocked her turn of phrase. "Nothing is new about this sort of love. I think lightning struck—if you pardon the phrase—when you locked eyes across the room when you first met him across the battlefield."

"War does have a way of bringing people together," said Loki sarcastically.

"Well, maybe I'm exaggerating," Volstagg relinquished, hands up in the air in playful defense. "But there is nothing new about what you two share. Before we were told about your little...ahem...encounters...you two have always been thick as thieves, if not thicker."

"It is a beautiful thing, though," Lady Sif remarked meaningfully. "I mean, it is brilliant in Asgard today, is it not? Once upon a time there was war, anger, and deceit; and now Asgard is having a new king, and why not have a little romance in the air, Volstagg? It has been a long time since Asgard has seen happiness like this."

"It is not newsworthy," Vyperia declined.

"It is if I want it to be," Loki remarked, turning to her.

Vyperia's face betrayed her calm tone. She was taken aback by the seriousness in his voice. His words would have been playful and meaningless if he hadn't looked at her with such intent in his eyes. Lady Sif glanced between them knowingly. She turned to her fellow warriors and signaled for them to follow her.

"We'll meet you in the castle, yes?"

Loki nodded to them as an answer.

When they were well out of earshot, Loki and Vyperia continued in conversation.

"What are you talking about, Loki?" said Vyperia seriously.

"It is not newsworthy?" he asked her softly.

"What?"

"If I went to Father and Mother today and told them about us, it wouldn't be newsworthy?" Loki clarified.

"Your brother's coronation is today, and it should remain his day."

"Everyday is his day," stated Loki without malice, though the jealousy was evident in his voice.

She didn't meant to strike into his heart that their courting was nothing. It was far from what she meant. She looked at him, knowing the envy in his voice.

"Should you have parades and monuments placed in the gardens if I agreed that you should go to Odin and Frigga about our gatherings?" said Vyperia sarcastically. "Darling, we don't need to have the nine realms know that you and I—"

"Not all of them, pet," remarked Loki.

Her expression shifted with sardonic intention to one of shocked and underestimation. He ever called her 'pet' during moments that would create exact passion. It was her nickname that was most affectionate and concealed by lust.

Vyperia gazed at him quietly.

"The throne of Asgard belongs to an Asgardian king, love," explained Vyperia calmly, though she was gently stoned by the strong intensity of a gaze that was slowly turning to one of growing frustration.

Loki wanted Asgard to know that he had chosen somebody who deserved a place in the royal ranks. She was not a simple subject of the guard, despite her status as a goddess.

Loki's frustration was fueled by their constant sneaking around and Thor's overshadowing of his deeds—such as the instance in Nifleheim. There was a lot in Loki's mind that troubled him; and Vyperia's insignificant pass at the worthiness of their relationship had struck a nerve.

"We are important to Odin and Frigga, but it would be disrespectful to shadow Thor's coronation with our union," said Vyperia gently, her eyes pleading. "You know that I have harbored a love for you since our first encounter. Is that not enough?"

Loki considered her words.

"I suppose," he began softly, "that I might have jumped to a false conclusion."

"False," she replied, "but understood."

She leaned forward and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

"If you trust nothing about what I say," she continued, "trust my loyalty. Trust my heart. It may seem sometimes that I favor Thor's opinion over yours, or that I agree with the latter." A smile appeared on her warm face. "But always know that my heart will and always will ache for you."

Loki smiled.

His pointed fingers lightly grazed the frame of her jaw to pull her into an irresistible kiss. It was a brief, but warm acknowledgment of her understanding of his irritation in a split-second. When he withdrew after making the statement clear, he was pleased to see her tongue graze the line of her lips with ease.

"I might persuade you to come by my chambers tonight," Loki said easily as her tongue slipped back into her mouth. "It's a curious thing that we've never put that into good use."

She smirked.

"No matter of your intentions would be considered 'good', love."

Loki chuckled handsomely.

"Then I suppose that my reputation in mischief would precede me, wouldn't it, pet?"

Loki motioned for her to follow him up into the castle.

The time for Thor's coronation was almost here.