Possibly the the bloodiest war in all the realms may have come to a bitter, cold end the night that Laufey fell at Odin's hand, but what officially claimed the most final of all acts done in the war was the law that had been instated afterwards. The rulers and future leaders of each realm after the war had come together and decided that, for the good of all the realms, the Jotunn would be held accountable for their imperialistic action against Midgard and "for their crimes, all Jotunn are to be executed henceforth." That was the law, and all of every realm knew it, and never questioned.

Many Jotunn were left after the war, but not long after this agreement had been made, armies from all realms (sans Midgard) had sent their own troops in to carry out the decree and many, many lives were lost the first five years. The population had gone from flourishing before the war, to healthy but fatigued, immediately to dwindling. The armies had taken most of the population out and left their bodies to their frozen lands, though some did take souvenirs from the deceased as war trophies to be placed inside their homes.

Few Jotunn had managed to survive the hunts in those first few years after the initial extermination. Many Jotunn were driven underground, but living like that couldn't be sustained for long, without the freedom to hunt for food, and so many starved out of fear. Some did manage to travel to other realms, but if the people didn't kill them first, then the heat did. Some Jotun sorcerers were able to survive the heat under the guise of the realm's inhabitants.

Eventually centuries had passed and the Jotunn were certain to be extinct and their lands lost to the winter in a cold, barren wasteland where the snow fell soundlessly.

Hysterical with panic, Loki's heart pounded rapidly in his ears as he raced through the forests of Asgard, narrowly avoiding this or that branch that threatened to deter him. He couldn't help but feel as though that this was the proof he had cynically been looking for that everything really was entirely out to get him. The dark of the night helped cover him but he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was found missing.

His duties as stand-in king dictated that chaperones were needed nearly every hour of the day and of the night but in his mistrust of his current constituency, he had decided that leaving the minute he was free of being flanked was the most advantageous idea. He had let the guard off his shift early, someone who works for his king so diligently surely needed some time with his family, did he not? And it would be some amount of hours before the next guard would take his place and notice Loki's absence, so he seized the opportunity to pack his essentials in a rucksack and make his escape through the balcony. He teleported his rucksack to the floor of the edge his mother's garden where it touched the forest next door and searched through the darkness before concluding that it was safe to shift his shape into that of a bird.

It was always refreshingly inconspicuous to travel like this, no one would suspect him in the guise of a plainly ordinary sparrow; he was safe (moderately speaking) this way. He took a quick last look of the room before stretching out his wings and drifts across the sky for what was to be most likely the last time he would see Asgard. His greatest love, now driven out by fear. He looked on as the moonlight lit up the far off tops of the shining towers, and other buildings, reveling in how it made the sea surrounding the city shine.

This was all Thor's fault, really. If he hadn't gone and provoked the son of king of Vanaheim into some petty slight fueled duel then he never would have been sent off and banished Midgard, after which then he wouldn't have had to take after Thor in his place, which wouldn't have forced Loki and Odin to be together in the weaponry chambers to take inventory in the first place, during which he wouldn't have had the interest in the Casket from Jotunheim that was won in the War, which wouldn't have made him touch it, which wouldn't have made it quite evident that his skin didn't burn like it was supposed to, which wouldn't have initiated- the Allfather's deep sleep, Loki corrected ruefully, which wouldn't have initiated his filling in as king, which wouldn't have initiated the coronation, which wouldn't have that treasonous guard reveal his- status, which now led to his escape. So all in all, Thor really did manage to ruin everything even when he was completely useless and not even at home.

He turned back towards his mother's palace gardens with an ache in his heart.

When he landed he landed next to the bag, behind a few of the trees before the wide, clear lawn of the gardens, he returned to his natural form, thankful that maybe his once shameful paleness wasn't blue before he had disappeared into the night.

It had been perhaps a few hours of hastened trotting between the trees and around rocks that littered the forest before he had finally stumbled and was knocked down by his own weight. He fell down a steep hill, not particularly enjoying the twigs made sharp by his speed, that threatened to cut on the way down. The massive tree trunk that had managed to immediately halt his haphazard rolling crashed into his side and he let out a pitiful groan. Taking a few deep breaths, he managed to push himself back onto all fours and then onto his legs once more, ignoring the sharp pains he felt from his exhaustion. The adrenaline didn't subside but the agony in his side certainly didn't either and so he simply walked, hoping to find any sort of shelter he could use for the night. A hollow tree, under a rock, anything.

Perhaps twenty more minutes or so passed of searching before a small cave of sorts eventually came by and he couldn't help but immediately expect it to already be occupied and he pleaded internally that in all his life's misfortune and horror that there would be this small gift of an empty dirty, dank cave. He cautiously made a small fire in his hand and tentatively held it out at the mouth of the cave, just to glimpse anything before it could notice or attack him. When nothing happened, he inched forward more and nothing happened still. He then looked entirely inside to reveal that yes, oh thank the Fates, yes it was indeed vacant and he quickly trudged in and could almost cry in relief. He created the image of an artificial wall in the opening so that on the outside it would appear to be nothing but a large rock, totally uninhabited by an illegal runaway. He built no fire, ate no food that night, but let sleep overcome him instantly.

Loki awoke with a horrible ache in his spine after having been curled into a tight ball the duration of the night and groaned as he stretched out, letting his muscles and joints readjust from the previously abusive position. He laid on his back, finding the little insects interesting as they crawled their way around, meet one another, change direction, then run into each other once more. Now was no time to be philosophical by any means, but how simple it would be if life were like that for all things. After all, they had to option of turning the other cheek without being followed.

He scrubbed his face with his hand and closed his eyes, savoring what would most likely be his most easily found shelter during this- hunt? Escape? It had been a mere few days since the exposition, as he had taken to referring to it, and he had tried to spare as little thought to it as possible. How many peculiar mysteries about himself were revealed in that one disgusting, ugly moment, and even more awful, how many things finally made sense to him retrospectively? He closed his eyes, desperately willing away the ache in his chest, it would not do to get emotional now. A level head might save him for a little while longer but realistically, his life expectancy was about due.

He found his legs and arms carry him into a standing position and he properly stretched then, feeling a little rested, not nearly what he needed, but somewhat rested all the same. He picked up his rucksack to fish around for one of Idunn's golden apples, taken directly from the King's table, along with another eight or so. They would help at the least and cure at the most when starvation was near, he reminded himself gratefully and wretchedly as he took a bite. The sharp sourness rang out first, then the sweetness and he let out a quiet sigh to himself as the life in them became his. The strongly golden sunlight fell through his illusion and the tiny insects, bits of dust and pollen created tiny shadows in its beams and it was such pity that this beauty made itself known in these awful circumstances. Or perhaps it made it less unbearable.

He finished his apple, wrapping the core in a handkerchief and putting it back in the sack. No one could grow Idunn's apples but Idunn, but an apple core would easily give him away to his enemies. He left the safety of the cave and looked around for anything suspicious but then deemed that it was not currently so dangerous and he began to walk. All of a sudden this morning seemed to large of a gift to race through it, even if his life was at stake, but he walked courteously as he stepped carefully over the fallen trees, pushed away the branches that were in his way. This moment unexpectedly seemed important to savor and he did.

By the time afternoon had come, the heat had begun to set in his armor and he felt the sweat leak on his body, especially his brow and neck that were exposed to the strong, nearly overbearing sunlight. Perhaps his heat intolerance was explained quite plainly now, he thought bitterly and then quickly banished the thought. Do not get emotional now, he thought, your life is at stake and I won't let you hand yourself over because you want to have a cry about it. Scowling at the ground now as he trudged on, not taking as much care as this morning, he could feel the bitter seed planted in him grow tenfold just in this one moment. Thor had always been the obnoxious one, but Loki had always had the subtle deeply varied emotional spectrum. He felt the tears come into his eyes before he could stop them, so he poignantly ignored them as he thought Where is Thor? Could he truly have been banished before the Allfather descended into the Odinsleep? What would happen if Thor died before Odin was able to wake? And then an even more terrifying thought came to him: Did Thor know? His heart raced at the thought and the anxiety ran all over his body.

Again, he swiftly banished the thought in favor of picking up his walk into a trot as he weaved through the trees, careful to prefer steps that would leave less of a track. The protective enchantments he wrapped himself in would help deter anyone from seeing him, but anyone looking at his biological footprint would be able to find him if they were skilled enough. He could cover his tracks but it would be incredibly time-consuming to the point were it would be detrimental to his timetable, and his magic wasn't inexhaustible. The anxiety to move further away from the city far outweighed his desire to lollygag anymore and his lack of invisibility didn't encourage him to take his time either. The Æsir were excellent hunters, just as well with warriors, and that was terrifying enough. How many times had he been shocked by Thor's and his friends' unique brand of intelligence in tracking on their childish voyages into this very forest?

He closed his eyes and broke into a full run.

"Look at him! The prince has betrayed the palace, Asgard, and all our people!" the nameless man had pointed. He had not one day ago had his impromptu coronation and was instated as temporary king either until his not-father had awaken or until Thor returned. Both looked unlikely, however. Loki swallowed soundlessly and took his criticism with a passive face, unwilling to give anything away, a trait that could only be learned at its full capacity by a royal family where appearances were everything. He took a silent breath and looked to the man and the other people who had come to present their plights to the king. Most people have a crop issue, or a legal concern, but of course this is his first real appointment and this is what he gets.

The common people certainly were suspicious of him, but they- most- didn't outright dislike him, especially not in public. All knew that he was a bit of a trickster, but also an excellent diplomat and scholar that had secured many adjustments to outdated and irrational legislation, along with reforming treaties and peace with the other realms. The people were wary of his personal behavior, but few could really argue that he wasn't a prime politician. Of course not all people agreed on that, it appeared. He looked interested in the older man's accusation and criticism of him and asked politely,

"Sir, I do not understand what ground on which you base these accusations, perhaps you could enlighten me?"

The man looked affronted at him and then returned his attention back to the rest of the people. The man's seasoned appearance looked somewhat familiar, but then again so did most of Asgard. It wasn't a very large realm by any means and all lived for a deplorably long time and so most people had seen each other at least once. His weathered voice was loud enough for all to hear, apparently deadest on turning this small crowd against him, which wasn't entirely unusual but in Loki's presence was a little different.

"This trickster has lied to you all! I have seen this monster for what he really is!" The shock was evident on their faces that this man would speak so ill of someone that highly regarded, especially publicly in such a manner. Loki felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and his hands instantly become clammy at the allusion. He strongly kept his face passive but the man appeared to smile a little that he had been unnerved and continued,

"I tell you all, the Prince, Loki, is not who we have been told he is! For behind the mask of pale skin, there lies a Jotun!"

The quite gasps and whispers at this filled the room and Loki could feel the sweat that broke out, but those around looked blessedly unconvinced. Some of them even had the dignity to look offended for him.

"Yes! I have seen it with my own eyes! The beloved "prince's" transformation! The skin he wears now is nothing but a disguise! He held the Casket just this morning in the weaponry vault, and I watched, as the blue was revealedl on his skin, and the red came into his olive eyes! I saw as the prince became his true form, for the casket reveals it all!"

More people looked questionable rather than outright disbelieving at this man's words, claiming the impossible. The elder man paused to take in the crowd's disbelief, and he continued with a smirk, as he stared as the prince.

"Asgardians! As you know, it is not in the way of Asgard to know the higher studies of magicas this one practices! And shapeshifters are unheard of! We have never known of such things, and we care not for them! But Loki, man of lies and deception, is both and has been so since his first appearance as a small youngling! Does it not perk your interest as to why this boy has turned out of thin air? Behold! An Asgardian, who is a shape shifter AND prodigal in the magical arts. Is it really so believable that this is only chance?" Loki felt the familiar ache in his chest that only became heavier when he saw the man was to continue.

"As you might also remember, the Jotunn were wielders of magic as well! And their sorcerers were shapeshifters as well! Tell me that it is not simply a coincidence that this one was born into this body and lived among us, having the same abilities? Do you all truly believe that any Æsir child could be born like that?"

And then a young woman spoke up "The Allfather can do magic." Loki could have sighed with relief at this recognition, as the near future was looking darker and darker. A shred of hope the discrediting of this man will rid these thoughts in the room. The older man looked thoughtful for a moment, of how to combat this fact and then he continued with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Odin Allfather presented the idea to kill all Jotunn. If he were a Jotun, then why would he order to kill his own people? And there are magic wielders in Asgard, but none as crafty as Loki." Of course this only helped the man's cause that those only looked more confused and less sure of themselves. He continued,

"As all of you know, the Jotunn were great beasts that preyed on small Asgardian children and Midgardians, and for those reasons we rid all the realms of these monsters. The safety of my and your children and families rests with their extinction and we have been safe for many years with their disappearance. But now," he looked defiantly up at Loki and pointed a finger at him, "this last one has managed to weasel his way into the heart of our home, trick us, and make himself king! He cast Thor out, and then made the Allfather sick with slumber so that he could rule our kingdom and subjugate our people!"

The stares examining Loki usually felt standard but now they were suspicious and uncertain. He took a breath, struggling how to continue so as to discredit the man, though he knew any victory would be short-lived. These accusations would not disappear with the man even if he was discredited and deemed insane, it all fit too perfectly together not to believe. And it was the truth, liberally speaking. That's why it was so believable. An older man spoke out,

"Sir, you will do well to silence yourself! Have some respect for your king." And then a young woman said,

"How would you even think of something so unspeakable?" The man continued determinedly,

"I know because I saw it happen! I was guarding that weaponry vault when it happened! He picked up the Casket and held it and I watched as his skin became blue instead of burning the flesh like it does for all other than Jotunn!"

If he called the session to an end, then it would only fuel the fire and make it look as though Loki had something to hide. Which you do, he reminded himself. He leaned back into his thrown and crossed his legs, folding his hands in his lap, but said nothing. The same woman continued,

"How dare you announce your accusations of the only son left of the King and Queen! And with the Allfather in the Odinsleep? How cowardly of you."

"Then what a more perfect time to test my announcement? Surely the prince has nothing to hide? Have him hold the Casket before us to truly put these accusations to bed and prove me wrong." And some murmurs were muffled at this. If the prince really did have nothing to hide, why shouldn't he hold it? Some of the people nodded, satisfied with this.

"That seems fair," the woman finally said. They all looked to Loki expectantly now and he remained in his quiet dignity as he stated simply,

"I refuse to humor such ridiculous notions and am insulted by your accusations." It wasn't entirely rude but he was playing the part of honorably offended quite well.

"Why not? What have you to hide, then?"

"I have nothing to hide."

"Then why do you avoid it?"

"I have time allotted specifically to cater to the people and you waste theirs and mine with your foolishness, Sir."

"Then come on, trickster, give up your trick, or prove you have none."

Loki scoffed softly at his insistency. Of course he was already creating his plan to escape tonight and quickly wanted to end the session in order to do this. He stood finally.

"You have wasted all the time I had to give today, and I deplore you not to encourage such absurd accusations on others when they surely have better things to do, including me." He redirected his gaze to the rest of the people who had come today in search of assistance and said in his most politely regretful tone, "I apologize and good morning."

That merely been the day before but Fates if it didn't feel like eons ago, Loki thought.