Oracle of Tao

CHAPTER 11: In which Loki makes a cameo to avoid bankruptcy, after slow work at Marvel Studios.

ESTHERIELCenturies ago, before even the New Earth, and when the peoples were still young, a being known as Alberich forged a Great Ring from the gold deep within the Earth. With the power of this one Ring, he intended to Rule Them All. Such ambition... we could not allow it. My

I left the cave with his words weighing on me. Even today, as I think on my current objectives, this still unsettles me. If the day had ended with his words there, I would have been disturbed enough. But it didn't. The worst was coming.

Indeed, no sooner did I leave the cave than some brigands tried to steal it. A group of ogres had climbed up to this spot. Now, many of you don't understand this, but ogres are in the same family as goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, trolls, oni, giants, and titans in order of size. They lack any special abilities unlike trolls, goblins, and orcs. But much like the state of mankind (according to Hobbes), they are nasty, brutish, and short. “Give us your Ring now, if you know what's good for you!” he paused, “Or else.” This Ring seemed to have led these thieves right to this area, to claim it. Furthermore, the Ring seemed to be cursed with a terrible greed! No, I shall not keep it!

I had a goal of using this Ring in order to remake the world. Yet renewing the world in this way would simply lead to great evil! I addressed these big mannish things, “If you desire it, take it with my blessing. Do not fight me for what is yours freely! I'll even give my gold, so you can share evenly.” As I said this, I laid down at least enough to equal the Ring in Gold and in gold bars, yet they took no notice of this obvious wealth, instead focusing on the fact that only one of them could possess the Ring.

It happened subtly at first. One ogre said politely (inasmuch as ogres are polite), “Here brother, you take the gold, I'll have the Ring...” The other ogre shook his head, “No brother, you take the gold, I want the Ring...” The way he said this was very blunt, even to ogre ears, so the other ogre snarled at him, “I won't let you have it. It's mine! It's precious to me.” The other ogre shoved the pile of gold I'd offered at him, trying to grab the Ring, “Well, I definitely don't want your stinking gold!” What began as a robbery ended as a bloodbath. The first one pounded at the second, with his meaty fists, then the second one pulled out his club, and they continued back and forth until there were two bloody stains on the snow-covered ground outside the cave.

I fished the Ring out of the gore. “This will not suffice!” I said, “I shall suppress this away, until the unthinkable happens! Its evil shall be imprisoned,until one of the most trustworthy beings makes an vow and breaks it.” This event would haunt me from then on. This is why, despite many easier ways of changing the world, I had decided to instead go ahead with my plan.