The Immortal Gazette: The Cursed Ring of the Nibelungen
The fire burned low in the grand hall of The Immortal Gazette, casting shifting golden hues against the stone walls. The night air hummed with the kind of charged energy that only came when mischief was brewing.
Alice stretched lazily in her chair, boots propped on the table, while Loki sat beside her, absently spinning a golden ring between his fingers.
Rumplestiltskin, however, was staring at it.
Hard.
With a look that could melt iron.
"Where," he said slowly, "did you get that?"
Loki smirked. "Oh, this?" He twirled the ring once more, making a show of inspecting it. "Just a little trinket I acquired long ago. Nothing too dangerous. Probably."
Alice arched a brow. “Rumple, you look like you’re about to strangle him.”
Rumplestiltskin pointed an accusing finger at Loki. “Do you have any idea what that is? That’s not just some trinket, you fool! That looks alarmingly like the Ring of the Nibelungen.”
Loki’s smirk widened. “Oh? Do tell.”
Alice leaned forward, grinning. “Yes, dear Rumple, educate us.”
Rumplestiltskin sighed and crossed his arms. “Fine. Listen well, children, because this tale is rife with power, greed, curses, and absolute disaster.”
The Ring of the Nibelungen: A Curse of Greed and Betrayal
Rumplestiltskin took a deep breath.
“In the deep rivers of Germanic legend, there existed a golden treasure—a hoard so great it could rival any wealth in the world. It was guarded by the Rhine maidens, who swore it could only be taken by someone who renounced love entirely.”
Loki made a face. “That seems… unnecessary.”
Rumplestiltskin shrugged. “Maybe. But love and power don’t mix well, do they?” He gave Loki a pointed look before continuing.
"Enter Alberich, a dwarf of the Nibelung people. He craved power more than anything, so he cursed himself, renouncing love, and stole the treasure. With it, he forged the Ring of the Nibelungen, a ring of unimaginable power. With this ring, he ruled over his people, amassing unthinkable wealth and control."
Alice smirked. “So basically, first mistake—getting greedy with magic.”
Rumple nodded. “Exactly. But then, along comes Wotan—or as you might know him, Odin himself.”
Loki sat up straighter. “Odin was involved?”
Rumple grinned. “Oh, yes. Wotan, the all-powerful leader of the gods, wanted the ring for himself. He struck a deal with the giants Fafnir and Fasolt, promising them riches in exchange for building Valhalla. But—surprise, surprise—he didn't actually have enough wealth to pay them.”
Alice chuckled. “Oh, classic bad deal scenario.”
Rumplestiltskin smirked. “Naturally, Wotan stole the Nibelung treasure—including the ring—to pay his debt.”
Loki whistled. “I bet that went well.”
Rumple grinned darkly. “Not at all. The ring was cursed to bring nothing but destruction to its possessor. Fafnir, one of the giants, murdered his own brother over it, then transformed into a massive dragon to hoard the treasure for himself.”
Alice leaned in. “Wait… the Fafnir? As in, the dragon from all those legends?”
Rumple nodded. “The very same. And then, of course, along comes Siegfried—the greatest mortal hero of the age. He slays Fafnir, takes the ring, and bathes in the dragon’s blood to become nearly invincible.”
Loki smirked. “Nearly?”
Rumple tapped his chest. “Ah, yes. You see, he missed a spot—a tiny patch on his back, where a leaf had landed while he bathed. And that one unprotected spot?” He smirked. “Got him killed.”
Alice winced. “That’s rough.”
Rumple shrugged. “That’s the curse. The ring destroyed everyone who ever touched it. Wotan. The giants. Fafnir. Siegfried. And eventually, it made its way back to the Rhine maidens, where it should have stayed.”
Loki grinned. “So you’re telling me this ring—” he twirled it again “—has the power to destroy entire lineages?”
Rumplestiltskin’s eyes narrowed. “And you—the actual god of mischief—are playing with it like a toy?”
Alice suddenly snorted. “Wait. Hold on. Rewind. Rumple, why do you care so much? Unless…”
Her grin widened. “You tried to steal it, didn’t you?”
Loki’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, this just got interesting.”
Rumple scowled. “I never stole it! I merely… attempted to procure it. But there were… complications.”
Loki leaned forward. “Tell us, dear imp. Who betrayed you?”
Rumple sighed dramatically. “Would you believe it was Wotan himself?”
Alice cackled. “The actual king of the gods played you?”
Rumple threw up his hands. “He hired me to retrieve the ring from Fafnir’s lair—said he’d reward me handsomely. So I did. Barely made it out alive. And then? The moment I handed it over?”
Alice grinned. “He reneged on the deal, didn’t he?”
Rumple’s eye twitched. “Not only did he refuse to pay me, but he banished me from Valhalla and cursed my name among the Nibelung!”
Loki burst into laughter. “Let me get this straight—you got out-tricked by Odin?”
Alice wiped away tears of mirth. “And now you’re bitter because you didn’t get the ring or the treasure?”
Rumple muttered darkly. “Precisely.”
Loki smirked and tossed the ring in the air. “Well, you can rest easy, dear imp. This one’s a replica.”
Rumple stared. “… You knew that the whole time?”
Loki’s grin widened. “Of course. But watching you panic was infinitely more entertaining.”
Rumple’s scowl could have burned down a kingdom. “I loathe you.”
Alice grinned. “And yet, we never get tired of you.”
As Loki chuckled, he tucked the fake ring into his pocket, and Rumple vowed once again to never get involved with cursed artifacts.
…Probably.
🖋️✨📜🖤
