Loki's Children

(9) Prison Break

<<Vali's POV>>

Thud,
thud...
thud.
...
Thud.

"VALI, STOP THROWING THAT BALL AT THE CELL WALL." Boomed my brother. "I've practically clawed my eardrums out listening to you bouncing that infernal ball 176 times!"
"How do you know that?" I hissed.
"I've had the time to count..." he growled.

Me too... I thought. This was the third time today we've yelled at each other. The first time was because I was snoring too loud. The second time Narvi was upset about the black eye I gave him during our previous argument.

Narvi seemed to have heard my thoughts. We both glanced at Hela, her left side towards us, bones and all.

I had almost forgotten about her... uh, appearance. I was so excited to meet her that it didn't phase me at the time, but now that I've had time to look at her... I can't help to think what it must be like. Practically half of the bones and nerves and veins on her body exposed, unprotected from the cold, the rain, and possibly infection. She must be in agony. How does she deal with it? How can she keep such an aloof  face?

My sense of sympathy for her was quickly replaced with rage. It was her fault that we've been stuck in here for I don't know how many weeks. If she hadn't surrendered...

It doesn't matter now anyway. Whatever it was. Hela never explained to us why she let us get arrested. In fact, she hasn't spoken a word to us since we got put in the dungeon. She's just been staring at the translucent, golden barrier that keeps us in this cell, deep in thought.

Narvi got up and sat next to me, along the wall of the cell. He pointed at Hela, in the opposite corner of the cell, her legs crossed, hands in fists.
"D-do you think she's t-trying to figure out an escape plan?" He whispered.

"I hope so."

~~~
<<Narvi's POV>>

Vali and I continued staring at Hela. In the newly-gained silence of the room, I was able to look into Hela's mind. Mind reading isn't the easiest form of magic to master; it wasn't helping that I couldn't hear a thing in her head. Hela's mind seemed blank. The silence in her head felt calming, but also so unnatural. She seemed so focused, but what was she focused on?

~~~

The deafening silence continued until–
"Okay, I'm ready," said Hela, rising from her secluded corner of the cell. "Get up."

"What?" My brother and I chimed in unison.

We got up, fixated on Hela. She closed her eyes, and as she did she slowly moved the fingers on her left hand. In one fluid motion, Hela's pinky hovered over her thumb, then her ring finger over her thumb, then her middle and index.

As she repeated this her hand began to glow. The glow was black like before, but this time it was accompanied by a tint of green light. A pale, sickly green.
The green grew brighter and brighter, as the black smoke became darker.

Vali and I stood idle, not daring to intervene. We stood transfixed by the nature of her magic, consumed in darkness yet bursting with light; calm and quiet, yet volatile and menacing.

It was beautiful, yet horrific.
It was life, and death.

As the green light became unbearably bright, Hela approached the cell wall, raising her fist.