"Stop it!"
"It has to be cleaned."
"It hurts. Let me up!"
"Stop squirming and it won't hurt as much. Sit still, Hela."
"Ouch! Daddy!"
"Sit still!"
Hela winced as Loki's voice raised slightly. She pouted and squirmed awkwardly as she felt the cold cloth touch her back again.
Loki had brought her to a lovely house. It was made of brick and filled with Victorian furniture. It was much nicer and more pleasant than Zeph's home. It felt safe. A fire roared at the hearth a few feet away from where they sat on the couch.
"Ow! Quit it!" Hela wriggled around as the cloth carefully ran over a wound made on her back. She was lying on her stomach, her belly pressed against Loki's legs. The back of her shirt was drawn up enough to see the wounds inflicted.
Nari and Vali had been waiting when they got to the house. Loki had been quick to send them up to their rooms when he brought Hela in, though. They had only resisted for a moment.
Loki did his best to hold her down as he tried to clean the wounds. It was rather difficult to do with the child wriggling like a worm. His eyes narrowed and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her side against his stomach. "Dammit, sit still, Hela!"
Hela cringed. "That's a bad word," she said slowly.
Loki rolled his eyes. "I know. And that's why you won't repeat it, understand? Now, sit still so I can finish cleaning these." His voice softened and he gently stroked her hair, relaxing her.
Sighing, Hela did her best to sit still while Loki worked. It was hard, despite her father's best efforts at being gentle on the harsh wounds. But eventually, Loki took her shoulder and carefully pulled her up into a sitting position once he'd bandaged the marks.
Hela stared up at him intently. The fire crackled and spat beside them. The orange light reflected on Loki's white skin and green eyes. He stared at her for a moment.
"Now," he said softly, "Would you like to tell me why you were down in that dungeon in the first place?"
"I wanted to bust you out. We all did," she replied softly. Her back still hurt, but the sharp pain had turned into a dull ache at the moment. "We got Heimdall to tell us where you were being kept."
Loki frowned a little. His hand reached out to push a strand of her hair away from her face. Hela closed her eyes at his cold hand, glad of the comforting gesture.
"Hela, do you have any idea how dangerous that was? The very idea of it? You understand that you broke the law?"
She looked down. Of course, Hela hadn't thought of that. "I couldn't help it. I wanted you out again."
"And did it not occur to you that even if you did manage to free me, I would be captured again and put back in prison?" Loki cocked a brow in a way that said she was possibly in trouble. But at the moment, it was hard to tell.
Tears welled in Hela's eyes again. "I didn't think about that," she whispered.
Loki's eyes softened slightly and he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before pulling her to him. Hela wrapped her arms around him. "I know you didn't, Hela. Calm down. Shh..."
For a moment, the two were silent. Hela clung tightly to her father and stared blankly at the wall. Emotions of fear and relief both rushed through her small frame and she felt herself hold tightly to Loki's shirt.
Finally, Hela pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Hela," he said carefully, "I want you to tell me what happened while you were in this man's house." Hela stiffened.
"He kept asking for something," she said after a moment, "A stone. I don't know what he was talking about. He said I knew where it was, but I don't. I swear I don't!"
"I believe you," Loki assured, "Go on."
Hela thought for a moment. "He told me his name was Zeph and that he's been the one telling me where all the keys are. I'd seen him before, in a dream once. Mostly just his eyes though." She trailed off for a moment. "He kept shouting at me, asking me where the stone was and that he had to have it. Something about being alive."
Loki was silent for a moment. He frowned, eyebrows knitted together. "He's not going to get you, he won't bother you anymore. For now, I want you to go to bed."
"But what if-"
Loki gently picked her up. He hushed her. "He isn't coming here, Hela. I swear it."
He carried her down the hall and up the set of stairs to a bedroom. Unlike her past bedroom, this room did indeed have a window that showed what looked like London itself. "Your brothers are just in the other room, and my room is across the hall. I'll be downstairs if you need me."
Loki laid her down in bed and kissed her forehead before he slid out of the room.
For a while, Hela laid there and thought. The ache in her back no longer noticeable due to her wandering mind, she began to drift off. Slowly, her eyes closed.
Hela stood in the middle of the park. Not far off, a fountain gave the calming sound of falling water. But Hela's back was to the fountain, and the city. Instead she stared into the forest.
She began to walk forward, towards the treeline. The girl made her way down a narrow trail, pushing tree limbs away as she did so.
It seemed ages before Hela made it to a clearing. She stepped into the middle and suddenly a ray of lights of every color came from the sky. Hela felt herself falling, or perhaps flying. And then she was in Asgard.
The scene changed to the outskirts of Asgard. Hela was running. Her breath shaking, her eyes widened. Not running away from something but running towards something. Yet even she didn't know what.
And that is when she saw it. A small light in the dark. It laid in the ground, stuck between the rocks. A stone that resembled the Bi Frost itself. Hela gasped.
Hela woke with a start. That was it! It was the stone from her dreams. The one Zeph wanted.
Something stirred deep in her stomach and she gasped again. Zeph knew where it was too. And she knew that once he got it, something terrible was going to happen.
She jumped to her feet and silently ran down the hall and stairs. She glanced into the living room. Loki was there, but asleep. He sat in an armchair, head tilted back slightly and eyes closed. Hela rushed past and hurried to the door.
The air was like ice. Hela could feel Winter arriving. Quietly, she closed the door behind her and rushed down the street.
Hela dodged through the many people as she ran. She had to get to that stone first. If Zeph got it, he'd do something terrible. But Hela couldn't call for Heimdall out here. She had to get somewhere safe.
It didn't take long to realize that she didn't know where the park in her dream had been. She stopped and dropped her head with a sigh. Taking a quick look around, Hela's eyes found a young man.
"Excuse me, sir?" She reached up and poked the young man until he looked down at her.
"Yes?" he asked slowly, quirking a brow.
He was a handsome man with almond colored eyes and sandy blonde hair. He had a book in one hand and was holding his coat to him with the color. Hela understood why. It was so cold.
"Where's the nearest park?" Hela did her best to sound demanding and businesslike. She held her chin up and eyed the man. "Please, I need to find it. I've only now arrived here from the airport. I was supposed to have a driver take me to my parents but they broke down at a park that is supposedly close to here. Where is it?"
The man frowned and looked her up and down. After a moment, he pointed up the street. "It's just a block or two away. Do you need help getting there?"
"No!" Before more could be said, Hela took off like a bullet. She sprinted, ignoring the calls from behind her. Once again dodging through people, Hela ran as past as she could in the crowd.
The park was dark and empty. It wasn't like the one Loki had taken her to. That park had been full of life--and death. But this one was empty and silent. It gave her chills.
Hela set eyes on the forest and started to run again. She had to get to Asgard before Zeph got that stone. And before Loki caught on to what was going on, for that matter.
The forest was thick and even darker. Hela tripped multiple times as she dashed through the trees and bushes. Her back was aching again, and she could feel the bandages tugging off. She didn't have time to stop, though. Zeph would be there soon!
Hela fell flat on her face as she entered the small clearing. She scrambled to her feet and ran towards the center. "Heimdall!" she screamed, "Heimdall, let me through! Heimdall!"
Her head tilted up to stare at the sky. Silence followed. All that could be heard was her breath. "Heimdall, please! You have to open the Bi Frost! Heimdall!"
She spun in a circle, eyes never leaving the twinkling sky. More silence. And suddenly a flash of light headed her way. Hela gasped as she was engulfed in bright colors and yanked into the sky. The feeling of being completely out of control came over her as she saw the cosmos fly by her.
Hela hit her knees as she fell before Heimdall. "Where is he?" she asked immediately.
Heimdall watched her intently. He raised a brow. Hela huffed. "Come on, Heimdall! You know what I'm talking about!"
"He's not reached it yet. You have time. But you have to hurry." He frowned. "I have to express caution, little one. I understand the gravity, but you are but a child and he-"
"Do you know where the stone is?"
Heimdall's eyebrows furrowed. "No," he said slowly.
"Well, then I had better go. I'll be fine." She nodded a little. "Heimdall, who is he? What did he mean when he said what he did about being alive?"
For a moment, Heimdall was silent. And then he said, "Zeph is not fully alive." He stared down at Hela for a long time. Hela waited for him to continue. "You see, long before our births, Zeph was part of a council. Protectors of the Realms. Mostly Midgard. Midgard is actually where the council are now."
"But if Zeph is protecting the realms, why is he acting so mean? He doesn't act like any protector."
"That is because he isn't. Not anymore. You see, Zeph's twin brother, Arlone, was also part of the council. He was the head of the council. He sought to take care of the realms, Midgard especially as I have stated. And the Midgardians that live upon it.
"Even in the beginning, the two were entrusted with two weapons. Zeph was given a dagger, known as The Cold Blade. It was known as this because of a stone placed in the hilt known as the Cold Stone. It gave its wielder a horrid and strong power. Arlone was given a bow known as The Golden Bow. It has the dust of what is said to be the sun embedded into the weapon."
Heimdall looked into Hela's face for a moment, saw her undivided attention. And then he continued.
"Long before either of us were born, even then the Midgardians were... Disruptive. As you know, they are not the most peaceful beings. They destroy their world for cities full of bog and pollution. And Zeph saw it as that.
"Zeph went to his brother one day, and expressed his concern. He told Arlone that the Midgardians must be stopped! They were destroying the Earth. Destroying everything they were meant to protect. He sought to destroy the humans. Arlone would not, of course. He told Zeph how foolish it was, how sick it was. And Zeph left in a rage.
"He went to the depths of the Underworld, Zeph did. He went to the ruler, Malorn. He made a deal with the king. He gave Marlon the Cold Blade and allowed half of his soul to be brought into the weapon. With half his soul in himself and half in the weapon, he was also given a very dark power. You see, when the soul was pushed into that dagger it was given a power with enough force to wipe out half the planet. Or perhaps even all of it."
Heimdall sighed and looked off. His golden eyes seemed to see something Hela could not, and she found herself wondering what the large man had seen. What those eyes had witnessed. "Go on, Heimdall."
"Right... Zeph went back and began his own attack. He was powerful, and with a select few of King Marlon's guards he might have been unstoppable. The twins met on the battle field and fought one of the greatest battles I had ever seem. But eventually, Arlone took the upper hand. And with a final saddened word to his lost brother, he broke the dagger into two pieces. The stone was shot forth into another realm, as was the actual dagger. Half of Zeph's soul destroyed.
It left him weak, and for centuries he was left to float through the space. Not fully dead, and not fully alive. But he has been gaining in strength and now he has already found the dagger. And when he finds that stone, he will be fully reborn into what he once was. And without his brother he will be unstoppable."
Hela stared off as the story ended. So that was what the silver eyed man had meant. She frowned. "I don't understand. What happened to Arlone?"
"Zeph happened. You see, because he was not fully alive he never aged throughout the many years. Arlone, on the other hand became very old and very weak. And when Zeph got some of his strength back, I am afraid all he need do was sneak into that old council room and kill his brother." Heimdall looked off sadly. Hela realized he must have known Arlone personally.
"Oh," she whispered. Her green eyes fell to the floor.
Heimdall took a deep breath. "Do not worry about that. Go get The Cold Stone before Zeph does. Destroy it."
"But how?" Hela looked up with widened eyes. How could she destroy such a thing as that?
Heimdall smiled. "You'll understand. Good luck."
Hela stared at the large gatekeeper for a moment. And then she nodded and turned. Without a word, she ran out the door. She knew where to go. And she knew she could destroy it. She didn't know how, but she could. And she would. For her friends of family.
For all of the realms.
And now I leave at this cliff hanger. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. You have absolutely no idea how glad I was to tell you all Zeph's backstory. He's one of those characters I hate because he's... Well, a bastard (as many of you so kindly stated in the past comments. Those made me laugh so much) but at the same time I love writing his theatrics and his dramatic flairs. And though I won't get to show that too much in the next chapter, I'll still somewhat have a place for him in my heart. The bastard.
Loki's Daughter probably has three or four chapters left at most. And then, soon after, I'll begin Death's Princess. It will follow Hela as a thirteen year old girl balancing school and Asgard (and her own little antics) throughout the story. It will involve all of your favorite characters, and a few more. Including Luk.
(I can't wait to finally make an appearance. ~Luk)
I hope you'll all enjoy it as much as you have Loki's Daughter. In the meantime, I need a professional cover done for Death's Princess. Anyone interested, inbox me.
Have a good evening, everyone. Thanks again for your support.
~Hela