DIVINE CHAMPIONS 6: A FINAL CONFLICT

FROST: DEATH, OFFSPRING OF MAYHEM

Rick came back half an hour later, with two big paper packets. "You went to Starbucks?" Rishi asked, clearly not pleased.

"It is open now?" Aitri asked. Mikael quickly checked his phone. It was eight o' clock in the morning. Most of the times, coffee shops open early. It's a universal thing.

"Yes, and yes." Rick said, "I would have gone to Tim Hortons if they had a store here."

"Why? Why can't you just get coffee from some normal place?"

"Like? CCD? Barista?"

"No. Just a normal café."

"What's the fun in that?"

The girls looked quietly, smiling among them, before Maja asked, "Is it normal for a celebrity like you to pick up coffee from their store?"

"Not exactly." Rick said, putting down the packets and opening them, "They were quite shocked. I rarely choose coffee, and if I do, rarely Starbucks. But today, what can I say? I..."

"Here comes a dialogue." Aitri said.

"I was feeling epic."

"There it is."

"Anyway, I brought everyone coffee. Rishi's Caffe Latte, Ishaan's Pumpkin Spice, and my and Meghna's favorites, Hazelnut Latte." He handed everyone their cups, before bringing out the sugar packs, and emptying the first packet. He picked up the other packet, opened it, and said, "Let's see. A simple Cappuccino for Aitri, just how she likes it, a strong Espresso for Maja, as she likes it, and Caramel Macchiato for our dear sweet Mikael." Mikael's heart leaped. The famous Ritabrata Sarkar was a sweetheart. He knew everyone's favorite coffee orders.

Rishi mixed a little sugar to his Latte, which lacked the amount sugar that satisfied his typical Bengali taste buds. He took a sip, and still a little dejected, said, "Thank you, buddy. But it is still overpriced."

"I know. But I wanted to treat you guys. You've waited here since half past midnight to half past seven. That's, uh..."

"Seven hours." Ishaan said, sipping his Pumpkin Spice Latte.

"Yes, and that's a long time." 

"No worries. All of us dozed off by the time it was two." Mikael said, trying to assure Rick that he didn't need to treat, as he sipped his Macchiato.

"Yeah. Gods know what that rune meant."

"What happened actually?" Aitri asked, "We didn't actually talk about it given you were asleep."

"It was the very reason why I was half asleep." Rick said, as he sat down beside Meghna with his cup, "The rune was sky blue. Not my colour. It appeared mid-air. Meghna and I were both in my living room that time. So was Ashmi, who meowed to make us aware. It was an Eiwaz rune. The rune of death. It glowed mid-air, before turning into a small card. I picked it up, and it said that Hell was coming."

"Where is the card?" Rishi asked.

"It burned to ashes as soon as I read the line."

"Oh." Rishi said, before going to thought. Then, it struck Mikael. "Hell is coming? Are you sure? Or was it Hel? One L?" To that, Meghna gasped.

"Nope, I think it was two Ls."

"What are you talking about?" Meghna asked, "It was one L."

Rick looked at Meghna, bewildered, before thinking for a literal second, and replying, "I think it was one L."

"Seriously, Rick. It showed the rune of death, and you are Norse divine champion. It was right there."

"Anyway, so, you told me that. Since then, we've been waiting. Where is she? Where is death herself?"

"Why don't you come out with your cups and see for yourself?" A loud, but shrill voice from outside could be heard. Outside, the weather suddenly went quiet and ominous. Mikael felt the air around him turn chilly. It grew dark, as if clouds had covered the Sun. Rishi got up with his cup, and said, "Hel is here. Let's go."

Mikael walked out of the room behind everyone else, with his heart slightly beating faster than normal. Since last year, he had known that one time or another, he would have to face the goddess of death. And he was not looking forward to that. However, that moment had arrived, and death was awaiting him. Literally.

She stood right at the heart of the backside lawn in Rick's mansion. Most of her body was covered by a dark brown cloak. Only her hands, from under the wrists, were visible. The right hand held a silver scythe, with a wooden handle. Her face was mostly covered by the cloak too, with just her left eye visible. Her copper blonde hair was visible too. All in all, Mikael realized what she was hiding. The champions walked holding their coffee cups and bowed in front of her. Hel's first reaction? Sniffing the air, and asking, "Starbucks?" Everyone was bewildered at the question. However, Rishi got over it and nodded. Hel nodded back, in affirmation, and said in her shrill voice, "Anyway, take a seat. I've been waiting to visit."

They sat down, as the atmosphere returned to normal, and the Sun's light kissed the lawn. Hel sat too, let her scythe levitate in mid-air, and moved her cloak a little, unveiling half of her face, and gluing everyone's eyes on her. The near-perfect fair skin, the highly attractive green eyes, and the copper blonde hair that flew with the winds could easily make her one of the most beautiful women in the world. Despite the fact that it rode no expression at all. But, Mikael knew very well what the other half was like. Before she could say anything, Hel was interrupted by Rishi, who asked, "Lady Hel, why do you hide the other half of your face?"

"Well, it is my first visit here, and I don't wanna scare the humans that are fighting a war to save all."

"We are not scared." Rishi said, confidently, "And we would love to see the other half of your face." 'Hey!', Mikael screamed in his mind, 'I am very scared of that face.'

"Are you kids sure?" Hel asked.

"We won't judge you, Lady Hel." Rick blurted out, to Meghna's reaction of slamming her hand on her forehead. "Rick!" Rishi said in a low voice. "I apologize, Lady Hel." Aitri said, "Rick is..."

"Unfiltered?" Hel said, "I know." Mikael could see that Hel was trying to be as warm as he could. "Do you still wish to see my full face?"

"We do." Everyone said in unison.

"Well, it is your funeral."

"You would know a thing about that, Lady Hel." Rick blurted out again, and as soon as he did, he covered his mouth, and threw his hand in the air in regret. To his and everyone else's surprise, Hel laughed. Very little, but there was a laugh. Odin's beard! She could give an expression.

Then, Hel unveiled the rest of her face. And a chill ran down Mik's spine. The girls gasped, as Maja held Mik's arm tightly. The other half of Hel's face was completely rotten. The skin on it had withered away. The hair had receded a little backwards, and a little baldness appeared. Slight stains of blood covered the face (Norse divine blood isn't gold). Half of her lips were gone, half of her gum had decayed. Her teeth were on the way to decay. Of course. The right hand in which she held her scythe, was also rotten. Bones were visible, with just a little bit of flesh visible. Yes, this is how it feels like when you see a ghost. The death goddess's body was fully dead. One half was just dead, and the other half? Drop dead gorgeous.

"All good?" She asked. Mikael could barely reply, but he joined in when everyone, in shaky voices, said, "Yeah." "Okay then. Let's start."