Hel (HOAM Spin-Off)

Not Alone

Hel stood in the hall on the way to the throne room. A picture of a woman was displayed prominently. She was pale, with red hair and sparkling green eyes. She smiled fondly at the painter and held a budding flower in her cupped hands. She was a bigger woman, a little on the pudgy side. Hel envied her beauty.

"My mother."

She jumped and turned to see Luk coming her way. She looked back a the picture. "You look nothing like her... Except for the way you smile."

He wrapped his arms around her and nodded. "I look like my father."

"Who were they?" She turned in his arms and faced him. "Where are you from?"

He raised a brow at her. "Don't you think it may have been foolish to marry a man you know next to nothing about?"

"I know what kind of man you are and of your history here. I assumed your past was a painful memory."

"No. We are not alone in the universe. If you go far enough you will reach a realm with people who's skin is dark like the people of Muspelheim but not so much like Heimdall's. Their king's name is Rah. Another direction will bring you to Yuhuang's realm. Quetzalcoatl is not far off from them. Vishnu is somewhere else. But closest to us is the realm ruled by Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. I am the youngest son of Hades and Persephone."

"You're an Olympian!"

He nodded. "Born in the winter yet with my mother's disposition, I was my father's favorite. He taught me all I know. I resembled him in every way but I was quiet and playful like my mother. And so he loved me as he loved her."

"Loved? He kidnapped and raped her."

Luk shook his head. "He kidnapped her and forced her to stay. But he never touched her until she let him. She learned to love him and, in return, taught him to love her properly. She could return home, there were loopholes in the law but she chose to stay with him. They loved each other dearly and I'll never forget the way he would look at her. Like he was afraid he'd wake up one day and it would all be a dream. She was everything to him."

"What happened?"

"My brothers. Three of them. They were jealous and believed my father was going to give me the throne. He wasn't but they were blinded by their jealousy. They took me hunting one day and when I had slain the beast, they grabbed me. They tore my clothes and bloodied them. They broke my weapons. They said I had to leave the realm and I could never come back. I was terrified. I asked why. Who was after me? We are, they said. When I woke up, I was here. I can find no way to return. All I have is the necklace I gave you. Mother had given it to me that day."

She looked down at it and then back at him. "I'm sorry." He shrugged.

"I have led a good life here. And I have you now. I finally understand what my father felt towards my mother." He smiled and kissed her gently. "I'm no longer alone in this forsaken realm. That's all I could ask for."

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The mystery explained! Luk is Greek! I'm not familiar with any other mythology so I didn't want to risk making him anything else. Mythology and religions referenced in order:

Egyptian, Chinese, Aztec, Hindu, and Greek. Luk's experience with his brothers is based off of Joseph in the Bible book of Genesis.

I don't know if I'll finish this any faster but it's still my go-to when I have bad writer's block. I'm estimating this will have 11 or 12 more parts to it.