(Loki X Nebula) We Love Hating Each Other

Hel has arrived

CHAPTER TWELVE: HEL HAS ARRIVED

  N Æ I R

   I look around the corner, the soldiers had changed from high gold standing protectors, to hungry murderous, infested killers.

  They were beginning to slaughter people for looking them in the eye. It's been months since the Mad Goddess had taken the throne of Asgard, and left its people to stand before her in fear. 

   I pull my hood over my head, and start walking, keeping a low profile was a thing you needed to do here now. I open the door to a destroyed and abandoned home. Closing the door behind me, I looked around to see a few fruit left out. My cloth gloved hand grabbing a few green apples, oranges, and two bananas, putting them all in a bag.

  I hear a rustle in the air, stopping me from doing anything else. I listened closely to the wind, looking to the atmosphere. I moved my foot, a slow and loud creak came from the floorboard. I sigh, shit.

   The windows that were already shattered, were blasted. I ducked down when I heard weapons fire, I look up, three holes in the wall, that could've been in me. The sound of yelling in gibberish caught my attention, whipping to turn around I'm pushed forward by the door being kicked off its hinges.

I fell on the floor, crawling forward when I stand to my feet, I grab my sword from its holster. Swinging and skillfully standing ready to fight with it, I face the undead soldiers.

  All of them cackling, their green drool flying, others carried no humor, but only with insanity, waiting to feed on my screams.

 I stand tall, holding the sword to my side. I take in a breath, if I shall today, may the Gods welcome me to Valhalla…

  I let the breath escape me, "c'mon you wretched looking mother- "

  The soldiers charge towards me, I yell out a war cry, slinging my blade against the demented soldiers, battling against them, first blocking their attacks the best of my ability. My years as a guard have proven efficient in fighting tactics, running my blade across two of my enemies throats. Ducking underneath the opposing blade before punching the dead's skull off his shoulders.

  My feet were swept from under me, my back hitting the floor. I close my eyes, groaning in surprise, quickly rolling over to avoid the rotten blade that now cut through the floor.

 I stood up, right next to the wall. I found myself without a weapon, I ridicule myself for making such a rookie mistake. I grab the flower vase and throw it at one of the soldiers, only breaking half its decomposing head.

Gross.

  I was hit in the back of my head, falling to the ground. I look up behind me, more soldiers if the dead past growling, the head soldier among them holding up his sword high. I close my eyes, awaiting my fate, but that never came.

  Instead the thud of a body dropping rang in my ears. I opened my eyes to see the former Gatekeeper, Heimdall, standing tall with bodies laying around his feet.

  I smile, breathing in relief "Heimdall" I say. The Gatekeeper looks at me, "are you just gonna sit there?" I nod, "right." I quickly stood behind him, Heimdall readies his stance.

  With a deep roar, the soldiers went to attack, Heimdall did not hesitate a bit when slicing and blocking, the killing ended in seconds.

All that stood were us, Heimdall bends down, picking up my sword. The Gatekeeper looks at me with his golden eyes, holding my sword to me, the handle facing me. "I believe this is yours" he offered, I took the handle "nice dreads," I compliment. Heimdall shrugs, "I don't like them, but then again there are more important things than hair."

   

   Heimdall was dressed in rebel clothing, his months being ruled as a criminal seemed to have taken a toll on his looks, but gladly, not on his wisdom. Heimdall places the sword back in its holster, "follow" he ordered.

 I nod as he walked past me.

~

  I looked around the cave that stood upon the mountains of Asgard. My eyes scanning over families who were huddled together, either comforting each other of just simply wishing never to part. 

Heimdall turned his attention to me, "after Loki exiled me from Asgard, few knew what was happening. They followed me here, hoping to keep safe from the imposter.." Heimdall looks off to the clouds, "though I saw it coming, the All-father was growing weaker in his midgardian form." I look at the Gatekeeper, "what does that mean?"

 "The All-father is dead. His sons and the fair ladies, are very far. I know not where, for neither one has contacted me" he informed me. "We have few fighters here. Hogun went against her with an army- "

 "I saw, she killed them all just by herself. The idiot, Skurge, now walks beside her as her executioner." I used to wear the helmet of an Asgardian guard with pride, now I spit on it with resentment.

 "He'll come around when the time comes," the Gatekeeper says. "You have not visited your mother in a long time Næir Sigridson," he stated.

 "Oh, could we not bring in personal matters" I try, my posture shifting to uncomfortable at this point. 

  "You haven't spoken to her in quite some centuries, young one," he says, his full attention on me, his hands folded together. I look to him, "I left her when I was seven. Gro was about four, she couldn't have remembered me.." I explained. I take out my sword partially to examine it, my reflection looking back at me. "I took my Father's name so that I could enter training for the royal palace- " 

  "A new start away from my mother" Heimdall states, getting straight to the point, as his face showed judgement.

  I put my sword to rest in its place "my mother was a- "

  Heimdall smacked me upside the head in a swift move, but left a brutal pain when his hand left it, I wince. "Respect your elders" he simply said, his face showing no sign that I had pissed him off. 

  I nodded, "is she..?"

"Sigrid, was one of the few people who followed me into exile. She left Gro…"

  I scoff, of course she did. 

  "but only because Gro had a higher calling. The skies ask for her," he says looking up to the glowing stars above us.

    The heartfelt moment was gone, when Heimdall's deep and commanding voice was heard by all. "For now we must be ready for anything, we don't know if the princes will return. The Goddess receives her power from Asgard, she's already unstoppable at this point." The Gatekeeper starts his way into the cave, four people stand to converse with him, "my people… Hel has arrived, and she's brought Ragnarok with her." 

  The people broke out in whispers of fear, surely Heimdall knew of this, so it was better not to question him.

   When looking to the people who had not become terrified, I spotted Sigrid. Her hair hazel mixed hair kept in a ponytail, a bow and arrows strapped to her back. She didn't wear a dress like she usually did when I was a kid, but trousers and a loose tan shirt.

  The longer I kept staring, the more I felt I should stop. Sigrid looked to me, her eyes showed sadness within them, she gave me a nod before walking off, ordering men to follow her. 

  My shoulders slumped, it was good she kept her distance, I didn't need a distraction from Asgard and it's people. 

  Heimdall looks back to me, shaking his head.