Chapter Eleven

Opening her eyes for the first time in Hel’s entire existence, she was able to see out of the left socket that held no eyeball. Preparing for the pain, Hel braced herself as she stretched overhead.

Only relief fluttered throughout her body. Curious…Hel reached to touch her exposed humerus. Her fingers trailed up to her clavicle and scapula. No profuse bleeding. No snagged skin. ONly smooth ivory bone and no pain.

The disappearance of the pain seemed to awaken her other senses. Hel swung her legs out of her bed and found that her breathing was no longer wobbly; her lefts felt solid, her head balanced and clear. For the first time, Hel felt true excitement over her capabilities.

Flicking the sewing needle still safely tucked inside her hand, Hel jumped out of bed-landing firmly on her feet. Excitement filled her has she began skipping and then running around the room. A noise that could only be described as laughter filled her and made her curl her toes in amusement. Her stomach growled drawing her back to the bed where a golden plate of fruits, bread, and cheese lay at the end of the bed atop a brown trunk.

The deep maroon-red of a Frost Apple was placed int he middle of the plate surrounded by pomegranate, orange, prickly pear, and other fruits that provided a rainbow of colors. Drawn by it’s familiarity, Hel reached out and touched the Frost Apple. She gingerly picked it up and held it to her nose-taking in a deep breath of it’s sense. Flashes of Vidar filled her brain. Immediately dropping the apple Hel stared at the terrifying object as it rolled over to Hades standing in the doorway.

“Something wrong?” He continued to stair at the apple as Hades picks up the apple, inspecting it closely.

“N-no. It’s nothing.” Hel stammered.

Squinting at Hel, Hades looks back a the apple. Holding it within his hand and spitting it around. “I had hoped bringing these would make you feel more at home. And don’t worry about the food thing. You-as an Overseer-will naturally stay here most of your time as it’s the center of your power and skills. But you can still leave whenever you would like. Overseers are the only ones not affected by the same laws of all the other regions.” Hades kept his gaze on the apple but used his peripheral vision to watch Hel closely as her awareness enters back to the room. “Right…. Well, Persephone is off at some party after being summoned by ‘All Mighty Zeus’” Hades’s tone changed during that last part, “she wanted me to make sure you knew there are clothes for you to choose from in that chest there.”

Hades pointed to the chest the tray of fruit sat on. “I will never admit this to Hathor, Ma’at, Aphrodite, or really anyone who cares about looks,” Hades turned to leave, talking over his shoulder, “but no one has the fashion taste that my girl has.”

“Hel couldn’t help the smile as she watched Hades leave the room. His average build made him still taller than her-but he stood about the same height at the Baker from the Village. Eagerly, Hel crawled out of bed. She placed the golden tray of fruit-excitement building up as she moved the tray with ease and grace-setting it onto the floor next to her.

Taking a deep breath in, Hel unlatched the trunk and opened it to find a variety of colors and textures. Greatly influenced by the North and their high priestess, Hel quickly picked out a crushed velvet dress. It hung off her shoulders. It’s golden trim looking beautiful and shiny. Scared of looking a fool in such a beautiful gown, Hel began to rip and hem the bottom of the dress leaving the front to be shorter than the back and exposing her toes but still having the dramatic train behind her.

Satisfied, and curious at her own bone foot, Hel sat in the middle of the floor allowing the deep plum of the fabric clash against the matted gold color of the walls and floor. She wiggled her toes, tracing the fine details of mistletoe leaves sewn in golden thread along the bodice of the dress. Her own sewing had not improved but Hel was too excited to care.

A scarab beatle crept into view and Hel smiled sweetly at it. Satisfied to hold her attention, it turned to scurry away. Feeling as though the beetle wants her to follow, Hel quickly got to her feet. She giggled as she chased past the doors and under archways. Everywhere was dark. But not black-like she thought at first. It was more like a really deep green.

“We thought you would never join us.” Izanagi sat at a big wooden table. A plate of food in front of him and books stacked all around. Hades sat at the end of the table and Osiris was no where to be seen. Hel cocked her head to the side and looked back down at her exposed feet.

“Stop acting like a stupid child and sit down! We have a lot to go over and not nearly enough time to do it,” Izanagi pointed at the chair across from him. His tone scared Hel as no one took that level of irritation and impatience with her before.

“Ease up Izzy. She is a child,” Hades winked at Hel and smiled over at Izanagi. “None of this happened in the correct sequence anyway. Otherwise she would have been here at the same time the rest of us had.” Hades got up from his chair and walked over to Hel. He bowed very low before grabbing her hand and escorting her to the open seat. Pushing the chair in with her as she sat down, Hades began laughing-taking food off her plate and eating it himself.

“Hades, do you mind? She needs to eat–”

“I don’t need to eat!” Hel blushed when she realized the food was for her. Izanagi stared at her with an expression she couldn’t decipher.

“Of course you technically don’t need to eat. But you feel hungry and when you get hungry it is only natural that you get irritable. And when you are irritable. And when you are irritable, you may become angry. And nothing gets done to it’s fullest potential when being done while angry. And that would be a disappointment.”

“Amazed at his logic, Hel couldn’t stop herself from aweing at him. “I will eat then! I do not wish to disappoint you or anyone else!” Picking up the bronze fork, Hel began to stuff her face with as much food as possible.

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“That is not what I meant–”

“Look at her go!” Hades laughed as he sat down in his own chair at the table.

Cheeks stuffed with food, Hel looked over at Izanagi and felt pleased with herself as Izanagi seemed to be smiling in his own cold way.

“Izanagi,” the blunt voice cut the energy in the room and wound it back up into a tight thready ready to be cut by The Fates. Hel, Hades, and Izanagi looked at the entry way and saw Osiris walking into the room. Following him as he took his seat in the chair across from Hel.

“How far back would it put us if we give Hel a day or two to just get more familiar with her role in all of this.”

“We are already so far behind due to–”

Osiris put his hand up, his eyes closed. “How far back?”

Hesitating, Izanagi returned to his books. “We would still have a little less than two seasons,” Izanagi’s smile faded and he leaned on his elbows towards Hel. “Do you think you can work extra hard?”

Swallowing a mouthful of food, Hel’s smile reached ear to ear. She leaned over the table and reached out her right hand holding up her little pinky in front of IZanagi’s face, “I even pinky promise Izzy! I will not disappoint!”

Izanagi glared at Hel. Shamed. Embarrassed. Hel quickly sunk back into her chair. How could you be so stupid! You are not their friend! They don’t even know you! They would never want to know anyone as stupid and ugly as you.

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Hades’s laughter cut Hel’s inner monologue short. His dark tunic swaying with his big belly laughter. “She called you—!!!” His laughter shook the table.

“This is all your fault!” Izanagi’s anger rose steeply. His scream shook the table. Fear gripped Hel. She sunk back into her chair as she quickly got her sewing need ready between her pointer and middle finger.

Hands on both shoulders, Hel sunk low and immediately stabbed the culprit whose blood thirst turned in her direction.

Staring down at her in confusion, Osiris watched as Hel pulled the needle from his hand and tried to hide underneath the table as she sank lower and lower away.

He nodded towards the doorway and began sulking out the room. Am I supposed to follow him? Anxious to be away from the arguing and now food throwing, Hel slid out from underneath the table and quietly followed Osiris.

They walked in silence. To Hel’s surprise, she was able to keep up with Osiris. Even walk faster than him if she wanted. She felt so stupid for stabbing him. Osiris stopped at grand doors that reached the floor to ceiling. They held a deep purple hue with each surfacing being engraved with intricate symbols and words. Hel had never seen anything as detailed as these doors. She stepped close as the patterns appeared to unwind themselves. Welcoming her into their secrets.

“Don’t stair too long Hel,” Osiris broke the silence between them and the trance Hel had with the door. “Knowledge is a tool that has to be used correctly. Too much and Knowledge will begin to consume more than the brain can handle. Even the brain and power of a deity.”

Hel followed Osiris into a room that smelled of mold and mildew, as if it had just rained inside the room. The air was cold and unmoving, yet thick and suffocating all the same.

There was some thrones before them. Osiris sat in one and beckoned for Hel to sit in the other. Soon, they were not alone.

“Welcome my fascinating experiment!” an unknown voice came from the empty chair. A bright light and then darkness again, leaving an extremely chiseled man of deep dark almond skin. He dressed in oxidized bronze, his khat framed with Celestial markings and a giant gold ring resting on top of his head. He smelt of burnt ashes and cinnamon. His long face seemed much more expressive than Osiris-reminding Hel of Bastet and her expressions even in cat form. “I am Heka. The God of Magick, Transformation, and Madicine.”

Hel’s eyes watched Osiris, waiting for a cue on how to respond appropriately.

“Did you know,” Heka crossed his leg over the other and leaned on his elbows, bringing him just inches away from Hel’s face, “you are the first Deity to not awaken within your own domain?”

Hel scrunched her eyebrow closer to the center. Her frown apparent.

“I assumed to know of Awakening?” Heka asked in a mocking tone. He looked over at Osiris who was clearly not amused, “Osiris! My, Oh Holy one! Does this girl know nothing?”

“The Fates have decided to limit the exposure it appears,” Osiris’s voice was cut throat with a splash of mind-your-manners towards Heka. Hel tried to her best to read between the lines but could only pick up on the change in which Heka started to talk to her.

“No matter. Let’s begin with what the Overseer of the Unknown is meant to do…” Heka clapped his hands together and the room filled with sparkly gray and purple fog.

Overseers determine what kind of Afterlife souls have. They are organized into four categories: Natural, Self, Fated, and the Undetermined. As the Overseer of the Undetermined, Hel will decide what kind of Afterlife the individuals whose deaths were not foreseen or align with The Fates and their design.

With humans exercising FreeWill, humans can act impulsively and do things that goes against their fate, personalities, and circumstance.

The smoke disappeared and Hel felt excited for this new role and purpose.

“It is quite pointless to worry too much about the why humans do the things they do. There have not been many cases that are classified as Undetermined since the era of life and death,” Heka began dismissing all concepts around motivation and the power of Free Will.

Hel bit her lip and Heka continued on with his logic. She strongly disagreed. Her upbringing alongside Humans allowed for her to see first hand why the choice was made is just as important, if not more important, than the choice itself.

She could never agree with what happened to Prometheus, the Cyclops, and many other fallen Heros. Knowing full well what their motives were. But she was just as perplexed when looking into other Heros. Antigone behaved selfishly most of her life-doing as she pleased with only herself in mind. Calling on the Gods to save her for no reason other than ego. Same with Ceasar. Yet, women everywhere look to her and perceive her as a hero. Had the motives been looked at and Pride set aside, Hel was certain that their Afterlife would have been very different.

But Gods rarely paid any need to the uniqueness of each life. It does not make any difference to them what humans are thinking and feeling. Blood is what runs this world, and yet-none of the deities want to think about why that blood was shed in the first place?

Of course not. They can’t believe any blood was shed for any reason other than for Themselves.