~ Chapter Nine ~

The moment Thor arrived in Hel he had trouble breathing. The air was heavy and filled with smoke. Thor raised his hand to his throat and coughed. His throat seemed to close in on itself and he could see the dark dots dancing around his vision.

"You are foolish as always, Aesir." A voice said before the cramping pain lifted.

Thor tested to take a breath and found himself able to. He looked up and saw a small girl with dark hair standing before him with a lamp.

"My name I Leah, Hela's aide. I will guide you to my mistress." Without waiting the girl turned around and began to walk through Hel.

"W-wait." Thor said but the girl wouldn't listen to him and he had no choice but to follow her. She lead him through the fiery pits of Hel, the condemning seas of souls. He saw souls suffering for their sins in life. He saw souls repenting for their suffering. He saw souls at peace from their life and death. It wasn't like anything he had pictured Hel to be.

Through their journey, Leah never slowed down or waited for Thor even once. Thor was just glad that he hadn't lost Loki's light on the way. Not once or twice had something reached out to grab or eat it, and each time Thor had to defend it to his best abilities.

It really shouldn't surprise him. After all, the dead desired life.

When they reached Hela's castle Thor was sure he had never seen such building before. It clearly intimidated the souls as they stayed clear of it. The fire burned in the cracks of the castle, casting long shadows between pillars and windows. It was drenched in red light and seemed to beat like a heart.

Leah walked confidently through the hall and Thor actually had to step up his pace to keep up with the little girl. He saw creatures that had suffered long and starved. There were monsters he had never even seen in his nightmares. How anyone could call this home was beyond him.

Then, suddenly, Thor stopped walking when they came to an open door. He didn't know what drew his attention or why he didn't follow the little girl to Hela. He just felt the need to stop and enter.

The room was draped in long pieces of blue and green silk. No windows since this was deep inside the castle, but there was a burning fireplace against one wall and in front of them was a heap of big fluffy pillows.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw a dark head sticking out from the bright colors of the world. He walked over, not noticing the light didn't follow him inside.

He knelt down next to the form and found it to be a child. Sleeping peacefully among the soft pillows. Not bothered by the shadows that occasional crossed the walls.

The slim body and the dark hair couldn't be anyone other than his Loki.

He reached out to touch the child and from his warm touch, the child woke up.

"Is it dinner time?" the child asked while rubbing his eyes from sleep.

When there was no answer the child looked up and saw it wasn't the one he thought it would be.

Thor's eyes widen because it was indeed Loki. From the time they were children, but undoubtedly Loki.

Then came the scream. A shrill heart tearing scream that echoed in the room.

Loki was screaming and Thor had no idea why. He tried to calm his brother down but when he tried to touch Loki the screams only got more intense and he saw the fearful look in Loki's green eyes. His skin flickered between pale Asgardian skin and the deep blue of Jotunheim. Markings flickered into view and disappeared.

Thor was thrown into the opposite wall and an infuriated Hela appearing in the room.

"How dare you appear in front of my father?" she said in a sadistic voice. "I will have you lynched in the pits of torture."

"It's not what you think." Thor forced out his mouth, before he lost his head. "I come with truth and facts from the Norns. I have the answers you seek."

Hela stopped her raised hand before she could condemn Thor's soul to her burning levels.

The beautiful woman turned around and knelt down by Loki who continued to scream. "Hush." she cooed until her voice got through to him. Compared to the screams of the damned, this was nothing to her ears. But it still hurt her heart to see her father so scared.

Finally the child calmed down and she gave him a hug.

"It's all right. I'm here. Nothing will harm you here." She motioned for Leah to come closer. The child having returned when the scream started and had stood in the door hole. The girl looked impassive at her mistress and waited for orders. "Keep Loki company until I return for either of you."

"I understand." the girl said before she turned to Loki.

Hela stood up and glared at the Asgardian. "Come with me." she said in a hard voice. The dead side of her face shinning through her thin skin.

In a blur of fabric from her dress, she left the room and Thor was once more forced to follow. As he walked through the room, holding his head, he noticed Loki watching him fearfully but not saying anything this time.

Thor hit the floor with a hard crash.

"How dare you force your way into that room. Give me one reason why I shouldn't skin you where you stand and throw your body to the hungry ghouls outside?"

Thor pushed himself up and got down on one knee in front of the Queen of the Dead. Showing her the same respect he had his father.

"I carry news from the Norns. Important information that will decide every ones fate. Even yours."

"I do not take well to threats, Aesir." She sat down on her marble throne, dictating the skull of a dragon above her head. Her green dress flowing down her half dead body and in the light that fell on the Queen, Thor could see her bones through the fabric.

"It's not a threat, Queen Hela." He needed all trust he could get from her, even if it meant addressing her title. "Only truth. The Norns have trusted me with the fate of all nine realms and I beg you to listen to their tale. Only then do I ask you to decide your actions. Be it that you throw me to your subjects or grant me my wish."

For a cold minute Hela just glared at Thor like he was a bug under her shoe.

"Speak, Asgardian, but chose your words carefully."

"Yes." he raised his head fully before standing up in front of Hela, showing her that he did not speak to her as one of her subjects but that he spoke as an equal. That his words weighted true.

TBC