**Hey all! Here's a new chapter, I hope you enjoy it! We will be seeing a bit of Rose/Hela for a little bit and their developing relationship, and then will jump back to Avalon with Brooklyn and the others. Sorry for the jumping around between characters, but they will all mesh together soon! ;) Enjoy!**
~Chapter Fourteen~
An Unlikely Alliance
Breathing in the fresh air was relieving, though where she was at was not ideal.
Rose felt like she was a prisoner who had been granted permission for small parole due to her good behavior, and was elated for the chance to stretch her legs; and in this case, her wings as well. The moment the feathers felt the air, her wings almost had a mind of their own with every muscle and fiber within them itching restlessly and desperately to take to the sky.
Together, she and Hela walked quietly out of the large black castle and into the red-hued dead world of Hel. As they descended the cobblestone steps, she had almost forgotten what this world looked like. Though there wasn't much of a world to see. Hel's sky and the atmosphere was one color- a deep red hue- as if it was permanently dusk- and right above it, was nothing but the starless dark-blue universe. Rose loved this time of night, however, and the best part was when the light faded and the stars came out… when her mate would wake from his stone sleep.
But she would never again experience anything like that here. Never would this world hold any happy or beautiful memories.
Rose bit her lip as pain shot through her chest at the thought of Brooklyn. She held her head up high and forced herself to push away any active memories of him. It was all she could do to not break down during her moment of change and freedom, especially in front of Hela; who was responsible for taking him away from her. The game was afoot- and she had to stay up with it.
All around them, the air was warm from all of the distant fires, smoke, and nearby thin lava rivers from the large volcano in the distance, but then there were also random patches of ice-cold from the nearby company of the Draugr. The dead vegetation in the dried-up soil crunched loudly under her and Hela's black leather boots, making their presence known to any creature within hearing range. They continued to walk together in silence through a sea of Draugr, and instantly, their presence, scents, and beating hearts alerted them. They paused their mindless roaming and glanced over eerily at them. Their razor-sharp teeth gnashed hungrily at them, sending shivers down Rose's spine and wings. Her back pulsed with the movement of her wings, and interestingly enough, they were instinctually telling her to fly away.
Which had never happened to her before.
Her heart rate increased as she and Hela passed through a group of the soul-sucking demons, and although they allowed them to pass as if they were parting the sea, they were slowly closing in on them. Their ice-cold magic blasted through her leather clothing, making her shiver, and instinctively she stepped slightly closer to Hela, who paid them no mind.
Suddenly, a male Draugr dressed in a ragged loincloth and chest piece landed in front of them from the air, with a whoosh of ice-cold air from his large, bat-like wings. His skull face broke out into a wicked smile, showing all of his layers of razor-sharp teeth, and both she and Hela stopped before him. Judging by his shiny armor, compared to the others, she could tell that he was the new leader of his damned kind. She, Brooklyn, and their clan destroyed Skuld and Mortiggan in past fights, who were the past Draugr leaders.
"Wraith," Hela greeted the new Draugr guard, nodding her head stiffly.
"My Queen," He answered in a rough hiss, swooping down into a deep bow. The others surrounded them in a circle, and Rose instantly put a hand over her stomach- making sure the shield was holding in protecting her unborn child. Wraith suddenly glanced over at Rose, then bowed at her; his empty sockets for eyes made her flinch.
"Princess…"
Rose gritted her teeth in her mouth but didn't say anything. The Draugr leader straightened up and then turned his empty sockets for eyes towards Hela, who remained cold and casual against their evilly icy powers and awful stench.
"What are you doing outside with the princess, my Queen?"
"My patrol," Hela answered firmly, danger present in her voice. "I've decided to bring Rose with me instead of Raven."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
Hela stared down at Wraith for a moment, then stepped towards him. Her eyes suddenly glowed bright red, making him cower away slightly.
"Don't question my motives, Wraith. She shall be safe with me, and I with her. She has promised to be on her best behavior…"
"I wasn't questioning your motives, my Queen…" Wraith said, backing away from her with his claws raised. "I was merely trying to ask if you need us to escort-"
"No, that is alright." Hela suddenly interrupted him. "We do not need an escort, thank you, though. Be on your way, I shall call for you if we should need anything."
Wraith bowed deeply before her once more, straightened up, then glanced over at Rose. Piercing his awful, empty eyes at her, she swore he was thinking about tearing his teeth through her flesh. She glowered back in his direction, showing her disapproval of him. Gritting his teeth at her, he didn't say another word as he shot into the sky with another great whoosh of air, and a few of the other Draugr followed after him. The rest of the Draugr, who were still surrounding them, suddenly broke up and went back to their empty and endless existence. Roaming like zombies without minds of their own.
Hela strode forward not caring to check if Rose was behind her, and neither did she even think to run. Not with this many soul-sucking and flesh-eating demons within mouth's reach of her. Rose shuddered thinking about that awful death and quickly followed after her.
"How did Lord Demetrius get so many Draugr here?" She asked, trying to catch up to Hela's quick stride.
"They are the Lost Souls," Hela answered quietly, never facing her as they continued to walk. "The Draugr are the bodies of those souls who have chosen death and now live an endless existence. A curse of death was placed upon their bodies, and though they continue to decay, they shall never die. Their souls forever live in the fire lakes here, and can never leave. The Draugr bodies can only be destroyed when they are decapitated or burned…" She then turned and smirked darkly at her. "But of course… you already knew that because you and your Clan destroyed every single Draugr guard I ever sent your way."
"And I will continue to slay them whenever I get the chance…" Rose answered back honestly. "I hate those damn things."
Hela suddenly chuckled darkly. "Yes. I know you do… and actually… I dislike them too."
"You do?" Rose asked, in shock, gaping at her.
"I do."
"Then…why do you use them? Why are they your army?"
"Because they are loyal to the crown…and are easily disposable, or recreated," Hela answered coolly. "They are also strong, evil, and blood-thirsty savages in a battle, which comes in handy when a war is about to begin between worlds."
"If they do all of that for you, then why do you dislike them?"
"Your father is the one that controls them," Hela explained softly. "They only obey me under his direction… but I can see that they often question my authority and whisper things about me behind my back. They think that I'm not evil enough for them, or this world. But I don't need to prove myself to them, and I don't like them near me because of their stench, nor do I put up with their endlessly violent appetites. I tolerate them, and they tolerate me, and that's the way it's been since I married your father two-thousand years ago."
Rose considered this information and was very interested in hearing that the Draugr only followed her commands under Demetrius's authority and power. Though she never wished a Draugr attack on anyone, including her enemies, finding out that Hela wasn't as powerful as she seemed made her a bit more relatable.
Normal.
"If you dislike the Draugr, then why did you trust them to try and retrieve me?" Rose suddenly asked quietly. "Why not just do it yourself?... Not that I'm happy to be here…but it would have seemed a lot less messy or a lot less trouble in the long run."
"Because I needed to lie low," Hela answered. "If I came to the mortal world and plucked you away, your Clan and mate would have fought to the death for you, no doubt, and it would have caught the attention of Puck, who then would have contacted my sister long before we were ready to battle the Avalonians. I needed Titania and Oberon to stay in the dark for as long as I could."
"So sending blood-thirsty, soul-sucking demons into the mortal world was less conspicuous in your mind?" Rose asked with raised eyebrows.
"No, but once Titania came to us and was imprisoned, Oberon was not paying attention to this world anymore, which gave us free-reign to whatever we needed to do to bring you here. But... " Hela glanced over at her finally and smiled darkly. "I would say that we finally got what we were desiring in the end."
Rose swallowed down anger and refused to meet her eyes. Hela was the queen of having a mask on. It was clear that she was going to have to figure out a different way of getting beneath her shell, to get her plan in motion. They continued to walk in silence and were suddenly walking through a thick forest of dead trees, and it was depressing to see. Every bush, tree branch, and any manner of vegetation was dead- including the soil. This place was devoid of any water, light, life, and nutrition.
"Do you and Lord Demetrius ever want to leave this place, or do you truly like living here?" She asked Hela quietly.
"What do you mean?" Hela asked, turning to look at her.
"This world. Hel, it's so… dead. Void of any life, happiness, peace… does it truly appeal to you?"
"I am the Goddess of Death, Rose," Hela whispered. "Whether or not I like it… it is my home, my kingdom… and it's now yours." She paused and smiled darkly. "But... soon, Avalon will be ours for the taking and we shall, once again, experience the beauty of its treasures."
"You weren't always the Goddess of Death," Rose whispered back. "Not from the memories Puck showed us a few months ago, and you aren't dead. You're alive…"
"But without a soul."
"No…" Rose breathed and stopped walking. "I don't believe that."
Hela stopped and faced her now, her face frozen and emotionless, but she could see within her hazel eyes that Rose was hitting a nerve.
"Rose…" She said, stepping forward towards her slightly. "I… I don't know what you're playing at, nor what your game is, but I can see that you are playing one. Your father knows as well. It's obvious. We know you didn't just give in to our will within one night of being here."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rose said darkly, still playing the game. She wasn't caught, yet. "Why do you say that? After what I've lost, after what you've cruelly taken from me... you don't believe that I have fallen into darkness?"
"Not really," Hela said dryly.
"Why not?"
"Because you are too-" Hela stopped, narrowed her eyes, and then sighed out heavily. "Oh, never mind."
"No, I'm too what?" Rose pressed. "I'm too good. Right? My soul is too light? Is that what you were going to say?"
"Yes," Hela whispered, nodding.
"Well… believe me when I tell you that it is not as light as you may think," Rose whispered, tears filling her eyes. "If only you could feel what I feel now... I think you'll be pleased with the true damage you've inflicted upon me."
They stopped walking, and Hela turned to face her now to face her great rage and glare.
"You killed Brooklyn, Hela, and for that I… I can't and won't ever forgive you. Without him here with me, my soul has been forever darkened, and I'm now lost. He was my glue, my anchor... my light in the darkness… and now he's gone. And now my soul is drifting in a lost and starless world of death."
Hela looked away from her tears as if they were indecent, but Rose knew her words were sticking with her.
"I am sorry, my daughter. What I did... it was for your own-"
"Don't you dare say that it was for my own good," Rose breathed through gritted teeth. "Because it wasn't."
"It was, Rose… you just refuse to see it," Hela whispered. "I did what you are trying to do now for your unborn child. We often sacrifice a great deal for our children's well-being."
"You didn't sacrifice anything for me, Hela," Rose whispered.
"On the contrary, I sacrificed a great deal."
"And what did you sacrifice for me? Hm? It seems pretty obvious that when you took away my adoptive parents and encouraged Kevin and me to meet. You didn't do a damn thing to stop my pain, nor the abuse, but encouraged and egged it on. That's not love, Hela. That's not what a parent does for a child! They protect them! So, for me, I will do anything to prevent my child from suffering like I am. I failed in protecting my mate from you and this damn world… but I will protect my child. No matter what it takes, even if it means caving into the darkness."
"So you're willing to sacrifice what's left of the light in your soul to do that for your child?" Hela asked her, looking back to face her now.
Rose stared back at her, unflinching, unblinking, and kept her face calm. Deep down, her magic was boiling and something dark was settling over her. She hoped that dipping her toes in the darkness, to cleave to the light would work, but it was risky. And there was a chance she could lose the battle… but it was the only way.
"If that is the only way to protect my child and ensure it's happiness? Then yes. Yes, I am." Rose whispered.
"Then we aren't much different from each other than you may think, my darling. If what you say is truly how you feel, then you now can understand why I did what I did to you because you're doing the same thing for your child," Hela said softly, stepping towards her. "Now you know what I… as your mother, was prepared to do for you by killing your adoptive parents, by giving you Kevin to marry and be abused by, and by killing Brooklyn…"
"Don't you dare try to compare yourself to me and my child! You and I are nothing alike," Rose hissed out in pure rage.
Hela was inches from her face now, but her eyes were soft.
Sorrowful.
"Believe what you want, but I did what I had to do in order to help you be who you truly were meant to be. But it was not easy. It's never easy watching your child suffer, Rose. The truth is I wanted to pull away so many times… I wanted to stop your pain and let you be happy. But, I couldn't. In order to bring you back home here in Hel, I had to do what was needed and what was ordered of me to do. Your soul had to darken, and your dark magic had to come to the surface... and I had to make that happen the only way I knew how."
"Well I, unlike you, am sacrificing every good part of what's left of me to make sure that my child is safe." Rose snapped, trying to not lose control of herself. "You did not. So do not stand here and tell me that the evil acts you committed were for me. They were never for my own good but were for your own self-interests. We both know you wanted your revenge against Avalon more than you ever wanted me or my happiness. So… what you did to corrupt my soul and break my spirit…" she then shook her head and spat through gritted teeth, "it was never a sacrifice of any kind on your part to do what was best for me. You did it to drag everyone else down to your own level of misery, thinking that it'll fill that hole within your soul, but it won't and never will. That's a fact."
"Is that what you think of me then?" Hela whispered, her sharp hazel eyes piercing hers. "You think that I am a soulless monster of a mother who doesn't care for her child?"
"That is what I see on the surface, Hela, but if I am wrong, then show me that you are capable of goodness and prove it to me otherwise."
Hela was frozen in shock and rage, so Rose then took a deep breath to calm herself and sighed heavily.
"However… if... I was to listen to my instincts and be honest with you... then no. I... I don't think you are fully evil, nor do I believe that your soul is completely gone." Rose paused, then stepped closer to her; trying to use kindness to get to her instead of anger. She stared Hela deeply in her eyes and tried to reach her. "You aren't a Lost Soul like the Draugr are, Hela. You are just in Demetrius's control, and he wants you to be used as a pawn in his game. You do still have a soul, which means you can still feel love and happiness, no matter how broken you may feel you are or undeserving of it. But you wanna know what I think? Truly? I think you have goodness somewhere deep inside of you still and… I also think that you are trapped within this world just like I am. Trapped in a marriage that isn't made up of true, selfless love…"
"You overstep yourself, Rose," Hela suddenly whispered in anger, but the anger didn't reach her grief-filled eyes.
Rose instantly shut her mouth, knowing a nerve had been struck. Nodding, she backed away and walked past Hela, continuing down the path they were walking on.
"You're right, I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She then stopped, and dryly spoke over her shoulder to drive her point home. "What goes on in your marriage is your business, but if it really is true love, then why aren't you happy? Why aren't you content and at peace? That's what I had, but, huh… I may be wrong on that too. It's not like I had a soul-bond to my mate, so powerful, happy, passionate, and pure, that we lit up the night sky when we were with each other. But, hey, what do I know of true love?"
Rose caught the stricken look on Hela's face before turning back around, and a triumphantly dark smirk spread across her face.
A half-hour passed by and they finally cleared the shallow part of the forest; now deep within the thick, dead woods. The dark-hued- red light of the atmosphere was hidden by the overgrown twigs and branches and if this place was full of leaves, it would have been much darker than it was. As they walked, Rose's wings twitched in paranoia, warning her not to be stuck in a place where she couldn't spread her wings to fly away if need be, and the small hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
Everything in this place was dead, but there was a certain silence in these woods that made her feel very unnerved and uneasy. It was quiet, too quiet. The branches didn't even move in any breeze, nor were there any animals nearby. Nothing. Hers and Hela's footsteps were the only sounds, but despite this, she kept glancing over her shoulder, looking up into the branches for something, for anything; but nothing was there.
Still, with every step, her wings twitched more annoyingly and her eyes kept darting around the path. Hela suddenly went still, stopped walking, and sensed what Rose was.
It was clear to both of them now. Something was not right. A stream of smoke and fog suddenly filled their path, making vision difficult to see. With this change, Hela silently whipped out a long, jagged sword from her magic and held out an arm for her to stop.
"What's going on?" Rose asked quietly.
"There's a fire up ahead, most likely started by a Manticore beast," Hela whispered seriously.
"A Manticore... beast?" Rose asked nervously. "What's that?"
"A beast of Hel's legend… but I assure you that they are very real and very dangerous," Hela whispered.
"What does it look like?" Rose gasped.
"It has the body, face, and mane of a lion, long and sharp horns that come out of its head and face, claws and teeth as sharp as the Draugr, but has a spine and tail like a scorpion. One-touch of its tail to your skin and you'll die a very slow and painful death from its poison; that is if it doesn't fry you up and eat you first."
Rose was horrified at this explanation and thought the Draugr were the worst creatures she's ever met before, but this creature almost sounded even worse than them...
"What do you mean fry you up?" She dared to ask. "Does it breathe fire or something?"
"Yes it does, like a dragon," Hela said, nodding. "They live here in the forests and caves in packs. Unfortunately, in order to get to the cliffs to test your wings, we have to venture through their territory. And though they are dangerous, I have to patrol to make my presence known to them and mark my dominance over them as their Queen."
"I thought all creatures are under your rule and control?"
"Not all, there are some rogue creatures living here in Hel that are not compliant with our laws. Some are nymphs, pixies, elves, and other lesser fairies… but the Manticore species are the most aggressive against us out of them all. They are ancient to this land and do not follow the rules. If it weren't for the Draugr guarding the Castle, the beasts would probably break down the doors and burn us all down. Kill us all." She then paused and looked over at her. "They are extremely dangerous, Rose. It's best if you stay close to me."
"Have you ever encountered one before?" Rose asked, her voice shaking, and doing as she was instructed to do happily. The smoke was getting even worse with every step they were taking, making the forest eerie and hard to see their surroundings.
"Yes, but if you leave them alone they usually leave you alone, unless they are out hunting for food. If they are hunting or protecting their pack, then it's best to hone your very best and strongest combat skills or summon a Draugr to take the fight for you. Manticores are very strong beasts and can kill you within seconds, but if they are alone then we stand a chance. They, however, very rarely are able to take down a Draugr, especially since the Draugr feast and attack in groups."
Rose swallowed down bile nervously and didn't want to hear any more about animals feasting upon each other, but then, Hela stopped again; stopping her and every thought she was having instantly.
"What-?"
"Shh!" Hela urged and then placed a hand over her mouth.
Rose instantly shut her mouth and froze, with her good sight and hearing, as well as her wings warning her, every new instinct was telling her to fly away. A predator was close to them, a dangerous one that liked things with wings… and flesh.
Hela raised her sword up, her magic gearing up for a fight at the same time as Rose's magic did. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and sweat was building on her brow. Just then a deep and deafening roar exploded from the top of a hill near to where they stood on their path. Rose clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream and jumped away from the sound, but still, nothing came through the smoke to attack them. But it still placed them on high alert. Then, through the thickening smoke, another roar echoed around them, but this time, it had an ending ring of a cry; as if it were in pain.
Intense pain.
The pain shot through Rose to her very core, and though this was a fearsome creature of legend, she instantly knew the same level of pain the creature was experiencing somehow. Before she could decipher what she was feeling and why, Hela suddenly grabbed her wrist, silently lifted a finger to her lips telling her to stay quiet, and then pulled her along to check out the sound. To her dismay, Rose had no choice but to follow after her.
Once they reached the small hill of dead grass and brush, they both crouched down and snuck up the hill on their hands and knees to see what was going on. What they saw when they reached the top, hidden behind a few trees, made Rose gasp out loud. There, right in front of them, was indeed the creature that Hela had described. Its massively muscled lion body was easily three times the size of a horse, even with him lying on its side with its back facing them. Rose could see the thick spine and tail on it which ended with a very sharp point, just like a scorpion had. The creature had horns coming out of its mane, twisted like the head of a ram, and its paws with sharp claws were massive. But something was wrong. It was groaning, and panting in obvious pain and distress.
"Shouldn't we get out of here?" Rose asked Hela quietly, still in awe of this majestically dangerous creature. It was unlike anything she's ever seen before.
"Don't worry, the fire won't spread too far. There's not much vegetation that can burn here anyway, and the creature hasn't heard us." Hela whispered as they watched the beast. She suddenly grabbed onto her wrist again and silently motioned for her to descend the small hill. When they reached the path, Rose turned to her.
"Is that a Manticore beast then?"
"Yes," Hela breathed back, pulling on her arm again to follow her, and held her sword up with the other. "But I want to take a better look at what's going on with it."
"It looked injured," Rose whispered.
"Yes, most likely from a Draugr, but that's what's confusing me. Draugrs don't normally leave their prey alive, they devour the meal down to the bone, but this beast is still alive. I want to know what's going on with it, and want to see what was on the other side of its body. I thought I saw another body, but I wasn't sure."
"What are we going to do?" Rose whispered, shaking uncontrollably.
"We are going to sneak up on it from another angle while still keeping downwind and out of sight. It will most likely be hostile because it's injured, so stay hidden and keep quiet, it very well might attack us if we get caught by it."
Not wanting to get close to it again, Rose followed after Hela silently and unwillingly, keeping her breathing and footsteps quiet as they crept up a different side of the hill. With every small crunching of branches under her feet, Rose closed her eyes and prayed that the creature didn't hear them approach. Keeping their heads down, they crept up the hill again from a different angle and heard the creature whine out another pain-filled cry again, thankfully masking the small snapping sounds of various twigs under their boots. Before they reached the top of the hill, they both smelled the undeniable smell of decay.
Rose instantly gagged, plugged her nose, and tried not to throw up.
"Oh yes, something has died here," Hela breathed out; her own nose scrunched up in displeasure. When they reached the top of the hill and peeked through the small brush, Rose clasped her mouth and tried not to scream.
Right to the side of them, laying in front of the injured Manticore, was a dead body of what looked like another of its kind. It had been half-eaten down to its bones, and judging by the lack of mane, it obviously was a female. Rose stared at the body for half a second, and then couldn't bear to look anymore. The sight, the smell… it was everything she never wished to see in this world of death, but Hela kept looking over the scene as if it didn't bother her one bit.
"Just what I suspected…" she breathed within Rose's earshot. "The male was injured by a Draugr while most likely trying to protect its mate. Look, half of his upper back and shoulder have been ripped out. And… ah yes, there's the Draugr in the middle of them. The beast crisped it to death with fire… which is how the fire was started. This attack must have happened just a few minutes ago."
"I believe you," Rose choked out, still refusing to look at the horrific scene before her. She knew that this was all part of the circle of life, and animals hunted for food, but it was still horrifying to see.
Silence passed, then Hela gave a small and dismissive hum.
"What?" Rose asked her, looking up into her face.
"I just figured out what happened, is all," Hela whispered, starting to back away on her hands and knees. "And there's nothing to be done. The Manticore will soon die… we'll just leave him to his fate. Besides, the Draugr will soon smell him and come to finish him off, and we don't want to be here for that. Come along."
"W-what do you think happened to him?" Rose asked, unsure why she was wanting to know. "Why are their two Manticore beasts here?"
"If I could guess, the female was most likely attacked and was half-eaten by the Draugr and her mate was injured while trying to protect her. Judging by the injuries he's sustained on his shoulder though, he'll soon be dead," Hela explained quietly, but then she froze at her own words. Rose's heart seemed to stop in her chest and she stared down at her with wide, horrified eyes. Hela then sighed out heavily.
"Rose… I know what that may sound like… but… these creatures are dangerous. They're monsters. Beasts. Don't humanize and compare this situation to your own mate's death… please…"
"We can't just leave him to suffer like this," Rose whispered with tears filling her eyes. She didn't know why she was mourning this creature's mate and the pain he was enduring, but it was still the same thing that she was going through. The pain in his whines and cries were the same as hers every night.
"Come along, Rose," Hela whispered firmly. "There's nothing more to be done here. Let him die in peace."
"He's not at peace! He's suffering!" Rose whispered back frantically. "You're really okay letting him be eaten alive by the Draugr? Are you truly that cruel and heartless? No creature alive deserves that fate."
"Rose, he's a dying, dangerously wild beast. As the Goddess of Death, I say leave him." At this, she reached the ground, made her sword disappear, held out her hand, and gestured for her to come down and follow after her. "Trust me, we do not want to be here when the Draugrs sniff him out; if they haven't already. We must go."
Rose stared down at Hela's outstretched hand, then forced herself to look back up at the horrible carnage in front of her to look over at the injured manticore beast. Upon looking at him, Hela was right, a chunk of flesh was torn out from his shoulder and the wound was bleeding a great deal. Lying near it was the ashen and burned skeletal form of a Draugr, whose body laid in a burned patch of grass.
She scrunched her nose to the smell of decay, and realized that it was the burned Draugr's body that was the worst smell, and forced herself to look back at the suffering manticore. His shoulder was ripped down to the bone, but it wasn't anything that would immediately kill him, but it eventually would. Then compassion for it filled her chest as the reality of this situation settled in her brain.
Dying a slow and painful death by infection or being eaten alive by the Draugr was his only choice, and as she stared at him, those choices didn't settle well for her for some reason.
"Come on, Rose," Hela's voice called quietly up to her from the path. "He's too injured to get up and doesn't care about us being here, which means he's ready to die. Now let's go."
Rose closed her eyes and went to leave and obey Hela, but after moving downwards an inch she stopped suddenly and found that she couldn't move anymore. Unsure why she was doing it, or how she found the strength to stand up on her shaking legs, she quickly scaled the hill and walked into the open area towards the creature. Damning it all.
"Rose? What do you think you're doing?" Hela's called from down below the hill. "Rose? Rose! NO!"
But she kept going, walking towards the injured beast against every physical intuition to stay away.
Keeping herself steady and her steps slow, she reached a hand out to the creature, who instantly looked up from its panting and suffering, and watched her approach him with large flaming white eyes. Against his all-black fur and mane, he truly looked terrifying. Like a werewolf or a hellhound and it slowed her walking down even more.
At her approach, his hackles raised, showing off massively sharp teeth and he tried to get up despite its shoulder injury to defend against her, but couldn't. He fell down upon the ground, and stared at her, growling more threateningly than ever before. She slowed her approach down even more, and a menacing snarl escaped its mouth while its sharp tail whipped around threateningly.
"Rose!" Hela cried out, scaling up the hill after her, with another jagged sword now in hand. "STOP! Back away from it!"
But she was too close to be stopped.
Rose slowly crouched down, held her hands out, and stayed where she was; allowing the creature to smell her from a somewhat safe distance still. Her flaming amber eyes didn't leave its bright white and endless ones. Upclose the Manticore was very muscular for a four-legged beast, and could easily take her down with one lunge and one swift bite to her neck. He could decapitate her with his sharp teeth and strong jaw, so she didn't know why she was here doing this. Nor could she stop.
Every physical part of her was screaming for her to leave, but her heart was leading her to this creature without fear.
"Shh, it's okay, it's okay," Rose whispered to him, unsure if he could understand her or not. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Rose!" Hela gasped out again, but Rose ignored her- though noting the terrified tone in her voice- and kept her eyes on the beasts', speaking to him as if he were a friend she's known all her life.
"I'm sorry about your mate… I lost mine two nights ago. He too, died while trying to protect me." The beast growled out menacingly again at her, but she kept her hands up, showing she meant no harm and kept talking to him in a breath-like whisper. "Some wounds can't easily be healed, but… over time, I hope the pain will ease. No one should be forced to suffer. No one."
"Rose… get away from him! NOW!"
"I can help you," Rose breathed, not blinking nor leaving his white eyes, which never left hers. "Please... let me help you."
He continued to growl, but then suddenly, it was as if he understood her or believed in her words. His white eyes stayed bright and glowing, but his tense body language changed and relaxed. Either she was about to die or she was given permission to potentially spread some good to this desolate world. Her heart was pounding, but ever so slowly, she leaned towards the creature and held her hands out to his wound.
Another growl exited his mouth, but he never made any move to attack her, so she kept going. She could hear Hela behind her, slowly closing in to grab her away, but Rose was going to heal him. She and the beast were two feet from each other now, and with one last glance into his eyes, she whispered, "I'm going to heal you," then closed them and allowed her magic to flow out.
Hela froze from behind her and watched this scene unfold with utmost shock and horror. To her disbelief, the Manticore didn't move a muscle as Rose's red magic came out like smoke and gently settled upon the injury.
Willing the creature to be healed, Rose offered it relief from its pain, and strength within its body once again with her magic. Seconds passed by, but then it faded, and she opened her eyes, then smiled at what she was able to accomplish, and slowly lowered her hands to rest them in her lap.
The Manticore's injury was fixed, his skin and fur filled in over the torn muscles and once-exposed bones, and his pain was taken away. The beast growled deeply once, shook his large head and mane, then slowly got up on all fours, drilling his sharp claws into the dry soil. She watched the large beast get up and was easily at its mercy as it towered over her. One bite and she would be done for.
His massive size towered over her, and standing up, he was monstrous to behold. He was bigger than Bronx, and if he stood up on his hind legs, he would be bigger and taller than Goliath even. His hot breath trickled down her back, down her wings, and she stayed very still. Praying that this worked… that she wouldn't be his next meal.
Not even Hela dared to utter a sound at this point.
With closed eyes, Rose felt the manticore's nose smelling her. Her hair, her wings, her very scent… then his nose suddenly came down her front and sniffed her stomach. Rose was shaking now, praying that he didn't break her in half and kill her unborn child. Suddenly, he moved his nose and snorted out sharply. She winced at the sound and dared to open her eyes at this point, but jolted in fright. His bright white eyes were piercing into hers, which was scarier than staring at the Draugr's empty, soulless sockets.
Terrifying seconds passed by as she stared into his eyes, but as time went on... the fear faded, and she swore she could see its soul.
Then, as if suddenly a light turned on between them, the fear disappeared completely.
Although her heart was still pounding, she relaxed and knew this creature wouldn't hurt her, just like how she knew Brooklyn was good and wasn't going to hurt her either just by looking into his eyes the first night they met. She didn't have any soul-bond to this creature like she did with her mate, but the same thing that happened with him was happening now. This creature, as fearsome as it looked on the outside, was good. She knew it with every fiber of her being, and it seemed to have come to the same conclusion about her.
He snorted out again, but kept his large head next to hers as if inviting her to touch him.
Relaxing, she smiled and exhaled in relief. His white eyes continued to stare at her, but his body language remained relaxed as well. Slowly, she raised a hand up and held it in front of him, letting him come to her. He sniffed her hand, then pushed against her so that she gently touched the side of his face. Running her hand over his face, his black fur was coarse and rough, and his muscles twitched at her touch.
"Wow," she breathed in awe. "You are magnificent... does this make us friends then?"
The creature suddenly gave out what sounded like a purr almost, muzzled his snout in her hair playfully, answering her question, and she couldn't help but giggle.
"Good, I'm glad," she whispered, using both hands now to gently rub his fur. "I need more friends in this place, anyway."
The Manticore nuzzled against her head some more, then moved his face so their eyes could stare into each others'. To connect. His eyes swirled with silver in the bright white iris's and mesmerized her. She smiled at him and knew he was saying thank you to her for healing him.
Blinking to acknowledge it, she then bowed her head slightly and rested her head against his snout.
"You're welcome," she breathed.
Raising his head up, he stood up tall, majestically strong, and eyed Hela carefully, who still hadn't moved an inch from where she stood. The Manticore sniffed the air once and then growled ferociously while stepping over Rose's body. To her utmost amazement, he was protecting her from Hela.
Hela recoiled slightly but stood her ground and glowered at Rose in anger.
"Alright, enough heroics, Rose. You've proven that you can tame wild beasts but I've had enough… it's time to go."
At her sharp tone, the Manticore suddenly urged forward threateningly a few steps and roared out a deafening roar that shook the trees and earth around them. Taking them both by surprise, Rose cried out and Hela gasped out while holding up her sword in defense. The Manticore exposed all of his teeth at her, and Rose watched in horror at what was about to unfold. He was going to attack Hela.
But Hela was prepared for this. Quickly throwing a hand up in the air, she shot red magic into the sky, and screamed, "WRAITH!" Her voice echoed through the air, and Rose's blood went cold.
"No!" She gasped out, standing up now. Hela had summoned the Draugr leader, which would mean that this creature would be in danger again. Running forward, she grabbed onto the beast's neck, shushed him, and ran a comforted hand through his thick, black mane.
"Hey, hey! It's okay! I'm going to be okay, but you need to go!" The beast never backed down from Hela, but his eyes glanced over to look at her. Listening to her. So she pressed, "Thank you for protecting me, but you've got to leave! She's called over the Draugr… you must go! I… I'll be alright."
The creature suddenly turned his head to face her now, and she swore she saw sadness within them. Tears filled her eyes and suddenly wished she didn't have to part with him. He was a protector… just like her mate was, and that alone gave her a sense of security she hadn't felt in a long time.
"I'll be okay," she whispered in a choke, petting his mane more. "Go… take care of yourself and your remaining kind." The creature whined, then glanced over at its half-eaten and dead mate, gave another whine, and Rose could feel his pain again. His grief. But still, despite the Draugr coming for him or being attacked by one already, he wasn't moving from her side. It quickly dawned on her that he was staying to protect her.
"Thank you, but you can't stay. Not with a group of Draugr coming, they'll kill you." She whispered as tears filled her eyes. "But we'll be okay, we're survivors. Right? Somehow… we'll get through this nightmare together. I... I hope to see you again soon." He blinked as if agreeing with her, and then pressed his head against hers once more. Tears streamed down her face as she petted his face once again, but the sweet moment was short-lived. A high-pitched unearthly screech from a Draugr filled the air all around them, then was followed by more screams seconds later.
"Go!" She cried out, pushing on his large neck. "You must go! Now!"
The Manticore instantly pulled away from her, jumped across the hill in one giant leap towards the other half of the hill, and ran a few bounding steps into the forest before turning back to face her one last time. From the distance he was huge, majestic, and still utterly terrifying to behold- but she was no longer afraid or distrusting of him, nor he of her. They met eyes once more, and when she nodded at him again silently telling him to go, he turned and took off running so fast he was gone within a blink of an eye.
Just then, the Draugr leader exploded through the trees and landed next to them, followed by a handful of others. They were hissing and snarling, and when they saw their burned comrade, they gave out roars of anger. Rose quickly held herself, trying to brace herself from their iciness and nearness, but then looked around in horror. Upon seeing the half-eaten female Manticore, their teeth started gnashing horribly.
Rose's stomach churned with nausea and dread.
"My Queen," Wraith hissed, looking between Rose and her, to the scene around them and was obviously distracted by the carcass. "Are you in danger?"
Hela was staring at Rose with wide- eyes as if she was in disbelief of her, but then slowly shook her head. "Not anymore, Wraith. Thank you for coming when I called… but the danger has passed."
"What was it?"
"This Manticore's mate, he was vicious toward m- us."
"Shall we hunt him down?" Wraith asked viciously, as the others inched towards the fresh carcass hungrily and greedily.
"Not yet," Hela said softly, eyeing the others carefully and the dead beast. "For now... enjoy his mate's flesh in reward for coming so promptly when I called. Rose and I will continue on with our business and will call you if there is any more danger."
Wraith's horrible skull face twisted up a wicked smile, showing off his sharp, terrifying teeth.
"It'll be our pleasure, my Queen."
Without another word Hela instantly strode past him, made her sword disappear with a flash of magic, and grabbed Rose roughly by the arm; turning her around to walk away. They walked a few steps when the horrible sounds of ripping flesh and the Draugr eating the Manticore's dead mate filled the air.
"No! You can't let them do this…!" Rose gasped out, trying to turn to stop them, but Hela kept a firm grip on her.
"Don't look back."
"No, stop! You can't let them- NO!"
The sounds of the Draugr ripping into the fleshed body made Rose want to vomit or pass out. Or both. The sounds were awful… horrible… and she wished she could un-hear everything, but they thankfully didn't last long. With a bright blast of magic, Hela portaled them away from the forest and onto the cliffs at the base of the volcano, high above the forests.