an. welp holiday is in full swing and as I've mentioned, I'm a retail worker so, I think that's enough said on why it took so long to update. I'm like half asleep while posting this :( but anywho, thank you to all who are reading and such.
Chapter 18: While the Darkness Can Help You Hide
The sounds of swords clashing was all Skadi could hear as she studied the training yards from her balcony window. Below she could see Hela's revived soldiers training. As if they needed it, Skadi scoffed to herself. The dead were far stronger already than any Asgardian army Skadi had seen. But that was the whole reason why she had to watch. She had to study them, she had to see how they fought and how much of a chance she stood. From the looks of it, she'd stand no chance at all even with the years of being trained by the most dangerous woman in the galaxy, Gamora. She was beyond outnumbered.
"It's such a pity, how far my father let the standards fall" Hela said after she had made her way into the room a while ago now.
She'd been talking about how the remaining soldiers of Odin's loyal army choose death over joining their conquest. The execution of the remaining soldiers had been this morning, Hela having Skadi stand by her side as her army of the dead executed them all. Skadi felt disgusted with herself, the final looks her people gave her still burned in her mind. They looked to her for help but she didn't offer them any. She just stood and watched quietly, ashamed as Hela spoke the orders.
"No one around here respects the crown anymore. I am Odin's first born; Odin's dead so I am their Queen. It's quite simple, it's been that way for years." Hela continued, clearly oblivious to Skadi's clear depressed state. Granted, Skadi had been hiding it pretty well.
Skadi made no indication of responding besides humming. Hela wouldn't have liked her real answer anyways. Days had pasted since Hela promised her a weapon of some kind. She was impatient; she knew the moment she had it she wouldn't be able to execute her plan right away, knowing it'd be smarter to practice with whatever it was first.
Hela finally noted the girl's mundane attitude and paused her conversation. She wasn't stupid, she knew she'd been off since the execution but she figured that it was only normal. She'd been brainwashed for so long to be loyal to her old family and everything did happen so quickly. But she knew with an adjustment period and understanding, along with some patience, things her father never had, Skadi would confidently join her side. She at first was concerned the girl would back out, choosing death over joining her but lost all concern when the pair opened up about their experience a night ago. Hela managed to get the stiff girl to talk about her time with the Kree, and then with a pirate crewed she called the Ravagers.
Hela questioned her about the Infinity Stone but Skadi glazed over it, Hela knowing that she was purposely not telling her any specifics. Hela tried to push it but in the end left it alone, having a sister was still new to her and she'd let Skadi come to her when she was ready to talk about it. As a child Hela always wanted a younger sister to look up to her; Hela would train her to become the goddess and princess that she was meant to be.
"I've brought you a present." Hela piped up, as she noted her guard motioning to her from the doorway.
Brushing the girl's light hair off of her shoulder as she stood close by her, Hela smiled as Skadi turned to her. Skadi put on a fake smile, calling back to the skills Yondu had long taught her. Hela hadn't suspected a thing over the last few days as Skadi acted as if she decided to side with her. Skadi knew it was the only way to gain her trust. She used their mutual resentment towards their father as her way in.
"Is it what I think it is?" Skadi smiled lightly, pretending to be playful to hide her distaste; she didn't want to accept anything from this woman but this was a necessity.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Hela teased, moving backwards and signaling the two guards standing near the doorway to open it.
From the door, Skadi saw a handful of her handmaidens be ushered in, all wearing scared looks on their faces as they tried their best to be a quick as possible. They didn't want to anger their Queen, seeing as how many servants and staff had been executed already from either displeasing or disobeying Hela.
Skadi could tell that they hated her; they already were annoyed by her from the hard time she'd constantly gave them whenever they had to dress her or get ready for whatever stupid thing Loki dragged her to over her first week being here. But she was considered a traitor now. She openly sided with the person who stole the crown from her family and killed the princes, alongside slaughtering so many innocent Asgardians.
Skadi didn't blame them either. She hated herself as well. She was so weak that she had to wait to get this so called weapon Hela was making her to even have a chance to defeat her. She had just started to feel like she was an actual fighter, after being trained by Gamora and excelling in her magic but really who was she to think she was on par with actual Gods? She fought thugs and cut throat Kree. That was nothing compared to this.
Turning back to her handmaidens she saw one of them carried a wooden box, engravings of different Asgardian ruins etched onto it. Another carried what appeared to be a long piece of cloth while the rest each carried different pieces of armor. Hela motioned for the ones carrying armor and the cloth to place it down on Skadi's bed while ordering the one carrying the box to bring it to her. The handmaiden curtsied as she stood in front of the Queen and Princess, holding the box out in front of her. Hela opened it with a smile, excited to show her sister what she had made for her.
"I've been taken by the interest you've shown in the training grounds. I'm hoping now with this, you'll let me begin you're proper training." Hela smiled, reaching in and pulling out two armbands.
The metal shined in the light, flickering as Hela held them up in each hand. They were simple with only a few carvings circling the top of each band. Skadi recognized the symbols; the symbol for ice, power and protection came first followed by the symbols that warriors would carve into their swords that would bring them success in combat, along with courage and fear. Skadi would be lying if she said she didn't like them. She knew Hela simply wanted to use her apparent ability to be able to use the Casket of Ancient Winters to be able to conquer planets but she was at least touched that her sister had taken an interest in her that she had long wished her father did.
"I had Asgard's greatest builder forge this with the combined power of the casket. You'll be unstoppable once you've fully learned how to master its power." Hela explained, handing her one to try on but pulled it back. "But before you start you're training actually, there's another part of this present. A warrior needs armor."
Skadi let out a gasp as she got a closer look at the armor Hela had made for her. It was beautiful. The metals were a pure silver, shining and new. The body armor covered down to her waist and up to her breasts; Skadi noted how it was form fitted and would surely show off her curves but still give her protection. A dark grey leather belt with a holster for a pair of daggers and sword attached and a snowflake metal buckle added for flare, as Hela described it. The fabric to wear underneath the chest piece was a stretchy, slicky black bodysuit that would allow her to fly around and be as flexible as possible without being restricted like a full suite of armor would be. There was also shoulder pads that matched her chest plates, with a light blue fabric to wrap around her upper arms down to her wrists. The only other piece of protection were armored leg guards that reached her thigh and acted as a boot covering for a pair of light weighted, blue boots, matching the arm wrap. The only other piece to note was a black cloak that had a piece of white and grey furs covering her shoulders, as if Skadi could ever get cold enough to actual need furs.
"I hope you like it, I know you're not accustomed to wearing such a thing after spending all those years in space but this is how a princess and goddess of winter should dress for battle." Hela said smiling as Skadi seemed to already be fallen in love with the outfit. She patted her back, handing her the armbands and ordering the hand maidens to help get her dress. "I guess we can no longer call it the Casket of Ancient Winters, so perhaps we'll just replace casket with gauntlet? Yes, the Gauntlets of Ancient Winters. Now get dressed, we start training immediately, sister."
Skadi nodded, knowing that she now had the power the take down her sister. She had to plan this through though. She couldn't just jump in and attack her without a plan. Skadi had to be smart about this and she knew had to figure out a way to outsmart her sister.