Genesis, part 2
Genesis part 2
Father and Daughter Speak.
Father and daughter stared at each other without speaking until Loki conjured chairs and a table laden with sweets. “Sit. Eat. I have news of Balder,” Loki said, sitting in one of the chairs and grabbing the first chocolate within reach. Hel sat down. She did not eat. She rarely felt hunger and eating was something she had become accustomed to because Balder ate.
“Your boyfriend’s dead. So is Odin, as are a roomful of other Pagan Gods who would not listen to me. You try to help and what happens, you get stabbed in the heart.”
Loki would have continued but Hel spoke and he nearly choked on an éclair.
“How do you stand free Loki? I have it on good authority that you are dead. Or perhaps you are not my father at all but the one Christians call Archangel Gabriel?” She passed a napkin to Gabriel who wiped his face of crumbs.
“Ah, so you know about that kiddo. Kali?” Gabriel asked her not bothering to deny his identity. Hel shook her head.
“No. You forget this pool allows communication between all who rule the underworld. Baron Samedi was always a show off.” She picked up an éclair and tasted it. “Am I more, or less, than the offspring of a giantess and trickster?”
“I am called Loki, or The Trickster. I am called Gabriel, The Messenger. You are Loki’s daughter. You are Gabriel’s daughter. You’re whomever you chose to be,” Gabriel replied non-committedly.
“I am Hel and you did not answer my question. Perhaps you are more Pagan than Christian after all? Is that why you are here? To see Ragnarok a reality, even though the roosters Fjalar and Gullinkambi do not crow nor does my Garm howl and leave his post? Would you have me ready Naglfar for sail?” Hel played with a cupcake as she spoke.
Gabriel shook his head, grabbed another cake and started walking out the room. Hel followed. They walked through the misted realm together in silence. Whether as Loki or Gabriel, this claimed daughter of his always had seen through him and questioned every motive he had.
“I have nothing to say about Ragnorok. I may have something to say about the Apocalypse,” he offered as a reply. There was the ghost of a smile and rough laugh from the deity beside him.
“Either way, I don’t have any power. I just guard the souls of the dead until it’s time for them to be taken into oblivion,” Hel said. Gabriel choked, spluttered and turned to his daughter.
“Hate to break it to ya kiddo but souls are The Battery of all Gods and Goddesses, Angels and Demons. We all want them. Death reaps the humans and in theory, good go to heaven and Michael the Great and his ‘heavenly host’ care for them. The souls of the evil go to hell and Lucifer, the Devil and his ‘minions’ torment them for eternity. The souls that Dad can’t be bothered dealing with come either to you or one of the other underworld rulers.”
Gabriel stopped talking while they moved through one of the many crowded dining halls of Helheimr.
“Since most of the elder Gods or Goddesses have moved on or gone feral, you’ve been getting the lion’s share of whatever was left of their follower’s souls. Correct?” Gabriel clapped his hands at Hel’s shrug of agreement. “Yep, I knew it. Hel, do you know how much power you wield? Seriously you could run circles around most of my so-called Holy Family, yet you stay holed up in this ice realm.”
“No,” she said.
“No, what? I don’t understand,” Gabriel played the innocent.
“No. Father or not, I’m not letting you use my subjects as batteries for whatever squabble you are now involved with be it Christian or Pagan,” Hel said.
“As much as I could use the extra boost, that’s not why I came here,” Gabriel conjured himself a stick of liquorice and continued speaking.
“Actually, it probably is. Just, not for me. It’s like this Kiddo, this stupid war. This Apocalypse my brothers are determined to see through will probably kill me. Hard as I’ve tried to avoid it, it’s gonna happen. If my brother Lucifer actually wins against Michael he’ll scorch the earth and obliterate mankind. I have grown accustomed to humans, they’re so much more entertaining to humiliate than demons or monsters. Not that brother Michael is much better but at least Earth will survive. Whoever wins, it’ll be craptastic for a while afterwards. I just wanted to ask you to help them, the angels, if any of them ask you. Which they won’t because they’re an arrogant bunch of…“ Gabriel waved a hand and sighed.
Father and daughter continued walking the misted halls of Hel’s Keep and returned to the glacial pool. Gabriel reached inside his trouser pocket and handed Hel an amulet. “This was to have helped my youngest brother find Father. It used to belong to Michael’s vessel, his human form. It is powerful, good ‘juju’. His name is Castiel, my brother not the Vessel. Of all my brethren he’s the only one I consider worthy despite the fact that he is a hopeless true believer in both our Father and Mankind. Return this to him should he ask for help.”
Hel took the amulet without answering and Gabriel stepped into the water. Hel played with the amulet in her hands and as Gabriel started to leave she said. “It is written that Loki and Hel with an army of the dead shall do battle during Ragnarok. I see no reason why the Christian Apocalypse is not unlike Ragnarok. If this cousin, Castiel, seeks my help I will offer what I can.”
“That seems fair enough,” Gabriel said. “Doubt it will happen but stranger things have happened. On my death, release your brother Fenrir. It seems pointless for him to be imprisoned if the Gods don’t care. If you are asked to help, remember Lucifer fights dirtier than Loki ever did. He taught me all I know, he just doesn’t have the humor to go with it. Michael is a warrior with the lack of imagination that comes with it. Raphael is a pretender and follower of Michael. Uriel is slippery and if you have to deal with Zachariah - feed him to your brother. Oh, find Vali too, might as well cause a bucket of trouble as an egg-cup. Toodles,” With that Gabriel was gone and the water rippled then stilled.
part 3