A Battle for the Soul of a Wounded Heart Pt. 2

Posted on Sat Dec 9th, 2023 @ 1:12pm by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Inara Senn

Mission: Hard Earned Peace
Location: Ship's Library.

Inara had several books open, one was entitled 'Prose Edda.' It contained many of the Norse Mythologies. She was beginning to understand what Hela was.

"Hoping to learn some great truth from one of those books?" Hela questioned as she materialized. "Perhaps you are hoping to learn my motives, as if I haven't already explained that I came here for the payment of a debt. Perhaps you think you can somehow save your colleague."

Inara began to laugh. "It wasn't just about the debt. We have to give ourselves to you. Even you have boundaries. You need us to go with you. In fact, your ego demands it."

Hela chuckled maniacally. "You know nothing of me or my kind. You think you read words on a page of some ancient text and it gives you the key to the universe. Those words in those pages are meaningless. The ramblings of old mortals who drank too much mead."

"It gave me the key to you, Hela. And when one watches, observes a being long enough one begins to understand." Inara mentioned. "If you were serious about, what, a debt, you would have snatched up Doctor T'ghann-Travis and left without another word. But that wouldn't have been fun for you. Instead, you taunt us, and enrage us, and tell us our knowledge is worthless." Inara mentioned. "You disappoint me, Hela. And I didn't see it at first. I intend to tell the good doctor and Ms. Kono what you are up to. That is the two other people you focused on, isn't it? Oh, after several conversations with Morrigan and other of your peers, I am beginning to understand you quite well; Daughter of Loki." Inara spoke again. "You may be true about one thing; we do not understand everything about your kind. But we learn well, otherwise we would have never written the great thing that is books. I intend to tell the Doctor and our Intelligence Officer what you're up to. And then we shall inflict the worst punishment we can on you my good, Asgardian."

Hela's demeanor shifted, beginning to appear enraged and dark. "You know nothing of my actions or intentions. You dare to consider yourself my equal? I should flay you alive here and now. You think you can punish me? You have no ability to harm me. All you are doing is ensuring I increase the pain and suffering on your companions, and perhaps on your lost love."

"Oh, you will hate this, dear Hela. After a great amount of contemplation, I have found the sole weapon we will use as a defense against you." Inara mentioned. "We will ignore you, until you go away. So, you can stamp and stomp around like a spoiled brat child, you can vandalize, and you can do whatever that gets you up in the morning. You see, you're doing this for attention from your peers, and you're like a misbehaving child at a family reunion. Breaking things and shouting so they all pay attention to you, and like a misbehaving child, you will be treated accordingly here. So that is my plan, and I am going to Shon and Kate immediately to inform them of this idea. We are done with you Hela. There's nothing left in me you can use to make me hate you. And very soon, I will help others resist you." Inara noted. "There is no payment for your 'debt' here, since the only thing you value is angry souls, and for that... I pity you." Inara turned and began walking towards Medical, ignoring Hela.

Hela was incensed. Her eyes were like daggers as she stared at Inara. Finally, she had Josie appear before her, bound and hung by her wrists in chains and slowly being lowered upon a massive pike. Hela spoke enraged, "Worthless mortal. You dare to think I can do nothing to you? Watch your lover suffer on your behalf."

The vision of Josie was lowered onto the pike. She began to scream and wail in pain as the pike pierced her, blood flowing down the pike. Josie cried out, "Arri, please! Make her stop!"

Inara stood silently.glaring at Hela.

Hela smiled vilely. "She won't die. I can do so very much to her, and she will never die. Perhaps I will let you see what I have promised you, flaying her as you watch. Perhaps I will crucify her, disembowel her, have her drawn and quartered, maybe burned at the stake. I will say, the humans did have so many great creative means at their disposal for inflicting pain upon others. Haven't you figured this out yet, defiant mortal? You have no power over me, but I have infinite power over you. I own you."

"Josie" Inara looked at her. "We will never serve again." Josie looked at Inara's eyes. Inside, she knew, it was Arrianna staring back. "Never...." Josie shed a tear as he moved closer to the pike. "I love you Arri. Don't bow to.."

Josie began to scream. Inara looked into her eyes. A love transcending pain took hold.

Inara continued to ignore her. No matter what she did she was done with her, and Josephine Carlye would take any pain for the one she loved. Besides, there was no guarantee Hela would stop tormenting her if she gave in. There would be no concessions now. "My love, no matter what she does to us..." she didn't have to continue. All Inara had to do, was make Hela look like a monster to the other gods that happened to be eavesdropping.

Hela smiled in delight as Josie's screams grew, echoing throughout the room and beyond. The pike pierced her longways and pushed into her deeper and deeper. She was in agony, and it looked like it would never stop. Death wouldn't be a release for her, Hela wouldn't allow it. Hela looked at Inara, "Still feeling defiant? Still think you have any power over me mortal?"

She stood, not making eye contact. Now the monster was Hela. And she was falling into Inara's trap perfectly. Now she was angry, she was irrational.

Hela's eyes grew dark, her face red as rage began to talk over. She produced two blades and began spinning them. They were razor sharp and gleamed like jewels in the light. Hela launched them at Josie and the blades, as if guided by phantom hands began to flay Josie. "Still insolent as your love endures all of this for you?"

Josie screamed in pain and looked at Inara. "Never... Surrender..." She shouted back

"You think that was the worst I can do?" Hela questioned. She snapped her fingers and suddenly Josie found herself still impaled on the pike now staked to the ground, her body flawed, and Inara's books and paintings piled around her like kindling. Hela looked at Inara, "Perhaps this will spark you to see things my way." She hurled a fireball from her hand to the books which ignited like a well-prepared bonfire, and Josie was being roasted. "I am so much more than you can possibly comprehend. Your life is but a moment to my eternity, your belief that you have any choice in serving me only fuel for the fire that shall torment all you know and care for. All I ask is for you to serve, to bend the knee to your rightful ruler."

Inara said nothing but looked at Josie. 'Feel my love, my strength, my dear love. We've been tortured before. And we are stronger, my love. I will take your pain for you. She is nothing before us. She is nothing. She could burn us and hurt us for a thousand years, and at the end. She is the monster. Because that's what monsters are. Find my strength. I know it is excruciating, but never again. Never again will we be slaves.' She could only speak to Josie through her demeanor.

"WE WILL GIVE YOU NOTHING HELA!!!" Josie shouted burned and impaled.

Inara looked at Josie for what seemed live forever and then bowed her head. For the first time she was praying. Not to any particular deity. She was simply asking for help against a monster.

Hela looked at Inara. "You think you can take the pain? Let's find out." She waved her hand and allowed Inara to feel every ounce of pain that Josie felt.

Inara held her posture. Feeling the need to scream, but not doing it. She looked into her love's eyes. 'We feel pain together.'

"That's it. Scream for me" Hela said sadistically. Now, let's see how you endure the pain as Josie is slowly melted by acid. Hela laughed as Josie was slowly lowered into a vat of acid and she began to scream. Hela looked at Inara, "Enjoying the sights as you feel the pain?"

"You are a monster... You are hiddeous and wretched.. Demon!!!!"

"You think me a monster? I am a monster. I know exactly who I am, and if you think any of my fellow gods are unaware, you are gravely mistaken. Now scream!" Hela said with vile glee.

Inara pulled the type one phaser she kept in her shoe and fired a killing shot at Hela.

"Insolent mongrel! You dare to try to strike me?" Suddenly a large sword appeared in her hand. "If you will not kneel, then you shall die. I can enslave you after death." She came at Inara with an overhead slash, and suddenly the sound of steel hitting steel rung out as her blade was stopped by another.

"Enough of this Hela." Morrigan said as she stood next to Inara, her sword keeping Hela's from striking Inara. "You have done enough harm to these mortals. You will not harm them further."

Inara held on. "We...." She breathed, feeling the agony she was in. "How does it feel Hela? A little taste of your own medicine. How does it feel for me to enrage you, into showing everyone the kind of monster you are. Even if most of your peers consider us to be mere mortals. It will speak volumes about you." Inara chuckled. "Let this day linger in your mind, the day a mortal did not break before you. But forgave herself, redeemed herself, and then pitied you." She noted. "That would give any god or goddess pause."

Morrigan looked at Inara. She was glad to see her being so courageous, but this last bit of defiance was a step too far. Hela was dark and powerful, one of the truly dangerous of her species, and while she enjoyed protecting mortals from Hela, she knew that some things Hela was capable of she simply couldn't stop.

Hela stepped back, full of rage. "You pity me?" she questioned. "You disgust me. You think you can forgive yourself? You think Morrigan can protect you and Brigid can heal your wounds?" She looked at Morrigan, "Your interference has caused this. You gave her hope, and I will see it made hollow." Hela turned and stretched out her hand towards Josie. Suddenly Josie began to scream in a way unheard by Inara. She seemed to glow and slowly she was pulled apart, molecule by molecule until she was gone. Hela turned back and looked at Inara, "See now my power. Now your love is truly gone." With that Hela vanished.

Morrigan had a look of disbelief. She knew what Hela was capable of, but she had not seen her go to such lengths in centuries. She didn't want to be the one to tell Inara the tragic gruesome truth of what had just occurred.

"What did you do to her?" Inara asked.

Hela smiled vilely, "I destroyed her. All that she was, all that she might've been, the very energy that coalesces to create her soul I pulled apart to the subatomic level. She is now truly gone forever."

She couldn't do anything to Hela now. Right now... but she would, one day. One day she would not be mortal. She would be the doom of the gods. Inara Senn found her new white whale.

There had to be a way... to change fate. To undo this. To impose her will.

Morrigan realized that Hela had created the next enemy of Asgard and that now there was a mortal with such endless hatred for gods in her heart. She was going to make science into a god and tear time and the universe asunder. It's like everything Morrigan and Brigid tried to do was undone by Inara's defiance of the Gods, and now there was the cruel realization that something horrible had happened, across the cosmos. Hela had not done this for centuries. And now, a dark enemy was brewing.

Inara went into her quarters and closed the door, crying. Something very dark was brewing inside her, and it was attracting the attention of something.

Another member of the Tuatha sect of the immortals was watching quietly, and she had saved the soul of the mortal, unbeknownst to everyone, even Hela. She dare not make the knowledge public, not yet. Such information would start another war of the immortals, and this was not something that had happened in millennia. She would watch this mortal, send Brigid to comfort her, push for Morrigan to function as protector, and see if this mortal was deserving of the knowledge that her love had not been utterly destroyed. And if she could be trusted, the secret would be whispered to her in a motherly way. But first there was the waiting, and the watching.