Main door

I Walked through to the bridge that began the long walk into what I called the nest of Hela. I myself had only walked it twice before one when I was lost here, the second was when I had left this place. I took a breath before closing my eyes clenched my head feeling the fear from this warrior, she laid on the floor prettified of Hela who in her usual “intimidation appearance” of silent mass felt her fear as the woman pulled herself up to her feet and charge at the giantess struck the Isu with her blade snapping as she was thrown from the bridge with one swipe. I returned to my feet seeing the reflection of the light and kneeling picked up the broken blade of the sword before looking over saw the mass now stare at me.

It just stood there glaring at me as I spoke, “So are you going to stay in this obscene and non-communicating form or are you going to turn back into your pretty form?” it tilted it’s head whilst I began to light the small torches on the bridge to provide me with more light, “Who are you?” it coldly hissed in a stutter, “It’s Zantano-Thanato but I go by the name of Damian!” the creature smiled before vanishing and now on the other end of the bridge was Hela who smirking walked forward with me meeting her until we were a few metres apart, “You needed my help?” “Yes, I have wounded her but this human has caused me nothing but trouble!” “Yeah I saw... I have to admit she did a very good job against Surtr and Valravn. Do you know what she wants?” “I don’t know. The darkness mentioned something like her soul for her lovers but you know I don’t make deals”

“So you didn’t bother to ask?” I huskily asked and laughing coldly she spoke looking over the side of the bridge, “That’s nice... I haven’t seen you. My only true friend for several millenniums and all you care about is this Trouble Maker!” “Okay then... Hela, my dearest friend and seductress how have you been?” “Seductress... who ever told you that?” “No one, I just know it irritated you every time I mentioned something sexual” “I was the one who took your virginity, as I recall you weren’t much to look at” “I was seven at the time... where I come from that’s execution!” she nodded before shrugging spoke, “I did offer you a place here!” I nodded before shrugging turned back to lean against the wooden railing with her doing the same, “So how are things? Finally given up on world domination?” “No. It’s in my nature to want to end Odin and his fellow gods, he banished me here because of his fears and a hunch!” “Well he wasn’t exactly wrong was he? Look at the monstrosity down here!” “This place made me. You should know... look at what Tartarus did to you and Triss that human pig did to you. Tartarus made you the most cruelest Isu known to both man and Isu and Triss... well she burned that to the ground; made you weak!” I laughed before saying, “Just keep on charming me; it’s really going to get the job done!” “Am I wrong? You lost everything to a fucking redhead slut. I offered you everything I could: a title, my body, to end this hostility between me and the other Isu, I offered to live in Elysium with you, I even offered to clean this place up and make it more homely for you and you said no. You choose her and then you went off with this “Keira” woman who got herself pregnant to tie herself down to you!” “We aren’t married, she knows that. Gratian... he’s my boy and I will raise him; I don’t run away from responsibility like Zeus and the other gods!” she nodded before tapping my shoulder spoke, “I know, you were always the good one. You know you should bring him here. We could raise him together!” I laughed before smiling spoke, “Alas no one would allow it and I want some good around him. We are both abominations in what we do. Keira is the soft and affectionate nature that he needs to counter my anger, ****, lack of empathy and emotions but also against what we do. Persephone and Athena help to steer him away from what I did and do!” she nodded looking away spoke, “I always wanted a proper family you know. Father and mother just left me here without even protesting and my siblings excluded me because of what I am!” “Come with me after this is done then! Elysium would accept you, Persephone would like you, you’re a mini her and Hades always respected your role!” “Or you could live here with me and forget everything. I would cherish you more than anyone!” “No!” “Please!” “No!” “Please... I will let you do anything here... or at least give me an opportunity to prove myself!” “I’ll think about it!” she smiled as I rolled my eyes where it remained silence for a short time until she spoke, “You know who I miss... Philippa!” “Oh? How so?” “She was an cold hearted bitch and I loved her for it and she understood the world. Love and emotion was worthless if you can’t get advancement out of it and you were stuck suffering and poor. You of course made her see differently but you always were her weakness!” “Weakness?” I growled she nodded realising her effect she had with that, “Look at you... you are virtually a human wannabe, you have them as lover, you dress like one and you even took one of their names. Zantano-Thánatos is dead and this Damian is all that’s left. The true Zantano died after the battle against the Wild Hunt!” I went to snap back but watching her vanish looked down over the bridge.

I looked down over the broken bridge before jumping down spoke, “Must be on the beach somewhere!” I carried on walking before hearing the voices start to torment me but instead of crying from the pain of their **** was now met by voices criticising everything I had and was doing, ‘Weak? Weak! You are weak!’ ‘Dead. He’s dead on the inside!’ ‘What he once was is gone!’ ‘Was it ever there or was this just a persona’ I walked along the ship wrecked beach nothing the trickling of blood when I was stopped by a mirror image of me with only his armour and weapons different and his look was of pure hatred, “What are you?” he glared at me before walking forward snarled, “I’m Zantano-Thánatos the one you killed when you succumb to Triss’ charm!” “I never did!” he laughed before swinging his sword I dodge to catch him with mine but this was met by nothing by the empty air but he wasn’t finished yet, he finished with giving me a departing message of, “If you were me you wouldn’t be in this position and this woman... well you wouldn’t doubt yourself. KILL HER AND RETURN TO WHAT YOU WERE!” I clutched my head before yelling, “Leave me alone! Fucking Hela messing with my mind!”

“Damian listen to me!” Keira’s voice boomed but shaking my head snapped, “Leave me!” “Damian it’s me. Look down!” I studied the screen before seeing her and Persephone’s face placed it against a rock to make them look at me, “What?!” “Don’t listen to her!” “She’s right!” “Is she? Is she really right? You lost your job and respects of the Isu but look at it... everything they do or have done is wrong. Zeus and his multiple affairs some even with animals, Dionysius making everyone drunk into his trapped followers, Athena punishing those she doesn’t like or disagree with her, Poseidon and his rapes, Hera’s rage and everything Zeus does but doesn’t punish him, Hades **** me and so on. You do everything because it’s your job not by willingness!” Persephone begged, “And look at me... Human’s ruined me!” “Damian!” Keira shrieked but sighing I snapped, “I shouldn’t have to be doing this... not here!” “And Gratian do you resent him to?” “Don’t be stupid Keira of course I don’t! He is my son and I respect that as I do you but Philippa... I put my heart out for her and she shattered it and Triss... she just used me!” “We aren’t all like that?” “And this woman... is she just in killing Isu just for her lovers soul which it wasn’t our fault he died!” “She tried to make a deal with her!” Keira growled “Hela shouldn’t have to! It’s not her fault that he has died!” “You can’t be serious! She’s a monster!” Persephone snarled, “And so was I! That’s why we got on soo well!” “Listen to yourself! Your reasoning is gone!” Keira snapped and snarling I snapped, “This money is for you and the boy! So I would shut up, without you I wouldn’t have done it in the first place!” “Well I’m sorry I am such a burden to you, maybe you would prefer it if we weren’t here anymore!” “Well fine by me! One less inconvenience to behold!” “Oh I’m sorry for that, we’ll be gone by time you come back!” I clutched my head before falling to my knees yelled out, “SHHHUUUUUTTTTT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!” it felt silent as I climbed back to my feet before taking an **** breath spoke, “If I don’t kill her, I don’t get paid. If I don’t get paid then there was no point me in even coming!” I looked over to the screen to see the disgusted look at her face, “I always thought you were different! To me you always seemed to see value in good deeds and justice over coin and trinkets! You aren’t a good influence for Gratian I should have known!” I looked down before nodding spoke, “Let me clear my head and we can discuss this... One way or another things will need to be sorted!” “Fair enough, we will be packed waiting to leave on your arrival!” I nodded before feeling the voices in my head of, ‘Tell her’ ‘Tell her about the girl’ ‘Tell her of her stepchild’ ‘Abigail’ ‘Tell her about Abigail!’ “What?” she glared and smirking I spoke, “You never did ask me why I sent you to Persephone?” “You said she would take care of him!” “But how could you be so sure I was right!” “Because she raised you?” “Only briefly!” she sighed before rolling her eyes spoke, “Then why?” “Maybe you should ask her to see Gratian’s big sister... Abigail!” she froze before looking at the frozen in her spot Persephone heard me say, “Now I have to kill a human!” closing it up.

My boots trudged through the sand filled beach, stepping over the broken wood until I was met by the trial of more blood until I stopped on the side of the hill overlooking my target, she pulled herself to the side observing the mirror as she studied the wound, she wasn’t in a fit state to defend herself and as I expected her sword was shattered. I studied her as she whimpered before seeing my chance jumped down with a thud, she was immediately alerted and fumbling for her damaged blade swung it aggressively before yelling, “I can’t trust him!” she shook her head before snapping back, “No! No! No! I can’t be sure of who he is!” I drew my sword lining up my blow studying the rotting arm stopped hesitantly, “You’re rotting away!” “I don’t need you to tell me!” she bellowed clutching her bleeding face, “You know what that is?” she growled before yelling, “Stand back!” I studied the progression before walking back and for heard the three voices of Keira, Hela and “Zantano-Thánatos” who all wanted me to do one thing over the other, “Malaka... I suppose a talk won’t hurt!” “Why should I trust you?” I threw my sword near her so she could retrieve it, “Would I pass you one of my swords if I didn’t want you to?” I studied her before drawing my other sword slammed it into the ground before walking forward, “You do the same!” I barked, “You can keep your dagger!” she nodded before falling to the rock watched as I added more wood to the fire, “I expect you don’t understand anything or have thought about it! So sit down and I will help you or at least until we have finished our little chat!”

She looked at me as I fetched a drink from my bag and taking a swig handed it to her, “Trust me, you are going to need this!” she hesitantly grabbed it before sniffing it I commented, “I warn you, it will make you feel like it’s burning on the inside” she nodded before taking a mouthful gasped feeling the warmth sensation travel down her throat, “The names Damian!” “Senua!” I nodded before studying her arm spoke, “May I?” she watched in horror as I studied the wound, poking it to feel the hard texture and nodding spoke, “This is very rare!” “What? This? This is the darkness that consumed my childhood and ruined my life, it even took my lover away from me!” I looked down before sighing spoke, “I’m sorry, I really am... this isn’t no darkness but a failed mutation! May I help you?” she retracted her arm before glaring I automatically knew what she was going to say, “What is this mutation?” “Your blood is contaminated!” “Yes it’s been tainted by the darkness!” “Listen!!” she nodded before letting me speak I spoke, “The taint is Isu blood, Isu blood to you is the blood of the gods; and by the look of it...” I trailed off studying her arm again spoke, “Of the Greek underworld Isu!” she stared at me unamused but lifting my sleeve I revealed my black lines all over my arm I finished, “You see unlike with me, your body is rejecting; being here has sped up the reaction!” “This... this is not the darkness?” “What is the darkness?” “It’s the illness in me, the monster that tries and consume me... the voices!” she sighed before throwing her head in her hands wept, “You won’t believe me but there... there’s these voices that...” “That you hear but no one else can hear them and you see things that no one else does; yeah I hear them too. Are yours... are yours from the dead? Do you hear their cries?” “No... I hear them talking to me: some help me, some hate me, some offer advice and others just irritate me, it’s nonstop!” I nodded before remarking, “That’s the beginning... eventually you will learn to blank them” she studied her arm before asking, “You said you can help me?” I nodded before emptying an syringe from my bag stuck it in my arm before filling it cleaned the end before slipping it into her arm, “This is going to hurt but hopefully not too much!” “What have you done?” “I’ve added a stabiliser to your body. My blood is pure and mutation is complete. It will act as a blocker and start to fight the “rot” as you put it, what will remain is a arm like mine; however this won’t last unless you have regular dosages!” she studied the arm as flecks fell away to leave her normal arm and smiling she spoke, “But why?” “Because we are going to discuss your next actions and how costly they will be!”

“No!” “Senua please listen!” “No! I must save him!” “Dillion is gone... I understand you feel the pain of his loss but this won’t bring him back!” “I will go to Hela and kill her if I have to!” “Senua... she won’t listen to you... she doesn’t make deals; as far as she see’s it. He died by fair means and therefore his soul is hers!” “Then I will get it back my self!” l laughed before getting up spoke, “Killing her makes things worse!” “Why?” “Because she is one of the only two people who know how to feel a soul!” “Oh, whose the other one?” “Me!” “That’s fine... we kill her and you free him, you can take your pay and we can leave this land together!” “It’s not as simply as that... if I kill her I break the treaty between my family and her family... she’s... she’s... she is also my friend and I don’t want to see her get hurt!” she nodded before getting up snapped, “Well, you can either help me or move out of my way. Anyway I got to find a new sword! See you around...maybe!”