"Oh shut up, Hades, you know you love me."
Nida winked at him before shifting her focus back to me, and to my surprise, the beautiful snake-like woman smiled at me with a beaming smile. Her white teeth looked unnaturally white, and her sharp canines glinted in the light. Deadly, stunning, and mythical. Nida was not someone I had expected to meet ever again and to be frank, and I had no idea how to react. I should hate her, and she worked with Loki. But then again, she never did me anything wrong. Not really. To my surprise, Hades mumbled and looked down to the side, giving Nida all the space she needed without hesitation. I heard him beside me, still mumbling uncoherent words like a scorn teen.
A cold but delicate little hand with long nails gently lifted my chin.
"Don't let him sour your mood, little human. He is an expert at sulking. I mean, he beat the most skilled, spoiled, and stubborn toddler I've ever met anytime."
I couldn't help it; her voice was so cheerful, and I felt drawn towards her. Like my entire being crawled, her sparkling mood was deprived and weighed down by so much darkness. I needed the light and hope she represented right now, desperately almost, and I didn't even try pretending I didn't. She beamed, sparkling in the green and fresh surroundings.
It was a bit strange, really, because it almost felt like she had waited for me and looked forward to meeting me again.
"Why are you here?"
"That's what you want to ask? Where else would I be?"
She winked at me, but I did notice that quick glance in Hades' direction, and I had to look the same way. He still stood there, sulking, looking away before he suddenly noticed us both staring at one moment. Straightened up, cleared his throat, and brushed away imaginary dust on his shirt.
"Okay, ladies, this was fun... Now we have to go."
"Not so fast, wannabee- Hercules! We need some girl time! "
"Well, summon some of your female reptiles or something. We are not here to stay!"
Hades reached out and grabbed my hand, ready to leave. Nida blocked the way; her beaming smile had stiffened, and her eyes looked like they were glowing. With her mood change, the place changed. Slowly, dark clouds piled up in the sky, the tree´s shadows grew longer and darker, and the air suddenly felt cold against my skin.
"You are welcome to leave, and I grant your passage. But you will leave alone!"
Her voice sounded like far away thunder, and even Hades eyes darkened by the threat. Tension grew around us, and one was willing to back down. For some reason, it also felt like it came to this standoff because none of them wanted to escalate the situation, but neither wanted to admit that. Wonder what happened between those two?
"Nida..."
Hades' tone was low and served as a threat matching hers.
"I will not leave her here! You know that is not how it works, and I do not need your permission to leave!"
"Oh, you stupid little man! Hades' things change, and you have been away for too long."
"This is my domain, Hades, and you will leave now."
"You know I can't do that! Your domain or not, you have no authority over me, creature! Now, let us pass!"
Nida's eyes flashed, and for a moment, I expected her to blow up and full war to erupt. Her nostrils widened as she drew a couple of deep breaths, staring hard at Hades. Then her attitude changed, and mischief literally glowed in her eyes as a sly little smile crept on her face.
"Enjoy! "
She swished her hand towards him, and a bright green light outlined him before it quickly devoured him. A bright flash and he was gone. My head snapped in her direction, not sure what to believe or feel.
"Don't worry, he is fine, and I will bring you back. But first, come with me."
For a couple of minutes, we walked in silence through the dense forest, and the warm light around us felt like sun rays on my skin, but the sky above us was all clear. A light blue clears the surface. No more clouds, no sun, nothing else than the blue.
"Where did he go?"
"Hades? Don't worry about it; he will be where he is supposed to be, and you will see him soon. I don't have any ill intentions. Believe it or not!"
"Hm.."
I didn't believe her, but I didn't really mean to make it so obvious. So awkwardly, I cleared my throat, but I didn't have anything else to add.
With another swipe of her hand, two threes bent unnaturally to the side, revealing a narrow and well used path. Further down the path, a little pond appeared on the wide-open field. The surface was perfectly still, and even without a sun, the light danced and basked in the black water.
"Walk over to the edge and look down."
"Ehm. well.."
"Just do it. If I wanted to kill you, we would not be standing here, forcing me to ask nicely!"
"Wow... just.. Okay, so this is nicely?"
I didn't wait for her to answer; just walked up to the edge. The still, strangely beautiful black surface started to swirl before me, creating a round frame of moving water. In the center of the ring, colors popped up from the black liquid, and slowly, images started to emerge. A younger version of my mother. A young girl with dark eyes. Tew and me. At first, I thought I was in random places, but then I recognized the Vikings pack's woods, Tew, and the barbarian's open field leading up to the mountains. Clear blue sky, with cotton candy clouds and different black shadows, flew through them towards the castle. Amon's caste. The last place I could not figure out. It was obviously from this same planet, the forest, and nature as lush and green as ever. Colorful flowers, shimmering small creaks. This last place resembled more a fairytale place than anything else I've seen. The swirling water frame grew, slowly closing the images before it all disappeared.
"I... I have no idea how to make sense of this!"
"You don't have to, just remember it, and eventually, it will make sense."
"Why are you showing me this? Another scheme by your friend Loki?"
"Oh please, he doesn't have friends! Don't worry, and you don't have the lightning wolf he searches for, so you are no longer on his radar."
"Just like that? "
"Yes? Disappointed?"
"No! It, it just seems too easy!"
"There is nothing easy about it. About him at all! But he doesn't like wasting time, and for him, since you don't have what he wants, you are now a waste of time."
"Still... wished I could kick him where it really hurts!"
"I know, but you don't want that... He would enjoy that way too much... Believe me! I've tried!"
My eyes widened in horror and surprise, and Nida made a disgusted face while a shiver made its way over her body.
"That sound he made still haunts my memory!"
She grimaced, and I struggled to hold back a sudden laughter. Nida's hands gripped around my wrists, and she moved so quickly I didn't even notice her spin around towards me. Her eyes had that dark shimmering light in them while looking down at me with no trace of emotions on her face.
She raised her voice to grab my attention when I looked towards the sound approaching in the sky. Stepping closer,
"This is for you to remember; this is for me to remember. Until we met again "
With a raging heart, my eyes flickered between the black shadow figure that swirled down her hands and over to mine and the massive flying creature in the sky. The shadows moved across her skin smoothly like a snake, and when it reached my skin and crept over and around my arms, a guttural whisper sounded in my head.
The air shifted, the monster roared, and goosebumps spread across my arms and back as the snakelike creature stilled on the back of my neck. Confused, I met Nida´s eyes just as a massive, scaled claw locked around my body and yanked me away. She smiled and winked before she turned around and faded into the ground.