Ch.5 "Lost Souls" / Kell and Sigrlinn

[Legendary Sidekick]

Kelleia

Aphrodite is genuinely surprised by the closeness and remains perfectly still for a moment. When it becomes apparent Kell wants this, the goddess holds her. As she does, the wounds from battle begin to heal rapidly.

It takes at least ten minutes for Kell to heal completely. In that time, the only sounds Kell hears are insects outside (there is a gaping hole in the ceiling revealing a starry sky and the lower half of a broken statue of Aphrodite), the gentle rippling in the water, and some quiet sobs that Aphrodite is making an effort to stifle.

 

[Ireth]

"Yes," Sigrlinn says softly to Icarus. Her eyes remain on Heph's body. "Yes, he did." She just prays they'll have the good fortune to be able to fix it.

After a moment she shifts to her knees, praying for luck and guidance from all the northern gods she thinks might help -- Brynhild, Baldur, Eir, and even Odin Himself.

 

[tbgg]

Upon hearing Aphrodite's stifled sobs, Kell wraps her own arms around the goddess and holds her tightly, providing her with strong support. She tells the goddess softly, "I think you'd feel better if you were to let some of that out. When Niobe died, I received a letter from her good friend Zenobia, who lives in Scheria Bay, and something she said that helped me was that tears are part of the price of love, and that when we cry, we affirm the value we placed on the one we lost. So there's no judgment from me if you want to let that out."


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Sigrlinn

Icarus lowers his head. "I don't understand why. Heph helped me and my dad. He changed us so we could fly. I just..." The boy looks back at Heph. "I don't know how I can help you. But if I have an idea, can I tell it to you?"


Kelleia

Aphrodite attempts to respond verbally, but all that comes out is a whimper. Tears flow as she considers Kell's advice. The humbled goddess collapses into Kell's embrace.

 

[Ireth]

Sigrlinn raises her head and looks back at him, drying her eyes on her wrist. "Of course. I think we might need as many ideas as we can get."

 

[tbgg]

Kell just holds Aphrodite while she cries, stroking her back as though the goddess were a small child and crooning comfortingly. She focuses all of her being on just providing a safe place for Aphrodite to cry. She doesn't rush, and she doesn't push. She's just *there*.


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Kelleia

When Aphrodite is able to speak again, she first says, "Thank you, Kelleia." She then rubs her eyes and goes on, "As much as I am enjoying this moment, I called you here so you could heal. Inside and out. I really didn't mean to make this about my problems."

 

[tbgg]

Kell tells Aphrodite with a wink and a genuine smile, "Oh, one good turn deserves another. Besides, helping you helped heal me on the inside. Thank you for giving to me by receiving from me."

She decides to take her cue from the goddess about what she is ready to do next. Crying can be exhausting work!


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Kelleia and Aphrodite

Aphrodite allows Kelleia to take all the time she needs. She will hold Kell or give her space, hear her out or let her have some quiet time. Whatever Kell needs until she is ready to join Sigrlinn and the others.



Sigrlinn and the others

Icarus leans on the table. He watches the tiny mechanical women while he waits. "Was Heph your dad?" he asks them.

Penni looks to Sigrlinn. "Um... was he?"

 

[Ireth]

Sigrlinn manages a laugh. "I think he counts as theirs, but not mine. My father was a man named Tofi. Heph is my friend." She doesn't want to refer to Heph in the past tense while she still has hope they can bring him back.

 

[tbgg]

Kell tells Aphrodite, "Crying tends to make me a bit extra tired, but I'd like to see what Sigrlinn learned about the knife and check on Icarus and the giant maiden. You may find yourself feeling xtra tired as well, so if you feel the need to rest, don't feel you're letting us down by doing so. Though it might help if you were to tell me now whether any sleeping quarters are in the section of the mansion that got destroyed. If they were, we'll need to rig up a place to sleep and it would help if I knew where you keep your bed linens."

Kell climbs out of the spa and begins drying off and putting her makeshift dress back on while Aphrodite replies.


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Aphrodite says, "Sleep can wait. Your Huntress friend surely wants her body back, as does the fairy soul inhabiting her human body, yet Sigrlinn chooses to search for my husband's soul in that knife. Let me speak to Artemis and Hestia on her behalf then. Maybe between the theee of us, we can find a way."

Aphrodite doesn't let Kell get away without a hug (while both are clothed).

Soon, Kell returns to the lab. While Icarus is interested in talking about family, he expects that a more important conversation needs to begin now. "Uh... we can talk about dads and stuff later. Right now, we gotta help the robo-fairies get their dad back!"

Penni says, "Robo-WHAT?" She smiles. "Do I really count as a fairy?"

 

[tbgg]

Kell returns Aphrodite's hug with a smile, then quickly washes all signs of tear stains from her face. Then she returns to Sigrlinn and the others with a considerably lightened heart, asking, "What were you able to learn about the knife?"


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[Ireth]

Sigrlinn looks up as Kell comes back, and smiles at Penni's question. "I think you do. You're tiny like a fairy, and you can fly, at least in your hummingbird form. But, about this knife..."

She looks at it again and shudders. "The inscription says 'Better off dead'. I'm pretty sure Loki made it, or was involved in the process. Before you left, Kell, I had a flashback triggered by the knife.

"Brynhild and I were talking, and I asked her what good it was even to fight the gods if they can't be killed. Brynhild said that the gods' mortal bodies can be destroyed, but they can make new ones. Baldur, god of light, is the one who regulates that power. Loki has killed him several times, but he's always come back. If a god who's killed believes he or she is better off dead, then they would stay in the spirit realm, maybe forever. That's why Baldur keeps coming back, because he doesn't believe that. Loki has never managed to trick him into it."

She takes a deep breath. "So, it seems like Heph just needs a good solid reason to come back. Which I think he has, but that's what's confusing to me. Maybe the knife weakened him or made him doubt himself, and that's why he hasn't come back on his own yet. If we could find some way to communicate with him..."

She runs a hand across her face. "I don't know. Does anyone else have ideas?"

 

[tbgg]

Kell replies thoughtfully, "I suppose it depends on whether Hades and the spirit realm are the same place. If they are, it might be worth talking with Demeter about how she goes there when she goes to see her daughter."


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[Ireth]

Sigrlinn shrugs. "I know even less of how it works with the Olympians than the Asgardians. But I didn't know Demeter had a daughter. And she lives in Hades? Isn't that a god's name too?"

 

[tbgg]

Kell replies, "Yeah, Demeter's daughter Persephone is married to Hades, and it is rumored Demeter visits her there for a portion of the year each year. I suppose when people talk about 'going to Hades', they initially meant the god, but the usage suggests a place, so Hades has come to mean either the god or the Underworld. "

"But with the knife being Asgardian in origin, it may well be that Heph's soul is in the Asgardian spirit realm. I don't know how we can know for sure."


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Aphrodite agrees with Kell's thoughts. "It seems likely the knife forced my husband to another realm. But while I'm contacting Hestia, I might as well speak to Demeter as well." The goddess then heads to the next room where Heph's body is laid by the hearth. She kneels for a moment. The hearth lights up, and Aphrodite steps through the harmless flames.

Icarus sees this and says, "You know what? I think she just teleported somewhere! Just like I did. I don't know how, but… one moment I'm in the world of the dead. And then I'm here all of a sudden. Maybe you can teleport Heph. Do any of you know hearth magic?"

Penni asks, "What's hearth magic?"

Icarus shrugs. "Mrs. Heph used a hearth to teleport, so… hearth magic."

Penni asks, "Is hearth magic actually a thing?"

Icarus shrugs.

 

[tbgg]

Kell looks at Sigrlinn. "Didn't you tell me you were able to cast some kind of hearth spell in Phoebe's body?"


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[Ireth]

Sigrlinn frowns. "Well, when you put it like that... I don't know, maybe he's in Niflheim. Loki's daughter Hel rules there -- she's the goddess of death, and keeps all those who don't go to Valhalla or Folkvang, where warriors go who die in battle. I don't know if Hel would be in on Loki's plot, though... she seems like more of a neutral party to me. She might be one we have to convince to join us, if we ever get the chance."