An Offer Refused

It did not escape Caligari’s notice that twice now Hela had referred to her as daughter and while it may have been nothing more than a derisive comment, the gods were known for their foreshadowing words. Cali was chewing them over when Sigrid emerged, restored and then some. The deck was being stacked on both sides, but the witch worried they’d played all their cards early.

But what did they know? They knew Hela was less than certain of the outcome between herself and Balar’s party. She’d empowered Sigrid to contend with … Heimdal? Maybe, but she was certainly here and under the command of the realm’s queen. And that queen was trying to divide them; worried or she would not be offering a deal. A deal offered to the three of them capable of working magic. Was it magic she feared? There was a certain lure to Hela’s offer; Caligari had done terrible deeds throughout her entire life for the sake of procuring power and knowledge. But she’d been at the reins of that pursuit, she’d decided what knowledge she sought and why. To have it served up now, by the hands of Hela no less - it didn’t feel like a wise choice to accept. There was no way to discern just what knowledge she’d be given and how it would serve her own purposes. And as much as she craved a moments peace and silence from the perpetual haunting by the dead, Cali knew her powers were tied to her ability to suffer that torment, to endure the endless moaning and groping and frankly, a terrifying existence riddled with visions of gore and threats of vile molestation and abuse.

And Cali did not trust Hela. Brave, fearless Luna did not trust Hela. Whiteheaded, virile Kespin did not trust Hela.

Cali stepped in close to Kespin’s side and Garm growled a low warning. “I too refuse your offer, Hela, even though it may cost me the opportunity to be pickled and skewered by the likes of this one. The man, not the wolf. I don’t think the wolf will take no for an answer.”