Marvel-ous Ninjutsu

00164. Hela’s childhood.

A man looked down into a baby's crib at his daughter who was born only minutes ago as a frown formed on his face. He studied the child for a few minutes before he let out a disappointed sigh and said, “I wanted a male heir, but you’ll have to do.”

He turned away from the crib without a second glance and said, “Once she can walk, send her to the Einherjar.”

An attendant next to the crib bowed as they said, “Yes, your majesty.”

vvvvv

A young girl no older than six was bloody and bruised. Her body swayed slightly as she stood on unsteady feet. Within her limp right hand rested a sword that she could no longer hold up properly. Not a wooden training sword either, but a metal sword with a razor sharp edge.

Her short cut black hair was matted with blood and sweat, while the rest of her body was covered in blood, dirt and grime. She was at her limit and it took a tremendous effort before she raised up her sword again to face her opponent.

A spear jutted out at the girl which she attempted to block with her sword. The opponent was a lot more experienced and flicked their spear to smash her sword away before they plunged the tip of it into her stomach. Bright crimson blood flowed out around the spear tip before the girl fell forward as the spear was pulled out of the wound.

The full grown man holding the spear watched the girl for a few moments before he said, “You're already healing, get up and defend yourself.”

The girl struggled to get back up before the man struck her side with the butt of his spear. As the girl rolled through the loose dirt of the fighting arena the man said, “You need to be faster, if this was a real fight you would already be dead. Now, get back up.”

Once the girl stopped rolling, she managed to stand back up on unstable legs again. As the wound on her stomach slowly healed, she took a step towards her sword before she collapsed forward on the ground without the ability to catch herself from how worn out she was. The man shook his head before he kicked the sword towards the young girl.

The man used just enough strength for the sword to land in front of the girl where it slid to a stop. With the sword now in reach, the girl took it into her hand and used it to help her stand up again. Once she was back on her feet, the man approached her as he said, “Guard yourself!”

The girl used a tremendous amount of effort, but managed to raise her sword up in time as the man came into range with his spear. The man brutally slashed down at the girl with his spear that wasn't aimed directly at the girl, but at her weapon or more specifically at the hilt. For a moment it seemed like the spear missed as it finished its attack vector. The next moment the girl screamed out in agony as her sword dropped to the ground.

A pool of blood quickly formed on the ground next to the sword and four tiny fingers. The man watched for a second as the girl cried out in pain and cradled her injured hand before he yelled out, “Healer!”

vvvvv

A young girl around twelve years old kneeled at the base of a golden platform. The platform was large and imposing with a magnificent golden throne which rested at the top. The man seated on the throne studied the girl for a few moments before he asked, “Do you know why I called for you?”

The girl kept her head down as she said, “I’m sorry father, I do not.”

“I want you to do your right of passage.”

The girl's head snapped up in shock as she looked at the man on the throne. The man raised the spear in his hand and slammed it down once as he said loudly, “Birger! Prepare Hela for her hunt.”

A man who stood off to one side of the throne stepped forward as he said, “Yes, your majesty.”

As Birger moved towards Hela, the man on the throne locked eyes with her as he said, “Prove to me that you are worthy of being my daughter and become the youngest to ever complete their hunt.”

Hela's initial shock turned to excitement before the man said, “You must also hunt a powerful creature, one worthy of facing someone who possesses the royal bloodline.”

Hela nodded earnestly as she said, “Yes, father.”

vvvvv

Hela stood exhausted while covered in blood as she faced off against a massive dire wolf. They were surrounded by large boulders near the base of a mountain. It was the best place Hela could choose to confront the beast that stood before her.

The top of dire wolf's back was easily fifteen feet tall, well over three times Hela's height. Hela looked to be tiny compared to the massive creature that was also covered in blood. The underside of its large body was covered in wounds while one seriously damaged paw was kept raised off the ground. Its eyes burned with a deep hatred as it glared down at Hela who it towered over.

Over the past hour Hela had used the boulders around her to skillfully whittle away at the beast. The size of the beast made it impossible for it to attack her properly as she used the confined space around her to restrict the beast's mobility. She was injured in the process a few times, but her skills and a little luck brought her to this point. As for the beast, it was almost on death's door, it only needed a little push.

As for why the beast kept attacking and never retreated? Tied up on Hela’s back was the dire wolf’s newborn cub. Hela had stalked the mother and cub for the past week and waited for the mother to go hunt before she lured the little pup away and then captured it. With the bait she needed in hand, she quickly moved to the best spot to fight the mother dire wolf and waited. Once the mother dire wolf found Hela, it turned into a long and drawn out fight where there could only be one winner.

Hela locked eyes with the beast and then removed the tied up cub from her back. After she placed the cub down, she moved slightly out of the protection from the two boulders beside her and readied the spear in her hands. The beast only hesitated for a moment before it used its three good legs to lunge forward at Hela with its mouth opened. Hela sneered as she jammed the foot of her spear into the hard soil and angled it slightly forward. Just before the beasts tried to close it jaws down around Hela, she crouched low and held onto her spear tightly.

While the dire wolf’s lower jaw slammed into the ground in its attempt to bite Hela. The top of its mouth actually lowered down over the spear and when it attempted to bite down, the spear broke through the roof of its mouth and entered its brain. It struggled to crush Hela as the spear dug in deeper, but with Hela’s small size and the spear now lodged deep in its skull, it wasn’t possible. After a few more moments of struggle the dire wolf finally died with a heart full of regret.

Hela climbed out of the dire wolf’s mouth after a few moments and looked down at her defeated foe. She bowed her head in respect before she turned to the cub and picked it back up. Afterwards she signaled that she completed her task and waited for the bifrost to appear.

vvvvv

When Hela returned to Asgard with the trophy of her successful hunt there was a major celebration. Not only did she kill a dire wolf in single combat, but she did it so young. While Hela was slightly happy with the praise she received, she was more concerned about what her father thought about the beast she killed. So while she looked normal as she walked to the palace with her prize being carried by helpers. Inside she was nervous and each step she took closer to the palace only made her heart beat faster.

When she finally arrived in the throne room she kneeled down at the foot of the steps before she said, “Father, I’ve returned from my hunt.”

Odin studied Hela and the beast she brought back for a little while before he stood up and walked down to get a closer look at the dire wolf. He checked it over for a few minutes as Hela’s heart felt like it would explode from her chest at any moment. Once Odin was satisfied he started to move towards Hela and said, “Good job, you didn’t disappoint me.”

“Thank you father!” Hela responded happily.

At that moment the small bundle on Hela’s back started to move around. Odin noticed it immediately and asked, “What’s inside your pack?”

Hela quickly removed the pack and opened it up to reveal the dire wolf pup she kidnapped. Odin studied it for a moment before he started to move back towards his throne and sat down. After a few moments he asked, “What do you plan to do with that pup?”

Hela glanced down at the animal as it struggled in its bindings before she said, “I don’t know, I only brought it because I killed its mother.”

Odin glanced at the corpse of the mother dire wolf for a moment before he said, “If it grows to even half the size of its mother, it would make a good mount for you. But you would need to be able to tame it first.”

Hela looked at the pup in surprise before she glanced up at her father and asked, “Could I really keep it?”

“Consider it a gift for passing your coming of age hunt.”

Hela beamed as she said, “Thank you for the gift father.”

Odin nodded slightly before he said, “Now go rest, there will be a banquet tonight and then from tomorrow onwards, you will go to train with the valkyries.”

“Yes, father.” Hela said before she picked up the little pup and left the throne room.

vvvvv

An army was lined up on the rainbow bridge as it waited for the order to move towards the observatory. Near the front of the army was a girl around sixteen and she wore the standard issue uniform like everyone else around her. Only two things made her stand apart from the rest, her age and the large black dire wolf at her side. As they waited for orders the dire wolf growled softly before Hela gently rested her hand on the wolf's head and stroked its ears as she said, “It won’t be long now Fenris.”

The wolf nozzled into Hela’s hand for a few moments before the commander yelled out, “Prepare to enter the bifrost! First battalion, once you cross over form a defensive perimeter and dig in.”

“Yes, sir!” Everyone from battalion one responded including Hela.

A moment later the bifrost opened up and the commander yelled out, “Move out! Second battalion prepare to move in.”

Hela was one of the first through the bifrost and once on the other side she was greeted by a forested area. The place seemed peaceful at first glance but Fenris immediately went on guard, lowered his posture and snarled towards the forest. Hela and the soldiers around her quickly raised up their shields at the same time and moved forward cautiously. As more soldiers arrived on the next bifrost wave, a small hail of arrows rained out from the surrounding trees.

“Enemy attack!” One soldier yelled out as the arrows rained down on the first battalion.

Most of them were blocked by shields but a few unlucky people ended up with injuries. Hela and Fenris were lucky, since they were off to the side of where most of the arrows were aimed. After the first wave of arrows finished, another was already in the air. Time seemed to slow down for Hela as she watched this new rain of arrows which were headed towards her side this time. She instinctively raised her shield and moved to cover Fenris with it before the rain of arrows landed.

After the second rain of arrows, a third was launched but as it was in the air the first battalion commander yelled out, “Support squads, do your job!”

A moment later a hum was heard before a massive shield sprung up and the arrows crashed against it. With the energy shield in place the arrows stopped and Hela could see a large group of people as they fled deep into the forest.