Hotel Valhalla [Magnus Chase Series]

Mythical Beings

       By Hunding

  Surprise, surprise, Helgi’s insisting I introduce you to this group, too.
  One of these days, I swear I’ll…Never mind.
  I’m using the term mythical for the benefit of you once-human einherjar, by the way.
  There’s nothing made-up or imaginary about these beings. They’re real. The sooner you believe in their existence, the safer you’ll be. Maybe.
  First up, the jotun, or giants. They come in all sizes, not just enormous. Species include stone, frost, fire, and shape-shifting. Many live in Jotunheim; others dwell in Muspellheim and Niflheim. Some are strong. Some are clever.
Some are masters of illusion. But almost all of them have a mean streak as wide as the Bifrost Bridge.
  They can sometimes be swayed to work with you,
but never count on them being your ally. And I mean never ever.
  Next, elves. They are tall, handsome beings who thrive in light and hate
darkness. They used to be into alf seidr, or elf magic, and the study of runes.
  Now most of them are into sitting around and surfing the Internet or watching their favorite programs on Alflix.
  Word of warning: Elves are all about beauty. If you aren’t one of the beautiful people…well, it’s best you avoid
Alfheim.
  In their own way, elves can be almost as cutthroat as giants.
  Characterizing dwarves is a little trickier. There’s one kind called svartalf, which means “dark elf.” Why isn’t a svartalf an elf? Don’t ask me. I didn’t create them.
  It’s said the svartalfs are taller and more attractive than your
average dwarf because they are descended from Freya, but I can’t say for certain.
  Any dwarf that isn’t a svartalf is just a regular old dwarf.
  All dwarves, by the way, were originally maggots.
  The gods saw them crawling around in Ymir’s flesh, from which the world was created, and the gods decided, Hey,
let’s turn those maggots into sentient beings!
  Ever since, the dwarves have been tunneling through the dark places of the earth and avoiding the light.
  I wouldn’t bring up the maggot story while you’re traveling in Nidavellir,
though, unless you want to start a fight.
  Valkyries you already know about, since you’re in Valhalla, but there’s an entry for them anyway. If I didn’t include them, they would get mad, and I try to avoid making shield maidens angry.
  Finally, there are the Norns. These eerie ladies are tapped into everyone’s destinies. You have to experience them to get the full picture. Though come to think of it, the experience is just as tough to fathom as the Norns themselves.
  Best to do what the rest of us do, which is pray you never have dealings with them. Trust me, it’s just easier that way.
  That about covers the main categories. But be aware that you could
encounter other beings who may strive to deceive, distract, or manipulate.
  They go by the names draugr (zombies), vala (seers), witches (witches), and
telemarketers (annoyances).