The Queen of Jotunheim

Chapter 34: Blood of My Ancestors

Chapter 34:
In my Veins Runs The
Blood of My Ancestors

"WHAT?!" Nix looked at Loki shocked, kneeling down as she grabbed his shoulders, looking into his eyes with a panic in her own. "Why would you even ask that?! Where would you get an idea like that?! That is beyond dangerous! That is-"

"Something that has happened before?" Loki asked, looking at Nix with big eyes. Her lips sealed together tight, searching Loki's face for something as she guarded her own, clearly not wanting to tell Loki the answer he now knew. "... What happened?"

"... Not here," Nix whispered, looking all around them. "... I'll take you to the temple, but I won't allow you to do anything foolish." She stood up and sighed, holding Loki's hand and reaching out another for Thor. "I'll get you some chocolate."

"Wait what?" Thor asked, as he had placed his hand in Nix's and in the next moment the group was teleported to the temple, and Thor face planted the ground with a groan.

Nix quickly went to a chest she had put nearby with chocolate, grabbing a few before handing some to Thor's outstretched hand, the guy groaning and not even rolling over as he munched the chocolate. "That was unpleasant," he mumbled between bites.

"Nix," Loki called out, looking at her with a serious gaze as he took some deep breaths, "who jumped into the well, why, and what happened?"

She looked reluctant as she turned toward Loki, her hand grabbing her arm in fear as she seemed to contemplate if she should truly tell him or not... And then with a sigh she let go of her arm and guard, speaking ancient words as she recalled the past for him.

"In times of great need, when no other option seemed valid, the highpriest would enter the well in a desperate hope to find a solution to the problem they were facing." She turned toward the statue of Yggdrasil as she spoke, her gaze far away.

"The most recorded jump was that of Tessara. It was a time before our kingdom flourished, back when The Winter Wind was free but wild, impossible to tame and made our home unstable. When a star fell from the sky to our home, its powers even greater than the Winter Wind, the two powers collided and fought for control and it seemed as if they might destroy the world in their battle."

"Tessara jumped into the well in hopes of learning how to tame the two great powers before they would tear the realm apart, he didn't wish to abuse them, being a direct descendant of Mímir he knew powers that great had to be respected, but if he was to do nothing the world would end."

"It was a great risk, and while many times it would give results, that did not mean a person would make it out alive. All things have a price, and sometimes for their people to learn the answer, the Highpriest would have to enter Glæsisvellir and never return."

"Glæsisvellir?" Thor asked, sitting up and rubbing his head. "That sounds familiar, but I don't remember what it is," he said, finishing his chocolate. Nix sighed, turning to him with a sorrowful expression. "The easiest way to explain it is that it's our form of Valhalla."

"... So most of them died," Loki whispered, looking worried, but then with a determined gaze turned back to Nix, "but some survived?"

"Yes," Nix said seriously, turning back to Loki too, "some would come out of the well again, but there's only ever been three that have survived, Tessara was one of them, he came out the well with the knowledge of how to tame the force of winter and the fallen star and created The Casket of Winter and Glacium Nexus, one of which was kept with the royal family, the other staying with the temple."

At that moment Loki realized the platform in the middle of the room was not for The Casket of Winter, but instead this Glacium Nexus, and looking at the platform again he did realize the markings on the top were smaller, more a perfect square then the rectangle, then the Casket was.