Hindmost - Another Word for Chaos

2: Stuck in Johtunheim

The Frost Giants had been enjoying a delightful meal of mead and roast deer flesh when Discord had burst into their feasting hall, half frozen and visibly pissed off. They should have just let her eat, partake of something hot in food and drink, then she would have left. In truth, all she wanted was a place to thaw out before hitting the road again. Instead they attacked her and now she sat upon their lifeless corpses like some sort of macabre throne, wearing their stolen fur skins and dining to her fill.

"Okay, so...." Discord considered aloud as she tore the meat off of a juicy deer shank, "I'm in Johtunhiem, only place where these popsicles can actually live."

She picked up a goblet resting atop the brow of one of her victims and washed down her mouthful of food.

"They do make some damn good beer though," patting her mercifully full stomach, finally content, she threw her leftovers onto a table to a noisy clatter and lounged back, "Still, can't say I didn't know that already, why the fuck would he send me here of all places, I mean he knows I can get out right?" she chewed her lower lip, "It'll take a day or two, but... not the point, no, how the Hell...HOW did he send me here, his powers work on manifestation, not transportation, there's not many Gods who can cut portals between dimensions, when did he learn that trick..."

She let out a sigh and stretched across the fallen bodies drawing a sharp pain from her broken leg. Discord quickly leaned up to examine the cast on her leg, it was still frozen but the bone inside had yet to knit back together.

"Ugh-dammit," she fell back again, "You know I'd trade all that super strength right now for some accelerated healing."

Yawning, Discord allowed her head to lull back over the pile, her relaxed eyes snapping open as she found herself staring at a small shuddering child. A dark elf with red hair, she began to wonder how she'd never heard him with the mead he was sloshing around in his large stein.

"How long have you been standing there?" she wondered.

"Uh....u....uh...." he continued to shudder, it grew worse and fluid started to spill from his jug.

"Hm," Discord smiled, then shouted, "BOO!"

The little elf-boy shrieked and dropped the stein, spilling the mead all over himself as Discord cackled.

"Ha-ha-ha-ah, Gods I'm petty," she flipped, rolling off of the pile of dead bodies, "Anyway, how you been kid, what are you doing here?"

"I-I...I-I..." the boy stammered.

"Yes-yes...yes-yes..." Discord mirrored back.

"I-uuuuh, I carry the cask," he pointed to the broken stein on the floor.

"Really?" she scoffed, "So who'd you piss off to get that job?"

"My, m-my father was killed by a bear," the little boy whimpered.

Discord raised an eyebrow and waited.

"Really?" she wondered, "That's it?"

"My ...father....the bear..."

"Yeah, fascinating," she looked away to the exit, "So where's your mom?"

The boy inhaled deeply before screaming.

"THE BEAR KILLED MY FATHER AND IT'S BEEN EATING ALL OF OUR LIVESTOCK, AND THEY SAID THEY'D STOP IT, AND YOU'VE KILLED THEM, AND NOW THEY'RE DEAD, AND WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA HATE ME FOREVER!!!"

"Pfft!" despite herself, Discord began to laugh, "Jeez kid, how long you been holdin' onto that?"

"You monster!" he wept, falling to his knees.