Duality : Book 1 of Codex Elysium

chapter 1(edited)

Chapter 1

3000 years ago

Jotunheim

"Father I'm going on a journey", Hella said as she entered the dining hall.

"Oh, and where, pray tell will you be going?"

Hella shifted uncomfortably under her father's gaze. Loki had an intimidating presence about him, his black eyes always holding a hint of mocking.

"To Asgard," said Hella.

The great hall was decorated with plain wooden walls and floors. A table stood in the centre of the room and a fire crackled in one corner, a small stove and kitchen counter stood under a window. Most of the gods had great, grandly carved and decorated halls to live in. By comparison, Lyr was rather quaint. Loki stood and stared at his daughter. He was a very tall and skinny god. His features were narrow and sharply angled. His long black hair was tied tightly back in a ponytail. Being dressed all in black only added to his presence.

"Why would you go there? You would not be welcome."

Loki's black eyes were alight with mischief. Hella was glad the table was between them, she knew Loki would not take kindly to the next words she spoke.

"I must speak with Odin; his wisdom will help me with my problem."

Loki burst out laughing and began prancing around the table.  "Oh yes Odin the great, Odin the wise, Odin the know it all, Odin the oh so powerful!"

In the corner was a comfy arm chair, Loki's wife Sigyn was sitting in it and doing some needlework, she looked up at her husband prancing around the room. She wanted no part in this argument so she kept quiet and continued with her needlework. Loki continued his taunting.

"Odin the oh so wise, he pulled out one of his eyes! Odin the one who stabbed himself and hung from a tree! How is that wise or helpful?"  

"Father stop that! Odin can help me find a true home! To find a place I truly belong."

Loki stopped prancing and whirled round to face his daughter.

"Jotunheim is your home," he said "and this is where you belong."

"Oh please, none of us belong here," said Sigyn, without looking up from her work.

"Jotunheim is the world of giants, I am not a giant nor are you father."

Loki paused to think. It was true Hella was not a giant, she was a goddess. Loki himself was a son of two giants but he was a demi-god.

"Let her go if she wants," said Sigyn from the corner.  Loki turned to face his wife.

"Oh! you would be glad to see the back of her, wouldn't you? You've never cared for my daughter, have you? Never made time for her or loved her?"

"Why should I? She is the offspring of your whore!" Sigyn snapped back.

Seventeen years ago, Loki had had an affair with a giantess called Angrboda. Together they had produced three children, all of them monsters. Hella was the closest to human of the three, although when she was born the right side of her body had been nothing but a skeleton. Over the years Loki had tried to magically infuse flesh onto the bones but every time the flesh rotted and turned to a black-green colour. The result was a goddess with on one side a living body and the other side a rotten corpse. Hella was wearing a simple long black dress which had long sleeves and dropped all the way down to her feet. She did everything possible to cover the rotten side of her body. From the good side of her face it was clear that Hella could have been beautiful. She had long raven black hair and the same pale skin and black eyes as her father. "Why would you seek out Odin? Why do you think him so wise?" asked Loki.