Duality : Book 1 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 33 (edited)

Chapter 33

What started out as a simple drawing on the wall, turned into a major project that consumed many years of Loki's life. The doors to Eljundir were permanently closed to the dead. All the dining tables were shoved together in the centre of the hall. The hall had been transformed into a kind of war-room. Maps and papers were pinned all over the walls. Piles of books and rolls of parchment littered the giant table. The two gods worked endlessly on the framework of their plan. The only people allowed to enter the hall were Hella's two servants Ganglati and Ganglot. The two corpse servants shuffled around the hall silently and did the bidding of the gods. The whole plan centred on a group of mortals who lived in the middle eastern, desert lands of Midgard. They knew nothing of Asgard or the Aesir gods. Their beliefs centred on just one god and a messiah who was prophesied to return one day and free them from evil and suffering. Loki's plan was to give them that very messiah. They were going to create a super mortal who had all their powers, who could perform many miracles to back-up the claim of one real god.

Upon the stage, Hella's throne of skulls had been shoved to one side. It was covered in books and parchment. A cauldron the size of a bathtub sat centre-stage. It bubbled and seethed as Hella stirred it and added all kinds of ingredients. The air was thick with foul-smelling smoke. Near the cauldron lay a naked corpse, that was made up of lots of different body parts.   Loki looked from the corpse to the cauldron.

"So how exactly does this spell work?"

"It's quite simple, we place the vessel in the cauldron and chant a charm which will allow our essence to flow into it."

"I see," said Loki sceptically, "and what pray tell becomes of our bodies?"

"Nothing, we will still be in them as well, think of the vessel as a puppet, we will control all his thoughts and actions."

Loki frowned at the thick black sludge in the cauldron.

"What is the range of the puppets strings then?"

Hella scowled at the seething sludge. "Limited, we will have to disguise ourselves as someone close to the messiah. Maybe parents? Or perhaps close disciples? People who are very close to him."

The body was lowered into the cauldron. Hella shoved it in until the body was completely submerged. Holding human skulls above their heads Loki and Hella began to chant, the liquid began to bubble and froth, steam billowed around the gods as they performed their magic. The chanting grew faster and more frantic, the liquid seethed and moved in time to the chant. Suddenly there was a massive explosion and a flash of brilliant white fire. Potion and shards of metal flew in all directions. As the flames and smoke died down a naked man rose to his feet, he swept his long brown hair from his face and opened his bright blue eyes. Janus surveyed the ruined hall.

"Well that didn't go quite to plan!" said Loki sarcastically.

"No this was a rather unexpected result," said Hella.

Janus walked through the ruined hall and headed towards Hella's bedroom. He glanced into the tall mirror and didn't see his own reflection, instead he saw Loki and Hella standing side by side.

"Well this is fascinating!" said Loki, sarcasm dripping from every word. The reflections turned to face each other.

"We are in the body, aren't we?" snapped Hella.

"Yes, but it seems we are completely inside the body, I haven't seen any trace of our bodies."

Janus stood still and his features started to bubble and shift. Within seconds Loki was standing in front of the mirror. Hella scowled back from the mirror and then Loki's features began to shift and change until it was Hella standing there. From the mirror Loki's face twisted in disgust at the sight of his naked daughter.