NIFLHEIM: VICTOR
Victor was still drowsy from being rudely roused from his slumber. When the king of the Frost Giants Hrym attacked, he was paralysed with fear. His heart went out to Maximilian who stood against the Giant King and his escort. He saw Maximilian draw his sword when he heard a 'whoosh' come from behind him. He barely whirled around before two slender arms gripped his shoulders and they tumbled backwards into the snow behind him. Like a portal, the snow enveloped them and they tumbled onto the snow forest outside. He bundled himself up in Maximilian's cloak. The two arms gripped him gently. A feminine figure stood over him in the snow. Victor's struggled to get up. The figure helped him up. The figure was dressed in thick white furs, dark brown leather gloves, and a grey hood and mask.
"Get up." Hissed the figure
"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Groaned Victor
"Kidnapping you wouldn't have been my first call. But it was either that or let you be taken by Hrym."
Mentally, Victor cursed his luck for being kidnapped twice in two days.
"Thanks?"
"You are welcome. What is your name?"
"Victor. Yours?"
"Skylar. Daughter of Skadi"
Victor ran through his list of Norse names, Skadi: the Frost giant hunter.
"How did you get in and out of the cave?"
Skylar rolled up her left sleeve revealing her startlingly pale skin and on it, a glowing subdermal glowing icy blue rune: Isa, the rune of Ice.: "My mother's rune allows me to use snow and ice as a doorway. Sometimes, if i'm not too weary, I can even conjure some, even though that would be extremely taxing."
"Interesting, so you're able to teleport?"
"In a way."
Skylar turned around and whistled into the woods, a delicate icy blue mare sped through the trees and materialised in front of Skylar and Victor.
Skylar got on her horse: "Well, what're you waiting for? Hop on!"
"Can't you just teleport us to where we need to go?"
"Unless I want to explode into snow for my overexerting my magic, no."
"But then where are we going?"
"We are going to my house first. After Mother figures out how to deal with you and your missing friend, we'll send you on your way."
"So we are going to rescue him?"
"Right after we stock up. Hrym's castle isn't going to be easy to break into."
Victor gingerly mounted the horse, his mind still reeling, worried for Maximilian. He fingered the straps and pulled himself up.
Skylar sighed: "Hold my waist so you don't fall off."
Cautiously, Victor circled his arms around Skylar's narrow waist.
Suddenly the horse bolted off and left a trail of powdered snow in its wake. Instinctively, Victor constricted his arms around Skylar's waist. For about the millionth time in the last couple of days, fear blazed through his mind. Pure white fear froze him clutching onto Skylar with all his strength.
After what seemed like an eternity of torturous horse racing, the horse stopped at a large ice mansion. The mansion was inbuilt into the side of an icy cliff. Victor was reminded of the Temple of Hatshepsut on Midgard. The icy pillars inlaid with the single word: "Skadi" hummed with power. He followed Skylar into the hall. Skylar held her hand to the opaque crystalline door. She held her left arm up and pressed her palm onto the door, the rune Isa on her arm glowed through the thick fur coat, and with a low creak, the door creaked open.
The inside of the hall was equally magnificent. The smooth stone sterility of the hewn stone divided the cave into a main floor with two floors with a central hole with a blue light chandelier made of silver and crystal hanging over the first floor. A head of the barren hall, was a set of stairs going to the east and west from the central throne. A single powerful shape sat on it. Skylar ushered Victor closer to the throne, she delivered a swift but precise kick to Victor's knees forcing him to kneel. Skylar followed him onto her knees: "Mother. The Lokison has come."
The shape rose: "Welcome Victor Lokison. Where is the Odinson?"
Victor looked up at the figure: "Taken. Skadi."
Skadi chuckled coldly: "Bright one. What brings you to Niflheim?"
Victor's eyes filled with contempt: "Why should I tell you? You kidnapped me, let me go. What did my father promise you?"
Skadi rose into view. She wore silver greaves, breastplate, and pauldrons over a black leather tunic. On her back was a bow, delicate like a swan's neck. The bowstring was a single silvery thread, drawn to absolute tautness. Her hair was blindingly white, her features delicate like an angel, but sharp like a hawk's. Her eyes radiated hostility and coldness: "How dare you. Loki killed my father, if he came within one realm of me, he would have an arrow going through his sternum. I am impressed you attempted to use your father's trickster magicks to convince me to let you go, unfortunately young one, your power is not strong enough to control gods. And also, no. I had Skylar tail you when you and the Odinson fell from Asgard. I am always intrigued with the travelers of Niflheim. I was much more intrigued when I learned that an Odinson and a Lokison had come into my realm, bearing no mutual hostility nonetheless. Now I will ask you again, for my mercy is running dry, what brings you to Niflheim?"
Victor steeled his nerves and recounted his story that lead to his fall into Niflheim, omitting the dreams about his father and more disturbingly, his mother.
Skadi sat on her throne as he recounted his story, remaining silent all the while never wavering her hard stare. When he was done, Skadi furrowed her narrow brow: "Skylar. Arm the young hero. You will help him rescue his friend tomorrow. Victor, since we would not succeed in rescuing your friend anytime during nightfall, you are invited to stay the night."
Victor weighed his options, on one hand, he was out of his mind with worry for Maximilian, but Skadi had been genuine if not cold, and Skylar had saved him from the frosty clutches of King Hrym.Victor made up his mind: "It would be a great pleasure Lady Skadi."
