The journey to love

What would you say love is?
Is love the feeling you get when you wanna have sex with someone?
Is love the feeling you get, when you wanna spend the rest of your life with someone?
Or is love the feeling you get when you really wanna know someone?
I will leave the answer up to you.

Our journey starts within Scandinavia, with our hero, the young Svipdagr.
Svipdagr is a young viking who wields the legendary Annað Gram.
A sword, which was blessed by Njörðr himself.
The sword is as powerful as a storm and calm as the sea.
But let us get back to the journey.

Svipdagr has been tasked by his stepmother to seek out the goddess Menglöð, whom is his fated bride.
But the journey to love is as it has always been, a hard one.
Svipdagr must overcome many great challenges to arrive at the castle where is beloved Menglöð is.
So, without further adieu, let the journey for love begin.

Svipdagr is walking within Scandinavia.
Svipdagr is not sure, whether he is in Iceland, Sweden, Norway or even Denmark.
All Svipdagr knows, is that he must find his beloved.
But Svipdagr knows that he can not complete this journey without help, not even his Annað Gram is enough.
So Svipdagr will ask his mother, Gróa, who is a völva for help.
Svipdagr performs the sacred ritual to summon the dead, or rather, the ritual that lets you speak with the dead.
From the snowy ground, Svipdagr's mother came forth.
The gorgeous mother looked at her beloved son and Svipdagr was overjoyed to see his mother.
Mother and son now embraced each other.
After the hugging was finally over, the mother and son could now talk.
" Mother, I need your help " said Svipdagr.
" Simply ask my son, and I shall give it to you " said Gróa with an angelic voice.
" I am journing to find my beloved Menglöð and I need your help " said Svipdagr.
" Say no more my son, and know that I shall now cast nine spells on you. These spells shall assist you on your journey " said Gróa with her angelic voice.
Mother and son embraced one another, one last time, before Gróa had to leave for the halls of Freya.
Svipdagr now stood back up on his feet.
Svipdagr now continued his journey within the snowy forests of Scandinavia.

Svipdagr continued to walk until he reached an old castle.
The castle was clearly old and was covered in snow and ice, but Svipdagr could see that the sun was setting and he needed a place to rest, so Svipdagr entered the castle.
Walking within the castle, Svipdagr quickly noticed many old artifacts, which would have looked magnificent back in the old days.
Svipdagr finally reached the throne room, but what he found, was something he did not expect.
A tremendous dragon was in the middle of the throne room, asleep.
Svipdagr also noticed that the dragon was wounded, but Svipdagr was not afraid, for he had his Annað Gram with him.
Svipdagr was ready to finish off the fearsome dragon, but that was when the dragon opened its eyes.
The calm blue eyes of the dragon looked straight at Svipdagr.
Svipdagr was confused, for he felt no evil from the monster.
The dragon then opened its mouth and said
" Greetings warrior, my name is Hreiðmarr, how are you fairing this night? " said Hreiðmarr with his monstrous voice.
Svipdagr was now completely lost, he did not know what to make of the situation.
" I.. uhm, I am well, Hreiðmarr.... how are you? " said Svipdagr, still not knowing what to make of the situation.
Hreiðmarr now had, what could be called, a sad face.
" Well, as you can see, I have been better, but if you are interested, I can tell you the story of my family " said Hreiðmarr with what sounded like sadness and love in his voice.
Svipdagr agreed and listened while Hreiðmarr told the tale of his family.
Svipdagr heard how Hreiðmarr once had three sons, Regin, Ótr and Fafnir, and how all his sons died because of a damn ring, and how Fafnir almost killed his father, but Hreiðmarr was able to survive by transforming into a dragon, but now, all of Hreiðmarr's sons are dead.
The tale was now over.
Svipdagr was saddened by the tragic tale of Hreiðmarr and his sons
Hreiðmarr was quiet for a moment.
Hreiðmarr then said
" Fair Svipdagr, I ask a favor of you "
Svipdagr stood back up on his feet and said
" Then ask "
" I want revenge on the one who cursed me and my family " said Hreiðmarr.
" You want revenge on Loki? " said Svipdagr rather quickly.
" Well, Loki is already suffering in his cave, so I will have the next best thing, and have my revenge on Andvari, that damn dwarf and his cursed gold and ring " said Hreiðmarr rather angrily.
Svipdagr did not think about it twice before saying
" Alright, I shall kill Andvari "
Hreiðmarr now had a smile on his dragon face.
" I am grateful, but before you leave, I shall give you a blessing. Please hold your sword before me "
Svipdagr did as he was told, and held his Annað Gram before Hreiðmarr.
Hreiðmarr blew on the great sword which made the sword glow and then the glow was gone.
" It is done " said Hreiðmarr
Svipdagr looked at his sword.
" May I ask what you did? " said Svipdagr.
" I made your Annað Gram stronger than the original Gram itself. Your sword shall now be known as Annað Dreki Gram " said Hreiðmarr while sounding proud of his work.
Svipdagr now had a smile on his face.
Svipdagr put his ADG (Annað Dreki Gram) back into its sheath.
Svipdagr then said
" I shall honor my word "
Svipdagr then walked out the castle while Hreiðmarr went back to sleep.
The sun was now in the sky once more and Svipdagr had now exited the home of Hreiðmarr.
Svipdagr looked towards the nearby lake, where Andvari had his home.
Svipdagr then walked towards the lake, ready to slay the dwarf.