Fallon was independently wealthy due to being a famous writer. Living in the snowy mountains of Oregon was her favorite place to be. It was near the holidays, and so Fallon went to see her family in Colorado.
Her family wasn't the best in the world; in fact she didn't even know why she visited, but each time she went she remembered. Her stepmother and father had a baby boy that she would care for when she came home; she figured she was better than her parents and the nannies.
When she walked in the door, her stepmother already had a glass of wine in her hands, "Oh you're here." That was all she could say.
Her father was on his cellphone working in his home office. The manor house was enormous, cold, empty, yet filled with expensive things. Even the hired help seemed depressed that they were working with the holidays around the corner. Her parents were also very wealthy, but their materialism showed in their personality unlike Fallon. Sighing and hanging up her trench coat, Fallon greeted the servers that minded her own business.
Dinner wasn't successful. It was awkward and boring. Fallon wished, since she was old enough, to take Tommy, her half-brother, away from all of this. However, Fallon took care of her half-brother. Even with the gentle falling snow outside, Fallon went to the back part of the estate to wander aimlessly through the hedge maze. The stone statues that were placed purposefully around the estate were covered in patches of snow. The place was silent, not even the birds wanted to be around this shallow place.
Only a lone snow owl peered from the top of the hedges that made the maze directed its yellow eyes at her.
Fallon felt the rush of cold air against her face, the snow melting against the cool exposed skin.
Somehow she found herself in the center of the maze, just sitting on the snow covered stone bench. The archway that was usually was covered in ivy was now covered in snow. Sometimes this large center maze was rented out to people who got married and had receptions here.
Fallon sighed again; life seemed pointless, mundane, and monotonous. She wished for something to happen, anything. Especially if it meant her brother and she could just escape to a better place.
Getting up numbly, Fallon was about to leave until she saw a shadowy hooded figure in the corner of her eye. A low voice spoke saying, "If you could leave this place would you?"
Fallon looked at the figure, her heart stopping. "Excuse me, but who are you? This is private property, and I'm afraid you're trespassing."
"I will go soon enough. But you evaded my question, if you and your brother could leave this awful place, as you wished, would you?" He asked mysteriously.
Fallon was frozen not because of the cold, but because of what he said. Somehow finding her courage she replied, "If it was a better place for us, yes."
He stepped suddenly in front of the empty archway and said, "If you walk through the archway your brother and yourself will be in a new realm that is not Earth. You will have a better life, but I warn you to get what you want, you have to fight for it, life and all."
Fallon looked at the once empty archway and her jaw dropped when she saw a watery blue portal shimmering and hovering in the archway. This was just surreal, "How do I know that this isn't a fantasy?" Fallon asked, in disbelief.
"Would you put away your doubts if I said your brother is already there? Would you then go?" The mystery man asked.
Fallon's heart stopped again, and she turned to run out of the maze she knew very well to go see her brother.
Bursting through the doors, servants and maids looked aghast at her sudden intrusion. "Where's Tommy?!" Fallon called out. Someone said calmly, "He's in his room; I just put him down for his nap."
She ran up the many flights of spiraling stairs from the grand entrance and grand foyer. The parlor rooms attached to it gave a sense of French provincial aristocracy. Fallon was breathing heavily, when she slammed open the door and looked to see the empty crib where he brother should have been. Placing her hand on the itty pillow, it was warm and slightly sweaty to the touch.
"My God, where is he?!" Fallon whispered to herself.
Sprinting down the stairs two to four steps at a time, Fallon ran out the back double doors making her way to the tall plant maze. Somehow she ran through that maze quickly, for she found herself at the center again.
Surprisingly, Fallon saw the mysterious man and the portal still there. "Where did you take him?!"
"I put him somewhere safe as you wished. This was meant to entice you to come along as well and see how real it is." The man replied calmly.
"Assuming that we are going to a better place, why do this for us, nothing is free, and what do you want? You also said I'd have to fight for it, how? Why?" Fallon was full of the important questions burning in her skull.
The hooded figure clearly smiled from what she could see in the shadows. The man had a goatee beard, giving his chiseled jaw a sense of attractiveness. "Such curiosity from you. Take a leap of faith, but it is your choice."
He stood out of her way, for Fallon to decide to go to the unknown, or to remain behind. She glanced at him, he merely stood there silently. Fallon, though out of breath, didn't hesitate. Her long black hair hidden behind her now sweaty beanie flew in the cold brisk air with the snow still falling.
Fallon ran to the portal through the cold misty fluid that she saw as a portal. All she saw now was a tunneling black in her vision.
Fallon woke up, with her head spinning and her sinuses piercing her skull. Something was off. When her vision cleared she woke in an empty archway, but it was in the middle of the forest. Even stranger, the forest had no snow; in fact it was uncomfortably warm since it looked like springtime. Clearly, she was in a different place, but how?
She took off her heavy winter gear but left on her black tank, removing the other shirts and sweaters. Her black skinny jeans were tucked into cutesy black wedge boots. Though it was better than being overheated, it was still slightly warm.
Getting away from the archway, her senses cleared and she was able to make sense of this new place she found herself in. Walking aimlessly was no sweat. To her surprise, she was wearing a necklace that she wasn't wearing before. It was an odd looking gemstone. How it got around her neck, she had no idea.
The dark purple amethyst glowed, or so she thought. She moved in a certain direction and nothing happened. Fallon went back to the light seeping through the canopy and saw that the gem was glowing again. "A-ha!" Fallon cried out in a winning tone.
But the gears in her head worked, that maybe the gem guided her on her path to finding Tommy. It glowed intensely when she was making her way down a predestined path.
Fallon finally made her way out of the edge of the forest line, and saw a long field and distance to a strange looking city with a fortress castle in the center.
Stranger yet, Fallon held her gasp when she looked at the sky. The sun was out signifying midday, but there were two moons and the stars mixed with day sky in the air. It was an odd phenomenon, and so she definitely knew that she wasn't even on Earth anymore.
This place was magical, she could tell. Either that or her dinner was laced with drugs. Doubtful though.
Fallon continued to walk until she had this creeping feeling behind her, like someone was watching. She turned around, but there was nothing in the forest but the strange looking snow owl that was looking directly at her.
A rustle caught Fallon's dark brown eyes, and a large black wolf with purple eyes and glowing white saber tooth canines came out and faced Fallon. Fallon shocked herself when, she stood still in a fighting stance in front of the wolf.
"Great, that's your plan?" She told herself aloud.
The wolf cocked its head looking at Fallon's words. "Oh like you understood that." Fallon said as the wolf complacently sat and scratched behind its own ear.
Fallon walked onward toward the strange-looking city. Fallon turned around again when she heard light padding behind her. The wolf sat when Fallon turned her head. The whole stop, start, follow process went on a couple of times, until Fallon realized the wolf wasn't a threat anymore.
"Great making friends everywhere I go," Fallon mumbled to herself.
"Do you always talk to yourself? That's a sign of insanity." A deep voice said. Fallon froze, and looked at the wolf. "Did you just talk? In my language?"
"Do you see anyone else around talking? Other than yourself, of course." The wolf replied.
Fallon went wide eyed. "Well, I must be insane, because you're talking." The wolf looked at her with a curious head, "You've never heard a wolf talk? Did you live under a rock?"
"No, where I come from, wolves don't talk." Fallon responded.
"That's interesting, what are you called? I'm Fenris." The wolf introduced himself.
"I'm Fallon Donoghue." She replied.
After the moment of silence, Fallon continued on her journey to find her brother, in this strange land. Even if her wish was granted, that Tommy and her get to live here-wherever this 'utopia' was-why did she have to fight for it?
Fenris walked alongside her, "Why are you following me Fenris?"
"Well, I like company. You don't speak the dark elves native language, yet I do. I presumed I could accompany you as a translator for wherever we are headed." Fenris said humbly.
"Thanks, what's the catch?" Fallon said. Nothing was free. "Do you see this collar around my neck?" Fenris lifted his neck and the fur revealed a dark iridescent rope gripping his throat.
Fallon nodded, "Yes, what's so special about the collar?"
"It's called Glepnir, it's meant to curb my rage. Once released I will bring about the Ragnarok and destroy Odin. Whoever frees me will be safe from harm." Fenris stated, "I will help you, and when the time comes, I wish for you to try and get this off of me. It may not come off, but I want your word that you will try." Fenris proposed.
Fallon thought it over, "Deal."
Fenris gave a funny grin, and Fallon awkwardly smiled, "I think this adventure is going to be interesting." The two continued on their way towards the walled city of dark elves.
Unbeknownst to Fallon, the realm she was in was Svartalfheim, not the Midgard where our known universe resided. Here, many things awaited our two heroes.