IV - Niflheim

The mists of Niflheim swirled around Yumei's ankles as she descended from the crystal Gioll Bridge. She had run ahead of Lorenta and Grey in her eagerness to see her new realm. The landscape that lay ahead of her made her want to run right back to Asgard.

During her short time on Midgard, Yumei had seen some beaches that were less than pristine, and she had traveled though countless dungeons where foul terrors lurked during her travels with the valkyrie. But nothing could have prepared her for the stomach-churning vileness that was the shores of Niflheim. Not even the dark tower of Xervah had made her so queasy.

The water that churned and crashed against the shore was black and smelled of death itself. She saw contorted, tortured faces in the pale foam of the waves, and she could hear their screams on the wind. The ebb and flow was hypnotic, as if they were all calling out to her to join them. She forced herself to turn her eyes away.

It was then that she noticed that the beach under her feet wasn't sand at all, but bones crushed to powder. Larger skeletal fragments littered the length of the shore like driftwood. Piles of skulls lay against black, craggy rocks. Far off in the distance she saw the dark, hulking shape of some serpentine monster. It appeared to be eating something, and she didn't care to guess what. From horizon to horizon, everything was dark and gray. There was no color here at all. When Lorenta and Grey finally caught up to her, she wedged herself between them. This was a frightening place, even for a new-made goddess. At least Grey would be at home here. This place seemed to suit his personality perfectly.

Yumei was seriously starting to re-think her choice to come here. Now she understood why Lady Valkyrie had given her such an odd look when she had told her she wanted to go. But her parents were in this land somewhere, and she belonged with them.

With great sadness she remembered the friends she had left behind. Girls her own age, fellow sorceresses, her fellow warriors that she had fought alongside in battle. She was one of them. Jelanda, Nanami, Shiho, Aelia. They hadn't shunned her, cast her out, given her strange looks, thrown stones at her, called her a freak or an abomination. Well, Jelanda had thrown her scepter at her once, but they'd laughed about it afterwards. They had all been so nice to her. And she didn't have to worry about them trying to eat her heart to gain immortality. Even Lyseria was okay when she wasn't being a whiny psycho. She had never had so many friends when she was alive.

It had been hard, saying goodbye to all of them. She smiled as she remembered hugging Shiho, and then pushing her right into Suo. Her cheeks had turned as red as his armor. She had a good feeling about those two. They'd be all right.

And then she thought of Lady Valkyrie and Lucian. Yumei's mother had been ostracized for taking a human lover. She wished that Lady Valkyrie wouldn't have to go through the same thing. Vidar had not looked kindly on Lucian at her side. She wished she could think that they were going to be happy together, but she could see the strain between them when they looked at each other. What was it about human men that made everyone who chanced to fall in love with one so miserable?

Yumei looked at Lady Lorenta. She had come to Niflheim to be reunited with her husband. Maybe she'd just found one of the rare good ones.

She thought she'd met one once herself, but she didn't get to know him long enough to know for sure. Most mermaids just eat sailors after they trick them into rescuing them, but she was glad she let Fuyuki live. He was nice. And on the bright side, she might meet him here one day. The thought, albeit a morbid one, cheered her up considerably.

"Come. Let us go to Hel's palace," said Lorenta. She'd heard that tone often when Lorenta spoke to her and her fellow sorceresses, especially when they weren't focusing on their spells to her satisfaction. It was a teacher's voice. She realized that Lorenta was looking sternly at her. She must have fallen to dawdling, because they seemed to be waiting for her. She couldn't tell where Grey was looking behind his helmet. She wondered how he could see anything at all. Maybe that was why he seemed so calm here. Not that that was any different from how he normally acted. He had as much personality as any rusty old suit of armor decorating a castle hall.

Grey had always struck her as being a bit creepy. It was the way he hardly ever talked, and the way sound itself seemed to die around him. Armor should make noise when it moves, shouldn't it? She shivered and moved closer to Lorenta, practically treading on her skirts. Yumei admired how composed she was. Lorenta could be strict and crabby sometimes, but not too bad if you acted like you were actually paying attention to her while she was watching. And she had a sixth sense when it came to knowing when they were giggling behind her back. She did feel sorry for Lorenta's husband, both because he had died horribly, and because Lorenta had probably never let him get away with anything when they were alive together.

As they made their way to Hel's throne, they passed people who looked as washed out and gray as the landscape. They looked upon the new gods with hollow, disinterested eyes. Yumei searched their desolate faces for ones she might recognize. A couple tried to claw at her clothes when she strayed to near, but she stepped quickly away, nearly running into Grey.

Yumei wasn't sure what she'd expected to find coming here, but somehow she'd pictured it as a bit more pleasant. Even gods went here when they died. You'd think they would have thought to make the place a bit more comfortable.

Eventually they saw no more wandering souls as they drew closer to Hel's throne. Within the sanctum of her private domain, she allowed no one but her own personal servants. This was the realm of those who had been corrupted by her powers.

The spires of Hel's palace cast their shadows over everything. The glittering black towers twisted upwards like thorny vines until they became indistinguishable from the dark sky, their heights lost among the murky clouds.

A narrow arcing bridge like a spine connected the palace to the winding path that split the craggy landscape. As they passed over it Yumei saw that the keep's foundation was as endless as its towers. She couldn't see the bottom of the ravine the bridge traversed. It was lost in deep pale mist.

The myriad windows of the castle stared down at them like the dark, empty eye sockets of so many skulls. Yumei hoped the interior would be more hospitable. She was desperate to get inside. Endless stairs spiraled up the mountain to the gates, which were admittedly not quite as impressive as those of Odin's tower in Asgard. This place was designed to instill a sense of dread, not awe and grandeur. The doors were made of metal, but a black metal unlike any Yumei had ever seen before. It matched the shining black stone of the keep almost perfectly. Their surface was inscribed with tangled webs of intricate silver inlay, the finest craftsmanship of dwarves and dark elves. She pushed against the doors with all of her might, but they wouldn't budge. Grey tried as well, but they still remained stubbornly closed. It was only when Lorenta put her hand to them that they opened, hinges screaming, as if the castle recognized its new mistress, and feared her.

Yumei followed closely behind Lorenta as she entered the great hall. She found the interior to be no less dark and foreboding than the exterior. The vaulted ceiling reminded her of a ribcage. Tiny blue flames flickered overhead in bone chandeliers. She wondered if the keep was really as deserted as the utter silence indicated. And if as to answer, the shadows began to move.

From the ceiling, from the walls, from every dark place in the hall the denizens of Hel's keep swarmed to greet their new lord. Lorenta ascended the steps of the dais to the great ivory throne and seated herself.

They seemed uncomfortably familiar. Yumei remembered seeing most of them in her travels with Lady Valkyrie, abominations that had to be killed because they were running amok on Midgard. A plague upon the living souls that could only be cured by divine retribution.

Lorenta stood and spoke loudly over the teeming swarm. "I am the new ruler of Niflhiem. You shall obey me or be destroyed."

There was a tense, confused paused as the crowd contemplated her edict. The ones with eyes looked at each other quizzically. The ones with mouths squawked and gibbered at each other. The ones with shoulders shrugged. And eventually, the ones with legs bowed. And the rest fell into silence.

"From hence forth I forbid you to go upon Midgard. You shall stay here and administer justice to the souls here. You shall be the keepers of a new order. There will be justice for the virtuous and punishment for the wicked. Go now, and await my next summons."

As quickly as they had come, the monstrosities retreated into the shadows. All was still and silent once more. Yumei remembered to breathe again, and released her terrified grip on Grey's gauntlet. She looked around the hall and saw that it was delightfully empty, save for one demon that remained. It was tall and fearsome, great horns crowned its head. She grabbed hold of Grey again as it approached.

It reached out a great, clawed hand towards its new queen. "Llllloooorrrreeentaaaa." Its voice was like metal scraping against rock.

"Don't be frightened Yumei," Lorenta said calmly. She descended from the throne as if to greet the monster.

Yumei blinked as recognition dawned on her. "Lorenta! Stop! What if he--!"

"He won't."

Yumei knew of Ghoul Powder, and what it did to the body, mind, and soul of its victims. It was one of the vilest tricks of necromancy. No human magic could reverse it. Jelanda had suffered through the gruesome transformation it caused, but her soul had been rescued by Lady Valkyrie. Hel was not so merciful to those who fell into her domain. Those who weren't fortunate enough to be chosen by another god continued out eternity in their corrupted form as one of the army of abominations that the underworld queen called her servants. Those like Lorenta's husband.

But now Lorenta was the underworld queen, and she had complete dominion over the souls of men and demons. And she could be as merciful as she wished.

When she reached up to touch his face, the tall demonic form seemed to melt away until a human man stood in its place. When he fell into Lorenta's arms, all the tears she'd held back during her time as an Einherjar now burst from her eyes.

Yumei felt tears come to her eyes as well as she watched them. Lorenta held her husband tightly to her in a way that seemed more maternal than anything, and they whispered things to each other through their sobs that she couldn't make out.

It was a long while before Lorenta and her husband broke away from each other. Lorenta turned to face Yumei and Grey looking as composed and dignified as she ever had, but her face was still red with tears. A few damp strands of hair clung to her face having escaped from the tight topknot that held them back. "Yumei, Grey, this is my husband." She looked tenderly at the middle-aged man that now stood at her side, clasping her hand in his.

"Yeah, I remember you!" piped Yumei. "You turned into a big, gross demon and Lady Valkyrie cut your head off. It was really sad." She paused when she noticed that he suddenly looked extremely uneasy for some reason. "Uh, but I'm really glad you're better now. I guess it's kind of a good thing after all because if you weren't a demon, Lady Lorenta might not have been able to find you here."

Lorenta smiled tightly, stifling a chuckle. "Yes, I guess it was for the best." She looked warmly at her husband, who still looked a bit mortified.

"Well, I guess I'd better go. I've got people of my own to find. I'm glad I got to meet you," said Yumei.

"You may stay here if you want, Yumei," said Lorenta.

"No, no. I really appreciate the offer, but my parents are out there somewhere. I want to find them."

"I understand. Grey, go with her."

"As you wish." The first words that Yumei had heard him speak since they'd come here.

"What?" Yumei shook her head. "But I don't really need anybody to go with me. I'll be fine." She wondered why Lorenta would think she needed a guardian. She had always been alone, and fared for herself quite well. Until she went looking for the Cerulean Lapis, that is. Of course, Lorenta always seemed to insist that she and the other sorceresses lacked discipline in their magical studies. You'd think that after she'd helped Lady Valkyrie kill Bloodbane she would have proven something. But that's a teacher for you.

"Niflheim is hardly a place for a young lady to be traveling alone. If you wish I could appoint one of my new servants to act as your escort instead," Lorenta said sternly.

Yumei was all but forced to concede that protesting was a lost cause. She turned to armored knight. "You don't mind coming with me, Mister Grey?"

"It matters not."

She didn't want to be an imposition on anyone, especially not her friends, if she could consider Grey as such. She consoled herself by reasoning that he could have refused if he had wanted to. Even as much as she thought that having no one but Grey to talk to was some form of underworld torture, she would be grateful for the company. He was at least a step above the big floating, drooling eyeballs.

~ to be continued