The next morning everyone was packed and ready to set off, lawful given a farewell by the teachers and commanders.
"Good luck on your journey," said Mimir.
"I think we're going to need it," said Hiccup.
"So while we're gone, what you going to do?" Astrid asked.
"Johann seems intent on attacking the Academy," said Duncan.
"His most recent attack certainly supports that hypothesis," said Viggo. "Sadly, we lack the information of where and where he's going to attack."
"So to that end, we're going to be reinforcing the entire Academy as well as speeding up our effort to bring demigod here safely," said Guy.
"Clearly, the gates are not wide open; otherwise, we would have been overswarmed by undead warriors; it's only a matter of time," said Christina.
"Before we stop by at Nidavellir, is there anything else we should know about?" Hiccup asked.
"Well, whatever you need from the doors, chances are you going to need ingredients needed, and they are extremely hard to come by," said Mimir. "For example, the rope that was created to bind Fenris was made from the sound of a cat's footfall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish and the spittle of a bird."
"How were they able to get those?" Jill asked, dumbfounded.
"Don't rightly know, dwarfs have their own magic, just like elves, skills that cannot be taught, only inherited. There is a reason why they are the best blacksmiths in the nine realms. So be prepared to go on an even longer journey to enquire about the ingredients needed if you need them to build something."
"Not as if we're not pressed for time as it is," said Hiccup.
"Speaking of which, we should be on the move," said Ragnar.
"Huh, can someone care to explain how we are supposed across into an interdimensional realm?" Jill asked.
"Oh, don't worry, Ragnar has that covered," said Heather.
Sumarbrander then flew out of Ragnar's sheath and landed on his hand.
"How did you do that?" Jill stared.
"You haven't seen anything yet," said Tuffnut.
Ragnar then swung his sword, creating a tear in the fabric of reality. "One portal to Nidavellir at your service."
"So we just step through that?" Jill asked, looking slightly nervous.
"Just be lucky that you don't have to fight off a giant squirrel," Hiccup smiled.
Jill laughed but then realised that he was being serious. "Seriously?"
Astrid chuckled. "Funnily, that's the strangest thing we've done."
They then began stepping through the tear, but Jill still looked rather reluctant.
"It is safe, right?" she asked.
Hiccup placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's safe."
Despite being clearly nervous, Jill stepped through the tear, and Hiccup followed soon after.
A few seconds later, Hiccup stepped out of the portal and found himself completely underground. Fortunately, the entire place was illuminated thanks to the rivers of lava that ran down the walls like water. He sniffed the air and could smell the scent of charcoal being burnt, and when he looked up, he could see that the ceiling was completely covered in smoke.
"Welcome to Nidavellir," said Snotlout, not showing any enthusiasm.
"It is certainly different from the other realms," said Hiccup.
"Are we actually underground?" Jill asked, looking at the ceiling.
"We are, but you can never tell that smoke in the air," said Ragnar.
"You've been here before," Fishlegs assumed.
"When I rescued Snotlout from a pack of savage wolves and brought him to Midgard," said Ragnar and looked at Snotlout curiously. "If I recall, you were pretty happy to leave."
"I had a pack of angry walls on my tail. You said you could bring me someplace able 'cause I was happy to leave!" Snotlout huffed.
"You mean you just upped and vanished without consulting your mother?" said Astrid shocked.
Snotlout narrowed his eyes. "As did you."
"Touche."
"I hate to break up this conversation, but do we actually have any idea where to go from here?" Heather asked.
Astrid looked at both Ragnar and Snotlout. "You two have any ideas where to go from here?"
"We could go and see the dwarven King Durlin," Ragnar offered.
Snotlout immediately looked panic-stricken. "It can't be serious! That would be a bad idea."
"Why would he be a bad idea?" Ruffnut asked.
"Because the king is a greedy bastard that case more for gold than his people," Snotlout huffed. "He spends all day locked up in his palace and doesn't let a finger for his people even if they are dying of starvation."
"There's a food shortage?" Fishlegs asked.
"We're not exactly gardeners, in case you haven't noticed. Besides, even if we do dare to step outside, we quickly get petrified."
"Petrified?" Jill frowned.
"Dwarfs turn to stone once they are exposed to daylight, they don't understand as quickly as trolls, but they can't stay in the sun for very long," Ragnar explained.
"But Snotlout has never turned to stone."
"That's because my godly blood protects me, though I still get stiff if I stand in the sun for too long. Anyway, like I was saying before, we normally rely on other realms to provide us with food, like Asgard and Vanaheim, in exchange for weapons or resources."
"But you say that there is a food shortage?" said Hiccup.
"That's because our king is hoarding all the best weapons, precious metals and gems for himself. That means we don't have enough to offer far trading partners, which means we don't get any food."
"So how come no one does anything about it?" Jill asked.
"Oh, they've tried. There was a rebellion, but it was crushed. Now our king spends all his time in the palace; in fact, I don't think anyone has seen him for five years."
"This sounds like things could get complicated," said Hiccup.
"Shouldn't we try and help the dwarfs?" Fishlegs asked.
"How? From what Snotlout tells us, the rebellion has been put down short of storming towards the palace and threatening him. I don't see how we can help," said Astrid.
"Plus, even if we do get rid of him, who's going to replace him?" Hiccup asked. "That was me with very well have someone worse in charge if we just charge in."
"Additionally, we have our own mission to worry about," Ragnar added.
"But since we're here, shouldn't we try to do something?" Jill asked.
"Jill, I would like to help was out of their situation, but we are pressed for time, and we don't even know where to help. If we survive our mission, we can probably come back and see what we can do to help the dwarfs."
Jill and Fishlegs didn't look particularly happy with this decision, but they both nodded, albeit reluctantly.
"Now we have that sorted. Let's get back to how we're supposed to complete our mission," said Ragnar.
Astrid looked at Snotlout. "Is there anyone who could help us?"
"Well, there's Jurtag Hammermaker, son of Eitri," said Snotlout.
Fishlegs' eyes lit up. "Eitri? As in the Eitri? As in one of the creators of Mjolnir?"
"Actually, he's one of the sons of the sons of Ivaldi," said Snotlout. "He's the best craftsman within the nine realms, but getting to him who may be just as difficult as seeing the King."
"Then why did you bring him up?" Tuffnut asked.
"Because he was friends with my mum, but he probably thinks that I'm dead," said Snotlout.
"Well, it sounds like he's our best bet," said Ragnar.
Astrid nodded. "I agree we need to see Jurtag."
Snotlout sighed. "Fine, but do try to keep a low profile. Trust me, we don't want anyone to know we're here."
"That can be difficult, considering we stand out quite a bit," said Ruffnut.
"Not if I use a little bit of glamour," said Hiccup.
"What's glamour?" Jill asked.
"It's like creating an illusion; it's what hides the magical from the prying eyes of mortals. The problem is I've never really done it on dwarfs and not on this many people."
"Glamour affects all mortal species, even those hardheaded like dwarfs," Ragnar assured him.
"Then do it," said Astrid.
Hiccup created a glamour spell over them, allowing them to walk through the streets unnoticed. As they followed Snotlout through the streets, Hiccup took notice of their surroundings.
He could see many vendors selling jewellery and weapons out on the streets and could hear the sound of hammers to steel. The houses themselves were made of stone and looked as if they were chiselled into the stone face. The dwarfs themselves were short and stout, but they were still short of them Snotlout by at least 1 foot.
Hiccup wasn't the only one taking on the site as Jill was trying to look at everything at once. He couldn't really blame her. He felt the same way when he entered into a different realm.
"This is amazing," said Jill.
"You should see the other realms," said Hiccup.
"How many have you seen?" Jill asked curiously.
"Including this one and not counting Midgard, five."
"So each realm is different?" Jill asked.
"Alfheim is sunny all day, while in Svartalheim, it's always night," Hiccup explained.
"So, are we on another planet or something?"
"More like another dimension; believe me, I still haven't got my head around it."
"So after here, we go to Niflheim. Have any of you guys been there?" Jill asked curiously.
"None of us have," said Ragnar. "However, I have heard stories, and it's not exactly a place you want to visit. It is the realm of ice and mist and was one of the first of the realms to come into existence, along with Muspellheim. It will be like walking through the North Pole in an arctic blizzard."
"Sounds delightful," said Jill. "So in Niflheim we'll find Helheim.
"Helheim is actually a separate part of Niflheim; getting it will be the easy part. Getting out again will be another thing entirely," said Astrid.
"Hopefully, we can find Jurtag, and he can help us," said Hiccup.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up; my people aren't ones to give things away," said Snotlout and looked at Jill. "Just ask your mother."
"What does he mean by that?" Jill asked.
Hiccup immediately felt awkward. "Let's just say your mother got an eye for a piece of jewellery, and she had to pay quite a heavy price to get it."
"What kind of price?"
Hiccup immediately turned bright pink, but frankly, before he could explain, they had arrived at their destination.
"Here we are," said Snotlout.
They were standing in front of what appeared to be a forge, but it was way bigger than the ones they had passed the market. In fact, it resembled an office building, and it was so tall it disappeared up into the smog that covered the ceiling.
"Welcome to Eitri and Brokkr International," Snotlout grumbled.
"I take it that Jurtag is the CEO," Hiccup assumed.
"Yep, Eitri and Brokkr International are where you go when you need something built," said Snotlout.
"So, how do we see the boss?" Astrid asked.
"We go up to reception."
They followed Snotlout into the building and immediately the way over towards the reception desk. Sitting there was a female dwarf who was busy writing to notice them.
"Do you have an appointment?" she asked without looking up.
"No," said Snotlout.
"Then I suggest you book one and then come back because the boss does not see anyone without an appointment."
"Oh, I think you might make an exception for us."
"And what makes you so important to see—?" she asked as she slipped up and then immediately fell silent. Clearly, she had not been expecting an entourage of humans and elves to arrive. "I'll tell the boss that he has visitors."
Moments later, they were in the elevator, making their way up to the top floor.
"So, is there any reason why we sin the boss right away?" Hiccup asked curiously.
"He knows me," said Snotlout.
"Knows you how?" Astrid asked. "What aren't you telling us?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try us," said Astrid.
The elevator stopped.
"We're here," said Snotlout.
They then stepped out of the lift and stepped into some kind of office. On the walls were a number of well-crafted weapons, swords, axes and hammers. There were also a number of awards for the best craftsmen and trophies.
They kept on making their way through into the breach of the desk, and sitting there was a middle-aged dwarf with a thick brown beard with several whites in it.
"Jurtag," said Snotlout.
Jurtag looked at Snotlout up and down. "So you finally returned. What brings you here, your Highness?"