HILDA! The Netflix Hit Show! God of War, the Hit Video Game Series!
Hilda is a show I like a lot. Same goes for the God of War games, though the Norse-Era games are way better than the Greek-Era games.

Combining these two franchises can be seen as odd but I like the unusual and I think this combination can work if executed properly which I hope to achieve here.

Without further ado: Enjoy the story.

Johanna of War

by

Hatoralo

Chapter 1: A Masterwork of Art

Johanna thought that accompanying Hilda on an adventure would bring them closer together again. Now she was standing at the entrance of an ominous cave with darkness that looked thick as the earth and felt very unsure about this endeavor.

"Hilda, we can't explore a cave like this without a light source."

Hilda took of her backpack and produced two helmets with lights and even two high-quality torches.

"What in case we get lost?" asked Johanna. "Nobody knows that we are here."

"I told Frida about our excursion and if I am unable to contact her every hour, she will call the authorities."

Johanna looked around like trying to find another excuse. "What about any dangerous supernatural beings in the cave?"

"We are here because of the supernatural," reminded Hilda her mother. "This is the point of my adventures. Exploring, befriending fantastical beings, exploring the unknown, finding wonders and the thrill of it all."

Johanna was still nervous, especially when it came to the safety of her daughter but she had promised her to do this with her. So, she took the gear Hilda offered, including some rope and the two entered the cave with activated lights.

"What legends are told about this place?" asked Johanna. "Or is it known as the home of any mythological being?"

"From what I learned through the Library of Trolberg and the Internet this cave could contain a pocket dimension where somebody had a secret home, also a place they had a legendary battle or just placed the remains of a great and legendary battle there," Hilda explained excitedly. "It is a bit vague, one version of this obscure legend even claims that it is the final resting place of a famous god, a famous warrior, a famous person for something else or all at once."

The first few meters into the cave were nothing special, the usual cave stuff and the next several meters as well. Nothing special, maybe a bit scary but safe. Yet it frightened Johanna a bit for some reason.

"I saw Horror Videos on the Internet that revolve around scary stuff happening in a cave," commented Johanna slightly nervous. "But these are made up and special effects. Something real could attack us here."

"I have a sword with me," informed Hilda her mother casually while leading the way. "I can summon it at anytime for my defense thanks to a stone from Frida."

"Your friend gave you a stone that can summon a sword?"

Hilda was suddenly silent. She didn't know how to explain why Frida would give her that or how she was able to do so. She was fearful about telling Johanna the truth.

"You don't get purposely into battles, right?" asked Johanna carefully. "I mean you having a sword just in case is a calm thought for me."

Hilda, looking at a hole in a wall said: "I am Frida's familiar."

Johanna appeared confused at first, trying to remember what a familiar was. "Familiar… Family? No, that is… Wait aren't these the cats, ravens and owls of Witches?"

"More or less?"

Johanna chuckled. "You are a strange looking cat, Hilda. Where is your tail and what happened with your cat ears?"

"I prefer to put them into my cupboard outside of working hours," joked Hilda and got some laughter out of Johana with that.

"What are you doing as Frida's familiar?" asked Johanna as she peered beyond a corner. "Are you helping her in magical duels?"

"Nah, as a familiar I provide companionship, help with her tasks and defend her from evil," admitted Johanna while looking at some stones. "Though there was not much evil that tried to disturb Frida in her magical academic endeavors so far."

Johanna, trying to peek closer into the cave said: "Not everything is adventure. You may also want to hit the books if you want to make your adventuring in the wild your primary job one day, Hilda."

"Not the safety patrol," made Hilda quickly clear. "Even with Gerda Gustav in command now, I want to do more than policing the supernatural. Maybe I can become a diplomat between the world of humans and the world of the mythical, mystical and supernatural?"

"Sounds like a good idea," lauded Johanna her daughter. "I think you could learn for this at the school of- Wait a second."

Johanna saw something reflecting in the light of her headlight. She went closer to it, ducked down and found: "It is just a dagger, very rusty."

Hilda came closer and inspected the rusty dagger as well. "Do you think this is an antique?"

Johanna scratched her chin. "Maybe? I am no expert in these things. We can take it with us and show it to an expert but at best this is a replica somebody forgot. I think most of the valuable items were already found and taken by archeologists a long time ago."

"It also could be a hint that tells us that here is more than just a rusty old dagger," argued Hilda. "Could tell us where the hiding place we seek is."

"How can such a place stay hidden?" wondered Johanna and looked to the ceiling. "The only way that could work would be like with the elves, being phase-shifted, so that we can't neither touch nor see them and what they created and own."

"Exactly, we seek for something like you described mum," explained Hilda, checking the walls.

"How are we supposed to see phase-shifted objects?"

Hilda gave her mother a monocle and also produced another one. "I got this From Frida, she managed to enhance them. If she did it right, we can see phase-shifted portals and may be able to interact with them properly. Otherwise, Twig can us help to detect anything of interest."

The white deerfox in question took this moment to stroke across Johanna's legs, making her realize that she almost forgot the little pet they had adopted into their family, the one who was always on Hildas side.

"Oh, yes Twig! You can surely sniff out any secrets," assured Johanna, ducking down to the little furred friend and stroked his soft head which he liked. "Well, if there is anything of worth we are sure you can find it."

"Why so skeptical, mum?"

"Finding something fantastic is not something that happens every day to you."

"It happens every day to me," countered Hilda with a smile. "Well, last Thursday we found nothing but usually I find the fantastic very easily."

"Right, how could I forget," was the sarcastic response from Johanna but she quickly smiled friendly as well. "I just hope what we find is just fantastic and not also dangerous."

"Don't worry, mum. I have a sword with me, it is longer than myself."

Johanna had no idea what she could say in response to this statement so she just continued her search with her daughter.

"A few coins, some lighters, an old compass…"

Hilda listed the things they found so far. Nothing of it was very impressive. The little adventurer appeared disappointed.

Johanna was bored as well; This was not as interesting than she had hoped it would be. She thought she would be glad about some boredom and no danger but this was rather tedious. She thought that Hilda may have chosen a place that was really safe and boring to ensure that her mother wouldn't worry too much about her and let her continue to go on adventures.

"Hilda, why are- Twig?"

Twig was looking at a certain corner. Not just looking he stared at it, encircling it and sniffing at it with great interest despite looking so normal. Johanna took the monocle she got from Hilda and put it onto her right eye, having a hunch. The truth was revealed to her quickly, a truth in form of a shining bright tear that looked like it was part of the massive granite that the corner was made of. A curious sight, an interesting sight. One sight Hilda soon spotted as well and ran towards it.

"Mystery!"

"Danger!"

"Wuff!"

The three made their way to the tear in reality and touched it simultaneously.

"We are not in Kansas anymore."

"We were never in Kansas in our entire lives, mum."

The place the two were now was incredible. It was not a part of the cave despite being in the cave. It looked like a forest, a forest frozen in time. It was like winter, snow laying on the ground and the branches while single snowflakes were frozen in the air instead of falling to the ground. Johanna touched one of the snowflakes and it finally fell to the ground after perhaps centuries. The snow was pure and was glowing a bit, reflecting the mysterious light which was illuminating this place, giving it a mystical atmosphere.

Johanna was in absolute awe about this place. "What a fantastic discovery. Who would have thought that something like this exists? Hilda, how often do you see such places? Hilda? Hilda?"

Hilda was running down a nearby path already, Twig close behind her. "Come mum, the best stuff is usually deeper in a fantastic place!"

Johanna ran after her daughter quickly. "Hilda, wait! It could be dangerous in there!"

Johanna followed her daughter through this enchanted forest. A truly marvelous place, despite the snow she didn't feel cold or was freezing. She scoped a bit of the snow with her bare hands and she didn't feel any low temperature either. Soft but not cold.

"What a curious place…"

The forest continued to look frozen in time and peaceful as well. Johanna started to be very glad to have accompanied her daughter to this place. She was starting to think that this would become a really great day now.

"Oh, bones!"

Hearing these words Johanna increased her speed and joined Hilda immediately. There she saw her daughter inspecting some bones, holding them like it was no big deal. "Hilda, you didn't knew where these bones had been!"

"In a living being?"

"But they could be… Poisonous!"

"I doubt anything dangerous is still alive on these bones after all this time."

"But… You don't just touch bones, Hilda it is…. Not right."

"Physicians, Gravediggers, Archeologists and some other people in certain professions touch bones it all the time."

"But you are not in any of them and-" Johanna sighed. "Okay, you can inspect the bones but you don't touch any bone that still has some flesh on it, understood?"

"Yes, mum."

"Good Hildi."

The two continued their exploration with Johanna theorizing that Hilda just found the bones of some animals. That could have been true but their next discovery dashed that theory. A few feet further in they found a strange body lying on the ground, a very dead body.

"Mum, that is the body of a Draugr!" shouted Hilda in excitement. "But this one looks so different from the ones I meet so far. Also this one is dead-dead."

Johanna looked nervously at the body. This one appeared like it was petrified, probably because of the brown dry skin, and the lower arms and lower legs were grey looking. Tattered clothes, fur skirt, parts of armor, skin so sunken in the backbone was almost perfectly visible, with parts of the armor still being on the shoulders, part of armor seemingly fused with the collarbone area and a badly damaged horn helmet. If the guy had been killed his murderer was probably dead for a long time. At least she hoped that the killer was dead and not close by.

"Hildi, I think we…. Hilda?"

"Mum, silver!" shouted Hilda over to her mother while she took some silvery objects from another Draugr corpse. "Hacksilver if I am correct. No flesh on it."

Johanna would have screamed in frustration if not for fearing to wake some of the Draugr. Instead, she scolded her daughter quietly: "Hilda, they could come back from the dead any second now!"

"I don't think so mum," argued Hilda. "Don't you see the wounds on the bodies? Somebody slew them a long time ago."

Johanna looked closer at Draugr Hilda took hacksilver from. This Draugr had a wound in his belly, a wound created by a blade, perhaps an axe. Johanna wasn't an expert on this.

"Can I keep some of the hacksilver as a souvenir, mum?" requested Hilda innocently. "You could sell the rest of it to museum in Trolberg."

"Since when are you interested in money?" asked Johanna in surprise.

"I thought you want some," explained Hilda. "To ensure the safety of our livelihood. It is not easy as a freelance graphic designer."

Johanna couldn't disagree with that. "Okay, take the hacksilver but our lives are more important than any money we have."

"Yes, mum."

The two went deeper into this winter wonderland of nightmare, more and more corpses of Draugr started to appear, lying everywhere, some even on the branches. Different wounds, some limbs chopped of, some hacked in two halves through the stomach, some with hacked of heads and some corpses even had literally heads which were split open. A gruesome sight which made Johanna nervous.

"I can't wait to show Frida, David, Alfa and Tontu what we found here!" exclaimed Hilda happily while making photos with her smartphone. "Not to mention then I post this on my social media."

"Please, don't," requested Johanna. "Admins don't like seeing corpses, especially with wounds, even if those corpses are dead Draugr."

"You are probably right, mum" agreed Hilda. "But I will upload pictures that don't show any of the corpses."

Johanna thought it would be a terrible decision to follow this trail of Draugr corpses but there was a certain curiosity and she didn't plan to leave now, she had promised Hilda to make this a proper adventure and one doesn't leave a proper adventure just because they found a corpse or a few dozen corpses. Well, usually people would but Hilda was not the usual type.

"Mum, more corpses!"

Johanna sighed in annoyance, following Hilda down a path strewn with corpses now. She was impressed by the sheer amount of corpses but also fearful. She hoped whoever was responsible for this was long dead.

"A mountain of corpses!"

Johanna looked up at these words of Hilda and there was indeed not just a mountain but a small mountain range of corpses. Corpses over corpses of Draugr. Johanna never would have thought she would witness so many corpses at once in her life. It was as impressive as it was scary and sickening.

"Who was able to defeat so many Draugr?" wondered the graphic designer. "There is no sign of anyone else dying aside from Draugr. Hilda what do you- YOUNG LADY! Don't climb up Corpse Mountain!"

But Hilda followed by Twig didn't think to stop. "I just want to enjoy the view from the top, mum!"

"It is not hygienic to climb a mountain of corpses!"

"I wear gloves!"

Johanna looked closer at Hilda. Her daughter was indeed wearing gloves made for climbing. "You do but this shouldn't be done by… Somebody who is not an expert in it!"

"It is not that different from climbing a mountain face," opined Hilda. "Just a bit scarier. I am almost there." Hilda climbed on the top of the highest corpse mountain and took in the view alongside Twig. "Mum, come up here, the view is incredible!"

Johanna who hadn't gloves for climbing with her denied the invitation. "No thanks, Hilda. I will explore the area down there. Tell me when you plan to climb down."

"Yes, mum."

It looked like the artistic vision of a mass murderer or just an artist who loved horror a lot. The bodies didn't smell and Johanna was thankful for that but the appearance was still horrific, like she was visiting Helheim for the very first time. Weapons, body parts, inhuman facial expressions, seared skin and items of armor everywhere made this also look like the aftermath of a large battle.

"What kind of being can kill so many Draugr?" wondered Johanna to herself once gain. "Maybe several powerful beings? Or maybe the Draugr fought each other?"

Johanna, trying to figure out what could have happened here past some of the smaller corpus mountains and then found something that took all her thoughts from one Moment to another.

"This…. What is this?"

At the top of a smaller mountain of corpses, surrounded by higher ones those tips bent down to that smaller hill in the center was an axe, hold up by a hand. Johanna crept closer, to this axe, her instincts and curiosity forcing her to get a better view at this object.

"This axe looks like new."

The young mother came closer to this shiny object. It was not any axe, this one was a battle axe, at least Johanna thought it was one. The shaft was long, a smaller sharp part of the blade poking out at the top of the backside while the main blade was larger but both parts were of the finest metallic work this woman had ever seen with gravures, runes and gold worked into the weapon or the last thing just looked like gold. The shaft itself was also of high quality, gilded metal was worked into the wood in an artistic and professional manner and the pommel was also of the finest quality and looked very versatile and practical.

"Beautiful…"

Johanna got even closer. She wanted to take the axe, wanted to look at it as closely as possible, wanted to hold it in her hands. It was a marvelous piece of work, so intricate, so elegant, yet so practical. Standing before this beautiful battle axe she took in the sight. A few seconds later her hands hovered over the weapon

"I… A closer look. Also, I think this belongs in a museum were everyone can see it. I mean…. By the gods, this axe looks so beautiful!"

Johanna's hands clasped around the shaft of this marvelous battle axe and she tried to lift it up but the hand of the dead Draugr refused to let go so easily. Johanna pulled and tugged at this masterful craftwork, wanted to hold it in her own hands. Unwilling to touch the dead fingers Johanna put more force into it, trying to free the axe with raw force first.

"Come on… Let go, you are dead, you don't need the axe anymore and- YES!"

Johanna successfully pulled the axe away from the fingers, forcing them open and leave her the treasure to be hold by Johanna's hands now. She admired the axe in its fully glory not just for the beautiful design and masterful craftwork but also because for the perfect weight it had for her.

"Hilda, come to me, I found something incredible!" shouted Johanna in excitement. "It is beautiful, come and have a look at it!"

"I'm coming, mum!" came the young girls voice from some distance. "I'll be right there!"

Johanna was a bit giddy. She was incredible happy about having found something that interesting, a type of object she also liked. While she wondered what an archeologist would say about this discovery she heard a certain noise.

"Hilda?"

Turning to the source of the noise Johanna was confronted by a standing, moving, Draugr. Fire, that came from the inside glowed strong enough to shine through holes in the body or filling now empty veins with fire, making them glow in a orange-red light. The undead monstrosity walked slowly towards Johanna, shuffling, growling and with a sword in hand.

"Oh, no…" whispered Johanna and tried to sneak away from the Undead. "I… Don't want anything from you, everything is fine, I-"

The Draugr started to sprint towards Johanna. The young mother didn't knew if she should fight or flight. Then she remembered Hilda and her safety was the highest priority for her.

"HILDA, WE NEED TO FLEE, DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"

"Why?!"

Johanna was trying to answer that question but the Draugr was close, weapon raised to strike. Johanna wanted to run. "HILDA, I-"

"Swing the axe, and kill that foe!"

Johanna did so as the voice demanded and swung the axe horizontally at the Draugr. Somehow she produced enough force to cut through the attacking undead being completely. The Draugr stood there for a second after the attack. Then its lower arms fell off, cut cleanly through above the elbows. This was followed by the torso and upper half of the stomach area who slid from the lower half and fell to the ground. The lower stomach area, the hips and the chest stood there for a Moment before they would also kneel over, dead for real.

Johanna was shaking. She didn't believe that she just did that. She looked at the axe and her own hands, then at the dead Draugr, unsure about her next move.

"Mum, you got him!"

Hilda ran up to her mother and she let the axe fall to the ground, got down and embraced the daughter who jumped into her arms. "Hilda, are you fine?"

"I fine?!" Shouted Hilda in confusion and worry. "You were attacked by a Draugr, not I! Asking for your state is more important right now, mum."

Twig, run also up to Johanna, jumping on Hildas head and licking the mother's face.

Johanna smiled in response of receiving such warm affection. "Thanks, Twig. And thank you Hilda, I am… A bit wobbly. That was the first Draugr I have ever killed."

"That guy was a lot more hostile than the Draugr from Trolberg," noted Hilda. "Why did he attack you?"

"Because of me."

Both humans and the Deerfox looked down to the axe.

"Maybe, I am not too sure. The Draugr may also just have wandered around here."

"Mum, that is a very pretty battle axe you found," was Hilda's impressive and enthralled comment. "Also, the weapon can talk."

"I noticed that, Hildi."

"Hi, there," greeted the battle axe the two. "My name is…. I forgot it. The name of the weapon is Leviathan but I forgot my own."

Hilda, not fearful like always took the weapon from the ground. "Are you a ghost possessing this battle axe you call Leviathan?"

"Yes? I think so."

"Was this Draurg your owner?" asked Johanna with a shout who was still full of adrenaline. "Did I kill your owner?!"

"No, that Draugr didn't own this axe. Also, nobody owns me, I just live in the Leviathan."

"I see….," noted Johanna carefully.

"Does this battle axe have a owner or descendants who would like to have you back?" asked Hilda. "Or do you live here?"

"I am the owner of the Leviathan, but I can't remember if I am supposed to be here or not."

"We are not supposed to be here either!" decided Johanna finally and took the weapon from Hilda. "Battle Axe, is here anything else of interest? Will we be cursed if we take you with us?"

"I am not cursed," was the assured answer of the ancient weapon. "As for anything else…. I don't remember, sorry. But I am sure I am the only thing of importance here. The Draugr are just dangerous, also there are more of them coming."

Inhuman noises accompanied the incoming Draugr. They were not the kind of Draugr Hilda was used too. "The Draugr I know can talk and the ones on the sea only try to kill you when you steal from them."

"Hilda, that is not- Wait, why did you know- Forget it!" Johanna took Hilda at her hand and lead her away from the incoming batch of Draugr. They in turn followed the three.

"You can take them!" mentioned the axe. "I guide you, it will be very easy to defeat them."

"No, thank you," answered Johanna, sounding stressed. "I am not risking the life of my daughter or her becoming an orphan just to defeat a few walking corpses."

Mother, daughter and axe in the mothers hand ran away from the Draugr towards the tear that brought them to this mysterious place. But other Draugr got in their way and they prepared themselves to attack the humans.

"We can dodge them," claimed Hilda confidently. "Mum, I distract them, you run past them and we get out of here."

"Hilda, wait!"

But Hilda was already running. One Draugr stabbed at her but she easily dodged that, ran past him and around another who was too slow to hit her as well.

Johanna could only do as Hilda said and got past the distracted Draugr, Leviathan in a tight grip and close to her chest. She thought she could get out of her without any more unnecessary fighting but then one of the Draugr suddenly turned towards her and swung his sword towards the brunette.

"AH! Get away from me!"

Johanna swung the battle axe wildly after the enemy but no swing hit the intended target.

"Not like this," criticized the ghost in Leviathan. "Let it come closer before swinging and dodge its attacks. You can also counter attacks if you use your shield."

"I have no shield!"

"You should get one."

Johanna dodged another Draugr and struck him with a more targeted attack of the Leviathan. She hit him in the chest which made it flinch but not step back.

The ghost shouted: "More, more attacks, use a succession of quick strikes!"

"I am not used to fighting!" shouted Johanna in a panic. "I studied the craft of the art not the warcraft!"

"Just be unrelentless to defeat these undead!" demanded the battle axe. "Fight to survive!"

Johanna attacked the Draugr with several swings, damaging the shuffling undead enough that he fell dead to the ground and stayed there. Johanna would have been happier about that if that hadn't been followed by more Draugr incoming.

"Throw me!" ordered the Leviathan.

"But-"

"Throw me and then imagine how I return into your hand!"

Johanna threw the axe after the Draugr who was the closest to her against all her own instincts. The Leviathan dug deep into the chest of the creature and made it tumble backwards against his colleagues which made them all fall to the ground. Johanna as ordered quickly imagined how the axe would flew back into her hand afterwards and indeed the weapon freed itself from the withered flesh and it came back towards Johanna, shaft landing in her open right hand.

"What kind of battle axe are you?" asked a clearly bewildered Johanna. "Are you like Mjölnir?"

"This axe, the Leviathan is better than Mjölnir and it is way better designed!" claimed the invisible ghost. "Now get out of here!"

Johanna didn't have to hear this advice twice, fleeing away from the Draugr and towards the tear. There Hilda and Twig were already waiting, her daughter waving to her mother. "Mum, quick!"

Johanna caught up with her daughter and their pet in seconds and all three jumped through the tear and to safety. The Draugr in turn stopped their pursuit, slightly confused about the sudden disappearance of their prey.

"That was incredible mum!"

Johanna sat on a stone, breathing heavily. She was shaken by what happened. Not the worst thing that happened to her but it was a lot happening at once.

"We go home, that was enough action for a day," decided Johanna after calming down to a degree. "As for you Leviathan: Are you sure you aren't cursed?"

"No, I am not, I am sure of that" assured the ghost inhabiting this powerful weapon once again. "Now let us go home and rest for more action tomorrow."

"I don't need more action so fast anytime soon," made Johanna clear. "I thought we would run into some fantastical being that needs our help with some tasks not having to fight for our lives."

"This can happen sometimes," admitted Hilda with a nervous smile. "Such is the life of an adventurer."

"I want lighthearted adventure and it could end in deadly and serious situations," snarked Johanna a bit. "I hope our next adventure will be a bit more harmless."

The four left the cave and the Draugr behind, leaving through the entrance to greet the natural sunlight.

An hour later one of the Draugr came slowly through the tear, visibly struggling against certain forces that tried to hold it back. After a few annoyed grunts the undead monstrosity successfully made his way through the tear. It grunted in victory and was about to march forward as a giant dark branch crushed the creature out of nowhere. The Draugr didn't even flinch under the branch, he was already dead.

The owner of the branch looked in the direction Johanna, Hilda and Twig went. The one with the branch was a lot taller than a regular human and they made no sound at all.
They just stared and stared.

Did you like this chapter? I appreciate feedback, especially constructive criticism.

I hope this worked for you. Is a spontaneous idea party. The idea came from the fact that both "God of War" in the Norse area and "Hilda" are in unspecific points in Scandinavia, making it easier to connect both.

Until next time!