A/N: WHAT IS UP MUCKAAAAACHUNGAAAAAS!? IT'S TRAVEZTY! And HOOOOO BOY! I meant to get this out days ago, but then suddenly FanFiction, according to their Twitter Account, gets the ban hammer after they complied to the demands of those whom they got reported to! Talk about some prestigious pieces of- Never mind, I'm not going to bring that up now, it's over and done with, so for now, let's just focus on the positives!

Now before I begin this story's chapter, I am going to make some disclaimers here… While I am going to be using influences from God of War, God of War: Ragnarok, and Dungeons and Dragons, I will be trying to utilize as much pure Norse Mythology as I can in order for things to stay concurrent with this story. In the future, I might do a God of War/God of War; Ragnarok Story where my version of Höður is indeed Baldur's Twin, I will not be doing it for quite a while, as I need to consult my girlfriend, Wolfflight of ShadowClan, on the matter of possible pairings of female gods with that of Höður as 1: Héla is not even born and is the Daughter of Loki and Angrboda in God of War (at least as far as we know), and 2: Skaði is already dead thanks to Odin. However, I also intend to create a Dungeons and Dragons Story with Norse Mythology mixed in, but that is for another time.

Now aside from this, I'm just going to say I hope you all enjoy the story I am writing so far. Norse Mythology isn't much of a popular fandom nowadays, but I hope I can at least make things interesting. So I do hope you all appreciate all the research and hard work I put into this entire thing, cuz it is both exhausting, but also extremely fun! Anyway I think that is enough out of me for now! Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story with anyone and everyone you know who likes Norse Mythology Content! Catch ya on the Flipside! SKOLL!

Chapter 2:

Helheimr:

The sun rises over Helheim as Höður wakes up in his bed, stretching as he wakes up his limbs with a smile, moaning as he pulls away his curtains with a smile upon his face. He opens the window to see the distant pale blue sun rising through the overcast clouds of Helheim, shedding it's morning light upon the misty forests. It has been nearly 4 years since he became the God of Helheim, and though he has grown significantly, and Humanity is only in its early stages of development, he has never felt freer than he has in the past several years he has been alive. Still he hasn't had much time to explore Helheim, namely due to the fact he has been staying in Asgard to set up preparations for his coronation in 2 years when he comes of age, and last night was the first night he had been back since, however that's for future Höður to worry about. Today is the start of a good morning, but, first thing's first, he has some things to take care of. First off, he needed to officially begin working on mapping out Helheim so he had a better lay of the land, so as to provide for his subjects that are yet to be… He needed to build a map of the region and find ways to develop it without causing undue harm to the- His thoughts are interrupted when he sees something out of his window, noticing something traveling across the forests of Helheimr, his eyes having spotted what appears to be an aura of green spectral mist, something that sparks his interest. He quickly puts on his garments, a black tunic with silver trim, with a black leather belt with silver buckle, black pants, black boots with silver buckles, black bracers, and with black leather armor with silver trim over his upper body, black leather greaves, and his hooded cloak over his shoulders.

Exiting Eljudnir, he makes his way down to where he saw the lights, slowly walking across the dank, loamy soil of Helheimr towards the lights he sees in the distance… It is an eerie emerald glow like that of a distant flame with a matching glowing mist accompanying it. His eyes watch as he takes slow and careful steps towards the source of this light and mist in question, his curiosity piqued as he wants to know what is causing this. Slowly but surely, his boots sink into the soil as he makes careful progress towards the source of the mist, and, eventually, after about an hour of approach, his eyes fall upon it…

It is a majestic stallion, albeit it's Skeleton, with three legs, two in the front and one in the back, the hindleg being perfectly positioned beneath it's Tail and oddly shaped pelvis. From it's skeletal body emits and emerald mist whilst it's eyes glow and eyes glow the same color as it feasts upon the grasses and berries that populate forest. Thinking carefully, Höður slowly approaches and slowly approaches the Stallion, whose eyes glow brighter. "Shhhh… Shhhh… I mean you no harm…" Höður says, calmly as he approaches. "It's alright." The Horse starts scrapping it's hoof across the ground but then Höður can feel it's eyes tracking to something on his belt, and he remembers he has his Dart with him. The Nag then charges at him, knocking the Blind God to the side before circling back around, angrily.

Höður, groaning in pain as he falls to the side, picks himself up as the horse charges again, only to dodge it this time. However, as he does so, he hears something. "...name?" A masculine voice says as it passes by him. "What is my name?" He hears it clearly after the next pass, taking this charge full on as he gets run over. Standing up as he pulls out his dart, extending it to it's full size as the Horse stops.

"Hrimangr… (Frostmourn)" Höður says, the horse lifting it's head slightly, "I mean you no harm!" He stabs the war dart into the ground and the Helhest looks at him, snorting, but then charges again as Höður closes his eyes… Only to feel… Nothing… Only for a cold wind to pass by and through him. He opens his eye and turns around, looking to see the skeletal horse trotting around and stopping in front of him. Höður looks at the beast with wide eyes, but smiles gently as he reaches up and pets the snout of the Horse before running his hand along the Helhest's neck and side, before climbing upon his back. With this, an aura of frigid mist and shadow flow out from within Hrimangr, and Höður smiles as he gently rests his hands upon the Stallion, who rears up as flesh, organs, and sinew grow from between the gaps in the Helhest's bones, wit majestic black fur as black as everlasting darkness flows out from the flesh, creating a mane that has the appearance of shadow that radiates a frigid mist flowing from the hairs themselves, same with his tail. What is more, this black Helhest Stallion has his mighty hooves covered in blue rime that seems to radiate out a frigid aura of mist and cold air, while his eyes are an icy blue, with his breath radiating the same frigid mist as his hooves, hoarfrost covering the edges of his lips and nostrils, whilst his teeth and gums have an unsurprisingly thicker layer that don't seem to do undue harm to him. However, as Höður is admiring his new steed, he notices a pair of other Horses, mares from what he can tell, and sees the differences between his stallion and the two mares, where as the Stallion has two forward facing legs, and one massive hindleg, in comparison, the mares actually have two hindlegs while having as single foreleg.

"Are they your mates, Hrimangr?" Höður asks, to which the Helhest snorts proudly, "I see, well they are welcome to stay with me in the stables of my castle, where they can be safe and fed! However, you three can also roam free throughout Helheim whenever you wish!" The Stallion nods his head in agreement and he leads the three back to Eljudnir, where he leads them to the stable, where there is plenty of soft material for them to rest in, however, Höður decides he should get Hrimangr fitted for a saddle and reins, but…

"Good Morning, your highness!" A voice calls out, and Höður yelps as he turns around, seeing there is a young boy he doesn't recognize.

"Wh-Who are you?" Höður asks as he calms down.

"Oh my apologies, my name is Völundr, I just arrived!"

"Völundr? I don't believe I heard of you!"

"That is because I am newly manifested in Helheim!" Völundr says, which Höður looks at him, stunned. "Don't you remember, many of the Æsir who were not born of Odin's Line manifested from what remained of the Ginnungagap… The same thing is happening to the other members of our own Clan of Deities!"

"Clan?" Höður asks, in which he then sees others approaching him, shocked at there are others. One is a woman, dressed in fine battle armor that not only shows off her fertile beauty, but also he strength and power as a warrior. There are two others who look identical to him, only with the difference of one of them having red hair, and the other having pale blue hair. Then there are two others, apparently twins, a brother and a sister, who look like they haven't slept in weeks, yet look rather energetic. "Who are all of you?"

"My King!" The woman says, approaching, placing a fist upon her chest, "I am Móðguðr, I await your command!"

"We are Ganglöt!" The Girl of the twins says, then gesturing to her brother, "And Ganglati!"

"I am Hœnir!"

"And I am Lóðurr!"

"I…" Höður says, a bit surprised, but smiles big. "It is an honor to meet you all!" Höður says, smiling at them. "I am glad to finally not be here alone! I am sure I will find plenty of work for you to assure your place here in Helheim!" Höður says, smiling as he gives each of them a handshake, only to then notice what appears to be a white wolf cub with menacing blue eyes approaching from across the bridge. "Oh my goodness, you're so cute!" Höður picks up the pup, who begins to pant and wag it's tail. He smiles as he pets the pup's head and then looks at him. "I will name you Garmr!"

"Your Highness…" Móðguðr says, tapping his shoulder before pointing towards Hrimangr.

"Oh don't worry Hrimangr, you're still my favorite! I just can't help but swoon over cute things!" Höður says, to which the Stallion snorts, his pride fixed. "Besides, I doubt there is a horse in all the Ten Realms who could match your beauty and strength!" The Horse snorts an even bigger burst of snow with a proud look on it's face. Garmr then jumps out of Höður's arms and sits in front of Hrimangr, wagging it's tail happily, and it seems even the mighty and proud stallion can't help but become enamored by the little pup.

Over the next few days, Höður sets about situating his new members into their jobs, starting with the twins, Ganglöt and Ganglati, finding that the two were not only real bundles of energy, but were extremely skilled in housekeeping, and were extremely good cooks, but, unfortunately, if they weren't working in sync with each other, they became extremely slow, due to the fact they were clumsy, and thus took their time to make sure to get everything done properly and without destroying anything with their boundless energy and incoordination. Aside from that, they were extremely diligent and precise in their work, so Höður assigned them with the cleaning, cooking, and maintenance of most of the chores around the keep. When it came to Völundr, he found that the man had a particular skill for crafting, mainly when it came to smithing but he was no slouch in other areas, plus he was an artist when it came to decorating anything once it was done, this lead Höður to helping him set up his own shop within the keep's walls. For Móðguðr, she was a great warrior that Höður had a hard time keeping up with, and once he had explained to her what this realm was for, she decided that the Gjallabru required a guardsman to keep the dead from leaving Helheimr once they entered, as well as a standing army should Helheim ever be invaded by Odin's spiteful forces in Asgardr. Taking her advice to heart, Höður assigned her with not only training, but also maintaining an army of warrior souls who were approved to remain within Helheim, as well as standing guard over the Gjallabru whenever her other duties didn't see her busy, or whenever she wasn't recovering her strength during meals or sleeping.

When it came to Lóðurr and Hœnir, it was a bit more interesting, as these three appear to be near identical to himself, and he gives them the choice of what they wish to do, he learns that Hœnir is actually quite a powerful precognate, the ability to foretell the future of all the Realms, and as such, he requires pen and paper to write down what he sees, along with his pastime of writing poetry and songs. As for Lóðurr, it appears he has a particular interest and that is in the creation of things, though, for him it is living beings, and specifically those of a mystical nature using Seithr Magic. Höður was honestly interested in what he had created thus far. "There is actually one creature whom I am extremely proud of! She is the first of my creations, whom lives to the North of here!"

"Who is she?" Höður asks.

"Her name is Niðhöggr, a beautiful but also powerful and vicious creature. She lives along the coast within the Northern Regions." Lóðurr explains, "I would suggest you go visit her, my King, she may prove of great use to you!"

"I would actually like to see her!" Höður says, "Would you be willing to come with me?"

"I would but I am afraid I could not keep up with your mighty Helhest, so you will have to go there ahead of me!" Lóðurr explains, "Just remember, she is always hungry, and prefers to eat those with evil in their hearts." Höður gulps at that thought, but his excitement is not doused one bit as he makes his way towards Völundr, who is smiling as he, in less than the first few hours he is here, has crafted a very fine saddle. The Saddle itself is was made with the finest black leather, and it's beauty enhanced by silver trimmings, with the rest of the tack being made of steel and black leather. Hrimangr is being fitted with all of the necessary pieces as Höður walks in.

"Ah! Your grace! Perfect timing! I have just finished situating Hrimangr with all of the necessary tack!" Völundr says, the Death Horse looking at it's Master with a look of Pride.

"You look so handsome, Hrimangr!" Höður says, smiling at his horse, "It really suits you!" He then looks to Völundr, "How much longer do you need to make adjustments?"

"Just a few more minutes, why?"

"I'm going to put it under a trial by fire… Lóðurr has just revealed there is a creature to the North that has piqued my interest!" Höður explains.

"Oh? Did he say what it is?"

"No, only it was female, and her name was Niðhöggr." Höður explains.

"Now that is very interesting!" He says, "Also, where is your Dart?"

"Huh?" Höður asks, and then looks on his person, "Fuck! I forgot it in the woods while I was trying to bond with Hrimangr!"

"I'm not surprised, but I do have something that might act as a good replacement while I go to retrieve it!" He then reaches into a box nearby, and slowly removes what appears to be a sword of rather fine make, with a blade as black as night with runes engraved into the blade that glow an icy blue color, with a black leather wrapping connected to a ring pommel with an almost non-existent handguard. However, that isn't what gets Höður's Attention when he looks at the weapon, the sword is more on the longer side when it comes to swords, not only that, the hilt is actually much longer than what is normal for a sword, being big enough for two hands, while the blade is actually on the lower end of sword blades. The other details attached to it are that the guard on the hilt is almost non-existent, only being just enough to protect the hand from sliding up onto the blade while being rounded and just barely flares out. The Grip of the sword is made from yew, having been sanded down very fine and clasped with metal rings, while the ring pommel itself is engraved to retain the image of two dragons biting each other's tails. "You like it, your highness?"

"It is magnificent, but a bit odd, why is the hilt longer?"

"Well it is to provide more power to the shorter blade, as it is on the shorter end of sword blades, but that makes it much lighter in the hand. However, the sword's true power is that it can act as a conduit for the user's powers." Völundr says, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are a God of Winter, correct?"

"That is correct!"

"Then merely follow your instincts while wielding that sword and you will be able to draw out it's true strength!"

"I thank you, Völundr!" He then looks at the sword, "Every mighty sword needs a name…"

"What name do you believe would fit such a great conduit for your powers, my King?" Völundr asks, to which Höður looks at the weapon with a curious look, but then smiles as a name comes to mind.

"Mystletainn…" Höður says, smiling as he holds the sword, "After the Mistletoe Plant…"

"Mistletoe? Why that?"

"Why indeed…?" Höður looks at the sword, wondering why he chose that name, but, for some reason, it feels just right. Völundr then smirks as he passes Höður a black and silver scabbard to house Mystletainn in and sheathes the sword inside. Höður smiles as he takes the sword in his hand and then straps the weapon to his side as he gives Völundr a respectful bow of his head in thanks. "Thank you, Völundr!"

"It is no trouble, now go on and shoo! I've got work to do!"

"Right!" Höður says with a chuckle on his voice as he carefully takes the reins of Hrimangr and leads him out of the workshop and the two make their way towards the front gates, where he is about to mount his faithful steed when-

"Your highness!" Ganglöt and Ganglati shout, rushing over to him and bring over with two straps upon it. "Take this, it has food and supplies you might need!"

"Oh thank you both of you!" He says, in which they help him put the bag on his back and Höður smiles as he finds he likes it, and then climbs into the saddle, then carefully urges Hrimangr forward. The two ride over the Gjallarbru where Móðguðr is standing at the end, and turns towards them with a smile on their faces. "Móðguðr, keep an eye on things while I'm gone? I'm off to explore the Northern Reaches of Helheim after Luthor had piqued my interest about one of his creations being there!"

"Of course, your grace! Return safely!"

"I will!" Höður says, smiling as he looks at Hrimangr, "LET'S RIDE!" Hrimangr raises himself up and with a winnie and charges off, the two of them turning northward. Höður smiles as he is surprised at the speed of this three-legged stallion, he wasn't paying much attention as he was before, but he can now appreciate it with a smile on his face. He sees around the two of them as Hrimangr rushes forward, an aura of frigid mist flows out infront, off to the sides, and behind him, creating a trail of rime and hoarfrost behind them, with blasts of frigid mist flowing out of Hrimangr's nostrils as they run. Höður, again, is surprised at Hrimangr's speed, how a creature with only three legs can move as fast as a creature with four, his gate being more… Bouncy… By comparison, with his two front legs planting firmly on the ground before the hind leg swings forward between them before pushing off the hindleg and allowing the two forelegs to continue the gait. This creates something of a jumpy form of locomotion where it is a mix between galloping, leaping, and leaping to push himself forward.

Höður smiles as he admires Hrimangr's prowess and enjoys the ride as they continue forward through the wilderness as they slowly make their way across forests of Helheim, his eyes watching how the forests slowly but surely give way to marshlands as the ground gets more and more waterlogged. His eyes watch with wonder as he realizes how fast Hrimangr was actually moving and turns to realize he can't even see Eljudnir anymore. 'How long have we been going? How fast was he moving?' Höður thinks, amazed at his horse's pace as they make their way towards the shore, which reveals a mix of rock and sand for the shoreline.

He looks out at the sea that stretches out in front of him and he smiles as he looks at it, the beautiful shade of turquoise color of the ocean waters spread out to the horizon, however, though he notices that the area, despite the sun being high in the sky, is extremely dark, a curiosity that he finds rather fascinating. Looking around, he does notice something in the distance at the edge of his sight in the fog, a great hall though only partially observable, that which appears to be made from the spinal columns of snakes, with their ribs holding each other together like some sort of sick interlocking stones of some kind, while the heads are not visible. To say what he can see of the Hall is huge is an understatement, it is practically the size of a Jotnar, maybe even bigger. Then again… If his quarry is a creation of Lóðurr, and it's home was that big, then it was safe to assume the creature was massive.

Hrimangr seems a bit nervous, refusing to continue. "I understand, Hrimangr, I'll continue on foot, you can wander about if you desire it." Höður says, smiling at his horse, which the creature gives him an appreciative look, "Will you come when I call?" The horse bobs it's head up and down in which Höður smiles, "Alright, wish me luck!" He then begins his trek towards the hall, his boots sinking into the moist sand with each passing step. Within several minutes, he finds himself before the hall, and finds no doors, only a wide open cave, and the waters at it's entrance are surprisingly onerous as he makes his way inside, looking around. He sees above him are snakes that are slithering among the rafters of bone, flicking their tongues out at him, each of them watching, as if gauging his spirit. Höður's nearsighted eyes can't properly see them but he can hear their hissing, the flicking of their tongues. However, after a few short minutes, he notices something along a relatively dry spot of sand, and his eyes widen as he looks to see a cluster Six Eggs the size of oaken barrel sitting in the sand, just sitting there, and he kneels next to them. "Eggs… Here? Wait, is Niðhöggr…"

However, as he says this, he hears the waters move a bit and though he can't hear anything else, he feels the sand shift slightly, with almost snarl, and a slowly flowing, but warm, breath flow against the back of his head, ruffling his snow white hair. "She's right behind me, isn't she?"

"Well well well… What do we have here?" A feminine voice says behind him, "It looks like we have a guest…" Höður slowly turns around, and her he can see clearly, great and powerful teeth that are serrated and sharp like blades, with her body being proportioned like that of a cat, with the scaly hide of a serpent, two mighty wings, and, glowing red eyes looking at him. "The only problem is…" She then roars at the same time as she speaks "I HATE UNINVITED GUESTS!"

"I apologize, Niðhöggr, for dropping by unannounced, but your father Lóðurr suggested I come speak with you!"

"Lóðurr!?" Niðhöggr says, "That damn bastard abandoned me here in the middle of nowhere after I had grown "too dangerous" after I started chewing on the World Tree to drink it's sap! Why would I listen to anything you have to say when you're planning untoward things with my children!" She then smacks Höður with her tail, sending him out of the hall. "No! As a matter of fact, I won't listen to anything you have to say! Not unless you prove yourself worthy of my time!"

"Ouch…" Höður says, picking himself up, "And how would I do that?"

"Let's take this outside, I'm going to keep my children out of this!" Niðhöggr says and the two make their way towards the exit. Fortunately for Höður, he can sense her bloodlust and then starts running as fast as the waters will allow him, whistling as loud as he can as Niðhöggr chases after him. "GET BACK HERE YOU-!"

"HRIMANGR!" Höður shouts, in which, to Höður's surprise the Horse appears out of the ground in a burst of cold air and shattering ice, surprising Niðhöggr as Höður appears in his horse's saddle. "Thank you, my beautiful brother, thank you!" Höður then starts riding as Niðhöggr chases after them, and Höður realizes she means for violence. "I guess we're not getting out of this one that easily!" He draws Mystletainn and looks at Hrimangr, "You ready for some impromptu combat lessons?" The Horse snorts, obviously not wanting to, but it seems the two of them have no other option as they have an angry dragon chasing after them. The two then make a sharp turn as Höður holds Mystletainn to the side of Hrimangr. Niðhöggr snarls as she opens up her jaw wide, turning her head to the side to go for a large bite, with Höður feeling his magic flow through the blade, creating a layer of rime along the surface of his blade, and with one mighty swing, he releases a blast of ice straight into the dragon's mouth, causing it to recoil.

"So cold!" Niðhöggr shouts, snapping her jaws to break the ice off her tongue and gums, before shaking the rest. "You cur!" Höður and Hrimangr continue to ride as Höður looks at the massive dragon and switches to his weaker hand as they pass by a leg on his left and swings hard, the blade bouncing off but the ice striking the water on it's leg and momentarily immobilizing it. "Gah! Why you!"

Hrimangr turns as he leaps over the immobilized leg, slowly turning around as Höður holds out Mystletainn. "Enough of this, Niðhöggr! We don't need to-" That is when the Dragoness opens her mouth and shoots a stream of fire at him, something that Hrimangr dodges deftly. "Really!?" Höður growls as the blade creates frigid mist, "Have it your way then! ISSPRENGJA! (Ice Eruption)" Höður then sends out the waves of ice again with a swing of Mystletainn, the Dragon opening it's wing to block the attack as it flies at her, with Höður charging forward on Hrimangr, before lightning begins to crackle long his blade, "Elding Bara!" Höður swings his sword to the right and sends and arcing wave of lightning to the Dragon, who roars in both pain and fury as she swings her tail. Höður, realizing she is aiming for Hrimangr, jumps off him as the horse instinctively sinks into the ground and vanishing as Höður lands on the sand and rolls, only to find Niðhöggr claws swinging towards him, and the young god being sent flying across the ground, bouncing off the sand, groaning and gasping for breath.

'Fuck she hits hard!' Höður thinks as the Dragoness snarls as she turns herself around, Höður picking himself up off the ground, only for someone to appear behind her and swing something that scratches her face. Niðhöggr screeches in pain.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" Völundr shouts, throwing something Höður's way, in which the God of Winter grabs it and starts spinning in his hand, then extending it to reveal his War Dart, holding it in his left hand. Völundr smiles, but then dodges a claw strike from the angry dragoness, "Kick her ass!" Höður smirks as Niðhöggr turns back to Höður who holds both weapons in his hand and charges forward towards the dragoness, who charges in turn, roaring. Höður, stabbing his dart into the ground, pole volts over Niðhöggr and throws his dart into the serpent's back, the weapon sinking into her hide, before vanishing, then reappearing in Höður's hand.

'So that's how this Dart works, no wonder I got only one!' Höður thinks, smirking, 'Thank you, Tyr!' He then looks at it as he lands on the serpent's back and thinks, "You're going to need a name, my loyal dart… How about…" He begins to think, only for Niðhöggr to jump and try to slam her body on top of him, which Höður jumps away, only for her wing to smack him aside. The God of Winter, feeling the ground approaching sends a powerful burst of cold air to slow him down, with a pile of snow to soften his landing. "Gck! This damned serpent is tough!" He picks himself up and groans from the pain, however, as Höður charges towards the dragon, who, in turn begins another charge, a blast of air sends them both flying back.

"ENOUGH YOU TWO!" Lóðurr shouts, appearing out of nowhere and sending the two backwards.

"Lóðurr!" Höður says.

"YOU!" Niðhöggr says, angrily. "What are you doing here, Old Man!?"

"Stopping you from making a huge mistake, Niðhöggr!" Lóðurr says, "I told you I'd told you I'd be back as soon as I was able to!"

"You up and left me for who knows how long!? Now you show back up as if nothing happened!"

"I WAS ONLY GONE A FEW DAYS!" Lóðurr shouts, to which Niðhöggr snarls at her. "Look, I had to speak with the ruler of this realm, and I asked him to come meet with you because it would take me longer to get here than it would for him riding out here! But as soon as I arrive, I find you two fighting to kill!"

"Well I tried to speak with her, but she went straight for the jugular the moment I mentioned your name!"

"Niðhöggr!" Lóðurr says.

"Don't look at me! I was protecting my eggs!" Niðhöggr says, defending herself.

"I wasn't going to destroy them! I was just surprised they are here!" Höður says, "For Life to spring forth in the Death Realm is something I never anticipated and I'm excited about!"

"And who are you to be so high and mighty?"

"I am Höður! King of Helheimr!" Höður says, "My coronation won't be for a few years, but I am soon to be crowned the King of the Dead, and I wanted to get to know all of the residents of my realm and explore as much of it as possible so that I can properly map it out and gauge everything!"

"And what does that have to do with me?" Niðhöggr asks.

"Well your father told me you prefer the taste of evil things, so, as I was riding here, I had been wanting to ask you if you were willing to be the Prison Warden and Tormentor of the Evil Souls who end up here!" Höður explains, "I'm going to be handling the souls of those who don't end up in Valhalla, or the Vanir's Folkvangr, but I don't want to deal with the souls of wicked beings having been mixed up within the souls I am set to protect, house, and govern!"

"Who said I had I liked the taste of-" That is when Lóðurr begins whistling, "OLD MAN!"

"Well you had become addicted to the sap of Yggdrasil, so I had thought maybe you could kick the taste of it by feeding off the blood of the wicked who come here." Lóðurr says.

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO CONSULT ME FIRST!?" Niðhöggr shouts, in which Höður snickers at this, but then walks over to Niðhöggr, with Hrimangr appearing underneath him to give him a bit more height.

"Niðhöggr, while it is true I sought you out for such a means, I apologize if I appeared to put your children in danger. As I am the King, I can assure you that, as long as you keep them in line when they are born, they shall be protected so long as they remain within Helheim. However, I do honestly wish to request if you'd be willing to act as the Warden to all the Evil Souls who end up here…" Höður says to the Dragoness, "It will do the Realms all the good to make sure they don't escape back to the realms of the living, and, when I can find the resources, I will see to the expansion of your hall to accommodate you and your children. If there is anything you need and desire, and it is within my power, I shall grant it, sooner or later." Niðhöggr looks at the young God with her large eyes looking him over, seeing he is indeed telling the truth, and, can detect no lies nor evil within him.

"I believe you, Höður, and I do apologize for how I acted." Niðhöggr says, to which the dragoness then kneels to the God, "I do hereby swear that I, Niðhöggr, the Malice Striker, give my life, death, and soul to Höður, Lord of Helheimr. I swear that should you ever require it I shall shield your back and give my life for yours, should it come to it. I swear to you in the Name of Helheimr."

"And I swear to you that should you ever come to Eljudnir, that you and your children shall have a place by my many hearths, with meat and mead at my tables, I swear to you in the Name of Helheimr." Höður says, placing his hand upon Niðhöggr's head, smiling at her, his hand glowing as they seal the pact between each other, "And when Ragnarok comes, we will go to Hel together…" Hrimangr winnies in agreement as Niðhöggr raises here head away from Höður's hand, the two nodding at each other respectfully as the dragoness slowly walks away, but as she does so, she sends Lóðurr flying into a nearby tree.

"Okay… I guess I deserved that…" Lóðurr says, groaning in pain, to which Höður chuckles. By the time the sun begins to set, Höður, Lóðurr, and Völundr have returned to Eljudnir, in which he smiles as he feels like he had accomplished something great today, however, he feels like something is indeed going to go wrong sooner or later. However, that is when a certain raven flies down towards Höður, one he recognizes as being among a species native to Helheimr, a Valravn, and it lands on a tree nearby, in which Höður smiles.

"Why hello, Fjorlag!" Höður says, smiling at the raven, deciding to give it a name, the Raven flying down to him and it begins warbling and croaking in his ear, in which Höður can understand what it is say. "What? Alright, thank you!"

"What is it, your grace?" Lóðurr asks.

"It seems we have some company at the gates!" Höður says, "Let's go!" They then rushe towards the Gjallarbru, finding that, in front of the Gate is someone that Höður didn't expect to see today, and he smiles. "Thor!"

"Höður, little brother!" Thor says, but then looks at the rough shape he is in. "By the World Tree, why do you look like you lost an argument with a cave bear!?"

"I'll explain later, but why are you here?"

"I came to tell you the good news… I proposed to Loki today…" Thor says, brimming with excitement, "And she said yes!"

"Oh my-! Thor, I'm so happy for you, big brother!" Höður says, hugging his now 18 year old brother, smiling at him. "When is the wedding?"

"We haven't decided yet, but I wanted to give you the news, and asked if you had a means for which I can send you an invitation!" Thor says.

"Funny you should say that!" he raises his hand as Fjorlag flies down. "This is my new Valravn, Fjorlag! He can run messages between us if you should desire to send something to me, simply whisper his name and he shall come to you!"

"Perfect!" Thor says, petting Fjorlag and smiles, "Nice to meet you, Fjorlag!" He then offers the raven some meat, in which it eats it with a smile.

"Well come inside, we need to have a feast to celebrate!"

"Alright!" Thor says, smiling at his brother.

Asgardr, 3 Midgardian Months Later:

Höður smiles as he stands amongst the Halls of Asgardr, dressed in his finest garments, smiling as he goes to support his brother through the lengthy ritual and stands amongst the witnesses as Thor stands before Frigga, who smiles happily at Thor. Over the years, with Odin's neglect of him, Frigga had taken to Thor, seeing him as her own son, knowing he was a motherless child, and did her best to replace the original anger, hate, and insecurity she felt when she saw him and become a true mother to him, and, to her credit, she did it, and Thor accepted her as his mother. Now here she was, standing as she was preparing to see her son-by-choice married to a woman whom she had originally felt didn't belong here, but he couldn't imagine any girl better than Loki. Though, to Frigga's own confession, she did feel that Sif would've been just as good a choice, but after getting to know the Goddess of the Harvest, she realized that it would've been better for Thor to marry Loki, having seen how Sif, though loving Thor, she would've only encouraged Thor's darker tendencies to fit her vision of a perfect husband. Höður, standing near the front, smiles at his big brother as the God of Thunder stands ready, and eventually the music begins as they turn to see the brilliant fiery red hair of Loki.

She is dressed in a very beautiful bridal gown of white and, to everyone's surprise, they see Surtr, the King of the Fire Giants, walk down the aisle with his daughter holding onto him. The Father of the Bride smiles at his daughter as the Fire Giants all join the crowd, and, as they approach the altar, Surtr hands his daughter over to Thor, who gently takes her hand, the God of Thunder giving an acknowledging and thankful nod to his father-in-law as the giant joins his wife, Laufey, among the witnesses. Höður wonders how his mother managed to convince Odin to allow Surtr and the Fire Giants to take part in such an important event, but he doesn't care right now, Loki needed this, and this is the day for the two of them.

"To all the Æsir of Asgard, we gather here to unite these two of our own together in the bonds of matrimony. I, Frigga, the Goddess of Love, Fertility, and Marriage, hereby stand before you all to officiate this moment, for I am the one who shall give the gift of love to all of the All-Father's Creation, and I pledge to watch over all who come to me to be bound as my children. It shall be from my love of all of you, that all shall learn to love one another, and that a life lived alone is one not to be lived at all." She then produces a silk ribbon as she gently loops it under Thor and Loki's wrists and gently guides their hands together. "Loki Laufeysdottir, do you agree to be bound together with Thor Odinson, in love, forever?"

"I do, now and forever!" Loki says, looking lovingly at Thor.

"And you, Thor Odinson, do you agree to be bound together with Loki Surtrsdottir, in love, forever?" Frigga asks.

"I do, now and forever!"

"I declare this couple, husband and wife… May you journey forth in this life and the next, in prosperity, in poverty, in sickness, and in health." Frigga says, smiling, "You may kiss the bride!" Thor smiles as he dips Loki and kisses her in front of everyone, in which, out of everyone, Höður is the first to cheer for the God of Thunder, and immediately after, everyone joins in, some whistling for the bride and groom, and Höður smirks as he does something a little special for the couple, smirking as he raises his hand into the air.

To the shock of everyone a flurry of light and movement startles everyone as snow flakes burst into the air and, with something akin to lesser cracks of thunder, snowflakes fall in a dazzling display of light and color, Thor and Loki smiling as they know who is the cause of this. 'Today is a good day… Congratulations, big brother, I'm so happy for you! May you two live long and happy lives.' The Feast that is to follow is extremely grand, and Höður smiles as he enjoys it with the others.

1 Midgardian Month Later, Jotunheimr

"And only the One-Eyed knows why!" A young woman of 14 Sings as she frolics through the snow, laughing and smiling as a large snake and a wolf pup of similar size follow close behind her.

"Héla! Don't go too far now! The snow has been heavy lately, so we don't know where the usual caverns are!" A young woman about her age says, this woman has beautiful icy-blue skin with white hair as she keeps up with her sister on a pair of second feet fashioned from animal bones as she glides across the snow to keep up with her little sister.

"I know! But I'm just happy there is so much snow!" Héla says, being a beautiful young woman with hair that is half-blonde, half-black, with snow white skin as her two eye colors, blue and green, seem to shine like stars. "Besides, father marked them out, didn't he?"

"I don't see the markers anywhere, so let's be careful alright?"

"I understand, Skaði!" Héla says, smiling as she looks at her sister. However, the moment she says that, the snow she steps on suddenly gives way, and she begins screaming.

"Héla!" Skaði shouts gliding down on her second feet and dives into the hole with her, the Wolf and Snake trying to catch up with them but are too late by the time they reach the edge.

"No!" The Wolf says.

"Fenrir, what are we going to do!?" The Snake says.

"Jormungandr, go tell mother and father, maybe they can figure something out! I'll stay here and find a safe way down the chasm!"

"Don't worry, we were already here…" A giant says, appearing behind them in the form of a giant eagle with a giantess on his back.

"Mother, Father!" Fenrir says, that is when, suddenly, an emerald mist erupts from the chasm, and they feel something strange about this place. "What was that?"

"The Mists of Helheimr… A Portal to the Realm of the Dead must've opened up… There is a chance your sisters are alive, but for how long is the question…" the eagle says.

"Thiazi, we have to go after them!"

"And we will, Angrboda…" Thiazi says, only for the sound of thunder to be heard, along with a burst of fire.

"If it's a passage to the Realm of the Dead you desire…" Thor says.

"We know a Shortcut!" Loki says, smirking as she looks at the Jotunar.

What happens after that… Is a Story for Another Day…