Sometimes you just have to take a look...
The mine shafts under Red Mountain are much cozier when the coal fires are extinguished and the monsters are all dead. I walked alone in the natural cold darkness for quite some time until I came upon my quarry. The feeling in my mind had led me to a mystical gateway that would allow me to pass down into the frozen underworld of Helheim. I didn’t know precisely why I was being pulled there but I knew instinctively that an event was about to transpire of prime interest to my Aesir blood. I’ve never been one to ignore a portentous urge so I kept traveling downward until I was crawling back up towards the surface by means of the twisted root system under the world tree, Yggdrasil.
I climed up from the roots and set my first muddy step onto the frozen white wasteland of Helheim. As underworlds go, this one could almost be classified as pleasant providing you ignore the fact that your blood could flash freeze in your veins at any moment. As for my own chances in the snow, I am somewhat equipped with a few tricks to stave off the whole frostbite amputation game the cool kids are playing now-a-days. Though those are not children well versed in surviving the bed wetting stage by any stretch. Like I say, I was not a hundred percent on the whys and wheres of my impromptu hypothermic endeavor, but I have an adage that seems to fit just such a situation to a tee: “Which way should I go? Why, forward of course.”
Forward took me over a good stretch of blinding white nothing right up to when I heard voices coming around a near ridge. I was happy to find that several familiar faces were also braving the cold desolation. It would seem that my stepbrother Jacob and his band of compatriots also hade important business to sort out here in the Aesir underworld. I was soon to discover that I had appeared right on time to offer a bit of assistance in a task fate had apparently set me up for. I walked right over to where Jacob, clad in a black gothic looking armor, stood next to the goddess Hel herself dressed in a similar if larger version of the same spike and skull adorned armor. Helena, Hel’s daughter, was present and dressed in sensible business attire sporting the same blank, vaguely bored expression I had come to expect from her. Carina was also amongst the group and I was happy to note that she was wearing the flame proof jumpsuit I had designed and assembled for her. I was also glad that I had made the material with a good deal of give as she looked fit to give birth to the twins any minute now. Storm was there as large and wall like as ever with a rather impressive flaming sword strapped to his back that very nearly dragged the ground as he moved around. Sam was standing protectively near Carina in apparently the only black suit he would ever need to own. Cesar was situated a little to the left of Helena clothed in the very same extremely loud and colorful shirt and blue jean combination he has worn every time I have ever seen him. No one seemed to be dressed for or remotely bothered by the intense cold, so I wager they had a trick protecting them much like my own.
Their first question at my arrival was: “Didn’t you just send Helena a text talking about a machine rebellion in Chicago?” Thinking back on the past hours I only had the response: “We have it all sorted out. It’s been a terribly long day so far all told.” A long day seeming destined to stretch out a little bit longer indeed. I had been wanting to give the entire group an edge in the conflicts to come so I got out my ritual knife and asked them all to cut their palms and to hold hands together while I sorted out a binding spell that would bring them all permanently closer to each other in mind and spirit. Most people don’t really understand the finer points of how magic works but they all trusted me enough to do as I asked with limited complaint. It’s a good thing I am on the side of the good or that could have gone very poorly for the band.
We were soon rejoined by Hel as it was growing time for the group to go and accomplish a special mission. The plan as laid out was for our group, yep I was going as well, to sneak past the enemy army of giant’s front lines under the cover of a Snowstorm that was to be maintained by Helena. We would make our way to the center of their camp and disable a massive mobile construct shaped not unlike an extremely large suit of armor. This piece of magic technology was one of the only things in the giant’s possession that would truly prove fatal for Hel and her forces. If purposed in battle and set to a task the robot could not be defeated. This was the prime reason it would be better for Hel to hold back and not enter the fray until Jacob had given her a signal. Everyone readied themselves for battle as best they were able and we were teleported onto the far end of the giant staging area. This was shaping up to be an interesting adventure indeed.
Under the cover of Helena’s snowstorm Carina and Cesar snuck into the camp to give us a better idea of what we were dealing with. A group of blue skinned frost giants, fur covered wendigo, and a pack of frost wolves would be our first target on the path to the construct. The opposition fell in an assortment of red, blue, green and other unfortunate colored stains on the bleach white snow in mere moments of our opening salvo. It warmed my heart to see the band able to level such screaming hot amounts of bloody decimation in mere moments making me think back on my own group’s accomplishments just a little earlier this same day.
The intensity of the blizzard Helena was creating was really quite impressive. I was hard pressed to see more than a few feet in any direction while Cesar, Carina, and Sam didn’t seem to have any real issue seeing through the driving snow. Luckily the next group of fire and frost giants, that just sort of appeared out of nowhere from my perspective, couldn’t see very far in front of them either. Again when faced with the battle strength of our small group, the enemy was snuffed out like a candle in a hurricane. This time even the bodies of a dragon and a fire eagle were left as testament to the slaughter.
We came up to where we had a straight shot at the towering mobile construct. It was guarded by a mere two giants. This in no way seemed to truck right with how rational war tactics would dictate. Especially considering that your foe could easily just teleport right on top of the thing. For all that logic spit in the face of the scene neither I nor any of the others could find any signs of the scene being anything other than the proverbial cakewalk it appeared to be. We all made ready for a grueling fight none the less. I took a moment to look at the smiley face in my book of fate and hoped desperately that my overwhelming arrogance toward how things were supposed to pan out played itself true to form. We took one step into the camp, and let me tell you, were we surprised by the rather formidable army of titanspawn arrayed before us that appeared in the blink of an eye. A very powerful illusion had concealed the fact that Fogethest, Abeghast, and Sinmore (all riding dragons), along with an unfortunate assortment of much tougher looking giant soldiers were positioned between us and the construct. The combined force was on top of instantly and it was all we could do not to be crushed under the wave. In the speed of thought the robot made a dash to attack Helena. A dash which would have ended in Helena’s death had she not had a few tricks up her sleeve left to play. The assault ended with her being shaken but less the worse for wear. Cesar did not take this turn of events well at all. He tore off hell for bear and jumped on the construct. He ended his vault with a move I have seen T-bone pull on the Daitokuji robots several times today infact. Cesar touched the machine and the machine simply slumped in place inactive. For all that chaos runs counter to everything I try to accomplish in life I find it certainly has its place at times like this. Sinmore was effectively removed from the conflict by a skill Jacob used that smacks very similar to the whiles our Erika routinely plies on our enemies. She simply couldn’t take her eyes off Jacob nor bring herself to do anything else in the conflict. Considering she was the consort of the titan Surtur I think her non involvement was totally for the best in the situation. Carina went after Fogethest the frost giant with everything she had; huge flaming sword included, but the giant proved far too sturdy for that to affect him. She ended up throwing the weapon to Cesar, through a dragon mind you, and he, with a tiny bit of extra fate care of yours truly, managed to drive his attack home to an impressive effect. I could tell in that instant that the weapon had changed significantly in its nature. It would be a tool for vanquishing giants from here out as opposed to an implement to kill scions. Helena had been focused entirely on using her command over the powers of ice to flash freeze the fire giant Abeghast in place. A giant I must add that had being having a hell of a time dealing with Storm killing his dragon before Jacob put the fascination trick to use again taking him effectively out of the combat while his frost giant cohort was dealt with. Since Helena had been so focused on her task she managed to fall to the overwhelming attacks of several of the frost wolves but Jacob was very quickly at her side healing her wounds. Cesar was livid and in his anger tore his way into the body of Fogethest after storm had given the giant a hell of a bleeding rend with his spear. Cesar ripped his way into the heart of the titan spawn general and that was pretty much the end of the frost giant. The combined efforts of Carina and Sam had left a swath of dead giants in their wake. All that was left was the mind addled and near unto completely frozen fire giant captain Abeghast and a good complement of the frost-wolves still angling for an attack. Seeing as how in all honestly this entire event was really a moment in the legend of Jacob and his group, I turned my attention to the vicious wolves leaving the dispensation of Abeghast to the demigods. I heard a good deal of violence befalling said giant behind me. I made a point of this fact when I endeavored to convince the wolves they were far better off fleeing the scene than risking the ire of our combined force. The animals saw the truth of my words and made swift haste into the white expanse as the body of the fire giant general collapsed dead to the ground. Jacob released Sinmore from her entrancement and Strom quickly went to see what he could do to smooth the situation and perhaps drive a wedge between the giantess and her titan master Surtur. Once Sinmore left the field Jacob called out to Hel and the goddess appeared as the vision of death she embodies. The remnants of the entire giant army were killed out of hand in every direction her gaze fell.
The battle was over and we stood victorious. I was glad to be there for a pivotal event in my friend’s lives. I left them to their celebrations as I knew my task was complete and I really, really wanted to get back home to some celebration of my own band’s accomplishments this day. This is truly the end of the longest day I have ever experienced in my life and something deep down inside me is telling me that my life as I know it is about to change in ways I have yet to only dream of….