Chapter Text
As fate nears its close, so too do we.
Devils unfettered, beasts roaming freely, oblivion claiming what is owed.
Gods and men alike fall into the endless abyss, and the cycle begins anew.
Body, soul, mind. It matters not. All are playthings of fate, marching towards an end that was decided since the very start.
The end of the web is tied with frost. The final curtain call awaits us all.
………
A bleak, shadowy land, with biting frost in the air and thick mist carpeting the earth. Quiet and lonely, filled with faceless wanderers trudging along the frozen earth beneath their feet, only the ambient sounds could be heard. The low hum of the gentle wind, the inhuman wails of many a creature, and footsteps, the omnipresent sound of wandering, ringing through the air in uneven intervals.
In these icy wastes, everyone was a seeker. What they were seeking was a mystery - perhaps even to themselves. But it was all they were focused on - in pursuit of their destination, they braved the cold, the dark and the isolation as they scattered themselves across the map, no closer to their goal than when they arrived here. How long had they been here? Did it matter? This was their existence now, and whatever fate may decree is final.
At the end of a long, winding corridor, there laid a man, his body draped in a thick white fur coat as he trudged past each wanderer, his vivid green eyes scanning their pallid, nondescript forms, clad in various faded clothes, some bloodied and others tattered. They seemed to stare back, though he couldn’t tell for sure, and he didn’t pay them too much mind. Not that they didn’t matter, but his goal was right in sight - a swirling grey rift in the air, a literal light at the end of the tunnel. The low humming that seemed to get louder with every step hummed in his ears as he focused everything he had on getting closer and closer. This was the end, he thought. Three years of wandering were finally coming to an end.
It stood in front of him, and it was oh so beautiful. The way its dimensions shifted, the way he almost felt warmth radiating off it as his caramel-coloured hand reached towards it. With a bright smile on his face and eyes widening, he stretched closer, almost as if reluctant to fully embrace it - like it were too good to be true. But he was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Right as he was about to make contact, he watched as in the blink of an eye, it folded in on itself, the humming erupting into a roar as the door devoured its own body before vanishing in an instant, leaving only silence. He desperately felt around for it - maybe it had just turned invisible, or maybe he was just unable to perceive it for whatever reason. But no amount of waving his arms around or throwing himself about the room changed the inevitable truth - the door to destiny was completely shut.
“No!” he cried out, falling to his knees as the unacceptable outcome stared him in the face. Pounding the ground with his fist, he took a moment to compose himself before taking a deep breath, sitting up and looking back with a bright smile, as if nothing had happened.
“...well, let’s keep looking, shall we?”
His companion, a pale, faceless man following behind him, dressed in baggy black attire with orange stripes, said nothing, but simply nodded as he watched him stand up, following him as he made his way out of the room for good.
………
Another day, another door. Another door, another miss. Another miss, another day.
It seemed almost like an endless cycle at this point. How long had it been now, four years? Four years since that fateful fall, since he’d been tasked with finding a way out - and consequently, since the universe seemed to have made it a mission to keep him down here. He’d counted down every day, and ever since then, he’d known one thing - the exit doors seemed to be much the same as the entrance doors, minus the willingness to entertain him.
In the middle of an empty field laced with frost stood the body of a fleshless beast, the man in the white coat took a bow as an armoured woman beside him panted softly, staring at both him and the faceless man with a hand planted on her chest. In her other hand, she tightly clutched a shortsword, and she spoke up, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and awe.
“Leif, I don’t know what to say…that was incredible…” she murmured, straightening her posture and sheathing her blade. “I couldn’t have made it out if not for you.”
“You never know what a little cardio can accomplish.” Leif replied casually, paying more attention to the beast than to her. Those bones, polished and pristine, were odd compared to what he normally saw down here. To say the least, he hadn’t expected them to turn into a monster, but what could you expect all the way down in Helheim? “Are you unharmed?”
“Yes, I’m fine…” she replied, stepping closer to him. “...you’ve looked out for me enough. When we return to the surface, I would like to repay you.”
“Well, it seems you may get your chance yet.” Leif gestured over to the monster, whose remains glowed with a grey light that formed another rift, similar to the usual in its shapelessness and mystery. As she turned her attention over to it, she gasped, stepping back slightly.
“Is that…”
“I believe it is.” Leif cut in, waving his arm towards it. “A transition, of sorts, shifting your scene straight to Midgard. In other words, your way out.”
“T-Truly?” the woman stammered, before clearing her throat. “Then we’ve got to go, quickly!”
“Ladies first, of course.” Leif bowed, dodging her attempt to take his hand. “Go on. I’ll see you on the other side.”
“Can we not go together?”
“In my experience, these have a time limit, so I strongly suggest hurrying.” Leif pointed out, maintaining a bright smile as he gestured to the faceless man, who wore the foundations of a scruffy black mane on his head. “I promise, I won’t be long. I simply need to say goodbye to the draugr.”
“If you say so.” the woman began, reluctantly leaving his side as she stepped towards the portal. “But I will be waiting.”
“That’s all I can ask for.” Leif nodded, watching as she walked through it and disappeared. Good for her, he thought as he approached it himself, reaching out to it just long enough for it to notice his presence and promptly delete itself. He sighed. He’d been through this scene countless times by now, but it still wasn’t any less disheartening. At least someday, she’d stop waiting.
Turning to the draugr, he gave a pained smile and a quick nod, spreading his arms out as he began walking towards him. “Well, Gleth…I suppose it’s just the two of us now.” he said. “Come, let us continue.”
Gleth, tilting his head slightly, simply nodded, following Leif’s lead as he walked away from the scene.
………
In a cabin of sorts, filled with crude drawings of runes scribbled over the walls, and what looked to be a map drawn on the yew-wood door, Leif dramatically draped himself over a mattress lined with straw and hide. In one hand, he held a frothy mug of chocolate - mead was hard to come by in these parts - while the other was placed swooningly on his forehead, careful to avoid the flower he’d placed in his long blond locks. It was fairly warm in there with certain runes - “ᚲ” - active and glowing, so he had eschewed the coat to reveal what he wore underneath - a tailored green suit with a white shirt, dressed more to impress than anything, but evidently weathered by time.
“Did I ever tell you the story of how I got here, Gleth?”
At the centre of the cabin, Gleth sat down, cross-legged and dressed in black and orange patchwork, his clothing marked by bells and tassels. Tapping his mildly oversized shoes on the ground, he opened his orange eyes, raising an eyebrow as he slowly shook his head. Sighing, Leif took a swig of his cup and continued as he looked down at his companion.
“It was five years ago on this day. I was simply a man, wandering much like I am now, only by choice.” he explained. “Midgard was so lovely compared to now - so warm, full of life. But I simply had to poke my nose where it didn’t belong. And now, I walk among the dead.”
He let out another sigh, more dramatic than before as he finished his mug, tossing it to the side. “The worst part is, I didn’t even die. And as you may have noticed, I am hardly the only human down here.” he said. “Simply the only one being forced to stay. Hel challenged us all to make it out of here, but it appears I am the only one she wants to keep. Tell me, Gleth, is that fair?”
Gleth shook his head, his mouth seemingly formed but not once opening. Leif, shaking his head, gazed up to the wooden ceiling, gazing at a brightly glowing rune - “ᛞ” or “Dagaz” - that seemed to illuminate the whole room with its white light. “I suppose such angst is unbecoming of me, however. After all, I am still alive. My hamr and hugr are fully intact.” he mused, gesturing to his body and his head respectively at the two words. “You’ve had to regrow yours all this time. I can’t even begin to imagine how much of a struggle that must be for you.”
He smiled at Gleth, who glanced back at him with a shrug and a tilt of his head. “Worry not, my undead costar. One day, you will be whole again. I guarantee it.”
Gleth nodded at that, something flickering within him that felt familiar to him. Watching as Leif rose to his feet, he followed him as the human put on his coat and approached the door. “Are you ready, Gleth? We should exit soon.”
Letting out a low murmur, Gleth gestured towards what looked like a treasure chest in the corner, and Leif, noticing this, glanced at him in curiosity. “You want…a coat?” he asked. “You know, draugr like you don't need to brave the cold like we humans do. You’ve performed well without one all this time.”
Gleth didn’t stop looking at the chest, however, and in due time, Leif let out a light shrug, waltzing right over to it and cheerfully opening it. “Then again, fashion is as noble a cause as any other!” he declared. “Come, my friend! We shall make a star out of you yet!”