The sword of Hel

"What could she possibly want from you?" asked Skadi, shocked by Freyr's remarks.

"The Council believes she found out that we keep an item of hers in our possession, safely hidden beneath the castle's vaults," he replied nervously.

"What is it? What could be so important that she wreaks such havoc?" Yrsa asked.

"The sword of Hel. You in particular might know it by another name - the God Killer. The only sword in the universe powerful enough to decimate a god just by a single touch, or at least that's what the stories say. Odin entrusted us to guard it with our lives. We never thought it would come to this," he said.

Yrsa took a deep breath. The sword contained too much power to be wielded by anyone. She held it before, just once, and it almost consumed her completely. The sword itself attracted death towards its wielder and, if not right in the heart, they would cause nothing but destruction. The gods had enough restraint to snap out of it, but if it were to get into the hands of any other creature it would not fare well for anyone.

"Have you tried contacting the Allfather?" she asked.

"Yes, but it was all in vain. Our realm is entirely isolated without all the four tower's crystals working. No man or message can pass through the atmosphere. It was a wonder you passed through, your magic must be very powerful, but I doubt you could get out now," he replied.

This narrowed the list greatly - there was only one thing left to do. Yrsa would go and speak to Hel, face to face. She wasn't afraid of that old hag.

"Where is she?" Yrsa asked, her voice sharp and steady.

"She is somewhere in the Forest of Thorns, or at least that's what our scouts say. If you are going there, please be careful. Things are not as they seem in there," he added.

"Wait, you aren't seriously considering this? She could kill you, or worse, imprison your soul. I don't think marching in there is a good idea," said Skadi, concerned about Yrsa's decisions. She was powerful, but Hel was on another level. If it weren't for other gods, she would probably take on Odin and defeat him too. She was no easy challenge.

"Don't worry. I've waited a lifetime to get revenge for the curse that erased me. I am ready to fight her. And please, don't follow me. If I don't succeed, someone will have to defend the castle," Yrsa replied, giving Skadi a look before portaling to a river near the Forest of Thorns.

Skadi could only sigh in frustration, though after all the years of knowing her, her rashness came as no surprise.

Yrsa was met with a wonderful sight - crystal blue water flowing over pearly white rocks. She was standing next to the River of Clearness. It was known for its calming effects and it flowed right into the Forest of Thorns, so she followed it.

It didn't take her long to start feeling the forest's effects. She was drowsy and confused with each step she took. Her surroundings were clouded by a thick fog. There were large, white webs on the high trees and many strange sounds coming from the shadows. There were thorn bushes on every corner. It was strange to think how the beautiful realm of Alfheim could be home to such a place.

The river melted into the ground at one point and Yrsa was left all by herself. Soon enough, she could hear distant marching and smell rot. She was, without a doubt, nearing her mortal enemy step by step.

She saw a group of five dead patrolling a small clearing where a tent stood. It was surrounded by dark mist. Yrsa climbed on one of the trees and waited for the patrol to pass. She hit two of the dead with arrows and jumped on the third one, stabbing him with a blade. The other two split up, surrounding her. She waited for them to strike and then she froze them with a flick of her wrist.

Yrsa walked slowly to the tent, not making a noise, but then stopped when she heard a loud, thundering voice. "Stop right there darling. You wouldn't want me to kill your dear friend over here, now would you?" said Hel. Yrsa could almost feel her voice resonating through her skull. Terror washed over her when she turned around.

Hel was holding Skadi by her throat with a knife in her other hand, ready to kill her. She was unconscious and bloody. Yrsa gasped, her hands reaching out, desperately trying to remember any magic that might help, but her magic wasn't yet at Hel's level. It was pretty much useless.

"Now, if you want your friend to live, tell me where the sword is," she said, with a monstrous voice.

Yrsa didn't know what came over her at that moment. She couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "It's under the main castle, in the vault. Now please, let her go. I'm begging you. She has no quarrel with you," Yrsa pleaded. Hel laughed, saying "Of course, here you go", and then she snapped her neck, throwing her dead, limp body to the ground and ripping her soul out of her body.