Out of the Abyss

"Thank you for saving me." His claws dug into the ground, the weight of his escape finally settling now that he calmed a little. "Am I really out of this damned place?"

"Yes." Nídhögg nodded. "It was a pleasure observing you for the past five years. But I have work to tend to. After all, Yggdrasil will never crumble if I take extended vacations."

He waved his paw to a distant star. "As much as you dislike your new form, you can now travel between the realms. It'll take a while, though. Your best bet is to follow the Yggdrasil roots to Asgard or Jotunheim."

Adam raised his paw. Not used to his new height and mass, it crashed into the corpses, raising a dust cloud. But he didn't care. He had escaped! But five more years had passed?

His eyes dulled. He had been gone for ten years now. His smile curled down, the length of the journey ahead eclipsing the joy brought by his escape. Only when he was back home would he finally relax.