Chapter 126: Nine Realms and Hella

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Alfheim was a marvel to anyone's eyes. The realm that housed the light elves was full of nature and wonders. The group was very well received by the residents of the realm and it was Calypso's time to go wild. The goddess was very animated in knowing a lot of new plants and everything that she could take a sample, seeds, or seedlings, she took. Calypso would have a lot of work when she arrived back home.

Nidavellir was the home of the dwarves. It was not really a place to be toured since the local was basically a giant workshop for the dwarves. But that didn't stop the group from having their fun. Erik and Joan toured the place as they were kids in a candy store. Because of her sacred gear, Joan had a strong link to all kinds of armors and weaponry. She, together with Erik, managed to make a contract with the dwarves to craft a set of swords and armor for her. Erik had ordered a sword to be made for Joan with the goblins as her hundred years birthday gift but it was only one sword. The man too was very happy with their visit to the dwarves' workshops. He had managed to get from some of the metal workers and artisans through the use and trade of some enchanted booze that he had experimented with to trade some of the cruder, for the dwarves, techniques in treating metals. The techniques turn the metals more receptive to magic, allowing more enchantments to be layered on them without overcharging the piece. As they said, it was nothing worth much in Nidavellir but in Midgard, also known as Earth, the impact of that technique would be very different. But this didn't mean that only Erik and Joan had fun in the realm. When they parted to their next stop, all of Erik's wives had some new jewelry on them.

Jotunheim was cold. Very cold. The realm of eternal winter was not a very hospitable place. At least not for normal people. The jotuns, or ice giants, that resided in the realm seemed to be very comfortable with the very cold weather. The group didn't feel much of it too, because as soon as they arrived, Erik had layered everyone with heat-isolating spells. But that didn't mean that the woman didn't have their fun wearing winter clothes. The ice city of the jotuns was a marvel to anyone's eyes. To Erik, it looked like something out of some fantasy book. Since the ice was the more abundant resource of the realm, everything was made of ice. And the interesting thing was there were different types of ice that had different densities and uses.

Muspelheim was the oposite of Jotunheim. It was hot. Very hot. The realm of fire was house to a plethora of species of animals adapted to live in extreme heat conditions. There was even some flora that thrilled in such conditions. Calypso, obviously, had got some samples, seeds, and seedlings from them. She was certain that she could convince Erik to create a special greenhouse for them. And she was right in that. Same thing with the 'samples' that she had gotten from Jotunheim. She could bet with anyone that the ice-related flora and the fire-related flora would have amazing uses for potion masters.

Niflheim was a strange place. The realm of mist was always covered by a thick layer of mist. That blocked the vision and, in some cases, the senses of anyone who visited the place. The fauna of the realm had all adapted to live in such conditions and, in some cases, they were totally blind and relied only on their other super developed senses. The group had 'suffered' some ambushes from hunting animals, but nothing that they could not easily deal with. After touring the realm a little a seeing nothing, literally, the group departed to visit the last realm on their list.

Hel was a new experience for them. As soon as they stepped into the realm, a group of armored skeletons raised from the ground and surrounded the group. They thought that the person controlling them was cute in thinking that these 'bags of bones' could pose any threat to them. But contrary to their expectations, the skeletons didn't move to attack or anything. They just stood in place while looking at them through their empty eyes sockets. Soon enough they discovered why. With some flair, some green and black smoke started to gather behind the lines of skeletons. She smokes then rose from the ground and seemed to solidify while forming the figure of a feminine figure. She was tall, sporting the same height that Erik had, and had long black hair with very vibrant green eyes. Her skin was a pale tone of healthy. Joining everything together, she was a pretty woman. As she appeared completely, the skeletons who were in between her and the group walked to the side, making a pathway between her and the group. The woman walked through the created path and stopped when she was at the border of the encirclement.

"You are trespassing in the Hel realm. Leave immediately or become permanent additions to the realm."

The woman said in an authoritative voice. Erik smiled friendly at the woman and slowly raised his hands in a signal that he didn't mean to do any harm.

"Sorry about trespassing, but we are a family of tourists that have toured through all the other eight realms, missing only Hel."

Erik said to the woman, who he had a very good idea of the identity. The woman looked appraisingly at the group, not noticing anything different to them. To her, they seemed all… normal. Too normal even. She squinted her eyes at that and used one of her gifts to look deeper at them. But she could not. To her eyes, who could literally see a person's soul, the group was entirely covered by some kind of mist that blocked any sense in reaching them.

"How are you doing it?"

She asked the group. Erik cocked his head in confusion.

"Doing what exactly?"

Erik asked the woman.

"Hiding who or what you are."

She said, adding to her last question. Some understanding was shown in the group's face now.

"Oh, that… Well, that would be our secret to keep. We just like to travel while anonymous. It makes the experience more worthwhile. You can see things that you would not see if people knew who you are."

Erik explained to the woman. And it was true. They had traveled through all the realms without being barred once. It had been only in Asgard that those pests chose to mess with them and Erik had to put some sense back in their heads. Even serafall, who was a more known figure, managed to travel with them during her time off without being recognized. It was certainly refreshing for the Satan.

"Here, as a token of goodwill. Look again."

Erik said while mentally ordering the hidden snake ring in his hand to deactivate. The little snake that was coiled around his pinky finger, uncoiled itself and slithered down Erik's hand, hiding inside his sleeve. The woman did as Erik asked, and looked again. What she saw now shocked her. The women behind the man continued hidden from her vision, but the man… The man was something else entirely. His soul had pure condensed around. Power in a way that she had rarely seen during the entirety of her very long life. And it was compressed around him, forming a thick like cement aura. This man, this 'tourist, had certainly more power in him than she had available for her while in her realm.

"Who are you?"

She asked again, this time more on guard with the group in front of her. Erik smiled at her at that and continued with his 'non-aggressive' position, just ordering mentally to the hidden snake to go back to her place in his hand. The little snake did so, slithering back up his hand and coiling itself around Erik's pinky finger, assuming again its appearance of an inconspicuous snake-like ring.

"My name is Erik Ravenclaw, and these behind me are my family and wives."

Erik replied to the woman. He didn't say that everyone there was his wife because Leona was with them this time and they didn't have that kind of relationship. The woman took some time to recognize the name. She had heard it in the past, but since Erik didn't like to show off too much, it had been a long time since he was news. According to her memory, Erik Ravenclaw had married Satan Leviatan from the underworld after winning against her in a one versus one fight. Odin then was obligated to recognize Erik's ancestry even if he didn't grow up there. How this… Monster… had grown up and become this powerful without getting in anyone's eyes was a mystery that nobody could solve. But now she had an idea of how he did it. If Erik Ravenclaw would always hide like he just did, it was no mystery anymore how he passed by unseen to the supernatural world's eyes. She then was called attention in her head to another thing that he said. The women behind him were his family and wives. That meant that one of them was Satan Leviatan. She looked again at the women, this time paying more attention to their physical features, and managed to recognize Serafall Leviatan between them.

"I'm Hella Lokisdottir, ruler of the Hel realm and goddess of death."

The woman finally said, introducing herself to the group and confirming Erik's suspicions.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Hella. As I said before, I am Erik Ravenclaw and these are my wives and family, Selena, Calypso, Joan, Serafall, and Serafall's bishop, Leona."

Erik said, introducing himself again together with the women behind him, who gave Hella a nod with their head each time that they were introduced. Erik then snapped his finger as he finished the introductions.

*snap*

A vine basket, that was wrapped in silky cloth and tied up with some decorative kind of ribbon, appeared floating in front of Erik. Inside the basket were a lot of different things made by Erik. All of them were items to eat or drink, like cookies of different types, thanks to the cacao and vanilla he had got in Central America, and tea and coffee blends.

"Since it is our first time meeting and we are in your 'house', here, a gift to you."

Erik said and slowly floated the basket to Hella. The woman slowly nodded her head at that but didn't touch the basket. She simply assumed control of the floating spell and direct the basket to one of the skeletons to the side. It would have the mission of delivering the gift to her castle. But as the basket floated by her side a delicious smell escaped from it, making the goddess of death zero her vision to the basket again, who had reached the skeleton's hands.

"Bring it to my castle. And be extra careful with it."

Hella said, ordering the skeleton off, who just turned and started to walk to the castle that could be seen at the distance. With a wave of her hand, Hella sent another group of skeletons to guard the one carrying the delicious basket. Erik's wives smiled internally at that. For them, one more woman would be soon enthralled by Erik's cooking skills.

"Well, now that the pleasantries ended, we will be going since we are trespassing in the realm. Come on, girls."

Erik said and snapped his fingers again.

*snap*

A blue magic circle appeared under the group. A transportation one. But as Erik was ready to transport them out of the realm, he heard Hella's voice.

"Wait."

Hella said to them, making Erik stop the blue magic circle, which faded quickly.

"Since you made your offering, it would rude of my part to just send you all off."

Hella said in a way that appeared that she was doing that only because of manners. In truth, she was very curious about this family and wanted to know more about them. And it would work as something to relieve some of her boredom.

"We don't want to impose on you, Lady Hella."

Erik replied to the goddess.

"Nonsense. Come, let me show you a little of the realm. But be warned, Hel has not a lot for one to see."

Hella said to the group and waved her hand. At some distance of her, an open carriage materialized itself. In front of it, two nightmarish-looking horses were saddled and tied to the carriage. On the conductor seat, a skeleton wearing some kind of suit was sat ready to conduct the carriage. Hella started to walk to the carriage followed by the family.

What followed was Hella showing the family around the Hel realm. The goddess had a very different personality after she felt comfortable around them. She and the girls had hit off and talked about the more diverse topics between their 'touristic points' with them focusing on what they encountered during all their travels. Hella was impressed by all the places that they had traveled to. After some hours of touring, Serafall asked for them to make a pause to eat something. They did, and Erik then prepared some quick lunch for them all with helpings of vanilla-flavored ice cream and chocolate cookies as dessert. Hella devoured everything with gusto. She had never tasted something as delicious as that. Not even at one of Asgard's well-known feasts.

At the end of the day, the family was invited to stay in Hella's castle, which they accepted. Erik again cooked dinner for them. This time, he chose to grill different meats from different places that they visited. They had a very exotic barbecue that had meats that ranged from a simple chicken wing to the meat of a dragon and other magical beasts. As a side dish, Erik had prepared some fried potatoes and cooked some cassava, while Calypso had prepared a big variety of salads. These would do good in breaking all meaty flavors. That night, Hella went to bed with a very satisfied look on her face.

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