Niðavellir and Divine Mead

"Grandpa, and if they ask Mr. Sindri and Brok," Nerta said, to which the Dwarf sighed.

"We could probably see you as his son. Boy, wait a while, I'll go see those old men," said the dwarf, while I sat and read a magazine about who was the best Blacksmith. It had a note about Hephaestus and the blacksmith dwarves, also Vulcan and other gods showing their creations.

"Sir, your bandage," Nerta said, looking at me.

Noticing it was wet, I took it off and saw it soaked in blood. "Ha, another fool who gives his eye for Odin's powers. I haven't seen him in centuries," a voice roared. At the door was a dwarf with a long black beard, followed by another with a shorter and red beard, both in formal suits.

"Good morning, Lord Sindri and Lord Brok, I suppose," I said, looking at them. They both looked at me with interest.

"I like him. He has manners," said Sindri, the red-bearded dwarf.

"Yes, whatever you say Sindri. Now, let's see what we have here," Brok said, almost running to the table with Sindri.

"Beautiful wood, strong. Heart of Yggdrasil. Perfect size for an Ax," Sindri said, examining it.

"Yes, whatever you say. But look at this, how beautiful," Brok said, looking inside the chest. There were some black leather gloves, a deep Blue Sapphire, and a beautiful white diamond. Sindri saw it.

"The Cold of Helheim added to the Cold and fog of Niflheim. Only Hela could have given you this," Sindri said seriously.

"If he gave it to me years ago, he said not to open it until it was time. I would know what to do," I said, to which they both looked at me.

"We can work it out, but we would need to know what domains you have," Sindri said.

"Come on Sindri, if he is the son of that old man, you have Dominion over war," Brok said.

"War, wisdom, magic, including Necromancy," I said, to which they both looked at me in surprise.

"Child, if you touch that box without protection, it means that you are also related to the cold," the dwarf said seriously.

"The water, you took it," Sindri said, surprised, to which I nodded.

"You know hundreds of subjects tried to gain wisdom, gouging out their eyes and other body parts, even one who cut off his balls, but Mimir never gave it," Brok said.

"Maybe it's not Mimir who gave it," I said, with both of them sighing.

"Well, we will forge the weapon," Brok said, taking the chest with both gems.

"Thank you. What would be the payment? Years ago, they told me that it could be Kvasir's Mead," I said, to which they both thought about it.

"It may be acceptable, but it's rare. You know, let's do something. Find a barrel of that Mead. It will be all the payment," Sindri said, thinking about it.

"Thanks. One more thing, if I add something to the weapon, is it possible?" I said, looking at them.

"It depends on what," Sindri said, to which I took a necklace from my neck with a fragment of metal that they took while looking at it carefully.

"This was my first weapon. It was destroyed by Gunilla, the daughter of Thor," I said, giving her the piece of metal. They looked at it with more interest.

"It is common metal, but how strange! Your weapon was developing a small soul. Even after the weapon was destroyed, its spirit remained in it. It is asleep, and it only feels affection for you. It gave everything of itself to protect you. That brute with its hammer killed such a little thing. You know, this is perfect. We can use it," Brok said excitedly. He knew that for a weapon to develop a soul was a strange case.

"Thanks," I said. Both dwarves took all the measurements and adjustments for the weapon, while it was my turn to go to the brewery.

"Kid, if you're going to look for that, you can't go like this. Your old man didn't give you a damn weapon or armor," Brok yelled.

I shook my head. He went into a store and brought a chain mail and a sword. "Have something, it's something. Don't go to die," he said, while I put on the mail and the sword.

Nerta took me to the rune room and left one for Slovakia. "Young man, Europe is a difficult subject. Many monsters and creatures are around it. You must be careful. Not only Nordic, Greek, and other pantheons swarm, and you are a tasty morsel," she said as she handed me the rune.

I thanked and crushed the rune, feeling again that sensation of being molded in plasticine. I appeared near a great mountain.

It was raining and cold. The rain fell on my whole body, but I felt comfortable. "That's the factory," Audhild said, looking at the mountain.

"It's time to walk," I said, starting to move through the forest. Howls and footsteps of great weight were heard.

"Wolves, the other giants or forest trolls," I said, feeling the noise that was produced was as if someone hit wood with wood.

"I lean towards trolls," Rune said.

"Great, and it's still night," I said, looking at the sky. I walked slowly until I reached the brewery. It was an entrance to the mountain, which said "Kvasir-Gunnlod Distillery, the best Drinks of the 9 kingdoms." At the doors, there were three or four bonfires with trolls and wolves eating meat, not specifically animal, because I also saw human bodies.

"Yuck, they must be hikers," I said with a sick stomach.

"In total, 10 and a dozen wolves are besieging the gate," Audhild said, who had lowered to my shoulder.

"I have to divide them, the wolves on one side and the trolls on the other. The Mannaz rune can create a body, and maybe Sowilo can be useful," I said, looking at Rune who nodded.

"Good plan. The sun would petrify the troll, but only if it's made of stone. These look more like forest trolls," Rune said. He was right about this.

"So Thurisaz, that will kill both wolves and trolls, or so I hope. I've never made the runes," I said, taking the stones we collected from the Mimir pool.

"For Thurisaz, apply full power and imagine an explosion, but for Mannaz, you have to imagine yourself split in two," Rune said.

I started to create Thurisaz. It was easy to charge that rune with magical power and think of an explosion, which I imagined Gunilla's thunder experienced firsthand.

After creating about 30 of those, I divided them into 15 and went to two locations in the forest, cutting small pieces of wood and putting them inside. I formed a circle of death. I would lead the trolls into these circles and boom, explosion.

The Mannaz Rune was more difficult because it was creating a body based on magic and sharing everything. The things that the magic clone felt arose in my head. Moving was also a pain because I had to think twice to do it.

"Pretty good, but the clone won't attract wolves, maybe trolls," Rune said.

To which I sighed and forced the clone to cover himself in mud and leaves so that he had a smell, in addition to giving him a gray T-shirt of mine. We moved in two directions to separate them.

This was a crazy idea, and I knew it could go wrong quickly. If anyone wonders what goes through the head of a Nordic Demigod, it's a roller coaster. You'll throw yourself into danger like it's nothing, but the part of wisdom screams at you, "You're an idiot." I stopped where they could see me.

"Hey, idiots, smell wolf shit!" I yelled, throwing a rock at them, which hit the nearest wolf, making it squeal. The wolves stopped and snarled in both directions.

"Delicious smell, Semi, yummy," the trolls moaned, standing up and taking the clubs. I started running in the direction of the traps. The wolves followed me quickly, while the trolls destroyed the trees behind me. The ground vibrated non-stop. I arrived at a tree with an X carved. In my head, I also saw the clone arrive, but the wolves were after him at full speed.

Mine also came directly to where I was and jumped after me. I stabbed the first one in the throat, bathing in his blood. The trolls had arrived. I took the Thurisaz rune and threw it into a tree while running towards the exit of the trap. A chain of explosions sounded through the forest. The force sent me flying up a tree, hitting me hard. My bones creaked quite loudly.

"Sir, it's alright," Audhild yelled, flying off again.

"No, I think I broke my arm. Everything else is fine," I said, standing up slowly and shaking.

"There is someone alive," I said, looking at the destruction.

"Not everything was blown to pieces. Those runes were loaded," Rune said.

I began to walk slowly to the door of the distillery. I felt some pain throughout my body. It was a bloody massacre; those trolls were eating people, most of them climbers or hikers.

"They are carnivores, what we could expect. What do you want to do with them, sir?" Audhild said, looking at the bodies.

"Let's wait to meet the owners and see what they say. For me, I would burn them so they are not used as Draug or something similar," I said, going to the door.

When I got there, I began to cough up a little blood. "It is probable that some organs were shaken by the blow," Rune said, looking at me.

"Yes, I already realized," I said, a little pale. With my good arm, I rang the bell.

"Who's calling?" Shouted a person. It was a woman felt in the voice. Audhild was the one who spoke when she saw that I was not in good condition.

"A son of Odin," Audhild replied.

"He sent them to buy their annual reserve," said a voice, opening the door quickly. It was a tall woman with white skin and golden hair.

"Odin," she said, puzzled when she saw me.

"No," I said, feeling my head go cloudy, and I remember hitting the floor, in addition to Audhild's scream.

My mind went black, and I only felt pain. "Are you sure that the child is fine? What is Odin thinking, sending his son without even a little Mead or some healing magic or a Valkyrie, besides his Eye?" said a woman's voice.

"He will be fine. It is something difficult to tell," Audhild said worriedly.

"Luckily the Demigods are resistant, but giving an eye for wisdom, I haven't seen it for a long time," said a man's voice. I slowly got back up.

"I didn't give it because yes, the source asked me to," I said, getting up from bed in pain. To what everyone saw me.

"Wow, kid. A week away, and that's weird," the man said, looking at me. Upon looking at him better, he had short black hair and casual clothes, with a black leather jacket. The woman wore a dress with an apron; she was blonde and quite beautiful.

"I suppose they are Lord Kvasir and Lady Gunnlod," I said, getting up or trying. Gunnlod stopped me.

"No getting up, your body is still hurt. You didn't have any kind of Mead or healing magic to heal. Like hell, Odin sends you alone, he usually sends a dozen or more Einherjar to fetch his requests or his wild hunt. But he sends his son, and you're new," she said seriously.

"Because he didn't send me, I came to buy the barrels that reach me," I said, taking out the old piggy bank with Kvasir watching me from the bar.

"That's weird. Why do you need them?" Kvasir said, looking at me seriously.

"In order to pay for my first weapon, Brok and Sindri. I offered to pay them to forge it," I said, with both of them surprised.

"You know that if your father says something, they would forge it," Gunnlod said with a puzzled face.

"Gunn, it's more complicated than that. Odin wants you dead, right? That's why he's sending you alone and without any equipment," Kvasir said, looking at me to which I nodded.

"What a sin you committed," Gunnlod said, looking at me seriously.

"Born," I said, looking at the floor, with her surprised.

"How old are you, really, and how long have you been at the hotel?" Gunnlod said.

"10 turned a few days ago, five years," said Audhild. Gunnlod looked at me horrified.

"What the hell is wrong with that old goat? Killing his own son!" the woman yelled angrily.

"Gunn calm down. Now, Erik, tell me what your mission is. For Brok and Sindri to forge something for you is a terrible thing," Kvasir said.

"It's hunting Hati and Sköll," I said, with both of them staring at me.

"That's terrible. You're only 10 years old. Gods, Demigods, Valkyries, and he himself tried, they couldn't," she said horrified by the cruelty that Odin would show.

"We will sell you the Mead. How much do you have?" Kvasir said, to which I gave him the piggy bank. He took it and opened it, separating the coins and gold by civilization.

"Well, there are for 80 barrels," Kvasir said.

"But they told me that it could only be 4 or 5 at the most. The drink is very rare," I said.

"Yes, and the rest are Odin's. It bothers me that an idiot doesn't take care of his son. Children are a small gift. If he treats you like that, let him run out of drink or hold on with what he has," Kvasir said, smiling.

"Thank you," I said in a low voice. Gunnlod gave me something hot to eat to regain strength.

Kvasir had brought all the barrels and kept them in the ring. "One question, because they both created this distillery," I said seriously, looking at them.

"Ah, ya see, since those two dwarves killed me and created the mead, it became so famous that every idiot comes to kill me when I revive. So Gunnold had an idea. A Distillery! I just give my blood, and we both make the mead and sell it. I produce more by giving blood than if they kill me, but they don't understand," Kvasir said with a sigh.

"The problem is my father and family who revive and lock me up every so many years and kill Kvasir. Then your idiot father sends the punitive, and there are 2 or 3 years without Kvasir," Gunnlod said sadly.

"I understand. They haven't thought about opening a distillery and Resto Bar type, for Gods. They already know all the pantheons where they would be more protected," I said with both looking at each other.

"You know, it's a good idea. We could analyze it and make a market plan. Internationalize. But surely that idiot Dionisio or Vaco would be at the bar 24/7," said Kvasir.

The next day I got ready to leave. Kvasir approached me. "Erik, I have some advice for you, about Hati and Sköll. It's not always killing everything you see. Only in this case and this is to clean up the trolls and magical wolves," Kvasir said, giving me a key.

"It's an old place he had in New York. Use it however you want. It's yours," he said, leaving with Gunnlod.

I stood for a few seconds looking at the key and the council. I took the Raido rune from the ring and pressed it to go to Nidavellir. I walked through the streets until I reached the workshop where Nerta took me. When I arrived, I saw her entering with other Demigods.