You walk over to the grungy diner. The words "Hel's Cafe" flicker and sputter overhead in the dark. It's nearing midnight. There's a woman outside, having a cigarette. There's a black dog with white whiskers on his snout beside her. He has no chain.
She grunts at you. "Come to rescue the boy, have you?"
You shrug, not committing either way.
She stares you down. This must be Modgud, Hel's bouncer. You've heard of her. She takes no shit. But, rumour has it, if you can make her laugh or smile, she'll let you in. She's got a leather jacket on. She looks lean as if she works out every day. She has long dark dreads that are intwined with silver. She's been at this job a long time. The dog must be Hel's hound, Garm.
She squints at you. "So, what are you here for, kid? A [[coffee->Yeah]]?"
"Yeah," you say, trying to feel tough and brave.
"You rode far to get here. It's a nine hour journey to drive all this way. You didn't get lost coming over? You were the only one on the Gjallarbru bridge over the Gjöll river. I heard you coming. Your muffler's fucked."
You try to be as gruff as her. "Yeah. I know."
Garm sniffs you, nudging your leg.
She studies you. "You look like one's of Odin's. A little scarred and a little stupid."
You stand a little taller despite the insult. "Yeah. He told me that you're Hel's lover. That you fall into bed together at the end of your shift."
She stares at you in disbelief for a moment before letting out a cackle. "He told you that, did he? Well, [[he's right->Enter]]. We all need a little warmth at the end of the day."She stamps out her cigarette and gestures at the door. "Go on, necromancer."
You nod your thanks, hoping that you look tough and hard. You shove your hands in your jacket pockets and pull your jacket a little tighter around you. But then, Garm presses his nose against you and you can't help but give him a little headpat.
A little bell jingles as you push open the glass door.
You can see ghosts and shades of all kinds sitting at the booths and tables of the diner. Everyone is eating, talking, and laughing. Jazz music floats from an old stereo. A few slow-paced servers bring about new plates or take away used ones.
You see Hel, the Jotun giant goddess herself, leaning against the counter, talking to a couple. You walk over to [[them->Meeting]].Hel is, as everyone says, half alive and half corpse. You are struck for a moment by her appearance. She has pale white skin with blotches of grey rot blooming here and there. She has long black hair and dark eyes. She is laughing at something the young woman just said. She has a husky throaty laugh.
You slide onto the stool next to the young woman. She looks over at you, smiling. Her husband Baldur, the man everyone is looking for, glances at you too with a merry look in his eye. They both have half-eaten plates of a midnight brunch in front of them.
She--who must be his wife Nanna--has long medium brown hair and gentle eyes. She looks comfortable in a loose dress. But you look at her again, and suddenly her clothes seem burned and tattered, and there is a look of agony on her face. The vision clears and she looks at you curiously.
"You had a long trip," she says. "Won't you sit with us?" She gestures at Hel. "Bring this one some of your excellent bacon."
Baldur curls his brown locks behind his ears. "So, [[you've come->Hope 1]]," he says."So," Hel says, regaining your attention. "Frigg had all beings in all the worlds cry for Baldur and in return, I would give him back to the world."
She raises a coffee pot filled with water or what must be tears. "Every single one, huh."
She juts her chin out at you. "What about you, hmm? You came down here to cry in person, didn't you? At the request of Odin and Frigg, no less. How they must trust your devotion." She gives a dark chuckle.
"Will you cry for the heir of Asgard?"
You give Baldur a long look. He looks back at you unflinchingly.
"[[Yes->Yes]]," you say.
"[[No->No]]," you say.Hel sighs.
You recall sunlight warming you during a good long nap. You remember the feeling of relief after a long day of work. You brood on all the times a family member or friend gave you an encouraging word. You turn over in your mind all these small moments of hope. You imagine life without hope.
It sucks.
The idea of life without hope--life without Baldur--brings tears to your eye. You hear a little //plop// sound as the tears somehow falls into Hel's coffeepot.
Nanna reaches over and grips your hand for a moment. "Thank you," she whispers. She seems to appreciate the honour of the gesture.
The dull rumble of ghostly conversation lowers to a murmur. You can feel the eyes of the dead on your back. Then conversation returns to it's regular volume.
Hel looks displeased. Hel turns around to scratch a line on a chalkboard over a coffee machine. The board is divided into two sections. One section is labeled "Baldur" and has so many tick marks on it that his section is full. She manages to find room to enter another tick mark at an awkward angle.
"I suppose this will satisfy Frigg. But will it satisfy my Father?" she grumbles. "I must wait for true news. You might [[be here->Coffee]] awhile, kid."All things must come to an end, you think. Flowers wither, trees fall, clouds dissapate, and gods die. Baldur could not remain invulnerable forever. Nobody can be invincible, not even a god.
You shrug at Baldur and Nanna.
"Not everyone gets to go home," you say. Your eyes are dry.
Hel crows a laugh. "That's one for me!"
Hel turns around to scratch a line on a chalkboard over a coffee machine. The board is divided into two sections. One section is labeled "Baldur" and has so many tick marks on it that his section is full. Hel's section has one tick mark. One for you who refused to cry.
She reaches over the counter to clasp your shoulder. Her grip is both the warmth of a living goddess and the chill of a corpse."There's a place for you in my household, necromancer. You're welcome to visit anytime you like, not just twice a year."
She adds, "A poor host I would be if I did not [[offer you->Coffee]] something."
Baldur looks disappointed, but not surprised. Nanna seems tense.Remembering your mission, you clear your throat and address Baldur. "Your mother has walked the Nine Realms asking every single living thing to swear not to hurt you."
"She really did it?" He looks shocked. His confidence has a chink. He clutches Nanna's arm. Nanna's eyes shine as she looks at you.
She asks: "And--?"
Hel leans forward. "Did she?"
You shrug. "So Odin says. [[She's off->Cry Guy]] on one last journey into Jotunheim."
Baldur looks worried. "Father gets overconfident at times."Loki strides in. He is the mischief-maker, shape-shifter and change-bringer. He causes chaos like nobody else. He sweeps his long red hair over his shoulder.
He crows, "Guess who didn't cry?! Guess you're stuck here, nephew! Hope you'll be happy here in Helheim! I told your mother: //Let Hel keep what she has//." His grin, though triumphant, is etched with terrible needle-sharp scars.
Hel looks flattered, although you doubt she would ever admit that to anyone. Both Baldur and Nanna are crestfallen. But Baldur rallies himself and gets up to shake his uncle's hand. Baldur shakes his head. "Of course it was you, uncle."
Loki grips Baldur's hand tightly for a moment. "Trust me, nephew, I am saving you from serious boredom." He gives another sharp grin. "One day, you'll know why I did this and you might thank me then."
Baldur looks at his uncle uncertainly. "Right."
Nanna scowls, completely unimpressed with Loki. "Murderer," she spits.
Hel calls to Baldur and Nanna, "Guess [[you're stuck here with me->Friendship]] after all, friends." She glances at the couple and then, in her victory, she puts a tick mark on her side of the blackboard. Hel puts her tear-filled coffee pot back on the coffee machine and takes out a fresh pot of actual coffee.
She gestures at you with the pot. "Want some?"
Hel serves you black coffee in a white mug. You drink it quietly for awhile as the chatter around you ebbs and flows.
[[Baldur->So Many Plans]] sighs to himself.Nanna looks at Hel warily. "Are you our friend?" She gestures to her husband and herself. "Or our jailer?"
Loki stands beside Baldur who is perched on a stool. Loki casually drapes an arm around Baldur's shoulder, reaches, and pats Nanna on the shoulder. "Both, of course!"
Hel smiles. Her smile seems wider than it ought to be naturally.
You wonder if Loki has any idea of the conversation that just took place before he arrived.
Hel turns to you. "And you? Are you our friend?"
Will you tell Odin and Frigg what you've heard here? Will you take Loki aside and tell him that his only daughter seeks to out-step him? Have you any other choice?
Would there be any fun in telling the truth?
You give the group an exaggerated bow.
It seems you've become embroiled in politics too.
Loki eyes you a moment and remarks, "Frigg and Odin sent you on another errand, huh? They always have something for you to do."
Loki then turns to his daughter. "Come! Let's have [[a toast->A Toast!]].""You're the hope of the world," you say. "I had to come."
[[Baldur->Baldur]] looks at you thoughtfully. He sits straight and looks calm and alert, as if ready for anything. The moment blurs, and you see him with a huge bloody wound in his side. He clutches himself, clearly in pain. Then the moment dissipates. He is smiling at you once more.
Hel seems amused by your shock. She has a cruel satisfied smile on her lips. She sets a plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, and fried potates in front of you.
Baldur startles. "Have you some plan yourself?"
Nanna starts to frown.
Hel tilts her head and looks at him. "Haven't you?"
Baldur looks at Hel and Nanna in bewilderment, then turns to stare at his hands. His face hardens. "Yes."
"You see?" Hel says, entertained. "We all aim to outdo each other, cousin. This is what family is for. We can help each other. Perhaps we can out-plan our own fathers."
"If only we can [[trust each other->Hel's Bargain]]," Nanna says severely.Hel has her servers top up everyone's coffee and tea, including yours. Loki grabs a spare mug.
He says, "To Baldur and Nanna! Dearly beloved!" His tone is not kind. Loki comes over and clinks mugs with you.
Hel calls out, "To our latest guests! To friendship! Be welcome here!"
She sounds genuine.
The shades of the dead cheer. You give a good shout and [[drink->Drive]].In the hubbub, you edge out the door. Baldur and Nanna are crowded by the dead. Loki is gulping a large mug of coffee, as if he wasn't energetic enough. You're certain Hel is watching you leave.
Modgud holds the door open for you. The air is crisp.
She is smoking another cigarette. "So, did you enjoy your coffee?"
You gulp and nod. "Yeah, I did. Best cup in all of Helheim."
She cracks the tiniest of smiles at you. "Did you get what you wanted?"
"I think I made some new friends."
She takes a deep drag of her cigarette. "See you next time, kid."
Does she already know?
You give Garm a little head scratch and wave at the old bouncer.
You walk over to [[your car->Hel's Road]].Hel says, "You stay here with me, safe and protected, with hospitality's full benefits. In return, once the war between our fathers has stopped, we keep a truce between us. I keep my power and you take your inheritance."
"That's all?" Nanna interrupts. She is frowning at Hel.
The corner of Hel's mouth turns down. "Reign in Thor and his sons after the war. I want minimal bloodshed between him, his children, and my giant kin. I am tired of seeing my clan turn up dead on my doorstep."
"And what do I get in turn?" Baldur asked with a pensive look on his face.
"We forge an unbreakable truce between us. We swear on Ymir's bones: no more war between our kin."
"That's an easy oath to break," he objects.
She hesitates, pauses to herself for a moment, then [[nods->The Offer]]. "Let me foster one of your children when the time comes. I know I am well-known as infertile, but I am not inexperienced. I care for young babes and children here in Helheim. I can teach one of your children much in the ways of necromancy and divination. I will do this for nine generations of your descendants."
Baldur looks to Nanna. She is staring at her half-eaten plate of eggs and bacon.
You interject. "For the sake of your parents, Odin and Frigg, I will come. I will visit the child every year to see how they are doing until they reach adulthood."
Hel gives you a crooked smile. You have a terrible dread that //she likes you.//
"See? Your parents trust in this one proves true. This necromancer came to cry for you in person after all."
"In exchange--"
Hel interrupts you. "Aha! There's the demand. Never make a deal without getting something in exchange. What do [[you->Want]] want, necromancer?"
Hel taps her fingernails on the countertop. Some of her fingers are keen and alive, other fingers are rotting, and her thumb is shiny bone.
"We must swear," she declares. She takes out a jar from underneath the countertop. It is filled with earth.
"What is that?" you ask, unable to stop yourself.
"It is earth from a hillside--my ancestor Ymir--his bones became the mountains upon his murder. Your father has to answer for that," she says, shooting the last remark at Baldur. He shifts uneasily in his seat.
She unscrews the lid, pulls out a handle of earth, and dumps it on the countertop.
Nanna asks: "Do you do this often?"
Hel smiles mysteriously and does not answer. You [[look around->The Oath]] the room.The room gets quieter. The dead are looking at the group of you. Baldur, Nanna, you, and Hel all place your fingertips into the earth.
Hel announces, "An oath! A pledge sworn on Ymir's bones: I will host and protect Baldur and Nanna until the end of this war. Upon Baldur's inheritance, he will take power and limit Thor and his sons' battles upon the Jotnar, the giants. At the end of the war, I will keep my realm and power. Baldur, nor his company, will try to take it from me. In exchange, I will foster one of his children and teach them what I can. I will foster nine generations of Baldur's family."
"This fosterage will be a brokering of peace between us and our kin for nine generations to come. This necromancer here will be witness to the peace by visiting twice a year to check on the child until the child comes to adulthood. The necromancer will find a suitable replacement to this position when the time comes."
"Do you agree to these terms?" She looks each of you in the eye.
"I do," Baldur says quietly.
"I swear," Nanna says resolutely, staring at Hel full in the face.
"Yes," you say, throat dry.
"As do I," Hel adds, almost casually.
Plans within plans, you wonder. Where will this all [[lead?->Good Cheer]]Hel is cheerful now. She refills everyone's glass of water and serves a bowl of fried potatoes to a nearby shade.
She looks at you thoughtfully.
"You've made a huge commitment."
You stare into your coffee mug. Then you look up and ask, "Who is going to pay for my gas money?"
"Ha! Now you ask the important questions. I'll pay for the first two years. After that, we renegotiate."
You are relieved. "Deal."
"Now, one would expect the Aesir gods to send a messenger announcing news some day or another. You may [[be here awhile->Coffee 2]]."Baldur stretches a little and takes a sip of coffee.
"Mother and Father wanted the world from me."
"They're such intimidating in-laws," Nanna interjects. "Your Mother is the most powerful seer in Asgard and your Father knows every single law of magic and then invents some new ones in his spare time!"
Baldur squeezes her hand then continues. "They wanted me--//us//--to lead Asgard into a new age. Will Mother really manage to make everything in the worlds cry for me? To bring me back? Will Nanna be allowed to join me? Plans within plans," he murmured, trailing off.
"I know what that's like," Hel said, voice laden with sarcasm. She starts to rant: "My father Loki--" She stops herself and shakes her head. "My father and your father are always plotting something. Did you not ask yourself [[why you're here?"->Plan]]You sip your coffee patiently. You wonder if there's any sugar or milk. The coffee is awfully dark. You look up and down the counter for a pitcher of milk or bowl of sugar cubes.
The door's bell jingles. Someone enters. Modgud leans in the doorway and calls out: "Visitor!"
Hel turns and cries out: "[[Father!->Loki]]"You think about it. What do these gods have that they could offer you?
"Give me a piece of Odin's cloak to protect me as I travel back and forth every year. The cloth must be big enough to cover me. I will be satisfied with that."
Nanna stares at you hard. "You must visit twice a year," she demands. "Once in summer and once in winter. You must bring gifts on our behalf to the child. Do this and we shall grant you your request."
You nod. "Done."
[[What are you getting yourself into?->Commitment]] A nine hour drive four times a year? You are lost in thought for a moment.
You open your car door and sit in the driver's seat. It feels like no time has passed at all. It's still dark and the stars are out. For better or worse, Baldur and Nanna are where they need to be.
You can't help but feel you left a part of you back in that cafe. Your loyalties have shifted now. Where will this road take you?
You start the car, reverse, and head south up Hel's road. You have a long drive back.