CHAPTER IV - LEARNING TO LIVE

 

 

 

I was standing in front of Maheliah’s palace, watching as the grand gates opened. Angel had already left for Netis’ palace, not wanting to risk being seen again, and I felt his absence like an open wound. It was hard to be away from him, especially now that we had both realised our feelings for each other. But I had no choice. I had to face my new reality, and I had to face it alone.

Maheliah greeted me with a warm hug, which felt odd considering that we had only met a few hours previously. But I did not want to insult her by rejecting her affection; I was going to be living with her for the foreseeable future, so I tried my best to hug her back. Admittedly, it was not difficult. She was a likeable person, and she had already shown that she was kind-hearted and caring by letting me return to Earth and by placing her trust in Angel almost instantly. I could not have asked for a better tutor to guide me through this strange learning experience.

Maheliah led me upstairs and through an open door. The walls, carved from the mountain itself, had a calcareous tint to them, and the floor was covered in panels of grey wood. On the wall just in front of me was a massive window, made of either glass or ice, I could not tell, and underneath it was a decorative wooden bench, covered by a white fur throw. There was another, much smaller window adorning the left wall, and beside it stood a short, wide chest of drawers, carved from white wood and decorated with silver handles, shaped like lilies. To my right, next to the door, was an identical chest of drawers, topped with a large mirror. A wooden chair stood in front of them, covered in the same kind of white fur throw as the bench. In the centre of the room was a magnificent baldachin bed, which looked like it could easily fit four people, covered in several white duvets and pillows. I had never seen such a wonderful bedroom.

“This is your room,” Maheliah announced with enthusiasm.

“It’s gorgeous, I’ve never seen such a beautiful room. Is it really mine?” I asked, dropping my bag on the floor by the door.

“Of course. You are a princess, Fada. It is only right that you should have a bedroom fit for one.”

Before I could respond, someone knocked on the door, and we both turned to see two beautiful women standing in the doorway. I could only assume that they were twins, for they looked almost identical, the only difference being the lengths of their straight, ebony hair: one sister wore hers down to her hips, the other wore hers shorter, down to her waist. Both sisters had startling almond-shaped pink tourmaline eye, and they were both dressed in white, figure-hugging dresses, which fanned out at the knee like a fishtail, the fabric kissing the floor. They were impressive to behold and made me feel very unattractive.

Maheliah smiled, ushering the two women into the room.

“Fada, may I introduce my dear friends, Nalhya and Lilhya. They will attend to you every morning and evening, helping you dress and fix your hair. Girls, may I present the future queen of Hagalaz, Fada.”

“Welcome princess,” chorused the two women. They shared the same accent as Maheliah.

I felt deeply uncomfortable being called a princess, especially by two such stunning young women. I did not feel worthy, or prepared, to hold such a position of power.

“We brought the dress,” the twins continued, reaching behind the door to retrieve a floor length garment.

Maheliah took the dress from them and handed it to me.

“Before I introduce you to the others and show you around the palace, you must be dressed appropriately. Your earthly clothes will not do here. Girls, if you will…”

The twins drew closer to me and Maheliah left the room, closing the door behind her. The dress was immediately taken from my hands by one of the twins and placed delicately onto the bed, while the other twin took hold of the white screen that lined the righthand wall, pulling it towards me.

“Your Majesty, if you could undress yourself…”

“Oh, call me Fada, please. There’s no need for any of that princess nonsense,” I exclaimed.

The twins looked at each other for a few seconds before looking back at me. They nodded hesitantly.

“As you wish. If you could please get undressed, Fada, and give your old clothes to us, then we can attire you properly.”

My heart beating fast, I began to undress myself as requested, until I was standing in only my underwear. Reluctantly, I handed my clothes to Nalhya and Lilhya.

“You must remove all of them, Fada,” one of them whispered, smiling sympathetically.

I had no desire to be naked in front of two strangers, but their voices were so gentle and kind that I felt my resistance waning. Besides, I had no way of returning home; I might as well try and fit in. Making sure I was hidden behind the screen, I removed my underwear and handed it over to one of the twins. The other twin handed me a silky bodysuit in exchange. Looking down at the elegant, sensual garment, I protested.

“Don’t you have anything like my normal underwear?”

“No, I’m afraid not. We don’t wear that kind of thing here.”

I looked down at the bodysuit again. It was unlike anything I had ever worn before; I was not used to wearing such delicate lingerie, but I did not have the energy to argue. Once I was no longer naked, the twins removed the screen and helped me into the dress, spending a long time adjusting the ties at the back. I felt uncomfortable having people do things for me, so I decided to try and chat to them as they worked. If I was going to see them every day, I needed to at least try and befriend them.

“I’m sorry, umm… could you tell me which one of you is which? I don’t want to get your names wrong.”

“I’m Nalhya,” said the twin with the longer hair.

“And I’m Lilhya,” said the shorter-haired twin.

“Oh, okay, thanks. Umm… well, Nalhya and Lilhya, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“It’s lovely to meet you too, Fada.”

“How is it that you speak my language? Does everyone in Hagalaz speak English?” I asked.

“No, we learned it, along with Maheliah and a few others. Ever since she knew that you weren’t going to grow up in Hagalaz, she decided to learn your tongue, and taught us too, so that you wouldn’t feel alone when you finally came to live with us,” Nalhya answered.

“I believe Netis and some of his people learned as well,” Lilhya continued.

They spoke about it so nonchalantly, as though learning a language from another world was not a big deal. This world and its people were truly incredible, and I was grateful for their intelligence. It was a relief to be able to communicate with the people around me without having to rely on hand gestures.

Once the twins had finished adjusting my dress, they came and stood in front of me.

“We should do your hair as well. Would you please sit down in front of the mirror, Fada?”

Nalhya opened one of the drawers and took out a silver brush and several hairpins, passing a handful to her sister. Then, standing on either side of me, they started to style my hair, twisting and pinning my black curls, somehow gently coaxing my crazy hair to comply with their intentions. After only ten minutes, they had finished, and I could not help but marvel at my reflection in the mirror. My curls had been pinned to form a thick serpent of hair, following the curve of my spine down to my waist. Most of the wayward curls that usually framed the sides of my face were now piled up on the top of my head, the ends of them merging with the ebony serpent, except for several curls that had been left resting against my cheeks. My hair had never looked this glamourous, and had I not watched the twins style it I would have been convinced that it was a wig and not my own hair at all.

Once I had recovered from the sight of my hair, I stood up to admire the rest of my reflection. They had dressed me in a white, floor-length, strapless gown, made from a linen-like material, featuring two strips of fabric that crossed in the centre of my chest to create a beautiful and delicate bodice. Two transparent pieces of fabric lined the sides of the skirt, running from my ribs down to the floor, beneath which were strips of tulle, preserving my modesty. At the back of the dress, several pieces of fabric were tied together in intricate knots, and I quickly discovered that they moved hypnotically with every movement I made. Suddenly, I was no longer jealous of Nalhya and Lilhya, for I now looked just as stunning as they did.

“Thank you for doing my hair, and for this dress. It’s beautiful. I never imagined that I might wear a dress as gorgeous as this one day.”

Lilhya shrugged. “These are the kind of clothes we wear in Hagalaz. Earth clothes are very strange.”

“I guess you’re right, though it would have been difficult to wear such dresses with the type of life I had on Earth.”

The twins looked at each other for a few seconds, as if they were talking by telekinesis, before looking back at me.

“Please forgive us if this sounds impolite but… can we ask you a favour?” Nalhya asked.

“Go ahead…”

Lilhya piped up. “We were just wondering whether you would be willing to tell us about your life on Earth? Your world is entirely unknown to us; it’s so intriguing. We would love to hear more about it.”

“Of course, that’s not impolite at all. I would be very glad to tell you about Earth. It would give me a chance to relive some of those memories.”

I had been so busy since coming back to Hagalaz that I had forgotten my grief, but talking about Earth reminded me of the family I had left behind and how much I missed them. Nalhya and Lilhya looked at me, confused.

“Fada, are you okay?” they asked in unison.

“Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry. I was just thinking about my family.”

“We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t hurt me. Everything’s fine.”

It was so strange. Back on Earth, I had always tried to find excuses to get out of conversations; they had always made me feel anxious and uncomfortable. But here, I felt so at ease talking to the twins. The two of them were so kind and genuine; I already felt close to them, and I was certain that we would become firm friends. I did not understand how I could have changed so quickly. Then again, I had felt the same with Angel, relaxed and at ease. Perhaps it was simply the people: I had never fit in on Earth, but Hagalaz was my true home. It made sense that I felt comfortable here.

As I was pondering this sudden change in myself, Maheliah returned, clapping her hands delightedly at the sight of me in my new attire.

“Fada, look at you! You’re absolutely gorgeous.”

She proceeded to walk around me, complimenting my appearance and the twins’ hard work. I was not used to being the centre of attention, yet here, after only a few hours, I had become a princess. It made me feel uncomfortable, being scrutinised like that. It had all happened too fast, and I was not sure I could handle much more. Wearily, I asked Maheliah if I really had to see the rest of the palace and meet everybody today. All I wanted to do was rest and be alone for a while, to come to terms with everything that had happened. Maheliah looked at me sympathetically, assuring me that everything could wait until tomorrow.

“You should rest now, my dear. Would you like something to eat? You must be famished.”

I thanked her kindly for the offer but politely refused; I was too overwhelmed to contemplate eating anything right now.

Maheliah gestured to the twins, and after smiling at me kindly, the two of them left the room, walking in sync as though they were one person.

“They’re really sweet. I’ve never seen two people so close to one another,” I told Maheliah once the twins had gone.

“I know, they have such a strong bond, though it’s hardly surprising. It’s fairly common for twins to be close.”

“But there’s something different about them. I’ve met twins before, and they had a strong bond, but it’s nothing compared to the bond between Nalhya and Lilhya. They are like one person in separate bodies.’’

“That’s because the relationship between twins is stronger in our world than on Earth.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our folklore tells us that we are not one, but two entities. Every soul has a partner, a complementary soul, and when you meet the soul that complements your own, there is no turning back. If you become separated, your soul will cry out for the other, and vice versa. More often than not, twins are one another’s partners. They are soulmates, in a way; that’s why twins have such a strong connection. Sadly, it also means that they will never experience true love, since their soul belongs to their sibling.”

“Does everybody have a soulmate, or is it only twins?” I asked, intrigued.

“We believe everyone has a soulmate. It is said that as soon as you meet your soulmate, you experience the sensation of having met that person before. Everything feels natural with them; you feel simultaneously at peace and wide awake, like you have awoken from a deep slumber. But you might not realise that person is your soulmate straight away. In fact, at the beginning, it is very common to not feel attracted to them. But the two souls will call for each other, as if a force drives them together, and it is not unusual for this connection to turn into love. Sadly, it usually brings nothing but pain and sorrow.”

“Why?” I asked, confused.

“As I said, once you have found your soulmate, it is impossible to live away from them. Yet the two souls often end up being in the bodies of two people who cannot be together. It is believed that there were many times in the past when princes or princesses met their soulmates, but their other halves were not royalty; sometimes they were common folk, or even slaves. A prince or princess cannot marry a slave, so they were forced into a marriage with someone they were not connected to, suffering day after day because they were not allowed to share their life with the person they were supposed to be with. They had to live with a person that they did not love, away from the one their soul desired.”

“Have you met your soulmate, Maheliah?”

“No, I haven’t, and I think it is much better this way. As I’ve just told you, it usually ends tragically. Besides, my soulmate might not even have been born yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our folklore speaks of a special kingdom on our planet, called Eihwaz: the soul kingdom. No one knows where this kingdom is, and it does not appear on any of our maps, but we believe that it is the home of the souls that do not have a body yet. Sometimes, these souls leave Eihwaz, and wander into our kingdom, watching and waiting to be reincarnated. Our lore states that, from the moment a soul enters a new body, it forgets everything about its past lives, though it is said that some people do experience flashes of memory. However, such flashes can only occur if the new body is experiencing something similar to what its soul has already experienced, or if the body goes to a place which its soul has a strong connection to, such as the place where one of the soul’s previous bodies died.”

I stared at Maheliah, trying to take in what she had told me. It was quite a story, but it did not seem at all plausible. I struggled to believe that soulmates and reincarnation existed, especially since that would mean I probably had a soulmate myself. Then again, I had just discovered that not only was I a princess from another realm, but that realm was not even on Earth, and was only accessible via a magic portal. Considering everything that had happened today, the concept that soulmates and reincarnation might be real should not have been at all surprising.

Maheliah kissed my cheek, laughing at my perplexed expression. I still needed to get used to her kissing and hugging me. She told me to rest, and informed me that the twins would come by in the morning to get me dressed for the day.

“Also, just so you know, a snowstorm breaks out every night in Hagalaz. Don’t worry, the palace protects us very well, but I thought I ought to warn you. It can be quite loud.”

I nodded, thanking her for her courtesy. Maheliah smiled, squeezing my hand warmly, before turning and leaving the room.

As soon as the door closed behind her, I walked over to the bed and collapsed onto the soft linen, letting out a huge sigh. I was finally alone. The bed was warm and comfortable, soft and velvety to the touch, and I let myself sink into the sheets, trying to empty my thoughts. My mind was a whirlwind; there was too much information swirling around my head. Unable to relax, I began to unpack my rucksack, but the night was falling fast, and though I searched for a candle or some other light source, I could not find anything. I made a mental note to ask Maheliah about that in the morning.

Carrying my books to the chest of drawers, I placed them in the bottom draw, deciding that I would store my drawings in the top drawer, just like I had in my bedroom on Earth. I placed my music box on the dressing table and fixed my pendant around my neck, holding the photograph compartment tightly in my hands.

The sun was nearly completely set, and the storm was now raging outside. It did not seem to be snowing yet, but I could hear the strength of the wind; any trees that had once been standing must surely have been flattened to the ground by now? Walking over to the fur-covered bench, I sat beneath the giant window, holding my pendant in my fingers. The night sky was magnificent: hundreds of stars twinkled in the darkness, and just in front of me, a multicoloured aurora performed a mesmerising dance, snaking through the sky like a sea serpent. As I looked closer, I noticed a series of planets suspended in the blackness. One had a purplish tint to it and looked about the size of the Earth’s moon; another glowed a vibrant, ethereal blue, reminding me of the blue planet I had now left forever.

After several minutes spent staring into the vastness before me, I began to yawn, and decided that it was time to try and sleep. Walking over to the bed, I gently removed my dress and bodysuit, laying them carefully on one of the chairs so as not to damage the delicate fabric. Nalhya and Lilhya had forgotten to take my normal clothes with them, so I put on my shirt and pants, not knowing where my Hagal pyjamas were, or even whether they wore any. Finally, I carefully removed the hairpins from my hair, knowing that I would never sleep if I kept being stabbed every time I turned over.

Crawling into my bed, I snuggled beneath the warm, soft duvets and promptly fell asleep, my emotional and physical exhaustion finally wiping me out.

I could not say what time it was when I woke up. The twins had yet to arrive, so I stayed snuggled up in my warm bed while I waited for them to appear. It still felt like I was dreaming, and I was not eager to leave my bed, knowing that reality would strike as soon as I got up.

I heard a knock on the door, and without waiting for an answer, Nalhya and Lilhya entered the room.

“Good morning, princess. How was your first night in Hagalaz?” they asked in a same voice.

“Please, just call me Fada. Princess is so formal.”

“If that is an order, we will do as you ask.”

“No, it isn’t an order, but I would feel more comfortable if you would treat me as a friend.”

They nodded solemnly, but as I stood up, they began to laugh.

“What are you wearing?” Nalhya exclaimed.

“I didn’t know what to wear for the night, so I put on my old clothes.”

They laughed even more, and Lilhya swiftly walked towards the chest of drawers, pulling out a long linen nightshirt.

“We sleep wearing these, not your strange clothes.”

I forced a smile. I knew my made-up pyjamas were not fancy, but I always slept on my own, so it had never bothered me before. But with the two gorgeous twins smirking at me, I felt ridiculous.

Coaxing me out of bed, the twins dressed me in my stunning outfit from the day before and re-styled my hair. Just as they were making the finishing touches to my hairdo, Maheliah entered, greeting us all warmly, before asking how my first night in Hagalaz had been. I answered that I had slept very well, which was not a complete lie, for the bed had been very comfortable. But my sleep had been plagued with nightmares; I would have preferred a dreamless night.

“Once you’re ready, we’ll go downstairs so that I can introduce you to everyone and give you a tour of the palace. Life here is very different compared to what you are used to. It may take some time for you to adjust.”

Once Nalhya and Lilhya had finished doing my hair, we all headed downstairs.

“We’ll start with the washing plant. I can’t remember if I told you this, but everyone here only has a couple of outfits, as our fabric supply is limited; I’ll tell you why later. Every evening, Nalhya and Lilhya will bring your dress here, to be washed and dried. Then, every morning, they will bring it back to you. As such, you must be careful with your dress, for until we can get another one made, this will be your only item of clothing.”

The washing plant was a vast room, buried deep within the mountain, featuring a few large basins that had been dug into the floor and filled with water. I nodded in greeting to all the people who were sat doing their washing; not only did I have no idea how to say hello in their language, but I also did not know whether there was a specific form of greeting that I should be using. They all greeted me by saying a word in their language, simultaneously moving their left hand from their heart to their forehead. I should have felt happy to have been acknowledged, but their greetings seemed less than friendly, and they all looked at me blackly as we turned and walked out of the washing room. I wondered what I had done to invite such a reception. I had never even met them before; how could they hate me already?

Unfazed by the looks of the people in the washroom, Maheliah breezily continued to show me around the palace, taking me next to the kitchen. It was a big room, again carved from the rock of the mountain, and was bustling with activity. Huge cooking pots, suspended from iron rods, hung over a vast hearth, and the room was humming with the sounds of people busying themselves with tasks.

“This is the kitchen. We don’t really use this place to its full potential: we mostly eat soup or vegetables, and fish when possible. Meals happen only three times a day.”

“How do you manage to get through the day with so little to eat?”

Maheliah shrugged. “We’re at war with Netis, Fada. His people have food coming in from other kingdoms, and the farms of Hagalaz, but he does not allow us access to these provisions. We have to make do with the plants that we can grow in our caves. In the past, we used to feast, but now we must be content with what we have access to. From time to time, we send some of our workers down to the coast to catch fish, but we can’t do that every day. I need everyone by my side at all times, in case Netis decides to attack us.”

I was shocked and angered by Maheliah’s words. How could Netis be so cruel, letting his own people and his sister starve like that? It did not make any sense to me, and I despised him even more than before. I wondered how I would react to meeting someone like him. He seemed truly despicable.

Maheliah introduced the cooks and the farmers who worked in the caves, and they greeted me exactly like the people in the washing plant, giving me a dark, disapproving look. Maheliah did not seem to notice though, so I began to think that I must be imagining these black stares… perhaps they were just solemn people?

Despite my concerns about being disliked, I enjoyed my little tour of the palace. I had been afraid that Maheliah would introduce me to everyone at once, but visiting the palace room by room and meeting everyone little by little was far less overwhelming. I just had to hope that they would change their opinion of me once they got to know me. After all, it was only my first day.

Leaving the kitchen, we headed outside, exiting the mountain from the opposite side to where I had entered the day before. In front of us lay a vast reservoir of hot water, the steam evaporating from it soaring skywards.

“This is where we wash ourselves, in that hot spring. I believe these kinds of things exist on Earth?”

“Yes, they do, but most of them are too hot to bathe in.”

“Well, not to worry. The temperature of this hot spring is just perfect, and I’m sure you will enjoy your daily visits. Everyone usually bathes every two days, as there are too many of us for every person to bathe daily, but as queen, I must be present at both bathing sessions, in order to be viewed as being one with all my subjects. You must do as I do, and come to the hot springs every day.”

“Does that mean that we have to be naked in front of everybody?”

“Yes, is that a problem?”

“I’m not sure that I would feel comfortable, to be honest.”

“Don’t worry, Fada. You will soon become used to it. Besides, the men and women bathe separately, so you and I are only required to be present for the women’s bathing sessions.”

We kept on walking to the left of the mountain, eventually arriving at what looked like a very small arena.

“That’s the training court, where our veteran warriors train new, young warriors to fight. Nowadays, everyone has to be ready…”

Maheliah frowned and bit her upper lip, her eyes pained. I understood her distress. Because of me, war was waging in the kingdom, and everyone had to be ready to fight against their own kind at any moment. I felt saddened by the trauma I had inadvertently caused these people, but I had to remind myself that it was not my fault. This war was between Netis and Maheliah: I was just the catalyst.

After watching the warriors train for a few minutes, we headed back inside, and Maheliah finished showing me the rest of the palace. The dining room was more decorative than any of the others had been, complete with silver chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a long glass table, around which were positioned many chairs, of the same style as the bench and chairs in my bedroom.

“This is the dining room, as you can see. As with bathing, we take turns to eat, for we are too numerous to all sit here at the same time. For each mealtime, we have an early slot and a late slot, and we rotate who eats in which slot. You must be starving by the way, let’s sit and have a meal before we finish the tour. We’re just in time for late breakfast. Come, sit next to me.”

I sat down and about twenty people appeared, all greeting me with the same word and hand gesture as the others I had met. Yet again, they seemed to be forcing themselves to greet me, and it was clear from their body language that they did not like me being here.

The cooks carried in a large cooking pot, filled with soup, and some of the other kitchen workers brought in silver bowls and spoons. Each bowl was filled with soup and then passed down the table, until everyone had been served. Dipping my spoon into the soup, I tasted it hesitantly, afraid that I might not like it. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised; it tasted not dissimilar to leek and potato soup, which had been a university staple of mine back on Earth.

After taking a few more mouthfuls, I decided that this moment of quiet was the perfect opportunity to ask Maheliah some more questions, since I had so many.

“Maheliah, I was wondering… how does time work here? I mean, are days twenty-four hours, like they are on Earth?”

“Yes, we measure our days in a similar way to yours, but unlike you, we only ever have eight hours of daylight. Everyone wakes at dawn, and we all make sure that we are back in the palace by twilight. As you now know, there is a snowstorm every night in Hagalaz, which varies in strength depending on the day. But even when the storm is not so strong, it is still impossible to go outside during the night, the temperature drops too much. Never stay outside overnight, Fada. You’ll be killed for sure.”

I was listening to her diligently, aware that everything she was telling me was important. I was certain that this snowstorm was probably not the only thing I had to be wary of here.

“I understand, I’ll make sure I stay inside at night. On the subject of night-time, how do you light your rooms when it gets dark?”

“It’s complicated. Before the war, we used to have beautiful candles that we imported from other kingdoms, but we don’t have access to those anymore, so we have to make do with makeshift oil lamps. One of the plants that we grow in our caves can be used to be produce oil if you extract it carefully enough, so we usually pour a little of that into a dish and light it. It’s not much, but it’s just about bright enough to see by.”

“Why don’t you light up a fire?”

“For the same reason. This part of Hagalaz is a broad expense of snow. There is nothing: no animals, no trees, nothing. We depend on the other kingdoms for most commodities, and since the war broke out, we can’t access wood anymore. It’s the same with fabric. When the other kingdoms supplied us, we made the most beautiful garments; the people of Hagalaz have a reputation for being talented seamstresses, and the outfits we made were in high demand throughout the surrounding kingdoms. But that time is over now, at least for my people, and we have to make do with only a few outfits per person.”

It saddened me to hear how hard life had become for Maheliah and her subjects since the war had broken out between her and her brother. I could not believe a person could be so despicable. How could Netis keep everything for himself and give nothing to Maheliah? The war had to stop. These people deserved their lives back, and besides, I wanted to experience the lifestyle these people had lived before the war, and I wanted to visit the other kingdoms. But I needed to learn more about Hagalaz and its people before I could figure out how to end this war, so I tried to concentrate on my questions.

“Maheliah, how come I can breathe here like I can on Earth?”

“I’m not sure… I suppose the composition of the atmosphere must be the same. It’s the same kind of air, just in a different place.”

I felt a bit stupid, realising that the answer to my question was so straightforward. But everything was so strange to me; I knew that this would probably not be the last stupid question I would end up asking.

The cooks had reappeared while Maheliah was answering my question and had cleared away the bowls at rapid speed.

“Why don’t you have a rest for an hour? We can continue the tour afterwards. I can imagine all this new information is overwhelming for you, and I’m sure you have many more questions, so it’s probably best if you take a break now. We can start afresh in an hour once you’ve had time to process everything.”

I understood Maheliah’s reasoning, and though there were a million questions I wanted to ask, I decided to take her advice. Standing up from the table, I nodded politely to everyone, before making my way back to my room. From what I had seen and heard so far, it seemed that life in Hagalaz was not easy, at least, not as easy as it had once been.

As I walked up the stairs, I began to daydream about the time before the war, when Hagalaz had been a peaceful, magical place. I wanted to know that world, that version of Hagalaz, and I decided that it was my duty to help restore balance to my new home. I was the reason the war had begun; it was only fitting that I should be the one to end it.