It was midday, or at least what should be midday, when they finally reached the outskirts of the last town they'll be stopping by. It was a small settlement. that worships the god of wolves, Fenrir and they paid tribute to him with the ubiquitous statues and wooden carvings depicting his image. The settlers were more than happy to welcome his heir and his sister.

According to Hela, she would first need to meet with a friend of hers who resides on the outskirts of this settlement. She said he is someone who can help them move faster. She said it was a man who was unlucky enough to become a dragon after defeating one.

When Hela set out for the woods, she told them to see the village chieftains and explain to them the situation. Hrod went with Hela to 'guard' his auntie while Reign went around town for some personal matters.

Ruby found the little town quite familiar. The craftsmanship and architecture of the place have a similar rustic style as her hometown, Vanargand. The name is also one of Fenrir's many aliases, Hrodvitnir, or in the common tongue, Famewolf. To Ruby's surprise, she saw some familiar faces as well. Faces of people who were once part of her village but perished due to natural causes such as sickness and old age. This town seems to be the underworld parallel to her home.

Some died young but now look to be in their prime. Some died old but are now in their youth. But there are also plenty who look to be the same age as when they perished. The two figured that you could take on any age you wanted. No one is bound to a single unchanging form. It seems that Hela gives her people a choice in whatever appearance they wish to take. Dyrroth tested their theory by trying to transform into his future prime self.

Surprisingly it worked. He became taller, his jaw more angular and manly, and his body became more robust with muscles. To summarize, he became so much sexier that Ruby couldn't even help but gawk. She flushed a bright shade of pink when he pointed this out but she just slapped his arm ordering him to return to normal because his form was making her uncomfortable. To her surprise, he actually listened to her.

While making their way to the town hall, Dyrroth busied himself with practicing some Hieroglyphics. "Ruby, look. I drew your name in glyphs. Are you impressed? I'm so good at this." Dyrroth proudly showed her the pictographs he scribbled on her notepad. He imbued it with a little bit of Anubis's magic and successfully summoned the most abominable bird Ruby has ever seen. It was grotesque, to say the least. Its body was a mouth with jagged teeth and red bloody lips with wings made of shattered pieces of stained glass. It flew away soon enough, not before snatching a random cat from a nearby window.

Despite all this, Dyrroth still looked proud of his achievement while Ruby couldn't be any more horrified. She described his work as "Nightmare fuel" which he took as a compliment. Since Ophis gave him the scroll about Hieroglyphs, Dyrroth wouldn't stop practicing with them. Ruby figured that with his demon magic not working in Helheim, he must have felt limited despite his achievements in the arena. She also heard that the main reason why Dyrroth was able to succeed so many times was that Fenrir and Anubis were helping him out. Despite that, Dyrroth reassured her he wouldn't be a burden even without his blood magic. At the bare minimum, his soul retained its lifesteal.

"Umm, hello. Can you tell us where the village chiefs are?" Ruby asked to a random person.

"Well if it isn't lil' Ruby! You're finally here. But, you're still too young to be here? How'd ya' die?"

"Oh, I'm not yet dead. It's a long story."

"And who's this purple fella next to you? And he has horns too! Is he a purple goat?"

"How dare you? I'll have you know that-!" Ruby covered his mouth before he could even utter more words.

"He's my... Uhh... Comrade." Dyrroth gave her a pointed look, unable to say anything since her palm is still covering his lips. He tried to mumble some clarifications but his words got muddled.

"Are you sure he's not your boyfriend? You've always been chasing after bad boy tropes like him since you were a wee fat child. I thought he'd be your type or somethin'!" the man gave a boisterous laugh making Ruby flush slightly. Dyrroth on the other hand had an amused look in his eyes.

"Reynal, it's nice catching up with you but we really need to find the chiefs."

"A right my bad! Got a lil' too chatty there." Reynal gave a small chuckle and pointed to the big house on top of a small hill. "That should be their house. You'll find a surprise there when you get there, lil' one."

🌹

Ruby and Dyrroth didn't take too long to reach the said house. Inside, there were many people gathered talking very noisily, barely anything sensible could be heard. The two had taken great difficulty in making their way through the throng of bodies, some smelling as if they hadn't been washed for a long time.

They finally reached the front where the village chiefs were gathered and Ruby saw a vibrant redhead turned away from her speaking with a mason.

"Chief, the bears keep ruining our wall! They said we took their honey and they're trying to get it back. What should we do about that?" complained the mason.

"We need to investigate who has their honey in our village and who took what they shouldn't from the bears. Ask around from every home. I'll speak with Yorek about this. Hopefully, he will agree not to eat the fool." said the crimson-haired woman. She was beautiful in her prime draped in purple robes and cloaks. She wore a bit of silver accessories which accentuated her beauty even more. Something about her seems familiar.

"Oscar, we need to make an apology basket for the bears. Think you can make something fancy that'll make them forgive us?" The lady said to the blonde man beside her. Ruby noted the wedding bands on their ring fingers and figured they were married.

"Restina, I can make anything beautiful. Except you, 'cause you're already so perfect." Oscar smiled at his wife, winking flirtatiously.

"Keep it in your pants, Elskwald. At least, after we're alone. By then you can yap all you want. If I feel merciful enough." the woman rolled her eyes but grinned back at the man.

"Eww," Ruby said involuntarily remembering how her grandparents flirted the same way when they were still alive.

The couple seems to have heard her little comment and turned to her. Ruby didn't fail to notice the look of recognition on their faces. It was laced with shock, surprise, joy, and then... Sadness? What could have made them look like that in such a short period of time?

"Ruby?" said Restina, almost in a whisper. Oscar dropped the basket he was holding and slowly approached the young woman with his wife.

"It's you..."

"You know my wife?" Dyrroth asked furrowing his brows.

"Your wife? She's my granddaughter!" yelled the woman, almost ready to throw her fists at him.

Ruby finally recognized them. She felt like a fool for not noticing it sooner but it was true. They are her grandparents although younger. They seem to be in their prime, their 30s. But she recognized the lines in their faces the way her grandma's lips curve mischievously and how her grandpa's forehead scrunches up whenever he smiles. Restina and Oscar, Granny Res and Grandpa Ozzy... They were here all this time! In Hela's realm, they are here! They are thriving and beautiful and lively like they were before they perished. Joking, flirting, and helping everybody that's who they were, the proud village chiefs of Vanargand and now they're the chiefs of Hrodvitnir!

Hela, that beautiful, intelligent, and perfect goddess! Bless her for all eternity! She has cared for them here!

"Little Ruby!" the couple collected her in their arms. They snuggled her between them, kissing her head and stroking her blonde hair as tears fell from their faces.

"Granny? Grampy? You're young? Why aren't you old, decrepit, and shriveled up like the way I remember you?"

"You ungrateful little marsh flower! I was never decrepit even in my 60s. I was a dazzling diamond in my golden years." Restina ruffled her hair making her giggle.

"My baby! My sweet small baby! How have you been? How did you die? Ohhh, you should still be in your early years by now. Did you get sick? Did you forget to care for yourself when we left? My poor baby!" sobbed the blond man. His wife didn't hide her annoyance with her husband's overprotectiveness like a mother hen.

"I'm not dead yet grandpa. I'm here on a mission from Queen Hela."

Oscar beamed and began patting her head. Restina looked extremely proud, squeezing her cheek. "A mission you say? From the royal queen herself? Why, you're now a big shot aren't you?"

"Yes, and I'm also the Queen of Raizenhal with an army of fierce wolf warriors and the princess consort of the Abyss. I'd say I climbed a pretty high ladder but he was only 5 feet and 3 inches tall." She pointed to the demon...

"Heyyyy! I'm still growing!" Dyrroth growled.

"And who might this gentleman be? You said he was your... boyfriend. But he is a demon. And you're like... 14" Restina trailed.

"Our Ruby has always been chasing after bad boy types. I guess a demon would be the ultimate fit for her taste."

"I just want to confirm that I'm already 18."

"Oh, I didn't know that it was already that long!" Restina elbowed her husband and began whispering. "Quickly, go make four cakes! I'll take care of the gifts."

"But your gift-wrapping skills are shit!"

"Fine, I'll distract them." Restina turned back to them. "Children, would you like to see a dragon?"

"I know that we're being tricked into something but yes. We would like to see a dragon."

"Wait, just to confirm. You two are indeed married, right? Ruby, where's the marital sword and/or ring?" Oscar asked, stopping them from their tracks.

"Marital sword?" repeated Dyrroth. Oscar looked offended by his question.

"Boy, did you or did you not take an arrow to the knee and offer her a marital sword?"

"Your wedding traditions are so much more extreme than the Abyss." the demon said to his wife. "I like it."

"What he means is if you knelt in front of me and offered me a ring or a sword to ask me to marry you." simplified the huntress.

"Why a sword though?"

"To show your wealth. A sword has more metal than a ring so if you have money to spare to offer me a beautiful sword then that means that you also offer me a wealthy life as your wife."

Dyrroth laughed merrily. "I have given you a wyvern, an island, three dragon eggs, and an arsenal of weapons to proclaim my love. This time, I will find you a sword you won't even be able to lift with your hands!"

"Now, you're just being arrogant."

"He gave her an island! Maybe he will make a fine grandson." whispered Oscar to his wife who frowned at him. "Oi, you stupid old bag of bones. Money doesn't make him a good son. You just want his money to buy yourself fancy things! If you think that's enough then you basically sold our baby chub-chub to some rich asshole!" Restina reprimanded, smacking him.

"Baby chub-chub? I need to hear how she got her nickname."

Oscar sat them down enthusiastically and pulled out an album with Ruby's name on the label. He handed it to Dyrroth who flipped through the pages with utter amusement. He began to recall the stories of her childhood.

When Ruby was young, she loved sweets so much that she became very fat. She ate half of the treats her grandma told her to bring to the orphanage every few days. She grew so fat that the red cape Oscar made for her was the only thing that could fit her wee chubby self. Ress and Ozzy would often laugh heartily whenever she got stuck in the doorway due to how fat she's become. She would often stalk her emo crushes in the village, barely hiding herself behind thick trees.

"Grandma! Grandpa! Noooooo!" exclaimed the girl who tried to shut them up only for Dyrroth to hug her close to his chest.

"Then how did she lose all that weight? I've got to know her secret. My mother could use this life-changing info."

Oscar and Restina told him about the events of her 7th birthday. They decided to celebrate with the whole village for her party. All was going well until a boar came and tried to eat the cake. Then it attacked Ruby when she tried to stop it. Instead, she face planted on the cake after being pushed by the boar. The other children said that the boar king was looking for his boar queen and it broke her little heart when she was being bullied because she was so fat. Dyrroth bristled at that. He said that he would beat up all the kids who bullied his wife. He also promised that he would love her even if she was fat.

Little Ruby never came out again in society and shut herself off to her books and board games. Her whole world revolved around their house and little farm. When she turned 14, they were finally able to convince her to go out and buy bread since they became so "weak in their knees" that they needed her help more and more to do their daily chores.

When she went out, the world first discovered how beautiful she had become. Unlike those acne-ridden teens, Ruby's face was smooth, perfect, and delicate. Her grief had melted all her fat and since she was doing more housework and training with that hunter, her figure became slim and toned. So when she left their house to buy bread, everyone was so shocked to see the prettiest girl in town. They all thought that she was a royal princess who lost her way in the forest. It blew their mind when she told them who she was.

"The next morning, our house was receiving proposal letters on my door asking to court or marry my little Ruby. Jokes on those little urchins who called my baby fat and ugly! I burned all their letters to warm my feet during the snowstorm." Restina cackled, making Ruby flush even redder.

"CindeRuby. The boar princess who married a demon prince. I think I found my favorite bedtime story." Dyrroth said, picking up a photo of her on her 14th birthday.

"Now, then fix up you two. We are going to prepare for your wedding." Oscar clapped his hands and villagers grabbed a hold of the couple.

"Wedding? I thought it was just a birthday. Also, we don't have time for this! We're on a mission!" Ruby swatted away the people who were starting to put makeup on her face. Some were already preparing a white wedding dress for her to wear.

"We're dead, darling. We have all the time in the world."

"Also, we weren't able to attend your birthdays and your wedding so you just have to reenact it for us. It'll just be a simple gathering with over 500 guests. No biggie."

"Five hundred guests!?"

🌹

"He isn't home. And I cannot be sure where he is now that my sight is... Well, limited." Hela muttered, emerging from the forest clearing with Hrod in tow.

"Maybe he went to the village to do groceries." suggested the pup who has now taken a human form. He has regained enough of his magic and is now able to shift between forms. His short wolf legs made him slow that he couldn't even make it up a large root. Hela had to stop a few times just to lift him over said roots all while lecturing him about being a burden.

"It's worth a shot. I'm also hungry so perhaps we can order someone to make us lunch."

"Yes, lunch!"

When they finally reached the entrance to Hrodvitnir, the two were surprised to find everything changed. The bland rustic vibe was replaced by a celebratory rustic vibe. Banners, flowers, booths, and long tables were set up almost instantaneously. Hela did give them the power to build structures rapidly which would explain the new additions to the town.

"What the- how did it suddenly become so festive?"

"Is it someone's birthday?"

"I don't know but it would be better to find the two."

🌹

Hrod eventually found their companions surrounded by people congratulating them and giving them flowers, booze, or strange gifts before joining the party. Their discomfort was obvious and Hela could almost see the pleading look for help the girl was giving her when their eyes met. "Fenrir's brat, what is happening here? What is this miserable display of happiness?"

The queen of Hel cut through the crowd like a shooting star cutting through the night. She moved with purposeful elegance that the people could barely decide whether to gawk, cower, or both. Restina stepped up and greeted the queen.

"Your majesty, we are just celebrating the marriage of my grandchildren. It would be our greatest honor if you could attend."

"I admire your ruthless positivity despite the dreadful situation." the queen merely replied.

"Dreadful situation, your majesty?"

Hela frowned at her two comrades. "Did you not do as I told you to do?"

"Well, your majesty we got held up." Dyrroth gestured to the people gathered around them, silently whispering about the queen of Hel's sudden entrance. "They asked if we were officially married or not. I said we were when we performed the ritual of 13 moons. They said it was not enough so they threw us a wedding on the spot and now here we are. Also, we are celebrating Ruby's 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th birthdays which explains the cakes. Then, we met the friend you were looking for and he is now eating the said cakes. He is not very impressive to look at as you said."

"Hello, Queen." greeted the male.

"Sigurd, what a pleasant surprise. I was looking for you."

"Yes, well, sorry. It was free lunch so I had to go." Sigurd replied.

"Alright. Since everyone is already here I need to ruin your 'lovely' party." Hela stood on top of a crate and turned to the people. "Helheim is being invaded by foreign gods who sought to take my throne for themselves. Currently, they are trying to control the tree that sustains our world. And... if they succeed in controlling it, then the land will be pulled from beneath our feet and we would all plunge to the nothingness of void."