Treachery : book 2 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Present time: Vanaheim

The realm of the Vanir gods was once a place of grand beauty. Unlike the Aesir who loved natural beauty like valleys, trees and plants. The Vanir prized the more material beauty of jewels, precious stones, statues, works of art and grand architecture. The ancient capital of Vanaheim was once a true wonder and totally awe inspiring. Buildings reached for the sky, decked in jewels. Statues made of pure gold or silver, even the great walls surrounding the city was studded with precious gems. The inhabitants of the city were slaves to their lusts and passions of the flesh. No act was taboo or too perverse, if you could imagine it then someone in Vanaheim was probably doing it. For three days straight, Sophia had wandered the dark and decayed ruins of the great city. She stood on the crumbling ruin of the city wall and surveyed the desolate waste that was her kingdom. She shook her head and chuckled at that. My kingdom. Kingdom of the dead, kingdom of desolation. I must be losing my mind. Declaring herself queen was now a running joke she had with herself. There had been no sign of another soul, no corpses, not even a skeleton. So in her twisted mind state she decided that she was the most important person in this land. She could declare herself queen and who was there to argue? On the first day, Sophia had explored the main castle and found a rusted crown which now nestled in her filthy mat of blonde hair. Most of the clothes she had found were rotten or threadbare but she had found a blood red cloak that now hung from her thin shoulders. Sophia cackled like a mad woman and spread her arms wide and shouted out at the wastes before her

"Here stands Sophia, queen of desolation and ruin. Her vast kingdom has a huge population of.... One"

Her manic laughter soon turned to sobs and then became full on tears as she descended the crumbling stairs and headed back towards the main castle. She still didn't understand what had gone wrong. Her goddess Gullveig had been very clear. Focus on Elysium, nothing else but Elysium. Sophia had studied Latin at school and knew that Elysium translated to paradise. She looked around at the dark and crumbling landscape, then at the towering remains of the castle before her. This was no paradise, this was clearly Hell. Had she failed? Had she done wrong? Or had Gullveig lied to her all along? How could she ever find out? It wasn't like there was anyone around to ask. Alternating between hysterical laughter and weeping, Sophia made her way back inside the castle.

In the great kitchen, for about the fiftieth time since arriving in Vanaheim, Sophia rifled through the stores and cupboards. They were completely empty, just as had been all the previous times. The stoves were all cold and had no gas or electric to power them. Sophia didn't even know how she would cook, assuming she could find something to cook in the first place.

A wave of dizziness took her and Sophia collapsed to the cold stone floor. She curled up into a foetal position and sobbed hopelessly. She was starving and so alone. Weeping harder, she couldn't help but think of a saying she had heard many times and had always made her laugh because she thought it was stupid. She whispered it to the empty kitchen

"True hell is living with yourself for eternity"

She had always thought it wouldn't be that bad. She had though she knew who she was and that wasn't a bad person to be alone with. But after just three days with a starving belly, nothing to do and no one but her crazy self to talk to. Sophia was utterly sick of herself, she couldn't take any more of it. Her scream of anger tore through the great kitchen and echoed through the empty halls of the castle.