Treachery : book 2 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Present time: Muspell

In the beginning there was only fire and ashes. All nine worlds were black and lifeless, the orange-red glow of rivers of molten lava lit the smoke filled skies. The only smells were sulphur and brimstone. Oh how Sutur remembered those days fondly. Then came a great cold from the south-west, the world changed. Its cause was and still is a mystery to Sutur but he has his ideas. Niflheim was the first land to cool, volcanoes became dormant, rivers of lava dried up, the ground solidified and went cold. Colder and colder, the cold just didn't stop. That world changed into one of ice and frozen things. Sutur could not bear to be near the place. The cold didn't stop there, it spread further and further, claiming more of his lands. Sutur was forced to retreat further and further east, to stay where it was hot. The ice only reached so far, the heat fought back but in the very centre of the conflict was a land that was neither hot nor cold. A land of warmth and perfect temperatures for life to grow. Different lifeforms emerged and began to inhabit these lands. It was one of these forms that Sutur would come to hate above all others, the came to the edge of his diminished fire lands and decided they didn't like the look of them. Oh how Sutur hated those strange pale skinned creatures, with their pointed ears and green-gold eyes. Sutur was a giant who stood at over twenty-five feet tall. His skin was hairless and blacker than coal, he had leathery dragon like wings at his back, hell fires raged in sockets where eyes should have been. The inhabitants of Muspell were pretty much miniature versions of Sutur. None wore clothes and they all preferred to walk on all fours. The Fae struggled to determine what they were, they couldn't distinguish if they were male or female, there was nothing between their legs to distinguish one way or the other, no signs of breasts or even a curve of hip.

In their wisdom, the Fae decided that these things should not be. The world would be better off without such creatures. So they went to war and began to drive the demons further back. The Fae soon learnt that the strength of Sutur could not be broken so easily. Driven back into the south-east corner of the map, Sutur and his minions became too condensed and strong for the Fae. The demon could not be killed. In the end, all the Fae could do was subdue the black demon and put him to eternal sleep. They built a magical barrier around what would become Muspell. No one could pass in or out of that land and the giant would sleep for eternity. Or so the Fae thought.

Sutur stood at the very boundary of his lands. Blackened bare earth became lush green grass. There was no visible sign of the barrier, yet it could be felt. Sutur placed a black hand out in front of him, the air shimmered and rippled but it was like touching solid rock. The black demon frowned, he had been sleeping for thousands of years. He knew that, his dreams had been strange and told him so. Yet now he was awake again, perhaps the magic of those pale creatures was failing? Maybe this wall would fail too? Maybe one day he would be free again? Oh how the worlds would burn on that day. He would start with his captors. Oh yes they would know the true meaning of pain.