Nidavellir

Circling around the pillar of smoke, Tenten slowly descended and gracefully landed on a landing platform. After I got off and said my thanks for bringing me here the giant owl flew off.

Turning in a circle, I took in my surroundings. The landing platform was adjacent to a colossal tower that dwarfed the other dwarven structures.

I was so immersed in admiring the size and structure of the tower that I only noticed the guards when they had already surrounded me. A unit of stout-looking and fully armored dwarves were pointing their halberds at me from every direction.

"What is your business here, stranger! Only the esteemed leaders of kingdoms are allowed to enter the city through this platform. Just because you have managed to tame a large flying mount doesn't mean you are one of them! Surrender immediately and you may get to keep your life!"

Oh goddesses, what had Night Owl brought me into this time. I thought he meant that I'd be able to skip the line and enter through the civilian way. And yet he sent me straight to the entrance for top-level figures. I really didn't want to attract much attention but it was too late now.

'The one who brought me here was Tenten, Night Owl's personal mount. I am Eldar, my kingdom lies within the forest to the west.'

"Lies! You are clearly a human and the lord of that forest is the divine tree, Lord Yggdrasil himself. Trying to cheat your way past us by pretending to be another! We dwarves aren't as gullible as you think and we will make you remember that. Seize him I say!"

That went less than optimal...

I'd rather not make a scene by knocking out all the guards but alas, what else could I do.

I was about to release my domain and incapacitate the guards without letting them put up any resistance when an easier way out presented itself.

Windolf, one of Durin's generals, came running over. He had clearly recognized me and was rushing over to pacify the guards. After a few minutes of explanations and wild exclamation, my identity was proven and I was allowed to proceed.

"Lord Eldar, please forgive us for the inconvenience. We didn't expect you to enter through the platform of highest honor."

'No offense taken. Believe me, I wasn't expecting to enter this way either. Night Owl sent me here through Tenten but failed to mention the significance of where he was sending me.'

"That does sound like something lord Night Owl would do. He seems to have a difficult time putting himself into someone else's shoes. On another note, what do you think of ?"

'From what I've seen so far it's an architectural masterpiece. It must have taken your people great effort to build this and I can't even begin to imagine the resources that must have been necessary!'

"It's a good thing it was built by our forefathers. I doubt we could afford it at our current stage."

'But aren't you currently stronger than ever before?'

"According to our records, we have indeed reached as high as never before."

'Then how could your forefathers have had the resources to build all this?'

"Now that you mention it, that's indeed a little unusual. I'll have to look into that."

He pulled a finger thick notebook and a golden pen out of his robes and wrote something onto a page in the back of the notebook.

'What's that?'

"My list of priorities. I've added it to the other things of moderate severity. I think I'll get around to it before the year ends."

'You are telling me this whole book is filled with things you need to do? Since how many years have you been using it?'

"A few months? I usually need a new one every few years so it's hard to keep track."

A kingdom's administrative work is scary. The number of things I'd need to keep in mind... Note to self, never become found a kingdom, it's too much work.

Wait... Damn it, I've already got a kingdom and a religion on top of that!

Whatever... I'll just dump the work on Völsung.