[Okay, so there's a few things that I should clear up before we get started. In the last chapter Hunter forgot or neglected to explain how the ring he got from the Dwarves worked. It doesn't just stash his armor. It can stash just about anything as long as it's not alive and he can either wear it or hold it in his hands. There's likely a limit to how many items but at no point has Hunter ever stated as such. He can, and starting from the previous chapter, has stashed his backpack inside the ring. I can't and won't describe the weapon he got seeing as he ended the chapter before describing and naming it. I think he did this for dramatic effect. Also you may notice that a number of chapters from here on out are written in the third person. This isn't because Hunter stopped keeping logs but because he's not the only one that did. Rather than repeating the same part with a different point of view like in the previous chapters I've instead taken information from multiple sources and did my best to transfer it into a coherent story. This is why you'll still get inner thought details from Hunter but also from other people as well. I hope this shift of prose isn't too confusing and I apologize for the transition if it is jarring. On with the story.]

When Hunter arrived home after his conflict in the Crimson Blight he was far too tired to deal with anything and simply passed out. For the next few days he carried on like normal at his day job. Management at a hotel with an attached convenience store. A job so full and boring that he hasn't included any real details in his logs. It wasn't until Wednesday of that week when he overheard some kids talking while shopping that he realized he might face consequences on Midgard for his travels.

"Hey Jack, did you see that video that went up over the weekend?"

"You mean the VFX artist's flex edit that makes it look like a guy vanished in a strange flash of light?"

"Nah, that shits real. My cousin said he was there and saw it himself."

"Then how come only one person managed to catch it on camera. Besides, your cousin is full of shit."

"Maybe, but it sure does look convincing."

The two came up to the counter with an armful of snacks. "All this and a pack of smokes."

Hunter sighed "I'll need to see some i.d, there's no way you're old enough to buy tobacco."

The kid grumbled "I'm eighteen."

Hunter pointed to the sign on the counter. "It's twenty one now. Sorry, I don't make the rules."

"That's horse shit and you know it. Old enough to vote and die for this country but I can't even light a cigarette."

"Yeah, and if some people have their way the voting age will be twenty one as well."

"That's mental, I pay taxes like everyone else. Have been since I was sixteen."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I started working at sixteen too."

"Alright, what's my total then."

"Twenty five twenty three."

"The fuck?"

"Jerky isn't cheap and the prices only go up kid. You're better off getting a hunting license and bagging deer for making it at home. It's actually surprisingly easy. Enough time and effort you can learn to skin and butcher it yourself. Then all you need to pay for with money is the license. Everything else is simply time."

"Do... Do you do that?"

"Every year. Course when you've had a man's brains splattered on your face in the desert seeing deer guts isn't exactly shocking."

"You served?"

"Yeah, look a little young to have seen the shit don't I? Joined at eighteen."

"Fuck man." He hands over thirty dollars. "Keep the change, and thank you for your service." The two kids walked out.

Hunter was thankful they didn't recognize him. That meant the video caught him from behind. He would definitely have to be more careful.

When Hunter got home at the end of the day he looked up the video in question. It had a surprising number of views. Somebody was filming for some food blog or something when the camera stopped while looking at Hunter from the back. There was a blue purple glow and the air around him seemed to fold and pull him in. Just before Hunter vanished in the video Hunter saw a brick red light. Going frame by frame and he could see one single frame were a distorted image of the realm he went to. Hunter had never seen what it looked like from someone else's view till now. Hunter then put in for a week off during the upcoming week. After Friday night he'd be free till Monday. Internally he knew this was only setting him up for a long trip. That Friday night however, despite his expectations, saw him making it home. He sat around watching TV for a bit when there was a knock on the door.

Hunter goes to the door and opens it despite not expecting anyone to find that his brother Michael of all people was right outside the door. "Michael?! What the hell do you want?"

"Guy can't visit his younger brother? Besides, you're the one that sent the peace offering."

Hunter had to think for a bit. "You mean the booze? That.... Was a gag. You remember the time I tricked you into eating hemotagen bars? Well that was Blood Mead. Made with honey from vulture wasps. Safe to drink but still."

Michael let that sink in "Okay, you got me good. I guess I deserved it. Can I come in?"

"I sent that like... Over a year ago. Why wait till now?"

"I showed up a few other times but you weren't home. Also dad asked me to check on you."

Hunter gestured into the house and let Michael in. "If I find out you're trying to dodge a warrant I'm turning you in."

"You can call the dispatch lady if you don't believe me but I'm free and clear."

"Okay. So why did dad send you. I thought I was clear about my feelings."

"He heard from one of his ex-military buddies that you've been cleared for active duty again. You made it through the two year mental health evaluation. You could go back if you wanted to, so why not? You know it was *my* dream to join the air force. Here you are squandering it."

"Would you ask dad to go back, knowing what he had been through in 'nam?"

"Well no, but he saw a guy get brained point blank."

Hunter did a gesture.

"O-oh" Michael sat down as that sank in. "Was it... A friend?"

"No, I was the one who pulled the trigger. If you knew the things I saw and went through...."

"No, I get it. You don't have to talk about it. I'm... Sorry. To be honest I mostly came because I'm sorry for a lot of things. Maybe we could talk about it, over a drink?"

"The only alcoholic beverage I have is Helhiem Blood Mead."

"That stuff tasted like chocolate covered pennies."

"You get used to it. It's great for iron deficiency."

"That's what you said about those bloody bars."

Hunter poured them both a drink. "That's literally what the bars are made for. Sure it's kinda gross to think about it being made using blood, but blood pudding is a thing so...."

"I guess." Michael takes a swig and grimaces. "I guess it's better than nothing. Even if it tastes like a chocolate covered penny drizzled with honey."

The two drink and talk about their childhood for a bit.

"I really am sorry for being so hard on you as kids Hunter. You were right about Dad and I.... Just couldn't see it. You were right about Mom too."

"How is mom?"

"She's.... Still mom. Dad finally agreed to put her into a home. She can't take care of herself anymore. Dad however says he'd sooner take a bullet to the skull then go into a home."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Hunter nodded. "Sounds about right."

More time passed and while somewhat drunkenly looking around Michael spotted Light-bringer in its sheath and picked it up. "Woah, cool sword."

He starts to unsheathe it when Hunter stops him. "Don't touch that. She's delicate."

"Why is it strapped in like that and why is another handle tied to it?"

"Put it down." Hunter grabbed Michael "Right now."

They struggled for a bit when Hunter felt the pull. "I'm serious Michael, I'm not fuckin around. Drop the sword."

It was too late, Hunter was pulled. Since both he and Micheal were holding Light-bringer that meant Michael was transported with Hunter. Hunter breathed in out of habit before leaving but Michael didn't know what was going on. Once on the other side the pair were both under water.

Hunter unsheathed Light-bringer and used it to pull both himself and Micheal out of the water. He then held out his right hand and in a flash of light a plastic object popped out of Hunter's ring. Hunter pulls a string and it inflates into a raft. Hunter lifts Michael into it and gives him hands only CPR to get the water out. Although stable Michael doesn't wake up at first. Hunter simply sits in the raft as it gets pulled by the currents.

Eventually, after hours of drifting, the raft lands on an island with a small edge and a cliff that goes up. Hunter sets up a fire and gets Michael to it. Simply waiting for Michael to wake up.

Eventually when Michael woke up the day was starting to break and Hunter was really tired from having not slept. "Hunter? How long was I out? What's going on? Where are we?"

Hunter shifted his weight. "You've been out for hours, nearly drowned. As for where we are and what's going on... I'm still trying to figure out how to explain that."

Michael got up and rubbed his head. "Huh. You know it's kinda funny. Those twin peaks on that island over there remind me of the twin peaks at devil horn lake."

"That's because in a way it is. That cliff behind us is the climbing wall."

"How did it get this flooded?"

"It didn't. This isn't our devil horn lake. Basically there are other worlds, other realms layered over ours. You could think of our world as a prisim with a mirror in it. On one side light hits it and reflects and refracts out in seven different colors. On the other a sort of darkness or anti-light does the same. For a total of fifteen worlds that are twisted reflections of ours. Like a fun house mirror set aspects are enhanced and others diminished. I've been to all but three now that I've been here. I get pulled to a new one every so often and I can't do anything about it. However once I rest up I can go anyplace I've already been. I unfortunately couldn't sleep out of worry for you."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Little over two years."

"I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't living it right now. It's not all bad though."

"How could you say that?"

"I get to go on an adventure with my little bro."

"One, I'm three inches taller than you. Younger, not smaller. Two, this isn't a game. There are real dangers. I was once chased through the forest by a centipede big enough to eat a school bus. As soon as I can, we are going back home."

"Come on, give me a chance. This could be fun. Besides, what do you expect to come after us out here on this water world? Fish men?"

Hunter gave Michael a serious look.

"O-oh. You fully expect fish men. Well fuck."

"just keep watch while I sleep. Light-bringer will help."

"You mean I get to use the sword?"

Hunter unsheathes Light-bringer and it flies up with a chirp. "Light-bringer can handle herself."

"You are definitely going to have to explain that."

"Norse mythology is apparently based on historical events. Some of the realms are the same depicted in the mythology. I've been to where Asgard was and this was Freyr' s living sword."

"So magic and gods are real?"

"They are more like aliens and it's probably just science that's beyond us."

"So basically magic."

Hunter got his bed roll out from the ring and tried to get comfortable. "This ring can hold stuff. I got it not that long ago."

"You are definitely going to have to tell me everything when we have time."

"Yeah yeah, just let me sleep now so I can get you home."

Michael poked the fire with a stick as Light-bringer floated around and occasionally let out a chirp sound l.

"So how long have you and my brother been traveling together?"

The sword makes a pattern of chirps and other sounds.

"I don't understand anything you are trying to say."

Light-bringer chirps.

Michael starts skipping rocks for a while when he spots a splash and stops skipping rocks. "Did you see that."

Chirp chirp.

"Right....."

Then the head of a figure pops out of the water and looks at them.

"It's a fish man." Michael goes over to Hunter and shakes him. "Wake up bro, we got fishmen."

Hunter wakes up and rolls over. "Damn it, just let me sleep." But despite his complaints he stands up anyway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

A group of five pop out of the water and come onto the shore pointing spears at the two. One lets out sounds that resemble music or singing.

"Why is it singing?"

"I think that's just how they talk. Give it a minute and my auto translator will let me know what they are saying."

"You have a universal translator?"

"Yeah, but it only translates for me and from me. So unfortunately even when it's working I'll have to meditate."

The fish men pint even harder and speak in sing song voices.

Hunter puts his hands up. "Just put your hands up and don't make any threatening moves till I can talk our way out."

"Talking our way out? That's so lame. Just punch his fish ass in his stupid gilled face and run."

"It's best not to antagonize the locals. We have no idea what to expect here. Just because this isn't Asgard doesn't mean there's no "gods""

One fish man grabs another's attention of the other and points at Hunter saying something. The two talk for a bit before putting the spears away and pulling out what looks like necklaces. "Your arrival was foretold by our sacred worshiped one. Take this to breathe underwater so we can take you to them."

"Oh cool, the translator kicked in." Hunter grabbed the necklaces and handed one to Michael. "These will let us breathe underwater. They are going to take us to their leader."

Michael put it on following Hunter's lead. "I swear if a fish person tries to lay eggs inside me I will murder you."

"Oh please, like you would turn down a chance at some tail. Even if it's fish tail. I've seen what you've shared a bed with, don't even try to pretend to be picky."

Michael laughed "Just years ago and you wouldn't have had the balls to fire a comeback like that. You may have indicated it's been rough but honestly you seem better off for it."

"Yeah, it's kinda funny. I've almost been killed by everything from giant monsters to mythological gods and burdened by the knowledge that the Norse pantheon isn't the only one that's based on something real. Yet I've never been happier. I've actually started looking forward to the next adventure in a new location despite the looming threats. I've made friends and even have a chance at romance. Thanks to this strangeness I paradoxically have the closest thing to a normal life since grade school."

"You... Fought someone in Asgard? How the hell are you even alive."

"I'm extremely durable and I've gotten a number of benefits along the way."

"No wonder you have a newfound confidence. It sounds like you've become something of a bad ass."

"I've definitely done some impressive things since this started. I've saved lives and..." Hunter's hands shake a bit "I've taken them too. I thought I was done getting blood on my hands after I was in the military but...."

"You don't have to talk about it. I think I got the idea."

The lead fish man looks back at the top humans it's been leading around for quite some time now. "Here we are, our city."

It was a massive and beautiful undersea city. Its appearance reminded me of stories and pictures of Atlantis. There was no dome since the fish people didn't need one. They didn't breathe air. They took us to what I imagine was the capital building of this capital city. A massive temple-like structure with elegance beyond description. We were taken inside and led to a sort of throne room where their leader slash god sat.

Both Hunter and Michael found themselves a bit surprised at the appearance of the entity in the throne. It resembled a human adolescent female around twelve to fourteen of age but with eerie pale blue-green-gray tinted skin and eyes that resembled the strange W eyes of a cuttlefish. They had black hair that seemed to shift into purple-blue-green tints tied into twin tails with thin conch shell looking hair decorations with what looked like an eyeball on the back of them. They wore a dress that in style was reminiscent of Victorian or Lolita fashion. Instead of whites, tans, and browns or the blacks of Gothic Lolita it featured purples, blues, greens, and other oceanic or perhaps cosmic colors. The color of the outfit seemed to shift like pearlescent paint in some areas. There were patterns on the skirt that resembled tentacles and patterns of conch shells and sea stars between them. The entity wore a necklace that resembled the conchs in its hair but larger. One could call this fashion "Eldritch Lolita" or maybe "Cthulhu Punk".

Hunter, once seeing the entity, spotted what looked like a silhouette looming behind it like a shadow. A strange figure with a humanoid body, dragon-like wings, and a cephalopodial face. Hunter started flooding his surface thoughts with garbage and static. He knew, almost as if by instinct, who and what this was. It was simply an avatar for an immensely powerful entity.

Michael looked over and saw that Hunter's skin had gone pale. The entity on the throne waved its hand and the room drained of water. The fishmen were wearing necklaces to breathe in the air and stood there at the ready.

"This should make it easier to communicate." They spoke in perfect English. "I see my reputation precedes me. After all, why else would you make an effort to block out telepathic probes? Isn't that right, Hunter?"

Michael's thoughts began to spiral. How did this entity that looked like a little girl speak flawless English and how did she know Hunter's name? She mentioned a telepathic probe. Did this mean she got the information from his own mind? Michael could feel cold energy emanating from Hunter as the air around him began to feel heavier. "You said you've never been here, so how does she know your name?"

"They are an avatar, remotely controlled from a true body someplace else. A true body whose powers are beyond your comprehension. I explained that various gods from different mythology existed, to clarify there are a dozen kingdoms in the realm of Asgard that are each the base of an ancient pantheon. This entity however makes even them look small in comparison. Stories of them and their siblings have somehow reached our world, via the writing of one H. P. Lovecraft. Although this isn't their true body or true form, you are speaking to the poster child of the Lovecraft mythos. The sleeping madness, the lord of the deep, Cthulhu themself."

The color drained from Michael as well. "Fuck." Was all he could manage to say. He may not have been a mythology expert, but even Michael knew who that was.

Cthulhu then waved their hand. "No need to be so formal, after all I'm on your side. As an agent of chaos I'd hate for Hastur to subjugate these worlds. Don't worry, I'm not digging at all. I'm only getting surface thoughts." They gesture at a fishman "Go get us the tea and something to eat. Our guests are likely tired and hungry from their travels."

The fishmen nod and go to prep food.

"I've been expecting you so I made sure to do what we could to learn how to prepare as many of your favorite seafood dishes as I could with what I have here."

Michael was a bit confused. "Wait... If Hunter has never been here and you can't read his deeper thoughts right now, how are you so familiar with him?"

"I could dig deeper, though it would likely hurt or damage to do so. Although I've never physically left this realm, and this is the first time he's been here, we have met twice before. Although I can travel the realms it's exhausting and I'm lazy. So, I travel mentally through the dreams of ordinary people. It's actually quite fun. Every so often I'll find something I like and recreate it. For example Hunter's favorite tea recipe. Though that was a bit tricky with the resources I have here."

Hunter knitted his brows as he racked his brain to find when he could have met Cthulhu before. "I don't.... Remember meeting you before."

"Sure you do Hunter. The first time we met you were..... Seven or eight years old? Then again at fourteen. You know I've had several people open the doors I manifest in their dreams out of curiosity, but you are the first I've ever met to open a door the second time. Everyone else gets too scared after the first time. After all, most can't mentally handle things from beyond the veil."

Michael actually remembered Hunter bringing up having a dream about a stranger and odd doorways that would be in different spots but ignored by those in the dream. Hunter couldn't sleep for a week after the first time, and after the second is around when Hunter changed from a kid that always smiled despite how badly people treated him to someone that almost never smiled. Did the dream with the doors that Cthulhu entered have something to do with that? Michael would have to wait to ask.

The fishmen bring in seafood. Sushi, grilled fish, calamari, and some tea. Hunter and Michael were both hesitant to sip but it was a calm and delightful tea. Lilac, lavender, camomile, honey, and a small amount of star anise.

Hunter let out a calm sigh, seemingly more at ease. "Well if we are indeed old friends then maybe I shouldn't be so formal as to call you Cthulhu. Maybe a nickname is appropriate."

"I never said we were friends, just that our interests happen to alline when it comes to my elder sibling. However, in the interest of brevity if you insist on it all allow a nickname."

Hunter put on a devilish grin, and Michael knew this wouldn't be good. He was basically told not to antagonize and here Hunter was likely about to do something stupid.

"Okay. How about I call you Lulu?"

The entity shifted in its throne and sipped tea. "I suppose it is a fitting choice given my current appearance. I'll allow it."

Michael was surprised that the nickname was accepted so easily but didn't question it. As long as things went smoothly he honestly didn't care.

Hunter chuckled "This is definitely a nice change of pace compared to the last few realms I've visited but I think it's about time to move on. Though something tells me this isn't the last I'll see of you. Once I get some sleep I'll be heading home."

Lulu nods "Safe travels. You can keep the necklaces. They might come in handy, you never know."

Hunter and Michael finish their meals and are escorted to an area to sleep. Once rested Hunter puts a hand on Michael. "Alright, I need to focus a bit on getting us home."

Michael was feeling anxious, and started getting impatient. "Come on come on come on. Hurry up before the cosmic squid kid changes her mind and mind whips us or whatever. Come on come on come-oooooon."

Hunter felt extremely frustrated but managed to activate his ability to shift anyway, however things didn't exactly go as planned. The pair were thrown off course. Rather than land on Midgard, Hunter dragged Michael to a different location.