Hela, she would later figure out to be an oddly fitting name, was not a normal child. Even by what she would soon learn of her parents world, she was still a bit odd.

She was five when everything changed for the better. The Dursleys had won a two week cruise trip on a small up and coming cruise ship company, but sadly (annoyingly) enough, they weren't able to find someone to take her for the two weeks they'd be gone. Not even the crazy cat lady next door was willing, saying she was busy and there was no way for her to come along.

The first couple of days we're fine, telling her to go do whatever and not to get in trouble. But she had better not even think of coming near them during the day and the only time they wanted to see her was at night when she was sleeping.

On the fourth day, there was a terrible storm. The clouds above them black as night, lightning cracking across the sky. The waves we're dreadfully awful. Tall, tall waves would crash down around them, rocking the boat to the point it was almost dangerous.

Looking out the porthole of her room, she thought she'd saw a pair of glowing eyes in the biggest wave she'd ever seen.

She wasn't the only one who saw it apparently, if the screaming of pure terror behind her told her anything.

But then there was the hissing. It sounded as if someone was talking but being drowned out by the storm, the crashing waves.

'Hello?' She'd asked, quiet enough not to be heard by her relatives.

'Speaker?'

She was... She was going insane.

'Speaker? Is there a speaker on this ship?'

She felt relaxed oddly enough. She knew, logically, she should be terrified, but she wasn't.

'Er yes?'

It was a snake. A large, deadly snake. The snake stuck his head down, swimming closer, and then proceeded to break out of the water and stick his enormous head over the boat, large drops of water crashing around him.

'What is your name dear speaker?'

Hela knew a bad idea when she'd thought of one, but she ignored the warning bells going off in her head as she turned away from the porthole and walked to the door.

Her family didn't protest.

She opened the door, walked down the hall and out the doors that lead her to the top deck.

Right where the head was.

'I'm Hela.'

He moved back a few feet, lowering himself to be the same level as her even though his head was literally twenty of her in height.

His tongue flickered as he tested the air around her. 'Fitting name for someone so cloaked in Death. I'm Jörmungandr.'

She brightened visably, choosing to ignore the first comment, and recalled what she'd read in books. 'The World Serpant! Aren't you supposed to bring the end to all worlds when you release your tail?'

'The World Serpant?'

'Yep! You're also called the huge monster and people can't seem to choose if you're a dragon or a snake.'

He scrunched his nose as much as a snake could at the other name, finding it rather distasteful. ' I rather like the title World Serpant. And no, that isn't true. The worlds end when Death grows bored enough to wipe everything and start over.'

Her eyes seemed to twinkle as she looked at him imagining all the stories he could probably tell. 'Could you tell me how the worlds have changed?'

He seemed to pause for a moment, think about her question. 'I suppose I could Dear One. Sit down then, I'll tell you as much as you want until you tire. '

It was hours before her eyes had started to droop. Her back was against the wall, her jacket wrapped tightly around her.

He continued talking, the slight hiss in his words lolling her to sleep.

He waited a few minutes, made sure she wouldn't awake anytime soon, and set about killing everyone on board. There was a group of three that smelled of the speaker that he wished to kill, bathe in their blood, but that would upset his speaker do so he let them be.

She awakened hours later, the clouds already dispersing and turning back to their standard white.

Yawning and stretching, she looked around for the snake, trying to figure out if she'd been dreaming or not.

He was there, watching her over the side of the boat.

'Good morning Jörmy.'

'Good morning Dear One. There was a... unfortunate mishap. I'm afraid I'll be getting your boat back to shore.'

She stared at the eye closest to her, a hint of suspicion creeping up her face. 'Did you kill everyone?'

'I'm afraid so, yes. Your family is safe though, Dear One.' He could sense the hint of fear and rushed to reassure his young Mistress. 'No need to fret, I would never hurt you.'

'Okay Jörmy.' She knew, with time, she'd understand completely. But for now, she'd go with the feeling she had. (It was the only choice she had, she would realise later when she looked back on this memory.)

'Now Dear One, would you mind coming closer? I wish to bond with you. I would become yours forever and protect you from what I can. '

'You're not telling me everything, are you?'

It was a statement, that he was sure of.

'No Dear One, but I'll tell you when you're a bit older.'

'Okay Jörmy, what do I do? '

'Simply touch my nose.'