The Great Hunt (Oslo, Norway)

[Patricus I]

While Philip was deep in his prayer, a shared silence enveloped the group, and a vision unfolded before him, so vivid and real that he gasped. An ancient tree, gnarled and towering, appeared in a land that whispered of old magic. A glowing portal shimmered within its trunk, beckoning him to fall into it.

The scene shifted, and the four of them were soaring north, over snow-dusted mountains and icy fjords, until a rugged island came into view. Words unspoken in the vision filled Philip's mind, Huldraheim, and his brows knitted together. The word was unfamiliar to him. There, beneath the aurora dancing in naked sky, the key presented itself.

As the vision dissipated, the four looked at each other, an unspoken agreement passing between them. They had to journey far to the north and sleep under the aurora at the base of that ancient tree. Armande explained that the word they all heard in their mind referenced the legendary home of the Huldra, a type of Norwegian rå, keepers and wardens of the forest. The Sámi people believed that Huldraheim was located on Karlsøya, Troms, a Norwegian island within the Arctic Circle.

Philip grumbled when he saw the location on a map. Remote, freezing, and far from anything resembling familiar civilization, it was the last place he wanted to go. The thought of embarking on a journey to such an isolated and cold location made his frustration boil over.

"Why does it always have to be the most wretched, godforsaken places?" he muttered, more to himself than to his companions. Siberia was no better, and the prospect of the cold, the distance, and the pain in the ass it was going to be to get there, gnawed at him. 

He retrieved the Key of Cunning, replacing it in its box, and banished the three guests from his room. In their place was summoned Father Lochlan, who was issued orders to make the necessary travel arrangements.