Chereads / thrud / Chapter 6 - Ragnarok

Chapter 6 - Ragnarok

It begins with roosters crowing a warning to the nine worlds of the Norse. The cock with the golden comb in wakens Odin's heroes; the dun cock wakens Helheim, the Norse underworld; and the red cock Fjalar crows in Jotunheim, the world of the giants. The great hellhound Garm bays outside of the cavern at the mouth of Helheim called Gripa. For three years, the world is filled with strife and wickedness: brother battles brother for gain's sake and sons attack their fathers.

That period is followed by what must be one of the most frightening end-of-the-world scenarios ever written because it is so plausible. In Ragnarok, Fimbulvetr or Fimbul Winter (the Great Winter) comes, and for three years, the Norse humans and gods see no summer, spring, or fall.

The two sons of Fenris the Wolf begin the long winter. Sköll swallows the sun and Hati swallows the moon and the heavens and air are sprayed with blood. The stars are quenched, the earth and mountains tremble, and trees are uprooted. Fenris and his father, the trickster god Loki, both of whom had been bound to the earth by the Aesir, shake off their bonds and prepare for battle.

The Midgard (Mithgarth) sea serpent Jörmungandr, seeking to reach dry land, swims with such force that the seas grow turbulent and wash over their banks. The ship Naglfar once more floats on the flood, its boards made from dead men's fingernails. Loki steers the ship which is manned by a crew from Hel. The ice giant Rym comes from the east and with him all the Rime-Thursar.

The snow drifts in from all directions, there are great frosts and keen winds, the sun does no good and there is no summer for three years in a row.

Among the din and clamor of the gods and men rising to battle, the heavens are cleft open, and the fire giants of Muspell ride forth from the south Muspelheim led by Surtr. All these forces head towards the fields of Vigrid. In Aesir, the watchman Heimdall rises to his feet and sounds the Gjallar-Horn to rouse the gods and announce the final battle of Ragnarök.

When the deciding moment draws near, the world-tree Yggdrasil trembles although it still remains standing. All in Hel's kingdom take fright, and there is a crashing noise in Jotunheim. 

On the third year of the Great Winter, the gods battle one another to the death of both combatants. Odin fights the great wolf Fenrir who opens his jaws wide and kills Odin. Heimdall fights Loki and the Norse god of weather and fertility battles Surtr; the one-handed warrior god Tyr fights with the Hel hound Garm. The bridge of Aesir falls under the horses' hooves and heaven is on fire.

The last incident in the great battle is when the Norse thunder god fights the Midgard serpent. He slays the serpent by crushing its head with his hammer, afterward, Thor can only totter nine steps before he too falls dead of the serpent's poison.

The end of the gods and earth is not everlasting.

Thrud and some other very few gods and Asgardians survived and fled the scene at its beginning. Loki succeeded at killing the gods and took the throne. Thrud then swore to take the throne back from him but her friend told her she wasn't strong enough.

she said:

"Loki is a mighty man himself, besides he has an entire army by his side"

Thrud then decided that if she wanted to kill Loki, she also needed her own army.

In the evening, she prayed to her grandfather and for a while, she was in a different realm. She then told him that Loki had finally succeeded in his conquest. He then told her that Loki's conquest was not completed yet. 

he spake:

"Loki is simply a confused child. He wanted to kill the entire Asier family but are there not still more of you. You do not have the experience not might. I hid my spear Gungnir beneath the world tree."

Thrud and her crew went on a journey to the world tree to get Gungnir that was located at the center of the cosmos.

On their way, they were suddenly attacked by Valkeries. The Asgardians tried fighting back but they were out-numbered. They captured Thrud and the others, they began to ask them questions and Thrud tried explaining to them but she wasn't believed. 

They took her to their current leader named Zedar and he immediately apologized to Thrud for her discomfort and scolded the soldiers. He questioned Thrud and took her to Gungnir and as they got there, they met Loki.

The both foes fought and Zedar was striked dead as Loki was to powerful but Thrud managed taking the spear and transported herself and the Asgardians back.