There were no stars, no moon, no sun. The emptiness bled outwards, devouring blue sky with a vengeance. Before long, there would be no colour left. Just a vast nothingness.
Aesir, Vanir, fallen warriors, giants, and dark elves collided on the battlefield. Steel clashed, and battle cries carried across the wind. Across the field was the giant wolf, Fenrir. In full force, he was a sight to behold. Larger than three wolves together, Fenrir towered over the gods. His black fur stood on end, his muzzle red and dripping saliva and blood. The way his mouth curled, Fenrir was enjoying the bloodshed.
An old man, older than time itself, fought Fenrir with the might of a thousand men. He rode on a grey horse with eight legs, the horse rearing on his hindlegs, crying its battle cry. The god's hair was snowy, his shoulders hunched, but he fought like he was in the prime of his youth.
Odin, the Allfather of the gods.
Odin was not destined to defeat the great wolf. Fenrir snapped his fangs, devouring the wizened god whole. Just like that, the fight was over. Then Fenrir howled in triumph, the sound carrying across the empty sky.
Seated on one of Thor's goats—Thor informed them of the correct name, Tanngnjóstr—Will watched the entire battle with lips drawn thin. His stomach knotted. War. Bloody, loud and traumatic. And they were heading as close to it as they dared. At least Loki had kept them somewhere safe, somewhere hidden from the horror.
All the children were safely tucked away in the chariot, instructed to keep their ears covered and their eyes closed. With all twenty kids crammed in the back, Will had no more room to lie down. He rode one of the soft-furred goats. Acidic bile burned in his throat as he tore his gaze away from the battle.
But Thor, witnessing the death of his father, reacted differently. Rage ignited in the god, and he grabbed his metal gloves and hammer. Mjolnir is what Thor had called the stunted hammer. Forged by the dwarf brothers, Sindri and Brokkr, after being challenged by Loki. Despite the interference from the trickster that stunted the handle, the dwarf brothers managed to craft a powerful weapon. Mjolnir was considered the most powerful creation, and when wielded by one of the strongest gods, it could destroy mountains.
Mjolnir sang with power, fuelled by the fierce god wielding it. A crack of thunder tore open the sky, and lightning bolts struck the battlefield, searing any victim within their perimeters. With an anguished battle cry, Thor smacked his hammer against the ground, triggering an earthquake. The ground split, and an earth-dividing fissure raced for the rocky peaks. The tremors forced the battle to separate, but no one seemed bothered by the raging storm that appeared in the voided sky.
Until the mountain fell.
A rush of dust and broken trees burst from the base of the giant rock. The armies were thrown off their feet, shrouded in a thick layer of dust, broken trees and rock. With a sickening crack, the mountain split in two. As the peak crumbled, the resounding earthquake pushed the goats and the chariot back.
"Thor, stop," Will cried out. With his hands over his ears, he struggled to keep himself on the trembling goat. They'd seen their master's might before and didn't shy away, but they were still nervous.
"The Jotuns will pay," Thor bellowed, eliciting another round of lightning bolts. "They will pay for the blood spilt this day."**
"You're going to kill us," Will screamed. He stumbled off Tanngnjóstr and tentatively approached the god of thunder, eyeing the charged hammer. "Please, Thor, stop. Think of the children."
Shoulder to shoulder in the chariot, the children cowered. Not one uttered a peep, though Will noticed a few were holding onto each other and crying. Thor seemed to shake himself out of his stupor long enough to look at the children and then at Will. The god's eyes were black and full of anguish. Sorrow mingled with temperament, and Thor collapsed to his knees, shoulders hunched.
"My father is dead," came the rumbling lament. "Odin, the Allfather, may you find peace in Valhalla."
"I'm sorry, Thor," Will said, placing a hesitant hand on the god's shoulder. His hand was dwarfed, his fingers tingling with the electrical charge radiating off Thor.
"Ragnarok is the end of all," Thor sighed, "we'll all be dead before the end."
"Not all of us." Will circled the god, forcing him to look up. "You can still save the children."
"Yes, you are right." Thor climbed to his feet and stared at the battlefield. "The Bifrost is on the other side of the city. Our path does not take us into the heart of the battle, though it will not be easy. The jotuns are pushing towards the bridge to cross into the world of men. We must get there before they do before Heimdall breaks it." Thor's expression turned as stormy as the storms he controlled. "If they reach the bridge before we do, you understand they cannot let them through."
Beneath the cover of the words, a warning rang true. The gods would destroy the bridge if they had no other choice. Whether or not Will and his class made it across.
Will squared his shoulders and nodded. "I won't let these children get stuck here, so get us to the Bifrost as quickly as you can. Then you can avenge your father's death."
"As you wish." Once Will was back on the goat, Thor clicked his tongue, and Tanngnjóstr and Tanngrisnir moved forward, jerking the chariot behind them.
As the walled city loomed closer, the kids broke the rules and clambered to their feet. The walls stretched high, pristine white and glistening despite the horror just beyond the borders. Will wondered if giants had built the city.
"Whoa," Alexandre gasped, "it's a giant city."
"It's so pretty," Deirdre cooed, "isn't it pretty, Mr. P?"
"It is," Will agreed. "Was it made by giants?"
"Hmph, no, and this is no city." Thor's rumbling had lost its bite. "We built our palaces. This is Valhalla, my father's..." he trailed off, his voice thick, "...my father's palace. He will be there with all the fallen warriors."
They edged along Valhalla's wall, the children buzzing. The palace had reinvigorated their spirits, and Will hoped they were distracted from the bloody mess on the other side. Thor helped with tales of his adventures, which were far-fetched but entertaining.
"And Loki and I... we were dressed as a bridesmaid and a bride," Thor howled, his laugh like a peel of thunder. "I was determined to retrieve Mjolnir, and Thrymr was adamant about marrying Freya—who refused. Her refusal put us in a predicament, but Heimdall was clever. He's the one who suggested I dress as a bride. I still do not know how Thrymr believed me to be a woman. Do I look like a woman?"
The children giggled and nudged each other with mischief in their round eyes.
"Yes, you do," Alexandre piped up, prompting a round of agreement.
Thor stopped the wagon, planted his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. A playful glint spread across his face, no matter how he fought to contain it. "I, Thor, god of thunder, am the manliest god! I cannot abide by your lies."
Will bit his lip against the smile that threatened, but the children didn't bother holding back. Their laughter battled the sounds of war, lightening the little troupe. The darkening sky couldn't break them. The hunger gnawing in their bellies was forgotten. The danger lurking at the Bifrost was nothing more than an abstract thought.
The danger lurking right before them, however, dampened their mood instantly.
The goats sensed it first. They stopped moving, bleating and straining against the reins. Will toppled off his goat with a yelp, pain wracking his body. Thor scooped him up and grabbed the reins.
"Quiet, beasts," the god growled. "What has gotten into you...."
Pebbles and loose dirt shifted on the ground, and an ominous rumble echoed below the chariot. Thor set Will on his feet, the teacher leaning into the god for support as their feet.
And then a growl. Unsettlingly familiar. It came from below the surface. Will grabbed Thor's sleeve, holding onto it for dear life. "Thor..."
Thor helped Will onto one of the goats and pulled out his hammer and gloves. "Whatever happens, you ride and do not stop. The goats will listen to you."
Will didn't get to say anything, for Thor smacked the goat's rump, and the beast kicked into gear. The other followed suit, and Will clutched the goat's white fur.
"Hold on, kids," he called out.
They got about twenty feet from Thor when the ground exploded. A giant, black head broke through the surface, his roar like Godzilla. Serpent green eyes, uncannily like his father's, glistened against the matte colour of his skin. His teeth were spears, glinting and white. One bite, and he'd devoured the sun whole.
Jormungandr had appeared at last.
"Seriously?" Will groaned. Just one break, that's all he wanted.
Thor was ready. He faced the beast, throwing insults to keep the giant snake's attention. With Mjolnir in one hand, the god advanced. He drove his hammer to the ground, sending violent tremors at the snake. Whipping his head, Jormungandr caught the god in the chest, flinging him a football field's length. Thor landed heavily, a death blow for a human, but not the most powerful god in Asgard. Thor sprang to his feet and swung Mjolnir as hard as he could. The hammer flew through the air, smacking the giant serpent in the head. The hit pulled the snake out of the earth, and he skidded toward the kindergarten class. His eyes were glossy, stunned by Mjolnir's impact.
As Jormungandr fell, the goats were thrown off balance. They scampered haphazardly away from the giant serpent, their beady eyes nervous.
"You will not defeat the power of the gods," Thor boomed in front of the snake. His hammer had returned to him, the polished metal of his gloves shimmering with heat. "Look at this witless worm. Trounced by my hammer. Pathetic."
Thor's hammer was raised as Jormungandr opened his mouth. A hissing sound that became a horrifying laugh and filled the air. Will saw the eyes flash and the teeth glinting too late. He opened his mouth to warn Thor as Jormungandr whipped around and caught Thor in his mouth. A violent thunder crashed around them as Thor screamed. Will's warnings to his children were lost in the noise, and he prayed they weren't watching.
"For Asgard," Thor growled.
With his free hand, the god of thunder took one last mighty swing of his hammer, bringing it down on Jormungandr's snout with whatever ounce of strength he had left. There was a sickening crunch as the hammer, empowered by thunder and lightning, broke through flesh and bone. Jormungandr squealed in agony. Then he twisted his head with one last roar and fell, the life blinking out his serpent eyes.
Limp as a discarded puppet, Thor collapsed to the ground, never to move again.
Mjolnir slipped from his hand with a final, grief-stricken thud, and the battle was over.
The next chapter is here and I do not know how I feel about it 😅 It's different than the previous chapters which is probably why I'm off my game. We will be back to fun and games soon enough but I am curious to know what you think! I may come back and fix it up!
This is also unedited and the word count is TBD buuuut this chapter is my 20k mark! I have officially met the ONC word count although the story isn't done yet!