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damn straight.

I marched in line with the rest of the giants, advancing upon Bifrost. We were in perfect rows and columns, marching as one; uniform. My name is Gunnlor, and I am one of the fire giants who now eagerly awaited the coming battles, the coming victory. Unlike those mindless Einharjar who blindly followed the Gods as sheep. Let them be sheep, for we would be victorious over those pitiful fools.

I did not blindly follow Surt as the Einharjar so conformed to their gods; I had my own reasons for the genocide of every species that opposed us. When I was but a young giant, no more than a few winters – not that Muspellheim really had winters, but it did get a bit cooler – I was beaten and broken simply because I was a fire giant. An entire band of vermin – Dark Elves, whose hearts were as black as their skin; some Light Elves, those self-righteous bastards; along with a few human men, hunters they called themselves; who happened upon me were my assailants. They punched, kicked, spit, and beat me as if I should have been in chains and doing their chores and duties for them. I wasn’t anything to them, and their prejudice almost destroyed me. Maybe some of these giants didn’t have a reason; maybe they just needed a leader to unite them and tell them what to do, but not me. I had my damned reasons, and everyone would pay.

We marched on and on, all day – well what could be taken for day anyways, so hard to tell when there was no sun or moon passing through the sky. It was something we missed, but it was for our greater good. Mani and Sol’s deaths were but the beginning, hundreds of thousands of more would die before this was over, and the last remaining people on the battlefield Vigrid will be us giants with our heads raised high.

We stopped for a moment, a temporary break to catch a breath and take a drink. We each had canteens, filled with fresh spring water, and we sat on the dark damp ground to rest our tired and aching feet. The ground was black, as if it had been burned all around, or covered in soot. Ashes covered everything. As we marched, Surt burned and pillaged anything and everything we crossed. At first we were devastated, not wishing to see so many dead and the once beautiful world turned to ash. Now, with hate brimming all the way up to our eyes, we reveled in the glorious scorched and decimated lands – the conflagration as we had begun calling it.

My eyes scanned the surrounding, the fires burned high into the air. So high in fact, that the very world itself was partially illuminated with the orange red glowing of the ambers. The radiant illumination from the massive pyres inflicted more trepidation into the hearts of those who had survived everything thus far. The abhorrence was so powerful that is froze heartbeats and turned even the bravest of men into pallid cowards.

I grinned and stretched my arms, rising to my feet. I couldn’t see anything but fire and the pitch black ash that covered absolutely everything in sight. The smoke and plumage painted absolutely everything in sight with charcoal black soot. Even our skin had a light layer of obsidian powder, shrouding us in dirt and grime. We looked like silhouettes, the shadows of our former selves. In that light, we were ghosts, atramentous specters writhing with rancor and venom.

I picked up my axe, a heavy double bladed behemoth, and strapped it onto my back. My leather armaments were heavy and I sweated equally heavily. I slipped my iron helm over my head, and finally slid my gauntlets over my hands. We fell back into formation and began our march to Bifrost.

It was a long trip and all we could do was turn introspective and think about this. The horns and drummed sounded, monotonous, until we were lost in the cacophony of sound. My head pounded and I tried to think but I was so confused and confounded that I just let my head wander, to any thought or idea that happened to float through. I didn’t want to think about anything at all.

I have often question my genocidal hatred for all things beyond Giants, and wondered maybe if it wasn’t correct. Maybe I should just destroy those who haze me, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to kill every single living breathing creature I ever saw. The hatred burned like the fires that consumed the world. The purging flame that would cleanse this Earth like the … Wait, what was that in the distance?

I could see a village efflorescing into view at the crest of a hill, maybe a league or two away. Surt called the army to a halt, and looking back over his left shoulder with a wicked and evil grin, his midnight lips peeled back to reveal hideously cruel white fangs, he whispered with malicious intent, “Burn it to the ground…”

And then all Hel broke loose.

With a mighty roar, the army raced forward and, no longer keeping to the strict marching formations, sprinted like madmen. Maybe that’s what they were. An ecstasy of insanity washed over us, as tangible as the ground we stood on, or the armor that was strapped to each of our chests. As one we lost our minds, and as one we prepared for the death and destruction that lay for the poor village ahead of us.

We raced together, as beasts, the entire company which totaled something around two hundred and fifty thousand fire giants. Surt walked calmly behind the rest of the legion, watching his demons at work. As they closed in on the village, shouting and crying out as animals, the people from the village began to file out of their houses into the dirt roads, mostly gathering in the center of the small town. At that moment when those pitiful realized the gravity of the situation, it was too late. With a wicked scream, a young human girl, no older than maybe six or seven winters young, the villagers were set into a panic, shouting and running around like chickens without heads. In a futile attempt, they tried to hide themselves in their primitive house structures, locking and barricading doors in forlorn endeavor of empty and false pretension.

The fire giants encompassed the small settlement, surrounding it on every side. Going door to door, they beat and raped the women, exercising their rights – invading conquerors took over and owned everything they wished to take, including the women. Everywhere one could place their eyes, they could see this debauchery. Here – a giant beating a man to death, blood pouring from the poor man’s head into the street as he was pummeled again and again. There – another demon pillaging an abandoned house. I turned in delight to see the borough set aflame by our noble leader, Surt – The Black God.

I grinned with malicious intent as I entered one of the remaining untouched houses, kicking in the door. A woman’s scream gave away their location; piercing and shrill it echoed throughout the empty abode. I crossed the threshold and let loose my axe; tonight was mine and I would take her by the throat.

Another scream led me to a back room, hidden behind some wooden crates. The door was almost invisible, but I unsheathed a small dagger and pried the entrance open. Huddled in a corner were three young children – a boy and two girls, and what looked like their mother. They wore filthy rags of clothes and I took that to mean that they were poor. I grinned with fiery hatred in my eyes and raised my axe.

Swoosh! Clang! I had swung down with all my might, intending to slice the mother first, but something had stopped me. I couldn’t quite make it out in the darkness, but as my eyes adjusted I could see the silhouette of a man in his mid twenties. He glared up at me, but I only smiled, he had no idea what was in store for him. With darkness hiding my moves, I leaned back and kicked him square in the face, breaking several bones for sure. I could hear the loud crack as his jaw broke, and judging from the blood draining from his nose I had broken that as well. I picked him up by his tunic and pulled him close enough to stare me down, face to face. He spit blood in my face, and I pushed him backwards, still holding him several feet in the air. With a smirk on my face, I sat him down on the ground. He wobbled back and placed his right hand on the wall behind him, so that I could see a clear left profile of him. That was his mistake.

With the sick wet sound that only someone being cut in half can make, I severed him in two at the waist. As his bottom half began to fall, I hefted him up by the neck as quickly as I could. It wasn’t quit a clean cut, and as I yanked him up, part of his spinal cord that hadn’t fully severed snapped and dangled from the gaping gap where his stomach once was. Blood trickled down that part of the spine, and I almost felt sorry for the children it dripped on, but not quite. In those last seconds of his life, I was ecstatic. I’m sure that the Hel I sent him to must seem like Heaven after what I’d done to him.

And that was only the beginning.

The children had it worse I must say. See, I had to dispose of the father and mother quickly, so as to have these little lambs all to myself. The mother I had raped in front of them; sick, depraved, horrific, twisted and vile couldn’t even begin to describe what I had done to that wench. In the end, she pleaded and begged even, not for life, but for death.

Now came the children. I tied them together with some rope that I found back there, and then dragged them into the town center. The giants gathered ‘round me, grinning with sheepish malicious delight. I untied them one by one, then used those roped to fashion nooses.

We went to the gallows, where they had previously hung unruly citizens who had violated their laws. Tonight we had invaded their village, slaughtered and raped most everyone, and now we we’re going to brutally end the last villagers lives. First, we led the boy up the stairs, and then positioned him above the trap door. We tied his noose to the rafter, and then led the girls up and did the same. One giant, I’m not sure whether I knew him or not, walked over to the lever and placed his hand on it, ready to pull. I stayed him, then walked to the front of the platform. I raised my hands and hushed the crowd.

“Ladies and Gentle Giants, We are gathered here to mourn the loss of these fine villagers, specifically these younglings.” I laughed at my mockery, and the giants joined in as well. “May the gods take mercy on their souls, and send them to…” At this I paused, and I could see the anticipation pulsing in the eyes of each and every hellion standing before me. “… HEL!” The trap door opened, the children dropped, and the necks snapped. Well, for those two that were lucky they did. One of the girls wasn’t so, and she clawed at her neck, kicking her legs futilely. It wasn’t until the eyes bulged and her legs quit kicking that the first cheer was let loose.

Surt parted the crowd, beckoning for silence. He stepped on to the platform and glanced over at me, asking of my name. I told him, quietly with as much respect as I could. I didn’t want to wind up like that giant just the other day. He grinned, those obsidian lips parting again to reveal his pearly white fangs. He personally congratulated me, and was about to light the first large fire to burn the village all the way down but I stopped him.

“Sir, with all due respect, I would like to start the fire that burned this place down.”

He looked back at me, and handed me the torch.

The fires of Muspell had never been as sweet as the purging flame that cleansed this place.

Then I have achieved everything I wished to do. One more tainted mind at a time.

(This is Chapter X, safe to read.. just thoughts and ramblings. All the blood and guts was in Chapter IX, this marks 20,040 words!!!)





We fed heartily on our ill gained goods. We laughed and told tales of our favorite myths, especially about the gods. Such as how Loki stole Sif’s hair and had the dwarves make hair from gold for her. The dwarves also made Gungnir among other items for the gods. Since Sif got her hair back and it was even better because it was made from gold, Thor didn’t crush Loki with Mjollnir. We told tales of all sorts, and I mentioned the most treasured and revered tale about Odin. He once hung from the world tree Yggdrasil for nine days, denying all food and drink in order to learn everything about the runes, magic, and more.

Leif and I gathered our belongings and packed up. I poured a little water on the fire to kill it a bit, stomping out the remaining flames. I ran a hand through my hair, drawing it out of my face. We began our trek to Bifrost, one long aching step at a time.

I turned introspective and just thought about what would happen if I couldn’t alter my fate. Would I ever have another chance with Randgrid? Surely by the time we got back Surt’s army would be almost there, ready to fight. I wanted to be with her right now, and I wondered where she was right now, and what she was doing.

Ironically at that very moment she was wondering the same thing. She longed to be with him, for him to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be ok. What if where they went after this, they weren’t together? Could she handle losing the only guy she loved because of something as horrible as a wicked death from the hands of large monstrous ogres and giants? It was something she couldn’t bare to think. She refused to think about it.

I thought about my fights and battles, about my family, about the Valkyrie Randgrid, and about the Gods – the Æsir and the Vanir. Hundreds of thoughts poured through my head and it was almost overwhelming. At times I wanted to sit down and rest, to try and recuperate. I held myself together, all the time wondering why I was doing this. Why I was fighting for these impersonal deities, but I pushed that thought aside. If I didn’t do this, if I didn’t fight then evil would win. Well, evil was going to win anyways, but damn it I will fight until there wasn’t a breath left in my wretched body. Damn them. Damn them all. I wanted to kill every last one of these gods forsaken hellions.

I glared at no one in particular, but I glared nonetheless. I marched and hiked, hiked and marched. We had gone for hours, seeing nothing in particular. I noted the scenery, but there was nothing in particular to see, forests and hills, a creek here and there. Nothing special really. A couple times we saw some wildlife, a boar here, a stag there, a couple rabbits. Once we saw a fox, but it stayed away minding its own business. It’s beautiful red fur stood out amongst the dense green foliage. I was actually surprised that all these trees had survived the great falling; that there were even some trees left at all was astounding.

We talked a bit, but mostly walked in silence. Often the silence between friends was awkward, but not with us. We were close enough that we could read each other, and we both knew that we didn’t need to talk. We had our own thoughts and feelings to deal with. We enjoyed the silence.

I wondered about what he was thinking. Surely of his lost family. His long time girlfriend and soon to be wife was sold into slavery because his family was very poor. They couldn’t handle being separated… nor could he bare the thought of losing her. She killed herself the night before she was to be taken away from him forever. He held on for as long as he could, but eventually he picked a fight with someone who wound up killing him. It was a long and brutal death, but Leif fought until the end. Eventually because of his valiancy he earned his spot in Valhalla, and the Valkyrie Hrist took him from his dying body and lifted him to Asgard.

In the years since then he hadn’t developed any relationships, remaining ever faithful to her even after death. I only hoped that she did the same, remaining ever faithful to him until the end of days. When we fell in battle, maybe they would be reunited. Maybe in turn I could be reunited with my family, but then of course I would have to choose between Fenja and the Valkyrie Randgrid.

He glanced at me, and I smiled. I wanted to offer him as much encouragement as I could. We were fighting moral battles every day in our minds. In there, we were our own worst enemies, worse than anything Surt could throw at us. Worse then Fenris, Hati, Skoll, Hel, Jormungandr, Loki, or any and every other horror imaginable. In fact all of those combined wasn’t even half as threatening as what we fought against in our heads. Those creatures were nothing. Our mind was full of self doubt, hideously deflated egos, and strife. Everything we had ever done wrong we held against ourselves. A masochistic battle of life and death where we held the cards in our own hands but were too afraid to see what fate had dealt us.

Maybe that was why we embarked on this quest, to try and see if we were brave enough to look at the cards and tempt fate. The Norns were the only creatures in the world who knew what was in store for us. Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld – those mistresses of destiny – who spoke to no one, telling none what was in store for them. The possibility that we could ever get them to tell us anything about what life in store for us in our last remaining days. If we lived for a week I would be surprised. Surt’s army moved closer and closer by the second, inching their way towards us across worlds and anything that stood in their way. Who knows? The Norns. They are the only people in any of the nine worlds that knew anything like this.

We had to try, for doing nothing means that we were surrendering, giving up for absolutely nothing. I was not a coward, nor was Leif. It was not something we could do. We were brave men, and if it meant that what we had to do was the impossible then so be it. I would fight anyone, everyone, even the gods themselves if they stood in our way. Futile thought it may seem, I would survive, I had promised that much to my lovely Valkyrie. It was not a promise that was easy to keep but I must try. I was a man of my word, a man of faith. If I said that for her I could try, and that for her I would not die, then by gods, I would live on.

I laughed, just then realizing the rhyme in my thoughts. Maybe I could have been a bard, strumming a lute and singing instead of brandishing a mighty sword and battling for my life. Life sure would have been easier if I had the musical talent to do such a thing. Alas, that was one area where I had failed. I didn’t often fail, but that was one time – one area – that I had. I often dreamed of simpler times, and how my life could have been different. I certainly wouldn’t have met Leif or my Valkyrie lover, but who might I have met?

Those thoughts were for simpler times and simpler ways. Not something I could waste my time on now. We were close, but after all these hours we needed a break. I glanced at Leif and could tell he needed one too – his arms were slouched and he was hunched over, dragging himself along. He looked up at me and I nodded slipping my sword and bow off, laying them on the ground. We had come to a clearing, and there was a nice somewhat comfortable log to rest upon. It was a step up from the muddy and damp ground. If I had to spend any more time laying or resting on the ground, I was sure to be sick. If I was sick, I couldn’t fight as well when the time came, so my health was something I had to be wary of.

I made the fire this time, and Leif went off to gather and hunt. We only had but a little bit of food left, having eaten most of the little bit we got from the rogues. He came back a bit later, time was still hard to tell but I would guess after about twenty minutes. I had gotten a fire going and had already left and came back from gathering more wood for the fire. We might rest here for an hour, maybe take a nap… After we ate we’d decide on that.

He had found a small stag, one that was still very young. He had cut some meat from it, and we cooked the venison. I have always been a lover of venison and other similar meats so this was great. We ate diminutive bits at a time, not wanting to risk feeling sick from over eating. That way, in case we did decide to continue on our quest today, we would have energy yet still be fit to march on.

After we had our fill, we carried the carcass back into the woods so as that maybe a pack of wolves or some other carrion eater would have an easy meal. Returning to our fire, we rested on the logs. It was close, Bifrost that is, but after hiking for as long as we had in these conditions, we needed some more time to rest. As soon as we got comfortable we fell back into our everyday banter. It was strange, in all these years we never ran out of things to talk about. For what seemed like hours, but was actually only about one hour, we talked and talked, ranting and raving. We made jokes at Surt’s expense, mainly so that we wouldn’t be so afraid of him. We knew that we would die, so by making him seem to be just a joke, nothing more to be feared then a child or an old lady, we stayed our fear.

After we felt ready and able to continue the quest, we gathered our belongings, once again weighing ourselves down with the massive amount of stuff we each bared for this trip. It seemed absurd to carry all of this, but already each and every item had proved it’s worth time and time again.

We blazed our own trail, through foliage, fog, and any opposition that dared show its ugly head. Time flew as only it could when there was nothing to judge it by. I tried judging it in my head but I failed. I tried to count the steps we took, but after so many thousand I lost count. Again, everything I did was to no avail.

Rain began to fall, heavily, pelting us with massive drops. I stared up, running my hands through my now soaked hair, and laughed. It hadn’t rained in weeks, and this was certainly a welcomed treat. It probably helped with our smell, for after all this time and distance we had sweated a whole Hel of a lot.

And as we approached the next hill, a sight more beautiful than I had ever thought possible bloomed into vision. The awe inspiring rainbow bridge that connected Midgard to Asgard loomed ahead of us. As we crested the hill I smiled, we had made it.

For you my Valkyrie, my love, I have persevered. I will survive. I defy you stars, I curse thee!

What stuff, the bloody parts?

Sadly that is a big theme in norse mythos... The Gods and all the Einharjar are helpless... they can't change their fate even though they know what will happen...Even if they could they won't.

I will try and warn you... Chapter XI won't be as interesting as some of these last few chapters.

I've never felt like that... but I am claustrophobic.

Chapter XI is about to be redone so as to make it more exciting...