Chapter XI
I could barely see through the dense rain. The massive arch before me was painted a myriad of colors. The Bifrost Bridge was actually a rainbow, and it is the only connection between Midgard and Asgard. The bridge radiated more colors than the Northern Lights when they were in bloom.
My feet moved on their own, enraptured by the beauty before me. I simply stared, too awed to even consider anything else. The rain had extinguished any flames or sources of light around, leaving only the emitted effulgence from Bifrost. There stood an edifice almost as equally magnificent as the bridge itself.
I looked over at Leif, pausing for a moment. His face was blue, then green; every few seconds he changed color. I smiled and watched as the bridge painted him an endless amount of hues and shades. It was inspiring, remarkable, amazing. I glanced down at myself and could see the changes in various chromas.
Each step took us just a little bit closer and we couldn’t take our eyes off of it. We were scared, excited, nervous, tired, and happier than we’d been in days. It had been rough trying to get here, yet here we were, ready to face our destinies. The Norns were hopefully in that building before us. If they weren’t… well we were certainly in a jam.
The distance between us and that fate filled door closed into nothingness. My fingers closed around the door knob, cold and steely. I pushed the door open and stepped through the threshold. Neither of us were quite ready for what we saw.
Together the three sat – Urd of the past; Verdandi who ruled over the present; and Skuld who would decide the future – on stools, weaving the silver threads of fate. Skuld was obviously expecting us, for she stood up as soon as we stepped through. The Disir looked at us, as if expecting something but nothing could come to us.
The words never came. I looked at Leif, shaking my head and laughing at myself. We both looked at Skuld and then finally I spoke, “Is there any… Damn it I want to change my fate!”
She looked at me as if I had just said I wanted to take off my boots. She shook her head and said, “You obviously don’t think that I could possibly change what will happen now. Your fate was sealed the moment you were born. I can no more change your destiny then I can change Odin’s or Thor’s. They will die at Vigrid and so will you.”
***
I fell in line with the other giants, the smell of blood and sweat wafting up and through my nostrils. Since my escapade that night at the village I had been promoted. I was now a General in the Black God’s army. I marched at the front of my squad, leading them on. We’ve got several other Generals who each commanded their own squads. I took good care of my men, made sure they all stayed in line during this endeavor.
I grinned with malicious delight as we made our way to the bridge. We had crossed over most of the worlds, destroying and burning them as we traveled and trekked through the lands. Then, as we crested the hill, the Rainbow Bridge dawned into our sight. Surt called us to a halt, and we looked back and forth between us, aching with anticipation.
“JOTUN! Bifrost lies before your very eyes. It’s yours. TAKE IT!” Surt bellowed, grinning intently, fire burning in his eyes.
We started marching across, our feet perfectly in tune. Surt and a few of the more prominent soldiers, the biggest fighters and most evil vile creatures, rode monstrous horses across the plains. As we got closer and closer, the excitement ran through the army so thick and heavy it was tangible. I could feel it pour over me heavier than a waterfall of hate filled fluid destruction. We quickened our pace, faster and faster and faster. Soon it was a quick walk, then a jog, then running, and finally we were sprinting across until we reached the Bifrost Bridge.
We slowed down, for we all couldn’t march across at once. There we went four in a row, double time marching across the bridge. Each second another thunderous boom emanating from our feet as they pounded in step. I had heard times when the earth quaked and was not as loud as those beats.
CRACK! Just as prophesized, the bridge was beginning to crumble under the intensive pressure we were forcing on it. Maybe not, maybe it was cracking because we were invading an area that was deemed “holy.” Whatever it was, if we didn’t get off soon, we would fall into the abyss below us.
We raced forward, shoving off of each other, jumping, doing anything we possibly could to get off this bridge before it collapsed. Surt and the rest of the Sons of Muspell had already crossed, and they tried to restore order in their troops. The Commanders yelled, shouted, bellowed, and screamed – anything they could try to do to get the giants to pay attention to them. Jotun were trampled, stomped to death under the feet of their brethren.
I shoved any and every being out of my way, until I had crossed the bridge. I glanced back at the herd of stampeding idiots. There were hairline fractures everywhere across the entire structure. People were going to die before we even got there. Of that I was sure. That was when the mighty horn was blown, Gjallarhorn, and it ripped through the nine worlds, the sound blasting to ever corner of Yggdrasil.
***
“Do you think that for so much as one single breath I know what I’m doing? Everything has been taken from me – EVERYTHING! I’ve fought valiantly, I’ve died once for these gods, is it not enough? All I want is to live, as I see fit. My life ought not to be plagued by some impersonal Disir who knows me not! Damn you! Curse you! Give me my freedom, or give me my DEATH!” I breathed heavily; exhausted from the speech I had just delivered. It felt like the gods were perpetually bleeding me, sucking the life force out of me and forever asking more. Despair clouded my judgment of this I am sure. This war, our sacrifice, was not in vain. Someone had to stand against the injustices these Jotun had committed. If we all backed down we would die as cowards.
“You already understand what you must do. You serve a purpose, whether you realize it or not. You will have difficult choices to make soon… Choices that will shape the rest of your life. You were brought for a reason, you fight for a cause, and you will die again for the same moral principles that you did years ago." Skuld smiled weakly, and turned away. Leif didn't move. He knew well enough that if her reaction to my questions was as such, he could fare no better.
CRACK! Leif and I whipped around and we had no need to say anything. Surt had arrived. Moments later we knew we were right, Heimdall had blown Gjallarhorn. The sound was so mighty that it destroyed any thought that could have passed through my head during those few ringing moments. Leif glanced at me and nodded, racing into the door and bursting it open. Splintered wood flew everywhere and I had to duck so as not to have sharp shards of oak impale my face.
I stopped dead in my tracks, to afraid to make so much as a single sound. Never before this very moment had fear so been instilled in my heart. The entire Muspellheim army stood before us. Surt's horse reared and neighed, snorting loudly, frantic and afraid. At once the madness reached it's pinnacle - its zenith, its apex - as the bridge gave way, collapsing from the middle and dropping down. The fractures slithered through every facet of the bridge as a serpent, and the structure fell once and for all.
The last of the Jotun who were so unlucky as to not make it off pitched in to the abyss, screaming in vain as they plummeted into Hel. Their pitiful wails made a dirge of despair, and Hel was the conductress of this woeful elegy. They kicked and screamed throughout their descent into death. Served them right. Leif and I turned and attempted a silent escape. We had to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible or we would never make it out alive.
The Sons of Muspell had calmed down a bit, somewhat sad over the loss of their brethren but they knew what had to be done and what would be done. They checked themselves for injuries sustained during the madness, a few were taken away to have their wounds dressed. Some had been taken to the side and reprimanded for their behavior. Surt had decided they could rest here long enough to ensure the health and safety of his troops.
SNAP! A twig. A damned twig. As if all drones, mindlessly connected to one another, they turned to stare at us. At first it was as though they didn't quite realize what we were, who we were, or what we were doing. These weren't the most intelligent of individuals after all. Then a few rose, hands gripping tight to the handles of their axes and swords and maces. Surt stared, glowering at us with sick delight. "Seize them!" He bellowed with that characteristic deep voice that brought to mind images of midnight deaths in orchards of cherry blossom trees with black leaves.
Leif and I ran faster than we had ever ran before. Our legs burned, calves and thighs yelling at us to stop and let them have us if it would mean we relented on them. We hadn't ran the same way back, too busy with escaping to remember the exact path we had traveled. We came across our chance to ditch our pursuers in the form of a large deep and dark river. As we reached the banks we took three long strides and dove in together so as to not leave footprints on the beach, swimming straight to the bottom. I found a large rock, probably about one hundred pounds it would have weighed on dry land, and latched my arms around it. I glanced over, squinting because of the rushing water, and could just barely make out his silhouette. The water was murky, and with the little amount of light it was easy to escape. If only we could hold our breath...
***
The Jotun quickly lost track, not sure where we went when they couldn't find the footprints. They glanced into the river, but couldn't tell for sure if we crossed, went upstream or downstream. They left to report their loss to Surt with heavy hearts... Surt did not like to be upset or let down. When they returned he took one look at them and turned back to his horse having dismounted a while back. He tapped the saddle a couple times then whipped around, drawing his sword and beheading the first giant. He stared at the other one then pulled back his arm and punched him through his chest. Surt gripped his heart in his hand and ripped it out, watching as it bled in his hand. The giant stared down at his beating heart then collapsed, falling dead to the ground. Surt stared at the heart until it stopped beating, then bit into it tearing out a decent sized piece. The blood poured down his jaws and he threw the heart to the dirt, wiping his hands on the dead giant's tunic.
Surt got back on his horse and led his troops on towards Vigrid, him and the other higher ranking Jotun riding forward on their horses while myself and the other officers commanded the soldiers. We marched on until we reached a wide open plain, maybe eighty leagues in most directions, and camped for the night - or at least we presumed it to be night. We lit our fires and pitched some tents, resting for the battle to come. The Gods will die.
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