Meanwhile, in the halls of Valhalla on Asgard…
Celestial light streamed into the great hall of Valhalla by way of the surrounding stars. About the hall the legendary remembered dead and the family of gods known as the Aesir gathered in celebration. The aged all-father looked upon his faithful with a loving smile, particularly his sons Baldur the pure, Hermod the brave and mighty Thor.
Thor Odinson looked back at his father’s gaze with pride. He breathed deeply, absorbing the experience, as the great hall honored his father’s long reign. For thousands of years the Aesir had lived in relative peace far from the affairs of mankind and gods alike.
In the vast reaches of the galaxy they had found a new home, a place devoid of the corruption of men’s hearts. Thor was thankful for this lingering peace. No longer tied to the fate of men his people had prospered. In the absence of darkness and war they’d grown strong. Thor recalled his father’s speech to remembered dead thousands of years before, when the Aesir left Midgard.
“No longer will we rely upon the worship of men and women. No longer will the fate of our people be tied to ungrateful mortals who offer worship only when it suits them. From this day forth our people shall cast the sacred runes and forge a new destiny. An Asgardian paradise!”
The all-mighty God now ruled over all, and the Aesir could set aside their responsibility to protect the nine realms. For two thousand years the Aesir were free to pursue an eternity of prosperity and fortune. It was a respite their afforded by their valiant efforts on behalf of mankind. Despite millennia of peace, a part of Thor longed for the days of the turbulent past. A time when men and gods contended with the infinite dark, side by side in the face of imminent destruction.
Fond memories called themselves forth. Thor imagined himself tossing his hammer into the skulls of frost giants and through the hearts of serpents the size of mountains. In ages past, suffering was rampant, and he had a clear purpose. He was the guardian of men, the thunderer, and all feared his invincible hammer. Many more worshipped him. Their prayers fed the well of his soul, filling it with vibrant power. He closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to remember the way their prayers felt. The fading spark of a distant time flashed through his mind and vanished.
Thor sighed.
In these days he could not be sure that the men of earth even knew his name. Much had changed, he’d long since retired his hammer Mjolnir. The ancient weapon rested against the captain’s chair of his mighty warship that bore the same name. He was still a beloved guardian though now he protected only Asgard, in a largely ceremonial role. Regrettably there wasn’t much to guard against, save the occasional errant asteroid or wayward space serpent. Order was so prevalent that life had in a way become stale to the Asgardians. He wondered if it would ever change as his heart beat against the walls of his chest, aching to taste glory once more.
The all-father beat the end of his spear, the mighty Gungnir, against the floor bringing Thor back to the present. He brushed a strand of wavy copper hair from his azure eyes and straightened his back. The final guests shuffled into the hall flanked by Valkyries in ceremonial armor. Odin rose from his seat to address the people of Asgard. The occupants of the great hall knelt in reverence. Many had gathered, many more than attended Odin’s great hall regularly. Thor surveyed the room, his protective instinct activating. He scanned for threats as he had always done, even though none would dare attack the all-father. A hard habit to break for a god of guardianship and battle. Thor could not understand what could have been so important to call his entire commanding crew down to the surface, his place was on board Mjolnir where he could be ready to defend Asgard. But when the all-father gave an order, it was folly to disregard even for a son of Odin. In his youth he had often disregarded his father’s words, and more often than not he paid a dear price.
Odin looked upon the masses assembled in the great hall through his one good eye. His two magical ravens, Huginn and Muninn, perched on each shoulder cawed as he reached for Queen Frigga’s hand. The pair of royal gods stood before the court basking in the reverent worship. Thor was certain no pantheon throughout the vastness of the cosmos could match the grandeur of the Aesir, not even the all-mighty God.
“Proud family and hallowed dead, you honor me, your all-father. Gathering in such grand numbers pleases my eye. There is no doubt in my mind, that there be no greater a people than that which stands before me.”
Thor shuddered as his spine tingled. His father’s words still inspired, despite the passing eons. His voice carried with it the weight of eternity and yet it remained humbled by the vastness of his godhood.
“I have brought you here to this great hall in anticipation of a grand occasion,” said Odin.
Thor wondered what special occasion drew the entire pantheon to such a feast. On every long table was a feast of immense proportions. The entire court of the Aesir was in attendance. Thor allowed his eyes to wander to his wife. Sif’s green eyes pierced with the Valkyries’ fierce passion accented by golden hair hung from the crown of her head to her feet. His two ginger-dusted, muscular sons Magni and Modi looked at their grandfather in perfect stoic attention. Meanwhile Thrud, his beautiful blonde daughter slouched in boredom. Thor smiled. She was more like him than either of his boys, her heart ached for battle and rebellion.
“I have served as the chieftain of this family for thousands of years now, and as many of you know, I have indeed also grown old. Like the men who once worshipped us, we too are not without end. As many of our fallen dead have discovered. Thankfully they have returned to tell us of what awaits us in the next realm.”
The great hall erupted in laughter. All about them were the spirits of the remembered dead, both mortal and Aesir. Thor had seen many of his brothers and sisters fall in war, but it had been many ages since a conflict had caused the fall of an Aesir. Though some had succumbed to old age, Thor never believed Odin would wither.
“You may not be able to slay a thousand frost giants with a single swing, but I bet you could at least tackle a hundred. The rest of us could clean up what you have yet to finish,” joked Thor. “Perhaps you’re just out of practice!”
Odin smiled, allowing a chuckle escape his lips.
“My son, Thor, is not wrong. I have not yet outlived my usefulness, and my time as your chieftain is not yet at its end. However, I could not leave you in such a trying time.” he paused. The crowd laughed heartily. Odin was not as serious as some rulers, the trickster ran in his blood. “However, the time has come for me to choose a successor.”
The hall silenced. Even Thor’s mouth was agape.
A successor to Odin? Thor wondered.
Perhaps his step-mother Queen Frigga had postulated such a thing, but who else? To think of the chieftain’s demise was believed among the Aesir to be the same as planning to murder him.
Odin had many sons, and he had many more lovers. He was master of his world, so much so that even women could not beguile him. Thor’s mother Jarnsaxa had long since passed through the veil of life and death. The frost giants of whom his mother belonged were not as long lived as the Aesir, and the slow attrition of time had taken its toll, leaving Thor with only his father.
The thought of his own potential rule had not dared to cross his mind in over two thousand years. In his more brazen, youthful years, he might have held such delusions of grandeur. Alas, Thor was a god of war, living in a time of peace. What good could he serve as chieftain? It seemed ridiculous to entertain such thoughts now.
“I have many sons, all of whom would be fit to rule Valhalla in my stead. Hermod, my brave boy, such boldness would make a great chieftain,” said Odin before looking at Thor. “Thor Odinson, guardian of Asgard and protector of this realm. Could there be a mightier god among us?”
Thor’s cheeks went flush as the remembered dead cheered for him. The people loved him for his vigilant service.
“But these are times of peace, not times of war. And in peace we must be ever vigilant. For a day may come where the Aesir are called upon to defend the nine realms.”
Baldur, thought Thor. It must be Baldur.
Thor look at Queen Frigga who smiled wide. Thor looked back at her with disdain, for she had long placed herself between him and his father. It was only natural that she would want her own son to be Odin’s successor. Still, Thor had never appreciated her unwarranted dislike. Thor had not chosen his mother or his father. It was Odin who deserved her wrath. Unfortunately Odin was invincible, thus her ire fell to Thor as the last vestige of her displeasure with Odin’s affairs. At least that is what Thor had deduced.
“Baldur, my son, purest of all, lord of joy and veritable symbol of Asgard’s prosperity. Rise,” said Odin.
Baldur rose and stood before the great hall. Thor watched as his brother drew every eye in the great hall of Valhalla. Even Thor had to admit his brother embodied the quintessence of male beauty. It was as though he had been bred for the singular purpose of benevolent rule.
“Could there be a son of Odin who better represents our Asgardian future?” asked Odin.
The crowd nodded in agreement for Baldur was loved most of all the Asgardian gods. His smile radiated golden light and feelings of intense joy that brought even the most resolute gods to a state of ecstasy. Thor loved and cherished his younger brother. A smile formed on his grizzled war worn face.
“All-Father, if I may,” asked Baldur. “I have an announcement of my own. One in which this hallowed hall would surely rejoice.”
Odin nodded and gestured for his son to proceed. Baldur reached for the hand of his lovely consort Inanna. If Baldur was the personification of male beautify, his companion Inanna was the same for feminine beauty. Few goddesses in any realm could compare to her purity. She drew the admiration and adoration of many, but her heart belonged solely to Baldur. Thor admitted she was a sight to behold, though in his opinion few held a candle to attraction of Sif’s ferocity.
Inanna rose to her feet at Baldur’s side. “Father, Inanna and I ask for your blessing to be joined in perfect union, so that I, your son and heir, may better serve the Aesir and all of Asgard. I know that with Inanna at my side, I cannot fail in any endeavor.”
Odin smiled at the pair and bowed his head. “I could think of no better way to celebrate the rite of succession than a union of such beloved souls. You have my blessing. May your union be a boon to your rule and to Asgard!”
The remembered dead cheered, “For Valhalla! For Asgard! For the all-father! For Baldur and Inanna!”
“Hail the victorious dead!” exclaimed Baldur.
Thor repeated his brother’s declaration in concert with the rest of the great hall.
“Break out the ale!” cried Thor, and the crowd cheered raucously in anticipation of a grand celebration.
Before the celebration could commence, the doors to the great hall burst open. Thor swiveled, ready to pounce on the soul that dared disturb the sanctity of the closed hall.
Thor breathed a sigh of relief. It was Heimdall, the aged seer, draped in a mahogany cloak. He passed through the arch making his way toward Odin. His old bones creaked as he hurried along the floor.
The great hall was stunned. Heimdall was not known to attend feasts and celebrations.
“Great Heimdall,” called Thor as he approached, blocking the seer’s path. “What brings you down from your high perch?”
Heimdall did not utter a word, he simply pointed at the all-father with a stern look upon his face. Thor patted him down and turned to the all-father for confirmation that Heimdall might proceed. Odin nodded.
Thor escorted Heimdall the rest of the way.
“Heimdall, whose eyes see all, what news have you brought us?” inquired Odin.
The seer leaned towards Odin and whispered in his ear. Thor craned his head hoping to overhear, but could not make out anything but the word Ragnarok. The look upon his father’s face was all he needed to know about Heimdall’s message. He had not seen that expression upon his father’s face in many thousands of years. Not since the time before the reign of the all-mighty God. Something was wrong, very wrong.
The crowd waited in anticipation as the all-father composed himself, “Heimdall, if you will, share your vision with the hall.”
Heimdall upon the souls gathered in the great hall. His broad frame and piercing eyes commanded the attention of the room, for he saw all that happened throughout the cosmos. He reached into a satchel hanging from his side and retrieved a handful of precious gemstones engraved with the runes of the Futhark. He cast them into the air above the crowd. The flames smoldering in lit braziers dimmed and the empty air above their heads swirled with blue light. The runic stones suspended in midair projected the vision of Heimdall for all to see, his words casting images of all he saw.
“The all-mighty God has fallen in a great battle with the forces of chaos,” said Heimdall.
Thor watched as the valiant ruler of the universe succumbed to the blackened shadows of the void.
“Ragnarok is upon us,” Heimdall’s voice was sure and shrill.
Thor felt the walls of peace shatter in a single instant. At first he had barely recognized the word, it had been buried beneath thousands of years of peace. But as it escaped Heimdall’s lips, projecting the image of the fall of Asgard, it slammed into him like the hull of a ship. All about him the blanket of security that had protected his people and secured a fantastic future ruled by his peaceful brother had vanished.
“That cannot be,” shouted a voice in the great hall. “Can it?”
“I have seen it,” said Heimdall. “As my eyes see all, I know this to be true without a shadow of a doubt.”
“But the all-mighty God cannot be defeated!” cried another. “How could this be so?!”
“Heimdall, are you sure,” called Baldur?
“The seer speaks the truth, my son, search your heart,” said Odin as he looked to Thor.
Thor felt his father’s eyes, but his heart thumped in his chest with such anxiety that he could hardly bring himself to look back. Fear gripped the chest of the mighty Thor, and he struggled to regain his composure.
“Look to your brother, Thor, his face will tell you the truth. For he has felt the death rattle of the peace.”
Baldur looked at Thor and Thor swallowed hard. As Baldur’s pure smile faded, a feeling that Thor had not experienced in ages rose to the surface. Rage, pure unchained rage. For only the purest of evils could snuff out the light of the all-mighty God and sully the perfect smile of his brother.
Thor walked to Baldur’s side. “Heimdall and the all-father speak the truth. But how can this be so, All-Father? It was by your magic and the combined power of the Panthea that the all-mighty God was formed.”
“What could have been powerful enough to overcome the Celestial Throne?” asked Baldur.
Heimdall’s gruff voice interrupted. “It was men’s fickle hearts that allowed the darkness to return. It is as before, in the time of the old ways before you were born. Men have allowed corruption to return to the cosmos, to the detriment of us all.”
Thor took a moment to process the impact of such information. Not only were the Aesir at risk, but all the realms of gods and men. Midgard, the source of the gods’ power would be under extreme duress. A great swell of pity infected his heart.
“If the Celestial Throne has fallen, then Midgard requires our aid, as the old ways dictate,” said Thor.
In his heart he now heard the many prayers of the remaining faithful on Earth. They cried out to him for salvation, for deliverance from the darkness they’d helped to create. “If we are just now hearing of the all-mighty God’s demise, then Midgard has been under siege of the darkness for nearly five hundred years, perhaps more. Father, we must honor our responsibility to the realms.”
Odin looked at his son’s impassioned response with careful attention.
“Go to the aid of men?” cried Frigga. “Was it not they who abandoned their oath to the all-mighty God, to the Aesir, to you and our All-Father? Why should we be forced to rectify their sins for all eternity? Have we not paid our debt to humanity?”
“This is not about debt,” retorted Thor. “This is about what is right.”
“What is right?” she countered. “Why should we spill precious Asgardian blood for men whose hearts put us all at risk?”
Many echoed her response throughout the great hall. Thor could sense fear tightening the noose upon his people. They were scared, and rightfully so. Many of the Aesir that stood in the great hall had never battled the darkness, to them it was myth, a bedtime story. Thor knew well what cast its magic spell upon them, it was Loki. A disease of the mind, a chaotic force without body or spirit, one that had unbelievable effects upon the minds of both men and gods.
“You suggest we repay the sins of men with sins far greater.” stated Thor. “You suggest we stoop to the level of mortal man and forget our own oaths. Are we not gods who stand above men? As such we carry the yoke of responsibility for such power.
Have the Aesir become cowards who run from danger?”
His retort warranted a stern look from the Queen. Thor looked back at her and took the hand of his brother Baldur. He marched up the steps toward Odin, Heimdall and Frigga with Baldur in tow.
“The all-mighty God has fallen and darkness has returned to the nine realms. Chaos now weaves its magic into the fabric of our reality and all others. I know this because I have felt it. But it changes nothing!”
Thor gripped his father’s hand in his other. He raised the hands of Odin and Baldur in unison. The grip of Loki had intensified. The people assembled in the great hall trembled.
“Asgard is strong, stronger than it has ever been. There is nothing, not even the chaotic forces of darkness, that can challenge our might. We shall face this darkness as we always have, with might, cunning, and valor.”
Thor dropped their hands and Odin addressed the hall, “My son speaks with the passion and the heart of Asgard. And he is right. We shall not fear the darkness for we are strong!”
“But what of the accord with the other pantheons?” asked Queen Frigga. “Will they not vie for the power of the Celestial Throne? Is Asgard not endangered by the potential rule of another pantheon?”
“With the all-mighty God defeated, his power will go to the one who holds the crown, “ added Heimdall. “It was the final decree of the throne.”
“What would Asgard do if the Neter or the Titans took power? How could we stand against such reckless rulership?” responded Frigga.
Thor knew this to be true. Frigga was a calculating goddess, logical with impeccable clarity of mind. But her words only inspired more fear. Loki was weaving his way through the hearts of all present. Thor needed to dispel it.
“That is Loki speaking,” challenged Thor, and the great hall gasped. “I know his ways, for it creeps into my mind. Search your hearts, you feel it too.”
Odin’s one good eye glared at the occupants of the great hall.
“Thor Odinson speaks with a sound mind. As does my Queen. Asgard will face many trials in the days ahead. The demise of the all-mighty God presents us with challenges that must be faced with resolve, but we will not be shaken. Asgard is master of its own destiny.”
Odin looked to Thor, “Should darkness descend upon Asgard, what will be Asgard’s response?”
Thor’s lip curled into a smile as he felt the promise of glory rise within his chest. “Asgard will rise! I say let Ragnarok come. Let the evils of this world march to the very steps of Valhalla. Let them look upon our victorious dead and tremble in horror. Let us sing the song of war with clattering shields and swords, with cannonfire and the mighty thunder of Mjolnir! Let the other pantheons marvel at the strength of the Aesir and let the very fabric of the cosmos know that we will not wallow in fear. We will be the cause of that fear for all that challenge the power of Valhalla!”
His voice thundered through the hall and the remembered dead and the entire great hall erupted in the glorious cry of war. Thor grinned as their cheers sent waves of undulating power through his being. Once again the thunder god, guardian of Asgard and Midgard, felt the power of worship coursing through his veins again. His eyes glowed with the power of thunder.
“Prepare Agard! Prepare for war, for glory, and for the return of Nordic power! Prepare for Ragnarok and the great battle of the world’s end!”
The great hall dispersed with great haste to ready the fortifications of Asgard. Though it had been thousands of years since their last conflict, the Aesir still remembered the ways of their ancestral blood. They were warriors, bred and built for war.
Thor turned to his father who conversed with Baldur, Frigga, and Heimdall. He marched to their side. “Father, I will return to Mjolnir now and make way for Midgard.”
Thor prepared to turn and march to his ship with his sons and daughter who had assembled at his side when his father’s voice crumbled his dream of glory with a single word, “No.”
“No?” replied Thor. “All-Father, Midgard requires our aid. Surely the entire world has fallen into chaos with the emergence of the darkness. We must honor our sacred pac…”
“As mankind did?” retorted Queen Frigga.
“WE are not mankind. WE are Aesir!” Thor responded.
“Then you should look to protect the Aesir,” she replied.
“Enough!” boomed Odin. “This bickering serves no one. Frigga, silence your antagonizing. Thor will do as I say, I do not require your help in reining in my son. Thor is a commander, a warrior, not some errant boy who does not know his way. He will report to Mjolnir and prepare the defenses of Asgard as he is commanded. Am I correct, guardian of Asgard?”
Thor felt the brashness of his youth for a fleeting moment. Where once he may have fought tooth and nail, he knew better. Midgard cried out his name, but so did Asgard. Loki had returned to inflict fear upon the populace of his true people. He had a decision to make.
“As the all-father commands. My place is in Asgard. Mjolnir and the Asgardian fleet will be prepared. Heimdall will accompany me, I require his eyes to prepare.”
Odin smiled and Frigga glared which was enough of a victory for Thor. “As you say,” said Odin.
Thor turned to leave but heard the voice of Baldur, “Thor, my brother, I will come with you!”
Thor turned and looked at Odin and Frigga, then to Baldur. “No, Baldur. Your place is at father’s side. You must be here in Valhalla if you are to rule. And rule you shall, with all the power of Asgard and Mjolnir at your side.”
Baldur smiled and nodded, “Your words bless me, brother.”
“It is I who am blessed to serve such a noble chieftain. I am certain you will make us all proud,” Thor paused and pressed his forehead to Baldur’s. “Now I must go, brother. Prepare yourself as best you can. War comes, and Asgard must be ready.”
Baldur nodded and Thor broke off toward transportation to Mjolnir. His sons and daughter waited in attention. He looked at them with a stern face. “You know what to do, ready the fleet.”
“For Asgard,” they said with soldierly decorum.
“For Asgard,” Thor whispered under his breath, his thoughts fixed on Earth.
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