Deepforge (21 page)

Chapter 19

T
he foothills south of Deepforge valley were filled with the smoke of burning bodies. Mountains of Drakmid and dragon bodies burned. The metallic dragons kept the fires going to reduce the bodies to ashes. Everyone pitched in with the clean up. Finally, they all settled down near the river to camp and begin preparing for the long trip.

“Emperor Grognor, I am Chieftain Eric of the Nords.” The impressive, massive northern warrior towered over the Emperor.              “Pleasure to meet you, Chieftain. Nords, eh?” Grognor shook hands with the north man.

“Yes, Sire. We are all Nords, named for our founder Markog the Nord.”

“Markog?” Grognor said.

“Yes,” Eric said. “Markog the Nord and his band of explorers came to our shores many eons ago. They had just dispatched a massive sea serpent, and had lost many of their crew and ship. It was said they had come from Valhalla to found our great nation in the northern mountain valley of Nordland. We are all descendants of that band of explorers.”

The short story hung in the air. All within hearing range could not believe what they had just heard.

“Wait a minute,” Teelena said. “Markog Drgoodondt founded your people?”

“Markog the Nord,” Eric said, nodding with pride. “My lineage goes directly back to the tall dwarf himself!”

“Humans…and dwarves…mixing. This is incredible!” Teelana said.

Grognor said, “Drgoodondt.” several times with different accents, until he finally said something that sounded like, “DreNoordt.” He smiled at the others, and they said it too. “Markog DreNoordt. Markog Dre Noordt… De Nordt. Well, I’ll be damned! Markog the Nord!” He reached into his pack and pulled out the copy of the ancient map, and then handed it to Eric.

Eric took the map and looked at it with wonder. He looked up at Grognor and pulled out an almost identical map. He handed it to Grognor. “So, he wasn’t from Valhalla, he was from…Deepforge?”

Grognor nodded. “That’s right. In fact, that map and his notes were the only things we found of him. They were jammed in a clump of branches in the river… a long time ago! The notes tell epic tales of adventure, discovery, and his last trek with his site-built ship. The last thing he wrote was his plans to cross the ocean. We figured the sea creatures got him since he was never heard from again. We still have the originals in the library.”

Eric smiled, obviously pleased for some reason. “That makes a lot of sense. All the history we have of Markog starts just before he landed on the northern shores. There are no records of him and his explorers prior to that. Now we know why.”

Grognor looked down at Eric’s arms, noticing the missing hand. “So, you must tell us how you lost your hand.”

Eric looked down at the armored stub. “Lost in battle…long story…So… I would really love to see your artifacts some time.”

“Well, we’ll have plenty of time to swap battle stories. You may take a look at our Markog artifacts any time you want. You are honored in Deepforge, of course.”

“Good, and you should trek with us to Nordland some time and be our guests! We’ll wrestle beasts and have epic ocean fishing from our high cliffs! You simply
must
take part in our coming of age ceremonies. Some of the best times of all.”

“So, Eric. What’s your opinion of the absent gods?”

Eric suddenly seemed a bit uncomfortable, but answered, “The gods are not absent…I’m sure of it. Our friend Bruno here is proof as far as I’m concerned. If he exists, then so do the gods.”

“Then,” Teelena started, “why have they abandoned us? Why do they ignore our prayers?”

“None of the gods have claimed this world. Therefore, they cannot intervene…at least, that’s how I understand it.”

At this point, Bruno walked up and joined the conversation. “What’s all this talk of gods?”

“We were just wondering where the gods are, Bruno. Since you were sent here by Thor, maybe you have a unique perspective on the situation,” Eric said.

“But, then, who are
we
to question the motives of the gods, huh?” Teelena said.

“Who? Me? Hell, I know nothing of the gods’ motives. But, gods
must
be questioned, and who better to question the motives of gods than their worshipers? It is from them they get their power, after all. But as far as me, I just do what I’m told.” Bruno shrugged.

“Well,” Grognor began, “if anyone would know, you would. You’ve actually been in the presence of gods. Surely you have some insight. Eric says they haven’t claimed the world, or something?”

“Yea…I…really don’t know, specifically,” Bruno started. “I
can
tell you this: I know the process of claiming a world isn’t all that easy. You don’t just drop in and claim a world. I’ve seen several try that tactic and it always ends in disaster. Midgard and several others come to mind… anyway, in order for a god to claim a world, he or she…or it…or whatever…needs to have already established a presence, either known or unknown, of that particular pantheon or a strong ally. For instance, if the Olympian gods wanted to claim this world, they would send Apollo or somebody to live here disguised as a mortal for a period of time. During that time, that world would be off limits for any god to claim. Even if they tried, it wouldn’t work unless it was preordained somehow.”

“So,” Grognor said, “there could be a god among us, even now.”

“Or it could be you,” Eric said, motioning to Bruno. “You’re a strong ally of the Norse gods, and a type of god yourself, are you not?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying, but he refuses to accept that he
is
a god,” Grognor said, motioning to Bruno.

Bruno scowled at Grognor. “Well, yes, but I’m
not
divine. Just immortal…or at least, I was. It would have to be an actual god disguised as a mortal. Using an avatar, basically. It could be anyone, but I don’t think this is what’s happening. I think, sadly enough, that the presence of the Black Queen is preventing any god from claiming the world. She’s the daughter of an ascended god, and a goddess herself from a parallel universe. So, she’s the highest ranking creature. This world is essentially hers right now….unless…”

“Unless what?” Grognor asked.

“Unless there’s another god, one that’s been living among us prior to the Black Queen’s arrival. That might explain something else I’ve been wondering about, too. Either way, she’s got something to do with it.”

“All the more reason to take her down,” Grognor said.

“This could actually have a devastating effect,” Bruno began, “if she gets divine rights to this world, the whole future could be lost, or best case scenario, divinely fractured.”

“Divinely fractured?” Teelena said.

“Yea, meaning no one god has exclusive rights to the world. I’ve known several worlds like that, the worst is Earth. In fact, now that I think about it, that could be the reason it keeps resetting…anyway, yea, we do need to take her down one way or another. There’s just something that doesn’t make sense, something I haven’t been able to figure out since I realized she was here.”

“What is it, Bruno?” Grognor asked.

“As I told you before, I’ve had dealings with her. I saw her completely wipe out three worlds totaling over ten billion people. Those people had advanced technology and they couldn’t stop her. She had millions of dragons at her disposal.”

“If that’s true, then why hasn’t she already done that here?” Teelena asked.

“Exactly my point. Why has she resorted to enlisting the one creature she hates most: humans? Why has she only sent a handful of dragons?” Bruno looked across the sky to the south, contemplative.

“Maybe she’s just toying with us,” Grognor suggested.

“No, that’s not her style. She doesn’t do that. She goes for the kill. But, all this talk of gods has got me really wondering what she’s up to.” Bruno picked up a rock and crushed it in his bare hands.

“Tell me all you know about this foe,” Eric said.

They spent most of the night discussing the Black Queen and all they knew about the war. Grognor made it perfectly clear that the Nords and all of the humans and halflings, elves and everyone else of the River Valley were allies. He also told the story of the traitors, and what would happen if he discovered the rest of them. He made sure they knew that the best idea was to drop their treacherous pursuits and fall in line with the alliance. Once again the conversation turned to gods.

“Tell us what you know about the Norse gods and the story of creation, Bruno,” Eric said.

Everyone got quiet and listened as Bruno spun the tale.

“That’s actually one of my favorite stories,” Bruno began, smiling in anticipation of telling his favorite tale. “In the beginning was a great abyss; neither day nor night

existed; the abyss was Ginnungagap, the yawning gulf, without

beginning, without end. Allfather, the Uncreated, the Unseen, dwelt in the depth of the abyss and willed, and what he wilted came into being. Towards the north, in immeasurable space where dwell darkness and icy cold, arose Nifelheim, and to the south was Muspelheim, fiery, glowing with intense heat. The spring Hwergelmir sprang into life in Nifelheim, and out of it flowed twelve and moreinfernal streams, Eliwagar, with their ice-cold waters. The dreadful cold soon froze the waters, and blocks of ice rolled over and undereach other through the boundless gulf towards the south and Muspelheim. In the air above, the storms roared from Nifelheim, rooting up the icebergs; while from the Home of Brightness rays of beneficent heat poured forth over Ginnungagap, and when the great blocks of ice began to melt under the influence of this warmth, and drops of water to form and run down their sides, then it was that life first showed itself, and there arose a monster, the giant Ymir, terrible to look upon. From him are descended the Hrimthurses or Frost-giants. The warm rays awakened more life in the waters. The cow Audumla, the nourisher, came into being; from her flowed four streams of milk which fed the dreadful Ymir and his children, the Hrimthurses. But she had nothing to graze on except the salt of the ice-rocks, which she licked. On the first day after she had licked the rock, a head of hair was visible; on the second day, the whole head; and on the third, the rest of the body, beautiful and glorious of limb.

“This was now Buri, who had a son named Bör, and Bör married Bestla, daughter of the Hrimthurses, by whom he had three sons, Odin, Wili and We. After this, war was made on the violent Ymir, and the sons of Bör slew him, and flung his great body into Ginnungagap, which was filled with it. But the blood of the monster flowed out covering all things, so that there was a great deluge in which the Hrimthurses were drowned. One of them alone, the wise Bergelmir, saved himself and his wife from destruction by taking refuge in a cunningly made boat, and he became the father of the race of giants. Space was now void and drear.

“The new rulers, who called themselves Ases,
i.e.
, pillars and supports of the world, did not like this state of things at all. So they began to create as Allfather willed that they should. They made the earth of Ymir’s body, the sea of his sweat, the hills of his bones, and the trees of his curly hair. Of his skull they made the firmament, and of his brain the clouds which float below. Then, out of the giant’s eyebrows the gods formed Midgard, the dwelling-place of the children of men, who as yet unborn slept in the lap of time.

“Darkness reigned throughout space; only a few fiery sparks

from Muspelheim wandered aimlessly through the air; the sun did not know her place, nor the moon his course, nor did the stars know where they were to stand. But the gods collected the sparks, made them into stars and fastened them in the firmament. They created the chariot of the sun, harnessed to it the horse Arwaker, which was driven by the maiden Sol; she was rapidly followed by the shining moon drawn by the horse Alswider, bridled and managed by the beautiful boy Mani. Mother Night talked lovingly to Mani as she preceded him on her dark horse Hrimfaxi, whilst her son Day followed her with his bright Skinfaxi.

“Creatures of all sorts crept like maggots in and out of Ymir’s body and bones. The gods therefore consulted together as to what was best to be done, and they thought that their wisest course would be to change these creatures into a useful people. So they at once changed them into dwarves and trolls, who were gifted with a wonderful knowledge of minerals and stones of all kinds, and an extraordinary power of working in metals. One class of dwarfs was of dark complexion, cunning and treacherous; the other was fair, good and useful to gods and men. Three mighty gods once left the place where the council was held; they were Odin, Hönir or Hahnir and Lodur.

“While wandering over the face of the earth, which was green with grass and with the juicy leek, they found two human forms lying near the shore, Ask, and Embla, both of whom were without power or sense, motionless, colorless. Odin gave them souls; Honir, motion and the senses; and Lodur, blood and blooming complexions. From these two are descended all the numerous races of men.

“Allfather dwelt in the deep and willed, and what he willed came to pass. Then the ash Yggdrasil grew up, the tree of the universe, of time and of life. The boughs stretched out into heaven; its highest point, Lärad overshadowed Valhalla, the hall of the heroes. Its three roots reached down to dark Hel, to Jotunheim the land of the Hrimthurses, and to Midgard the dwelling-place of the children of men. The World-tree was ever-green, for the fateful Norns sprinkled it daily with the water of life from the fountain of Urd which flowed in Midgard, But the goat Heidrun, from whom was obtained the mead that nourished the heroes, and the stag Eikthyrnir browsed upon the leaf-buds, and upon the bark of the tree, while the roots down below are gnawed by the dragon Nidhögg and innumerable worms: still the ash could not wither until the Last Battle should be fought, where life, time and the world were all to pass away. So the eagle sang its song of Creation and Destruction on the highest branch of the tree.”
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