=========================== CHAPTER IV =============================









The clouds were lowering. In front of us lay a brightly colored fiery rainbow. "Bifrost ahead!" called Oller loudly. A giant, about the size of Loki when he swells to his his full capacity. He was dressed like a normal viking: helmet, armor, and furs.

Below us lay a huge iron wall, at least twenty feet thick and probably hundreds of feet tall, stretching up at least forty feet higher than us. It was like a skyscraper version of the Great Wall of China. I felt like an ant trapped inside an alcove. Their were large gaping, circular window-like holes in which we could clearly see the beatiful clouds formations. The rainbow bridge, obviously known as 'Bifrost' lay through large golden gates that cut a tiny hole into the huge wall. This was easily recognized as the wall seperating Asgard, world of gods, and Midgaard, world of mankind.

All of us (the two unknown Nordic gods, Oller the Archer, Christoper, and me) all sunk low, to where the gates opened. The gates were plated in solid gold. Their was red flame lining the sides of it. Olden day electric fences. I assumed that was how the immortal reached Asgard. The fences probably had some screening process and only opened for god or immortal. That wasn't good news. The Slepinir prodegy flew directly towards the gate. I glanced behind me at Christopher. He must have been thinking the same thing. His eyes were clenched shut and his hands grasped the reins expectantly.

Suddenly their was no horse beneath me. And their was no me. I was not there. I was nothing but a shock smoke. Jalil shaped mist, horse shaped mist. Both hanging before us and behind us. In mere seconds we dawned upon the gate. I closed my eyes, but a white mist still stood in front of my eyes. I could still see the murky red fire running down the gate. An odd warmth passed over me. We were through the gate, but I was staring at blackness. I opened my eyes. We were on the otherside of the gate. Behind us lay the enourmous wall of Midgaard. We were now marching along the extraordinary bridge. The giant was striding towards us, taking huge steps. Oller put up his hand, signalling us to slow.

"Hail Heimdall the Watcher," called the giant with one hand.

"And what do I attribute the walk across the glorious Bifrost, Tyr, Warrior of the Aesir?" asked Heimdall. He knelt down to look at the one- handed god.

"We are escorting the commissions to Valhalla to meet with the Aesir about the destruction of these so-called Sennates."

"Sennites," I interjected. That was stupid. Never interupt a god. Tyr looked at me with interest. He was obviously interested in who would hinder a gods discussion

"Yes. Sennites," he said, turning back to Heimdall. Heimdall didn't look to happy. His enourmous face scrunched up and suddenly looked very pissed. He let out an unmistakable growl.

"YOU DARE LET MORTALS ACROSS MY MAGNIFICENT BIFROST!" He billowed. The bridge seemed to sway with his each breath. "YOU SHALL BRING UPON US RAGNAROK!" He walked forward, causing all of our horses to back away. He reminded me of Loki when we first met.

"Stand down Heimdall or I shall bring you from your watch!" called Tyr loudly. He was obviously not suprised that Heimdall would act this way. He drew his fierce red sword bordered with black diamonds and pointed it at Heimdall. Heimdall let out another snarl. "Calm yourself and let us pass or I shall be doing Loki's job before the coming of Ragnarok!" Heimdall quivered noticibally. I knew the story of Ragnarok. The viking Apocalypse. Loki was to bring down the rainbow bridge to keep the Naglfar from crossing into Asgard.

"First Odin commands that Surt dawn the land of Midgaard and now you bring mortals onto my bridge. When Fimbulvetr comes I shall blame hi irresponsible leadership."

The bridge beneath started to move like a walkway at the airport. The fire of the bridge licked the sides of Tiuya's legs. The bridge seemed to move forever. Heimdall strided ahead of us, walking along the long bridge. Before us a great golden palace was materializing. It took almost half an hour to reach the rails of gold that went across both sides of the rainbow bridge. The large palace glittered in the sunlight.

"Behold," said Oller from my left side. "The great palace of Valhalla. House of the thirteen thrones of the Aesir and the five hundred forty doors of Odin." That sounded peculiar. Five hudred fifty doors and no further explination.

"Are we going there?" Christopher.

"Lord no! If you were to go there you be torn limb from limb." I looked of at Oller. His face was lit up like a child at Christmas. "Nothing but the brutalist of battle and finest of brew there. No place for a mortal to be!" I looked back at Christopher. He looked less sunken. He actually looked somewhat cheerful.

"Well does the place we are going have some of that fine brew?" he asked childishly.

"Nay," Oller said, looking very glum at his own words. "We go to the Well of Urd, court of the gods. Up and over Bifrost." Indeed up and over was the correct term. There was a gathering of clouds infront of us forming a white bridge, but through a great gap in that, Bifrost continued downward.

"Tyr, One-Hand! Shall we quicken," called Oller.

"Indeed I agree, Ull of the Bow." They were crazy. I didn't call David: David of the Sword of Gallahad, and Christopher didn't call me Jalil Balck-man, but it really didn't bother me that much. After all the gods were all certifiable.



The well had a very foreboding feel to it, though it was very beautiful. It was huge. About the size of a stile of a Nuclear Power plant. It had thirty or so dipping buckets hanging on the large hanging above. Behind us, one root the size of a horizontal skyscraper protruded from the dirt below. A smaller root jutted out and circled around the well, forming a kind of bench. Three women stood on the giant roots. They were all attractive. One had brunet hair, one red, and one golden blond. The seemed to be wraping streams of gold around the root.

Christopher stood next to me. He took a seat on the root bench and pulled me down next to him. "Remind you of somewhere!" he whispered loudly. "Let me give you a hint," he faked a sneeze loudly. I knew exactly what he was talking about. Africa and the tree that held the world together. The tree that I had threatened to destroy with Senna's blood.

The gods were all huddled around the great well. There were many blank spaces around the well. Tyr had said that the others would join us shortly.

In ten minutes of waiting they finally came. From the sky about twelve other gods came drifting down like feathers. Each landed slowly on the ground next to well.

Tyr stepped forward and grabbed both me and Chris from our seats and placed us on the wall of the well. All of the gods took some kind of cerimonial seating on the roots. Odin sat on the tallest part, with Tyr and Baldur on each side. The others sat around him, except Loki who sat on a large stone slab in a gap exactly opposit from Odin. The three women walked over and streamed Loki in gold.

Tyr stood and shook the hands of the three woman. That seemed strange to me. Why wouldn't Loki greet the women? My question was soon answered.

"Because I am not alowwed to touch their skin, for it is intertwined with the roots of Yggdrasil and the lake of Verdandi, who is named after this fair mother here," he waved his hand towards the woman with blonde hair. This is not fair. He could read minds. Christopher didn't look too suprised. Odin stood and walked along the well. He looked like a warden evaluating prisoners.

"My fair gods and goddesses, welcome back to the court of the Norns. Welcome to the Well of Urd." He waved another hand towards the woman with brunette hair. "We are all honered to give the welcome of the Old Worlders, Christopher, and Jalil, the Philosopher of Everworld." He paused. He seemed like a lawyer. Introducing our crime than sinking in. "We our honered to have them on our side, for they know the secret to the defeat of Ka Anor!" he said loudly. Everyone stood and cheered. Some drew weapons from their sides, and a woman with a long twirl of golden hair shot two streams of fire into the air. "Now if all would be so gentle, I wish to introduce you to the Old World guests." This didn't sound like a wise head god that was supposedly Odin. It sounded like the head of a frat party.

"Let me start with those you know. First we have Baldur, Thor, Tyr, Ull, and Aurvandil." I recognized the other in our party as who he said was Aurvandil, but for some reason he had called Oller, Ull? "Now onto the other." He pointed at the woman with twirly gold hair. "We have Freya, of Fertile and Warbound. Her brother Frey, of the fertile. Idun, of the Apples of the Immortals. Njord, my son of the wind and sea, and his wife Skadi, of the villan giant Thiazi. Aegir, god of the sea. His wife Ran, of the Drowned. Gefjon, the fairest maiden of the virgins." This got a couple chuckles. Must be like calling the head-cheerleader a virgin. "My fair wife Frigg, the All-Mother and our maid Fulla of the Gimnir. Bragi, of Poetry, and Bil of the Moon." He finished. Each person had taken a bow as their names were called.

Suddenly his smile vanished and a manic look dawned in his eyes. "And now to buisness," he called loudly. Tyr stepped forward and pulled me and Christopher off the well. We stood against the cold stone of the well's wall. "We are to supply these men with an army. Though many of our fellows be on journeys of their own, I ask that we fight to destroy the caveat of Ka Anor. Loki knows the dangers, as do I and Thor, but none else seem to understand the threat that he presents to us. So I plea with you all, release your pride and fight beside these people to free our lands and others from this terror." He sounded as if he had given this speech before, but none had listened.

The one named Aegir, who seemed to be a pale blue, stood. "The Vanir shall provide the warriors needed. We are strong and willing, it will not be hard.to defeat Ka Anor when the Vanir is in rank."

"Ha!" cried Idun, who was a tall ravishing brunette who wore a great red cloak. "The Vanir are no more than savage beasts who pride in death and destruction. Wise All-Father, place your trust in the Aesir. We are wise. We will find a strategy to defeat the monster." Loki was standing next to her, his sword drawn.

"HUSH WOMAN! Lest fore your blood reaches mine hand!" He placed the sword on her neck.

"Loki, steady your sword, wilst you be thrust to the son, Jormungand. Might I say since your daughter left her harem that your son feast for meat as yours." Loki dropped the sword to his side, but swelled to twenty feet tall. He bent down to have his face meet the normal sized Idun.

"If one more word from your mouth is of bad causes to the Vanir, I will take your head and place it on Simul and feed it to the moon!" She did not quiver at this saying, instead she laughed.

"What will you do without my apples you insolent fool. Might I say you will be quite gray?" She laughed harder. Odin placed his hand to silence this nonsence.

"Only one can decide the fate of the Vanir and the Aesir. Lady Gefjon, might I seek your admonition?"

Gefjon walked forward. She really was quite beautiful. She had very long blonde and a chiseled face. " I think we must fight with our minds and bodies. I say we must call upon those who war and those who think. I suggest we fight with both the Vanir and the Aesir." Was it just me, or did she just say the same thing over and over?

"Lady Gefjon is right!" called Freya, who was wearing a feathered dress and a really fancy silver, gold and diamond necklace. "We should choose the wisest and the strongest. I will go, and I hope the same for my brother." Her voice was dramatic and strong.

"Sister!" called Frey. "You know I cannot stand near Surt when he comes from Mispulheim. He would destroy me."

"That has been shown," called Odin. "But Surt is under our control as long as Ka Anor is here, for he to is in danger of attack from the alien hazard. Surt would dare not set a hand on any of the gods when the evil looms on all lands."

"What is to stop him once Ka Anor is dead?" Tyr. "He could very well start Ragnarok when Ka Anor is dead. Why should we let Surt touch the soils of Midgaard. He will desecrate it with his very boots."

"You may make a good point, Tyr of the Battle." Odin again. "But that is why I ask you take charge. For Urd says that is it you who shall give the head of Surt to Fenrir, as you gave your hand." I think Odin meant to make Loki mad. Loki swelled once again.

"I will go!" screamed Loki. "My son will not be eating none the foul head of Surt, for my son is now one with the souls. Let this be noted that we should yeild his word! Fenrir has been slayed by the threat of the witches minions!" This was incredible. Loki hated Odin, acording to our first meeting. He now sided with his every word.

"I agree that you should go." Odin moved forward, his thin goatee like beard seemed to be growing. "As do I think that Freya should go. Now it is my time to choose the destinies. To accompany the fighters of Old World shall be the following: Loki, the Trickster, Tyr, the One-Handed, Freya of the War, Thor of Thunder, Frey of the Fertile, Aegir, the Blue, and Skadi of Thiazi. Thus is my word. My word is infallible in is wisdom. Heed my word that this is of the utmost momentousness." He raised his hand to stop all contestation. "Now that this is done, I beg you all that we need a rest. Let us go to Valhalla, for some ale and combat." He chuckled loudly and a few of them rose into the air and through the clouds. Odin, Tyr, Freya, Gefjon, Fulla, and Frigg stayed behind. Tyr stepped forward.

"You shall be accompanying Ladies Frigg, Freya, Gefjon, and Fulla to Fensalir. There you shall be bathed and pampered. Tommorow we shall meet for our plans." Tyr floated up through the clouds.

Odin walked next to us. "Let us all pray that you are as wise as Merlin says. We shall embark on this battle and I see from Urd than many will not come back. The outcome is left to be weaved as from Fulla's hands. Be wise Jalil. Whilst my spear find your heart." Odin floated. away. Frigg walked next to us. She looked happy, for some reason. Fulla curtsied quickly. She was obviously Frigg's tail servant.

"Come young ones. We embark upon Fensalir," sh said quietly. We all started to walk towards the rinbow bridge Bifrost. Christopher trotted up next to me, a huge grin across his face.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked. Why was he happy when we had everything to worry about. He turned his excruciatingly happy face towards me.

"Fensalir," he called happily.

"And what of it?" I asked hastily.

"I read about awhile ago when we met up with Loki at Camelot."

"You studied for our sake? I would have thought you were to busy getting sloshed with Sir Percival to think."

"Well that was here, not there. But trust me, even you will enjoy it there."

"Why?" I was guessing that's were they made ale or something.

"Fensalir. It's where all the girl virgins go when they kick the bucket. The odds are in our favor, man."

"Christopher," I said quietly. "You do know that usually that consists of girls under the age of fourteen right? I am pretty sure not too many women above that age stayed virgins that long in Norse tradition." His face fell. We continued are stride toward Frigg's house, Fensalir.