Duality : Book 1 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 50(edited)

Chapter 50

500 years ago: Asgard

A deep winter landscape spread out below Valhalla. Snow blanketed everything, and black clouds hung thick in the sky, threatening yet more snow. The golden hall itself was now a pale reflection of its former glory. Odin sat slumped in his chair at the head of the gods' table. He was thousands of years old but he had never felt as old as he did at that moment. He felt tired, drained, exhausted. The final council of Asgard had been called. There would not be another meeting, and of this Odin was certain. Once there would have been twenty-six gods sitting at this table; now only seven remained. Thor sat with an elbow on the table, head in his hands. Streaks of grey threaded through his red hair and beard. His wife Sif sat quietly next to him, head bowed. There was silver showing in her golden hair. Opposite them sat Freyr and his wife Lin, time had taken its toll on them too. Bragi sat in his customary place at the foot of the table and was frantically scrawling away in a book, hands, grey robe and face all plastered in ink.

"I really don't see the point in this!" Thor grumbled. "It is a waste of time, we all know this!" Odin stared long and hard at the thunder god but said nothing for a long while.

"Since when does the mighty Thor give up? This is our last hope and we must take it!"

"I agree with Thor," said Freyr. "It seems like a waste of time."

Odin slammed his fist on the table, anger filling every word.

"We are still Aesir gods! We don't give up. We do not surrender, and we will fight until the bitter end!"

"What are we fighting for?" Thor roared back.

Odin buried his head in his hands, he honestly didn't know any more, the time of the Aesir gods was over. The mortals no longer worshipped them. Their land was decaying, all hope was gone, and Odin looked up, defiance blazing in his one eye.

"We are gods of war, we know no other way than to fight until all hope is gone, and when it is gone we will keep fighting until our bodies no longer draw breath!"

Bragi continued frantically writing, unaware of all around him. Odin had given him a final task of recording all the knowledge and wisdom of Asgard, all the spells and charms, curses and hexes, the names of gods and lands. He was not to stop until it was finished or until death claimed him. Odin's final throw of the dice was to send this book to Midgard, to a worthy mortal who could understand the book and forge a new religion from it. Odin hoped that the new religion would sweep through the worlds just like Loki's religion had and the Aesir gods would be renewed. This book would be the new Bible, he named it the Havadmal - meaning knowledge of the high one. The first page contained exact instructions from Odin. It had everything the chosen mortal would need to resurrect the Aesir.

The doors to Valhalla slammed open and Freyja stormed in, she marched up to the table without saying a word and threw herself down into the chair next to Odin. Waves of fury poured off the goddess, her neck was bare, the emerald studded golden necklace, and her most prized possession was gone.

"It is done then?" asked Odin.

"Yes!" snapped Freyja. She gave him a scathing look. "A complete waste if you ask me!"

Odin glared back at Freyja. She had come so far over the centuries, abandoning all the Vanir's vile ways, growing in wisdom, yet there was one trait that she could not shake. Freyja's lust for gold and jewels was still insatiable. Odin had tried repeatedly to point out that she had sacrificed her pride to gain a small trinket. She had laid herself low in the name of greed. In her heart Freyja knew this was true, sleeping with those dwarves was not pleasant. Freyja knew that part of her would never forgive Odin for making her give up the necklace, she shuddered at the thought of it being destroyed.