The approach of dread
"What can you tell me about Ragnarok?" I asked. "This afternoon is the first I've heard of it."
Loki nodded toward the comfy chair. "You should have a seat."
Bucky brought it closer to the cell for me and went out for a second chair. When we were both settled, Loki began to pace. His face was calm and untroubled, but he still gave the impression of a high state of agitation.
"'It sates itself on the life-blood of fated men, paints red the powers' homes with crimson gore. Black become the sun's beams in the summers that follow, weathers all treacherous. Do you still seek to know? And what?'" Loki said. I actually felt my skin crawl, and that's no easy feat.
"What is that?" I asked.
"It's from an epic poem. I believe it was even left on Midgard after we withdrew. It tells of a volva, a female shaman or seer, talking to Odin."
"A seer? That doesn't sound too bad," Bucky said.
"A volva is not a woman to take lightly," Loki said tightly. "They are powerful enough that my father, mighty Odin himself, consulted them to find his fate. Their weapons are not the sword or axe but the wand, by which they influence battle, and their magic. They are elderly women, who have seen much and have great knowledge, with retinues of younger people to assist them. They have released themselves from the bonds of family and have great authority. The better they are at their craft, the more they are to be respected and heeded. And feared." He shuddered. "They can bind or free men, physically, using magic and a loom. They spin the fates of men and gods and heroes, the most skilled of their kind, peace-weavers who decide when wars are to be made. They can influence fertility. Dangerous women, skilled in seduction and craft."
"So Ragnarok is a prophesy?" I asked, and Loki nodded.
"'Brothers will fight and kill each other, sisters' children will defile kinship. It is harsh in the world, whoredom rife—an axe age, a sword age—shields are riven—a wind age, a wolf age—before the world goes headlong. No man will have mercy on another.'"
"What happens after?" I said in a small voice.
"Well, it's not all doom and gloom, I suppose. The gods will die and worlds drown, but afterward the water will recede, the land will be fresh and fertile, surviving gods will reunite, and the realms repopulated by a pair of people." He laughed brittlely. "Odin and Thor and I are among those not fated to see it. Mighty Heimdall takes the first action. 'I know of the horn of Heimdall, hidden under the high-reaching holy tree; on it there pours from Valfather's pledge a mighty stream: would you know yet more?' Then later, it says, 'Fast move the sons of Mim and fate is heard in the note of the Gjallarhorn; loud blows Heimdall, the horn is aloft, in fear quake all who on Hel-roads are.'"
"This seems to be rather hard to decipher," I said cautiously.
"We have had long ages to parse it," Loki allowed. "There is a well of wisdom under the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree that passes through the nine realms. Drink from it and wisdom is yours, but the price is steep; Odin sacrificed his eye to do so. Heimdall is said to sacrifice an ear, which obviously he has not done." He pondered this. " I do not know if he has been to the well yet or not. But when the enemies of Asgard gather on the plains of Vigrior, Heimdall will stand and blow the horn, summoning the gods. Yggdrasil will shudder, causing fear in all beings, and the gods will don their war gear and advance to Vigrior. Odin, clad in golden mail and helmet and carrying Gungnir his spear, will battle the great wolf Fenrir and both shall die. Freyr shall fall to Surtr, the hound Garmr and Tyr will kill each other. Thor will slay the serpent Jormungandr but will fall to its venom after taking nine steps. Heimdall and I will kill each other, and Surtr will engulf the worlds in fire. The lands will sink beneath water and the sun swallowed whole." Loki's mouth twitches, but it cannot be called a smile. "But the dead shall find homes in places in the afterworld, the earth will reappear green and whole and fertile, the daughter of the sun will appear to follow the same path as her beautiful mother, two gods, Baldur and Hoor, will be released from Hel and meet with Thor's sons Modi and Magni, who inherit Mjolnir. Two humans will survive in wood, drink the morning dew, and repopulate the earth."
"But Thor doesn't have sons," I pointed out blankly.
"That are known to him," Loki says sternly. "But many things do not align with the prophesy. I, for example, am to spend the ages before pinned to rocks with the entrails of my son while a snake drips venom onto my face eternally for engineering the death of Baldur." I blanched, and Loki nodded. "You can see that I prefer your comfortable cell and kind attentions. According to the prophesy, my wife Sigyn gives me relief by collecting the snake's venom in a bowl, but when she empties it I am in agony once more. The signs of Ragnarok are the crowing of three cocks in various locations; following, the hound Garmir will howl and break free. Fimbulwinter, three winters that pass without a summer between them, will be endured, during which great battles will be fought and the sun will be useless. Next, the wolf will swallow the sun and the moon, to the great detriment of men. The stars will disappear and the earth will shake so violently that Fenrir will escape his bindings, and as the seas rise, Jormungandr will be free, spitting venom through the air and sea as they advance. Then from Muspelheim a force will invade, led by Surtr, who will cross the Bifrost and destroy it utterly; the world-breakers will then advance to Vigrior."
Bucky looked up from his smartphone. "The wolf and the snake that Thor is supposed to fight, and other monsters too are supposed to be your children."
Loki rolled his eyes. "Slanders. I am not the most popular god, but siring monstrosities is not possible. I am said to be their father, as in spirit or inspiration." I frowned.
"But Baldur isn't dead," I said slowly. "I met him in conjunction with the dogs."
"And I have taken care to avoid contact with him or marry, or have sons. I have no desire to die, or to see the worlds end," Loki said levelly.
"So either the prophesy is wrong or not all the details are correct," I said, and Loki nodded.
"OK. The first thing to do is to get you in to see Odin," I said, rubbing my head. "I think we need to find out what happened to him." Loki nodded wordlessly. Bucky and I left.
"Do you think this Ragnarok is even possible?" Bucky asked. "It seems pretty farfetched."
"I believe that the Asgardians do," I said after a moment. "We know they have great power. What we don't know is the extent of their power. What if....somebody decides to put it in play? If they provoke situations, pull on strings... Loki said that some of the legend is figurative, the monsters being his sons." I close my eyes. "Loki isn't chained to rocks being tortured, but he is locked up and there is a woman alleviating his boredom. What if that's close enough for that part of the myth? What if rationalizing things make it possible to put events into play?" Bucky and I stopped and looked at each other, then we hurried up to Nick.
It took some doing, but we convinced Nick and soon I was down in Loki's cell, supervising. His hands were chained behind his back with manacles based on the Hulk's, just smaller, and he would be escorted by two guards. Bucky followed him and was comfortable with the idea of shooting Loki if he got out of hand. I went ahead and talked to the doctor; he approved the visit, but was not pleased to see the security on the visitor. I directed him to talk to Nick, and opened the window again. Hugin and Munin flew in as Loki was brought into the room. They cawed at him, sounding remarkably scolding. Loki endured it with compressed lips and narrowed eyes, and abruptly they cut off as Odin stirred. Bird and human eyes trained on him.
His eyes passed over us all with out recognition until they came to Loki. "My son," he said in a thin voice. He reached out a hand; I nodded and Loki was allowed to grasp Odin's hand. "It is coming--you must put aside your hatred and resentment and save--" his voice failed as he went into a series of convulsions. I pushed Loki to the side, then out the door as the medical team rushed in. We stayed in the hall in silence until Dr Staley came out.
"We need some tests to find out what triggered the convulsions," he said without preamble. "Until we have a better understanding of his condition, no more visits. And the birds. Are they really necessary? It's too cold to leave the windows open."
"The ravens are an extension of my father's eyes and will," Loki stated.
"I'll see if I can't get someone posted to watch and open the window only if they approach," I offered, and the doctor nodded reluctantly.
Loki was silent on the way back to the cell and stood patiently to allow his manacles to be removed. He went back in with no fuss, which I hadn't really expected.
"What did you think?" I asked, coming up to the class.
"I do not believe that his condition is a natural deterioration," Loki said. "If was natural, Hugin and Munin would also be agitated and confused, yet they are as steady and observant as ever."
"Ok. That's interesting and could be helpful. What about Ragnarok?"
Loki spread his hands and shrugged elegantly. "He obviously believes the threat approaches. I cannot read minds." His voice bit.
"Thank you for your help," I said, and patted the glass. "I'll keep you up to date." I turned and headed for the door, Bucky at my back.
"I'd hoped for more information," Bucky said as we exited the building.
"Well, it's promising that Odin's condition might have been induced. The question is how and by whom," I pointed out. We went up to Nick's office and reported. Given what Loki had said about their nature, Nick agreed to put a guard in Odin's room, both for protection and as an access point for the birds.
"I don't like this," Nick snapped. "Half-crazed gods showing up, no way to contact the member of my team who might know what is going on."
"If he's still alive," Bucky said suddenly. My head snapped around. He met my eyes. "We don't know anything. That's the problem."
"Oh, shit," Nick said, absently pulling out his wallet and extracting a dollar. "Start thinking about ways to get some information on the situation. Now go on. You both have other things to do too."
"I'd like to be in the guard rotation," I said before I left. "During the day when the birds fly. Maybe just filling in while somebody else has a lunch hour." Nick considered this and nodded.
"At lunch, then. I'll put you on the schedule." I walked out and down to the workshop. I had plenty of work waiting. A chill wind blew and I shivered. Three consecutive winters hadn't happened here, in what the Asgardians called Midgard, or in Asgard. But there were seven other realms...