Chapter 10


    YOU CANNOT ESCAPE DESTINY


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    After hearing Jormungandr about the future events, Mimir, with no time to waste, traveled back to Asgard to report back to Odin.


    He realized that he was the one who counseled Odin to bring Fenrir and Hel to Asgard. In other words, he brought Odin’s killer right in his hall! Mimir expected a punishment from Odin, but he had to warn him about Ragnarok! He was his advisor after all…He has to make sure he prevents the most devastating and destructive war ever to exist.


    So, it happened. Mimir requested a meeting with the gods to reveal to them the knowledge and information he recently acquired. All the gods were sitting, forming a big circle and in the center was Mimir. He started talking by noticing that someone was missing.


    “Where is Thor?” He spoke


    “I promised him I would allow him to leave Asgard to slay that snake. The son of Loki, who escaped from us because of its size. He could have left as soon as you arrived, not earlier. That is what I promised him. So, when he heard of your return, he could not stop himself from departing.”


    Mimir was shocked and at the same time disappointed in himself that he couldn’t prevent one of the events Jormungandr from the future told him about. The first battle between the world serpent and the god of Thunder would soon begin. A battle which would end up on a draw and will be the seed of Jormungandr''s hatred towards the gods. So, he thought that it was the time to at least warn them about everything else. So, he did. He told the gods about every event he acquired knowledge about. He told them about things they needed to know. Such as Baldrs death, Loki’s imprisonment, the start of Ragnarok and of course, Odin’s death!


    Mimir turned his look towards the All-Father. Clearly seeing the rage in his eyes. He shouts at Mimir


    “You! You are the cause of this! It was your idea to bring those beasts to Asgard! Don’t you remember one of our most important and must-not break laws? Death as by killing, murder or any kind is not allowed in Asgard! You brought me that wolf inside my halls, the wolf which is going to eat me! And I can do nothing about it!”


    There was a deadly silence when Odin expressed himself. After some seconds, the murmuring began from the other gods pointing at Mimir''s tragic mistake. Many thought that it was intended from, they speculated he sided with the giants, he became a traitor!


    Then they shouted at Loki! According to the report Mimir brought, he would be the end of Baldr! Frigg, Baldr’s mother, was about to attack Loki, before Tyr tried to hold her, preventing her from causing a chaotic scene in the Aesir Council.


    Mimir did not try to defend himself, he acknowledged his mistake. So, he tried to at least prepare them about the future events that really matter and how they might be able to prevent them. But his efforts ended up in vain.


    He thought that he might be able to save Baldr, the most beautiful god that everyone loves, from his fate. To prevent Fenrir’s hatred towards the gods. Even to bring to their side Hel, who already took the throne in Helheim, the realm of the dead.


    But the gods didn’t even try to listen to him, but instead the hall was full of noise and murmuring and arguments and shouting… Noone gave Mimir attention, none except Tyr, who tried to make a great effort to listen to Mimir''s propositions but with all that noise from the others, he couldn’t hear much. Odin demanded silence shouting at everyone and so it happened.


    “You Mimir, saved us with your knowledge from many misfortunes and even today, you try to suggest alternative options. But as you have told us, this Ragnarok is a war between the Gods and the Giants. The last war that would end the world as we know it. You are part Giant too, so why should we even trust you?” Odin was as wise as he was cunning too. He suspected even Mimir, his ambassador from the beginning of his reign, as a possible threat.


    Mimir wasn’t allowed to speak as Odin asked rhetorically. The Gods were to decide. They judged him guilty! They cut off his head and reanimated it afterwards. In that way Mimir would only advise the one being in possession of his head. They took Mimir''s head and placed it in his home in Mimir''s Well, where the sacrificed eye and the fountain of knowledge were. That was his eternal punishment. He was alone, unable to move! With no companion at all. Only Odin would seldom visit him, only when he would need advice and more knowledge and wisdom.


    *


    After dealing with Mimir, the gods had to decide what to do with the other threats. What all agreed upon was that every threat should be eliminated as soon as possible, so the catastrophic future Mimir told them could be prevented! That was the Aesir way! Killing the possible threats was always their first and only choice.


    First that was discussed in a very short time was the world serpent. They knew Thor went already to kill it; so, they would not even think that he would fail to do what he loves and does best. Killing Giants…


    *


    Then they were troubled about Baldr. Everyone loved him and wouldn’t wish to lose him. Who or how he would die remained a mystery to them, because they never allowed Mimir or say much, in his effort to warn them about the future events, earlier that day. They only heard from Mimir that Baldr was about to die by Hod hand, after getting tricked to do so by Loki!


    Frigg, Baldr’s mother, stood up and said “I will go and visit every animal, all kinds of beings, every race and tribe, every element, all plants and trees and I would get them to promise not to harm Baldr!”


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    “That is a very efficient plan,” commented Loki. Turning the look of the gods towards him, who were about to comment about him!


    “What about Loki?” Heimdall said, “Mimir said he would be the ultimate reason Baldr gets murdered in the first place! Not only that but even if we imprison him, he would later break free to join forces against us in Ragnarok!”


    Everyone seemed troubled about this event. They all looked at Loki with hatred and disgust and rage! They suggested killing him on the spot!


    Then Loki with a pure innocent face turns to Odin “All-father, Odin, I, you swear blood brother, swear that I would never betray in any way or case the gods! Don’t you remember? It was I who told the dwarves to craft you your spear that never misses its target, Thor’s Mjolnir who is feared by all giants. It was I who let you do as you please with my monstrous children, I even gifted you one of them, Sleipnir, the greatest of horses as your personal ride! Not to mention I helped to win you the wager we had with the builder who made the strongest wall ever to protect Asgard!”


    Loki was smart and more cunning even from Odin. He always knew how to please the gods with his words and actions. Odin trusted him, for now, so the gods took no action against Loki. Thinking they could prevent the prophecy, Odin thought that if they imprison Loki he would do as the future foretold, if they killed him his presence would just be spiritually placed in Helheim, where he would end up with his daughter Hel. He could not allow that, Odin needed Hel alone in order to manipulate her more easily, and prevent Loki from having access to the army of the dead. His best choice at that moment was to keep him alive inside his Halls, where he could watch his every move!


    *Valhalla*


    The next issue they had to deal with was the dead! Mimir mentioned that in Ragnarok the dead from Helheim will come to aid the Giants. Odin had an idea that decided a very important part about the mortal people’s lives! He decided to determine the Einherjar!


    Warriors that died proudly, honorably and with no fear; those would be chosen not to enter Helheim but they would become Odin’s guests in Valhalla! Valhalla was an enormous hall. It had countless doors and each door allowed thousands of warriors to walk abreast. It seated more people than the mind could hold. In this great hall the mortals, who earned their right to enter, will fight each other every day and at every night they would rise and having all them healed they would sit with the All-father to feast together.


    That way Odin would grow an enormous army in the period of time that would be extremely loyal to him alone until Ragnarok comes!


    In order to guide their souls, Odin created a new Order called the Valkyries. Their job would be to determine the honorable, brave warriors and escort them instead of Helheim, the way to Asgard.


    *Folkvangr*


    Every mortal wanted to enter Valhalla, Odin’s Hall. It stole the highlight of another great place named Folkvangr. Folkvangr is a meadow and a field ruled over by the Vanir goddess Freyja, where like Valhalla, warriors that die honorably and bravely would be allowed to enter.


    They should not be an uneven force between the Vanir and the Aesir, that was a crucial part of the deal made between them for their peace. So Odin the Aesir King and Freyja the Vanir Queen agreed for half the dead to enter Valhalla, and the other half in Folkvangr.


    The message was sent to Hel, to allow the warriors that passed the terms as brave and honorable to exit Helheim and be brought to Asgard.


    *Fenrir''s imprisonment*


    Lastly the gods had to decide what to become of Fenris Wolf. He was already big as the great hall they are in! And so strong it could easily be compared to Thor’s might. Not only that, but they are prohibited to kill him, because of a great unbreakable oath they swore, that prevents and does not allow death in Asgard! So, they concluded that he should be bound and imprisoned so he could not harm anyone.


    So, it happened, just as Jormungandr told Mimir, Fenrir thought the gods were giving him a challenge and a game at the same time. The gods were giving him at first, chains no man could break and Fenrir broke them with ease. Then it was given to Fenrir, chains no god could break and Fenrir with a little more effort he broke the chains once again. Fenrir was laughing and felt proud of his strength, with Tyr also feeling happy for him.


    Tyr was fond of Fenrir like no other, he was looking at him as his own child. Then the dwarves crafted, by Odin’s command, the Gleipnir, a magical chain with the appearance of a ribbon. Fenrir had some second thought about breaking this ribbon. He thought that this was trickery from the gods and he would do it only if a god would put his hand inside his mouth. No one dared to do it. No one, but Tyr. When Fenrir for the assurance he needed he accepted to be bound with Gleipnir.


    When he sensed there was magic involved, it was too late. He was bound forever with the gods to laugh at him. Tyr whispered to him “Do it”. And Tyr lost his hand between the jaws of the one who admired him the most.


    Then Fenrir swore eternal hate towards the gods and especially Odin. He swore that he would be the one that would kill the All-father.


    His sons, Skoll and Hati tried to help him, but Odin prevented them from doing so and put an illusion spell on them. All these happened while their father, Fenrir, was watching. They would needlessly chase and try to catch the Sun and the Moon. Fenrir with rage and fire in his eyes yelled and roared with all the realms hearing this fearful beast! Odin, to silence him, put in Fenrir mouth his only Spear, preventing Fenrir from using his mouth and jaw.


    Odin order to put him somewhere deep inside the earth, hiding from everyone. There Fenrir waited for his time for revenge to come… In Ragnarok…


    *In Helheim*


    Odin, having dealt with all the issues Mimir told him about, felt relieved. In his mind he was well prepared for the possible war to come! He prevented Baldr’s death by having Loki watched exclusively by him at all times! That way Loki would not be punished and never get to join the forces of the Giants and the dead.


    Not only that but he significantly reduced the numbers of the dead, having the ones that died as warriors enter as Einherjar in his personal army! That way even if in Ragnarok they end up battling the dead, his army would be significantly more powerful and war-experienced!


    And of course he dealt with his Nemesis. Fenrir is imprisoned under a mountain with a magical bound, made from the best craftsman Dwarves, that no one can break! Odin rests assured that he would never get to see Fernir free again!


    Not everything ended up as the All-Father planned though. While in Helheim messengers send the demand and order from the All-Father, Odin that the warriors should not be in Helheim anymore and from now on they would be sent to Valhalla and Folkvangr in Asgard.


    Hel didn’t like that at all. She took that as a provocation and mockery that she isn’t fit to rule over warriors. Later Helheim would be filled with dead that died cowardly and by old age. This marked Hel as the ruler no one would like to have. She was furious about this decision. And hold a grudge ever since towards the Asgardians!