Chapter 11
THE SNAKE AND THE SQUIRREL
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Meanwhile Jormungandr remained, once again, alone. He waited for Mimir to come. Mimir was the only one he knew that could understand and speak his language. Jormungandr waited weeks, then months, and the months became years. Jormungandr stayed a long time in the depths of the deep dark sea. Silence was dominating his everyday life and he never realized how many years had pass, or rather centuries… One day he felt something touching his head, something was moving on top of his nose. He woke up and saw the squirrel Ratatoskr. He then rose from the sea with the squirrel on top of his head.
“Tell me something Ratatoskr” Jormungandr started the conversation
“How are you able not only to walk freely inside the water, but also breathe?” A question Jormungandr had for quite some time in his mind, but never found the right opportunity to ask it. Ratatoskr seemed disappointed for a moment and a little bit angry.
“Really Jormie? You have known me for so long… I am able to travel between the realms, climb the tree of Yggdrasil up and down since the beginning of time and your question is how am I able to move inside the water? I mean, come on Jormie!!!”
Jormungandr realized it was indeed a meaningless question, suffering now from the consequences of the squirrel’s anger.
“In my defense Ratatoskr, I do not know you very well!” Jormungandr replied back to him.
Some seconds later Ratatoskr took a big breath trying to calm down.
“I guess you are correct in that regard…Anyways, how are you doing my big fella?” he asked
“I am troubled, Ratatoskr… I don’t know what I am supposed to do. Should I try taking the same actions, as I did in my time, also here and now? This world is almost the same as mine, but it has some differences… Why am I here… What is my purpose…”
Ratatoskr took a good look at Jormungandr''s depressed face. He seemed like he wanted to tell him something he clearly knew. He wished to relieve Jormungandr''s sadness for a moment, but rules from higher forces did not allow it. The squirrel came here to give him some company and advice, which also prevented the rules!
“Your presence here, or rather ‘now’, definitely brings disturbances in the world tree Yggdrassil Two same persons cannot live at the same time. Now two Jormungandrs exist, two you! In order to bring balance, one of you has to die…” Ratatoskr seemed very serious at that moment and tried to lead the conversations somewhere else. Jormungandr seemed full of questions but Ratatoskr didn’t arrive here to give answers. So the squirrel continued talking like it was his monologue, without letting the snake stop him. “Ragnarok will come to this timeline as well. It is inevitable… It always does… The events are almost the same so you have to decide what to do…”
Jormungandr had even more questions by the tone of Ratatoskr, but with the serious look he was getting from the squirrel, he realized he wouldn’t get more explanation or answers to any of them. While the squirrel had more things to add…
“I wish to say that the questions you are asking yourself, ‘why are you here’, ‘what is your purpose’ are something everyone wonders my friend… There is never an answer for those to be given. You just have to deal with it by yourself. You know the answer for yourself better than everyone!”
“Do you ever feel this way too Ratatoskr?”
“Of course I do, Jormie! I am known as just a messenger between Hraesvelgr and Nithhogg… Just running up and down in the world tree! Is this all I am? Just a messenger and climber of the tree? No! My purpose goes much deeper than none of the mortals shall ever know! You lived a whole timeline and now you get your chance to live a second and maybe improve some things for the better of your kin or your family while I have seen countless… I do not know what your purpose is, this is something you have to figure out by yourself. Just like I said before!”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Wait! What do you mean by ‘countless’?”
“... I said something you weren’t meant to hear, so I will not answer this question! Either speak of something else or I am leaving!”
“No, it’s ok, stay… You seem kinda tense Ratatoskr. Is everything ok with you?”
“Are you really interested or you are just asking for the Hel of it?”
“I am…”
“Well, I was wondering about my purpose, my life-goal as well lately Jormie… I am sorry if I got too baldly with you.”
“It is ok… Generally I am happy I get to speak with someone about anything lately.”
“I get you… Anyway I have been wondering about something lately. I am researching black magic. On a little project of mine.”
“Regarding?”
“I had these feelings that lately prevented me from doing my job correctly… I want to abstract them away from myself, in order to find peace again!”
“What are you talking about? Abstract the feelings out of you?”
“Yes… I had this urge of creating a… a family. An urge that makes me want to stop being just a messenger and settle down somewhere on a branch of my Tree…”
“Your Tree? A family?”
“Yes! Yggdrasil is MY tree! Have you ever seen any other squirrel be able to climb it in order to claim it for himself? No!”
“Yeah, no argument on that, but how are you going to start a family? Is there a female squirrel out there who took your interest perhaps?”
“Not like that you big fat idiot! I have those feelings of some kind of parenthood. Having to settle down… What do mortals call it? Retire?”
“I am not sure…”
“Anyways, as I said. I have found a way to abstract those feelings so I can get back to normal once again.”
“Why would you do that? You would remove a part of who you are that way.”
“Creature like me does not get to settle down Jormie… If only you knew what is my purpose in Yggdrasil…”
“Tell me…”
“I can’t…”
“Why?”
“Those are… those are the rules… You would not understand”
“Fine, but if you decide otherwise. You know where to find me…”
“Of course. What about you though? Have you decided what you are going to do in this timeline? I really wonder…”
“I will take part in Ragnarok, once again. I should help my family to end up victorious against the Aesir like we did in the Ragnarok I originally was. I have to help my father build a much better world from this of the Aesir gods…”
“Fine then…But, I should let you know that you must not take any actions that would lead you meeting yourself in this timeline. This would cause much disturbance, which I am not sure I will be able to hold in place.”
“WHAT? Back when you appeared on Mimir you said otherwise!”
“Well… Ha ha ha. That was to fool around with him. He wants to think he is the smartest, most intelligent creature in all the nine Realms…”
“So, you lied about it so he would get confused or something?”
“You damn right!”
“What would you have me do then? Since by my experience, myself from this timeline would try to do what I did in my timeline. You don’t expect me to hide forever until Ragnarok comes!”
“I do not… But do not be so sure that the Jormungandr from this timeline would follow the steps you did! A lot of things have changed here…”
Jormungandr seemed very annoyed and confused…
“Fine! I will do nothing… I will wait here in the Sea waiting for the inevitable end of the gods to come. And when the war shall begin, I will rise alongside my brethren and crush the gods once and for all.”
“You decide what to do, it is your decision! Figure it out! I am just warning you about the situation we were put in! Avoid any encounter with yourself in this timeline, unless you want the end of all creation!”
“What do you mean we were put in?”
“…”
Ratatoskr realized he said too much and without answering he was ready to leave. But at the last moment he spoke to Jormungandr.
“There are forces that control the fate of Yggdrasil which are beyond gods, giants and even the fates. Good luck my friend…”
And by saying that, the squirrel disappeared diving into the realm between realms onto the branches of the world tree.