Baldur and Mistletoe (2)
The rain fell steadily. It had been doing so for an entire week. Many places began to flood, as if reflecting someone's heart. Midgard's weather was usually clear. Rain only came during the monsoon season; otherwise, it was just a light drizzle. So when the sky darkened and rain poured down, people believed "Thor is angry." Perhaps that was why they looked up at the sky. This had to be Thor's wrath. Otherwise, rain that refused to stop for over a week made no sense.
It had started when the hero returned. The rain that seemed like it would stop soon grew heavier throughout the day. Eventually, it poured for a week without ceasing. The returned hero looked half-dead, yet bore no wounds. He wore an uncomfortable expression, as if suffering from muscle pain, and bit his lips. All he had lost were the holy sword and victory. ...And his first defeat.
Thor must have been furious about that. That was why the thunder never stopped. Failure was a disgrace to a warrior. People believed that since the hero, the gods' messenger, had failed, he was swinging Mjolnir in rage. The relentless rain reflected the hero's heart. The noisy thunder, the thick mist. They saw the hero standing alone, gazing at the sky with clenched fists. Taesik.
Crunch. The sound of grinding teeth cut through the rain. What expression was he making now? It didn't take long for them to arrive at the answer. Despair. A massive dragon began spewing purple breath—
"...Nidhogg."
Yggdrasil began to be tainted by the void.
*
Asgard was filled with brilliant radiance. The realm of the gods supported by Yggdrasil's massive branches. There, a feast was underway as always. Whether someone was depressed or not didn't matter to some gods.
Odin sighed, clutching his head. He suddenly felt the connection with Taesik severed. A sharp sensation still stimulated his brain. Enduring it, Odin sent out his ravens. To convey his will. Since he couldn't contact Taesik now, this was all he could do. Manifesting in Midgard wasn't easy. Clearly, Loki must have placed restrictions on traveling between worlds. But Odin couldn't have known that. He didn't know that Loki had used the Goblet of Reincarnation or that he had become the ruler. He didn't want to ruin the lively atmosphere. Odin silently prayed that his raven would reach Taesik.
Among them, Baldur naturally shone brightly. Baldur, Odin's second son and the god of light, staggered drunkenly. Yet he didn't lose his radiance among the many gods. Baldur, protected by all things in the world, was showing off his power as usual.
"Hahaha! Throw it! Go ahead and throw it with all your might!"
The beautiful goddess Frigg, with her golden hair and voluptuous curves, spoke.
"The words of the dead prophetess, the Völva, were nonsense."
"No, Mother. We have twisted the prophecy, the fate."
The Völva was a being who knew everything in the world but belonged nowhere. Even if gods called, she wouldn't come, but due to Odin's magic, she had been summoned against her will to prophesy the future. Prophecy. What she had seen was despair and the beginning of everything. The prophecy that Odin's other son Hodr would kill Baldur, and Odin would take revenge. That it would lead to Ragnarok, but everyone was too busy laughing to notice.
"Thanks to you, Mother."
Above all.
"Hodr will kill me? Does that even make sense? Haha!"
The brothers were close. Especially boys who grew up bickering and fighting. But Baldur and Hodr were different. Hodr was blind, and Baldur couldn't hate such a brother. Who could hate him? If someone teased Hodr, he would administer justice on the spot. They cherished each other and exchanged punches as brothers. Unlike most, they grew up together with affection and kindness. Everyone claimed to be Hodr's 'light' and added to that radiance.
To these people, the dead prophetess 'Völva' told the prophecy she had seen. It was shocking and an impossible future. But their mother Frigg was anxious.
"Thank you so much, Mother."
"If you are safe, that's enough."
A warm and gentle voice. It echoed around. Baldur had reason to be grateful. Frigg had obtained promises from all things in the world not to harm Baldur. In fact, she had seen mistletoe while passing by. Knowing that a mere mistletoe couldn't pierce Baldur, she quietly passed by with a smile. Of course, it wasn't like that from the beginning.
Frigg tilted her head and quietly closed her eyes, recalling.
'...That old woman. I felt something strange.'
She had stopped that old woman from getting a promise from the mistletoe. At first, she thought she was crazy. A mere human stopping a god's actions. The kind Frigg almost raised her hand in haste. If it weren't for that one word from the old woman. She couldn't remember. She must have recited something.
"Hoo..."
"Mother?"
"It's nothing."
Frigg couldn't recall. The old woman was Loki in disguise, and she didn't know he had cast a hypnosis. Unable to even think of that, Frigg just felt a strange sensation. Baldur tilted his head, finding his mother's appearance odd. Odin hadn't said anything for nearly a week either. Thor was quiet too, occasionally hammering in anger. Well, it probably wasn't serious. Thinking that, Baldur picked up his cup again.
The thrown divine artifacts couldn't pierce his belly. Feeling superior as he watched the weapons bounce off. Weapons, elements, diseases, etc. Nothing could harm Baldur. So Baldur shouted. Throw spears or swords at him! He showed an arrogant attitude, saying do whatever you want. So the gods throwing swords or spears at Baldur was considered a sign of respect for him. Because it had become a culture and entertainment. Everyone happily raised their cups.
But lightning sometimes falls from a clear sky.
"Oh, Hodr! Where have you been for a week? We were worried!"
"Hehe. I just went to see Yggdrasil for a bit."
It was a lie. But Baldur had no way of knowing. Then he saw the sword in Hodr's hand. Everyone's gaze focused.
"Oh. That's a beautiful sword."
"Right? I think so too. I picked it up on the way, but no one knows?"
Everyone shook their heads. A blade containing the same energy as other divine artifacts. A black rune stained on the pure white blade. Baldur, who was so radiant he couldn't help but admire, held his breath at the sight of Mistilteinn. It was so beautiful, and he felt fate. He thought it could pierce anything. It was conviction. At the same time, a brilliant idea flashed through his mind like lightning. If even that sword couldn't pierce him? An arrogance crossed his mind that it wouldn't be able to stab him. The result would be the same, but it was a kind of initiation.
Everyone looked at him with expectant eyes. A path opened up as if by Moses' miracle. Standing in front of Hodr, Baldur spread his arms wide from afar. As if telling him to throw it at him, with a faint smile, creating a foolish situation.
"Come on, Hodr. It's in front."
"...What?"
"Won't you throw that sword at me?"
Hodr hesitated. He was scared that if he threw it wrong since he couldn't see, someone might get hurt. Yet he raised the blade with a faint smile.
"R-Really?"
At that question, Frigg, who was watching, felt an unknown anxiety. Why? She had clearly prevented the prophecy, but she was anxious. She wanted to stop it. No, she had to stop it. So she jumped up to intervene.
"Kids. Stop for a moment—"
"Come on, Hodr, throw it. Now."
Someone urged. It was an old woman. She didn't know which god, but she felt the same divine energy as them. So no one suspected. They just enjoyed it. Cheering for the situation, they raised their cups. At that moment. Frigg met eyes with the old woman. It was an old woman she had seen before.
Hehe. The hunched old woman let out a sly laugh.
"Come on! Throw it!"
Baldur also spread his arms. At that sight, the old woman. No, Loki laughed maniacally. Did he know that doing this was helping him? Loki activated the hypnosis he had whispered in advance. A void invisible to anyone spread low. Noisy laughter, cheers.
Odin, who was deducing the answer to the suddenly severed connection, raised his head. At the unusually noisy sight, he slowly rose from his throne. Baldur. His proud son. At the same time, his pitiful but still proud second son Hodr. The two brothers were facing each other. They're playing happily. That was Odin's impression. What father wouldn't be pleased seeing his children playing happily? He, who cherished his children more than anyone, felt his heart warm. Odin was feeling peace of mind seeing the affectionate brothers when.
"...Mistil..teinn?"
He saw the corrupted holy sword in Hodr's hand. And.
"...Huh?"
"Baldur! Dodge!"
It must have been Baldur whose heart warmed.
*
Chaos filled the air. Baldur's heart was pierced by the sword Hodr threw. The blood flowing from his chest covered the land of Asgard. The god of light lost his light, and darkness began to cloud the faces of the Aesir and Vanir gods. Everything was as prophesied. The prophecy that Hodr would kill Baldur. They hadn't thought it was nonsense. Rather, they accepted it as truth and believed they had escaped fate by using all means. But.
"Puhuh!"
The old woman sneered, and everything happened as prophesied. The mistletoe crafted from void pierced Baldur in the form of a sword. The vitality in his eyes disappeared, and the heat that had warmed the banquet hall left his body. It was like a bolt from the blue. Utter chaos. The gods were busy fleeing in horror. Baldur's blood spurted onto Odin and Frigg's faces. Like a beautiful fountain, instead of beautiful vitality, a fountain of death swirling tore the parents' hearts apart.
Loki sneered. Still in the form of an old woman, but he couldn't hide his vile nature. Odin recognized him at a glance.
"...Lo, ki...!!!"
"Well now. Is getting so angry useful?"
A dark shadow gradually fell over the sneering face. At the same time, void energy swirled around him, and before long, a giant with purple eyes glared at Odin.
"How is it?"
It was Loki's question. The question he had wanted to hear with both ears.
"How does it feel... to lose a child?"
A trembling voice. At the same time, Loki's eyes filled with excitement were covered with tears.
"It sucks, doesn't it?"
Everyone focused their attention on the low, damp voice.
"I felt the same. The thousands of years I couldn't meet my children."
So much so.
"It was lonely. Odin...!"
It was a father's hatred and scream.