sounds of insects
and creatures scrambling to get out of the way, as if they knew a storm were
coming.
Immediately, the dozens of creatures behind
their leader drew their swords, too, white swords made of bone.
“You disgrace our hospitality,” the leader
sneered at Thor.
“I don’t want your hospitality,” Thor said. “I
want my boy. I will see him. And not you, or any creatures of this world, will
stop me. I will walk through the gates of hell to do so. I want enter the land
of the dead. I will go alone. My men can accept your provisions and head back
out to sea. But not I. I will enter here. And no one and nothing of this earth
will stop me.”
The leader shook his head.
“Every once in a while we encounter someone
like you,” he said. He shook his head again. “Foolish. You should have accepted
my offer the first time.”
Suddenly, all of the creatures behind him
charged Thorgrin, dozens of them, swords held high, racing toward him.
Thor felt such a determination to see his son
that something overcame him: his body suddenly welled up with heat, and his
palms felt on fire, as he felt more powerful than he’d ever had. He replaced
his sword, raised his palms, and as he did, an orb of light shot forth and flashed
through the cave, lighting it up. He moved his hands in a semicircular motion, and
as he did, the beams of light struck the creatures on the chest, knocking them
all down.
They all collapsed, moaning, writhing on the
ground, stunned but not dead.
Their leader’s eyes opened wide in shock as he
looked Thor over carefully.
“It is you,” he said, in awe. “The King of the Druids.”
Thor stared back calmly.
“I am king of no one,” he replied. “I am just a
father who wishes to see his son.”
The leader stared back at him with a new
respect.
“It was told there would come a day when you
would arrive,” he said. “Of a day when the gates would open. I did not think it
would be so soon.”
The leader looked Thorgrin over long and hard,
as if looking at a living legend.
“To enter those gates,” he said, “it is not the
price of gold. But the price of life.”
Thor stepped forward and nodded solemnly.
“Then that is the price I shall pay,” he said.
The leader stared back for a long time, until
finally he was satisfied. He nodded, and his dozens of men slowly gained their
feet and stepped aside, creating a path for Thor to pass. Dozens more of them
rushed forward to the gates, and, all of them grabbing hold of the iron, they
yanked on it with all their might.
With a great groaning and creaking noise, the
gates of death, protesting, opened wide.
Thor looked up in awe and watched the
hundred-foot high gates swing. It was like looking at a portal to another
world.
As they held their torches out toward the gate,
it was lit up, and standing beyond them, on the other side, Thor saw a man in a
long black robe, holding a long staff, wearing a black cloak and hood pulled
over his face. He stood near a small boat, which sat at the edge of a bobbing
river.
“He will be your shepherd to the land of
death,” the leader said. “He will take you across the river. On the other side
of it lies the ladder down to the center of the world. It is a one-way boat
ride.”
Thor nodded back gravely, realizing it was permanent,
and grateful for the chance.
Thorgrin began to walk, past the leader, past
the rows of his creatures lined up, creating a passage for him, and toward the
open gates of death, prepared to take the long march alone.
Suddenly, he heard a shuffling of feet all
around him, and he turned and was surprised to see all of his brothers standing
beside him, looking back solemnly.
“If you are going to the land of the dead,” Reece
said, “you’re going to need some company.”
Thor looked back at them, confused; he had
never expected them to give up their lives for his sake.
O’Connor nodded.
“If you’re not coming back, then neither are we,”
O’Connor said.
Thor
and creatures scrambling to get out of the way, as if they knew a storm were
coming.
Immediately, the dozens of creatures behind
their leader drew their swords, too, white swords made of bone.
“You disgrace our hospitality,” the leader
sneered at Thor.
“I don’t want your hospitality,” Thor said. “I
want my boy. I will see him. And not you, or any creatures of this world, will
stop me. I will walk through the gates of hell to do so. I want enter the land
of the dead. I will go alone. My men can accept your provisions and head back
out to sea. But not I. I will enter here. And no one and nothing of this earth
will stop me.”
The leader shook his head.
“Every once in a while we encounter someone
like you,” he said. He shook his head again. “Foolish. You should have accepted
my offer the first time.”
Suddenly, all of the creatures behind him
charged Thorgrin, dozens of them, swords held high, racing toward him.
Thor felt such a determination to see his son
that something overcame him: his body suddenly welled up with heat, and his
palms felt on fire, as he felt more powerful than he’d ever had. He replaced
his sword, raised his palms, and as he did, an orb of light shot forth and flashed
through the cave, lighting it up. He moved his hands in a semicircular motion, and
as he did, the beams of light struck the creatures on the chest, knocking them
all down.
They all collapsed, moaning, writhing on the
ground, stunned but not dead.
Their leader’s eyes opened wide in shock as he
looked Thor over carefully.
“It is you,” he said, in awe. “The King of the Druids.”
Thor stared back calmly.
“I am king of no one,” he replied. “I am just a
father who wishes to see his son.”
The leader stared back at him with a new
respect.
“It was told there would come a day when you
would arrive,” he said. “Of a day when the gates would open. I did not think it
would be so soon.”
The leader looked Thorgrin over long and hard,
as if looking at a living legend.
“To enter those gates,” he said, “it is not the
price of gold. But the price of life.”
Thor stepped forward and nodded solemnly.
“Then that is the price I shall pay,” he said.
The leader stared back for a long time, until
finally he was satisfied. He nodded, and his dozens of men slowly gained their
feet and stepped aside, creating a path for Thor to pass. Dozens more of them
rushed forward to the gates, and, all of them grabbing hold of the iron, they
yanked on it with all their might.
With a great groaning and creaking noise, the
gates of death, protesting, opened wide.
Thor looked up in awe and watched the
hundred-foot high gates swing. It was like looking at a portal to another
world.
As they held their torches out toward the gate,
it was lit up, and standing beyond them, on the other side, Thor saw a man in a
long black robe, holding a long staff, wearing a black cloak and hood pulled
over his face. He stood near a small boat, which sat at the edge of a bobbing
river.
“He will be your shepherd to the land of
death,” the leader said. “He will take you across the river. On the other side
of it lies the ladder down to the center of the world. It is a one-way boat
ride.”
Thor nodded back gravely, realizing it was permanent,
and grateful for the chance.
Thorgrin began to walk, past the leader, past
the rows of his creatures lined up, creating a passage for him, and toward the
open gates of death, prepared to take the long march alone.
Suddenly, he heard a shuffling of feet all
around him, and he turned and was surprised to see all of his brothers standing
beside him, looking back solemnly.
“If you are going to the land of the dead,” Reece
said, “you’re going to need some company.”
Thor looked back at them, confused; he had
never expected them to give up their lives for his sake.
O’Connor nodded.
“If you’re not coming back, then neither are we,”
O’Connor said.
Thor
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