Page 100 - Red Feather Book 2

over the rainbow bridge that separated the world of the gods from the world of the frost giants. There, a decisive battle for control of the universe would be fought.
The frost giants had already reached the bridge and they attempted to cross it, but there were so many of them that the bridge collapsed under them, spilling the giants into the valley below. When the gods reached the bridge and saw that it had collapsed they led their horses down the steep slopes of the valley all the way to the bottom. All the armies were gathered, the battleships of Hel joined with the dark ships of the frost giants, the wolf Fenrir had broken free from his chains and had leaped into the fray as Odin and Thor, Freyja and all the other gods and goddesses rode down the ragged edges of the valley and were finally joined by all the fallen heroes of Valhalla.
Odin turned toward his legions and spoke to them thus: “It is here that we must fight for control of the world, if we are to die, lets us do so by making sure the forces of Hel and the frost giants are destroyed forever and the world can know peace once more”. With that, he rode into battle but was immediately spotted by the wolf Fenrir, who opened his jaws wide enough to devour Odin and the mighty god was no more.
Thor rushed to avenge his father but he was stopped by the serpent Jormungand. The serpent opened its mouth and was about to spray the world with a film of deadly venom when Thor took his hammer and struck the snake nine times. Jormungand reared its wavering head one last time before he exhaled enough poison to kill Thor. One by one the gods and goddesses of the Aesir fell to the deadly forces that surrounded them. Fires blazed everywhere, consuming the trunk and branches of Yggsdrasil and the universe fell into darkness once more.
When the battle of Ragnarok was over, a calm silence fell over the smoking remains of the world, from the ashes of the destruction, the sons of Odin, Vidar and Vali and the sons of Thor, Modi and Magni, rose up and climbed to the top of a mountain where they found Thor’s hammer and used its magical powers to destroy the remaining forces of the frost giants.
In time, as Odin had predicted, the world returned to its former beauty. The four seasons returned and a new sun and a new moon were born. Lif and Lifthrasir, a man and a woman who had survived the great flood, walked alone on the earth, but soon started a new race of people that survive to this day.
The Aesir 97 Norse Mithology