Loki and the Kindergarteners Save the World (ONC 2023)

the sky falls, and so do the gods

There were no stars, no moon, no sun. The emptiness bled outwards, devouring blue sky with a vengeance. Before long, there would be no colour left. Just a vast nothingness.

Aesir, Vanir, fallen warriors, giants, and dark elves collided on the battlefield. Steel clashed, and battle cries carried across the wind. Across the field was the giant wolf, Fenrir. In full force, he was a sight to behold. Larger than three wolves together, Fenrir towered over the gods. His black fur stood on end, his muzzle red and dripping saliva and blood. The way his mouth curled, Fenrir was enjoying the bloodshed.

An old man, older than time itself, fought Fenrir with the might of a thousand men. He rode on a grey horse with eight legs, the horse rearing on his hindlegs, crying its battle cry. The god's hair was snowy, his shoulders hunched, but he fought like he was in the prime of his youth.

Odin, the Allfather of the gods.

Odin was not destined to defeat the great wolf. Fenrir snapped his fangs, devouring the wizened god whole. Just like that, the fight was over. Then Fenrir howled in triumph, the sound carrying across the empty sky.

Seated on one of Thor's goats—Thor informed them of the correct name, Tanngnjóstr—Will watched the entire battle with lips drawn thin. His stomach knotted. War. Bloody, loud and traumatic. And they were heading as close to it as they dared. At least Loki had kept them somewhere safe, somewhere hidden from the horror.

All the children were safely tucked away in the chariot, instructed to keep their ears covered and their eyes closed. With all twenty kids crammed in the back, Will had no more room to lie down. He rode one of the soft-furred goats. Acidic bile burned in his throat as he tore his gaze away from the battle.

But Thor, witnessing the death of his father, reacted differently. Rage ignited in the god, and he grabbed his metal gloves and hammer. Mjolnir is what Thor had called the stunted hammer. Forged by the dwarf brothers, Sindri and Brokkr, after being challenged by Loki. Despite the interference from the trickster that stunted the handle, the dwarf brothers managed to craft a powerful weapon. Mjolnir was considered the most powerful creation, and when wielded by one of the strongest gods, it could destroy mountains.

Mjolnir sang with power, fuelled by the fierce god wielding it. A crack of thunder tore open the sky, and lightning bolts struck the battlefield, searing any victim within their perimeters. With an anguished battle cry, Thor smacked his hammer against the ground, triggering an earthquake. The ground split, and an earth-dividing fissure raced for the rocky peaks. The tremors forced the battle to separate, but no one seemed bothered by the raging storm that appeared in the voided sky.

Until the mountain fell.

A rush of dust and broken trees burst from the base of the giant rock. The armies were thrown off their feet, shrouded in a thick layer of dust, broken trees and rock. With a sickening crack, the mountain split in two. As the peak crumbled, the resounding earthquake pushed the goats and the chariot back.

"Thor, stop," Will cried out. With his hands over his ears, he struggled to keep himself on the trembling goat. They'd seen their master's might before and didn't shy away, but they were still nervous.

"The Jotuns will pay," Thor bellowed, eliciting another round of lightning bolts. "They will pay for the blood spilt this day."**

"You're going to kill us," Will screamed. He stumbled off Tanngnjóstr and tentatively approached the god of thunder, eyeing the charged hammer. "Please, Thor, stop. Think of the children."

Shoulder to shoulder in the chariot, the children cowered. Not one uttered a peep, though Will noticed a few were holding onto each other and crying. Thor seemed to shake himself out of his stupor long enough to look at the children and then at Will. The god's eyes were black and full of anguish. Sorrow mingled with temperament, and Thor collapsed to his knees, shoulders hunched.