The Warriors of Ragnarok

By Derek McDonald

William and Brian are two average bar buddies you’d find sitting on stools at any tavern in any town. One night the pair have the same dream – a nightmare that would send them into the seedy underworld of their city to discover the source of it. What the two men find could change the course of our civilization forever! The buddies might make you laugh, but what they find will terrify you. Question is: Will it really happen… or is it just a dream?

This is a novel involving Norse mythology, horror, mystery and some good old fashion laughs rolled into
one. Open the pages and discover a theory of what really manipulates man's destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Derek E. McDonald
• Release date: Dec 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9780993899904

Book preview

The Warriors of Ragnarok

THE WARRIORS OF RAGNAROK

Derek McDonald

WarriorsofRagnarCoverII-Clear.png

Copyright

"The Warriors of Ragnarok"

First Edition

© Copyright 2014 Derek E. McDonald. All rights reserved.

Published 2014 by Derek E. McDonald.

Published in Canada

ISBN 978-0-9938999-0-4

Fiction

(Fantasy/Horror)

Cover art: "Swords of Ragnar".

© Copryright 2014 Derek E. McDonald. All rights reserved.

Skull logo derived from: "Lord Emperor Skel"

© Copyright 2006 Derek E. McDonald. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information recording and retrieval system, without written permission in writing from the  author.

Published by:

Derek E. McDonald. 603-1297 Marlborough Court. Oakville, Ontario, Canada. L6H 2S1

[e-mail]

Cataloguing in Publication Data

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

McDonald, Derek, 1972-, author

The warriors of Ragnarok / Derek E. McDonald. -- First

edition.

Electronic monograph in EPUB format.

ISBN 978-0-9938999-0-4 (epub)

I. Title.

PS8625.D6267W37 2014            C813'.6          C2014-906246-X

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

barcode.pngbarcode-ISBN.png

ISBN 978-0-9938999-0-4

Disclaimers

This is a Work of Fiction: This is a work of fiction and is intended for entertainment purposes. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictional context. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, organizations, or persons, either living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or publisher.

Language Translation: Characters in this text purport to speak Norse (Viking). While the author has taken many hours of research on this subject, the translation should not be considered correct for academic purposes, as this is a story of fiction and an approximation is ‘good enough’. The translations are further problematic due to the use of modern Scandinavian lettering in place of the actual Runic script because computers cannot generate these characters without reprogramming. Also note that direct translation is often also impossible because ancient people would have had no concept of modern technologies such as video surveillance, locomotives (trains), computers, televisions, etc. Therefore the Icelandic dictionary was used to fill these gaps (Icelandic being the closest approximate living language).

Payment: The author and Publisher of this work are not members of any royalty collectives, therefore all royalties are to be paid to Publisher (or the authorized agent) directly.

DRM (Digital Rights Management): Although the Publisher recognizes that many retailers and distributors use propriety DRM technologies for their own branding, lockout and exclusivity policies, the Publisher does not endorse any specific policy, brand or system other than its own.

Audience: This text is intended for an adult audience (18+).

NO government money was used in the production of this work.

This work is COLOR enhanced (on compatible devices).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For official and updated news and information on this publication, please visit:

barcode-ragnar.diskery.png

http://ragnar.diskery.com

Acknowledgements

This story is based on a series of dreams I had between 2008 – 2014 and linked together to make a coherent story. In my effort of bringing it to publish, I would like to thank: Professor Emma Wilson and Monica Kanellis.

Professor Wilson was fresh from England when she taught English Literature at Ryerson University several years ago. While she was only there for one year, I finished my studies in Business Technology Management and did not see her again. Her subject was Gothic Horror Fiction. Mother dearest hated the idea that all that money being spent for higher education would offer me knowing more about demons and skeletons than real subjects … so I took the class anyway!

For the final paper of her class I wrote a story called Train of Consequences. Much more fun, I thought, than yet another analysis paper. I received an ‘A’ for my efforts, and after showing the original starter manuscript of this story to her over coffee, she, along with several of her colleagues, encouraged me to complete it. It was also suggested that this story, and my paper, should be published.

For the first time I realized I could write fiction and through Gothic Horror I discovered a new talent!

Perhaps one day she and I can meet again over coffee and get excited, once more, discussing Vikings, skeletons and Frankenstein!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mrs. Kanellis is the wife of a friend of mine I met at Ryerson, Steve. I would spend countless hours in his office at the Mathematics Building talking computers and getting help with Finance studies. Thanks to Steve for introducing me to Monica, and to Monica for her professional editing eye and advice during the production of this story. Steve was/is also helping me with a computer project of mine called ‘Skeletronik,’ perhaps you will be reading about that wonderful subject soon as well.

Thank you both!

THE STORY THUS FAR

Take a look at the world we live in. Chances are there is a war somewhere. How about a natural disaster? Over human history there have been many civilizations that have come to rise only to fall again. Every one fell. Every one! Name them: Romans, Aztec, Egyptian or Norse... Their descendants may still be here, carrying their genetic sequences within their blood, but the ‘empire,’ for lack of a better term, is long gone; their technology, religion, customs and even language are gone, or assimilated by others. Why do civilizations fall? Sure, there are the physical reasons of battle, technology, illness and environment but what causes those reasons? What if there is someone … or something in control?

Ask ten people what governs the universe and you will probably receive ten different answers. Several individuals will say simply, ‘God,’ or whatever name they know their god or god(s) as, while others might offer answers like: mathematics, physics, gravity, nature, the government, random chance, or even ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t care.’

Every civilization and religion have a story about the end of the world, usually interlaced with their understanding of the universe or, more precisely, their understanding of the ‘universal order’ (Cosmology). In the legends that are written for the mythical Ragnarök of Viking lore, there is a series of environmental disasters and a great battle where the spirits of the fallen warriors (the Einherjar), who feast at Valhalla, rise up at the sound of Hemdall's horn. At the end of these events, the Earth (Midgard) is restored to a fresh state with the destruction of human civilization and several of the gods themselves. The surviving gods and humans re-start a new civilization. Ragnarök is an important event in the Norse canon, and has been the subject of scholarly discussion and debate for centuries. Gods … Are there gods? Or will god like creatures suffice? This story is one proposal…

1. SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO WORK

Aegishjalmur-150.jpg

Jason, a young man of 30 years of age, sat confidently inside the cab of the subway train he commanded. Relatively new to the job, Jason was pleased to be in this position during a time of economic downturn. The matte silver-colored train he operated awaited the flow of passengers flooding down the stairs of the city’s Central Station. The station was drab, well worn and in need of some repair; its brown tiled walls, broken whitewashed plaster ceiling and bare concrete floor told the tale of billions of footfalls that echoed within the great chamber over the years. The commuter ritual on this afternoon of Thursday, the 27th of October was a routine repeated almost every day since he started this job, so routine and uneventful he allowed himself the luxury of music while he waited. From his headset blared an old heavy metal song from the 1980s: Warriors of Ragnarok by ‘Demon’s Rage.’

This is the express train to Victoria Station! Jason called out the standard salutation. Then in a louder voice, all aboard! Moments after, punk rockers, businessmen, college students, and mothers with babes in arms hurriedly crowded through the open doors.

Upon completion of the river of humanity, he pushed the button marked ‘door close’ and cranked the accelerator knob to the right slightly; the train creaked and hissed in protest but ultimately complied with the order. Within moments he and his passengers were hurtling along the narrow dark tunnel ahead; its walls cracked and blackened in need of repair from years of use and abuse while fluorescent lighting flashed past every second in rhythmic timing. The train rumbled through the passage at high speed, leaving behind only the haunting echo of hissing hydraulics, clanking of metal and the rumbling of steel wheels against steel rails.

After several minutes, in the deepest part of the passage, just past the exit to the abandoned 43rd street station, Jason saw in the distance what appeared to be a man of tall stature walking. What the hell? There are no work crews scheduled for this part of the tunnel! Jason exclaimed while pushing the button to sound the deep bass honk of the machine’s horn; the unmistakable sound echoing through the tunnel. The character ahead did not move from its relentless march down the center of the track. Jason signalled with the horn, again and again, but the determined track walker refused to yield.

Now only a few feet from impact, Jason had no choice but to suddenly slam the accelerator knob  into the stop position in an effort to engage the brakes. Instantly, the train’s wheels complied to lock in a torrent of sparks complemented by the onging deafening metallic squeal of the brakes, like nails dragged along an endless chalkboard. Inside the train, the passengers, trash and baggage were thrown around the coaches like helpless rag dolls, while the interior lights randomly dimmed or blinked on and off, triggered by the drain of electrical current used to engage the brakes so suddenly.

What stood before Jason, in the now inevitable collision course, was not a man but a fully articulated sun-bleached skeleton dressed in a tattered silver chainmail shirt , black leather bridle neck collar studded with silver colored spikes and matching bracelets hanging loosely on the bony figure. The remnants of a long blond mane of spiked Mohawk styled hair descended in a thin section from the center of the skull and down its back. Its nails