打扑克的男女

ED: StellarRain

In Asgard there was three ancient Gods.

One was Audhumla, the existence of the beginning, the other Ymir, the first giant, and finally Buri, the founder of Aesir.

Buri gave birth to Bor and Odin then handed Odin the seat of the king of Gods and master of the world.

Buri, Bor and Odin wanted exterminate Ymir, who was a destructive monster, and open up a world for peace and prosperity.

Buri forged the God killer weapon Mistilteinn, a mistletoe branch that could kill ancient Gods, and Bor and Odin joined strengths with the several Gods to defeat Ymir.

Actually, the Gods didn’t have a proper will at that time. It was an action that had been more instinctive rather than being self conscious.

Buri, Bor, and Odin threw the corpse of Ymir into the Ginnungagap that was a crucible of chaos and an ancient hole and constructed a world. And so the mortal world Midgard, Vanaheim the land of the Vanir, etc. got created and formed Asgard the world of Gods.

And before that.

Before filling up the hole of Ginnungagap with the ancient giant Ymir and Asgard got created.

Buri, Bor and Odin removed Audhumla with Mistilteinn as they didn’t know when she could give birth to another existence like Ymir and then threw her deep into Ginnungagap.

And time passed like that. The Gods that landed in a proper world got able to be aware of themselves just like how Gaia obtained her hands on a body and soul and got an established personality. It was good to say that it was a new birth.

When Buri, Bor and Odin established themselves in Asgard and after they awoke a proper consciousness, Odin looked at the center of Ginnungagap. It was because it was unavoidable not do that.

There was a tree over there.

The World tree Yggdrasil that has existed since the beginning of the world and grew up from the core of Ginnungagap and pierced the entire world.

And there was an existence in the roots that has also existed with that World tree.

&

“Isn’t it wasteful?”

Those were the words Odin said while looking at Nidhogg sleeping in Tae Ho’s embrace and when it hadn’t been long since they left the roots.

“ARe you talking about...Nidhogg’s original body?”

Tae Ho grabbed Nidhogg’s shoulders and said. Odin smiled at his gesture that was like a parent protecting his child and then continued to speak.

“Not even I know when Nidhogg was born. I got to know of her existence much more after the World tree Yggdrasil appeared.”

His memories from before obtaining a consciousness- so before the world got established, were dim.

He had been cleaning the key points of Asgard for a while even after the world got completed so he didn’t have the leisure to go see the World tree.

The time Odin got to see it properly was before the war against the Vanir, when he decided to go find the wise Mimir.

That was after the world got established and a long time had passed. And Nidhogg was already existing in the roots by then.

“But even if we leave aside the time she was born, she is a being that has clearly existed for a long time. And her original body is also really strong. No giant of Jotunheim should be bigger than her.”

It was an obvious thing as her body reached 2kms. She was rather curled down but if she spread her wings properly her huge size would cover the entire sky.

Tae Ho turned to look at Nidhogg reflexively at Odin’s explanation. She looked just like a baby at how she slept in his embrace. You couldn’t even imagine that she was an ancient huge monster.

Odin smiled bitterly.

“Right, her consciousness is that of a kid just like what you can see right now. But even so, we can’t ignore the real power she holds as we are currently at war.”

Nidhogg’s conscience was no different from a kid. It was a consciousness that was as clear and pure like a white sheet of paper.

Even if it was Odin, he still felt rejection at giving a knife to a kid to wield it.

“But Odin, Nidhogg’s original body isn’t able to get out of the World tree.”

Cuchulainn spoke after he materialized with Odin’s magic. His eyes looking at Nidhogg were filled with pity.

Odin closed his only eye and said.

“Prince of light, your words are right. It’s not that she’s not able to get out simply because she’s huge. A strong restraint is chaining her down at the roots. Because of that we are not able to rescue her original body this time.”

In the end, the ones that got out were Nidhogg’s clone and consciousness. Her real body was still trapped at the roots.

Tae Ho stroke Nidhogg’s head and asked.

“Are you saying that there’s a method?”

“Right, there is but it won’t be easy. We will need a considerable amount of time. At least, we won’t be able to use her at this war. But our only enemy isn’t only Jotunheim. An existence beyond that.... we need Nidhogg’s real power to face them.”

The Kingdom of Fire.

He still couldn’t say that to Tae Ho. That’s why Odin inhaled some air and then shrugged his shoulders as if making a false pretense.

“Well, we should defeat the Magician king first.”

The enemy they were facing right now wasn’t the Kingdom of fire but Asgard’s long enemy- the Magician king Utgard Loki.

“Tae Ho master.....”

Nidhogg let out a low voice at that moment. It seemed like she was half awake after listening them speaking among themselves.”

“Yes yes, it’s fine. You can go sleep again.”

“Yes......”

Nidhogg answered in a low voice and closed her eyes again. Odin saw Tae Ho stroke her back and spoke with a low voice.

“Treasure her. She’s a kid that has suffered for too long.”

&

The huge Cat carriage was riding above the World tree. The scene of hundreds of cats pulling a carriage and riding was a really grand spectacle.

Adenmaha, that was sitting in a corner of a carriage next to Nidhogg, asked with a mystyfied expression.

“Do you like meeting Ratatoskr that much?”

“Yes yes, I like it. Ratatoskr only said bad words... and now that I see he was really bad... but he was still the only one that came to see me.”

Nidhogg smiled merrily and said. But Adenmaha didn’t miss the shadow behind her smile so she grabbed Nidhogg’s hand and said.

“You also have me now.”

“Yes yes, I like Adenmaha a lot. Just like Tae Ho master.”

Nidhogg embraced Adenmaha as if this was the moment.

Heda, that was a bit farther away from them, pinched Tae Ho’s side relentlessly.

“Tae Ho, what happened? Speak in more details.”

Looking at the situation it seemed like everyone excluding Nidhogg and herself knew about this matter. And Heda was a little bit angry at that fact.

Tae Ho held Heda’s waist as she pouted and answered.

“It’s something Odin-nim and I- no, precisely speaking Odin-nim has been preparing for.”

“Odin-nim?”

As Heda opened her eyes sharply, Freya that was driving the carriage opened her mouth.

“Ratatoskr’s whereabouts became light suddenly after defeating the Magician king right? But of course, it may be because you weren’t that interested in him.”

“Are you saying that Odin-nim took him?”

Freya nodded at Heda’s question.

“That’s right. He healed him well as Ratatoskr had been hit by Hraesvelg so much he got put at the brink of death and then sealed him near the roots of the World tree. There’s a high possibility he may be a tool for the Kingdom of Fire for his ability to come and go to the World tree is the real deal. He said that it was wasteful to just kill him.”

Odin was someone that used whatever he could use. It was impossible that he would kill Ratatoskr simply.

“Ratatoskr can even go to the roots freely. Odin-nim’s plan is to amplify his strength to make a hole so huge Nidhogg’s original body is able to pass through it.”

Tae Ho’s explanation was understandable. But Heda turned to look at Nidhogg, that was holding and playing with Adenmaha, and asked.

“Nidhogg’s original body is that big?”

“We can only express it as being that big.”

When Tae Ho scratched his cheek in a troubled manner, Freya added some words once again.

“I don’t know as I never saw it. But still, looking at how that old man Odin came rushing at it, it’s certain that it has an overwhelming power.”

“It feels a bit strange.”

In Heda’s eyes, Nidhogg was like a kitten or a puppy. Looking at how she was playing affectionately while holding Adenmaha was proof of that.

But for that Nidhogg to actually be a huge monster that reached some kms in length. It didn’t match at all.

“Anyways... Odin has started his preparations to pull out Nidhogg’s original body right after you defeated the Magician King. I think that he has continued to prepare for it while I was fighting in Olympus.”

“He left his seat once in a few days.”

Freya added more words again. It was a rather sulky tone.

Heda made a ‘hoo’ing sound and looked at Freya, and Tae Ho continued to speak while Freya snorted.

“There’s still some time left until the most precise time Odin-nim talked about but... we can’t just be waiting until then. I will be able to make it happen earlier if I assist him with the power of the master of Asgard and Erin.”

That was one of the reasons he had proceeded with the rebirth of Erin.

“Then-.”

“Kyak!”

The scream that was heard covered Heda’s voice. Tae Ho and the others turned to look at the direction the sound was heard at- where Nidhogg and Adenmaha where.

The one that screamed was Nidhogg. She dripped cold sweat and trembled in fear. She panted with a pale face and said.

“Wh, where are we going? Where are we going right now?”

“Going to meet Ratatoskr. It’s fine, Nidhogg.”

Adenmaha calmed down Nidhogg and grabbed her hand. But Nidhogg still trembled in fear.

“We... we are getting closer to the roots. I don’t want to return to the roots. I don’t want to.”

It was an instinctive fear. The act of returning to the roots itself was stimulating her trauma.

Adenmaha gulped dry saliva at how she curled down and trembled like an aspen and then hugged her and said.

“It’s fine. We all are going there. Tae Ho master and Heda is with us. There’s also Freya-nim.”

She wasn’t alone. They were going together.

Nidhogg closed her eyes and panted at Adenmaha’s words. Nidhogg stayed like that for a long time and when she barely managed to open her eyes, she looked at Adenmaha and the others and sobbed with a low voice.

“You can’t leave Nidhogg alone, you understand?”

“Okay. I will never leave you alone. I will always be with you.”

Adenmaha hugged Nidhogg again. Freya pushed Tae Ho’s back after looking that.

“You should go and soothe her too. The most important one in this plan is Nidhogg. Her consciousness has to be stabilized to be able to increase the succeeding rate.”

Heda shook her head at the stiff tone.

“Unnie, you just don’t want to see Nidhogg scared.”

“Anyways.”

Freya snorted like she was embarrassed and Tae Ho nodded.

“I will go for a moment.”

Tae Ho crawled inside the carriage riding at a fast speed and approached Nidhogg and Adenmaha. Adenmaha noticed Tae Ho approaching so she let go of her arms holding Nidhogg and let her see him face to face.

“Nidhogg.”

“Tae HO master.”

Nidhogg was crying. Tae Ho stroke her head slowly and spoke as if appeasing her.

“Nidhogg, we are now going to go to the roots now.”

“Why? WHy do we have to?”

That was a bit different from a peevish of a kid. Tae Ho felt a rooted fear from her so he looked at Nidhogg’s eyes fixedly.

“Your original body is still at the roots, right? We want to take it out from there.”

“My body... Nidhogg’s body...”

Nidhogg mumbled a few times and then nodded. She sobbed with a low voice and said.

“It’s trapped in the roots. It’s still curling down alone. We have to rescue it.”

“Right, that’s why we should go to the roots. To rescue your original body.”

“Yes... I understand. It’s a bit scary but I will endure it.”

Nidhogg wiped her tears with the back of her hand and nodded. Tae Ho took out a handkerchief to wipe off Nidhogg’s face and then embraced her treasuringly.

“Thank you Nidhogg.”

“I also thank you. For having rescued me.”

Nidhogg spoke up to that point and then fell asleep in his embrace. As Tae Ho got a bit bewildered at the really sudden action, Adenmaha stroke Nidhogg’s head and said.

“It looks like her nervousness faded away. She was also tired.”

Because she was heading straight to the roots right after the ceremony in Erin ended.

“But master, is the roots that terrible of a place?”

Adenmaha had never gone to the roots. But she could only get scary thoughts looking at how scared Nidhogg was.

Tae Ho thought about the roots for a moment instead of replying instantly and then answered with a low voice.

“There’s no one and nothing over there.”

&

“Ratatoskr!”

< Episode 67 – Ancient Dragon (1) > End

TL note: Thanks for reading~