Ragnarok Rising: The Crossing (The Ragnarok Rising Saga)

by Roberts, D. A.

  "So, are you planning on fighting or just hiding?" I asked.

  "I'll go where the dreams tell me to go," he replied. "The All-father has plans in motion. I just don't know what they are yet."

  I was surprised that he would mention dreams. I was curious if he had been having the same kind of dreams that I've been having since all of this began. I couldn't help but wonder if he was right. If this really was Ragnarok, then was it too much to think that the Einherjar were real? Maybe there was a reason why we ended up at the Lake. Now, I just had to survive this test of his to find out.

  With Spec-4 dressed, we all proceeded down the hallway to the main cabin. There were two large tables set up outside on the deck. On the table was as close to a feast as we were likely to find in this world gone mad. I could see roasted fish, dishes of rice and oatmeal, bowls full of berries and apples, plates with sliced Spam on it and even a large platter of what I was fairly certain were powdered eggs. There were also large ceramic cups of steaming coffee.

  The King directed us to seats and he took one at the end of the table. His chair looked to be much more comfortable than ours were. They escorted Elliott out from another part of the ship, and gestured for him to take an empty seat. His face was bruised and his arm was in a sling, but he looked healthy. One eye was puffy and swollen but he smiled when he saw me.

  "Dad!" he almost shouted. "I didn't think I'd ever see you, again!"

  "I told you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you," I replied, wanting to reach out and hug him.

  "They wanted to know all about us," he said, glaring at the King. "I didn't tell them anything."

  "You're definitely your father's son," said Spec-4, smiling.

  "I'm glad you're alright," he said to her, grinning through swollen lips.

  "I am, thanks to you," replied Spec-4. "You saved my life."

  Elliott just blushed and smiled broadly, pleased with her praise.

  "Are you alright?" I asked, reaching over and grabbing his hand.

  "I'm OK," he replied. "I think I dislocated my shoulder when I took that tumble down the river. The rest is just a few bruises and cuts. Nothing that won't heal."

  "That's my boy," I said, smiling proudly.

  "You see," announced the King, triumphantly, "we took good care of your boy, just like I promised. Now, eat! We need to get started before the sun rises."

  He began ladling large portions of food onto his plate and gestured for us to follow suit. Elliott grabbed some of the dubious eggs and two hunks of the Spam. Spec-4 took some rice and an apple. I filled a bowl with oatmeal and blueberries. I didn't want to be too full to be able to fight, just in case this challenge called for it. I had a bad feeling that it did.

  Elliott, Spec-4 and I all paused while I offered a blessing to the Gods before we took our meal. We joined hands as I began to recite a morning blot[16]. The King had no such problems and began eating immediately.

  Although I didn't have the time or the things I needed for a proper one, I felt it required more than just a simple prayer of thanks today. I wanted not only to be thankful, but for the Gods to watch over us and help us survive this challenge, whatever it was. Releasing their hands, I held my mug of coffee up as I began my prayer.

  "Great Gods of Asgard," I began. "I arise today, awakened by the fire of your radiant sun. Devine is the life which flows within me and through me. Strengthen now my spirit, so that I may use this day wisely. With Nobility, Honor and Prosperity. As my deeds reflect my worthiness, so may they likewise serve to inspire my kinsmen. Guide us in our tasks and see us safely back to our hearth."

  Even the King stopped eating and listened as I spoke. The sun was still below the horizon, but the false light of predawn was peeking through the darkness to bring a sliver of purple to the sky. Somewhere in the distance, I heard the cawing of a raven. It was quickly answered by the call of another, somewhere else in the darkness.

  I finished by raising the coffee to my lips and taking a drink, feeling the warmth spread throughout my body. Then I handed it to Spec-4. Although confused, she took the offered cup and drank. Then Elliott took the cup and sipped, as well. Then the King took the cup and drank. I hadn't expected that, but shouldn't have been surprised. He returned the cup to me and nodded gravely as I accepted it.

  We ate in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. The King ate a large portion of the food and let out an enormous belch when he was finished. As we finished our meals, we slid our dishes away from us and leaned back. When we had finished, three women appeared out of the cabin and whisked away all of the dishes.

  When they were done, three guards emerged out onto the deck. They were grim of demeanor and heavily armed. I recognized the weapons they were carrying. They were ours. They had both of our M-4's, my Keltec Shotgun, and Spec-4's back-up weapon. The third man was carrying it. Although they didn't seem confident with the weapons they were carrying, they did look serious enough about using them.

  "It's time," said the King, standing up.

  I stood up and took a deep breath.

  "I'm a man of my word," he stated, in a deep tone. "If you complete this challenge and survive, you will all be free to go. Fail and all of your lives will be forfeit."

  "What?" asked Elliott, incredulous. "What challenge? Dad, what is he talking about?"

  "I have to do this, son," I said. "Once I pass this test, we're free to leave. Otherwise, we're prisoners here."

  Elliott didn't look happy about it, but didn't say anything. He did glare venom at the King. Spec-4 stood next to Elliott and put her hand on his shoulder. I just hoped she stuck with my plan. If this didn't work, she and Elliott were to try to make their escape and get back to the others. They didn't have the equipment or weapons to fight our group and win. If they could warn the others, the fight would be one sided.

  If I won the challenge, I didn't know what I would do once they released us. If they released us, at all. A part of me wanted to come back with one of the Strykers and sink their entire island to the last boat. Part of me wanted to know more about the King and his dreams. Something inside told me that there was more there than I was aware. That I was meant to find him and his people. Time would tell. I would just have to survive the challenge, first.

  The three men led me to another Jon boat. This one was painted camouflage and had an electric trolling motor mounted on it. A trolling motor made very little noise. Wherever we were going, they were intent on keeping it quiet. We all took our seats in the boat, with me in the middle. They kept out of arm's reach of me, undoubtedly already hearing about what I did to the other idiots this morning.

  I was surprised when the King himself joined us in the boat. Once he was seated, the one at the rear of the boat engaged the trolling motor and we silently slipped away from the little island of boats. There was just enough light in the sky for me to tell that we were headed towards the dam.

  "We need to have you on shore and be gone before the sun is up or we'll attract too much attention from the dead," said the King.

  "Are you going to tell me the challenge now?" I asked, dreading the answer.

  "We're going to drop you off on one end of the dam," he said, grinning. "Your task is to cross the dam and survive. On the other side, you'll find a boat like this one moored on a small dock near the base of the dam. Reach it and get clear. If you can do that and survive, you're free to go."

  "No fucking problem," I mumbled. "How long is the dam?"

  "A little over five hundred feet," he said. "Almost two football fields. It's also crawling with the dead."

  "Why is that?" I asked, surprised.

  "About once a day," he explained, "an alarm sounds and the flood gates open because the lake level is so high. We figure it's some kind of automatic failsafe system to keep the dam from breaking. We've never seen any sign of anyone living on or around the dam."

  I could see the shoreline was coming up quickly. We didn't have much longer before we reached our landing spot. My pulse began to q
uicken and I began to get nervous. This was not going to be easy.

  "Here," said the King, handing me my splitting maul. "You're going to need this. When we get into shallow water, jump out. The sun will be up any minute."

  I hefted the weight of my maul and sighed. I had no idea how many of the dead would be waiting for me, but I knew it would be a lot. I silently prayed that Spec-4 and Elliott would be all right if I failed. I had barely finished whispering the words when the motor cut out and stopped. It was time to go.

  "This is your stop," said the King.

  I opened my eyes and looked around. I was still only dressed in boots and pants. The air was chilly and there was a light fog on the water. I didn't see any movement in the immediate area, so I slipped over the edge of the boat and sank in frigid water up to my chest. It was all I could do to keep from gasping at the sudden cold shock.

  "Victory or Valhalla," I said softly to the King, glaring daggers at him.

  He looked at me with surprise on his face, but didn't reply. I could see that he knew that phrase. Maybe he'd heard it before. Maybe he had the same dream that I did. I knew that I intended to find out. However, standing ass-deep in freezing water and surrounded by zombies wasn’t the best time to talk. After I won the challenge, I would find out what he knew. One way or the other.

  I started wading towards shore and heard the engine hum back to life behind me. I glanced back to see the boat slip away into the thin mist. With a grimace on my face, I waded to shore and tried to keep the sound of splashing water to a minimum. I thought maybe there might be a chance that if I hurried, I could sneak across the dam in the darkness. Yeah, right. My luck is never that good.

  I climbed the hill taking me up to the road that ran across the dam. The grass was almost chest high, so I had to be careful I didn't walk up on a zombie that was on the ground. It was steep, so it took me almost ten minutes to climb to the top. Just as I reached the road, the sun emerged over the horizon and the golden light began to light up the sky. So much for luck.

  Steam rose from my chest and arms in the chill air. I had forgotten the cold with the exertion from climbing the hill. There were abandoned vehicles dotting the span of the dam, but I could also see close to fifty zombies shuffling around. So far, they hadn't seen me. I knew that wouldn't last, though. There weren't enough cars for me to hide the entire way across.

  Crouching low, I crossed the road and kept mostly behind an overturned SUV. I knelt by the bumper and peered around the corner. So far, nothing had noticed my presence. I leaned out and glanced down the other side of the dam. I could see the little office at the bottom that housed the entrance to the dam. It was a long way down. With the spillways open, the river below was roaring with powerful white caps. There was no way I was going to make it across that. My only choice was to go across the dam.

  Glancing over the dam again, I noted the positions of the other vehicles. Most were civilian vehicles that had been abandoned or crashed together. Almost half-way across was an overturned fire truck and a police cruiser sitting next to it. It was one of the huge ladder trucks, almost as long as a diesel with a trailer. I couldn’t help but wonder how they had managed to flip it over on its side. I also wondered if there was something inside the cruiser that might prove useful. I had little hope of making it across the dam with only a splitting maul for a weapon.

  The next vehicle was an abandoned hatchback, about ten yards away. There was a body slumped against the front bumper. I couldn't tell if it was a zombie or not, but I really couldn't afford to assume it wasn't a threat. That was my next position. From there, I'd decide where I would go next.

  Crouching low, I took off as fast as I could manage, heading right for the little hatchback. I kept my eye on the body and hoped that nothing noticed my movement. When I reached the front of the car, I hid behind the bumper and stayed down. The body was in the uniform of an Osage Beach Police Officer. He had a pistol in his hand with the slide locked back.

  His head was slumped forward on his chest and I could see the ragged bullet wound to his head. I could also see the bite marks on his arms. The poor bastard must have used his last bullet on himself after he'd been bitten. I prodded him with the head of the splitting maul but he didn't stir. He was stiff and unresponsive. A quick check of his equipment belt yielded no ammo for the pistol. I pried it out of his hand and slipped it into my cargo pocket, anyway. No sense leaving it here to rot. Out of habit, I took his badge, too.

  I started to peek around the side of the car when I heard the sound of shuffling feet. I closed my eyes and cursed silently. I could tell it was approaching on the passenger side of the car, so I shot a quick glance around the driver's side. I didn't see anything nearby, so I slipped around the fender and put my back against the side of the car. Silently, I held my breath and waited for it to pass by.

  The shuffling feet continued and then stopped when it reached the front of the car. I was hoping it was just a Shambler and would go on about its way. I froze and forced myself to breathe very slowly, silently willing it to move on. My blood turned to ice-water in my veins when it began to make an all too familiar sniffing sound. It was a fucking Tracker!

  I stood and swung the maul all in one smooth motion. Before it could react, I drove the hammer side into its skull with bone crunching force. The force of the blow threw it backwards and sent it over the railing, to plummet into the frothy river below. I turned as quickly as I could to look for more targets when the zombie near the back bumper began to scream.

  "Shrieker!" my brain screamed in warning.

  The piercing shriek shattered the silence of the dawn and alerted every zombie on the dam. I knew I only had a few minutes before they began to converge on me from both sides. I had a more pressing concern, at the moment. I had to shut this Shrieker up before it alerted every zombie at the lake. I had more than I could deal with already, without it bringing others in for miles around.

  In two rapid steps, I covered the distance between us and drove the blade of my maul into its forehead. The cry ceased instantly and it stood there for a moment before collapsing to the ground in a heap. I yanked the blade free with a sickening slurp and ran for the next vehicle. I didn't have time to fight every zombie on the dam, so I used the handle to knock a pair of Shamblers out of my way and kept running.

  More and more zombies were appearing and heading towards me, but I kept running until I reached the parked police cruiser. I glanced into the window and saw that it had already been picked clean. There wasn't so much as a ticket pad lying in view. I didn't have time for a thorough search, so I did the next best thing. I smashed out the window and reached inside to pop open the glove box.

  Hitting the release button for the trunk, I heard the thunk of the lock and moved towards the back of the car. I swung open the trunk to find only a tactical vest and some road flares. I shoved the flares into my cargo pocket and grabbed the vest. I didn't have time to put it on, so I just slung it over my shoulder and turned back to the advancing crowd of the dead.

  Three Sprinters appeared out of the crowd and came right for me. With no other options, I headed right for them. Using the maul like a short bo-staff, I slammed the handle into the face of the first one. It went over backwards, flipping almost completely over before it hit the ground. I drove the head of the maul into the bridge of second one's nose with a satisfying crunch. Its momentum carried it on past me, but it didn't move when it hit the ground.

  The third one slammed directly into me, and would have had me, had I not managed to get the handle of the maul between us. The force of the impact drove me backwards and onto the ground. I managed to keep my grip on the handle but we were nearly nose to nose as we fought on the ground. Its teeth were blackened and it had no lips. The lifeless eyes were partially glazed over and it reeked of rotten flesh.

  It continued to snap its teeth together while struggling to bite into my face. I shoved against the handle with every ounce of strength I possessed and forced it back. With a
tremendous shove, I knocked it off of me and leapt to my feet. Before it could regain its footing, I swung the maul with everything I had. I connected using the hammer side with enough force to knock the creature up and over backwards, colliding with the first three Shamblers that were approaching.

  It took them to the ground and didn't move. The Shamblers were struggling to free themselves from beneath the dormant Sprinter but were having very little success. I glanced down in horror to see that I had cracked the wooden handle of the splitting maul. It wouldn't last much longer before the head fell off. I needed to put some distance, or an obstacle, between the dead and me. I needed time to find another weapon.

  I glanced around, almost in a panic, and realized the only place I could run to was the overturned fire truck. It was lying on the passenger side and there were hoses everywhere near the top of the truck. Sensing my only chance lay in the relative safety of the fire truck, I ran for it as fast as I could go. Around me, nearly a hundred zombies were closing in from both directions.

  I reached the truck and began to scramble onto the side. I had to throw my splitting maul onto the top. I couldn't carry it and climb at the same time. Grabbing part of the undercarriage, I climbed as fast as I could go. The dead were less than ten yards behind me and closing fast.

  Just as I reached the top, a Sprinter grabbed my right leg and held on with a death grip. I had to kick it in the face three times with my left foot before I knocked it off and I could scramble on top of the truck. My heart was thundering in my chest and my ragged breathing was coming in huge gasps. Somewhere along the way, I had managed to cut my left arm and blood was streaming down my bicep and onto my forearm. I could see a quarter sized piece of glass sticking out of the skin.

  "Damn it," I hissed as I pulled the shard out and threw it off into the water.

  I briefly considered leaping from the truck and into the lake, but I was too close to the spillway gates. With them open, I would be caught and sucked through them. I'd be battered to death in the river at the bottom of the dam and they'd find pieces of my body all down the Osage River.