Die Rettung

      I. In a Holy Roman Empire that did   II. Not end. When the Red Knight breathes his last, a great   III. Three-year winter sets in, no summers between.   IV. An axe-age, sword-age, wind-age, and a wolf-age.   V. They call this the Fimbulwinter, Dead Season.   VI. A time of war: brothers slay each other, and   VII. No man spares another. In a small forest,   VIII. A shepherd, Eggter, plays his harp. His roosters,   IX. Fjalar, Gullinkambi, and Sotraud, crow in   X. Panic. He looks up. In the purple heavens,   XI. Skoll and Hati, sons of the god Loge, chase   XII. The Sun and Moon across the skies, in the forms   XIII. Of wolves. They catch the deities that preside   XIV. Over these heavenly bodies, and eat them.   XV. The Greater Light and Lesser Light lose their glow.   XVI. Hrim, the god of ice, readies Nagelfar, his   XVII. Ship made of dead men’s fingernails. He steers from   XVIII. The east, on his way to battle. Surt, lord of   XIX. Fire, from the south comes with flickering flame,   XX. His sword shining brighter than the radiance   XXI. Of a thousand suns. They join Loge as he   XXII. Prepares for war, coming from the north.   XXIII. In Himinbjorg, the fatherless and gold-tooth’d   XXIV. God, Heimdall, son of nine mothers, daughters of   XXV. Aeger, heeds a great commotion. The pale lord   XXVI. Can hear grass sprouting, wool growing on sheep, and   XXVII. Anything louder. War’s ringing in his ears.   XXVIII. In a cave called Gnipaheller, a beast has   XXIX. Risen. Child of Tuphoeus and Echidne,   XXX. Monstrous Garm opens his eyes and emerges:   XXXI. The wargish lord has cold albinauric fur,   XXXII. Nine thousand one hundred and forty three legs,   XXXIII. Three thousand seven hundred and one black eyes,   XXXIV. One thousand six hundred and eighty one mouths.   XXXV. He runs with the speed of ten thousand horses,   XXXVI. Fights with the strength of six hundred thousand men,   XXXVII. And his metal hide is impenetrable,   XXXVIII. Never by a god’s nor human’s blade broken.   XXXIX. He is three hundred and fifty metres tall   XL. And eight hundred and seventy five in length,   XLI. And his mouths spew cold flames minus two hundred   XLII. And seventy three degrees Celsius. He   XLIII. Turns heavens into underworlds and suns to   XLIV. Darkness. Yet to have faced a worthy hero,   XLV. He’s waited for the beginning of the end   XLVI. To make mountain ranges out of fresh corpses   XLVII. And new rivers from the tears of frozen souls.   XLVIII. Heimdall raises his horn, Gjallar, and sounds an   XLIX. Alarm to the gods in grand Ooseyard. Dwarrows   L. Led by their Dwarf-Kings ready blades for conflict.   LI. Their lords are the undying sons of Blain,   LII. Their name for Imer, born of his blood and bones   LIII. After the ettin was killed by Wotan and   LIV. His two brothers. Here be the king-dwarrows’ names:   LV. Dehaviel, Kaschriel, Gehoriel,   LVI. Bazatiel, Tufiel, Dahariel,   LVII. Matakiel, Schoel, and great Schiviel,   LVIII. Tagriel, Matpiel, and Sarahiel,   LIX. Arfiel, Schahareriel, Satriel,   LX. Ragaiel, Sehiviel, Schevuriel,   LXI. Retzutziel, Schalmiel, and Savliel,   LXII. Zahazahiel, Hadriel, Bazriel,   LXIII. Pachdiel, Gevurtiel, and Kazuiel,   LXIV. Schechiniel, Schatkiel, and Arviel,   LXV. Kafiel, Anfiel, and strong Techiel,   LXVI. Uziel, Gatiel, and Gatahiel,   LXVII. Safriel, Garfiel, and brave Geriel,   LXVIII. Deriel, Paltriel, and wise Rumiel,   LXIX. Katzmiel, and adamant Gahagiel,   LXX. Arsavrasviel, and swift Agrumiel,   LXXI. Partziel, Machkiel, and kind Tufriel,   LXXII. Then lofty Chorpaniel Zehaftriai,   LXXIII. Avirzahiai Kavpel, Atargiel,   LXXIV. Chatrogiel Bangel, and Sastitiel,   LXXV. Katzpiel, and Dumiel, also known as   LXXVI. Avir Gahidariham. Some dwarrows fight   LXXVII. For Loge, some for one-eyed grey-cloaked Wotan.   LXXVIII. They pray to their dwarfish gods, Nordri, Sudri,   LXXIX. Austri, and Westri, that their kingdoms, Durin   LXXX. And Motsogner, will be kept safe. Loge’s son,   LXXXI. Lotan, also arises from the ocean:   LXXXII. A brasen serpent with a hundred heads, he   LXXXIII. Sprinkles the air and waters with venom. His   LXXXIV. Brother, Fenrer, a massive grey wolf, breaks free   LXXXV. Of his shackles underground. For years afore,   LXXXVI. He had roamed the world of gods as a free soul,   LXXXVII. Friend of Tir, until he grew too large and strong.   LXXXVIII. Then the gods conspired and tied Fenrer with   LXXXIX. Chains, claiming it a game. The wolf, suspicious,   XC. Agreed to the binding, on the condition   XCI. That a god stuck their hand into his jaw. If   XCII. He were tricked, the god would lose their limb. Brave Tir,   XCIII. Peaceful war-god, offered his right arm. When he   XCIV. Realized the chains could not be broken, he   XCV. Bit off his once-friend’s arm. Their friendship sundered,   XCVI. And feeling betrayed, the beast has been brooding   XCVII. Under earth, waiting for his revenge. Now his   XCVIII. Chains have weakened, he shatters the bonds and flees.   XCIX. They had been forged by a wise dwarf, but after   C. Many epochs the wolf rides once more, his nose   CI. Tracking the scent of his enemy, Wotan.   CII. Parsifal stands in Angharad. Heinrich rests   CIII. In their bed, reading a book about tiver;   CIV. He’ll need to know some spells and incantations.   CV. In sunlight Parsifal stands. Dazzling, ruddy.   CVI. Heinrich in his mind muses about his friend:   CVII. ‘He’s a raised banner among ten thousand. His   CVIII. Head purest gold, his locks bushy, black as a   CIX. Raven. His eyes like doves by the rivers of   CX. Waters, washed in milk, set properly in place.   CXI. His cheeks like a bed of balsam, towers of   CXII. Scented herbs. His lips lilies, dripping flowing   CXIII. Myrrh. His hands rings of gold set with beryl. His   CXIV. Abdomen bright ivory overlaid with   CXV. Sapphires. His legs pillars of marble set   CXVI. On sockets of fine gold. His appearance as   CXVII. Lebanon, excellent as tall cedar trees.   CXVIII. His mouth sweet. Yes, he’s altogether lovely.’   CXIX. ‘How’s your reading?’ ‘Going well. I know some rough   CXX. Spells to help us. Tiver is the science and   CXXI. Art of causing change to occur in line with   CXXII. Will. And any sufficiently advanced tech   CXXIII. Would be indistinguishable from tiver.’   CXXIV. ‘Tiver’s also a cosmic force, power in   CXXV. Action.’ Heinrich nods. ‘I found an old book that   CXXVI. Details its origin. In time afore the   CXXVII. Dreifaltigkeit, the Highest Power, made the   CXXVIII. Malachim, nine orders of six thousand six   CXXIX. Hundred and sixty six legions, six thousand   CXXX. Six hundred and sixty six in each legion.   CXXXI. Then the thirty Schedim were made, what we call   CXXXII. Aeons, fifteen pairs of divine beings, in a   CXXXIII. Series of emanations. They lived in the   CXXXIV. Seven Psychical Realms: Vilon, Rakia,   CXXXV. Schechakim, Zevul, Maon, Machon, and high   CXXXVI. Aravot. The lowest Aeon, Sophia   CXXXVII. Prounikos, wanted to directly access   CXXXVIII. The Dreifaltigkeit, and so attempted to   CXXXIX. Create life without her partner, Theletos   CXL. Aberamentho, also called Abrasax.   CXLI. So she self-begat a being, Jaldabahut,   CXLII. A red twelve-winged lion-faced cobra, with eyes   CXLIII. Flashing lightning bolts, tungsten skin, and seven   CXLIV. Heads and ten horns, four horns on the middle head.   CXLV. Taking one third of the malachim with him,   CXLVI. Jaldabaoth created six other beings,   CXLVII. And these Archons made monsters, deities, and   CXLVIII. The great Imer, whose children were the ettins,   CXLIX. And from whom came some other divine races.   CL. The Archons also made the Awesteed and the   CLI. Eternally recurring circles of time.   CLII. They dwell in the planets Levanah, Kokav,   CLIII. Nogah, Schemesch, Maadim, Tzedek, Schabtai.’   CLIV. ‘And from the Archons we get tiver.’ He nods.   CLV. ‘Of course beings beyond the Nine Worlds have come here,   CLVI. Like Ofaniel and Galgaliel, the   CLVII. Malachim of the Moon and Sun. But these beings   CLVIII. Have a choice to leave. We can’t. The Tree is the   CLIX. Only reality we will ever know.’   CLX. They’re called in for the council. War is brimming.   CLXI. The year is Anno Domini four hundred   CLXII. Twenty eight thousand and eight hundred ninety   CLXIII. Nine. February sixteenth. ‘What will happen?’   CLXIV. ‘I don’t know, Heinrich. All I know is that War   CLXV. Is a game with no winners. Still, we must play.’   CLXVI. The knight and his noble squire, both nineteen,   CLXVII. Enter the room, scared but trying not to be.   CLXVIII. The round table has been set. The meeting starts.         CLXIX. Gurnemanz has brought in neighbouring lords,   CLXX. Friends from distant kingdoms; knights, tiverers, kings.   CLXXI. Arthur son of Uther and Igraine is there   CLXXII. Among them. Uther was the son of Brickus,   CLXXIII. Son of Mazadan, son of Schimon. Schimon   CLXXIV. Had his son at thirty six years of age,   CLXXV. Three years after his step-brother was killed,   CLXXVI. Anno Domini thirty three, April third,   CLXXVII. Three in the afternoon at dread Gagulta.   CLXXVIII. Mazadan at thirty three was taken by   CLXXIX. A Fay woman to her land, and granted life   CLXXX. Eternal. After thousands of years on their   CLXXXI. Honeymoon, they consummated their union   CLXXXII. And twins were born to them: Lazaliez, Brickus.   CLXXXIII. They had sons of their own, all mortal. From the   CLXXXIV. Line of Lazaliez comes Parsifal. At the   CLXXXV. Table stand King Arthur’s elite knightly group:   CLXXXVI. The twenty four Marchogion y Ford Gron,   CLXXXVII. Ector, Dagonet, Urien, and Brunor,   CLXXXVIII. Gingalain, Alynore, Mordred, Galahad,   CLXXXIX. Lancelot, Gawain, Peredur, Lionel,   CXC. Tristan, Gareth, Bedivere, Bleoberis,   CXCI. Brunor Lacotemaltaillée, mighty Lucan,   CXCII. Palamedes, Lamorak, Bors, and Safir,   CXCIII. Pelleas, and Sir Kay. It was after Sir   CXCIV. Peredur that Parsifal got his nickname.   CXCV. Myrddin, or Merlin as they call him, is here   CXCVI. Too. His mother was a Fay, hence his powers.   CXCVII. Merlin has been explaining tiver to Kay:   CXCVIII. ‘Pure Tiver first stems from the Dreifaltigkeit,   CXCIX. Revealed through Their ten aspects: Keter, Chochmah,   CC. Binah, Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet,   CCI. Netzach, Hod, Jesod, and Malkut. These Sfirot,   CCII. Singular Sfirah, combine or divide as   CCIII. Partzufim, singular Partzuf: the Keter   CCIV. Into Atik Jomin and Arich Anpin,   CCV. Chochmah into Aba, Binah to Ima,   CCVI. Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod,   CCVII. And Jesod form Zeir Anpin, and Malkut   CCVIII. Becomes Nukvah. Tiver was used by lower   CCIX. Powers, and so became corrupted, weakened.   CCX. The Archons developed their form of tiver,   CCXI. And it is the form we have and use. But there   CCXII. Is a deeper tiver from the Endless One,   CCXIII. Which we have no access to, for it is Theirs.’   CCXIV. They begin deliberations. The battle   CCXV. Lines have been drawn. They will move out tomorrow.   CCXVI. Parsifal’s family, including Johannes   CCXVII. Presbuteros, will participate in this.   CCXVIII. That night Parsifal calls the Dreifaltigkeit:   CCXIX. ‘Herr Gott, gib mir die gelassenheit dinge   CCXX. Hinzunehmen die ich nicht aendern kann, den   CCXXI. Mut dinge zu aendern die ich aendern kann,   CCXXII. Und die weisheit das eine vom anderen   CCXXIII. Zu unterscheiden.’ He hopes for victory.   CCXXIV. The next day they set off, he and Heinrich on   CCXXV. Grey steeds, of the eight-legged Spinnepferd breed.   CCXXVI. Tiver has aided in technological   CCXXVII. Advancements, like Mierzwiak Machines, which   CCXXVIII. Can erase memories, and various beasts   CCXXIX. Genetically modified. Parsifal’s   CCXXX. Red armour glistens in the early dawnlight.   CCXXXI. ‘I still feel this is unethical.’ ‘Heinrich,   CCXXXII. We’re going to fight the gods. It’s not like we’ve   CCXXXIII. Bitten off more than we could chew.’ He winks. ‘There’s   CCXXXIV. A saying popular among the Juden:   CCXXXV. ‘Lefichach nivra adam jechidi,   CCXXXVI. Lelamedcha, schekol hameabed   CCXXXVII. Neschamah achat, maaleh alav   CCXXXVIII. Hakatuv ke-ilu ibed olam   CCXXXIX. Malei. Vekol hamekajem nefesch   CCXL. Achat, maaleh alav hakatuv   CCXLI. Ke-ilu kijem olam malei. Ken.’   CCXLII. ‘I know that proverb. Whoever destroys one   CCXLIII. Soul destroys a world, and whoever saves one   CCXLIV. Life saves the world entire. But we must fight   CCXLV. The good fight. Just warfare. Darmajudda, as   CCXLVI. Our friends in Baarata would say.’ Heinrich sighs.   CCXLVII. Kondwiramurs, Parsifal’s childhood flame, rides   CCXLVIII. With the camp. An akschauhinee is composed   CCXLIX. Of twenty one thousand and eight hundred and   CCL. Seventy chariots, twenty one thousand   CCLI. Eight hundred and seventy elephants,   CCLII. Sixty five thousand six hundred and ten steeds,   CCLIII. And one hundred and nine thousand three hundred   CCLIV. And fifty infantry units. Parsifal’s   CCLV. Side, Loge’s, has seven akschauhinees, and   CCLVI. Wotan’s side has eleven. They’re meeting at   CCLVII. A field a hundred leagues in each direction,   CCLVIII. Wigrid. In his dark halls, Wotan is brooding,   CCLIX. Conversing with wise Mimer, a talking skull.   CCLX. For in the beginning there had been chaos,   CCLXI. Until the Archons made the Nine Worlds. Firstly   CCLXII. A fiery world was formed, called Mudspelli.   CCLXIII. Nuelhome was also made, cold and foggy.   CCLXIV. Rivers flowed from Nuel, and the further they   CCLXV. Went, the colder they got, till they formed ice sheets.   CCLXVI. This realm of darkness was the Ginnungagap.   CCLXVII. Vapour from the ice formed rime, which gathered in   CCLXVIII. The north of the Ginnungagap, while the south   CCLXIX. Remained clear. When the rime of Nuel and the   CCLXX. Heat of Mudspelli met, the rime melted and   CCLXXI. This mixture gave rise to the sleeping Imer:   CCLXXII. A large humanoid creature composed of a   CCLXXIII. Male and female body joined back to back. A   CCLXXIV. Thousand heads, eyes, limbs. The female facing left,   CCLXXV. The male facing right. Imer begat three beings:   CCLXXVI. Trudgelmer, Audumbla, and Fornjot. Great Trud   CCLXXVII. Had Bergelmer; he had Boltorn; and he had   CCLXXVIII. Bestla. Audumbla was the spouse of Trud and   CCLXXIX. Boltorn. Audumbla, cosmic cow, was licking   CCLXXX. The ice salt till she discovered Buri, and   CCLXXXI. They had Bor. Bor and Bestla had Wotan and   CCLXXXII. His brothers Wille and Weih. Fornjot begat   CCLXXXIII. Aeger of his own essence, then goddess Ran.   CCLXXXIV. Wotan and his siblings killed Imer, and with   CCLXXXV. His body, by command of the Archons, they   CCLXXXVI. Made various locations, creatures, and things.   CCLXXXVII. The ettins are the children of Imer. With   CCLXXXVIII. His body parts were made twelve Thurselords: from his   CCLXXXIX. Intestines, gullet, left kidney, left foot, gall,   CCXC. Spleen, right hand, stomach, left hand, right foot, liver,   CCXCI. And right kidney were made lofty thanes, rulers   CCXCII. Who had children of their own, and so their kind   CCXCIII. Spread across the worlds. The seven Archons made   CCXCIV. Various gods and goddesses from Imer,   CCXCV. Whom they call Brimer. Great Mimer is Bestla’s   CCXCVI. Brother, uncle of Wotan. Some gods cut off   CCXCVII. His head, and his nephew kept it alive for   CCXCVIII. Counsel. Right now Mimer is offering some   CCXCIX. Advice on the battle to come. ‘What must be   CCC. Done?’ ‘Follow the Rules of Menis, you’ll be fine.’   CCCI. ‘What rules are those?’ ‘The eight spokes of the great wheel.   CCCII. Fighting should start no earlier than sunrise,   CCCIII. Ending by sunset. Multiple fighters must   CCCIV. Not attack a single warrior. Two may   CCCV. Fight only if they carry the same weapons,   CCCVI. And they are on the same mount. No fighter may   CCCVII. Kill or injure one who has surrendered. One   CCCVIII. Who surrenders is a prisoner of war   CCCIX. And subject to protection. No fighter may   CCCX. Kill or injure an unarmed or unconscious   CCCXI. Fighter, or a person or animal not   CCCXII. Taking part in the war. No fighter may kill   CCCXIII. Or injure a warrior whose back is turned.   CCCXIV. No warrior may fight an animal not   CCCXV. Considered a direct threat. This is just war.’   CCCXVI. Sonne and Mond, sun goddess and moon god, are   CCCXVII. Dead. But she gave birth to a daughter before   CCCXVIII. She was slain by one of Loge’s many sons.   CCCXIX. ‘Easier said than done.’ He gets ready, his   CCCXX. Spear at his side. On his steed Sleipner he speeds   CCCXXI. To the battlefield, Heimdall following on   CCCXXII. His horse Gulltopp. Their army has already   CCCXXIII. Congregated. On the other side, Heinrich   CCCXXIV. And Parsifal rally their troops. The former   CCCXXV. Is Peredur’s charioteer. Allies from   CCCXXVI. The rest of the earth’s globe have arrived. From the   CCCXXVII. East: Dschalaaluddeen and Asadullaah, great   CCCXXVIII. Bedouin generals from the tribe of Kedar.   CCCXXIX. Caribou Anne and her partner Joachim,   CCCXXX. Cowboys from Amerrike. The ship Nagel   CCCXXXI. Has arrived. Surt and Hrim’s forces with Loge   CCCXXXII. Leading the charge. In the distance, howls can be   CCCXXXIII. Heard. Parsifal never thought he would be in   CCCXXXIV. Battle, but here he is. Kondwiramurs is   CCCXXXV. In a nearby forest, watching the event.   CCCXXXVI. And so the battle of gods and men begins.         CCCXXXVII. Min, the goddess of war, is pleased. Born Menis,   CCCXXXVIII. She has always desired conflict. Sitting   CCCXXXIX. On a nearby hill, she watches intently   CCCXL. With her gold-rimmed scissors-glasses. Below fight   CCCXLI. Beasts, gods, men, dwarrows, and some other races.   CCCXLII. The first god to fall is Wotan. The great wolf,   CCCXLIII. Fenrer, wrestles with him, before killing the   CCCXLIV. Lord of Frenzy with a single bite. Wrathful,   CCCXLV. Wotan’s son Widar responds by striking   CCCXLVI. The wolf, digging his foot into its maw and   CCCXLVII. Ripping his jaws apart. He drives a sword through   CCCXLVIII. The beast’s throat, and so Loge’s child dies, at peace   CCCXLIX. After taking revenge on his tormentor.   CCCL. The einherjar, undead warriors serving   CCCLI. Fricka, are fighting in this battle, led by   CCCLII. The walkiries, daughters of Tir Himerssohn:   CCCLIII. Bruennhilde, Gerhilde, swan-white Grimgerde,   CCCLIV. Helmwige, Ortlinde, misty Rossweisse,   CCCLV. Siegrune, Schwertleite, stormy Waltraute.   CCCLVI. Wotan failed to follow the principles his   CCCLVII. Uncle told him to, and so perishes. In   CCCLVIII. War, dignity is necessary, lest you   CCCLIX. Slowly become the monsters you are fighting.   CCCLX. Lotan and Donner fight, and the red-bearded   CCCLXI. God is victorious. However, he has   CCCLXII. Suffered a hundred and eight bites from the snake,   CCCLXIII. And the poison seeps into his blood. He walks   CCCLXIV. Nine steps from the beast’s body before falling.   CCCLXV. Froh son of Wotan fences Surt, fire-god,   CCCLXVI. And they flog the planet with their parries, but   CCCLXVII. Ingwi is without his best sword, having passed   CCCLXVIII. It to his messenger Skirner for the fight.   CCCLXIX. He’s soon defeated. Johannes Presbyter   CCCLXX. Is a majestic fighter. The son of the   CCCLXXI. Great Feirefiz through tiveric means, he has   CCCLXXII. The strength of two hundred and seven million   CCCLXXIII. Three hundred and sixty thousand men. He needs   CCCLXXIV. No blade or shield, fighting scores of soldiers all   CCCLXXV. At once. The elephants were brought from mighty   CCCLXXVI. Libya, with some from Asia, and all the   CCCLXXVII. Horses bred in Europa. Men on foot use   CCCLXXVIII. Spears, swords, arrows, and guns. Prester Johann was   CCCLXXIX. Born with beautiful skin like a magpie; white   CCCLXXX. And black like the night sky with the Moon therein,   CCCLXXXI. Just like his father. Many gods are here, some   CCCLXXXII. Quite obscure: Orimut, Munichunafor,   CCCLXXXIII. Tarpetanuf, Chosi, Chonbal, Aglovain,   CCCLXXXIV. Tschetschobabalan, to name a few. Hellish   CCCLXXXV. Garm and Tir fight, and in the struggle they are   CCCLXXXVI. Equals. Both slay each other at the same time,   CCCLXXXVII. The dog’s vitriolic blood drowning the ground.   CCCLXXXVIII. Loge and Heimdall, sworn enemies, lock blades,   CCCLXXXIX. And soon the White God and sly Laufijarsohn   CCCXC. Run each other through, ending their old quarrel.   CCCXCI. Parsifal’s sword, Chamuel, has a great trick:   CCCXCII. When activated, it has to be thrown by   CCCXCIII. Its wielder’s foot: when it strikes a target, it   CCCXCIV. Enters the body with a single wound like   CCCXCV. A spear, then sprouts thirty foot-long barbs. The   CCCXCVI. Flesh must be cut away to retrieve the blade.   CCCXCVII. After killing a few hundred people, young   CCCXCVIII. Parsifal soon realizes War’s futile,   CCCXCIX. And heavy casualties are felt on both sides.   CD. He decides to take a break. You can’t blame him.   CDI. He’s young and gentle at heart, and has no taste   CDII. For senseless bloodshed. He decides to head for   CDIII. The nearby forest, Hoddmimis-Holt, and come   CDIV. Back in a bit. It’s February eighteenth.   CDV. On his way there, a large group of einherjar   CDVI. Start pursuing him. He readies his sword, but   CDVII. Suddenly suffers a muscle spasm in   CDVIII. His leg. He limps away frantically, the dead   CDIX. In pursuit. Heinrich sees the situation   CDX. And rushes in to guard his friend. They make it   CDXI. To the forest’s edge. To their dismay, hundreds   CDXII. Of einherjar are approaching them. Knowing   CDXIII. Parsifal is incapacitated, his   CDXIV. Friend offers to cover him. ‘You go. I can   CDXV. Take them.’ ‘Are you nuts? There’s hundreds of wraiths!’ They   CDXVI. Argue back and forth till finally Heinrich   CDXVII. Shushes his friend with a shout, grabbing his arms:   CDXVIII. ‘Listen to me, Parsifal!!!’ All goes silent.   CDXIX. The battle rages on, but he takes a breath.   CDXX. Slow, at peace. ‘I was born and raised at a time   CDXXI. Where people like me were shunned. You’d be declared   CDXXII. A lunatic, or you’d be beaten up or   CDXXIII. Killed. So like a lot of folks did back then, I   CDXXIV. Hid. I hid so well that happiness couldn’t   CDXXV. Find me. And then I met you. You changed my life.   CDXXVI. Opened my eyes. You were the spotless mind to   CDXXVII. My dolour, and our sunshine was eternal.’   CDXXVIII. He embraces him, his arms scared of release.   CDXXIX. Reluctantly he pulls away, blade ready.   CDXXX. He knows he won’t see him again. Life’s so short.   CDXXXI. ‘Farewell, lovely.’ With that, he rushes back. No   CDXXXII. More will he hide. He feels hope, not pain. The crowd   CDXXXIII. Swallows him. Parsifal, shaken, breaks within.   CDXXXIV. Fleeing into the forest, he finds Konny,   CDXXXV. Invoking the Dreifaltigkeit for comfort:   CDXXXVI. ‘Heilig, heilig, heilig, Jahwe Zebaoth,   CDXXXVII. Der Da War und Der Da Ist und Der Da Kommt.’   CDXXXVIII. They find water at a stream close by. He has   CDXXXIX. Not accepted that Heinrich might not return.   CDXL. The four Riders on the Storm come to pick up   CDXLI. The dead souls. Servants of malach Azarel:   CDXLII. Nikos on a white horse, Polemos a red,   CDXLIII. Limos a black horse, Thanatos a pale horse.   CDXLIV. The field burns with the flames of freshly shed blood.   CDXLV. Having rested, he gets up to return. But   CDXLVI. To his shock, Parsifal hears a voice in his   CDXLVII. Head, telling him to stay back. It’s a voice he   CDXLVIII. Feels compelled to heed. ‘Dein wille geschehe.’   CDXLIX. He and Kondwiramurs are instructed by   CDL. The voice to hide in a large nearby tree. They   CDLI. Enter the ash, and a forcefield surrounds them.   CDLII. Meanwhile, Surt assumes his glorified form, the   CDLIII. Morgensonne Die Aus Dunklen Bergen Kommt.   CDLIV. He’s so large he extends out of Midyard. Like   CDLV. Omophoros and Splenditenens, gods who   CDLVI. Hold the earth and heavens, he spreads out, hairless   CDLVII. Except for his beard. Surt’s god-form is scaled in   CDLVIII. Parsangs, eighteen thousand two hundred and two   CDLIX. Feet one parsang. Omnia renovantur.   CDLX. The length of his soles: thirty million parsangs.   CDLXI. From feet to ankles: ten million five hundred.   CDLXII. Ankles to knees: one hundred ninety million   CDLXIII. Five thousand two hundred parsangs in length. Knees   CDLXIV. To thighs: one hundred and twenty million. Thighs   CDLXV. To neck: two hundred and forty million. Neck:   CDLXVI. Hundred and thirty million eight hundred in   CDLXVII. Length. The head circumference: three billion and   CDLXVIII. Thirty three and one third parsangs. His small beard:   CDLXIX. Eleven thousand five hundred. Forehead width:   CDLXX. Hundred and thirty million eight hundred. Black   CDLXXI. Of each eye: eleven thousand five hundred   CDLXXII. In diameter. White of each eye: twenty   CDLXXIII. Thousand. Right to left shoulder: one hundred and   CDLXXIV. Sixty million. Right to left arm: one hundred   CDLXXV. Twenty million. Each finger is one hundred million.   CDLXXVI. The palms of his hands: forty million. Each toe:   CDLXXVII. One hundred million. The lips: seven hundred   CDLXXVIII. And seventy thousand. Cheeks: twenty million.   CDLXXIX. Nose long as fingers, ears long as his forehead.   CDLXXX. Surt burns up the Nine Worlds. The World-Tree shrivels.   CDLXXXI. The earth melts, then is swallowed by fervent floods.   CDLXXXII. Time passes, and the Worlds reemerge, renewed.   CDLXXXIII. Alsker, daughter of the sun goddess, rises,   CDLXXXIV. Deity of the new Sun and Moon. Wali   CDLXXXV. And his brother Widar emerge, survivors.   CDLXXXVI. They’re joined by Magni and Modi, sons of Sif   CDLXXXVII. And Donner, wielding their father’s hammer, Mjolner. The   CDLXXXVIII. Spear of Wotan, Gungner, is with Wal and Wid.   CDLXXXIX. Balder and Hoder also arrive from the   CDXC. Depths of Hades. Resurrected, they hold no   CDXCI. Grudge against each other. The gods make their way   CDXCII. To Idavoll, a great plain. The earth will bear   CDXCIII. Life soon enough. They build houses and forge tools,   CDXCIV. Discussing their old lives. Two humans show up,   CDXCV. Also spared of the destruction: Konny and   CDXCVI. Parsifal. In time they will have two sons and   CDXCVII. Many daughters, who will repopulate the   CDXCVIII. Earth. Their descendants will know them as Lif and   CDXCIX. Liftraser. But for now, Parsifal must grieve.   D. The thirtieth remaking of the worlds. A   DI. New age, with only nine beings alive on Earth.   DII. They must rebuild in honour of those they lost.   DIII. Parsifal will miss his friend. But Life calls him,   DIV. And he must answer. At some point we all must.