Susie’s fingers were interlocked tightly with the boys’ as the three of them walked through the murk, their boots crunching on the frosty grass. The higher they climbed, the thinner the mist grew, until they could glimpse something of immense bulk looming ahead. Eyes fixed on the dark shape, they pressed on until the mist cleared to reveal an amazing sight.
“Wow!” said Lewis.
“Wow is right,” Greg agreed.
Susie gazed upwards, her eyes wide with wonder. “It’s an impressive piece of bioengineering, that’s for sure,” she said.
The newly created Yggdrasil had roots like bridge cables that had burrowed deep down into the hill. The trunk of the great tree was thirty metres across. It rose up like a skyscraper, soaring higher and higher to vanish among the clouds.
“That is the biggest tree I have ever seen,” said Greg.
“I expect it’s the biggest tree anyone’s ever seen,” said Lewis.
“Up until now I always thought Jack and the Beanstalk was just a story,” said Susie in an awestruck voice.
“It’s going to be a tough climb,” said Greg.
“Maybe not,” said Lewis. “Take a closer look.”
Following his pointing finger, the other two saw that there was a narrow ledge jutting out from the trunk. It went right around the tree, passing between the branches and winding upwards, like a spiral stairway leading up to the sky. “It’s like a track running up to the top,” said Lewis.
“Well, that makes things a lot easier,” said Greg with a grin.
“And to think I brought rope and everything,” said Susie, plucking at the straps of her backpack. She sounded a little disappointed.
“It makes sense,” said Lewis. “If the Yggdrasil is supposed to link the Nine Realms of the Universe, like Thor said, there would have to be a path you could follow.”
“Come on then,” said Greg. “We don’t have any time to waste if we’re going to catch up with Loki.”
He hurried to the base of the tree and started up the spiral path. They went up in single file with Susie following Greg and Lewis bringing up the rear. After a while Greg stopped to catch his breath. “Is everybody okay?” he asked.
Lewis took the chance to look down and wished he hadn’t. The summit of Hallowhill was a green blur far below. Overhead, he could see stars blinking through the mist.
“We’re fine, Greg. Stop slacking,” said Susie.
Greg grunted at her and resumed the climb. When they at last drew clear of the mist they were surrounded by brilliant starlight and the immense tree stretched endlessly away into the void above them.
“This is completely impossible,” said Lewis. “It looks like we’re climbing up into outer space.”
“We’re in some kind of dimensional rift,” Susie told him. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t worry?!” Lewis exclaimed. Susie paid no attention, so he decided to save his breath for the climb.
All around them leafy branches stretched out across the starry sky. The leaves were bright green, veined with silver. When Lewis laid a hand against the bark it felt smooth and soft, just what you’d expect, he supposed, from a tree that was newly born that morning.
An excited cry from Greg made him look up. His brother had arrived at a great branch that extended directly outward from the spiral path they had been following. When Lewis and Susie caught up with him, they saw that it was completely level and flattened on the top, so that it would be easy to walk along it.
“This must be the way to Asgard,” Greg declared.
“How can you be sure of that?” Lewis asked dubiously.
“Well, there isn’t a signpost, if that’s what you want, but it’s the first route off the tree.”
“There’s a mist out there, kind of like the one we came through down below,” said Susie. “Maybe Loki’s using it to cover his tracks again.”
“We don’t have time to mess about,” said Greg. “Let’s go!”
He set out boldly along the wooden path. Susie and Lewis fell into step behind him and they marched towards the cloud bank. When the first wisps of mist touched Lewis’ face, he felt the hairs on his neck bristle and had a powerful impulse to turn back.
“Maybe this isn’t the right way,” he said.
“Will you stop complaining?” Greg snapped. “We’ll know soon enough.”
They entered the cloud and it swirled about them, chilly and dank. Unlike the mist surrounding the foot of the Yggdrasil, it clung to them as if it was trying to seep through their skin into their bones. Lewis kept his eyes on his feet, nervous of stepping off the path.
Susie said abruptly, “Hey, we’re not on wood any more.”
Greg stamped his feet. “You’re right,” he said. “It’s solid ground.”
They carried on and the mist gradually thinned to allow them glimpses of an unearthly landscape. Narrow spires of pale rock stretched up like skeletal fingers while the ground on all sides was covered in heaps of dry, white ash. Tendrils of mist twisted and coiled about them, clutching them in a chill embrace.
As they pressed forward, they bunched together protectively. Straining his eyes in the gloom, Lewis was sure he could make out shadowy figures drifting by silently at the extreme edge of his vision. “There’s something moving out there,” he said softly. Something about the place made him want to whisper.
“And do you hear that noise?” said Susie.
“It’s just the wind,” said Greg, though he didn’t sound confident.
“There isn’t any wind,” Susie pointed out.
“It sounds like… voices,” said Lewis.
But they weren’t like any voices he had ever heard before. They were shrill, keening a high-pitched, eerie song filled with sadness and dread.
“This doesn’t feel much like Asgard,” said Greg, “not unless the gods have an extremely creepy decorating style.”
Suddenly Susie squealed. The shock made Lewis jump. He wasn’t used to her being frightened.
Greg grabbed her by the shoulder. “What happened? Are you all right?”
Susie trembled. “Something touched me. It felt like fingers… fingers made of ice.”
Lewis spotted one of the shadow forms drifting by then disappearing into the mist.
“What was that?” Susie breathed.
Greg shot Lewis a demanding look. “Come on, Lewis, you’re the expert. Where are we?”
“I’ll find out,” said Lewis. He slipped the ring onto his finger and immediately felt a buzzing in his head. It took a moment for his thoughts to clear then he said, “Oh, no!”
“What is it?” Susie asked anxiously.
“We’re in Niflheim,” said Lewis, “the Kingdom of Ghosts.”
Greg swallowed hard. “Lewis, have you any idea how completely bad that sounds?”
“We’d better get out of here,” said Susie, backing up.
They had the sense that a multitude of restless spirits were closing in on them, hidden from view by the mist. The fearful, dreary song was growing louder.
“Did anybody bring a compass?” Greg asked. “Because I’ve got all turned around.”
“This mist, it confuses everything,” said Susie.
“Follow me,” said Lewis.
The ring was tugging him in the right direction, but as soon as he took a step, a spectral shape flickered across his path and a breath of chilling vapour struck him in the face. He pulled back with a shiver and bumped into Greg.
“Steady, Lewis,” said his brother encouragingly. “I’m pretty sure ghosts can’t hurt you. Pretty sure.”
“They’re not even real,” said Susie, though her voice was quavering.
“This place seems real enough to me,” Lewis muttered, moving forward.
Every few steps an eerie apparition flitted across his sight and cold fear clutched at his heart, but he pressed on with the others right at his back. Finally the mist parted and they could see the way ahead.
“There’s the path!” Lewis exclaimed.
Before them lay the great flattened branch that led out of Niflheim.
“Well, don’t hang about. Let’s go!” urged Greg, pushing Susie and Lewis on ahead of him.
They hurried down the wooden path to the welcome safety of the Yggdrasil. Leaning against the trunk to catch his breath, Lewis removed the ring. It was a relief to have the buzzing in his head subside.
“Are you okay, Spinny?” Greg asked. “You looked a bit shaken up back there.”
“I’m fine now,” said Susie. “Aliens and monsters are one thing, but that place – uuurgh!” She shuddered as she glanced back in the direction of Niflheim.
“You’d better keep that ring handy, Lewis,” said Greg. “One more wrong turn like that could be the end of us.”
Once again he led the way up. As they climbed, Lewis felt something dropping onto his hair. He brushed it off and saw that there were flakes of dry wood stuck to his fingers.
“Look at the tree,” he said. “The bark’s drying out and crumbling.”
“Right, and have you noticed the path crunching under your feet?” asked Susie. “It didn’t do that when we started out.”
They gazed around them and saw that the leaves, once bright green, now looked bent and tired, their colour fading against the background of stars.
“It’s because Loki used up all the life in the seed in order to make it grow so fast,” Lewis guessed. “It’s ageing and dying just as quickly.”
“You mess with nature and that’s what you get,” said Greg ruefully.
“We’d better make tracks,” said Susie, “before it falls apart.”
There came a crack from above and they looked up to see one of the smaller branches snapping off the tree. They flattened themselves against the trunk as the loose branch came spinning past them, end over end. It hit another branch below, jarring that loose too.
“Right, let’s go,” Greg urged. “And keep your eyes peeled for a way off this thing.”
As they hurried, the wood underfoot cracked and crunched. It was like walking across a floor covered in breakfast cereal. At last they came to another path that branched off and stretched away into a black cloud.
“What do you think, Lewis?” Greg asked.
Lewis slipped the ring on and placed one foot on the outstretched branch. He shook his head. “This leads to Muspell, the Realm of Fire.”
“Oh great!” Greg groaned. “There must be some way to get to Asgard.”
“It will be higher up,” said Susie. “Just keep going.”
Upward they went, with showers of dead leaves raining down on them from above. Deep cracks appeared in the trunk and more branches were snapping off every few seconds.
“There, that’s got to be it!” Greg exclaimed, pointing to another path jutting out from the trunk.
Lewis put on the ring and tried it. “No good,” he sighed. “This is the way to Jotunheim, the Land of the Giants.”
“If we don’t find another way off soon,” said Greg, “we might have to take our chances there. Otherwise we’ll be in for a long drop.”
Susie forced a brave smile. “And nobody thought to pack parachutes?” She gave Greg a prod. “On you go then.”
Flakes of bark and dead leaves were falling on them steadily now and their feet were sinking into the path like it was sand. They struggled on, trying to ignore the creaking and groaning of the dying Yggdrasil.
“There, check that out, Lewis!” Greg ordered urgently, pointing at another path up ahead. It ran out across the empty sky and vanished into a white cloud.
Lewis slipped on the ring and placed a foot on the branch.
“Yes, that’s Asgard out there!” he exclaimed.
“Are you sure?” Greg asked.
“Yes, yes!” Lewis insisted, flashing the ring at him.
“Just in time,” said Greg.
He strode out along the limb, but at his first step the wood cracked and splinters rained down into the void below.
“No, Greg!” Susie exclaimed. She grabbed his arm and dragged him back. “It’s too far gone to hold our weight.”
“Well, we can’t just stay here,” said Lewis. “The whole tree is going to fall apart any minute now.”
“Hang on a second,” said Greg. He pulled the Shoes of Vidar from his backpack and swapped them for his boots. “With these I can practically walk on air.”
“And what about us?” asked Susie.
“You said you’d brought rope,” said Greg. “Get it out.”
Susie handed him the rope. Greg quickly tied one end around his waist and gave her the other. “You two hang on to that,” he said. “I’m making a run for Asgard.”
He raced off down the long wooden path, the rope uncoiling behind him. The branch cracked and sagged as he ran but the magical shoes kept him from losing his footing. Susie and Lewis wound their end of the rope tightly around their hands and watched as Greg disappeared into the cloud.
All at once the rope went taut.
“There’s no choice now,” said Susie. “We have to go for it.”
“Let’s run,” Lewis agreed.
Clutching the rope, Susie raced along the branch with Lewis right behind her. They made it a few metres before the wood broke apart beneath them and they plunged downward through the empty air.
“Hang on, Lewis!” Susie cried.
Lewis twisted the rope around his hands so tightly it burned his skin and his fingers turned white. Dangling over the void, he glanced back to where the Yggdrasil was in its final throes. It reminded him of a film he once saw of a skyscraper being demolished. With a dull boom, the gigantic tree burst apart in a shower of dead leaves and shattered bark that scattered across the starry void.