1 Chapter 1: A visit from a God

It was a chilly November night and snow fell in the perpetual darkness, as it had for the past three days and nights, unceasing and unending. Edmund lay awake in his bed, trying to get to sleep. It was around half eleven and he'd been up since four in the morning, trying to complete the huge piles of homework due in for Monday morning. Edmund stirred in his bed, trying to get comfortable. There was a flash of lightning and a small amount of illumination filtered through the curtains and into the room in which he led a wake. A crack of thunder followed. Suddenly, Edmund shot up in his bed and turned on his bedside lamp. It was not the thunder that frightened him so, nor the inkling of light that had filtered through the drapes. Instead, it was what that flash of lightning had illuminated. The silhouette of a large man in the opposite corner of his room.

"Who the f**k are you?!" Edmund yelled, startled at the sudden appearance of this unknown person.

"Relax, kid. Just thought I'd drop in to explain a few things, before it all kicks off."

Edmund was terrified, and this person was telling him to relax? There is an unknown man in his bedroom and he tells him to relax?! Just as Edmund was about to yell for his parents, the man stepped into the light.

He had shoulder length blonde hair, lightning blue eyes, broad shoulders and muscular arms. Not overly large, but defined. He was clean shaven and stood at an intimidating six foot two. But that wasn't what stopped him calling for his parents. Instead, it was the chainmail vest, leather trousers and large hammer strapped to his belt.

Edmund looked at him incredulously and asked, "What the hell are you wearing?"

"What do you mean, what the hell am I wearing? I always wear this." the man replied, "You Midgardians can be so odd sometimes."

"What do you mean Midgardians?" Edmund asked.

"Exactly that. You were born and live in Midgard and therefore you are Midgardian. This is basic logic, I thought you mortals were supposed to be intelligent?"

"I don't know about you, but I was born in England, therefore I am English." Edmund replied.

"No, I don't mean your country, I mean your world, your realm. Midgard." the man stated, "Tell me, what do you know of Norse mythology?" he asked.

Edmund was confused as to what was going on here and seeing as the man hadn't harmed him nor seemed to have any intention to, he decided to play along with him for now. Edmund thoroughly enjoyed most mythologies and had a particular interest in Norse mythology, as his family could trace its ancestry back to the Vikings.

"I know quite a bit actually. I know the universe is split into nine realms, each realm on a branch of Yggdrasil, the world tree. I know of the various Gods, Odin, Freya, Thor, Loki, Heimdall... I also know that the world is fated to end when Ragnarok begins, that the Gods will fight the Giants and lose." Edmund said.

"Well I must say, I'm impressed." the man replied. "Now what if I told you all this was true, well most of it anyway. That part about the world ending and the Gods fighting the giants is wrong."

"I'd say you're insane." Edmund replied.

"Well then, you're about tp get the surprise of you're life. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Thor, its a pleasure to meet you Edmund."