Chapter 61: The Ancient Prophecy

“What was the song Old Bai just chanted?” Joann suppressed the tremor in his heart and asked Conti in a low voice, “It sounded like some sort of ominous prophecy.”

“You guessed right. It is indeed an ancient prophecy, and telling the whole story would take a long time.” The smile faded from Conti’s face as he spoke in a hushed, mournful tone. “You probably know that the era we live in now is called the Age of Holy Light. Before that was the Age of Arcana, and before that, the Age of Dragons. Further back lies the Age of Giants, also known as the Age of Floods—the epoch when storm and sea giants ruled the world. Yet few know that our Asa people were once the main figures during the Age of Giants. Back then, our ancestors were all demi-gods, called the Asa Gods. They dwelled on the cloud-capped plateau of Asgard, in palaces forged of gold, and stood at the forefront of humanity’s battle against the giants. Sadly, our ancestors were eventually defeated by the giants in the cataclysm later called Ragnarok. The Hall of Valhalla atop the plateau was seized, and the surviving Asa fled Asgard, wandering far and wide. They intermarried with mortals lacking divine nature, and over generations, lost their godly power, becoming ordinary people.”

“Despite that near-annihilation, our Asa people did not vanish, nor did we forget our history. The prophets of our tribe have always been responsible for recording and singing these histories, ensuring that each generation remembers where we came from and where we are destined to go.”

“What Old Bai just chanted is a song composed by one of our prophets, called ‘The Fimbul Winter,’ recorded in the Sibyl Prophecies. The song not only recalls the past but also foresees the future. For instance, the ‘Ragnarok’ mentioned in the lyrics was both the ancient calamity that befell our ancestors and a disaster that will inevitably return.”

“According to the prophet Sibyl, when the dreadful winter descends once more, there will be three consecutive winters upon the earth: first the Winter of Wind, next the Winter of Swords, and finally the Winter of Wolves… After that, the world-ending Ragnarok shall arrive again, just as it did forty thousand years ago when our Asa gods faced their doom.”

At last, Conti offered a poignant conclusion.

“Destruction and renewal follow one another endlessly, like the turning of the seasons. Every ending is but another beginning.”

...

For generations, the Asa people had lived deep within the forests. Men and women, young and old, were all hunters on horseback, skilled in the use of axes, javelins, and bows. They carved paths across the wilderness, cleared forests for fields, planted maize and wheat, or led a more primitive life by the rivers, hunting and fishing as nomads.

The Asa men wore clothes stitched from animal hides, while the women dressed in gowns they wove from flax or cotton. Venison, turkey, and fish were their favored foods. Although far removed from civilized society, the Asa had their own amusements: grand barbecues to celebrate weddings, and athletic contests held in honor of Kord, their god of strength and competition.

Joann arrived in Powhatan Village in late February, just in time for the annual Spring Festival of the Algonquin tribe. Most Asa people worshipped Kord, the god of strength and competition. The Asa were a people passionate about sports, and every festival day was marked by athletic contests, grand offerings dedicated to Kord. Of all their celebrations, the Spring Festival Games were the grandest, boasting over thirty events: swimming, running, marksmanship, climbing, wrestling, and more. Young men and women of the Asa strove for glory on the festival grounds, but even outsiders were free to sign up. Participating in the games was the best way for newcomers to integrate into local society; excelling in any event would quickly win the favor of the villagers.

During his first days in Powhatan Village, Joann’s life differed little from his days at home. He rose early to prepare spells, breakfasted with Conti’s family, then secluded himself to study his spellbook. When weary of reading, he strolled through the waxwood forest, listening as Conti, Old Bai, Little Hei, and Mira chatted, learning their language by ear, but rarely joining the conversation himself.

He tried to devote every moment to pursuits he enjoyed, never wasting a second on things that did not interest him. Joann found nothing wrong with such a simple and pure way of living. Yet Conti’s family was troubled by it; they worried that his constant reading would stifle him, and that avoiding group activities would make him ever more withdrawn. They urged him to sign up for the Spring Festival Games—not for the sake of winning, but at least to clear his mind, strengthen his body, and perhaps make some new friends.

In truth, Joann cared nothing for the games and had no desire to make new friends. But this was not his own home, and since Conti’s family kindly hoped to help him integrate, he could hardly refuse, no matter how unwilling he felt. He forced himself to agree.

It was the first time in his life that Joann had done something he disliked simply to maintain relationships and avoid disappointing those who cared about him. When Conti told him, “If you really don’t enjoy it, don’t force yourself,” Joann nearly backed out. But after an internal struggle, he restrained the impulse, remembering his grandfather’s advice:

“You cannot allow yourself to become a monster cut off from others.”

Those who live in isolation are either gods or beasts.

Joann was neither a transcendent god nor willing to become a self-exiled beast. He disliked group activities and was awkward around people, but he disliked disappointing those who cared about him even more; he refused to become an island, estranged from society.

He was conscious of the curse that ran in his blood: the further he withdrew from humanity, the closer he drifted toward the monstrous, until he might lose his humanity altogether. To avoid that fate, he had to make himself overcome his anxieties, to occasionally take part in social life. Thus, despite his reluctance, out of gratitude for Conti’s family’s hospitality, Joann braced himself and registered for Powhatan Village’s Spring Festival Games.

Still, Joann was a proud person. If he was to compete, he was determined not to embarrass himself. He pored over the many events, determined to choose one in which he excelled and strive for a good result.