The Beast of the North

by Alaric Longward

  Lith kneeled before me. Her eyes were gleaming with the intensity of undeath. She placed a hand on my cheek and caressed it. ‘It was real, Maskan. I really wanted you. As soon as I heard Shaduril did, I did as well. Is it any less real for that? But now, I will have what Father wanted. The city. And I tell you now. I’ll not let Sand have a house, little less two! Well fought, Jotun.’

  ‘Get on with it, evil bitch,’ I spat at her.

  She gathered heat, fires, and I knew she would pour molten death into my skull. I tried to concentrate, but could not. I was beyond tired, and could barely hold on. ‘Goodbye, Maskan,’ she said. I smiled. I had a reason to.

  ‘What have you done to my city?’ a woman asked behind her.

  She turned to look at Mir’s enraged face. ‘Mother?’ she said and got up. ‘I have—’

  ‘Mutinied against your parents,’ Mir said, and Lith bowed in panic. ‘Stand up!’ Mir screamed.

  She did and took her mask off. ‘Mother—’ Her face screwed curiously as she stared at the weapons Mir was wielding. It was White’s whip, and Shaduril's sword was on her belt. Then she frowned and stammered as Mir’s hand changed. There was only a stump where there had been an illusion of a healthy hand. The whip went up.

  ‘Shaduril!’ Lith shrieked. ‘Wait!’

  But Mir-faced Shaduril did not wait.

  She whipped the whip in her skull and ripped it through Lith’s face, throat, and chest. Mir’s face changed to Illastria’s, and she mocked her with a lopsided grin, then she changed to the vibrant, alive looking Shaduril—minus her hand—and Lith cursed in her dying pain as her beautiful sister smiled at her crookedly. The damage was terrible, massive. Shaduril looked at her sister, as the earring tingled with the strange magic. ‘Our aunt is safe in the throne room, sister,’ she said softly. ‘We switched during the battle. Thanks to Sand. You see, he did help Maskan here out of love, but I too, am an Elder Draugr, and he did not stop me from playing with faces. It has been delicious stalking you, love. Tell Taram hello for me.’ Lith staggered and fell before me. She was trying to speak. She collected great powers and released them dangerously, out of control. Fire burned in her hand, and Shaduril laughed at her in her face, apparently happy to die as well. I reached out—desperately—and slammed my hand on Lith’s head. Her skull crumbled, the magic left her, and I slipped and hung by one hand.

  Baduhanna and Thrun appeared and dragged me up. I changed my size—totally spent—and the rock fell away from me to splash into the sea, and they pulled me on top of the deck.

  It was over. I heard the strange joyful, guttural laughter of the dverger as they kept firing at the huge army out in the sea. I saw two ships burning. The Hawk’s Talon yelled as they finally took the deck of our ship. Out in the town, the enemy legion was pulling out, leaving dead and dying behind.

  We would win.

  CHAPTER 24

  I was standing on top of the tower. The huge enemy fleet was, if not fleeing, then careening away. ‘They will not go home,’ Thrun said darkly. ‘We lost two hundred brothers.’

  ‘We will honor them,’ I told him. I was tired to the bone. ‘Balissa?’

  ‘Healing,’ Thrun said. ‘She changed into a fish. A big one. Teeth the size of an ale tankard. Hurt, though. Burned badly.’

  ‘I’ll help her,’ the Aesir said though she was weary as well.

  I looked at Shaduril. She was one-handed, but the beautiful girl I had once loved. In a way still did. Sand was there as well, fondling Larkgrin. He did not bother to hide his face, but he would when we returned to the city.

  Baduhanna leaned on me. ‘They will be dangerous, you know. You can never trust them. If this Mir sees them? They will obey.’

  I looked at Sand. ‘Shaduril disguised herself as one of the undead soldiers. I asked him to help the disguised Shaduril to save Illastria during the battle. To help Sharudil take Illastria’s place. To give her my whip so Shaduril could help me and gain her vengeance. He did. He didn’t know I would put Larkgrin in his pocket, but he did help. Even by not stopping Shaduril. Of course, he could not since Shaduril has power over him just like Lith did, but he didn’t try to fight her. Their own quarrelsome nature was Lithiana’s downfall. Perhaps it will be Mir’s?’

  ‘They might help. They might rebel,’ the Aesir said.

  ‘He is also a friend,’ I told her. ‘So is she.’

  ‘So be it,’ she said unhappily.

  I nodded at her and watched a hundred dverger operate strangely efficient ballistae. There was a ship that was too slow to turn and follow the fleet now sailing to the east, and it shuddered and groaned as dozens of long missiles hit in with a steady, deathly barrage. Men fell into the sea.

  Baduhanna scowled as she turned to look at the city. ‘So, there is a war,’ she said. ‘Well, I’ve had peace for far too long anyway.’ She smiled happily at the thought of the carnage, and I felt a twinge of worry.

  ‘We will need to save the army,’ I told her carefully.

  ‘And reassure the allies as well,’ she said with a grin. ‘We will have years of work ahead of us.’

  ‘There is much to do,’ I agreed with her. I turned to look at Dagnar as well. It was still blazing in places, and especially the harbor and the Second Ring had suffered greatly. What remained of the population was chasing after the Bull Legion, putting out fires, or standing in haphazard ranks at the former Harbor Market, staring at their king, a twelve-foot tall thief. ‘Some will blame me for this.’

  ‘Then,’ Baduhanna said, ‘you will hang them. Be a king.’

  ‘Yes, goddess,’ I told her with a neutral voice.

  ‘Come, husband,’ she giggled. ‘I’ll convince the majority of the dolts of your merits. You will get your crown, but for now, let them choose whom they will follow.’

  ‘I thought we agreed that already,’ I said, surprised.

  She laughed. ‘We did. We will find a way to please everyone, Jotun. We will make them hopeful of their future. We shall prepare them for war. In that war, you will sway many of them to your side, and that is the only way to become a king. A Jotun king over men. Most will hate it. Those will fall. But—’

  ‘I might be a Jotun,’ I growled at her and stopped her in her tracks. ‘But I understand men.’

  She shook her head sadly. ‘Look out there, love.’ And I did. The sole remaining Hawk’s Talon galley was holding steady in the bay. The men stared up at me. Others looked at us in wonder. Others scowled. Some turned away. ‘There will be a civil war before any other war. Some will choose to follow me. Others will love you. Yet, many others will disdain both. You know this. If we are allied, Maskan, as husband and wife, we will be strong. You need me to govern this small piece of the world, for now. Let us be on the same side in the war.’

  ‘Yes, goddess,’ I said, feeling like a ship lost in the sea.

  ‘Come!’ She laughed. ‘And we shall spend the night together. I am entitled to that, at least, after these years of staring at the hairy faces of the dverger.’ I saw Shaduril scowl at that, Baduhanna noticed it as well and scowled back at her, and I decided I was in trouble. She walked to the wall near where Balissa was on her side.

  Sand chuckled and whispered in my ear. ‘You are a king and a thief, my friend. I think you have to steal your kingdom back.’

  ‘Will you help me pickpocket Red Midgard?’ I asked him with a smile.

  ‘I have time,’ he answered.

  Shaduril shook her head as she looked at the Aesir. ‘I hate her.’

  ‘Don’t get any ideas, Shaduril. I’ll take my whip now,’ I said and took it from her.

  ‘She will not love you forever. And you will be her puppet,’ Shaduril said coldly.

  ‘Your nature, dead,’ I smiled, ‘is to scheme. You see enemies everywhere. But I agree. That is why I did not mention your family’s book to her. Neither will you two. In there, there are bound to be interesting information to make me allies if my wife will not give me what I want.’

  ‘Be careful
if you plan to cheat her,’ Shaduril said.

  ‘What will you do now?’ I asked her. ‘Will you stay?’

  ‘No riding off then, I think,’ she said wistfully.

  ‘No,’ I said, looking away. ‘We will stay and deal with the issues.’

  ‘I too, have time,’ she told me softly.

  I turned to Shaduril. ‘At least we got rid of Lith and Taram.’

  ‘We did,’ she said uncertainly. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Will you be my friend? You ought not to hate me. I did get hung, and Lith is dead. You should be at peace,’ I said.

  ‘I love you,’ she whispered.

  ‘I care for you,’ I told her and looked away. She was dead.

  She snorted. ‘But you are married. That is hard to forgive.’

  Gods help me.

  EPILOGUE

  Times changed for Midgard. What was the world of humans and had been for thousands of years, was at risk. The dead had invaded it, and a giant and a goddess had saved part of it. Its beliefs, and people were forever changed. There were those who cherished the changes. There were those, who would have nothing to do with non-human races, not even goddesses. They would not abide giants calling themselves kings of men. Some would even serve the dead.

  And Maskan and his alliance with the Aesir? His unsteady friend Shaduril and Sand? His enemies Mir and the High King?

  Well, there is more.

  Wait.

  - The story will continue 2016 with the Queen of the Draugr.

  Be sure to check out the book The Dark Levy and Eye of Hel, stories in a sister series to this one. -

  AFTERWORD

  The ancient Germanic and Norse mythology are wonderful sources of fantasy stories. I have lived and breathed these stories for decades, and love the Nine Worlds with all its creatures and magic, some subtle, others heavy-handed. Making a fantasy series centered on this trove of treasures was a quite natural step for me.

  Hence, there are TWO “sister” storylines, walking hand in hand though one day they will meet. One tells the story of the Ten Tears, and the first book in the series is called “The Dark Levy.” The second book is called “Eye of Hel” and will be out in fall 2015. That story begins in our world, “The Tenth” world and much of the action takes place in the world of Aldheim, the Jewel of the Worlds, home of the elves.

  This series, the Thief of Midgard, takes place in, as the topic says, Midgard. Nothing is what you expect in Midgard. That I can promise.

  As you read this, you will notice many similarities with the classical fantasy genres. Lord of the Rings ladled many of its core values from the ancient religions, like mine, and you will probably see some similarities in the magic system with the Wheel of Time though it will be different enough. Also, the creatures you are used to from other books will not be all familiar. The Germanic legends are not as black and white as many of the classical stories. Gods can be good or evil, impulsive and brooding and happy, like humans. The ancient race of the giants might not be lumbering idiots, dragons need not covet gold above all, and the dwarves might be mad as hell. Or Hel. You choose.

  Hope you enjoy this.

  I am always on a lookout for reviews. Reviews make or break us. An excellent review pushes an author to excel, brings tears to his/her eyes and makes our day. Give one in Goodreads and amazon.com, and I am very grateful. You will also enter a review competition, where you can win Amazon Gift cards. A constructive critical review is a brick on which to build a better story and to make our work keener and more considerate. Let us have them, join the mailing list at www.alariclongward.com and check out the other competitions that are ongoing. For one thing, I hope to give a character of your making life in one of my books.

  See you soon.