by Kate O'Hearn
Contents
Title Page
Cosmic World Tree
THE NINE REALMS CHALLENGE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Copyright
If you liked this . . .
THE NINE REALMS CHALLENGE
Long before time was measured, deep in the depths of the cosmos, came into being a magnificent tree. This Cosmic World Tree is known as Yggdrasil.
Surrounded by billions of stars, and rumoured to have a hideous dragon called Nidhogg guarding its roots and a powerful eagle protecting the top, Yggdrasil contains nine separate realms within its leafy branches and deep roots.
Living in each realm are populations of every conceivable size, shape and power – from the largest Frost and Fire Giants to the Norse gods; from humans to trolls; elves, faeries and everything in between.
The residents of these realms can visit each other only by using the wondrous Rainbow Bridge, Bifröst. There are rumours of secret tunnels within the root system of Yggdrasil, though they have never been proven and, with Nidhogg protecting the roots, it is doubtful anyone would survive the attempt to use them should such a system even exist.
Long ago, however, despite each world’s connection through Yggdrasil, peace did not reign. War within the realms was common. The residents in the lower worlds viewed the upper worlds with envy and jealousy. Often they would invade in the hopes of claiming the upper realms for themselves.
So violent and destructive were these wars that Yggdrasil itself was suffering and in grave danger of being destroyed. But if Yggdrasil died, so would all the realms.
Finally Odin, leader of the highest realm, Asgard, summoned the kings and rulers of the lower realms together to forge a lasting peace. But with jealousy and anger still prevalent, the peace they forged was as delicate as a spider’s web, and just as easily broken.
To ensure a continued, peaceful coexistence within Yggdrasil, and as a way of working out their frustrations and squabbles, the leaders of the realms came up with a solution.
Thus, the NINE REALMS CHALLENGE was born.
Every ten cosmic years, and moving from world to world, the Challenge is held. Here the realms can compete against each other in a show of power and strength without the risk of starting another war.
During the Nine Realms Challenge, any animosity between the worlds is suspended and an armistice declared. The anger between the Frost Giants and the people of Asgard is put aside, just as peace is declared between the Light and Dark Elves.
But with so many different and combative species competing in the Nine Realms Challenge, Odin knew that this peace would be unstable. So he and the other leaders agreed on the creation of a special group of ‘Enforcers of Justice’. These enforcers are also known as the Dark Searchers. They do not compete, nor do they favour sides. During the Challenge, the Dark Searchers remain neutral and dole out harsh punishments to anyone endangering the delicate balance of peace.
When not working for the Nine Realms Challenge, the Dark Searchers are fiercely loyal to Odin and do his bidding. Though they serve only Odin, they do not live in Asgard. They have their own Keep, protected inside Utgard in the realm of Jotunheim, land of the Frost Giants – and only leave their Keep when summoned.
The Nine Realms Challenge has kept the peace for thousands of years. But it is a fragile peace that can easily be shattered. When that happens, the final, devastating war, known as Ragnarok, will begin, and not even the Cosmic World Tree, Yggdrasil, will survive it . . .
CHAPTER ONE
As dawn rose pink in the sky, the heavy footfalls of visitors arriving in Asgard shook the ground. High up on a hill, far from Bifröst, the Rainbow Bridge and entrance to Asgard, stood the home of Eir, the head Valkyrie and her daughters.
Servants of Odin, and also known as his Battle Maidens, the Valkyries work hard to bring the most valiant of the dying soldiers from the human world to Asgard.
But for one Valkyrie, there is no reaping of soldiers. Still on probation for leaving Asgard without permission, it is Freya’s punishment to work twice as hard as the others – spending her mornings working in the stables of the Reaping Mares, cleaning and caring for the winged horses, and afternoons in full battle training with the other Valkyries.
At the end of each day Freya returns to her bed, exhausted and craving much needed rest.
But on this day she was awakened extra early by the sound of loud pounding on her bedroom door as the voice of her best friend and companion called, ‘Gee, Maya, get up!’
Freya moaned sleepily and started to doze off again.
‘C’mon,’ Archie called through the door. ‘You’re missing it!’
Freya sat up, remembering what day it was. From outside came the sound of rumbling thunder as the ground beneath their home started to quake. She looked over to her sister’s bed. Maya was lying on her side and facing away from her, sleeping soundly.
‘Maya, wake up.’ Freya tossed a pillow at her sister. ‘The giants are here!’
Maya mumbled softly and rolled on to her stomach. She yawned, stretched and extended her white wings up into the air. Folding them neatly on her back again, she mumbled a few more incoherent words and drifted back to sleep.
‘Gee . . .’ Archie repeated. ‘Are you up?’
‘She is!’ Orus cawed loudly. Freya’s raven companion sat on a perch at the base of her bed and kept watch while she slept.
Maya’s own raven, Grul, had his head tucked under his wing and was sleeping as soundly as Maya.
Freya took one final look at Maya and sighed.
‘I’m coming,’ she called, and went to join Archie.
Moments later they stood on an open balcony high above the streets of Asgard.
‘Cool!’ Archie pointed to a long line of impossibly tall giants stomping through the narrow streets of the city. Each step caused the ground to rumble and buildings to shake. In the distance they heard the sound of breaking glass as windows shattered from the giants’ heavy footfalls.
‘I never thought they’d be so big. Are they the Frost or Fire Giants?’
‘They’re Frost Giants,’ Freya explained. ‘You can tell by the colour of their skin. Frost Giants are silvery grey like ice and their eyes are almost white to reflect the glare of snow from their realm. They have long, streaky black and white hair. Fire Giants have bright-red skin, blazing-yellow eyes and flaming-red hair.’
They followed the long line of Frost Giants lumbering towards Valhalla, Odin’s Great Heavenly Hall, where the Opening Ceremonies to the Nine Realms Challenge were to be held. The giants’ shoulders and heads rose high above the roofs of the buildings in Asgard. Their expressions were
at best unfriendly, with some looking hostile and even threatening.
‘Frost Giants hate us,’ Freya said matter-of-factly. ‘Fire Giants aren’t much better.’
‘Why?’
She shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. It goes way back to when there used to be a lot of wars – they nearly destroyed the realms.’ She paused and then pointed. ‘Look down there, the trolls are here too!’
Squat, round creatures were strolling along the street. Dressed in rough-hewn clothes, it was difficult to tell the women trolls from the men. Occasionally they would throw a stone or spit at the people of Asgard.
‘That’s gross,’ Archie said. ‘Do they always spit?’
‘They’re trolls, what do you expect?’
Archie spotted more new arrivals. ‘Whoa, what are they?’
Freya looked down at the lovely line of creatures streaming through the streets. They were of slight build and seemed to float more than walk. They had pale complexions that looked like moonlight and their soft, spider’s web-like clothes billowed in the gentle breeze. ‘They’re the Light Elves.’
‘They’re so beautiful.’
‘They are,’ Freya agreed, ‘but, Archie, you must be careful around them. They can be very dangerous, especially to humans. They love to keep them as pets. If one approaches you, do anything you can to get away as quickly as possible. Don’t talk to them or they may try to enchant you and take you away to Alfheim.’
‘Alfheim?’ Archie repeated.
Freya nodded. ‘That’s their realm. It’s higher than Midgard, but lower than Asgard.’
‘Does it matter where they are?’
‘To them it does,’ Freya said. ‘That’s why there have been so many wars. The lower realms claimed the upper realms had the most beautiful and fruitful lands. So they attacked us and tried to drive us out so they could take it.’
‘But you always won?’
Freya nodded. ‘There are more of us in Asgard than there are Frost Giants or Dark Elves. The last war was long before I was born.’
They stood on the balcony watching more competitors arrive. Archie was completely mesmerized by the dragons, demons, Dark Elves, Light Elves and dwarfs heading towards the battlefields at Valhalla.
‘There’s a lot more to come,’ Freya said. ‘They’ll be competing here for twelve days. I wish we could go see them,’ she sighed. ‘I was just a child the last time the Nine Realms Challenge was held – back then it was in Utgard. This would have been the first time I could actually compete.’
Freya’s older sister Skaga had appeared on the balcony. She was taller than Freya, with blazing-white wings and pale-grey eyes. Her expression was disapproving. ‘You would’ve been allowed to compete this time if you hadn’t run away and caused all that trouble in Midgard. You’re both lucky Odin didn’t do more to you. I can think of worse fates than cleaning out the stables.’
‘I know,’ Freya said. ‘But I only went to Earth to help. How could I know that Odin would send the Dark Searchers after us?’
‘You broke the rules, Freya, what did you expect?’ Skaga said. ‘Now you and your dead human are paying for it.’
‘Archie.’ Archie glared at her.
‘What?’
‘My name is Archie,’ he said. ‘Use it! Don’t call me a dead human.’
Freya’s family still hadn’t accepted Archie’s presence in the house. But since Freya had reaped him and given him her real name, they didn’t have any choice. Whether they liked it or not, Freya and Archie were bound together.
Skaga inhaled, about to retort, but Freya interrupted. ‘Look at everyone down there! I really hate to miss it.’
She turned to Archie. ‘Maybe we can sneak away from the stables to watch some of the Opening Ceremonies. If we’re careful, Odin will never know.’
‘Oh no you don’t!’ Orus cawed from her shoulder. ‘Freya, don’t even think about it. That’s the sort of thing the Dark Searchers will be looking for. We are banned from the games and they know it!’
‘Listen to Orus, Freya,’ Skaga warned. ‘If the Dark Searchers catch you, they’ll hand you over to Odin. I’m sure he’ll cut off your wings this time. Just do your work at the stables. There will always be more Challenges.’
Archie nodded. ‘If I never see another Dark Searcher again, I’ll be happy. Come on, let’s get to work and let everyone else get on with the Challenge.’
Freya’s eyes lingered on the Light Elves as they drifted through the streets. She wanted so much to see the Challenge. Sighing, she finally let Archie draw her away from the balcony.
Walking through the streets of Asgard was almost as exciting as watching from the balcony. Streams of visitors clogged their way. They had to stand far back on the pavement while a tall line of Fire Giants strode past.
‘I smell smoke,’ Archie commented, looking around.
‘It’s them,’ Freya explained, pointing at the giants. ‘Can you see their clothes smouldering? In their own realm, their clothes burn. When they come to Asgard, they have to wear special garments that don’t set fire to everything. If we’re lucky, a Fire Giant will get angry – then you can watch their clothes burst into flame!’
‘Freya,’ Orus warned. ‘Must you always look for trouble?’
‘I’m not looking for trouble,’ Freya said innocently. ‘I’m just explaining to Archie, that’s all.’ But there was a twinkle in her eye that let them know she’d have been quite happy to watch the Fire Giants start to burn.
Behind the Fire Giants was a gathering of creatures wearing dark-green cloaks. Their faces were obscured by black masks and they were silent as they drifted past.
‘Those are Dark Elves,’ Freya whispered. ‘Outside of their realm, they keep their faces hidden. I’ve heard they are hideous. But I don’t know for certain.’
‘Dark Elves are even uglier than trolls,’ Orus commented.
The nearest Dark Elf heard the comment and stepped closer. It pointed a gloved finger at the raven, hissing. The elf remained still, as though waiting for a challenge. When Orus said nothing, the creature hissed once more before walking away.
‘Watch out for them as well,’ Orus warned Archie. ‘Light Elves keep humans as pets. Dark Elves eat them with berry jam.’
‘I’m not sure I want to meet any of them,’ Archie said. ‘They’re really interesting to look at, but I think I’ll stick with you two.’
‘Coward,’ Freya teased, punching him in the arm.
‘I’m not a coward, I’m just not crazy. Let’s see if I got this right.’ He started to count on his fingers. ‘The giants will either step on me or set me on fire if I’m not careful. Light Elves want to abduct me, Dark Elves want to eat me, and trolls just want to spit at me and hit me with rocks. This world takes a bit of getting used to.’
‘Don’t forget the faeries,’ Orus added.
‘Faeries? In Asgard?’
‘Light Faeries, from Alfheim. They’ll steal anything shiny that you’re wearing, so be extra careful around them. Look over there…’
The road had cleared and they were finally able to cross. Up ahead, they spied a swarm of glowing Light Faeries using their little daggers to prise several jewels out of a sign over a jeweller’s shop.
‘See what I mean?’ Orus cawed. ‘They’ll keep at it until they get all the jewels.’
Archie stood very still, enchanted by the tiny figures doing all they could to free rubies from the sign. ‘They almost look like dragonflies, only more beautiful. Look at their tiny hands!’
‘They’re thieves, that’s what they are.’ Freya ran over to where the faeries were swarming on the sign. Her wings flashed open and she launched into the air. ‘Get away from there!’
The Light Faeries cried out with voices that sounded like tiny bells as they scattered. But the moment Freya landed on the ground, they went right back to work on the sign. She jumped at them again, and once more they scattered only to return when she was back on the ground. Their soft laughter rang out and the tiny
faeries stuck out their tongues and blew raspberries at her.
Freya shook her head and walked away, calling to Archie to follow her. Further down the street, they slipped between two grand buildings to take a short cut to the Reaping Mares’ stables.
From behind them came the sounds of cheering as the crowds swelled to greet the new arrivals to Asgard. ‘We should be there,’ Freya complained, kicking a pebble away. ‘Not shovelling out dirty stalls.’
‘At least we don’t have to train during the Challenge,’ Archie said. ‘I might actually go a day without a fresh bruise or cut.’
‘I thought you liked battle training?’ Freya asked.
‘I do. But the warriors at Valhalla have loads more experience than me. Crixus tries to make it easy for me, but he used to be a gladiator.’
‘Crixus is your instructor?’ Freya asked, awestruck. ‘He’s the best warrior at Valhalla! How did you get him?’
Archie shrugged. ‘He saw me training and then offered to teach me. He believes in learning through pain and defeat.’ He paused. ‘But I rock at sword fighting. Soon I might even beat you!’
Freya smiled. When she first met Archie, he was being bullied and beaten at school by a vicious gang. Now every afternoon he was being taught by the very best of humanity’s warriors, reaped from Earth’s battlefields. He was learning hand-to-hand combat and fighting with many sorts of weapons. He had been accepted by the warriors of Valhalla.
‘You think you can beat me?’ Freya teased, shoving him. ‘Ha! I dare you to try!’
They reached the stable and as soon as they opened the doors, the mares nickered to greet them. Freya went straight to her mare.
‘Good morning, Sylt.’ Freya stroked the mare’s smooth muzzle.
Archie pulled an apple from his pocket. ‘Did you miss us?’
While Sylt munched the apple, Archie looked at the stalls. ‘Maybe if we finish quickly, we can watch the other competitors arriving from the balcony. We can’t get in trouble if we’re watching from home.’
‘Great idea,’ Freya agreed as she reached for a pitchfork and they began to clean the stalls.
It wasn’t long before Archie paused from shovelling soiled straw out of a Reaping Mare’s stall and leaned heavily on the shovel handle. His brows were knitted together in a deep frown. ‘Gee, I still don’t get how this works. Are you sure I’m dead? I mean, Skaga always calls me a “dead human”, but I just don’t feel dead.’
