Eye of Hel: Stories of the Nine Worlds (Ten Tears Chronicles - a dark fantasy action adventure Book 2)

by Alaric Longward

  ‘He got away!’ Lex yelled.

  ‘That’s your fault,’ I hissed as I ran to Ompar. Lex stepped back, looking shocked and angry. Ompar’s clothing was simmering and smoldering, and he was sobbing on the ground. I grasped him to me and saw his rib, a blackened rib, and a mass of meat and metal on his chest. I grasped his face and spoke to him. ‘You fought well. But now you have to be brave. This will hurt.’

  ‘Save it for Hannea,’ he gasped, near delirious. ‘She fell. Might be dead.’

  I looked at him incredulously. I pulled his face up so he could see his rib and his horribly mangled chest. His eyes rounded in shock. ‘Ready?’

  He nodded weakly. ‘Perhaps just some healing, then. Will be miraculous, no doubt worth seeing. I’m ready.’

  I reached for the deep ice. It was the spell I had first grasped the day I had arrived in Aldheim. It came naturally to me, and Euryale had said only the gods could see that part of the Shades. Glory. I filled myself with it. It felt clear, cool, calming, and soothing. My head throbbed with the fine, clean power, and I released it. It was like letting go of a breath. It left me reeling with glee and relief. I had once saved myself in Euryale’s test with the power, and I had healed a boy in Trad. That had been the day Euryale had shown me to Almheir Bardagoon, and the day she had bitten Aloise Bardagoon. Now, it saved the elf our lives depended on, and the elf I found myself uncomfortably attracted to. The power flowed from me. Lex gasped as the power sealed his smaller wounds. Ompar sobbed and then screamed as his flesh closed, veins renewed themselves, skin curled and turned pink. I had saved the boy’s life once, but without Frigg’s armor, I had not been able to renew the flesh. Now I could. I stared in wonder as the pink skin folded over his new flesh and unharmed ribs, and his other wounds stopped bleeding. He was sitting up, staring at his side and his hands. ‘That was … strange. I feel well. Just exhausted. If I had any doubts, they are gone.’ He looked around. ‘How is the battle? Did he—’ He grasped my hand.

  Lex stared at him and our hands and walked stiffly to the edge of the wall. He looked down, then towards the harbor. ‘He’s being carried to the harbor. There are people standing in there. Some warriors. The maa’dark that stood at the gates. The Arch is being pulled off the harbor. But we hold the Scorpion’s Bridge.’ Then bells and horns began sounding in the Golden Hall. The city was awakening to the fact there was something deadly happening in the fortress.

  Ompar got up with my help. We looked down at the courtyard. I saw Ulrich limping around the yard, giving terse commands to what was the shocked remains of Ompar’s crew standing amidst heaps of charred and bleeding corpses. The one young girl was cradling her father’s corpse and a dozen or more men were looking at the wounded. They looked ferocious after having slain the scattered elven forces, bloodied and with nothing to lose. One looked up; another pointed at us. They turned to heed their lord.

  Ompar smiled ruefully. ‘They are looking at you.’

  ‘Me?’ I asked.

  ‘You are a human heroine. They saw your friends releasing magical powers and think you might be near the gods. Hand of Life is known to everyone in Aldheim.’

  I nodded and turned to them. I lifted my helmet and resisted the need to let go of the rest. They pointed a finger at me; their faces slack with wonder. ‘Hand of Life?’ Bulathon asked loudly. ‘Are you?’

  ‘I am and a human,’ I said.

  ‘Command us!’ yelled another, and they nodded, heavily armored save for the girl, ready to fight again.

  ‘What shall we do?’ I asked Ompar.

  He looked rueful. ‘I’m really committed now, am I not?’

  ‘You regret it?’

  He smiled sadly. ‘I’m an elf. This was my home. Yes, I regret that. But there are things I do not regret. This will be strange. We shall leave. The way to the Arch is closed,’ he said sullenly and then nodded towards the north and a road that left the fort, weaving its way through flowery bushes below. ‘We go to my fief. My castle. Lowpass. There is nothing else we can do. We leave now.’

  CHAPTER 6

  We took off for the north. We had some horses for the women, those we managed to steal from the Scorpion’s Bridge stables. There was also a strange, docile lizard the size of three horses, and the Tears stared at it suspiciously. The wounded were strapped on it, and three men led it forward. Ompar was also riding around, trying to see what was happening in the land behind. There was no sign of a pursuit, but he seemed unconvinced, and of course, he was right as the horns were still blowing in the distance. He gave Bulathon instructions and guided his horse next to me as I walked and released healing energies at his men. He stared at wounds closing, men groaning, most in wonder and some kneeling behind me in silent, reverent thanks. When I was done, I felt drained; the lizard was nearly empty of wounded, and Ompar dismounted and helped me up on his horse. Lex frowned at that, but I ignored him. Ompar was smiling wistfully at his crew that was whispering, showing wounds that had been knitted and closed and sighed. ‘Thank you. Though I don’t know if they will ever again obey me.’

  ‘They are your men,’ I told him. ‘And they did not deserve what they got.’

  ‘Deserve?’ he said. ‘I wish it was that simple.’ He looked at the Tears. Cherry was nodding at something Ulrich was saying, and Lex brought up the rear, his face clouded with sorrow and disappointment. Dana chuckled from the side.

  ‘He is a pretty toy, sister. Not to be taken seriously. Remember that. Do not worry about him. He will get over it,’ she said softly.

  Ompar looked at her with a bemused grin. ‘Which one?’ he asked her.

  She smiled crookedly at him. ‘Both, I think. I doubt Shannon will have time for men and elves.’

  ‘You a seer?’ Ompar said with humor. ‘Will she break my heart?’

  ‘Lex is a friend,’ I intercepted Dana’s answer, nodding at our sullen companion. ‘I don’t know if he is more. We don’t need more problems, Dana. I wish you would stop inflaming the situation, sister.’

  She smiled and nodded. ‘Yes, Hand of Life.’

  Ompar sniffled at that and shrugged. ‘How is my sister?’ We found the blonde elf at the courtyard. She had been unconscious, her arm broken.

  ‘Same as she was,’ I said neutrally as I eyed her on the lizard. I had healed her, but she was still unconscious. Or pretending to be.

  ‘But you have made her better?’ he asked me.

  ‘I’m not sure what more I can do. I should be conserving my strength for those who are our friends,’ I told him darkly. ‘And if she wakes up and calls for her powers?’

  ‘She is tied down with chain,’ he told me. ‘She is the sister I still love. And a useful one. She has a very special spell, nearly unique I think. She used it on Tiria in Himingborg. I wish to see if she comes around to our side.’

  ‘Why would she?’ I asked him. ‘She—’

  ‘Because Father did not like her much, either,’ he said, looking away. ‘She occasionally had a bout of sanity and was too vocal about it. And Tiria is dead. She will love that bit of news, eventually.’

  ‘She might also figure out that she is the eldest sister now,’ Dana laughed. ‘And might be very useful to your father.’

  ‘Father can have other children. We live for a long time. And, of course, there are other branches of the Coinar family. Father has five brothers. No, she is not needed in the Gold Hall. Her spell might be useful to Father, but I think Hannea wants to be more than her magic.’ The horse stumbled, and I nearly fell. Ompar reached out to steady me. Some men had rushed forward but settled down slowly, eyeing us carefully.

  ‘Why are they acting like that?’

  ‘I—’ Ompar began to answer, but Dana interrupted him.

  ‘They think you are a goddess,’ Dana said mirthlessly. ‘My little Shannon, a goddess.’

  Ompar shook his head. ‘No. They think you are of the gods’ blood. They see you and see a bright star of the Aesir glories. It is rare for the Hand of Life to be born here, in the s
outh anyway, but now, a human? They are right, of course. There is Frigg’s spark in you, Shannon. They are right to be in awe.’ He looked at his men carefully. ‘And they might think an elf is dangerous to you now. They are my men, but they are confused. They think you are in danger.’

  ‘I don’t feel comfortable with their adoration,’ I told him. ‘It was easier when everyone wanted to kill us.’

  ‘Endure it,’ Ompar said wistfully. ‘They need all the help they can get now. You are their leader as much as I am.’

  Albine shook her head, and Anja glowered at me. I ignored her and looked at the small French girl. She noticed and spoke thoughtfully. ‘They think you have a spark of a goddess, yes. But more, I think you are a beacon of hope for them. As are we all.’

  ‘You?’ Ompar asked softly. ‘Ten Tears?’

  ‘Yes, us. They know we can Embrace the Glory. They have never known such hope, felt such pride. They have been told their lot is to serve, and suddenly they see humans who can do what the mightiest elven noble maa’dark can.’ Albine nodded at me. ‘And the one creature that can change fates in Aldheim. They see us as more than maa’dark and Shannon as more than a goddess. They see the freedom and dignity of humans in all of us. A sign of better times. They might be servile and used to slavery, but there are thoughts of freedom buried deep inside their stupid skulls.’

  ‘Stop talking like this,’ I hissed. ‘We don’t want a civil war.’

  ‘I do,’ Albine said brusquely. ‘And after Scorpion’s Bridge, it might come to that whether you want it to or not.’

  ‘We will avoid war,’ Ompar said. ‘And I will take us north. What remains in the south are but rumors.’

  ‘Will you?’ Dana said. ‘North? You? And then what?’

  ‘I’ll help her,’ he said and nodded at me. ‘I will ride with her as far as I can.’

  Dana smiled mockingly. ‘You are courting a goddess,’ she said with a dry chuckle. ‘That’s what you’re really doing. One should know the sun burns the closer you get. You should know better. Perhaps you should stay here in the south.’

  ‘Dana—’

  Ompar eyed her unkindly and interrupted her. ‘The sun?’ he asked her slowly. ‘I assume that is your star. Mar is ours and yes, I know what you mean. But even a fly is attracted to the flame, and if I burn like one, then so be it. At least I finally have a cause. Relax, oh jealous sister.’ He bowed to me and winked at Dana to soften his comment. She smiled back at him coldly. He saw her displeasure and sighed. ‘I will not consult you on this matter. And you should not keep twisting your sister’s tail, Dana. She has power that is greater than yours.’

  Dana looked furious. ‘She does heal. But—’

  ‘She has another power you do not have,’ Ompar said. ‘She is kind and driven by her wish to help you all, where most of you are quarrelsome and afraid.’

  ‘So kind it killed my brothers,’ Anja whispered, and I sighed at her unreasonableness. I looked at the rest and felt so tired. I just wished for peace. They all looked somber and depressed. Anja spoke after a while. ‘What next? We are in the middle of a hostile world full of vicious enemies, and we have no ship. Most of his men are dead.’

  ‘Didn’t you want to set out on your own here?’ Dana asked her. ‘There is the jungle.’

  ‘Dana!’ I yelled, but she turned her face away.

  Ompar nodded, his face dark with anger. ‘My crew is dead indeed. Strife will pay for that. Tiria already did. We will march to Lowpass as I said.’

  ‘Excellent plan. March off through a jungle filled with foes,’ Anja said with soft mockery. ‘What then?’

  ‘Before he shares his plans, I still want to know who betrayed us,’ I said darkly.

  ‘What did you say?’ Anja asked, sitting up on her horse. ‘Speak out.’

  ‘I wish to know who betrayed us,’ I shouted. Men turned to look at us, and the others stared at me, trying to understand what I was saying.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Ulrich asked. ‘When?’

  ‘Tiria hinted at a human having betrayed us. On the ship,’ I said. ‘Someone told them I’m the Hand of Life.’

  ‘One of the crew, perhaps?’ Lex asked. ‘Or she lied? Perhaps she knew who Shannon was all along?’

  Dana shook her head. ‘She did not. Someone told them. And if you think one of his crew did it, please tell me where one of these servile, slave-born humans might have seen the Silver Maw? One betrayed us.’

  ‘Nobody did!’ Anja yelled and ignored Ompar, who raised a hand to calm her. ‘It’s in your damned head. That helmet is affecting your ability to plan and to think! Must be the heat. Why would anyone tell them anything? Why would any damned idiot tell them? Would that person trust the elves to reward them? I doubt it. We are all marching in a jungle full of monkey-faced, blood-sucking elves who want to feed us to the ants. Stop worrying about some imaginary traitor, and worry about this shithole instead.’

  ‘She can’t,’ Dana said. ‘Someone did speak out. That someone is working to put us in trouble. Why? Why would that one risk their own life, you ask? Because they hate us. Shannon and me.’

  ‘Not me, Dana,’ Anja hissed.

  Ompar raised his hand once more. ‘The one who spoke of her is in no danger from the elves of Coinar. Shannon did not tell you yet, but your Euryale was working with my father. What they plan in Himingborg, we do not know. But one did tell Tiria about Shannon. That someone likely hates her.’

  Anja was taking deep breaths, so shocked she was. ‘You mean me? And I would do this after losing two brothers to her?’ she asked her with a shocked face.

  Ompar bowed to her. ‘I did not say it is you.’ Silence reigned for a moment.

  ‘So you wish to know our plans?’ I said finally.

  ‘Yes,’ Anja said. ‘Of course! I can’t leave, it seems, so they affect me as well. And what can the traitor, if there is one, do here?’

  ‘Did they take any of you out of the cell on the ship?’ I asked Dana.

  She nodded, bored. ‘All of us. We were checked for vermin before we were allowed to sleep.’

  I looked at Albine. She could tell lies from truth. I could make them swear; one by one they had not spoken to Tiria. She looked at me, nodded uncertainly, and then turned her face away. They were all unhappy with me. They would all die there in the south. What if Albine had done it and would lie over someone else? Someone close to me? Like Dana? And what if it was Anja? What could I do? ‘Fine,’ I said. ‘Forget about the traitor for now. And I’ll share my simple plan.’

  ‘Go ahead,’ Lex said.

  I waved my hand to the east and told them of Eye of Hel, of the ancient war, of the goddess Hel, of the Rot and the Pact, and they rode silently.

  Dana finally nodded at me. ‘And she will now go and regain it.’

  ‘Regain it?’ Anja asked. ‘From this undead thing?’ She was eyeing me with wonder, her anger forgotten for a moment. Perhaps learning of the Rot made her happier, I thought. I’d die in any case, likely. Yes, that would make her happy.

  I nodded. ‘Yes, I will indeed do what Euryale wanted, but I shall retrieve it for myself. I will treat with goddess Hel, and she or the gods should they be restored to the Nine Worlds, will heal me. That is what I shall do. Simple. So I need to go to the north.’

  They stared at me in silence. I said nothing more for a time, but enjoyed the quiet. Hannea moaned a bit, and Ompar went to check on her.

  ‘But need we take part in it?’ Anja asked. She was looking away, and I am not sure if she regretted her anger or not. Likely not. ‘I’ve lost enough.’

  ‘If you wish to ride off, Anja, feel free to ride off,’ I told her. ‘I’m done apologizing. I loved them both. Your brothers. Never wanted them to die. I did my damned best. And I loved you as well.’

  She did not answer. Ulrich placed a hand on Anja’s shoulder, and she gave a small shrug. ‘She is staying. We need each other for now. And we need him.’ He nodded at Ompar.

  ‘Need me,’ Ompar smiled as he
came back. ‘Gods laugh! If I had imagined a human prisoner speaking to me like that one day, I would have called it impossible.’

  ‘You could help us,’ Ulrich said. ‘Do we need to go to Lowpass at all? Seems like they will expect it. Hide and ride away slowly?’

  He hesitated. ‘Perhaps. But I have duties. I have to see to my people and that they shall survive as well. Lowpass is not safe now. But I will do everything I can after that. I have promised Shannon I would. If you go out to the jungles, you will have to make your way through enemy land alone.’

  ‘What shall we do in Lowpass?’ I asked him. ‘Sail away?’

  He had dreaded such a question. He slumped on his horse and rolled his shoulders slowly. ‘We won’t be able to pull out of the Lowpass harbor. That is for sure. The towers will have flashed news of our status to the Coinar navy, and there is sure to be Coinar presence there, blockading it. Yes. They will have blocked it. Sailing out will be as safe as dancing nude over a spike trap. They are getting Father here, no doubt. He has been traveling for the Feast and coordinating something sinister with much of his army, but will come for us now. He will summon many elven troops from the surrounding areas. They are coming already, no doubt and will know about the disaster in Scorpion’s Bridge, and they won’t be merciful. And Father will hurt you for Tiria. I will stop him, but my plan is a bit hazy still. We will fight if we must, but speed is our only hope.’

  ‘Fight with what?’ Lex asked darkly, rubbing his cheek. ‘With what, my lord? Do you have more than drunken pirates?’

  Ompar gazed at him unkindly. ‘Lowpass is not easy to take. No spells exist for flight or healing. Save for yours, of course.’ He bowed to me. ‘My home is well guarded by passes and three thin bridges. There are towers on each end of each bridge, and there is a long, easily defendable bridge down to the harbor. Towers also block it. It looks beautiful, Lowpass. A deep chasm surrounds the whole area, and the fort’s walls are strong. You will see. It’s a pirate’s hold with a thousand men.’