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

by Alaric Longward

  Danar Coinar stared at my mask. ‘Another human lover of Ompar’s.’

  ‘Wife,’ I stated.

  He took several ragged breaths, and only after a brave fight, he calmed himself. ‘Wife? That lie nearly broke the army and nearly got me killed. And still you tell it?’

  ‘I had the contracts, but it matters little. I don’t care to talk about him with your highness,’ I told him. ‘Kinslayer, that is what I shall call you, husband to be. Kinslaying king. Others will call you such as well.’

  He grew cold and angry in a heartbeat, and I was wondering how mad he actually was. ‘You took Tiria from me.’ He stepped close and slapped me with the shield, and I staggered as my helmet crushed against my face. ‘You took Hannea from me.’ He slapped me again with the shield. My ears rang, and I staggered. He pulled me close. ‘And Strife.’

  ‘Hannea I did not slay.’ I laughed as I bit my lip for the pain.

  He stepped away from me, hiding his grief. ‘You have made me lose face. Humiliated me across my own lands—’

  ‘Face. You stupid fool,’ I breathed.

  ‘What did you say?’

  ‘You are like a child in this game, Lord,’ I said. ‘Like some soft, sugar-coated thing Euryale will swallow whole. King of graves is what you will be; a silk-draped lord of bones. You will be served poison or blade before you see jewels and gold.’

  He hesitated, and his eyes flicked to where Cosia had disappeared. ‘I have Charm Breaker. Even a dragon cannot eat me easily while I hold it.’

  ‘It won’t stop points, blades, and daggers from behind,’ I mocked him. ‘Cosia can lie and act very well, Lord, they all can, the snake-faced murderesses. They act and scheme in a single week more than you lot in a decade, and you are treacherous by birth. They are remnants of Hel’s own army; Euryale is a First Born, and Cosia’s spells make her invisible, make her anyone she wishes to be. She is not even half as deadly as Euryale. You are merely a child to them.’

  ‘Fine,’ he said darkly. ‘I will not listen to your words. I’ll be the king. I’ll be careful.’

  ‘Fool, as I said.’

  ‘Too late for regrets now, Hand,’ he said with some doubt. ‘Come.’ He snapped his fingers, and out of the stairway, a thousand elves marched. They wore black and silver, the lizard on their shields, and they marched from the part of the castle reserved for the high lord of the Coinar for the Feast. Many were nobles, lightly armed with weapons but always armed with Glory, and all eyed me with hostility, for I had killed and injured many of them in the Lowpass war. Danar pulled me from my scrutiny, and we marched through the palace. The steps echoed and elves peeked from behind doors at the army that was moving. It might not have been an unusual sight during the Feast when all the powers of Aldheim were concentrated in the city, but it was strange still since the Feast was not yet upon them. We went up and down, and then we reached the great center hall of the fort. There Talien had been addressing his shocked guard troops. There were hundreds, a thousand? More would be at the Citadel of Glory. They eyed us; they stared at their commander and elves ran out, back and forth, confused, shocked. A general, a tall, red-haired elf saluted Talien. ‘We are ready, my lord! The Bardagoon imposter shall be captured.’

  Imposter. That is what they told them?

  Talien slapped his hand on the shoulder of the general. ‘A demon in the guise of Almheir. A trick of the Devourer. If the Bardagoon soldiers resist, we must slay them. Almheir, the true lord of the north, will understand we did this under duress. We must act and never hesitate.’

  The army rattled to attention. Their officers growled, and the elves still looked shocked. Certainly, they had not expected such a battle to find them in their very own land, the heart of the city. A huge bell tolled, its sound thrumming in the air ominously.

  It was midday.

  Danar got up, groaning, holding his shield. ‘Send the messenger.’

  He grasped my arm and pulled me along, and we waited to topple Almheir Bardagoon, Regent of Aldheim. The army moved to the gatehouse, filling it with maa’dark, ready to charge out to slaughter Almheir Bardagoon, to kill the other northern leader in a very cowardly manner.

  Half an hour passed.

  Then, an elf appeared, out of breath. He whispered to Cosia at length, and she cursed softly.

  She walked to Danar and whispered in her turn, ‘Lord Bardagoon left the tower just after we came in to heal his daughter. He marched his thousand elves to the city in a terrible hurry. He left word he was seeking advice on his wife’s dilemma in the Solace, the city library. They don’t expect him back before tomorrow morning. Shall we wait?’

  Danar looked shocked. He rubbed a hand across his face. Doubt played there in his eyes, fears, terror of losing his kingship after so many years of trying to grasp it. ‘He is truly out of the Shining City?’

  ‘Yes,’ Cosia said softly. ‘We might benefit from patience.’

  Danar had none. ‘No. We will march the troops there. We will surround the library. We will attack him, and he must not escape.’

  Cosia was nodding, though uncertainly. ‘Attacking Solace, Lord, will be a crime. There are going to be losses to the intricate works of art and priceless tomes. Some are magical, unique works by the old masters of the Gift. Surely we can’t—’

  ‘There are plenty in the Spell Hold, are there not? He must not escape!’

  Cosia eyed me, and I knew she knew I was smiling.

  Thank you Hannea.

  CHAPTER 17

  We passed through the Citadel. The guards gawked at the unlikely alliance, the combined forces of Coinar and Safiroon, and the stomp of boots echoed in the ancient fortress. We exited the place, and the thousands of elves formed ranks. People and elves stopped to stare at the unusual show of power and the many fine ranks of troops, especially since Coinar and Safiroon marched together. The anxious Danar snapped his fingers, and powerful horses and a carriage were pulled out of a stable. Some of the horses had six legs, and I could only stare in stupefaction at the bizarre sight. ‘Our lord Odin’s horse bred them,’ Cosia explained to me as she gestured for one. ‘Ages ago.’ She slapped one on the side, and it was high and wide, much larger than our horses back on Earth, but it seemed of similar temperament as it stood there, swishing its tail, mulling over whatever equine beasts mull over when being harnessed to a carriage. And it was a splendid carriage, made of dark wood and strips of silvery metal etched inside curls of the wood to give it a gloriously regal look. Cosia climbed up before Danar, which obviously annoyed the southern lord, but he also scuttled up to sit on leathery seats. I refused his hand as I climbed on to pick a place far from the two murdering creatures. ‘Move over there, in front of us,’ Danar said as he shifted cumbersomely in his seat. I scowled but did as he asked, and was soon seated directly in front of them, our knees touching. A troop of one hundred elves formed around us as if by a miracle, green and golden, black and silver, and they held the flags of both lords.

  I snorted.

  ‘What is wrong?’ Danar asked.

  ‘This charade reminds me of Lowpass and the Black Ring,’ I said, and bit my lip, for I was over tired and exhausted by fear and still excited by the small spark of hope Almheir’s absence had given me. ‘This reminds me of your plans there.’

  ‘How?’ he asked.

  Cosia gave helpful advice. ‘She means, my lord, that the plan has lost all the elements of subtlety, and this is nothing more than a military operation at this point. We will not be surprising him like this,’ Cosia said with a bored voice, and Danar looked away, fuming.

  ‘Move out!’ he yelled, and Cosia nodded at the red-haired elf in golden chain mail, seated on a horse. The army moved, the carriage jolted forward. The army was heavily armed, shields clinking, tall spears and halberds shining high in the air, bows of great girth on their backs as the huge column began to march to the west along the edge of the Citadel. We rode under the gaze of the harbor’s merchants until we passed the fort and marched past red and
pink mansions of round make. Soon, streets began to lead to the north. They were great avenues of beauty and detail. ‘There!’ Danar said and pointed at one such street. A silver golden cupola could be seen in the light of Mar ten blocks away. ‘That is where he will be found. Spread the troops into two columns. Take this street and the next and march there; block it, and then we will act.’

  Cosia sighed and gave the orders. Most of the Safiroon troops kept marching for the next street, and our troop entered the first one. People turned to look down at us. Then they disappeared.

  ‘They smell fakes and liars,’ I whispered, but the two ignored me as they stopped to look up the small hill. An elegant building could be seen at the top of the street, and that would be Solace, the library. I yearned to visit it. There would be ways to understand the Nine Worlds better, but also perhaps a clue on how to get the Eye back to Hel. I snorted. Not likely to happen now, unless something changes soon. The troops went up the hill. The halberds of the Safiroons, the spears and axes of the Coinar swayed. Maa’dark strode in chain mail amongst them, alert. Many had braided and released spells of spherical fields of energy to protect them, at least somewhat, and all looked ready for a fight. The golden-armored general rode near the carriage, but also a very large elf wearing a golden diadem and dragon-patterned ring mail, and he was riding one of the six-legged horses, holding a two-handed, glowing hammer of obvious power. Cosia was smiling, his old face turned to the weapon. ‘Kaddar. A champion of house Safiroon,’ he whispered. ‘He is called Hope Foe. Dangerous like Strife was, but this one prefers melee.’

  ‘Champions take such names,’ Coinar explained. ‘Strife had a normal name when he was still a boy.’

  ‘I don’t give a shit about your damned champions. You will attack the library, truly?’ I wondered tiredly.

  ‘Hand should really have more respect for her future husband,’ Danar said sourly. I turned to look behind, but there were only more troops there. The army marched, the horses neighed, and we passed under some surprisingly oppressive gates for a higher part of the street, and there were rows of sturdy, white marble houses with canopies of red and blue, many boasting the winged beast of Safiroon. There were dwellings with happy faces staring at us, people, men and elves mixing freely. Cosia, disguised as the great elf, waved her hand at the elven people, and I did as well, to the dismay of Danar Coinar. The humans bowed, some forcing their children to look down, the large-eyed children wondering at the procession.

  The general also waved his hand as he rode next to the carriage. His tone was slightly disrespectful as he looked up the hill. ‘Surely he didn’t take his troops inside Solace? A thousand? We should see some sign of them now. But we don’t.’

  ‘I have scouts running ahead,’ Cosia said. ‘But you are right. I don’t think they will be surprised. They will pour out soon. If they try to take some back way out, we will know. There is nowhere to go. The gates are closed and guarded by now. See, there is one scout.’ Indeed, up the street, an elf was waving and pointing at Solace. He stood in the shadows of a tall pillar and looked furtively up to the library.

  The troop marched on, the rhythm of their steps echoing, and we went up the hill towards a library glimmering with gold and silver. Danar leaned over. ‘Some of that gold was mined in your land, they say. The Tenth World. There are rumors—’

  ‘Really?’ I wondered lazily as I stared at it. ‘How very interesting. Cerunnos again.’

  He grinned. ‘Yes, Cerunnos. He does get around, does he not? But think on this, Hand, the light of humans and elves both. You hated what you saw in the south?’

  ‘Save for your son,’ I told him. ‘I hate the elves of the south, yes.’

  He hesitated for a moment, growled and went on. ‘And as you gaze at the glittering gold, think on this. Your ancestors, your family, no doubt oversaw the other, lesser slaves of the Tenth, as you were given the powers to slay and build. You are not so different from me.’

  ‘The sins of my ancestors are not mine,’ I said. ‘If there were any. And I am nothing like you.’

  ‘The sins are yours,’ Danar chortled. ‘Of course they are. Or possibly, there is no such thing as balance, and our deeds go unchecked, and the gods do not care. Then—’

  ‘Be silent,’ I said, and he chuckled.

  ‘You are no different, Hand,’ he said. ‘Just very young still.’

  The streets grew quiet. Palaces that lined the streets were broodingly silent. The scout was coming closer and still staring up the street for the Solace.

  The coach pulled up to a street crossing, a few blocks from the library. There was a silver inlaid fountain, complete with buxom mermaids. Golden hair framed their marble faces. They had a stupefied look, and it was probably the first instance of art that seemed to have gone awry.

  ‘I imagine that is how my foe will look like in a while.’ Danar Coinar grinned nervously. ‘All the routes to the north are blocked. He and his thousand will be trapped in the city, and all he can do is—’

  Act.

  Hannea had hidden on the ship. She had remained hidden, changing her face, and had obeyed my order to find Almheir Bardagoon if I could not. She had infiltrated the Citadel, asked her way around. She knew I was not being taken to the Regent and had done the right thing. She had been the Spring Dancer; then the elven soldier and she had done superbly.

  A dozen dead elves fell from the roofs to the street and amidst the troops. The live scout ran away, smiling.

  Cosia got up, in shock.

  A stream of black and golden-armored elves marched from the sides, behind and front. Archers lined the rooftops. The streets filled with elves armed with supple armor, chain and strangely crafted plate chests and shoulders, holding wide shields and swords, and maa’dark were with them, for I sensed a fantastic array of spells being braided. Leading them was the handsome, grim elf with uniquely bright blue eyes and golden mane, and he was the elf I had seen that terrible day in Trad when his wife had been hurt. His smile was feral and unforgiving as he gazed at Danar and Talien.

  Cosia lurched, clutching at the sides of the coach. ‘Almheir!’

  ‘You are not my friend Talien Safiroon. He is dead,’ Almheir roared like a battle spirit of the old. ‘He would never sit in the same carriage with that one! Attack!’

  ‘Beware!’ Danar yelled, also getting up, but he fell on me as the coach stopped.

  ‘Kill them!’ Almheir Bardagoon yelled savagely, and some two hundred elves in bright armor tore into the host escorting us. I pushed Danar off me, slammed my forearm in his face and climbed up, staring at the terrific chaos. Fire ripped across the guards, and elven men and women burned inside their armors, rolling wildly on the ground. A hundred stony hands grasped at the legs of the men and horses, breaking bones, and a cinder wind blew across the elven maa’dark, felling at least two. The Regent had thrown it, and I felt him grasp at the power again.

  I ripped the robe off me, but then Cosia pushed me forward, and she had a savage grip on my neck.

  ‘Rally around me!’ Danar screamed, up again and his shield was radiating fiercely, deflecting rampant Glory. He glanced at me. ‘Stay here, and you won’t be hurt.’ Indeed, I saw lines of fire weave towards the coach, and one of these lines cut through the splendid horses, leaving them split into two charred chunks. One spell spattered around us, turning into fiery sparks that resembled dancing fireflies.

  Around us, the Safiroon and Coinar troops rallied in confusion. They were still stronger than the attacker, and they locked shields, throwing their spears, and pulled long, wicked sabers, and those nimble swords began to stab and hack at the Bardagoon assailants. Elves fell, punched through, and the press of battle was terrible. The Coinar and Safiroon maa’dark were seen amidst the chaos, bubbled in defensive spells, fiery and airy. I saw them engage Regent’s maa’dark in a battle. It was a fierce, skillful and deadly battle, and at least four elven maa’dark of the Regent fell in a bloody, burning mess with a dozen of their guards. The Bardagoon Reg
ent pulled at strange energies, stony and fiery, and pointed the spell beyond a knot of dangerous Safiroon and Coinar maa’dark. A huge, rumbling thing separated from a wall, made of broken marble, its eyes dark holes in a squat head as it grabbed at elves wreathed in spells and spattered them across a shieldwall of enemy troops. The Regent pointed a finger at the carriage, and attacking elves crashed against a wall of elves, trying to break through. Axes and spears hacked at the confused mass of the enemy.

  ‘Will the other contingent come here?’ Danar roared. ‘Where are they?’

  Cosia snickered, thoroughly enjoying the chaos. ‘The streets are on fire. They have a long way to go.’

  Danar cursed and pulled at me. ‘Break his shields, ‘he hissed. ‘Take his shields off!’ he roared.

  ‘You do it,’ I told him happily. ‘Be a damned king!’

  ‘She must not die!’ Cosia yelled at Danar. ‘Punish her later! Fight them! You don’t need her. Fight!’

  Cosia grabbed my arm and pulled me, and I struggled. She intended to whisk me away. She dragged me across the floor of the carriage, lifted me, trying to find a way out. ‘Come, you bitch!’ she screamed. ‘We still hold your friends! Your sister! Aloise and Shinna! You will fail no matter what happens here. Don’t fight us!’

  She pushed me from the carriage, and we fell in a tangle. As she got up, her face was that of an elven female, her hair dark as night, and she began pulling me across the street.

  A hand grabbed her. She turned.

  I felt a spell tingling, one I had seen before. It was a subtle thing of the fires of Muspelheim, and the elven maa’dark that stood before us changed into Cherry. Cosia took a step forward, not understanding what she saw. A crushed pair of elven warriors flew over us as the stone elemental threw them around with wild glee, and Cosia recovered from her astonishment. Hannea.

  She gave me a chance. I took it.

  I sobbed with fear and cursed it away and harnessed a spell of Fury. I gathered the winds and the waters, and a crackle filled the air, and then a boom and the lightning tore past Cosia, missing her, sinking into a row of shield-walled elves, but my nemesis was hurt. I had burned her side to a sizzling crisp. She was hollering in her singsong Gorgon voice, her spell of disguise gone. She rolled to the side, her snakes weaving madly. ‘Come, quickly!’ Hannea said, but I shook my head at her, growling.