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

by Alaric Longward

  ‘I thought you said you had nothing up your sleeve?’ Almheir said unhappily. ‘That is a damned Jotun! A fire giant. By the gods! He is our foe!’

  ‘He’s my friend, Almheir,’ I said happily. ‘He escaped with us from the Devourer. Yes, he used to fight in Hel’s War on the opposing side, but he is on mine now. I thought he’d died.’

  He had not. He was a shape-changer as were many of the giants of Jotunheimr, Nifleheim, and Muspelheim. I knew he could change his size, but to take a different shape? He had followed us from the Gray Downs after all. He had plummeted to the sea with us and taken the shape of a great shark and had also scared us all shitless. Why had he not followed us? Perhaps Ompar would be alive, I thought, but I shook my head. We had been rescued. He would tell his reasons soon enough.

  Soon, the two ships were sinking, and Thak cursed the hiding enemy profusely. Then he climbed aboard to face a bristling wall of nervous spears. He looked at the terrified elves scornfully. He pointed a finger at the Regent. ‘Either tell them to get on with it,’ the enormous, muscle-bound thing rumbled. ‘Or welcome me.’

  ‘You are welcome, Thak,’ Almheir said with a trembling voice. ‘Let there be peace between us and—’

  ‘Faugh!’ the giant said as he shivered and shrunk to six-foot. ‘I’m indebted to her.’

  ‘Not anymore,’ I said happily.

  Lex hissed. ‘Don’t remind him about that.’

  ‘I’ll decide when the debt is paid,’ Thak rumbled. ‘I’m just happy I did not have to storm the damned city for you.’

  ‘Why did you scare me with that shark act?’ I growled.

  He chuckled. ‘I figured Euryale would have someone in the Tears. I didn’t want to be a target. That one would have poisoned me at the first opportunity.’

  ‘It was Cherry,’ I said unhappily.

  ‘The mute.’ He smiled like a bear. ‘Figures. I’m happy to see you, pretty human.’

  ‘I’m happy too,’ I said and went to him and gave him a huge hug. He looked a bit surprised and gave me a brief tap on my back, which left me in bruises even through the armor.

  He bowed to me. ‘I lurked at the edges of the battle in the south. I nearly entered Lowpass, but you escaped on your own after all. And I could not get to Himingborg. I was going to try, but then I saw you on the deck and figured I had no reason to hide. You were in trouble again. You do find problems quite often. I’d be safer with Thor. He hates Jotuns. Narrow-minded and stupid and—’

  ‘I should not blame you if you wanted to go on your own, find your peace,’ I told him as I took my helmet off. I kissed his cheek, little caring about the whispers of the Bardagoon crew. He looked very happy.

  ‘I made an oath,’ he said. ‘I might forget it every now and then, but I am committed. Though I wonder if they will respect my wishes.’ He stared at the elves, who looked back at him resentfully. ‘I’ll be careful. I’ll help you now, and feed myself, thank you.’

  ‘Eat anything, Thak!’ I said and hesitated. ‘Except live elves. Or dead ones, perhaps. Eat the humans.’ I looked away, seeking Dana. ‘I’ll go see my sister,’ I told the Regent.

  He nodded, eyeing Thak with wonder, but pointed a finger down the hold. ‘We shall collect the others’ ships, scuttle any that cannot make it, sail this wreck to our harbor, and then we shall storm the city before the enemy mounts the ruined walls and gates of Himingborg. It will be desperate. But before that …’ He lifted an eyebrow. ‘As agreed.’

  ‘I know,’ I said. ‘And I dance with a ghoul, the fool that I am.’

  ‘After we marry,’ he reminded me, and Lex opened his mouth in astonishment.

  ‘Yes,’ I agreed and gave Lex a begging look, which he noted and smiled away the curse that was about to come out of his mouth. Thak grinned at me, and I shrugged.

  Almheir hesitated. ‘Take the shield for the Shadows, Shannon. It will help you.’ He showed it to me. ‘We will cover it with leather, and let Cerunnos be surprised; the undead thing. It will know it, otherwise. Keep it covered, and when he has failed with his spells, you strike hard. We shall speak more later, and I’ll give it to you.’

  ‘Thank you, your highness,’ I said with gratitude. He gave me a brief hug and went to order the ship to ready for the trip. I went down and sat next to Dana in a sodden, once elaborate, gilded cabin, and fell asleep next to her.

  BOOK 4: CERUNNOS TIMMERION

  ‘She is now the Hand of Life of House Bardagoon. Shannon Bardagoon.’

  (The Regent of Shannon)

  CHAPTER 19

  ‘You did really well, sister,’ I told her as she lay on a huge pillow, holding her head. ‘And I am sorry you were in danger.’

  ‘I felt like I was burning up; my legs shuddered, and I couldn’t stand,’ she complained. ‘We safe now?’

  ‘Thak was happily out there lurking beneath the waves,’ I said.

  ‘I don’t like him,’ Dana answered softly, her eyes betraying worry.

  I sighed. ‘I’m sorry for the things I said in Trad. But I wasn’t very far off. Like now, for instance. You have liked very few people—or giants— on this journey, dear sister,’ I told her with asperity. ‘He saved us. Love him.’

  She ignored it. ‘And Lex is back in your life, Ulrich as well,’ she said hollowly. ‘At least Anja is gone for good. And Albine.’

  ‘Please,’ I told her. ‘Stop it.’

  She didn’t. ‘And Hannae. You had her help you. You didn’t trust us, but her.’

  ‘I didn’t have a choice,’ I said sternly. ‘One of you worked against us. It was Cherry. But I could not be sure.’

  ‘It might have been better if the Regent had fallen,’ she said. ‘This would all end sooner.’

  ‘I don’t know how you can say such a thing,’ I answered.

  ‘I’ve no lies to tell, sister. I just want to see you heal,’ she said softly. ‘Then I’ll take off to build my life. A brilliant, rich, happy life full of freedom. But I guess we will see how it goes now.’

  ‘Yes, Dana. We will.’

  She nodded. ‘The Eye of Hel,’ she said absentmindedly, and then shook her head. ‘Make sure you fight, sister. Fight well. Fight so hard you won’t have to regret it. You will have the Charm Breaker? Will he let it go?’

  ‘I will,’ I said. ‘And yes, he promised it to me. Lex wanted to swim for it, up there,’ I said and smiled. ‘It was that desperate. I will fight hard, but the Rot will kill me anyway, or the Dragon Pact, so I’d rather meet this Cerunnos Timmerion and die trying.’

  ‘You lie,’ she said. ‘Nobody would rather walk to a den of death than—’

  ‘I would have lied, before I saw what the Rot does. I really do not wish to die like that.’

  She sighed and shook her head heavily, terrified. ‘That Rot would be gone had you stayed true to Euryale,’ she whispered. ‘These elves are no better than the Gorgons. Not one bit.’

  ‘They are,’ I told her wistfully. ‘Some are. And I will not have you speaking of letting Danar Coinar sit on Aldheim’s throne.’

  She laughed madly and waved her hand courteously, mocking me. ‘I am far more pragmatic. I have no dog in this race, other than seeing us both prosper. Humans, elves, matters not. Ideologies like Albine’s, love like yours? I only see the routes that benefit us in the end. We have not walked them so far. I wish you would have taken mine. And now it will be dangerous.’

  I shook my head at her. ‘Love like mine is better than pragmatic, cold life. They captured us, held us ransom, lied and cheated, and they kill each other mercilessly. I have seen plenty of elves that are worth trekking the dark, uncertain routes for. Kiera? Aloise? Almheir, perhaps. They can smile and enjoy jests, and they do not hate us,’ I said wistfully. ‘And I think Almheir will restore the gods. He does not want to, but he can sacrifice his own good for the good of his people.’

  She grasped me. ‘I don’t care if Kiera can laugh. Or if there are millions of good elves. Why would I? I don’t want to be one of them. We will get you h
ealed, and then I will want something for myself. And what if there is no cure but Euryale?’ she insisted. ‘All this has been for nothing. You elf-doting, stupid idiot. You listened to Anja’s and Ulrich’s meows, and now here we are. They left us, and we are waist high in shit and vomit.’ She broke away from me.

  ‘What is wrong with you?’ I asked, surprised.

  ‘Nothing,’ she said, ‘I’m just tired. Afraid. Why didn’t Anja come?’

  ‘I don’t know, other than she hates me,’ I said with a sad smile, but I was also reluctant to share the thought Almheir was using her.

  ‘This world will be the death of us,’ Dana whispered.

  Ulrich grunted behind us. ‘Albine was hoping to hammer it into submission. But there is something I thought about when I came to Himingborg, Shannon.’

  ‘This was a private discussion, Ulrich,’ Dana complained. ‘Though it is taking us nowhere.’

  ‘Nothing’s private, Dana,’ he snorted. ‘And I was thinking about our safety. If the gods disappoint us, there are the gates.’

  I nodded. ‘The gates, indeed?’

  He explained. ‘If the horn is returned, the gates will be open, right?’ Ulrich said. ‘I don’t wish to go back home, not if I am blocked from the Glory, making it all miserable again, but what if we can go to Midgard?’

  ‘Home of humans,’ I allowed. ‘Perhaps we will be allowed to go there.’

  ‘Things might be easier in a land of humans,’ Ulrich said. ‘This will be a nightmare only.’

  ‘Or they might disdain their fellow humans who can kill them with a single spell,’ Dana whispered with a smile.

  Ulrich nodded. ‘Only if they know.’

  ‘We will all find ways for ourselves,’ Dana said tiredly. ‘Shannon will heal elves for the rest of her life if she survives. She seems to love them. Albine will kill elves for the rest of hers. Anja will feel sorry for herself and will be so miserable she probably lives in a cave somewhere. Lex will hover around Shannon until he drinks himself to death. You go to Midgard and explore, Ulrich.’

  ‘And you?’ I asked her, smiling.

  ‘I told you. I’ll carve a kingdom for myself somewhere,’ she whispered. ‘I will find a place to rule far from here,’ she added. ‘It will cost me much, perhaps.’

  ‘What?’ Ulrich asked with a subdued voice. ‘What shall it cost?’

  ‘My soul. Try not to die, sister,’ she said resolutely. ‘But if you do, we shall not meet again.’

  ‘We will see, sister, what comes after death and see there,’ I said as bravely as I could though terror was gnawing at me. She was so strange.

  ‘I shall never die, Shannon,’ she whispered and fell asleep in my arms. ‘I cannot. I’m a coward. I hate your bravery and morals.’

  Ulrich stared at her and opened his mouth, but closed it. I put Dana down and grabbed my helmet. I went to Ulrich and took his hand. He nodded and sighed. ‘You are saying goodbye.’

  ‘I am,’ I said sadly. ‘Out of all of them, I feared you the most. But I also trusted you the most.’

  ‘I know,’ he said and hugged me. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and rested his chin on top of my head. ‘I promise to help as long as I can.’

  ‘I know.’

  CHAPTER 20

  The cliffs were awe-inspiring, huge like an earthbound bank of clouds, gray and green with vegetation, even some trees as they reached up to the air from the sheer cliffs. I stared at huge birds plummeting among the sky-high cliffs, dipping to skim the rocks over the waves as they hunted food for their young. Lex was sitting nearby, staring up as well with an absent look. He nodded at the cliffs. ‘Freyr’s Seat. It looks god-like. A fitting place for elven lords to spend their time staring down at people.’ He said the word “lords” with heavy spite, and I sighed. I walked carefully for him, for the ship was rocking as it approached a stone pier.

  I sat next to him and took his hand. He looked down at it and shrugged. ‘I’m sorry for everything I said,’ I told him. ‘I’ve always only worried about Dana. Hated her half the time, true, but worried for her nonetheless. And now this world, it just seems to swallow us. I had no patience for anyone else’s problems. And I did not trust you. No. I did not.’

  ‘I’ll never love Ompar,’ he grumbled with shame. ‘But you must know I am sorry as well. And I am sorry I hesitated saving him in Scorpion’s Bridge. I hate myself for that. Dana had been goading me all along the trip down south. But she was right, wasn’t she? Never mind, it’s my fault. I … fantasized about killing him.’ He held his head and shook with regret. ‘Then you ousted me. Anja and me and everyone. I rather understood how alone you were, and it was our fault. And Ulrich said you did it to keep us safe.’

  ‘Both,’ I said, smiling at Ulrich’s wisdom. ‘I was thinking about both when I kicked you off.’

  ‘I used to smuggle all sort of stuff in Boston and yes, the gang was hardly made up of gentlemen, but I always fancied myself a bit of a better person. I was disappointed in myself in Trad,’ he said. ‘Of course when the elves appeared and pushed us into the ship, and Cherry turned out to be Cosia, I only thought about saving you. Happily, the Bardagoon troops and Kiera saved our asses from the ship. She is a lively one.’

  ‘She is,’ I laughed but went serious. ‘You fantasised about it. Killing him. I actually killed someone who was helpless. I made it sound noble like I was a queen or something, but in truth, I wanted to wipe the smile off her damned face. I felt so strange. I feel terrible now. No matter if she killed Ompar. There was something inside me …’ I said and went silent.

  He snickered tiredly and wiped his cold, clammy sweat from his brow. ‘I know what you mean. I felt sorry for you both, but seeing you in love? It tore my heart out. There is a dark demon inside me as well, Shannon, and I had never met it before.’

  ‘I sat on the deck for days, Lex, and all I could think was that I had failed. Disappointed myself terribly. Sullied Ompar’s memory.’

  He sighed, and we stared at the ship’s crew preparing us for disembarkation. He waved his hand around him. ‘All this beauty, but we are all broken like twigs. Aldheim has certainly trashed us good. I mean, life on Earth was harsh, but this? And now, everything hinges on you challenging some monster of the past alone.’

  I nodded. ‘It’s my atonement, I think. I will do my best.’

  ‘Don’t be rash,’ he whispered as some elves walked past, carrying ropes. ‘There is still life for you, even after Ompar.’

  ‘Is there?’

  ‘You are young. I promise I won’t haunt you forever. I’ll find a girl for myself one day. And you will be happy again. And you will be married, no?’ He smiled as he rolled his eyes.

  I laughed. ‘Again. I’ve been married a lot, I admit. It must be because there is nothing involved in getting married. Only papers and nothing more. They just get married in Aldheim. No need to invite family and friends and to hire musicians and put on a fancy spread. Easy.’

  ‘I’ll want a proper wedding, though,’ he smiled. ‘Perhaps the humans do it differently here. Or in Midgard. Ulrich was talking about it. Perhaps I’ll go there with him. We will all protect you as long as we can, but Midgard seems like something to see. A dream at the end of the road.’

  ‘Dreams and dreams, Lex,’ I sighed. ‘I dream of being safe. If I die, can you—’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Find a way to make sure my baby sister will never come here,’ I whispered. ‘Rose. No, no you cannot. I know. I am sorry. It’s for me and Dana to do. But she is so strange.’

  ‘I cannot kill Euryale, and she guards the gate to Earth,’ he said sadly. ‘I will do my best, but that is too much to ask,’ he said miserably. ‘We will help you now. And I agree. Dana will not do anything for anyone but herself. She will break your heart yet.’

  ‘A heart can be broken so easily, and I’m quite clumsy with hearts, Lex,’ I told him and kissed him gently on the cheek, caressing his chin. I stared him in the eye. ‘We will see. As for your heart, I tha
nk you for it. I wanted to give you mine, but I failed. If I die—’

  ‘Shannon—’

  ‘If I die, I just wanted to say I am sorry.’

  He held his head and nodded many times. ‘I still love you.’

  I hugged him briefly and laughed softly. ‘And Lex, I’m happy you think you might find a girl.’ I smiled at him, feeling uncomfortable with the topic. I went on with it anyway. ‘That Kiera for example, looks like something to make you happy. If I die, try her.’

  ‘I won’t mope for you forever, no.’ He grinned, and we hugged. He eyed Kiera, who uncannily turned to look at us and winked. ‘I doubt she would have me,’ he said smiling. ‘But yes, perhaps …’

  ‘Bastard!’

  ‘I’ll flirt with her as she is like you. She is brave, pretty, and likely boneheaded. Perhaps she will like me? Or I’ll marry in Midgard. I have a hunch elven romance is not bound to end up well. Seen it up close.’ I smiled at his compliments, and we both looked up to see cliffs and far above, coming into sight, a strange stone platform reached over the side of the cliffs. ‘Let’s see how they intend to get us up there.’

  ‘There is the dock,’ I said. Indeed, a modest if long stone construction was placed in a small bay.

  As if to answer Lex’s questions, Almheir called out. ‘Come, my strange friends. And witness the glory of Ljusalfheim!’ he hailed from the foredeck, his hair whipping furiously in a sudden gust of wind. Thak got to his knees and pounded out of the ship, scattering a dozen screaming birds into the skies of the harbor and roared happily as he landed on the quay. We moored carefully, the ship taking in water, near floundering as it was tilted to the side. We abandoned it and walked to the end of the stone pier, a hundred of us leaving the ship. There Shinna bowed to me.