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

by Alaric Longward

  ‘Shannon—’ she began, but the dragon applied some pressure, and she went quiet with a hiss of pain.

  ‘So, you freed me, little mortal,’ the Masked One smiled and stretched its neck. ‘Do you want this one?’ he asked, and tapped Cosia’s chest with a claw, making her whimper with pain.

  ‘Yes,’ I told him as I glared at the slayer of Ompar. ‘You wish to stay in that form, or speak to me like a man would?’ I asked it.

  ‘I find my true form comfortable after the long years, thank you. So, you also routed the elves. And what is this? Dead walking around Aldheim? Yours or Timmerion’s doing?’

  ‘Dana’s doing,’ I told him dryly. ‘And I am no mortal.’

  He regarded me carefully. ‘You would not dare to challenge me, would you? You are no goddess, despite the stench of Hel in you.’

  ‘I think you are out of practice, wyrm,’ I told it. ‘But I am tired also. I think.’ I was not sure if I was or not.

  He nodded after a while. ‘The Pact. We had a deal. I took control of your shackles,’ he said and eyed my bone hand that had no shackle left, ‘and you will kill Euryale. And I get to ask you for something. Anything. A request. The time is now.’

  ‘And now you will ask for something?’ I smiled at the beast. ‘What is it?’

  ‘The Horn.’

  ‘Ah, you missed it!’ I laughed dryly. ‘My sister stole it and went—’

  ‘To the darkness of the dark ones,’ it sniffled unhappily. ‘I will think of something else.’

  ‘The Pact is broken,’ I told it with finality.

  ‘No, it cannot be broken,’ it sniffled. ‘It is not done.’

  ‘You made it with a mortal. If I had failed, I would have died by the Pact. And now I am dead.’

  ‘Technicality, girl,’ it murmured. ‘Instead, you shall serve me.’

  ‘No, I shall not.’ I laughed. ‘I have a mistress.’

  ‘You will be a very confused servant, then,’ the dragon hissed. ‘Know this. Even if the Pact will not kill you now, breaking a pact will make you enemy of my kin. You do not wish to challenge the creatures of my homeland. And now, I shall fetch the Horn. It is worth a trove of treasure and will be quite an adventure to gain, no? Will you follow?’

  ‘Yes.’

  The dragon stopped for a moment. ‘Your sister.’

  ‘Is lost to me. She is a monster more than I am.’

  The dragon laughed softly, and its eyes glinted. ‘When I entered her mind in the Gray Downs like I did yours, she tried to stave me off like you did in your turn. You used Lex, your guardian. She envisioned you. She has faults, girl, she is a fool and a coward, and she did betray you all the way to death, but Euryale promised to spare you. She was lied to, and she suffers from her weaknesses. Now she will seek to remake herself into something to rival you. To top you. And she misses you. She is cruel and petty, but she misses you.’

  ‘She got Lex killed.’ I felt troubled and sullen at the thought of Dana, not willing to think she was anything but a liar. ‘And Ompar.’

  ‘You did not love Lex,’ the beast laughed. ‘But you did Ompar. Lich Queen of Aldheim. You need a consort of your stature. Now, I do believe Dana’s shackle is still tethered to me, is it not? So are some others who still live, but I see you sent them away. Expect me, Shannon. Or I will expect you. May the best creature gain the Horn. Farewell.’ The dragon lifted to the air, spread its enormous wings and flew into the hole. It was gone.

  EPILOGUE

  I was the Queen of Aldheim, sitting on a disputed and fragile throne. I had strange powers and an army of followers, but the dead were hard creatures to rule and so, perhaps, I could fail. I’d rule from the top floor of the Citadel of Glory, and there my throne sat. The dead guarded the fort, the ancient archmages rebellious and unhappy, but still obedient. The elves were in open war with Himingborg.

  I could not leave and capture Dana.

  I had a war to fight. To win.

  I gazed at Kiera as she served me wine that did not taste the same, food I did not need or enjoy, but I clung onto some of my humanity. I gazed at Cosia the Gorgon and Ittisana, the Gorgon that had been Cherry for two years. She had pale yellow snakes, and she gave me a long, uncertain look. I ignored it and let her ponder the future. I had released her, but not forgiven, and the dead forget and forgive little, I had discovered. She stood guarding Cosia as she had joined me willingly after I freed her from Gray Down’s dungeons. At a gesture, Cosia went to her knees, her arms bound. I stared down at her muscular body and snapped my fingers. ‘Thak? Prepare.’

  ‘Mistress? The giant bowed on the side. ‘Are we leaving? Or shall I break the Gorgon?’

  ‘Yes,’ I told him.

  He fidgeted. ‘Which?’

  ‘The leaving part.’

  He sighed like a mountain. ‘The city is ours, but little else. You should stay, lady, and lead the war.’

  ‘I will,’ I said. ‘I am needed here.’

  ‘So who is leaving?’

  ‘You are.’

  ‘Where, my lady?’ he asked carefully.

  I turned to look at Ulrich. ‘You want my sister and the Horn. Do you agree?’

  ‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘And I will not fight elven and human armies here in Aldheim. No matter what takes place.’

  I bowed my head to him. ‘That is fine, Ulrich. I understand. I charge you to go to Svartalfheim. Ittisana and Cosia here will guide you. Kiera will come and help as well.’ The dead elf bowed at him, her eyes unreadable. ‘She will guard my interests if you forget them. Thak—’

  ‘No, Queen,’ Thak said and bowed. ‘Ulrich can deal with it himself.’

  ‘He needs you there,’ I told him. ‘There is a dragon out there. Nations of hostiles you know of. For me, do this for me.’

  He cursed and nodded heavily. ‘Fine.’

  I looked at Ulrich. ‘Will you lead them after Dana?’

  He sighed and wiped his forehead, deep in his thoughts. Then he agreed. ‘For the Horn, for sanity’s sake, and even for you, Shannon, I shall. If it will end this madness, I shall do it. I’ll fight your sister, the dragon and likely die, and I will do it for what remains of the Ten Tears. But I cannot promise I will bring Dana home alive.’

  ‘As long as you bring the Horn to me, I am happy,’ I said. ‘And if you would bring me Dana’s bones, I’d be very grateful. I need a fork.’

  - The story continues 2016 in the Throne of Scars –

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