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

  EYE OF HEL

  TEN TEARS CHRONICLES

  BOOK 2

  BY: ALARIC LONGWARD

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  EYE OF HEL

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

  OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  GLOSSARY

  MAP OF NORTHERN ALDHEIM

  PROLOGUE

  BOOK 1: OMPAR COINAR

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  BOOK 2: LOWPASS

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  BOOK 3: HIMINGBORG

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  BOOK 4: CERUNNOS TIMMERION

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  BOOK 5: HEL’S BARGAIN

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  EPILOGUE

  The text and the story copyright © 2015 Alaric Longward

  (www.alariclongward.com)

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover art by Markus Lovadina (http://artofmalo.carbonmade.com)

  Cover design by (http://www.thecovercollection.com/)

  ISBN 978-952-7101-18-6 (mobi)

  ISBN 978-952-7101-19-3 (paperback)

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

  - For those who have failed and still go on -

  A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

  Greetings, and thank you for getting this book. I hope you enjoy it and also read the my other series below. When you have completed the story, I would appreciate if you could take the time to rate and review the story on Amazon.com and/or on Goodreads. This will be incredibly valuable for me going forward and I want you to know how much I appreciate your opinion and time.

  Please visit

  www.alariclongward.com

  and sign up for my mailing list for a monthly dose of information on upcoming stories and information on our competitions and winners.

  OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR:

  THE HRABAN CHRONICLES – NOVELS OF ROME AND GERMANIA

  THE OATH BREAKER – BOOK 1

  RAVEN’S WYRD – BOOK 2

  THE WINTER SWORD – BOOK 3

  BANE OF GODS – BOOK 4 (COMING 2016)

  GOTH CHRONICLES - NOVELS OF THE NORTH

  MAROBOODUS - BOOK 1

  THE CANTINIÉRE TALES – STORIES OF FRENCH REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEONIC WARS

  JEANETTE’S SWORD – BOOK 1

  JEANETTE’S LOVE – BOOK 2

  JEANETTE’S CHOICE – BOOK 3 (COMING LATE 2016)

  TEN TEARS CHRONICLES – STORIES OF THE NINE WORLDS

  THE DARK LEVY – BOOK 1

  EYE OF HEL – BOOK 2

  THRONE OF SCARS – BOOK 3 (COMING 2016)

  THIEF OF MIDGARD – STORIES OF THE NINE WORLDS

  THE BEAST OF THE NORTH – BOOK 1

  QUEEN OF THE DRAUGR – BOOK 2 (COMING 2016)

  GLOSSARY

  Able – a French Ten Tear and Albine’s brother.

  Albine – the French girl and one of the Ten Tears and Able’s sister.

  Aldheim – the jewel of the gods, home of elves and the First World of the mortals, Aldheim is a beautiful world full of adventure and uncanny beauty.

  Alexei Donskoi – a Russian Ten Tear, Dmitri’s, and Anja’s brother.

  Aloise Bardagoon – wife of Almheir Bardagoon, the Regent’s wife, a lover of music and a lady in dire need of Shannon’s help.

  Anja Donskoi– a Russian Ten Tear, Alexei’s, and Dmitri’s sister.

  Asfalon Bardagoon – son of Almheir Bardagoon.

  Bilac – a Fury Whip of the Dark Clans, jailor, and teacher of the Ten Tears.

  Cerunnos Timmerion – formerly the Regent of Aldheim, the defender of the land.

  Cherry – a strange, mute member of the Ten Tears. Guardian of Shannon.

  Cosia – a Fury Whip of the Dark Clans, jailor, and teacher of the Ten Tears.

  Dana Crowther – utterly powerful member of the Ten Tears and Shannon’s driven sister.

  Danar Coinar – lord of the House Coinar, devious and driven.

  Dancing Bay – the waters of Freyr’s Tooth and Spellcoast. Dangerous and pirate ridden.

  Dmitri Donskoi – a Russian Ten Tear and Alexei’s and Anja’s brother.

  Elder Shannon – Shannon’s grandma, and a priestess of the old ways.

  Euryale – the snake headed native of another world, Euryale is the captor of humans of earth, the creator of the Dark Levy, the mistress of her house of gorgons, and she has many devious plans. One of the First Born, just shy of the gods.

  Eye of the Crow – Hel’s eye, her sole contact to the lands and beauty she once knew, before forced to be the caretaker of the dead and the rot.

  Ferdan – Elder Shannon’s overly religious friend.

  Filling of the Void – the beginning of everything, when ice of Nifleheim’s rivers and molten bridges of lava mixed in the void.

  Fanged Spire – once the palace of Cerunnos Timmerion, now home of Euryale.

  Freyr’s Tooth - the northern part of the elven kingdoms.

  Ganglari – servant of goddess Hel, shape shifter, and a lord of Helheim.

  Gjallarhorn – god Heimdall’s fabulous horn, used to open and close all doors.

  Gray Downs – once the island seat of House Timmerion, ruined by the Lord Cerunnos in the year of Sundering.

  Hand of Life – goddess Frigg’s gift to the quarrelsome elven lands of Aldheim. Also called the Second Light, counselor of the Regent. Hand of Life was always thought to be an elven female, but Shannon proved the theory wrong.

  Hel – goddess of the underworld, keeper of the dead.

  Hel’s War – the war goddess Hel unleashed at the theft of the Eye of the Crow

  Himinborg – the great city of House Safiroon, close allies of the House Bardagoon. Himinborg guards the only land route to the Freyr’s Tooth and the noblest lands of the elves and hosts the sundered Gate of Svartalfheim. Lord of the House Safiroon is Talien Safiroon, an ancient, masterful Spell Lord.

  House Bardagoon – led by the Regent, Almheir Bardagoon, they rule over the majority of the holiest elven lands of the Freyr’s Tooth.

  House Coinar – the southern house and fourth in Aldheim, fabulously rich of trade and raids. Foes to the north.

  House Daxamma – the Holder of the Southern Passes, the high elven house commands more land than the other four great houses. The house stands in the mountain range to South Aldheim, where few elves venture since the Sundering. Often considered savage and less noble than houses of the Freyr’s Tooth and northern Spell Coast, Daxamma are deeply distrustful of the Regent and the other higher houses. Enslavers of humans, Daxamma use them freely in their armies and ar
e ever the arm and muscle of House Coinar.

  House Safiroon – The second house of Aldheim, they hold the southern half of Freyr’s Tooth, the holy continent just north across straights from Spellcoast. Himinborg is their fabulous capital.

  House Timmerion – formerly the first house of Aldheim, the house fell into ruin in Hel’s war.

  House Vautan – the third house of Aldheim, they command the northern tip of Spellcoast and are allies of the Bardagoon’s and Safiroon’s.

  Ittisana – a gorgon with confused loyalties.

  Jotun – ice or fire, the giants hate the gods.

  Lex Cyburn – one of the Ten Tears, the conciliator, and the one who loves Shannon.

  Ljusalfheim – home of house Bardagoon, the first house in the northern half of the elevated continent of Freyr’s Tooth. There stands the Hall, Freyr’s Seat.

  Maa’dark – Gifted Hands. Spell casters who can see and use the power.

  Marxam Daxamma – lord of House Daxamma, uncannily tall and less wise than other of the five, nonetheless a lord of much power.

  Medusa – Euryale’s and Stheno’s sister. Lost in Midgard.

  Nifleheim – land of primal ice, home of the nine frozen rivers and Hel rules the land, in addition to Helheim that is located in this land.

  Ron Cyburn – one of the Ten Tears and a thug. Saa’dark – Dead Hands. Sacrifice of worth to gain power.

  Serpent’s Run – the sea-lanes near Vagabond’s End, rumored to host a great serpent.

  Shannon Crowther – the human Hand of Life, healer, and a miracle in Aldheim.

  Shinna Safiroon – the eldest child of Talien Safiroon, Shinna is to one-day rule Safiroon holdings. She is to marry the eldest of house Bardagoon, Asfalon Bardagoon, to cement the alliance between the two houses of Freyr’s Tooth, the noblest of the elven houses.

  Silver Maw – armor of the Hand of Life.

  Skills – the power of creation often grant those humans entering Aldheim skills that are not spells.

  Spellcoast – the vast continent of the elven nations.

  Stheno – Euryale’s sister. The one she is trying to restore to her.

  Svartalfheim – the land of the dark elven and dwarven races.

  Talien Safiroon – as old as Almheir Bardagoon and Danar Coinar, Talien has ruled the southern half of Freyr’s Tooth for thousands of years, shrewdly navigating the schemes of House Coinar and Daxamma, guarding the north for the Regent and his allies to the south, House Vautan. He is the father of four elven boys and one daughter, Shinna Safiroon.

  Thak – a fire jotun, a giant.

  The Dark Levy – a levy of the troubled of the earth to travel bi-yearly to another world, where they discover who they really are. A device of Euryale seeking for something specific.

  The Gates – the ways gods built to cement the Nine together. Lost since Hel’s war.

  The Houses – elven lands are divided into thousand houses. They compete fiercely and challenge each other into a game of power. The top five command the loyalty of the rest and this division makes up the power division of Aldheim.

  The Nine – the nine worlds the gods claimed at the time of the Filling of the Void.

  The Sundering – the tumultuous event of the closing of the gates during Hel’s War.

  The Tenth – the land of the Timmerion, our earth, the world elven houses tried to make for themselves, hoping to be like the gods. Home to the Dark Levy, humans whom the Timmerion’s once manipulated so they could touch the power.

  Trad – house Vautan’s fabulous capital on the Spell Coast.

  Ulrich Cyburn – an Austrian member of the Ten Tears, foe of Dana. Vagabond’s End – pirate islands of the Dancing Bay.

  Vanir – gods and goddesses allied with the Aesir.

  Wild’s Coast – after the Sundering, the eastern Aldheim was thrown to anarchy. Few know what is taking place in the formerly glorious elven kingdoms.

  .

  ‘The Eye of the Crow,

  from Hel’s face shorn.

  The gods are gone, for the Horn is lost,

  and both will be found at a great cost.

  An awkward fool,

  will dance with the twisted ghoul,

  the Cold Hand shall seek the tools,

  and argue over love’s curious rules.

  The Pact of the sister is fulfilled,

  the false god wickedly thrilled.

  The Horn shall blow,

  freedom for those below.’

  - Frigg’s Prophesy -

  MAP OF NORTHERN ALDHEIM

  PROLOGUE

  This is the story of two sisters from Earth, and they are called Dana and Shannon. Their lives were troubled until one day they discovered a way out of their misery. It was a bloody ritual and that ritual opened a strange gate, and the mistress of the gate was an otherworldly being called Euryale the Gorgon. It happened on a certain fateful June day, 1815.

  The sisters left Earth and found the elven land of Aldheim—the jewel of the Nine Worlds—and there they endured slavery. With luck, sacrifice, and guts, they made their way to freedom, though the price was heavy for the group of humans Euryale had named the Ten Tears.

  Now they were free, but they were not safe. They were divided, for many had died and Dana and Shannon had grown apart.

  And Euryale would hunt for them. She had plans for Shannon.

  Listen.

  BOOK 1: OMPAR COINAR

  “It is the south and it is unforgiving.”

  (Ompar to Shannon)

  CHAPTER 1

  The elven ship was slowing down. They threw out long nets, which splashed into the sea, and we would be saved.

  ‘Swim and grab them,’ I gasped as I struggled mightily in the sea with my magical armor, Silver Maw. No matter my armor’s strange nature, its odd lightness, the power it granted, the fabulous thing could and would kill me in the end if I did not abandon it in the sea. But I would not; I would need it. Yet, I was already exhausted after our battle in the Twisted Tower, and swimming was getting hard. The full helm stopped me from seeing well and Dana, my sister, was struggling as she dragged me with her.

  ‘Gods, thank you,’ Lex, the blond man breathed as he splashed for the elven ship that had spotted us. Elven and human faces could be glimpsed as they checked their speed and wondered at our misery. We must have looked like sodden leaves, buffeted by waves, forgotten by gods.

  Dana, my beautiful dark-haired sister, smiled wryly. ‘I wanted you to save us, Sister, all through these past two years,’ she said. ‘You had to keep your word to Euryale. That’s all. You didn’t. However, your plan worked, it seems. Though—’

  ‘Let’s discuss it later,’ I said. ‘It was a filthy deal I had with her. The Ten Tears are our friends. Ulrich, Lex, and even Anja. And the girls,’ I said and gestured for Cherry, the mute, thin-faced girl, and Albine, the French girl with lustrous dark hair and skin. They were looking at Lex dubiously, as he seemed to have trouble in the waves and with swimming in general. ‘I could not leave them and save only you and I. Can you see that damned Thak?’ I looked around desperately for the giant. He was not there.

  ‘That … thing—’

  ‘Fire giant, Dana,’ I said. ‘He saved us. You.’

  ‘He eats people. Ate. He ate Bilac,’ she said softly, struggling and dragging me.

  ‘Bilac was a damned gorgon!’ I told her. ‘I haven’t seen him eat anyone I’d care to spare. Can you see him?’

  ‘He was twelve feet tall, Shannon. The Dark Prayer, the magical mirror was our size. I know he helped us, but he died with the gorgons. He is not here!’

  ‘He could change size. You didn’t see him, but he—’

  ‘Is gone. And as for your friends, yes you saved most. I have none,’ she said and faltered as I stared at her behind the eye slits of my helmet. She smiled apologetically. ‘Well, apart from you, sister. My rebellious friend and family.’

  Yes.

  I had indeed rebelled against Euryale the Gorgon, our m
istress, the one who had pulled us from Earth while seeking the Hand of Life. That was I. She had killed elven Hands for thousands of years. She had done so in hope of harvesting a human one. She had hoped one of the few humans who could hear, see, and sense the frigid ices of Nifleheim and the great fires of Muspelheim’s chasms mixing in the Filling Void would be born the new Hand. We were maa’dark, mages. And I was indeed more. The Hand of Life could heal. None else could, save the gods and some First Born. Every elf lord in Aldheim was involved in the Race, gaining the Hand for their house, for the one who held me would be, or would remain the Regent of Aldheim. Euryale had hoped to use me to gain an artifact, the Eye of Hel from the current Regent. She would have done it violently, as she was hated by all the elves. She was the Devourer, and she had killed many of us and thousands of elves as well.

  The ship was slowing, going up and down in the swells. It was a sleek one, with two tall masts, a sturdy afterdeck, and then, something happened.

  ‘What are they doing?’ Ulrich growled. His voice made me flinch. He had been an enemy until that very day. I had been caught trying to orchestrate our escape. Euryale had punished us. Ulrich had nearly lost Anja while Anja lost her last brother to Euryale’s petrifying eyes. Euryale’s blood was magical. Blood from one side killed, the other resurrected. She had used both to torment us. Later, Ulrich had made me drink the poison; then he had repented and given me the life-giving one. I had died. I came back. I trusted him now, but he had murdered me in the dungeon. And he hated Dana. She had killed his brother the day we arrived.

  But he was right. Something odd was taking place.