“Thor joins us now,” he said.
The small army of trained fighters gathered. They stood to protect their village from raiders. The seer had predicted the enemy’s arrival, and like clock-work, the warriors amassed before their wattle, stone and wood buildings. A large log house still displayed the mangled arm of Grendel, the monster defeated by Beowulf, over its entry door, but this warning did nothing to alleviate the rising threat of an attack by a neighboring clan.
“Tonight, we fight for glory,” Herla shouted and lifted his sword again. His thoughts drifted to the village behind him; they needed to rebuff this attack or risk everyone either being killed or enslaved.
Knowledge crashed into Harley. Things he shouldn’t have known. He turned to look, and saw Helena’s cloaked silhouette on the hill in the distance looking at him. For this was surely the test.
“Honor binds us up to fight the good fight,” he said. The men cheered in unison.
Thunder struck, shaking the ground. The group of warriors, in their chainmail and leather tunics, gripped their lowered swords, battle axes, spears and shields and waited for the battle cry.
Women and children hurried away, closing doors and shutters behind them. The Eclafes, shapeshifting monsters, would come soon, hoping to extend their pastures, to pillage and take.
Assur came to Herla’s right side. “Dear Brother,” he said to their other blood-brother, Magnus, “I think you should tell Herla to stop biting his shield. He will surely get splinters in his mouth.”
“It’s something for me to concentrate on,” Herla interrupted. “Odin gives me my rage, and for this, I am happy.”
The Vikings stood, feet braced, awaiting their first move. “To fight, is to honor the gods,” Magnus assured him from his left.
“Since they have brought the fight to us, let us not disappoint.” Herla grinned and sprang forward, his men following after him as one. They knew each other’s signature moves, and their courage and honor held them tightly together, more so than any learned tactics, besides those of hack and slay.
Raising their shields, his men began to bang on them with the hilt of their swords. The handmade beat echoed the thudding of their hearts. Adrenaline coursed through them.
With a loud cry, they raced forward, battle axes held aloft, hacking and slicing their way through the carnage. Steel met steel, clinking.
Guttural grunts, screams and shouts, combined with the clang of sharp swords as they struck the upper arms, shoulders, torsos or upper legs to the knee of the enemy. Herla heard the barrage of the battle of metal sliding against metal and shields thudding. With his sword pointed forward, he side-stepped his attacker, striking him on the side.
With each gain, they moved forward as a unit. The rawness of survival combined with the urgency of honor.
Close together, the village army inflicted pain and gifted death with their bloodied swords and battle axes, crippling their enemy one by one, as they dropped like swatted flies.
At the end, Assur approached. “You have done what the gods could not do,” he said.
The heaviness of Assur’s words stayed one moment too long.
Herla turned in jubilation, only to feel the Assur’s sword pierce him through.
Stretching out his hands, tree limbs from the mighty alder trees reached out and picked up the monster by the scruff of his neck. One by one, branches began to pierce him through as if he were a pincushion. As they pulled, they did so until the shape-shifting beast was torn in two.
Herla fell to the ground, unable to stay on his feet and gripped his side. Blood seeped through his torn tunic.
Herla struggled to his feet and stumbled away. How could he have forgotten this? His death?
Strong arms came to help him stand, those of his beloved, Lady Hel.
“I don’t understand,” he said.
“My love, this is your test, and the reason we must travel here. Not for you to relive your death, but for you to awaken unto your life.”
“What will happen now?” He breathed through the pain. “My love for you will never disappear. I am still the same man; the same one who will crush mountains to be near you.”
“I have searched for you for lifetimes.” One lone tear rolled down her cheek. “If you were not my beloved, we would have quickly returned and your head would have been filled with past glories, but for my true beloved, he must again experience life and death.”
“So, Harley is my latest reincarnation, and I’ve been brought back here to die?”
She nodded her head.
“So, who am I really? I need to hear you say it.”
“You are the Alder King.”
Chapter 16
Harley
Time was not on their side. Harley could feel himself growing weaker.
With the battle over and ravens picking at the left overs, Hel and Harley sat on the top of a hill under a canopy of alder trees, cuddled up together, and stared at the macabre scene before them.
“Other couples would be having sex right about now,” Hel said, and snuggled closer, pulling his arm down around her.
“Is that a suggestion? I choose to hold you in my arms, and give you the strength that you’ve missed without me by your side; to warm you and block out all coldness; to allow the love that we share to blossom even when, within hours, winter will once again return, and I might disappear.”
He knew that this couldn’t be permanent. This consciousness and realization that he now had of all of the battles he’d endured; the magic that coursed through him, and of the deities he called friends, although none of them could save him from the obvious—death. However, one thing continued to live on: their love. Despite the harshness of being separated, the tragedy of heartache, nothing could replace what they shared. He knew Hel, and what it meant for her to allow him to hold her so tight and for so long.
When one was covered in pain, broken, one usually abhorred touch. Only then, the reality of brokenness came crashing in. But even as Harley, she’d let him in.
Hel wrapped her arms around his torso.
He could feel the time slipping away. Crown or no crown, death would surely come.
“Sleep well, my love,” she said and pulled him closer into her embrace. “For you have passed the test, and I shall again surely be free of the curse.”
He unwillingly closed his eyes.
Chapter 17
Harley
Present day
The sound of tears and whining grew louder.
“Hel? Hel?” he tried to whisper. But instead, the sounds of EMT technicians speaking, mixed with the swaying and that of sirens blaring.
“We’re losing him,” one of them said.
His eyes again shut, as the beeping grew louder. “He’s slipping away,” the EMT said again.
Cold paddles were pressed against his chest, and he felt the tinge of electricity course through him. The swaying continued, followed by an incessant beeping until he finally cracked his eyes open again and took in his surroundings.
Seated beside him was his mother, her blonde hair stringy around her face. Her eyes were red, tired and filled with worry, and her lips chapped. She wrung her hands and curled up tighter into her chair next to him in his hospital bed.
“You’ve come to say goodbye,” she said and reached for his hand. “Your existence mustn’t be a cruel one, Harley. You can go. You don’t have to fight anymore.” Her touch calmed him.
“Let me tell you a story, and I need you to listen. Once upon a time—” She cleared her throat. “There once was an incubus, a mad elf prince. He lusted after a virgin, and when she refused him, he assaulted her. She found herself to be with child thereafter, and with each kick, she loved that child more each day. When the child was born, the prince arrived to take back his son to raise him with all of the fairy customs that were his due. The woman refused, and ran away with the child and they lived in hiding.
“You are that son. Always special, but I knew that they would claim
you soon. The elves and gods have colluded together to steal you away from me. But you mustn’t fight anymore.
“That’s why you were never quite embraced by your fellow man—you will never be, as you are a halfling: half-elf, half human.”
Harley didn’t understand, but he couldn’t move or speak and make his feelings known.
“That horrible car accident took you from me, but at least you were surrounded by friends, Graham and his Emili. And the driver of the other vehicle, Jay, was also a student at the college. He passed away, too.”
Pain struck Harley. For all that he’d lost. All he’d found was now gone.
“No, no. This can’t be true.”
He heard the sounds of the beeping machine, felt the IV’s cords pulling at him.
His mother stroked his forehead, and as he lay there in the hospital bed, her tears dropped onto his face.
“I need you to understand what is happening to you, what will happen and why you will never find happiness unless you unearth one whose sadness you can also embrace. You’ve seen it, too. You see, you have many of your father’s talents—elven magic, clairvoyance, psychic abilities and the ability to travel to elemental realms—half elf, half human.
“It wasn’t just a car accident. It was so much more. You were DOA, son, but somehow or another, you came back to me. I thought we’d lost you.”
Don’t cry for me, mother. Things are not always as they appear.
“But I feel it coming again, and it is okay, son. You don’t have to fight anymore.”
The monitor began to slow its beeping, until it flat-lined.
He stood there and stared down at his mother, the woman he’d recalled reading him bedtime stories, kicking soccer balls, and even just putting together puzzles after a long day at her job. She’d tried to do it all.
“Until we meet again, my dear boy, my Alder King. Until then.”
A bright light pulled at him, and he moved away from it, to try and hug his mom one last time. It was the least he could do until the next time. In accordance with fairy beliefs, death was not final, but only a trip until he would see everyone again, when they would all meet in the halls of eternity.
For him, it meant a trip to Helheim.
Chapter 18
Harley
“I hear that new arrivals get to see the Lady herself,” Harley said as he crossed the rainbow bridge and walked towards the grand hall, Asgard.
“That’s unusual,” said Heimdall. He stood on guard, and held a large horn which he occasionally blew. “It says here that you are to meet with Odin first and then head to your final destination.”
“Hmm, didn’t know I’d meet the wise one.” Harley continued onward with the other travelers heading towards their appointed hall. They ranged in appearance from human, to elves, fairies, dwarves and giants. “Well, this is an eye-opener. It’s like being a cast member in a Tolkien film,” he snickered.
“Yeah, I said the same thing last time,” said one dwarf, who still carried his pickax.
“You’ve done this before?”
“Mining accident. But my family kept calling my name so much that Odin relented. I’m guessing they are trying the same thing again. What about you?”
“Besides feeling six shades of crazy, and wondering what is going on, I’m just trying to make my way back to the love of my life, my very existence.”
“She must be special if it has gained you a trip to Asgard. Most already know which hall they are going to, you know, which realm. Odin only intercedes on special occasions.”
“And you think this might be one for me?”
“Hey, we’re here. Best of luck.” The dwarf went off and began to speak with another traveler, and Harley took in the beauty of what was called the Hall of the Gods. The sky was clear blue, perfect even, and at the end of the hall, another bridge arched towards a majestic city, partly surrounded by a wall, with a high tower in its midst. Harley moved forward and took in the beauty of the lush foliage, while everything gleamed and shimmered as if embellished with gold and jewels. A clear river flowed, and the air smelled of fresh roses—magic.
“Well, definitely no famine, hunger, cold or poverty here. Or maybe those things just don’t have any value.”
“Harley?” asked a lovely woman with blonde hair.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Great. I’ve been expecting you. It appears there has been an error because you have arrived here.”
“I know. I’m trying to get to Hel.”
“The place, or the goddess?”
“The giant,” Harley said and grinned.
“You’d give up all of this for her?”
“She’d give it all up for me, so why not? Plus, I can’t get her out of my mind. She’s like the love I never knew I needed; the completion that I always wanted. She is the essence of perfection and right for me.”
“Wow, I didn’t expect such an answer.”
“Is that bad?” Harley asked.
“No, but I do need to return you.”
“No, that is not okay. I can’t break her heart.”
“Trust me, you won’t.”
Before he could respond, everything went into rewind, back to before he awoke in the hospital, to before the time when he’d first snuck onto her property, until again he sat on the river’s bank staring back at the river. A full can of beer was still in his hand. He tossed it to the side. He’d come back to life and was again on earth.
He stared at his friends. They were all still alive. All still laughing.
“Why haven’t you drank your beer? Do we need to do another bet?” Graham asked.
“Nope, but what you do need to do is call a ride instead of getting into the car. We don’t drink and drive.”
“Why do I need to call a ride? We came here with you.”
“Because, looking at my watch, I forgot that I have a date.”
“Yeah?” Emili asked. “Who’s the lucky girl?”
“Her name is Hel.”
Harley jumped in his own car and carefully drove across the river, then pulled up to the gate of the old Laufeyjarson estate. Pulling into the driveway, he parked his car and exited the vehicle.
Garmr bounded towards him, with his tongue happily hanging out of his mouth. He leaned down, petted the dog and the front door opened.
This time, he didn’t hesitate. He raced towards the woman he loved, picked her up and spun her around.
“Honey, I’m home.”
“What took you so long?” she asked. A glint of humor shone in her eyes.
“That’s all you have to say, nothing about how I got here?”
“Freyja was kind enough to let me know. I’ve worked out a great deal.”
“What’s that?”
“I won’t lie to you. I’m going to make sure to help Erich. If he loves Jasmine, then I have to embrace that, respect it. I thought I’d lost you forever this time, and to find you here now makes my heart sing. My son deserves that, too.
“I love you, my Alder King, even if you are no more a king, but just my Harley.”
“And I love you, my beautiful, benevolent Hel. Ruler of my heart, my queen, light of my life.”
She moved forward and placed a kiss on his lips and leaned into him. She tasted like heaven, and since he’d been to the realm of the gods, he knew exactly how good that was supposed to be.
They walked hand-in-hand into the house, and Siegfried nodded his head in welcome.
He snapped his fingers and a spark flickered, and therein appeared a gorgeous bouquet of black and white long stem roses that shimmered as if dusted in diamonds.
“Now, about the sex?” he chuckled. It was good to be back; to once again know who he was and have the woman he loved on his arm.
“Oh, well, I did install a sex lounge to help us into some new positions I’ve been dying to try, including the crouching tiger.”
“Is that an invitation?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” She licked
her lips, giggling, then headed into the house.
“First one upstairs gets to choose the toys,” she called after him.
That was one thing about his Lady. She knew exactly how to talk and get things steamy. “Not fair. You’re already halfway up the stairs,” he said, kicking the front door closed. It was time to begin their happy before their happy every after.
Oh, how hellish.
Epilogue
Freyja
Asgard
Freyja stared into her mirror and smiled. It was good to see Hel so happy. Everyone deserved a chance to love who they loved. And now, she had another ally. Perhaps with Hel now on the side of the Aesir, the war of the gods could be put off a little bit longer, and maybe, just maybe, they would be able to forego the whole thing entirely.
Of course, the ultimate crazy, Loki, was still malevolent and up to his tricks. He’d do anything to bring about the end, even if it meant his own demise, too. It was all about revenge and an inborn hate with him.
But that could all wait another day. Today, the nine realms were safe. Now, she had to focus back on the dragons. They would need all of the allies they could get. Maybe the key to it all was love. If they could make love act as a balsam for the broken hearts of those manipulated by Loki, such as his children, Fenrir and Hel, then maybe it was possible to heal an entire existence.
“Freyja,” Odin called. “Are you ready to hear the news from the ravens? It’s time to find out what is going on.”
Whatever problems would arise, she would fight on the side of good.
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