Nidhogg

By GG Koe

Nidhogg pulled once again on the roots that held him for the past millennium and was surprised by a snapping sound. Ragnarök had weakened the roots and the great dragon broke free. Now was the time to bring chaos to the nine worlds and seek revenge for what the World Tree had done to him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: GG Koe
• Release date: Jun 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311897282

GG Koe

GG Koe was born in Edmonton, AB and raised in Nelson, BC. This is where he came to love the outdoors and dreamt of adventuring. He has pursued an avid life of exploration and travel, and loves the wilds of British Columbia. He has an interest in folk lore, also reflected in his writings.His first novel, The Ring of Light, was published in 2014, and he is currently working on other books in this series. He has written numerous professional articles.Since his retirement, he currently lives with his wife in Mission, BC, where he pursues his passion in writing.

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Prologue

Following the great battle with Malador on Azwyr, Jarran, half-elf prince of the Old Ones, accompanied Fenris, the great wolf of Norse legend, to Midgard, where they fought the Norse gods and defeated Odin. Fenris died leaving the responsibility of maintaining the balance between the nine worlds, to Jarran.

During his journey to Midgard, Jarran learned that his people, the Old Ones, were really the Vanir; an ancient race of high elves, taller than their predecessors, yet just as slender. Their white hair glistened like the fur of and ice fox and their purple eyes blazing like the wild flowers of Spring.

The Vanir were the first to live on Vanaheim, transforming their world into a peaceful planet where they co-habited with nature and enhanced their magic. It was their magic which enabled them to create more worlds. They knew that the creation of these worlds might attract others and could lead to strife. However, knowing the future doesn’t mean one necessarily has to change it. They were certain that whatever the outcome was in the short term, their ways would prevail.

When the Aesir came, they settled on Asgard. They were a cruel, and ruthless race and quickly defeated the Aesir in a short war, taking control of all nine worlds. Following their war with the Vanir, Odin’s brothers erased all memory of the Vanir, confining them to their home world, Vanaheim, which they re-named Azwyr, and eliminating their influence on the other worlds. However, after the great battle at Ragnarök, the Vanir began to re-assert themselves once again under Jarran’s leadership.

Chapter 1

Jarran was enjoying the solitude of the central plaza at Oceanwatch, basking in the warmth of the late afternoon sun as the heat relaxed him and his mind drifted back to Fenris, who had helped end dominion of the Aesir. Once again he felt the loss of that brave beast, part wolf and part Aesir, who had accompanied him.

Jarran was a foundling and only had to look after himself. In the great war with Malador, he found himself having to take responsibility for those that followed him. Now, with the death of Fenris, he had to take responsibility for the nine worlds. He wondered how he would handle this responsibility. He was the bearer of the Ring of Light. However, it was only a conduit for magical energy. It didn’t make him a god. He wondered how he could maintain the balance in the nine worlds with only the ring to aid him. Yet, despite his doubts, he had to try. Failing to do so would result in the words returning to chaos

The only sound was the whirring of samaras seeds gracefully dropping from the branches of the sacred tree as they spun towards the coble stones. The bench on which he sat offered only modest comfort beneath the spreading branches, but the solitude offered Jarran brief respite from the affairs of state, while he patiently waited for Kelys, the Cat Sidhe, whom he had met when he journeyed to the land of the Old Ones.

Kelys was a descendant of Ceridwen, the Goddess of the Dawn, and Irusan, the King of Cats, having inherited her ability to transform from her mother and her ability to take on the cat form from her father. Kelys and her sisters were the eyes and ears of the Old Ones. She had stood by his side, protecting him in the great battle, and accompanied him to Midgard, where she nearly lost her life defending him from Víðar, that evil son of Odin.

Jarran noted that the ancient tree had developed cankers on its bark during the reign of Malador. Now, the tree seemed to be prospering once again under the care of the Old Ones, just as he knew that the land would regenerate. Azwyr was at peace and Jarran was amazed at how quickly the scars of war were errased.

The ancient road through the Emerald Mountains had been repaired and extended from Oceanwatch to Thorshold. Once again wooden wheeled wagons gathered in the great square to haul salt and textiles north and transport goods manufactured by the elves and dwarves back to Oceanwatch.

While on Midgard, the world of humans, Jarran had learned that the Aesir had renamed Vanaheim to Azwyr. It was the ancestral home of the Vanir, the ancient race of high elves. Azwyr was located west of Asgard, untainted by the constraints of civilization, a world where nature ruled and the inhabitants served to enhance its beauty. It was a land broken by the escarpment raised at his grandfather’s command, protecting the Old Ones against the evil wizard Malador. It was a land, nurtured by the Old Ones, a land that attracted elves and many other races north of Oceanwatch - elves in Alfheim, dwarves in Nidavellir, and giants in Jotunheim.

Jarran stared up at the branches of the sacred tree that extended over the square and recalled how the Old Ones spoke of the mead of inspiration fermented from its sap. It was much like the great ash, Yggdrasil on Asgard, whose roots extended from the Well of Urd to the nine worlds and he realized that the sacred tree on Azwyr was probably an offshoot of that famous tree.

As he waited for Kelys, he pulled the tattered manuscript from his pocket that he had discovered on a dust-covered shelf in the library at Oceanwatch and once again read the poem referencing Fenris.

"Unfettered will fare the Fenris Wolf

And ravage the realm of men,

Ere there cometh a kingly prince

As good, to stand in his stead."

Fenris said his role was to maintain balance in the nine worlds. With the death of Fenris this had become Jarran’s task. However, Fenris was a god, the ravager of the realm of man, while he was only part elf and part Vanir.

Jarran once again opened the parchment containing the poem Völuspá, that he found folded in the ancient book and focused on reading the final lines once again:

There comes on high, all power to hold

A mighty lord, all lands he rules.

From below the dragon dark comes forth

Nidhogg flying from Nithafjoll;

The bodies of men on his wings he bears,

The serpent bright: but now must I sink.

He scanned the poem looking for any indication of what he was supposed to do. The poem indicated that after Ragnarök a ruler would come forth and there would be a problem with the dragon, Nidhogg, the malice striker, whom legend indicated fed on the root of the world tree. But, there was no reference to his own in this matter.

Nidhogg was the embodiment of chaos, a horrific monster that fed on the corpses of the inhabitants of Náströnd, the corpse shore in Nilfheim, held there by the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree. Earlier in the poem he found another verse.

A hall I saw

far from the sun,

On Náströnd it stands

and the doors face north,

Venom drops

through the smoke-vent down,

For around the walls

do serpents wind.

I there saw wading

through rivers wild

treacherous men

and murderers too,

and the wives of men;

There Nidhogg sucked

the blood of the slain,

And the wolf tore men;

would you know yet more?

While he stared at the ancient parchment, he noticed Kelys approaching with a dwarf scurrying along beside her. The features of the dwarf accentuated the beauty of the Old One, who moved with the grace of a cat. As she neared him, she proclaimed, I found this dwarf outside the city wall. He says he must speak with you.

I see, replied Jarran turning to address the dwarf who was gasping for breath beside Kelys. What’s this all about?

Our wagon train was attacked, gasped the dwarf.

I haven’t heard any of our wagons being attacked? queried Jarran with a surprised look on his face.

Not your wagons, the dwarf replied emphatically. Our wagons.

Your wagons? probed Jarran.

Yes! exclaimed the dwarf, somewhat indignantly. Our wagons. We’ve been mining gold along the eastern edge of the escarpment. Just as we had finished loading our wagons a huge dragon swooped down from the sky, seemingly out of nowhere, and snatched one of our wagons. Abraxas must have broken his promise to protect the dwarves. We need your help.

Slow down, suggested Jarran. What’s your name?

I’m called, Feldspar, replied the dwarf.

Jarran smiled at the thought of a dwarf being named for such an abrasive stone, particularly one that rarely contained ore. Well Feldspar, we certainly need to talk with Abraxas about this, he replied. He’s sworn to protect dwarves. I’ll speak with my father. Come with me.

Chapter 2

Kelys and Feldspar accompanied Jarran, to the palace to search for his father. As they approached the palace, Feldspar saw it was guarded by thirteen colored towers which provided defensive vistas over the walls between the central plaza of Oceanwatch and the surrounding countryside, giving the marble building the semblance of a pearl surrounded with rubies and sapphires. The gardens were dense with wildflowers. Nightingales fluttered in the trees singing accompaniment to the rush of water from small streams that flowed on the grounds that cascaded over elaborate stone fountains.

The palace was quadrangular in design with rooms varying in dimension, connected by smaller rooms and passages open to the sunlight reflecting on the walls and enabling the wind to pass through, cooling the occupants and creating ripples on the reflecting pools where the water sparkled in the sunlight. Vibrant reds, blues, and yellows adorned the painted tiles wrought in arcane geometric patterns and colorful tapestries woven by the weavers of the Arianrhod hung on the walls and fluttered gently in the breeze.

They found Jarran’s father, Aubry with his wife, Mryani, Queen Mother of the Elves, listening to petitions in the throne room.

Jarran approached Aubry and inquired, May I have a moment with you?

Aubry nodded and ordered, Clear the room!

Once the petitioners were removed, Aubry turned to his son and asked, What can I do for you?

I’d like you to meet Feldspar, replied Jarran. He’s brought some disturbing news.

What’s your news? inquired Aubry giving Feldspar his best imperial stare.

Feldspar shook as he replied, A strange dragon attacked our wagon train and stole our gold. We need your assistance.

We certainly can’t have dragons attacking our wagon trains, observed Aubry. I suppose we must do something.

I could take a small force to Thorshold to look for the dragon, offered Jarran.

That might work. Aubry responded. Take whatever men you need.

I think I’ll probably only need one, smiled Jarran. We’ll be on our way in the morning.

Jarran felt relieved to finally have something to do. Dealing with affairs of state was becoming boring and he hated being confined to Oceanwatch. It had been almost a year since he had ventured to Midgard with Fenris and defeated Odin and the Aesir. The celebration around liberating Oceanwatch had long since passed and the task of rebuilding was well underway. His father was now recognized as King of the Old Ones and had taken over affairs of state.

Jarran’s foster brother, Altor, who had accompanied him on his quest to free the land, had taken Tyera, Jarran’s sister, to the lantern festival in the Vale where he and Altor had been raised. The newlyweds had remained there visiting Altor’s foster father Natal. Altor hoped to divide his time between attending to the Vale and being with his wife in Alfheim where she attended to affairs of state.

When the war ended, the Barghest, half wolf and half goblin, had returned to the escarpment plateau along with the dire wolves. The Barghest had proclaimed him their brother and he enjoyed the company of these fearless fighters. Ironhand and the other dwarves had returned to their homes in Thorshold and Sphalerum and were mining gold discovered in the escarpment. His friend, Numkyn, the tiny gnome inventor, was once again busy in