Beyond the Ragnarok Chapter 2

Read Chapter One Here

Enter The Harlequin

It was blood bath. Arrows flew into the mob with deadly accuracy and Balars axe sliced through flesh and bone as men tried and failed to get within a swords swing of Majvoc.

At the rear of the room Luna released a barrage of spells designed to deter and terrify their drunken assailants. Tiella was fending off two men with her dagger and would have been overwhelmed if they had not been well into their cups. As it was she was able to duck and stab out with her dagger as they clumsily swiped at her with their blades, getting in each other’s way for the most part. An arrow took one of them in the chest and Tiella seized the opportunity to lash out at the other with her blade. He stumbled back clutching his face with a blood soaked hand.

Suddenly the outer door slammed open and an acrid stench filled the room. A beastile roar sounded from darkness without and then another. The fighting trailed off as a tall figure stepped into the doorway, shrouded in a cloak of patchwork red and green diamonds. As he stepped into the room the fire light and candles flickered and shifted to an ethereal blue and then a sickly green. Shadows played against the walls and the air grew cold.

The tall stranger began to clap slowly as he walked towards the centre of the room and then with a bark of cruel laughter he threw back his cloak.

"Oh my dear Balar, you always did know how to throw a great party."

“His voice is filled with shadows.” Murmured Luna half to herself.

"Harlequin." Balar growled in recognition, "You son of a bitch, did you cause this?"

"How dare you." he answered in mock surprise, "Oh who am I kidding, yes yes it was all me. A nudge here a push there and pouch of gold for dear old Borrs. Borrs?...Borrs where are you my dear. Ah here you are."

The drunken mercenary was crouched in the corner and at the mention of his name had tried to crawl under a table. There was a flicked of movement and Harlequin was suddenly stood over the man. He reached down and pulled the mercenary to his feet.
"There there Borrs you did well." He gave the man a pat on the head.

"Did well?" Tiella snarled, "I'll bloody kill him."

"Oh no need for that," Harlequin smiled and the diamond pattern that adorned his face and clothing shifted from green and red to black and white, his eyes flashed with eldritch power as he turned and thrust his hand into the mercenaries chest. There was a wet sucking sound as he plucked out the mans still beating heart and brought it to his lips. His tongue flicked out and spat to one side as the corpse fell to the ground at his feet. He then threw the heart to Luna who stepped aside in disgust.

There were five of the drunken louts left now and they were all edging towards the door.

"Oh please be my guest." Harlequin said as he motioned for them to leave. Then didn't need telling twice as to a man they bolted into the night. There came sudden screams without and another ear splitting roar.

"What is out there?" Majvoc asked.

"Oh some friends of mine." replied Harlequin, suddenly taking an interest in the thief.

There was another flicker of movement and he was standing next to Majvoc. His diamond patterns had shifted once more to gold and silver. His eyes shone now with a golden light as he reached forward and plucked a coin from behind the mans ear.

"He was trying to steal from you Balar. Shall I take his hands?" He began to roll the coin between his fingers, "Hands are very useful." he mused then giggled to himself.

“ You leave him be.” Luna snapped at the stranger then turned to Balar “ who is he and what is going on?” She was angry! The fight had been pointless and the men dead for no reason. It was absolutely appalling to her.

Harelquin turned to face Luna. A flash of movement and he was sitting cross legged on the bar besides her.

"You look upset my sweet. Was it something I said?"

"What do you want?" Tiella growled as she stepped toward him dagger drawn.

"Still carrying that nasty little toy I see. Balar you should really ditch the half breed and go for a younger pure blood like little loony here.. you don't mind if I call you that do you my dear?"

He blew her a kiss and with a flash appeared before Balar.

"Time to pay the piper, I'm calling in old debts."

Balar looked ready to argue and then visibly sagged as he lowered his axe nodding.

"No." Tiella cried, but it was clear from the look on Balars face that there was no way out.

"Delicious." Harlequin proclaimed as he clapped his hands together, "I would like you to find some friends of mine and then I would like you to kill them."

"Why don't you kill them." Tiella snapped, and Harlequin roared with laughter.

"Oh my dear you haven't changed, why have a dog and bark yourself!"

He turned back to Balar, "I take it the little lady will come along, but you need help.

These friends of mine are nasty, real nasty. You." He turned to point at Majvoc, "I like the cut of your jib young man, name your price."

He flipped the golden coin towards the confused theif and then turned to face Luna,
"And you my sweet girl, how would you like to meet a real dark elf? You will have to kill him of course but I am sure you could learn all kinds of delicious things in the process."

“My name is Luna” she snapped before using the shadows to melt away and reappear on the other side of Tiella.

She almost fell flat on her face as she reappeared. The room seemed to spin. She held on to her staff tight with both hands and shut her eyes for a moment. By the time she had reopened her eyes again. The damn clown was looking at her again waiting for an answer.

“I’m not interested in making any deals with you I’m not a killer.” she snapped. There was a flickering light being her bright blue eyes, a twin dance between the certitude of youth and the eldritch promise of the magic within her.

Harlequin grew suddenly serious as he turned to face Luna. The colours of his clothes and skin shifted once more, this time to a sickly green that matched the firelight, laced with black.

"You have some talent I see. Raw, untrained. I could help you with that..." He considered her for a moment, his head cocked to one side, "No? no i suppose not."

He walked towards her, "I see we got off to a bad start. Let me restate my offer in terms that may be more acceptable to you. I require three things my sweet. One.." he checked them off on his fingers as he spoke, "You follow my pet dog here and keep him alive." He motioned to Balar who was staring at his feet, the axe limp in his hand.

"Who is this man." Luna hissed towards Tiella.

"He isn't a man." Tiella hissed back, "If we live through this I will explain."

"Two!" Harlequin continued, "You allow him do whatever needs to be done to complete his task."

"And three!" he roared spreading his arms wide, "You! SHOW... ME... SOME RESPECT!" as he spoke the shadows gathered around him and his voice took on a booming echo."

As suddenly as his wrath had exploded it had gone and he smiled wryly. "How did that go, I have been practicing in front of the mirror for weeks?"

"Is he crazy?" Luna asked.

"You have no idea." Tiella replied, not taking her eyes off him.

"I am standing right here." He barked as he stamped a foot on the ground, "So where was I yes, three things and you don't have to kill anyone. Now name you price and be quick about it I have business with our light fingered archer over there."

Luna looked at him pretending to ponder what he said. That same rebellious flicker almost like a fire danced behind her eyes.

“I will help Balar because he saved my life, you however have nothing I want. Does that satisfy your demands”

She said calmly but beneath the surface she was not thrilled. How dare this stranger try to tell her what to do. She had left her clan to study what she wanted in her own way and would not be told what to do. she walked over to Balar.

Reaching out she placed a hand on his chest over the man’s heart.” Stand tall and be proud. Pick up your axe. A workers heart beats in your chest.” She then turned to look at Tiella. “everything will be fine I know it will.”

"Well and good." Harlequin grumbled, his garb shifting to shades of grey. He watched Luna with thinly veiled hatred as she spoke to the others. He trembled in rage and seemed to be on the verge of something unpleasant until Luna spoke to Majvoc.

She moved towards the archer and asked “you know the shadows don’t you?” Majvoc simply looked away and gave no answer, while the face of Harlequin went suddenly blank as he waited to hear what the man would say.

There was something about that clown, the Harlequin, that made Majvoc's skin crawl. A chill had crept up his spine and sat on his nerves like a cold claw.

Majvoc remembered that face - remembered the smile. On the field of battle, through the smokes of the fog of war, that face had loomed out at him. And it made Majvoc feel... good. That sense of power the clown had among the dying helpless of that day, the frail and fragile human body overshadowed by the body of a God.

Have I finally found him?

'Shadows?' asked Majvoc, finally coming to his senses and addressing Luna for the first time. 'You mean those weird dark things in the corners of rooms?'

'No,' said Luna, 'And I think you know what shadows I mean.'

'Yes,' admitted Majvoc, 'Perhaps I do.'

'Oh do tell,' said Harlequin, rolling his eyes and leaning against a post of the tavern, 'We are all dying to hear it.'

'Jlarfjord,' said Majvoc, and the name alone seemed to be enough to instill a sense sorrow in Balar and Tiella.

'I never heard of that town?' said Luna, confused.

'No, I suppose you might never have done,' said Majvoc, 'But it was the bloodiest battle on record. And I was on the front lines.' Majvoc raised nodded in the direction of Harlequin. 'And so was he. Wrapped in shadows, strolling through the battlefield, and nearly all who even dared to look at him died.'

'Nearly?' asked Luna.

Majvoc looked eyes with Luna, the storm of memories playing out behind them. 'Nearly.'

'I had no idea you were at Jlarfjord,' growled Balar.

'Neither did I,' sighed Harlequin, 'You have such quaint names for such drab locations.'

'Okay,' said Majvoc.

There was a silence in the room.

'Okay?' asked Harlequin, 'Okay what?'

'What's your offer?'

'Okay!' roared Harlequin, 'Now we are talking! How does enough riches to quench that greedy soul of yours?'

Majvoc strode up to Harlequin and leaned into his ear, whispering something just softly enough for Luna, Balar and Tiella to not hear it.

Harlequin smiled a wide smile. 'You are a greedy, greedy boy, little thief. That's a done deal!'

'That's it settled then,' said Majvoc, throwing the bow over his shoulder, 'When do we head out?'

“And so the shadow spreads” Luna murmured as she watched Majvoc make his deal. Another reason to go with Balar and Tiella, the would be thief needed to be watched.

"My dear friends." Harlequin threw his arms wide, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the foul murder you are about to commit in my name. Oh except for you my sweet." He held his palms up towards Luna in mock concern.

"The contract between us is a simple one. I will give you three names, and you will kill three truly terrible people. You will be making the world a better place I assure you."

"Give us the names and get out of my inn." Balar growled.

"I will give you one name for now and it is that of my dear sweet sister."

"You can't be serious." Tiella spat.

"My dear I am always serious."

"Who is his sister?" Luna asked.

"Hel." Balar said flatly, "You want us to kill the queen of the underworld. Have you finally gone completely insane?"

"And how do we even get at her." Tiella asked.

"You must find a necromancer of course, do I need to tell you everything. My sister is currently vulnerable, the Ragnarok took a great deal out of her."

"I thought the gods were dead." Luna said flatly.

"Oh they are me dear, but she was only ever half a God to start with, and now she is less than that."

"Where will we find your necromancer clown." Luna pressed.

Harlequins eyes flash dangerously and his colours shifted to blood red and black. "Details bore me." He sneered. He snapped his fingers and vanished into a cloud of shadows. As the cloud dissipated the fire light returned to its normal colour.

A disembodied voice echoed around the common room, "Hurry along now children, my friends are still eating the village so you can probably sneak past them if you are quick. Oh and Luna dear, call me a clown one more time and I will gut you. I am the Harlequin, son of Loki the rightful heir to Asgard and the throne of the All Father!"

Then he was gone.