Torvard, the конунг burdened by a terrible curse, constantly seeks battles to give outlet to the spirit of destruction living inside him. But the stronger he desires death, the harder it is to kill him—that is the double essence of his curse. Arriving on the Green Islands, he wins several victories, nearly dies in a fight with a giantess, and then finds on one of the islands the Fortress of Shadows—an ancient mound hiding a passage into another world. Penetrating inside, Torvard sees a sword named Kaladbolg—the Creator of the Earth—belonging to Boadage, the local deity and king of the other world. And Torvard can’t avoid a confrontation with Boadage: the Red King of Hills relentlessly pursues Eltit, Torvard’s companion and the vessel of sacred power over the island of the old king Myada.