The Accidental Archmage: Book Seven (Dragons and Demons)

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  Tyler watched as Gullin reached the two powerful bystanders, and then the three disappeared. A tangible sense of relief rose from the individuals left behind, though the companions maintained their watch. The mage turned and saw Asag sitting on the ground. Of all of them, the daemon appeared to be the least affected by the drama. Tyler wanted to go over and kick the entity responsible for the mess in which they’d found themselves.

  ***

  “Hal, what was that aura?” The mage asked his guide.

  “The egg had hatched. And your wards are now busy discussing what to name him. It’s a male. Friendly enough,” replied the guide.

  It took a minute before the stunned Tyler could answer Hal’s statement.

  “What do you mean hatched? Hatched as in the dragon’s up and about?” the mage replied in a panicked tone.

  “Ah. Some distinction might be in order. Our dragon egg was created out of pure energy, not from the body of a draken. In such an instance, you have first a possibility, then a confirmation of life, and then emergence,” explained Hal. “We say ‘hatched’ with reference to the confirmation that a dragon will indeed be born from the energies creating the egg. If you recall, your wards contributed heavily to its creation. We don’t know exactly what powers such a process would bring into the precious life now awaiting emergence, or even if the energies would grant it more powers. But one thing is certain. We now have a dragonling waiting to appear into this world, and its birth will be abnormally quick,” came the response. Tyler couldn’t decide when it was reassuring or absolutely terrifying.

  The mage wasn’t sure he could handle a dragonling just yet.

  A dragonling’s inside the staff? A dragonling? The offspring of one of the strongest, if not the meanest, draken on this planet? A baby dragon whose magical emanation was enough to stop Gullin in her tracks? I am going to be a father to a dragon?

  The sudden realization kept him in a daze as his mind struggled to handle the new development. Tyler didn’t expect the egg to be on its way so soon, he was actually thinking of a quite lengthy period before the hatchling emerged. If he were to go by the stories back on Earth, he’d be counting centuries, but that heartening state of affairs clearly wasn’t in the cards.

  “How did that happen?” he demanded.

  “A lot of energy. From that old man in the mountains, down to your pet demon, Hrun’s proximity, even the magically filled atmosphere of those spider caves. They all contributed to a massive influx of power, but the main contributors would be Labiru, Asag, and Hrun,” explained a puzzled X. The guide apparently couldn’t understand why the mage didn’t comprehend the process in the first place.

  And we’re going to places rich in magical energy and encountering more sources of power, not to mention this irritating fellow is now with the company, thought Tyler, and the very idea filled him with a great deal of anxiety.

  “They’re all bound to grow in power at an exponential rate, sire. Hopefully, Birki would be able to handle the training involving knowledge and maturity,” ventured Hal helpfully.

  “He can’t do it by his lonesome. You’ve got to help him. Arrange a rotation schedule between the two of you; Birki needs all the help he could get,” instructed the mage, mindful of the danger of very powerful yet immature entities running around. “They won’t have the brains and personalities of deities. Not if I can help it. But the draken is going to be a totally different matter.”

  “As you direct, sire,” said Hal. “But the Archmage should realize that the draken in that egg has already bonded with his wards. That changes a lot of things.”

  Tyler took several deep breaths, exhaling slowly every time. He needed to calm down. Then soft laughter called his attention.

  Easy, Tyler. One goddamn revelation at a time, the mage told himself.

  “You seem more stressed and befuddled than that golden bitch,” commented Asag in a casual tone. The being had extended his legs and was making himself comfortable on the ground. The bastard looks as calm and collected as ever, observed the mage. He sat down beside the entity. The mage had so many questions to ask, but decided to focus on the present conflict between Gullin and the relaxing daemon.

  “What’s the story between the two of you?” Tyler asked.

  “Well, she accused me of stealing her egg a long time ago. Chased me, and in the ensuing battle, I lost it,” replied the daemon. “I guess she never forgot or forgave me for it.”

  “What did you expect? And why the blazes would you steal a dragon’s egg? Not for a ritual or a concoction. You’re powerful enough,” observed the mage.

  “A collection? Yes, I was collecting eggs from all sorts of flying, powerful creatures. I guess I was at that juvenile stage,” answered Asag uncaringly. Tyler again resisted the impulse to hit him.

  “Come on, Even the village idiot could sense something was off with your story. That was too obvious a lie. Spill,” whispered Tyler.

  “Humans. I don’t know what it is about you lot, but that vague feeling about falsehoods seem to be a racial trait. A distrustful race. I ate it. The egg. A bit runny and tough, not a good meal, if that’s what you’re thinking,” replied Asag idly, though in a low voice.

  “You… ate… it. Magical beings don’t even need mortal food!” replied the mage, almost forgetting to keep his voice down in his shocked surprise.

  “The taste, Archmage. I wondered how a dragon’s egg would taste.”

  “And you had to take your egg from an ancient and powerful one,” remarked the mage, still trying to wrap his head around the baleful enormity of Asag’s deed.

  “Get it from one of the lower of the race? Satisfy my curiosity with lower quality? That would never do, Archmage. I have a very picky palate,” said the demon, glancing at Tyler with a stern expression. “It is not my habit to compromise on the quality of my experiences on this mortal plane.”

  Tyler couldn’t think of any reply and merely shook his head, sighing loudly.

  Chapter Two:

  Strange Creatures

  Several minutes passed and still no sign of the trio. Tyler was getting impatient, but had already concluded that the fateful events of that day were enough to take up the time of the three mythological beings. Getting an irate ancient draken to back off didn’t happen that often.

  Gullin would have told the two about the draconic aura, and the mage honestly didn’t care. He had no idea having such emanation was all about, though Tyler hoped it wouldn’t change his relationship with both Hrun and Dionysus. Adar was a dangerous place, and he needed all the friends he could get.

  The incomprehensible and exasperating entity at Tyler’s side had gotten to humming an unfamiliar tune, and though the unnerving melody itself cast an inexplicable shiver through him at times, the mage was bothered and concerned with the carefree disposition of Asag. It was as if nothing had happened. In contrast, the companions were obviously on edge. The mage couldn’t blame them, and there was no telling what the decision of the three beings would be once they return.

  Asag abruptly gave a curse under his breath and quickly stood up. Tyler didn’t understand the consonant-laced murmur, but followed the daemon’s example. Then he felt it. A faint disturbance in the magical ether. The ensuing discharge arising from the disruption was not identical to what he had sensed from the rifts the gallu back in Maljen had utilized. But somehow, the energy seemed clean, untainted.

  Before Tyler could shout out a warning, he saw Habrok suddenly encased in a pile of rock fully enclosing the man, just as several strange creatures swiftly pounced on the ranger. The bizarre attackers crashed into the hard material protecting Habrok, and several bounced off. The mage could see incredibly fast stingers break on the rock, and broken pincers flew off from the impact.

  Stingers? Fucking scorpions? thought Tyler with disbelief and he saw that their hostile and deadly guests were mythical, magical beasts – half-man and half-scorpion. For an instant, the mage’s attention was riveted on the numerous raised, huge
stingers.

  The companions had already reacted to the danger, with Astrid, the swiftest among them, starting to blur. Tyler himself was already gathering energy for a shield and a subsequent blade spell. A momentary glance revealed Asag was gone and as the mage turned his attention back to Habrok’s location, he saw the daemon standing in front of the creatures. They were powerful monsters; the mage could see magical energy oozing from their bodies, and there were a lot of them. But they had all stopped where they were and were all looking at Asag with surprise.

  A curious glow surrounded the daemon, a black cloud streaked with violet and purple flashes. Tyler didn’t notice the entity exhibiting such an aura before, though he concluded Asag had suppressed whatever energy he was giving off. The figure had raised his hand toward the group, giving everybody pause. Then Tyndur started to move forward, his battleaxe aflame.

  “Hold, einherjar. That is what is meant by this gesture,” said Asag casually, waving his hand in the air. The warrior halted but kept his weapon at the ready. As the mage examined the now unmoving horrors, he noticed they had their heads bowed, and even their stinging tails had been laid as flat as possible.

  Tyler quickly strode forward, shields and staff prepared for battle.

  “What do you mean hold? They attacked us first,” asked the outraged yet perplexed mage.

  “Oh, they didn’t know I was around. Excusable mistake. Nothing to it,” replied Asag casually.

  “What do you mean? You’ve met them before? And they’re clearly hostile,” declared the mage.

  “A misunderstanding,” answered the daemon as the rock encasing Habrok disappeared. The ranger appeared unhurt, though he immediately positioned himself farther back, drawing his bow along the way.

  “Explain. We’re all confused. They tried to kill Habrok, that’s obvious, and yet you say it’s but a misunderstanding? And what are they?” demanded the mage, his eyes never leaving the horrid yet unmoving mass.

  “They’re aqrabuamelu. Guards of the goddess Tiamat and watchers of the gate leading to Kumugi, the land of darkness. Their land of darkness, anyway, there’s too many versions of such domains. My land of darkness to be exact, since I come from the same mystical gang. But once you’ve seen one or two lands of darkness, you’ve seen them all. Boring places,” replied Asag indifferently.

  “If they’re Tiamat’s, how come they’re acting as if they’ve just met their master?” asked Tyler. The creatures did look scared of Asag.

  “Long story. Here’s the gist, I wanted to see what was behind the door they were guarding, and they objected. Impolitely. I won the argument, though the damage was impressive. Tiamat herself had to come down and continue the debate. I again won the contest. That’s how I know it’s a boring place. As to the rest of your questions, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, you know.”

  The daemon turned to the largest of the bizarre cryptids and started talking. Unfortunately, the mage couldn’t understand a word of what was being discussed, and the language was clearly not meant for human throats. Not that the newcomers had any necks. Their roughly humanoid heads appeared to have been stuck on a giant scorpion’s body.

  Finally, Asag nodded and waved the waiting horde of creatures away. As one, the mass turned and disappeared into the surrounding forest. Tyler looked at the daemon, who had one of his ambiguous grins plastered on his face.

  “I’m waiting,” said Tyler, who knew the rest of the group was also eager to learn what just happened.

  “A firm – as in cannot be refused – request from an unknown party – to kill any of the Archmage’s companions. Now that is bizarre and foolhardy, if the order included me. But apparently, the command didn’t, because the descriptions were quite specific and even included a certain priestess of Thaut. Unfortunately, those creatures were under a magical compulsion to keep their mouths shut. Quite an interesting piece of magic too. Not dark or evil in origin,” said Asag. “They’re incredibly polite and cooperative once you get on their good side.”

  “Our enemies know where we are then,” commented the mage. Somehow, the encounter didn’t shock him as much as it should. Something in him knew they were being hounded.

  “Depends on the enemy. I doubt if those we’re hunting are involved in this episode. But I guess you’ve got a new enemy now, and not of the usual inherently malevolent kind. Interesting. I knew you’d prove to be worthy of my time, Archmage. The drama alone!” exclaimed Asag, whose grin became wider.

  Tyler didn’t reply and merely walked back to his previous spot. Asag followed, as well as Kobu and Tyndur. The Valkyrie and ranger took on watch duties.

  “A war council?” excitedly asked Asag as he took his place beside the sitting Tyler. “I’ve never been in a human war meeting before. Don’t mind me. I’ll stay quiet. This is really all very interesting as I said.”

  The mage waited until the two warriors took their places in front of him. The pair were the most experienced in the group, and right now he could do with some advice, though he suspected the duo also were in the same situation. There were a lot of questions that need resolving, and Tyler doubted if they had the answers.

  Tyndur went straight to the issue bothering him, the presence of an enemy who was targeting not the mage, but the companions. Kobu shared the same weighty concern. It was a difficult one to guard against since unlike Tyler, some members of the group—Astrid and Habrok in particular—were not sufficiently protected against magical ambushes.

  “Include me in that list, sire,” said the einherjar. “My skills don’t extend to that kind of warfare.”

  “I am sufficiently prepared for such surprises, sire,” Kobu said. “Ambushes and assassinations are staples of war in my homeland.”

  Tyler offered the observation that this would be the first time the companions were marked for elimination. The mage didn’t need to add what Asag mentioned; everybody heard what he said.

  “An unknown enemy then,” concluded Kobu. “One who knew where we were and a being who does not practice dark magic. A deity? One of the pantheons in these parts?”

  “Not that mad god of mischief or of Skaney. They’re all busy fighting for their own lives, and the Trickster God, with his schemes. If it were the latter, we’d be facing more than scorpion-men,” ventured Tyler.

  “We lack information, that fact is obvious,” observed the einherjar. “For now, let’s assume that we have a new player on the board arraying his pieces against us, and that enemy doesn’t seem to be related to our present ones.”

  Tyler thought of something and turned to Asag.

  “Maybe one or some of your old friends and acquaintances? The creatures did come from the west,” said the mage.

  “No,” emphatically replied the daemon. “I would have recognized the taint in the magical spell used.”

  “It does bear noting that Asem was included in the descriptions of the members of the company,” noted Tyndur. “It could mean that whoever wishes us ill saw us before we crossed the Barrens. Asem was with us then.”

  “Or our new enemy expected Asem to join us. That’s also a possibility,” replied Tyler.

  “Then we have met our enemy before,” said Kobu. “We just didn’t recognize him or her as one.”

  The mage then turned to Kobu and asked the exile why dragon-fear didn’t affect him. It was a bizarre mystery, and it wouldn’t surprise Tyler if the warrior admitted that, all this time, he was a deity in disguise. Dumbfounding disclosures seemed to be his lot lately.

  “A fortuitous hunting incident, sire,” smiled Kobu. “Our land has its own version of what you call draken here. We call them tatsu, and could be evil or beneficial beings. I came across a large pack of possessed dire wolves which had already breached the magical protections of a dragon’s cave.”

  The warrior narrated that he almost died since the wolf pack was actually bakemono yokai – supernatural monsters, spirits, or demons. Only the timely arrival of the mother, who Kobu refused to name, saved him from the shapeshifting
fiends.

  “Let me guess,” said Tyndur. “She gave you a spell?”

  “Better. A small piece of her claw. Enchanted, of course. Spells take effort and magical power. This magical talisman protects against dragon-fear. Considering it was effective against one as mighty as Gullin, I’d say the original owner is more powerful and far more ancient than Asag’s bosom friend,” winked Kobu.

  “You knew it was a dragon’s cave?” asked the mage.

  “Actually, no. It was a surprise encounter with the bakemono yokai. But such spirits are inherently evil, so I had no reservations in fighting them. I was younger then, quite brash and impulsive. I didn’t even know that the tatsu had an egg inside the cave,” explained the exile. “Which only goes to show that sometimes, fighting the dark yields unexpected rewards.”

  ***

  The impromptu meeting ended on that note, with the companions now advised to take better precautions. Habrok approached Asag after the discussion was over and gave his thanks.

  “No thanks necessary, ranger,” replied the daemon with another impish grin. “Though if you pledge your soul to me, I won’t refuse it.”

  Habrok stammered a noncommittal statement and quickly backed away.

  “Did you really have to say that?” asked the irritated mage. Tyler understood Asag’s compulsions, but sometimes what the fellow uttered was just plain wrong, and the worst part was that most of the time, he didn’t know whether the daemon was joking or not. If the daemon was trying to carve out a solitary niche for himself within the companionship, he was doing so with admirable dispatch.

  “Of course not. If I were a human. But I’m not, and I like messing with people’s heads,” smugly replied Asag.

  As Tyler started to retort, a bright glow suddenly appeared at the edge of the clearing, and the group immediately prepared to battle. As the golden haze quickly disappeared, the familiar elemental and the god of wine appeared. But Gullin wasn’t with them. The mage didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing, though he crossed his fingers as he stood up.