Tyler hurriedly stepped in and changed the conversation, asking whether the party has other deities or pantheons to worry about. To his mind, it was terrible enough that Asag had enemies in the western lands, and it was apparent that he also had some in the east. His relationship with Enlil though was a welcome respite from all the angry deities out for Asag’s etheric flesh and blood. It also meant the daemon could have friends – by definition, entities who wouldn’t try to kill him on sight – somewhere.
Asag’s reply was vague, and he admitted it freely, blaming his long imprisonment and the effects of lost power. But he mentioned visiting the kingdoms found in the southern jungles, the Plain of Fire to the north, and even Kemet, a description that nearly brought Tyler an immediate anxiety attack. Astrid stood open-mouthed at Asag’s recitation of places the mage and the Valkyrie had never heard of. Tyler knew they were both thinking about the same thing. Who knew how many deities and other beings Asag did beat, humiliate, mangle, or molest in those places? The mage immediately asked the daemon about his adversaries there.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about the southern kingdoms. The few who were arrogant enough to challenge me are now gone, crushed beneath the loving cushion of the warhammer I was using. To be frank, I really can’t say if I left any foe alive in those lands. But I didn’t get further than what was then called the Empire of Meroe. It got dull, that much my memory tells me. The Forsaken Edge was more exciting,” reassured Asag, who was deep in thought, trying to recollect lost memories.
Tyler noted that the daemon had left off one important kingdom – that of Kemet, whose pantheon was closely allied with Skaney and Hellas. Fearing what he would hear, he gathered the courage to ask the all-important question.
“How about Kemet?” ventured Tyler.
“Nothing interesting. Too many rituals. Boring. I left the place after a while. Wait, I do remember something about an animal called a crocodile. Yes! That’s it. I tangled with somebody named Sobek, Sebek, or something like that. I passed through an oasis, and a giant crocodile tried to take a bite out of my gorgeous head. Imagine that. Now, I hate those things. Beady, little eyes. Sneaky. Not the fangs. I like those. But I almost beat the magic out of that fellow, but I didn’t kill the crocodile. Loved those enormous fangs. A pity to slice such a magnificent specimen to pieces, though it was unconscious when I left it beside its master,” said Asag.
Oh, fuck this, thought Tyler. I better get some information on that deity.
“Astrid? You know anything about a deity named Sobek or Sebek?” asked the mage.
Astrid shook her head, leading Tyler to look around. The einherjar and the ranger would be of no help, both having stayed in Skaney. He looked at Kobu.
“Anything about that deity?” he asked the exile.
“I’ve heard about Sobek, the ancient god of crocodiles, during our mercenary days in Kemet. Quite a prominent one too, though now eclipsed by the likes of Thaut, Horus, and Osiris. Sobek is closely identified with Seth, who, as one of the legends says, hid in a crocodile when he ambushed and killed Osiris,” replied Kobu.
Even Tyler had heard of Seth, or Set as referred to back on Earth. Now right beside him was an entity who badly defeated a close associate of the dark deity also called the destroyer. It was indeed a long and tiring day for Tyler.
Chapter Eight:
The Day's Not Over Yet
I’m dead. I am so dead. The dreadful thought kept repeating itself over and over in Tyler’s shocked mind as the mage stood stock-still at what he had just heard.
You keep collecting enemies out of dark gods like a toy collector! His brain shouted at him. This time, it’s becoming an enemy by fucking association!
“Sire?” slowly asked Astrid, who noticed the sudden change in the mage’s pallor.
The voice brought back Tyler, who tried to rein in the discordant and frightening images in his mind. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. Asag looked at him, curiosity in his face.
The bastard doesn’t even have a clue as to what he’s done, thought the mage with rising fury, which he was able to keep back by sheer force of will.
“It’s not that all bad,” Asag began, obviously trying to soften the impact of what he had just said even though he didn’t understand what the concern was all about. “A nice fellow named Thaut got me out of Kemet since a large group of somethings was not happy with what happened, even if I didn’t start it. That Thaut was friendly enough, and with a level-headed brain too, though I believe he must be a little touched in the head. He had this laughing fit that suddenly erupted once in a while during my departure from that land. Hey! Come to think of it, I should have removed fangs from that monster, they would have made fitting decorations for my armor.”
“No matter, Asag. We’ll continue our discussion tomorrow. I still have my questions, you know that, but for now, let’s just give ourselves a break,” said Tyler, dismissively waving his hands in the air.
He walked to the campfire that the ranger had started and slowly sat down. Tyler needed time to absorb what he had heard, but the name Seth continued to echo in his mind. The rest of the companions saw his mood and left him alone, though angry looks were thrown in Asag’s direction. Somebody moved beside him. It was Hrun.
“Not now, Hrun. I’ve got some things to work out in my mind,” said Tyler. It was a bit harsh, but the mage was too disturbed and confused by the events of the day and the knowledge he had learned.
“Not my intention to disturb, young mage, yet troubled you are, I see. Remember that problems might and will beset you, but friends you have standing with thee,” said Hrun, giving the mage his version of a smile.
“You’re right, Hrun. Though I wish things could be easier and less complicated. So far, it has been a terribly difficult maze. Threads everywhere, and then you find they’re connected, to your disadvantage,” answered Tyler in frustration.
“Yet the mage forgets that sometimes, such events might lead to his advantage as well,” commented Hrun.
Tyler didn’t reply. He heard what Hrun said, but he was already deep into examining possibilities, good and bad.
***
A sudden blast roughly woke up Tyler. As his eyes opened, he could see some figures in the air, right above the encampment, being torn apart by violent bursts of red energy.
Again? What the fuck? The irate reaction was the first in line. Curiosity was next, and concern, the third. The mage had full confidence in his shields, but was extremely worried about his companions even though he took the precaution of setting up a magical dome barrier over their campsite before everybody went to bed.
It had been such a nice conclusion to a tumultuous day. He visited his wards and was immediately deluged with complaints about why Vivindel and the twins were allowed out of the staff. Some were clearly sulking, but nothing that a caring father couldn’t fix with a hug and a smile. Cares and tiredness lifted in no small amount from his shoulders, and he began to wonder why he didn’t spend more time in the world within the staff.
Finally, given the repeated moans of protest. Tyler had to gather them all and explain why Vivindel and the twins had to remain. He didn’t mention what Hrun said about the trio visiting the Ancients of Adar. That would have led to more whining and envious egos to patch up. Gazing upon his wards, Tyler saw that they were already teens, nearly at the cusp of adulthood. The mage stared at Birki, something that the guardian immediately understood.
“Training’s coming along just fine,” said Birki.
“But it’s starting to be so hard!” a voice complained.
Tyler found it was the Aztecah girl, Nehua, though the rest were nodding in agreement, except for Apulli, the incarnation of Viracocha’s energy, who had a wry smile. Again, the mage found it necessary to do some explaining. Tyler didn’t try to soften his words but went directly to the point; they were growing up fast, the full range of their powers would soon awaken, and they had to be prepared. He didn’t need to tell them what a harsh world it was out th
ere. The abduction of their mother had seen to that reminder.
After spending time with his wards, Tyler asked the guardian about the dragon egg. He was curious about how the increased flow of magical energy had affected it. Birki just smiled and led him to the segregated room. The egg was now as big as a boulder, and the white stripes had become more prominent. Flickers of glowing black energy danced around it. It was something new and the flashing coruscations looked dangerous.
“I didn’t see those sparks before, and its size is incredible,” said the mage.
“I surmise it’s a sign of its growth. And power. Surprisingly, any of us could touch the egg without getting hurt, though I am not that sure about you. I guess familiarity plays a principal role in how its defenses work,” Birki answered.
“You could be right. Since its power came from two drakens of incredible might, I’d be stupid to risk it. It now seems cognizant of its surroundings, if what you’re saying is correct. That also means the time is nearing for it to emerge,” observed Tyler.
“I had to ask Vathys to enlarge the room and its cradle. Now it looks like we have to do some renovations again,” said Birki.
Tyler turned to the egg, looked closely, and noticed that it was pulsing faintly.
“How are you, little one? Your brothers and sisters are stoked at your coming,” said Tyler.
“Stoked?” Birki asked curiously.
Damn, another Earthism, though the mage. I better watch it, or I’d be spending a lot of my time explaining a lot of things.
“A First World expression, Birki. It just means greatly excited,” said the mage.
“If you say so,” came the non-committal reply. “But you’re right, our draken’s time to see the world is nearing.”
The mage then asked the guardian if he could handle training a draken. One as powerful as the being before them.
“I guess so, lad. Basic training is the same for all sentient creatures. Testing, evaluating, and strengthening. The rest comes after we know the limits of the trainee. Then we play to the strengths we see and try to resolve or protect any flaws we observe,” explained the guardian.
“Hear that? Uncle Birki’s ready for you to join us,” said Tyler to the egg.
A single tendril of scintillating power suddenly shot from the egg and struck the mage’s torso. The surprised Tyler didn’t have time to react, and the thread of energy passed through his shields as though they weren’t there. Then it disappeared, leaving the mage unhurt. Birki rushed to Tyler.
“Everything alright? I’ve never seen it act that way before. I am so sorry,” apologized the earth spirit profusely.
“I am fine, Birki. Thanks for asking. But it didn’t hurt. No, no. Nothing like that. On the contrary, it felt good. Like a hug,” said a smiling Tyler.
***
It would have been the perfect ending to a lousy day for Tyler, if not for the red bursts above him. He sensed the targets were just above the dome barrier when they were attacked. The mage looked around. Everybody was standing and looking up, except Habrok, who had already started his own survey of their immediate area.
Yet a quick magical examination revealed no threats. Then the mage saw Kobu approach the daemon.
“You did that!” accused the exile.
“Yes, and a good thing too. Awful, frightful beings who looked like giant birds. With those sharp beaks and vile aura, clearly, they weren’t here to discuss the scenery,” answered Asag, a bit surprised by the demeanor of the exile.
“They were here for me! I sensed them coming and was prepared to take them out before they hit the shield!” yelled the furious Kobu.
Oh, shit, thought Tyler. This is bound to get ugly.
He remembered how touchy the exile was about honor, and his concept of it included facing personal threats by his lonesome. The mage didn’t agree with it, being of the all for one, and one for all persuasion, but gave the man the leeway he had asked for. For a person like Kobu, honor was all he believed he had left.
As he rapidly walked in the direction of the arguing duo, the mage also saw Tyndur heading toward the two. Tyler guessed Astrid and Habrok had been put on guard duty.
“So? I eliminated a threat. I can’t allow such monsters to threaten the safety of the mage,” Asag yelled back.
Tyler started running when he saw the einherjar do the same. All it would take was a push, a shove, and everything would break loose.
“I am the one hunted by those beings! They wouldn’t have attacked anybody else,” shouted Kobu.
Great, a shouting match. Next would be the push-and-shove, thought the mage as he hurried.
Tyndur got to the pair ahead of the mage, but was unsuccessful in trying to separate the two. Even now, he was being squeezed between the couple who moved closer toward each other. Tyler halted.
“STOP!” he shouted, merging a bit of energy into the word. Dust and small debris engulfed the area before him. He didn’t mean the command to be that strong, but it appeared what he considered as a bit was overkill for the circumstances. Either that or his power level had gone up considerably. The mage closed in on the quarreling duo. His hands pushed back both and then he looked at Kobu. Tyndur quickly backed out of the squeezed space in which he had found himself.
“Asag didn’t know about the bounty in your head, Kobu, and your desire to face your hunters by yourself,” said Tyler in a calm voice.
“A bounty? By your enemies back in your homeland, I guess. How much? And it can’t be that high if they only send those ugly bird-like things after you. They were powerful, but not that much. But they do feel strange,” commented Asag.
“I have no idea about the price on my head, Asag, and those things that you destroyed were daitengu, or greater versions of malicious spirits. Probably the bird-like version, the kotengu. But we’ll never know now, will we?” Kobu glared at the daemon.
“Oh. Greater versions. No wonder they had such magical energy within them. I withdraw my comment, Kobu. The price on your head must be quite high, especially since your enemies sent five of the beasts, and they resisted for a few seconds the spell I sent against them. No wonder,” mused the daemon as he replied. “But I really have no idea what they were. Must be native to your homeland.”
Instead, Kobu turned to the mage and formally bowed.
“My honor demands satisfaction, sire. I desire to duel this being.”
“A duel? Can’t you just arm-wrestle or something less dangerous?” asked the conflicted mage, finding himself caught between the man’s evident dedication to his code of honor and Tyler’s desire to avoid conflict within the group.
“A test of martial skill would do, sire. It would give me great pleasure to pound this oaf into the ground,” replied the exile. A response that raised Asag’s eyebrows.
“An oaf? I’ll pound you deeper into the ground! Much, much deeper. So deeper, they’ll spend days digging you out,” yelled the daemon in reply.
Times like the present give the mage severe headaches, and he could feel a massive one coming on. There was no finding another solution. Now even Asag wanted to fight, though he needed Tyler’s permission to do it. Massaging his temples, he turned to the two.
“An honorable fight? With me setting the rules?” he asked, a question to which came the quick nods of the two combatants.
“Alright. No magic. No killing. No maiming. No injuries which couldn’t be handled by a healing spell in the field. No blood. Kobu, as the presumed injured party, gets to choose the weapon. Oh, and Tyndur will be the judge and referee,” declared Tyler. Then he sat down. He had an obviously stress-induced migraine to deal with, and hopefully, his guides could prevent it from getting worse.
“Why me?” cried out the einherjar.
“Deal with it, Tyndur. You know a lot more about combat than I do,” said the mage, already massaging his temples.
Sighing heavily, the einherjar laid a hand on the shoulder of both participants. His rules were simple. A hit on the head, the heart
area, the kidney, the groin, and the crus of the leg – meaning the area from the ankle to the knee – ends the bout. He’d whistle if he deemed the match had ended. Then he looked at Habrok and Astrid.
“Ready your medical salves and spells, we’ve got bumps and knocks to heal even if these louts will have their armor on,” he cried out, forgetting that one competitor was a daemon. Then he looked at Tyler.
“These stubborn fools would probably move faster than my eyes could see. I would appreciate some help in that area,” said Tyndur. The mage nodded.
“So! Your choice of weapons, lad?” he asked Kobu.
“The maru-bo or any of its derivatives. It would do nicely for a non-lethal duel. For me, I choose a four-feet jo,” said the exile.
“And what the hell is a maru-bo or a jo for that matter?” asked a bewildered Tyndur.
“A long wooden staff, or the quarterstaff as it is known in most lands. But the maru-bo is a round staff as compared to the hakaku-bo which has hexagonal sides. The jo is but a shorter version of the maru-bo, less than four feet in length,” explained Kobu quickly.
“A wooden staff, eh? You could have just told me that, lad. The names you mentioned just confuse things,” the exasperated einherjar scolded the exile. Then he turned to Asag. “You heard?”
“I did.”
“Remember the rules. One who violates it loses the fight immediately. Now go and stand twenty feet apart. No. Make that thirty feet apart. I know you jokers move fast. The duel begins when I fart. No, that’s a joke – when I say fight!” said Tyndur, his voice clearly showing his disgust at being assigned the onerous task.
The two walked to their designated positions pointed out by Tyndur who had to shoo them farther away as the distance seemed too close. The fighters turned to face each other. A short staff appeared in Kobu’s hand, while a longer one was held by Asag. Tyler could feel the excitement of the daemon. Apparently, Asag had not fought a non-lethal duel before. The mage could only hope that the daemon remembered to hold back on his strength; otherwise, he’d have a very injured, or probably dead, Kobu on his hands.
The Accidental Archmage: Book Seven (Dragons and Demons) Page 10