Abruptly, Asag appeared before the company. When he emerged, Gullin walked toward them while her companions disappeared. The daemon looked worse for wear. His face was filled with soot, and his armor was cracked in places. Asag seemed very irritated and didn’t have the usual amused or cynical expression.
The mage saw the warhammer Asag favored had been damaged. Numerous little fractures had appeared on its business end, and a large part of the head had been broken off. The daemon had clearly bitten off more than he could chew.
As Tyler was going to say something, Asag held up his hand, gesturing for time. The mage sensed Asag was tired, angry, and frustrated. Everybody waited for the daemon to recover.
“Haaahhh! Those cheaters!” Asag finally cried out. “They let loose a volcano on me!”
“What?” exclaimed Tyler. The daemon’s answer was incredible, and yet it was funny in the way he said it.
“Everything was going so well! Blocks here, a rock barrier there. Lava flows diverted, confusing those bastards. Raised stony mayhem along the borders of the Plain of Fire. There’s a huge and long rocky escarpment there now, you might want to know. They won’t find it easy to cross south. Even got one of the leaders, not the big one,” explained Asag in a tired tone. “I led them on a merry chase. It was fun, until somehow, the pair cornered the Great Asag by nefarious means, and dumped a volcano on me.”
“Should magma or lava be a concern for you?” asked Astrid. “You do have powers over stone and rock.”
“My beautiful, beautiful Valkyrie. Lava is lava, nor is it stone, or rock, and never the twain shall meet,” explained Asag. “It is molten rock and takes the aspect of fire. Oh, and they followed me back. And they’re mad.”
As if punctuating the daemon’s statement, a loud eruption detonated at the edge of the plain. Amidst the cloud of dust and bursts of flame erupting from the ground, a giant flaming creature emerged. It looked like a giant wolf on fire, a lot bigger than the largest draken they had killed.
“Is that it? The leader, I mean,” asked Tyler.
“No, no. You think I’d let such a pup push me around? That’s one of the two lesser creatures I fought. The other one had the form of a bear,” said Asag.
“So, where’s the other one?” inquired the mage.
But the daemon never got the chance to answer. Long flaming tendrils emerged from the opening, and from the size, the mage could see they were colossal. The width alone was the size of a draken. Eight such tentacle-like extremities came out, and then a body on fire followed. It was incredibly massive and stood as tall as a small mountain, dominating the entire landscape. The mage sensed the enormous amount of power its aura was giving out, and it was, as the daemon mentioned, exceedingly furious.
“So that’s what it looks like,” said Gullin in a conversational tone. “We’ve heard whispered tales of a new creature created by the fire jotunn lord. One in which he had bequeathed part of his essence. It’s true, then. That makes it very worrisome. I wonder if the rumors about the entity being able to change form also hold true?”
It’s a freaking fucktopus. Oh, we’re screwed. So incredibly fucked, sideways and every which way, thought the alarmed mage immediately.
***
The slow emergence of the new monster was both fascinating and frightening. For a while, it stopped every brawler, biter, and battler in the swirling mass of killers on Sterkstein’s Throat. Its steady rise lent dramatic flair to its already imposing arrival. What made matters worse was its silence as it dominated the plain with its size and aura of power.
Asag played with that? And he said he had fun? thought the mage. He’s crazier than I imagined.
The still awe-struck Tyler turned to Gullin. He hurriedly gathered his scattered thoughts, yet the image of the jotnar leader kept intruding on his mind. He couldn’t believe such a creature could exist, much less have the ability the draken mentioned. Then before his very eyes, the tentacled form shifted to a dragon made of fire, but with three heads.
“Is that thing real? Could it just be an illusion?” Tyler asked Gullin.
“You know nothing, Archmage. With enough magical power, anything is possible. You, of all mortals, should know that by now,” came Gullin’s reproach of an answer.
Tyler was starting to panic, but forced the disquieting feeling down and shoved it in a dark corner of his mind. He had a problem — a huge one. The giant fire wolf could be handled, but the mother of all fucked-up monsters? That was out of his league, and Tyler was sure about that conclusion.
Then he saw Otr and Dvalin running toward him. Given what had happened, he already knew what the pair was going to ask. Unfortunately, he still didn’t have an answer. Grasping at straws, the mage glanced at the draken who caught his wandering eye.
“Unfortunately, I am not allowed to engage the jotunn lord or his champions. I am here for two reasons. One is resolved – the presence of the rogues. The second would be in a reality far removed from this world,” said Gullin straightaway, preempting the mage’s query. “But if I may suggest. You do have to ask yourself the question of whether, like that daemon of rock, you have bitten off more than you could chew.”
Tyler merely nodded and faced the dwarven duo. They looked battle-worn and had flushed complexions which could be seen past their beards and mustaches. Blood was all over their dented armor, and even their helms bore small indentations that suspiciously looked like teeth marks.
“We have a problem. A big one,” started Otr.
“I know — exactly my sentiments. But we might have to reconsider our options. There are still a lot of jotnar in the field, and I guess their tentacled leader has thrown in his reserves. We have taken what they have thrown at us and stood our ground. But the emergence of that monster might be too much for us, and even for me,” explained the mage, telling the two that dealing with the deadly cloud had drained him. Magical exhaustion was one subject every mage and warrior was familiar with, be they dwarf, human, or elf.
“I guess so,” said Dvalin. “We did prepare for the worst, and Sterkstein itself is sealed. Its ancient protections are as old as our race itself. It would take more than a mere colossal monster to break into the kingdom. Even one as huge as that atrocity.”
Mere colossal monster? considered the mage. The unbelievably disparaging description reinforced his perception of the dwarves.
“Damn! Just when we’ve got them by their balls, or whatever they have,” cursed Otr.
“You do have a withdrawal plan?” asked Tyler.
Otr answered in the affirmative, but the presence of the giant wolf and the titanic fire dragon had put a dampener on its execution. They needed time to extricate their men, and it wouldn’t be easy moving tens of thousands out of the battlefield.
“I’ll think of a way,” answered Tyler. “Go ready your people. You’ll recognize the signal to move.”
“Otr and I will be withdrawing this way. We’ll guide you to that cave system. It’s the least we can do. We would have enjoyed adventuring with you, but as you can see, there’s a war on,” said Dvalin with a grin as he followed after Otr.
Tyler had to admit he liked the attitude of the dwarves. They might be a stubborn race, a bit dense at times, but they had common sense and valued honor. Not to mention that remarkable trait of not flinching in the face of impossible odds. Their understanding of the cultural arts did detract from such positive qualities.
“You already know what to do?” asked Gullin.
“Not a clue.”
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Escape to Hell
The mage closely observed the giant jotnar leaders. Both remained where they were, a situation which initially puzzled the mage until his gaze fell upon the furious life-and-death struggles on the plain and the mountainside. The jotnar forces extended way back, with those in the rear waiting for their chance to kill or die. If the two leaders joined the battle at this point, they were liable to eliminate a lot of their own army. The jotnar parade exte
nded around two miles from the new dwarven defense line.
Asag stepped up, apparently having recovered somewhat. Some of the damage to his armor had been repaired, and he appeared impeccably clean. Tyler knew the daemon was looking at the two monsters on the other side of the plain. The intense feelings he sensed through their bond was surprising. He expected continued anger and a rise in frustration. Instead, a confusing sense of vexation and slight amusement greeted him.
“I expected you to be mad as hell at your defeat,” said Tyler.
“Defeat? I killed one and survived while being outmatched and outnumbered. I enjoyed myself. It’s a win on all counts,” tartly replied the daemon. “Though I am hoping you won’t ask me to tangle with them again. Once was enough.”
“Drat. I was hopeful for a request asking me to allow you to play again,” answered Tyler with a straight face.
“Now, I know you’re joking,” answered Asag with trepidation. “My power is returning quickly. But even at full strength, I’d be extremely hesitant. That bastard of jotunn adopted a snake form while underground. You wouldn’t believe how fast it moved through the lava flows. Nearly bit my butt a few times.”
His energy is recovering that fast? considered the mage. It was a strange occurrence, given that his own replenishment was affected by Sutr’s spell. Upon inquiry, his guides ventured Asag must also be drawing power from somewhere. They couldn’t even detect any transfer of energy from the mage to the daemon.
Considerate of him, observed Tyler sarcastically. Then an idea came to him.
“Hey, Asag. If you could draw energy from me, does that mean I could also do the same to you?” asked the mage.
“You could. But don’t blame me for any hangovers. They’re bound to be dark and nasty,” he grinned.
“Huh?”
“Any power that passes through me is changed and affected by my nature. Are you willing to risk being elevated by my glorious aura?” said the daemon.
“No, thanks. I’d rather remain the old vanilla me,” quickly replied Tyler with a shudder.
“Vanilla?” came the reaction.
“Never mind. Forget I said that,” said the mage.
“Now what do we do?” asked Asag.
The mage didn’t answer but shook his head instead. He knew the daemon could sense his worried state of mind. To his credit, Asag joked about paving over the jotnar with stone, but reflected that it would make it possible for the two waiting monsters to attack the defenses of the mountainside. The mage murmured his agreement, though Tyler was sorely tempted to let the daemon do precisely that since he couldn’t see any additional enemy reinforcements joining the battle.
They could probably win against the two monstrous jotnar, but the cost would be horrendous. Weakened as he was, the mage knew there was a chance of death for him and most of the companions. The dwarves themselves still had a war to fight since the present battle was but the start of the war. Immense casualties now would definitely affect their chances of later success. It was a gamble he wasn’t willing to take. Tyler still had to get Eira back. If he were going to face death, he’d instead do it in Tartarus, not on an ordinary barren landscape. It sounded like a stupid sentiment, but he didn’t mind the possibility at all.
“Asag, you said you raised a rocky ridge across the border of the Plain of Fire; you think you could manage that here? Higher, thicker. Impossible to breach in the short term,” asked Tyler.
“You mean taller than those two? Not a problem. I’ll even throw in a deep and wide chasm at the foot of the elevation as a precaution. Just don’t ask me to fight them again. That would drain me faster than Tyndur’s fart clearing out the dinner guests in a closed room,” answered the daemon.
The sudden imagery was funny and disgusting at the same time, and it took Tyler a few seconds to get it out of his mind.
“How long would it take you to create it?” he asked the daemon.
“Quite fast. Not instantaneous, of course. Nor could I cover the entire width of the plain. It’s a vast area. But the elevation would span miles in each direction. It would take a few days to go around it,” clarified Asag.
“No lava flows below us?” the mage pressed.
“There are three, but the ancient magic of the dwarves would stop cold any intrusion. I know. I tried,” grinned the daemon mischievously.
Tyler took a deep breath and then told the daemon his plan. But Asag had to wait until the first part of the mage’s plan started.
“Huh?” the daemon was genuinely puzzled. “I thought you hadn’t fully recovered. I should know. Your energy level is rising, but still pitiful. One reason why I didn’t borrow any.”
“Steal, that’s what you really mean. Never mind how. I still have some means of achieving what I described. Go,” said the mage. He didn’t want any more inconvenient questions. The daemon vanished.
“Birki, you heard?” Tyler asked the guardian of the staff.
“I did. I assume it’s the Vathys lad and yours truly?” said Birki.
“Include the rest if you think they’re ready. They need the practice, and in their natural forms, what you create won’t be a problem. But make sure they have each other’s back. I’d let the bull out to play too, but the crevasses would be tricky,” said the mage. “Your exposure to the world might create problems for us later, but it was bound to happen anyway. A tight situation like the present does call for desperate measures.”
“Indeed, sire. Quite desperate, if I may say so. And they’re ready and powerful enough. Deadlier. But don’t tell them that, it might go to their heads,” said Birki.
“And the dragon’s egg?” asked Tyler.
“Nearly hatched, sire. Any day soon,” replied the guardian.
“I’ll leave it up to you to prepare them and start the game whenever you’re ready. I’ll stay here and try to cover your backs,” said the mage. Briefing Asag and Birki was starting to exhaust him.
I must really be tired, he thought. Then Tyler called up his guides and told them to do overwatch with whatever energy they could spare. The mage knew the arrangement wasn’t doing his body and recovery any good. Still, he didn’t give a shit about any complications that might arise.
Tyler felt Birki and his wards leave the staff, and he could sense the delight of the children as they left their sanctuary. Despite himself, the mage could feel himself smile. The joy was infectious, and it burst out like a glowing aura. Unfortunately, it was also a magical sensation strong enough to attract the attention of everybody on the mountaintop.
He could see Thyma’s open wonder at what she saw, a reaction which confirmed the mage’s suspicions of the extent of her powers. She could see Tyler’s children. A similar expression was on Gullin’s face, but her ability to see the spirits wasn’t unexpected by the mage. The rest of the companions had grins on their faces. They also felt the arrival of Tyler’s children. Tyndur was howling out a battle cry, the ranger had raised his bow in salute, and Astrid had both hands high in the air. Only Kobu remained restrained, but he had a broad smile on his face. Then the companions rushed to the edge of the bluff to witness what was going to happen.
A huge lateral fissure suddenly appeared at the back of the leading jotnar ranks, swallowing the attackers caught in the opened chasm. More and more cracks appeared. To the onlookers on top of Sterkstein’s Throat, it seemed as if the earth itself opened several enormous maws and swallowed the jotnar whole.
***
The mage watched as droves of jotnar fell into the enormous cracks in the ground, openings which closed violently after a while, and then later cracked wide again. Flames erupted out of the chasms even as groups of the enemy were being swallowed whole.
On the far side of the battlefield, Tyler could see the shocked surprise of the two leaders as death and devastation swept through their army. But as they started to move forward, tall rocky hills began forming in front of them, mound upon stony mound. Then the phenomenon spread to the sides of the forming ridge.
>
Abruptly, a substantial surge of energy passed through the area. At that moment, Tyler remembered Sutr’s leash of power.
Oh, this is fucking shitting me! he swore. How could I forget that damned thing!
The flames coming out of the ground became stronger, an indication the jotunn lord was feeding more energy to the battlefield. But Tyler couldn’t see any effect on the milling jotnar being massacred before the dwarven front lines.
For what? wondered Tyler.
It wasn’t as if Sutr could bring back to life the jotnar already buried deep by what Vathys and Birki were doing. Not to mention the swathe of death the other children were inflicting on the now bewildered enemy. The land in front of Sterkstein’s Throat was being filled once more with blood and gore. Though this time, the dwarves remained where they were, and merely dealt with the jotnar hurling themselves against the shield wall.
It didn’t matter if giants or strange beasts were involved, they were all being cut to pieces by the swiftly moving spirits. They’d move around like deadly mists, manifest briefly as they cut down jotnar, and then disappear again. To the mage’s surprise, blasts of ice swept through the battlefield, strong enough to entomb even large jotnar. It was Apulli. Viracocha’s spirit clearly had more powers than the mage imagined. Whatever the lad froze, the Aztecah spirit would break into icy pieces.
Even the spirit of Hephaestus had his own style of mayhem. He’d manifest and release a contraption that slaughtered everything around it, then it disappeared back into thin air. The deadliest were the whirling mechanical dervishes which had numerous blades for hands. The mage then looked for Seier, the manifestation of Nike. She wasn’t on the ground, but above it. Tyler could see lines of power from her reaching to the others involved in the fighting. For a while, the mage was mystified as to what she was doing. Then he remembered Seier retained the martial knowledge of Nike and that would have included magical shields. The spirit was providing barriers and fighting abilities to her brothers and sisters.
The Accidental Archmage: Book Seven (Dragons and Demons) Page 28