The Accidental Archmage: Book Seven (Dragons and Demons)

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  “But she somehow survived?” asked Tyler. He reduced a city to rubble. No wonder there’s a lot of unexplained ruins back on Earth.

  “Unfortunately, yes. It must have been my affinity to rock. Damned thief. Probably got it from what she stole. No wonder she sought dark, rocky places to hide. Blind One, eh? I must have squeezed her eyes out. But my mistake was forgetting to take her power. But I wasn’t as knowledgeable then, and I thought she was but a mortal at her core. Ah, the foibles of youth,” answered the daemon, taking practice swings with his weapon.

  “And what do you plan to do?” asked Gullin, unable to resist joining the discussion.

  “Finish what I began, my dear. No sense leaving survivors behind. I know that now,” came the daemon’s confident answer.

  Epilogue:

  Kerberos

  “How far is she from us?” inquired Astrid, unsheathing her swords.

  “Near. Around three hundred feet, give or take a couple of hundred,” grinned the daemon. “And do put your blades away. This one is mine. But I wonder how many such beings I have left behind? Damn. Don’t tell me I have to hunt them all down. Such a bother.”

  “As you say, Asag. But only because you asked nicely,” replied the Valkyrie.

  Tyler could hear the that’s a change murmur of Gullin. Considering the feisty and throat-slitting relationship between the draken and the daemon, the mage earnestly hoped their truce would hold. Both appeared to be brutally savage and incredibly merciless if they wanted to.

  Suddenly, Asag halted and looked back at the company.

  “Does anybody have a disguising spell? I want it to be a surprise!” exclaimed the daemon.

  What the…? A surprise? What does he think he’s going to do? Host a birthday party? He’s going to smash that thing to bits! thought the mage, again with disbelief. Asag’s mind was extremely difficult to anticipate. Unless one began to think the way he did, and that was a course the mage didn’t want to take. Ever. It was bound to drive him crazy.

  “I may have something,” said the Oracle. “But it won’t last long. You’re a magical entity. Your innate power is bound to destroy the enchantment in a few minutes. What do you want to look like?”

  “Let’s see… a dwarven warrior, looking lost and a bit stupid!” said Asag excitedly.

  “That last part doesn’t need to be cast, Thyma,” Gullin remarked snidely. A reply punctuated by a snigger.

  “Words, words, and more words. If only everybody stuck to words, it would be such a peaceful world. Fortunately, that’s not the case,” replied the daemon, even as the Oracle’s enchantment spread over his form.

  A dwarven warrior looking like that race’s version of the village idiot appeared before them. It was armored as usual and carried a mace. All that was needed to convert the image into an utter imbecile was drool flowing from the mouth. Tyler could hear the suppressed giggles and laughter from the watching companions. Thyma did her job too well.

  “You’re welcome to follow but give me time to spring my good looks on that bitch,” grinned the disguised Asag. Even the teeth were incredibly crooked, and gaps appeared in them. He turned and quickly strode in the direction of the Blind One.

  “With that look, I’d be surprised if the demon would find him appetizing,” commented Astrid, to another round of barely controlled laughter.

  The party gave Asag a few seconds’ lead time and then followed. The tunnel twisted and turned, and then as they found a large and strangely lit cavern ahead, came Asag’s shout.

  “SURPRISE!” The roar was followed by unearthly laughter which echoed throughout the surrounding tunnels. It was a mirthful yet malevolent sound, punctuated by cries of glee which cut through the brain.

  Everybody broke into a run.

  ***

  When the companions entered the hollow, they found Asag back in his original form, with a kneeling black female figure at his feet, head touching the ground as she bowed. Her lips were frantically kissing the daemon’s armored boots.

  “I didn’t think you’d still be around. But your black, polluted soul seemed to persist beyond one’s patience. Your mistress must have been worried for ages waiting to consume it,” said the daemon with unconcern, the warhammer on his shoulder. “And a nice little niche you’ve found here. Away from everybody, feeding on dark magic from another dimension to keep you alive, and using that stolen ability on the material around you. Nice!”

  The company spread out, but just watched Asag. It was a matter for him alone. The mage reflected that at least Asag had not tortured the demoness yet. That would be a horrible thing to watch since demons didn’t die as quickly as mortals. Asag could do a lot of terrible things to the demoness groveling before him. Though no visible facial features appeared, Tyler could see it shaking with fear.

  “Now, what do I do with you?” asked Asag in a non-committal tone.

  Somehow, the mage could understand the demoness was saying mercy over and over. At one point, it tried to rush to one of the companions, Thyma, in particular, clearly intending to use her as a shield from Asag. But a light blow from the warhammer stopped that effort. The demoness went back to cringing at the daemon’s feet.

  “Answer me this first, demoness. Where does that dimensional crack lead?” asked the daemon.

  The demoness was clearly shocked by Asag’s knowledge of the opening. The daemon repeated the question and told the figure in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t be asking a third time.

  “My life for the knowledge?” the demoness begged in a halting, quivering tone.

  “Maybe. Tell me first,” said the rock daemon, staring at the being before him. The demoness lowered her head and answered in a low voice colored by extreme fear.

  “Tartarus.”

  The answer reassured Tyler. It was as if a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. The effort to find the dimensional fracture was a gamble, it could have led to other dimensions. But somehow, a strong and intuitive feeling pushed the mage to move toward the rumored opening. He couldn’t explain it, but an indefinable force guided him toward that decision.

  “See?” said Asag. “It wasn’t so hard, wasn’t it?”

  The daemon kicked off the clinging hands and turned his back to the sniveling demoness. He took two steps toward the mage, just enough to raise the hopes of the hapless victim, and then quickly turned around and smashed the prostrate figure. A miserably painful cry sounded through the ether, and a small ball of dark light rose from the shattered shape. Asag grabbed it and unceremoniously popped it into his mouth as the entire company stood in shock, even Gullin. It was the most casual act of violence any of them had seen.

  “What?” asked Asag when he noticed everybody staring at him. “You can’t trust demons. Everybody knows that. Good riddance to that bitch, and so little energy too. I expected more.”

  ***

  The company stood before a shimmering portal the size of a small doorway. It glistened white, a change from what Tyler had seen in his adventures. It was initially a tiny opening, the size of a pea, but the combined efforts of Thyma and Gullin enlarged it to accommodate one person at a time.

  “You do know the nature of these fractures, First Mage?” asked Thyma.

  “Do enlighten me,” replied Tyler. By now, he knew better than to say something indicating moronic surprise.

  “It’s a fissure. But once used, the dynamics of the magical energy of the other side close it. Magic, in any form or dimension, abhors a vacuum. For the magical energy running through Tartarus, the energy of this dimension is an alien void,” explained Thyma.

  The Oracle clarified that the Greek pantheon knew of its characteristics. Still, the new lords of Olympus missed out on the accumulated knowledge of the Titans. Only a Titan outside that infernal realm could remember those things as Tartarus slowly drained the wisdom and power of those sentenced to spend time in its vast domain. It wasn’t a world, but an endless, bleak realm marked by suffering and hopelessness.

  “N
ot a fun place,” added Asag, a comment which got him a stare from the Oracle for daring to interrupt. The daemon wisely moved elsewhere.

  Few had the opportunity to visit, but the entry was always through the front gates as they also allow egress. But before, the protections and guards of the Great Gates of Tartarus made it nearly impossible to sneak inside. At those words, the listening Gullin turned her back.

  “Gullin, didn’t you tell me about that game you, Rumpr, and Dionysus played?” asked the mage with a grin.

  Gullin didn’t answer, and like Asag, moved to the rear of the gathered companions.

  “What did they do?” said the puzzled Thyma.

  “Somehow, and I don’t know how, the three managed to put bells on each of the three heads of Kerberos, the Hound of Hades. I believe Gullin even tied a bow on the monster’s tail,” laughed the mage.

  At those words, the company turned to look at the draken who had her back turned to the group. All the while, Asag had a massive grin on his face.

  ***

  The parties entered the portal one by one, carrying provisions. Their movement had to be quick as they didn’t know how fast the energy of Tartarus would react to the disturbance in the magical field around the dreaded domain. It took around two minutes before the fissure suddenly closed.

  Tyler’s impression of the new land was that it was cold. Bone-freezing cold. Before them lay a white wasteland with hills and mountains all shrouded with ice, with a bluish tinge. He looked at the ground and found it wasn’t even snow. It was ice. That greatly baffled the mage. The Tartarus he knew was fire, brimstone, and dark rock. He looked at Thyma in bewilderment.

  “Tartarus is a vast place, Archmage. Its terrain is as varied as the punishment required. No sense putting a fire jotnar in a flaming pit, is there? It would have a nice warm bath instead. But I am not surprised at where we found ourselves. This part must be near lands of the fire jotunn. Easy access to the appropriate fields of punishment,” smiled the Oracle. “Though now would be a good time to use fire spells before we all freeze to death.”

  At Thyma’s words, the air around them suddenly didn’t feel so cold anymore. The mage could sense that the warmth came from Gullin. It was easy enough for a draken of fire and ice to manipulate the temperature around them. Tyler nodded his thanks.

  “You want me to go and scout, Archmage?” volunteered Asag. “I have been here before, and the cold doesn’t bother me.”

  “Be careful, daemon, and keep within our sight. The sense of distance here could be deceiving,” advised the Oracle.

  Tyler was thankful about Thyma’s inclusion in the party. She seemed to know a lot about the place, not surprising given her background. But serendipity could only explain the circumstances by which she joined the party. That, and Asag. The mage couldn’t help but feel an invisible helping hand steered events his way at specific points during his adventures on Adar. He suspected the avatar, but it could be some other entity. But at least in this different dimension, the squids wouldn’t be able to disturb him. Then the ground started shaking.

  “Earthquake?” he asked the Oracle.

  “Worse. A mad Hound,” answered Thyma.

  “What do you mean?” inquired Tyler as he tried to keep his footing on the icy ground.

  “I can feel Kerberos. A mad Kerberos. Blindly loyal to Hades, my guess is that the cutting of the ties between Tartarus and Hades also severed the link between master and follower. I believe he has been driven from the Great Gates by the new rulers of this place since his loyalty can’t be broken. He alone among the siblings remained with the Olympians. Hydra, Orthrus, and the Chimera all sided with their father, the Titan who now serves as the right hand of this domain’s ruler,” explained Thyma. “And he’s heading our way.”

  Tyndur heard everything and prepared everybody. The einherjar called out to the daemon to return, but Asag just waved him off. The tinkling of bells reached their ears.

  Then a giant slavering monster appeared on the horizon. It was the size of a draken, but with three slobbering heads. Even that far away, the mage could see the maddened eyes and demeanor of the creature.

  “Damn. I thought Herakles captured him. A big black hound,” commented the mage.

  “Mortals. Who has ever seen the real Kerberos? Do you think Hades would allow his guardian to leave the gates? The three of them – Hades, Hermes, and Herakles – all conspired to bring forth another creature, with the connivance of all the deities. The size of the real Kerberos alone would have destroyed all the Greek cities,” laughed Thyma, who gazed on the daemon far ahead of them, shouting at the Hound. “You better get that fool to stop what he’s doing.”

  “A draken-sized Kerberos? I think Asag can manage,” replied Tyler. Asag had increased his size to one bigger than Kerberos and readied his warhammer.

  The maddened Hound, with the body of a dragon, the legs of a lion, the tail of some great serpent, and drooling wolf-like heads, rushed at Asag. The company could hear the joyful cries of the daemon. But as the monster neared the daemon, it suddenly grew in size, covering the entire horizon. Then one of its heads swiftly reached down and ate whole the now diminutive daemon.

  Crap. The stunned Tyler couldn’t think of any other expletive to use.

  Kerberos Unchained

  Lore and Notes

  PROLOGUE

  The Shigir Idol, uncovered in Russia in 1894, is thought to be man’s earliest depiction of a deity. Dated at around 11,600 years old, the wooden carving was discovered to have seven faces.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Tatsu / Ta-tu – Old Japanese terms for dragons.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Dingir – A Sumerian word for a deity. Its plural form is digir-digir.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Asarluhi – This mythological deity had his beginnings as a village deity and somehow rose in the Mesopotamian pantheon, even becoming an avatar of Marduk. What can I say? They’ve got democracy of a sort. Probably. Or he backstabbed, bribed, or inveigled his way up.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Amarok – A werewolf-like legend of the Inuit. Though others mention it’s closer to the Sasquatch.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Camazotz – A Mayan legend, similar to the vampire. However, the camazotz (a combination of the Mayan words for bat and spirit) were believed to be evil spirits, unlike vampires who have mortal origins.

  Xipe Totec – One of the more terrifying Aztec gods. He himself is portrayed as a flayed entity and connected to a belief in life, death, and renewal. His affinity also is with warfare, diseases, and strange to say, agriculture.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Dolos – An ancient Greek mythical spirit associated with deception, trickery, and lies. His relation to Prometheus is unclear. Some sources claim he was an apprentice, while others mention him as a companion. In our story, he is the son of the famed bringer of fire. It does bear mentioning that though guile and trickery have been attributed to him, with stories showing him being able to trick the gods into telling lies, other tales show a clear lack of intelligence.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Anaideia – A Greek mythical concept. A spirit that personifies ruthlessness and being merciless.

  Epiphron – Also a Greek mythical spirit which personifies thoughtfulness, sagacity, prudence, among others.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Long – An ancient Chinese term for dragon (Standard Mandarin/Pinyin).

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Land hinna mörgu hvera and Sá Blindi are Icelandic translations.

  About the Author

  Active Member, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)

  A Goodreads Author.

  Writer of the following fantasy and science fiction series –

  The ACCIDENTAL ARCHMAGE

  ARCANUM ASTRAY

  PLANAR WARS

  MANUS DEI, and

  ANCIENT FANGS.

  Written as Kenneth Warde:

  Boner the Barbarian ONLIN
E XIII – A LITRPG Satire (Level Doofus)

  Frieda’s Cookies – A Children’s Book

  Exclusive stories on Patreon:

  MAD MAGUS: A Tale of Almost Gods – humorous fantasy

  VOID TEMPLAR: Medjay (Arc One) – science fiction

  NANITE: Infection – apocalyptic science fiction

  My Name is RUIN – dark fantasy

  Soloflyte Worlds

  https://soloflyte.blog/

  Soloflyte Worlds on Facebook:

  www.facebook.com/embatara/

  Soloflyte Worlds on Patreon

  Fantasy and science fiction have always been my favorites, especially those stories from the era of dime novels and genre magazines, the time when both were still deemed fringe. Those stories spark the imagination and bring a reader to worlds and concepts beyond his reality—though I have to admit, reality is fast catching up with science fiction. Fantasy, on the other hand, is being enriched by today’s gaming and movie technology.

  My writing preference is fiction anchored on a familiar fact – be it mythology, historical events, or even a physical feature, something one knows exists in the real world. It makes immersion in the grand adventure easier and more enjoyable.

  A book may be an author’s creation, but it doesn’t mean there couldn’t be a common point of reference between the writer’s story and the reader’s experience. Or even between readers.

  Writing started as a hobby on free serialized novel websites, for the pleasure of writing and sharing one’s stories. Mostly, it was a stress-relief exercise. I was fortunate that other people found them engaging and enjoyable.

  Publication then followed. To my readers; thanks!

  I still write on the free websites, but unlike with full-length books, readers do have to wait for periodic installments. And I welcome constructive feedback and engage readers in discussions about the mythos as the comments and discussion sections of such serialized stories will show. But I do try to avoid spoilers.