The Accidental Archmage: Book Eight (Where Titans Walk)

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  “And?” asked the curious mage.

  “Souls could be consumed. In some hells or when one has the ability,” replied Asag.

  “What happens to the essence?” blurted Tyler.

  “Food. Or a source of more power. Heard it does wonders for a cannibal’s constitution,” grinned the demon as he turned to return to his assigned post.

  Tyler could just shake his head at the demon’s revelation. The comment was phrased as a joke but he had no doubt it was true.

  “Our Oracle is changing,” a whisper said at his back. It was Kobu. The exile had also noticed the sudden difference.

  “For the better, I pray,” remarked the mage.

  “I believe so, though she might have to find a place for herself first,” said Kobu in a low voice.

  Tyler wanted to discuss the matter with the exile but decided that the present was not the time for it. The Garden of Chaos, with its gruesome decorations, still awaited them. Except for feeble cries and moans, no other sound could be heard by the company. But the agony coming from millions of throats was an incredibly horrific experience. The sound crawled through one’s flesh, then deep into the bones, before rising and tearing into the mind. The trembling, pathetic outstretched hands and twisting heads reaching out from the figures impaled along the road added to the apocalyptic scene.

  “By all the gods! This is indeed hell. Not only for them!” cried out Tyndur, his loud voice barely heard through the ghastly moans.

  “Speak for yourself,” murmured Asag. It was uttered in a low voice, but the Archmage heard it. Tyler didn’t expect anything else, the entity was a demon after all.

  Tyler meaningfully glanced at the Oracle. She nodded and the mage abruptly sensed a release of power. Yet whatever spell Thyma cast merely reduced the volume of the appalling sound. The mage looked at her, a question on his face. The highly disturbing chorus of suffering could still be heard. But now, the companions could converse without shouting at each other. Still, Tyler was greatly surprised to find Thyma’s spell defeated by whatever magic was in the area.

  “The sound of their suffering is part of their punishment. I guess some souls are forced to walk this road. The magic of Tartarus enforces that misery, and my spell could only mitigate its effects, not totally shut it out,” said the Oracle apologetically.

  “It’s alright, Thyma. You did your best. At least, it’s not as bad as before. We just need to get past this stretch,” replied the mage.

  Who am I kidding? thought Tyler. It’s still a long way. A very long way.

  Before the company stretched several miles of cracked, paved stones, with impaled figures beside the road as far as the eyes could see. The mage stole a glance at his companions. Everybody was clearly affected by the profane din, except for an unconcerned Gullin, and the rock deity, who had a faint smile on his face.

  ***

  It was a long and trying trek for the company. At least for most of them. Walking with averted eyes, they hurried their way past the gruesome road decorations. Only Asag was sufficiently curious to spend time examining the impaled specimens. Tyler couldn’t tell the demon to stop what he was doing. Asag would just come up with a smug or caustic retort, depending on his mood. The mage didn’t hold it against the rock deity. It was in Asag’s nature as a demon to be fascinated by such displays of cruel and unusual punishment. At least he ran and caught up with the company after his examinations. Tyler finally called Asag over after the demon’s fourth scrutiny.

  “What do you find fascinating about such suffering, Asag? You’ve looked at several specimens already,” asked Tyler, trying to keep the disgust out of his voice.

  “Unique artistic touches, of course. Didn’t you know some of the stakes were made of metal? I wonder why? And does the angle of entry of the column into the body mean anything? Does it increase the agony? I have been trying to find out the distinctive characteristics of those displays. To be honest, I still can’t figure out the nuances in the punishment,” replied the demon casually.

  “I suppose you tried talking to them,” remarked the mage dryly.

  “I did,” said Asag to Tyler’s surprise. “But none were sufficiently coherent. All moans and cries.”

  “Then stay with the company, Asag. I doubt if your studies of the punished souls around us would reveal anything significant. We had to slow down every time you go off on your little expeditions,” said the man wearily. If Asag was to be followed, they’d be spending a few days in this hellish area.

  “If you say so, Archmage. It’s a fruitless exercise anyway,” replied the demon. The mage wasn’t surprised to find a trace of disappointment in Asag’s voice.

  The company picked up its pace once Asag stopped venturing on his own. Nobody even suggested taking a break. All of them wanted to put the Garden of Chaos behind them. Fortunately, not a single Punishment or monster blocked their way. It was a strange occurrence which the mage could only attribute to the artifact in his hand. The road started to go up an incline and the mage noticed that the expanse before them was free of the damned stakes. They had finally crossed the diabolical gauntlet. The ground of the hill was still dry and barren, but Tyler could see a frozen landscape ahead. It was a bizarre sight, but he had long given up trying to make sense of the changes in the terrain. Just before the snowfields traversed by the road, the company halted and took a break. This time, a different sound greeted them – howling winds disturbed the white drifts waiting for them.

  “This realm is going to drive me crazy,” remarked Habrok as his keen eyes took in what was before him.

  “Really? If you die here and leave my sister and my nephew alone, I’ll hunt down your ghost and drive you truly crazy,” came Astrid’s quick reply.

  “If I become a ghost, there’s nothing you can do about it. If I am destined for Valhalla, that would be a more difficult proposition,” smirked the ranger.

  “Valhalla? I am to be a Valkyrie. I suppose I could ask for some special dispensation to make you pay for failing to live. A ghost? You do know there are ways of making such lost souls suffer. I’ll find a way. Even if I have to bring my brothers – the Four Winds – into it,” she declared as the rest of the company looked upon the exchange with amusement.

  Habrok visibly blanched and turned from the grinning Valkyrie. The mage tentatively thought that Astrid might be joking, but knowing her, she might just do what she said if Habrok died. Tyler looked at the ranger and was reminded of Jorund. Habrok won’t die. Not if he could help it. Now that he was reminded of Jorund, the mage promised himself that he would get Jorund back. Odin had mentioned something about the warrior oddly retaining some of his memories and that gave the mage hope. And if Tyndur could free himself from the bonds of Valhalla, then that meant there was a way for Jorund to return.

  It wasn’t going to be a simple request, that Tyler knew. It needed an enormous amount of owed favor and magical power. He suspected that the Elders who took Tyndur broke the chains that tied the einherjar to Asgard. Well, the mage also had access to a form of Elder energy. It might not be pure or as potent than the original, but he deemed it enough to force matters when the time came. But he hoped Odin would be reasonable and accede to his request. He didn’t want to add to his list of enemies. Then he heard Tyndur call out. It was time to move on.

  Entering the cold land required a rearrangement of the positions of the companions. Gullin was now located in the middle and expected to provide warmth, while Thyma was to create a barrier against the bite of the frigid wind. The mage cast a shield over the company as a protection against sudden attacks. His suspicion about the lamp being able to drive away predators and Punishments was merely an assumption. Tyler wanted more evidence before he’d fully entrust their lives to the magic of such an artifact.

  Thus prepared, the group continued again on its journey, though now, instead of a plain, they had hilly terrain to contend with. But the mage didn’t have any complaints. It was far better than walking with the infernal choir of the
damned accompanying one’s steps.

  ***

  The stronghold loomed closer and closer as they made their way up the hills. Tyler could again sense the incremental jumps which quickened their journey. The company was already up the heights and approaching the base of the mountain when the voice of Hal suddenly sounded in his mind.

  “Sire, there’s a barrier ahead,” announced the guide.

  Tyler immediately raised his staff and the company halted.

  “There’s something before us. Let me check it first,” he informed the companions. The mage wondered why the Oracle or Gullin did not detect the presence of the obstacle.

  “I’ll just crack it open with what Elder energy we have,” replied the mage confidently. He assumed the magical wall was of the Titans’ own making. Tyler had not yet found any power, outside of Elder origin, which could withstand what he could cast.

  “That’s the problem, sire. It appeared to be made from Elder energy. Our preliminary conclusion is that the crystal spoken of by the deity you encountered could be an Elder energy storage unit. The power we sense is tainted and we suspect the involvement of another group of rogue Elders,” explained X worriedly.

  “What the fuck? Another group? That would make it three so far!” exclaimed Tyler inwardly.

  “There were several identified sects according to the archives,” replied Hal defensively. We did tell you about the three major groups – The Circle of Cthulhu, The Throne of Azathoth, and the Devotees of Hastur. The Followers of Zin was one of the fringe assemblies.

  “And it’s not the squids, either, though we haven’t identified what’s their affiliation. They’re attacking this place,” the mage said heatedly.

  The idea of another extant group of dark Elders was too much for the mage. They were powerful adversaries, though at least one group had been destroyed by their rivals, leaving only a dying survivor on the island of Banna. For another active cult to make his life more miserable was totally unexpected.

  “But the use of the power appeared to be limited to the barrier before us and, as far as we could determine, primarily intended to cut off the link between this dimension and Hades the underworld,” continued Hal. “A crude construct, but it does what it was designed to do.”

  “Can we break through the barrier?” asked Tyler immediately. It was his main concern as of the moment. Without access to the area where the fortress was located, all their efforts would be in vain.

  “Not with the quantity of Elder energy we have,” replied X.

  Chapter Seven

  Chaotic Measures

  Tyler stared at what the guides showed him. The barrier had a hemispherical form and covered a wide area. He assumed the fortress was in the middle of it, though right now, the tall ridges of the side of the trail prevented them from seeing the stronghold. The mage knew they were close. In fact, around an hour’s fast walk at most. He turned to the company and told them of the barrier, preempting any query. But Gullin and the Oracle would definitely be curious about how he was able to detect it. However, he knew the duo won’t ask their questions now. They were in a vulnerable situation and now blocked from further progress. But Tyler also knew he won’t answer most of their queries.

  The guides were tasked to figure out a way to bypass the shield, and their answer came back immediately, meaning they’ve already considered the problem. The barrier was actually projected in an orb-like shape, and that ruled out any attempt at digging under it. X also confirmed that the magical energy’s frequency matched what was known about Elder power in their archives. Only a certain level of power could destroy or pierce it. That ruled out magical natural energy, including that of the Titans and the reserves Tyler had. The mage stared at the damnable obstacle. It merely gave off a faint light, and dark flashes ran at times through the construct.

  Tyler was frustrated and getting angry. He didn’t cross into Tartarus and endured its hellish landscape and monstrous creatures only to be stymied by an energy wall. Then something his guides told him rose in his mind – frequency. The blasted barrier had a specific frequency attuned to its energy level.

  “Could we disrupt the frequency of the wall?” he asked the guides quickly.

  “That would mean a stronger energy input using the same or another frequency. A different kind of energy altogether would also work. If you intend to use ordinary magical power, such as that found on the surface, it won’t serve. Do note that Elder energy, though of a different level, is still derived from the same raw magical power,” replied X.

  “What about using the energy of this plane?” asked Tyler slowly.

  It took so much time for the guides to reply that the mage started to expect a discouraging answer. Finally, X spoke up hesitantly. It was possible, said the guide, considering that the Archmage’s modified constitution could process and handle the energy on Tartarus. But the two AIs were of one mind in discouraging such an approach. According to X, there would be irreversible changes in Tyler’s psyche if chaos energy was allowed to run through his body. Such power always leave traces of themselves. The more one used it, the greater the taint on the individual. Chaos being what it is, the guides couldn’t predict the aftereffects of its use.

  Hal also added that the use of chaos energy might even attract the attention of the entity which made up the dark domain. It was his power, to begin with, and any use of it by a stranger was bound to come to its attention. Tyler smiled grimly to himself and then asked the pair if they had any alternative to the problem of the barrier. The two were silent.

  “Desperate times, my friends,” he told his guides. “Do you hear the sounds of fighting? The battle is coming closer every minute. I have been keeping tabs on how it’s progressing. We’ll have a bigger problem and almost no chance when the conflict reaches this fortress.”

  “What do you propose, sire?” asked X in an uncharacteristically reluctant voice.

  “I want both of you to guide what I gather and release. Maximum efficiency. Just enough to either break the barrier or create a hole to pass through. Use Elder energy to guide the power to the frequency the wall used. I believe it would be more effective that way,” directed Tyler. Having decided on the course of action, his focus was now on achieving the result desired.

  Tyler then instructed the company to maintain a considerable distance from him. He had his set of shields, but most of the companions had none. The mage had no idea what the effect of his effort would be – it could be a rousing success or result in a disastrous explosion if the attempt backfired. His shadow respectfully refused to leave his side. The mage didn’t argue anymore. From experience, he knew it would be a futile action. Kobu was dedicated to his role as the mage was to his effort to rescue Eira.

  As he started to gather the ambient chaotic energy around him, the mage found handling it more difficult. It contorted, whipped around, and generally tried to avoid his unfamiliar hands. Finally, the mage was able to hold on to a substantial wisp and forced it inside him, pulling in the process a continuous strand of the energy. Surprisingly, as it was absorbed, it became more pliant though it was still a turbulent tendril of power. He kept on absorbing what he could manage, the effort taking up his full concentration. Then X’s voice warned him that he had reached the maximum he could take. His body felt like it was continuously being battered from within and his bones felt brittle. Chaos energy definitely had a deleterious effect on a mortal shell, even if the physical body had been prepared to handle it.

  “Release when ready,” said the mage inwardly. But even the mental effort was an exercise in intense focus. His entire being was being shaken by the power it now contained. It was painful yet still tolerable. The mage suspected his guides had again controlled his nerve endings.

  A lance of massive power exploded from his body and struck the magical barrier. The release of energy and its tremendous impact on the wall might be on another plane, but such a colossal magical release on a mighty barricade spilled over to the material world. The gr
ound shook violently and the air around the mage was filled with flying shards of raw power, both chaotic and elder in origin. The barrier collapsed abruptly to Tyler’s immense relief. It was an exceedingly tiring effort but well worth the result. He stood for a while, breathing heavily, trying to recover. He felt sufficiently weakened that the mage had to cast a couple of healing spells on himself.

  Suddenly, the air around him darkened and Tyler found himself enclosed by a black, smoky sphere. He could sense the level of power of whatever engulfed him. The mage felt his guides abruptly recoil from what they had detected. Though they quickly returned to the forefront of his consciousness, Tyler knew the pair had been – if such a thing was possible for AIs – shocked. An immense pair of eyes formed in front of the mage, made out of the same haze which surrounded him. Tyler defiantly stared back and a small sense of relief rose when he noticed that the expression it had wasn’t angry. It seemed curious and playful, yet with menacing undertones.

  “A mortal. Able to wield my power. Now, that’s a sight to see. And a new game to play,” said the intimidating entity, its words echoing in Tyler’s mind. It had the voice of a young boy.