“I need deep ditches dug in the area in front of the circle of warriors ahead of us. A lot of trenches. We have to slow down or lessen the number of enemies we’re facing,” explained the young mage.
“Can I bring young Vathys along? He has some knowledge of tunnels and this would be good practice for him.”
“Tunnels?” he asked.
“Of course. The greatest works of divine smiths were crafted with volcanic heat. Tunnel-making is a necessary skill.”
“Whatever, Birki. Just make it quick,” replied the mage, his voice now marked with urgency. He could see Kobu had given orders for the wedge to be compressed, a change also affording weary fighters a chance to get out of the line and rest.
“You do have to call us out of the staff, First Mage,” reminded Birki. “And Apulli is also requesting to come with us.”
Apulli… Wilan’s counterpart.
“Why does he want to come?” asked the puzzled mage.
“He thinks he can practice his powers of destruction. I really don’t know what they are, but I say give the lad a chance. There’s no substitute for field experience. And you started everything when you let the Aztecah girl have some playtime.”
“Fine. The three of you. Apulli can cover your backs while you’re working. This blasted undead host has mages,” replied the mage. He called out the trio and then raced to Kobu who was reinforcing a threatened section.
Fuck this. Being in the middle of a battle really plays havoc with one’s perception and thinking, cursed Tyler inwardly as he created another barrier, a large triangular shape this time, to cover the configuration of the defense ranks.
As soon as the barrier came into being, the mage could sense a discernible decrease in the fighting and a lifting of the sense of being embattled among the defenders. Yet he knew the respite couldn’t last; the irresistible pressure of the veritable mountain of undead on the other side would see to that. Even now, he could sense the force being exerted on the energy barrier.
“Kobu. There will be a momentary lull in the flood of enemies encircling the rearguard. I suggest pushing through to them and then an organized withdrawal.”
“How would we know when to push forward, sire?”
“We’ll know. Something will happen,” answered Tyler.
To the exile’s credit, he didn’t ask any additional questions. He stepped back and barked out the orders. The dwarves in front let out a loud, rumbling roar in their language, overjoyed to learn their brethren were still alive. It was followed by one from the human warriors, finally glad to see an objective. But the mage’s mind was quickly running through unpleasant scenarios as he ran back to the front.
Battle plans were never set in stone, Tyler thought even as he continued to rain down deadly magical blades on the undead held back by the barrier.
When he reached a position behind the dwarven ranks, he could see numerous undead being rapidly swallowed up by the ground. It would have been funny if the situation was not so dire.
It’s like a wave at a sports event, though the direct participants disappear. Permanently, I hope.
Then explosions promptly appeared among the undead in the distance, bodies messily bursting into pieces, body parts and armor flying through the air. Tyler noticed the effect only happened in a small area, but had to admit it was devastating. It completely cleared the undead from its area of effect.
“Tighten ranks! Forward! Slow and steady!” came Kobu’s command.
Like a ponderous elephant, the entire formation started moving. As the host slowly marched forward, beset by remnants of the undead left on the wedge’s side of the barrier, the beleaguered rearguard started to move in the direction of the embattled rearguard struggling to keep their defensive circle. The three mages had recovered, though they staggered like drunks. Despite the numerous trenches and the continuing devastation being wreaked by Apulli, the pressure on the ring of warriors they intended to rescue was wearing down whatever desperate reserves of strength were left among its ranks.
That observation greatly worried the mage. The speed of both formations was glacially slow, and at the present pace, it would take a long time to cross the few hundred yards dividing them. Tyler knew the wedge would be further be delayed once the shield protecting it disappeared. A final barrage of blades and Tyler made up his mind. But first, he had to keep Kobu doing his job as the leader of the formation. Both Skarde and the exile were doing well in his judgment, but he preferred Kobu leading the wedge. Habrok alone would have to cover his back. He knew Tyndur had his hands full stiffening his side of the formation. Thankfully, the einherjar didn’t ignite the magical flames of his weapon.
“Kobu!” he called out. “I am going to clear a path to the rearguard! Stay here and make sure the formation keeps moving!”
“Wait, sire!” replied Kobu who looked for Skarde and gave the man orders.
Shit. I should have known the man wouldn’t leave me if I went out there.
“I deeply apologize, sire. But I can’t leave you to go into that swarm alone. My…” Kobu started to explain while bowing deeply.
“I know. Your sense of honor. Let’s get this over with,” Tyler answered resignedly. “I’ll be in front. You and Habrok cover my back.” The trio moved past the dwarven front ranks. A hand touched the mage’s arm. It was Dvalin.
“You’re going out there, Lord High Mage?” the chieftain asked.
“Yes, Chief Dvalin. I am going to try to open a clear path to the rearguard,” replied Tyler. Beside Dvalin was Otr. “Glad to see you both alive.”
“Ha. It’ll be a hot day in Ymir’s Domain when the undead get the better of us!” exclaimed Otr.
Funny, observed the mage, he used the word ‘us’.
“But these strange undead could be the exception,” noted Dvalin. “They fight well for skinny dead warriors. Even the skeletons move fast.”
At Dvalin’s observation, Otr kept quiet.
“Just be ready,” said the mage. Sporadic illumination spells from the three mages lit the landscape, showing Tyler the vast number of enemies still on the field.
Tyler immediately formed two long, thick barriers running toward the rearguard, leaving a space of roughly eight feet between the two parallel walls. His projected path started a few feet away. Though he again sensed pressure on the newly created shields, it was not as heavy as before.
The efforts of the three must be working, he concluded as the mage thought of Birki and his two wards.
But a quick check of the triangular shield protecting the host revealed it was about to give way. Before he could strengthen it, the now-familiar sickening crash of flesh and bone on metal again loudly echoed through the night air.
The destruction of the barrier happens too fast, observed the mage as he quickly rebuilt the shield of the wedge again. He had avoided constantly pumping energy into the shield. Too much, and the entire construct would disastrously explode, a distinct possibility in the chaos engulfing the battlefield. Not that he had the luxury of time to reinforce the shield as needed – that demanded attention and a cautious infusion of energy.
Tyler noticed the wedge had moved closer to the energy walls he had created. But the strain of creating multiple energy barriers was getting to the mage. A headache was not a good start to what he planned. He turned to the exile.
“Order the wedge to stop here and hold. We’re near enough, and the men now have to fight those in the main swarm,” the mage told the exile. After Kobu shouted the order, Skarde repeated it down the line.
Tyler took a deep breath and moved forward. As he did so, the dwarves on each side moved their ranks in conjunction with the mage, forming a new tip of the wedge. The sudden movement of the armored fighters caught the attention of the undead on both sides, resulting in renewed vicious fighting. A gauntlet of revenants faced Tyler with their skeletal mouths open, and the detestable greenish orbs greeted him once more. Beams of energy quickly lanced out from the mage, clearing an area in front of
the trio, but a lot of revenants still blocked the way.
“Sire, may I clear the path? Commanding doesn’t give me enough time for combat,” requested Kobu. Habrok’s arrows were already flying past and exploding undead heads.
“By all means, Kobu. But you sound like Tyndur.”
Kobu laughed as his weapon shifted into the kanabo.
“The einherjar’s attitude is catching,” the exile replied.
Tyler watched as the man strode forward, the brutal weapon on his shoulder. Kobu momentarily halted as his eyes took in the sight of revenants rushing them, weapons already at the ready. The outline of his form flickered, then he disappeared. The exile suddenly appeared among the skeletal warriors, a downward blow smashing a helmeted cranium. The succeeding movement, a roundhouse swing of the kanabo held by the ring on the other end, caught several more by their heads. Then he vanished again.
The mage couldn’t believe how fast the exile cleared the way. He had seen how the man dealt with the assassins. But this was against numerous opponents. Even with his enhanced vision, the mage could barely keep up with the movements of Kobu. It must have appeared instantaneous to others watching the incredible display. In a few seconds, the way was clear. Tyler quickly walked to the rearguard section facing them, warriors who suddenly found themselves with nobody to fight. Kobu and Habrok guarded his flanks. As he strode forward, waves of slicing projectiles cut down undead on either side.
“Sire.” A voice called out to him in his mind. It was Birki.
“Yes, Birki?” replied Tyler though he continued walking.
“The undead are starting to climb out of the ditches. There are too many, and I can’t create really deep excavations. My present ability limits me to ten feet deep if done at a quick pace.”
The nightmarish scene of undead slowly climbing out of the ground abruptly impressed itself on Tyler’s imagination.
Shit. I know I’ve watched too many horror flicks.
“Slow them down. We need time to withdraw. The host will be at its most vulnerable at the moment of disengaging,” he instructed Birki.
“I’ll get Apulli to help. He can practice building earthen walls of various heights. Unless he wants to do more culling,” came the reply.
The faces greeting him were haggard, weary beyond words, reflecting the rigors of continued fighting. They had been pushed to the limits of their endurance, even for dwarves. The shock and awe of Kobu’s exhibition could also have contributed to the dazed and incredulous expressions. Or the defenders have given themselves up for dead already.
“Move! But maintain your defensive circle. I’ll hold them here until everybody is safe,” shouted Tyler.
There was hesitation by the warriors in front of him. Then he remembered the energy walls laid down between the two groups. It stopped the revenants, but still showed them in their full undead glory. Tyler glanced back.
Shit. Those horrible faces would even give me second thoughts. Not to mention the freaking exotic smell.
***
Tyler stomped his way back to their room in the jarl’s keep, followed by his companions. From the North Gate up to the hallway, all the mage was doing was frantically dusting himself off with one hand, the other one busy gripping the staff. Whitish dust, tiny particles of dried flesh, and maggots, both live and dead ones, marked his progress.
It had been a relatively easy retreat after the hesitant rescued warriors were finally convinced—no, ordered—by a loud shout from one chieftain in the vanguard. The mage thought it was Otr; the phrasing of the words, the non-dwarf part, was positively similar to how the dwarf displayed his linguistic skills in human languages.
After that, the remaining warriors quickly filed out of the ring and headed for the wedge. Tyler had to admit it was a well-executed maneuver for exhausted and desperate warriors, most of whom were carrying wounded comrades. The mage, seeing the kinds of wounds the majority of the fighters suffered, strongly prayed that the healing magic of Adar covered tetanus and maladies associated with bite marks from the teeth of long-deceased persons and creatures. Weapon-inflicted wounds were in the minority but all the injuries were beyond his meager healing skills.
The ring compressed, becoming smaller and smaller as the ends coursed, like two threads through the eye of a needle, through the transparent channel. The mage and his two companions were the last to return to the formation, though it took two devastating volleys of his guide’s controlled blasts to eliminate those running after the fleeing men and dwarves. As Skarde gave the order to withdraw, the packed triangle moved back, harried by the undead. But there was a substantial decrease in the number of attackers, and the assaults were quickly dealt with by the defenders.
Curious about the reduction of the enemy’s ranks, Tyler lit the sky above the field they had left. No other illumination spells were being cast by the other mages so Tyler guessed they must have reached the boundary set by magical exhaustion. He couldn’t blame them for reaching their limit so soon. The effects of the exposure to a massive concentration of the strange energy–a sudden bout of the nastiest migraine, extreme dizziness, and possible punishing body pain–were sure to take their toll. The mages were swaying like inebriated old men the last time Tyler saw them.
As the light flooded the field, a bizarre moonscape greeted his eyes. The land in front of him was crisscrossed by numerous irregular lines of trenches, a lot of pits, and extended mounds of varying heights. He could see undead clambering up the excavations, but as soon as they reached the top, another deep gouge in the earth appeared in front of them. The small hills were crawling with undead from the primary host on the other side, all trying to advance toward the retreating defenders. But like the trenches, new earthen obstructions kept on rising from the ground, blocking their way.
Must be damned frustrating, thought Tyler.
Unfortunately, the light also illuminated the mage. Being at the literal tip of the armored formation, he immediately attracted the attention of every undead around and more. A quick, terrifying surge of revenants followed, all headed to the mage’s position. Tyler could see every gruesome and repulsive detail of the skeletal or decayed bodies of the fetid wave, accented by whitish maggots and glowing verdant excuses for eyes.
Habrok quickly started with his bow, and Kobu stood ready to receive those able to pass through Tyler’s chest-high shield. He had no delusions about the barrier withstanding the multitude swiftly coming toward them. Seeing them again run in the light given by his spell, Tyler was chillingly reminded of how fast those undead bodies could move. His guides started with their energy strikes again, but the revenants were too many, too close, and too fast. As they smashed into the magical barrier, Tyler’s waking nightmare began.
Apulli had seen the rising problem and came running in his energy form. The boy ran across the party’s front, and in his wake were exploding undead bodies. Nauseating bone dust, grisly body parts, tiny worms, and shattered pieces of armor and weapons were flung in all directions. A lot rained down on the trio, the gruesome undead debris lodging in their attire, hair, and exposed skin. It all resulted in a First Mage messily covered with grisly minute human remains, crawling small insects, and powdered bone during his dash back to the fortress, blasting the occasional undead blocking the way. The overwhelming revulsion made his mind lose its focus during the last waning stages of the battle. All he could think of was what sickeningly covered him from head to toe. Real or imagined, he could feel insects and the grisly remains on his skin.
But for Kobu and Habrok still guarding him, being covered with the ghastly remains was a minor inconvenience, though Kobu nudged Habrok at one point and pointed out what was happening behind them. As Habrok took a glance, the ranger could see that the strange deep furrows and low hills were still being created, followed them, and continued to block any pursuit. At a loss for words, Habrok just stared at the grinning exile and shook his head. If any of the dwarves and human warriors noticed what was happening, it appeared they wer
e too tired and thankful for the absence of pursuit from the main enemy host to raise any alarm or concern.
When they reached the laager, the tired host stopped to rest, though it formed a defensive formation. Some warriors bringing the wounded pushed on to Hedmark. Tyler cast another illumination spell, revealing a field empty of enemies at their rear, but the entire area looked like the playpen of hyperactive giant groundhogs and moles. The trenches and hills had stopped appearing about a hundred yards away.
With a final look at the empty field behind them, Tyler gripped his staff and without a word, determinedly continued on to the fortress. Tyndur followed, though the ordinarily talkative einherjar kept silent when he noticed Tyler’s odd demeanor. Kobu had to catch up with the party as he had to give hasty orders to Skarde. When the group caught sight of the North Gate, the mage frantically tried to get rid of the horrid mementos of the battle, shuddering all the time.
Tyndur meaningfully looked at the exile and the ranger. Then he grinned widely.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Way to Hell
Skathi spake:
51. “Wert thou first and last | at the deadly fight
There where Thjazi was caught,
From my dwellings and fields | shall ever come forth
A counsel cold for thee.”
Loki spake:
52. “More lightly thou spakest | with Laufey’s son,
When thou badst me come to thy bed;
Such things must be known | if now we two
Shall seek our sins to tell.”
Freshly bathed and wearing a clean tunic and pants, Tyler laid himself down on the bed. His armor was being cleaned, together with the gear of the others, in the next room where Tyndur and Habrok kept watch over them. The two were not taking any chances. It may be the jarl’s house, but that didn’t mean there would be no temptation for people to run away with the armor and weapons, all warnings and consequences be damned.
He did ask the two to tell everyone, even the jarl, that he was not available. Kobu, also in a plain tunic and pants, stayed with him in the room, sitting beside the door, with his back to the wall. When the mage asked him about the defensive preparations, all the exile told him was that all the needed preparations were being undertaken, and the additional equipment he requested was being constructed. The exile trusted Skarde to look after what he had ordered. Besides, Hedmark would need the knowledge he was imparting, said Kobu, and Skarde was better off getting practical experience in siege warfare.
The Accidental Archmage - Book Five Page 27