Tartarus Beckons

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  “Hello? Good morning?” said the greatly flustered mage.

  It was all he could think of.

  Chapter Three

  Okeanos

  The mountain crouched and stared at him.

  “You don’t look like a god,” it spoke after a few seconds, the thunderous voice almost deafening Tyler. It was a cavernous voice, echoed in one’s head, carrying with it the amplified sound of the crashing surf.

  “I am not, and could you please keep the volume down? My ears would bleed if we continue talking like this,” replied the mage, his hands covering his ears.

  “A mortal then. A strange one. But still a mortal,” answered the towering giant. He slowly shrunk to a shorter size, if being three times the height of the mage could be called small.

  “Thank you,” said Tyler with relief when he saw the welcome change.

  “Be thankful instead that you intrigued me, mortal. Otherwise, you would have long been dead, squashed like an insect. Though I see you’ve come prepared. Woefully so, but ready. But your courage does you credit. But if you came with a deity or three, we wouldn’t be having this discussion,” replied the entity as a large hand swept across the rocky beach, and in its wake, were revealed the forms of Tyler’s wards.

  “A puzzle indeed. A mortal with no deities at his side, only remnants of the energies of such beings.”

  “My wards,” explained Tyler.

  The giant looked at him thoughtfully.

  “Stranger and stranger. The world turned upside-down. Soon-to-be deities as wards of a mortal, even if he is a mage.”

  “Long story,” he replied drily.

  “I expect so, mage. It is only because of the familiar energy I sensed within you that your life had been spared and I granted you this audience. And I guess that’s another long story, this time from me. But this is not the moment for such tales.”

  Familiar energy. This entity had met Elder beings?

  “Now, explain yourself,” demanded the colossus, though in a conversational tone.

  “Well, this island was a gift by deities to me. I didn’t ask for it, mind you. But your presence here could wreak havoc on the livelihood of the human communities along this coastline.”

  “And you wish me to leave? To fight me off?” said the giant in what Tyler sensed as an amused tone.

  “Oh, no, no, no! We wouldn’t last a few seconds! I didn’t mean it that way!” exclaimed the mage, horrified at the idea.

  The being laughed, hurting Tyler’s ears again.

  “Mortal, do you even know what this form is?”

  “Uh, an avatar? A magical projection?”

  “Then what am I?” asked the entity.

  “You’re the kraken?” answered Tyler. It was painfully obvious. He hoped the giant didn’t consider him dumb enough to deserve the question.

  The kraken grinned.

  Such huge teeth. Filed to sharp points too, observed Tyler with an involuntary wince.

  Suddenly, Birki appeared at Tyler’s side. The diminutive spirit bowed. To Tyler’s surprise, the giant nodded back.

  “Ah. You seem to have such strange companions, mage. A power of this world itself stands by your side. Another unexpected sight. You are full of surprises, mortal. A bearer of an energy I respect, the guardian of powerful children, and the blessings of an ancient being of this world. But none of that would have mattered if one of those arrogant so-called gods accompanied you.”

  He doesn’t like gods too?

  “You don’t consort with the pantheons?” blurted out Tyler. My mouth again!

  “No, and never.” came the answer. “Well, maybe for one or two. But that was a long time ago. They could already be dead. Deities and their stupid wars.”

  “Well, he doesn’t like or trust them too. Most of them anyway,” said Birki, pointing at Tyler.

  “A wise decision,” said the kraken. His size became smaller until he was but a foot taller than the mage. The giant sat on a large rock. “Come, let’s sort this out.”

  The pair found places to sit, though the water lapped up to their knees. Tyler made sure Birki had a larger boulder to sit on, concerned about Birki’s reaction to the sea, considering the being’s affinity for earth.

  “I’ll start,” said Tyler. “Why are you here?”

  “My kind is attracted to locations of vast magic, and for now, this island, being a magical creation, is of interest to me. I intend to remain here until my need is satisfied.”

  “Would that take long?” asked the mage.

  “A long time, mortal. The traces of power on this island show that several deities exerted vast amounts of energy to raise this piece of rock. Which reminds me, what do you intend to do with it?” asked the being.

  “I am not sure as of now. It was supposed to be the Archmage’s island, but that can wait. Several more crucial problems need my attention. If I live through them, then I’ll come back and consider what to do with it. Though as of now, I confess I am not comfortable with the idea of an island raised by deities. If they could raise it, then they could also easily sink it.”

  To Tyler and Birki’s surprise, the kraken sniggered uncontrollably.

  “That they could, mage. And it wouldn’t be the first time. You mentioned problems facing you, but matters on land are not my concern. It is as you said – you might not come back.”

  “I know,” replied Tyler. “But right now, my concern involves mortals who depend on the sea for their livelihood.”

  “Mortals. And their ignorance. Such a bother. I have forgotten how many times I had been rudely disturbed by humans as I slept on the surface. And those deities! When they realized they couldn’t order us around, they tried to use force. Now we don’t tolerate their presence. The farther away they are, the better. Nincompoops.”

  “But I still have to consider and worry about the lives of humans who depend on the sea for their livelihood. Can we come to an arrangement of sorts?” asked Tyler.

  “Normally, I wouldn’t care. But the energy you carry gives me pause. The bearers of such power had been of invaluable help to our kind. The knowledge they bequeathed made it possible for our race to be more than huge floating beasts. My ability to talk to you was one of their gifts.”

  Finally, the two came to an arrangement where the kraken won’t attack or destroy any human ship, provided they keep to thirty miles away from the island. Nor shall such vessels engage in fishing within the same area. Any strange protrusions shall not be attacked by humans, and nobody shall attempt to land or visit the island except for Tyler.

  The mage figured that was the best deal he could arrange. Then just before he left, with his wards safely back in the staff, came the final instruction.

  “Just don’t bring any deities here. I’ll squash them flat.”

  There goes any visit from Dionysus or even Viracocha if the kraken was still around, that is if and when I return. At least, the island would be guarded while I am away, thought the mage.

  He brought out the remaining stone.

  “What’s that?” asked the seated being.

  “A return runestone. I have to go back to that beach over there,” replied Tyler as he pointed out the area in the distance.

  “Another trinket of those so-called deities,” said the kraken with clear disdain. “Allow me.”

  Tyler felt a rush of swift cold energy. Unlike the transportation spells of the deities, his transfer back to the beach was instantaneous. A blink, and he was back with Kobu and Ivar.

  Just how powerful are these kraken? The shocked thought rose in his mind.

  “You’re back!” exclaimed Ivar while Kobu merely nodded at him.

  “And that was one… strange experience,” replied the mage. “Please don’t ask about the details, it still feels unreal to me.”

  Tyler then briefed the Gothi on the terms of the kraken. Kobu stayed silent the whole time.

  “So, the kraken doesn’t like gods, huh?” Ivar repeated what the mage mentioned.


  “Doesn’t like is an understatement, Ivar. The kraken are like the elephants of the sea. Very long memories and they do not readily forgive,” he said.

  “But one thing bothers me,” said the Gothi.

  “And that is?”

  “It would have been impossible for those who raised the island not to know that the spell might attract that entity. The question is why? Let’s assume that they knew you could handle the ensuing problem – which you handled admirably – but attracting a kraken to this place?”

  “Beats me, Ivar. But you know deities and their games. I admit I am at a disadvantage, with my ignorance of the relationships of the beings of this world and its current lore. For example, I know a lot of gods were gone, but which ones? The mythical pantheons we knew back on Earth are not as powerful as they once were,” replied Tyler.

  “Sire, another disturbance,” said Kobu.

  Tyler whirled and stared at the sea. Several huge trails in the water could be seen. Not from the direction of the island, but from the left and the right side of the beach. Cries of alarm rose from the crew of the wrecked karve. The mage could see the ocean foam created by whatever were approaching were unusually turbulent, and V-shaped sprays were being produced in their wake. They were directly heading towards the beach.

  “Run back again?” Ivar said.

  “What else?” answered Tyler as he took to his heels.

  Halfway up the beach, the trio paused and looked back. The approaching disturbances were closer now, and large fins now showed themselves above the waves. There were a lot of them and moving fast.

  If they’re giant sharks, I’d say several schools of them, thought Tyler.

  He turned to Ivar.

  “I think you should go farther up. I suggest to the edge of the forest,” he told the Gothi. Tyler noticed the crew was already gone, having fled back to the depths of the forest.

  Those guys must really be having a bad day. I doubt if they’ve experienced anything like today, he thought with pity. I don’t think we’ll be able to rent a ship ever again in Maljen.

  As Ivar followed his instructions, Tyler readied himself and warned his guides.

  If they’re sharks, they’ll be limited to staying in the water, won’t they? the mage told himself. Yet something in him told him it was not going to be that simple.

  The first group abruptly surfaced. They did look like sharks, from the shoulder up anyway. Below that was also a fish’s body but with two clawed arms in addition to the flippers. Some had legs, but the others had serpentine or tentacled lower bodies. They were tall and large beings. Fully ten to twelve feet in height with the body bulk to match.

  What the fuck are these things? thought Tyler. It was his first experience with sea monsters, aside from the kraken who seemed to be not a monster at all, and the sight mystified, rather than frightened, him. He thought of Birki. The ancient spirit might have an idea of what the creatures were.

  “Hey, Birki. What are these half-sharks?” The creatures were already advancing towards them. Tyler noticed that they were feeling their way along the solid ground of the surf-washed beach, as if they were unfamiliar with the movement.

  “Greek sea monsters. They’re called ketea. Or ketos in singular form. Could the wards practice with them?”

  “You think the children could handle them? There’s more coming.”

  “You worry too much, sire. These are ordinary beasts. There’s a lot of them, but not really a problem. Even Kobu could handle them, I think,” replied Birki.

  “Wait for my instructions. If what you said is true, I fear this is but a test. It could be possible that somebody wants to see how I fight and what abilities I have.”

  Tyler looked at Kobu.

  “You sense anything from our flanks?”

  “No, sire. But I’ll keep watch. Unless it’s a deity or one with similar powers, it won’t escape my attention. I surmise you want to deal with these… our… lunch and dinner.”

  “Birki, tell them not to assume visible forms and do the task as fast as possible. I believe somebody is observing what will happen. If they can’t witness what occurs, the better it would be. A confounded opponent is a deceived one,” said Tyler.

  “Hal? X? Check around for any hidden observers,” he added.

  More and more ketea were joining those who had surfaced and continuing their movement up the beach. The mage estimated their number to be at least a hundred. The beach was full of the bizarre, silent creatures. Tyler noticed that the first ones to arrive were moving faster already, having gotten used to moving on land. But they were still a good forty to fifty feet away. The mage decided to wait until more arrived.

  Suddenly, massive waves and geysers erupted offshore. It was a few miles away, but the roiling and turning sea water could clearly be seen.

  What was that? Tyler asked his guides immediately. The thought of bigger and more fearsome creatures arriving came to his mind.

  “It appeared the kraken didn’t like its sleep disturbed,” replied Hal. “We believe some got too close to it. Now that it’s awake, we doubt if more of these shark things would be showing up on the beach. But it also looked like that kraken is having a very early dinner.”

  “Birki, I believe it’s playtime again. Have fun,” said Tyler.

  He felt the waves of power as his wards left the staff and then bedlam erupted. Even his enhanced eyesight couldn’t keep up with what was happening. But one thing was sure, the children took to heart the instruction to do things as quickly as possible.

  It took only mere seconds to empty the ketea-filled beach. When Birki and the others returned to the rod, some of the heaps of sliced shark were still quivering. Mounds of ash had appeared on the sand, and bits of unrecognizable flesh were scattered all over the beach. Tyler stole a look at Ivar who was standing with opened mouth and bulging eyes. Kobu, on the other hand, had a smile on his face.

  “We sensed two entities, sire. One was cloaked, hiding its identity, and is now gone. But the other is fast approaching, and has a very powerful magical aura surrounding him,” reported Hal.

  “How strong?” asked Tyler.

  “It exceeds the power of Zeus and Odin. But we don’t sense any hostility, only slight irritation,” X said.

  Irritation?

  Abruptly, a figure materialized at the water’s edge. A man of around fifty years of age, with long white hair and untrimmed beard, accented with dark blue streaks. He wore a chiton of a strange color, its shimmering hue shifting through various shades of green and blue. The stranger was unarmed and strode directly towards Tyler. The mage noticed that the man’s bare feet didn’t touch the ground nor did water wet his clothes.

  “Hail, stranger, and my greetings,” Tyler addressed the strange visitor.

  A deity?

  “Greetings, mage, Archmage, or whatever they call you now,” came the unexpected answer. The visitor’s eyes were very dark blue, and gave a sense of endless depths when one looked at them.

  “You know me?” asked the mystified mage.

  “Of course, those blabbermouths of the pantheons couldn’t keep their mouths shut. Even the Nereids were talking about it, as if they had nothing else to do,” said the stranger.

  “May I know your name?” asked Tyler as politely as he could manage. The stranger might act a bit strange, but power was power.

  The new arrival looked at him, and shook his head disbelievingly.

  “You call yourself an Archmage, and yet don’t recognize me?” the man exclaimed.

  “I am sorry, but I am a stranger to this world, and so far, my journeys have been on land. I am not familiar with the sea,” explained Tyler.

  The man scratched his beard thoughtfully.

  “Well, at least you didn’t think I was Poseidon, though that young god usually makes a grand entrance. An ego as sensitive as the tips of his trident, though not as long. Quite short, I suspect.”

  Young god? Poseidon?

  Then he stared at Tyler,
seemingly waiting for a reaction. Finding the mage’s face blank, he again shook his head.

  “You say a joke once in a hundred years, and they don’t get it,” he murmured.

  “I am Okeanos. A Greek name. I help keep the balance in the world’s seas and oceans. Somebody has to. Most of the pantheons are too busy with their scheming, plotting, and nasty little games. Nobody takes their work and duties seriously anymore,” continued the stranger, with the last part being said with disgust.

  “May I ask what brings you here?”

  “A sudden assembly of the ketea – which I see you have dealt with. Such an event is a rare and dangerous occurrence, considering those creatures are usually up to no good. It’s not as if I could trust others to look after such incidents.”

  “Wait. What about Poseidon?”

  “That youngling? He has his responsibilities. Though lately, I find myself picking up after him. He seemed to have a lot on his mind.”

  Youngling? He’s the brother of Zeus!

  “Oh, there also a kraken near that island,” Tyler told Okeanos.

  “A rational race. You don’t disturb them, and they don’t disturb you. I do have my arrangements with them. I ignore them, and they ignore me. Works perfectly.”

  “Aren’t you concerned about the belief maintaining your existence? Please don’t be insulted, but to be frank, I don’t think I’ve heard of you,” said Tyler.

  Okeanos just smiled and stared at him.

  “I know you’re a visitor, and a landlubber at that so I guess that remark was excusable,” sighed the deity. “I am not surprised. I am a Titan. And you appear to know more about us than the ordinary mage. But Titans are not like the deities you have so far encountered.”

  “How so?” Tyler was greatly intrigued. Gradations in the levels of deities was the norm, but an entity more powerful than the heads of the pantheons was totally unexpected. Even the Titans among the Olympians – Themis, for one – were subject to the power of Zeus, himself the son of a Titan. But Okeanos was an elder Titan, a direct descendant of Ouranus, with all the might and power that lineage signified.

  “Like my kin, I am born of the magic of the First World and the belief of mortals. But their notions of who and what we have also bound us closer to the fundamental magical energy of the world. That’s why we were called Titans, not Olympians. And considering my name, my existence is one which no mortal living by the sea could ever forget.”