As he continued walking in the direction of the two, a sudden feeling of dread came over him, but thankfully just as quickly disappeared. It was like a gust of terror grabbed him and immediately let go. His nerves shaken by the unexpected occurrence, Tyler looked around, trying to determine if any of his companions had experienced the same thing. Nothing. Apparently, the unusual phenomenon was limited to him.
I wonder what the fuck is going to happen? thought the mage apprehensively. That was definitely the doing of somebody or something. Or something bad happened? Strangely, there was no animosity in it or the feeling of a threat. But that can wait. Our present situation is more important and what the hell were those explosions?
The group made rapid progress. Any cobweb or errant spider had been burned from their path, but as they went deeper into the labyrinth of channels in the cave system, the unpleasant smell of smoke and incinerated arachnids grew overwhelmingly stronger. Their hurried steps loudly echoed along the hollow shafts as the party increased their pace, their confidence buoyed by the lack of opposition to their progress. Finally, as they turned the corner of another of the interminable passageways, they were confronted by the sight of a great hall waiting for them.
The large hollow was clearly a natural formation, the stalagmites and stalactites decorating the place giving away its origin as a creation of water and time. It would have been a beautiful and wondrous place if not for the dangers it represented, and various resplendent colors danced among the rock formations, given a glorious radiance by the large ball of magical light hanging above the spacious enclosure. Everybody halted at the stunning spectacle before them.
On the far side of the cavern could be seen a body of water continually fed by a small waterfall flowing from the rock wall, and from the large pool, two brooks rushed their way deeper into the mountain. At the end of the passageway leading to the vast space were two forms positioned opposite each other, seated with their backs to the walls. It was only then that Tyler noticed that the floor of the hollow in front of the two was blackened, and filled with curled balls and pieces of what he assumed to be the remains of roasted and blasted spiders. The vermin did appear to be more baked than the usual, something which the mage put down to repeated spells of fire. As the group watched, one of the figures lazily flung something toward the middle of the hollow. A loud explosion followed and the sudden blast deafened the companions, leading to muffled curses. It was a circumstance which led to Orm quickly walking forward, followed by the rest.
“Hey, Kadir! You both still in one piece?” shouted Orm as he swiftly strode towards the duo.
The figure turned his head toward the barbarian, not bothering to get up.
“Yep. But Sford is drained. That magical exhaustion thing,” the rogue answered idly. “Finally, reached his limit or went beyond it.”
“What are you doing? Why all those explosions? By Odin, you got me all worried!” said Orm when he finally reached the rogue.
“Well, Sford taught them to seriously fear fire, lightning, and whatever he threw at them. Though I didn’t recognize those orange bolts and waves. It was a dazzling display worthy of an Emperor’s orgasm. Deafened me a bit, though. With our orange-clad friend out of the picture, what could my two itty-bitty swords do? My treasured collection of fire and lightning scrolls are all used up, and all I have left are these diversion runes, and I am running out of them too. Though it appeared they’re being kept away by the sound of the explosions. Good thing you fellows arrived. I would have been reduced to farting within an hour.”
Then Kadir noticed that the rest of the party had arrived. Habrok and Astrid went to tend to the quiet Sford whose eyes were closed. Tyler wouldn’t be surprised if the man were soundly sleeping and his being unconscious meant, Sford went beyond his limit. He hoped no permanent damage was suffered by the other mage. Jorund did say that severe magical exhaustion could have unforeseen and undesired complications.
“Say, my esteemed and honorable First Mage, those magical trinkets I used were expensive, you know. I believe the appropriate reimbursement is in order, your Magical Excellency? They were worth a small fortune and vitally used in the furtherance of your honorable and essential business, weren’t they?”
At Kadir’s words, punctuated by a sleazy smile, Orm heaved the patient sigh of a man who’ve seen it countless times before, and turned to Tyler.
“My apologies, First Mage. Kadir will be Kadir. I could blame his father, but that would be disgracing the man’s memory.”
“You knew Kadir’s father?” asked the mage with some surprise. He had the vague belief that Kadir somehow spontaneously sprouted from the ground, like some poisonous mushroom.
“In his twilight years, I am afraid. But he was an honorable beggar to the end. Never did steal or do anything outside begging. A man true to his chosen profession.”
“Hey! I am still a proud and paying member of the Arm of the Poor Society, Qart-Hadash branch. Not everyone can say they have that credential,” protested Kadir loudly after hearing Orm’s comments.
“Arm of the Poor?” repeated the puzzled Tyler.
“He means the Thieves Guild,” clarified Orm, shaking his head. “As if that would excuse his conduct. And last time I asked him, he owed them two years of past dues.”
“We’ll talk about your magical trinkets later, little man,” the large barbarian emphatically told Kadir, his statement punctuated with a kick at the rogue’s legs. Unfortunately, the thief adroitly avoided Orm’s armored boots. “Our client might be willing to shoulder it.”
“That old man again?” asked the young mage, remembering what the trio told him back in the Barrens.
“Who else?” answered Kadir. “Must be wealthy beyond measure. Double pay this time, with a bonus if we kill any guardian monster in the place. Sometimes, I am sorely tempted to try my pickpocketing skills on him during our meetings, but somehow a sense of the utmost dread always resulted from that line of thinking. Strange.”
A major deity like Viracocha defies the word wealthy, thought Tyler. And pickpocketing him would really be a bad idea. He wouldn’t kill Kadir, but the rogue’s life would be seriously miserable for a long while. Knowing the deity’s sense of humor, he’d probably curse the rogue with the affliction of the inability to have an erection.
“I guess this would be a good place to rest as any. At least those spiders had some undesirable experience of this location. Hopefully, that would keep their predatory instincts at bay for a while,” said Tyler. “More importantly, Sford needs to rest.”
Orm looked around.
“Good idea, sire. Being out there on that cave’s floor wouldn’t be good defensively.”
Even Orm got into the ‘sire’ business.
Tyler glanced at the sleeping Sford and noticed Magna and her companion both looking at the magic-blackened floor before them. The two were talking, the male dokkalfr in an animated manner, while the woman warrior kept looking at the devastation.
“Anything wrong, Magna?” he inquired.
At the question, the two froze and slowly turned to him. Wonder and fear curiously mingled in their faces.
“It’s just that magical spells shouldn’t be possible inside the cave system,” Magna slowly answered.
“Huh? Where did you get that?” asked Tyler. It was his turn to be greatly surprised.
“Dokkalfr lore, First Mage. Outside the cave, magic exists, or to be more precise, spells could be used. Inside, no mage, even a High one, should be able to make a spell work.”
“The records could be wrong. Or it was a condition which existed in the past,” countered the other dokkalfr.
“The stored lore of my House was very detailed, Hoenir,” Magna replied to her companion. “My ancestors were the first to break through the defenses of Solens Tårn and the first among the van of warriors during the pursuit of the survivors of the fortress. A celebrated story of my House. The tale even described this hollow, with its expanse and intriguing colors. Ahead
, we’ll find a small shrine to Freyr. Our forefathers built it with the hope that it would resolve the inability to use magic inside the mountain.”
“Hoenir could be right. It could have been something which existed before,” observed Tyler.
“We’ll see,” Magna answered cryptically.
Tyler was a bit nonplussed at Magna’s revelation and then realized something.
“You know, Magna, information like that would be welcome before we entered the cavern,” remonstrated the mage with some annoyance.
“It’s not my place to offer such advice, First Mage. Unless you do ask for it. Speaking out of place in our society is forbidden and has lethal consequences.”
Shit. Social mores again. A killer of a caste system.
“Well, we’re not in your cities now. Feel free to speak up. Otherwise, there’s a chance we’ll all end up dead. Our ability to use magical spells, despite what your lore mentioned, was but a lucky break for us. And I don’t like the odds of it happening again.”
The young mage was considerably irritated though he kept his temper in check. He couldn’t blame the dokkalfr for acting according to what they were accustomed to do. But life and death situations, especially in an unknown area, don’t allow for such niceties.
“My humble apologies, First Mage,” said Magna as she bowed, her voice quavering. Hoenir followed suit.
“Don’t apologize, warrior. Just don’t do it again. You’re the one with some knowledge about this cave, and I would appreciate some information from time to time.”
“Respectfully acknowledged, First Mage. We have to go to the shrine I mentioned. There should be a metal plaque there mapping out the route we have to take. Time would have had its way with it, but it should be readable. From what I know, it’s not as detailed as we would like but better than nothing,” replied Magna.
“Now you’re talking. Good. Let’s all take some rest,” answered Tyler as he cast a scrying spell once more to check if his magic was still working and to find immediate threats. Nothing had changed.
As Tyler thankfully set himself down some distance away from the group, he saw Tyndur stand up and walk towards him.
“A moment of your time, sire? Alone with you, if it’s alright?” said the einherjar with an uncharacteristic solemn voice.
Tyler looked at Kobu and nodded. His shadow of a guard stood up and went to where Tyndur previously sat. The young mage was puzzled at Tyndur’s request, not to mention the serious tone of the einherjar.
“The watch rotation had been arranged, First Mage, and that would cover any possible surprises. And I believe this is a good time to talk to you about a matter which had been on my mind as of late.”
Tyler nodded, encouraging Tyndur to continue. The man’s pensive countenance was something the mage rarely saw. He knew the einherjar had a profound and even philosophical side, but Tyndur kept it out of sight. Tyndur, the battle-loving warrior, was what he wanted the world to see.
“You remember Akrotiri, sire? The time I joined your company?”
“I do.”
“I joined the company and your quest not only because of Odin’s threat of doing me bodily harm,” chuckled Tyndur as he recalled the memory, “but also because of the possibility of obtaining Elder knowledge to help me in my desire to transcend myself, this shell. Even though I am already an einherjar, with all the qualities and abilities the word meant, I wish to be more than that. Not a deity, I hate those bastards. Oh, and the fighting was an exciting bonus.”
Tyler had to admit he was caught by surprise by the einherjar’s words. He had expected that the sensitive subject would come up sooner or later, but not deep inside a cave plagued with vast numbers of enormous spiders. The young mage knew he had to answer Tyndur truthfully, he owed that much to him. The warrior had proven to be a fearless, loyal, and powerful companion.
But he realized that the truth might just discourage the einherjar and convince Tyndur to find his own way. He was bound by the strongest of oaths to Tyler, but the mage also realized he would grant the einherjar his freedom from the geas, if that’s what Tyndur wanted. All these considerations, and more, quickly passed through Tyler’s mind as he carefully weighed what to say.
“Well, Tyndur, how do we go about this? Remember, what I know now might be inaccurate.”
“I understand, sire,” replied the einherjar, the thoughtful mood still extant.
“You do know the essential part of it – that they were once human like us. But their evolution didn’t come smoothly. Conflict and darkness marked the journey. Even now, the Elders themselves believe that they haven’t reached the apex of what they could achieve,” began Tyler.
Tyndur remained quiet, listening carefully to what the young mage was saying though Tyler knew what the einherjar really wanted to know.
“It is possible for a human to start on the long journey that they have embarked upon, but it comes with one requirement. As to why such a necessity exists, only an Elder could answer that question.”
The mage paused, allowing Tyndur to ask questions. The einherjar remained attentively silent, though he was nodding during specific points of Tyler’s narrative, indicating that what was being said agreed with his suspicions and assumptions.
“But here’s the catch, and I might be wrong, my friend. Only humans who originally don’t have magical energy in their bodies could aspire to venture where they had been. Adar, unfortunately, is a world full of such energy. Such situation negates the possibility of anybody from this world following in their footsteps.”
“Any idea why? By that distinction, only those of the First World qualify,” Tyndur said calmly.
“I have my suspicion, and it centers around the kind of energy the Elders possess. It could be that the presence of normal magic makes it impossible for Elder power to be generated by one from Adar, even with the appropriate knowledge,” replied Tyler. He did know part of the reason why. Hal mentioned it when the mage discovered the artificial intelligence left by the Elders.
Tyndur sighed and let his back rest against the cave wall. The mage could feel the huge disappointment rolling off the warrior. The einherjar’s simple sigh spoke volumes. The two remained quiet for several minutes, and Tyler let the silence continue. Smashing a friend’s hopes and dreams to pieces was not an experience he wanted to repeat. The mage terribly felt guilty about being the source of the einherjar’s distress.
“You’re sure about what you said, sire?” asked Tyndur suddenly.
“Not really, Tyndur. Educated guesses for the most part. I guess matters would be clearer in the future.”
“Something to do with the Elder temples we have visited, I reckon. But they’re so damnably difficult to find.”
“Yes, they are. Though there could be some other Elder ruins around,” replied Tyler. “I find it hard to believe that they limited themselves to building sanctuaries.”
“Old and almost forgotten tales, sire. I had my share of those stories. But what you told me forces me to ask a boon of you,” said Tyndur.
Shit. Here it comes.
“I beg leave to go 0n my own for a while. I intend to explore the locations of such tales, but I will leave knowledge of their locations. Who knows? They might be of help to your quest too. And if I manage to live through the experience, I will come back and share with you what I have learned.”
“When do you intend to leave, Tyndur? You know I can’t refuse you, and I was going to say nice and ego-boosting inanities to go with it, but we both know those are bullshit. You are, and will always be a true friend.”
“That’s all one needs to say, sire, and thank you. Once we leave these mountains, I’ll begin my journey. I won’t be able to go with you to visit Asem, but I’ll find the time to drop by.”
“You know I still have the dokkalfr problem to worry about,” said Tyler lightheartedly.
“If they’re a considerable predicament for you, then I am Kadir’s blood brother. You’ve grown, sire, and I mean not o
nly in power. It would be difficult to find your match among the powers in this world,” commented the einherjar.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I have met beings who were way more powerful than me. Even Rumpr belonged to that select circle.”
“I’ve heard about him from Habrok. The existence of that entity only supports my theory that when it comes to magic, sometimes the innocuous turns out to be the dangerous one in the bunch,” chuckled Tyndur.
“You do have one difficult task before you leave,” advised the mage.
“Huh? Something or somebody to beat senseless? Grind to dust? Or burn to ashes with my axe?” quickly asked the einherjar.
“Nope. A more difficult task – saying goodbye to family.”
Chapter Fifteen
Asag
“Of course, goodbyes would have to come after these cursed underground halls. No sense having warriors fighting a battle for their lives while in a bout of depression. Now that I come to think of it, I am feeling a bit despondent myself,” admitted Tyndur.
“Your journey, though it might force you to take a personal detour now and then, will always take you back to us, Tyndur. I am not a prophet or a soothsayer, but I feel that that would be your fate,” replied the mage, trying to lift the spirit of now clearly dejected einherjar.
“My thanks, sire. But we’re not out of this cave system yet. I’d be happy when I get to see the sun and feel a cool breeze on my face.”
“Me too, Tyndur. Me too.”
“We do have a problem, sire. Most of our provisions were left with our cart and the horses. The company went to meet the dokkalfr for a duel, not for an extended vacation on the other side of the Dokkalfr Range. We’ll run into food problems later, and that is if the water in the stream in this hollow is good for human and dokkalfr consumption. And I don’t fancy spider leg steak, even if Sford had the gracious courtesy to cook them beforehand,” observed Tyndur as he pointed to the arena filled with the burned and dismembered mutations.
Tartarus Beckons Page 14