Tartarus Beckons

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  “Some. That powerful a creature could not entirely hide its true nature from those with more than a passing familiarity with magic. He stinks of dark energy. Like a skunk, I suppose.”

  Passing familiarity. Kobu, that’s a freaking understatement, thought Tyler.

  “Dark? Not evil?” asked the surprised mage when what the exile said sank into his mind. He still hasn’t learned the finer distinctions in the darker side of magical learning. Pure evil, when openly displayed, left no doubt as to its essence, but when cloaked or suppressed, could misleadingly appear as dark power.

  “There’s an evil taint in it, sire. But just a tinge. Then again, arriving at a conclusion about energy which was purposely hid is impossible when the source is as formidable as that one,” replied Kobu. “I could only hope treachery and other dangers do not rear their ugly heads.”

  “Well, we just need to make sure of that, shouldn’t we? Keep an extremely vigilant eye on that one for me, Kobu. We need him, but not to the extent that I would hesitate in ending Alal’s existence if it comes to that,” answered Tyler emphatically.

  The strange journey through Labiru’s passageway was uneventful. But the sides of the corridor shone with an unearthly light, a phenomenon which resulted in Tyndur’s repeated warnings not to touch the walls. It took the party roughly ten minutes to traverse the pathway, a trip made ridiculously tiresome with the einherjar’s continually shouted advice not to touch the stinking walls! and variations of the theme. At least, the einherjar had the sense not to use vulgar words considering that there were ladies present. So, it was with some relief when they finally emerged into a small mesa overlooking the valley where the temple was located.

  But for Tyler, two things impressed themselves on his mind as soon as the mage stepped from the exit of the portal and into the open air. One was the sight of a vast host in the valley below, right in front of a huge, weathered stone structure. The second was a feeble magical message which echoed through the ether and clearly meant for him alone. Tyler recognized the greatly weakened and pain-streaked voice as that of Dionysus.

  “Havard! Zeus damn you! Where are you? Why won’t you answer?” the gasping and aching voice of the deity weakly shouted. He must have been doing it for a while as a slight rasp could be heard in the tone, observed the mage instinctively.

  “I am here, Dio. The Dokkalfr Mountains somehow blocked other magic. What’s wrong?” replied Tyler as an immensely strong sense of dread shot through his body. He suddenly felt weak and empty.

  “The Titans! They’ve attacked Maljen Forest! Rumpr is… dead. Gullen unconscious and seriously wounded. I am greatly injured. We couldn’t stop them. Typhoeus, Echidna, and others I didn’t recognize. They’ve taken Eira.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Great House Anari

  Tyler’s knees buckled, and the mage involuntarily found himself kneeling on the ground. The pain as the flesh and bone smashed against the dragon armor didn’t register. His mind was a swirling mess of confusion, horror, and distress. He could dimly feel the sudden coldness in his bones. The mage was oblivious to anything else as the words of Dionysus kept repeating themselves in his mind.

  Eira. Rumpr.

  But the mage’s sudden collapse happened so quickly that it caught everyone by surprise. Tyndur and Kobu immediately exchanged concerned glances. The rest of the company rushed to the stricken mage, and even Asag momentarily stopped observing the waiting host below them. The two dokkalfr looked on with worry. The mage might have been their enemy back at the ruins, but Tyler did save their lives and allowed them to survive a seemingly hopeless situation.

  As the company gathered around the mage, Tyndur spoke first, leaving Kobu to keep his eyes on the waiting enemy below them.

  “What’s wrong, lad? That was a terrible, distressing aura you just released.”

  The rest of the companions had the experience and good sense to keep a reasonable distance from the mage, allowing him the needed space to breathe. There, kneeling in a circle of persons he considered friends and comrades, Tyler finally found the strength to look up to Tyndur, a pitiful rictus of pain and desperation marking his face.

  “It’s Eira. The Titans took her. Rumpr is dead. Dionysus is gravely injured, and even Gullen is in the same state,” he quietly muttered, every word a dreadfully painful effort on his part. The rest of the group had already met Gullen in her human guise back in the outskirts of Maljen Forest, but they didn’t know that she was one of the few true, ancient dragonlike entities which had moved to Adar at the beginning of the Great Migration.

  Tyndur stared at the mage, a much different man from the usually confident person he had come to know. He knew that Tyler’s present condition – emotionally defeated, with the familiar bright spark of certainty gone from his eyes – was a massive shock to everyone. The waiting dokkalfr enemy didn’t matter to the einherjar. All he cared about was how lost his friend appeared. Despite himself, and all the self-control he has assiduously cultivated throughout the millennia, Tyndur felt a wave of blinding anger uncontrollably surge within himself. A righteous and overwhelming fury combined with his hate against the gods for allowing such a thing to happen finally broke like a violent flood upon whatever restraints he had, demolishing them like a bunch of twigs before a raging storm of wind and rain.

  Unfortunately, the einherjar’s incredible fury, deafeningly expressed by an enraged shout against the heavens themselves, also called attention to their arrival. Kobu looked at Tyndur with alarm as he noticed that dokkalfr army had visibly stirred. Habrok and Astrid still stood stupefied where they were, deep sadness on their faces replacing the initial shock. With some uneasiness, the exile noticed that Alal the Akkadian had a bizarre smile on his face when the warrior noticed that the enemy finally discovered the presence of the newly arrived group.

  Kobu was also stunned by what Tyler said and felt the pain of the mage. He had seen and experienced it before countless times. And the exile knew it would take some time before Tyler would be able to get some sense back into his dazed mind. He hoped anger would rise in the mage, not despondency. It was one of the many lessons he had learned through his life as a monk, warrior, and a commander – that fiery emotion was an effective way of burning right through any despair or feeling of misery. But the mage was also human and the shock of the sudden, terrible tidings was enough to traumatize an ordinary mortal. He trusted his master would quickly recover. Kobu the war leader had seen strong and battle-hardened men rendered catatonic by dire news close to their hearts.

  “Move! We’re going to be attacked soon,” cried out the exile, the words addressed to the other members of the company.

  But the warning came too late. Out of the corner of his eyes, Kobu could see the rain of flaming orbs headed their way. As a commander, he appreciated the fast reaction time of their enemy, absent-mindedly reflecting that a veteran war leader must be in command. The neatly arranged lines and formations which had greeted them when they first laid eyes on the waiting and unexpected host didn’t matter to him. Battle lines and formations were nice to look at but didn’t matter in the bloody crucible of actual battle. A magical shield would be handy now, reflected the exile, but the kind which the First Mage was the only one capable of creating considering the number of spells being used against them. It also didn’t help that they were on a rise and neatly outlined against the sky. He could teleport out of harm’s way, as could Tyndur, but that would leave the rest vulnerable to the destructive spells.

  Suddenly, the deadly spells broke against an invisible barrier several feet away from their exposed position. Extremely surprised, Kobu looked around and saw the rest was as astonished as he was. His gaze finally settled on the newcomer to their party. Alal the Akkadian. The man had a mischievous smile on his face as he looked back.

  “Oops. I might have broken one of my promises to the mage. But I couldn’t let them kill all of you, could I?” came the impish explanation.

  Somehow, the exile got th
e feeling that the man was thrilled about using his magical abilities as if he had been prevented from indulging in such activities for a while. Though the use of the phrase all of you did strike a puzzled chord in the exile’s mind. Alal said it in such a way that he obviously believed such spells wouldn’t do any damage to him. Then he saw Tyndur slap Habrok and Astrid on their backs.

  “Move! We’re all in danger,” said Tyndur. “Defensive positions!”

  But Kobu noticed that the einherjar’s tone had visibly changed. Gone was the anticipatory glee which marked his usual mien before any battle. Tyndur’s voice was now cold and calculated. The exile realized that what Tyler had revealed had acutely affected not only the mage, but also Tyndur. The rest of the company, Kobu included, felt the agony and anguish of Tyler when he told them what happened. How could they not be emotionally shaken when Tyler’s involuntary release of his anguished aura had shared with them what the mage felt? The exile knew they’d all deal with it their own way, but Tyndur appeared to be the most affected among all of them.

  “Should I be doing something?” Alal said suddenly. The question was directed at Kobu. “But I really couldn’t do anything unless the First Mage allows it.”

  Kobu stared at Alal and the still-kneeling mage, trying to understand what Alal meant. Tyler had his head bowed; mind clearly still mired in the morass of whatever despair trapped the mage. Then he realized the strange thing that Alal said – that he couldn’t do anything without the mage’s consent. The exile immediately dropped on one knee to the ground beside Tyler.

  “Sire? Sire? We’re under attack by the dokkalfr. We need you and your guidance. And Alal is asking for your instructions, weird as that may sound.”

  Tyler didn’t answer. Kobu could hear the muffled explosions of attack spells as they impacted against Alal’s barrier. They appeared to have increased in intensity and frequency. More mages are now involved, reflected the exile. As he gave Alal a quick glance, the exile noted that the man didn’t appear to be disturbed at the least by the number of spells attacking his barrier. In fact, he had a detached air about him, as if the attacks weren’t happening.

  Kobu gently laid an armored hand on Tyler’s shoulder. He didn’t want to intrude on the man’s privacy and inner struggle. The exile, of all people, knew what it meant to lose loved ones in war. He had lost many and even part of his soul. But those were secrets and memories he intended to keep for himself.

  “Sire? We are under attack,” the exile repeated, now worried that the mage had really lost his mind.

  “I heard you the first time, Kobu. But I can’t think. I am overwhelmed. My mind…” Tyler started to reply in a broken and despairing whisper.

  “I understand, sire. Then we will fight to the end on this rise. Though I expected to die at the hands of a truly fearsome creature. Not at the hands of ordinary warriors,” laughed Kobu, trying to get the mage’s spirits up.

  “No need to die. Don’t want to die yet. Still have Eira to recover from those bastards. Get Alal to help you. Tell him I told you,” continued the mage, still in a pitiful tone.

  At that point, Kobu felt better. Tyler was recovering – his use of the word bastards couldn’t make things clearer as far as the issue of recovering was concerned. It was a start. Though the exile was puzzled as to why he was asked to get Alal to help. He knew the entity was a dark one, but from his experience, such creatures only engage what one could call personalized savagery and mayhem, or indirect meddling when it came to broader human concerns. Kobu had never heard of a dark creature directly involving itself in human battles.

  “I’ll tell Alal, sire. This might be far below my station to say, given my sins in life, and could even be considered cold and unfeeling, but one of my mentors did say that in war, casualties are to be expected, and if one couldn’t save people dear to you, then a savage retribution would be the best medicine. It won’t bring back the people you have lost, but it would make you feel immensely better. Or you could just sit there and accept or mull over what happened. That, to my unworthy mind, is simply idiotic.”

  “I do plan to get her back, Kobu,” Tyler answer, his voice stronger this time.

  “Excellent. And you have the best-mismatched collection of cut-throats this world had ever seen at your side. I could conquer the lands of Wa with Tyndur alone! What more if Habrok, Asem, and Astrid are with me? Not to mention the First Mage?” chuckled the exile, obviously glad to see Tyler recovering.

  “A few minutes more, Kobu. I also have to think about what to do. I won’t be at my best unless I have something to hold on to – any plan or scheme to save Eira.”

  “I understand, sire,” said Kobu as he stood up.

  “And don’t let Alal do anything I wouldn’t allow. He’s more powerful and formidable than he looks,” added Tyler.

  “I will, sire. First time I get to tell a demon how to wage war,” the exiled replied with alacrity.

  As Kobu quickly strode in the direction of Alal, he found Magna and Hoenir in front of him.

  “Yes?” he asked quickly.

  “That’s the Great House Anari down there. Their ugly banners show it. The most fanatical and possibly strongest faction among the dokkalfr royal houses,” said Magna.

  “Relatives of yours?”

  “No, more like rivals in the usual politics of power among my people. They excel in the use of battle mages and heavy infantry. Thought you’d like to know.”

  “Thanks, Magna. But I can’t decide what to do with both of you now. That rests in the First Mage’s hands. But when the fighting gets too close, feel free to fight with us or run away. We’ll understand,” answered Kobu.

  His words resulted in a blow to his arm. It wasn’t that strong as Magna clearly refrained from using her full strength, but it still hurt. Kobu was astonished at the swiftness of the action, though he conceded that the unexpected nature of the strike helped the female dokkalfr.

  “What was that for?” Kobu asked, mystified.

  “I don’t run from a fight,” said Magna as she turned and left.

  Walking to Alal, the exile believed he deserved the blow. He could have been more diplomatic or careful in his choice of words, but considering the situation, such niceties were the farthest from his mind.

  “I heard what the mage said, your Excellency,” announced Alal as Kobu drew near.

  At what the demon said, Kobu stopped and stared at Alal.

  “What did you say?” asked Kobu, his voice sterner and colder now.

  “Oh, come now. You obviously have some idea of who I am, and your aura, not to mention your demeanor, shows a man destined to rule. Or should I say, refused to rule?” whispered Alal. The words were spoken in a way to indicate that the speaker knew more than he let on.

  “That’s a topic for another time, Alal, and I would appreciate it if you kept such nonsense to yourself,” replied the exile.

  “Fine! To matters at hand then! The enemy down there just reformed their ranks under cover of their weensy excuses for spells. I could see bowmen preparing, and heavy infantry coming to up to the front. Glad to see the ways of warfare hasn’t changed a bit. What do you want me to do?”

  “Defeat them, of course, what other objective is there? Whittle down their numbers before the leading ranks come within spear range. How long will your barrier keep arrows and spells at bay?”

  “No idea. As long as I have the energy, I suppose. You’re sure about that delaying tactic? You don’t want them engaged, though crushed is actually the word I prefer, down there in the valley?” asked the puzzled Alal.

  Kobu stared at the warrior. He couldn’t determine if Alal was joking. Remembering Tyler’s words, he held back a cutting reply and instead looked at Alal in the eyes. Yet the ancient warrior unmistakably meant what he said.

  “You can play with them down there? Your magical abilities are that strong?”

  Even as he asked the question, Kobu knew Alal could indeed wreak havoc among the dokkalfr, and he resolved never t
o look at Alal straight in the eyes again. There was something deeply dark and disturbingly frightening about those orbs. They hold your gaze, and then slowly try to carry one down into unknown and terrible depths. Kobu, versed in magic and exposed to the darker side of such arts, instinctively recoiled from the horrible experience. Somehow, he knew that beyond the gash of an opening the great black abyss had, something exceedingly terrible waited. The terrifying incident proved to him beyond the shadow of a doubt what kind of creature Alal was, and, unfortunately, the creature wasn’t a mere high-level fiend.

  Alal slowly leered at him.

  “Would you want to know, Kobu-sama?” the demon said in a low voice.

  Kobu was stunned at the startling use of the honorific by Alal. It was an important suffix in his culture, one reserved for God and royalty. Again, he couldn’t tell if Alal was being sarcastic or was indirectly telling him that he knew something which the exile had long kept hidden. The exile shook his head at the demon and succeeded in maintaining his composure. Though the revelation startled him, he forced away the ensuing apprehension. Whatever Alal meant could wait, there was a battle to be fought.

  “Let’s see what you can do, Alal. Impress me,” he said calmly.

  At his reply, the expression on Alal’s face changed to a childlike glee. Kobu wouldn’t have been surprised if the entity started jumping up and down with delight. Like Tyler, Kobu was intrigued by the mercurial disposition of the demon. But unlike the mage, the exile didn’t know how long the entity had been imprisoned under the mountain.

  Alal quickly strode to the front of the group and positioned himself in the middle of the small mesa, in full view of the approaching dokkalfr host. He took a quick look back at Kobu, gave another of his weird grins, and with a dramatic flourish, threw his arms up.

  The rocks in the valley started to move.