“The knowledge within the tablets require power to sustain themselves, Elder. The data itself is written in a predetermined energy format, with Elder markings on the tablet to identify it and provide the necessary warnings. Its energy form also makes it swifter to transfer the contents to a qualified individual. Without the needed resource to preserve it, the information could be lost,” added Hal.
Aw, shit!
Chapter Lore:
Apu – Quechua. A word meaning “lord” or a “mountain spirit.”
Rumi – Quechua word meaning “stone.”
Toci – An Aztec goddess. Usually depicted as aged, she is identified with war and known as the “woman of discord.” Together with Tlazolteotl, Toci is identified with the eleventh moon of the Aztec calendar, the month of Ochpaniztli.
Centeotl – An Aztec deity usually portrayed as a young man with a yellow body, Centeotl is the deity of maize. As a god of the plant vital in Aztec life, one of the calendar months was devoted to him.
Xochipilli – is the god of art, games, beauty, dance, flowers, and song in Aztec mythology. A follower of Tlaloc. One of the months of the Aztec calendar is also related to his worship.
Chapter Two
Inti's Portal
A chilly morning greeted the group. Unfortunately, the magelights didn’t provide enough warmth for the temple. Everybody was shivering, even the einherjar. The stone of the temple conducted the icy cold well but absorbed the heat of the sun slowly. Everybody took a quick breakfast, and nobody stayed behind when Tyler suggested going outside.
Once in the warming embrace of the morning sun, Tyler climbed up the temple steps accompanied by Asem and Habrok. The two other companions stayed near the entrance. Midway up, the mage stopped and looked at the landscape. The abandoned settlement was more ruined than ever; numerous collapsed structures showed the vestiges of their previous battle. Tyler could now see how big a settlement it was, more a city than a town. The temple itself was an isolated structure, and from the layout that the mage could see from his vantage perch, it was evident that design was intentional.
The field beyond was empty as far as he could see. Surprisingly, no body could be seen in the trampled green and brown of the vast field beyond the bridge. Either the Inka relief force they had met buried all the dead or the scavengers of the area already had their fill.
If feasting on undead bodies matched their taste, thought the mage.
“What’s the plan today, sire?” asked Habrok.
“There’s something I have to do in the temple, Habrok,” replied Tyler. “Though I was informed I have to do it alone.”
Asem glanced at him but remained silent.
“Is that wise, sire? There might be more of these unnatural creatures deep within the bowels of the temple,” asked the ranger, concern evident in his tone.
“That I doubt, Habrok. Wilan would have warned us.”
“Maybe. If the old man knew about it. I have to admit I had an uneasy night. Sleep didn’t come immediately. When it did, it was filled with disturbing and bizarre dreams.”
“I had the same experience, High Mage,” added Asem. “The magic field here is warped. Distorted. But not corrupted. An analogy would be a severely crippled man. Not fully functional.”
“Well, I’ll find out later,” Tyler answered, evading the issue. “Though for now, I guess it would be okay for you guys to explore the settlement further. But in pairs, a set at a time, within hailing distance of each other. And within the vicinity of the temple. Don’t go beyond the bridge.”
“Loot?” asked Habrok, his eyes taking on a gleam.
“I strongly doubt it, Habrok. Giant snakes and spiders, maybe. The warped magic here might have affected the local wildlife. Asem, take charge of the exercise. I am interested if we could find unique artifacts. There might be some if the inhabitants had to leave the place in a hurry. I would assume that scavengers have already looted the outer structures. The strange and strong aura the temple puts out would have deterred them from coming any closer.”
“Yes, sire. It could prove to be a good exercise – working in pairs. So far, we have faced enemies as a group. But I agree with your comment about magically-warped beasts. It is a distinct possibility for those who have their nests or habitats close to the temple,” Asem commented.
“Like giant snakes?” Habrok timorously asked. “I hate those big ones. Our hunting band once ran into two giant ice serpents up north. Thirty feet in length. It was a bit of struggle, but we had roasted snake meat for dinner. That’s all we ate for three days after.”
Tyler looked at the ranger and smiled.
“But you didn’t have this group with you.”
“That’s a good point, sire. I guess Tyndur and Astrid would welcome the idea of tangling with giant whatnots as their morning exercise. But wouldn’t the strange magic affect us?”
Asem smiled. “Only if you live here for years. Mortals are not easily affected by residual magic.”
“What if you need assistance, sire,” asked Asem. “If we’re out here, we wouldn’t know of any problems you might encounter.”
“Don’t worry about it, Asem. Any problems which could arise will be ones which are within my abilities,” Tyler replied. I hope.
As Tyler left the companions and entered the temple, the mage trusted he made the correct decision. But it was the only way he could do what he wanted without any curious witnesses. Elder knowledge was something which had to be kept secret. But Asem was right. With the companions out of the chamber and earshot, any problem crawling out of the stonework would have to be handled by him on his own.
With that in mind, he rechecked the status of his shields and repulsing field. The mage also advised the AIs to be prepared. Staff in hand, he went to the corner where the door should be located. As he came close to the spot, the ghostly outline of an entrance appeared. It became clearer and more tangible the nearer he got. Finally, a full-sized stone door stood before him. It was unlocked though unadorned. As he made his way down the stairs, he took a look back and saw the entrance was gone. Reminds me of a horror movie. A bad one, thought Tyler as he continued on his way.
Tyler entered the cave chamber without incident. Whatever dangerous precautions and lethal wards Inti had emplaced during his time had been neutralized by the orb. The mage then walked to the entrance of the hallway leading to the large circle. The sizeable arcane sigil was engraved on the wall at the other end of the passageway. There he halted. This time, powerful emanations coming from the stone partition buffeted him slightly as he stood there. Tyler realized Viracocha’s presence the last time the mage was around calmed the tumultuous and lethal energy. Or it could be that the deity’s power was such that his mere presence was enough to suppress Inti’s precautions. That would mean the abilities of Viracocha, weakened as they are, greatly eclipsed those of the heads of most pantheons on Adar.
The mage started walking down the corridor. As Tyler continued down the slightly inclined passageway, the surrounding walls lit up in an incandescent glow. The bright phenomena followed his progress. The side walls revealed arcane symbols again, connected by engraved lines. Even the stone floor and the ceiling of the tunnel were following the same pattern of magical illumination. The mage knew that if he were an intruder, mortal or deity, he would have been ash or dissipated energy by the time he finished his first step inside the passage. The mage could feel the power of the structure – most of the formidable strength of the head of a mystical pantheon.
No wonder creation of this structure weakened him, Tyler noted. Impressive edifice, but a stupid act. A loss of power he could ill afford.
As he got nearer to the wall closing off the passageway, it suddenly lit up. Tyler took a glance at the corridor. Everything was ablaze with light. On the massive stone slab before him, the inscribed sigils and miniature friezes were glowing. In the middle of everything, Tyler noticed that a circular space had formed in the middle of the wall.
Such precaution
s, he thought. I guess a different defense ward guards every step in that corridor. Or wards, if each of the four sides held a separate deadly spell. I wouldn’t put it past Inti. He must have been more than spooked by the time he created this complex.
With a prayer and a deep breath, Tyler brought out the orb. As it was slowly exposed to the magic surrounding him, the light coming from the entire system of sigils became blindingly brighter. The mage hurriedly touched the glowing orb to the round space in the middle of the wall before he lost his vision.
The stone barrier disappeared. In its place was a shimmering and circular blue barricade of energy.
Tyler felt that the orb had become lighter and the glow which suffused it was gone. The shining sphere containing Inti’s essence was now empty. And it was slowly dissolving into nothingness. At the same time, he sensed with some apprehension an abrupt dimming of the light around him.
“Talk to me guys.”
“If it is about the power running the complex, Elder, it is slowly dissipating. With the deity gone, the energies he left behind are also losing their preset forms and going back to the magical matrix of the world,” answered X.
“Dammit! Viracocha never said anything about this! How long do we have?”
“About thirty minutes according to your standard of time. But if you’ll allow us to use some of our stored energy, we can stretch it by an hour. The power requirement is high. At our level, we cannot match Inti’s infusion of magic,” continued the guide.
“Well, he was the head of a pantheon! It’s like comparing Little League with the pros! Do it. Will the door close behind us or will it remain open for the duration?”
“We believe it is connected to the complex. As long as the entire magical grid is powered, it will remain open. Though with your energy infusion replacing the previous framework, the structural matrix of Inti’s network now belongs to you. Except for the temple. Viracocha had already claimed it,” said Hal.
“Do it quickly. We still have to cross over.”
“Please touch any wall surface, Elder,” Hal instructed.
Tyler quickly followed the instruction. As his hand met the warm stone of the wall, he sensed a slight electrical jolt leave his fingertips.
“Done,” said X. “We now control the system.”
“Keep the dimensional door open. Do we still have reserves?”
“Yes, Elder. A lot less than before but we believe it is sufficient for your immediate needs,” said X.
“Thanks. Be ready. We’re crossing over now. I don’t even know if we have enough time to do what we have to do on the other side,” advised the mage.
Tyler quickly stepped in front of the shimmering barrier which now had turned a paler shade of blue. He thrust his staff through the opaque wall, testing its permeability. The weapon slid easily through the iridescent form. He drew the rod back. It was whole and undamaged. The mage stepped through the shimmering door.
A universe of night greeted Tyler. He was on a flat surface; gravelly soil, his feet told him. The almost starless sky was dimly lit by a fading sun. Its white luminescence was low, similar to twilight back on Adar. Looking around, he suddenly realized with alarm that he was on a small floating piece of land. The mage could glimpse other hovering tracts in the distance. Nothing was moving.
“What the hell is this place?” he said to himself. Taking his exclamation as a query, Hal answered the mage.
“It appears the deity was able to access a dying dimension or universe. We believe he did not even realize what he had found. Our sensors indicate that the sun is nearing the end of its white dwarf phase, after which it will turn into a black dwarf star. What you see are the remnants of planets and planetoids. Gravity in this sector of space is non-existent except in this place. But it is an artificial one, created by magic. In sum, entropy rules here.”
“Is there still magical energy here?”
“Only in this area. There is a high probability that the Elder structure we detected some distance away is generating it. This floating area is enclosed in a weak force bubble. A breathable atmosphere exists, a fact which supports our theory that the Elder sanctuary is on this planetoid. The Guardian is still following one of its primary protocols – to enable access to it by the proper individual. But the gravity generated is low, just enough to prevent you from floating off into space,” replied Hal.
“I really have no idea on what is happening or what this area is. Science was never my favorite subject back in school. Now to return to the basic question, how do we get from here to where the sanctuary is? I do remember seeing the astronauts on Earth’s moon jumping about in low gravity. One needs training for that sort of thing,” said Tyler.
“There is no problem about moving about, Elder. A force shield already surrounds you. It’s easy for us to create a localized gravity field to enable you to proceed freely. We did take the precaution of strengthening your magical buffers,” advised X.
“Good. In what direction do we proceed?”
“Forward, Elder,” said Hal. “New readings indicate it is about a mile from us.”
“You do know walking a mile, exploring the temple, and going back will take more than an hour,” advised Tyler as he started walking.
“Yes, Elder. We were about to advise using your teleportation abilities. Its normal range had already increased to a hundred feet.” That was X this time.
“The structure is roughly five thousand feet from here. Wouldn’t that drain our reserves?” asked Tyler with some trepidation.
“Only a bit, Elder. There is little inertia in this universe and this floating piece of land,” remarked Hal. “We calculate teleportation range had been vastly increased to five hundred feet. At least in this place. Though we strongly advise stopping after the sixth effort.”
“Why?”
“There’s a big rocky mound in the way.”
“Oh.”
“After passing that mound, four more movements and then stop.”
“Another mound?”
“A slightly bigger one.”
Tyler followed his guides’ instructions to the letter. Teleporting into the middle of a small hill is never a good idea, he reflected. Good thing his guides warned him. His eyes still had difficulty adjusting to the dim illumination. He couldn’t tell if it was the absence of residual magic, but even his enhanced vision didn’t work.
With the teleportation spell, the distance was no longer an issue. The mage quickly reached the last embankment. As he climbed up, Tyler reflected on the usefulness of the gift of the squids, as he called the mysterious and unnerving beings who kept on disturbing him in his dreams. The mage doubted if their tracking ability could reach this far. They would still believe he remained in the temple complex. Tyler even suspected that the scheming, bizarre beings didn’t consider the possibility that he would be able to improve on the original spell.
He could see a faint glow over the crest of the hill. That must be the Elder sanctuary, he mused. The mage picked up the pace. Tyler reached the hilltop. Then a verdant, forceful blast hit him square in the chest. An unexpected strong concussive force which violently bowled him over and sent him tumbling back on the hillside.
Again? Tyler furiously thought as he picked himself up midway down the hill. The shields worked though the surprise of being attacked and the unwelcome experience of suddenly tumbling down a slope awakened his temper.
“Guys! What did the hell happen? I thought your brother, sister, cousin, or whatever your relation is, would be happy to see us!”
“We did transmit the required protocol as soon as you started walking in this direction, Elder. We also received the established code in turn. We are as surprised as you are. Please stay in this location while we clear up matters,” replied X.
The fuming mage sat down and waited.
I rather would have a known hostile entity waiting for me rather than this! But the strength of the blast was surprisingly weak for an Elder structure. I felt the barrier
s around me buckle, but they didn’t give. I would rate the power behind it a lot lesser than a full-strength Elder blast. Not that I’m complaining. Without the shields, Tyler toast would have been the menu for the day.
He looked around. This close to the sanctuary, the illumination was brighter, and Tyler could plainly see the space around the small celestial body. It’s like a fantasy wallpaper, he reflected. Chunks of broken land floating in space with a dim white sun in the background. Could also be an excellent setting for a sci-fi story.
“Elder?” Hal’s voice broke his reverie.
“Yes, Hal? Anything from your temperamental relation?”
“There’s a problem. The Elder core is severely degraded due to the lack of the necessary fuel to maintain its systems. Its power reserves are long gone. It had resorted to withholding energy supply to some of its components. All that remains are the basic protocols in its command code and a few of the tablets. We don’t know how many tablets remain as it refused to tell us.”
“How degraded? Severely is a term which could mean a lot of things.”
“We are dealing with an entity whose mental capacity had been reduced to the simplest possible level.”
“An idiot, you mean. A murderous one, if I go with our reception.”
“You could put it that way. The exchange of protocols was routine at the beginning. However, its scanning range was limited due to reduced functionality. The nucleus of the complex expected a mortal with no magical power. When we got into range, it detected the power around you and acted accordingly. Now, it looks at us as intruders.”
This is definitely an “aw, shit” moment. Things like this seem to happen a lot to me, thought Tyler. But in this instance, a period to think things through before entering the portal would have indicated a problem in the offing. Come to think of it, sticking a magical entity in a non-magical dimension would have damaging effects. Hindsight. I’m starting to hate that word.
The Accidental Archmage Page 3