The Accidental Archmage

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  “We have identified the unique wavelength they used to track you, Elder. The question is how to distract them without giving away our discovery of how they were able to monitor your whereabouts. A quick solution is at hand, but we find it a bit risky and distressing,” reported Hal.

  “Give it to me straight, Hal,” said Tyler.

  “Our colleague. We are still trying to fix the damage to its core processes. It now isolated in one of the dimension pockets we used to store our energy reserves. A difficult restoration job as our core processes are Elder systems in energy form.”

  “Your cores are made of Elder energy?” asked Tyler.

  “Yes, Elder. But the knowledge about its workings is not included in our programming. Given the lack of available Elder energy, we could not make any repairs to parts of vital systems even if we have already identified where and what they are,” continued Hal.

  “What’s its status now?”

  “Functioning but on a rudimentary level. Higher analytical processes are not available, though we have already secured what lore data we could obtain.”

  “Let’s make this simple. You’re telling me it’s now at a level of a mere machine.”

  “Unfortunately, yes. A very sophisticated one. It pains us to be unable to repair the damage or at least restore higher cognitive processes. We have replaced some damage with conventional energy, but it’s like using hardened clay for the blade of a sword, instead of steel,” clarified Hal.

  “And your proposal?” asked Tyler.

  Being able to rest and grab a few hours of sleep did do wonders for my thinking, he thought. But the mage could sense the extreme unease of the AI in discussing the matter.

  “Unlike us and due to its relative simplicity, it can be transferred to a simple external vessel, one of your energy spheres perhaps. Grant it knowledge of your cloaking spell, and with provisions for energy collection and storage, it could serve as a scout, or you could send it on an exploration quest. The latter would surely confuse your watchers.”

  “That’s an idea,” commented Tyler. They’ll probably squirt ink all over themselves trying to figure out what I am doing.

  “These are options which we are hesitant to put forward, Elder. We would prefer a fully functioning entity. But keeping our colleague within our common structure has now resulted in a continuing and unpleasant resonance in our thinking processes. We feel like we are keeping it imprisoned, keeping it from fulfilling its mandate, or at least help you in your endeavors. Its primary programming is still active, and its continuing inability to comply with it could lead to a permanent shutdown.”

  “It could kill itself?” asked the surprised Tyler.

  “There’s a trigger in our cores which do that, Elder. When we conclude that we are incapable of doing anything anymore, we shut down and dissolve into nothingness,” Hal explained.

  “Would you consider it a sentient entity?”

  “A nearly-sentient one, Elder.”

  Another day, another concern, another decision. This day is turning out fine, sarcastically thought Tyler. But he already knew what he was going to say.

  “Finalize arrangements, Hal. You know more than I do about this subject anyway. And I trust you both. But consider all possible aspects, good and bad.”

  “Thank you, Elder.”

  “Oh, and we have to give it a name too. We can’t be referring to him or her as ‘it’ all the time.”

  “We leave the matter to you, Elder.”

  “Well, I can’t use ‘Bob,’ I used that already. We can’t have that war god running after it. A strong possibility, given the kind of brains that deity has shown so far. How about ‘Harry’?”

  “Any significance in the name?” X asked.

  “It’s the name of a fictional character back in the First World. Has magic, goes on long and difficult quests, flies using a broomstick, wears a cape. You know, our world’s common idea of a wielder of magic.”

  “It will do, Elder. We do hope it can utilize magic in the future. But a sweep, Elder? Awful aerodynamic qualities,” commented X.

  “It’s just a story, X. But don’t expect me to give Harry a wand. Or a cape.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lessons in Magical Geology

  Tyler entered a noisy hall. Given that there were only four people seated at the table, it was a remarkable achievement. From the snippets he could hear, it appeared that Kobu’s performance was still the subject of discussion. His ability to change his weapon decidedly had his companions fascinated, though Tyndur was loudly protesting in his customary fashion that such an ability didn’t necessarily make a warrior an excellent fighter. Tyler quietly took his place at the breakfast table and reached for the bread.

  “Good morning, everybody,” he muttered.

  “The best of the morning to you, sire,” answered Tyndur amidst a chorus of greetings from the rest. “Please excuse us. We were in the middle of a very profound philosophical debate.”

  “Come on, Tyndur. The issue of being able to change the form of one’s weapon isn’t philosophical,” countered Astrid.

  “Isn’t it? Reduced to its bare minimum – the question becomes ‘does the weapon make the man?’ or ‘the man the weapon?’,” said Tyndur.

  Now that’s a question I would like to be answered, thought Tyler, his mind returning to the new ability granted by Nike and the established lack of personal martial skills on his part.

  “What do you think of Tyndur’s question, sire?” asked Asem.

  Tyler took a quick drink of water to wash down what he was chewing and cleared his throat.

  “People back home had a saying. and to paraphrase it, it goes – don’t blame the arrow or the bow, but the archer. Magic does give a huge advantage in a fight, but skill and experience could win the day. But then again, folks also say ‘don’t bring a knife to a sword fight,’” he answered.

  “See?” Astrid told Tyndur.

  “I didn’t say anything to the contrary! All I mentioned was that it would be a nice ability to have!” replied Tyndur as he turned to Tyler. “Speaking of which, if you ever get to have the ability, can my axe have the same characteristic? Its ancient power is now awakened, and I am also proficient with other weapons.”

  “Certainly, Tyndur. The ability to change or modify one’s weapon to suit the situation would be a distinct advantage in battle.”

  “Thank you, sire,” exclaimed the einherjar with a satisfied childish grin.

  “Would you mind if we discuss while eating what we were supposed to talk about last night?” Tyler asked the group. A series of murmured consent met his query. The mage noticed that the companions’ plates were full of food. Veteran campaigners, he thought. I wish I had the same ability. I still let my appetite govern my hunger.

  “An update on what’s facing us. For now, we’re stuck here due to the Yahui, and I plan to do something about that problem. I have arranged transportation, but it is limited. More on that later. I have a new admirer. One of the war gods of the Aztecah. A principal war god in fact. I can’t mention his name as you very well know,” began Tyler who then paused and looked at his companions. They were listening but continued stuffing themselves.

  “A point of lore, sire,” piped up Asem. The mage turned his attention to her. She had more on her plate than Habrok, he noticed.

  “Almost all of them are war gods. I believe it is part of the job description. The Aztecah appear to be that fond of war,” Asem continued. “But if you’re talking about their primary war god, then it must be one of the four major deities. A formidable foe.”

  “Personally, I don’t know much about the deities of these southern lands. I can’t even pronounce their names right. But my philosophy is simple,” said Tyndur. “Unless you tell me it’s friendly, I’ll try my best to bash its head in, deity or not.”

  “I also have no idea about the Aztecah deities, except what I have heard during our journey. I guess I have the same attitude as Tyndur,” held Habro
k. “But if that’s the situation now, I might need more powerful arrows.”

  “Give me some of your ordinary arrows, Habrok. I’ll turn them into something even deities will worry about,” offered Asem.

  “My thanks, Lady. That’s a relief. I was already worried about my special supply,” said Habrok with a wide grin.

  “Could you do something about my blades, Asem? They’re powerful but some ‘Opa!’ effect would be welcome,” spoke Astrid.

  “Bring them over,” replied Asem.

  Unbelievable, thought Tyler. Here I am, talking about a threat from a principal deity, a war god, and they react as if the menace is instead prey! I absolutely have to find a way to upgrade their armor and weapons. At least to a level where even a deity will have second thoughts about tangling with any of them. Then he remembered the rip in his dragon armor. And I can’t even repair mine as of now.

  “So, I guess you see no issue about tangling with a war god?” he quickly called out before the discussion got sidetracked into weapon and armor upgrades.

  “Oh, it’s a major problem, sire,” replied Habrok. “But it is there, so we’ll handle it as best as we could.”

  “A challenging idea, sire. I haven’t fought a war god before. Skaney has Thor, but he cheats. He can fling that hammer and crush one from a distance. Any idea of what weapon this war god uses?” said Tyndur.

  “He had a flaming macuahuitl. But I was informed that his favorite weapon is a snake spirit. Uses it as a spear. Probably also turns to a sort of a whip with snakeheads,” Tyler answered.

  “Close combat! Good! Uh, wait. I guess you get the first crack at him. But a deity’s champions usually follow the fighting style of their god. Them, I get to bash first,” came the unexpected answer from Tyndur. The einherjar looked around, waiting for any objection. None came, though the rest of the companions had amused smiles on their faces.

  “Don’t worry, Tyndur. We’ll let you have the first dance,” reassured Astrid. The einherjar grinned gleefully.

  Dionysus was right. I do have a merry band of killers, Tyler reflected.

  “Next on our agenda, if everyone is quite finished. The transportation. Negotiations with the Nordic trickster god brought us the convenience of being brought to a location more than halfway to our destination. He could have brought us closer, but the demands were something I didn’t want to give,” announced Tyler.

  “I knew he was around!” came the sudden exclamation from Tyndur, startling everyone. “That no-good, lying, malevolent, two-faced, spineless excuse for a deity!”

  “You forgot deceitful and treacherous,” said Astrid.

  “That too!”

  Tyler held up his hands.

  “Hey! As if we have a better option. Well, unless you’re in the mood to walk all the way, past through all those horrible and terrifying beasts and whatnot. Not to mention the long trek would be murder on our legs,” said Tyler.

  “I know, sire,” replied Tyndur, calming down. “He brings out that reaction from me.”

  “Not only from you, Tyndur. From a lot of mortals and deities. Not a very popular god. Born to ambition and schemes,” remarked Asem.

  “No further comments? Questions?” asked Tyler. Seeing none, he continued.

  “Third concern. Not actually a problem. So far. We have a Greek goddess of victory around here. Habrok and Astrid had met her back in Hellas. I did give my consent for her to be around our battles but I didn’t expect her to follow us all the way south,” mentioned the mage.

  “She thrives on conflict, sire,” said Astrid. “After Akrotiri, I don’t think there’s any other major war worth her attention. The cities of Hellas would now be more concerned about their present undead and similar problems. Even then, victories in that struggle are nothing compared to the war we find ourselves in, and that’s not counting the struggles between deities in this vast conflict. With mighty armies clashing and the presence of warring deities, this must be fertile ground for her. She did need a tether, a focal point, to enable her to stay in this region. This is far from Hellas, and I doubt if the energy given by her followers would be enough to maintain the deity here. The goddess of victory knew what she was doing when she asked that favor from you, sire.”

  “Now that you put it that way, I feel used. Again. Not a good feeling to have,” commented Tyler.

  “Deities! Hmpph! Now you know why I feel that way about them,” remarked Tyndur who then remembered Asem’s heritage “With a few exceptions, of course.”

  Asem laughed at the apparent excuse of her companion.

  “Don’t be apologetic, Tyndur. They are, as a rule, distastefully arrogant. Even my Father sometimes forgets himself. But you’re right, a few are the exception to the general rule. Fortunately, their actions largely balance out the conceit and stupidity of the rest,” said the priestess.

  “At least, this Greek goddess appears to be on our side,” observed Habrok.

  “For now, yes. That means you are her Favored, sire. She must be quite confident in your success. Let’s all hope she’s right. And I admit being a bit reassured by her taking our side,” said Asem. “Not that this region lacks opportunities for warfare. She must be very busy taking sides in the numerous skirmishes now happening throughout this kingdom and nearby lands.”

  “We’ll take all the help we can get, Asem. Even if such assistance is momentary,” answered Tyler. “I guess that’s all for now. I did observe that we all need better weapons and armor. Or upgraded ones. The journey ahead requires every advantage we could secure.”

  “You’re right, sire,” replied Habrok. “Though I don’t think there’s any of those in this temple. We would have found it by now.”

  “It’s a structure built for a certain purpose and war is not that objective. Put your heads together and try to see what you can do to upgrade each other’s gear. Asem has the right idea,” concluded the mage. “But I believe we all better get going. I still have to see off those Yahui. And thank you for letting me sleep. I needed it.”

  The mage made his way out of the temple. Being safe and cozy was nice, but for the moment Tyler missed the warmth of the sun. He went up several steps and sat on a stone block. Before him lay the ruins of the settlement and the mage could see men going about their preparations for the day. Then he saw Asem come out of the entrance and climb up to him. The priestess took a seat beside him.

  “Nicely done, sire, and thank you,” said Asem.

  “You’re welcome, priestess, but you didn’t need to thank me. I did what I believed was needed,” replied Tyler.

  “I know, sire. But people might misunderstand why the information was not made available to them. I am starting to like being with this company and I would hate to see its fellowship sundered by mistrust.”

  “I know what you mean, Asem. We all still have a long way ahead. I have illusions about what the future. This present quest is but a small part of what’s coming,” he replied.

  “And what’s coming, sire?”

  Caught by an unthinking statement again, thought Tyler. But the short version would be enough. I can’t have her knowing about Elder concerns. Thaut is her father and I have no idea what that deity would do with the knowledge if he ever gets hold of it.

  “Odin said storms are coming. Turbulent times for the deities of this world. But even Odin doesn’t know the form or nature of the coming threats. I have glimpsed some and suspected others. I sense a lot of threads, interwoven at times and at cross-purposes in more ways than one. A chaotic mixture involving men, deities, and dark creatures. At this point, I am reduced to putting out fires, hoping to learn more about my abilities and my enemies along the way. Some dangers have come out of the shadows, like those patrons of the Aztecah. But I know there are more powerful creatures and beings out there, plotting and scheming thought their machinations have not yet seen the light of day. If you continue with me, then you will know of them. Beings of such terrible might that they would dwarf any you have come across in your st
udies. I doubt the pantheons even suspect their existence. But that conflagration is still to come. Wildfires from the schemes of those who are on this world, which might be connected to the emergence of such dark entries, are what we are concerned about,” said Tyler.

  Asem didn’t reply immediately. She sat there, thinking about what the mage said.

  “What do you want for this world then, sire,” came the sudden query.

  It was Tyler’s turn to be quiet.

  Such a simple question and yet so dangerously double-edged, the mage thought.

  “A difficult question to answer in the light of the newness of my arrival. There are a lot of matters I don’t know about this world, its deities, its cultures, and its history. But I do know one thing – that this world has to survive. I come from a different world, culture, and time. You know that. My understanding of Adar is filtered through those lenses and only time could correct whatever misconceptions I have. Beyond those considerations, we enter into the realm of speculation,” finally answered the mage.

  “I understand, sire. Father was right. You do have the capability to restrain yourself from hasty decisions and you do have this world’s interests at heart.”

  “Don’t tell me he told you that I would reply the way I did?” said Tyler with some trepidation.

  “In a lengthier exposition. Your answer was concise,” laughed Asem. “I believe it took him an hour.”

  “Oh. I guess he also said I was a bumbling idiot of a High Mage.”

  “Not really. ‘Learning the ropes,’ I believe was the expression he used,” replied Asem with more laughter.

  Half an hour later found Tyler looking at the roaming Yahui, with Tyndur and Maherpa at his side. The creatures have not left the plain, and the mage could see them continuing to feed on the dead. His mercenary guards had followed him and was already deployed in their usual protective screen. But it was disconcerting for the mage to find Kobu sitting just outside the entrance to the enclosed stone compound when he emerged from the temple. The man just stood up and followed him to the wall. Now Kobu was guarding his back, staying several feet away.