The Accidental Archmage

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  If that happened, Viracocha would be livid, the buried secrets of the temple would see the light of day, and I don’t know what would happen if the dimensional portal was damaged. With my luck, it probably would enable those hungry energy-feeders to cross over. A universe’s worth of them. I’ll be better off dead if that happens, he grumpily reflected.

  Finally, all the preparations were complete. Their scout had returned, the orb dissolved, and Harry was back with Hal and X. What was left were the six tiny embers of energy, each roughly in the shape of a cube. Tyler concentrated and focused on creating six separate sources of power, infusing them according to Hal’s guidance. He could see them above the field, hovering over each detonation point.

  “Everybody hang on!” he shouted without removing his sight from the energy sources. He had to pump them into their destinations at the same rate to ensure a more or less simultaneous detonation. Despite his warning to those around him, Tyler did the infusion of power slowly at first, figuring he could control the process better and safer. Safer, he liked that word. As the points were filled with the energy, the mage could sense the vibrations arising from rising instability of the matrices. At that point, he released the rest of the power into their destinations simultaneously.

  As the cubes exploded underground, Tyler sensed the detonations which were immediately followed by a slight but continuous shaking of the ground. After a few seconds, the land in front of them shuddered and then violently heaved at several locations accompanied with the sounds of the terrain being torn apart, throwing dirt, boulders, and Yahui into the air. Then the entire field loudly collapsed into itself, this time in numerous places. Uncounted fissures and huge crevices had opened in the earth and now the area, or more properly, parts of it, was falling into the enormous gaps.

  Tyler had a large souffle once, served in a large blue casserole. Its rich brown crust was impressive yet deceptively solid, hiding its air-filled and watery content. Somehow, the violently imploding plain before him reminded him of it as he saw parts of the land drop, slide, or collapse into whatever bottom his explosive forms had created. He couldn’t see how the Yahui were coping with the sudden ruin of the field. Aside from the dust clouds hindering everybody’s sight, the ground was continually and severely quaking, making it impossible to stand upright unless one was holding on to something solid, which in this instance was the wall. And the din around them was unnaturally loud and confusing.

  The murky dirt in the air was already making it difficult for Tyler to breathe, forcing him, as with many others, to take cover behind the wall, one hand on the rampart and the other holding a piece of his tunic to his face. The furious shaking had already made his head strike the wall twice, and the mage had the bruises on his face to prove it. Those caught unprepared were rolling on the ground, unmanned by the powerful quakes which ran through the area.

  But through the tumult, the dust-covered air, and the general confusion, one thing impressed itself on Tyler’s disoriented mind – the wall remained standing, with nary a crack or piece falling from it. It could have been a trick of his eyes, but the mage believed the old stones didn’t even sway with the violently rocking ground. The mage lost track of how long the quakes continued, but as the frequency and intensity lessened, he was able to get up. But the dust clouds still covered the field beyond, hiding from him the extent of the damage.

  Then Tyler felt an eruption of power to his side. He quickly turned and saw it was Asem. The priestess was casting a wind spell, attempting to clear the air before them.

  Thaut’s daughter must also be very curious about the view, the mage thought.

  The magical spell was partially successful as new dust clouds continued to rise from the bottom of the gorge. But as Tyler looked past the hindrances to his vision, he saw he was wrong. It was now a valley, not a gorge. A deep one, from what he could observe. It extended up to the edge of the broken hills and several miles to their sides. It was easily a mile in depth.

  “OH, MY. How are we going to get down there?” Tyler heard Astrid say out loud.

  Chapter Lore:

  Móðurlauss – Old Norse. Meaning “motherless.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rasshøla

  “SWINA BAQLLR!”

  The loud shout caught Tyler’s attention. It came from the other side of the wall. Rushing to the rampart and looking out, he saw Tyndur on his stomach peering over the cliff. The man always surprises, the mage thought. Did he jump over in the middle of the quakes? The einherjar quickly stood up, looked back, and shouted.

  “To your posts! Some of the rasshøla are starting to climb!

  “Rasshøla?” asked Maherpa, who, together with the Kamayuk and Drust had run to the wall upon hearing Tyndur’s outcry.

  “I meant the Yahui! Damned tough rasshøla!” yelled back Tyndur who was already running to them. “Get the healers to those wounded in the quake but start deploying the men!”

  “Numbers?” called out Drust.

  “Can’t tell through the dust clouds but some are starting to climb throughout the length of the valley! Around thirty in the first wave! Excellent practice for the men!”

  As Tyndur climbed back, he went to Tyler.

  “I suggest you position yourself in the back, sire. Some might be able to get past us,” the einherjar whispered.

  “You’re sure you don’t need my help?” asked Tyler.

  “Sire, they’re coming up the length of the wall. It would be difficult for you to attend to all of them. And I believe what I saw was but the first wave of survivors. There will be more. And a big one is climbing up in this section of the wall. You’ll need to take care of it once it climbs up. It’s a mite bigger than ordinary warriors could handle. I doubt if it is easy this time to stop them on the cliff face, they’re adopting an unpredictable climbing pattern. Wily bastards! But I’ll see if the javelins and arrows could dislodge some.”

  “Very well, Tyndur. You’re the commander of the defense anyway,” Tyler replied.

  “We can handle this, sire. At least it’s not going to be swarms of these beasts. You killed off a lot. And my estimate of their numbers was low.”

  The mage gazed at the large faraway mounds of earth and rock which used to be a line of hills. Numerous movements caught his attention.

  “And those who have been hunting Aztecah stragglers are coming back,” he told Tyndur. “They’re moving fast.”

  “That they do, sire. Exceptional survival instincts too,” the einherjar replied.

  “How do you want the companions deployed?”

  “For now, it’s better if they stay with you. A reserve. The men will be enough, provided they remember how to fight as warriors, not as mobs. Those rasshøla are climbing fast. I guess the last time they were instructed to be stealthy in their approach. Now, it’s the impulse to get to what they consider as safer ground. A more dangerous instinct.”

  “I’ll leave you to your preparations, Tyndur. We’ll be where Maherpa was positioned. It gives a better vantage point,” Tyler answered. It’s like being on a ship being boarded by pirates.

  “You heard?” he asked his guides.

  “Of course, Elder. These are predators gifted with an outstanding survival trait, colored by fear and desperation,” X replied. “The warriors will now be facing Yahui driven by the most basic survival instincts.”

  As the group walked back, the wind brought the sounds of distant battle cries. The enemy had started arriving. Kobu and his men followed the companions.

  “Guys? Can you send H above the battlefield? I want to see how the entire defense is doing.”

  “A good idea, Elder,” replied Hal.

  “Back in the First World, we had machines doing the same work, Hal. We called them drones. Some versions would be armed,” replied Tyler.

  “Your memory did show us the kind, Elder. Well, before you instructed to stop accessing them. When you finally hone the mastery of the abilities you have, coupled with such advanced knowled
ge, the First Mage could prove to be a formidable adversary,” said X.

  “If I live that long, that war god won’t be the last deity after my neck. How many assassination attempts have we escaped so far? Two? Only our impromptu travels have enabled us to avoid more.”

  “Then we better find the time to develop such mastery, Elder. Within safe limits, of course,” replied X.

  “Safety. You know, I like that word more and more,” said Tyler. “That and speed. I never thought I’d said this, but on this world – speed is indeed life.”

  “Aptly put, Elder. Though your painful experiment with the lone Yahui does provide you with another ability against conventional enemies,” observed Hal. “But H, as you referred to our colleague, is now ready. The same arrangements would suffice.”

  Tyler created the magical orb again, and as soon as H moved into it, it quickly vanished. I wonder if those two gave it teleportation abilities? H disappeared, and I didn’t sense it fly off.

  The mage’s mind was suddenly filled with a bird’s eye view of the valley. Though clouds of dust sometimes obscured his vision, he could see the wall as it followed the contour of the cliff. Small dots were moving in organized formations. Tyler noticed that the fighters were arranged in three defensive lines, and the leading elements were clustered in hunting groups. Fighting was already going on in four areas. The mage could see flashes as flame and other spells were unleashed.

  On the cliff wall itself, more and more Yahui could be seen rapidly making the ascent, and on the ruined terrain which now formed the bottom of the newly created valley, scattered small groups of creatures were streaming towards the settlement.

  “How many survived?” he asked the AIs.

  “Not many, Elder. The haze prevents us from giving you an exact figure, but around a hundred fifty to two hundred Yahui plus two of the large mutations,” said X.

  “Still that many? And where’s the other large bastard?” asked the surprised Tyler.

  “They did breed, Elder. The other large Yahui is in Drust’s sector.”

  “Right. I forgot that their numbers have grown.”

  He turned to his companions.

  “Asem, bring Astrid and Habrok with you to Drust’s area. There’s a large one coming up in that sector. But first, tell Tyndur to expect a high of two hundred Yahui all along the line.”

  “How about you, sire,” Asem asked.

  “I have Kobu and his men. That would be enough” replied Tyler.

  “We’re going, sire.”

  As Asem left, the mage called Kobu over.

  The man gave a slight bow when he arrived.

  “Kobu, expect a large version of the beasts to be in this sector. I believe it’s still climbing, but I doubt if the defensive stakes would keep him at bay. Instruct your men. But no heroics. I need all of your alive after this party. I have a task for your company when things have settled down. Oh, and secure long arms, javelins, and bows. Organize the men in the pattern Tyndur recommended. Let’s try for a range fight.”

  Kobu nodded and went to his men, barking out orders. In the distance, he could see warriors, accompanied by archers, flinging javelins down the cliff face. Men were also swiftly moving across the field, bringing new stores of arrows and throwing spears. Except for the shouts of the men already engaged with the enemy and the growls of the climbing beasts, the field was relatively quiet. The rest of the warriors were going about their tasks. Tyler did not sense fear nor panic among those he could see. The atmosphere was of subdued excitement, of tension released upon the onset of battle, of relief that the long period of waiting was already over.

  This is turning out to be another long day, he reflected.

  Kobu came back after issuing orders. Tyler’s guard had repositioned themselves, and after a while, the mage also saw movement at the wall. Men were reorganizing themselves, pikes and similar long weapons at the front. Warriors with javelins and spears formed the second line of defense, while close combat fighters were behind them. Finally, archers were at the back of everybody. Some had their quivers on the ground, held upright by a small wood attachment. Other bowmen had theirs clipped to the sides of their belts.

  Funny, I would have expected them to stick their arrows to the ground in preparation. Come to think of it, Jorund and Habrok didn’t do that. They also handled quivers, observed Tyler. Must be my Hollywood training. Though their actions do make sense, why would you stick your arrow in the dirt? You’ll lose time if you need to reposition, unused bolts to clean if your side won the battle, and clods of earth mucking up the business end of your shafts.

  “Are you ready, Kobu?” he asked the exile as the man squat on the ground beside the mage.

  “As ready as we will ever be, sire. But these Yahui appeared to have tough magic-resistant skin, extra work for the men’s blades.”

  “You mean the blades of all your men are enchanted?”

  “By now, yes. We also have blunt weapons if bones need breaking. Even some enchanted armor, or parts of it. We were originally a thousand strong, sire. Not all had magic blades or protection at the beginning. But as we lost comrades…”

  “I understand, Kobu. But your lost brothers would have preferred seeing you with their weapons and equipment. In that sense, they’re still with you” said Tyler.

  Kobu nodded and remained silent.

  Suddenly, Tyler saw men running back from the edge of the cliff and joining the defensive line. Tyler and Kobu stood up.

  “They’ve arrived, sire,” said Kobu in a low voice.

  Six figures came jumping from the space over the wall and immediately ran into a hail of arrows. Alert spearmen and pikemen skewered two, the grounded hafts of the weapons helping them withstand the impact. Immediately, the long staves tried to pin the caught Yahui to the ground as those with handheld arms quickly moved in to deal killing blows. The four Yahui who were able to evade the pointed greetings were held at bay by elements of the first line which kept them from going to the aid of their stricken brethren.

  The two pinned Yahuis were slashing at the wooden hafts of the pikes, ruining the weapons. But as one spear or pike was destroyed, another replaced it. Finally, from the blind side of one Yahui came a running warrior, a huge man and one of Kobu’s, with a massive war maul. Tyler could hear the sickening sound as the mallet with its flickering business end squashed the head of the beast.

  They’re using their magical weapons for the killing blows, he observed and then saw two warriors approaching the other downed creature with blades drawn, one with a battleaxe and the other with a long sword. That one’s gone too, with those warriors approaching from different sides, that Yahui will never know which bladed edge had its head.

  Tyler looked at the others. Somehow, the defenders managed to isolate the other four. Pike-wielding warriors had surrounded the Yahui. A ring was formed around two of the creatures while the others had a circle each. At the back of the immobilizing spikes were spears held with the point up, discouraging the beast from jumping to escape. The defending warriors were very quick in their movements, not giving the creatures time to react.

  As each holding circle was formed, jabs and thrusts diverted the attention of their quarry, and soon enough, each Yahui found several pikes impaling their bodies. A few axemen and swordsmen swiftly moved inside the circle and attacked the beasts who were hindered by the sharp spears transfixing them. Tyler saw the attackers were concentrating on bringing the Yahui down to the ground first. A quick dash and a swift retreat usually resulted in a loud roar of anger from the hurt Yahui. Then almost as quickly as it began, it was over, and the warriors reformed their line. The other uninvolved defenders didn’t leave their positions. Suddenly another group of Yahui came clambering across the wall. The wave had started in earnest.

  A few minutes passed. The mage could already see men, bloody and torn, already being brought back from the field. But the line was holding.

  There’s more than two hundred left, Tyler conceded. There were
around twenty headless Yahui in their area alone. There must have been a considerable number hunting Aztecah stragglers. And they also multiplied. If it’s like this against what’s left of the Yahui, I can’t imagine the bloodbath if we had to face their original numbers.

  Then a massive two-headed reptilian creature abruptly came over the wall. It was the easily the size of a giant elephant. Stunned by its size and sudden appearance, the defending lines retreated several feet until brought to a stop by barked orders.

  Two heads, six arms with long talons, and four clawed feet. Must be one of the mutations. It’s really fugly. Oversized fangs, drooling face, thick skin. I wonder how it could see with those bizarre pads over its eye areas, observed the mage. Reminds me of a fly’s head.

  He walked towards the creature. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel any fear or apprehension. Even the tightness in his gut which usually preceded moments like this didn’t make an appearance. A faint worry arose at the back of his mind, but he dismissed it.

  Kobu followed. But the exile didn’t draw his sword yet.

  Damn. That bastard is big, Tyler thought. For some strange reason, he felt giddy. I should come up with a punchline for moments like this – let’s dance? Nope, taken. Clobbering time? Nope, patented. Smash? Copyrighted too, I guess. Slice and dice! That’s it.

  Immediately, he flung force shapes formed like axe blades at the creature’s head. As the deadly projectiles unerringly flew towards the beast, the mage concluded that considering his penchant for using sharp, bladed and pointed force weapons, slice and dice is a suitable phrase to start a battle.

  Chapter Lore:

  Swina bqllr – Old Norse exclamation/curse/expression. Meaning “pig’s balls.”

  Rasshøla – Old Norse insult. Meaning “assholes.” The singular form is “rasshøl.”