At the macabre sight, all Tyler could think of was mélange from that movie. Like the lizards, the huge worms were of a sandy color and the mage could see the large and sharp teeth of its mouth. It had no eyes that he could identify. It was but a long living tube of flesh with a mouth full of fangs at the end.
Carnivorous, thought the mage, an observation reinforced by the sudden emergence of other worms which began to feed on the dead ones voraciously.
Oh, cannibalistic too, came the added observation.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Kobu opened up, and a large hungry orifice full of deadly teeth emerged and powerfully clamped around where the man was standing. Part of its long body followed the unexpected lunge.
Tyler's heart sank at the sight even as Habrok's arrows started to bury themselves in the beast. Tyndur was already leaping, and as he landed, the exposed body of the worm showed a large flaming gash. The einherjar continued his furious assault on the exposed form, quickly slashing in several places. The mage noticed the einherjar's strikes were all shallow cuts.
Trying to make an egress for Kobu if he was swallowed whole, quickly concluded the mage.
Abruptly, the exile appeared in the air. He was near the mouth of the creature and swiftly swung his weapon. Then he vanished and reappeared at Tyler's side, to the mage’s immense relief. Tyler attacked with a large, flat force blade directed at the place where Kobu had struck. The frontal part of the worm fell down, cut clean through, Tyler’s magical construct finishing what the exile started.
The company turned its attention back to the incoming worms. The mage could see more geysers of dirt erupting from the ground, each delivering a dead or dying beast. All were on fire.
That many? thought the shocked Tyler, even as more of the creatures, of different sizes, appeared and savagely feasted on their own.
“Get back!” the mage shouted. Tyler flung force blades as quickly as he could at every worm he could see. He didn’t need them following the party if their dead kin weren’t enough for their appetite.
“Hal! X! I could do with some targeted blasts! We need to kill as many as we can!” he shouted inwardly, with panic in his voice. He recognized the burrowing ability of the beasts as their most dangerous characteristic in a land in which Tyler could not detect where they were.
Multiple beams burst from the mage, each vaporizing parts of the exposed creatures, instantly killing them. Tyler continued throwing his force blade spells until no worm was moving.
“A few escaped, sire. They burrowed and fled,” said X, just as explosions of dirt started in the distance.
“Nehua will take care of them,” answered Tyler. For some reason, he felt proud of the childlike spirit of wind and fire. He then walked toward the small hole where Nehua entered the ground. There he waited.
A glance at the field showed him the scale of the gory devastation wrought on the predators. His view of the land was blocked by the torn and broken bodies of the monsters. Black slime covered the entire field. Here and there, a flame flickered, refusing to die out.
We massacred them, that’s how I would describe what happened. Though their own helped make it nauseatingly messier than the norm, Tyler thought.
After a while, Nehua's figure appeared before him.
“That was fun! I hit them from below! You told me about the soil, so I avoided contact with it! Did I do good? Did I? Did I?”
Tyler laughed. Nehua's joy was infectious. Her arms were all over the place, waving with excitement.
“You did good, Nehua. I am very proud of you,” said the smiling Tyler.
“Wait until I tell the others! They'll be so jealous,” laughed the spirit.
The rest of the group had walked closer to the two. Nehua turned her attention to them and then curiously looked at Tyler.
“These are my companions, Nehua. We lack two, but we hope they'll be back,” said Tyler, answering the spirit’s quizzical look. Then the mage introduced the three to the spirit.
“Oh, we've seen them before! We just didn’t know their names!”
Kobu bowed.
“My gratitude, Nehua, for the timely and very effective assistance,” said the exile.
“My thanks too, Nehua,” said Habrok, raising his bow.
“A show of might and will;
doth a child display,
Saving four good men,
and teaching damned worms
the error of their ways,” recited Tyndur who then gave a slight bow.
“I like him! He's funny!” said the spirit.
Tyler laughed again.
“You don’t know how funny, Nehua. But prose is one thing Uncle Tyndur can't teach you,” Tyler remarked with a smile. “Now go back home. You have an exciting story to tell.”
“That I do!” exclaimed Nehua as she vanished back into the staff.
“Still a child, but the power she displayed was considerable,” commented Kobu. “You are indeed fortunate, sire. As she matures, the spirit will become more powerful.”
“Well, the child has her heart in the right place though I resent the comment about my prose. I know it's not that good but, sire, you didn’t need to tell the lass. I am her uncle after all! And you heard her – she likes me!” boomed Tyndur.
“Truth is important to children, Tyndur. You wouldn't want us to lie to Nehua, would you?” Habrok butted in.
Tyndur stopped and stared at Habrok.
“You got me there, ranger,” he finally answered, followed by another bout of laughter.
“Let’s hurry and leave this place. Carrion attracts predators, and the Barrens appears to have an inordinate share of the unknown and lethal kind,” announced Tyler with a degree of urgency.
"I agree, sire. Blasted mutated worms! What's next? Giant ants?" exclaimed Tyndur who was hurrying to take up his position on the right flank.
"Don't talk like that, Tyndur," promptly shushed Habrok. "For all we know, there could be giant ants in the Barrens."
With that sobering thought, the party immediately hurried to leave the location. It was a foregone conclusion that the area would be swarming with predators, scavengers, and carrion-eaters in a short while. By unspoken agreement, members of the group didn’t want to see any more of the unique fauna of the Barrens. They could already observe flying specks in the distance coming their way.
“Sire, mind if I ask something?” said Tyndur.
“Of course not. Ask away,” replied Tyler.
“What did Nehua mean by others? There are more of her kind?”
Tyler thought about his answer. He didn't want to lie to Tyndur. The einherjar had proven himself over and over again as a valued member of the party.
‘Yes, Tyndur. But still very young. Though I would prefer we keep their existence a secret,” Tyler answered.
“And that goes for everyone. I know you can hear me,” added the mage.
“Excellent, sire. I hope the others grow up fast. If we can do that kind of damage with one young energy spirit, imagine what we could do three or more! Our enemies will shit in their armor!” declared Tyndur.
“Then we just need to help and guide them,” answered Tyler. “They need energy to grow. But not tainted or dark. Such energy would corrupt or destroy them.”
‘Where can we find the energy they need?’ asked the einherjar, clearly excited about the possibilities.
“From deities and magical beings. Even being around them for a while enables some of their aurae to enter the staff.”
“Hear that, guys? We need to find and bash some god's head in,’ shouted Tyndur.
Tyler shook his head in resignation. The man was clearly addicted to battle. He'd prefer to fight for something even if what he wanted was being given to him on a silver platter.
“About the Elder signal, sire?” X suddenly spoke up.
“Yes, X?”
“It’s getting stronger and is coming from the direction where you're going. A few more miles, and we'll be able to communicate with it. Fro
m the kind of pulses we have received, the origin is clearly an Elder shrine. It appears to be an intact one.”
Othin spake:
21. "Mad art thou, Loki, | and little of wit,
The wrath of Gefjun to rouse;
For the fate that is set | for all she sees,
Even as I, methinks."
Loki spake:
22. "Be silent, Othin! | not justly thou settest
The fate of the fight among men;
Oft gavst thou to him | who deserved not the gift,
To the baser, the battle's prize."
Chapter Nine
Elder Emanations
"Here's to hoping it won't be as nutty as H. Remember the first encounter with your... colleague?"
"Of course. But we'll reinforce your shields just in case," said X reassuringly.
"You know, viewed from a certain perspective, that doesn't sound encouraging at all," remarked the mage.
Tyler got no reply. He didn't blame them. Nothing was certain as far as a future full of untested assumptions was concerned. He'd be a fool to think otherwise.
The miles quickly passed. Habrok had to get the companions to either hide or stop moving at times. They were beginning to see swarms of creatures, many unfamiliar, rapidly moving in the direction of the dead worms. The animal forms familiar to the group appeared either grotesquely misshapen or remarkably oversized. If any did notice them, the stench of freshly dead flesh was a more powerful call.
It quickly crossed Tyler's mind that the field of dead creatures they left behind was bound to be bloodier as different beasts came across each other. The ensuing chaotic struggle would just result in additional dead meat enticing more and more predators and scavengers, a vicious cycle which would only stop when one group established its dominance of the area, driving all rivals away.
Fine with me, he thought. Fewer monsters to worry about along our trail.
"Sire, we communicated with the origin of the Elder signal. It is an Elder sanctuary. We made clear your current powered status and our need for the database," Hal's voice spoke in his mind.
"And?"
"It acknowledged our communications. But except for saying that you will have to decide, nothing else."
"Decide what?" asked Tyler.
"No information was given, sire. Not even the exact location of the shrine. It could be a quirk of the creator of the complex or merely an oversight," answered Hal.
"Then ask it, for goodness’ sake! We can't be blindly walking into a firestorm again. The first time was excusable. A second time would be plain stupidity," asserted the mage.
A pause of several seconds followed.
"Nothing definite, sire. It merely said we'll know when we get there. Though I suspect the intelligence was being deliberately vague about the ‘there’ part. If it were human, I'd say being deliberately evasive."
It was X this time. Hal evidently didn't want to be the bearer of unclear information again.
"Your creators were a mad bunch. To make matters worse, each was burdened with a different kind of madness. Why can't they make things simpler? Once vouched for and identified, the subsequent processes should be straightforward," complained Tyler. The idea of jumping through a different kind of test for each shrine was irritating him.
"It has been said that the line between genius and madness is a very thin one," helpfully volunteered Hal.
"Not helping, Hal," replied the mage.
"As an aside, it might interest you to know we have detected massive surges of magical energy in the far north. Continuous eruptions, not merely sporadic," added Hal.
Now what the hell is happening up there?
***
As they crested a ridge line, they saw the beginnings of human habitation—a few large huts outside the beginnings of a great forest. To its front and forming a barrier around the leading trees was a stone and wood palisade. Two hills bordered the wall, one at each visible end of the barrier.
The mage estimated the frontage to be more or less 100 feet, and upon closer observation, found the wall was actually comprised of three layers, the front part lower than the one behind it. The gate led to a sizeable area after the first fence, barred again at the end by closed doors.
Archers manned parapets visible behind the third barrier. Irregular lines of long stakes protected the first wall and movable spiked barricades barred the access to the initial entrance. All along the field in front of the spikes were the tell-tale signs of pit traps too numerous to count.
"Such preparations," remarked Kobu. "More appropriate for a fortress under siege."
"I don't blame them. Living on the edge of the Barrens would encourage such preparations at the risk of being a meal. I see more dwellings appearing to be made of stone and wood inside the forest. Surprisingly, the beginnings of a small road paved with stones. Houses and structures look to be built in an arranged matter," said Habrok.
"Whether they're friendly or not will be answered in a few minutes. I see warriors running to man positions on the wall," the einherjar warned.
"At least they look human," observed Tyler. "And we stick out nicely on this ridge. There are warriors on our flanks, but they're keeping their distance. We must have been observed some distance back."
Me and my scrying. I must have been excited about the Elder shrine more than I would care to admit.
The gates of the settlement opened and a group marched out. With his magically-augmented eyesight, Tyler could see racial features similar to Keshini and the warriors they had met before. If that wasn't enough, the weapons, shields, and armor looked the same. The mage double-checked his shields.
Kobu looked at him. Tyler nodded and the man walked to the front of the group, maintaining the distance the mage mentioned as necessary for keeping within the coverage of the shield. They waited. The reception party split into three formations, all line abreast, with three unarmed men behind the center rank.
Interesting. Complex formations. The defensive square and now this; any problem and the flanks can assault the enemy, while the middle protects the dignitaries. Such military sophistication from a mere village? chuckled the mage
He heard Tyndur give a chortle. The einherjar evidently came to the same conclusion.
"Village, my arse. They're better trained than city militias," came the comment.
The village delegation stopped several feet away. Tyler noticed that the flanks were positioned in a curved alignment facing the party. A slight old man, with thinning hair, and dressed in a blue-sleeved long chiton, stepped forward. A white cloak of Grecian origin, or himation, completed his attire.
"Hail, warriors. May the day be filled with peace and glad tidings. What brings such a small band out here, in the shunned Barrens?" greeted the man in Greek.
"We are lost, Grandfather. Probably a deity's doing, and by fortune's good graces, we have survived and are on our way to Skaney. We did meet your caravan which was assaulted by large lizards. They appreciated what help we could offer and gave us this token to show to you," said Kobu as he brought out what Keshini gave him.
Relatively true, thought Tyler.
"Tyche's favors are fickle," smiled the old man. "With your permission, allow me to examine the token."
The old man directed one of the men to get the bronze token and examined it for a while. He called to his side one warrior, a large example of his people, with better armor, and a blue cape. A discussion went on for some time, then a command went out and the arrayed warriors changed formation, this time as an escort column.
"My apologies," said the old man. "But the Barrens keep a wary man or woman alive. I am Agastya, the leader of this humble village. We are on our way there now. Please accept what hospitality we can offer and our gratitude for assistance you have rendered. Keshini mentioned you are mighty warriors and mages, destroying several packs of the lizards all by yourself! Even earning the enmity of the Great Lizard."
Kobu laughed. "We seem to be prone into such stumbles,
Agastya, earning the ire of deity, man, or creature alike."
"Ah, that is a path I would not wish to travel. The attention of deities and powerful beings is never a good thing. It leads to... complications."
"That's what we are in now," said Kobu. "A tawagoto no arashi, in my language. A shitstorm."
"You do look like somebody not of the northern kingdoms. May I ask where you come from?"
"The lands of Wa, far to the south. An exile, forced to find my fate elsewhere."
"Ah, Fate. Likewise, a fickle entity. Generous now, and then stingy as a miser the next," answered Agastya.
"But I am not familiar with your people," remarked Kobu, with Tyler listening closely, "and that from a mercenary who has been in many lands."
Agastya stopped and looked at Kobu. Then he grinned.
"A mercenary you may appear to be, but I sense something of greatness in your past. Or maybe your future. These old eyes don't see as well as they did. Now to your question. We are not Greek nor of Skaney, as you have noticed. It's a long tale, full of war and misery. The short version of it was our ancestors were pushed back to the edges of the Barrens, where the new arrivals didn't want to follow. But that was in the past. We now trade with their descendants and even enjoy some form of accommodation with their rulers. We are, after all, a small tribe, living in a land nobody wants," explained the old man patiently.
"Trade with the Greeks? Or the Pelasgians?" asked Kobu.
"Both, I believe. But only directly with the Pelasgians. Hellas is too far away. There's a border fortress-town which both peoples have designated as our common trade center. So far, it has benefited both greatly," replied Agastya.
Tyler had to admire the way the exile guided the discussion, picking up threads from a previous discussion as the basis for a new topic. He sensed Kobu wanted to ask more questions about the strange people, but they had already reached the first gate. Warriors were already moving aside the large spiked wooden barricades.
The Accidental Archmage - Book Five: Loki's Gambit Page 10