The Accidental Archmage: Book Nine: The Dragon Houses

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  “What are you?” he asked in a calm tone. Both of them were inside his mind. He could dispense with the pleasantries. Tyler assumed the intruder knew what he knew, at least before the tablets were activated. The crucial questions now were the how and why of the entity’s sudden appearance.

  “I am you. Isn’t it obvious? A more decisive, handsome, and focused you. Tyler 2.0. Isn’t that great?” beamed the double. “I don’t whine about my lot in life, for one.”

  Humble, too. I stand corrected. He’s the old Tyler, with an insufferable quality added to the character, thought the mage sarcastically. And I whine?

  “That’s not the answer to my question, and you know it. Again. What are you?” Tyler continued as he crossed his arms and glared at the double.

  “I am you. Or to be exact, a part of you,” came the answer.

  Tyler already suspected it, so it wasn’t a surprise. But the evasive replies were evidently going to characterize the discussion. It looked as if the double was indeed a copy, an incomplete one, though with a separate existence. It was painfully apparent that the entity would not give up its secrets easily.

  It was created out of the darkness, the power of destruction prematurely granted by the Elder tablets. That was a certainty based on what he witnessed earlier. Now, he had to determine the danger posed by the entity and consider the implications. Unfortunately, there were too many to count.

  “You’re Elder knowledge made manifest. Specifically, an aspect of the tablets,” straightforwardly declared the mage. There was no point in engaging in verbal thrust-and-parry. The damned creature was part of him.

  “Bingo.”

  “You do have a separate personality, and my assumption is we share knowledge and memory. What do you intend to do?” continued Tyler. He didn’t voice his suspicion that the other had no access to his thoughts. They’d share experience but could form different conclusions. For now, the mage was in the driver’s seat.

  “I have to admit this wasn’t supposed to happen. But the interference by the Followers created a divergence in the management of Elder information. I am here, so deal with it,” replied the other. Gone was the display of amiability.

  Divergence of management. Cute statement, Tyler thought cynically. Belongs to the collateral damage tribe.

  “What do you intend to do? Take my place?”

  “Nothing certain yet, my nervous twin. Your Elder lore is now complete, but understanding the information is another matter. What you learn, I also learn. Though my knowledge eclipses yours in the finer points of destructive mayhem,” came the smug clarification. The affable tone was back, though a searching gaze accompanied the reply. “I am stuck here. In this metaphysical room in your mind.”

  “That won’t be forever,” observed Tyler coldly.

  “For now. I’ll help you with your growth until I can manifest as a separate entity, much like what your guides desire. When that happens, we just have to see if there’s enough world for the two of us.”

  ***

  “Ground rules, then,” said Tyler. The implied threat didn’t escape him. But it was a given. Still, it stoked dread. He’ll cross that goddamn bridge when he gets there, the mage decided. It wasn’t as if he had other options.

  “Simple. I am you, in a way. You die; I also perish. See? Tu garganta, mi garganta. Your throat is my throat. We wouldn’t want anybody slitting it, do we? I know some powerful beings are after us. Without those two guides, your effectiveness is degraded, and the chance of survival becomes laughable. You will learn the side of destruction as we journey together. I don’t begrudge that part. It is part of your training and a necessity if we are to survive. But other Elder lore would temper your ability to use it. I am not limited in the same way,” explained the double, again in a meaningful manner.

  The mage considered what he just heard. It sounded fair, yet avoided the fundamental nature of the embodiment of destruction. But his twin definitely wanted the opportunity to let loose.

  “You’d destroy the world when you gain a separate existence,” he accused the other.

  “Maybe. Destruction is necessary for renewal in nature. I am newly born into this form. My mind, though filled with your memories, still has to form its own conclusions.”

  Tyler let the matter rest for now. It was enough that he got some idea of how the entity perceived its existence. So far, it seemed to be open enough about its intentions. It had admitted a need to examine its new reality before forming its own conclusions. For now, he was certain that he could rein in the destructive impulses of the other Tyler. It required his consent to release whatever spells it knew.

  The mage had to concede that, in a way, it was an improvement over the childlike and temperamental entity which ran amuck in the Gap. But Tyler saw that its newfound maturity might prove to be a worse curse later on. It was also apparent that it needed him to materialize in the outside world. Hal did say that the knowledge dealing with making independent forms for the guides could be found in Elder creation lore. That would protect him from being stabbed in the back by the other Tyler until they had been separated.

  “We’ll discuss other complications as they arise,” advised the mage, “and they will crop up. But we need to help my companions.”

  “Our companions,” emphasized the double. “We have time. Our lengthy discussion was but a fleeting moment outside, in the actual world. Let’s deal with this troublesome feature of Lumeri’s scheming. I have to admit I like his commitment. A simple objective and total focus. There’s a lesson there, my troubled and rudderless twin.”

  ***

  “I could do without the insults and snide comments,” said Tyler with irritation. Really fucking insufferable.

  “Touchy. I am what I am. But I will try to be more circumspect, brother of mine,” came the reply punctuated with a jaunty salute. The entity was attempting to get on his nerves, and the mage could see its efforts, cloaked in casual banter, were succeeding. He shook his head in exasperation. An urge to punch the smug face was judiciously reconsidered. A working relationship wouldn’t go well if started with a knuckle sandwich. The blow wouldn’t hurt the double, but it was the thought that would count. If the double had his previous personality, the physical outburst would be remembered, fester, and invite an earlier than expected stab in the back.

  “Are we finished?” he asked instead.

  “I guess. Do visit from time to time. Don’t be a stranger,” laughed the double.

  “Make yourself useful. Unblock the entrance and get us out of this cave,” Tyler instructed, fully recognizing that he was being baited again. The mage closed his eyes and concentrated. He imagined the cave and willed himself to return. The area above the room where the tablets were located greeted his eyes. The shrine had returned him to the arrival hall. A quick examination of the power configuration embedded in the stone walls revealed dark lines. The Elder sanctuary was gone.

  Yet as he walked toward the blocked entrance, Tyler felt strangely pumped up. An inordinate sensation of strength was coursing through his body. He stopped and directed his thoughts inward. Elder energy was flowing within him. It filled his bones. The guides could have told him exactly how much power was absorbed, but their absence meant Tyler’s recourse was guesswork. Considering what he felt, it saturated his body.

  The mage found the occurrence a welcome yet baffling benefit. Previous transfers didn’t give such power. It could be because of the ruinous condition of the shrines of Hal and X. The latter’s structure in particular merely left him a smidgen of Elder energy, which he promptly used to destroy Supay, the Inkan death god. Hal’s sanctuary was worse—nothing was left. Though it could be due to the extensive damage suffered by the Maljen site.

  Figures, thought the mage, reflecting on the deceptively advantageous situation. Now that the resource is readily available, my guides are not here to help me use it. This sucks.

  ***

  Tons of broken rock greeted Tyler. Based on his recollection, a good
ten feet of the passage was blocked, and that was just resultant debris. The jumbled mass must have rumbled into the hallway from the obstruction up front when the Elder structure lost all power. A monstrous collection of boulders must be blocking the main entrance based on his calculation. Fortunately, the complex, while still active, had dampened the dust and maintained the air. It would have been impossible to breathe in the aftermath of Lumeri’s rock avalanche. If the rockslide occurred after the lore transfer, the mage knew it would have been a critical problem. Preventing the collapse of the entire complex was already a formidable task for the automatic controls.

  “Your job,” Tyler told his double, referring to the jumble of blockade. Only a snicker was his reply.

  He was about to rebuke the other Tyler when a phosphorescent circle, around ten feet in diameter, appeared before the mage. The mage hurriedly observed the ongoing spell. The glittering dark shape spun rapidly, and the space inside its circumference filled with a swirling black mist. Suddenly, it raced out, leaving a perfectly formed circular tunnel in its wake. Everything happened in an instant.

  One reason the task was given to his dark counterpart was the mage’s desire to observe destruction lore in action. He could have punched their way out using the usual Elder blasting spell employing ordinary magical energy. But the present obstacle provided him with the perfect excuse to get the insufferable intruder to show his abilities. Still, everything happened too fast. The tunneling spell was an unfamiliar one and didn’t even use Elder energy.

  “What was that?” voiced Tyler involuntarily. The silent and effective violence caught him unaware and impressed.

  “A simple destruction spell. Focused concentrated energy using a modification of the ambient magic around us,” said his twin. Even as he tried to show that it wasn’t a noteworthy act, pride was in the tone. Despite his astonishment, Tyler felt the urge to cut the double’s ego down a notch.

  “You could make a living drilling tunnels. Not mining. The spell clearly destroys everything within the circle,” replied Tyler cynically. It was a petty retort, but the unwelcome guest was shredding thin his reserves of patience. It wasn’t the answers and statements of the double, but the way and the tone by which it made them. The rudderless side comment stung especially.

  “That didn’t even break my skin, oh masterful mage,” came the inevitable riposte.

  I should have listened to Tyndur’s repartee. Better yet, taken lessons from him, thought the mage. He knew it was going to be a long and tedious partnership. His wordplay has to level up.

  Yet despite his air of nonchalance, the Archmage was overwhelmed by the casual effort. The word simple stuck in his mind. The casting of the spell was fast and focused. The difference in control between the immature force of nature he unwittingly unleashed in the Gap and the display of power by the entity in his mind was incredible. The spell he saw was, as his twin described, straightforward enough. But its impressive strength, swiftness, and focused application meant no magical barrier could stop it.

  Considering it used transformed ambient energy, not even Elder in origin, Tyler believed the most powerful deities of the First World would be at risk if faced with such a spell. The only drawbacks he saw were its linear direction and a nimble enough opponent could quickly move out of the way.

  Still, the young mage wanted it. It was somewhere in the vast store of knowledge he just gained. But there was a quicker way of learning the spell. With that observation in mind, Tyler called the double.

  ***

  When they finally exited the cavern through the perfectly smooth passageway, Tyler observed that the blast stopped at the entrance. The cliffside in front of them was undamaged. It was an imposing display of magical manipulation. The mage doubted if he had the same level of control. So far, it was all shooting away with all the power he could muster. The width of the spells within his knowledge could be managed, but to limit the range of effect deliberately was beyond him. The bastard had a lot to teach him. At least until the time came for a reckoning.

  A series of abrupt explosions caught Tyler’s attention. The company wasn’t in the cavern’s immediate vicinity, and he had wondered where they were. To his left appeared the telltale sign of a hemispherical magical barrier on top of the ravine across their location. The companions had sought the high ground to prepare for battle and kept the cliff on one side, giving their opponents no opportunity to surround them. But it didn’t look like they were in an offensive mode. From what the mage observed, maintaining the shield against incoming spells was already an arduous task for the party.

  A quick scry showed him a considerable force positioned on three sides of the company. Serried armored ranks of strange humanoids, complete with metal shields of an odd octagonal design and wicked-looking halberds, penned his friends. As far as he could detect, only two magic-users were on the enemy side. Still, the level of power they were lobbing at the group was staggering. Tyler gauged it at a demigod’s level. Yet, the enemy mages also maintained protective blocks over their forces at the same time. Their reserves of magical energy must be formidable.

  If these are but ordinary mages, higher-level ones would have a shitload of power, thought the shaken Archmage. Doubt assailed his confidence in handling the threat. He had a surplus of Elder energy on his side, but the magical threads of the enemy spells had a different configuration. It was still Adar’s magic, but somehow immensely strengthened. Magical lore of the creatures developed differently, and from the looks of it, achieved a deadlier form. A sudden throbbing in his head distracted Tyler from his observations of the critical situation. Somehow, he knew it was his twin.

  Good. He can’t just butt in, thought the relieved mage. It had been a concern, and Tyler planned to discuss the matter with the double, together with choosing a name for the doppelganger. He can’t be referring to the entity by his name or a generic term. Even now, he couldn’t decide whether to consider it a he or an it.

  “Interesting situation,” said the other Tyler when the mage allowed him to speak.

  “Interesting? My friends are getting their butts kicked!” replied the mage in consternation. He had never seen the company on the receiving end of such power. If it was more powerful, the group avoided it. This time, there was nowhere to go.

  “Our friends. You still haven’t gotten that in your head. The time will come when they’d have to choose whether to serve me. Same as that pantheon-the-making in the staff. Naturally, I can’t have those lizards have their way with the company,” retorted the double dismissively.

  “And I suppose you have a plan and the means to handle their attackers,” answered the Archmage, thinking that given his limitations, somebody with more knowledge about Elder offensive spells would be the best counter against such levels of magic. Yet it surprised him at how his counterpart had discovered the kind of humanoids they were facing. The entity had access to the results of Tyler’s spells, but clearly, it had more means in analyzing the information.

  “Of course. It involves blood, gore, dismemberment, and all the niceties of being a force of destruction. That is, if you’re not squeamish about it.”

  “Mayhem, in short,” replied Tyler.

  “I prefer the more graphic description, but yours is accurate enough. So! Your decision, all-powerful Archmage of mine,” asked the other.

  “Go nuts.”

  Chapter Four

  Mayhem

  “I would need Elder energy for what I intend to do. We also need to go way over there—in the middle of the welcome ceremonies,” advised the double.

  “How much do you need?” asked Tyler. It was another positive revelation. Nothing could be done without his consent. That would limit the entity’s ability to be underhanded about its actions.

  “Not much. Only what’s needed. I know we have to conserve what we have. Though I expect the knowledge to transform this world’s energy to what we need would come soon enough. None of that painful process with miniscule gain,” came the re
ply. A tart protest started to erupt from Tyler, but he controlled himself. Time was of the essence, and though the comment was indirectly depreciating, the mage admitted his twin was right.

  The mage sensed the buildup of a spell once he gave his assent. It wasn’t as if he could control the amount of energy taken by his twin. That ability was currently beyond him. The mage had to take the other’s statement at face value.

  “Wait,” voiced Tyler as he realized a significant issue. “How are we going to explain whatever’s going to happen? The companions have an idea of the spells I have, and new abilities would raise questions. I can’t reveal your presence. It’s worse than having a split personality.”

  “You do have two personalities. But with a twist. Both could manifest at the same time. Yet for now, let the credit go to you even if I’m the Hyde to your Jekyll,” said the double with evident amusement.

  What have I gotten myself into? thought the mage after he realized whatever resultant mayhem was going to happen would be ascribed to him, and the impending slaughter would only be the start of one of many.

  Incident, thought Tyler. I hope it remains that way. Atrocity would leave a nasty taste, even if our enemies were on the receiving end. At least, in Asag’s case, the spell came from the bastard.

  Once again, the mage felt helpless. He acutely sensed the familiar sensation of being driven along by unexpected circumstances. This time, it wasn’t a deity or malign creature with pretensions of grandeur or plans for world domination. It was Tyler himself, or to be precise, the darkness that formed part of every human’s soul.

  ***

  Resigned to the situation, the mage asked what the entity needed. A bit of Elder energy was the reply. He inquired what the double intended to do, but the only answer was a question as to Tyler’s preference – quick and messy or clean but slow. The beleaguered mind of the young man opted for the former. He needed to get the immediate problem resolved. More concerns had been added to his overflowing plate, and his mind demanded time to consider the recent events. Yet the Hyde reference didn’t bode well.