The Accidental Archmage: Book Eight (Where Titans Walk) Read online

  “The Archmage,” said Nyx finally in a soft voice which reminded one of deep, empty caverns. Her voice had a distinct difference from that of the deity of death. Where Thanatos’s speech gave the feeling of quiet yet waiting graveyards, the tone of the goddess of the night gave the impression of a silent yet expectant darkness, full of the unknown.

  Tyler bowed slightly at the address. If Zeus himself was wary of Nyx, then the mage had to be careful about how he dealt with her even if the unexpected assistance reassured the mage of the deity’s immediate intentions.

  “I wonder what my brother saw in you. You couldn’t even handle insects,” continued the deity. The observation was said in a matter-of-fact tone, and was neither condescending nor haughty.

  “Hail and greetings, goddess of the night,” replied Tyler, ignoring the comment. In a way, Nyx was right, but the mage didn’t want to start an argument with the powerful being.

  The deity looked at Thyma and gave a nod of deference.

  “My greetings, elder. I am surprised to see you here. I couldn’t believe it when my brother told me you were in Tartarus,” remarked Nyx, again in her soft voice.

  Tyler could see that the Oracle was startled and confused at the statement. But Thyma wisely refrained from answering and instead replied with a nod of her own. The mage knew what Nyx meant. It appeared major deities could see through the Oracle’s form and see the essence of Gaia within her. He knew that but was still deciding whether to break the news to Thyma. The woman might have suspected it, but considering her tumultuous relationship with her mother, not to mention the Oracle’s resentment at what she saw as abandonment, Thyma might still be in denial. It was a touchy situation, and the mage didn’t want to blunder into such a dangerous situation. There was no telling what the Oracle’s reaction would be at the confirmation of her suspicion. Probably fear and anger, if she still had issues with her mother. A broken Thyma with the power of Gaia could easily give rise to a war far greater than what was going on. A conflict that would probably break the world arising from the desire of a world deity to claw back a place to call her own.

  To Tyler, her opportune membership in the company was too serendipitous to be mere coincidence. The only question in the mage’s mind was whose hands pulled the strings which made possible his encounter with the Oracle. He had his bet on Adar’s avatar. From what Astrid had told him, the Greeks believed that Gaia was the older sister of Tartarus, yet the mage feared a Thyma with such awakened power. Where Gaia was a mother goddess, the Oracle could be full of grudges and hate due to what she had been through. She might have found some peace with her past, but deities were like humans. Only the attainment of such power would show whether Thyma had really forgotten and forgiven the past. Tyler began to suspect that the Oracle’s presence in the company was meant to help her understand what it meant to be human, to be mortal. To be aware of the consequences of pivotal decisions. Deities with no such experience would immediately give vent to their rage. Forgiveness for such beings was a matter of convenience.

  Fuck them all. If Thyma wants to destroy them, it’s her decision as long as she doesn’t include the rest of the world in her anger, the mage decided grimly. I’ve had enough of being a tool.

  “Pardon my ignorance, but your brother is Thanatos?” asked Tyler, moving to the subject at hand.

  “He’s my twin. The Spartans got it right, though I fear the other Greeks still have an erroneous conception of my lineage,” smiled Nyx. “He’s busy right now as the domain wanted him present while it observes the ongoing battle.”

  “I am surprised at how the intruders were able to enter this land. I didn’t expect them to cross into Tartarus at all,” remarked the mage thoughtfully.

  “Oh, they were allowed to enter this realm,” replied Nyx casually, surprising the mage.

  It appeared that Thanatos and Nyx finally convinced Tartarus to let the Titans and the invaders fight it out within the realm. The pair believed matters could be better controlled if the unwelcome guests were within Tartarus. A primordial rule evidently prevented Tartarus the deity from crossing over into other dimensions. So, they told the entity that there was no fun watching the conflict from the entrance of the land of the utterly damned. Not that the participants could do anything if Tartarus suddenly decided to expel them all.

  “That’s the only reason why those attackers are now in this realm?” exclaimed Tyler, still refusing to believe what he heard.

  Nyx explained that Tartarus himself was like a child. It had just woken up when the link to Hades was severed. Its now awake nature demanded new experiences. The uprising of the Titans was allowed by the entity. Such an event sowed chaos, yet it didn’t provide Tartarus with the direct experience he craved. The present struggle between the five remaining invaders and the rest of the rebel Titans waged within its dimension was more to its liking.

  “The rogues are emptying their fortress as we speak. Many of their forces on Adar have been recalled to meet this new threat. Our kin and friends in the world above would now find a much-lessened enemy before them. Not bad for a couple of plotters,” laughed Nyx.

  Not bad indeed, thought Tyler. In one stroke, the twins ensured the victory of the pantheons and gave him fewer enemies in the fortress to worry about. The mage would have dearly wanted to see Loki’s face when he realized that whatever reinforcements Iapetus sent him had been withdrawn.

  “Remove their power from the fortress. There’s a large dark blue crystal, the size of a boulder, in the throne room. Destroy it and the connection to Hades would be restored,” clarified the goddess. “I don’t know where the leader of the rebels got it. We’re sure Tartarus didn’t give it to them. I was informed you have a quest involving that stronghold. Like my brother, I would extend whatever help I could give as long as it doesn’t arouse that ancient deity’s ire and suspicion.”

  “Can’t you just enter their fortress and destroy that artifact?” asked the mage.

  Another freaking task on top of rescuing Eira, thought Tyler. But the mage felt he did owe it to the twins.

  “I wish it were that simple. We live here, but it doesn’t mean we could interfere with the games and entertainment of an awake Tartarus,” said Nyx, who looked at Thyma. “It would also be to your best interests not to waken his sister within his domain. He might think it’s being taken away from him. As I said, we’re dealing with a child. A very dangerous one with primordial powers. A tantrum would be catastrophic.”

  Then Nyx abruptly vanished. Tyler turned to talk with Thyma, but the Oracle held up her hand and walked away. She sat under a tree; her gaze focused on something far. The mage ordered Tyndur to watch over the Oracle, but also to give her some space. Whatever Thyma was doing, Tyler wanted to give her the time to do it. It wasn’t as if they were going anywhere soon. The oasis was now safe. It was now a good time and the perfect place to grab some rest. The revelations of Nyx were unsettling. Not only for Thyma, but also for the mage. There were plans within schemes, and all were happening outside his knowledge. Usually, he wouldn’t care, but those plots typically have a way of entangling him—one reason why he always kept an ear out for such schemes.

  His gaze fell upon Asag. The demon had also sat apart from the rest of the company and was clearly engaged in some thinking of his own. Only Gullin appeared unconcerned about what just happened, and had taken it upon herself to serve as their sentry. Tyler stared at Thyma and again at Asag.

  Now I’ve got two live explosives in my pocket, reflected the mage glumly, and I don’t control the detonators.

  Chapter Six

  The Garden of Chaos

  The small refuge in the middle of a sandy area improbably surrounded by lava-scorched terrain was quiet. Tyler tried to sleep but the burden of facing the unknown bothered him. Facing the rogue Titans was difficult enough, but the possibility of fighting an avatar of Chaos terrified him. Despite the assistance of Thanatos and Nyx, he knew that responsibility and command fell solely on his shoulders at
the end of the day.

  “Anything new?” he asked his guides. The pair were his trump cards due to his hesitancy in exposing his wards to a battle far too dangerous for their current levels. Tyler earnestly hoped the two had some good news for him.

  “Good and bad news, sire,” replied X.

  Of course. What else could it be? reflected the mage. Story of my life.

  “Let’s have it, and don’t ask me which to present first. It’s a worn-out cliche,” said Tyler.

  Hal was the bearer of good tidings. The mage could use the energy in the dimension. It was raw power, elemental in nature. The changes in his physical body would allow him to course such force in the same way as Elder energy. It was up to Tyler to determine how such power would be utilized. Then X followed with the bad news – use of the power of chaos would also affect Tyler mentally. The guides didn’t know to what extent, but its influence on the mage’s thinking and personality was a certainty. The pernicious effect stemmed from the nature of chaos as a primordial force, and the guides couldn’t see a way to avoid or even mitigate its effects. But the duo agreed it was a source of immense power.

  Shit. Another gift. A double-edged sword, reflected the mage. Chaos would surely change me. I don’t even know anything about it. Even my knowledge of Elder power is limited.

  “Thanks, guys. Do work on it. We might find a way around its negatives,” replied the young man. He knew it was an empty statement. There was simply no way his guides could find a solution. Their abilities were already limited by his inability to find the rest of the tablets. They have learned and gained much from being exposed to the world, but their innate levels remained where they were since the last input of knowledge happened. Whatever growth they had came from Tyler’s experiences.

  Tyler breathed deeply. On top of everything, he still had to plan how to break into the fortress. Its defensive complement might have been lessened, but entering it won’t be easy. He just wished he had more time to practice his abilities and preferably discover new ones. At least his guides were building up his magical reserves. He felt more tired than usual as a result but had accepted it as the price for having some advantage in future battles. And he planned to teach Iapetus and his traitorous band a lesson they’d never forget. If they survive. But it was a sentiment Tyler kept to himself. Enough of being screwed and used as a puppet. They’ve got their games, but he planned to change the rules. Not that far in the future.

  ***

  Morning found the company on the road again. Somehow, the mountain looked closer, and the mage surmised that the land had moved again for their benefit. But the terrain beside the road had shifted to a barren, dry area. Tyler could see the numerous cracks on the ground. It was parched land. Then the mage noticed the Oracle had moved closer to him. He could see the woman was still troubled. The night had not resolved what was bothering her.

  “We’re entering the Garden of Chaos, Archmage,” said Thyma softly.

  “Is that good or bad?” asked the man.

  “Depends on how one looks at it. Remember, this is Tartarus. A place of punishment. Of horror. Of utter damnation. Anything is possible,” came the Oracle’s reply.

  Tyler thought about her answer. A garden, he pondered. It would have strange, magical creatures in it and whatever hellish monsters in Greek myth appropriate to the location. Though he wasn’t sure about the effect of the lamp of Thanatos on such entities. The artifact had kept them safe so far. The faint echoes in the air and shaking of the ground continued.

  The battle must have continued, the mage mused. The reminders of a war being fought dwindled to almost nothing during the night. Considering that the dark Elders had not yet reached their general area, the Titans must be putting up active resistance which was effective to some degree. Either that or being in Tartarus must have affected their powers somehow. If it was the latter, then he had a problem on his hands. It meant his own Elder power won’t be as effective. The mage prayed he was wrong.

  “Something’s in the distance,” said Gullin. The dragoness had been busy scrutinizing the land in front of the company. “I can’t make it out. There’s a magical haze around it. But it looked like bunches of poles arranged along the road and scattered in the area around it. There’s a lot.”

  The mage looked at Tyndur, who immediately adjusted their march formation, lessening the distance between the companions. Tyler turned and asked Kobu as to his thoughts.

  “I admit it is difficult to assess the possibilities in this twisted, cursed land. If this were the land above, I would have a ready answer, sire, but I fear to voice my thoughts. There’s a high possibility that they might lead to errors in judgment,” replied Kobu somberly.

  “I’ll take that into consideration. Still, your thoughts?” insisted Tyler.

  “I would say it’s a Punishment. Whether it’s just there or waiting for us, that I don’t know,” said the warrior.

  “We’re as prepared as we could be. At least, we’re complete again. Though I noticed two of companions have been deep in thought lately,” replied Tyler.

  “I noticed that too, sire. Whether it bodes good or ill for us, only time would tell,” remarked Kobu.

  “We just need to trust them, Kobu. They’re our friends. I only hope they would ask for our help if and when whatever burden they’re carrying gets too heavy to bear,” answered the mage.

  ***

  A mile out from the start of the strange sight Gullin mentioned, Tyler saw what made up the slender pillars. They were spread across the horizon. So extensive that he couldn’t see the end of it. He reflected there must be millions all told. The man assumed that the dragoness and Thyma probably already observed what they were, having better vision than the mage. The ground was still dry and barren when they came close enough to see what decorated the columns. Bodies were impaled on the long wooden stakes. The sharp poles didn’t follow any specific arrangement as to where they entered a body. Some were moving feebly. The wind brought to the company the muffled cries of extreme agony and abject misery. No blood flooded the ground. The entire tableau was for pure pain. It was a macabre, disturbing scene which violated one’s senses.

  Tyler halted. There was something that bothered him. The sight of punished souls was a terrible shock, but his mind reminded him that he was in the hell of hells of the Grecian underworld.

  “Thyma, they’re souls. How could they feel pain?” asked the mage.

  “Being a soul is but another level of existence. A sword in what we call the physical world might not cut a phantasm, but here and in other similar dimensions, a soul is a material reality. Hence, the pain and suffering,” replied the Oracle. “Every soul that’s sent here decorate this place first. Sometimes, they would be used to redecorate the stakes.”

  “How about us? Will our weapons and magic affect them? We could cut down monsters and other creatures. How about souls? I saw what Asag tried to do and he failed,” asked Tyler, the question had been at the back of his mind when the twisted garden of tortured souls came into view.

  The Oracle explained that the monsters and other creatures found in Tartarus came from the reality of Adar, even if they were born from First World perceptions. These were the myths and legends which populate the mind and body of a primordial sleeping force. But souls, according to the Oracle, are a different matter altogether. Personal dogma and human essence, reinforced by magic, condemn those punished to the underworld or bless them with Elysium. But belief was the crucial element in their presence in the afterlife. It was one reason why one won’t find in the Greek heaven or underworld the souls of humans who believed in the deities of other pantheons. And it also explained the different heavens and hells that could be found in the dimensions adjoining Adar.

  “So, what you’re saying is they’re suffering because they believe in their condition and their punishment,” asked the mage slowly. Metaphysical concepts were a bit hard to comprehend and accept in Tyler’s case.

  “Exactly. One lesson, you
, of all humans, should take to heart and mind,” advised Thyma with a smile. “But there are exceptions and deceptions in such lore, mind you. So, I’d be careful about acting impulsively on such knowledge.”

  Tyler immediately stared at the Oracle. Her manner of talking and demeanor changed when she gave her answer. But the mysterious change was fleeting and vanished as soon as Thyma finished replying. Her voice had become softer yet older in tone, and the remark was said meaningfully. The mage didn’t say anything about what he had observed, though he resolved to think about the bizarre change.

  Thyma raised an eyebrow, a query as to further questions. The mage smiled at her, gave his thanks, and the Oracle walked back to her position. Tyler saw Asag approach him.

  “I heard,” said the rock deity simply.