The Accidental Archmage - Book Five, Edmund Batara [best way to read ebooks txt] 📗

in the walls, he could see a normal landscape outside the stone structure. Based on the height, Tyler estimated he was at the third or fourth level of the bastion. He felt somebody hit him on his right arm. It didn’t hurt but had some force behind the blow.

“It’s about time you got here, you lazy excuse for a mage!” A shout accompanied the strike.

He turned and faced the unknown assailant, fighting posture at the ready.

A small being was in front of him, with braced hands at the waist. The fellow looked irritated, angry even. And the entity surprisingly looked a bit like Rumpr. Put the two side by side and one would think they were brothers.

“Come on, you’ve been negligent enough!” the entity quickly walked forward and forcibly tugged at Tyler’s wrist. Even though he knew it was but his mind, the act was painful. In this world of thought, the being was strong. Very strong. The mage was stupefied by what was happening.

“And a First Mage? Never have I seen such an irresponsible…” muttered the being dragging him, then stopping in his tracks when he noticed Tyler looking at him.

“But a powerful… master,” continued the speaker. “Though it would help if he closed his mouth before we enter the hall. Bad for first impressions.”

Tyler finally got his wits back. The impact of the unexpected surroundings on his mind still confused him, but at least he had the being’s attention. He did close his mouth.

“Wait, wait,” said the mage as he pulled his hand back. “Who are you?”

“You don’t know? Well, call my mother and ask her to change my trousers!” exclaimed the other who promptly looked at Tyler’s face closely. “Oooyyyy! You really don’t know. By the flaming beard of Surtr, I get stuck with an ignorant donk… master!”

“Hey, watch the language! You could just tell me, you know,” protested Tyler vehemently. There were only so many direct and indirect insults he could take, even in an unfamiliar world.

“Sorry about that. My temper. I really can’t help it, considering I, or more appropriately, we, have been waiting for you to pay us a visit for the longest time!” came the accusing answer. The face of the speaker was gathered into a very disapproving, irritated, and slightly angry expression.

“Let’s make this simple. Assume that I don’t know anything. What’s this about a visit?” remarked the confused mage.

“Lad, I don’t need to assume such a thing. It’s obvious you skipped a lot of classes in your education. How you made it this far is a miracle!” came another sarcastic remark.

“I didn’t have the magical education. I was dragged, pushed, and blackmailed into this role!” yelled Tyler, who suddenly realized he’d also lost his temper.

“You don’t need to shout, lad. Higher energies like us who were hornswoggled into this kind of artifact are usually visited by the mage to set down guidelines, obtain knowledge, and for other important reasons as you will see later. Setting the rules, in short. You must have been really special for Rumpr to give you this energy,” answered the being, pointing to himself.

‘And your name? I have to call you by something,” asked Tyler.

‘Well, that’s another thing. You get to name us. We have been roaming around these halls as nameless or formless beings for a long time! Well, except for that recent Aztecah addition,” said the entity. “So far, it has been hey! or excuse me! and various short descriptions. Very inconvenient and apt to lead to fights.”

Sorry, Elder. We didn’t know. These are matters inherent in the magical practice in this world. Our knowledge of their practices is sketchy and outdated, Tyler heard X apologize.

He didn’t reply. His guide could hardly be considered an expert in the details of Adar’s magical arts. They specialized in a totally different form of energy for one, and whatever information they had was, as X mentioned, millennia out of date.

“Where are we?” Tyler asked, trying to change the topic focusing on his failings.

“Inside the staff, of course,” the entity answered, staring at him with disbelief.

That question sounded dumb, Tyler reflected. But being rushed while in a confused state didn’t help achieve clear thinking.

“No, no. I meant what is this? This great castle. The material,” the mage rushed to explain.

“Well, you better ask Hephaestus’s contribution. He made it. Come, come! They’re waiting.” The reply ended with the entity grabbing his right arm anew and pulling him toward a large metal door.

“Wait! Let me get my bearings! I just arrived, you know that. And this…” Tyler gestured at his surroundings, “is one I didn’t expect to see.”

“What did you expect? A wasteland of snow and ice? Or an abysmal plain filled with flaming craters and burning lava? The blankness of empty space? Ha! Mighty uncomfortable. Now, this keep is more like it. Each arrival contributed to it. Feels a bit like home now. But you’ll know about those details,” replied Rumpr’s lookalike.

“And why do you look like Rumpr?”

“Because… I… came… from… his… power,” came the slow and measured reply. Tyler got the impression the slow phrasing was intentionally rude. He disregarded the insinuation for now, knowing an exchange of insults wouldn’t get him anywhere. And the being looked like he had good reason to be extremely annoyed at him.

“So, the others look like the beings that granted the energy?”

The entity shook his head and looked at the stone ceiling, muttering to himself in a voice so low that Tyler couldn’t make out what he was saying.

“That was a valid question,” he ventured, wondering what was objectionable about the question.

“Well, lad, or master, whichever you prefer, all your questions will be answered in that hall where the others are waiting,” came the calm reply. “And the longer we stay out here, the more worried they will be. You wouldn’t like it when they’re worried. We already fought for you. You saw what they could do even while not at full strength.”

“Right. Let’s do this,” said Tyler finally.

“Good call. Follow me.”

The duo walked to the waiting door. The being motioned for Tyler to wait and showed him