Tartarus Beckons, Edmund Batara [bts book recommendations .TXT] 📗

The party had left Maljen at dawn. Thanks to Ivar, a small carriage and horses had been provided, together with needed provisions. The mage sat in the coach with Kobu at the reins. Good thing the Gothi remembered Tyler’s lack of familiarity with horses, to the mage’s great relief. Other companions were now riding horses, and Ivar also brought out Norse boar spears.

They were now proceeding towards Fargravik, though the company still have to pass through the fishing town of Akranes. Traffic appeared to be normal, their group was meeting travelers and merchant convoys regularly though Tyler could feel the tension in the air. Even armed patrols seemed to be a regular and welcome occurrence.

The war may now be confined to dokkalfr lands, but the fear of Ymir and an uncertain future clearly cast a cloud on the region, thought Tyler. Unfortunately, after the dokkalfr, Skaney would definitely be the next target.

So far, travel was smooth and speedy, thanks to the stone-paved road which the mage suspected to be of Roman influence. Its existence though spoke highly of the jarl who had it constructed – building it was expensive. On further reflection, Tyler realized that Skaney’s jarls ruling the border areas seemed to be a good lot. The jarl of Hedmark cared for his people, and the ones governing Maljen and nearby areas also appeared to fall into the same category. It was unfortunate that the realm could be headed towards civil war as the jarl of Hedmark predicted.

I hope that if that ugly war rears its head, it would be at a time when the issue of the invasion of those two giant jotunn had been resolved. Skaney needs its collective strength right now, he thought sadly. Then he saw Tyndur ride close to the carriage. The einherjar had taken it upon himself to be the vanguard of the company.

“Sire, do you plan to stay in Akranes? Or do we continue without stopping?” asked Tyndur.

“What do you suggest? I am not familiar with this part of Skaney or the fine details of normal journeys. The last time was when I tried traveling from Maljen to Scarburg. You know how that turned out,” replied the mage.

“Since time is of the essence, I suggest we forget about a night in Akranes. We can rest in Fargravik,” said the einherjar.

“Your decision, Tyndur. Just inform the others,” Tyler told him.

When the einherjar left, Tyler continued enjoying the view. Unlike the road from Maljen to Scarburg, the present route was quite scenic. The road ran through an open area but there were plenty of woods along the way, and from time to time, they were in full view of the sea which was on their right side. The weather was excellent, not too cold, with a gentle breeze accompanying their convoy.

Tyler couldn’t decide if that was Freyr’s doing or a blessing from Astrid’s uncles. They were the four wind deities of Grecian myth. From what Astrid told him, they were Boreas or the North Wind, Notus of South Wind, Zephyrus the West Wind, and Eurus who represented the East Wind. She got along well with Zephyrus, but she suspected Eurus was a bit miffed when Thaut referred to her as the Lady of the Eastern Wind. The first two were gruff deities but didn’t begrudge her heritage. It was Eos she was worried about.

The mage was surprised about the reaction of Eos. Astrid did say the Titan wasn’t too happy, but she didn’t expect it to be a significant concern. The Valkyrie expected to be warned if and when her grandmother goes on the warpath. When he asked why, Astrid, in her usual candor, clarified that she could see Eos was furious with her husband. The Valkyrie believed it was because Eos suspected a deeper relationship had developed between her mortal grandmother and the Keeper of the Winds, and every time Eos remembers Astrid and her sister, the Titan would be reminded of her suspicion.

“You think she’ll run after you? She could easily find you, with that demi-goddess aura. Your sister would be safe, considering she had not manifested any power. Except over Habrok, of course,” Tyler had asked. The fury and schemes of a jealous and vindictive Titan were life-threatening concerns.

Another deity on our list of enemies? A Titan at that? I sure hope not, thought the worried mage.

“I don’t know. It will all depend on her mood. I do hope grandfather warns us if matters escalate,” replied Astrid. “But my uncles will definitely send word to me.”

“You’re not alone, Astrid. We’ll be at your side if ever she tries to go after you,” reassured Tyler.

And damned be anybody who attacks us, he fumed. Good thing, I managed to create some more Elder energy during our last night in Maljen. Though I better have more, excruciatingly painful the process might be. Facing a Titan is nothing to sneeze at. I do have to wait until Fargravik. Doing it during one of our breaks would just unduly worry the rest. I guess Kobu suspected something, but he’s quiet about it. The man must have seen worse magical rituals.

“Thank you, sire,” said the Valkyrie. “I knew I had found the right lord and comrades-in-arms.”

The journey up to Akranes was uneventful, the best kind of travel for the group. Eventful would mean facing monsters, deities, or other creatures who were usually after their heads. Even the breaks for the night were undisturbed.

As they passed through Akranes, pausing only to replenish some of their depleted supplies, there was an unspoken consensus that Tyndur made the right decision. The entire town smelled of fish – fresh, dried, and rotting fish. Everybody in the company wore scarves or pieces of cloth over their noses. Tyler could only hope that the nauseating smell didn’t permeate their clothes. They lasted only less than an hour in the town, the company was that desperate to get out of the noisome place.

“By the gods! A few more minutes there and