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

“I thought they would attempt to cross the desert,” he remarked.

“Only fools would make such an attempt, even with the assistance of their deities. That force is in the Cahokia Dependency and near the border of the Bastjan Lands. But they still have a long way to go. The Forsaken Edge awaits them. Now, to the far south.”

A thick jungle canopy greeted the mage. But below the tree cover, he could see men engaged in battle. The pair was too far up to hear the sounds of combat, but the mage could see masses of men in armor maneuvering in formation and attacking each other.

“There’s a war of major proportions here too?” He was astounded. The mage had heard something about a war in the south but didn’t expect the conflict to be of such magnitude. There were easily thousands down in the undergrowth intent on killing each other or otherwise dying of their wounds.

“This region, even in the absence of the undead plague, is already in chaotic struggle. Below us are the armies of the Kushite Empire invading the Kingdom of Djenne-Djenno, a realm friendly with Kemet. Other lands allied with the Kushites are also attacking Kemet’s friends. And other kingdoms subject to their envy or hatred.”

“And their gods?” asked the mage, though he believed he knew what the answer would be.

“You wish to see them? It’s pantheon against pantheon now. Deities are dead or dying, and the ether waits for them.”

“No. It’s just the same as watching humans die. Less bloody and no gore, but painful to witness just the same. A death is a death,” said Tyler heavily. “Can’t you do anything to help?”

“Ah, again, Fate. With this little jaunt, I am already treading on dangerous ground. Imagine the repercussions if I did directly interfere. But mortals and deities are not strangers to war. Your people and its gods were outsiders to this world. Yet, I have withheld my fury and power as conflict between the beings of this world and that of yours arose. Fate.”

“And yet, here you are,” said Tyler.

“Yes. I knew the newcomers to Adar would eventually settle down and adopt the world as their own. I was asked to let matters take their course. I did. Many of the original creatures and beings of this world still survive. The land below us is vast enough to swallow two more such intrusions effortlessly. And I have seen the benefits mortals have brought to the races of Adar. Some have cities now, and their development has been rapid.”

“Why the concern about what’s happening up north? The fighting below us is between humans – with land, power, and wealth as the reasons for the conflict. Unfortunately, a common and moronic trait among my kind,” inquired the mage.

Races of Adar? Cities? There are non-First World civilizations here?

“In the end, we’ll have a vast land, half of which is covered in ice, while the other half, a barren wasteland of volcanoes and craters. That is not what I envisioned Adar to be. Even though I consider those elementals my adopted children, they cannot be allowed to lay waste to this world.”

“Your adopted children?” said the stunned Tyler. The entity’s revelations were continuing to baffle him.

“They exemplify primordial elements. My children of the same form are more… straightforward in temperament and physical adaptation. Those two visitors are larger and more powerful than any of Adar’s denizens in the physical world. Ymir and Sutr also do nicely in reminding inhabitants and visitors alike of the dangers of Adar. Though strangely, similar counterparts for earth and wind are absent,” answered the companion.

Damn these powerful entities. Bad, yet not bad. Good, yet bad. My head is spinning from the way they think. Especially this one.

“Where to now?” Tyler wanted to know.

“Wouldn’t you like to see the situation in the other great human empires? The Dual Monarchy, for one.”

“Is the situation like in Hellas?”

“More like Kemet.”

“Then no. There’s only so much suffering one can witness and bear. It threatens to break the soul. Especially when the watcher is unable to do anything about it.” Abject dejection colored Tyler’s words.

“There will be more if you fail,” warned the entity in a calm tone.

“Right. No pressure then,” the mage answered sarcastically.

What if she considers that disrespectful, Tyler? She’s the representation of a world! I really don’t care at this point, he emphatically answered that worry as the mage set the frame of his mind in dealing with the mighty being.

Yet, the clash of emotions and thoughts still waged their own conflict within. Despite the distance, his magically enhanced eyesight had betrayed him. The sight of the pitiful remains of cruelly butchered humans was horribly seared in his memory. The small bloodied and severed arm lying across the road from the long lines of deserted wagons had been especially horrific.

“If what I greatly fear comes to pass, then I’ll be the one who’d be unhappy with my sister. Extremely displeased. I’ll be forced to wipe clean the main continent and start all over again. Oh, the Void Lands and the Barrens will remain, their energies being beyond me, but the rest…” the being said, leaving the last part unspoken.

“Wait. You saved me before, isn’t that tampering with Fate’s desires?” he asked.

“I was meant to save you and say what you heard from me in that cave. Fate is not averse to nudging the currents of time and the decisions of mortals or deities in the direction she wants,” came the reply.

Tyler could say nothing. He had never felt so worn down, physically and emotionally. He wanted to break down and cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. Even his ability to weep had been shocked senseless.

Words are so pathetically inadequate to convey the horrors I have seen so far, he thought despondently.

Then he was surrounded by immense darkness and the mage felt himself traveling at great speed. Gone were the instantaneous changes of scenery. Then Tyler felt a smooth passage through an invisible barrier. Muted