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

goddess Freyja, who was feared by those who opposed House Anari. Their priests and other mages believed she wouldn’t stand for such sacrilege, and her punishment will undoubtedly include the entire race for allowing such a travesty to happen.

Yep. Sounds perfectly like any other deity to me.

“And this Galar was instrumental in such fiendish machinations. Do you know why I was included among the ten? My House refused to give me to him as his concubine! We were somewhat protected from them by a treaty, which to the Anari is but a piece of paper, conveniently forgotten when the need arises. Somehow, he managed to include my name in those selected. With me dead, my House would have been easy to destroy. The arrogant, cruel bastard collects concubines from all Houses he had destroyed, subjugated, or enslaved. And from those who fear the Anari.”

What the fuck? Don’t tell me Freyr did a job on me. Was it really about the jotnar or was it about House Anari? I doubt if he’s that ignorant about dokkalfr affairs, and he would have known that news of my arrival would stir up a hornet’s nest among the fanatics like House Anari. Don’t tell me I got played by Freyr too?

The mage put his suspicions aside though the possibility that he got used again rankled. It was but an assumption, but he knew that if he thought more about it, the more he’d be convinced. Instead, he focused on Hoenir.

“How about you, Hoenir? Anything to say, or add?” Tyler asked the other dokkalfr.

“All true, my lord First Mage. I am now a retainer of Lesser House Davna. But my birth family belonged to House Vanu. Soldiers of House Anari came one night and killed all of my House. We were not a major House, just a small Minor one, but we did have mines in a few important places. I was in another city when it happened and immediately hid for a time before coming out with a new identity. House Davna was an ally of House Vanu, and I was quietly absorbed into their ranks. But I suspect I had been discovered.”

“No desire for revenge, lad?” asked Tyndur lazily.

Hoenir angrily stared at Tyndur, but kept his mouth shut.

“Still some fire in there, I guess,” observed Tyndur. “Too bad you were found out and Anari insisted that your name be on the list. They don’t damage their relations with House Davna and get rid of you, am I right?”

The warrior merely bowed his head, forcing Tyler to intervene and whisper to the einherjar to take it easy on Hoenir.

“Just confirming that these Anari bastards are as foul and treacherous as I suspected them to be. But they’re thorough and tenacious in weeding out their enemies, I’ll give them that,” remarked Tyndur. “And fanatics to the bone, huh? So devoted that they insist their god say what they want him to say? The damned thing confuses the piety out of me, sire.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Disturbing an Old Man

“That’s quite a lecture, my savage swordmaster,” said Asag loudly. “Though I usually don’t bother with such kind of politics. During my time, or at least where I practiced my profession…”

At that point of his reply, the demon stopped, ridiculously giggling to himself.

“What’s so funny, Alal?” Kobu asked. The mage noticed that the calm voice betrayed none of the irritation everybody must be experiencing at Asag’s peculiar antics. Though Tyler reflected that enduring would be a more appropriate term.

“I said profession, Kobu-sama,” said the demon. “Sorry, everyone, but that was too funny for personal reasons. Anyway, what I meant was I didn’t bother with politics. Messy business. It’s either one serves me or not. If not, then I crush them. If they’re more powerful, then I wait until I have the strength to squash them or get somebody to do it for me in exchange for something. A regular business arrangement. Ah, the simple times of old.”

There’s that sama again. The term that got Kobu’s testicles in a twist. Asag’s not going to stop using it as long as he sees that it gets a reaction from Kobu every time, thought Tyler.

“But what I really wanted to say was dokkalfr politics, or human ones for that matter, don’t matter now. Don’t we have Titan bones to break?” continued Asag after a brief pause.

“I have to say I agree with Alal, sire,” said Tyndur. “The battle down in the valley is all but finished. We have to concern ourselves with getting to Tartarus.”

“Jorund and I considered Rumpr to be a friend and mentor. My armor was given by him,” added Habrok.

“As well as mine, Habrok,” said Tyler. “But our problem is getting to Maljen first. I want to see for myself that Gullen and Dionysus are on their way to recovery. There might also be some clues the attackers left behind.”

“How about us, my lord First Mage?”

Tyler saw it was Magna. Even back in the cave, he had already decided to let the dokkalfr go free once they reach the surface, and except for the aftermath of the ambush by House Anari, nothing had changed as far as his decision was concerned.

“Both of you are free to leave, Magna. Just don’t leave by way of the valley. Fighting is still going on.”

“Our thanks, my lord First Mage, and it has been an honor to journey and fight with your company. I could see that you’re disturbed by the events involving House Anari. I beg that you free your mind from such matters. What happened, tragic and cruel it might appear in the eyes of humans, is but the way of our people. Even House Anari would understand that. And as I have said, we might just have avoided facing a much bigger and possibly catastrophic problem in the future.”

The two dokkalfr promptly left after Magna’s parting shot. The mage appreciated what Magna had said, but it didn’t make him feel better. But he believed that the events today would have significant repercussions on dokkalfr society arising from the crushing