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

of the Anari army, the death of Galar and many of their prominent leaders. The mage thought the effect on dokkalfr society would be positive in the long run, especially when Magna and Hoenir tell their side of the story. House Anari, due to its size and power, will still remain an important player in dokkalfr politics, but a crack had been created in its monolithic strength.

Hopefully, it would now be vulnerable and off-balanced for a while, and more Houses would be encouraged to resist it. On the opposite side of the political coin, the worse that could happen was a full-blown civil war between House Anari and its supporters and the priests and the other Houses opposed to its fanatical vision. A raging and destructive conflict right in the middle of a jotnar invasion. But the mage thought the possibility of that happening was nil. Even the dokkalfr, with their obsession over power, wouldn’t be that moronic, he concluded.

But for the present, the quest remained unfulfilled. Tyler had not stopped the jotnar incursions. Even the encounter with the jotnar reinforcement at Solens Tårn involved only a minuscule part of what Ymir committed to the assault against the dokkalfr. The additional forces would by now be in the mountains, ready to push the dokkalfr back to their inner domains. The mage had no doubt about how quickly the jotnar could reap death and destruction once they get past the final strongholds. The dokkalfr would be devastated. Racial genocide would follow.

He looked at Asag. The being’s power was formidable, and fortuitously involved control over rock and stone. But even the demon couldn’t do anything if Asag had no idea about the inner routes and layout of the mountain range. If he did, such knowledge had been rendered useless by the upheavals during the Divine Wars. The demon, as a weapon, was a hunting falcon. One could only direct it against what it sees.

The mage retreated from his musing and found the companions gathered around him. Asag was with them, though the being glanced at the valley from time to time.

“What now, sire? asked Tyndur.

“I should have asked for travel stones to Maljen Forest too, Tyndur,” said Tyler wistfully.

“Wait, sire. That bag of stones the one-eyed… fellow gave us for the Hedmark quest!” blurted Habrok.

Tyler immediately took out the pouch and laid its contents on the ground. They were marked with runes. Tyndur picked up one with the Nordic mannaz, or “M” rune.

“I would guess this is for Maljen,” remarked the einherjar. “But there are only four of them. We need six.”

“There were only four of us in Hedmark, Tyndur, and the giver, though generous, couldn’t have foreseen the need for six,” said Tyler.

“Hah! So, what’s that business about his power of prophecy?” answered the einherjar sarcastically.

“You ask him next time we see One-Eyed Jack. But we still have the problem with the dokkalfr. I gave my word to Freyr.”

“One-Eyed Jack, that’s funny, and I think I’ll be using it. But we could always come back after Tartarus,” said Tyndur.

“And the war might be over by then, with what’s left of the dokkalfr fleeing for their lives,” answered Tyler despondently. “I admit I am torn between fulfilling my word and my desire to rescue Eira and exact revenge for Rumpr.”

“That is a serious problem. This world’s magic attaches itself to a promise made to a deity. Similar to, but more than a geas. Failing to fulfill it will have severe consequences for you, sire. The magic of this world has no understanding of excuses or mitigating circumstances,” commented Astrid with a great deal of apprehension. So far, the Valkyrie had been an observer and hadn’t said anything.

“Lore from Kemet?” he smilingly asked the Valkyrie. Astrid did grow as a warrior during her stay in that southern land.

“Yes, sire. But that one holds true in any part of Adar. The god Thaut was emphatic about not making promises to gods and goddesses,” admitted Astrid.

Fuck. Too late a lesson.

“No choice there, Astrid. It was either undertake the quest or lose our lives. I do have to admit Freyr took a dangerous risk in leading the diversion of the other host away from us. The magic involved wasn’t exactly deity-friendly. It could have meant the end of him if he made a mistake, and Freyr only had a few einherjar with him – what could be spared from the defense of Asgard,” Tyler explained.

“Deities again. And Freyr at that. An absent-minded god who lost his sword, of all things. I guess he’s got a new one now. Any decision, First Mage? Those warriors down there are good; they’ve lasted this long. But I’ll give the battle about half an hour more, unless I go down there and sully my hands,” interjected Asag suddenly.

Tyler shook his head in resignation at the demon’s evident eagerness to get to Tartarus and test what Asag described as the fabled power of the Titans. Though the word came with a snort from the demon. The mage had to summarize for him the earlier discussion as it appeared that Asag didn’t pay attention to the conversation among the companions. He was actually expecting that the next move of the company was to find a suitable backdoor to that damned realm. And he had some ideas.

“Lamashtu’s tits! That’s your problem? Call Labiru! He did say to call him if you needed his help, or have you also forgotten that? Go on and disturb the old man! This is an important and worthy dilemma, a task infinitely better than counting rocks!” declared Asag, exasperation and disbelief in his voice.

Suddenly, a funnel of force, centered above Asag and incredibly powerful, formed out of nowhere and immediately smashed into the demon from above, leaving its mortal human unscathed but buried in the ground up to his armpits.

“Counting rocks. Your language remains delightful as ever, Alal,” said a deep voice drily. Unsurprisingly, a tinge of smug satisfaction accompanied it.

All eyes turned to the newcomer. It was Labiru, still clad in the simple attire Tyler had seen, with the staff grasped in his right hand. The mage could see that