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

Rumpr laughed. “Loki? I swear the old man must be getting senile.”

“Or overcompensating for the mistakes of the past,” commented Tyler.

The small elemental gazed closely at him for a while. Tyler stared back. He realized that he never had looked at Rumpr closely before when the being was in a serious mood. The being had differently-colored eyes. One was light brown and the other blue, and they reflected the wisdom and sadness of ages. It was like staring into a deep and calm pond, in which one could see the brutal march of mortals and other creatures throughout the millennia.

I never guessed the burdens Rumpr carried and kept hidden inside him. To see all that and yet be unable to do anything, thought the mage sadly.

“You know something I don’t, First Mage. I sense an immense tragedy. But it is your decision if you think it’s not the proper time to share the story. Ah, mortals and deities. Such a short time to live for the former and an unknown afterlife for the latter. You always fill your lives with tragedies. And I still can’t figure out why,” remarked Rumpr. “What a waste.”

“Anyway, let’s just hope old eye-patch didn’t make a grievous or even fatal error. That would be quite costly in more ways than one. But I have it on good authority that Loki is in southern climes now. Definitely not in the north,” continued the being.

“South. The new battleground,” said Tyler.

“You’ve heard of that too. A cousin, one of air, is keeping watch. It’s not going well for the allies of Kemet. Now, why the clarion call?” inquired the elemental finally.

“I wanted to know if you, with Gullen and Dionysus, continued with your prank involving Sutr. I heard you discussing it at Fossegrim Forest.”

“Nah, we decided it was too dangerous. Not the prank, but the possible consequences. That jotunn had no sense of humor, and that, my friend, makes it very dangerous. He could have blindly retaliated against somebody or a kingdom instead. No telling where such a thing would lead,” replied Rumpr. “Though Gullen was disappointed. We thought of an equally challenging one.”

“What did you do?” asked Tyler, half-dreading the answer.

“Placed bells on each of the necks of Kerberos, the monster hound of Hades. One pink, one orange, and the third, red. The pink was mine. Hades threw a momentary fit when he saw the result. Then he laughed himself to bits. That god of the Greek underworld may appear dour and distant, but he knows how to laugh. I don’t know if he’ll remove the decorations soon. He’ll probably call his brothers and show it to them,” described Rumpr with a grin. “That would really be funny. Oh, and Gullen placed golden tassels with miniature bells on its tail.”

“Bearding Hades? That’s one for the books, Rumpr. Any other news?” grinned Tyler.

“Well, the dokkalfr are in a panic. Ymir broke off their alliance. And they’re right on the jotunn’s path. I believe some of their kin live on the mountains facing the land of fire. That means most of their strongholds would be under siege if those pair of elemental lords attack at the same time.”

“Serves them right,” replied Tyler, suddenly remembering the ambush outside Maljen and the dokkalfr assaulting Scarburg.

“They’ve lost a lot of warriors in that attempt to take Scarburg. They’re easy prey now for anyone who has the ability to enter and wage war in their domains. A damned bloodbath,” remarked Rumpr with an unhappy shake of his head. “I don’t like them but killing on such a scale is an appalling outrage!”

“Now Ymir wants to eat them up. As I mentioned, serves them right. I still remember what I went through. They nearly killed me during an ambush!” remarked Tyler.

“Oh, lad. Haven’t you learned anything? Balance is key to this world. The extinction of the dokkalfr would just be a prelude to a greater atrocity. Remember, nothing is really permanent when it comes to war and politics.  Mind the old saying; the enemy of my enemy…”

“Is my friend,” Tyler finished Rumpr’s sentence. “But they’re so vicious. They hate mortals, dwarves, and their Alfar kin.”

“I already said I don’t like them either, lad. But that still wouldn’t be enough excuse for the annihilation of their entire race, as what will happen when those two murderous and paranoid jotunn lords finally march south,” remarked the being.

“I have to save them too? Now that really is… is…” Tyler stumbled, trying to find the appropriate word.

“Just say unbelievable, lad, and be done with it.”

“That would do until I come up with something more descriptive. But do I really have to save them?” Acute disbelief colored Tyler’s words.

“They’ve been played, First Mage. To their extreme disadvantage. I wonder if you noticed the bulk of the forces on the field were dokkalfr, especially in Scarburg,” advised Rumpr.

“Come to think of it, I only saw those ice elves on the plains outside Bildsfell. None in the Scarburg attack. Though there were jotnar in that assault,” answered the mage.

“Ice elves. Ymir’s special pets. I also told you the dokkalfr and Ymir also have a history of conflict and that not all jotnar in his realm hold him as their lord. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the jotnar used in the Scarburg siege were those newly-pledged to his service. A test of loyalty, one could say. But it provided that paranoid jotunn lord the perfect excuse to get rid of those who might turn against him in the future. For a challenged intellect, it was a brilliant cold-blooded strategy,” said the elemental.

“If that was an intentional pun, it’s not funny,” remarked Tyler.

Chapter Twenty-One

Le Déluge

Byggvir spake:

45. “Byggvir my name, | and nimble am I,

As gods and men do grant;

And here am I proud | that the children of Hropt

Together all drink ale.”

Loki spake:

46. “Be silent, Byggvir! | thou never couldst set

Their shares