Tartarus Beckons by Edmund Batara (reading an ebook .TXT) 📕

fuck? thought the utterly mystified and bewildered mage, noting that the music, with its emphasis on brass instruments and cymbals, was quite annoying.

The sphere expanded and brightened, and a voice spoke from within its blinding glow.

“Greetings, ladies and gents!”

The bizarre greeting added further to Tyler’s bewilderment. But after a few seconds, he recognized the voice. The mage had heard it before, and it usually meant something unpleasant.

It was Loki’s voice.

Chapter Eleven

YOLO

Seeing the absurd smile on the Trickster God’s face, Tyler couldn’t help but be extremely worried. Loki popping up here, of all places, was not good news. The deity looked quite pleased with himself, if the extremely amused expression on his face was any indication. The mage saw the dokkalfr group immediately run and regroup some distance away, with the masked woman warrior in front.

As if that would save them if Loki decides to do away with them, thought Tyler. He stepped forward. The rest of the companions had immediately deployed themselves in a more open formation. Tyler didn’t notice what the rogue trio was doing, but he assumed they followed the party’s lead.

“Hail, Loki of… not Asgard anymore, is it? How would I address you? said the young mage.

“The Great or the Supreme would do nicely, I think. But I believe that would be prematurely presumptuous of me. Not to mention the clash with my trait of being known as a humble god. A simple Loki would do. For now, Mr. First Mage,” smiled the deity. He was still wearing the unique and beautifully crafted armor of a supreme battle mage. Surprisingly, Tyler agreed with the mad trickster’s sense of fashion. It suited Loki perfectly.

“I gather you have something to do with this trap?” asked Tyler with some distaste.

“I wish! I but noticed a massive surge of power and naturally, being the scholar that I am, came to investigate. And lo! To my surprise, I found my favorite mage in the middle of it. Again. I really like you, Havard. You have proven to be a very interesting mortal. I do hope you survive what’s coming.”

“What’s coming? You’re referring to that dust on the horizon?”

“Of course! Ymir’s unwashed hordes! They’re more involved to the west of here, a few miles away I believe, where they’re digging the dokkalfr out. But your arrival triggered a natural reaction from his legions. Such a massive outpouring of power was bound to call attention, and therefore, here comes the welcome party. They’re supposed to be reinforcements to the burrowing party, but I suppose you should be flattered they’re going out of their way to greet you!”

At the back of his mind, the mage was glad to hear that for the present, it appeared that Loki was not actively involved one way or the other in his present quest. Though it also meant that the malicious deity was also busy wreaking havoc somewhere else, and Tyler again prayed it wouldn’t involve him.

“You’re not involved in the invasion of dokkalfr lands?”

Loki laughed. His hilarity at the question was palpable.

“Why should I? Ymir’s doing a fine job as it is. Even the vaunted Stronghold of Kunigunda had fallen. He’s doing very well, thank you very much. Which reminds me, I do have to check on Sutr’s forces. That hothead could be so impulsive. Bad form if the dvergar and the dokkalfr on the northern mountains make it difficult for him. Let me take my leave then, First Mage,” replied Loki with amusement, and then he suddenly gave the rest of the party a meaningful smile. “Lady and gents, my pleasure.”

Tyler noticed the god ignored the dokkalfr. Actually, he acted as if they didn’t exist. But their terror-filled faces already gave away their role in the present game the Trickster God was playing. It was clearly a match where the dokkalfr group was a non-entity. And the young mage knew that every time Loki appears, he always had a plan in play or would start one. He wondered what the bastard would do to him this time. If what Loki said was true, that this was but a chance meeting, and the crazy deity was going to leave something to remember him by.

“My regards to the hairy Asgardian fools living on that poorly designed collection of hovels, Havard,” continued Loki as he glanced at Tyler. “But let me leave a token of my appreciation and a display of my small skills before I go to the north.”

Oh, fuck. Here it comes.

Loki raised his staff, and a great, shimmering portal-like form immediately appeared several hundred feet away. It hummed loudly for several seconds and just as suddenly vanished. But it left behind an extensive collection of creatures of various kinds and sizes, with flames around bodies their common trait. The mage could even see giant figures at the rear.

“What the fuck is this, Loki?” Tyler shouted. “Couldn’t you just leave?”

“And lose my street cred built over the millennia? Why, no! But don’t worry, this is but a minor conjuration, a poor display of my magical skills. I would have preferred the jumbo version, but since you are a friend, sort of, I limited himself. They’re flame jotnar! The perfect counterpart to Ymir’s pets! And they’ve been instructed not to attack the First Mage! See? I remembered my promise! Though I can’t say the same for Ymir’s underlings. Tata!” said Loki merrily as he started to vanish.

Street cred? Jumbo? noted Tyler as he filed what he observed at the back of his mind.

“Lokiiiiii!” shouted Tyler.

“YOLO, Havard!” came the laughing reply.

Now it’s YOLO. I’m not surprised anymore. He’s deliberately taunting me about what he knows, showing me bits and pieces of Earth. Fuck him.

The moment Loki fully disappeared, the smoke-enshrouded mass of flame jotnar started marching towards the group. Unfortunately, the dokkalfr were nearer to the incoming creatures. They ran towards Tyler’s party, and Tyndur quickly looked at the mage. Tyler nodded. The einherjar immediately shouted orders, changing the deployment of the company, modifying its position to face the enemy. The mage wasn’t worried. Mage spells could take out the mass of