The Accidental Archmage - Book Five by Edmund Batara (best e ink reader for manga .txt) 📕

“It’s on the isle of Banna. They call it an island, but it’s bigger than where the Imperii Romani established their kingdom,” added the boy, guessing the concern on Tyler’s countenance.

“Is that the place they call the forbidden island?” asked the mage, already expecting what the answer would be.

“That’s what they call it. I admit my records show active volcanoes and sulfuric fields, but that only covers a small part of the land. It’s quite habitable. The southern part at least. Though non-human realms could be found there.”

“Non-human realms?” It was a surprising answer, though he half expected it. The confirmation opened up a lot of possibilities. Or a frigging can of worms, he surmised.

“Of course! You can’t expect humans to be the only sentient species on Adar. This world had its own inhabitants, but those on the mainland were overwhelmed when the First Worlders arrived. Quite unfortunate. Some of the nascent native species appeared to be on the verge of achieving the first level of civilization.”

“The new arrivals conducted a genocidal campaign?” exclaimed the scandalized mage. The fucking history of this world is a damned killing spree!

“Not intentionally. But you know humans, the fear of the unfamiliar and the unknown usually gives rise to one of two extreme reactions – to run away or lash out with terrible ferocity. It was the latter. The new arrivals didn’t have anywhere to run to anyway,” answered the Elder guide.

“The first millennium of Adar’s colonization must have been terribly bloody,” Tyler commented, shaking his head.

“You have no idea, Elder. Brutal, cruel, and savage. Now to the reason for your arrival. I have already been updated by your two companions, and I understand the third is on a quest somewhere. I thank you for sparing the existence of the one you call H; his condition wasn’t his fault, merely a result of his commitment to the reason for his existence.”

“Well, I couldn’t willingly kill any sentient form unless they posed a threat, nor could I blame H for his attacks after the matter was explained to me,” replied Tyler.

“An admirable attitude, Elder. Circumstances might have given us a candidate worthy of being an Elder Mage Prime. I am ready and willing to complete the task my creator has given me. But I fear I also leave you a difficult moral dilemma, one which you alone could resolve.”

Mage Prime?

“What do you mean?” asked Tyler. The day had been filled with unspoken words about decisions and choices, and it was beginning to unwittingly grate on his patience. Being on the receiving end of such weighty indirect references was an unfamiliar experience for him.

Another doom and gloom moment? he thought with some impatience. Couldn’t they just come out with what they want to say? A savage drake to slay? A murderous horde to stop? A powerful evil god or creature to vanquish?

“You see, after the knowledge has been transferred to you, the Elder shrine loses its power, becoming just a pile of inert material. As your guides might have told you, by then, you would have the option of either letting me shut down or join you. Joining and assisting you would be an easy enough task considering the knowledge to create artificial bodies for us is within the tablets you seek,” explained the boy. It was disconcerting for the mage hearing such a young child talking in such a manner. The incongruity was distracting.

The youngster paused and then continued.

“If the shrine goes, so does the protection enjoyed by the people and the kingdom for millennia. The Barrens will regain lost ground, its predators hunting here again. The cliff illusion enabling this civilization to thrive would disappear. The land beyond is still part of the Barrens, and the forest will die from the wasteland’s corruption. In decades, The People will go; all that when the tablets’ knowledge is transferred. I knew you would want the entire picture, and an Elder mage mustn’t be burdened with the consequences of uninformed choice.”

WTF?

But the stunned Tyler didn’t hear the last part of the boy’s explanation. What agonizingly stuck in his shocked mind was the godawful choice between dooming an entire people who had already suffered so much or gaining all the knowledge he had sought for so long. Eventually, the mage regained his composure. Yet the feeling of utter helplessness and profound bitterness remained. He could taste its bitter flavor, and his soul felt the almost unbearable burden of the stark choices laid down before him.

Tyler looked at the boy, and this time, the liveliness was gone from its expression. The entity was looking at the top of the table, both hands clasped together. The Elder intelligence apparently didn’t like the situation nearly as much as the mage. The mage turned his chair and looked out the door. He now understood what Sarva had meant when he took his leave of the deity.

Surely, the notion of fighting for his people entered Sarva’s mind, the mage thought. But it was an idea Tyler immediately dismissed – if conflict started, the undamaged Elder sanctuary must be duty-bound to come to his aid, considering he already had two Elder guides. That fact, the skill and might of his companions, and the enormous power he could bring to bear in such a battle, must have dissuaded Sarva. He turned his head to look at the boy.

“Sarva’s people saw the battle against the worms, didn’t they?”

“They did. I ask for scouts to monitor your party from the time signals were received. Cloaked in fields of my making, you couldn’t see them, and my brethren couldn’t detect them – their knowledge base being incomplete,” answered the boy.

“No wonder Sarva didn’t think of fighting back.”

“Sarva’s power in this world is that of a lesser god at most, though I would put it between that of a minor and lesser deity. He can’t stand against you and knows when he’s outmatched.”

“This onerous burden you placed on my shoulders is an unexpected