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

could blame his father, but that would be disgracing the man’s memory.”

“You knew Kadir’s father?” asked the mage with some surprise. He had the vague belief that Kadir somehow spontaneously sprouted from the ground, like some poisonous mushroom.

“In his twilight years, I am afraid. But he was an honorable beggar to the end. Never did steal or do anything outside begging. A man true to his chosen profession.”

“Hey! I am still a proud and paying member of the Arm of the Poor Society, Qart-Hadash branch. Not everyone can say they have that credential,” protested Kadir loudly after hearing Orm’s comments.

“Arm of the Poor?” repeated the puzzled Tyler.

“He means the Thieves Guild,” clarified Orm, shaking his head. “As if that would excuse his conduct. And last time I asked him, he owed them two years of past dues.”

“We’ll talk about your magical trinkets later, little man,” the large barbarian emphatically told Kadir, his statement punctuated with a kick at the rogue’s legs. Unfortunately, the thief adroitly avoided Orm’s armored boots. “Our client might be willing to shoulder it.”

“That old man again?” asked the young mage, remembering what the trio told him back in the Barrens.

“Who else?” answered Kadir. “Must be wealthy beyond measure. Double pay this time, with a bonus if we kill any guardian monster in the place. Sometimes, I am sorely tempted to try my pickpocketing skills on him during our meetings, but somehow a sense of the utmost dread always resulted from that line of thinking. Strange.”

A major deity like Viracocha defies the word wealthy, thought Tyler. And pickpocketing him would really be a bad idea. He wouldn’t kill Kadir, but the rogue’s life would be seriously miserable for a long while. Knowing the deity’s sense of humor, he’d probably curse the rogue with the affliction of the inability to have an erection.

“I guess this would be a good place to rest as any. At least those spiders had some undesirable experience of this location. Hopefully, that would keep their predatory instincts at bay for a while,” said Tyler. “More importantly, Sford needs to rest.”

Orm looked around.

“Good idea, sire. Being out there on that cave’s floor wouldn’t be good defensively.”

Even Orm got into the ‘sire’ business.

Tyler glanced at the sleeping Sford and noticed Magna and her companion both looking at the magic-blackened floor before them. The two were talking, the male dokkalfr in an animated manner, while the woman warrior kept looking at the devastation.

“Anything wrong, Magna?” he inquired.

At the question, the two froze and slowly turned to him. Wonder and fear curiously mingled in their faces.

“It’s just that magical spells shouldn’t be possible inside the cave system,” Magna slowly answered.

“Huh? Where did you get that?” asked Tyler. It was his turn to be greatly surprised.

“Dokkalfr lore, First Mage. Outside the cave, magic exists, or to be more precise, spells could be used. Inside, no mage, even a High one, should be able to make a spell work.”

“The records could be wrong. Or it was a condition which existed in the past,” countered the other dokkalfr.

“The stored lore of my House was very detailed, Hoenir,” Magna replied to her companion. “My ancestors were the first to break through the defenses of Solens Tårn and the first among the van of warriors during the pursuit of the survivors of the fortress. A celebrated story of my House. The tale even described this hollow, with its expanse and intriguing colors. Ahead, we’ll find a small shrine to Freyr. Our forefathers built it with the hope that it would resolve the inability to use magic inside the mountain.”

“Hoenir could be right. It could have been something which existed before,” observed Tyler.

“We’ll see,” Magna answered cryptically.

Tyler was a bit nonplussed at Magna’s revelation and then realized something.

“You know, Magna, information like that would be welcome before we entered the cavern,” remonstrated the mage with some annoyance.

“It’s not my place to offer such advice, First Mage. Unless you do ask for it. Speaking out of place in our society is forbidden and has lethal consequences.”

Shit. Social mores again. A killer of a caste system.

“Well, we’re not in your cities now. Feel free to speak up. Otherwise, there’s a chance we’ll all end up dead. Our ability to use magical spells, despite what your lore mentioned, was but a lucky break for us. And I don’t like the odds of it happening again.”

The young mage was considerably irritated though he kept his temper in check. He couldn’t blame the dokkalfr for acting according to what they were accustomed to do. But life and death situations, especially in an unknown area, don’t allow for such niceties.

“My humble apologies, First Mage,” said Magna as she bowed, her voice quavering. Hoenir followed suit.

“Don’t apologize, warrior. Just don’t do it again. You’re the one with some knowledge about this cave, and I would appreciate some information from time to time.”

“Respectfully acknowledged, First Mage. We have to go to the shrine I mentioned. There should be a metal plaque there mapping out the route we have to take. Time would have had its way with it, but it should be readable. From what I know, it’s not as detailed as we would like but better than nothing,” replied Magna.

“Now you’re talking. Good. Let’s all take some rest,” answered Tyler as he cast a scrying spell once more to check if his magic was still working and to find immediate threats. Nothing had changed.

As Tyler thankfully set himself down some distance away from the group, he saw Tyndur stand up and walk towards him.

“A moment of your time, sire? Alone with you, if it’s alright?” said the einherjar with an uncharacteristic solemn voice.

Tyler looked at Kobu and nodded. His shadow of a guard stood up and went to where Tyndur previously sat. The young mage was puzzled at Tyndur’s request, not to mention the serious tone of the einherjar.

“The watch rotation had been arranged, First Mage, and that would cover any possible surprises. And I believe this is a good