The Accidental Archmage by Edmund Batara (read out loud books .TXT) 📕

the carnage happening in front of him. He didn’t even

notice that he has already stood up on the mound he had hidden behind and was

starting to walk towards the destruction. In the dim surroundings created by the

gathered clouds, nobody noticed him. Almost all were dead, the giant wolves burning

where they were struck. Bloody body parts were illuminated by the burning tents. Here

and there, some giants on fire were screaming while running aimlessly. The human

camp was totally devastated. The horses were gone and the entire area was

pockmarked with blackened craters. Apparently, they had more metal armor than the

rest. The few survivors of the encampment were already fleeing across the stone

bridge, heading towards the sunlit fields beyond.

Suddenly, a great shadow fell over Tyler. A pair of enormous claws grabbed him and

then a giant horned green and silver drake carried him up.

Back on the ground, Jorund watched them as they gained height and then flew straight

in the direction of Fossegrim Forest.

CHAPTER LORE:

Batur - Old Norse. Meaning "a boat". Also used to refer to a fighting unit of thirty-six to forty men.

Pentekostyes - Greek/Spartan term. Refers to a military unit of 160 men.

Bakhold – Old Norse. Meaning “ambush”.

I Komandi - Old Norse. Meaning "incoming."

Vargar - Old Norse. Plural of vargyr. Anglicized as "warg" or "varg". Usually refers to giant wolves.

CHAPTER VIII

Fossegrim Hal

Tyler was infuriated. But mixed with the anger was a cocktail of other emotions –

trepidation, anxiety, and even fear. He was dropped none too gently in a small grass

clearing. But though a bit shook up, no broken bones or bruised muscles appeared as a

result of the drop.

The sudden grab made by the giant drake had snapped him back to reality. He had to

admit he thought it was the death of him. His eyes had instinctively closed when the big

claws of an unknown huge flying beast clamped around his body. But when the painful

tearing of his body to bloody pieces didn’t materialize, he opened his eyes. Aloft, it was

only after he saw the lake surrounded by the thick green of virgin forest that he started

to suspect his final destination.

Looking around the small clearing, he noticed a familiar figure hunched while sitting on

a large rock with a flat surface. He was right. He was back in Fossegrim Forest.

Miss Gorgeous Psychotic! He realized with a start. He stood where he was, unsure of

what to do. In the meantime, his eyes examined the clearing. There was nobody else.

But the faded and muted colors of Fossegrim Forest he noticed on the road from Malian

was noticeably clearer now that he was up close. It was like seeing a washed-out

version of a vibrant watercolor painting.

A few silent and awkward minutes passed before the sitting figure stood up and walked

towards Tyler. As Sigyn slowly walked towards him, Tyler noticed that the being was

walking as if each step was an effort by itself. She now wore a simple white dress,

though still barefoot, her long hair tied at the back. Like the forest, the vibrant colors of her image now also appeared muted.

“Hello, Tyler.”

“Hi, Sigyn. What's up? What's with the snatch and grab? You took me from my

companions, again without my consent.”

“Eira.”

“Eira?”

“My name. Sigyn was a deception. I thought then that the name would hide my identity

if you do make the mistake of disclosing it. Any suspicions arising would have been

directed against the god of mischief. And who in his right mind would ask Loki about

the matter?”

“Another game then,” Tyler sarcastically commented.

“A game, yes. With power as the ultimate stake. But that was before.”

“So Eira, if that indeed is your name, you're going to start now with the shouting and

threatening?”

“If you want me to, Tyler,” the being replied with a wry smile, “And that indeed is my

name.”

Eira looked at him. Despite the noticeable reduction of vibrancy and fullness of the

colors around Tyler, he noticed that the being’s emerald eyes still looked gorgeous. He

could lose himself in its depths.

“It was very difficult to find you. It was as if you disappeared. If not for the eruption of strange magical energy at the foothills, I doubt if I would have found you. Other beings

and even deities may not recognize it, but the aura of your magical energy is something

I am familiar with. Your companions may or may not make it but the forest will try to

help keep them alive.”

“So you had your pets waiting around the forest for the chance of finding me?” Tyler

bitingly commented. But he was a bit mollified by the promise of help for Jorund,

Habrok, and the remaining guards.

“I know you're angry with me. But Apaldr was nearby hunting the

numerous jotnar suddenly infesting Fossegrim’s borders. You were fortunate. You were

heading towards certain death. Unskilled as you are with the use of your ability, you wouldn't have lasted long against the jotnar army besieging Bildsfell.”

Eira looked away.

“Despite your displays of power, your lack of knowledge about its limitations and use

will either kill you or make you mad. The power you have is of a different nature, and

must be guided if to be exercised through a mortal vessel.”

“You changed me, didn't you?” Tyler said in a calmer tone. The knowledge Eira

displayed about his ability, from a supposedly lesser spirit of nature, solidified his

growing suspicion.

“I saved you first, Tyler. You may think of me as a power-obsessed woman, but even I

won’t leave a man who suddenly dropped out of the air to drown. I know our last

meeting ended not exactly on good terms but I guess it was my fault.”

“But you did something to me. Without my consent.” Tyler was surprised at the

calmness of his tone.

“Yes. I admit that and again, I am truly sorry. After we met, I knew I let my ambition,

emotions, and temper get the better of me. For ages. I was desperate and it consumed

me. But then, after encountering an outspoken, arrogant and stubborn mortal, I

realized that the being for whom I have strived to gain and grab power for would

have… cursed me… instead of thanking me.”

“What being?”

“My brother Nakki, also known as the Fiddler Troll