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

Finally, the creature got tired of expressing his frustrations and rage, and turned his attention to Tyler. But this time, the male spirit stood where he was and said something to the mage in a noticeably calmer voice. The young mage couldn’t understand a word of what was being uttered, and seeing Tyler’s ignorant reaction, the entity again went back to cursing and hurling expletives at its unknown tormentor or tormentors. The being finally got a response, but not the one he wanted. A massive pair of stone hands, glowing with immense power, suddenly materialized and promptly slapped against each other, squashing the being in the middle.

Ouch. Like a mosquito. That hurt. A lot, thought the shocked Tyler.

Another entity holding a staff which looked like it was made of some white, hard material materialized on the far side of the room. The newcomer promptly sat on a chair which rose from the rocky floor of the cave. The entity had the appearance of an old man, though with black hair and beard. It winked at the mage. The demonic entity slowly and shakenly stood up, clearly staggered and utterly dazed from his sudden and punishing encounter with the pair of magical hands.

“You still haven’t changed a bit, Asag. But I blame your nature. Yet even mountains could turn to pebbles with the help of time. At least, you didn’t start destroying the place again or even repeat that tantrum of throwing boulders around. It’s a bother rebuilding this place,” said the old man in a gravelly voice. Another wink again at Tyler after the comment, though this time the being had a smile on its face.

Chapter Sixteen

Parole Officer

“Ah, my esteemed jailer,” the demonic entity addressed the old man sarcastically. “Quite nice and proper of you to drop by. But I do believe inviting a mortal to my austere chambers is not a violation of the terms of my imprisonment. He’s not a deity, that’s clear as the long-missed light of the day.”

Inviting me? That long drop was an invitation? And he didn’t mind being half-buried in the cave wall by my magic? thought the now-thoroughly confused Tyler. Yet he felt that the focus of the little drama had changed to the relationship between the two other occupants of the space.

“Assessments?” the mage asked his two guides. He kept quiet, waiting for the tense scene to play out. Any discussion or exchange between the demon and the old man was bound to result in valuable information.

“The demon is definitely from the First World. Its power actually is of a major god’s level. Whatever was confusing or blocking our sensors had been negated by our proximity to it. But as we mentioned, there is something off with its magic. As if it is not wholly in sync with this world’s energy, and that makes him weaker. More like a minor deity in terms of real power,” X’s answer echoed in his mind.

“And the old man? He winked at me twice, and it’s a sign of familiarity, as if he knew who I was. I don’t think those winks had anything to do with flirting,” said Tyler.

“I believe the newcomer’s energy is akin to Hrun’s. Though several magnitudes higher. You’re facing an extremely powerful elemental of this world, sire. Compared to him, the strength of the heads of the pantheons we have so far encountered are pathetic, and I am being kind. It’s like comparing the flame of a candle to a blazing bonfire. I didn’t think there would be entities on Adar that powerful. The Elders missed this one, and as we have discovered, a lot of other things,” Hal commented.

Hal is using ‘I’ more often. Is he developing a personality? inwardly observed Tyler, who proceeded to carefully examine the old man. That its unbelievable level of power involved mountains and stone was obvious.

And the old man must be one of the higher-level helpers of the being I had met before – the one who gave me that depressing tour when the AIs were absent. So, no surprise there. When one is dealing with the conscious magical power of an entire world, only the power of another planet could compare, concluded the mage. Then he remembered that the female avatar mentioned an entity she called sister, the one called Fate. An inscrutable being who sometimes dipped her fingers into what appeared to be mundane matters, and yet prohibited sentient, magical and world-like entities to interfere with events.

Unless she instructs them otherwise, thought Tyler, but somehow, he had the strange feeling that Asag’s incarceration was one of those instances.

“Ah, Asag. Still the same, though a bit mellowed, caustic personality. Don’t you think I like being your caretaker? It’s a burden. Especially when I do have to talk to you once in a while to keep sane that convoluted mind of yours. No, that not entirely correct. Not crazier than the usual would be more accurate,” said the old man quietly.

“Caretaker?” exclaimed Asag with disbelief. A statement which was followed by a bout of loud laughter.

The old man looked at Tyler and sadly smiled, shaking his head as a reaction to the antics of the demon. Then he turned his attention back to Asag.

“Are you quite finished? Caretaker, as I said. Who was it who hid in these mountains? Away from the deities you disturbed and challenged? Gods who proved to be more powerful than what you expected. Who’s the fool? Picking fights with beings you don’t know anything about? I guess you also have forgotten the swathe of destruction, and the devastating aftermath of the battles you have provoked,” pointed out the old man who aimed his staff at the demon for emphasis.

The young mage listened with amazement. It was apparent that what he was hearing happened a long time ago, far back in Adar’s history. Yet it appeared that Asag wasn’t that much of a problem to the likes of Zeus and Odin. Either