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

millennium removed along mortal lines of descent,” answered Asag with incredulity.

The demon had visibly calmed down and had created a stone seat of his own. Though to Tyler, it looked more like a throne than a mere chair, but without the usual gold and precious metal trimmings. It did have intricately carved reliefs on the armrests, the solid base, and on the top of the high backrest. As the mage expected, images of demons and other infernal creatures ran riot over the gray stone. The mage did note that the demon’s selection of the kind of furniture used spoke volumes about its personality, experience, and thinking.

Asag examined the mage, as though it was the first time it saw Tyler. The mage, in turn, thought that the demon must have believed it had grabbed an ordinary mage, and a cursory magical pass over the party would have revealed two mages, of which Tyler would definitely stand out as the more powerful. A careful examination would have given Asag pause, once the magical emanations were scrutinized, but Tyler assumed the demon was too excited to have humans within his reach to deal with such details.

“This one is a strange mage. I might be greatly diminished, but something blocks my magic, faulty as it is on this world,” Asag said finally.

The old man just smiled and again winked at Tyler. But his wizened face held the mischievous mien who knew a secret but didn’t want to share it, and his blue eyes danced with repressed merriment.

“Oh, he’s a mage alright, but far, far more powerful than any First Mage who came before him. A bit naive, sprinkled with a large dose of ignorance – that’s who our First Mage is. And such esteemed conclusions came from the highest authority. His heart is in the right place, for a human. I hope it doesn’t change,” said the old man.

Ouch, thought Tyler after hearing himself being described. That’s how the avatar of this world sees me?

“And what does he have to do with me?” asked the demon, who was now the one puzzled by the turn of events, though Tyler could detect a tone of hope in the voice.

“Surprise! He’s your new caretaker! You’re finally off my hands, thank the Mother! But I did have my objections. Your storied past does reflect badly on you. Personally, I don’t think rehabilitation is possible for one of your kind. But as I said, the decision is not mine to make.”

“I get to go out? Out, as in outside the cave? To see the world?” came the tentative and hopeful questions from Asag.

What the? I get to be the nanny of a demon? Without my consent or knowledge? Who the fuck decided that?

“Wait… “Tyler started to object.

“And that is if the First Mage agrees to take the responsibility,” quickly said the old man, preempting Tyler’s protest.

“I don’t think even a First Mage would be willing to take on a demon like me as his responsibility. I wouldn’t,” commented Asag with a shrug.

The young mage kept quiet, as two pairs of eyes looked at him, waiting for his decision. Somehow, he got the feeling that the mysterious elderly fellow was laughing at him.

“What are the consequences if I say no? As you said, Asag’s horrifyingly picturesque history doesn’t really encourage my involvement. That doesn’t even include the nasty complications if a member of the pantheons he had fought before recognized him,” remarked Tyler quickly, a swift reply which showed his unwillingness to be involved in the matter.

“True, true. If you say no, then Asag remains here forever until some other powerful entity agrees to take him on as his or her charge. Or he could just be released, bound by oaths, but without supervision. But I have it on outstanding authority that it is highly recommended that you take on this creature, annoying he may be. If that happens, he’d be bound by the strongest of magical oaths. The kind that even all the pantheons combined couldn’t break,” came the reply from Labiru.

Asag was silent while the discussion was going on. Tyler thankfully thought that at least the demon knew when to keep his mouth shut. Surprisingly, the creature didn’t offer any of the usual promises of wealth, power, knowledge, and eternal life. To some degree, it was disappointing. Some part of him wanted to witness or experience it first-hand. Not that he’d agree or be swayed by such double-sided temptations. Tyler half-expected Asag to plead the virtues of being allowed to go with the mage. If not by promises of what it could give, then a narration of what Asag could do in the service of the mage. But then again, dealing with a First Mage whose power defied the demon’s attempts to scrutinize it must have put a dampener on the idea of such an endeavor.

The mage was taken aback by the news that the avatar apparently wanted him to take on Asag, though Tyler didn’t know if it was a choice by the consciousness of the world itself or it was told to offer the nebulous arrangement. And the mage couldn’t think of any liability-benefit equation which would provide an advantage in his favor if Asag was indeed set free, even under his auspices.

“I am sorry, but I believe having to watch over Asag while hunting down Loki and foiling that mad trickster’s schemes would be too much to ask from me,” decided Tyler emphatically.

“LOKI?” The sound reverberated through the enclosed space, shaking the ground and resulting in small rocks falling from the ceiling of the cave.

It was Asag. The demon’s voice had changed to a deeper and almost bestial tone. It grated on one’s raw nerves, conjured terrible nightmare images which appeared one after the other in Tyler’s mind, and probably would have quickly driven an ordinary mortal insane. The mage knew he was psychically protected by his guides from the terrifying cloud of fear and horror which abruptly emanated from Asag, but Tyler didn’t expect such a reaction or that it