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

the port of Agder is some distance away. Being a powerful mage won’t protect you from rotten tomatoes all the time.”

Tyler turned back to staring at the sky.

“This really sucks!” he shouted again.

Kobu guffawed, but the Gothi had an alarmed look on his face. The mage noticed it.

“Worried about a lightning bolt or ten? Don’t worry, they still need me to do the dokkalfr a favor. But I am starting to suspect somebody knew the kraken was going to show up after the island was raised. Duck shit!” said Tyler, though the derogatory expression was loudly shouted in English.

“For you guys maybe, but not me. I’m not part of your company,” advised the priest. “And the Greek pantheon also has deities fond of throwing lightning bolts.”

Having cleaned himself, the wet mage noticed the crew of the ship emerging from the devastated edge of the forest.

“Now, how the hell are we supposed to get back to town?” asked the mage. “No boat, no provisions, and atrocious luck so far. This has been a very bad day.”

“Man, don’t say that. You know the belief back on Earth. You’ll make it worse!” Ivar said.

“What do you mean? Two krakens and that hafgufa?” Tyler replied.

Suddenly, a strong wave rushed to the shore and splashed over the trio. It arose out of nowhere, and left in its wake a small decorated box. Tyler and the Gothi looked at each other.

“Told you,” said the priest of Odin.

Tyler walked to the object and picked it up. Kobu looked on with narrowed eyes, his hand on his weapon.

“I wonder who sent this?” said the mage idly, examining the unopened box.

“Either the Norse deity Aegir or Poseidon?” said Ivar. “It did come from the sea.”

“Aegir?”

“A powerful sea jotunn friendly to the Norse pantheon. People consider him to be a sea god. Not that familiar to us First-Worlders.”

Tyler carefully set the box down on the sand, some distance away from the water, and opened it. Inside, lying on a bed of the finest seaweed and tastefully surrounded by a few pearls, were two blue stones.

Tyler drew back, magically examining the objects at the same time. They were glowing with power, but nothing indicated danger. He asked his guides to double-check.

“Even though the color is different, the stones have the same magical pattern as the teleportation artifacts given by Odin, sire. We believe it has something to do with traveling to the island. Unfortunately, it appears only you are given that opportunity,” explained Hal.

Tyler stared at Ivar who was already crouched, examining the open box. He noticed the priest was extremely careful avoided touching anything. He even tucked in the edges of his priestly robe.

“What do you think, Ivar?” he asked.

“The runes are Norse and show the sign of Aegir, but the energy pattern I sense indicated travel as their purpose.”

“I guessed as much. The island, I presume,” the mage commented.

“Highly probable,” replied Ivar as he stood up. “Though I don’t understand why there are only two such stones, unless you’re the only one intended to go to the island for now.”

“How about you, Kobu? Impressions? Thoughts?”

“The Gothi could be right. But I am not comfortable with you going alone. The distance involved also precludes the use of my ability. It’s too far,” commented the exile.

Tyler thought about the situation and then came to a decision.

“I think it’s best to do this now. The sudden appearance of these objects points to that course of action. And I don’t think the deities who raised that island didn’t expect this visitation by that creature. Or that there would be any serious danger to me if I go. They’ve invested too much in me already, and I still have promises to fulfill. Not to mention Zeus still owes me a favor,” explained the mage.

“You’re sure about this, Tyler?” said Ivar, forgetting to use Tyler’s Norse name.

The mage raised his eyebrow at the priest.

“Oh, shit. Sorry, man. I tend to forget things when I am worried,” explained the embarrassed Gothi.

“It’s fine, Ivar,” said Tyler as he picked up the two stones.

“You’re going now?” asked the surprised priest.

“Nothing like the present,” Tyler grinned. “I doubt if our patrons would choose this time to send this box without reason. Nor do I think they’d put me in harm’s way without considering the consequences. I hear Freyr’s one of the best warriors in the Norse pantheon.”

“You guessed right. And he’s a package deal – one gets to fight his sister too. That is if the others don’t join the rumble. He’s a popular deity.”

Inwardly, he instructed the two AIs to strengthen the shields. Birki was asked to get everybody ready for anything. Though the guardian just laughed when he learned it was a kraken.

“That does eliminate a lot of possible spells of the children, lad. But we’ll come up with something. Why don’t you allow everybody to manifest themselves upon arrival? That way, we would all be ready. Of course, nobody would initiate the first move without your instructions.”

“Do it,” Tyler said simply.

“But here’s something for your consideration, sure. Rumpr’s memory does include the kraken and even remembers their arrival on Adar. But strangely, I don’t feel any animosity against them in such memory fragments. Only intense curiosity.”

“I’ll keep that in mind while running for my life, Birki,” replied Tyler.

The entity laughed as he faded from the mage’s mind.

Tyler decided everybody should have the chance to fight for their survival – meaning through protecting him – if the worse happens. He had no idea on how to fight a gigantic sea creature bigger than anything he had the displeasure to face.

“Instructions, sire?” asked Hal.

“Any suggestions on fighting a kraken lite?”

“None, sire.”

“Then we’ll just have to wing it. But I do have something to confess, and I leave both of you to save my ass if it came to that.”

“Yes, sire?” It was X this time.

“I don’t know how to swim.”

Fortunately, unlike humans, his AIs didn’t tease him.

“That might be a concern, sire. But I believe we’ll be appearing on dry land.