Tartarus Beckons

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  Finally, Birki’s voice sounded.

  “All done, sire. I do have Apulli here with me. He wanted to say something.”

  “Thanks, Birki. And also to you, Apulli. You want to say something to me?” said Tyler.

  “Yes, fath… sire. We all would like to thank you also for the confidence you have in us. This experience was exhilarating! And good practice for all for us – for the use of our individual abilities and working together. We all feel much closer now. A family.”

  “Excellent, all of you. Extend my thanks to everybody. But tell them, no unnecessary risks. If you notice something, report to Birki first. And I don’t mind being addressed as father, Apulli.”

  “Thank you, father.” Tyler felt the spirit leave.

  “Well, that was nicely handled, sire. Especially that last part. They can’t look up to the sources of their powers as their parents, and I doubt if they think that way. As I mentioned before, they might be energy beings like me, but they’re children, and children need parents to look up to, especially at their age.”

  “I know, Birki. At least Eira loved them all and didn’t scalp me for suddenly having so many children,” smiled Tyler. “So, in what direction were those manticores again?”

  Chapter Five

  Demon Hunter

  The manticores proved to be delicious steaks when roasted. Birki had assured him that the beasts were edible and even increased endurance for a time due to their magical nature. Still, Tyler thought it a good idea to send the entity ahead to dispose of the heads. That anthropomorphic characteristic would have ruined even the most ravenous appetite.

  He ate quickly and watched as the men hungrily wolfed down the meat. The mage couldn’t blame them. Being periodically terrified would surely make anybody hungry. The rise in stomach acid alone guaranteed it.

  According to Kobu, they still had a few miles left to cover, and the exile expressed his worry about still being in the forest at night. The man wasn’t apprehensive about the three of them. Even Ivar had some runic protection and means of defense. But the crew was another matter. From what Tyler gathered, they were men of the sea. Their fathers and grandfathers too. Being part of the crew on trade ships was the only life they knew. They could put up a fight when it came to that, but the men didn’t stand a chance even against a mid-size forest predator. At least he saw some of them fashion rough spears with the tips tempered with the fire of the cooking pit.

  Anything to boost their confidence, thought the mage, eyeing the makeshift weapons. He seriously doubted if they’d make any difference when it came to larger predators.

  Underway again, Tyler was reassured by muted laughter and good-natured ribbing among the motley assembly of seamen which indicated they had regained some of their humor. However, the mage now cast scrying spells regularly. The presence of any enemy who comes and goes whenever he wanted was a confidence shaker. It strained one’s nerves and added to the physical toll of always being on edge.

  His guides were already prepared to launch a massive Elder blast once the mysterious, persistent and clearly dangerous cloaked entity made its reappearance. Tyler didn’t doubt that another attempt or attempts would be made on the company. He was obviously the target of such attacks, and Ivar and the rest were just caught up in it. But neither could Tyler, in good conscience, send them away. That would merely ensure their deaths. There was no assurance that his enemy would let them be, or that they’ll be able to escape the natural and unnatural native predators.

  Then he sensed it. The sudden arrival of a strong energy signature. It was nearer than he expected, considering that he felt the strength of the magical surge. His guides immediately lashed out with their prepared attack. The bright glow instantaneously sliced through the air and to Tyler’s immense relief, hit the new arrival dead center. It struck the newly arrived entity in the middle of its body. A second beam immediately followed the first, this time with the head as its target.

  Flickers of energy coruscated along the edges of the enormous hole torn in the torso of the amorphous mass. The head itself was gone, ripped from the body by the massive power of the magical lance. But the entity remained in the air, to Tyler’s rising dread. As he watched, it regrew everything – the hole in its body closed and its head reformed.

  Oh, fuck me sideways! Fear and apprehension wrapped themselves in Tyler’s guts. The unexpected result immediately reminded him of a similar attack he made a long time ago. Strong and painful memories shoved themselves into his mind.

  “Sire, it appears it is a demon. One of a high level, almost similar in power to Supay, but of a different culture and mythology,” said X.

  “Now that freaking explains it. We’re toast,” replied Tyler with disgust, though he noticed the slight quaking in his tone. He knew how difficult it was to defeat the Inkan death god. Luck and the intervention of another entity were the only factors which enabled him to survive that encounter. But even Thor had problems handling Supay and that extra-dimensional connection of the demon was a pain. And it appeared this one had that too.

  He quickly turned to Ivar.

  “Tell the men to scatter! It’s a high demon. Major pain in the ass!” the mage shouted.

  Tyler didn’t wait for any acknowledgment from Ivar. The mage knew Kobu wouldn’t leave him, even if he ordered the man. Shields were strengthened as the mage considered what to do with his wards. He doubted they’d stand a chance with the demonic entity.

  “Birki! Get them all out of the staff, and find a place to hide. You know the kind of enemy we’re facing, but don’t tell them anything about the magnitude of the danger. Just go. If we survive, I’ll call you,” said the mage.

  “And if you don’t?”

  “Then go to Fossegrim. Tell my wife. You’ll have a home there.”

  “Are what you said orders, sire?” Birki asked, his tone now severe and formal.

  “Yes, they are. Now go!”

  He felt a succession of power surges and then the staff felt empty. Strangely, it sadly felt as if he had lost a part of himself.

  “It’s now only us, guys.” He told his guides. “I would have sent you out too, but that ability is still beyond me. Nice to have met you.”

  “Matters are not what they seem, sire. We have been busy examining the being for a weakness. It could be tethered to a power source for one. But our sensors indicate something powerful is coming this … “

  Hal never got to finish his sentence, as a giant dark skeletal hand abruptly rose from the ground and grabbed the demon. The hand suddenly disappeared, and in its place was a strange sphere, obviously now the prison of the malevolent entity. The bizarre orb glittered with colors dark of hue, shifting from one end of its spectrum to the other.

  “What happened?” the mystified mage asked his guides, though he still stood his ground. Tyler was now beset by heightened anxiety. The unfamiliar and unwelcome emotion, gone for a while from his experiences, continued to rear its ugly head – fear. Whatever arrived was clearly more powerful than the demon, and the way it casually took care of the infernal creature made it more frightening. Tyler didn’t know what to make of the recent development. The newcomer could be a friend or a more powerful foe. Though from what he had seen, it was definitely more powerful by far. The way it handled the pesky demon was proof of that.

  “The arrival of a more powerful entity, sire, and from all indications, also a denizen of the demon’s dimension,” said X.

  Tyler kept his tongue in check. By now, he was familiar with how his guides stated the obvious when they had nothing new to report. It was irritating, frustrating even, but the mage had learned the patience to live with it.

  “Though whatever or whoever it was, it will come to us,” warned Hal.

  The mage looked around. Only Kobu and Ivar were beside him. The crew had already fled, hopefully, not to parts unknown. But Ivar’s presence surprised him.

  “Shouldn’t you be gone?” he asked with a forced grin.

  “No. I ca
n’t leave a friend to die, and to tell you the truth, if the being decided to hunt everybody – which is highly probable – there’s no place to hide in this forest. I don’t want to die hunted,” replied the priest.

  Kobu laughed.

  “An admirable observation, priest. One which only a few realize and follow. Many prefer being hunted, hoping to live, even though deep within them they know that there’s no chance of survival. So, they merely give their hunters – free of charge – the extra spices of fear and terror which accompany the hunt and eventually, their deaths.”

  The suspended sphere in the air moved slowly towards them, and whoever was carrying it apparently knew of their presence. Around fifty feet away, it stopped, and noiseless energy of extreme strength blew away the trees on both sides, leaving a small clearing. A casual display of power which emphasized to Tyler the kind of being they were facing.

  Slowly, dark strands materialized, weaving into existence a giant shape below the sphere. It was a large and tall shape, not as high as the kraken, but imposing nonetheless. But the mage suspected the roughly twelve-foot height was adopted for their convenience. Finally, a dark humanoid form appeared, clad in full armor, with a long sword at its back. A large full helm covered its head. Looking closer, Tyler noticed that the massive, curved horns on the helm were not part of the armor. Instead, openings in the metal enclosure allowed the natural horns to be displayed. The armored figure looked at the trio for a few seconds.

  “Mortals. A mage, a priest, and a warlord.”

  The words were uttered in a deep and loud voice. It was not loud as to be deafening, but its timbre reverberated in their minds. Though Tyler was relieved to see the being had not drawn its sword or made any hostile movement. So far. A small consolation in the light of the unknown parameters of the encounter, considering that the newcomer could easily crush them with its magic.

  “Our greetings, stranger. Who are you, if I may ask?” said Tyler. Fortunately, his voice came out in a conversational tone.

  “A Demon Lord,” replied the being tersely as he removed his helm.

  It revealed a weathered, though handsome human-looking face. Its grim countenance indicated a veteran of many battles. Around fifty years of age. Closer to late fifties, guessed the mage. The hair was pure white, and the left iris was also white. But the painfully tormented look in the demon lord’s eyes was an unforgettable and piteous sight. If not for the massive horns, he could have passed for a human. A distinctive one, but still a mortal. But the aura of power which emanated from him was overpowering. It was almost equivalent to a Titan’s might.

  “And a demon hunter,” the stranger added.

  “I beg your pardon? Did I hear that right?” asked the startled Tyler. “A Demon Lord? And a demon hunter too?”

  The entity before him grinned, mouth opened enough to show a vicious, fanged array of teeth.

  “Why, mageling? Is that so strange?” said the formidable being. A hand was lifted, and he opened his palm. The smoky sphere cleared, revealing a murky cloud trapped inside. It oddly behaved inside the orb, as if it was frantically seeking a way out.

  “A gallu. Not one of the named seven, but still a powerful demon. Not of these lands, of course. But it must have sought patronage elsewhere after its lord lost to me,” the standing figure told the trio. Surprisingly, Tyler observed that the word demon was said in a way as if the speaker was not of their kind. Then the entity looked at the sphere.

  “Didn’t you, you foul, cowardly fiend? You thought I wouldn’t hunt all of your house down? You think you would find protection in these lands?” shouted the demon lord furiously. Then a cruel smile appeared on his face. The entity started closing the fingers on his open right hand. The orb gave off a momentary yet dazzling blackish glow, and then began to slowly contract. The movements inside the magical bubble became more frantic, and the stranger looked on with a satisfied smile. The trio was stunned by the bizarre spectacle. It was a bewildering situation they never expected.

  “Now, let’s hear you sing,” said the newcomer softly.

  The stillness of the forest was abruptly shattered by the most unworldly and terrifying sound the mage had heard. It was a scream; Tyler was certain about that. But it was an utterance of unimaginable pain and suffering that bore through one’s soul, and echoed in the dimension where both demons came from.

  The stranger merely laughed as he slowly continued closing his hand. Finally, the mage couldn’t bear it anymore.

  “Don’t you think it’s time to get it over and done with?” he blurted out.

  The demon lord looked at him, anger evident in his eyes. The human eyes now blazed completely red, except for the white iris.

  “And who are you to tell me that?” the entity shouted as he flung his other hand, palm open, toward the three spectators. The trio suddenly found themselves unable to move or call upon any magic.

  “This gallu would flay you alive, boil you in salted water, and wear your skin while it watches your torment. It would tear apart your loved ones wearing your body as a garment and eat them while you look on. It will tear out your veins one by one for its enjoyment. Those deeds, and worse, it has committed through the millennia! And you want pity for this foul demon?”

  He let the orb slowly constrict for a while and then abruptly closed his hand. The resulting fist was tense with the apparent exertion of enormous strength. It was as if the stranger wanted his hate to accompany the crushing of the entrapped demon. With a final despairing cry, the sphere quickly became smaller and eventually disappeared. A stern expression of utmost satisfaction graced the demon lord’s face. He became shorter and now stood as a tall man who still towered over the trio.

  Tyler was now completely confused. He could understand a demon lord hunting the remnants of a rival house, but to do it with such hate baffled him. Not to mention the statements made by the stranger about the hideous acts the now-gone gallu had committed. They were uttered in a tone which clearly condemned such actions – angry and hateful disapproval of what demons do.

  A demon lord who does not like what demons do? Isn’t that a contradiction?

  As the immobile Tyler stood thinking about the bizarreness of the situation, the stranger continued to stare at the mage. Then he suddenly appeared in front of Tyler and both hands went up to grab the mage’s throat.

  Aw, shit! He’s still mad! thought the mage as he saw the threatening movement.

  As the demon lord’s hand touched Tyler’s skin, the mage felt a slight jolt. But the hands of the angry entity were unexpectedly thrown aside, and a strong energy field threw him back a few feet. The being didn’t fall into the ground, but obviously struggled to stay on his feet. The anger vanished from his face, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

  Without warning, a firm force of power lashed out at Tyler. It ripped his shields apart, and threw him back several feet. Still held immobile by the entity’s spell, the mage could do nothing as his body slammed against the uneven ground. Pain wracked his back.

  “What was that all about?” Tyler asked his AIs as the pain ran through his back muscles.

  “From what we could determine, a light tap compared to what that being is capable of. A high probability exists that it was but a test,” replied Hal.

  “A test and a light tap? That’s funny. Ha.Ha.Ha,” answered Tyler. His body might be still, but his mind was not. But he couldn’t help being sarcastic given his present situation.

  “His touch was repelled, sire. So, he decided to test whether his offensive spells would work against you,” said X.

  “A test for that? His immobility spell worked, didn’t it? There was no need for throwing me!” cried out the outraged mage.

  “A spell usually utilizes the native energy of this world. The immobility spell was one such spell. The one which flung you back was intertwined with some energy from the demon’s dimension. He knew what he was doing,” said Hal.

  “And?”

  “As expected, it shredded
your shields, but couldn’t break through your body. Sheer kinetic energy threw you back. The same thing happened with Supay. The presence of Elder energy in you made sure of their inability to penetrate through your skin. It’s an energy against energy contest anyway,” clarified X.

  Elder energy in my body? Oh, right. Hal and X, thought the mage.

  It dawned on Tyler that any energy thrown directly against him would not penetrate his body, though the physical effect, like the kinetic force X mentioned, would still have its impact.

  Oh, good. Spellcasters can’t tear me apart, but they can batter me to death, Tyler thought with disgust.

  “And that weird jolt which happened when he came in contact with my skin?” the mage asked.

  “It appeared that the Elder energy which permeated your body through us was totally incompatible with anything containing energy from a demon’s dimensions,” Hal explained. “A fortuitous situation, but the explanation is not within our databanks.”

  “Now, more importantly, what is he doing now?” asked Tyler. He couldn’t see the demon lord from his position.

  “He’s still staring at you,” came the answer from Hal.

  Tyler felt himself being lifted back to a standing position, and found the demon lord a few feet away.

  “That was interesting,” said the entity. “A reaction I have never seen before, even from a visitor. You’re a strange one, mageling. And that in itself is curious – a visitor with magical power.”

  The mage felt the immobility spell fade away. And found temper getting the better of his tongue.

  “Why the hell did you do that for?” he shouted.

  “A test, nothing more. I didn’t break your back, so don’t complain. And I have already laid low two demon realms and taken their power for myself, so don’t start something you’d regret,” warned the being.

  Tyler forced himself to calm down. He reminded himself of the almost Titan-like level of power he had sensed. It cooled down his temper faster than expected. He tried another tack in the conversation.