“Could you wait while I clear matters up with these three?”
“Of course, High Mage,” said the Thegn. Then he and his companions retreated several feet away.
Tyler went to the three guilty rogues. As he neared, he could hear Kadir chiding Sford for the weakness of his spells.
“You hear that? Only two dead, and I’ll bet Orm’s share of our future pay it was my lightning spell’s doing,” whispered the incorrigible rogue to the orange-clad mage. Tyler wanted to choke Kadir.
Sford didn’t reply and was instead continually shaking his head.
“Now, you three, they want blood payment for the deaths and injuries. And it seems you have dragged us into your mess,” accused Tyler.
“We don’t have money. But I doubt if they would accept Kadir in exchange instead,” Orm told him. The warrior was always direct in his answers, but this time Tyler wasn’t sure if he was joking about turning Kadir over to the dokkalfr. Openmouthed, Kadir stared at Orm.
“Weregilds are always expensive. The deaths and injuries in this instance would translate to quite a hefty sum,” added Tyndur. “And they would exact more than humans would ask.”
“And we don’t have that kind of money, too,” said Tyler. Then he stared at Kadir. “And even if we did, we won’t pay for your mistakes. I’ll go and see what can be done. Orm, keep Kadir quiet.”
Tyler walked back, and the three dokkalfr came closer when they saw him returning. As they came near, he noticed the female still kept her helmet on, with her faceplate covering her features. A stark contrast to her two companions who openly displayed their faces.
“It appears we are at an impasse. Whatever the amount is, they don’t have money, nor do we,” said Tyler.
“Then a duel for honor would be the only recourse. There are eight of you, and we will choose an equal number from our ranks. If you win, then no weregild shall be demanded. You lose, and your lives are forfeit,” said Galar.
“Where and when?” asked Tyler.
“Now. Our force can’t stay long in this area. The battleground will be three miles in that direction,” Galar pointed east. “We expect you in two hours. Make peace with your gods.”
“You do know an ambush by your forces is a possibility,” replied Tyler.
“I know the thought would arise in your mind. But here’s the oath of a Hersir and a High Thegn – nobody among us, except for the champions selected to face you, will attack you by force of arms.”
With that, the three dokkalfr abruptly turned and went to their horses.
The companions and the three rogues who caused the entire situation watched as they rode away.
“A very tricky people, the dokkalfr,” Tyndur commented. The einherjar had stepped to his side.
Kobu laughed. Tyler saw the exile had moved to his left.
“By force of arms. He didn’t say anything about magic. Nor was he concerned that they’re facing a High Mage. You told him so yourself,” Kobu told Tyler. “There’s something we’re missing here.”
“Well, they might have their way of twisting words, but they do keep their oaths. But it is a trap, obviously,” continued Tyndur.
Tyler looked at their three unwelcome guests.
“You three are coming with us.”
“And we deserve a share of whatever payment you’re getting for your quest,” added Habrok loudly.
Kadir merely grunted in reply.
The party, the three included, had a quick meal before proceeding to the designated site of the duel. Kobu and Tyndur insisted on it. The pair came up with variations of there’s nothing worse than going to battle hungry. The young mage couldn’t agree more, the stress starved him. After eating, they moved down to flatter ground and turned east, leaving the road behind.
After some distance, the relatively open terrain changed, and they found that continuing with the carriage was impossible. The uneven ground and the thickening undergrowth made it a dicey proposition even for horses. They left the carriage and horses under some trees as a result. Sford asked permission to hide them, and after Tyler gave his consent, the orange-clad mage concentrated for a few seconds, and in a sudden burst of magical energy, their transportation disappeared from sight.
“How are we going to see them later? If you ever become a dead hero, we’re sunk,” Habrok sensibly asked Sford.
“The enchantment is only good for an hour,” answered Sford indifferently.
Tyler was impressed. He didn’t even know a rune existed for such a spell. The young mage had a cloaking ability, but Sford’s incantation dealt with other objects. Unlike Tyler, he didn’t even need to be around to maintain the magical effect.
I’ve got to talk to that guy. He’s not your ordinary mage, thought Tyler as he cast his usual scrying spell. The energy revealed a large group waiting for them in the distance, hidden among trees at the back of a clearing. He was surprised to find a strong magical field preventing him from a more detailed examination. The mage informed the group about what he had discovered.
“Something’s stopping me from examining them further. But I guess it’s to be expected, they’re waiting for us anyway,” he added, though as a precaution, Tyler strengthened the barriers protecting the company. He could also sense the existence of another shield overlapping what he created.
Must be Sford’s.
They continued walking, though the arrangement changed slightly. Orm and Tyndur were in front, Habrok and Astrid were on the flanks, and Kadir guarded their rear. Tyler, Sford, and Kobu were in the center of the formation.
“Tyndur, that dokkalfr said he was a High Thegn. Isn’t that also a term in the language of Skaney?” asked Tyler.
“I am not surprised, sire,” answered the einherjar. “Vanaheimr and Asgard were quite close, what with the Vanir gods living in Asgard. But some terms of Skaney were unique to it, being related to the sea. The dokkalfr, the Alfar, and even the dwarves used more archaic but still familiar terms. The term hersir, for example, is also being used in Skaney. The dokkalfr don’t have champions, or the bersekr, but they have jomsvikings – more disciplined and skilled, but still mad warriors. They don’t have jarls but have thegns. I do know they use the hafna unit of territory, same as in Skaney. But the dokkalfr and the dvergar were notorious for being resistant to change and new ideas.”
“And that female dokkalfr, she didn’t remove her faceplate. Is that normal or was it an indirect insult?” Tyler continued.
“Not an insult, sire. A matter of choice. Some dokkalfr women are warriors too,” answered the einherjar.
“She did have a spectacular figure, despite the armor, and a lovely butt,” commented Habrok.
“Habroookkk!” exclaimed Astrid.
“You’re deep shit now, ranger. Your sister-in-law heard that,” said Tyndur.
“Hah! Not as lovely as Astrid’s,” piped up Kadir.
Astrid furiously turned to the rogue.
“One of these days, Kadir, I am going to cut off your balls and make you eat them raw. No, I’ll cook them first before cutting them off!”
Chapter Ten
Tricked
The company became quiet after a while. Everyone knew they were nearing the dueling field. But despite Tyler’s constant scrying, he didn’t detect any sign of betrayal. The dokkalfr host remained where they were, and the only change the mage saw was that their number was higher than he expected.
“I am surprised, Tyndur. I sensed no hidden forces preparing to stab our backs. The dokkalfr host, though bigger than I expected, is still where they were, waiting,” said Tyler.
“They’ll have a trick up their sleeve, something magical, no doubt about it,” replied the einherjar.
“You know we could have just have left, right?” said Kadir.
At his words, the entire group stopped and looked at the rogue.
“We are not cowards, Kadir. This is now a matter of honor,” Orm told him.
“Not to mention giving them a perfect excuse to kill a
ll humans they could lay their hands on. The status between our races is back where it was – a state of watchful belligerence. Small skirmishes here and there, with nobody wishing to escalate matters. Now we’re faced with the words of a High Thegn, and that’s something not to be taken lightly,” explained Tyndur somberly.
“Kadir, please don’t talk for a while, and don’t force me to cast a spell on you,” said Sford wearily. It was clear that Kadir had already exhausted the mage’s reservoir of patience.
At his words, the party went back to walking towards the dokkalfr. Meanwhile, Kobu moved closer to Tyler.
“Their leader is cunning,” said the exile with a chuckle. “He used the concept of honor to draw you out. If not for Kadir’s mistake, they would have come up with something else to get you to where they want you to be. A challenge, perhaps? Something to test your status as Freyr’s champion?”
“Astute observations, Kobu. What’s on your mind?” asked Tyler.
“You said their numbers were larger than what you expected. So, more than what we saw back there?”
“A lot more, details were sketchy. It’s as if a magical defense interfered with my scrying,” said the young mage.
“Then I would assume there’s a large number of mages with them. Defending against the scrying ability of a High Mage requires power, one which can only be provided by a mage of equal rank, or a substantial number of lower-ranked ones,” observed the exile.
“Here’s my guess and I’ll bet all of Habrok’s former girlfriends on this – the dokkalfr host is made up of those of don’t want you in their mountains. Why would such a large dokkalfr army be in human lands when Ymir’s legions are busy attacking them?” continued Kobu.
Tyler chuckled and glanced at the exile.
“I guess we’ll know when we get there, Kobu. But this isn’t our first outing, isn’t it?” said the mage.
“No, sire. Given what we have faced and fought so far, a dokkalfr army of that size wouldn’t be a problem,” laughed Kobu. “At least we know they’re there and we won’t get lost looking for them.”
Tyler caught Orm and Sford exchange glances. They heard the exile’s comment.
They’re probably wondering what Kobu was talking about and why we’re not worried about meeting a hostile dokkalfr host, thought Tyler. Well, it’s not our fault they got dragged into our surreal and peculiar adventures. I hope they don’t die. Our last meeting was not a slice-and-dice situation like this one. And if I remember correctly, we saved their asses while they were fleeing that undead horde.
That train of thought immediately led to the reminder that the deity Viracocha had a hand in the company’s encounter with the trio, a reflection interrupted when he noticed ruined structures hidden under trees. The crumbling and time-ravaged stones had been covered by forest vegetation, but they still stood out as artificial constructs. As Tyler looked around, he could observe the remains of shaped rocks along the trail they were following. A magical examination didn’t reveal any threat, but the area gave off a faint aura of power.
“Tyndur, why are there ruins here?” he asked the einherjar.
“Must be an Alfar-Human settlement or camp, sire. I know there are Alfar ruins to the north. A vestige of the time they were powerful enough to keep the dokkalfr penned in the bowels of their mountains. I know that this region was a major military area of the Alfar before, with the consent and active participation of the human rulers, of course.”
“But stone ruins? And I sense magical emanations. Quite strong in some areas,” said Tyler.
“Then I guess there were human contingents here too. Alfar were not partial to stone for their structures though they mainly use it for fortifications. As to the magical aura, I am not surprised, the Alfar used magic as frequently as they piss.”
A short distance from the stone ruins, the forest gave way to a large clearing. It was flat and surrounded by the forest. More ruins appeared at random spots among the trees. Near the middle of the field waited a group of dokkalfr, with the familiar figures of the three leaders in front.
“We’re here,” said Tyler, stating the obvious. Another spell revealed nothing on their flanks. Though he could sense that the residual magic in the area was a lot stronger in the clearing. The company walked forward, spreading out as they did. Tyler strengthened his shields, and he could sense that Sford was already gathering magical energy.
The dokkalfr champions also began to move and position themselves in a line facing the company, but the party didn’t change their formation. Their present arrangement provided the best all-around defense and offered ample opportunity for attack. It also simplified the shape of the barriers needed to be created by Tyler for the group’s protection.
As they neared, he counted ten individuals on the opposing side, which meant one of the three who went to them would be joining the duel. As Tyler’s party neared the center of the field, the mage saw Tyndur and Orm exchange glances and halt. The rest also followed suit. They were about thirty feet from the dokkalfr leaders. The three dokkalfr started walking towards them, and Tyler, Kobu, and Sford moved forward to meet them.
“Hail, High Mage. We’re glad to see that you have a sense of honor,” said the High Thegn.
“Hail to you, too, High Thegn. So, who are we going to face? I did notice there are only seven of your champions back there which meant one of you will be joining the fun,” ventured Tyler, ignoring the indirect insult.
“Ah, one of our best warriors will be joining the duel,” replied the noble, looking at the woman with the faceplate.
“Rules?” he asked the High Thegn.
“None.”
“Fine,” replied Tyler. He knew his companions could hear the exchange which thankfully relieved him of the task of repeating what was being discussed.
“The two of us will leave the field, and everybody will have that time and opportunity to prepare. Combatants can kill opponents or render them incapable of fighting. It’s the individual’s choice. Nobody is allowed to go beyond the clearing and combat will start as soon as a light spell is cast above the area. Don’t worry, everyone will be able to see it,” said the dokkalfr mage.
Does that mean we have to kill them all? I doubt if anybody would be pulling punches in this brawl, thought Tyler. I know I won’t. Eira would never forgive me if I died here. I survived a major deity’s anger and she would never believe that I died at dokkalfr hands.
The two turned and walked out of the field as the two mages and the exile rejoined their companions. Nobody said anything. They wouldn’t know the capabilities of their opponents until the battle started, though Tyler could see the dokkalfr contingent also had two mages.
Matching us set-to-set? he wondered.
Suddenly, Tyler detected a massive surge of magical power. It was an unexpected and overwhelming release of energy. But it was not directed against them. Then he heard Sford shout.
“Around us!”
Tyler immediately focused and saw what Sford meant. A circular wave of bright yellow energy had burst from the ground and now surrounded them, the dokkalfr champions included. It definitely was not a simple light spell. Before he could do anything, the surge of power peaked, and a flash blinded him.
The energy vanished as quickly as it arose, leaving behind an empty field.
Tyler’s vision returned sooner than the others, thanks to a quick application of Eira’s healing spell. Seeing his companions still suffering from the effects of the sudden magical stunt pulled by the dokkalfr, the mage hurriedly healed them one by one, keeping an eye on the still-blinded dokkalfr group as he cast the curative enchantments.
He would have appreciated an area-of-effect version, but Eira said there was no such spell. Each subject must be dealt with individually. Since they also discovered that advanced level spells of healing based on natural magical energy didn’t work for him, Tyler had resigned himself to not being able to heal severe injuries and ailments. The mage did find the unexpected inability pu
zzling, but speculated that it must have something to do with his peculiar magical constitution. He would have just to wait until his grasp of Elder energy improved.
Turning his attention to the dokkalfr champions, he saw their mages were tending to the blindness afflicting members of their own group. He seriously considered attacking them, given their current weakness and distraction, but finally decided not to do so, though the mage was sorely tempted to pay them back for the magical backstab the High Thegn pulled on him. Anyway, the mage didn’t consider them a problem, but what Tyler saw around him promised to be a major pain in the ass.
They were not in the forest anymore. What the mage could see was a vast, cold, and desolate plain extending far into the distance, disturbed by small rocky hills and huge boulders. Only the vague outline of a mountain range broke the monotonous view. Clouds of dust on the far side of the plain obscured the base of the tall peaks. The sky had an overcast pall to it, and the mage wondered if it was a permanent feature of the region.
Behind the company stood the lower level of an obviously majestic tower during its day, if the massive base and the number of fallen stones lying around it were any indications. Sorry vestiges of walls and other fortifications lined the back of the fallen tower, and from what he could see, they were all facing outwards, defending against the bleak and barren land.
From the maps of Skaney the mage could remember, only one region had such a stark and prosaic landscape – Ymir’s Domain. Tyler quickly realized that the ruins around them were forgotten testaments to the presence and downfall of the Alfar and humans in the region. Though as far as he could remember, the map given by the dokkalfr visitor didn’t show ruins on the other side of the Dokkalfr Range.
Shitty sanitized map, the mage cursed inwardly as he remembered the einherjar’s warning.
The design of the structures, or what remained of them, was unique, showing a combination of human craftsmanship dominated by flowing lines which the mage took to be of elven influence. Given what Tyler could observe, it must have been a sizable outpost, and it spoke highly of the might of the Alfar-Human alliance of old for them to be able to reach this far into dangerous lands. But their watch and strength failed, and such defeat marked the rise of the dokkalfr again.
Tartarus Beckons Page 10
