The Accidental Archmage: Book Three - Blood Wars (The Accidental Archmage Series 3)

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  The gathering flocks of predatory birds didn’t escape the killer clouds. Tyler could see that the flying masses were being thinned considerably, either by direct electrical attacks or burned through by the lightning bolts on their way to the ground.

  Good. Serves you right, you mangy flying rats.

  He now turned his mind towards the multitude of giants and oversized hyena-looking creatures. They had stopped and had been looking towards the host behind them currently engulfed in electrical fires.

  He followed their gaze.

  From a distance, it looked like Christmas.

  Tyler observed the massed giants and creatures. They milled around in place, neither moving back or forward. The giants were armed and armored in a similar fashion to their Skaney cousins but with fewer tattoos. But they didn’t look less dangerous.

  Their handler must either be dead or too busy to direct them. At least these giants look normal. Blown up versions of humans. Very savage and barbaric looking though, he observed. But those giant hyena-looking beasts?

  “Astrid. What are those beasts? I haven’t seen the likes of them before,” he asked without taking his eyes off the horde.

  “I think they’re leukrokottai, sire. Legendary wild beasts. Usually preys on hunters and woodcutters. Reputedly can imitate human voices. Sometimes referred to as the kynolykos, or dog-wolf. Adults are the size of a small horse, with a lion’s neck, a badger’s face and temperament. Fast bastards. Instead of teeth, they have jagged bones lining their jaws, all along its length. Very big jaws too.”

  “Weakness?” asked Tyler. The forest habitat of the beasts was clearly shown by the various dappled shades of green on their hides. Though some also had light yellow stripes and brown hues mixed with the predominant jade color.

  “I haven’t fought one before but lore mentions they’re immune to steel. Which is strange as they are magical beings. The lore doesn’t mention pure iron though.”

  Tyler thought quickly.

  “Astrid. Go down and tell the men what you know then come back. I’ll add more preparations for our visitors. Tell the men to get ready. I’ll try to goad these beasts to attack now while the main army is distracted.”

  While waiting, he seeded more areas with his tried and tested shapes. In the background, he could see the massive lightning storm dying down. After a while, he could hear Astrid approaching.

  “Done, Sire.”

  He didn’t reply. Instead, he looked at the long line of giants and beasts before him. Shit. Quite a long lateral line. I have to do this fast. I hope their reaction speed is slow.

  With that in mind, he first focused on the rightmost end of the line, mindful that distance affects the effectivity of his abilities. Then he exploded small fireballs all along the enemy’s front, the explosions following his gaze as he moved the blasts down the row. He didn’t wait to observe the effects of the fiery creations. He returned his gaze to the middle after he had reached the farthest he could on the enemy’s left flank.

  The magical explosions rattled the milling adversaries. The leukrokottai were the most affected. The fires stuck to their hides and spread for a while before dying out. Some of the beasts were maddened by the pain and started attacking their kin and nearby giants, resulting in more chaos among the gathered creatures. The loud and weird howling of the beasts added to the raucous din. The mage did observe that the gigas appeared to have some innate resistance to the flames.

  Tyler then let loose the usual blizzard of small blades to his front and the flanks. Whatever immunity the beasts had didn’t affect the deadliness of the sharp projectiles. It cut and gutted animal and giant alike. But a lot more were left standing. Those at the back retreated a few feet but maintained their posture.

  Suddenly the entire mass attacked.

  Freak them. Their handler must have gotten his shit together.

  The battle shouts of the giants and the freakish howling of the leukrokottai were deafening and frightening. It forced him back involuntarily. But he could still see the mass of attackers as they neared his seeded minefield. Parts of the enemy’s flanks swung in the direction of the gate.

  As the arc of the attack changed, Tyler saw that though some foes were in the killing zone he created, more haven’t reached it. He had to make a decision. Otherwise, the first wave of attackers will hit the defenders in less than a minute.

  Quickly thinking, he cast a gravity spell on the larger group of enemies caught in the minefield. The selected mass of enemies was suddenly stopped and flattened against the ground. The other troop, though smaller in size, had reached the gate after running the gauntlet of arrows and javelins from the walls. Behind them, a trail of dead giants and beasts showed the toll they had to pay.

  Shit! I hope the spear wall downstairs holds for more than a few minutes.

  As the first group of attackers started assailing the defenders of the main gate, the middle of the mass of enemies finally was in the seeded area. Tyler infused all shapes with fire and detonated them. The spectacular series of explosions covered the entire field a hundred feet away. Beasts and giants were tossed aside, burning and torn carcasses went flying, and many were engulfed by the flames. Tyler didn’t use his repulsing spell. He preferred to burn the attackers where they stood. He infused more energy into the fires.

  “Astrid!” he called out, “check if the defense is holding!”

  As Tyler waited, he cast small blade blizzards at pockets of the enemy. Those caught by the gravity spell fared the worse. Helplessly, they burned where they lay and then were cut to pieces by the magical knives.

  In the far distance, he could see the surviving flocks of the Ornithes Areioi already flying towards the city. Though significantly reduced by the lightning storm, the remaining birds of Ares were numerous enough to be a grave threat. And their ability to use metal feathers as projectiles threatened to wipe out all the gate’s defenders.

  These freaking birds again!

  While he was pondering ways to handle the coming flocks, Astrid came up.

  “Sire, the gate is holding. The attackers fled when your greeting was unveiled. Even those on the field are fleeing. Those able to do so anyway,” she reported. Astrid returned to her position at the back of the mage and noticed the coming avian clouds.

  “Those birds again!” exclaimed the Valkyrie.

  “And too many flocks to handle,” commented Tyler, “let’s go up a level. I need a better view.”

  The two rushed up the stairs, Astrid taking the lead. When they reached the open parapet of the third level of the tower, they saw Habrok on the other side. He waved at them. The Valkyrie raised a hand in reply. Tyler moved quickly to a stone crenellation. The birds were a lot closer. He needed time to think about a way to handle them. Each creature was a different target. The thousands of Ornithes Areioi and their deployment in several disparate groups, at various heights, precluded the use of the usual spells. He strongly doubted Hal and X could handle that many even with their targeting skills and the new version of the Elder blast.

  Too many. Have to keep them away for now.

  “X? Can you also cast repulse spells?”

  “No, Elder. My ability is limited to a personal shield.”

  Freak me. The hard way it is then.

  He launched repulse spells at the approaching clusters, doing away with his previous practice of a precise application of the ability. Instead, each was cast in the broadest spread possible. As each spell hit, he could see birds being thrown back a considerable distance. Some fell to the ground, either dead or stunned.

  Suddenly, bolts of force erupted from Tyler. It was a kaleidoscope of colors. A deadly light show. He missed some flocks and now they were approaching within metal feather range. His guides apparently learned a lot from the Dori Hills encounter with the creatures and decided to deal with the approaching threat. The two AIs divided the task between them. One was striking with the multi-beam attacks while the other was using the single massive blast to cut bro
ad swathes among the airborne foe. He noticed the single energy stream was being fired in a wide arc, increasing its coverage.

  Against smaller targets such as these birds, that would work, he thought.

  Then he saw arrows in the air. The defenders were firing their shafts but at less than ideal range. But the massive swarms which were able to get closer made pinpoint accuracy a non-issue. The missiles punched through the avian ranks, sometimes piercing two birds at once. But it was not enough.

  Some birds fired back. Though the range was also an extreme one for them, metal projectiles started bouncing off Tyler’s shield. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Habrok jump down the stairs of the other tower. Astrid had moved closer to him. Some metal feathers also peppered the bowmen and javelin men on the walls. As far as he could see, they haven’t incurred casualties yet. The mounds of shields and body armor used by the wall defenders admirably served as protective pillboxes.

  Tyler saw that the birds who survived the repulse spells had regrouped and were starting to come back. He had no time left. Once the avian attackers got within range, his defending force was going to be swarmed like a fat cow in an Amazon river by hungry piranhas. Make that scores of piranha shoals.

  He panicked. Tyler could see that birds were closing in from all sides and the rest which had been thrown back by his earlier spells were speeding back. One metal feather in the right place could end him. He could feel the lowering of the effectiveness of his shields as the small metal projectiles continued to hit. Piles of the deadly plumage were already at the bottom of the barriers. He blindly began casting area of effect spells at every dark cloud his vision could discern. Repulse spells, gravity casts, lightning, blades, and even a fireball shower. Though the fireballs did eventually land among some of the retreating creatures.

  As he felt the beginnings of physical exhaustion, Tyler realized what he was doing and caught himself just before a quake spell was thoughtlessly released. Astrid kept watching his back. He saw Habrok sniping at the birds.

  Shit. What was I doing?

  “Elder?” asked X. An active battle was one of the exceptions to the “speak when spoken to” rule.

  “Yes?”

  “May we ask what was that barrage of spells? Some were clearly inappropriate for the circumstances.”

  “I panicked. And I believe Hal put you up to this.”

  X didn’t reply.

  A lot calmer now, he let his affinity ride the energy around him once more. The mage could sense the tiny balls of energy floating and swirl through the air. Concentrating, the objects became visible to him. They looked beautiful. Of different colors and sizes, the entire tableau looked like a professional fireworks display.

  There you are, he told himself. Didn’t want to do this but no other ability could stop you freaking murderous, flying rats.

  Tyler intensified his focus on the minuscule whirling orbs of light. They became more apparent and substantial. He let his numerous questing tendrils of energy latch on to them. He couldn’t cover all that he could sense or see, but Tyler grabbed all that he could. Then he suddenly pulled them free from the small shadows they accompanied. Hundreds of dead birds immediately dropped to the ground. He quickly grabbed another group of colored lights and repeated the action. He did it again a third time. The number of flying foes substantially diminished. The air was full of birds dropping out of the sky. The space around him was already clear of the avian terrors. What remained of the airborne pets of Ares were the ones further out on the field.

  He watched the remainder fly around where they were. They didn’t advance anymore. For bird brains, these rats do have some intelligence in them. Don’t know if it’s a communal one, he thought. At least, the shower of their dead kin gave them pause. But I feel like a necromancer.

  Then two emerald beams shot out of Tyler’s body. It noiselessly struck the two biggest swarms, leaving feathers and falling birds in their wake. Some of the airborne fiends were burning. At that sudden strike, the rest of the birds turned and fled the battlefield.

  He looked at the gory field. A multitude of specks representing feathered remains littered the ground and covered the carcasses of fallen giants and dead beasts. Now I’m a freaking mass bird-killer, he mused.

  Chapter Lore:

  Gigas – Ancient Greek. Giants are called “gigantes” in Greek mythology. They are depicted to be at war with the deities of Olympus and sometimes confused with the Titans. Greek mythology is replete with giants though they appear to be of various kinds. One of the terms used to refer to Greek giants, particularly those in the North is “gigas”. The word is adopted in this story to mean a certain tribe of giants – younger and more barbaric.

  Chapter V

  The Sons of Ares

  The Dorian army in the distance was clearly in an uproar. Tyler could see gaps in the array of phalanges. He didn’t doubt a lot of men had deserted already. Even some giants and beasts must have high-tailed it out of the area. The spectacular failure of the creatures of Ares didn’t leave room for any argument about the Dorian chances of success.

  The middle phalanx broke ranks in an orderly fashion and opened up. Tyler could see two armored figures stride out.

  Deimos and Phobos. It’s high time you bastards showed yourselves.

  “Do you see that, Astrid?” he asked the Valkyrie.

  “Yes, sire. And that backstabbing bastard finally had the guts to come out.” The anger in Astrid’s voice was palpable.

  “Let’s go meet the neighbors, Astrid,” replied Tyler. In contrast, his voice sounded calm and collected. For the mage, the coming confrontation was also a test of whether he can keep his emotions under control. A month ago, he would have been hurtling towards the two minor gods without a plan and with only anger driving him.

  “Guys, get ready for surprises. I wouldn’t put it past Phobos to try something stupid.”

  “Certainly, Elder. Though we believe you have them at a disadvantage,” replied Hal.

  “Oh? Why is that?”

  “The arrogance of minor deities. They lack whatever experience and wisdom their Elders have. And we’re speaking here of Ares. Secondly, you’re a mortal. A human. We can safely assume that whatever display of magical prowess they have seen will be credited by them to divine artifacts. They won’t believe that it was you wielding power. Finally, based on the records of X, we can also safely conclude that their level of might, even combined, is way below your capabilities,” added Hal.

  “You’re sure about that, Hal? That’s a surefire way of making me overconfident.”

  “A ninety-one percent probability, Elder. Though we recommend you challenge both of them at the same time. Otherwise, Phobos will attempt to do what he did with your companion. Time and concentration will be wasted in a single one-on-one fight. You’ll have to watch Phobos while fighting Deimos,” X answered.

  “You’re both right,” answered Tyler. He had already reached the gate. Habrok was standing there, waiting for them. He gave a slight bow as the mage approached.

  “The two of you stay around twenty feet behind me. One on each side. Do not interfere with the fight. Your job is to prevent any surprise attacks by their minions while my back is turned. That means projectile weapons. Hope you both have oiled the arrows and the javelins.”

  Astrid just nodded while Habrok smiled.

  “All of them, sire. I have a separate quiver for ordinary arrows. Though those blasted birds nearly emptied it.”

  Tyler laughed a little. “At least they found some use, Habrok. But now, I have bigger prey.”

  He turned and walked out the gate. The two followed.

  My companions do me credit. They didn’t even ask how I was able to stop the attacks of the birds of Ares. I do have their trust. But I failed Jorund. I realize it’s war. Shit happens. But that must never happen again. Still, what can I do? I barely know this world. I am not even an adept at my abilities. These freaking deities play games around and with me. I survive on a
day to day basis, knowing that a hidden magical item could end my life anytime. Forget even magic items. A kitchen knife could do me in in an unguarded moment.

  The late afternoon sun was already low in the sky when he passed through the gate barricade. The nauseating smell of dead creatures greeted him. It was revolting and disgusting. He could barely keep himself from puking. But he knew he wouldn’t last twenty feet into the morass of blood, viscera, and carcasses in front of him.

  “Guys!”

  “Elder?” replied X.

  “Is there any way to reduce the sensitivity of my nose to the smell around me?”

  “We can make the proper adjustments in your body, Elder. Though the brothers will also exude fear and terror. There is no magical way of preventing their aura from affecting your senses, short of cutting off all access to the energy around you.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “With your permission, Elder. Fear and terror are responses of senses as managed by your brain. We can limit the effect of such stimuli on the brain’s chemical processes.”

  Shit. Allowing the AIs to tamper with my brain? Okay, the chemical reactions of my brain, to be precise. Is that wise? Do I trust them? Granted, they may also be concerned about me being killed by the two. But still…

  “Your decision, Elder? The twins are approaching the middle of the field.”

  A crucial decision to make. And it does not even involve a direct fight. Indirectly, of course. Fine! I just need to trust two things. One, that Hal will watch my back as we agreed. Two, their self-preservation protocols will control their actions. I won’t be effective if they turn me into their meat puppet.