The Accidental Archmage - Book Five: Loki's Gambit

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  Odin again? Talk about Norse deities bearing burdens. But the other one is unfamiliar, the mage thought with mounting trepidation. By now, he was accustomed to equating Odin’s appearance with additional headaches. At least he didn’t sense any hostility or anger. Instead, worry and apprehension predominated.

  He entered the room and found Odin and one other deity waiting for him. He didn’t need to request a barrier spell for the area. It was second nature for deities of such power to cast protective enchantments for meetings of confidence. Considering he’d just talked with Odin; a second encounter was clearly not a social affair.

  “First Mage, this is Freyr. He has heard of you, but never had the opportunity to meet you in person. He rules Vanaheimr, one of the nine worlds closely allied with Asgard,” introduced Odin.

  “My pleasure, Freyr,” the mage bowed slightly. “May I ask what his field of lore is? I beg your pardon, Freyr, but I am not that familiar with the different specializations of deities.”

  “Fertility, wisdom, and precognition,” replied the deity.

  “He’d be more popular with men, if not for the fact that he grew up in Asgard and therefore, under my lordship. Though he had to be more active in this world,” added Odin with a smile. “We decided to wait here for you since I sensed you were busy in discussion with your elemental friend.”

  “Some queries related to what’s going on,” answered Tyler.

  “You’re lucky. He and his brethren tend to avoid deities,” reflected Odin.

  “How goes the war? You both look a little worse for wear,” the mage said, shifting the topic. But the two did look battle-scarred. Odin’s fancy armor had dents in places and lost its luster. Freyr was more conventionally armored, though in a heavy cuirass, gauntlets, and greaves. It also bore the hallmark of battles fought. His aventail though was loosened, revealing the youthful face of a beardless middle-aged man. Blond hair streamed out of his helmet. Odin still had the mace, and Freyr had a sheathed sword clipped to his belt. But Tyler’s question made the two deities look at each other.

  “It’s a hard struggle, First Mage.” It was all Odin would say.

  Damn. It’s not going well.

  “And Asgard’s defenses are being tested. We still haven’t determined how they were able to access the dimension entrance to Bifrost,” Odin continued.

  “Where’s Asgard, by the way?” asked Tyler.

  “Neither here nor there. It exists between dimensions, same as the other seven magical worlds. An ancient agreement, made possible by the power of all rulers of the worlds, excepting Midgard. Midgard has its own place in the universe. Though Vanaheimr and Alfheimr have the peculiar characteristic of being ruled by Freyr and his sister, Freya.”

  Something in Odin’s statement made Tyler ask, “What kind of magic created such an arrangement?”

  “The sort which shall not be seen again. When the magical arrangement for the nine worlds was created, knowledge about the magic was split and divided among the worlds. One reason why Midgard remained where it is now. It served as the center of the entire dimensional structure,” remarked Freyr.

  “Earth was created by Norse legends?” came Tyler’s disbelieving comment.

  “It’s a legend, my boy. Except for that part about the other Norse worlds. Midgard existed a long time before we came into being. But you know mortals. If they wanted us to be the center of their universe during their early years – who were we to argue?” answered Odin. “Anyway, we’re here because of a request from Freyr. It’s about the elves.”

  “The Alfar are helping Skaney now. They’re taking on the role of clearing Viken, though open fields really are not conducive to their way of warfare. They’re also engaged in heavy fighting near the Dry Plains, an area of contention in the years before Skaney came into being. It was a forested area once, but the enormous expenditure of magical energy in battles and campaigns severely affected the region. There, the Alfar are assisting the towns of Toten, Karsfell, and the fortress-town of Lade guarding the trade route through the region. The Alfar can hold their own. For now,” explained Freyr.

  “Freyr’s worried about the dokkalfr. They’re part of his… flock. And I understand his apprehensions,” added Odin, cutting through the preliminaries. “We want you to go and see what you can do to help them.”

  Again, the dokkalfr. Second time today, thought the mage. It does appear I can’t wriggle out of the added complication. Let’s see what help I can get in return.

  “Freyr’s followers did try to take my head in Scarburg before. You know that, All-Father. And can’t you see I’ll be a bit busy here in a day or two? We’ve got undead visitors deciding to hold their festivities here,” remarked Tyler.

  “We know. But I am that confident you can deal with them, First Mage,” offered Odin. “That war will be between mortal beings. The deities of that race, Freyr here and his sister Freyja, are going to be busy defending Asgard. We’ll be hard-pressed against Ymir’s legions, and now we are also facing other creatures.”

  “It’s a wave of revenants, Odin! No, scratch that. Waves of uncounted undead. Everything and everyone who died in the struggle to wrest Hedmark is going to come visiting! Including some of your old enemies! With abilities intact, fueled by hatred of living things! The only beings they hate more than mere mortals would be the deities and magical beings aligned with them!” exclaimed Tyler. “We could all die here. There’s a limit to what a partially educated and hopelessly untrained First Mage could do!”

  Freyr was shocked by the outburst, more so that Odin allowed it to happen without punishment. But the Vanir deity held his peace.

  “I know you’re under a lot of pressure, lad. But don’t let it get to you. Tell you what, I’ll send you two company of einherji to help you out. But you’ve got to promise to try to help out Freyr in return,” offered Odin.

  “It’s not enough. Even ten companies wouldn’t be enough. The weight of dead over millennia is a heavy burden indeed,” answered the mage despondently.

  “I can’t force you, First Mage. You know that. But the annihilation of the dokkalfr is unacceptable. Of course, it could also mean stopping Ymir himself in his tracks if he shows himself,” warned the old man with the eye-patch.

  “Getting into a fight with a mighty jotunn lord? One who personifies ice giants, extreme coldness, and irrational thinking? And that’s assuming we survive Hedmark. This is becoming a very long list of concerns, Odin. It’s already full of matters concerning the southern lands,” said Tyler, using his hands to massage his temples. He could feel a headache coming on.

  “We’ll see what we can prepare before you take on Ymir. The pantheon is weakened right now. With my missing spear, the lessened number of einherji, Thor’s misplaced hammer, and the ongoing probing attacks on Asgard, we find ourselves stretched to our limits. Not to mention the enormous expenditure of magical energy the present struggle against the undead plague had demanded from us. If ever Asgard falls, then Vanaheimr and Alfheimr would be next on that plane of struggle. Hela could be asked to help, but she has problems of her own,” said Odin.

  “Your spear is missing? As well as Thor’s hammer?” exclaimed the surprised mage.

  “I have also heard that legendary and godly weapons wielded by deities of various pantheons are nowhere to be found,” added Freyr.

  “Quite convenient for whoever is our enemy. Such an incredible event happening across the pantheons during a crisis as big as this one. The friend you mentioned just told me fighting had stopped, but jotnar forces are now facing southward.”

  “I know. No other conclusion but invasion. The pantheon of the Dual Monarchy is already preparing. But here in Skaney, we are in a precarious situation – the blight and the continuing assault on Asgard are severely weakening us. Kemet, an ally, also has concerns in the south. And the Aztecah war continues. I have heard of a new threat, a new dark power rising among them, but only rumors so far,” remarked Odin.

  “Oh, this day gets better
and better,” replied Tyler sarcastically. “Reminds me of that folk tale, How to Tell Bad News.”

  The faces of the deities looked blank.

  “Would you like to hear it?” asked the mage with a wry smile.

  “Please do. Sounds intriguing,” said Freyr.

  “There are many versions, but one of them goes like this –

  A wealthy planter returning from a trip, and greeting the faithful retainer at the carriage station with a “Well, you old rascal, anything happen at the estate while I was gone?” “Nuthin wuth mentionin’, boss,” answers the retainer cheerily, “‘Cept, of course, de two hands what died fum eatin’ all dat burnt hoss flesh.”

  “Where on earth did they get hold of burnt horse flesh?”

  “Dat was when de stables caught fire, boss.”

  “The stables?”

  “Yassuh! Sparks fum de big house, dey figger.”

  “The big house! Sparks! How did the fire start?”

  “Fum de candles round de coffin, suh. Place burned to de groun’ afore we could do a thing.”

  “Good heavens, man! Whose coffin?”

  “Your ma, boss. I s’pect she died fum de shock.”

  “What shock?”

  “Yo’ wife, boss. She done run away wid de butler.”

  The deities grinned at the joke. Then Freyr asked what butler meant. The mage had to explain the concept.

  Damn. At least they got the idea of the joke.

  “A butler might be a good idea,” said Odin. “I believe I have some candidates in mind already.”

  Shit. The discussion is veering off-topic already, thought Tyler.

  “Here’s my offer. Get the einherji to lure the undead army in the Barrens away from this region, preferably toward Ymir’s domain or until they get embroiled in a battle with Ymir’s legions. There’s no way we can withstand the strength of two massive undead armies. My guess is they’re still gathering more forces. If the one in the Barrens joins the one nearer Hedmark, they’ll crush this fortress, and with such an immense force, proceed to roll over Namdalen and even the Alfar,” said the mage.

  “The two groups must not combine into one gargantuan undead army. Advise me when the army in the Barrens is lured away as that would mean the other army will start to move to the attack. Then advise Thor to be ready when I call on him. Even without his hammer, he still will be a great help,” continued Tyler. “But that army in the Barrens really needs to be drawn away. That’s the only way we have a chance to survive this attack.”

  Odin didn’t answer immediately and instead looked at Freyr. The other deity nodded.

  “I’ll lead the einherji myself,” said Freyr. “We can raise six baturs from the various groups of einherjar fighting in Skaney and Asgard.”

  “You mentioned something about a rising dark power among the Aztecah, Gangari,” questioned Tyler. “Haven’t we settled that matter with the elimination of their patrons?”

  A new dark power. Fuck this. Just when I thought that problem was over and done with. It couldn’t be the Followers of Zin. They got owned by somebody or another group.

  “No other details, except it’s one from the First World. Asleep, now awakened.”

  “This entire thing is like playing Whack-A-Mole. A game back on the First World – you hit a wooden mole as it pops out of a hole and another comes out from another opening. You told me Loki was sent north. Any word from him?” asked Tyler, not mentioning he already knew the answer.

  “None. I can’t even get hold of him. I know what you’re thinking, First Mage, and I am trying hard to come up with excuses for him. I don’t intend to make a colossal mistake again.”

  “All the circumstances do point to him,” submitted Freyr.

  “But what gain will he get from a continent half-covered by fire and ice?” asked Odin.

  “Or an Asgard overrun by ice and fire jotnar? But who truly knows what’s in that mind of his?” added Tyler. “And there is such a thing as overcompensating for the mistakes of the past.”

  Odin stared at him and then sighed deeply. “Ah, First Mage. Only you of all mortals could say such a thing straight to my face.”

  “Sometimes, the obvious needs to be said out loud.”

  ***

  Tyler stared at where the two deities had stood a few seconds ago, wondering what he had bitten off this time. But one thing was certain; if Freyr would be able to pull off the diversion move, then Hedmark had a chance. A slim one, but better than facing the combined might of two massive undead armies. Then his staff grew warm.

  “Yes, Birki?” he asked.

  “I thought you’d like to know the aurae of those two were quite helpful. Especially the one from Freyr,” the guardian of the staff answered.

  “Well, his magical domain includes fertility. Which means if he’s attentive to his followers, the little blue pill won't find a market here,” commented the mage.

  “What little blue pill?” asked Birki immediately, his curiosity piqued.

  “A First World thing. Something to help males regain their combative abilities in bed.”

  “Ah. I was right. Females of your race have always been the stronger sex," commented the being.

  Tyler laughed as he went to his bed. It was one of those lessons he took to heart – rest while you can. Jorund had taught him a lot of things, the mage admitted, wondering how the huskarl-turned-einherjar was doing.

  Dinner was in their quarters. It seemed everybody was busy with the fortifications, even the servants of the jarl. Work continued even during the night. Tyler could see bonfires all over the trelleborg. He turned to Kobu.

  “What did you tell them to do? They all seem busier than usual,” asked the mage.

  “More barriers to funnel enemies into killing grounds, more stakes, spears, arrows, stones, and a few other toys. The key is to keep them away from the walls as much as possible or at least delay the inevitable close combat. It’s a battle of numbers, and we’re on the far side of the losing end,” replied the exile.

  “Just give me time to unravel the spell which animated them. It is a strange one, but once I determine its components, we could cut the strings keeping these puppets animated,” said Tyler.

  "We'll try our best, sire. It's unfortunate these are undead; otherwise, we could have incendiary defenses too," remarked the exile.

  "Why not?"

  "The human body takes a lot of time to burn to ashes. Even considering we're fighting undead with some flesh on them, I doubt if fire would kill them. We'll be facing burning corpses and skeletons instead. More dangerous enemies. Only crushing their heads will kill them, as we have discovered."

  "Damn. But I guess you've improvised something," said the mage.

  "Yes, sire. Though the woods around the fort would sadly be denuded."

  "We can replant later. But as long as I can unravel the animating spell, our troubles would be over in an instant," commented Tyler.

  “If anybody could do it, sire, it would be you. Deities are notoriously short-sighted, they couldn't think themselves out of a simple maze,” said Kobu with a chuckle.

  I think my irreverence is contagious, observed Tyler.

  A knock on the door caught their attention. It was again Aage, with Tyndur and Habrok in tow. It was time for the dwarven meeting. As they walked along the hallways, the mage realized that the size of the jarl’s keep, seen from the outside, was indeed deceptively small. Given the length of the corridors they were walking through, it was a sizable structure. A final turn led them into an open courtyard filled with dwarven warriors, neatly divided into two groups facing each other. A path was between the two assemblies, leading directly to a double door.

  “It appears each brought their entire complement, less the injured, of course,” murmured Tyndur.

  Habrok grinned widely at the comment. It looked like the ranger had something to add but wisely refrained from speaking out loud.

  Then Tyndur whispered to the mage, "I am going to be more famous
than usual."

  "Huh? How come?"

  "I went to the inn the jarl mentioned. There were a lot of bards there. Crawling with them, in fact. Talked to some. Hell, all of those within earshot. They’re now coming up with individual versions of the story of how Tyndur the Grim crossed the Barrens. Not our journey, but my first trip. Slipped a few gold pieces to those who sounded more promising and my road to immortality in song was assured!"

  "What if they don't deliver?" asked Tyler. "Many do that you know, they’ll take your gold and run."

  "No chance of that, sire. I made it very clear I'll hunt each and every one down to Hel, if need be. My flaming battleaxe was the final stamp on any wavering brain."

  The mage laughed, to the surprise of those around them.

  ***

  As the group entered the door, Tyler saw the jarl, his aged adviser, and the two dwarven leaders. The occupants of the room stood up as they entered.

  “Please sit down. Take whatever seat you want. Except you, High Mage. Come sit by my side. This is a war council. No need for formalities,” said the jarl.

  “These are Dvalin and Otr,” continued the jarl. Dvalin was the one with gleaming armor, while Otr was the other, paler one. “Aage, kindly introduce everyone.”

  The mage learned the adviser’s name was Anarr, a renowned warrior and traveler in his glory days. He gave Tyler a humorous smile as they were introduced.

  Probably thinking about the possibility of another dwarven spectacle, thought the mage as he grinned back.

  “Tyndur, kindly change places with Kobu. I need your words during this meeting.” The exile had taken his seat beside the mage.

  “My apologies, Kobu. Tyndur’s knowledge would be invaluable in this situation,” he whispered.

  “I understand, sire,” answered Kobu in an amused tone.

  “We are here because of the delegations from our dwarven friends who’re beset by the same troubles but worried about the undead prevailing in the coming battle. They have no illusions about the hatred of our enemies for the living. If we fall, they know they’ll be next. So, they have come to offer what aid they can in our time of need. For that, Hedmark extends its gratitude to your peoples and will forever remember your assistance. Help given in a time of need is doubly appreciated,” said the jarl, slightly bowing in the direction of the two leaders.