The Accidental Archmage - Book Five Edmund Batara (classic children's novels .TXT) 📖

take it. I’d have thrown it away long ago, but with my weakened power, it would have been foolhardy. Here, make better use of it,” said Sarva, taking off a ring and offering it to Tyler.

Another ring! I might have to eventually take up Hephaestus’s offer to make me a gauntlet out of all my rings.

The mage took the ring and put it on a finger.

“My thanks, Sarva. I wish you and your people well.”

“Your gift to us is a priceless one, First Mage. We can never repay you,” said the deity.

Tyler said farewell and turned to join his companions. Then he sensed Sarva striding after him.

“What is it?” he asked, noting the concerned expression on the deity’s face.

“Undead infest the woods beyond. I felt their presence. But the animating energy appears to be of a strange sort. It would be best to be on your guard against surprises.”

“We will, Sarva, and thanks again,” acknowledged Tyler, just as he remembered what he wanted to tell the deity.

“Oh, I finally remembered what I wanted to tell you.”

Sarva glanced at him with a curious expression.

“You might want to know the worship of you and your brethren continues on the First World. Probably not in the original form, but millions still remember you,” said the mage.

The joy on Sarva’s face was indescribable.

“They do? Such tidings, First Mage. The magic might be gone from the First World, but the knowledge my brethren and I are unforgotten immensely gladden this heart. We still live! If not in spirit form, then in the hearts of mortals! Thank you for telling me! Such news lightens the burden I feel,” Sarva said with a bow. “Come visit us one day, First Mage. Elephants, tigers, and many animals from the First World still exist in our land. Unicorns and other creatures too. They’re magical animals, but we’ve managed to keep them alive.”

“Unicorns? Really? Unicorns?” exclaimed the surprised mage.

“Of course, they were holy animals back on the First World as well as here.”

***

When Sarva left, Tyler faced his companions. The three warriors were smiling. It was clear they were glad to be back on the road again.

Damn! They’ve got the adventure addiction! Just like me, he laughed inwardly.

But despite himself, the mage grinned back.

“Time to go, warriors,” he said.

“Sire, I heard something about undead. Strange ones. Probably more difficult to kill?” asked the einherjar.

“You heard right, Tyndur,” he answered.

“Good. It’s been two days since the last time we cleaved something back to the nether hells where it came from,” answered the warrior, shifting his weapon from one hand to the other.

The party guffawed at Tyndur’s comment, not concerned whether anybody or anything could hear them. The group again adopted the marching formation which had already become second nature. Tyler noticed the exile had already changed the form of his weapon to that of a steel, club-like, spiked mace with a ring at the other end.

“What’s that?” he asked as the group walked toward the edge of G’s barrier.

“A kanabo, more appropriate for the undead. An ono, or ax, would probably find itself stuck in a tree after slicing through desiccated flesh and brittle bones. As would a sword. This…” said Kobu as he raised the weapon with a hand grasping the ring, “avoids embarrassing moments. It’s a bit shorter than the usual, but it will do nicely.”

The mage noticed Tyndur looking at Kobu’s weapon.

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to sell that to me, Kobu? I was just thinking of how much damage I could do with my battleaxe on one hand and that on the other,” asked the einherjar hopefully.

Kobu laughed. “I can’t even if I wanted to, Tyndur. It’s bonded to me.”

“A shame. I already imagined myself on the battlefield smashing and crushing with that thing,” replied Tyndur. The mage couldn’t tell if the einherjar was serious or just joking.

Habrok had already passed through the protective barrier and was crouched about twenty feet away, staying hidden below a large tree. The ranger was obviously observing the path and the surrounding area. Tyler held up his hand, signaling silence.

“Let’s give Habrok a chance to do his job,” he softly said.

A few steps after he passed through the barrier, Tyler suddenly felt an invisible force strike his chest, leaving him breathless. He was driven to the ground where he remained on one knee, trying to breathe. His companions looked upon him with concern, but he raised a hand, indicating he was all right.

What the fuck was that?  he reacted angrily. He quickly asked his guides who were also clueless, a worrying situation especially when whatever affected him easily passed through his shields. X did have an idea, though untested and unverified. The AI believed they were already in the field that Sarva said. Whatever was the strange energy, it wasn’t strong enough to penetrate G’s barrier, but those of Elder origin could feel it upon getting in contact with its power.

“At least it’s a momentary effect,” replied Tyler as he stood up.

“It is normal magical energy, filtered through a medium we can’t identify,” said Hal. “An area spell, though as far as we could tell, it covers quite a large expanse.”

“An admirable modification of this world’s energy, though it would have taken a lot of power to create such a field,” remarked X. “Still, ingenious in concept.”

“And I’d like to beat the ingenuity out of whoever thought of it,” remarked the mage sullenly.

Suddenly, the three saw Habrok swiftly let fly several arrows in succession. Tyler could see the sparks of lightning and fire down the trail as Quetzalcoatl’s gift took effect. Kobu and Tyndur moved a few steps forward, while the mage strengthened the energy wall in front of them. The ranger ran in their direction.

“Draugr!” shouted the ranger.

“Undead it is then,” remarked Tyndur. “A different kind, but still walking corpses.”

Habrok joined them and took his position beside the mage.

“Undead, Habrok?” Tyler asked.

“Yes, sire. But these act differently. From what I saw, they move swiftly and know how to take cover,” said