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

“Freyr’s followers did try to take my head in Scarburg before. You know that, Allfather. 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 would be between mortal beings and the undead. No godly intervention is allowed. The deities of the race are going to be busy defending their own domain against their arisen foes. We’ll be hard-pressed against Sutr’s legions when and if that jotunn presents himself, and right 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 companies 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? 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 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 the deal. 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 would be a great help,” continued Tyler.