291 Edmar's fall

Edmar frowned into the hole. What he'd just seen… he'd known Tamas was powerful, but such a casual demonstration of it was startling nonetheless. 

He was beginning to feel that he was far out of his depth in what he'd agreed to do. 

Tamas had been a means to an end. Serve him in exchange for power, prestige, the ability to bring prosperity to his people by traveling to other worlds at will. 

He tried to calm himself. Tamas was loyal, surely. After all, he'd freed Edmar from jail, promised he could marry Brenna. 

Brenna. Edmar's head clouded slightly at the thought of her. He wanted to be with her so badly. He would have to ask whether Tamas could bring her here now. 

"May I be put down now?" He asked the giantess holding him. 

Absently, she glanced at him. Apparently she'd lost a lot of interest in him since Tamas's arrival. 

Typical. Edmar was used to being overlooked. It grated on him. He'd made himself the best, the strongest, the brightest, and still did not receive the accolades he deserved. Nobody listened to him. 

Haf insisted on teaching him how to be a good Commodore, but never wanted to hear his ideas, his questions, his suggestions. 

He had been a pawn for his father to raise in his own image, so he made himself into something entirely different instead. He would not be dictated to. 

"Please?" He threw all his charm into a smile. 

Jarnsaxa deposited him with a sigh, clearly irritated at the trouble. At least she hadn't eaten him. He probably had his friendship with Tamas to thank for that mercy. 

His leg hurt from being put down so roughly, and he resented it, even though the giantess likely didn't mean anything by it. He rubbed his thigh and limped to the edge of the hole, leaning over slightly to look down into it. 

It just looked empty and dark to him. 

No, no wait, there was something down there. Trees? 

Bored, he shuffled back from the edge. No reason to put himself in unnecessary danger. Any one of the giants could accidentally knock him off without a second thought about it. 

He had more questions, but settled into a charade of boredom. As if he was used to Tamas doing these things. These intensely supernatural things. And giants carrying him around like a doll. 

Yes, for all they knew he was perfectly comfortable with these occurrences to the point where they were everyday events. 

He yawned for effect and sat down on the grass, glancing upward. 

No one was looking at him. 

He considered sneaking off to find his men. After all, he'd completed his assignment. Surely he could go. And if he found his way back to the boats, he was sure at some point the wind would turn enough to let him get the remaining ship out to sea. 

But then… What awaited him at home? His father's derision and imprisonment. No. He would wait and hope for better. 

A cloud of black rose from the depths and coalesced into the giant-sized form of Tamas. Seeing that Edmar was on the ground, he offered the man a friendly smile before picking him up. 

Edmar would have preferred to stay on the ground, but he didn't get a say in the matter. Another instance of no one caring what he thought. 

"How many giants did you expect to be down there?" Tamas asked in a soothing voice. 

"At least fifty. How many did you find?" 

Edmar covered his ears. Apparently he didn't merit any consideration now that Tamas was here, and Jarnsaxa was just going to speak in her normal voice: Loudly. 

"Sadly, I found only one survivor of your race below. I did find quite a few bones, however. It seems the goblins got them." Tamas shook his head sadly.

"Goblins?" Edmar asked. 

"Who? Who still lives?" Jarnsaxa demanded, and then softened her tone when Tamas narrowed his eyes. "Which of my people survived?"

Tamas tilted his head, glancing at Edmar and then at Jarnsaxa, as if deciding who to answer first. 

"Yes, goblins, originally from your world. Apparently they also found their way out, and occupy the place you call The Below. A rather elegant solution to their original problem of being confined to live underground. It seems we've located many of the races that were once lost." Tamas smiled at Edmar. 

Edmar didn't really understand, but he didn't want to seem stupid, so he nodded.

"Apparently the goblins were not particularly enamored with the idea that giants were coming to take their land. Fjorna told me that war broke out many years ago, and that both sides have suffered heavy losses over time. She is the last left, and does not recommend that you join her." 

"Then bring her to us!" Jarnsaxa slipped back into her queenly persona, giving commands where none were merited. 

Tamas quirked an eyebrow, and she sucked in a deep breath, containing her anger and grief about the loss of her people.

"I have informed her that it is your direction that she should serve me. Obedient subject that she is, she immediately submitted to my rule. I will restore her to you, but I need a follower to remain as my anchor in this world." Tamas narrowed his eyes at the three before him. "The goblins would do, but they do not follow me. I can bring Fjorna to you... later."

"Are we leaving?" Hugi asked, earning a smack up the head from his father for speaking out of turn. 

"Why yes, you are. Roy is preparing the way for you. You are going to Edmar's world to do me a favor, and destroy a kingdom. But first… Edmar, come along." Tamas smiled broadly, white teeth glinting, and softened his voice below what the giants could easily hear from their height. "You must make a deal with the goblins." 

Though being held in Tamas's enormous hand was disconcerting enough, suddenly he was wrapped in a smoky tentacle and being plunged into the dark hole. He wanted to scream, but managed to choke it back. 

He wasn't a child. 

The ground, so far as he could tell, was approaching quickly. He closed his eyes for the impact but found himself set gently on his feet instead. 

"Faithful Edmar, treasured servant. You have done well." Tamas manifested, the size of a normal man. "So clever, so resourceful!" 

A surge of pride ran through him. The most powerful being he'd ever known appreciated him and his efforts! 

"Thank you," He said, puffing out his chest slightly. 

"I have a new task for you, before I can take you home," Tamas inclined his head, not asking, but still conveying a level of deference that invited Edmar to refuse. 

"A new task? What about Brenna?" Edmar's eyebrows came together in consternation. 

"She is hard at work. I am anxious for the day the two of you will be reunited, but I must ask you to convince the goblins to serve me as well. The giants can do much, but the goblins… they are formidable miners. I will need them if this plan does not succeed. Even better if I can work the plans in tandem."

Tamas's black eyes shined in the dim light of the Below. 

Edmar glanced upward. The 'sky' here was a strange hue. The holes into the upper world shined sunlight down in shafts, revealing the pink sky above, but surrounding it was blackness, dotted with glowing green shapes. Were they... Moving? 

He blinked. This was…

"This is the world of the waterfalls." He said. "The world the Leviathan bring us to sometimes, dark with glowing green lights in the sky… it's the same as the pink sky world??" 

"Clever! You exceed my expectations again. Yes. It seems these worlds are… colliding, slowly, over time." 

"Colliding?" Edmar blinked. 

"The worlds were separated from yours long ago. It matters not to you right now. What is important is to persuade the goblins to follow me. Do you understand?" Tamas drew Edmar's gaze and looked intensely into his eyes. 

"I understand, I think… they won't eat me, will they?" Edmar couldn't help but voice the fear he held since meeting the giants. 

Tamas chuckled and produced two objects from a pocket of his black cloak. A…. stick and a rock? 

"If you become too afraid, use this branch. Raise it in the air, concentrate on it, and snap your fingers. It will take you to the world of Darkness. I will find you there. The stone will alert me to your presence." 

"How long will that take?" Edmar didn't quite like the idea of waiting in the Darkness alone. He looked at the objects "This rock looks like your necklace." 

Tamas touched the amulet around his neck with a tense smile. "An ancient item stolen by the halflings. What originally brought them to my world, actually. The stone in your hand is a poor replica, but it will draw me to you nonetheless." 

Edmar nodded as if he understood. He didn't. 

"Do not fear. If you need me to come, open the portal and cast the stone into it. For now, go and bring the goblins to my service. I will want them to finish off the people of Klain that the giants do not take care of. You will find the goblins some distance to your left, in an encampment." 

"Where are you going?" The Commodore's son had to ask. 

Tamas smiled. Instead of being comforting it was... The opposite. 

"I am taking the giants to your world. They seem hungry, don't you agree?" 

With that, Tamas disappeared into the air, flying upward to pass through the hole he'd brought Edmar down. 

The man shuddered in the semi-darkness. This world had always given him the creeps. The creatures here were larger and more dangerous than those in Pink Sky world, at least, out at sea. 

Edmar steeled himself, straightened his shoulders, and walked off… in search of goblins.