Fires of Prophecy_ Book Two of the Morcyth Saga - Brian Pratt [13]
James glances to Jiron and they both come to the same decision. Jiron’s knives flash in the firelight as they spring to the ready. James takes a stone he had in his pocket and casting his spell, unleashes the magic as he throws it at the approaching man.
The instant before the stone leaves James’ hand, the man flicks his wrist. When the stone nears him, it hits a barrier and ricochets away into the night.
Startled by the ineffectiveness of the stone, James hesitates a moment, trying to understand what had just happened.
“The mage!” the man cries out in shock, then his eyes get a calculating look.
Jiron launches himself at the man, knives flashing in a whirling pattern. As if he was dealing with an annoying fly, the man waves his hand toward him.
James feels a prickling along his skin as he watches Jiron being lifted off the ground and thrown a dozen feet away. Understanding comes, He’s a mage too! James directs his magic to the ground under the mage’s feet and lets it flow.
Crumph!!!!!
The ground explodes upward with incredible force. When the dust clears enough, James sees the man still standing there untouched. A three foot diameter of ground remains undisturbed beneath him.
“Is that all you have?” the man asks with contempt, words heavy in accent. He swirls his hand and it begins glowing red then he flicks it at James. A red light flashes toward him, striking him hard in the chest, knocking him backward onto the ground.
As the man makes his way through the crater that surrounds him, he says to James, “I was expecting more of a challenge, how disappointing.”
James lays there unable to breathe, gasping as he tries to take in a breath. He sees a knife fly through the air out of the dark toward the mage, but it hits an invisible protective shield and bounces harmlessly away, landing on the ground.
Once the mage clears the crater, he gestures with both hands while staring intently at James. Suddenly, James’ legs begin to cramp, he can feel their muscles knotting and twisting causing him great pain. He cries out from the pain and in desperation casts a spell, one he used many times back home, role playing. He feels it using up the remaining power within him, leaving him weak, barely able to move.
The approaching mage chuckles as he sees a clear, shimmering bubble appear between them, floating in the air. “What’s that suppose to do?”
He casts another spell and the bubble begins sparkling as if fireflies were contained within. The mage’s face loses its look of confidence and begins to exhibit worry. The sparkles begin increasing in luminosity as the man’s face slowly turns to a look of confusion.
Jiron comes to James’ side and asks, “You okay?”
Exhausted from the spell he just cast, he gasps, “Will be.” The effect of the mage’s earlier spell begins to dissipate and the pain in his legs subsides. Jiron turns to the mage and with knives ready, advances on him once more. James grabs his arm as he starts toward the mage, stopping him and warns, “Don’t touch him or the bubble.”
“Why?” Jiron asks.
Shaking his head, he replies, “No time to explain, we’ve got to get out of here. Now!” he shouts, then lapses into unconsciousness and sags to the ground.
Jiron looks to the mage who is shaking his head with a look of horror as he stares into the bubble, the sparks within gaining size and intensity. “No!” he cries in terror, suddenly dropping to the ground. The bubble is getting brighter and brighter by the second.
From out of the darkness, Tinok and the girls come running toward them. “Get the horses!” Jiron shouts as they approach. He begins to untie the remaining horses from the tree.
“What’s that?” Cassie asks as she makes to approach the bubble.
`“Get away from it!” Jiron yells at her. “James said not to touch it.”
He hollers over to Tinok and says, “Help me get James on a horse.” When he comes over, they lift him up and quickly secure him onto the horse with some rope.
Delia mounts a horse and then looks back over to the mage who is by now whimpering in terror.