Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [92]
The raw energy of the breaking strands stung his skin but the moment passed and the warrior looked about him in a sense of wonderment. Broken flasks and glowing green gems. A huge cauldron had been tipped over and spilled a glowing white syrup across the rough wooden floor. Where the syrup touched, the wood grew bark and sprouted twigs with leaves.
Shifting and kneeling in the puddle, Chev reached out a hand to touch the syrup and absorbed the substance through his skin. Taking a deep breath, the warrior watched as magical strands of energy raced through his hand, healing his wounds and restoring strength to his muscles.
On impulse, the warrior rolled over in the syrup and felt the magical energy coursing through his body. Every tiny molecule screamed for more energy and he swam in a sea of ecstasy. The moment did not last and he awoke as if from a dream.
Looking about him, Chev spotted his fallen and broken sword pierced by the Doctor's saber. Magical energy poured from the wounded weapon across the floor like spaghetti from a bowl. Reaching out a hand, Chev felt a sudden jolt of energy as the magical strands whipped about his body. He spasmed without pause but could not release his hold on the broken sword.
Draque had just gotten back from Blackstaff's tower when the warnings went off in his head like his whole world had suddenly disintegrated and forgotten to take him with it. Someone was trying to steal his lifesyrup! How dare they!
He cursed himself and raced across the grass towards the east wing at the far end of the grounds. His hands fell to his own weapons and he raised a wand. A bolt of crackling energy struck the bronze door and only jolted it. Under the elf's weighty foot however, the door's melted hinges and mechanism stood no longer and it crashed to the marble floor with a heavy clang.
Down the cluttered hallway, an explosion like lightning caused his pointed ears to perk up and he saw glowing smoke rise out from underneath the door of his alchemy shop. Making his way through the cluttered hallway, Draque couldn't help but wonder what magical thing the thief had managed to break. He could only hope that the explosion had killed the stupid thief. No one steals from Marque Draque and gets away with it.
Muttering a quick protection to ward away the effects of magical residue, Draque paused before the doorway and debated whether to blow it off its hinges or knock first to see if the thief was still alive.
He chose the latter and was disappointed to hear a large, yet harmonious grunt… "Whoever is in there," he said loudly and as sternly as possible. "I know there was a magical explosion in there. Anything could happen in such a case-"
The bronze door and its frame wrenched out of the wall and rammed Draque against the far wall. An unyielding force held the wall in place and crushed the air out of the mage. He couldn't breath and his mind raced for some form of escape. With no other choice, the mage twisted a ring on his little finger with his thumb. His form blinked out of existence and reappeared instantly twenty feet away down the hallway.
With the lack of a body behind the door, the bronze door crashed into the marble wall with a solid clang. Releasing the door from his grasp, Chev looked down the hall at Draque's rematerialized form.
Draque astonishment was so complete that his cigar fell out of his limp lips and he stared open mouthed at the glowing white form of Chev. He took several hasty steps backwards and mouthed the words "What happened?"
Chev smiled and the entire hallway shone with magical light. "A fluke of sorts," he said, looking down at his own naked torso which shone with white energy. "My magical sword exploded and when I crashed through the ceiling I tipped over your cauldron. My magical armour was absorbed through my skin and my clothes burnt away by energy. I absorbed that cauldron of syrup, followed