Shades of the Past_ Book Six of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [45]
Jiron takes the crystal and nods. Stepping back, he says, “Shield!” and a shimmering shield springs up around him.
Reaching into another pouch James removes several other crystals, each glowing a deep crimson. Holding two in each hand, he concentrates and then let’s the magic from each of the crystals flow through him in one massive surge.
Whoom!
The shield surrounding them explodes outwards in a gigantic explosion. Soldiers, tents, and everything else in the vicinity gets lifted up and thrown backward several yards. Those who were closest to the blast lie unmoving upon the ground.
The warrior priest is knocked backward by the unexpected blow, the mage fares even worse. The fiery mass coating the outer side of the shield is blasted outward. The caustic mass flies in every direction, striking men, tents, wagons, etc, including the mage. When it hits, it begins burning and eating away at the flesh. The mage cries out as his flesh is consumed by the fiery mass and is soon lying on the ground, the remnants of his body smoking.
Fires break out all over this section of the camp wherever the fiery mass comes to land. Even the palisade is burning, some of the hellish fire having been thrown that far.
James tosses the now shattered, empty crystals to the ground as another shield springs up around him. Going on the offensive, he lets loose the power…
Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!
…and the ground between him and the warrior priest erupts, throwing dirt and dust into the air.
Once the warrior priest’s vision is obscured, James pulls out two crystals and says, “Activate. Countdown twenty.” Turning to Jiron he says, “Let’s get the hell out of here!”
He tosses them to the ground behind them as they turn to race back toward the palisade. Soldiers are already moving to extinguish the fires burning there before they have a chance to catch. They take no more than two steps when he again feels the tingling sensation spike. “Dodge!” he yells.
Bolting to the right, James feels the sizzle as another fireball shoots past right where they had been a moment earlier. “Keep going,” he says to Jiron. “Whatever you do, don’t look back!”
Just as the tingling sensation spikes again, the countdown reaches zero.
Schtk! Boom!
A blinding white light blossoms behind them and the force of the blast knocks them forward to the ground. Heat and sound accompanies the wall of force and it feels as if their being broiled alive but then it passes by.
“Damn!” Jiron says as he gets back to his feet. “What did you do?”
“Explain later,” replies James. He glances over to the palisade and sees there are still about a thousand men between here and there. Behind him, all traces of magic have disappeared. Hopefully he got the warrior priest with that but he finds that rather unlikely. If Abula-Mazki can survive a mountain falling down on him, this one will probably survive as well.
The pouches at his waist are nearly empty. He actually hasn’t used much of his own power as yet. Like he told Jiron back when they first met, if he has time to prepare, he doesn’t get tired. And he’s had all winter to prepare.
They make a break for the gate in the palisade, bolts rain down upon them but each is protected in their own protective shield. Jiron only has another eight minutes or so and then he’ll be at their mercy. Before they reach the leading edge of soldiers, James removes one of the two remaining crystals and throws it ahead of him toward the approaching troops.
“Down!” he yells to Jiron.
Jiron sees him fall to the ground and drops as well.
The crystal flies through the air and hits the ground just in front of the troops. Suddenly, a dozen soldiers drop to the ground as the crystal leeches a hundredfold. A fraction of a second later, six red beams like lasers shoot out from the crystal, at an upward