The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [52]
He continues to increase the polarity to the opposite of that which is in the clouds. Then all of a sudden…
Flash! Boom!
…lightning strikes the grayness in the exact spot where he had increased the polarity.
James sends his senses out to pay close attention to that area. During the next couple pulses that come through the void, the ones that would ordinarily have passed in close proximity to the impact point of the bolt of lightning, fail to do so.
“Yes!” he exclaims.
“You killed it?” asks Jiron hopefully.
Bringing his senses back, he glances to Jiron and says, “No. But I think I will be able to close the void.”
“Good,” he says as James closes his eyes yet again.
Sending his senses back to the point of impact, he sees that the pulses are once again passing through the area. So it’s only ‘paralyzed’ for a few moments. But a few moments may be all that will be required.
Now, he sends his senses to where the void lies. Picking a spot as dead center to it as possible, he begins increasing the polarity to attract a bolt of lightning.
Flash! Boom!
Lightning strikes the void dead center. However, unlike the earlier strike, this one has less of an effect. It did ‘stun’ the creature for a very brief moment and the void began to close. But then it recovered and pushed the void back to its original size. If he’s going to do this it’s going to take a lot more power.
Coming back to himself, he sits down on the bottom of the barrier and takes several deep breaths to settle himself. The air is beginning to grow stale, but not lethally so as yet. He sees Jiron gazing at him with concern. “I need a breather for a second,” he says. “This is going to take more than I anticipated.”
“Take your time,” he says. “We aren’t going anywhere.”
James chuckles and gives him a grin. Closing his eyes, he again reaches his senses out to the storm clouds above. Using his magic, he tries to hold back the lightning from striking while at the same time causing the opposite polarity to increase at the void.
As the polarity increases, James can feel the static charge in the clouds fighting to form and strike. Finally unable to hold it off any longer, he lets it go.
Flash! Boom!
A mammoth explosion knocks Jiron and Brother Willim off their feet as the lightning strikes the void.
Sending his senses to the void, he sees that it has shrunk to half its original size while the pulses were nullified. Then, just as before, the pulses resume and it is again pushed back to its former size.
“Almost had it that time,” he says. Opening his eyes, he glances to where Jiron is returning to his feet. “You better stay down there,” he tells them. “The next time could be a little rocky.”
Seeing the warning in his eyes, Jiron nods and takes a seat next to Brother Willim. “Rocky he says,” Jiron mumbles to Brother Willim.
Ignoring them, James again closes his eyes and sends his senses up to the clouds. Working the same as before, he holds back the lightning for as long as he can then lets it go.
Flash! Boom!
Again the ground rolls from the impact. Not waiting to see what happens, he again begins to form the polarity to attract the lightning.
Flash! Boom!
Then again.
Flash! Boom!
Then one more time.
Flash! Boom!
Though deafened by the blasts, he sends his senses to the void and finds it all but closed. Then, the pulses once again begin to come and start pushing the void back. What is it going to take?
Flash! Boom! Flash! Boom! Flash! Boom! Flash! Boom!
Four more times he causes the lightning to strike the void in an attempt to keep the pulses from rematerializing and pushing the void wider. On the fourth strike, a spasming ripple runs through the grayness as the void finally closes.
Chapter Ten
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Zyrn stands there in awe as the crack of thunder rolls