Trail of the Gods_ The Morcyth Saga Book Four - Brian S. Pratt [5]
He thinks about the last time. What he’s been trying to do is create a spell in which the crystal will draw and store power from the world around it. Taking only minute quantities from each individual living thing within its radius at a time, they would store it within themselves. They would also use the stored power to keep the ‘leeching’ spell active, always maintaining the maximum amount. Sort of like a continuously recharging battery, a magic battery you could say.
But the problem he’s been encountering is that at some point, it explodes. That’s what he has to figure out, a way to keep it intact. There has to be a way to have it ‘charge’ to a certain point and then stop.
Perhaps along with a spell that leeches magic from its environment, there should be one that checks for internal integrity. One which ensures the crystal never reaches the point where it shatters by shutting down the other spell which is drawing in the power. Then allowing it to resume drawing in power once the amount of stored power has dropped below the maximum capacity.
Might work, he thinks as he carries the largest of the crystals over to the table where the previous experiments have been. Brushing aside the shattered remnants of earlier experiments, he sets the crystal down and then moves back to a safer distance.
After a moment’s contemplation to work out the spell needed, he concentrates on the crystal and slowly lets out the power. This time when he’s completed the spell, he holds his breath as once more, it begins to glow red with the power being drawn from him. When the crystal has begun to glow a deep crimson color, he senses a gradual diminution in the power being leeched from him until it all but disappears.
Using his magic, he examines the crystal down to the micro level. A smile breaks across his face as he realizes that it’s working. It’s still drawing power, but it’s such a slight amount that he can barely feel it.”
“Excuse me,” a voice says as a hand taps him on the shoulder.
Abruptly breaking his concentration, he inadvertently sends a wave of energy toward the crystal, causing it to shatter into a hundred tiny fragments. His head begins hurting and he feels almost as if he’s about ready to pass out.
Turning on the intruder, he comes to a stop when he sees it’s a stranger standing there. Something in his eyes must’ve given the man pause, for he takes three quick steps backward and backs out the door
“What!” James yells at the man as he follows him outside.
Jiron must’ve heard him all the way from the house and he sticks his head out of a window to see what’s going on. When he sees James standing there in anger in front of a stranger, he quickly rushes to his side.
“Uh,” the man stammers, his voice failing him. Clearing his throat, he glances backward as he hears Jiron coming and then turns his attention back to James. “Are you James, the wizard?”
“What?” James asks him again, not exactly understanding what he just said.
“You okay?” Jiron asks as he arrives, one hand on a knife hilt.
Indicating the man, he replies, “This idiot interrupted me, almost got me killed.”
Taking the man’s arm, Jiron says, “You better leave.”
Wrenching his arm out of Jiron’s grasp he says, “But I need your help! And I’m willing to pay!” He glances from one to the other and back again as they take in what he said.
To Jiron, James says, “Take him to the house, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
The man says, “Thank you,” as Jiron leads him over to the house.
He returns back inside to the shattered crystal, angry that it was destroyed. But at least he’s on the right track, it didn’t explode until that idiot disturbed him. It had been working!
Chapter Two
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He finds Jiron and the stranger sitting in the front room, Ezra having already given the man a small bite to eat and something to drink.
“…only hope he can help me,” the man says. When he sees James enter the room he quickly