Sorcerer's Shadow

I muttered a curse under my breath. Anatole now wielded both a crimson staff and a small rod or wand. The light emanated from the staff, and, as I made my entrance, I noticed him glance at me and then at the staff in my grasp; his eyes widened in surprise. Then he spotted the chain and his eyes widened further, and I could even see him mouthing an oath that I recognized and won't recount. He pointed the rod in my direction. I tumbled backwards as a cascade of blue...something surged towards me. I may have let out a yell. I threw my arms up to shield my face.

The golden chain was still clutched in my right hand. As I threw up my arms, it swung out in front of me and collided with the wave of blue, which instantly evaporated. The only sensation I felt was a slight tingling in my arm.

It all comes down to the wrist, you see.

By this point, I was sprawled flat on my back. I lifted my head just in time to see Drevolan stride towards Anatole, halt, curse aloud, and start gesturing with his left hand. Anatole's gaze was still fixed on me, which made me uneasy. Then he swiveled the staff to aim at me, which made me even more anxious.

I felt as if I'd been sucker-punched in the head and gut simultaneously, lying there on my back, waiting for him to make his move. Somehow, he was holding off Drevolan, who would have taken him down in that moment if he could, so the Wizard must have been using some form of magical shield against physical assaults.

"Any bright ideas, Opal?"

"I'm willing to bet he doesn't have a shield against Sorcery, boss."

"Sure. Just give me an hour or two to prepare a spell and—" No, hang on. Maybe it wasn't such a terrible suggestion after all. Sorcery is channeled psychic energy. Perhaps I could—

I sat up, setting the chain spinning in front of me in the hopes that it would fend off whatever Anatole had planned for me. I saw him clench his teeth and spin back to gesture with the rod at Drevolan, who let out a cry and crumbled against the distant wall.

I allowed my psychic energy to pour into a dagger I yanked out, and I think I murmured an incantation too. Then I dropped the chain and hurled the dagger. Anatole flailed his arms and something struck me, sending me sprawling backwards and my head smacking against the floor. I wondered who would get the worst of it. Maybe both of us.

I heard a scream from the direction I presumed to be the right one, and then Drevolan was hoisting me up. I recoiled from his sword, but he kept his hold on me. My left hand still clutched the chain.

"Get up, for crying out loud! He summoned reinforcements, and I've been fending them off for the last minute. We need to make our escape."

I managed to find my footing and saw Anatole. My knife was lodged in his stomach, and there was a large gash, presumably from a sword, across his chest, right above his heart. He appeared to be rather dead. Drevolan was clutching the white staff. Right about then, figures started to materialize all around us. Drevolan gestured with his free hand. The walls disappeared.

We were sprawled on hard stone. I recognized the spot where I first landed at Pardus Mountain. Drevolan slumped onto the floor. The staff rolled away. I threw up.

We found our way back to the library and settled into chairs. I reclined with closed eyes while Opal spent his time hissing at Drevolan and behaving rather skittishly. My legs felt shaky, but overall, I didn't feel too bad. Drevolan would throw occasional glances at Opal, appearing unsure of what to make of him. I found this mildly amusing.

Alyssra Volade joined us. She acknowledged each of us with a nod, glanced at Opal without comment on his presence, and took a seat. Her attendant, who introduced himself as Abbe, entered and then was dismissed. As he left to fetch refreshments, Opal's gaze was fixed on the Dark Lady of Pardus mountain.

"That her, boss? Alyssra Volade?"

"Yes. What's your impression?"

"Boss, she's a Sanguine." This essentially meant she was a kind of vampire.

"I suspected as much. But is she a benevolent vampire or a—"

"Have we ever crossed paths with her before?"

"Um, Opal, I think we would remember if we had."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

During this exchange, the lady in question extended her hand towards Drevolan. He handed her the staff. She scrutinized it for a moment and then declared, "Indeed, someone is trapped inside it." As she uttered these words, Abbe reentered the room. He shot a quick look at the staff before proceeding to serve us. I supposed that if he could overlook bodies, he could also ignore individuals trapped within Wizard's staffs.

Drevolan inquired, "Is it her?"

"I will let you know shortly."

She sat silently for a moment longer, her eyes shut. At one point, Abbe stepped up behind her with a cloth to dab at her forehead, which I hadn't noticed was damp with sweat.

He remained impassive throughout. Then Alyssra announced, "It has passed the tests. It is indeed her."

"Good," Drevolan acknowledged.

"I will then commence to work on it. Abbe, prepare the west tower."

As the attendant departed without responding or indicating acknowledgment, Drevolan inquired, "Should I summon the Necromancer?" I was unsure who Drevolan was referring to here, but I noted the significance of the capital letter.

"No," replied the Enchantress. "Perhaps later, if complications arise."

Drevolan nodded and asked, "How have things been around here?"

"Challenging." It was then I noticed she appeared slightly haggard and worn, as if she had recently endured some demanding ordeal. But that was none of my business.