"Maintain the flow, Merlin. How can you expect to assay the Logrus if you can't even keep a piddling little shadow gate open for more than a few moments?"
It felt more like it had been a few hours. The exercise had sounded like simplicity itself to begin with; design and edit a spell to open a link to a source of magical energy in Shadow, then direct that flow to fulfill a few simple sorcerous tasks.
Suhuy hadn't mentioned that those simple tasks would include levitating first myself, then a sizable boulder. And then another boulder. Then directing a stream of energy to incinerate a nearby tangletree. Then erecting a shield around myself while he fired crossbow bolts at me. And so on. At least I had tapped a rich vein of energy, so it was no problem fueling these simple effects (simple on their own, that is). I'd even diverted a portion of the flow to refuel my bodily reserves, so physical fatigue was not so much of a problem, once I realized the torture was going to continue for a while. But I was finding it hard to see as sweat trickled into my eyes, and I was already starting to feel a throbbing headache develop.
"I'm trying", I said from between gritted teeth.
"There is no try! There is only do," cackled Suhuy from wrinkled lips, "or not do!", as he simultaneously fired a quarrel at my crotch and cut at my connection with an invisible tendril of force.
I don't know where he came up with the form he was wearing that day- green, wizened, and as ugly as sin (of course, I may have been biased at the time). In any case, I felt my connection to the shadow magic weakening, especially the part that was fueling my shield. In what I'd like to think was a lightning stroke of brilliance (but was probably just as much sheer panic), I cut the flow to my body entirely, and dropped unceremoniously on my posterior. At least I fell out of his line of fire.
"Giving up, are you boy?" Without a word, I reached out for the dwindling shadow rift, and lifted myself back into the air.
"Not on your life, Grandpa," I started to say, but before the insolent words could even leave my mouth, I had to raise my shields again as Suhuy surrounded me with a flight of razorbats. So this is how it's going to be...
| Tuesday, September 30, 1997 |
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