Leurocian eyes the battlefield. All around him, hundreds of sorcerers and witches lie desecrated
by the Art of Magic. The rancid smell of their burning flesh envelops the area. No one else appears to
have survived the war for the Art of Magic has defiled the land and its inhabitants beyond recognition.
Out of a billowing cloud of searing black smoke approaches Malifnae, the reigning Queen of the
Witches. Barely harmed by the battle, Malifnae still appears malevolently beautiful. She dons red and
black swirling skirts that come down to her ankles; they clothe her lithe and supple body. Malifnae
wears long gold loop earrings and a green kerchief over her head. Her hair is raven black and blows
wildly in the wind.
"You will die, Leurocian!" Malifnae yells in rage; her fiery eyes blaze in anger.
"You will pay for killing my mother and my sisters!" Malifnae slowly closes in stalking him with
feline ferocity.
About twenty feet away from him, Malifnae speaks again.
"Consider this."
Without warning, a black crackling bolt of energy erupts from her fingertips and speeds toward
Leurocian. The cunning sorcerer leaps over the bolt and transforms himself into a giant ball of molten
lava. Spinning rapidly through the air, the ball races toward Malifnae. Nonchalantly, she teleports and
reappears where Leurocian was once standing. The ball reforms into Leurocian, and instantly afterward
he lands with a back flip. Eyeing Malifnae with determination, he momentarily keeps her in check.
"Nice trick." Malifnae scowls as she begins weaving yet another incantation. This time,
Leurocian's spell goes off first and a blue shimmering sphere envelops him. Seconds later, a similar
sphere envelops Malifnae. Pausing momentarily, they realize that The Duel of Reflecting Death is
about to begin. For several moments, crackling bolts of electricity and scorching balls of fire
perpetually strike each sphere and rebound to the next. After a total of forty destructive spells (most
of them collide with each other and harmlessly explode or dissipate), Malifnae emits a blood curdling
howl. Ghost-like wind surrounds Leurocian and seems to penetrate his sphere. Suddenly, his sphere
explodes and several damaging spells smite him. A thunderous boom erupts from the explosion and
echoes for miles. The blast blows him back nearly a hundred feet! The flux of power appears to have
mortally wounded Leurocian as he now lies lifelessly on a pile of defiled ash. Smiling with devilish
cruelty, Malifnae approaches Leurocian, kneels before him, and whispers in his ear.
"Such pity. It appears that you were not the mighty sorcerer that I thought you were." Malifnae
says while eyeing Leurocian's lifeless body.
"I see that you have learned our witch magic. Spell Thief! Well, you have paid for this atrocity
and for killing my family. It was fun." Malifnae laughs ominously as she gets up and struts away.
A moment later, Leurocian's eyes open. His face dons a pale look of death. Instantly, he springs
up from the ground like a martial artist ready to spar and gestures gregariously toward Malifnae. All
the spells that appeared to had mortally wounded him in the previous round are redirected and
lambaste Malifnae! Consequently, they annihilate Malifnae in a spectacular explosion. Nothing
remains of Malifnae except her haunting voice echoing in his mind.
"Good move. We will meet again."
Leurocian responded only in silence. He knew she was telling the truth.
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