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e are fortunate to have you here," says the commander gravely. "Since First and Second Blackrock, we have had fewer mage-physicians than we would like, even here in Tenu." Once Takashi feels at ease he opens his eyes again, and searches Kitfor any residues of mana, which a powerful enchantment might haveleft behind. Almost immediately, he feels the slow assault of deaths without end, of moonless nights, of blood trickling ever slower and slower until it stops dead in the heart. Not a spell, but a thing born of magic older than myth, a hunger older than sleep. Takashi shivers at the feeling, almost loosing his concentration. In the short moment when his concentration is on the verge of breaking pictures of all the horrible events, that a spell gone awry might cause, pass Takashi's mental eye. Then it is over and Takashi is still in control of his abilities. Silently he thanks his former master for all the lessons on discipline that he received during his training. A shadow rises from Kit's unconscious form, standing in her shape for a moment. It says in a low, husky voice--Kit's own voice, which they recognize from her delirious mutterings--"A promise made, a woken shade. The bargain was yours, not ours." "Gods," says Aris, and raises his voice, shouting for the guards. At the sight of the wraith Takashi quickly checks for his weapons and with a silent curse realizes that he has left his staff at his room and is only carrying a small dagger. Of course--no one would normally carry weapons into an infirmary. Even the Qenaren, who rarely part with their two jenachen daggers, surrender these to the physicians (sometimes involuntarily, after sedation). And then it lifts its hands and summons from the air a winter crane with wings of snow and eyes of ice, which beats its wings and launches toward Takashi and Frenil. Frenil freezes as soon as he sees the wraith, and reaches for his blades. Frenil realizes that his swords are back in his erstwhile quarters...an error he would never have committed if it hadn't been for the urging of the healers. As the bird's beating wings send splinters of ice into his lungs, he gropes desperately and finds at hand a stoppered, half-full glass beaker. Whatever is in it--doesn't matter. A weapon is a weapon, and medicines, or water or wine or whatever it is, can be replaced. Aris swears once, then takes a knife from his belt--an eating-knife, Frenil notes--and moves to block the wraith's escape, should it try to leave this area of the infirmary. "Damn spellsworn are never around when you need them," he mutters. [GM's note: This may seem rather Machiavellian--leaving a convalescent and a physician to deal directly with a wraith. Possibly Frenil sees the reason in it: if the wraith isn't contained, it may go through the Stronghold killing considerably more unprepared people than Takashi and "Hrenil." I suspect Takashi himself is a bit too preoccupied to notice.] Takashi swiftly considers his options. He thinks that he could draw his dagger and attack the wraith, but a quick glance at the puny weapon is enough to convince him of the futility of such a course. Takashi's thoughts race as he considers further options, but there are none, he realizes. Neither with spells nor through physical means can he hope to defeat this enemy. Suddenly a thought occurs to him. With a look of grim determination Takashi decides to take a gamble. Again Takashi closes his eyes for a second and when he reopens them he extends his senses to the realm of magic, slowly reaching out toward the crane. His eyes search for the weaves of magical energy, that are used to create magical spell effects. He hopes to find such weaves around the crane so that he might unravel them and send the bird to oblivion.
Back: Frenil & Takashi's Prologue 2
Crane image provided by Nekochan's Graphics.
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