a small ceramic ball fly from the doorway. It struck against the opposite wall with a blinding flash of light. Yaol screamed, recognizing his own work too late to shield his eyes. Brilliant, colorful spots haunted his gaze even with his eyes closed. He squinted and winced, trying to focus.
As soon as he saw her silhouette move through the doorway, he struck. A great snake of lightning flashed from his hands, leaping forward and striking at his foe.
All he caught with his spell was the cloak he’d carried from the dining room, which floated across the stairway landing under a simple cantrip. It suffered terribly under the wrath of Yaol’s electric snake, falling lifelessly to the floor as the lightning faded. Then more guards arrived at his side. One reached out to grab Yaol’s shoulder, helping him to his feet. Two others pressed forward, squeezing around him on the wide staircase.
Amanda stepped out from the doorway. Bright green liquid, conjured from thin air, streamed from her hand at Yaol, striking him dead in the chest. The protective enchantment of his robes could not withstand the acid that drenched him. It splattered all around when it struck, catching his saviors in turn. All in the stairway shrieked in pain under the liquid assault.
He fought to strip off the remains of his robes, to get to his feet, to flee. Yaol’s ruined body moved with such torturous pain that it quickly gr ew numb. Dying on his feet as acid ate away at what flesh hadn’t been burned by flame, Yaol saw his would-be saviors collapse around him. The girl he’d thought only a meek slave stepped through the bodies.
“You’re not an all-powerful wizard,” she said. “You’re not even a bully. You’re just a sack of experience points.”
Yaol tried to ask her what that meant, but his ruined lips couldn’t manage it. The last thing he ever saw was her fist as it came straight at his nose. He saw a flash of red, and felt a falling sensation, and then his pain and his dreams of power ended.
***
The door to Bel-Danab’s throne room flew from its hinges under a thunderous shockwave. The last of the guards tumbled through the air with it. Amanda strode in after them, not waiting for the dust to clear. The only two occupants within the room cowered behind the throne itself, wanting no part of any battle with her.
Amanda hardly even looked at Bel-Danab’s concubines as she passed. She spared them a single film reference while crossing the chamber toward the other door: “Bitches, leave .”
They hastened for the demolished exit, looking ba ck in fear at the girl they had discounted as a waste of space little more than a month ago. Amanda continued on her way, moving to the second staircase and then on up to the rooftop.
Warm summer winds blew all around the tower, whipping through her hair as she walked toward the great bowl. An ordinary-looking backpack hung from one of her shoulders, while a hefty pouch sat on one hip. Both held far more treasures than any ordinary bag of similar volume could contain.
Amanda looked into the waters of the bowl, seeing only the reflection of her own face and the stars above. “Are you there? Can you hear me?”
Silence reigned. Amanda took in a deep breath, looking out at the night sky and then back to the bowl. “I don’t have the power to call to you like Bel-Danab did,” she said. “You know that. I don’t even know who you are. But if you can hear me, I’m going to end this. At least for you. As best I can. I don’t know if I’ll have another opportunity.”
The waters rippled. “You have struck back,” observed the voice.
Amanda swallowed hard. She really didn’t know who or what she was talking to. From all she had read, though, chances were good that it wasn’t entirely benevolent. All along, she understood that the entity only really helped her for the chance to harm Bel-Danab. Yet help her it had, and she could certainly sympathize with its stated goals.
“I
As soon as he saw her silhouette move through the doorway, he struck. A great snake of lightning flashed from his hands, leaping forward and striking at his foe.
All he caught with his spell was the cloak he’d carried from the dining room, which floated across the stairway landing under a simple cantrip. It suffered terribly under the wrath of Yaol’s electric snake, falling lifelessly to the floor as the lightning faded. Then more guards arrived at his side. One reached out to grab Yaol’s shoulder, helping him to his feet. Two others pressed forward, squeezing around him on the wide staircase.
Amanda stepped out from the doorway. Bright green liquid, conjured from thin air, streamed from her hand at Yaol, striking him dead in the chest. The protective enchantment of his robes could not withstand the acid that drenched him. It splattered all around when it struck, catching his saviors in turn. All in the stairway shrieked in pain under the liquid assault.
He fought to strip off the remains of his robes, to get to his feet, to flee. Yaol’s ruined body moved with such torturous pain that it quickly gr ew numb. Dying on his feet as acid ate away at what flesh hadn’t been burned by flame, Yaol saw his would-be saviors collapse around him. The girl he’d thought only a meek slave stepped through the bodies.
“You’re not an all-powerful wizard,” she said. “You’re not even a bully. You’re just a sack of experience points.”
Yaol tried to ask her what that meant, but his ruined lips couldn’t manage it. The last thing he ever saw was her fist as it came straight at his nose. He saw a flash of red, and felt a falling sensation, and then his pain and his dreams of power ended.
***
The door to Bel-Danab’s throne room flew from its hinges under a thunderous shockwave. The last of the guards tumbled through the air with it. Amanda strode in after them, not waiting for the dust to clear. The only two occupants within the room cowered behind the throne itself, wanting no part of any battle with her.
Amanda hardly even looked at Bel-Danab’s concubines as she passed. She spared them a single film reference while crossing the chamber toward the other door: “Bitches, leave .”
They hastened for the demolished exit, looking ba ck in fear at the girl they had discounted as a waste of space little more than a month ago. Amanda continued on her way, moving to the second staircase and then on up to the rooftop.
Warm summer winds blew all around the tower, whipping through her hair as she walked toward the great bowl. An ordinary-looking backpack hung from one of her shoulders, while a hefty pouch sat on one hip. Both held far more treasures than any ordinary bag of similar volume could contain.
Amanda looked into the waters of the bowl, seeing only the reflection of her own face and the stars above. “Are you there? Can you hear me?”
Silence reigned. Amanda took in a deep breath, looking out at the night sky and then back to the bowl. “I don’t have the power to call to you like Bel-Danab did,” she said. “You know that. I don’t even know who you are. But if you can hear me, I’m going to end this. At least for you. As best I can. I don’t know if I’ll have another opportunity.”
The waters rippled. “You have struck back,” observed the voice.
Amanda swallowed hard. She really didn’t know who or what she was talking to. From all she had read, though, chances were good that it wasn’t entirely benevolent. All along, she understood that the entity only really helped her for the chance to harm Bel-Danab. Yet help her it had, and she could certainly sympathize with its stated goals.
“I
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