lifetime.’
The Cracker rounded on the princeling.
‘A dead sword o’ light ain't worth all that much,’ said the Cracker, flexing his gloved hand threateningly. ‘And you'd better watch your mouth or I'll shut it for you.’
‘The sword is not dead,’ said the princeling. ‘It just needs …’
His voice trailed off.
‘Fine,’ said the Cracker. ‘Then I'll be takin’ it to the Fat Man and getting all that coinage.’ He turned back to Tark and Zyra. ‘But first, I needs to be getting rid of these two.’
The Cracker punched the air in front of him and a bolt of energy sizzled towards Zyra. She jumped, rolled and sprang back to her feet with the ease of someone sitting down to tea. Meanwhile, Tark dashed for the nearest door and hid behind it.
‘Stands still my pretty bint,’ said the Cracker, all his attention focused on Zyra.
In response, Zyra flung two of her throwing stars at him.
As she did so, Tark slipped out from behind the door and raced to the next, working his way around to the Cracker.
The Cracker held up his gloved hand, palm out. The stars disintegrated in a crackle of energy.
‘Nice try,’ he said. ‘My turn.’
He pulled back his gloved fist, ready to punch another energy bolt at Zyra. Zyra cartwheeled across the whiteness, a spinning streak of red, and flung herself behind one of the doors.
The Cracker threw another energy bolt. It exploded on the door Zyra was hiding behind, but with no visible effect.
Princeling Galbrath watched as Tark slipped out from behind his current door and edged towards the former mage's robes and wand. The princeling dug in his pocket and pulled out the toad.
‘You may yet be of use to me,’ he whispered.
‘Croak,’ answered the toad.
The Cracker was about to shoot off another bolt at Zyra, when he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. He whirled around and hurled a bolt at Tark instead.
Tark dived for the wand and the energy sizzled past him. He grabbed the wand and staggered to his feet as the Cracker took aim again.
The princeling also took aim and threw the toad. The former mage landed on the Cracker's head with a wet plop, distracting him from Tark. As the toad slapped a webbed foot into the Cracker's eye, the Cracker grabbed him and held him aloft, ready to dash him against the nearest door.
But Tark now had the wand, and although he had no idea how to use it, he raised it high and flicked it in the direction of the Cracker. Sparks shot from the wand and hit the toad. With a croak and a puff of purple smoke, the toad turned back into the mage and flattened the surprised Cracker.
As the smoke cleared, Tark, Zyra and Princeling Galbrath approached. The Cracker lay unconscious in a crumpled heap, the naked mage, also unconscious, beside him.
‘Now there's a sight I hope I never have the misfortune to see again,’ said the princeling. ‘For the sake of the Designers, someone cover him up!’
Zyra shuddered her agreement.
Tark scooped up the mage's purple robes and threw them down over the former toad.
‘Me thanks to ya,’ said Tark to the princeling. ‘But the sword's still mine.’
The princeling eyed Tark and then sprinted for the sword. Tark flicked the wand again. It fizzled, but did little else. He dropped it and gave chase.
The princeling dived for the discarded sword o’ light. His hand closed around the hilt as Tark landed on top of him, bringing his elbow down hard on the princeling's arm. The princeling shrieked and let go of the sword. But he also bucked and threw Tark from his back. Scrambling to his feet, the princeling made for the sword again. It was almost in his grasp, when a sizzling bolt of energy burst right next to him. He looked up to see Zyra, wearing the Cracker's energy glove and a self-satisfied grin.
‘Gives it up, snotling! The only reason ya ain't dead already is ’cause yar toad-flinging saved Tark.’
Princeling Galbrath snarled, then hung his head in defeat.
‘Rights,’ said Tark,
The Cracker rounded on the princeling.
‘A dead sword o’ light ain't worth all that much,’ said the Cracker, flexing his gloved hand threateningly. ‘And you'd better watch your mouth or I'll shut it for you.’
‘The sword is not dead,’ said the princeling. ‘It just needs …’
His voice trailed off.
‘Fine,’ said the Cracker. ‘Then I'll be takin’ it to the Fat Man and getting all that coinage.’ He turned back to Tark and Zyra. ‘But first, I needs to be getting rid of these two.’
The Cracker punched the air in front of him and a bolt of energy sizzled towards Zyra. She jumped, rolled and sprang back to her feet with the ease of someone sitting down to tea. Meanwhile, Tark dashed for the nearest door and hid behind it.
‘Stands still my pretty bint,’ said the Cracker, all his attention focused on Zyra.
In response, Zyra flung two of her throwing stars at him.
As she did so, Tark slipped out from behind the door and raced to the next, working his way around to the Cracker.
The Cracker held up his gloved hand, palm out. The stars disintegrated in a crackle of energy.
‘Nice try,’ he said. ‘My turn.’
He pulled back his gloved fist, ready to punch another energy bolt at Zyra. Zyra cartwheeled across the whiteness, a spinning streak of red, and flung herself behind one of the doors.
The Cracker threw another energy bolt. It exploded on the door Zyra was hiding behind, but with no visible effect.
Princeling Galbrath watched as Tark slipped out from behind his current door and edged towards the former mage's robes and wand. The princeling dug in his pocket and pulled out the toad.
‘You may yet be of use to me,’ he whispered.
‘Croak,’ answered the toad.
The Cracker was about to shoot off another bolt at Zyra, when he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. He whirled around and hurled a bolt at Tark instead.
Tark dived for the wand and the energy sizzled past him. He grabbed the wand and staggered to his feet as the Cracker took aim again.
The princeling also took aim and threw the toad. The former mage landed on the Cracker's head with a wet plop, distracting him from Tark. As the toad slapped a webbed foot into the Cracker's eye, the Cracker grabbed him and held him aloft, ready to dash him against the nearest door.
But Tark now had the wand, and although he had no idea how to use it, he raised it high and flicked it in the direction of the Cracker. Sparks shot from the wand and hit the toad. With a croak and a puff of purple smoke, the toad turned back into the mage and flattened the surprised Cracker.
As the smoke cleared, Tark, Zyra and Princeling Galbrath approached. The Cracker lay unconscious in a crumpled heap, the naked mage, also unconscious, beside him.
‘Now there's a sight I hope I never have the misfortune to see again,’ said the princeling. ‘For the sake of the Designers, someone cover him up!’
Zyra shuddered her agreement.
Tark scooped up the mage's purple robes and threw them down over the former toad.
‘Me thanks to ya,’ said Tark to the princeling. ‘But the sword's still mine.’
The princeling eyed Tark and then sprinted for the sword. Tark flicked the wand again. It fizzled, but did little else. He dropped it and gave chase.
The princeling dived for the discarded sword o’ light. His hand closed around the hilt as Tark landed on top of him, bringing his elbow down hard on the princeling's arm. The princeling shrieked and let go of the sword. But he also bucked and threw Tark from his back. Scrambling to his feet, the princeling made for the sword again. It was almost in his grasp, when a sizzling bolt of energy burst right next to him. He looked up to see Zyra, wearing the Cracker's energy glove and a self-satisfied grin.
‘Gives it up, snotling! The only reason ya ain't dead already is ’cause yar toad-flinging saved Tark.’
Princeling Galbrath snarled, then hung his head in defeat.
‘Rights,’ said Tark,
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