Read Online Soulguard by Christopher Woods - Free Book Online Page A

shielded target dummies.
                  Gregor noticed where I was looking and chuckled, “You’ll learn about fireballs soon enough. Today we’re going to check this shield of yours and our weapon trainer will assess your weapon skills.”
                  I followed Gregor across the open area toward an empty section, noticing several more guards coming inside.
                  “Jaegher’s kid...new mage...a Wraith, don’t believe..." I could hear voices in the distance. They were unaware I could hear them.
                  “First, I need to see a personal shield,” Gregor began, “Raise one and I will inspect it.”
                  I opened the portal on my privacy shield and it shimmered with power.
                  Gregor looked closely at it and looked puzzled, “If you look very closely, you can just see the shield around a person. It takes a bit of concentration but I can see it. Why does it not cover your palms?”
                  “To hold my swords and still use Soulfire in them,” I answered.
                  He smiled, “If you were a Guard that would be a good idea, but a Mage can channel power without touching the sword. You can fill the shield in across the hand and still use Soulfire.”
                  I nodded.
                  “Can you shield something while you stay outside of your shield?”
                  “I can try.”
                  We approached an unshielded Target dummy. “Put a shield around the dummy and step as far back as you can and still hold it.”
                  I built a shield from my stream about two feet around the dummy and anchored it into the earth. When it was done I backed up to where Gregor stood, about twenty feet from the dummy.
                  “You can hold it this far away?” Gregor asked.
                  “I think so, maybe farther. I haven’t ever really tried to shield something with me on the outside.”
                  “Back up until it falters and we’ll see how far away you can get,” He motioned back the way we came.
                  We walked fifty feet from the dummy before the shield began to dim a little.
                  “It dimmed a little, just now.”
                  “Ok, I’m going to shoot a fireball at it and see how strong it is from this distance.”
                  I watched as he formed a shield between his hands and Pulled from the Source. The power glowed as it flowed up his stream, but before it reached his body it formed a tendril to the shield and Soulfire began rolling within it. When the power level reached a certain point the far end of the shield ruptured and the fireball shot forward to slam into my shield.
                  All of this took place in just a few seconds, and when the fireball hit my shields, I jerked. I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. But my shield held.
                  “Sorry about that, I can see you felt that one,” he put his hand on my shoulder, “It hurts less the closer you are to the shield.”
                  “Most Masters can’t make a shield like that, so I would say your shields are quite impressive. Shields are stronger as well when you are inside so that all the power radiates the same amount outward on all sides.” He laughed, “But I really didn’t want to shoot fireballs at you on your first day here.”
                  “The biggest thing I can see that will need work is speed. And it won’t hurt to learn how to make a conventional shield as well. I can see uses for both when dealing with Demons.”
                  I actually agreed on that subject. I’d seen him make a shield around us at home, and it had been almost instant. Much faster than weaving one from my