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Authors: J. Daniel Layfield
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trailed down his arm, pooling onto the floor.
“Try again,” Jarel said once Roal’s screams had died down enough to be heard. Roal pushed the pain from his mind, and focused on the scale. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and envisioned the protective shell around his entire body. The scale grew warm against his skin, and there was a small smile on his face when he opened his eyes. He met Jarel’s eyes, saw the wand pointed and ready, and his smile faltered.
“Better,” Jarel admitted, then snapped his fingers again. Roal actually screamed before the other arm broke, but the crunch still ricocheted across the room. “Not good enough, though.”
Sweat and tears dripped from Roal’s face, mixing with the pool of blood at his feet. His breath came in ragged heaves, exhausted from screaming, and he fought to keep the black edges of his vision from encroaching any further. So far he was winning, but not by much. Jarel stepped closer.
“How about another try?” Jarel suggested. Roal tried forming words, but his voice refused to cooperate. He was reduced instead to shaking his head vigorously. “Oh, come now. Giving up so easily?” Jarel folded his hands in front of him, his head lowered in thought, as he paced slowly around Roal’s shaking body. “I was sure you just needed a little motivation, but perhaps I was wrong.” His eyes widened a bit, he snapped his fingers, and said, “I’ve got it!”
Roal’s entire body convulsed at the snap, and hoarse screams, little above a whisper, followed.
“I’m sorry, Roal,” Jarel said, patting Roal on the back. There was a gentle laugh as he explained, “I wasn’t thinking when I snapped my fingers. You’re all right,” he soothed. “No more broken bones, yet.” Roal settled somewhat and struggled to control his shaking.
“What I meant to say,” Jarel continued, “was that maybe it would help if you knew exactly what was coming.” He let his fingers drag across Roal’s body as he circled back around to face him. “That way you can focus all of your attention on one point, and then surely the scale will work.” Jarel stepped away from Roal and raised his wand into the air.
“It’s going to be your left leg this time. I’m going to completely shatter your femur, sending pieces of it flying in all directions.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Now that I think about it, I should probably back up a bit.” Jarel took several steps back as Roal began to shake his head again.
“P-Please, sire,” he managed to croak out. Jarel ignored him.
“Now concentrate,” Jarel said, wand ready. He closed his eyes and could feel Roal gathering his strength, focusing on the leg. Then he felt Roal draw on the scale, and the power pushed against him. It pulled at his own will, trying to drain it, to overwhelm him. It was much stronger than before. Still wrong though, and not good enough.
“That almost tickles,” he said, snapping his fingers a third time. Bits of bone and blood showered his robes, and he brushed idly at them, wishing he had moved back even a little further, as he strolled back to Roal.
Without the use of his arms, Roal’s head crashed against the stone floor as his body collapsed to the ground. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly, and blood seeped out from under his head. Jarel sneered down at Roal’s broken body, and snapped his fingers one last time, shattering his right leg. Roal responded with little more than a groan.
Jarel squatted down next to Roal, avoiding the pools of bodily fluids, and grabbed Roal’s chin. His eyes were half-closed, and rolling up to reveal the whites. Jarel shook Roal’s head vigorously.
“Don’t you pass out,” he commanded. “This part is important.” His eyes stopped rolling, fixing on Jarel’s face. His mouth tried to move, but Jarel squeezed harder on Roal’s jaw and through his own clenched teeth said, “Now is the time to listen.” Roal blinked and moaned. Jarel leaned in close.
“Try again,” Jarel said once Roal’s screams had died down enough to be heard. Roal pushed the pain from his mind, and focused on the scale. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and envisioned the protective shell around his entire body. The scale grew warm against his skin, and there was a small smile on his face when he opened his eyes. He met Jarel’s eyes, saw the wand pointed and ready, and his smile faltered.
“Better,” Jarel admitted, then snapped his fingers again. Roal actually screamed before the other arm broke, but the crunch still ricocheted across the room. “Not good enough, though.”
Sweat and tears dripped from Roal’s face, mixing with the pool of blood at his feet. His breath came in ragged heaves, exhausted from screaming, and he fought to keep the black edges of his vision from encroaching any further. So far he was winning, but not by much. Jarel stepped closer.
“How about another try?” Jarel suggested. Roal tried forming words, but his voice refused to cooperate. He was reduced instead to shaking his head vigorously. “Oh, come now. Giving up so easily?” Jarel folded his hands in front of him, his head lowered in thought, as he paced slowly around Roal’s shaking body. “I was sure you just needed a little motivation, but perhaps I was wrong.” His eyes widened a bit, he snapped his fingers, and said, “I’ve got it!”
Roal’s entire body convulsed at the snap, and hoarse screams, little above a whisper, followed.
“I’m sorry, Roal,” Jarel said, patting Roal on the back. There was a gentle laugh as he explained, “I wasn’t thinking when I snapped my fingers. You’re all right,” he soothed. “No more broken bones, yet.” Roal settled somewhat and struggled to control his shaking.
“What I meant to say,” Jarel continued, “was that maybe it would help if you knew exactly what was coming.” He let his fingers drag across Roal’s body as he circled back around to face him. “That way you can focus all of your attention on one point, and then surely the scale will work.” Jarel stepped away from Roal and raised his wand into the air.
“It’s going to be your left leg this time. I’m going to completely shatter your femur, sending pieces of it flying in all directions.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Now that I think about it, I should probably back up a bit.” Jarel took several steps back as Roal began to shake his head again.
“P-Please, sire,” he managed to croak out. Jarel ignored him.
“Now concentrate,” Jarel said, wand ready. He closed his eyes and could feel Roal gathering his strength, focusing on the leg. Then he felt Roal draw on the scale, and the power pushed against him. It pulled at his own will, trying to drain it, to overwhelm him. It was much stronger than before. Still wrong though, and not good enough.
“That almost tickles,” he said, snapping his fingers a third time. Bits of bone and blood showered his robes, and he brushed idly at them, wishing he had moved back even a little further, as he strolled back to Roal.
Without the use of his arms, Roal’s head crashed against the stone floor as his body collapsed to the ground. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly, and blood seeped out from under his head. Jarel sneered down at Roal’s broken body, and snapped his fingers one last time, shattering his right leg. Roal responded with little more than a groan.
Jarel squatted down next to Roal, avoiding the pools of bodily fluids, and grabbed Roal’s chin. His eyes were half-closed, and rolling up to reveal the whites. Jarel shook Roal’s head vigorously.
“Don’t you pass out,” he commanded. “This part is important.” His eyes stopped rolling, fixing on Jarel’s face. His mouth tried to move, but Jarel squeezed harder on Roal’s jaw and through his own clenched teeth said, “Now is the time to listen.” Roal blinked and moaned. Jarel leaned in close.
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