~ Chapter Nineteen ~
The Battle of the Gifted
Alanna's nerves quivered. Her feet and hands tingled. She just stood there, frozen. For the first time in her life, Alanna was scared and didn't know what to do.
Roger's thin lips curled as he smiled a wicked smile. "What's the matter?" he asked scornfully. "Afraid?"
Alanna was afraid, but she would never admit that to Roger. "What's to be afraid of?" she snapped, her voice icy.
"Oh, harsh tongue Mistress Alanna," he commented. "You might want to have it looked at." It seemed no matter what insults Alanna threw at him, he would not get angry. It seemed to amuse him that she was getting worked up.
"Listen to me," she told him. "You are evil; pure and vile, and I intend to put a stop to that."
He laughed out loud. "I'm sorry – did I offend you?" he asked, wiping tears of laughter from his face. Alanna's anger simply mounted, but she tried not it show it on her face. Little did Roger know that she was building up a mound of her Gift, to throw it at him when he least expected it.
Roger's face turned hard. "I am getting sick of this dawdle. If you intend to fight me, go ahead. If not, I will end this folly and dispose of you."
Delia, whom Alanna had forgotten, sneered, "You won't last long. I think you'd do better just to surrender."
"When I wanted an opinion from a slut, I'd ask for it," Alanna told her. Delia turned a beet red, evil-ed Alanna and put her nose up in the air. (A/N – ok I know it's an inappropriate time for an author's note but I must say – hehehe one point for Alanna!)
Alanna looked at Roger. He seemed distracted, she thought. If I just use a little of my reserve and then hit him harder when he's weak…
Alanna's purple Gift flew from her hand in a swift and powerful move. Roger, at the last second, put his hands up and threw a defensive wall up.
Alanna gasped. Roger snarled. "You didn't really think I couldn't see that coming, did you?" he asked. "I'm only the strongest sorcerer in the world."
Alanna gaped, then shut her mouth and cursed her own folly. She would have to be careful with this man. Very careful.
"You're to big for your breeches," she said to him. "Don't be silly. You think I would waste my Gift? I knew you knew what was coming, and I knew you would defend yourself against it," she bluffed.
Roger's glare increased. He didn't know whether or not to believe her. It was possible she was bluffing, but it is also possible that she was telling the truth. "What does that gain you?" he asked.
This time it was Alanna who laughed. "What kind of warrior would I be if I told all foes the plot?" she asked him.
Roger frowned slightly. This lady was getting on his nerves. Alanna sensed he was annoyed and thought that he'd blast her, and soon. She looked for signs that the body gave away naturally before the attack. There –! That muscle movement. He was going to attack… NOW!!
Alanna threw up her last reserve of her Gift; the exact millisecond Roger threw his attack at her. Purple and orange magic blasted against one another, crashing in an explosion of light. (You know, typical good VS evil sorcery fight).
Alanna's Gift reserve was puny compared to Roger's Gift. He hadn't been drained or weakened. She had.
The light from their Gifts filled the room. Delia squealed. She'd never seen anything like it, and she didn't want to see anything ever again.
Alanna's blast over-grew Roger's a bit, then Roger bit back, but Alanna's beam grew longer again. Roger's blast pushed Alanna's back. Alanna shoved with her Gift, forcing her beam to over-power Roger's but it was no use. Orange fire grew closer, and closer, and closer…
"Alanna!"
Alanna whipped her head round, her face red and heavily sweating. Jacob stood there, along with the other men that had been sick when Alanna had been. Other village-dressed people were with them, men and women alike.
"Help." Her whisper was barely audible.
Jacob ran to her and placed his hands on with hers, and allowed his Gift to flow through her beam, adding energy. Everyone placed a hand on the pair's, until the whole light beam was multi-coloured of all the people's Gifts.
Roger's eyes widened. "No!" he screamed. "This can't be!" he forced and forced, but he was one man against many. "No!"
The multi-coloured beam grew and grew, until there was but a sliver of orange magic (I hope you all know what I mean I just have this image in my mind – I hope you can all picture it too!)
"Ahh!" he screamed. "No!" With a last blast, the remaining orange sliver disappeared and the blast hit Roger. He screamed a blood-curling scream loud enough to wake the dead, and then he was gone.
Alanna was the first to faint. Then the rest of the Gifted soon followed.
~*~
The Battle of the Gifted
Alanna's nerves quivered. Her feet and hands tingled. She just stood there, frozen. For the first time in her life, Alanna was scared and didn't know what to do.
Roger's thin lips curled as he smiled a wicked smile. "What's the matter?" he asked scornfully. "Afraid?"
Alanna was afraid, but she would never admit that to Roger. "What's to be afraid of?" she snapped, her voice icy.
"Oh, harsh tongue Mistress Alanna," he commented. "You might want to have it looked at." It seemed no matter what insults Alanna threw at him, he would not get angry. It seemed to amuse him that she was getting worked up.
"Listen to me," she told him. "You are evil; pure and vile, and I intend to put a stop to that."
He laughed out loud. "I'm sorry – did I offend you?" he asked, wiping tears of laughter from his face. Alanna's anger simply mounted, but she tried not it show it on her face. Little did Roger know that she was building up a mound of her Gift, to throw it at him when he least expected it.
Roger's face turned hard. "I am getting sick of this dawdle. If you intend to fight me, go ahead. If not, I will end this folly and dispose of you."
Delia, whom Alanna had forgotten, sneered, "You won't last long. I think you'd do better just to surrender."
"When I wanted an opinion from a slut, I'd ask for it," Alanna told her. Delia turned a beet red, evil-ed Alanna and put her nose up in the air. (A/N – ok I know it's an inappropriate time for an author's note but I must say – hehehe one point for Alanna!)
Alanna looked at Roger. He seemed distracted, she thought. If I just use a little of my reserve and then hit him harder when he's weak…
Alanna's purple Gift flew from her hand in a swift and powerful move. Roger, at the last second, put his hands up and threw a defensive wall up.
Alanna gasped. Roger snarled. "You didn't really think I couldn't see that coming, did you?" he asked. "I'm only the strongest sorcerer in the world."
Alanna gaped, then shut her mouth and cursed her own folly. She would have to be careful with this man. Very careful.
"You're to big for your breeches," she said to him. "Don't be silly. You think I would waste my Gift? I knew you knew what was coming, and I knew you would defend yourself against it," she bluffed.
Roger's glare increased. He didn't know whether or not to believe her. It was possible she was bluffing, but it is also possible that she was telling the truth. "What does that gain you?" he asked.
This time it was Alanna who laughed. "What kind of warrior would I be if I told all foes the plot?" she asked him.
Roger frowned slightly. This lady was getting on his nerves. Alanna sensed he was annoyed and thought that he'd blast her, and soon. She looked for signs that the body gave away naturally before the attack. There –! That muscle movement. He was going to attack… NOW!!
Alanna threw up her last reserve of her Gift; the exact millisecond Roger threw his attack at her. Purple and orange magic blasted against one another, crashing in an explosion of light. (You know, typical good VS evil sorcery fight).
Alanna's Gift reserve was puny compared to Roger's Gift. He hadn't been drained or weakened. She had.
The light from their Gifts filled the room. Delia squealed. She'd never seen anything like it, and she didn't want to see anything ever again.
Alanna's blast over-grew Roger's a bit, then Roger bit back, but Alanna's beam grew longer again. Roger's blast pushed Alanna's back. Alanna shoved with her Gift, forcing her beam to over-power Roger's but it was no use. Orange fire grew closer, and closer, and closer…
"Alanna!"
Alanna whipped her head round, her face red and heavily sweating. Jacob stood there, along with the other men that had been sick when Alanna had been. Other village-dressed people were with them, men and women alike.
"Help." Her whisper was barely audible.
Jacob ran to her and placed his hands on with hers, and allowed his Gift to flow through her beam, adding energy. Everyone placed a hand on the pair's, until the whole light beam was multi-coloured of all the people's Gifts.
Roger's eyes widened. "No!" he screamed. "This can't be!" he forced and forced, but he was one man against many. "No!"
The multi-coloured beam grew and grew, until there was but a sliver of orange magic (I hope you all know what I mean I just have this image in my mind – I hope you can all picture it too!)
"Ahh!" he screamed. "No!" With a last blast, the remaining orange sliver disappeared and the blast hit Roger. He screamed a blood-curling scream loud enough to wake the dead, and then he was gone.
Alanna was the first to faint. Then the rest of the Gifted soon followed.
~*~