Jessi: I do not own Forgotten Realms... Thank you to Gwen6 for providing me
with a fight scene even with a flu-ridden muse. ^_^ (*waves*)
Asgwrn shrieked as bolts of pain raced through him, yet even as he screamed he gave thanks that the lich in his arrogance had decided to torture him rather than kill him. Somehow managing to move his fingers, the archmage gasped out a spell, and energy washed towards Masw.
The lich-king crumpled to the floor, stunned for a moment, and Asgwrn, as calmly as he could, reached down to pick up his own staff. He leaned on it for a moment, and drew in a deep breath, before looking at his old teacher.
Masw laughed, his voice cold,
"You have learned much since I last faced you."
Asgwrn didn't answer. He had travelled far since he and Yami had killed this creature, and had learned many things. He had forgotten about that crown, but he would not do so again. He watched as Masw unleashed what must have been an offensive contingency.
A red flare of fire tumbled towards Asgwrn, who smiled, and with his elven dexterity, moved out of the way. Knowing that the one way to give him an edge was to surprise his old teacher, Asgwrn whispered a spell, and felt his muscles invigorated with strength. Before Masw could respond, Asgwrn thrust his staff into his ribcage, and saw Masw writhe in fury, obviously annoyed that his student could surprise him so.
But the elven archmage just stared directly into the eyes of the lich, and stated calmly a command word. Instantly, lightning writhed through Masw, and he shrieked, his robes burning as he stumbled backwards.
Asgwrn nodded, and then flicked his hand once. Light sprang upwards, and with a hiss, the lich-king took further steps back, repelled by the pure positive energy in Asgwrn's hands.
"You see, teacher, duelling is one part skill, one part luck, and a final part, knowing your energy. As an undead, you are a slave to negative energy and, when faced by light, and positive energy, your power wilts as surely as flowers before the winter."
Masw would have replied, but the light in Asgwrn's hands became brighter and brighter still. The elven archmage readied a further spell. He knew that eventually the lich would counter this one, and lash against his former student with fierce magic.
Sure enough, the lich roared a complex spell, and the light winked out. Instantly, Asgwrn surrounded himself in a wall of gleaming magic, and a massive blast of energy was repelled back towards the lich, who frantically dispelled it.
Both spell-casters stood there panting, looking at each other with narrowed eyes.
"So," said Masw contemptuously, "You know more than I ever thought you would." Asgwrn shrugged. As long as Masw continued to talk, it didn't concern him.
"I would have liked to think we could have been allies, Asgwrn."
The elf sighed,
"Not really. All that undead flesh... so very repulsive. And your sense of fashion, Masw... that leaves a lot to be desired."
Masw shook his head,
"So be it."
Asgwrn frowned, and then as a blackness span from the liches fingers, he cursed himself for stupidity. The lich was skilled enough that he could cast spells without speaking or moving. As Asgwrn felt his life being torn from him, he screamed,
"I... will... not...go that easily!"
Asgwrn raised his staff and with the last remains of his strength plunged it into the ground.
*
The explosion could be heard even in the depths of the cellars. Yami's brow furrowed slightly.
"What are those mages up to?" Then suddenly her eyes widened, "Asgwrn."
The Shadowblade moved to the stairs and began to run.
*
On the edge of the crater the lich-king stirred,
"Damn him..."
He got to his feet and, using a spell, floated down into the centre.
Asgwrn lay there, broken and bruised but still alive... still barely conscious. His hand was still clutching his staff.
"Foolish elf," Masw wrapped a rotting hand around the elf's neck and pulled him to eye-level, "For your definance your death shall be very, very slow. Who's knows... I might bring your wench, Yami, too."
*
Masw entered his chamber. That damn elf had wounded him badly but after some well-deserved rest he could start to plan his former student's death.
He looked around. Where were his subordinates?
"What is this? What's going on here?"
"If you want to speak to them you're going to have to speak much louder than that."
The lich-king span around. From the shadows came Yami Shadowblade, Marwolaeth in hand. Gore ran freely off the blade and the elf was swinging the head of Amberlee absently by the hair.
"Wha-?"
Masw never finished. Yami dropped the head, and, with a speed the lich-king thought impossible, ran forward and swung Marwolaeth.
Pain flared up Masw's back and he screamed as his spine broke in two.
Casually Yami pushed the lich, sending his top half to the ground with a clatter,
"I don't take well to imprisonment... nor do I allow creatures like you to live," Marwolaeth settled between the lich-king's eyes, "Try coming back from this."
She leant on her blade and Masw's head was reduced to bloody fragments.
*
Asgwrn had been placed in another cellar with served double duty as a prison. When Yami placed her hand on his forehead she found that he was burning up with fever.
Gently she lifted him from the dirty, rat-infested floor.
"Help us..."
The voices came from a large cell into which maybe thirty beings had been herded.
"Who are you?"
"We were the servants of this castle before the Thayans killed our masters," a halfling clung to the bars of the cell. Yami could see that one of his eyes had been gouged out.
"... Can anyone of you heal?" she indicated Asgwrn as she set him down carefully and broke the lock with Marwolaeth.
A scrawny hand raised and a elderly woman stepped out,
"I've been serving Tymora these past forty years."
"Then let's get started."
Asgwrn shrieked as bolts of pain raced through him, yet even as he screamed he gave thanks that the lich in his arrogance had decided to torture him rather than kill him. Somehow managing to move his fingers, the archmage gasped out a spell, and energy washed towards Masw.
The lich-king crumpled to the floor, stunned for a moment, and Asgwrn, as calmly as he could, reached down to pick up his own staff. He leaned on it for a moment, and drew in a deep breath, before looking at his old teacher.
Masw laughed, his voice cold,
"You have learned much since I last faced you."
Asgwrn didn't answer. He had travelled far since he and Yami had killed this creature, and had learned many things. He had forgotten about that crown, but he would not do so again. He watched as Masw unleashed what must have been an offensive contingency.
A red flare of fire tumbled towards Asgwrn, who smiled, and with his elven dexterity, moved out of the way. Knowing that the one way to give him an edge was to surprise his old teacher, Asgwrn whispered a spell, and felt his muscles invigorated with strength. Before Masw could respond, Asgwrn thrust his staff into his ribcage, and saw Masw writhe in fury, obviously annoyed that his student could surprise him so.
But the elven archmage just stared directly into the eyes of the lich, and stated calmly a command word. Instantly, lightning writhed through Masw, and he shrieked, his robes burning as he stumbled backwards.
Asgwrn nodded, and then flicked his hand once. Light sprang upwards, and with a hiss, the lich-king took further steps back, repelled by the pure positive energy in Asgwrn's hands.
"You see, teacher, duelling is one part skill, one part luck, and a final part, knowing your energy. As an undead, you are a slave to negative energy and, when faced by light, and positive energy, your power wilts as surely as flowers before the winter."
Masw would have replied, but the light in Asgwrn's hands became brighter and brighter still. The elven archmage readied a further spell. He knew that eventually the lich would counter this one, and lash against his former student with fierce magic.
Sure enough, the lich roared a complex spell, and the light winked out. Instantly, Asgwrn surrounded himself in a wall of gleaming magic, and a massive blast of energy was repelled back towards the lich, who frantically dispelled it.
Both spell-casters stood there panting, looking at each other with narrowed eyes.
"So," said Masw contemptuously, "You know more than I ever thought you would." Asgwrn shrugged. As long as Masw continued to talk, it didn't concern him.
"I would have liked to think we could have been allies, Asgwrn."
The elf sighed,
"Not really. All that undead flesh... so very repulsive. And your sense of fashion, Masw... that leaves a lot to be desired."
Masw shook his head,
"So be it."
Asgwrn frowned, and then as a blackness span from the liches fingers, he cursed himself for stupidity. The lich was skilled enough that he could cast spells without speaking or moving. As Asgwrn felt his life being torn from him, he screamed,
"I... will... not...go that easily!"
Asgwrn raised his staff and with the last remains of his strength plunged it into the ground.
*
The explosion could be heard even in the depths of the cellars. Yami's brow furrowed slightly.
"What are those mages up to?" Then suddenly her eyes widened, "Asgwrn."
The Shadowblade moved to the stairs and began to run.
*
On the edge of the crater the lich-king stirred,
"Damn him..."
He got to his feet and, using a spell, floated down into the centre.
Asgwrn lay there, broken and bruised but still alive... still barely conscious. His hand was still clutching his staff.
"Foolish elf," Masw wrapped a rotting hand around the elf's neck and pulled him to eye-level, "For your definance your death shall be very, very slow. Who's knows... I might bring your wench, Yami, too."
*
Masw entered his chamber. That damn elf had wounded him badly but after some well-deserved rest he could start to plan his former student's death.
He looked around. Where were his subordinates?
"What is this? What's going on here?"
"If you want to speak to them you're going to have to speak much louder than that."
The lich-king span around. From the shadows came Yami Shadowblade, Marwolaeth in hand. Gore ran freely off the blade and the elf was swinging the head of Amberlee absently by the hair.
"Wha-?"
Masw never finished. Yami dropped the head, and, with a speed the lich-king thought impossible, ran forward and swung Marwolaeth.
Pain flared up Masw's back and he screamed as his spine broke in two.
Casually Yami pushed the lich, sending his top half to the ground with a clatter,
"I don't take well to imprisonment... nor do I allow creatures like you to live," Marwolaeth settled between the lich-king's eyes, "Try coming back from this."
She leant on her blade and Masw's head was reduced to bloody fragments.
*
Asgwrn had been placed in another cellar with served double duty as a prison. When Yami placed her hand on his forehead she found that he was burning up with fever.
Gently she lifted him from the dirty, rat-infested floor.
"Help us..."
The voices came from a large cell into which maybe thirty beings had been herded.
"Who are you?"
"We were the servants of this castle before the Thayans killed our masters," a halfling clung to the bars of the cell. Yami could see that one of his eyes had been gouged out.
"... Can anyone of you heal?" she indicated Asgwrn as she set him down carefully and broke the lock with Marwolaeth.
A scrawny hand raised and a elderly woman stepped out,
"I've been serving Tymora these past forty years."
"Then let's get started."