Prophecy of the Flame - Copyright 2011 by Lynn Hardy
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Ooo-weee, Sexy Momma, what’s up with the do? Don’t tell me the king’s puttin’ on another dinner,” Charles says as I open the door. If he’s not holding a grudge about that tongue lashing, I guess I can let it go, too.
“Not precisely. I’m having tea with Queen Szacquelyn after breakfast.” I sigh, tugging on one of the curls. “Crystal thought a change in my hairstyle was necessary.”
The elf, Charles, and I enter the security of my dining room. “Allinon, please tell me the urgent matter is good news. I could sure use some.”
“How would you like an explanation for your near-fatal moral lapse, little Miss Swoons-a-lot?” The elf’s smug tone flies right over my head. Hope floods through me, eclipsing everything else.
I address him in English for additional security. “Don’t keep me in suspense. The color in his aura isn’t even close to Charles’s charisma.”
Sipping on his tea, Allinon takes his time, milking the moment for all its worth. “When I saw your intimate proximity to Alex, I switched to magesight. Tendrils of his aura extended and mixed with yours. The closer you came to him, the more entwined the colors became. The intensification of the burgundy and gold glowing in your aura makes the answer obvious.”
“Not to me. . .” Bewildered, Charles shakes his head.
“The dominant color for Alex is mauve. If we took paints and mixed fuchsia for charisma with gold for telepathy, I bet we would get a shade close to his color. The real giveaway was Reba’s empathy and telepathy glowing like a receiving beacon. I believe Prince Alexandros has a kind of telepathic charisma.”
“So it is magic. . . of a kind. He exerts his charisma on a telepathic level. If my empathy is drawing in emotion, I get a double dose. Allinon, you’re a lifesaver.” Thank God I didn’t blast him! The tow-headed elf glows with self-righteousness.
Talking aloud, I explore this new battlefield. “I’ll have to compose a spell...”
“Reba!” Allinon huffs, “Merithin told me about the danger of dead zones, didn’t you hear what he said! You can’t go flinging about magic, every time you are near him. Less is more. Try blocking your empathy.”
I blush at his rebuke, but nod my head. “Okay. Today I will go in with my empathy shielded and see if it makes a difference.”
The conversation ceases as we dig in to breakfast. After clearing my plate for a second time, I ready the waters for my next maneuver. “Allinon, that was some wicked power you wield. Why didn’t you tell me you were a shape-shifter?”
“When beginning a new campaign, it’s always best to have at least one hidden ability.” I force the smile to remain in place, despite the elf’s smugly superior tone. “It’s the main reason my Allinon character is as powerful as he is. I keep the shape-shifting hidden in the longwinded history I wrote. A lot of DM’s miss it. As a result, my character has grown in power over the last twenty years.”
Charles warms to the topic, chiming in, “Yeah, I did the same thing. I’ve got a fifty-page short story I stole from meshing together some sex scenes from my mom’s romance novels. It explains my character’s promiscuity. Snuck into the middle of each romantic scene, I put a weapon’s mastery skill. Then, when we are up against a new monster, I whip out an obscure weapon. I kill the monster and live to fight another day.”
Allinon’s brows draw down in puzzlement. “That explains our advanced skill, but what about you, Reba? You said you hadn’t gamed before, so you didn’t have a registered player to bring with you. Your character should’ve been a newbie like Chad’s: mastery in one or maybe two areas. You’ve got what, four masteries and two minors?”
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Prophecy of the Flame - Book One
الخيال (فانتازيا)In a blinding flash of light, five strangers are yanked from this world and thrust into a land of sorcery as they are granted the looks and abilities of the people they were playing. This band of wannabe heroes soon discovers that having the powers...
