A Smidge of Magic

Chapter 48

Before Ban'Koliath had time to determine what had gone wrong the Partner seized his wrist. He wrenched Ban'Koliath's arm back, pulling the horn out of his neck and crushed it from the minotaur's grip. Enraged, Dakon grappled the minotaur into a tight bear hug. As Ban'Koliath's broken ribs grated against each other, he blacked out. The wild laughter of Dakon ringing in his ears.

......

Ian and Vale ran toward the door that led back into Justiciar Law, from there the pair recklessly dashed down flights of stairs. Vale had been vaulting, sliding, and otherwise displaying the acrobatic grace that her race was known for the whole way down. Proving to Ian again that not all fantasy on Earth had missed the mark. They hit the lobby, crossed the space, and shoved on the glass doors leading out to freedom. They were right on time to watch as a fireball engulfed Roland.

"No!" Ian shouted.

Vale jerked him back inside the lobby and away from the glass facade. The pair darted behind the check in desk as the front windows shattered. Cobblestone chunks and glass shards peppered the lobby converting it from posh upscale to total ruin in seconds. Ian rushed out onto the street, gun at the ready, before the dust had even settled. Vale right behind.

Outside the scene was quite contrary to what they'd been expecting. The Court mage, Talazar, hung suspended in the air, rotating slowly like a spit pig. White bands of light squeezed his chest, arms, and legs to his sides. And there stood Roland, his index finger outstretched and turning in time with the rotating Talazar. The two appeared to be engaged in a quiet conversation.

Mal bounded over to Vale, passing Ian as he jogged toward Roland. Vale kelt down and couldn't help but noticed the blood stains on her companion's muzzle while he licked the side of her face. She scratched between his ears as she caught her breath. She had questions, but they would have to wait, Mal wasn't injured and that's what mattered.

Roland ceased his conversation as Ian drew near. A band of light slipped around the bound mage's mouth, keeping the man silent. He offered no explanation. Instead he glanced back to the shattered lobby doors, then to Vale, and then Ian, "Where's Ban?"

Before Ian could answer the sounds of glass tinkling on the sidewalk grabbed their attention. Their eyes followed the waterfall of glass upward as two figures tumbled out from a broken window. Even from down on the street it was easy to make out who the rapidly falling figures were. Dakon and Ban. The former had thrown the prone figure of Ban away and adopted a fist first approach to the ground. Ban flapped around unconscious and unaware of his impending doom.

"Do something!" Ian shouted as the prone form of his friend hurtled toward the pavement.

"Reta'suspendat!" Roland shouted, casting his spell before Ian had even opened his mouth.

A net of yellow light flew from the mage's splayed fingers and spread out beneath Ban's plummeting body. It snagged him, interrupting his lethal appointment with the pavement. Then the net floated down until it was hovering just a few feet off the ground.

Dakon had no such net and landed hard. A fresh shower of dust and stone shards went flying as the body impacted with the sidewalk. Dust billowed out and the impact site was lost to sight. Ian was certain the fall had to have killed him. But he kept his gun trained on the cloud nonetheless.

Roland rushed over to the semi-conscious form of Ban. The minotaur was bloodied and definitely had a few broken bones, but he was alive. Roland's net was already repairing itself where Dakon had punched through, and the mage injected the net with a healing aura. It wouldn't fix Ban, but it would at least keep him alive until they got him to a proper healer.

"Can your net hold him?" Ian asked over his shoulder.

"Yes." Roland said with none of the calm he felt. There was still the matter of his old teacher to deal with. And this evening's adventure was starting to tax him. Roland turned to Talazar, still hovering where he'd left him with the bands of light holding him fast. The bands had been siphoning off a steady stream of Talazar's magical power, keeping the mage from attempting to counter Roland's spellwork. Roland wished he had more time, but the Fire Mages were on the way not to mention the High Cavaliers. Someone was certain to have pscryed them by now. The thought of the High Cavaliers suddenly inspired Roland to action. He quickly formulated a plan that would allow him a modicum of revenge while still serving his justice.

Roland used the magical energy the bands had collected to wipe Talazar's memories of the evening. And he replaced them with a most convincing fabrication. A short sleep spell ensured he wouldn't be going anywhere. The High Cavaliers would find him in the street next to his late cohorts. They would arrest him for certain, explore his memories, and see that Talazar had murdered his companions and then passed out from exhaustion. It took Roland all of thirty seconds to seal the man's fate.

Ian hadn't taken his eyes off the obscuring cloud. The dust settled enough for him to see inside and icy terror gripped him. There was no mistaking the silhouette of Dakon. Seconds later the cloud parted to confirm Ian's fear. Dakon, completely unharmed from his twenty-story dive came out of the cloud. The moonlight lit up the brilliant smile of madness etched across his face as he turned to look at Ian.

"Ah there you are," Dakon said, with all the excitement of someone finding a misplaced phone bill.

"Move!" Ian shouted, firing two shots as Dakon climbed out of the crater.

They ran fleeing into the city.