013 - Giants by the Sea

The yellow liquid splashed on his arms and chest, Magnus managed to protect his face. It instantly dissolved his sleeves and ate away at his jacket, the already charred and scarred flesh of his arms melted and dropped off in clumps; Magnus screamed in agony - but the layer of black just beneath the surface of his skin was not affected at all, the acid penetrated no deeper than his skin.

Pa Lund deflected a stab, stumbling back and glancing nervously at Magnus. The silent guard approached, stabbing again and again at Pa and forcing him back, the second guard closed in from behind Pa slashing at his back and drawing blood. Pa howled, turning and cleaving at the man and the first guard stabbed him in his back. Willis rushed up behind a guard, grabbing at his sword arm and pulling it desperately. The still silent guard reached over with his free hand and smacked Willis in the head sending him sprawling.

"Arrgh! Huaaaaaaa!" Magnus' face contorted in pain, his skin peeled and burnt, his consciousness reeled - the world spun a thousand directions at once.

"Magnus!" Willis called out, "Pa!"

Pa Lund retreated, back against a large wooden crate, his breath ragged and bleeding from several more cuts and stabs.

"Toads with a small measure of strength, ha." Septima shrugged, losing interest in the fight. "The simplest of Alchemical tactics and they fall to pieces, even at the hands of your clumsy pill-dogs."

Festus frowned, "what a waste. Two Augmentum Purpura and a whole vial of Acidum Flavum. You know how much each one of those cost Septima?"

"How much?"

"I could have bought three whole cheese wheels for the price of a single Augmentum, three!" Festus shook his head.

Septima sighed. "Don't be such a miser Festus, potions are meant to be used. Just get them to finish up, its nearly time."

"Think of how much ham I could have bought for the Acidum Flacum. It would have been enough to stock a whole larder."

"Festus!"

"Oh, oh, alright." Festus waved his hands at the distant guards, they instantly closed in on Pa Lund and Magnus. "You just don't care, do you Septima?"

"Those toads are trouble you've bought. I dealt with all the riff raff on my side." She snorted derisively.

"Those potions weren't covered in the research grant you know, they all came out of my pocket." Festus grumbled.

A silent guard stood above Magnus, another poised to stab Willis, and the third held the point of his sword to Pa Lunds throat. At the Alchemists signal the three thrust their weapons down.

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Pa Lund threw himself to the side, the sword caught him on the shoulder and he rolled away towards Willis - Willis had been on the ground, the sword had stabbed into his stomach and he cried out, struggling as the silent guard pulled it out and went to stab again.

Magnus was kneeling in the same place he had been when the yellow potion burst and its acid covered his arms. The third man, the one who'd thrown the potion, stood next to him, his sword slashing at Magnus' neck from behind.

Clang!

The steel blade struck Magnus on the neck and bounced off. Like a metal gong resounding in his head, the shock of the sword woke Magnus from his pain induced stupor. His eyes focused, panic took hold. I don't want to die! Not again! He tried to get up, falling forward just as the guards second slash came down, missing by a hair's width.

Magnus rolled around on the ground, turning over. It hurts! It hurts so bad! Magnus moved his arms in reflex, bringing them up to block the guards third slash. The sword dug into his charred flesh, but bounced off the layer of black skin beneath. Magnus fumbled back, blocking the barrage of blows in a blind panic. The guard stabbed, Magnus grabbed the blade and it immediately broke. He stared at the metal shards in shock - I did that? My hands are alright? Black veins pulsated and spread over every inch of his skin. I did that!

Magnus lunged at the guard, grasping his clothes and, much to his own surprise as the shock of everyone else, easily lifted the guard above his head. Magnus let out a guttural roar, throwing the helpless man into the guard stabbing Willis, sending them both flying across the plaza and smashing into a stone wall.

Magnus moved at the last of the three of the Alchemists guards, catching him from behind in a bear hug and squeezing - gritting his teeth Magnus squeezed hard as he could, fueled by a berserker rage, and with a howl he crushed the man's torso, breaking every rib and snapping his spine. Pa Lund and Willis could only look on wide eyed - Magnus seemed on the verge of death, every single action strained and unsteady.

"Ah!" Septima exclaimed. "A little late, but they're here." The two Alchemists looked out to sea. Magnus looked up. There, suspended in the air above the waves next to Doohoma a gold-white tower, its top lost in the clouds.