Novels2Search
Briox the Magus
15. Irela's Battle

15. Irela's Battle

Irela heard the explosion that shook the mountain, even as the man who was supposed to tell them when to begin came running. She waved him away "GO!" and then stepped forth all of her remaining students stepped with her assuming their positions at cardinal points around the circle of ruinic inscriptions. They drew forth their magic, and began to pour it into the circle and she began their chant "Ih encoants, aldars if piwar, eod ys end gyoda iyr cyrsas ti tha trya iwnar if thasa otams. Gyoda iyr piwar ti hom end cest firth tha piosin thet wa heva chisan, tha piosin thet shell and hos lofa..." The chant continued, somtimes repeating, sometimes new verses added in, spirits dark and faint gathered around them channeling the magic from the circle as the energy boiled the poisons to a mist. A mist that rose to the air and flew forth seeking its target.

Magus-priest, Holy One, That Damn Glutton, Emorthis Van Fellroth sliced another cut from the roasted bird before him and shoved the meat into his mouth savoring the spices as he splendidly ignored the explosion that just shook the mountain. He was only here in case of heretic magics or abominations that could overwhelm the inquisitor appeared, unless Iroglas signalled him him wasn't going to leave his meal, besides he could tell from here that as loud as it may have been those explosions weren't powerful enough to harm an inqusitor, even the carriage he was sitting in now could have shrugged them off unharmed. A drink of wine emptied his goblet and as he reached for more the world grew misty, and his robes suddenly burst forth with light, draining a portion of his magic to resist the poisonous mist that surrounded him. With a snarl Emorthis flooded more magic into his robe, the energy empowering the enchantments and turning him into a beacon of light as he kicked open the carriage door and stepped out looking for the source of the poison. "Fools, a Magus-priest of his divine majesty will not fall to such a petty thing as poison" Emorthis began to chant "Blass Mu Soght, Elliw Ma Ti Saa Tha Piwar If Mu Fias". His spell allowed him to see the traces of magic guiding the poison to him, and the spot on the mountain above that they originated from. Emorthis grinned viciously "It seems i need to show the mages of these lands the glory of emperor" and then his chant began. 

The glow of his robes seemed to intensify as he chanted "blass ma woth tha piwar of loght, blass ma woth tha piwar if tha roghtaiys..." the chant continued, each verse seemed to draw a little more power from within the mage-priest, runes began to form around him circling before they dove into his body adding to the light. He began to change, light began to emit from beneath his skin until he himself glowed brighter than the robes that he wore. Finally the light began to fade and in the place of the overweight mage priest there now stood a shining figure of perfection. A cold gaze looked out from a face lacking all other features, only the silver perfection of his skin and the inhuman orbs of light that had replaced his eyes remained. His robes magically adjusted to his new frame, on far more fit and somewhat taller than his old one as Emorthis flexed his wings and they appeared, shining wings of light behind him, each a source of raw light element and power. He turned his new gaze to the mountain, looking across the distance as if he stood but feet away, his eyes easily able to see the beacon of power that was the ritual aimed at him, now even without the aid of his previous spell. Emorthis bent his knees, and with a leap and flap of his wings launched himself into the air, another flap sent him hurtling at the ritual site at speeds that would blind a mortal man. 

Irela barely had time to scream at her students "FLEE!" before an explosion shattered their ritual. No, not an explosion, a landing. A Heyser Angel of War stood from its place in the center of the ritual circle, its landing had physically shattered rock beneath it, its magic had scoured the ritual clean, the markings around them now no more than scratches upon stone. Irela had seen them before, flying over the city as they assaulted the strongholds of Islandyer's magi. She had seen them tear apart magical protections and slaughter the beings meant to guard the skies of Islandyer. A bolt of shadow tore apart the air as it flew towards the angel, she watched it weaken within the influence of the others mana, then as it was torn apart by the light emitted by the angels robes. The bolt did not even slow its rise from its landing. Her next spell covered the area in shadows, a blinding clinging darkness that deadened the senses and could drive men mad, within that shadow only she retained her senses. It allowed her to watch as the angel waved its hand idly and disspelled her shadows with a blinding glare of light so bright she screamed in pain as she was burned by its intensity. Before her scream finished she felt a hand upon her throat and then the dizzying pain as she was slammed into the rock behind her. A voice seemed to come from a long way away as it spoke to her "So this is the foolish one who would dare attack a mage-priest of Heyser" it paused for a moment as a flurry of shadow bolts slammed into its back and then it clenched its fist crushing the neck of its prey as it turned to face the trio of magi behind it.

"Now its your turn" Emorthis raised a hand, a short chant left his lips and a light as if the sun erupted from his hand. The shadows that each of the students called forth to shield them evaporated in an instant, the ground was scorched and burned by the solar heat and as the light fell upon the three magi students. A shadow appeared between them and the light as Irela shadow walked between the Magus-Priest and her students. They could only watch, their reactions too slow to do anything as their teacher waved her hand shadows surrounded them dragging them into the shadow plane and away from the battle. They vanished as the light reached Irela and seemed to stop for a moment, held at bay by her mana, a feat she could not maintain for long as the power of the spell quickly ate away at her defenses. Irela quickly shadow walked away appearing farther up the mountain, she grimaced down at the ritual site, now a scorched crater on the mountain side. She spared a moment to glance around for the watchman who was supposed to be with them, but was unable to see any signs. She turned her gaze back to the Magus-Priest, the angel, and glared as he finished his leisurly turn to face her. She would have been chanting but her throat was still repairing itself from when he crushed it. It would take some time to heal, and until then all she could do was...run!

She shadow walked again, barely avoiding the lance of light that would have burned through her mana and body in one shot. She continued up the mountain, diving into the shadow plane and appearing out of it always a bit higher on the mountain, running always one step ahead of the burning light. Her mana was quickly healing her throat, enforcing the reality where she was whole and healthy was an easy feat for a magus to perform on themselves, but the lingering mana from her foe was resisting her and what was easy suddenly became hard as she had to perform it while dodging his attacks. Her gaze lingered for a moment on a ring on her finger, its green metal and the carving of a closed rose upon catching her eye. If she had to use it to escape, there was always her teachers final gift. She dodged another beam of light, this one searing away a portion of her sleeve that wasn't fast enough to enter the plane of shadow, and continued to run. It was all she could do for now.