A bolt of lightning shot from the heavens, arcing through the shattered windows and into the Lord Bishop. Passing from the tip of the staff to the bottom of the book. Shouts of alarm mingled with shrieks of terror. Royal knights drew their weapons and stood their ground, knowing not to attack without the proper casus belli.
Liam blinked quickly, dazed by the flash of light. It had been far brighter than any of his normal bolts, yet not so bright that the outer layers of his eyes received flash-burn. A moment passed as the dust settled around the Lord bishop, leaving the man’s white clothes blackened and burning, his gold undies had melted, adding injury to insult.
Shouts and the sounds of magic combat came from behind Liam. He spun, watching the bishops hurl bolts of hard-light at the magi. Eleven bishops stood together, four chanted spells of protection, surrounding their fellow bishops in golden light. Three stood in front holding hands as they chanted in tune with each other, combining their magicks into a single spell.
That’s kinda neat, I wonder if I could combine my lightning with Rhendal’s magic, or with Nyota’s lightning. What would be the point? It’s not like I need to slay a dragon…
The remaining four bishops traded spells with the royal magicians, answering their fireballs with bolts of golden mana. A fireball exploded harmlessly on the lead bishop, his golden aura fading after the blow, only to be replaced an instant later as one of the bishops finished their chant, raising an open palm the recently invigorated bishop aimed, targeting a man kneeling beside a wounded mage.
Liam realized it was one of the healers from earlier. The bishop’s hand glowed with a radiant fury to match the maleviolence in his eyes. Liam raised his finger gun, praying to God that his lightning was swifter.
We are surrounded by enemies, that [split mind] skill should be useful. I wanted to save it for the king but–
[Split mind] skill activated
[Split mind] increased to level 2
Time slowed as Liam’s single train of thought split, inexplicably undergoing cerebral mitosis and maintaining two streams of conscious thought, one guided his body while the second strategized.
Hit the bishops but conserve mana. Narrow the lightning bolt to a beam the size of your pinky and let the electricity flow in a circuit between their hearts and brains.
“Pew.”
The spell followed his split brain’s orders, crossing the twenty feet between Liam and the bishop at the speed of light. It connected with his forehead. Electricity traveling through his brain, boiling the cerebrospinal fluid on contact and popping his skull like an eggshell, it circulated to his heart, evaporating the blood within the arteries and boiling the contents of his ventricles til the organ burst.
The bishop fell to his knees, unable to comprehend death, while the gout of spinal steam caught the attention of the ten remaining bishops, drawing their attention to Liam. Silence fell for a millisecond as the three bishops finished their combined spell, summoning a column of golden light into the space between their linked arms. It grew and lengthened, wiggling through the circle of their arms until it reached into the air ten feet above them. At the speed of light it shot towards Liam’s heart connecting with his outstretched hand.
Strip away the holy affinity, and all that is left is mana. Let’s see what level ten manipulation can do with raw mana…
Still in his nimrod pose, Liam’s palm absorbed the mana, channeling it through himself to convert the raw power of their attack and bend it to his own ends, channeling the power through his own body he expunged the holy element. There was no malice or wrath in his intentions, so their bolt of judgment became healing power, erupting from Liam in a twenty foot hemisphere. Raw mana burned his skin and overwhelmed his body, cooking his mortal frame as it flowed. Simultaneously regrowing the melted flesh. He activated [abbreviated cast] to skip the healing incantation but had no time to see the effects, already aiming his finger gun at the next bishop.
The scent of his own burning flesh stung Liam’s nostrils, too much mana! Liam shot the bishops, channeling their excess mana into death, and claiming two lives with his lightning lasers, penetrating their holy wards as if they did not exist. Four bolts of light arced towards him and he wondered if this might be his third death.
A purple disk appeared in front of him, cracking as the first bolt hit it, and shattering when the second connected. An orb of dark magic appeared around Liam, shielding him from a third bolt. But the fourth bolt struck true, piercing the orb and connecting with the center of his chest. Warmth filled his bosom. And a small voice called to him from the depths of his subconscious.
Tell me your sins. Confess your evils so they may be forgiven. It said, searching his memories.
Sins? Fuck you! I have given everything to this world. You stole my life, my fiance, my education and still I work for your betterment. You owe me a debt you can never repay. BEGONE! Thought Liam.
The spell fizzled and vanished, dispelled by his pure heart. When the bishops saw their spell fail they froze, rethinking every action they had taken on that day. Several glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. While one bishop stood apart from the others, his large hat catching Liam’s eye as the man observed the battle with a scholarly interest. Silently stroking his beard.
Mr. Hat isn’t participating in the fight?
Six of the royal magician’s took advantage of the lapse in vigilance, coordinating their attacks they hit the same three bishops with bolts of fire then water and finally bolts of dark mana, slaying them in an instant.
“We surrender.” Said the twelfth bishop.
Magic carried his voice throughout the court, whispering to all in attendance. Loud enough to remind Liam of how Quetzalcoatl had spoken. The remaining bishops scowled and looked like they would have continued fighting but the twelfth man lazily waved his staff in their direction, breaking their wards and shattering their auras in a spritze of golden glitter.
Four of the magician’s seized the opening and cast spells without incantations. Four bishops slumped to the ground, unconscious. With their vanguard asleep and their wards broken the royal footmen dashed across the red carpet tackling the remaining bishops and wrestling them to the ground. Royal magicians joined them, sealing the bishops’ magic within their souls, trapping them in a prison of their own skin.
Liam’s [split mind] skill collapsed, and it took all his mental strength to channel the healing over the crowd. There was so much mana, his clothes began to smoke and darken as the rampant energy ran through him. Glancing around the room he searched for an outlet of power, a window to shoot lightning out of or a man who needed healing.
His eyes fell on Nyota, her one good eye looking at him with pleading.
I didn’t have enough mana before…
Not sparing the few seconds to chant the incantation of healing he poured his mana into the empty eye socket, concentrating with all his soul on the structures of the eyeball. Energizing her face, starting with the optical nerve and working his way forward, generating the vitreous gel and encapsulating it in a temporary capsule of tissue. Next he caused a second layer of flesh to engulf the bulb. This second layer quickly differentiated into the various structures of the eyeball such as the sclera, lens, and pupil.
Mana flowed from him in waves of power, flowing into Nyota’s empty eye socket and filling it with the structures he envisioned. In seconds, his excess mana was consumed by the spell and Nyota blinked rapidly, a confused expression on her face as her brain tried to parse the presence of an eye it had lost. She shuddered, falling onto her butt, blinking at a 50% larger world.
Liam took an unsteady step forward, staggering and leaning on his staff for support as waves of healing mana regrew his burnt skin and healed his aching body. Lichtenberg marks from Queztalcoatl finally faded, his limp vanished, and the pinky and ring fingers –that had been paralyzed since Quetzalcoatl’s lightning– twitched to life, finally functional.
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“I’m so dizzy.” Groaned Liam, closing his eyes.
“Meow too.” Said Nyota, tightly closing her eyes.
Several uncomfortable moments passed as the knights dragged the bishops away, spreading -deserved- gossip as the nobles watched them go. The bishops who drew the greatest attention were those who had been slain by Liam. All nobles had magic, it was a requirement to be elevated to their station. It was an omnipresent feature of their lives, as familiar as their own hands.
But, seeing bodies that had been slain through holy wards shook them to their core. Holy wards were as strong as plate armor against mundane attacks, and even more effective at turning aside magical attacks, yet this lowly baron from waterless backwater fief, had perforated a holy ward in a single shot. Then repeated the feat, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that his power was no fluke. They had seen Liam point his finger, and the evidence of his spells lay in front of them, but their minds rejected the proof of their eyes, unable to fathom the depths of his power.
Liam ignored them, facing forward he found Gaius Borgia standing exactly where he had been. The man’s inaction telling Liam all he needed to know of the man’s character. Gaius, you knew the bishops meant to do something and you did nothing. You will pay…
Liam raised his hand, pointing his index finger towards Gaius. The watch captain’s face went as pale as a ghosts, but he held his ground. A motion from the king caught Liam’s eye, and he thought better of his actions. Don’t kill anyone. Liam repeated.
I will spare you today. Since you’re more valuable as a litmus test anyway. I will watch and see how the king choses to punish your inaction. If you go unpunished then I know the king wished me harm.
A soft crackling sound interrupted his thoughts, drawing his attention towards the Lord Bishop. Where he had been standing there was now a crater of burnt carpet. His staff burned softly and the man lay on his back, his pompous metal filled clothes crackled as flames devoured them.
“Hey! Do you normally let fires burn unattended?” Shouted Liam.
Stirred by his words a man in fine clothing stepped past the guards, pouring his oversized chalice of red wine over the burning Lord Bishop. Several mouths dropped open across the room at the casual disregard of what they presumed to be a corpse. The man, nonplused by his peers, turned to Liam, leaning a bit too far forward. Cheeks rosy with the mirth of alcohol.
“He- hick. Seems to be, ah, alive. Sir Lightning.” Mumbled the noble.
“If Taloc didn’t finish him off, I guess we shouldn’t either.” Said Liam with a shrug.
Nyota giggled, covering her mouth as the sound escaped her. The soft sound of joy broke the tension, signaling the end of the sudden combat. Servants began to move, encircling the bishop as they tended to the man. Nervous glances were aimed in Liam’s direction, compounding the confusion as other glances were aimed at the king.
I wonder if he survived because of that healing spell of mine… Wow, how much mana did those bishops hit me with?! I’ll have to try ranged healing later, I’ve only ever seen Nyota cast from a foot or two away. Although, the Lord Bishop’s spell failed… Did Taloc intervene? I can’t normally manipulate someone else’s mana… Thought Liam, wrinkling his brow as he thought.
Arlet cleared his throat.
Wait, why is everyone looking at me? Are they waiting for me to give permission?
“Don’t look at me! Attend to your duties!” Snapped Liam.
“uh, yes sir.” whispered a mage behind Liam, bowing and not meeting his eyes as he passed by him.
Nyota broke free of Arlet, crossing the gap between them in a single bound and wrapping her arms around Liam’s chest she buried her face between his pecs, squeezing him with all her strength.
“Are you alright? Can we go home yet?” She said into his chest.
Liam wrapped one arm around her, stroking the hair between her ears with his other hand.
“Soon my love, we haven’t spoken with-”
*zzppp* -”Ow!”
The magician healer who had passed by Liam fell backwards onto the carpet shaking his hand vigorously. The gesture reminding Liam of himself when he had been shocked with a spark of static electricity.
“What shocked you?” Called Liam, curiosity piqued at the new source of lightning.
The mage twisted violently on the floor, contorting his body in awkward flops to distance himself from the Lord Bishop.
“The book m’lord!” He gasped.
Liam kissed Nyota’s forehead, making her blush and shy away from him, granting him the space to untangle themselves. Freed, he took her by the hand, advancing down the red carpet. Static electricity made his hackles rise.
“Do you feel that?” He asked.
“It makes my nose tingle.” Said Nyota, pawing at her nose with the back of her hand.
Liam extended his free hand to the bowing mage. The mage recoiled at first, terrified, a moment later when he realized the hand was not meant to kill him he looked up.
“You’ve done no wrong, have no fear.” Whispered Liam.
The healer reluctantly took his offered hand and rose from the velvet carpet, brushing himself off. He bowed and took several large steps away, carefully navigating around the book as he returned to the Lord Bishop’s side.
Liam advanced on the book, reaching down to pick it up.
*zzzzZZZ ZAP*
“Ah!”
Electricity arced into his hand, spasming the muscles and making Liam yelp in surprise. Instantly forcing a retreat from the gilded Teutonic Codex. Liam shook his hand vigorously, trying to shake feeling back into it. Nyota stifled a giggle.
“Want me to kiss it better?” She teased.
“No, not at all! Feels like a fresh breeze after a rainfall. Peachy even, why don’t you give it a try.” Liam snarked.
His joke seemed to help her forget where they were, allowing a genuine smile to cover her face. For a brief instant he saw how wide her feline jaw could open, wide enough to tear out a human’s throat… Nyota took two steps forward, bending at the waist to reach for the holiest copy of the church’s scripture. Arcs of electricity shot from the book into her fingers, she winced, but the pain did not seem to hinder her movement, reminding Liam of the demons she had overcome to remain at his side.
You’ll never suffer like that again. Not physically or emotionally. Swore Liam.
Nyota’s fingers slipped around the book’s open binding, guiding it closed with a gentle reverence. She took great care, fearing her claws might mar the book’s glistening cover. And lifted the book into her arms, rocking it, whispering softly to the book while caressing its spine. The way Liam imagined she might treat a newborn.
“It’s making me tingly all over.” She said, both eyes widening in surprise.
Her odd statement was the only warning the court received. In the next instant she extended her arm, aiming a finger towards a glassless window. Lightning exploded from her finger, shooting into the sky and leaving lines burned into the eyes of unwitting courtesans.
“Hey book! That’s enough.” She shouted, “Behave or I’ll leave you in a wet bucket until your pages mold.” Said Nyota, shouting at the book she now held at arm's length.
Royal knights looked on, halberds at the ready but entirely unprepared for the lightning bolts being bandied about so casually.
“Oi, you tell it!” Said the red faced drunkard, giving Nyota a thumbs up.
She didn’t seem to hear him, eyes focused on the book. Electricity flowed between them, circulating from the book to Nyota. Liam’s manipulation clued him into the exchange of current, opening up the possibility of interceding and siphoning of the grimoire’s mana.
Nyota pulled the book close to her, pressing it against her bosom. The charge that had been building in the room vanished as if a plug was ripped out of a wall socket. A jarring change that even the knights in their warded armor could sense, with no threat evident the knights raised their halberds. Servants saw the knights relax and returned to their duties, finally removing the Lord Bishop from the burnt carpet. Eager to be done with the Lightning Lords and unexpected combat.
“Taloc must have spared him for a reason, let him recover in peace.” Said Liam.
While he was no friend of the church, killing twelve bishops and the Lord Bishop in a single stroll would cause chaos within the Fulminonimbus.
Servants nodded in affirmation, walking quickly to escape the eyes of the court. Their actions guided by a gentle word from the noble drunkard. He seems to be a man of quality. I’ll have to find him later and get a proper introduction. Maybe he is celebrating something and normally doesn’t get hammered by ten o’clock?
Nyota slipped her hand into his, clutching the scripture in her other hand. Arlet stepped up alongside her, pounding the butt of his spear into the carpet once to signal his arrival. Rhendal took up the rear with three mages wearing similar robes. Red and yellow threads decorated their robes, expertly intertwined throughout the garment.
It almost looks like fire. Ooooohhhhh… I'm dumb, Rhendal is a sage of fire and these must be royal magicians from the college of fire. That makes a lot more sense than Guy Fieri wannabes… Duh… Rhendal must’ve arranged for them to be our escort. What a relief! Who knows what would have happened if the bishops had shot me in the back.
Nyota’s tail fluffed against his arm, surreptitiously reminding him that they should finish their mission. With his champions at his side Liam crossed the remaining red carpet, coming to a stop at the foot of the platform that supported King Aldric’s throne. A dozen pavises lay between the king and Liam, blocking his view of King Aldric. He ignored them, too relieved that he had finally reached the end of his journey. Now for the battle he had come to win.