The intense dry heat was completely destroying the ice storm as it spread over the wall.
Gerart stood up with some difficulty, aided by two Royal Swords, as he tried to get back some warmth into his stiff legs. The scene on the wall was a nightmare, with the Rogdonian soldiers who had been caught by the storm lying there dead or dying. The Prince felt a searing pain at the sight of all his men fallen in the defense of the fortress.
The Ice Mage on the siege tower realized what was happening and prepared to attack Haradin. He lifted his long staff of white wood, and a spear of ice shot towards Haradin from the glassy jewel on it. The Rogdonian Mage saw it coming and at once conjured up a protective sphere.
Gerart saw the spear approaching at enormous speed. But something was wrong; Haradin was not managing to protect himself! He was taking too long to finish his spell. Haradin’s face showed immense frustration. It alarmed Gerart, for the devilish swiftness with which Haradin cast his spells was legendary in the kingdom and was said to be unequalled. His father had always told him that there was no other Mage in the whole continent who could cast spells so fast, something which gave him a great advantage when facing other Mages. He tried to warn him, fearing the worst, when one of the Royal Swords jumped in front of him to block the icy spear. The brave soldier fell to the ground with his heavy armor pierced through. He had saved Haradin’s life, and the Mage’s protective sphere was finally taking shape.
The Mage’s face showed deep sorrow.
Haradin looked at the Ice Mage and cast another spell. But nothing happened. Gerart realized that something was the matter with the Mage, something that was not normal at all. Gerart shivered, but not with cold. Quickly, refusing to give up, Haradin tried again, and this time the spell worked as it should. A huge ball of fire shot from his staff and exploded against the Ice Mage and the Invincibles who were protecting him. The whole top of the structure caught fire. The men, engulfed in flames, jumped into the void amid chilling screams. The Ice Mage had raised his own protective sphere and resisted the attack.
“Get out of here! Move back!” Haradin yelled to his compatriots when he saw the other Mage’s defensive sphere.
Gerart realized that a fight between two very powerful Mages had begun, and that they would have to leave immediately or else be destroyed. They raced to the stairs and hid, to be out of reach of the spells.
Haradin studied the glacial enemy Mage carefully. He was aware that the confrontation would be terrible, and the chances of coming out of it alive minimal. His magic was not responding as it should. Some connection between his mind and his inner energy had been severed as a result of being carbon-frozen for so long in the Ilenian temple. The Ice Mage counterattacked with a ball of ice and crystal which exploded over Haradin, filling the area with fragments and splinters sharp enough to cut to shreds any human, however thick his armor might be. The defensive sphere of Haradin, of Earth Magic, withstood the punishment, although it lost some of its density with the attack.
Since that enemy Mage specialized in a single type of magic, Water Magic, he was very powerful and every spell he cast was as strong as it could be. Haradin on the other hand, as a Mage of the Four Elements, was not a specialist in any single one, but instead used all of them. This gave him great flexibility when selecting his spell, although the disadvantage was that his spells were not as powerful as those of a Mage who specialized in a single school of magic.
The Norghanian Mage cast another one, and a dozen icicles hit Haradin’s protective barrier of earth; one of them pierced the sphere and remained stuck in it four fingers from his head.
Haradin checked that the sphere was holding and breathed out heavily. The icicle had gone almost completely through and nearly killed him. He
Gerart stood up with some difficulty, aided by two Royal Swords, as he tried to get back some warmth into his stiff legs. The scene on the wall was a nightmare, with the Rogdonian soldiers who had been caught by the storm lying there dead or dying. The Prince felt a searing pain at the sight of all his men fallen in the defense of the fortress.
The Ice Mage on the siege tower realized what was happening and prepared to attack Haradin. He lifted his long staff of white wood, and a spear of ice shot towards Haradin from the glassy jewel on it. The Rogdonian Mage saw it coming and at once conjured up a protective sphere.
Gerart saw the spear approaching at enormous speed. But something was wrong; Haradin was not managing to protect himself! He was taking too long to finish his spell. Haradin’s face showed immense frustration. It alarmed Gerart, for the devilish swiftness with which Haradin cast his spells was legendary in the kingdom and was said to be unequalled. His father had always told him that there was no other Mage in the whole continent who could cast spells so fast, something which gave him a great advantage when facing other Mages. He tried to warn him, fearing the worst, when one of the Royal Swords jumped in front of him to block the icy spear. The brave soldier fell to the ground with his heavy armor pierced through. He had saved Haradin’s life, and the Mage’s protective sphere was finally taking shape.
The Mage’s face showed deep sorrow.
Haradin looked at the Ice Mage and cast another spell. But nothing happened. Gerart realized that something was the matter with the Mage, something that was not normal at all. Gerart shivered, but not with cold. Quickly, refusing to give up, Haradin tried again, and this time the spell worked as it should. A huge ball of fire shot from his staff and exploded against the Ice Mage and the Invincibles who were protecting him. The whole top of the structure caught fire. The men, engulfed in flames, jumped into the void amid chilling screams. The Ice Mage had raised his own protective sphere and resisted the attack.
“Get out of here! Move back!” Haradin yelled to his compatriots when he saw the other Mage’s defensive sphere.
Gerart realized that a fight between two very powerful Mages had begun, and that they would have to leave immediately or else be destroyed. They raced to the stairs and hid, to be out of reach of the spells.
Haradin studied the glacial enemy Mage carefully. He was aware that the confrontation would be terrible, and the chances of coming out of it alive minimal. His magic was not responding as it should. Some connection between his mind and his inner energy had been severed as a result of being carbon-frozen for so long in the Ilenian temple. The Ice Mage counterattacked with a ball of ice and crystal which exploded over Haradin, filling the area with fragments and splinters sharp enough to cut to shreds any human, however thick his armor might be. The defensive sphere of Haradin, of Earth Magic, withstood the punishment, although it lost some of its density with the attack.
Since that enemy Mage specialized in a single type of magic, Water Magic, he was very powerful and every spell he cast was as strong as it could be. Haradin on the other hand, as a Mage of the Four Elements, was not a specialist in any single one, but instead used all of them. This gave him great flexibility when selecting his spell, although the disadvantage was that his spells were not as powerful as those of a Mage who specialized in a single school of magic.
The Norghanian Mage cast another one, and a dozen icicles hit Haradin’s protective barrier of earth; one of them pierced the sphere and remained stuck in it four fingers from his head.
Haradin checked that the sphere was holding and breathed out heavily. The icicle had gone almost completely through and nearly killed him. He
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