Trials by Pedro Urvi Page B

concentrated and thought. He could not give back blow for blow, for the Ice Mage’s offensive power was superior to his, and in any case his own attacks offered no guarantees. He had to weaken the shield of ice which protected his adversary. But how to do it before his own gave way? Fire was the answer. That was what to use against an Ice Mage, but what spell? Then he saw the wooden structure his enemy was standing on, an idea sprang into his mind:
    Let it all go up in flames!
    Guiding his staff, he conjured up a wall of fire above the other Mage. To his relief, this time the spell worked. He kept it active by using his inner strength, and the barrier of fire began to consume the floor of the wooden framework, causing the upper level of the siege tower to go up in huge flames. The protective ice sphere of the Norghanian Mage began to weaken fast. The combination of spell and flames from the burning wooden framework was becoming too intense for the Mage’s defense. He was using all his energy to keep up the ice barrier so as not to be consumed by the flames.
    Haradin continued to keep up the wall of fire, in the process consuming part of his inner pool of energy. His adversary was struggling to keep his shield active while everything around him blazed. Seeing that the flames would soon swallow him, the enemy Mage conjured an explosion of frost around him to swallow up the fire.
    Haradin smiled.
    That was just what he was waiting for. The Norghanian had used a great deal of energy in keeping the ice shield active, and that last spell was very powerful. He could not have much energy left. So Haradin attacked. He threw another ball of fire, which exploded above the ice sphere, and saw the Mage trip as he stepped back. His barrier would not withstand much longer; it was about to break. He prepared to cast another spell when the tower gangway was extended and the Invincibles of the Ice prepared to attack Haradin.
    I’d better hurry. Those men don’t look at all friendly and I don’t think their intentions are good .
    Without any more thought he threw a ball of fire at the Invincibles, which on impact brought flaming death to all those who were getting ready to attack. But he knew that on the lower level of the tower another group was waiting, and below that another, and below that yet another. They would soon come, and he could not deal with all of them; he did not have enough energy or the certainty that his spells would work when needed. He focused on the Ice Mage and threw another devastating ball of fire at him. It hit the spherical ice barrier and broke it. The Mage was in the open. Straight away he began to raise another shield of ice, but Haradin was ready. He pointed his staff, spoke words of magic, and a projectile of fire, a flaming arrow, shot out of the staff towards the glacial mage at terrible speed.
    The Mage’s eyes stared from their sockets when he realized that he would never manage to raise the shield in time.
    The fiery missile went through the heart of the Ice Mage, who took a step back and fell backwards from the tall siege tower on to the sea of Norghanians below.
    Haradin breathed out hard. He had done it.
    Another group of Invincibles appeared on the extended platform of the tower.
    Haradin conjured another ball of fire, but this time the spell failed him. When he saw this he turned on his heels and ran after the Prince and the Royal Swords.
    “Flee!” he yelled at Gerart.
    “Flee? I don’t understand. Why don’t you scorch them, Haradin?”
    The Mage looked back.
    “It was a miracle I was able to finish off the Ice Mage,” he said. “My magic doesn’t seem to be working as it should. The Healers did an extraordinary job of healing my body and I feel perfectly well physically, but magic is something else. Half the time I can’t manage to cast a spell. I don’t know what’s wrong. It must be because of the time I spent frozen in that damned carbon; I can’t think of any other explanation.