Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

73. The Void

Clutching at the air with a sharp intake through his teeth, Kliff reined in the Ember, preventing it from unleashing its potential for havoc and ruin. The flickering, blood-red patches of fire, which had been dancing on his uniform and exposed skin, withdrew into his body, reminiscent of flowers curling inwards, shutting out the world. Only after every trace of his flames had vanished did Kliff allow his shoulders to drop, exhaling a staggered breath.

Should he have been compelled to unleash the Ember once more, he was reasonably certain his physical form wouldn't endure the strain. From this moment onward, he would have to limit himself to casting magic spells. In all likelihood, this shouldn't pose too significant a challenge, given his status as a sorcerer in training. However, the pressing questions remained: How formidable were the ranks of Serpent Fang, and, most crucially, what magnitude of power did their top sorcerers wield?

Well, fortunately for Kliff, he knew of a serpent nearby that could potentially enlighten him. Grunting in pain, Garam attempted crawling out of the river, pulling himself out of the water and clumsily rolling over on his back. Kliff couldn't tell where his wand had gone, but it was apparent that he'd lost it amidst their duel; just another advantage Kliff now held over the man.

As Kliff braced himself to take his first step forward, he suddenly halted and frantically adjusted his shirt collar to inspect his wound, or what should have been a wound. His eyes widened in astonishment as he marveled at the sight of his unblemished, tanned skin, untouched by any sign of a recent injury or the scarring that would have resulted from an ill-thought cauterization.

Kliff pressed a finger into his chest, already wincing from the anticipated burning throb that would follow; to his delight, the boy didn't feel so much as an ounce of shock. It was as if he'd never been wounded at all. In fact, the only trace that there ever was a hole in his chest was the tear puncturing his uniform, and even that was slowly beginning to seal close by tightening lines of thread, courtesy of the uniform's reparation-type enchantment.

"This is interesting," he muttered in contemplation. "Has my healing ever kicked in this quickly before? I suppose this means more of my mother's side is starting to awaken within me."

It wasn't just his shoulder wound either, as practically all the other cuts and bruises Kliff had accumulated throughout his messy duel had vanished. Typically, whenever his healing factor came into effect, it would demand a large sum of his stamina, in turn causing him to feel like he'd just spent the entire day running laps. And yet, in spite of how much of a beating he'd taken, Kliff felt absolutely normal. Was it a delayed effect, or had he grown stronger than he had initially surmised?

Shaking his head, he hopped out of the river and tramped over to where Garam was heaving exhaustedly on the ground. The man had crept to the foot of the galbora tree looming over them, slanting his frame against it and sitting slumped with his head hung to his knees. Kliff's Ignax Spell had burned through the greenish-colored fabric of his clothing, revealing the blackened burn mark smoldering on his massive chest. Had not Kliff limited his spell's output, Garam would have been adrift in the Shadow's darkness.

Hundreds of questions spiraled into his brain, each one lusting for his attention, but Kliff steadfastly pushed them all aside. For now, what only required his focus was gaining a deeper understanding of the nature of Serpent Fang's intrusion. Kliff stopped a few feet from the drooping rogue sorcerer, and that was enough for Garam to look up at him. A grimacing smile spread upon his square-shaped face. "Well, well, I guess congratulations are in order, ya runt."

Kliff frowned. "Come again?"

"You beat me. Sunder me to the Shadow, but you beat me," Garam chuckled, spitting out a ball of blood. "I had my doubts that you were actually as good as they said you'd be, and when I saw you run for the hills, well, I just assumed I had the wrong guy. But in the end, the only person who was wrong was me. I can't remember when last I had so much fun during a duel, and against a surgin' noble, no less."