James stepped through the thin gap in the rocky shelf the wind pushed his hair out of his face. From his high vantage point he could see the camp laid out in the valley below, the twinkling lights of campfires lit up the shape of the camp like a giant glowing spiders web.
Somewhere in there in that camp was his next pay check, this was going to be interesting, this was going to be a challenge, he had no weapons, but he hadn't used his magic all day and he could feel it itching under his skin waiting for release.
He stepped to the edge of the cliff it was at good fifty meters down, he spread his arms wide and stepped into nothing. The wind rushed passed his face he felt the cool air flowing around his body, falling was a beautiful sensation like nothing but his own body existed, if he could he would fall for hours. When he was a kid he would climb to the highest trees and jump out of them just to have this feeling.
The ground raced up to him and he positioned his body ready for impact, one knee and one foot hit the ground, he let energy flow from his body it covered his skin and the rocky valley ground cracked and splintered under him. He stood and brushed dust from his sleeves, hoping no one heard his landing.
There was no noise as he walked closer to the camp, he kept to the shadows and took a position beside a dead tree. Looking around he saw there was no patrol on the skirts of the camp, either the guards were sleeping at their posts or just very quiet. As he rounded the corner of the first tent he saw a guard leaning on his spear half asleep, 'sorry friend, this is nothing personal' he thought to himself.
He knelt on the ground and touched the earth with one bare hand extending a ripple of energy through the ground. The ripple swiped the earth out from under the guards feet, as he fell James slammed his palm down on the ground and invisible shock wave struck the mans chest as he hit the ground, his head hit the ground hard and he was out cold.
James quickly moved the body from sight and made his way to the central ring of tents, he wasn't looking for the main tent but a smaller tent to one side, that was where the target was, now was the time to be there.
Now he was inside the camp he saw very few guards and it was easy to hide in the shadows thrown outwards by the fire light of small pit fires that sat at intervals in the camp.
He stood at a junction deciding which way to go when he heard footsteps, they were coming from both directions and he had nowhere to hide in time. Quickly he turned around and fell backwards towards the ground but instead of hitting the rock he willed his energy to shift the earth below him and it swallowed his body. The guards passed over him with no sign of knowing he was there, once the footsteps faded he decided the way was clear. He parted the earth again and silently followed one pair of guards right to the centre of the camp.
The tent he wanted was on the opposite side of the circle of tents, 'things are never convenient' he swore in his mind.
He looked around inspecting the tents and equipment, thinking of the quickest way to cross the distance and saw that all the tents around him had been constructed with solid wood frames.
He climbed to the top of one, its sturdy frame held his weight and he moved quickly across the back face. He ran along its outside beam where the fire light wouldn't touch him, half way round the circle making small jumps from tent to tent, then there was a hug gap between his current beam and the tent he was aiming for. He increased his speed and flung his body from the last post top sending a jet of energy through his feet he lifted a good four meters from the ground and landed perfectly on the first post of the small tent.
He slinked up a beam the strutted out from the centre of the tent and opened the flap used for venting smoke, pushed his body through and dropped in.
It was dark he stayed perfectly still and let a small ripple of energy fill the room, he felt where everything was in an instant, all twenty men with weapons drawn! Suddenly light flooded the room and he felt ten men fire their guns at him, before the bullets left the chambers James had surrounded himself with an energy shield and the projectiles deflected in all directions taking out five men.
James dropped the shield and charged two men while swiping his hands through the air, a wave of energy shot out and collided with the six men either side of him throwing them threw the tent walls, fabric ripped and dust flew as the tent was shaken and torn apart. As he neared the two men in front of him he reached down grabbed the boots and with his magic aided strength he drew them up flipping the men over then with a hand on each man's chest he drove their bodies into the ground.
He turned his breath hot and steaming and his heart beat in his ears, the remaining seven men had their guns aimed and ready to shoot, James snarled and flung his arms down beside him every muscle tense, he then brought them up at lightning speed and six of the seven men felt the full impact of his energy hit them in the jaws as it hurtled them into the roof sheets and they were flung back to earth by the whiplash of the fabric, they hit the ground hard. The last man standing looked about him and dropped his weapon a knelt.
James walked over to the man and hefted him to his feet.
'Where is the artefact I came for?' James growled to the shivering man. The man shook his head then there was a ruffle of curtains behind him, and a tall white haired man entered.
'Hello James,' they mans voice was smooth and silky. 'Are you looking for this?'
He reached inside his jacket and drew out a small object holding aloft so it was fully lit by the fire, it was a round blue stone with a gold wiring entangling, it was stunning as it seemed to glow in the light.
James froze but relaxed his muscles, the man was Master Stilmar Cross and it was him who had hired James to steal the stone.
'I better still get paid for this,' James said letting the shivering man go.
'Don't worry I shall reward you in full, it was an excellent job you did. Good thing my men were only shooting pellet bags not bullets, you might have killed them with that rebounding tick you pulled.'
James looked about the men where all getting up, the ones that were conscious that is. 'You set me up and wasted my time, I expect full compensation for this.'
James went to leave the tent, he didn't like being used, well not without being told he was being used, 'and this man is clearly just in it for the fun of it' James said to himself and he pushed passed Stilmar.
'Oh no I'm not, I have a good reason for this.' Stilmar spoke softly as James reached the curtains.
James stopped and looked over his shoulder, Stilmar smiled 'you think you're the only man left with magic.'
It couldn't be, he had read his mind. James caught his breath, another mage!
Stilmar held out the stone, it glowed and radiated blue over James. Stilmars smile stayed, 'don't you want to know what happens now'...
