(x) Irregular Magic

chapter 17 - don't piss off Hamel

"Alright, alright," hissed the guard, groaning in pain. His bulky arm was twisted behind his back by a dark cloaked man whose eyes glinted like a cat's in the dim twilight. With every slight movement, the bigger, heavier man begged for mercy. "Go in."

"If only that was all," a youth of about sixteen murmured, sweat dripping down the side of his pallid face. After a second's hesitation, the boy slapped his hand onto the guard's ham-like forehead with one swift movement. "It's time for you to sleep."

The guard had scarcely a second to react as the air around his hand sparkled with an emerald green light. The green glow bounced off the sloping rocks that surrounded them but wasn't visible from far enough to alert the guard's comrades. The watchman suddenly went slack and his body slumped against one dark boulder, head lolling to one side.

"As I said, Luciel," said the man who had been holding the guard while the youth worked magic on him, "Too soft." He brushed off his arms and whipped his hood down, revealing windswept blond hair. Currently his gray eyes were narrowed into slits. "If you ever want to amount to anything in Havendom, you need to have a heart of stone."

He extended his hand towards the unconscious man, fashioning out of magic a flat blade that hummed with energy. Reflected in the wide gray eyes were the swirling azure colors of the blade.

As he bent towards the man, Luciel scrabbled at his hand, whimpers escaping his lips. "No—Hamel, please—you don't have to—" He managed to wrap one hand around Hamel's forearm and pulled as hard as he could. Try as he might, Luciel was unable to move his arm more than several inches.

The mage's unexpectedly large muscles bulged, forcing the younger boy's slender fingers open. "I let you tag along," Hamel growled, voice barely above a whisper. He made a jerking movement which nearly sent Luciel flying. "Only because you wouldn't stop beggin'. Now get a grip or I'll send you back to Mother."

The finality in Hamel's gravelly voice was not missed. The youth's hand fell limply to his side as he slowly shook his head side to side. "I'm sorry, " he whispered, holding his breath. He looked away as Hamel moved closer to the red-robed man.

To a bystander, his actions might have seemed kindly. It looked as though he simply placed his hand to the guard's chest. Pale and quivering, Luciel shuddered as the man's breath stilled. He made a retching sound in his throat, and then threw up in a pile of dead leaves off the path.

Irritated by the cowardly youth's whines, Hamel hauled Luciel by the collar and shook him roughly. "Listen careful 'cos I'm gon' tell you this just one time," he snarled, his lip curling. "If this ain't the sort of thing you want to be doing, leave the guild right now. You've a pretty face. You can go back and join the theater or sommat. Before you're in too deep and you get stuck with a hundred thousand crystal bounty on your head." After a moment, Hamel dropped him, scowling. Luciel staggered backward several steps, frightened. "Come on, then. We've wasted enough time."

Like a cowed dog with its tail between its legs, Luciel silently trailed after him.

The Kvaluna Tomb, located in the Valley of Halduin, had been guarded by the Adhilimbrance ever since its discovery a year ago. It stretched for miles, or so legend said. The entrance of the tomb was several hundred feet tall and about that wide but being constructed by ancient architectural magic there was no telling what the alabaster stone hid. His fingers itched at the desire to blast down the walls and retrieve the treasure within. He took a steadying breath and stared down at the tomb, sharpening his vision with his magic.

A time and place for everything. Words his father had spoken oft but had never been properly heeded until too much time had slipped by.

"See anything?" Luciel asked in a loud whisper that echoed through the clearing below.