Brands

Part 8

He came to with a loud ringing in his ears. The ground around him was scorched black and the guards had been blown a few feet away. The robed man was thrown a bit further and seemed to have taken the brunt of the blast. The man's robes were tattered and burned, his white hair coated in soot. The robed man stood and stumbled a few steps forward before yelling. "What happened!?" The man's gaze fell upon a waking guard who sat up and groaned. The guard noticed the cold gaze and turned to the robed man "Don't blame us." The guard stood and winced "You just have us doin' the heavy liftin'." The one conscious guard propped himself up on a rock and looked at the other two who were out cold.
The ringing in his ears began to subside and he peaked over at his right arm that had lines on it mere moments ago. The marks were scorched into his skin, but they now only looked like normal tribal tattoos. Unlike the similar tattoos that were placed upon the woman.
These lacked a certain energy as if they were just ink. He drug his finger over the marks and they were warm to the touch. There was a slight sting as he grazed them and he looked back up, seeing the robed man and guard still arguing. He took this chance to try and lift himself up, but his knees immediately gave out and he collapsed onto the ground. He grit his teeth and forced himself up, holding onto the dry rocky wall to support his weak legs.
His breaths came out fast and shallow as he worked his way slowly around the arguing pair. His eyes were locked on the two and he didn't realize that one of the unconscious guards was right under his foot. He planted his hoof down onto the guards hand and a loud crunch echoed followed by a pained yell. He sighed and cursed at himself, peaking over at the two who were arguing to see that they both were staring right at him as the guard under him groaned but remained incoherent.
He charged towards the exit of the cave as he heard the robed man mutter an incantation and bright purple chains flowed from the man's hand and wrapped around his arms and chest. He felt his strength fade slightly as he struggled against the chains. The robed figure walked in front of him with his hand grasped around the magical chains. "Tsk. You're all the same. So full of hope and ambition, yet they always fail to realize cooperation is so much easier." The man spoke with false pity as if he cared about what happened to those before.
He clenched his jaw and glared at the man as the monologue continued. He tuned out the man's rant of past prisoners and felt a familiar burning sensation on his shoulder. This sensation grew stronger and stronger until it was nearly unbearable. The robed man noticed a faint glow emanating from the shoulder of the prisoner. The man let go of the chains and backed away slowly "Moooove!" The man quickly dove behind a rock barely his size and the one conscious guard was too disoriented to notice the light growing brighter.
He let out a pained groan as his body filled with energy then suddenly nothing but silence. He fell forward and his vision was blurry as his face hit the dirt. Rubble fell around him and covered his body as he faded into a deep sleep.