Vastras walked into her laboratory, flicking her wrist. The thrown bag of dust exploded against a crystalline pillar, igniting it. Lights flickered and began appearing all around the cave, revealing the gem-studded walls and floors.
The magic groaned and screamed as the stored spells began to activate, one by one. Hundreds of years of planning and preparations began to launch into motion, an unstoppable force of her own nature.
The mage smiled grimly, and tossed aside her eye patch as she picked up a smooth white stone. She breathed on it carefully, letting the sigil glow for a brief moment before she pushed her spell against it. She felt the drain against her own supply of mana as the stone warped, shaking as it were made of something less than solid. It melted in her hand suddenly, before curving upwards into a perfect sphere.
Vastras winced as she pushed it into her eye socket and felt the magic lance outwards and crash into her nerves. She blinked rapidly as the world swam into view. A different kind of view. Her mind struggled, hurting, as it tried to overlap the two visions. One of the physical world, and one of the magical dimensions.
The mage turned and punched violently, splitting her hand against the crystal that took pride of place. She whistled through her teeth as the bones shattered and split the skin, bleeding over the object. A soft black light began to emanate from inside the towering column, and Vastras wiped her blood across the surface, quickly writing a simple sigil. A protection spell, of sorts.
She stepped back, and then turned her attention elsewhere, using her new eye to find the paths between the worlds, to watch the trails of those who used them. She wrenched open one of the doorways and stepped through, arriving in the dripping rain forest.
In front of her was a natural spring, and the person bathing in it jumped, staring at her in terror.
Vastras smiled grimly, "I have come to collect the debt you owe me, elf."
The woman held her hands in a protested modesty, and stared at her, "I will not do anything that will endanger my world. I am bound, but there are limits."
"You owe me." Vastras replied, "That is all I care about."
The elf stood up, stepping awkwardly out of the spring. There was a flutter as the water dripping off her and the rain falling from above were repelled, and the elf slid into her dress quickly and turned, "Well, mage. What is your demand?"
She smiled at her, "You can start by finding someone for me."
YOU ARE READING
Summer Garden
FantasyTrei died. He got roasted by a mage, for trying to be a hero. Things aren't so bad. At least he didn't stay dead. Summer's life was always difficult. Her world was on the verge of war, a politician threatening to take her crown. Resurrecting Trei wa...
