Page 42 of Triplets for the Dark Elf

What can I do? I’m no wizard. I’m just an ordinary merchant. I don’t even use magic that often in my everyday life! Panicking, I glance back at the house for a moment, just trying to make sure the leviathan hasn’t gotten anywhere near my family.

But that’s all the distraction it takes. The leviathan swoops in and tears at me, its claws slicing through my arm. I scream, the pain unendurable. It’s like fire in my veins and I barely manage to stay upright. I can’t let this creature defeat me though! I can’t let Almu win.

With strength I didn’t realize I possessed, my eyes darken in rage and I direct a spell at the creature, a bolt of lightning that manages to zap it in the tail and leave it shrieking as it flaps away, further into the sky.

I can’t win if I keep trying to go up against the dark elf’s creatures. I’m no match for a leviathan or a worg. But if I attack Almu himself, if I keep him distracted, unable to conjure more creatures...maybe then I have a fighting chance.

Summoning another bolt of lightning, I send it raining down on Almu, who blocks it at the last second. He redirects it towards me and I’m forced to conjure another shield to protect myself.

He’s got an almost artistic quality to his magic and if I wasn’t ready to kill him, I could admire his skill. The leviathan swoops back down, claws outstretched to rake across my face but I manage to use my shield to keep it away, only sustaining a nick to the ear.

“By the gods!” I say, voice deep and rumbling. “We are going to end this thing here and now!”

“I agree,” Almu yells, cackling. “Surrender and I might go easy on you.”

“I’m not surrendering!” I tell him. “And I’m not giving up. You’re done for.” With that, I send a burst of flames towards him, forcing him to fall back which weakens his concentration on his leviathan. The creature flickers between worlds, struggling to keep its form solid.

It’s the opening I need to push back against Almu and I take it. I shoot another ball of flames at him, and another, and another. He’s forced to retreat in order to avoid the flames, his magic not strong enough to hold the leviathan’s form in this world as well as defend from my magical attacks.

Neither of us are wizards, though it’s clear that Almu has some skill. But that seems to be the limit of his powers, summoning creatures and defending against magical attacks. If he can’t use his creatures, he’s on even footing with me.

That’s what I need. I force him back again, sweat dripping down my brow as I clench my teeth. I throw down another bolt of lightning and he manages to avoid it but it’s the final straw in breaking his concentration and the leviathan shrieks off as it disappears into the ether.

I have no idea where it goes and I don’t care as long as it’s no longerhereso I concentrate on keeping Almu from being able to recall it. Sending another bolt of lightning, followed by a ball of flame, I force the man to defend himself from my magical conjurations.

It works. He’s too busy keeping himself from being consumed by the flame or zapped by the lightning to even think of summoning another creature.

Good. I just have to keep doing this over and over. I’m getting fatigued though. I’m not a practiced magic user so this is taking its toll on me.

And Almu is getting used to foreshadowing my attacks. I’m probably broadcasting myself with every spell I fling at him. He’s starting to dodge them more easily.

What happens if he manages to evade my attacks long enough to summon another creature? There’s no way I would be able to take another of his creatures on again—not after I’ve fought this long already.

But I can’t let anything happen to my family. Even if I have to die to protect them, I won’t let Almu have them—I won’t let him hurt them. I look for an opening. Something that Almu won’t see coming.

I don’t have many options here. I’m very limited in my offensive spells. There’s only one more thing I can think to do. I have to hit him hard enough that he can’t immediately come back from it.

With a deep breath, I run my fingers through my hair and ready myself. I’ve never really practiced this spell before. I don’t even know if it will work properly. But it’s the only truly harmful spell I know how to do.

It’s not something I ever set about to learn. I actually only learned it by accident one day. I was trying to prevent a shoplifter when I was much younger, and my magic went a bit crazy.

So I concentrate and lift my hand, bringing it down to send the spell directly at Almu’s hands.Blight, I think.

The effect is instantaneous. Decaying cracks start to form at the tips of Almu’s fingers, traveling up through the hands and into his arms. One of his fingertips falls off entirely. He screams and drops to his feet as his hands crack and decay rapidly.

“Stop!” he screams.

I release the spell, the decay still present but no longer eating away at Almu.

“I have bested you again,” I tell him, panting as I try to catch my breath. “Now leave, and never enter the city again. If I ever see you in Vhoig again, I will destroy you!”

Almu clutches his hands to his chest as he limps away and I sag, relieved that I beat him.

23

ANNALISE

“Oh, gods,” I mutter as I rush toward the door.