Wednesday, April 20, 2016

The King's Challenge #279

TKC 279

Commander Gennerin strides forward, heading directly to the ethereal woman.

“Gennerin!” Damin rasps. “Don’t!”

The older man glances over his shoulder. “Just be ready,” he says, and goes on walking.

Ready for what? I look quickly at Damin to find him stoic. Expressionless and calm. Whatever Gennerin intends, Damin has marked it. He does not like it, but he knows what will come next. By the stars, the men in my life are all mad and far too ready to die.

The ghostly horde tightens the perimeter, but they do not attack. When they do, we cannot survive them, but it appears they wait for the command to do so.

What is going on?

I focus on Sassen. She watches the approaching Ilfin commander with amusement evident in her expression. “Please, mortal, what can you possibly do?”

Peripherally, I notice Damin flexes his fingers, both hands.

Oh.

My attention narrows to the ethereal woman. I must be ready also for what will come next.

Gennerin speaks then, his tone one of satisfaction. “My talent is the ability to reveal liars in whichever form they appear in. Did you sense this? Clearly not, or you would have dissipated already.”

The woman’s amusement vanishes.

“This gift permits me an added ability few others possess,” Gennerin continues, and in that moment he is with her, in her face, and he grips her ethereal shoulders with both his hands. “It allows me to solidify what is unreal to others.”

His fingers dig in; Sassen screeches as vapours of thin white smoke waft upward. It is akin to the tendrils of heat from a hot stew vanishing into the air as the concoction cools. Gennerin then jerks the woman forward and shifts his weight. He throws her towards Damin.


Damin catches her, and I shout, “Leffandir!”


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