Free Flames of Awakening: Faemoch Cycle Book 1 by Michael Reynolds

slip
through, into the magic. Then the glass shattered into thousands of tiny
pieces, each smoking in blue-green wisps.
    Tolian's plan eventually worked as he
had hoped. His deadly dance never abated and finally the barbarian slowed. His
thick chest heaved with ragged breaths. Small beads of blood trailed down his
arms. His blows came weaker and with more strain.
    When Tolian was certain that he had
broken the beast, he lunged in for his final thrusting attack. He pushed up and
through Morgrys's defenses piercing his flesh right at the ribs. Blood wept
from the wounds like spring rain from a newly-made roof.
    Morgrys faltered and hugged his
sides. Bent double in pain, he skittered to the right, then careened into the
wall beside the door. Using the wall for support he stabilized himself and spit
a mouthful of blood to the floor.
    Tolian, seizing the opportunity to
end the fight once and for all, lunged with his sword, thrusting to pierce
Morgrys' throat. The barbarian had one last surprise for the wily bard; he
leaned away, dodging Tolian's onslaught. His hefty fist shot up and brutally
connected with Tolian's chest. With the last of Mondgys's strength, he thrust
Tolian into the ceiling. The stonework fissured from the impact. The bard fell
lifelessly to the dust littered floor, his flame extinguished.
    Morgrys, his lifeblood spilled to the
floor, paled. His pale eyes rolled into his head. Losing consciousness, Morgrys
fell through the gaping door into the stairwell.
    Jaxius stood, turned, and looked over
his shoulder at his young barbarian friend, dying, then to the crone. His eyes
flashed a bright emerald green, and he stalked deliberately toward the witch.
    That's it. Remember. Chlora's voice came from nowhere and
everywhere all at once.
    The accursed witch hurled another
magical blast at Jaxius.
    He snapped his blade up and parried
the magical bolt harmlessly away. Static filled his long black hair which began
to stand out from his head. Energy crackled throughout the room. Jaxius' eyes
blazed like emerald suns at high noon on a summer day.
    Remember .
    The witch turned and fled, breaking
for the open door.
    Jaxius launched his massive, curved
elven blade through the air with one hand. It carved through her, all the way
to the pommel.
    "No, you do not escape this. You
die here, tonight, witch. You die for your injustice. You die for your
atrocities against that which is natural. You die by my hand. At my
judgment," Jaxius thundered.
    The witch fell to her knees and
turned. The viortassi blade scraped the ground in front of her as she
did so. Blood and bile flowed down its length.
    "Then if I cannot have life, at
least I can rob you of your friend's." She raised her hands and chanted a
couple of short words in a bizarre language Jaxius didn't understand. Bergar,
chained to the rack, bucked and shuddered. Then the chains disappeared and the
young man fell to the floor. His skin immediately grayed, and his thick black
hair thinned before falling out. Bergar's thick body wasted, and his skin sagged
on his diminishing frame.
    Jaxius dashed for the witch who was
turning to face Tolian. He grabbed hold of the viortassi blade and
ripped it upward, splitting the witch from her belly to her shoulder.
    He looked at the two friends he had
just lost and slumped to the floor, ashamed that he had failed both.

 
     
     
    Chapter
Eleven
    There was no pain.  The relief
overcame him, so much so that he just lay there with his eyes squeezed shut.
Finally the witch's torments had ceased. He had burned from the inside out as
whatever magic she used to abuse him took hold. Now he felt no pain at all. In
fact, it was difficult to even say that he felt anything. But that did not
bother Bergar much at all as long as the hag's cruel dagger departed from his
flesh.
    Bergar opened eyes that had just been
throbbing in agony and saw a great white expanse. He was no longer in the stone
room being tortured. He was alone.
    Instinctively, Bergar knew