Return of the Runebound Professor

Chapter 451: The Weave

Thin strands of metal hissed like a furious snake, shimmering around Silvertide as he leapt into the room and darted for Wizen. A pillar of fire materialized above the old soldier and crashed down toward him.

Threads of metal crossed over each other in a spilt second, forming into a shield above Silvertides head and blocking the blast of flame. It roared past him harmlessly, licking across the floor, scorching tile black.

A thick beam of silver blurred toward Wizen. The cloaked mage raised a hand and a wave of earth rolled up from the ground and the metal drove into it, grinding to a halt before it could pass through. It flicked back to Silvertide, who was forced to dodge to the side as a ball of fire materialized where hed been standing.

Godrick slammed his hands together, pulling them apart to reveal two long blades that hummed with dull white energy, and burst into motion to join Silvertides fight. Brayden flickered and vanished from view, reforming in the room with his huge sword in his hands.

Noahs violin materialized in his hands as the three mages bore down at Wizen from all sides. Lee took a step forward but Moxie grabbed her, pulling the demon back.

We fight from the back, Moxie said, vines crawling out from her robes and working their way into the ground. Wizen isnt someone we can risk getting close to. Look at him.

She was right. Noahs attention was focused on pouring power into his song as he prepared a Formation, but it was abundantly clear that Wizen was nowhere near outmatched. Even with three powerful mages attacking him, he was holding his own.

Swirling red energy danced around the mans body, absorbing Silvertides blows before they could reach him, and every part of the room seemed to have come alive in Wizens defense. Great swathes of stone ripped themselves free of the ground and formed into spikes and blades that jabbed at the Enforcers, forcing them to keep their distance.

Fire materialized in the air and lit the room with loud roars, and blades of wind whistled around Wizen with such intensity that their screaming nearly made Noahs ears bleed. Fortunately for him, they also meant that he could play his violin without having to worry about volume.

Even though the violin was capable of repressing its song, being able to hear what he was actually playing as it was meant to be heard made things a lot easier. The bow flitted across the strings of the violin and Noahs fingers blurred as he poured magical power into the instrument.

The fight in the room below had grown more intense. What had once been a few individual strands of silver was now a veritable sea. Silvertide had filled nearly a quarter of the room with his rippling magical thread and it swirled around his body like a cloak, blocking Wizens strikes before they could land.

Godricks swords seemed to sing a song as they danced through the air. He carved through fire, wind, and stone alike as he pushed to grow closer to Wizen, but the nearer he got, the more powerful the cloaked mans magic seemed to grow.

Brayden vanished in a shimmer of purple only to reform in the exact same spot as Wizen thrust a hand in his direction, his own fingers crackling with the exact same purple energy.

Damned Plains, Moxie breathed. How is he doing that? Hes casting four or five completely different kinds of magic at the exact same time. That shouldnt be possible.

Wizen didnt seem concerned with what was or wasnt possible. His robes flapped furiously around his body like he was caught in the center of a violent storm. For an instant, his hood pulled back far enough for Noah to catch a glimpse of his lips, curled down in displeasure. Is this all Enforcers have to offer? I suppose I should have known.

Godrick pressed his swords together. A deep thump ripped through the room and white mist curled up around his body. A second thump followed after it and another came after heartbeats, magnified like Noah was hearing them through a stethoscope.

The mist curled around his body and formed into ghastly armor. Tendrils of it reached out and gathered at Godricks feet and he blurred, vanishing.

He reformed directly in front of Wizen. The strands of white mist shot out like sword strikes, driving for every part of the cloaked man. Wizen clapped his hands together and the spines pierced straight through his body. Godricks sword followed after the spikes an instant later.

They carved a huge X straight through Wizens body, passing clean through him and coming out on the other side wreathed in white mist.

Wizen didnt so much as flinch. Shimmering particles curled away from the path that the swords had followed as his body pulled itself back together like fog parted by the hand of a curious child.

A bolt of purple energy leapt from Wizens hand and struck Godricks armor, but it disintegrated as it touched him. Silvertide leapt at his back, sending a wave of metal crashing down toward him.

Wizen vanished, reforming behind Brayden. Braydens huge sword crashed down for his head and he lifted one hand, stopping the blade in its path with his palm. He thrust the other into Braydens chest and grey magic crackled around it only to dissipate as Godrick appeared right beside Wizen, his white misty tentacles swirling around him.

Better, Wizen said as Godricks blades passed through his body once again. I was wondering why you were holding off on using your domain. Not the most impressive Ive ever seen, though. Rather small, isnt it?

The tendrils of white magic around Godrick screamed forth, driving into Wizens body from every direction. They pierced through him, sending foggy particles up into the air. The mages body transformed into a stream of black that flowed past Silvertides rippling ocean of metal and away from Godrick, reforming back into his normal body in the middle of the room.

Noahs violin continued to sing as he pushed to finish the Formation. Wizen hadnt paid him any attention yet. The man was either too caught up with the other mages or hadnt heard the music because of the loud humming of Silvertides metal ocean.

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I dont know whats up with Wizens magic or what hes capable of, but if I can hit him with Sunder, itll probably cut through whatever protection hes got that stops them from hitting him with magic.

Moxie hadnt tried attacking with her vines yet, but that was probably for the best. It didnt look like theyd be able to do much to him, so biding their time to wait for the right moment was the best chance they had at helping the others.

What about you? Wizen asked, looking to Silvertide. No Domain? I was hoping to see more of your famed abilities.

Silvertide didnt respond. He brought his cane down and the waves of glistening metal leapt slithered out in dozens of different streams. Wizen carved his dagger horizontally before him, ripping open a long red portal.

He grabbed the edge of the portal with his other hand and pulled it over himself like a blanket. Silvertide yanked his hand back and the silver averted its path, parting and into the floor before it could touch the portal.

It slithered back to Silvertide as Wizen released the portal and let out a low chuckle. Is that really it? One mage with a below-average domain and the other none at all? The Rank 4 doesnt count hes barely even a mage.

Notes swirled around Noah, laden with thick magic. Hed already poured out over half of all the energy Natural Disaster had to offer, layering it so he could use the full might of Sunder. There would be no second chances with the Formation. He had to put every ounce of power he had in if he wanted to be able to hurt a Rank 6 as powerful as Wizen.

He was nothing like Evergreen and he hadnt even drawn his own domain yet, as far as Noah could tell. Wizen wasnt taking the fight seriously at all. It almost seemed like he was just wasting time with them.

The three Enforcers bore down on Wizen, hurling magic and metal alike at him as they fought to find an opening in his defenses. Nothing worked. They were pressed back again and again, their magic failing to do anything more than pass through him.

It should have been impossible. Wizen had used enough magical power to wring three or four mages over dry, and yet he was still fighting at full force.

Maybe Wizen is conserving energy by avoiding using his domain? That could be it, but even so, how is he still going? Hes used so much power, but I dont think hes a Rank 7 or this fight would have been over before it started even if he was just screwing around.

Noah didnt let his mind wander too far. His Formation was nearly complete. Power gathered around him, swirling to life as he reached the final notes of the song. His bow danced over the strings and his lips pulled back in a snarl. He poured power from Sunder into the Formation in the closing notes, interweaving it with the structure hed built.

Wizen glanced up, then let out a sigh. Ah. Finally.

He thrust his hands out. A wave of purple energy ripped out of his body and slammed into everyone in the room, hurling them back like children. They struck the walls with three loud bangs.

Moxies vines erupted from the ground, forming into a thick barrier at the entrance of their hall. Purple light ripped through them. Moxie raised another wave of vines even as the first ones fell, only managing to just barely stop the energy before it could reach them saving Noahs formation in the process.

Shreds of them rained down all around Noah. His concentration didnt falter. The song was nearly complete, and getting distracted now would only waste all the power hed poured into the shimmering notes of the Formation that had taken form around him. He just had to trust that the others would keep Wizen off him for a few more seconds.

Things didnt look good. Braydens arms trembled as he tried to push himself up and Silvertide tried to reach the staff that had fallen at his side. Godrick had jabbed his swords into the ground at his sides and was up to one knee, but none of them could stand.

Noah muted his music, pressing to play the last few notes in silence to avoid drawing Wizens attention until the last possible second.

Barb dropped down from a passageway far above them, landing beside Wizen with a grunt. The hand that shed lost back in Arbitage was still missing, but she cradled a bundle under her arm.

Sorry, Barb said with an apologetic smile. I lost some of my equipment and had to go looking for it. You know how it is.

Why do I tolerate you? Wizen nodded to the fallen mages. Finish these ones off. Ive gathered enough

His head snapped around, his pale blue eyes locking with Noahs just before he could play the final note.

Wizen blurred, appearing directly before him, and reached for Noahs neck with blinding speed. Lee slammed into him, driving her palm into his arm and bringing her knee up into his elbow in an attempt to break it.

Her strikes bounced off his body, but they managed to redirect Wizens hand just enough to stop it from reaching Noah as he played the last note of the formation.

The air trembled. A black spear materialized, carved down, and slammed into the cloaked mans shoulder with the weight of a falling mountain. Wizen snarled in pain and twisted. A sickeningly familiar energy swirled around his hand and gathered at his fingertips as he slammed them into the spear.

For an instant, the two locked in place. Energy screamed around Wizens body, sending arcs of electric black power scorching into the ground around him and turning it to glass. He let out a roar of defiance. His hand squeezed shut. The spear shattered. Wizen stumbled, blood trickling down from his shoulder as he spun toward Noah.

Impossible, Wizen breathed. You have Weave?

He snapped his fingers and the gravity seemed to multiply by a thousandfold. Sheer runic force slammed Noah to his knees. Moxie and Lee crashed down beside him, unable to even muster the force to fill their lungs with air to speak.

Wizen reached down and grabbed Noah by the collar, lifting him into the air. With his other hand, he dug the dagger into the air behind him and carved open a rippling red portal.

I did not think anyone else possessed Weave, Wizen said. His breath, only inches from Noahs face, smelled like rotting carrion. But you have found something that I have not, havent you? That was a different way of using the Rune or perhaps a different Rune altogether? It will be mine. Come, Barb.

Barb nodded and stepped through the portal and disappeared. Noah tried to draw on his magic, but it was like breathing underwater. He couldnt even muster the energy to blow himself up. Wizen had completely suppressed him, body and runes alike.

Wizen took a step toward the portal to follow after Barb and a cry split the silence. Lee burst into motion and launched up from where shed fallen, driving her shoulder into Wizens chest. A single red horn curled from her right temple, the left one broken off at the root.

A flicker of surprise passed over Wizens face and he lost his footing for a brief instant. Lees fingers, sharpened into long claws, dug into the skin of his wrist as she hurled her full weight into the mage.

Wizens fingers loosened. Noah crumpled to the ground, still completely unable to move, as Lee threw both herself and Wizen into the portal to the Damned Plains.

The world seemed to drag to a crawl as Wizens body pitched into the red light. The instant he disappeared, Noahs body fell back under the control of his own mind.

No! Noah screamed, lunging for Lee as she fell into the portal. His hand managed to catch her by the ankle but the pull of the magic was immense and far greater than anything he could hope to resist.

There was nothing he could do to stop her from falling in. He didnt even have time to think about his options. There was only a flicker of an instant to make a choice, and but he didnt even need that long.

His grip tightened. The portal yanked Noah off the ground and into its churning depths alongside Lee. He felt something wrap around his own legs, but he didnt get a chance to see what it was.

The roaring crimson light of the infernal passage swallowed the world, and the Damned Plains waited beyond it.