Cont. from Part Fifty Two or Story Start/Part One if your just joining
The three combatants stood tall facing each other, swords up, eyes locked they were all breathing heavily.
Valars sword was a wreck, huge chunks of metal were missing from the blade, once smooth it was more like a jagged edge now... the warm blood of one of his opponents dripped down around the hilt an onto his hand.
The two monks retreated a few steps to ensure they were out of striking range, one struggling to move his wounded leg, it was causing him obvious pain.
Out of striking range they looked briefly at each other and then back at him...he wasn't sure, but maybe they were having doubts, certainly they were considering the next move.
The monk with the long sword planted it into the ground, the fire shard around his neck suddenly glowed brightly...he had seen this before it was the beginnings of a fireball attack, this could be the end as he had no shield and no way to defend.
The monk released the spell quickly and not fully formed, while the other monk continued to retreat with a limp.
The fireball was small, but it moved faster then first expected... his only hope was to dodge the spell.
With full force he also planted his sword into the earth, keeping one hand closely gripped he leaned back to dodge the spell. As he moved back he kept his view locked on the fireball as it raced towards his neck... its trajectory set, if he could lean back far enough using his sword for support it might be dodged and he could immediately counter.
The sword helping to anchor him, he leaned back an unnatural angle...it would be close but the fireball would harmlessly pass.
As the fireball passed he felt something unexpected, he could feel the intense heat as it passed over his trunk and towards his chest, he wasn't sure why but he has the strangest impulse to touch it with his free hand.
At the last possible moment he raised his free hand quickly and tried to touch the flame as it passed over his body.
...Something strange was happening, it was like time was slowing down and the fireball crept over his body much slower then he predicted allowing his hand to get very close and probe the flame. His curiosity grew, something was driving him to understand and touch the fireball.
He felt the flame burning the flesh of his hand, yet he did not take it away... he wanted to understand so he kept his hand close the entire time it passed by. He was remembering something, something which had happened to him with Sharee it was like he could see the magic which formed the spell...
Tiny strings, particles of magic seemed to pull away from the fireball and interact with his hand...he wanted to understand more, but his arm was now fully stretched and the fireball quite out of reach.
He pulled himself upright with huge effort...the two monks stared at him in amazement, no-one was quite sure what they had just seen.