That's So Wizard

Chapter 84 - Freedom

As Eldrian remained backed up against the wall upon his mattress, he had to do something, but if he was seen casting a spell, it would yet again be broken. He thought quickly and started to create a magical symbol on the wall with a single hand, and in the meantime, he stalled by speaking. It was slow at first, but the man didn't notice. Then, he took one final move and blinded him temporarily. That was why he spat. It granted him just enough time to finish, and fortunately, he was none the wiser.

Next all he needed to do was wait for the perfect moment. The spell infused into the wall directly behind his back was similar to his Push spell, but he could activate it remotely. Escape was soon approaching. Just a little farther, and...

The spell went off perfectly, sending Eldrian up and towards the man looming over him. His head crushed the man's nose and dazed him. He flew over the man laying upon the ground, already preparing another spell, this however was not to be aimed at him.

His Dark Mage robes fluttered out as time slowed for only a moment—his adrenaline pumping and his focus intensifying. From both of his hands together, before the spellbreaker could recover, he fired a beam of energy that detonated a hole straight through the exit door. He kicked off the wall, and began sprinting as vigorously as his weary body could, and almost immediately, the man was behind him in hot pursuit.

"God damn it. He's escaping, so catch him!" screamed the voice not far back.

As he sprinted through an arrow hall, he began to see ta guard turn the corner and aim a rifle in his direction. It was a woman dressed in body armour, and had the weapon aimed with precision. "Stop. Your magic attacks will do nothing here."

Eldrian reached out as he ran, and he felt something odd. The gun's inner workings were already disabled. No. They weren't there to begin with. The fact of the matter was that it was no gun at all. Firing from the end was a blast of purple energy that crashed against a ward he swiftly projected. It was a wizard.

But this didn't stop Eldrian. He had no way to go but forward. The glare she saw coming towards her was intense and unwavering, and her weapon didn't cause him to flinch. It didn't matter, however, as she was ready to shoot almost immediately after, but before she could, her aim was shaken.

What's happening? And why isn't he stopped? That's what she thought. Then, the world began to spin.

He leapt into the air and pulled his legs up, while his hands were crossed over and wide open. His eyes never left hers. As he moved his arms outward, a strange, powerful force suddenly shifted, and her, him, and the spellbreaker behind flew into the wall as if they were violently dropped. Gravity Shift!

Eldrian was prepared and landed on his feet, allowing him to continue to run, and leap straight over the dazed soldier. He kicked off the wall yet again, and the room returned to normal, which then caused the two to fall to the ground once more.

"Bloody stop him!" the man screamed at the top of his lungs.

The soldier immediately brought back up her weapon and began to fire in three second intervals, each burning a hole in the wall as they chased. Thankfully, there were enough corners for Eldrian to maneuver away, and each time they turned and thought they found him, it was naught but an illusion that stuck out its tongue shortly before fizzling away.

He continues to hustle along the hard marble floor, dodging past a few other guards that were thankfully neither spellbreakers nor wizards. Yet, he couldn't open a portal still.

Finally he reached a large set of double doors, and with all of his might, he performed a Push with both of his hands to crash them violently open, basking his body in the light of day. He sprinted out into the dirt, but even then, no portal could be opened.

Real guns were being fired now, and he had no time to figure out where they where coming from. He ran and ran, desperate to find an escape. If he flew, he'd just be an even more difficult target. The best he could do was split off into several illusions to confuse those with weak enough—or not existent—magic eyes.

Sweat poured down his face and his lungs burned, but he didn't stop. Finally, like a cool breeze washing over him, he felt a stable connection to the outside world the moment it became clear. He had left their disrupting barrier. Soldiers started to close in on his position, but it was too late. All they found was a mahogany door, and on it was a sticky note that read, "Maybe next time".

***

His hands shook, but not because it was cold. The man was unkempt and had an unpleasant scent, especially from such a close proximity. The one next to him, a woman, was garbed in a dark robe, and they were just completing a rather distasteful conversation, at least to her. She was asking him a few questions, but there was only one thing in his mind—what was left of such a thing.

She felt his hands caress around the sides of her hips and his broken grin stared up at her. All he could make out in the dark were her shiny violet lips.

"So how about it?" he asked with a shaky voice. "How about we get married, huh?"

Without a flinch, she slowly brought her hand to the side of his face. Her skin was a strange colour and she felt cold, but it was smooth and comforting nonetheless. There was a brief moment where he was happy, but quickly he started to panic.

"I can't move my—No. I can't feel my hands. Am I trapped? What's happening?" he continued.

If one were to look at his hands, they would see something unusual. They looked as if they had been left in the freezer for weeks. There was ice formed around the flesh, which itself was pale and turning purple, and it was starting to crack and tear.

The man let out a primal scream as the pain set in. "Let me go, you witch!"

Her hand remained against his cheek. Now, her eyes were more visible than ever, and stared intensely into his own. It caused him to tremble into silence. "Quiet. I'm tired of listening to you," she whispered.

What happened to his hands now started to spread across his face. At the end of it, his look of terror was frozen there, as was the rest of his body. There was nothing he could do to prevent himself from being frozen solid, and then she simply nudged him over. She turned, not even caring to watch parts of his body shatter off upon impact with the sidewalk. Her attention was elsewhere—on the audience.

A few others were watching in fear and awe.

"Now then. I propose to you the same question. All of you," she spoke with a commanding tone. "Do you seek liberty? A world where you can live as you wish, no longer in fear of being taken away."

Her robes waved in the breeze. The nearest street light barely illuminated her face, but they could make out her deep purple hair. Her hand was offered forward, but not threateningly. It was something to hold. It was an invitation to an ideal. After seeing what she could do, there was no way they could decline. They followed her, as did others, to be free.

Stay tuned for Chapter Eighty-Five - Come Together!