The Treslizn Chamber

[Christoph]

Strangers rarely knew what to expect from Elijah Belov. At first glance, they saw a chef who could have just stumbled out of a noble's kitchen. That was until he set them on fire with a casual gesture. Then the image changed to an oddly-dressed sorcerer. People rarely even noticed his sword, and if they did they assumed he kept it just for show. He often actively encouraged that perception, because then his foes engage him under false expectations. Sorcerers aren't supposed to be good fighters, but Elijah had fought with a blade for a very long time. It formed the perfect counterpoint to his magic: plenty of finesse, but not much power.

Therefore, Eli did not recoil before Letho Ravenheart’s charge. His first and strongest emotion was not fear, but annoyance. An interruption, taking attention away from his primary target.

The sorcerer continued his incantations until the very last moment. He drew the threads of power inward, infusing his flesh with magic, changing and expanding his physical capacities well beyond mortal limits. His muscles tightened and his movements grew swifter. The world seemed to slow around him.

Seconds later, Letho was upon him. Elijah spread his feet and drew his sword, sweeping it in a blinding arc to parry Ravenheart’s mighty thrust. The legend followed with another jab. Belov knocked it aside. While his motions seemed casual, he actually staggered beneath the attack’s crushing force.

He grit his teeth and jumped out of reach. He felt the subtle hum of Letho’s aura. He knew it well – it was some form of counter-magic. Were he not about to get skewered, he would have sighed and shaken his head. Leave it to those ignorant of magic to hide behind a defense made by magicians. The protective field was potent, but so was he.

With a feral snarl, he unleashed a blast of fiery wrath. Raw power erupted from his fingertips in a wave of flame and shattered earth. He lacked fine control of his pyromancy, but he possessed truly legendary raw power. With a series of sharp gestures, he intensified his sorcerous assault into a ceaseless explosion, focused and furious. He could feel the anti-magic field’s resistance, but that only drove him to push harder than he ever had in his life.