the doorkeeper warriors were tense and alert, crouched in their ringed defensive stance. mukesh’s warlocks started to surround the conjured circle in which the doorkeepers were snared. Mukesh laughingly waved them away, urging them to relax.
“Let’s give this ragtag band of misfits a fighting chance. One of my least skilled spellcasters will be more than enough to put them in their place,” he boasted.
Mukesh made a slight motion with his hand and the shadow of one warlock approached, swiftly gathering speed. They realized that he was charging towards them. In a moment, he would pass through the circle’s opaque energy field. The warriors facing him braced themselves.
His shadow loomed large and abruptly disappeared, leaving the doorkeepers glancing at one another in confused silence. without warning, he suddenly reappeared rushing towards them from the inside rear of the conjured circle. His arms were extended with a blast of white heat blazing from his splayed fingers.
sage was the first to react, running full tilt at him from the right and removing the lid from the trophy, simultaneously aiming it at him. the enchanted captive rocketed straight out and seared into the warlock’s right shoulder.
startled, the warlock lost his balance, both hands momentarily flying upwards. The white hot blast of energy issuing from his fingers stuck the force field overhead and ricocheted downwards, showering him. They all watched in horrified fascination, as his hair and clothing immediately ignited. The warlock screamed in agony, as his flesh roasted. He impotently beat at the flames with both hands, as his legs reflexively continued to propel him forward.
The circle of Doorkeepers parted, as he bulldozed through their midst and crashed into the energy field. His feet beat a tattoo in the dirt, breaking the cast circle. Seeing their opportunity, sage and the others sprinted through the breach, going on the attack and lobbing conjurations at the stunned warlocks. marko charged through the melee, so intent on rescuing jagathy that he didn’t notice the tell-tale refraction of light around him as he lay motionless at mukesh’s feet.
as Marko bounded up the steps, arms outstretched to scoop Jagathy up, Mukesh shouted a malediction which ignited the inert curtain of fog in front of him. Marko felt his lungs seize up and fell to his knees coughing uncontrollably. sage staggered up behind him, focusing his intentions and energy long enough to stir up the wind and blew the fog away. seeing the dust-uptwo doorkeeper spellcasters sheilded them from mukesh, as sage knelt at his side and administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
as soon as marko could breathe again, he urged them to rescue jagathy. Mukesh set his lieutenant upon them and beat a quick retreat through a hastily cast portal. alone, he was no match for them. sage rushed forward to administer aid to jagathy. they watched anxiously from where they stood, not wishing to crowd him. sage suddenly shouted and jumped back, as the still form of jagathy turned to dust in his hands. Mukesh had tricked them again.
enraged, sage impotently shouted an imprecation and leapt to his feet. he RAN UNSTEADILY TOWARD the fading residual magic of the disspating portal and shouted for the spellcasters to help him reopen the portal. the dying embers of mukesh’s spell glowed dimly then brightENED beffore igniting stitching themselves back together. the portal opened and the surviving doorkeepers bounded through with marko, janet and andrea on their heels.