The Path of Giants, B.T. Narro [the speed reading book .TXT] 📗

“I always have to do everything.” Valinox’s voice came from the silhouette near the door.

I tried to pull his dteria away from my mouth with Grab, but he just pushed it harder against me. Has he gotten stronger?

Then he enclosed dteria around my entire head. The pressure was immense. It felt like my face was crushed between the ground and a heavy boot.

I could no longer cast from my head, or from anywhere. My mana required a little distance to formulate a spell, and I had none.

“Like I told you,” Valinox said.

“I’m doing it,” answered a voice I didn’t recognize.

This man was just some sorcerer from Rohaer I had not heard of. The thought of dying at the hand of someone I’d never met and wouldn’t even get to see with my own eyes filled me with rage.

I struggled against the dteria, hoping if I thrashed hard enough I could free some space around my hands or head. That way I could cast. But I was quickly losing strength because I couldn’t breathe through Valinox’s dteria around my mouth and nose.

“It’s in place,” said the man.

Suddenly the dteria around my head slipped away for the briefest of moments. I sucked in a breath of air and was about to scream for help, but a new encasing of clear energy wrapped around my mouth and nose. It seemed to be just as strong as the last.

Flailing with all my strength just seemed to take away my breath faster. I could barely move.

“Jon, I feel someone there now. I’m guessing it’s none of my business?” Her tone was as if I had a girl in here with me.

I tried to scream, but I barely made a sound.

“Jon?” She waited, then yelled louder. “Jon!”

I didn’t know what else I could do besides thrash and try to cast, but I was completely stuck and incapable, suspended in the air.

“Shit!” Aliana yelled. It was a moment later that I heard her try to open my door. “We need help here!” she screamed loudly. “We need help!”

It was going to take too long for even a group of them to break through the lock. This sorcerer was going to suffocate me, then stab me in my heart when I fell unconscious. I knew I was going to die if I didn’t think of something.

I couldn’t cast any spell, not even the simple one of ordia. Soon there was more shouting from the other side of the door, then banging as if someone was trying to kick it down.

I had never gone this long without taking a breath. There was a fire in my chest as my vision started to narrow, darkening around the edges.

“Move!” I heard Hadley yell above everyone else.

The commotion stopped.

Suddenly I was free, and there was an earthy and rancid smell in the air.

“What the hell?” Valinox uttered as he appeared just beside me.

“I can’t cast!” yelled the sorcerer behind me.

I collapsed and gasped for air. This was my chance, dammit! I could kill Valinox right now! But it took me a few long seconds to get back to my feet as Valinox lifted his hand at me and looked confused that nothing happened.

I had finally regained my strength and was about to drive my sword through his unprotected heart, but I heard the sorcerer running up from behind me. Did I want to risk sacrificing my life for a chance to take out the demigod?

Not today.

I turned and jabbed my sword upward, running it through the sorcerer’s stomach. He stabbed me in my bare chest at the same time, up close to my shoulder. He wheezed as he lost his strength, falling backward and freeing my sword from his body.

I left his dagger near my right shoulder as I started to turn around, but I was struck in the face with a fist that felt like a brick. I didn’t remember falling, but I was on the ground.

I looked up to see a boot coming toward me, so I rolled out of the way. There was a dent in the floor where Valinox had stomped.

I could hear my peers shouting at each other on the other side of the door. I got up and ripped the dagger out of my chest. I couldn’t heal it until the curse passed, and I didn’t know how long that would take. But I needed as much mobility with my arms as I could get. This might be the best chance I had to kill this bastard.

He stood between me and the door while his sorcerer was dying on the ground behind me. I knew his only escape was through me, out the window.

“Why Airinold would create the possibility of such a curse escapes me,” Valinox said as he eyed me with a half-smile. “I don’t care anymore. I will kill you myself and let him destroy this castle trying to get to me. I’ve had enough of you. No more games.”

Valinox pulled a huge blade out from the sheath on his belt. It looked much too heavy for any human to handle, but he whisked it around as if it weighed nothing.

He came at me.

I backed and leaned away as his quick blade flew overhead. I tossed the dagger at his stomach, but he smacked it down with his free hand, using catlike reflexes.

I noticed a bloody gash on the hand he’d used.

I had to dodge again as he stabbed his sword at me. I guided it away and tried to counterattack, but my wound really limited my range of motion. I had to mostly use my left hand, which I wasn’t used to, but I still managed to get quite a bit of strength behind my attack.

Yet Valinox merely stuck his arm in front of my striking sword as if it were a shield. But he seemed shocked from the pain as he flinched.

“What kind of steel is that?” he grumbled as he gave my sword a better look.

Hitting his arm had