Scorpion
This too shall pass.
Brass tinkled on the workshop floor. Beckton closed the bolt again, but didn't pop up for another shot immediately. Flame had caught on the solid wood of the workbench, and the heat haze and smoke made it hard to see - only compounded by runes on the underside of the worktop that were trying to extinguish the fire.
He squinted, trying to find a target to fire on, before someone moved him aside gently and firmly.
Eyes glowing, filled with power that Beckton felt vaguely compelled to step away from, Newkirk let go of his shoulder and spoke words that erased themselves from his memory. Their fiery adversary raised both arms to its head as if afflicted with headache, then after a moment turned away and seared the enemy positions with a torrent of flame. It moved off back outside, still pouring fire from both arms.
Newkirk tapped Beckton's shoulder, once again his normal self. The teleportation circle glowed faintly around them.
"Ready to go?"
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Comments (3 so far!)
HSAR
Newkirk has used Planar Binding, another advanced 5th-level spell (the same level as Teleportation Circle). The fire elemental had a chance to resist the spell, but Newkirk was confident it would work. The fire elemental is now his for 24 hours. He also cast Teleportation Circle at the same time, using a technique of speaking both spells at effectively the same time. It took a little longer than saying one and then saying the other, but he wanted to give the enemy spellcaster no warning.
"Scorpion" is the name for the Mark 12 nuclear bomb detonated in eighth test ("How") of the series of nuclear tests in Operation Tumbler-Snapper that followed Operation Buster-Jangle. It evaluated the most effective altitude for an air-dropped nuclear weapon detonation, was used as a training exercise opportunity in conjunction with the Army, and tested new components and designs.
- #3426 Posted 7 years ago
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Robert Quick
Potent spell-casters indeed. The two spells at once trick could be pretty handy. I don't see any mention of the teleportation circle here. Sure a circle glows brightly but there's no mention of a teleport specifically and could be attributed to almost any other magic in effect. I like the "everyday" uses of magic that I can almost never think of, that would totally be present in a magical society, like a spell to automatically extinguish fires.
All in all, neat work and good to see you again.
- #3428 Posted 7 years ago
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0
Inspired by (sequel to):
Beckton leaned out sideways and pulled the gun into his shoulder in one movement. He placed a little…
Petite Plutonium- Published 7 years ago.
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HSAR
Newkirk is a practical man and has ensorcelled his workbenches against fire and mundane accidents, but this type of fire is clearly beyond such protective enchantments.
I thought about but didn't have enough space to expound on the idea that such a physiological response to wizards in their potent state might be why they have always been somewhat outcasts in polite society (except, perhaps, in arcanocratic power structures).
Words of power aren't necessarily beyond the comprehension of mundane beings or such pretentious nonsense. The erasure from memory is simply Newkirk's pragmatism - they're his trade secrets, in a real way, and he would prefer them stay that way. It's not like Beckton can stop him (magical counterintelligence will have to wait for some other day).