Chapter 8

Neriah paced a full circle around Talloran, never breaking eye contact. She was no fool. Standing before her was a new adversary, one of which she had no knowledge of. Talloran was not just any Indigo or Azure mancer like those she had dealt with in the past, this was a man equipped with a weapon so far outside the boundaries of her knowledge that it made her uneasy.

Clasped tightly in Talloran's gritty hand was a strange spellstone, its elemental spirit swirling abnormally fast and flourishing with constantly changing colors. A chameleon, she mused. A spellstone that could instantly alter its spirit into a desired element to suit any situation. Such a thing could have devastating potential if used correctly, yet this slave wielded it in a manner that suggested it weren't an extension of his arm. His inexperience with spellstones would make him unpredictable; a danger not only to himself but her as well. That was of course if he was actually capable of using his newly acquired weapon. But first she had find that out.

"So tell me, Talloran," she said in her disgustingly sweet tone. "How are you are able to use that funny little spellstone? From what I can recall, the fastest time for attuning a mind to an elemental stone was achieved by a young pyromancer who managed it in a mere two weeks. But unless my eyes have deceived me, did I not just witness you using elemental illusion to perform a spectacular vanishing act? That would entitle you to be the new record holder. Never before have I come across a slave quite like you, Talloran. I must say, you have me quite intrigued."

Talloran said nothing. He just returned her cold stare.

"Not talking are we?" she chided. "You're not prepared to share your little secrets?" She leaned on her staff and ran a hand through her long hair. "Speaking of secrets, I'll let you in on little one of mine. You see this staff? The stone on its tip is perhaps the most powerful illusion stone that has ever been found in this mine. But that's not all." She extended a finger, tracing a line down the shaft until she stopped at the middle. "Right here, inside the shaft, you will find an alteration stone." Her finger moved lower. "Here, a pyromancy stone. And here," she paused, her eyes sparkling, "Beloved necromancy."

Talloran took a small step back and Neriah matched his movement by taking an equally large step forward.

"Why are you telling me this?" he said.

Neriah smiled again and never looked more beautiful. "I hoped that if I shared what tricks I had up my sleeve, then you might tell me some of yours. Show me what you can do, Talloran. I'm dying to know."

Talloran still failed to respond in any dramatic way which made Neriah lose her patience. "If you're not willing to cooperate," she said, "then I will make the first move, Talloran." She inclining her staff towards him. "Ready yourself this instant or you'll soon find me sweeping your remains away with a broom. It's time for us to duel!"

Talloran hesitated. He had no idea how to duel, let alone defend himself from a single attack! He gripped the glowing chameleon spellstone more tightly in his hand. It was the only thing that could save him.

"Lesson one," announced Neriah, twirling her staff through the air. "Pyromancy!" She thrust the tip forward and jet of fire roared out, encasing Talloran in a pillar of flames. The searing heat engaged his reflexes and he threw himself to one side, crashing painfully against the side of a rock. But even the split second in the flames had been too long. Fire had caught onto his tunic and he was forced to roll on the ground until it had been completely extinguished.

Neriah was quite amused by his antics and laughed loudly. "It seems that you have failed the first lesson, sweetie. Perhaps if you were smart, then you might have doused yourself in a wash of water, but clearly you seem to lack such initiative."

Talloran pulled himself to his feet, the Chameleon still in hand, and he touched the tip of his grazed elbow, wincing from the pain. "Go on," he taunted, "Why don't you just finish me already! Be done with it!"

Neriah waved a finger at him and frowned with disappointment. "Don't rush me, Talloran. I find it much more fun to play with victims before I initiate their demise. And that reminds me, it's time for lesson two."

"What's lesson two?" Talloran said through gritted teeth. Inside his gut had tied itself into several knots.

Neriah swung her staff sideways. "Alteration."

A dark blue aura immediately encased the shaft of the staff and a tendril of energy erupted from the tip, coiling itself down the staff and around the Illusionist. Talloran watched in horror as Neriah's body went into a state of metamorphosis. Her skin color went from creamy to dark grey, her once soft flesh transforming into solid stone. The robes she was once wearing suddenly dissolved as her body expanded, growing round and robust, and her hands which had once been soft and slender were now giant fists of rock that seemed capable of crushing a man.

Talloran retreated slowly from the enormous entity. "It's moments like these were you wish you were safe and sound at home and in bed," He said to himself. "I should've listened to you, father."

The massive stone golem that had once been Neriah moved with unnatural speed, stepping over to a stalagmite and wrapping its vice-like fingers firmly around the middle. With a solid squeeze, the stalagmite snapped in two, and the golem held the top half, ready to use it as a mighty club.

What do I do?! This is like something from out of a really bad dream and I can't wake up! The words echoed around Talloran's head as the hulking beast moved slowly towards him with earthshaking steps. Another swift glance at the stalagmite club it was holding jogged his memory, and he instantly recalled Nampag's shatter ability and how he had been taught to use it. You're made of rock, Neriah, just like that stalagmite! That's it! Geomancy! Tap into geomancy!

Gripping his stone tightly, Talloran created the image of the rock golem exploding in his mind and went to draw power. Mentally dipping his hand inside the swirling spirit of the chameleon spellstone, he felt for a brown strand of energy and found it at once. A second later, his mind then exploded in a wash of light as the images fused together once again. The stone now knew what it had to do.

Just as the golem went to swing the club and remove Talloran's head, a piercing brown light erupted from within the stone, striking the golem right through its center and stopping it in its tracks. There was a faint rumbling sound that followed, and Talloran knew that it was no earthquake. The golem had begun to shake to no end, vibrating madly as if an internal force was attempting to burst free.

Anticipating the impending explosion, Talloran went quickly for the exhausted Nampag and dragged him to safety behind a wall of rock. What followed next was a deafening boom as the rock golem exploded, showering the area with huge chunks of stone. Talloran coughed and spluttered as he waited for the tide of dust to subside, knowing that he had to go back out to confirm the kill. He leaned back against the rock, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath. Had he done it? Had he actually beaten Neriah at her own game? Leaning out, he scanned the surroundings. There was no sign of life, just the shattered remains of the rock golem.

"I did it, Nampag!" he gasped. "Neriah's gone!"

Nampag's head rolled limply to one side, facing him. "Impossible..." The Geomancer's doubt became clear when Talloran heard someone clapping loudly behind him.

"Oh bravo, Talloran. Bravo!" He turned to see Neriah leaning against the rock wall, her staff in one arm. Again she smiled sweetly. "I had a feeling that Nampag would have taught you some geomantic trick."

"B-but, how?!" Talloran stuttered, his bottom lip quivering. "That thing was torn apart!"

"Ah, Talloran, you will never learn. I was not made Master Illusionist for laughs. I merely let some expendable illusion attack you. I figured that you'd kill it one way or another."

Talloran cursed himself for being so blind. It had seemed a bit too easy. Knowing better to waste his time on such ponderings, he withdrew and tried to anticipate Neriah's next move, meeting her incessant gaze.

After what seemed like an interminable pause, Neriah took her staff in both hands and brought it down hard over her knee, snapping it cleanly in two. Though startled somewhat by the sudden movement, Talloran managed to see a black spellstone burst out from the hollow shaft, and Neriah caught it in midair.