All seemed hopeless for the champions, but a single stroke of luck can become a catalyst that will light the spark of heroism and cooperation, and Magizor just received that stroke of luck.
As the spider’s attention was now focused on Lightshadow and Clary, Magizor tried to find a way how to free Roderick from his bonds, because even though Magizor would never admit it, he was essential to his plan. Magizor still had one spell left, but it was of no use without the fighter’s aid, and even though Magizor’s hate for Roderick was substantial, his craving to find the solution to his power-problem was stronger.
But seeing the thickness of the webbing, he realized that he had no way how to free Magizor and he began frantically looking around for something sharp.
And then his gaze fell upon a thing a few feet before him
It was Clary, flat on her chest after a recent unfortunate fumble, but she wasn’t what had caught Magizor’s attention.
Next to Clary, a pair of items had fallen from her backpack upon the webbed floor, and those items could perhaps change the outcome of this unenviable situation ; the Daggers of Edginess.
However there was a problem here, seeing the effects of the daggers firsthand, he knew that he would cast his spell immediately under their influence, for it was a dark spell that was filled with utmost edge. He needed someone else’s help.
“Lady Clary, stop pitying yourself and help me, I need you to take these daggers and rescue that stupid imbecile so he can sacrifice himself for the cause and maybe help us turn this battle around.”
“But my powers are depleted, I failed” cried the Cleric of the Game Master, who betrayed her divine order of the Munchkin by losing the spotlight and failing in her tasks, which brought her great dishonour.”
“That’s better, at least you won’t have any stupid angsty power fantasies whilst under their influence.”
Clary nodded, took the daggers and ran towards knight Roderick to save him, but the gargantuan spider was chasing after her. Magizor knew he needed to distract it.
But how…But how… and then he realized it.
“No! No! No, I will do anything but that…!” he said to himself as the idea came to his mind, but he knew that there was no other way.
He had to accept it.
He had to give up on his beliefs.
He had to betray the old ways of magic.
He had to cast a cantrip.
The shame, the horror, the disgrace, but it was necessary sacrifice.
For hundreds of years he refused to adapt to the modern magic. For hundreds of years he refused to give up the teachings of the great Grand Wizard Vance. And even though all spellbooks of old have been lost or destroyed, and his prepared spells have been slowly fading from memory one after another, he refused to learn the inferior, yet more memory-friendly fifth reform of the magical curriculum;
Until now.
A small flicker of flame, a pitiful display for the wizard of once phenomenal powers, but enough to anger the spider and gain its attention.
Not one to die after such sacrifice, Magizor began running for his life, but his actions gave the now gothic looking fairy with skeletal wings enough time to cut Roderick free.
Game Master, seeing his follower in such a state made her fall unconscious and the daggers fell from her hands, turning her once again into the tranquil cleric she was known as.
“So we duel again once creature; Have at thee, darkspawn. You shall be the worthy adversary to whom I will not stand aside. I shall go medieval on your knees, fiend.” Shouted Roderick as he charged against the six-legged creature.
Magizor was firing fiery sparks at the spider from a distance once it got annoyed by the small armoured man gnawing at its legs and changed its target. He observed the spider for any sign of weakness or blood, for his last true spell could only work on already wounded targets.
There was a spark of hope, but as one watched the duel between the man and the monster, that hope began to wane once again. Roderick, while brave, was too short to damage the spider meaningfully, and its tough legs only deflected the longsword attacks. Roderick managed to strike some decent blows, but not enough, and after some moments he was overpowered and lay paralyzed on the ground next to…next to…Lightshadow’s body was nowhere to be seen.
And then Magizor saw it. Hanging upon the creature’s back, Daggers of Edginess in his hands, halfway to becoming Darkshadow appearance wise, but still Lightshadow in smile.
And with screams of joy changing into growls of doom he stabbed the spider right in the neck.
It was not a fatal blow, but it was all Magizor needed.
His last spell, last remnant of his former glory, but he felt no regrets, no despair, only determination.
The spell was difficult and hard to memorize, but its verbal components were very laconic.
Focusing all his powers into one word, Magizor said the ancient magical formula:
“Die!”
And the spider fell dead on the ground.
