My Path to Magic 2: A Combat Alchemist Read Online Free Page B

not visible. My doubt that Ron was there of his own free will disappeared: the poor fellow was semiconscious and saw nothing.
    Y eah, he was beaten quite heavily…I stood still for some time, waiting for them to speak.  The crossbows were no danger to me; I long ago learned methods of defense against such weapons.  But the guy to the right aimed his knife at Quarters.  I would have defended myself, no matter how many attackers I had faced; but to protect Ron from the two arbalesters was beyond my power.  It didn't make sense to come here just to watch how Ron would be killed. Max's intervention would not change anything - the enemies were spread too far from each other. Besides, my zombie-dog had to take care of the sixth artisan who worked the light and was cautiously climbing to the upper floor. I did not understand his maneuver: he was either planning something or was about to flee.
    " You are trapped, Sorcerer," one man, who looked like their boss, shouted.
    I shrugged; I didn't mind if he wanted to deceive himself. Then I said, "Release the guy."
    "If you try to cast, he will die!"
    "If he dies, all of you will be dead." My eyes became accustomed to the dim light; now I clearly saw their leader: an elderly man, not a magician, with thick gray hair, was hung from head to toe with defensive amulets.  His amulets could help against self-taught mages, but they were generally useless against professionals like me.  I could have made a weaving that would have completely broken his toys, but it wouldn't go unnoticed. A lousy situation.
    The ringleader of the artisans - if they were them - grinned: "It was you who killed Master Laurent!"
    An d any doubts whether they belonged to the artisans left me. I did not deny the obvious and shrugged, "He challenged a dark magician; we do not leave challenges unanswered.  By the way, he had the same thing, too," I pointed to the crossbow.  "But it did not help him."
    "We have a friend of yours, " the blockhead objected.  "We will kill him!"
    " Even if it will cost you your lives?"
    I wondered how he would get out of this stalemate.  As for me, I could have waited for the crossbowmen to get tired (that weapon was heavy); I could have waited for Max, who was steadily approaching his victim. By the way, I needed to watch for my dog to stop him from tearing his enemy's throat off.
    A thought about the time must have worried the leader. "We are poised to die," he said.  "But our comrades-in-arms will make you answer for your crimes. Your masters will not be able to cover you infinitely!"
    I saw what he was driving at and started worrying: I wasn't skilled enough to exterminate them without leaving traces, and revenge for Ron's death would not excuse my killing them - it wouldn't be self-defense. I doubted that Satal would understand me.  Thus, indirectly, they would hurt me - simply by turning me into a criminal.  The courts do not know mercy in interpretation of the law against the dark mages (true, give us a little slack, and we will turn all circumstances in our favor). Instead of a hero halo, I could receive over twenty years in prison and shackles of deliverance , the real ones this time.  And how would I look in the eyes of Lyuchik? To be honest, I worried about my family's opinion of me much more than about Ron's life.  That's what I am, a vile and selfish dark magician.
    "Why do you think I want to kill you? You will be arrested for murder and possession of weapons."
    Of course, many years in prison for saving Quarters' life did not sound like an equivalent exchange to me, purely for selfish reasons.  It was asymmetrical.  Perhaps, it was obvious to the artisans' leader, too, as he grinned and threw some object in my direction: "Drink it right away or your pal will be dead!"
    As is often the case with people not familiar with dark magicians, he misjudged my behavior, the naive fool.  I guessed it was magic inhibitor in the bottle - its odor was really very special.