This is a story I wrote about three years ago. It's taken from a roleplaying encounter and told from the perspective of my character, Celithed. So click read more if you like, it's presented unedited from the day I wrote it.
The Eager Beetle
“Pox Kor, not now”, the thought blared across Cel’s focused mind. The spell slipped slightly, the Flows shuddered and waivered around him! It was coming right for him! The large beetle was lumbering towards him, its dark emerald green shell glinting in the lantern light, Cel’s reflection shining back from the polished orbs that must have been its eyes.
“I’m not ready yet!”, bile was rising in his stomach and sweat was pouring from his pores like volcanoes erupting molten lava. “Focus Cel…focus!”, his mind screamed, he was losing the spell and that couldn’t happen, he’d be defenseless. Through clenched teeth he began the casting. He hadn’t prepared long enough, the Flows poured into him almost to his limits seemingly eager to overpower him and rend his mind or worse his body to pieces.
It was never easy; casting an ice bolt was a powerful spell for Celithid and an effect that he had only recently grown confident enough to attempt with any regularity. But he had always had time to prepare himself for controlling the power that it took to release the bolt and now he was watching the ponderous bug rushing towards him.
Only the briefest of moments had passed since he had begun preparing for the spell when the beetle had turned its attention on him. Left with little choice he had begun his casting that instant, changing the phase in his mind to harness the drawn power and release it in its purposeful form. The fluxuations in the Essence Flows were fearfully evident as the first few seconds passed and Cel forced back his anxious fear in order to focus on his task. If he failed he would be even more vulnerable. The energies coursed through his body in angry torrents, applying pressure to every joint, reverberating through his head.
Every detail of the creature was evident, the huge maw dripping an ominous fluid, the translucent black-green eyes shimmering in the dancing light of the lanterns. Cel’s world flashed white as he thrust his arm forward, fingers splayed outward, his palm mere feet away from its target. A deep cold arced through his arm, the Flows surging into his body as the icy bolt manifested from his palm and flew unwavering towards the beetle.
The dull sound that emanated from the impact into the large bug’s carapace was strangely audible to Cel. His teeth clinched and eyes flashing with the power flowing through him he fought in tense determination to keep the bolt aimed.
The huge body shuddered as the magic ice drove itself into the bug’s thorax. The mandible’s flittering wildly; small rivulets of sickening green ooze sloshing onto the cave floor in a maddening pattern. With a muffled crunch the legs folded underneath, the jade-green armored exoskeleton slid backwards, yielding to the unforgiving force of the blow.
Cel’s arm shot up, recoiling to his body, the strain no longer bearable, but he had done his task properly and the hit had been solid and well placed. There were flashes of movement passing through his vision that he didn’t take time to focus on, he was out of danger and preparing for his next spell. The strain was biting at his body and throbbing in his head, but the flood of euphoria at the successful casting was more than enough to balance his mind.
A triumphant shout and then another penetrated his mind and the shadowed images of his friends told him that the fight was over. As he let his mind relax, the Flows left him, his muscles and bones feeling as if a great ocean of weight had been pulled from them. Thoughts and odd paterns swirled in his head for the slightest of instants and then the world snapped back into place.
Everyone appeared okay, which meant that no one was lying prone on the ground, so Cel marked that as a good sign. It was not difficult to loose track of what was going on as he prepared and cast spell after spell and it was almost always somewhat of a surprise to see the results of their efforts. His eyes scanned for Nara, an automatic reflex, he wasn’t sure why he always worried about her, she seemed far more able to take care of herself than he did, and indeed better than most of them. He found her looking for him and a few quick signs told him that she was okay, allowing himself a sigh of relief he walked over to the others huddled around the carcasses.
They had appeared like big green rocks at first glance, but something about them didn’t seem right and if they had learned anything it was that if something didn’t look right it probably wasn’t. He had sent his elemental orb into the room to investigate and sure enough they started to move, unfolding themselves into very large beetles. Jaen’s voice had sounded behind him as he commanded the elemental and the words Jade-back beetle had drifted past him. The creatures had appeared to sniff at the air, perhaps looking around for what had disturbed them, and Cel was hoping they hadn’t spotted the group yet. But when the pair had turned their way and with one final sniff started shambling towards them that hoped drained away.
The drawing of weapons caught his ear in the eerie silence of the passage, the clinking of chainmail mingling with the tensed whispers of his friends. He could hear Dusk telling everyone to get ready and then “Cel, can that Elemental attack?”.
Cel nodded as Dusk’s attention snapped back to the beetles.
Focusing back on his Elemental, he ordered it to attack the beetles, which were steadily closing the distance between them. The muted white orb, which had been circling near the ceiling, spiraled downward towards the large shapes on the ground and exploded in a wave of cold and shards of ethereal ice. The beetles recoiled slightly, but with only a slight pause they continued towards the party. The orb had hit off center and the blast had only grazed them. Cel had grimaced in a bit of disappointment, but there had been no time to linger as the fight started and his friends engaged the beetles.
Fortunately everything had worked out, and Cel smiled as he thought about something Jaen had spurted out. Something about if you remove the shell then you can make armor out of it…hmmm…now that could be interesting. Cel’s eyes glinted with curiosity as he awkwardly gripped his large salvaged two-handed sword eagerly.