No doubt he realised it's a stupid thing to do after I told larcen to touch him.

Now he's focused entirely on blocking Larcen's attempts to get near.

This is no good.

The King is more skilled and can probably keep this up for longer than Larcen's energy will hold out.

Eventually Larcen's going to make a mistake.

There has to be something I can do.

My magic still isn't working, so a well-timed blast of fire is out of the equation.

I'm probably more skilled at swordplay than Larcen but neither of us are at the level where fighting the same foe would put us at an advantage.

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No, we're more likely to end up injuring each other instead.

All I really have left is my empathy - a skill I've never really had to use for combat.

What would Helena do in my place?

… No, that's not right.

It's not what she'd do - it's what she'd be weak to.

Memories flick through my mind and I know the answer.

All those emotions that I've been bottling up and pus.h.i.+ng down - my fear, my rage, my helplessness - I pull them to the surface and let them out.

The suddenness of it has the King momentarily dazed.

It's not a lot, but it's enough.

Larcen manages to knock the sword out of the King's grasp.

He drops his own sword and grabs the King by the collar to keep him in place.

Even now the King looks smug.

"You think you've won? You may have defeated me but I'm not the only one who's going to die today. The out of control mage is going to destroy everything. Even your son."

Larcen pays the words no mind and just lifts one bare hand to the King's cheek.

It's a soft barely there touch until the King jerks away.

Then it becomes a strong grip.

The King's face contorts into a myriad of expressions even as Larcen's remains pinched in concentration.

It feels like both an eternity and a mere moment have pa.s.sed when Larcen pulls back, panting.

The King is rocking back and forth on the ground, practically catatonic.

"Do we leave him like this or…?"

Helena's words to show him no mercy come back to me, but isn't it more merciless to let him live with those feelings?

Larcen shakes his head slightly as though waking from a dream before speaking.

"What was he talking about? What out of control mage?

I cringe slightly at that wording.

"Kent."

"He's a mage? Why wasn't I told? Nevermind. Is he really going to destroy everything?"

It would have brought up too many questions was my reason, but if Helena knew Larcen was a Void then she probably didn't tell him because Voids are a magnet for telepathic searches.

It's probably better for his sanity if I don't tell him that though.

As for the second question…

"With the amount of magic he's been pulling in it's possible, but… Kent wouldn't."

"You'd be surprised what people will do given the right motivation. Anger is a wonderful motivator."

Any response I am about to give dies as I notice the ice creeping along the walls.

"Ice?"

Larcen sounds only mildly interested.

"It's Kent's element - the default form his magic takes."

"Ah. Still think he wouldn't destroy everything?"

"Kent will regain control and everything will be alright. You'll see."

Even as I say it my voice trembles.

If Larcen notices he doesn't say anything.

"Be that as it may, if this ice continues spreading - at the very least, the castle is going to collapse. We need to get out of here."

I give a hasty nod and we take off running for the nearest exit.

"a.s.suming the worst, how far is Kent's range?"

Larcen doesn't slow down to ask the question.

"The edges of the kingdom? Possibly further? He's more powerful than any mage here."

"Well then, let's hope the worst doesn't come to pa.s.s or we're all dead."