The Red Priest stayed lost in a reverie with his arms aloft. No one said a word as the minute went on like a day, and then a jolt went through the Priest’s whole body!
In that instant the room rumbled! Every torch flame in the room sucked low and bounced high again, sending shadows leaping up and down on the walls. A whining gale sprang from nowhere and flooded through the room, batting Hamar’s hair around, whipping the men’s robes like flags, thrashing the torchlight to make the shadows run around the walls. At last the wind ended its run by narrowing into a single squealing stream that dived into the Priest’s chest, – where it snuffed out!
Instantly the Priest’s eyes grew as big as eggs and all the men were eagerly fixed on him. He was glaring ahead with a terrible look, and with great deliberateness he lowered his arms.
His face, his entire body, were now dark and ponderous with superhuman power. He rotated slowly toward Hamar, his small black pupils piercing into the boy. Without anyone touching it the cord of Hamar’s luck-charm snapped, the charm noisily tinkling across the floor. A man chuckled, but stopped.
The Red Priest pointed to the middle of the wooden table. Nothing was on it.
The Priest drew himself up to his full height, his arm taut with power and his hand pointing like a spear. “THERE!” he demanded.
Without thinking, Hamar shot his own arm forward and watched one small finger point to the middle of the table!
Suddenly an unseen power swept down through Hamar’s arm like a running panther! Instantly he was full of strength and an understanding he’d never had before!
“FIRE!” Hamar yelled in a voice that wasn’t his own, full and deep and gravelly! The wants of a young boy were out of the way!
In front of him a ball of light like burning camphor socked into place in the air and hung there spinning, getting bigger and bigger. Hamar and the Priest shared a knowing look. Then Hamar flung his arm wide and sent the ball rocketing over all the men’s heads where it exploded against the back wall!
Fiery shards rained on the men underneath and they yelped in pain and frantically fluttered the embers off their robes, none of their comrades seemingly caring about their burns.
Instead they all began to mutter and to exclaim and applaud, until the room was filled with cheering!
The Priest and the boy’s gaze were locked into each other.
“THERE!” yelled the Priest, again pointing to the center of the table. The crowd went still.
Slowly Hamar felt a gleam grow big in his eyes as if his whole head was lit on the inside and was outshining the room! He focused down onto the planks of the table as two shafts of light like sticks came from his eyes! They joined to a point that singed the table, and he stared as he burned the wood, a thin seam of fire springing up from the boards!
The power drummed higher inside his head and he looked up to burn a streak through the front row of men! They buckled with pain and threw their hands over their faces and cried out!
Then his eyes fast returned to normal, letting Hamar look upon their fear, their fear, as the room stank with the smoke of singed wool and skin.
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