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A ton of lead by Maxwell Salen


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Layered in decades of enchantments and curses his tower was proof against any magical or physical threat, nothing was getting in or out. And the only things in the tower were things Marus had brought in personally. He was safe. Yes, there was nothing to worry about Kendris had failed, probably weeping like a woman over his dead family in his own tower.

There was barely ten minutes left of the challenge and Marus now feeling secure stretched back into the throne, savoring his victory. All of a sudden there was an uncomfortable tickling in the back of his throat. Coughing loudly, Marus hacked up a single white feather that drifted lazily down to the onyx table. He looked down in horror at his last meal, the roast chicken he had heartily devoured but a half hour past. There was another tickling in his throat and coughing madly into his hands, Marus found two white saliva spattered feathers lying there.

***

When the council had finally breached the defences of the twisted tower, the door of the tower exploded out in a mass of white feathers. Some of them had blood on them.

"Magister Kendris is declared the winner!" shouted the High Magus. The gathered crowd cheered enthusiastically. Kendris himself quietly walked through the mob receiving cheerful backslaps and handshakes. He picked up a single blood flecked feather, and walked quietly away into the gathering darkness of night, alone.



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