Not again. If I die, I’ll drop this rod and your enemies will melt you down.
The ancient wizard gave a mental sigh. Since you’re not dead, you must be defending yourself. What are you using?
Point-defense shield.
That’s all?
I don’t have anything else!
Amateur.
Is that coat of light spell you used built into the rod? asked Will.
It is, but it’s no good if they’re protected from sunlight. It won’t stop physical attacks, and light won’t repel them. You need armor or an iron-body transformation.
I haven’t mastered that one yet.
It’s built into the rod. Let me show you.
Will was still steadily blocking attacks from howling fiends that were just a few feet away. Mentally, he eased up on the pressure he was using to contain Ethelgren and he received a flash as the long-dead wizard showed him the turyn signature needed to activate the iron-body transformation.
A second later, Will repeated what he had felt but with more turyn, which he directed into the relic. The overall sensation was similar to casting a spell, except that instead of routing his energy into a spell construct, he was sending it into an item. It was also much faster, since he didn’t have to create the spell first, so in a sense it was like reflex casting. There was a slight lag, though; unlike a force effect, other spells did require some small amount of time to function. He still hadn’t learned to reflex cast any non-force spells, so the delay had never been noticeable before, but he could feel it now. Even so, it took less than a second, and suddenly he felt a cold stiffening of his skin, slowing his movements.
His skin had darkened, taking on a reddish-brown color, and it felt as though someone had dressed him in heavy but supple leather, from head to toe. It worked! he announced internally. Now I just need a way to kill them.
Are you any good with a sword?
Somewhat, but there’s someone even better next to me.
Do you have any silver on you?
Just money.
He sensed Ethelgren’s mental nod. That works. Another flash of turyn came to Will, along with an explanation. You have to hold the weapon when you cast it, and the silver is consumed. The spell only lasts an hour or so; after that the steel reverts to normal.
It coats the blade in silver? asked Will.
Ethelgren chuckled. I designed the spell. It’s much better than that.
Shifting the relic to his left hand, Will summoned his smallest coin pouch and tried to shake out the coins he needed, spilling gold marks, silver clima, and copper bits in all directions. He caught a few and then discarded all but one clima. He passed it over to his left hand and then summoned his rapier.
During his chaotic coin dance, Will lost focus on what was going on around him and he felt several thudding blows against his body, but no pain. One vampire even managed to grab hold of him, but Tiny cut the creature fully in two; then, when it was apparent that the upper portion was still hanging on, he cut the monster free by slicing off its arms.
The hands continued stabbing at him with sharp nails, but Will’s skin resisted everything. Then he activated the spell and the coin in his hand dissolved, flowing toward the sword he held. As it ran up the blade, the silver dust exploded into argent flames. Damn that looks wicked!
That’s why the ladies loved me, said Ethelgren.
Shut it, pervert, Will chastised. “Tiny, catch!” he shouted, and with those words he tossed the rapier into the air. If their positions had been reversed, Will probably would have missed the catch. There was simply too much going on, and catching a sword by the hilt required a certain amount of concentration, even if a person was ready.
But in Tiny’s present state, the falling weapon was moving at a relatively sedate pace. He tossed his falchion at Will and snatched the rapier by the hilt in one blindingly fast motion. On his end of the