Dire Straits Read Online Free PDF Page A

the dire demon fighting, forcing strength into the ward, willing it to hold no matter what.
    By the end, he was shouting loudly enough to hurt his throat, but then silence descended as the ward worked, and he and Ezell both collapsed to the ground, sweaty, panting, exhausted as hell.
    "It won't last long," Bannick finally said. "Dires rot right through my work."
    "I only need a couple of hours," Ezell replied. "Just need to build a suitable dire trap now we've got him caged in there." He pulled out a kerchief and wiped sweat from his brow then stood up with a groan. "I'm getting too old for this shit."
    Bannick laughed and slowly stood up himself. "Don't say that, Ez. It you're anything like me, we don't get to retire."
    "Just die dramatically getting eaten by something," Ezell finished with a sigh. "You got any juice left, Ban? We could use a kick start."
    "Surely," Bannick replied and tossed his flask. "Wiped out, even fused?"
    Ezell nodded and raised the flask in thanks before draining the contents. "We've been busy the past couple of months. Never really get a chance to rest and replenish."
    "You shouldn't have given me your blood," Bannick said.
    Shrugging, Ezell smiled and replied, "We wanted to give it."
    Bannick's brows rose. "That is three times you've said 'we', Ez." He moved closer to Ezell, capturing his chin and tilting his head up. Little bits of yellow flecked his eyes, glowing ever brighter as more took over the hazel. "So … how much is you, and how much is the demon?"
    "We're pretty merged," Ezell said quietly. "Like he said before, we're both always present. But when I have to use my magic, or when things get het up, he tends to be the stronger personality."
    "What's his name?"
    The yellow flared, took over, and a growly voice replied, "We do not care about names. We are Ezell Underwood. One day, there will be no we, only I. Could you handle that, Father?"
    Bannick let him go. "Do I look like I can't handle a demon? But we have other matters at the moment."
    "True enough," Ezell said, the yellow abruptly dimming, reducing to mere flecks amongst hazel again. "Building the cage is going to take awhile, if you want to build a fire. If you happened to find some coffee somewhere…"
    Smiling, Bannick withdrew to build the campfire and hunt out sustenance.  He went into the house and found coffee and food, leaving more than enough coin to make up for it. Then, remembering how the destroying the dire was going to end, he left enough coin to cover the stable that was going to burn down in a few hours. Back outside, he built the fire and set the coffee to brewing, watching Ezell surreptitiously. Curiosity was driving him crazy, and he hated waiting, but waiting was what he would have to do before he got any satisfaction.
    Those born with the ability to use magic could focus it on one of five general categories then refine it down to a specialty within their chosen category. The five main branches were Rune (or Old) Magic, Alchemy (or Modern), Sympathetic, Transformative, and Necromancy.
    Rune Magic, often called Old Magic, was the casting of wards, spells, incantations, runes, and other such things. Of the five branches, it was the most powerful and, alongside alchemy, one of the most laborious. It required extensive study, an ability to read Old Runic, the mastering thousands of runes, spells, and incantations—the sheer amount of information, and the amount of energy required to do it, had kept magic to very limited circles for centuries. It was too hard for any but the elite to have the time and money involved. Even with the advent of alchemy, Rune Magic remained the most elite of the branches.
    Alchemy was new magic, modern magic. It was a melding of science and magic, requiring less magical energy to get greater results.  For centuries, it had been sneered at as peasant magic, simply because it required using as much science as magic, rather than simply relying on knowledge and the mage's power. But as it