Picking himself up from the mud, Jason slowly stood. His head was down. His glowing eyes were up, giving a sinister cast to his bald head. Hands open, palms forward, fingers curled slightly inward, Jason's hand began to glow.
“This is not a good time for a pissing contest, Anton. I don't have a clue as to how guest-right works. I'm not a wizard. He is an invited guest. He has accepted my hospitality. He is my friend. As such he is under my protection. And in case you missed it, I am really pissed.” Jason shifted. One foot slid back. Anton recognized it as a prelude to an attack.
“You would be well advised to listen to him, Daddy,” Angelique said.
Anton looked around. Old Joe was still chanting. Thunder punctuated his steps. The Spellbinder, face wet beneath her hood from tears trailing power, stood ready. Her staff in one hand with the head held towards Darque. Her other hand, fingers splayed, held a ready spell to throw his way. Arcane's fingers were tracing sigils in the air.
Around them, the Guardians battered and bruised as they were, held themselves ready to do battle once more.
“That orb is leaving with me!”
“That orb was fashioned by the Spellbinder. What it contains was put there by us,” Marlene said stepping forward.
“You dare? This does not concern you!”
Marlene smiled and lifted an eyebrow. “Doesn't it? Seems to me that Jason does concern me.”
“That orb, what it contains, Lord Darque, is MY burden! Ye will not have it!” Spellbinder loosed the spell in her hand, not at him, but at the orb.
Darque's power leaped outward, only to be blocked by Arcane. Anton turned to cast an eldritch bolt at the younger mage and was held in check by a bolt of lighting arcing down from the sky. Anton cast a glance at Leah. Lightning arced between her hands.
Turning back, Anton saw only a fading afterimage of the orb and Spellbinder's magic. “No!”
Anton saw something flying at him, trailing red. Then he was lifted into the air by Jason. “This ends now! Or you do!”
“This isn't over boy!”
“It is for tonight.”
“Fine!” Anton slipped free from Jason's hold and fell. Power flared beneath him. A portal ripped open reality. Darque fell into it.