The warlock towered over him,

unfeeling anger, stone.

Enraged at the intrusion,

The invasion of his lair.

Fury cracked in his eyes

Fiery scarlet consuming icy blue,

Piercing the figure, prone before him,

probing, biting, burning.

Behind him, the book.

The thief’s stolen treasure

radiating its sharp blinding aura,

untold power contained within.

Hand raised, the warlock muted the room,

Silence rushing in, choking, pressing, crushing,

Time still, the only movement an unfortunate thief,

Invisible bonds constricting his trembling limbs.

At first just a whisper

Shallow panicked breaths

fluttering, gasping, quickening

Struggling for oxygen from the still.

But the chant increased

swelling, building, growing,

a cruel smile playing on Warlocks lips

as he listened to the spirits demands.

The unseen voices rose,

their target flinching with each cry

Till the warlock consented, and sentence passed

His lone voice booming across the frenzy.

Death.