Disclaimer: Crimson Spell is copyright Ayano Yamane, Media Blasters, Geneon Entertainment, and Kitty Media. No infringement or disrespect of the intellectual property rights held by the owners of existing copyrights in Crimson Spell or its derivative works is intended by this non-profit, noncommercial amateur fan fiction.

Description: Power is not just what you wield – it is how you take it.

.

.

Surge

by silverr

(consider this to take place early in the story, sometime between chapters 4 and 7 or so)

.

The clouds had rolled in shortly before the demons attacked. By the time the battle was over, the storm was at full power, drenching their clothes, making the ground treacherous with mud, and chasing away their horses with thunder. As the last demon melted away into a pool of ichor, the lightning illuminated the slow collapse of the silver-haired sorcerer. Prince Valdrigr ran to him, staggering under the sorcerer's weight. "Rulca, help me with him!"

The rain hammered down as they dragged Halvir to a small stand of trees. Vald spread his cloak over the overhanging bushes in an attempt to provide some meager shelter. He jumped when he felt something brush his neck – but it was only Fang, Halvir's half dragon, half stallion mount. "Please go find the other horses!" Valdir urged him, and the beast cantered off.

Vald crouched down next to Rulca, who had pulled back one of Halvir's eyelids and was peering in with the aid of a tiny conjured light."I'll stand watch in case they come back. Will he be all right?"

'Habi expended a lot of magical energy. Using unnecessarily flashy spells," Rulca said. "It will take him some time to recover it."

"How does he usually get his magical energy back?" Vald asked.

"He absorbs it," Rulca said sourly. "But his usual source won't be available tonight."

"His usual source?" Vald asked.

Halvir coughed, and tried to sit up.

"Don't strain yourself!" Vald, said, trying to push him back down. "You shouldn't move until you get your strength back!"

Havi's lips moved, and Vald had to lean over so far to hear what he was whispering that he could feel the sorcerer's warm breath on his ear. "Magical rabbit stew is especially nourishing."

Vald listened to Havi say it four times before he let Rulca pull him away.

.

Rulca magically enlarged Vald's cloak to make a small pavilion, and then, as the storm was still in full force, tried to start a fire with the sodden twigs and branches that they had gathered. The wet wood was stubborn, however, and refused to produce anything but smoke.

The two sat morosely, shivering and glaring at the smouldering pile until Havi rolled over and released a fireball at it. "Never send a rabbit to do a man's work," he said hoarsely, struggling to his feet. He took the ornaments from his hair, removed his rings and bracelets, and finally pulled off his robe, spreading it on a branch near the now-crackling fire before striding out naked into the tempest.

"What is he doing?" Vald asked, deliberately turning his head. The sight of Halvir's body was another of those odd occurrences where something that he had never seen before seemed strangely familiar.

"Who knows?" Rulca shrugged.

"I should go get him before he gets hurt."

Rulca didn't say anything, so Vald picked up his sword and dove into the storm, following the white column that was Havi through the forest of rain-slick black tree trunks to the entrance of a gully lined with boulders.

Vald crouched at the bottom, watching as Havi, sure-footed despite the storm, climbed to the top of the largest boulder. The wind lifted and tossed the long silver hair, mirroring the lightning in the sky above.

"What are you doing?" Vald whispered as Havi took a wide stance and stretched his arms up to the violent sky, as if challenging it.

The strike came almost immediately, blue violet rivulets of light writhing down from the clouds to dance over the sorcerer's skin, webbing the broad chest, skimming over the well-muscled legs, swirling and pooling and caressing the groin … Vald felt an almost painful sense of awe at the sight. Havi was handsome, but often that made it easy to forget that he was incredibly powerful as well.

A second time Halvir called down the lightning, this time seeming to swallow it. His skin luminesced, his eyes became burning opals, his hair streamed blue fire.

Vald fell to his knees, his body tingling with a strange longing to pledge fealty to such a glorious being.

The final time, Havi seemed to reach up and grasp the storm itself, twisting it into a glittering black whip of sparks and thunder, knotting it in on itself until it disappeared between his hands.

A moment of utter silence followed, and then, the storm banished, the moon resumed her normal command of the night.

Almost unable to breathe, much less move, Vald watched as Havi sprang gracefully down the rockpile toward him.

"Are you – are you recovered?" Vald asked, both drawn to and afraid of this companion that had just moments ago held the storm's fury.

"I have recovered my energy," Havi said. "Though this was was far less pleasant than my usual method."

"Some day you'll have to explain that mysterious 'usual method' to me," Vald said. "Rulca won't."

"Someday I will," Havi promised.

On the way back to where Rulca waited by the fire the backs of their hands accidentally brushed together.

There was electricity to spare.

.

.

~ The end ~

.

AN: Written for Kink Bingo round 3, card 1, kink 4,1: electricity.

Okay, the last line is kind of lame. I'll think of a better one one of these days, I swear.

(02) 20 July 2011 ~ Minor typo, edit last line.