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Joseph
“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” he smiles beneath the din of the drums and the shouted litany of the warrior, “It’s cheesy stuff like that what a guy looks for at a time like this.” He does not even need to look closely at the beautifully scribed pages of the book, so well does he know the location of each enchantment – and a good thing too as he’ll be needing every bit of energy to concentrate on what must be done.
Well, maybe not all of it.
After all this is a big step he’s about to take here and he risks not only losing the spell he has so carefully scribed but of damaging the entire tome. The gesture is so practiced as to be practically automatic. His fingers move swiftly in an intricate series of gestures and a golden coin appears in his grasp. Stepping back from the book he tosses the coin into the air. Heads he casts the spell, possibly ruins his book and gets this bunch out of here. Tails he saves himself.
He catches the coin and turns it over on his wrist. Heads. It’s always heads, of course, but a guy’s gotta observe the proper formalities at a time like this. ~ And besides ~ he thinks as the big guy drones on ~ anyone what can come up with a corny litany like that at a time like this has just gotta be saved.
He closes his eyes for a moment and his brow tightens in concentration. He places both hands upon the book, gripping it so that he can steady himself and, breathing deeply, he gathers his voice for the casting.
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