It was impossible to tell quite what had happened, at least for those who were inexperienced in magic. But Francis – he knew. He could feel his hold over the Hobgoblin broken, shattered beyond all repair. He could feel the heat off those flames, the power of a God, the power of Ingolsol.
It reminded him of when he was sending his monsters into the mountains. More than once, he had felt his bond break with them, yet he could still feel their presence. They'd still been alive, but their loyalty to him had been dismissed, his magic chains had been shattered. He thought that to be merely a symptom of fear, the symptom of any emotionally distressed beast… but now he wondered differently. Now he wondered if this was not a magic in itself.
Beam put a hand in front of him, and with a great strain, he managed to lift his body up enough to drag himself to one knee.
"Beam…" Nila said, her voice quiet with distress as she watched him.
