The instant before the blow landed, however, the flames about the head of Vol's warhammer expanded. They deepened in colour in the area where the attack had come, and the instant before it scored Vol's flesh, the flaming magic threw it aside.
"…What?" Vol said, too surprised to take advantage of the opportunity. The flames had moved as if they'd had a life of their own. They'd shift from one side of the weapon to the other, and where they'd coalesced, they exhibited the same sort of density that Penelope imbued into her own weapons.
It resisted the strike for but an instant, before it shattered and went back into flaming form, but that instant was enough to save Vol from the flesh wound that he would have undoubtedly incurred.
