Walking slowly, Bhaarrt carried me back to my chair. Ingrid and Blaze hovered on each side of me, ready to catch me if Bhaarrt let go of me. Bhaarrt lumbered like a silent giant, carrying me.

  The echoes of their steps carried across the wide tile floor of the convention center’s main room. I felt the cool air coming from the vents humming above, but it was heavy with the faint musk of too many people packed together, soldiers and academics both.

  As he sat me down, my eyes closed. I didn’t have the strength left to keep them open any longer.

  When I felt someone’s hands on my knees, I forced them open again. Blaze knelt in front of me, her face pale with fear. I tried to smile, but couldn’t muster the energy to do it. Thinking hurt.

  “What can I do?” I wondered.

  There was enough of something left in me, so I pulled up my Character Screen.

  It showed I was down to less than half my MANA. And falling fast. Something was draining me. My DETECT MANA spells barely dented my MANA POOL.

  Worse, there weren’t any close Ley Lines I could tap into for MANA. I’d checked before when the President gave her speech outside.

  “SandB…get her…MANA draining…half,” The words tumbled out broken. Something was draining me.

  “This isn’t how low MANA feels. What’s happening to me? What’s doing this?”

  “Your bag,” I heard Shadow say. “How is he?”

  “Thanks. Not any better. Worse,” I heard Ingrid say. “Open up his armor.” I felt someone, Blaze? Unfasten my belt, letting the ends drop to the floor. Then there was the sound of Velcro being ripped open. Cool air hit my chest as my doublet was spread wide. My chest felt cooler.

  Blaze’s hands were no longer on my knees so it was probably her who ripped the Velcro apart to get to the shirt underneath. I didn’t have the energy left to care.

  Then something hard tapped and shifted over my ribs. Ingrid’s stethoscope? Pausing a few seconds, moving, and pausing again. I didn’t have the energy to open my eyes, or care who it was.

  “Irregular heartbeat. Slow. I don’t hear anything in his lungs.” I heard Ingrid say. “Why’s he want another mage?”

  “Another Mana Mage,” Blaze told her. “She answered my Chat. She’s at home. Just sent a message to Chief Brown. He’s sending a car for her. Sent another message to warn her to get ready. She can do TRANSFER MANA.”

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  She paused a moment, “He’s almost out of MANA!” Blaze screamed.

  “He’s never out of MANA,” Shadow snapped.

  Someone opened and rummaged in my pouch My hand was pried open. A hard, round object was pressed into my palm.

  “Will. MANA BATTERY. Use it,” I heard Blaze say, and felt my hand being squeezed hard around the wooden bead battery.

  Doing my best to focus on it, it finally activated it. I felt better. 25 points of MANA better. I was still losing MANA faster than I could replace it. I barely managed to get out, “More….” I croaked.

  The bead clattered as it dropped to the floor. Another was shoved into my hand. Another surge. Then two at once. Better, clearer…but still leaking MANA.

  I heard a wooden bead bounce on the tile when my hand opened. I felt another one, no two, put in my hand and someone closing my fingers around them. Activating both before dropping them helped. Heard them hit the floor too. I could think a little more clearly now.

  I couldn’t remember how many I had in my pouch. I keep adding more in case other people needed them. They got recharged if I needed them. I’d only run completely out of MANA once since this whole thing started and that was in the dungeon.

  Blaze wrapped my hand around another battery. I activated it and blinked my eyes open and cast DETECT MANA. There was a black line going from me to one of the baggies on the specimen table. I felt the pain of it leeching my MANA passing through it. Mana Blue sparks flashing through and around it.

  “Table…black line…baggie…battery…” I rasped.

  “What line? Will? Which table?” I heard Blaze demanding.

  “I think he means the specimen table over there. It has baggies of things from the quarry.” Ingrid told her. “Will. Which one? Which one is it?”

  Darkness crowded in again. Another battery hit my hand, then the darkness didn’t feel as dark. “…far one…” I whispered.

  “Will. At the stadium you pushed MANA into groups. Can you pull it too?” Bhaarrt’s insistent, deep voice broke through the darkness in my head.

  It was hard, trying to think. “Push, pull, pull, push, pull you push me.” “Think I did,” I said.

  Bhaarrt roared out a name, I didn’t recognize followed by an almost as loud, “Get your ass over here!” He called someone over. Voices blurred. Sirens grew louder outside. Breathing mattered. Thinking didn’t.

  Time passed. Smaller hands steadied me. Shadow? Another Mana Battery, followed by a mask pressed over my mouth and nose. Ingrid’s voice urged, “Breathe deep. Again.” Straps tightened behind my head. Sweet oxygen cleared some of the fog. Another battery. Another surge. My eyes cracked open. Blaze’s face hovered close.

  “Will, can you hear me? Understand me?” I nodded weakly. Someone handed me another MANA BATTERY. I activated it and managed to open my eyes. Blaze stood in front of me.

  She moved out of my view. It was blurry, but I saw oldiers formed up in front of me, as tight as they could. Their boots clacking on tile as they locked together. Blaze’s voice: “Cast your TRANSFER MANA, area effect. They volunteered. Do it while you can.”

  Someone lifted my arm, aimed it. My vision tunneled. “TRANSFER MANA…TRANSFER MANA…” I knew that spell. The Interface flickered up.

  “Come on. You can do it” a voice said. Then another voice said the same thing. The voices sounded more distant than before. I heard someone talking, but they were getting further away.

  I couldn’t hold the next battery. It fell from my hand. Couldn’t hold anything. Easier to let go. Sleep pulled me under. Blackness swallowed me. And through it, echoing in my head, was laughter. Evil laughter.

  Everything faded to black. All I could hear was the evil, cackling laughter that faded away into nothing.

  First Mana Mage-In The World. At the moment, I haven't finished the book yet. But it's getting closer. I don't know yet if there will be a fifth book. I'll let you know when I decide. Expect the unexpected in the next book.

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