revealed no flaw in the design. The Giver smiled, the first half of his work done. He placed his hand on the other man's hand. The Giver squeezed his hand and closed his eyes. Familiar energy surged between the two. The man was breathing heavily. The Giver smiled, confident in his powers were once more obeying his command.
"It's done," The Giver stated, releasing the man's hand. "The power of fire is yours to command." The man pulled his hand back, marveling at where the strange mark had once been. He then turned his palm upwards and a flame, smaller than a candle burst into a candle for less than a second.
"Yes... yes... this is it. This is exactly what I wanted," The man muttered breathlessly. The Giver wiped the smile from his face, excited to see the course of his little experiment. "Thank you," The man continued, looking up at the Giver, elation clear on his face.
"You may go now," The Giver stated, his cold, distant tone returning. The man started and opened his mouth as if to say something. A moment later he thought better of it, and jumped to his feet. An instant later the man was rushing down the street towards his destination.
The Giver pulled a small metal flask from his coat and took a swig of the foul tasting vodka. It wasn't necessary for the next part of his task, but it was helpful. The flask was returned to it's pocket and then he closed his eyes. The Giver emptied his mind of everything and focused on the familiar symbol he'd drawn on the other man's hand.
He found himself almost instantly within the other man's head. The Giver saw what the man saw; felt what he felt; knew, to an extent, what he knew. The man's name was Michael. He had a girlfriend who went by Kelly. Michael had paid the large sum to the Giver in order to protect her from an obsessive ex who had been terrorizing both of them for the last few months. He loved her.
"This should be interesting," The Giver muttered. He felt Michael's exaltation. He had been convinced that this stranger was just a cheap charlatan, but the man had done it. Michael practically ran down the street, desperate to get home and tell Kelly. He could finally protect her from that psychopath who just couldn't accept that she didn't love him any more.
"It's done," The Giver stated, releasing the man's hand. "The power of fire is yours to command." The man pulled his hand back, marveling at where the strange mark had once been. He then turned his palm upwards and a flame, smaller than a candle burst into a candle for less than a second.
"Yes... yes... this is it. This is exactly what I wanted," The man muttered breathlessly. The Giver wiped the smile from his face, excited to see the course of his little experiment. "Thank you," The man continued, looking up at the Giver, elation clear on his face.
"You may go now," The Giver stated, his cold, distant tone returning. The man started and opened his mouth as if to say something. A moment later he thought better of it, and jumped to his feet. An instant later the man was rushing down the street towards his destination.
The Giver pulled a small metal flask from his coat and took a swig of the foul tasting vodka. It wasn't necessary for the next part of his task, but it was helpful. The flask was returned to it's pocket and then he closed his eyes. The Giver emptied his mind of everything and focused on the familiar symbol he'd drawn on the other man's hand.
He found himself almost instantly within the other man's head. The Giver saw what the man saw; felt what he felt; knew, to an extent, what he knew. The man's name was Michael. He had a girlfriend who went by Kelly. Michael had paid the large sum to the Giver in order to protect her from an obsessive ex who had been terrorizing both of them for the last few months. He loved her.
"This should be interesting," The Giver muttered. He felt Michael's exaltation. He had been convinced that this stranger was just a cheap charlatan, but the man had done it. Michael practically ran down the street, desperate to get home and tell Kelly. He could finally protect her from that psychopath who just couldn't accept that she didn't love him any more.
