Pollenfiend
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Sorceress Sneezing, pt2
🕑 Added 2024-11-05 16:06:09 +0000 UTCUpdate: I'm adding story text now to this part 2. You can read part 1 here, https://www.patreon.com/posts/sorceress-pt1-114154003
The Sorceress paused, her sharp senses catching an almost imperceptible ripple in the air. This was no ordinary gaze upon her; it felt like someone – or something – was peering through dimensions, watching her from beyond the veil of her world. She narrowed her watering eyes, and with a frustrated sniffle, she straightened, channeling her inner reserves of power.
With a low, commanding chant, her staff appeared in her grip, materializing from thin air with a crackle of enchanted wood and shimmering energy. She gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white as she focused on the intangible connection to her watcher. Her voice rang out clear and defiant, an invocation that echoed through the verdant landscape, reaching across the planes. In a single, powerful pull, she yanked the unseen sorcerer into her realm.
The air before her shimmered, then parted, revealing a tall, cloaked figure who landed gracefully on the forest floor. His face was hidden beneath a hood, but she could feel the smirk beneath it – one of surprise, delight, and a strange admiration.
“Well, well,” he chuckled, tilting his head as he observed her with keen eyes. “I hadn’t expected such a reception. Impressive, Sorceress.” His voice was deep, smooth, and carried the weight of power. She couldn’t place his aura, but it was potent – a raw, ancient magic that thrummed in her senses. He was no colleague she could recognize, nor a member of any school of magic she knew of.
She narrowed her eyes, her irritation only worsened by the insistent tickle in her nose. She barely had time to react before he raised his own staff, and a burst of energy hit her square in the chest, forcing her back a few steps. Gasping, she recovered quickly, her fingers crackling with retaliatory magic.
They exchanged a series of explosive blows, bolts of energy and shards of arcane force crackling through the air between them. She moved deftly, retreating further into the thick undergrowth of the forest, seeking the cover of ancient, overgrown ruins she knew were nearby.
But as she darted behind a crumbling pillar, the pollen from the wildflowers and blooming trees seemed to intensify, swirling around her in thick clouds. Her eyes prickled, and her nose quivered with an unrelenting itch. She pressed her sleeve to her face, hoping to keep her sneezes at bay as she prepared for the next strike.
The sorcerer watched with amusement, his sharp gaze noting her every move. “Fascinating,” he mused, his voice carrying easily through the dense foliage. “Are your defenses weakened by these… seasonal afflictions, Sorceress?” His tone held a note of cruel curiosity, as if he relished every symptom she struggled against.
Ignoring him, she steadied herself, though her mana reserves were running low, each spell she cast draining her further. She clutched her staff, preparing for another assault, but the relentless itch in her nose was unyielding. She drew a shuddering breath, her resolve slipping as her nostrils flared.
“Ah… hhh—HEH-KITCHHuu!” she sneezed explosively, unable to hold it back. Her eyes watered, her vision momentarily blurred, and her chest heaved as she tried to gather herself. She knew she had to keep fighting, but her allergies were quickly wearing her down.
Undeterred, the sorcerer laughed softly, his voice carrying a note of twisted fascination. “Oh, do go on,” he purred, his tone darkly amused. “This is… quite educational.”
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So I'm making a number of pics of this Sorceress sneezing due to allergies and they'll all be combined as part of a story. Here is the one I've cleaned up and finished for part 2. I will probably go back to this post and the older one for part 1 and insert story text to go along with the images but I just wanted to share this artwork first.
I hope you like how the story turns out!
