“Unbelievable.”

          Haaghun looked up at his master. He’d been reading these old journals for more than half an hour. “What?”

          “The infinite fel energy source isn’t a single object,” he said, shutting the book. “It’s something that can be found all around us at any time.”

          “Go on.”

          “According to the studies these draenei have been doing, there is an amount of fel energy in every living thing’s soul. Once the soul essence is overwhelmed by the fel energy in the soul, the creature is, by most definitions, a demon. So, if I figure out how to harness fel energy in living things, I can drain fel energy straight from anything around me.”

          Haaghun flipped through the book Jarigise had just put down. “Interesting. How will you harness that fel energy?”

          “That’s the problem,” he said, sighing. “I can only drain souls, mana, and life energy. If I can figure out a way to alter my own soul draining spell to only drain the fel energy inside the soul, rather than the soul essence, then I’ll be invincible. It’s just like this whole bloody offensive… I’m so close, yet so far.”

          The two sat in silence for a moment. “I need some way to test out my theories. We need the enslaved draenei alive for the moment.”

          Haaghun stood up. “Hmm, I wonder where you could find a living source of fel energy. One that would bow to your will and walk off a cliff if he was ordered to and is strong enough to not fall over dead from your experimentation. Hmm, I can’t think of anyone,” he said sarcastically.

          Jarigise rolled his eyes. “All right. Let’s see…” He started mouthing incantations to himself. “Let’s try this one.”

          He stood up and held his hand out. As he muttered a few words, a pink beam shot from Haaghun’s stomach, pulsing into his body as he did. Haaghun winced in pain, but otherwise did not move. “Nope, that’s not it. Maybe if…” Again he started mouthing incantations to himself. He tried again. This time, a purple beam shot from his hand and into the felguard. He grunted and stopped the spell immediately. “Reverse soul drain. Doubt I’ll ever need that.”

          A few minutes later, Jarigise shook his head. “Dammit. I’ve tried changing the words for my draining spells in every way I can think of that would grant results.” He sat down and thought for a moment.

          “Take your time,” Haaghun said, grunting in pain. Burns, bruises and cuts covered his chest from the failed spells.

          Suddenly the warlock sat up. “Maybe if I combine two spells in a certain way…” He began muttering to himself for what felt like the thousandth time, then stood up. “Let’s try this one more time.”

          “Okay, but if this doesn’t work, can we at least take a break?”

          “What, can’t handle a bit of pain?” he chuckled. He began muttering the words in his mind. Instantly a deep purple beam shot from Haaghun’s chest, and he began grunting in pain. Jarigise stopped casting. “So close! I was getting just your soul essence that time. All right, let’s try reversing the incantation this time…”

          Before Haaghun could protest, Jarigise held out his hand and casted the spell. Immediately a bright green beam emanated from his heart. Haaghun bellowed in agony. “Yes! Yes!” Jarigise shouted. “This is it! This is the spell! I can feel the power already!” He cackled horribly as Haaghun started convulsing.

          Jarigise cut the spell, and Haaghun fell to the floor, breathing heavily. “Wonderful,” he said once he could speak again.

          “It hurts that much because I’m draining the major component of your soul. We need to try this on something that’s not a demon. Let me go get one of those draenei,” he said, sprinting forward.

          Running out of the Exodar, he looked around. There were warriors escorting enslaved draenei out of the ruins all around him. He ran up to one, a troll. “I need that slave.”

          The troll looked up. “Of course, master. Give it to 'er good,” he added, chuckling as Jarigise led the female away.

          “Stand still,” he said. He backed away from the shaking, crying slave. He held out his hand and started muttering the spell. Before he finished, the draenei turned and ran full speed. He ignored her flight and finished the spell. The green beam shot from her and into his hand, coursing through his body. She screamed in utter agony as the spell drained her soul of fel, with Jarigise cackling the whole time.

          After a minute, the spell cut out. The draenei fell to the ground, her face sallow and dry. “Perfect,” the warlock said as he turned to the Exodar, leaving the drained corpse behind.

NOTES:

A few things here.

Number one, my semester's ending, so that means finals and midterms and other fun shit. Also, I have an essay to write, and a crapload of homework to work on. So for the next few days, updates will be farther between.

Number two, I'm working on making chapters longer. Maximum Ride-size chapters will not cut it, unless you people like 200-chapter stories, and I don't think you do. So again, more time between updates.

So yeah, get used to more time between updates. I've been on a chapter-a-day streak, but that's not gonna work out anymore. Things have gotta change if this is gonna be the story I want it to be.

Also, thanks Caix for pointing that out. SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TELL ME WHAT I'M DOING WRONG? DO IT MORE OFTEN PLZKTHX.