Chapter Thirteen
Revelation
Bane moved an arm, amazed that he was unharmed. A veritable river of dark power flowed through him, being consumed rapidly just to keep him alive. Using mind and body, he sat up, his flesh passing through the rock as if it was treacle. Rock walking was something his father had forbidden him to do, and he had only tried it once before. The strain was immense, already his temples pounded and his flesh burnt. He must get free before his power ran out, for he could not perform a Gather whilst rock walking. He wished his first instinct had been to Move and not run; now it was no longer an option.
Bane forced his incorporeal body through the stone, rising to his feet. The spell had worked just in time. He only hoped he was not bleeding. Not breathing was strange. His lungs longed for air, but in this state he did not need it. He waded through the rock, which required more effort than walking along the seabed. The stone was far harder to penetrate than water, even when he was magically transformed to a ghostly state.
One he could only maintain for a short time. The dark power surged forth to sustain the spell, and he tried to walk faster. Pockets of air allowed him spurts of speed, but then he slammed into rock again, moving through it in ultra-slow motion. The runes burnt, ignited by the need for power, adding a little fuel to his dwindling strength. He tried to remember how far it was to the cave entrance, but he was not sure how far he had run before the rocks had hit him. Not far, he assured himself.