Este é Mestre das Cinco Magias por Lyndon Hardy.
O livro (e suas seqüências) conta a história de Alodar, enquanto ele viaja através do aprendizado das Cinco Magias (Taumaturgia, Alquimia, Magia, Feitiçaria e Magia) em uma busca que começa tentando ganhar a mão de a rainha, mas se torna uma luta contra a invasão de um demônio, onde somente o Arquimago (ou Mestre das Cinco Magias) pode prevalecer.
A parte que você lembra é onde um dos protagonistas envia seu capanga (Rendrac) para um poço de fogo para ganhar um tesouro de pedras preciosas para ajudar a rainha e reforçar seu tesouro.
Alodar é neste momento um aprendiz de um alquimista e cria uma poção que pode ser usada para desviar o calor dos incêndios, mas deve ser usada com moderação.
“You did as well as you were able, Saxton,” Alodar said as he looked
about the room. Anger began to boil. “I will pursue and give Rendrac his due. We shall recover the ointment yet and your treasure as well.”
“It is too late for that, my lad,” Saxton said, beginning to breathe with
difficulty. “I have studied the inner organs of animals enough to guess what has happened to me. I am not to partake of any of the jewels of the
mountains.”
He stopped, and a deep sigh rattled through his lungs. “But then neither
will Basil have his way,” he continued. “Two successes with a caloric shield! It is enough for any alchemist.”
“Sweetbalm, or perhaps thaumaturgy,” Alodar said. “We have quested,
Saxton, you and I. Do not falter when the goal is in sight.”
“All the balms were destroyed in the mess.” Saxton waved one arm in a
feeble arc over his head. “Think no more of me. Flee instead while you can. Basil will receive enough from Rendrac’s trip into the heart of the mountains to care little for the service of a novice.”
“Rendrac braves the heat?” Alodar asked.
“Yes, he anointed himself with the full contents of one flask as I looked
on helplessly,” Saxton replied. “When he was done, he resembled less a man than a silver demon, the coating did shine so. And the second batch he crushed underfoot and rubbed its precious salve into the muck he already had made. The other two flasks on the roof were destroyed as well, I fear, when he tossed all the gear to the earth in his rage to find the ointment.”
Alodar aplica o que sobrou da pomada do Escudo Calórico e se aventura a retornar com um pequeno baú de gemas também. Rendarc tenta levar o peito dele e eles lutam
In disbelief, Alodar looked to Rendrac’s face and then back to the weapon
still in midswing. As Alodar watched, it slowed to a crawl and then stopped
motionless.
Almost simultaneously, the big man uttered a weak yelp, and his free hand
slowly rose with a spasm of effort from his waist to a mouth held rigidly open
under eyes filled with fear. For a second, nothing happened and then, like a
silver statue, Rendrac toppled to the ground with a loud clang.
Alodar moved to the prostrate form, its limbs still in the rigid position
they had held when erect. He reached out and touched the hand that held the
blade and felt a deep coldness, rock-hard and smooth, Alodar struck down
with his own sword, pommel first, onto an outstretched rigid arm. The now
inert form rang from the contact.
“The ointment,” Alodar murmured. “It was meant to be used sparingly
and burnt off. Rendrac was too greedy and applied too much. And now it has
degraded with age and entrapped him.”
Os livros subseqüentes são Segredo da Sexta Magia e Enigma dos Sete Reinos .
