The Awakened in Zekell's home glared at Gorko in envy, hoping that their respective marks were half as good. Unfortunately for Aran, the only thing his blow had achieved was to bruise the burly man.
Gorko wore a good enchanted armor, and his mana core and body refinement were far superior to Aran's. The hard-light mace had struck him like a good punch, but a punch nonetheless.
"And he even knows Light Mastery." Gorko laughed like a plumber called on the fourth of July. "This couldn't go any better. Too bad you didn't go for a sword, kid. That might have actually hurt."
Aran was just an eight-year-old boy, not a killer. He wanted to protect his father, but hurting another human being was unthinkable to him. He watched Perna raise her hand at Raaz again and let Gorko grab him, cursing his own stupidity.
