Trail of the Gods: Book Four of the Morcyth Saga

Back in his workshop, he reaches into the sack of crystals and pulls out several, setting them in front of him on the workbench. C'mon guys, what am I doing wrong?
He thinks about the last time. What he's been trying to do is create a spell in which the crystal will draw and store power from the world around it. Taking only minute quantities from each individual living thing within its radius at a time, they would store it within themselves. They would also use the stored power to keep the 'leeching' spell active, always maintaining the maximum amount. Sort of like a continuously recharging battery, a magic battery you could say.
But the problem he's been encountering is that at some point, it explodes. That's what he's got to figure out, a way to keep it intact. There has to be a way to have it 'charge' to a certain point and then stop.
Perhaps along with a spell that leeches magic from its environment, there should be one that checks for internal integrity. One which ensures the crystal never reaches the point where it shatters by shutting down the other spell which is drawing in the power. Then allowing it to resume drawing in power once the amount of stored power has dropped below the maximum capacity.
Might work, he thinks as he carries the largest of the crystals over to the table where the previous experiments had been. Brushing aside the shattered remnants of earlier experiments, he sets the crystal down and then moves back to a safer distance.
After a moment's contemplation to work out the spell needed, he concentrates on the crystal and slowly lets out the power. This time when he's completed thespell, he holds his breath as once more, it begins to glow red with the power being drawn from him. When the crystal has begun to glow a deep crimson color, he senses a gradual diminution in the power being leeched from him until it all but disappears.
Using his magic, he examines the crystal down to the micro level. A smile breaks across his face as he realizes that it's working. It's still drawing power, but it's such a slight amount that he can barely feel it."
"Excuse me," a voice says as a hand taps him on the shoulder.
Abruptly breaking his concentration, he inadvertently sends a wave of energy towards the crystal, causing it to shatter into a hundred tiny fragments. His head begins hurting and he feels almost as if he's about ready to pass out.
Turning on the intruder, he comes to a stop when he sees it's a stranger standing there. Something in his eyes must've given the man pause, for he takes three quick steps backwards and backs out the door
"What!" James yells at the man as he follows him outside.
Jiron must've heard him all the way from the house and he sticks his head out of a window to see what's going on. When he sees James standing there in anger in front of a stranger, he quickly rushes to his side.
"Uh," the man stammers, his voice failing him. Clearing his throat, he glances backwards as he hears Jiron coming and then turns his attention back to James. "Are you James, the wizard?"
"What?" James asks him again, not exactly understanding what he just said.
"You okay?" Jiron asks as he arrives, one hand on a knife hilt.
Indicating the man, he replies, "This idiot interrupted me, almost got me killed."
Taking the man's arm, Jiron says, "You better leave."
Wrenching his arm out of Jiron's grasp he says, "But I need your help! And I'm willing to pay!" He glances from one to the other and back again as they take in what he said.
To Jiron, James says, "Take him to the house, I'll be there in a few minutes."
The man says, "Thank you," as Jiron leads him over to the house.
He returns back inside to the shattered crystal, angry that it was destroyed. But at least he's on the right track, it didn't explode until that idiot disturbed him. It had been working!
He finds Jiron and the stranger sitting in the front room, Ezra having already given the man a small bite to eat and something to drink.
" . . . only hope he can help me," the man says. When he sees James enter the room he quickly comes to his feet, almost causing the cup holding his ale to tip over.
Jiron catches James' eye and rolls his eyes as he gives a sidelong nod at their guest.
"Thank you for taking the time to listen to my dilemma," the man says to him.
"I am very busy," replies James, as he sits down in one of the chairs. "Say what you came here to say."
Sitting back down, the man begins, "I shall be brief then." Glancing to Jiron, he continues, "I was telling your friend here somewhat of my problem and am hoping you might be of a mind to help me."
James glances to Jiron and then asks, "What sort of problem?" Jiron gives him a brief, amused smile.
"Well, it's like this," he explains. "I own a small business in Osgrin." When James doesn't respond to the name, he adds, "It's a town just a little south of here."
"Oh," says James.
"Anyway, I'm a dye merchant," he continues when no further comment is forthcoming. "And recently a competitor has set up another shop close to mine."
"And?" prompts James.
"And, he's hurting my business," says the man. "He's selling his dyes far cheaper than I'm able to. How, I don't know. If something isn't done, he'll ruin me!"
"And you want me to do what?" he asks.
"Why, cast a spell on him or something that will make his dyes be of lesser quality," he explains. "Exactly what, I'd leave to your judgment."
Where Jiron is amused, James is anything but. "Let me get this straight," he says, coming to his feet. "You want me to ruin a man's business because he's cutting into your profits?"
"Yes," replies the man in all sincerity. "I'd pay you for your troubles."
Eyes smoldering, he says to Jiron, "Get this fool from my sight!"
"You better go," Jiron says as he brings the man to his feet.
"But," the man says as Jiron begins to lead him to the door, "I'll give you a hundred gold!"
"Get out!" yells James. The frustration he had felt before when this idiot disturbed his experiments blossoms into full fledged anger. "I'll not take a million for such a deed. How dare you even ask me!"
Struggling against Jiron as he's being pulled from the house, he cries out, "But you're a mage! You're supposed to do things like this!"
Ezra pokes her head in from the kitchen to see what's going on.
Roland appears at the door, axe in hand. James glances at him and says, "Assist Jiron in getting this man off my property." To the man he adds, "Don't you ever come back here again!"
Setting his axe on the floor, Roland takes one arm while Jiron takes the other and they drag the dye merchant out of the house. James watches from the window as they take him to the end of the lane.
"He doesn't understand," he hears Ezra say from behind him.
Turning around, he sees her framed in the doorway to the kitchen, "Understand what?"
"You," she says. "You are not like other mages we hear about. You are kind and considerate, no one expects that from one such as you."
His anger slowly subsides until he's simply frustrated. "I suppose," he says.
"All our lives, the stories we hear of those with the power are ones of terror and pain," she explains. "People just can't believe that a mage, wizard, or whatever can be anything but bad."
Sighing, he nods his head, "I know. Whenever anyone has found out I'm a mage, their first reaction is usually one of fear or trepidation. Only by getting to know me do their opinions change."
"That is true," she agrees. "Sorry to have intruded, but I thought you should know."
"Thank you, Ezra," he says. "I do appreciate it."
She then returns to the kitchen to resume whatever it was she had been doing.
Turning back to the window, he sees Jiron and Roland returning, the dye merchant stands at the end of the lane for a moment. It almost seems like the man still hasn't grasped the idea James isn't going to be helping him. Jiron turns around and yells something at him. When the man still doesn't leave, he draws one of his knives and advances on him.
Seeing the drawn knife, he finally gets the idea and starts running down the road towards town.