"Alice, please light the rope on fire with magic," Arthur instructed.
Alice nodded, raising her hand. A soft incantation slipped from her lips, and a small flicker of flame leaped from her fingertips, igniting the end of the rope. The fire took hold, and the rope began to burn.
Arthur watched intently, anticipation building in his chest. The gathered knights and mages leaned in slightly, waiting for something to happen.
However, as the seconds dragged on, Arthur's excitement started to wane. The rope burned—but painfully slow. The flame crawled along the fibers, barely making any progress toward the barrel.
Klein frowned, crossing his arms. "Uh… Your Majesty, is this supposed to take this long?"