The Stone Sorceress

Chapter 14-15

Chapter 14

Lemuria was a vast nation with a populace predominantly living in the large obsidian walls, which were imbued with magical fortifications. Feudal architecture, onyx roads, and brick that glistened black were commonplace. Once one left the gates, that the broken and shattered cabriolet had entered through a short while ago, one would find themselves upon open countryside.

In the provinces everyone went to the same school, there was only a small militia garrisoned there, and the post travelled infrequently. It was through the postman, who one day doing his rounds, that the first clues of Sutekh's plan reached Lemuria. The scorched earth tactics of the man had left nothing of the villages.

It was Eros's turn to be the postman. He travelled well equipped, back in his own travelling attire, at the head of a small party: himself, Typhon, Sabriel, Aurora, Astraea, and Skoll. The mood was serious, and terse because on Aurora's part she was miserable apropos the wedding, Skoll because he feared something might happen to the Hyperions, more specifically his future queen, and Eros because of that hidden and secret impetus that led him on.

The group had been travelling throughout the day, and it was only in the evening, after the sun had set, that they arrived at their intended destination: an otherwise unimportant, obscure Lemurian village on the far western side of the country's territory. The observations that they'd made about it being next were presently confirmed: they arrived on horseback amongst a firestorm.

The flames had been the first thing Eros had noticed, the second were the screams. Villagers crowded in the streets outside, while the timber dwellings, shops, and public buildings were ablaze. They had blankets wrapped around them, mothers and fathers comforted their children, while many of their fellow villagers were still trapped inside various buildings. Aurora stood in shock because she was used to the palace walls, not the awful scenes that she was now at the centre of.

The 85th however, dragged men, women and children from the fires. Eros was doubled over in the street, his clothes damp with perspiration, his face covered in soot, when he looked at the many families weeping while their homes burned. One blaze was worse than the rest, the inferno was far more intense, and seemed to burn with an uncommon malignancy. It was a bourgeois house at the centre, possibly belonging to the village mayor, or even the head of the local militia. People in the streets had to edge back because the fire was so hot. A baby's cry rang from one of the upper apartments.

Typhon cast a succession of water spells, but the fire was, as he described, 'not natural.' Eros appealed to Astraea, who replied simply that the fire was too great, and that it was useless.

Eros, seeing there was nothing else to do, rushed forth. He stood at the threshold where he could see that fire licked every surface inside, and a toxic cloud swirled. He looked back at the others as they told him not to go. They were right, he knew it. With his blouse covering his mouth he dashed across the threshold anyway.

The silhouette of a tall man was visible against the glass window. He held a baby in his arms. The roof above was badly burned, collapsing suddenly upon the man and child underneath. Aurora held her hands up to her face in shock. Through the flames the silhouette descended the stairs, and it appeared as if the daredevil would make it. Even Skoll willed the blood drinker on. Eros neared the bottom when more beams crashed around him.

Sabriel couldn't bear it anymore, "Eros!" She cried, rushing to the door.

Typhon seized her around the waist, "There is nothing you can do."

She turned to him with wild eyes, "He will die if we do nothing."

"You will die too," he said.

The baby no longer screamed; his little lungs were no match for the thick smoke. Sabriel fought back tears. Aurora was watching the two soldiers fight, feeling utterly helpless, when she felt the ground shake. Her first thought was, that in addition to an inferno, there was to be an earthquake also, but then her blue eyes rested on the wall of water that rose on one side of the village. The stars were no longer visible in the sky because of the watery mass, which in the next instant crashed down upon the village. The conjured spell extinguished the fires, but left the village infrastructure intact. Everyone in that village felt happy, except Typhon whose predominant feeling was uneasiness.