Victubia: An Origin

Chapter Six

She woke up coughing, spluttering, the taste of smoke filling her lungs, throat, nostrils. She sat up, her back aching from falling asleep at her desk, but that was the least of her worries. She could hear the crackle of flames and thick smoke clouded her vision, stinging her eyes. The heat of the room scorched her skin and she could see her bed burning, the flames licking every inch of it. She could hear someone calling from the corridor outside her room.

“MINX! MINX?!”

It was Ken, and Pewds, with several other voices chiming in too. She tried to talk back but she just spluttered and choked on the thick air around her. They seemed to hear her though.

“MINX! WE CAN’T GET THROUGH, BUT CRY IS OUTSIDE! GET TO THE BALCONY!”

Minx nodded even though they couldn’t see her, rubbing her eyes frantically as she looked around for the door to her balcony. She rushed out, the flames burning her feet and ankles as she went, singing the hem of her dress. When she made it she slammed the door behind her, embracing the cool night air and the silence. The breeze soothed her burns, and she leant on the balcony railing, coughing to cleanse her lungs. She could hear Crys voice shouting up at her but it took a second to stop her head from spinning and her panic from distracting her.

“MINX! ARE YOU OKAY? WE CALLED FOR RED TO HELP GET YOU OUT, BUT SHES NOT HERE YET… WE COULDN’T PUT THE FIRE OUT, ITS ALLTHE WAY DOWN THE CORRIDOR, AND YOU WOULDN’T WAKE UP…“

“IM FINE, CRY. FUCKING HELL, THOUGH, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?”

The two men taking cover in the trees could hear their conversation, and the larger mans face was furious, angry at the fact that she had managed to wheedle her way out.

“Could you create a fire there?” He turned to his companion who had a look of concentration on his face, pointing to the balcony the queen was now standing on.

“What, on the balcony?”

“Yes, on the balcony!”

“Uh, yeah, I think so-“

“Then do it, you fool!”

The next thing Minx knew the fire was back. It surrounded her, engulfing her again, burning her skin and dress and hair. She screamed in pain as she felt her skin burn and the soles of her shoes catch on fire, the flames going straight through the leather to her feet. Quickly, she went to stand on the railing in front of her, it just being thick enough for the width of her feet, which were now excruciatingly painful to stand on.

“MINX! Oh my God, MINX JUMP! I’LL CATCH YOU!” Cry was shocked by the sudden appearance of further fire, apparently out of no where. He watch Minx wobble on the railing she was now balancing on, and knew she had to get down, now.

“TRUST ME, OKAY? I’LL CATCH YOU!”

Minx turned to look at Cry, then immediately turned back to face the fire as looking at the drop made her feel nauseous.

I hope you know what you’re doing Cry, she thought.

Then she outstretched her arms, like she was going into flight, and fell backwards, down, down, down towards the yard floor.

For a second, she thought she was going to die. For a millisecond, even, instincts told her she would hit the floor and die from the fall. It was no petty distance. But she knew she had to trust Cry, and as she looked up at the dark, open sky, the stars twinkling down at her, she relaxed. Her dress was whipping at her legs and her hair getting in her mouth and eyes. Then, gradually, steadily, she was slowing down, until she was going slower than walking pace, and she bumped lightly on the ground. Cry ran over to her, looking exhausted, kneeling down as she sat up.