FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘦-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘺. 𝘈 𝘵𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯. 𝘈 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳.
Xanthiene Vivenca's life drones on in a cycle of finding her next meal, ensuring...
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"You have a minute to surrender before open fire," a voice called from the streets. Xanthy's throat burned as bile ate at it. There's no way...
She trudged towards the shop's windows. Outside, the streets have been cleared of civilians. Now, a barrage of blue-robed Civil Guards paraded the entire street leading up to the shop.
"How did they find us?" Xanthy hissed.
"Do you have a backdoor?" Reeca snapped to the baker who stepped back, nodded, and took his son by the shoulders and whispered something.
"What do you mean I should leave you?" Nyxis shook his head and frowned. "Furloth, you know I cannot do that."
Furloth, the baker, smiled. "Lead these kids out the back," he patted Nyxis's shoulder twice. "I will deal with these guys in the front."
Nyxis pursed his lips and turned to Xanthy. "Come on," he jerked his head towards the dark entryway.
"Wait," Xanthy began. Reeca pushed past Xanthy, June at her heels. Xanthy looked back at the waiting militia. "How is Furloth going to deal with those men?"
"Don't know, don't care," Reeca called from the doorway. June tugged at Xanthy's sleeve. "One minute sure burns up fast."
Xanthy swallowed the bitter taste at the back of her throat and followed her companions. How many seconds were left?
Her question was answered when an explosion rocked the building. Xanthy ducked her head as debris rained on her. Nyxis cursed from the pile of baking ingredients while donning a bulging satchel. Boots scraped against the room's concrete floor.
Xanthy squinted at the dark as she wove through clay counters and smoking ovens. The smell of burning coal stung her nose and the embers lit her way to where Nyxis was jiggling a ring of keys. The backdoor.
The walls groaned as cracks began spearing through. Another hit. June and Reeca reached Nyxis with Xanthy behind them. The human turned a key and swung the door forward just as a flash of light whizzed for them.
Nyxis slammed the door shut just as June barked a spell familiar to Xanthy. A golden barrier met the advancing spell in a resounding hiss. Before Xanthy's eyes, the light from the spell spread from the impact and struck the walls. The building's facade crumbled into debris.
Only June's barrier saved them from getting flattened. Like a curtain being drawn, the falling section of the wall gave way to a lovely view of more Civil Guards, all with their arms forward and chanting various kinds of spells. Xanthy didn't even need to memorize the entirety of Basic Maxia Spells before knowing that whatever comes next won't be anywhere close to good.
Whatever happened on the baker guy out front?
Xanthy yelped as another spell slammed into June's barrier. Damn, she should really stop being fired on. She just wanted to buy a tome! Come on.
