The Stone Sorceress

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Eros sent the man hurtling across the room with a strong kick to the sternum. In an instant, despite the drink from the night before, the adroit soldier had detected the language and sighted the uniform of his attacker - Lemuria.

Eros cast a fire spell that engulfed the aggressor, who screamed while he burned alive.

Then banging in the corridors drew him out of his room. He found his classmates fighting for their lives. Lemurian infantry had caught them off guard, they were in various states of undress, some were not armed. No doubt the enemy had carefully selected this to be the day of their attack because they knew the morrow of the graduation ball would be when defences would be weakest. Eros in an instant divined this, his knuckles were white on the pommel of his sword. He saw it as yet more baseness by an already base enemy. He danced through the attacking infantry, painting the corridor red. Frightened classmates regathered themselves, and thanked Eros for saving their lives, but he was already hastening to Thanatos's apartments. Together, he thought, they would avenge the village and its victims.

Eros arrived at Thanatos's dormitory, and paused before entering. His head was still sore, he felt nauseous. Then he focused: what if something had happened to Thanatos? He dared not think about it. Eros forced open the door, and pounced across the threshold with sword drawn.

The room was empty.

He headed to Freya's, where he thought Thanatos would be, but when he got outside and looked upon the city he staggered back because he beheld the rats nest of war. Wiping a tear from his eye, he saw a messenger running by. "What news do you carry?" He said.

"Lemuria has invaded. They acquired codes from the fallen captain, and with them, lowered the magical defences."

"How bad is it?"

"We're holding the city. Thanks to Odin."

"Odin," Eros gasped.

"He headed to the breach, I don't know how, but he re-took the eastern gate. He's sealed the magical barrier anew. Lemuria can no longer get reinforcements in, but there are already many within our walls. It may still go either way."

The messenger precipitously ascended the streets. What messages he bore and to whom he bore them Eros knew not, but he marvelled at the fearless nature in which he traversed the war-strewn streets.

"If indeed the situation is desperate, I must ensure Celia and Thanatos are safe," Eros soliloquized before darting through the streets. He moved for the arts academy, it wasn't far.

Eros cried at the sight of the mage, "Hola!"

Typhon had established a perimeter around an old church. Inside of which, many innocents sought refuge. With Sabriel at his side they were holding a line.

"I'm surprised to see you," Typhon exclaimed.

"Assist me if you could," Eros said, "What happened?"

The Lemurian ranks rushed them, the enemy mages sought to set fire to the church, but Typhon's magic was superior; he cast them down from afar, dispelling their cursed sorcery. Pillows of smoke billowed from Sabriel's pistols, and the line held.

Typhon shouted, "You had so many bottles that Celia could do nought with you, you inebriated fool. I saw her depart with you, that's all."

"What of Thanatos?"

Typhon shrugged, "I don't know, haven't seen him."

Eros said to himself, "Perhaps he's with Freya."