Elementalia is Burning down

Chapter 32

"Stand behind me!" Keith said as they dismounted into the heart of the fire. He then summoned a wall of water that extinguished the flames and for a minute she felt hope, except it was extinguished as the flames popped up again like those trick candles found on the top of birthday cakes. Bianca felt waves of dread and guilt fill her head and overwhelm her as she walked through the empty streets, the rest of the town well beyond the center of the city. She clasped a hand over her mouth as she noticed two people stranded in the center of it all, the only thing stopping them from being consumed by the flames was a thick wall of dirt. But as she stepped closer, even through their messy hair, puffy eyes, and torn clothes, she could clearly see the faces of Emily and Thomas.

"What happened to you guys?!" she asked them.

"We came here looking for you," Emily said, as Bianca questioned how much guilt she could take before she had a heart attack.

"Keith, help them get home," she said, "this is something only I can do."

"But--"

"No buts, Keith," she said, trying to hide the quaver in her voice as she thought about what she was going to do, "I don't want to put you in danger too."

"Take me to the Burch Estate," he said into his mapmaker. And as he got ready to be carried away she saw something in his eyes, the same kind of look she saw on the first day of Dragondale, and she was tempted to step into the light with them. But then she realized what he was doing. He shoved the mapmaker into Emily's palm, and pushed them into the beam. Then he summoned as much water as he could and tried to clear the area so she could start working. She knew what to do, but she still didn't know if she would be able to do it.

"I don't think I can do this by myself Keith," she said quietly. Then she recalled the one time she made the unquenchable flames before, and how when she destroyed them, she passed out from the effort.

"You have me," he said with a surprisingly steady voice.

"I don't think that's what she meant, Mr. Vorter," a familiar voice called from behind.

"Master Leo?" Bianca said as she wheeled around, until she was facing two familiar faces as battered as Emily and Thomas were.

"What are you doing here?" Keith asked, "and what do you mean?"

"Our castle was at the center of this town," Master Leo said while pointing at the once magnificent building that was now scorched and destroyed. She opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off.

"Ms. Rose, who's the one other person that could help you right now?" Madame Vivian asked, and as she stepped out from the shadows which she was hiding, she looked so different. Her usually warm periwinkle eyes were dark and cold, her hair messy and tangled, and the jewels on their splendid crowns were noticeably cracked. But as Bianca realized what Madame Vivian meant she said,

"But he's not here!"

"Who's he?" Keith said.

"It's me Mr. Vorter," said another familiar voice, yet again stepping out from behind.

"Thank you for coming, Sir Kenneth."