The Seven Realms - Joker

four

It was as if she had forgotten there was a war going on in the country, that blood was being spilled as she was running down the slope, to the castle, the place of battle, clueless to what she would do. She thought only of Priam and the imminent danger he was in. Echo was still wearing her night suit and and was oblivious to her mother's cries, buried under the sound of bombings and the whistling in her ears. There was only Priam.

The slope was steep and she had to run carefully as to not fall and roll between the houses. Ermont seemed so far away now, as if the more she ran the more it drifted away.

Her feet were naked, the rocky tiles piercing her soles. She should have brought shoes. Her feet were throbbing, making it harder to run and she guessed she was leaving a trail of blood behind her. She was already breathless, fighting to fill her lungs, and as she got closer to the castle, the smell of burnt she breathed was itching her throat and her lungs started to burn. She coughed and had to slow down but dared not stop. The sound of blasts was louder than ever, the screams agonizing, the earth was moving, the air changed, water flew and the fire grew. The houses and people around her were just a blur of coulours.

Ermont castle had been built at the lowest point in the Kingdom of Diamonds, a sort of crater. Houses had been built on the slopes surrounding the castle, and a wide river separated them from Ermont. There were a few bridges to allow mercenaries and common people inside the castle.

There was a time where Echo crossed these bridges often, when she was barely Pandora's age. Her father was a master in magic and taught the prince personally. She enjoyed paying the boy a visit and participated in the lessons, though she never showed any sign of magical ability. Echo was Priam's closest and only friend, and both their fathers got along well. Then Priam grew and mastered his powers and Echo wasn't allowed inside Ermont anymore. Instead, they would meet with Annie from time to time. And she cherished every single moment with them.

Echo arrived in the main city and stopped to breathe. But what would she do ? She had never saved anyone before, let alone ran straight into a battlefield. Would she handle the sight of corpses ? The sight of children soaked in their own blood ?

The explosions had died out, but a raging fire was still ravaging the castle. It was morning and the clouds had hid the sun. The fire's light was a pain to Echo's eyes, the red and orange flames too bright. The castle burned uncontrollably, with smaller fires appearing here and there. The smoke was filling up in her lungs and she felt as if it would eat her alive, burning her organs one by one until there was nothing left of her. Drops of sweat ran on her chest and temples like rain on a window. Tears came, blurring her vision, her head started hurting and the world started spinning. She could still see the people running, but from what she couldn't tell. The main city was still intact and the fire seemed resolved not to cross the bridges.

What was she thinking ?

Echo fell to her knees, her legs too weak to hold her body.

- Priam ! she screamed, tears streaming down her face.

A figure dressed in red appeared in front of her. She could barely distinguish its outline. It said something but Echo couldn't understand. He was speaking a foreign language.

The figure's hands moved and fire appeared out of thin air on the tips. Before she could understand what was happening to her, something incredibly hot touched her hands and she was pushed to the side by a pair of hands. She hit the ground and her whole body hurt more than ever. Through her teary eyes she saw a huge ball of fire shining against the sky. All of a sudden, the fireball was gone and rain was pouring on her face, only it lasted a second.

She was still coughing and her lungs still burned. She was lying on the hot stone floor, unable to move, as if struck by lightning. Another figure appeared before her eyes, a big dark head touching her face and calling her name.