274 I.C.
Balindos
Caegoroth Kingdom
Cor Wresgoth Estate
Thousands of magical, fiery sparks drifted slowly down and faded when Shydler Wresgoth teleported away. Small pieces of the door behind him peppered the porch where the bolt of energy from Silence's wand struck, and crimson drops of the mage's blood left a splatter of macabre art over the door's surface. Silence slowly lowered her twisted, thorny wand with sadness and distance in her eyes. She tried to kill him, and a cold numbness filled her heart and thoughts.
The small ball of green energy that flew into the air from Shydler's hand came to a stop. It demanded everyone's attention except the priestess. It pulsed with energy and a low, deep sound vibrated the air and ground beneath their feet. The magistrix listened to what sounded like a hollow, slow inhale of breath as the magic began drawing in and devouring arcane currents.
The sound increased exponentially in intensity, as did the magical, burning green light coming from the orb. Flashes of arcane lightning struck the ground beneath it, sending dirt and chunks of earth into the air. The magistrix did not recognize the exact spell, but Shydler's words echoed in her memory. "Run!" she cried.
Silence felt the magistrix grab her arm and magic swirled around them as she cast her own teleport spell. They appeared on the deck of one of the black ships off the coast. Silence swayed, disoriented by the arcane travel. The woman next to her tried to wrap an arm around her in support, but Silence took a couple of steps forward. She grabbed onto the railing and looked toward Shydler's home.
All the sound around Silence seemed suppressed for a few moments until the bright flash appeared. A green burst of energy exploded where the magistrix and Silence stood moments before in front of Shydler's estate. The roar of the explosion slammed into those on the ship as they watched the flaming energy expand. Silence could feel the intense heat, and as the energy touched the water of the ocean, it vaporized into steam.
The blast wave raged toward them, engulfing the ship closest to shore, shattering it and burning the pieces to ash. Then the second ship fell prey to the firestorm. Torn to pieces, it incinerated into a cloud of charred dust. Silence held onto the rail in front of her as the green fire and boiling water approached. All she could do was cry out without words to her deity for protection, and as the flames churned over her, she turned her head.
The magistrix's mouth was open in a scream when the fire and shock wave ripped her clothing and flesh from her skeleton. Silence saw her bones for a split second before they blackened and shattered with everything else. Deafened by the sound of the consuming fire, Silence felt the wood beneath her feet and railing in her hands crumble. She felt herself lifted up off the deck of the ship and thrown by the blast. One moment she was in the air, and the next she landed, submerged in the sea.
Silence felt nothing for a number of moments being dazed and incoherent. Then suddenly, the water felt very cold as her senses returned. She felt weighed down in her heavy, wet robes. Struggling to swim upward, she experienced the sensation of suffocation. Panic threatened to take hold of her. Her body was trying to take a breath, but she fought against it. When she finally broke the surface, she gasped heavily.
It took her a few moments to get a grasp of her situation. She was floating in a dense layer of ash, dust, and debris. The smell was terrible. Light from the fires on shore gave her direction and lit up the vast cloud of smoke lifting up into the sky. The green color of the fire was gone, and only the bright orange, yellow, and blue of normal flame remained.
The priestess slowly made her way to the shoreline, a good distance away from the area of destruction, and when she crawled out of the water on to the blackened sands, she found herself covered in oily muck and filth. Breathing heavily with exertion, she glanced to her right coughing. The sandy areas of the beach below the estate shimmered and reflected the light of the flames in their dark, glassy surface, and molten rock oozed into the steaming water.
YOU ARE READING
Iron of the Innocent: Mistress of Agony (Vol 2)
FantastikA novel, continuing the story from Iron of the Innocent: The Dark Judge (Vol 1). Dreydan Ruin struggles with the turmoil in his life, so he decides to visit the family homestead. Prior to his departure, a letter and meeting to express his apprecia...
