The Forest of Lights

Chapter 5: Fire

The spirits' and Khalida's ritual ended early in the morning.

"Farewell, princess! May the light guide you!" they bid her.

"And do not forget my warning, Khalida," Honor reminded her again, her expressions serious.

"I am sure all will be well," Khalida answered determinedly, not wanting to hear another word about the prophecy.

"Goodbye, Honor," Khalida wished her before turning around and marching back through the Forest towards the castle.

The sun had just risen as Khalida walked over the courtyard, entering the castle. "Morning, sister," Thana greeted her as soon as she saw her.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" the princess asked her.

"Fine, as always."

For a couple of seconds, they just stared at each other, not knowing what to say.

"... The breakfast will be ready soon. You should better get ready," Thana murmured at last. Without waiting for a reply, she walked back to her bedroom.

A few minutes later the sisters were already sitting in the dining hall.

"Erm.. Thana? Where is Leroy?" Khalida asked slowly. She was right. The king was not present.

"He's got some business to do in the town. He's already eaten. Why do you ask? How would I know?"

Well, you are the queen and his wife, Khalida thought, but she dared not say it.

The church bell rang. Bloodcurdling screams and yells could be heard from the town. Thana looked out of the window just in time to see Khalida rush out through the main entrance, a hood over her head, and disappear into the darkness.

The whole town was on fire! Red flames engulfed the roofs of the houses, people were running out of the buildings, shouting at one another. There was a chaos. A true and total chaos. No organization. Thana tried to collect the people so that they could leave the town, but nobody listened. Everyone was just trying to get to safety by themselves and save their families. That would have been an end of them all if Leroy, the king, hadn't shown up just in the right time. He rode a beautiful grey horse, galloped through the main street with his army and started making an order. Just about time, I'd say. Khalida was meanwhile still rushing through the narrow streets between the burning houses, as if searching for one...

"Ellisar," Khalida breathed out as she stopped in front of the remnants of a house, which happened to get burnt right to the ground. She put a good deal of effort not to just collapse in the middle of the ashes. She leaned against the wall of the house next to the burnt one, and there she stayed for a couple of seconds, her eyes closed, panting.

"No, Ellisar," she whispered into the empty night. "Please, don't go now. Don't leave me," Khalida begged someone, who was not even present.

All of a sudden, the wooden part of the house Khalida's been leaning on crashed down upon her. In that split second, Khalida leaped away, the burning wood falling right to the place she's been standing on less than a second ago.

The princess shook from terror. When she got her wits back, she tried to return to the main street. But as she turned around the corner, there was a barrier of more burning wood blocking her way. She spun around. She was captured between the burning remnants of the village houses.

Khalida moaned. She hadn't taken her sword with her (not that it'd help her much, though).

"Hey!" she shouted. "Is anyone there? I need help!"

Nothing stirred.

There stood Khalida for a few minutes, calling for help, but nobody came. At last she gave in and collapsed down to the floor, desperate.

When it looked as if she was going to pass out, a voice broke through the flames.

"Khalida?!"

"Ellisar!" she cried, her cheeks stained with tears. A male figure could be seen on the other side of the fire. Water was spilled over the still burning wood, and the flames hissed before being put out. A man stepped into the circle where Khalida was stuck earlier. She didn't wait a second before throwing herself into the man's arms.

"I thought I had lost you," Khalida whimpered, defeated. The man just smiled at her. It was the same guy who was watching her at the party.

"Let's get you out of here," he murmured into her hair. The princess nodded, letting him guide her.

The two walked away from the burning house and through more passages, but soon met another barrier of flames. They turned around and tried their luck in the street nearby. As they reached the street, they came just in time to see some barrels on the other side of it that have been just engulfed by the flames.

At that moment, Khalida crashed onto the ground, coughing. She had breathed too much smoke. Ellisar looked at her worriedly before taking her into his arms and rushing towards the barrels to see if there was any chance of getting past without ending up in the fire. There wasn't.

As Ellisar stood there, calling for help, a piece of stone fell, crumbling, from the building beside him and Khalida (who was now lying helplessly on the ground with her eyes closed). It hit Ellisar. He fell unconscious on the floor beside the princess and did not move anymore.

It might have been many minutes — or just a few seconds – before a gray horse leaped high above the barrels, right through the flames, with Leroy on his back.

The king came at a perfect time. He carried both, still coughing Khalida and unconscious Ellisar, out of the town, and laid them down in the castle garden. Thana crouched by. It took her quite some time to get them both fully awaken and alert.

Khalida looked first at Thana and then at Ellisar. She looked almost frightened of her sister.