THE LADY

5

Terno felt like he was inside of an oven. The walls were burning, and the soldies they saw were either dead, or dying because of the fire eating them alive.

"The Lady." Polin whispered.

They made their way in the burninng palace. The walls and pillars fell. And the ground shake that they needed to stop and balance themselves. When the shaking stopped they moved again. When Teron saw the magnificent stair inside, he moved toward it, but then stopped. Above it, was the lady ruler.

The fire hid the feature of the woman, like the fire had a life of its own, and intentionally hid the woman above. Behind the moving fire, Teron quickly saw the face of the woman before the fire hid it again. In the place face of the woman, a crack ran in it. And the eyes. It was a deep black hole, without end.

"There she is! " Polin shouted.

The man took out his sword. Teron saw as his companion ran toward the woman like the fire infront of them was not there. He opened his mouth to warned his companion but the man froozed before he can open his mouth. He heard something snapped, like a twig. And his friend fell.

  Cold large beads of sweat appeared on Teron's brow, and even in the middle of the raging flame, he shivered. The man, his companion, lay dead in front of him. He was alone now, waiting for this demon to kill him. He raised his head, summoning the last courage he had.

"You killed Him!" He snarled.

His body was shaking. The woman above didn't moved. She was just looking below, toward him. A smiled appeared on her face. Then she vanished.

He turned around, raised his sword. The woman caught the blade on his hand, an inch from her eyes. "Magnificent, Soldier." He tugged the blade, but the grip of the woman's finger was so strong. Like the blade was caught in a two big stone. When he tried again, the blade shattered.

He swallowed. This is his end. The woman looked at him, her eyes was penetrating him. It felt like it was burning him, even the fire was far. He prepared himself. He knew not when the woman will decide to end his life. But he knew it will come.

"Be at ease, Soldier. I will not end your life. I'm not the person that will do it."

He blinked, confused, and then the woman was gone. He was alone in the burning palace. Above the stairs where the woman was before, he saw a body. Then something rolled downward. A wooden staff.

The soldiers were trying their best to kill the raging fire. And then one person shouted, pointing at the person walking from the fire. All of the people nearby, either helping or just watching of what was happening ran toward the direction the person pointing on. And they saw, from a doorway that was not completely burned, was a man. On his shoulder was an old man. The two of them was full of ash coming from the burned things inside.

Teron watched as the city became dot until it completely vanished behind him. He learned that while he and his fallen companion was inside of the burning palace, the riot in the city nearly became a disaster that many of the soldier thought that the imposters will overcome them.  But in a mysterious way the all of the imposters looked at the burning palace, then turned and ran.  The soldiers tried to chased them but after the imposters gone to an alley way or dark streets, they vanished.

And the corpses of the imposters the soldiers managed to killed. They vanished like the their living associates. Those who took away their helmets only saw a normal person behind. But that was just the dead, before they vanished. The night inside of that city, Teron felt like the whole place, even the walls tried to kill them. But now, he realized that walls were just a walls, and the person he fought was just a normal. Normal that can used magic. Except for that person.

The General caught beside of him. On the left dace of the old man was a big wound. All of his life serving the empire, the General told him that was only time someone put a wound on him. But he had a reason. He was asleep at that time. Teron smiled at the thought, pushing the thought of what happened to his companion, and friend.

The man named Polin was behind, on cart, with the rest. They will bring him on his parents. Ten years ago, their son left their house in the age of twenty, and they will saw their son again, ten years later. Thirty years of age, different to the boy left them years ago. And now, a corpse. The thought always made Teron depressed.

The citizens were behind them. Some of the citizens of the city, those who were poor or didn't had anything left in the city came with the General. Before, the New High Sorcerer protested, but the general tossed away everything the High Sorcerer said until the Blond Magic User just shrugged at let the old man do he wanted.

Teron turned around. Their were a lot of them. It felt like the whole fallen city was with them. And in the front, someone caught his attention. The figure wore a white robe. The hood hid the person's face.

Teron wanted to stopped ,to looked at the person. And felt like the person heard of what he was thinking, raised its head. And Teron froozed atop of his horse. The deep black eyes that felt like he was looking at a deep hole. Cracks on its pale face. The Lady was with them.