I Am The Truth II

Chapter XXXVIII: Part II: A Calm, Peaceful Bus Ride

Everyone in the Ardoni refugee neighborhood had first heard the blast, louder than ever before. Galadar was out the front door in an instant, watching as a fireball rose high into the sky only three or four miles out. The sirens were blaring horrendously, making him wince.

He rushed back inside, nearly colliding into Hadion.

"Wake everyone up," Galadar said immediately. "Something has happened."

"And you find out what that may be exactly," His twin said in response, pointing at the smoke they could see from the window nearby.

Hadion rushed off upstairs while Galadar immediately dialed Galleous' number.

"Come on," Galadar muttered, pacing.

Right at that moment, the power went out, silencing the telephone. Galadar placed it back, nervous now. He went outside again, seeing that the entire block was plunged into near-total darkness. However, it was the sounds his ears were picking up that scared him: the sound of unmistakable Songfire and gunfire. 

"Hadion!" He called. "We need to get out of here!"

Others were already running past, perhaps having been awoken earlier or by some other forewarning. Galadar rushed inside again, running into Hadion for the second time.

"Everyone is up," He said. 

"Galadar?" Magentus asked, coming down the stairs with his mate following right behind, a half-asleep Porfyr in her arms. "What is happening?"

"I do not know what is going on out there, but it sounds bad," Galadar only said, shaking his head. "We all should follow the others out there towards the city."

"How do you know?"

"I do not,"Galadar said. "But with the power down, we have no way of reaching anybody unless we go in-person."

He paused, looking out the window.

"That, and the fact that if we stay here, we will all end up dead," He added. 

Magentus however, looked uncertain.

"I am unsure about this Galadar," Magentus murmured. "It took us an hour to get here from the north by bus. To go by foot will take so much more."

"While we still have time, it will be worth it," Galadar insisted. "We have no other way of getting help that does not involve any of us stepping out of this building."

Other Mendoris were entering the front room, listening in on the conversation. Hadion took a moment observe the others, noticing several elderly Ardoni too old to walk for even a few minutes without rest as well as mothers with infants. Galadar noticed his expression, and the two stepped off to one side while the rest began murmuring amongst themselves.

"Galadar, I do not think this is possible," Hadion said quietly, shaking his head. "Take a look at our group and think to yourself. Including us as well, there are a solid forty people here, and another eighty who are on the upper floors."

"We have to try Hadion," Galadar insisted. "Look at everyone else. Nobody is staying back-"

"What group out there has these many elderly and newborns?" Hadion countered. "Some of us here get dizzy just by walking. And we will have to run, as per your plan."

Galadar looked at the others, thinking desperately. 

"Do any of them have Mobilium Songs?" Galadar asked.

"Nobody here has one, nor is anyone here capable of wielding one, apart from those our age," Hadion replied almost immediately. "Well, perhaps Val does, but she is not here."