Torva Messor

Chapter 14: Assault

"Thus, the island was thrown into battle and chaos," Lydia says.

"That's right you were there when Maxus invaded," I remember. Although when I arrived it proved they hadn't been able to stop much.

"Yeah, it was pretty terrifying seeing him and not you right behind him," Lydia admits.

"Lydia, why don't we get your perspective on what happened at the Island for this next part? I'm sure Diane's story is simply a hasty battle to return to the island, but since I have you here, I want to pick your brain a little." The interviewer smiles, and Lydia blushes.

"Me? I uh..." Lydia hesitates. I shake my head.

"Just start talking, it gets easier as it goes," I told her.

"Oh. Well, may as well give it a shot."

Well, when Maxus appeared overhead everyone noticed, Zulu, his pupils, the residents, and everyone looked up to see him looking down on us. Zulu was ushering people into their homes, the pupils were floating above the city in defense, I stood in the middle of it all, frozen. I could feel Diane's energy, and it wasn't getting closer, and here was Maxus, halted by nothing. I could feel magic swelling in him, about to explode outwards as he opened his palm down at the city.

Fire rained down in an endless barrage. The pupils and Zulu did what they could, blasting away whatever attacks they could. There were just... too many. It took strong attacks from us to have a chance at stopping just one attack but a whole volley of them? Impossible through and through.

The first one hit and fires blazed out everywhere around it. They shook us even in the air. Then they started hitting us, knocking us out of the sky one by one. I stood there in horror the entire time, I couldn't move, barely could even breathe. Then one of Maxus' attacks landed right in front of me, blew me away, and into someone's house. I faded away before I even knew it.

Eventually, I woke up, and from where I was, I couldn't even see the sky with all the smoke. I felt the mages in the city scattering, in a panic, dying slowly. I felt Maxus still high above, floating there, waiting. I pulled myself out of the small rubble around me when I flew into the lonely home and looked down at the streets below.

I couldn't see the pupils or Zulu, my mind was too scattered to tell their magic apart from one another. I leaped from the building and landed in a street of terror, mages were running to get away, too afraid to fly and get near Maxus or choke on the smoke.

I ran in the opposite direction, if there was someone hurt and couldn't move, they'd need me. I was an honorary defender of the city, it was my job. More than that, I would be scared to be left to die, I'd want someone to save me too.

I did find someone, an older man trapped under the burning wooden supports of what I thought was his own home. He had burns on his palms and across his chest where the beams of wood kept him pinned. More worried about him than Maxus for a brief moment, I was able to conjure up some wind to move the beams from him and blow out any nearby flames. I pulled him out of the rubble and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, supporting his weight. I followed the path of other mages, hoping they knew of a way out I didn't. Another fireball struck and rocked the ground.

"Thank you." The old man said to me weakly.

"Thank me when we're out of this," I said. I dared to glare where I felt Maxus, he was staring right at me. I doubt if I landed a punch it'd hurt much, but damn would it feel nice.

I continued to carry the old man, we were slower than the others, but we were moving. Another fireball struck, and everyone turned around. He was cornering us, surrounding us in the fire. We'd either have to venture into the smoke or dare fly near him. Was he looking for challengers? Where was Diane? Her energy hadn't moved much from where I felt it earlier.