Weight of the World

Chapter Nineteen

—Belford, Belanen, Andavaran—

The countryside burned. She ran faster, the sight of all this needless destruction pushing her harder. Behind her, she could hear her companions struggling to keep up, but she didn't turn to look at them. There was no time to check on them. Ahead, she could see two young boys racing along the road that led out of the city, and just behind them, a creature made of white light hunting them down. She wasn't fast enough. She would never reach them in time. In the creature's hand, a blade of light raised into the air, ready to kill those who escaped.

It was not a skill she used often, the mechanics of it difficult to manipulate, but there was no choice. Squeezing her eyes shut, she distorted reality to compress the world around her, closing the distance in a single step. The rush of air pushed past her, her body suddenly displaced, and as she opened her eyes, she materialized her spear in her hand and sunk its blade deep into the earth. Ice erupted all around her in a wide ring that froze the creature solid and erected a temporary barrier of ice to protect the boys. She turned in their direction, relieved to see they were alright. They had tripped in their haste, staring up at her in abject wonder.

"You're...the Astral One," one of the boys managed to say despite the fact that his voice trembled. "Thank you, Miss."

She nodded, leaning down as she pointed along the path behind them. "Keep following the road. I've killed all the Creator's creatures along the way. You'll be safe."

"Thank you," the other boy smiled weakly, helping the other boy to his feet. "Can you help the others? Our families are still in there."

"I will try," she promised. Behind her, the ominous crack of ice. She kept her eyes fixed on the boys. "Now, go!"

"But Miss...Be careful. Kellaran's in there."

With one last nod, the boys turned and fled in the opposite direction as the ice prison burst apart, white light searing the very air around her. The light burned her skin, and she could do little but grit her teeth and bear the pain as she channeled her magic into the lance she held. The creature, one of the Creator's Angels, said nothing, hollow, light-filled eyes staring ahead blankly as it raised its sword once more, its giant wings spreading to lift it off the ground. She lunged forward, her spear digging into the Angel's side, deep enough to spill its light upon the ground. It hissed as it began to eat away at everything it touched. The Angel swiped its sword, narrowly missing her head as she used her spear to pivot quickly, sending out a blast of magic to knock it backward. But the Angel appeared ready for such an attack, barely moving against the force of it.

It attacked again, faster than she had expected. When it missed its mark yet again, it raised its sword into the air, a blast of light sparking into the sky, a signal to the others in the city. She needed to take it down before reinforcements found them.

But Angels were no easy foes. She had faced them before, each one unique and impossible to predict. Added to that, her pounding heart and worry for the burning city behind her, and she found herself struggling to hold the Angel at bay. One well aimed hit, sent her tumbling backward, the blade of light slicing deep across her left side. Pressing her hand against the wound, she couldn't help but whimper as the light burned along the edges of the wound.

Infected.

Her lance somewhere beyond her reach, the Astral One bowed her head as the Angel approached. No. She would not be beaten like this. She heard her companions shouting for her in the distance. They were nearing, but they were no match for an Angel. She was the Astral One, the one meant to destroy the Creator forever. She would not be beaten by one of His minions. Not now. Not here. Not when she had so many more to save.