The Last Red Year

TWENTY-ONE: First Blood

 The dog monster stands up with a sudden, shaky motion, nose still twitching as it tries to pinpoint the source of the smoke. Kas runs to the office window--they can see it billowing from the walls of the city, and their stomach twists itself into a knot too tight to be untangled. "They're here already," they breathe out, their voice little more than a quiet puff of air. They don't know how the Mages set a fire undetected, how the people of Serifoss didn't see them coming. They tried to warn them. They thought they'd be fast enough. They should've known Mirei is always ten steps ahead.

"Oh, no, no," the dog monster whines, a sound certainly befitting of its dogness. "We have to find Dr. Graduate. I don't have the authority to make announcements."

"The city is literally on fire!" Kas protests.

"No, no, I mean--the warning bell needs a magic key. It's bound to Bangers's magic and I can't activate it!" The dog monster's voice is panicked--Kas notices only then a nametag reading Terrifern, He/Him. They're sure it's supposed to be some kind of play on terrier, but given the situation, terror seems a lot more apt. "Of course that bony bastard would pick now to go on lunch break!" He pushes his way out of the office, Kas and Lilinore close on his heels. "They usually eat alone in the Union basement...that's our best bet, but--"

"You know what?" Kas says, a surprising authority in their voice. They're trembling, hands so weak with fear they doubt they could pick up a reed pen if they tried, but somehow they have the confidence to speak like they actually know what they're doing. "You go do that. We'll go alert everyone we can in the meantime." They know they can't evacuate the whole city in time. They know some people are going to die. Maybe even nearly everyone in Serifoss. But if they're fast enough, they can make sure that nearly stays in the equation. A part of it, too, is selfish. They need to get Lilinore to safety.

"Okay--okay. I'll go find the doctor." Terrifern scurries off, tail curved and stiff in worry. He disappears into another hallway, and Kas grabs Lilinore's hand, not even giving them a second to protest. 

They drag them back the way they came, running into the three skeleton friends from earlier at a door in the Magical Sciences building. "Get out!" they say. "Can't you smell the smoke? The city's burning!"

The tallest of the three somehow manages to furrow their bony brows, before grabbing their friends' hands and making a run for it. "You go with them," Kas says to Lilinore, pulling them into a tight hug. They rest their head on their shoulder only for a moment before breaking the embrace. "You have to get out of here too."

"What about you?" Lilinore asks, grabbing Kas's hand before they can turn and run. "Kas...I don't want to lose you."

Kas ignites a flare of magic at the tips of their fingers, surprised with how fluidly it pours from their hands. "I'm a mage," they say. "They can't fight fire with fire. I'll be fine." They know how small of a chance they stand against the Arch-Mages--despite everything, they're still just a wimpy green mage. A trainee who never finished their first year. But Lilinore doesn't know that. All Lilinore knows is that they have magic, and if that gives them the reassurance it takes for them to get out of Serifoss safe, Kas is okay with that. "Go on. I'll see you outside."

Lilinore looks from Kas's hands to their face, then back to their hands, before finally letting go. "Okay. Be safe. If the smoke gets too bad put your cloak over your nose. My par says that helps." They turn and run without another word--Kas can tell they're trying not to look over their shoulder.

They turn around, setting off deeper into the maze of hallways. They don't know what they're looking for, or if they're even really looking for anything at all. They just need to get as many people out of here as they can. They find a stairwell they don't remember passing before--they know the further down or up they go through the complex of skywalks and tunnels, the less chance they have of making it out. But they've gotten pretty good at navigating since they first arrived at the Magescourt. If they can save even a single life by doing this, it's good enough for them.