𝔒𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔚𝔞𝔶𝔰

17

The rain at lasts clears. It was a brief storm, but the road is very slippery. I bite my lip. Ibis isn't good with slippery roads. Hopefully this won't be too big of a challenge. Rapunzel gets out of the Caravan. I look up and I see a rainbow. 

"Wow! That is beautiful!" Rapunzel smiles.

"Almost as beautiful as you." Eugene says.

I roll my eyes.

"Hey... does anyone smell that?" Quirin asks.

I turn. I see the road ahead. Smoke was fuming. I smell a foul smell of blood and rotting flesh. A smell like burned fire. Charcoal. I bite my lip. Anubis growls. I nod. Something's up ahead. Something terrible.

"Is someone making smores?" Lance asks.

"I don't think so, Lance." Eugene points to the smoke.

"So, it's big smores." Lance shrugs.

"It's blood." I say.

I've been at war a lot. I know what the smell of blood is. I pat on Ibis. He nods and starts walking forward. As we get closer, my eyes narrow. A town. A destroyed one. Houses burned and crumbling like sand. Houses black like ash. Windows broken. Roofs torn like paper. There was still a little fire.

"What happened here?" Rapunzel asks.

"Something terrible." Cece says.

I see a torn flag. My eyes widen. I had hoped never to see this symbol again. The Symbol of Crede. I remember this symbol. The snake surrounding the wreath. It means war. Whoever did this, I'm betting has the sword. 

"Guys, you'll want to see this." Adira says up ahead.

Sometimes she moves without people seeing her. It's very confusing. I jump off of Ibis. I help Cece down. She walks forward. I see where Adira was looking at my eyes widen again. Bodies. Bodies with horrible faces. Faces corrupted like a plague. Faces covered in blackness and stained in red. Rapunzel's eyes swell in tears. Eugene grabs her. I know what did this. The Sword of Kronos. I know what it can do. I turn. There's no use crying over spoiled bodies.

"We have to keep moving. Come on. There's nothing we can do here." I say.