Saviour

10. I Get Caught In A Battle

Chapter 10.

Boom.

I opened my eyes suddenly and sat up in bed, frowning to myself. Muffled noises could be heard outside my window and the sound of footsteps clashed around upstairs.

Boom.

A blood-curdling scream echoed in the street outside and an orange light flared up, casting an eerie glow on my room through my curtains.

Boom.

A second pair of footsteps moved around upstairs, meaning that both Kara and Tydus had been awoken too.

Boom.

Fire. The orange light was fire. A thick sent of scorching wood and bitterness. Someone screamed again for their children.

Boom.

And then I was out of bed. I raced to pull on my clothes, pulling on my trainers and grabbing my belt, tying it around my middle and making sure that it was secure and that the sword was still sheathed there. I opened my door and stepped out quickly, colliding with the rock-hard form of Tydus straight away.

I looked up at him from the floor before scrambling to my feet. "What's happening?" I pulled the door open and ran out onto the street with him. A chaotic scene met our eyes and I wasn't sure where to look first.

I forced myself to take a breath to regain my composure so that I could focus. Houses were burning. People laid dead or dying in the street. Pools of deep crimson blood trickled into the sewers, staining the ground where it had been. Another explosion from the next street rattled the earth. Everyone needed help but there weren't enough people to give it to them.

About a dozen Saviours sprinted towards the main gates to Novalon, armed with knives, bows and swords of all shapes and sizes. They hopped lightly over the bodies as they went. Tydus followed after them, disappearing from sight.

Kara ran out of the door and pressed her hand againt my shoulder. "Wake up Alex! Come on!" And she was gone too, off in the same direction as the other Saviours.

My heart was beating wildly and I didn't know what to do. As I started to head in the direction that everyone else had gone, I saw a little girl screaming as she ran towards me. Her little legs carried her as fast as they could. Running towards her, I wanted to help her, get her to safety.

I was so close to her, only a couple of metres away when she suddenly hit the ground, a black arrow sprouting from her back. Scooping her up in my arms, I ran to the side of the street and sank down against a wall, cradling her tiny body in my arms. She looked up at me with wide, terrified eyes. Eyes that had so much more to see of the world. Eyes that were slowly fading. As she coughed, blood spattered her lips and I kissed her forehead, talking to her all the while. "Shh..." I told her, "You're going to be fine." My voice broke as she started to choke again, blood coughing up from her mouth as she gasped for air. And then, with one last rattling breath, the little girl fell still, her head tipping back limply. I kissed her forehead once more before placing her down on the ground by the wall and climbing to my feet.

I felt sick. Not baring to look at her anymore, I started to run towards what sounded like the main battle. Battle cries and shouts of agony and victory could be heard from the town gates. But then another scream sounded, blasting my earholes at how close it was. A woman burst from her flaming house, looking around for help before trying to run back inside. I grabbed her arm and held her back, gripping tightly as she struggled against me. "You can't go back in! It's too dangerous for you!" But she wouldn't have any of it. Tears streamed down her face and she wailed and sobbed, reaching out towards the flames.