The Goddess's Hero

Heart of the Storm

Jacqui's POV

I hurried as fast as I could toward my tower. Wherever the storm had come from, it wasn't from the Underworld. The Underworld had no ozone. The storm was a purposeful use of magic. Passing by the fields I covered my mouth as the fires continued on their rampage. Many souls were fleeing the area and I watched as a young girl tripped on a twig. The fire was almost upon her. I teleported to her side, scooped her up, and teleported far from the flames. I set the girl down gently. I had to be cautious. The flames did not stop at my command. Could they kill souls?

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." She meekly replied.

"Do you know what your parents look like? I'll send you to them." I asked, hoping she would be safe with them, wherever they were.

"They live, Your Majesty." The young girl puffed up her chest in confidence and pride showed on her face.

"Oh." Where was I going to take her? Oh well, I don't have time now. I've got to get to that tower. I knelt beside her. "Hold onto me and keep your eyes closed." She nodded vigorously and shut her eyes tightly. I gripped her hand and teleported us as close to the tower as I could manage.

Good, I thought. We were right outside the door. I let go of the little girl's hand. "Hold my dress with both arms and don't let go unless I say so." I felt the little girl grab onto the back of my dress and I took a deep breath before entering my tower. My skin prickled and the magic throughout the room was hollow. "I wish to hear your favorite song." I took another step into the circular lounge. Quietly, the girl began to sing. I willed a shield around us and heard a minuscule flutter to my right. I willed to see the whole room through my mind and a dark red butterfly was flying from desk to bookshelf to book. Something seemed off about it and I took its soul instantly. A rush of wind then trapped itself into the lower room we were in. I came back to my body immediately. The young girl was still singing. Good.

I made my way to the wooden stairs and began to climb up them. The thing about towers is, they have a lot of stairs and not many rooms. From this particular tower of mine, you could see the majority of the Fields. I rarely came to my tower here as I enjoyed the peace the Oasis gives me. I mostly used this tower as my library and study. If there was something I was unsure about, I'd have Nikolai jot down some 'notes' for me and I'd read them on my own. I also kept a record of my own musings here. They mostly consisted of trivial matters, but during some of my early years as Goddess, I had formulated plans of my own power.

That must be what, whoever this is, is after! If they had that journal they might be able to duplicate my powers. But, that can't be right. I had found out very early on that my powers cannot be duplicated in any way. At least that's what Father told me. Just thinking about him made my blood boil. Another logical voice popped into my head. If that was the key to this Timeless War, then wouldn't it have been missing for nearly 50 years? It's true that I rarely come here, but I remember seeing it on the bookshelf 23 years ago. I should've checked when I was down there! Before I could thrust my mind into Over Seer mode again, a turbulent presence ignited my senses.

"AAAGH!" The young soul clinging onto me clutched my waist. "It burns!! It burns!" She screamed. I pushed the force back from the child and myself and readied my Reaper.

"Young one, continue singing and keep your eyes closed." I spoke with calm authority that must have reached her because she did as she was told. The air to my left shifted and I blocked an invisible dagger. It clanged to the floor and the young girl behind me jumped. I parried another invisible dagger from the left and felt a presence shift. I took the opportunity to swing my orange scythe and the presence was sliced in two. A slim part of the magic within my tower returned and I knew then the size of battalion we were approaching. I also knew what was happening.