The Eyes of Fire

A City of Man

Everyone was starting to milling about, when Astria finally made her way down with the rest of them, a few others trailing behind her. Astria strode right through the crowd, right to where Adameus was sitting on his side, hugging his torn rags from the near death smash on the rocks. Adameus looked up at Astria as she came near, but his eyes were drawn to the person almost directly behind her, it was 1891, the slave he had once shared a cell with. He'd hadn't asked what his name was, he couldn't even remember seeing since they broke free until now.

"Adameus are you bleeding? That must hurt quite a bit." Astria exclaimed, looking down at the cuts and bruises all over his body.

"I'm alright, I only took a small tumble and had a bit of a scuffle with a guard" Adameus replied modestly, trying to smile through a cut lip.

1891 stepped up to them, offering Adameus a hand up,

"Its Adameus now right?" the young man asked.

"That's right, and I'm quite sorry, I didn't catch your name...."

"Its Dallet now, I mean I suppose its always been, but I didn't know before today." Dallet stumbled over his words, like he was still getting used to be even allowed to speak freely.

As Dallet spoke, Adameus noticed something slung over his back, it was the book of names!! They had brought it with them, that's why they had taken more time to descend the steep hill, that and the guards that were pursuing them. It was huge, and the covers had been tied shut by part of someone's shirt by the look of it.

"Is that the book of names?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah, it is. It contains the name of everyone who has ever been a prisoner at the Tower, dead or alive. If we are to rebuild our race, we need to preserve the heritage we've already been given to us." Astria, standing closer to Adameus as to hear her better.

"Besides its already helped us once."

Dallet pulled the book over shoulder and flipped it to the back of the book, the last page was covered in intricate runes, the only discernible line was a spell "Hastam Ignus"

"Amazing" Adameus whispered.

Adameus pulled a slip of paper, the same he had gotten from the sparrow, with three spells on it and showed it to Astria.

"These are the spells, I've gotten from our secret ally, I know the spells by heart now, memorize them and pass them down."

Astria took the paper, her look was puzzled, with her other hand she slipped her hand into her own ragged attire and pulled out a another slip of paper, it was much smaller and crinkled. Only one spell was written upon it, but it was a long one.

"Arre Ka Ninoi Clementius atia suun Cunsepta Augis Astria"

"woah that is a long one, why does look like that?" Dallet spoke, straining to look at the words, upside down.

Adameus looked at Astria, "This spell is meant for you, The invoking of Clementius is clear. I've been chosen by Vindictus, Clementius has chosen you."

"I know and I've already spoken them many times. She has spoken to me once." Astria said her, hands were clenched tight as though pained at the memory.

"Vindictus never spoke to me..." Adameus said, turning his attention back to the rest of their group, most were already starting to wander towards the City's Gates.

Their direction seemed to be unanimous, and they started towards the gates, Dallet and Astria right next to him.

Already a blonde -haired kid was throwing fistfuls of concussive air at the gates, hoping to break them down, somebody else joined in, another and another. The gates were tall, and laced with thick metal stripes, running up and down the surface, perhaps ten paces tall, and either really heavy or reinforced on the inside, as the gates were barely moving, a slight rumble with each hit from those throwing magic at them.

Adameus still stood a distance away from the gates but knew what spell, was to be used fro this obstacle,
With both arms raised, he began the the words
"Frac tus!!"

A thin line splintered down the left side of gate, forming off, bit wasnt enough to force the gates open by himself. By his side Dalet and Astria both repeated the spell almost simultaneously, Dalet only a second behind, a large section of the gate warped and broke off, sending those in front of the gate scrambling backwards. Now as the spell was heard by others and others the spell was repeated hundred fold. With a thunderous roar the gates shattered into the wind, taking with it a section of topmost left wall. The way into the city was clear and without delay, some were venturing forward toward what looked like a large fountain, emerald waters flowing from a stone statue tipped bowl.
From the city, cries of women and children could already be heard, though the lure of water was what many were trying to get to. As Adameus stepped over the threshold of the city, he felt a presence watching him, something close. He cast his eyes around his surroundings, the sparse clouds in the sky, the top of the walls, which now almost surrounded him, his eye finally catching on a building close by, its windows were open just a few inches. Whoever it was, was in there. Adameus's attention was jostled back to the fountain as it stopped flowing the waters slowly sinking to the bottom and down a drain. Everyone was getting frantic, as they cupped as much water as they could in their hands, trying to drink, a few had buried their faces into the waters, trying for a more direct approach to their need for water.

Adameus snapped back to the window, in time to see a young child peering out the window, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, with a flash of movement, the boy froze and dropped out of view. Everything was still, but no wandered away from the square.
Dalet moved back to Adameus's side, water dripping from his sopping wet hair, his face cleaner than it had been for years. Large brown eyes framed a slightly crooked nose, black hair covering most of his forehead, with a hint of freckles around his eyes. Dalet was much younger than him than he had thought originally, perhaps seen a dozen winters at most. He realized he was staring, and pulled his gaze away from him slightly embarrassed.

He hadn't been caught staring though, that would've been weird for sure. He thought to himself, focusing on the road past Dalets head leading deeper into the city.
We need to keep moving" Astria whispered to him, still behind him.

This city, this place felt wrong, even the prison hadn't felt like this.

"I dont like this, I think we should leave" He responded.

"It feels wrong, like something bad" he said aloud now.

We're moving now, that's final." Astria replied moving past him, Dalet hurried to her, casting an apologetic glance back to him. The crowd started moving with them, as an army moves with a queen or a princess.

Now at the very back, Adameus swept his eyes one last time around the square, before running to catch up, with everyone.

Atop the wall, sitting on the very edge of the battlements was a row sparrows and hawks, side by side, watching the group move forward deeper into the city of man. They followed.

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