MAGICAL DISASTERS

ESCAPE

"Fuck it. I'm gonna wing it," Swinguele murmured. He ran his rich, sepia-brown fingers through his high top while massaging his scalp, and gently tugged his tight, black coils.

"There's a dragon on the loose and you're just to going to wing it? Really?" Gozen's high pitched whisper cut through the air. His eyes were narrowed and his brows remained deeply creased.

Swinguele's words were incredulous. How the fuck was this guy going to get away with this? How were any of them going to get away with this?

"Okay, look. We managed to get out of the cave...we can get crafty. If the dragon is being controlled, we can find who's doing it." Izee glanced back and forth between the two elves, searching for agreement.

Gozen closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And if the dragon is sovereign?" He rubbed his russet, reddish-brown face, letting out a sigh.

"We're fucked," Swinguele muttered.

"No, no, no. There's gotta be another way out of here." Izee stared at the ground, lost in thought.

Stealing precious artifacts was one thing, escaping a fire breathing dragon was another.

Izee couldn't wrap her mind around potentially taking down a wizard. They had already survived so much. Maybe they could create a portal, but how? The only way she knew required much magic, focus, and time. They had magic. On the other hand, their focus was rapidly disintegrating and time was of the essence.

"Okay, what if we created a door?"

Gozen scoffed. "Are you fucking kidding me? How? Izod was supposed to create a doorway for us and he's nowhere to be found!" He crossed his arms and slumped down against the wall.

"Gozen's right. We've only ever done it with the runes' assistance." Swinguele stared out into the Vuli Forest. "I still think we should make a run for it."

Izee's foot tapped away at the ground absentmindedly. Her pigment was an ocher color, much like the brownish orange clay of the earth. It was a sweet and gentle reminder of the beautiful tropical islands she hailed from. "Look, there's three of us. That should be enough magic to create a portal back to Jufunduu. Trust me."

"Trust you? How-"

SCREECH! ROOAAAR!

"G-guys. We have to go..." Swinguele's voice trailed off as his jaw dropped.

Off in the distance, the dragon soared over the city, blasting stone houses with its mighty fires.

It was not the time to be hasty, yet that's all the fire inspired.

"No, no, no. We haven't had enough time!" Izee stood from the chair and began pacing back and forth.

Gozen stared at the fireplace. "What about everything we're carrying? We can't just leave it here and we are not supposed to have it with us." He looked up at his friends.

"What's that?" Swinguele rubbed his eyes. A smile crept onto his face.

Izee peered out of the window. A group of witches formed a small dome over the farmlands. Dead in the center was a portal. Several townspeople headed in this direction, running to their only source of safety. "That's where we need to be."

Gozen placed his fingers to his temples. "You would have me willingly walk towards witches that could have us arrested?" He sighed.

"You got any other suggestions?" Izee bit her bottom lip.

Gozen hesitated. It was as though his greatest achievement was being taken from him in one swift moment. He could leave the artifacts behind, or he could keep them and possibly risk detection. The question was, what is greater, your life or your treasures?

Izee grabbed her black backpack and fastened it tight. She pulled her dark brown, mid-length locks into a bun, staring directly at the two elves. "Look, do what you will, Gozen. I'm headed for the witches." Izee opened the heavy wooden door, taking off at the speed of light. She darted towards the city's church tower and crept low, looking out for the dragon. Swinguele followed with Gozen trailing behind.

Fortunately, the farmlands were only a few hundred feet away.

Close enough to survive. Far enough to become lunch.

SCREECH!

The ground became a moving mountain.

The beast landed in the middle of the town square. It spat out heavy flames, roasting several buildings with ease. A woman ran out of her home, screaming for help, but it was too late. Within seconds, she was captured by the dragon's teeth and swallowed whole.

Caught in between the trees, the trio halted, though the cover was barely thick enough to go unnoticed. Gozen picked up a rock and threw it into the air, curving its path so that it hit the dragon on its left. The beast shrieked, reeling its head sideways. Fire rained down from the sky.

Gozen and Izee immediately took off, hoping their presence on the dragon's right-hand side wouldn't be sensed. They dashed into the church's entrance. Her spine shuddered as her body froze with terror. "Please let us be safe, please let us be safe," she whispered over and over.

In the stillness of the church tower, Gozen stood stiff as a board. His eyes screamed for help but he knew she couldn't do much against a great dragon. He let out a whimper as the walls shook, and his pants turned dark against his crotch. It wasn't his proudest moment.

The dragon climbed the tower, sending chunks of slabs tumbling down. Soil and dust choked the air. Then their view went dark.

Swinguele turned onto an alley not too far from the dome. Sweat clung to his burgundy shirt as his chest heaved up and down. "Fuck me," he muttered.

ROOOAR! WHAM!

Piles of stone came crashing down around him. He winced, raising his hands over his head for protection. Ash and soot dominated the city, coating the streets, and turning his green jacket into a greyish hue. The flames were becoming too much to bear.

Swinguele noticed a child wandering the streets, crying for her mother. His eyes widened. "Just my luck," he whispered to himself. He darted towards the child, snatching her into his arms. "Shhhh. We'll get you someplace safe. I gotcha."

With a quick motion, he adjusted his satchel, ensuring that the Caltaran Sword was still inside. I gotta catch up with Izee and Gozen, he thought. Swinguele placed his hands onto the ground to anchor himself in the present moment. With the child strapped to his chest, he raced towards the farmlands.

Using an enhancement spell, he blasted himself there in record time. His energy was low and he needed to refuel, but he was closer to his destination and hope was in sight. Swinguele ran into the portal, darting past the witches holding it open. "See, we're safe." While crossing into the other side, Swinguele tripped, and the sword came tumbling out of his satchel.

He covered the child to make sure she was unharmed.

"Are you okay?" a young witch asked.

He groaned, scratching his head. "Yea, I'm helping this kid get to her mother."

"Oh? And is this yours as well?" She held the Caltaran Sword in her hand, eyes focused, and her head tilted to the side.

Swinguele gulped. He knew this might not end well.