Converging Destinies: Part 1

Chapter 134

       An hour before the sun rose, the group was all awake. It looked no different from when they had all gone to sleep. Cedric prepared a meal for them, and then they approached the town wall.

       They all travelled as quickly as they could without tiring themselves out, and within a half hour they were near the town's walls. The light of day slowly crept in as they got closer to the wall.

       Cedric placed his hand on Eris and muttered an incantation. Then, Eris vanished into the grass and snuck towards the wall. After which they easily climbed the wall with the help of Cedric's spell. Then, they climbed down the other side, and slipped into town.

       The rest of the group waited outside the town, all of them huddled together in the grass, which was a bit over knee height.

       "When should we go in?" Ella asked.

       "We should give Eris about half an hour to get there before we launch our attack." Zerai said.

       "Are you sure they'll be alright?" Cedric asked.

       "They can slip away effortlessly, so I think they'll be okay. Besides, Aaron is stuck at his manor having to wait for us." Zerai said. Cedric nodded in response.

       The group waited for half an hour. In that time, the sun rose, casting reddish orange light over the town and the surrounding plains. Under their breath, Roya muttered a prayer to Solan.

       "It's time to go." Roya declared. Zerai placed his hands on Roya and Ella, and spectral wings sprouted from their backs. With a flash of emerald, Cedric's form transformed into that of a massive, majestic eagle.

       The group took flight and flew over the wall. A few guards shouted as they flew over. All of them flew towards the center of the town in the direction of Aaron's manor.

       His manor wasn't hard to find, as it was one of the only remaining manors that hadn't been burnt to ash. Now, the group could truly see the destruction Aaron had caused.

       Most of Solan's cathedral had been burnt to the ground, with only a few pieces of stone still standing. About three manors and the surrounding gardens had also been burnt. There were traces of arson and fire in the streets as well. A bit of smoke rising from a burnt rooftop here and there. It was clear Aaron had been using the wand to its full potential over the last few days.

       When the ground landed in front of Aaron's manor, they weren't alone. Various warriors, clerics, and knights surrounded Aaron. There were about thirty people total. All of them gawked at the group as they landed together. Zerai and Ella stepped forward, while Cedric and Roya stood a little further back.

       "I see you've come to surrender." Aaron said, his voice magically amplified, echoing across the grounds.

       "No!" Roya shouted, their voice also magically amplified. The soldiers surrounding Aaron glanced at one another and readied themselves into a battle stance.

       "Well, that's too bad." Aaron said, smiling as he pulled the familiar wand from his robe.