The Warmth of the Hearth

Smoke rises from the broken remnants of the city. The tall houses that once stood proudly now lie broken, debris scattered all over the empty streets below. Dawn is breaking; the orange tinge brought by the rising of the sun over the horizon blankets everything as each minute passes by.

Noah’s eyes scan the capital below him as he stands upon the balcony, his piercing gaze filled with content and pride. Every fiber of his body is screaming in pain, the toll of the Storm now deciding to take what is due. He senses Varsha now walking up behind him, her long slender arms curling around his waist as she embraces him from behind. Noah speaks, a grin now plastered on his face as he runs his hand over hers. “We finally did it.”

Varsha shakes her head as she separates herself from him, now walking to stand in front of him. “No, you did it.” She burrows her face deep beneath the torn coat of Noah, embracing his scent, his warmth. The sensation that she feels when he wraps his arms around her, electricity coursing through her cold skin, makes her shiver with delight. “What now?”

“We eradicate the powerless; put the Feebles back to where they belong.” Noah breaks from their embrace as he walks towards the edge of the balcony, the burning capital not stirring beneath them. “Ezicion will return, and it will return as a force to be feared by all of Aeorexus.” His smile does not leave his face as he turns to look at Varsha, now leaning on the wall with her arms crossed. “This is my legacy to live.”

Thora fumbles beneath the shadows provided by the broken buildings of Central Street. The lifeless body of Kein lies heavily on her back as more of the masked men swoop around the corner, barely missing them as she ducks behind the debris.

Screams fill the air as one of them grabs a powerless lady, her braided hair now a mess as one of the masked men grabs her by the head. He throws her to the ground, screaming insults across her way as she struggles to recover from the impact. She was Mannaless, unable to defend herself as a fiery palm is raised in her direction. “Die, filthy trash.” A trail of flames emerge as the girl writhes in pain, her screams drowned by the roaring of the flames, transforming her into a horrible sight of charred flesh and cloth.

Thora’s chest tightens at the sight of another innocent life being taken away, the pieces of the puzzle she has longed to solve from was now being picked apart, slipping away from her fingers. Anger surges within her, an erratic movement of emotions humming through her skin. It drops, now an empty pit at the depths of her stomach as her eyes fall on Kein, lying peacefully beside the rubble. Tears stream down her eyes as her knees buckle, causing her to fall on the ground. Exhaustion. Thora Loft had nowhere to go, nothing to live for. “Forgive me, Kein. I have failed to protect you once again, my love.”

A small wisp of dark manna exits from Kein’s wound, undetected by the sobbing Thora. It slithers on the ground, a snake-like figure now hidden in the shadows. There was silence, no more of the screams that once filled the air. A broken Thora doesn’t move as the new morning comes, one without Kein beside her. The same way she was a lifetime ago, she was alone once more.

“Is that everybody?!” Claire shouts as the last of the evacuees enter the mouth of the bunker, her eyes desperately clawing for any sign of Luke. A figure looms at the foot of the mountain, an unidentifiable body in his arms. Luke? Claire runs down to greet the company, nodding to Essie to finish up the evacuation. She runs down the stairway and fails to recognize the guy, but recognizes the girl he carried.

“Heavy...” Nieko’s body swerves with exhaustion, struggling to keep his feet on moving. His eyes spot a white-haired girl running towards him, her hair unkempt as her crimson eyes glint underneath the morning light. “Finally, bloody hell.”

Claire barely makes it in time to catch Elizabeth, the stranger now lying on the ground, struggling to speak in between heaved breaths. “Who are you?”

“Nieko!” Olin shouts, now running towards the three of them. He pulls the young man up on his feet, flushed red from the journey. “What happened?”

“The city is a deadzone, Feebles getting killed here and there.” Nieko speaks, his eyes shaken from the horror he has just experienced. “I got my ass saved by Luke, he kicked all of their asses.”

“Where is my nephew, Nieko?” Olin asks, his hands now on the young lad’s shoulder.

Nieko shakes his head, lowering his head in shame for leaving Luke alone like that. “I don’t know.” The images of the commotion flash in Nieko’s head as he watched different people getting slaughtered right in front of him, Luke telling him to take Elizabeth and run.

Olin’s expression darkens as he feels an intense pain from beneath his chest. Not now! Ifrit tugs from within him, begging to take control. “Allow me to take Elizabeth to the infirmary, you should get yourself checked too Nieko.” A fear creeps up at the back of Olin’s mind, the possibility of him losing his only family once more. Wait for me, dear Luke.

Xylia flutters beside Olin, now seated beside an unconscious Elizabeth. “Luke is fine, Olin.” She speaks, trying to assure the old Laisren as she watches him fidget in worry. “Have faith.”

Olin nods, taking a deep sigh before turning his head to look at Claire now talking to Nieko, all bandaged up from his wounds. “Did anybody tell him about Souyer?” The image of when Souyer went to look for Nieko flashes in his head, the worry for his grandson pushing away any form of fear he might have had. There was still no sign of him.

“No. Nobody has the heart to tell him. Essie’s worried about how we may need to transfer somewhere else, and how exactly we can move this large of a group as soon as possible.” Xylia replies, now sitting down on Olin’s shoulder.

Claire bids goodbye to Nieko and approaches them, her eyes mellow. “Apparently Carson is with Noah thinking he still has to save me.” Claire pauses, frustration now emerging from within her. “Essie says she needs someone to help her when it’s time to move, was hoping that you could.”

Olin doesn’t respond, an action that is only met by nodding from Elizabeth.

“Very well, I’ll find a way to cover up for you.” Claire begins to walk away as she says to Olin before leaving. “Bring them back for me, Uncle Olin.” She disappears into the crowd of people, leaving Olin and Xylia alone with Elizabeth.