The strange malevolence outside the city only intensifies once inside. I’ve never felt magic like this before. It’s cold, like the ocean winds during the winters back at Bladesfall. The bizarre magic in the air seems to want to suffocate me by wrapping around my neck. Like hundreds of tiny hands trying to rip the breath from my lungs, it’s a ravenous beast trying to tear meat from its meal! My heart rate slowly climbs. I can feel my breathing speed up. My body tingles. But before I go full blow panic attack, a tap on my shoulder brings me back to earth.

“Emmy, you okay?” I turn to see Rene.

Her big, doughy eyes stare at me.

“Yeah, I’m just getting a feeling that we shouldn’t be here,” I say, wiping my sweaty hands on my armor.

No, that’s not it; it feels like I shouldn’t be here.

Rene looks away and nods.

“Yes, the magic here has a horrid feeling. Don’t know what Tylen has done to this city, but he will have to answer to us.”

“You two hurry,” Alva shouts a few meters ahead.

“Yes, mam!” we shout and chase after her.

I can tell the city used to be beautiful; the architecture was something to behold. The city sits at the edge of the Kukri mountains. Tylen’s mansion sits at the end of the road leading to the Sylphans.

The city has marbled roads, but they are greasy, and weeds are growing up through the cracks in the marble throughout most of the city.

“Do you see that, Alva?” Levi asks, pointing up to the windows of an old tavern.

Alva looks around at the houses that are now decrepit shells. Eyes peer out of the cracks of their windows. They stare at us until we’re out of sight.

“Yes, they seem wary of travelers marching into their city.” Alva pauses.

“It seems is has been a long time since they have had any visitors.” Alva looks from side to side, scanning every window she sees.

BAM!

Suddenly, all the windows in the plaza instantly close. Rene and I jump at the sound and turn to look at all the buildings. We see nothing but the doors and windows now all closed by the people inside them. Rene and I make eye contact with Alva, and we all seem to understand something. There is something wrong with this place, and we should leave.

The magic encroaches the closer we get to Tylen’s. It’s becoming hostile, which is the best way to describe it.

“Your concern is valid, Emelia, but we must pass through here to get to the mountain’s entrance,” Alva says, glancing over every street we go past and down every corner.

Well, at least she’s taking it seriously. But Fates, this place freaks me out, like being stuck outside in the dark with no way to see what surrounds you.

The group and I pass through the city, crossing two more streets, passing by no one. We round the corner and finally reach the governor’s hall. It’s surprisingly a simple, gray, rectangular building like the rest of the city.

Silver-trimmed window frames with simple glass windows, and lastly, there is a sign that sits on the door frame saying.

“King Tylen.”

“Ha! It seems Tylen has finally let that ego of his takeover.” Rene says through gritted teeth.

“Rene, even though I agree with you, let’s not go in here and say something that will cause regret,” Levi says, adjusting the bow on his back.

Rene shakes her head. Are we going to pretend like everything here is okay? That Tylen hasn’t done something to the citizens?”

Levi turns to look at the city with the cloudy sky casting a dark veil over us. The grass growing wild in the streets. Windows and building seem to be falling apart at the seams. “No, I won’t.” let’s just be cautious and head inside.”

“No, Levi and Rene stay outside and watch for anything suspicious,” Alva says.

“What, why?” Asks Rene.

“Because, like you said, something is wrong here, and we need you two to warn us if anything happens outside,” Alva says.

“Fine.” Huffs Rene.

Everyone lines up to go through the door, but as I make my way inside, the world grinds to a halt.

“What in the Fates is going on?” Looking around, I can see all my friends have stopped moving.

Walking before them, I wave a hand in front of their faces, but to no avail; they do not move. Whoosh! Suddenly, there is a presence behind me. Part of me wants to turn around and see what appeared. Except the rational side of me is begging to run from the presence, run, and run until I can no longer sense it.

“Good Evening to you, Emelia Shroud.” Hearing my name come from such a beautifully angelic voice makes me turn on command.

What I see surprises me and leaves my chin on the floor. A young girl maybe the same age as me...no, she has to be older. She has long red hair and bright phosphophyllite-colored eyes. And a gorgeous silver cloak with a volcano with raining ash on the back covering her small frame.

“Who are you?” I ask the woman, but her presence is familiar despite me being positive I’ve never met her.

She doesn’t answer immediately; she takes a single step, and then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, she stands directly in front of me. Our eyes meet, and I feel like I could shrink away or crumple like a scrap of paper.

I feel like I’ve seen her eyes somewhere before, not her exact eyes but their vastness, the overwhelming sadness, hatred, and the undying Love buried beneath the surface.

“Do not fear Emelia. I am not here to hurt you, only to talk.” The woman says behind her sweet words.

Man, why does she sound so familiar?

“Do I know you?” I ask the woman.

She smiles. “No, you do not know me, but there is a part of you that does.”

That makes no sense.

“What does that mean, exactly?” I ask her, trying to keep down the fear that’s now stuck in my throat.

Why does this woman scare me?

Again, she smiles, finally taking a much-welcomed step away from me.

“For now, that question is irrelevant. Now, let me get to our talk.” The woman says with a small smile.

There is a slight pause, and then the woman begins.

“My name is Tyvor Hightower, Queen of the Ashfall Kingdom.” Suddenly, her face makes its resemblance.

“You’re Tyvor Hightower. The Tyvor Hightower!” My mind goes blank. Seeing her is as unique as seeing Ezekiel in person.

“Yes, I am, but please refrain from asking any more senseless questions.” There’s not much time available to me to talk for a longer period of time, so let us not waste time. I don’t, because the urgency in her voice brings a halt to my questioning.

“Now, Emelia, I have two things for you. One is a question, the second is a warning.” Lady Tyvor says.

“What’s the warning?” I ask. It’s hard to swallow because of my dry throat.

“You should leave this city now. You are in mortal peril here. Take your team and leave. Tylen has embraced darkness and cannot be brought back. He will try to sell you to the Embers.” She says, her tone low and severe.

Waiting for the I got you, but it doesn’t come. The fear I felt with the Lady in blue and Johnathan all come rushing back to me. Every part of me wants to beg her to answer my questions, but her words from before stop me.

“W-what is the second thing?” Lady Tyvor stares at me as I ask.

“Are you our Savior or our Demise?” She says, while not breaking eye contact.

Okay, what the fuck? Now, the Queen of the fucking Ashfall Kingdom is asking me if I’m a savior or a monster.

“Honestly, I don’t know how to answer your question.” Lady Tyvor stares like she can see through me somehow.

Why does she make me nervous, like my whole body is antsy? Something is wrong with her or wrong with me? My thoughts are fuzzy.

“Very well. In time, you’ll understand your part in Fate.” She takes a step closer to me.

“When the Ashfall and Fire comes, which side will you be on, I wonder?” Her words hit me.

“Hope I’ll be on the right side! What in Fate’s name does that even mean?” My magic flares as the dam of questions that have been building for weeks finally begins to crack, and my rage floods through.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Answer me. I am tired of all this cryptic bullshit!” I growl, and the Queen shakes her head.

“You can still experience anger, even after all this time.” I stop because it was as if what she said was not meant for me.

Voices creep into my head, and visions of Bladesfall streets return to me. I can smell the blood and smoke and other foul things, and my emotions let go. The voices scream at me to kill the woman in front of me, kill her, and eat what’s left. I lunge for the Queen’s throat and tear it out. I feel her blood seep through my teeth and down my jaw as I howl with pleasure.

Suddenly, like it never happened, I’m standing back in front of the Queen again, feeling like what I just did never happened. Wait, that felt so real I can still taste her blood. Suddenly, the realization hits me, and I throw up violently. I look back at the Queen and ask.

“What just happened?” I wipe the vomit from my mouth, still choking from the burning of the bile.

“You killed me.” She says, a blank look on her face.

“What? But you are still here alive and talking?”

She smiles. “I can’t reveal that; it’s for your own safety.”

“But have no fear in this reality. I have nothing against your outburst because you did not have control of your actions. But it is time I must move on. I haven’t much time left.” She pulls up her hood and turns around.

I just shrug and wait for her to continue. My brain hurts to even think.

“In time, Emelia, you will understand. Now I must go. He has arrived. Now make haste, Emelia, or you will suffer tragedy again.” She says and turns to go.

“Ahh, one more thing, Emelia.” She turns back to me, her eyes bore into me and glow with such a ferocity.

“Y-yes, what is it?” I ask her.

“Beware the Addled Hives disease.” Then, with that thought, everything goes back to normal. The Queen is gone no she was never there to begin with.

“Emmy, you okay, girl?” Rene is at my side now.

“Yeah, I’m, good to let’s go.” Turning to go inside, I leave Rene behind as I try to blink away my tears from the stress of everything.

“When the Ashfall and Fire come, which side will you be on?”

Those words ring in my head, just like all the other voices. Just add it to the pile, Emelia. Just use this anger to get back at them. Then hopefully find some fucking answers.

Lady Tyvor’s last warning hangs over me. What is The Addled Hives disease? I shake my head so I go inside to catch up to Alva.

We walk into the building, and it’s in shambles. Rubble is scattered everywhere as the ceiling has collapsed. Plants and wildlife thrive inside, with the floor cracked. The walls are falling apart. The building seems to be barely holding together. We round a small corner and see a pristine set of golden doors with multiple diamonds and red rubies set into the door’s frame. It’s a sore sight in this room where everything is falling apart.

“Guess that’s where Tylen is.” Rene says clicking her tongue.

We go in the doors and see the room is immaculately clean and smells like good food and Sweet Wine. And stale beer.

“Welcome, welcome my esteemed guests to my humble abode!” The cleanly shaven rotund man says as he wolfs down a plate of food on a tray in his lap.

At Least twenty-five women come out half-naked with the clap of his hands. They carry food trays and white porcelain jugs of. I’m going to guess wine or beer because the place reeks of it.

“Tylen, I believe you have some questions to answer,” Alva says, stepping in front of all of us.

Tylen chugs his now-refilled mug; he gulps it down in one swig. “Oh? Do I? Hmm, let me think.” Another bite of food-makes meat flies everywhere.

I can feel myself becoming annoyed with his awful manners.

With a mouth full of food, he speaks. “No, I don’t recall that I have anything that I need to tell you, Reaper.”

The man grins, his mouth still full of chewed food. Turning, I can see Alva keeping a cool head and not biting back at the comment.

“Antagonize me all you wish, Tylen, but you will answer for the state of your city,” Alva says cooly as her hand draws to her sword.

“Got that right,” Victoria shouts from behind us. Then she pushes past us and stands next to Alva.

“Quarantine Tylen, you know how it affects a city? “Quarantine Tylen, do you know how it affects the city?” Tylen takes another swig of his wine, which keeps getting refilled by a girl who is scrawny and looks like a walking skeleton held together by a thin wrap of flesh.

“Victoria, you’re as crass as you’ve been since you were a child playing in my courtyard with Sasha.” He smiles at the princess.

Victoria seems to cringe at the name of Sasha.

“Never bring her up again. Do you understand me, Tylen? I swear I will splatter your brains right here.” There’s an upswing in Victoria’s magic.

Looking around, I can see Triss standing in a corner away from the throne, watching us and smiling. She is the biggest threat here. I can feel something dark inside her aura. Something ancient and powerful like that Deus back at Klagden.

I focus on the room, closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath of the rotten air but my body will filter the bad parts out. I go into a trancelike state that ups my normal senses by ten times. A trick of my elemental magic. I can feel mzynes in the air and see hidden magic. I open my eyes to a horrid site, the magic in this room is disgusting, besides myself and the team.

The magic from the half-dressed girls, Triss and Tylen, is extremely worrying they all have a glow of orange magic outlining their auras that’s not their own. Triss doesn’t have a lot of the same evil magic, but it is there. Her magic alone is a force to be reckoned with strong and mighty, a surprising fit for a Queen of Pirates. Except I can’t help but fear the warning of Queen Tyvor. I look to Alva.

“Alva, I think we should leave right now.” Alva turns to face me.

“Why, did you notice something?” Alva looks at me sternly.

“The magic in the city bugs me, and I can’t shake the feeling we’re being watched somehow.”

That is true in every sense of the word. Ever since entering the city. I’ve felt uneasy, like hands are caressing my body or trying to pull me down deep beneath the planet’s crust.

“Alva nods very well. Let me deal with Tylen, then we will make for the gate to the mountains.”

A massive hand grips my shoulder with a firm squeeze. Shocked, I see Triss standing beside me with a grin on her tanned cheeks.

“Can I help you?” I ask her, my stomach now twisted like a knot.

How did she get over to me when she was halfway across the room without making a sound?

She leans down and puts her mouth next to my ear. I can feel her frigid breath? Shit, that’s not good.

“Yes, you’re the reason all this has begun.” Triss says, her eyes now having a thin film of haze.

“What does that mean?” Something is very wrong here. The magic in the air is growing denser and denser. The hand on my shoulder is gripping me tighter and tighter.

“What the hell is going on around here, Tylen?! Where the hell is everyone, and why the hell are people boarded up in their homes?” Victoria asks.

“Yes, I’d like to know as well?” Alva places a hand on her short sword.

Tylen hands off his tray to one of the girls, and they all race off behind the curtains.

“It is all for the New World.” Tylen sings the words.

“Excuse me?” Victoria says.

Tylen cackles his pudgy face and scrunches up, making him look like a pile of raw dough." Ha, Ha, Ha. The everlasting flame comes for the one who conquered death. He wishes to cleanse us of our sins and return us humans to our former glory!" Tylen chants in a very ecstatic voice. Suddenly I can hear chanting from everywhere.

Alva draws her sword as guards race out through many hidden doors. Triss’s grip tightens on my shoulder as I try to move.

“Stay still, Emelia. He is coming for your soul.” I look at her and see her eyes glowing with an orange magical flame.

“Can’t you feel his presence all around us? He is soon to rise. It’s only a matter of time that our lord shall arise from the ashes of the world.

“Alva, we need to go now!” Victoria shouts.

One of the guards dives for Alva, almost cutting her stomach open; she appears behind the man, and her sword pierces the man through his chest; blood gushes from the wound. Another guard goes for Victoria; who sidesteps his attack. She kicks out his legs, dropping him like a rock. Then she puts her foot down on the man’s head, popping it like a balloon, steel helmet and all. The guard’s brain matter now paints the floor.

Victoria wipes her foot off on the man’s armor.

“Go now!” Alva shouts.

Suddenly, the front wall explodes as a guard flies through it Rene, who was standing guard outside, comes in after the man.

“We have a bit of a problem.” Rene says, daggers in hand.

“Yes, I know the guards are attacking,” Alva says, stabbing another guard.

Rene kicks away a guard, but he only falls over.

“Guards and the citizens are attacking. They’re all under some kind of control. Their eyes are all glowing orange.” Rene says.

“Where is Levi?” Victoria asks, punching a guy with her gloved hands chest. The armor dents and the guard falls over, spitting out a mouth full of blood.

“He’s on a roof near the gate and says he’ll wait until we reach him. He’s clearing the streets for us, so we need to move now!” Rene says as she zips through the room. Purple lighting streaks follow closely behind, and blood gushes from three guards’ necks.

Victoria tackles Triss away from me, causing Alva to disappear and Triss to go flying. Alva grabs my shoulder, and then the world vanishes. Alva and I appear on a roof next to the Hall, and she turns me to look at her.

“You doing okay, Emelia? Alva asks me, her face concerned, her eyes locked onto me.

I shake my head, feeling myself trembling as the mayhem inside the hall has me shaking. Hugging myself helps to stop it. My breathing goes ragged and my heart races faster and faster a sinking in my chest threatens to send me over the edge. Alva bends down to get eye level with me. She reaches into her small pouch and hands me a small red pill.

“Eat it. Rene made it for you to help ease your panic attacks.” She hands it to me.

I don’t hesitate and down the pill in one swallow a warm sensation ripples through me and a small sense of euphoria makes me alert and distracts me from my thoughts.

“Now are you okay?” Alva asks, a hand in my shoulder.

“Y-Yeah, all the blood reminds me of Bladesfall.” Taking in a deep breath steels my nerves.

“Yes, I’m sorry, but we must reach those gates. Can you fight?” Alva turns to take off after the gate.

Looking at the doors, I can’t see Victoria or Rene.

“Wait, what about?” The wall to the Hall explodes as Victoria and Tris bash through it in a brawl.

“Victoria!” I shout and almost jump off the roof, not sure what’s come over me.

“Don’t you dare get your ass moving! I can handle her!” Victoria shouts, kicking the giant Triss off of her with her. Victoria jumps up and ducks her ax and punches her right in her jaw. Triss recovers quickly and brings her ax down for a huge attack. It’s deflected by Victoria’s arms that have now turned into pointed black scales with enormous claws.

I’m hesitant to leave her alone, but I’m positive she can handle herself. As I turn, I drop to lie down on my stomach as arrows fly at me from the streets below.

“Shit!” I shout and then screams rise, turning to see a flash or more like a chain of lighting bouncing through the streets. The men shooting at me are now lying in a river of blood that was across the street.

Damn, Rene is amazing. Sure, the deaths are brutal, but it’s like precision work.

Rene releases the coat of lightning covering her; she is now daunting her ruined lab coat as it’s now coated with blood.

“Rene! Are you okay?!” I shout down at her.

Rene drops her lab coat on the ground and turns to look up at me.

“Go on, Emmy, get to the gate!” She points towards the massive gate that blocks the path to Kukri’s mountaintop.

“I’m going to help Alva clear a path. Now run!” In a blink, she zips down the building through the street, cutting down the guards.

Shrugging, I take off at a sprint, focusing on my magic. I feel the warm flow of it seeping from me. Then, the wind slowly wraps around my body, and with a snap, it all dissipates. The magic from the air stays on my body, causing me to be lighter so I can run faster and jump higher. Right in front of me are two guards who must have climbed up now stand in my way.

Okay, Emmy, focus and go for the wrecking bull.

Again, I focus on my magic, then force it all into my hands. I put them out in front of me. The magic from my body reacts with the mzynes in the air and a swirl of wind with this and the combination of my faster speed. I can ram right through these guys.

“Out of my way!” Screaming, I pick up speed, putting the bull-shaped wall of wind in front of me as I inch closer to the guards.

They raise their spears, and both jab at me. I block their attacks, and then, in one powerful burst from my feet, I plow into the guards, causing them to explode into a shower of blood and sending them flying off either side of the rooftop. Releasing the magic, I don’t even look back after jumping for three more rooftops. Finally, I reach the plaza in front of the gate to the mountain and see Alva surrounded by the bodies of at least fifteen guards. She looks up at me as I approach her. Alva cleans blood off her sword with a dead man’s shirt.

“Good, you are here. Now stand by that small home by the gate now.” Alva flips her sword and catches it.

“What are you doing?” I ask her, and then my question is answered.

A building explodes with ghastly purple and black-colored magic.

“Emelia, this fight is not for any of you. Leave, or you will be in the way. I won’t be able to protect you.” A considerable spike of power comes from Alva, and that tells me how serious she is.

“Alva, what is happening?“Before she can answer, a person throws something from the building”