Of Ashes and Wind

Escape

Galen and Ike were shaken awake, the guards and mages were in a flurry running quickly to mobilize.

The word was that the Elven Princess attempted to seduce Prince Rollin in order to assassinate him.

Galen didn't believe it, not with the way he had come to truly know Rollin. The same way Ike had.

They moved quickly, strapping on their armor and swords in record time and rushed out to the courtyard.

A serpent conjured from fiendfyre greeted them, the two took a step back to avoid getting roasted by the powerful spell.

Elnaril Elatoris followed up the attack with massive ice spell that froze the converging royal forces in place.

There were shrieks throughout the courtyard, Galen could only imagine the pain of receiving such a great burn from the fiendfyre and the to quickly experience frostbite on such a level.

The healers are going to have a challenge ahead of them to try and heal these wounds inflicted by great magic.

A flurry and a rush of elves and winged-mounts spilled into the Palace Square.

"Mobilize the Gryphon Squadron and Wyvern Mounts!" One man called out.

Galen already knew that they wouldn't make it in time, the elves retreated in such a fashion that he couldn't help but think that this was something they had planned for.

Maybe prepared is a better word.

Galen sighed and watched on as the last of the elves retreated to the night sky, a rain of fire and lightning came down on their stables to prevent the Brilux riders from mounting up and trying to follow.

There was frustration and lots of yelling at the incompetence of the Royal Guards and Court Mages. Ike Duron flinched while he watched his father receive the brunt of King Jerrick's anger.

Anger for allowing a threat to hurt the Prince. Rollin sported the angry red rash around his mouth, the healers did their best to undo what Elnaril had done to him.

"It's because of that damned ancient bitch, if she wasn't there..." Rollin grunted.

"Phoenix Stroud, as in the daughter of Wren and Valyria Stroud?" Jerrick looked up at his son, "Send word to apprehend the family for treason against the crown. No doubt if their daughter was able to spread the legs so easily of an elven bitch, then they must have had a hand in the plot tonight."

As soon as the guards were dismissed, Galen and Ike quickly walked out of the room. The went in a different direct that quickly led them outside.

"Go, I'll try and delay them." Ike told Galen, he broke off quickly to meet with the rest of the Palace Guards who were still mobilizing inside.

Galen rushed to the stables before anyone else and slipped out on a horse, he had a second horse trailing behind him.

He travelled quickly to the Stroud residence.

Galen shouted and banged on the door until a very pissed off Orion answered.

"Pack your things, you need to go." Galen stormed into the residence.

"Galen, what in the Great Beyond are you spouting about?" Wren came down, his twin blades in hand.

"There's no time!" Ike roared, "Pack what you need, the Crown is trying to apprehend you!"

"We didn't do anything." Wren narrowed his eyes, "We'll just explain what happened, we've been here the whole night."

Galen grabbed Wren by his shoulders, "You need to leave! Something happened in the night and the King and Prince are out for blood! The elves escaped, and you need to do the same!" He pleaded, "I... If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to face Nix. Please, you need to go."

Wren looked to Valyria.

"Pack your clothes and whatever you'll need, Ori." Wren ran outside to the shed where his bow and arrows were.

Orion didn't question it and began a mad dash upstairs.

In minutes, the Stroud family had what they needed in three travel bags, Galen assisted with loading up the two horses.

There was storm of horses from down the road.

"Shit." Galen seethed as the Palace Guard came riding up the cobblestoned road.

"Thank you, Galen." Valyria, dressed in trousers and armed with her usual vials and knives, conjured a sand pit from below that sunk Galen to his knees. Valyria had done that in an attempt to protect Galen from any implication.

Wren jumped on a horse, Valyria rode astride behind Orion and the family took off.

Valyria mumbled an incantation and the whole of the cobble stone street turned into a quick sand that stopped the Palace Guard from chasing them down.

A crack of fire grazed past Wren.

Valyria narrowed her eyes and saw the Court Mages had overcome her spell from earlier and were hot on their tail.

"Keep us going, Ori." Valyria instructed her son, she twisted her body and began firing magic of her own.

A bolt of lightning had managed to knock off one of the mages, Valyria tried once more to warp the earth to slow them down.

And it worked, one Court Mage and his horse fell to the side while the others had to slow down to avoid the trap.

Valyria looked ahead.

And paled.

The gates were closing.

"Val!" Wren called out to his wife.

Valyria summoned as much magic as she could, the incantation that left her lips had the intent to summon two massive stone golems to stop the gate. From the very stone, these two giants caught the gate and held it open.

"Mother!" Orion felt Valyria's grip on him falter, he grabbed her hand and the force of the gallops horse had managed to knock Valyria's wand lose from her other hand.

Orion felt relief wash over him as their horses galloped through the gaping gate and his mother still by his side.

There was a shout from the gate, he could hear more horses and men from behind them as they galloped furiously down the road. He kept stride with his father and followed the man, but he couldn't keep pace forever and he struggled with keeping his mother on the saddle.

Valyria had expended too much magic on the complex spells.

"Father!" Orion called out.

Wren looked over his shoulder and saw the issue Orion was dealing with and slowed to a halt.

"Shit, Val." Wren could still hear the city guard galloping after them.

He wasn't going to abandon Valyria. He looked to Orion, "I'll stay here with your mother, take one of the horses and ride hard. Ride to east to Arcshire and look for Gareth and them." He instructed.

"I... I can't leave you!" Orion swallowed, Wren had already taken Valyria off of Orion's horse.

"You have to, else what Galen did will be in vain." He smiled up at his son, with a slap the horse galloped on.

A screech from above them echoed, Orion pulled hard at the reins.

A small group of elven riders had turned back.

Eiriell led the charge and Orion knew that his family would be safe.