The Majors, Cold Fury (Book 2)

Chapter 82: The Ruins of Rivendale

I whipped back around as Erin shot towards the ground behind me, reminiscent of a diving falcon, before unfolding her wings at the last second to slow her rapid descent. In an instant she was standing beside me, straightening and brushing the dust from her cargo pants, folding her wings. She exhaled sharply as she shoved her windswept hair from her face, eyes swirling with the red that resided within her skin.

I watched the smallest flicker of pride at her landing cross her face, before it was instantly replaced by one of alarm as a sound like an explosion echoed throughout the city. The deafening crash of something shook me to the bone, so loud I didn't even hear my own scream. I felt it tear at my throat, but no sound seemed to leave me over the ear-splitting crashes.

Erin had clamped her hands over her ears, eyes screwed shut to try and block out the noise. I saw her face contort right before I did the same, nearly falling to the ground from the shake the thing caused, whatever it was. 

It took a few minutes for the noises to subside, for the quake it caused to stop. For me to realize it was over. Slowly I opened my eyes, instantly met by a new cloud of debris wafting over from the wreckage. My eyes landed on the enchantment tower, perched upon the jut-out of the plateau Rivendale was set on. Or what was left of it.

The marble had been cracked and the tower now lay in ruins, the rising grime proving it impossible to make out the whole scene. I watched in horror as a slimy red snake of corruption began to weave itself up the destroyed structure, crushing the little base that remained...

I grabbled for the crystal around my neck, before remembering I had moved it earlier today...I had found the prophecies and I had moved it. I had left it here.

I really was looking to cause my own demise, wasn't I?

But there was still hope. "Come on! We need to check if the crystal's still intact!" I shouted over the screams resonating in the distance from those in the city.

"Scott there's no way!" Erin called back as I broke into a run. Moments later I heard the beating of her feet against the path as she followed.

"We still need to check!" I insisted, stumbling as I eyed the Church of Aeor, burning as everything else was, like a lighthouse, perched above the rest of the city.

Erin groaned from behind me before picking up speed to run right beside me along the path.

I was already dripping with sweat, the heat more intense than almost any I had felt before. I tried to cool down the area, letting frost flow like extensions of my limbs, but it melted before evaporating almost immediately.

With a struggle I staggered up the steep cliffside towards the Church of Aeor. I had hidden the crystal there; I had thought that just maybe there it would be safe. But clearly, I had been wrong. 

Even the very ground burnt my hands, leaving angry red marks that would surely fade into blisters. But I kept climbing, ruffling my wings to try and propel myself forward.

Erin was up to the top before I was, over the last ledge of the crumbling path that looked like it could give way any moment.

With a final burst of speed I leapt over the pothole that was slowly growing to swallow the path. "Why are we even over here!?" Erin asked cluelessly as she continued to follow me, sprinting for a moment to catch up with my run as I stared forward again.

"Crystal. I told you." I replied breathlessly, raising my arms as we closed in on the building in flames. Frost yet again exploded from my palms, forming a skewer of ice that lasted just long enough to bust the doors open for us to get through.