Dark Chronicle: Fall of innocence

Chapter 6: From Bad to Worse

Tren continued her hurried journey back home, her emotions in turmoil after discovering that her friend was the princess in disguise. She felt mocked and reduced to just a fool in Monica's eyes. Following her confrontation with Lawrence, Tren's perception of the nobility had soured. Although her father managed to confront Lawrence Medici effectively, Tren wished she had the strength to stand up to him herself.

As she neared her house, however, Tren began to see things differently. She realized that Lawrence, with his wealth and spoiled demeanour, viewed her people as inferiors, whereas Monica had shown consideration by offering Tren one of her dresses. Tren acknowledged that she might have jumped to conclusions and felt a growing urge to apologize to her friend for her earlier behaviour.

Unfortunately, before Tren could return to Monica, her attention was abruptly drawn skyward to an imposing sight: a massive flying battleship trailed by several large purple dragons. "The Death Ark! It's Gaspard's ship!" shouted a villager, panic stricken.

Without hesitation, Gaspard ordered the dragons to assail the village. The dragons swooped over the town, their fiery breath incinerating everything in its path. Simultaneously, colossal rock golems shattered the protective walls that encircled the village. The local guards valiantly attempted to defend their homes, but they lacked the training to combat foes of such immense size, unlike the royal soldiers.

Amidst the pandemonium, Tren's primary concern was the safety of her mother and brother. She dashed towards her home, her heart pounding as the town succumbed to flames and destruction. Villagers frantically tried to rescue their loved ones and salvage their belongings. Tren feared the worst about her father; the king's army had failed to repel Griffons' forces at the front, claiming her father's life. Nevertheless, her immediate focus had to remain on Sam and Mary, pushing other thoughts aside as she navigated the burning streets.

When she reached the tavern, Tren was overwhelmed with disbelief and horror. The building, a labour of love her father had built and transformed into a home for them, was engulfed in flames. "MOTHER!" she screamed into the roaring fire. "SAM!" She attempted to rush inside to rescue them, but the intense heat pushed her back, searing and unyielding. Yet, Tren's resolve did not waver. "Don't worry, I'm going to save you," she shouted, her voice raw with determination. Scanning the area, she noticed the cellar doors. That could be her way in.

With urgency gripping her every move, Tren flung open the cellar doors and descended into the cooler air below. She knew she was racing against time, feeling the building tremble ominously, signalling that the structure might cave in any moment. "Sam!" she called out, her voice echoing in the dimly lit space.

At the foot of the interior stairs, she spotted Sam, shouldering the door in a desperate attempt to break through. His head turned at her voice, eyes wide with surprise and relief. "Tren, help open this door! Moms trapped inside!" he exclaimed; his voice strained with panic.

Tren and Sam exerted all their strength against the door, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, a voice from the other side penetrated the chaos. "Sam! Is that you?"

"Don't worry, Mother, I'm going to get you out of there!" Sam shouted back, pounding even harder against the door.

"He's not alone, Mother," Tren added, her voice thick with emotion.

"Listen to me, you two. Get out of here! This place is going to collapse soon. The roof is already burning through."

"We're not leaving you behind, Mother!" Sam declared, his voice a mix of defiance and desperation.

"Sam, there's no time! Take your sister and leave the town. Find someplace safe. You're the man of the family now; I expect you to keep her safe."

Sam paused, his body tense against the wooden barrier. Slowly, realization washed over him, and he looked at Tren. She nodded no to what her brother was suggesting., heartbreakingly aware of what he plans to do.

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered hoarsely, gripping Tren's hand tightly as they turned to escape through the cellar door. Tren resisted, her fists pounding against his arm as she tried to break free. "Let me go! I need to save her!"

But Sam held on, pulling her with him to the outside. Just as they emerged from the tavern, the roof of the Black Owl Tavern caved in with a thunderous crash, a cloud of smoke and debris mushrooming into the sky, sealing their mother's fate.

Tren collapsed to her knees outside, tears streaming down her face as she succumbed to grief. "Another second and we would have gone down with it," Sam said next to her, his voice barely a whisper. His words were meant to comfort, to justify their escape, but they hung heavily in the air, both a lament and a harsh reminder of their harsh reality. Sam put an arm around her, and together they mourned, facing a future without their mother, their home, and everything they had known.

As Tren and Sam stood amidst the chaos, Tren's voice trembled with uncertainty as she turned to Sam, "What are we going to do now, Sam? How are we going to get out of this with our lives?"

Sam's eyes lit up with a flicker of hope as he replied, "I might have a way out of this. Father told me about a cave this town had. Apparently, no one was ever allowed to go there. Two of the king's guards were always posted there to keep us from ever going in or what could come out of that cave. If we use that cave, we can flee this town alive and well."

With a sense of urgency, Tren suggested, "We should get help and find other people as well." Sam nodded in agreement, and together they quickly gathered many of the children who had become separated from their parents during the chaos.

Leading the group towards the hidden cave, Sam explained their plan, "We're going underground to find shelter from the monsters until everything dies down. Follow us and stick together."

Just as they were about to enter the cave, a familiar voice called out in the distance, "Tren! Where are you?" It was Princess Monica, desperately seeking her friend in the midst of turmoil. Tren hesitated for a moment, torn between duty and friendship, before firmly telling Monica, "Get back to the castle! If you're the princess of this kingdom, then there's no way you can die like this!"

Monica, taken aback, replied softly, "Tren..."

Placing her hands on Monica's shoulders, Tren spoke with a mixture of sincerity and regret, "We're fine, okay? Monica, you must fight your own battles. Go on! I'm sorry about earlier. I said something pretty mean. But still, you're my best friend." With those words, she embraced Monica, reaffirming their bond, "Forever and always."

Feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders, Monica nodded and ran back to the castle to defend it, unaware of the events that would soon unfold. Tren watched her friend disappear into the distance, her heart heavy with the uncertainty of their future.

"Tren, come on! We've got to get out of here!" Sam's urgent voice broke the moment, pulling Tren's attention back to the present. With a final glance towards the castle, Tren followed her brother into the darkness of the cave, hoping that safety awaited them on the other side.