My hands were clammy as I clutched hers, and we shared uneven breaths as we shook.
Screams echoed from above. Explosions, chaos, and a child wailing for a mother... "Drown them out," she commanded me, almost begging.
"W-what?" I whispered back.
"Please." Her head snapped up to look at me, the total fear in her eyes shaking me back to reality. I nodded grimly.
"Okay." I placed my hands on her ears, and whispered a small promise. As I murmured the last words of a secret tongue, my hands glowed, and a charge of green magic drew veins across her face. The light disappeared as her expression relaxed, her suppressed sobs becoming but a whimper. Then there was another suppressed sob followed by another whimper, like waves. She laid her head on my lap, making my heart skip a beat. I didn't dare move, except to place a hand comfortingly on her back, and the other in her hair.
"It's going to be okay..." I whispered in her ear. She only shivered in reply, unable to hear me over the spell. I struggled to find more to say. Even that simple phrase had undeniably stretched the truth. One minute, two minutes...After the third minute, she tapped me, motioning for me to lift the magic. I obliged, and as soon as it was gone she winced.
"It's quieter now," she commented. I nodded. "Indeed it is."
I got up as she lifted her head, not bothering to dust the dirt from my shorts. "That's enough moping, Princess. Now, we need to find you a way out." She looked at me, surprised, "There's a way out?"
I nodded, "Yes. One. But we must make haste." She started to follow, then stopped. "What is it?" I asked.
She looked at me grimly. "But what about the others? The meteor—"
"It's too late for them." I told her, sounding more harsh than was probably required. She winced, "But there must be some way—"
"There isn't. They brought this calamity upon themselves when they used the forbidden arms," I said, pulling her arm expectantly.
"The innocent—"
"IT. IS. TOO. LATE." I interrupted, losing my patience by the second. She looked shocked, almost scared of me. I breathed deeply. "We need to leave now. It has already started, and we're down to mere minutes. Make haste and follow," I spun towards the stairway, dropping her hand, and began to make my way down without her. I held back a sigh of relief when I heard her familiar footfalls behind me.
30—maybe 20—minutes before the calamity would fall upon us, obliterating this planet and all of it's inhabitants. But, as long as I could save the princess... none of this would matter. We made our way down deeper. As it got darker, I lit the walls with blue fire.
"You're using too much magic..." she whispered from behind me, sounding worried. "I'll be fine." I smiled back. I wasn't planning on dying until she was safe.
We took two more turns down the path I had worked hard to memorize since I was a young boy. At the end lied the final resort, should the worst ever happen... We took the final turn, and the passage opened into a larger, rounded cavern. In the middle a massive alchemy circle, adorned with candles the height of trolls. I swore. This was going to be... difficult.
The princess stopped next to me. "So, how are we going to get out?"
I laughed a little, "We? No. You are going to get out." "What?!"
I turned to see her shocked, angry expression. I repeated myself, "You're the only one getting out."
"Then I'm not leaving!!" She shouted, and I pressed a hand over her lips.
"We don't have time for this. You need to leave!"
"I refuse to be the only one saved!"
"I'm sure you're not the only one. All the other royals have probably already teleported!" I said, trying to reassure her.
"Where?"
I turned to look at her, "Just get in the middle, okay?! We don't have time to fight!"
She swore, but stomped to the middle. I sighed in relief, and began the spell. 2 minutes left... One... the floor shook. "Please..." I bit my lip, "Please get her out..."
Suddenly the room was illuminated with red light, and in a flash, she was gone. I panted, confused. The spell wasn't complete... Sudden realization hit me as a hand pushed against my back, and I was forcefully thrown into the middle of the circle.
"Wait! Princess-"
The last thing I saw before teleporting was her sad, almost proud expression as the ceiling fell. And I was gone.
Safe, but utterly shattered.
