Remains Of An Age: The Age Of Darkness

The Strength From Within

"That ceiling is gonna fall." Geridane commented.

"I know that. " Jeriel snapped. "I have to go in there after her."

As he began to enter the door frame, Aridane grabbed the arm of his black tooled leather jacket. "Jer, you can't go in there."

A look of determination appeared on his face."I don't have any other choice, Ari.  I..we can't lose her."

Aridane knew there was nothing she could say to stop him. She nodded. "Be careful."

Jeriel slowly made his way in the immense, destroyed room.  Climbing over huge boulders of caved in roofing, jumping over puddles of collected rainwater from the gaping holes in the ceiling. Stepping on old soggy books,  he carefully made his way across the ruined library.

"Kara, come on. Let's get out of here."

"You get out!" she stubbornly replied.

The thunderstorm outside creshendoed to it's full potential.  Lightning illuminated the destruction and thunder shook the very foundation of the fragile ruins.

"Please Kara!" Jeriel tried to call out to her over the roar of thunder and the constant sound of the downpour. Kara did not reply. He had lost sight of her and was beginning to grow ever more worried.

"Kara? Please answer me."

Still no response.

Suddenly a bolt of lighting struck the tower spire, just above the massive hole in the ceiling, causing the whole tower to dislodge and topple into what remained of the library roof. Jeriel tried to run to escape the falling tower, but his foot slipped on the wet rocky surfaces, and he fell on his back, directly under the oncoming tower. Knowing he didn't have time to get up and run, he held up his hands in a futile attempt to brace himself from the imminent, crushing stone.

"NO!" Kara's distressed voice suddenly rang out from behind him .

He closed his eyes as the tower was almost upon him and he waited. He waited for the crushing weight that never came. Jeriel opened his eyes to see the tower, roof, rocks and all, hovering mere inches above him.

He stared at it in amazement, for a second, then weakly called out."Ari?"

Aridane smiled to herself."It wasn't me, or Geridane."

Kara's voice rang out again."Jer, run! I have no idea how I'm doing this or how long I can hold it."

He shuffled himself out from under the hovering tower and finally caught sight of Kara. She stood, far across the library, on top of a pile of overturned bookshelves. Her arms, outstretched with a silvery energy radiating from her hands attached to the tower, seemingly holding it up. The expression on her face was a mixture of fear, excitement and strain.

"Get out of here, Jer!" she yelled at him.

"Not without you!"

"I'll be right behind you, just go. Now!"

Jeriel darted toward the door frame, but stopped a few feet from it, turning around to make sure Kara made it out alright.

Kara swiped her arms to the side and the tower followed her gesture, crashing into the side wall of the already fragile ruins. As it hit, a rumble started to shiver through the huge room. The jarring blow from the crashing tower rattled the walls and ceiling, causing them to start caving in.

"Kara! Get out of there!" Jeriel yelled out in terror.

"Oh, shit." Kara muttered to herself as she realized what was happening. She slid down the piled bookshelves, to the rubble covered floor and began her long run across the littered library. Dodging falling stones and climbing over the same beams she had crossed previously She was in a panic. The rumbling got louder as the exterior walls began to lean in. She was halfway to safety when a large section of the ceiling crashed to the floor.

"Kara? Answer me!" Jeriel panicked.

He had his answer as he saw her climb over the top of the newly fallen obstacle. The remaining walls and ceiling began to break apart and tumble in, spreading dust and debris in all directions. Kara ran as fast as she could over the falling stones, all the time the walls came tumbling in, piece by piece.

Jeriel stood, only a few feet away from the doorway as Aridane and Geridane held their breath. 

"Come on, Kara! You can make it!" he yelled to her as she closed in on his location. He raised his arms out toward her."You can make it!"

Kara ran, getting closer to safety, as the walls came crumbling completely in, dropping the ceiling down in as it fell. Inches away from Jeriel, she dove, crashing into his open arms, making them both tumble through the open doorway, seconds before everything came down, shaking the ground, closing off the doorway completely.

The pair lay, in each other's arms for only a few seconds.  Wet, covered in debris dust and exhausted, they finally realized  they were both safe. Aridane and Geridane let out a sigh of relief.  Jeriel immediately sat up, running his hands through Kara's hair, brushing the dust and dirt off her face, checking her for any injuries.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" he asked as he looked her over.

Kara sat up, smacking his hands away from her, scooting away from him toward the wall behind her."I'm fine, I'm fine."

Jeriel brought his leg up and rested his arm across his knee, catching his breath. Then with the sudden thought hitting him, he jumped up and stood, facing the twins.

"Why didn't you two do anything? You just stood there, watching." he snapped.

Aridane smiled."You didn't need our help."

Geridane grinned."The situation was under control."

Jeriel fumed."Kara could have be crushed and killed!"

"But she wasn't..." Ari began.

"And she didn't." Geri finished the sentence.

Jeriel stood in silence for a second."Is everything a riddle to you two?"

"When lessons need to be learned, we can't give you the answers. You must learn them on your own." Aridane grinned.

"What lessons?" Jeriel queried.

"When two are drawn to complete the same quest they must learn to trust each other." Geridane stated.

Jeriel grunted, in defiance. He turned to Kara, still leaning against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?"

Kara looked at him with disdain."I'm fine."

The other remaining people that had been gathered in the hall, came running up the corridor, alerted by the rumbling and large crash.  As they neared, Jeriel reassured them all were safe and sound.

The small group milled about for a few minutes, looking at the rubble filled doorway, talking amongst themselves.

Jeriel focused his attention back on Kara, still seated on the floor, against the wall. He knelt down beside her, smiling.

"Thank you, thank you for saving me from the tower." He spoke, as he reached his hand out to her to help her stand.

After a moment of thought, she sighed and took his hand. As he helped her to her feet, she replied. "You're welcome..." she quickly pulled her hand from his when she stood. "... but this changes nothing between us."

She turned to Aridane, who put her arm around the girl's damp shoulders. Jeriel balled his raised fists and silently growled at her, infuriated. Aridane ignored Jeriel's small fit and addressed the group.

"I think, with the events tonight, Kara needs more time before we begin the search for the remaining shards. We will reconvene in a few weeks."

Kara interrupted."No! We do it as soon as possible. I'm ready." she glanced behind her at Jeriel then turned away fron him."The sooner, the better."

Aridane looked at Kara questioningly for a moment."Very well, Kara. As you wish. The Council will meet first thing tomorrow in the Grand Hall." She, herself turned to Jeriel."Is that acceptable?"

He almost seemed to be pouting as he replied and threw his hands in the air, giving up. "Fine. Whatever she wants." With those words spoken, he pushed his way through the group and stomped away, down the corridor. Kara stared at him with contempt, as he disappeared around the corner.