Ellsworth, quickly pushed her sisters outside, before running out, and meeting the raid head-on with the other guards.
“Go! Get out of the city! Get to the shore!” She yelled as she ran outside the house, drawing her broadsword and readying a magic circle, while Asteria and Abiel ran in the opposite direction, trying to flee with their parents and everyone else.
“Wait, look out!” Asteria cried out, as she saw a large chunk of flaming wood come crashing down while they were attempting to leave the city, right as Abiel was entering through the doorway. Mustering up every ounce of courage she had, she created a large magic circle on the ground, creating a large pillar of fantastical gold, and knocking away the debris, while Abiel ducked away, with the debris sealing them and their parents off from the rest of the fleeing citizens.
“You can use magic?” Both of their parents said in shock staring wide-eyed at their daughter.
“No, time to explain! In any case, we have bigger problems. The debris fell right on top of the exit! How are we supposed to leave now?” She said, deflecting the question.
“Fine, but we’re discussing this later,” Abiel said, her usual playfulness gone.
“If there is a later…” muttered Asteria.
“There’s no way through, damn it!” Asteria exclaimed upon seeing how many bandits and Magic Council soldiers were currently fighting near the main entrance. “If we tried sneaking out, we would be torn apart! And besides, Mom and Dad are too slow to cross, and I’m not leaving them behind!”
“Well, if you don’t mind breaking a few things, I might be able to propel us over the wall,” Abiel said carefully.
“Over the wall?” Asteria exclaimed. “But it’s huge!”
“Yes, but if I can use my high jump spell at full power, I should be able too. We only have one shot though. The moment we go off, everyone will hear us, and if we’re not over that wall, well, if the landing doesn’t kill us, the bandits sure will.” Abiel said, looking at the wall while beginning to concentrate her energy.
“All right, I think that should be it. Everyone ready?” Abiel said, breathing heavily.
“No, wait!” Asteria suddenly yelled out.
“What is it?” Abiel said, breaking the spell.
“My dagger! The one I got from my true father!” Asteria yelled wildly. “I have to go back to get it!”
“We can’t do that!” yelled Abiel angrily, “You want to kill all of us over a stupid dagger?”
“Fine, if you’re not going to help, I’ll go alone!” Asteria yelled back as she stormed back to her now burning house.
In the house, Asteria was struggling to breathe. She crawled up the stairs until finally reaching her room. She unlocked the door hastily, and frantically searched for the dagger. She pulled out the hidden compartment in her dresser, but it wasn’t there.
“Looking for this?” a voice spoke out from behind her. “Well, if you want it, come and get it” The man was shrouded in dark cloth that hid his features, though she could tell he was incredibly muscular, and that he seemed to be unaffected by the flames that raged around them, which made her feel cautious. “Unless of course, you don’t want it. But I’m guessing you do, right?” He asked in a tone that made her feel instantly uneasy. But she had her magic and her experience. One bandit would be no problem for her.
“All right then, it’s on,” She said, smiling as she hurled a bolt of gold at the stranger, which he quickly sidestepped with inhuman ease, and thus started the battle.
Abiel worked his way through the remains of her still burning home, desperate to find her sister. She quickly hovered over the stairs and made her way to her sister’s room, where she could hear her sister challenging someone.
That fool! She thought. She could be killed at any moment!
Abiel quickly opened the door, and a gruesome sight awaited her gaze. Asteria was sprawled out on the floor, while a bandit stood over her.
“Oh, another one,” He said casually. “You should be as easy to deal with as this one.”
“The man summoned a dark magic circle and shouted “Ultimate Art: Umbral Blast!” at her, while a huge ball of shadow worked its way towards her. Abiel tried to counter it, but her spell was crushed by the intensity of his magic. She was struck by it and catapulted across the room.
“No, stop,” Abiel said weakly, while her vision faded. “You, can’t…” she whispered, while she saw the man leave, taking the body of Asteria with him.
A while later, Abiel woke up in a crude bed. She opened her eyes drowsily and saw her sister sitting beside her. When Ellsworth saw Abiel awake, she rushed to hug her.
“Abiel, I thought you weren’t going to make it!” She cried, letting her usually cold demeanour drop away.
“Where’s Asteria? And our parents?” Abiel said.
Ellsworth suddenly shifted in her seat.
“Well, you see, Asteria was taken.” She said quietly
“Taken!?” Abiel said in shock. “Where?”
“We don’t know,” she said, and through halting breath answered Abiel’s next question. “And about our parents.
“Yes…?” Abiel said, dreading the answer. “You know you can tell me, right Elly?”
“Well, their dead,” Ellsworth said.