Through The Flames
Hey everyone :) this is my first wizard fic so try to go easy on me. I'm forwarning everyone that there will more than likely be grammer errors, as I don't currenly have a beta ( If anyone is free to beta of course, id be happy to accept :) ) So please no flamming me. I don't mind constructive critacism, as long as it's done in a nice way. Ok on to point two. I dont exactly know the timeline, but in my story Morganath starts causing trouble before Malistair loses his marbles. If there is any questions or confusion, feel free to ask me. I don't bite!..haha.
Rowan StarBane hurried as fast as she could across the cobbled pebbleway in the commons. Chaos was everywhere as wizards hurried in groups to either form teams and fight, or take cover in their homes. Her silver and black boots, being of higher quality due to her rank; made it harder to move and her brother did her no favors by barking orders.
"Slow down Caleb!...Ambrose has Morganathe's minions under control." her voice came out annoyed, yet she was scared and she knew her sister-in law read that fact very well.
Caleb muttered an incantation under his breath, activating the onxy gem on his staff. "We dont know that! all were aware of, is that wizard city isn't safe and i'm not about to risk my family's life." he snapped at her, as he held the two year old toddler to his chest. His wife, Autumm, ran beside him, her blue and gold staff clutched tightly in her hand.
Rowan glanced over her shoulder as some friends called to her and the necromatic energys in her rose, wanting to help fight and even kill if she had too. "I'm seventeen! just to remind you both. I can stay and fight. Just take Fallon back home. My friends and I will deal with her nasty minions" her voice was haughty depsite her fear.
Autumm finally reached bartelbye and scurried behind other wizards as they piled inside the old tree. Allowing herself to catch her breath she looked at her nerve wrecked husband and turned fiercly to her sister in law, grabbing her shoulder. She knew all too well bloodlust was calling to the young girl. That wasn't what worried her though. It was the fear of what the brazen and reckless young witch was capable of.
"We leave no one behind Rowan! and i know you know this. Ambrose has made a portal for the earth realm. It's the one place Morganth and her followers won't think to look." she then turned to her husband who was having a hard time with there restless daughter, and took her baby girl who's chocolate curly hair was in a tangled mess over her eyes and wet with tears.
"shhh my darling girl. It's almost over, your safe." she cooed to her.
"We can hope." Calebs voice said grimly as he hurried past others who were scrambling for the door as well. "earth!" he called urgently tapping it with his staff.
The portal burst opene in a blinding flash of white light and they were nearly run over as several wizards, witches and children clamored through. There was no way to know where everyone was headed. Some were going to there own homeland, be it Krokotopia, Marleybone, Celestia, etc. Very very few were headed to earth as they were.
They stepped through and all felt the tugging and pulling of the magic within. Rowan felt her body tumble and flip and the mesh of body's pressing against her annoying her even more. With a woosh of air, and a popping sound, they landed in tall and very wet grass . Caleb grunted as several others landed shortly after , stumbling and tripping over them. He got up, helping his wife and sister and his muscles were already on alert. Tense that's what he was. He knew anything could come at them at any moment. He saw they were in a grassy, forested area and a small town was nestled at the foot of the sloped hill. To the left was a rather large, expansive lake.
"Quickly, i know were all exhausted but we have to keep moving." he waved his staff trying to cast protective charms around them. Silver and black death symbols shimmered around them as it cast the enchantments. with any luck , enemys would be killed or poisoned the minute they touched the protected barrier.
Rowan spit out blades of grass and the smell of wet earth filled her notrils as her senses struggling to get use to earth's atomosphere. Once she calmored to her feet, she reached up tucking the blanket around her squirming and restless niece who was trying to get down. Her temper was flaring by the minute.
"What part of earth are we in?...dammit Caleb do you even have a plan? no of course you dont, you just packed everythign into a bag and rushed us away. We have no idea where we are, and we left everyone we know back in wizard city!" she raged at him, narrowing her eyes as other wizards scattered and ran in various directions, before turing her steely green eyed gaze on him.
Caleb turned to his sister with a weary glance growing impatient with his little sister. "What would you have us do, Rowan?... you saw how quickly it all happened. Our house was already shaking from the earthquake attacks, the city was falling apart, even the headmasters office was being trampled."
"Were being cowards!" she spat. "We should have stayed and fought!"
"Who was going to watch Fallon, Rowan!" his voice rose losing patience with his stubborn sister. " Imagine, all of us fighting and my daughter, YOUR niece, left defenseles?. Do you hear yourself?"
"She would have been fine!" The Archmage necromancer slammed her staff on the ground angrily. "You both could stay with her, my friends and i are nearly graduated and you know im several levels above most of my class as it is." she threw her hand up in frustration.
Caleb let out a juicy curse udner his breath and started walking down the hill, his hand on autumms shoulder to steady her. "Enough. Your acting liek a childish brat! were going to go back and help fight , ok?..did it ever occur to you i dont want my little sister gettign hurt, or worse, killed?' he added ina gruff voice trying to keep in command and in charge.
Autumm set the wiggling toddler down, but clutched her hand tight. Her weary and scared gaze looked all around cautiously ,while trying to ignore the grating bickering. She was far too used to her brother and his sister argeuing. There was, after all, a big age gap between them. Caleb was thirty while Rowan was practically a child still in school. Finally, she turned and waved her staff and a blue snow shield formed between them; creating an icey coldness and barrier between the two wizards.
"Alright that's quiet enough! the both of you. Can we PLEASE, for the love of merlin find somewhere safe to rest for now?" she stared them down with her frigid and pale blue eyes sweeping a lock of chestnut hair off her forhead.
Both Caleb and Rowan were forced to stumble back as the shield materialized bewteen them. The siblings looked at her shocked. Rowan rubbed her arms from the cold and her brother tightened his hood around himself "Fair enough..im sorry honey" he sighed tiredly and wrapped an arma round her waist "lower the shield would you? Fallon is going to catcha cold." he lips almost turned in a smile knowing his sweet tempered wife even had her limits.
Sniffing back tears, she took it down and just leaned into him as they reached the foot of the hill.
"Im sorry..Im just terrified. Moganith...i had no idea she was capable of this. Sure she was devious in class sometimes, spoiled, a loner... but to turn so evil?...makes zero sense to me." The theumaturge whispered
Rowan snorted distainfully. "Who cares why she's doing it! she's an evil, bitter hag, and i swear i want the pleasure of killing her."
"You'll get your chance, we all will." Her brother assured her.
" ice...is cold!" Fallon yelped as her small hand pointed toward the blue shield that was emitting the icey snow. Once it faded, her fingers reached trying to see where the snow went.
Rowan muttered gratefully as she batted the last of the unwelcome snow away and yet she almost smiled at her niece and how excited she got. "That's right its very cold little Fallonj, were glad its gone aren't we?..we'll rest soon." she assured her as she reached down picking her up and handed her back to her father, before bounding in front of them, her eyes on the prowl.
" I cold, aunts rowan...need get warm." the now sleepy Fallon murmured, rubbing her eyes and once she was in her dads arms she buried herself against his soft robes.
Caleb tickled her back gently, "not to worry bunny...soon were gonna have a small fire going."
The sky begin to darken even more and all of them, at once, began to notice the strong magic in the air. But not the good kind. Several feet away the lake began to churn and lightening flashed. Blinking, Rowen haulted inher tracks seeing the now inky water swirl like crazy and lightening refelcted off its churnign surface.
"It's Her!...Caleb how did she find us?!" Autumm scream and the four of them backed up.
Rowan had her deck out in a nano-second and carved the chilling death symbol in the air. Praising the titans she had a good draw, she summoned the skeletal dragon. Itburst forth and surged forward, attacking the levithian that were swarming from the waters.
"I dont know!...she should not even be able to get thruogh the portal gates!" Caleb called over the noise pushing his family behind him. He glanced over seeing his sister cast immedaitly and he raised his staff. being more exsperienced than her, he summoned avenging fossil after slicing the deaths symbol in the air so quickly it was nearly a blur
The dinosaur broke from the earth and the smell of wet dirt and death filled the area, as the anciet diansaur charged, slashing the sea creatures with his tail and blowing dark green energy that sucked the life immediatly from the slimy monsters. Morganath was slowly emerging from the waters and immedaitly a group of wizards wre sucked intot he water there terrfied yells turning to gurgles as they slowly drowned.
Autumm let out a strangled agonizing cry, seeing her fellow wizards die before her eyes and surged forward summong tower shields that hovered around herself andher family. Her fingers shakily drew her own deck and she suddenly hissed under her breath. Her strongest card was blizzard, but it would have to suffice. The wind had started to blow hard and she planted her feet firmly in the ground as she carved the shimmering blue ice symbol in front of her summoing the frozen meteors.
"Get back!' she called getting them out of harms way. Even though Caleb and Rowans spells were strong, as a theumaturge her health would last longer and she could take more direct hits. The bone dragon and dinasaur were waging war with morganith and some other wizard had summoned a forest lord to attack her.
"You mere wizards think your so smart? I, Morganith can easily slip into your wildest night mares and into any realm." her voice echoed liek thunder.
The frozen meteors thundered and pounced the earth and Morganith temporarily was summerged in the water. Not for long. As she rose up and sent a crashes eight foot high wave one the land. The wretched witch had summoned tempest.
Caleb and Rowans tower shields activated, reducing the damage by half but teh waves knocked them down sending them riding the waves toward the treachorous lake. Autumm was the first to get hit. her shield briken by morganith and she felt the water fill her lungs and her body dissapeared under teh water.
"Autumm!" Caleb screamed for his wife as his head rose above the water and he clutched baby Fallon in his arms. The wiggling toddler was coughing and kickingher small feet like crazy as her head dipped below the water
"Daddy!" her voice was terrified, coughing and choking on the water as she struggled to hold on to him. It wasnt enough. The witch sent an even stronger tempest spell, and they were all forced to watch as the montrous wave crashes down on them. Fallon slipped fomr his arms. Tired...so tired.
Rowan fought like crazy but found herself pulled under the chilling wave. Kicking like crazy she fought to unfree her foot from a rock. finally, kickingher way to the top, sh; imerged from under the water, watching helplessly as her sister in- law's body was pulled into the swilring abyss. The very spot she sank was soon filled with blood. Turning, she managed to grab a branch of a jutting tree just in time to see Fallon about to go under.
"Caleb! iv got her." she screamed hoarsly, fighting tears as her hand caught her niece by the shirt jsut before she went under.
Her brother was shaking and great sobs wracked his body, as he fought to reach what was left of his family. Morganith was far from done though. With a spin of her wand, the powerful Royal Guard's Stinger, she summoned a massive sabertooth. Even as it charged at them Caleb seen it's massive and deadly jaws already dripping with salivia. The creature didnt sink, but ran across the foaming and churning water like it was air. Caleb was swept down the slope and past his daughter and sister, hsi arm reaches for them desperatly. Too late. The creature was on him in seconds.
"Caleb watch out!" Her panicked cry's were barely heard over the roaring water. She clutched the calm, yet terrified zoe to her tight, while trying to summon anything that could help. It was no use. Her hand was might as well of been glued to the wood and her other held Fallon. There was no way she could let go of either.
The violent and savage sabertooth let out an defeaning roar before sinking its teeth into her brothers side. Blood. So much blood. His cry of pain seemed to cut into her very soul. Fallon clung to her aunt and hearing her dad's cry of pain, she begin to whimper and struggled to turn and see him.
"Fallon no!...don't look." The young necromancer sobbed, forcing the young child's head into her chest. The last thing she needed to see was the carnage.
The life drained from her brothers eyes and his screams faded to an errie silence. She wanted to reach for him, but if she let go they would be the sabertooths next prey, or worse, pulled into the lake and drowned. No. She had to protect Fallon at all cost. But what a cost it was!. Watching helplessly, Caleb was dragged away by the creature before dissapearing, her brothers body dissapating with it as well. The water subsided and rowan felt her body drop to the ground. It was too much. The pain was crashing over her in waves as she struggled to breath and cough out water, her body trembled.
Morganith's eyes locked onto hers. The wretched evil witch seemed revived by so mcuh blood and death and she smiled slowly, and with a wave of her staff everythgin calmed at once. "I'v got what i needed...your life will be spared...for now." she turned ,and ina flash of black she dissapeared, the air around her rippling with magical after affect. The town's people were now coming out of there homes to see where the freaked storm had come from.
"This isn't...this isn't over Morganith!" The pain filled scream of rage tore out of Rowan's throat before she knew it. Turning, her hand reached for Fallon, but brushed empty air.
Dazed and weak, she turned over to look "what...FALLON!?...no...please no..." depsite her world crashing down around her she forced her exhausted and soaking wet body to a stadning position. No. She had been in her arms, that much she was sure of. "fallon...i'ts ok! if your hiding because your scared..it's all all over..you...you can come out", she called feeling her chest so tight she had a hard time drawing in air.
She took off and ran everywhere, even asking locals if they has seen her, her breath came out in hitches and finally she sank to her knees as she made her way back to the spot they all had been. A deep cry of pain tore at her throat, as her nails dug into the wet earth, stained with her family and several wizards blood.
"I'll find her..." she whispered, as gut wrenching sobs wracked her body. "I swear to you caleb...if it's the last thing I do ...I will find Fallon... and Morganithe's days will be numbered."
She curled into herself, crying and screaming until her voice no longer worked. It wasn't until her bag vibrated and a message rang in her mind. It was from Ambrose, summoing all wizards back to wizard city. News had spread of Morganth's mayhem and all of the spiral was on high alert. Who cared?...certainly not her. She was drowning in despair and every breath she took was agonizing. Her family was gone, what did rules matter now? It wasn't until the sun had said it's goodbyes and the moon shown its face, that she finally rose to her feet. The pain was still there , oh yes. But now it was being overshadowed by a growing need for vengeance. She dusted dried dirt off her black armor and she pulled her short , blonde, mud caked hair into a ponytail. Tears were dried on her face as she hoarsly whispered the incantation to open the portals door. Had it been only hours earlier she was argueing with her brother and sister-in law, being a brat and insisting they were not to be here?... Oh how she would give anything to take it all back! She turned, one last time as the colorful lights danced across her face. Everything in her was hoping to see the curly headed three- year old she'd grown so fond of. She wasn't dead, that much she was aware of. She could just feel it. Should she leave? the necromancer had searched for well over two hours and came up with nothing.
Finally, with a decisive shake of her head she whispered in a hollow, shaky voice, "I'll find you Fallon... I will come back for you, i swear it." With that she stepped through the pulsating portal, knowing that things were different now. Nothing would be the same. Instead of love, pain would guide her. Push her. Define her. The portal closed leaving behind a piece of her soul with it.
( Just giving everyone a small taste of what happened before Fallon came to wizard city. Ther first two chapter are to give some background insight. Ill try not to make it too boring :) )