Chapter 23
Redd took the boy away from town and told him to continue halfway towards the river.
'I'm going to send some people down there soon, and you need to keep them going. Can you do that?' the boy nodded, but there was fear in his eyes. He ran down towards the trees that lined the river. Redd faced the town.
The fires lit his face and cast shadows behind him. He had seen buildings burn and people die before. He had seen innocent children killed and mothers tortured. Yet, this burn in front of him seemed to mean something more... although it was no different then the rest.
*
Legolas pressed his back against the building. The one on the other side of the alley was smoldering and had collapsed. Legolas peered around the corner to see a gang member bring his hand down on a man. He drew an arrow and fired silently. The gang member was still for a moment then turned to see him. Legolas fired again and this time he fell to the ground.
Legolas went and helped the man up. He tried to ask if he was all right, but the sound of the building that was smoldering crashing down drowned out all other sounds.
'Who are you?' the man asked.
'Nobody! At the west end of town you'll see a man waiting for you. He'll get you where it's safe!'
'No! I need to find my wife and child!'
'I'll find them! I'll make sure they get to you!' Legolas pushed the man in the direction where he himself has come from. A hot wind suddenly hit Legolas and he looked around. He could see fires in the sky and heard a violent bang. Screams erupted and Legolas ducked back down the alley to reach the other street. He came to a flaming bale and leapt over it without slowing down.
In the next street everything was on fire. Ten gang members surrounded many villagers, some holding small blades and such. There were children in the crowd, clutching the clothes of their elders and weeping loudly. One of the gang members approached a young girl with brown locks and a singed dress. He grabbed her by the arm and began to pull her aside.
Legolas's arrow flew through the air and hit the man straight in the face. He fell to the ground silently. All heads turned towards him. He had his blade drawn and it glowed brighter then it ever had. The gang members cried out and stumbled backwards. Some attacked blindly while the villagers cringed in fear. Legolas swung at them with all his might. All his pain seemed to be washed away. He struck down the men in masks and spilled the blood of the evil ones.
Finally his blade began to meet with other swords but the attacks were made blindly. Soon, all the gang members had fallen. Legolas put away his blade and spotted the villagers gazing at him. The silence was broken by a violent crash. Legolas looked to see a flaming beam fall over the alleyway opening where he had just come from. Sparks flew everywhere and he shielded his eyes. The street was narrow and littered with dead bodies. One of the children screamed and fell down. Legolas immediately kneeled beside her and started to bat the hem of her dress which had caught fire. Her leg was burned slightly, showing off a red glossy surface. He looked up at the rest of them.
'I can show you all a way out! Follow me!' the people didn't ask questions and all followed him down the street. Legolas wasn't looking ahead, but to his left for an alley that wasn't burning. He was holding the little girl tightly as she wept silently on her shoulder.
About three minutes into a smoky walk he found one. He handed the girl to another man and began to push them through. They all emerged on the other side, the wider street with the fewer flaming buildings. Legolas could see the inn, part of the building collapsed and burning brightly. He shuddered as he thought of the maid who had led him to a room.
Legolas sent them to the end of town through the smoke where Redd would be waiting for him, then he turned back into the smoke and flames.
His eyes were watering and his chest in pain from the smoke. He wanted the air to clear and for him to be able to see.
He then remembered that when he pulled his blade out in the forest the fog had retreated away from him. Legolas pulled out his blade again and it lit up the village around him. The smoke fell away and he continued on, the blade held up like a torch. His lungs felt cleared and his eyes could see again.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone checked him aside against a building. Flaming pieces of thatched roof fell and Legolas rolled away. A sword appeared to swipe at him, and he rolled further away. He blocked a stab and leapt to his feet. Another swipe came at him. He blocked and grabbed the gang member's wrist. He banged his head against his. The man stumbled for a moment and fell backwards. Legolas was about to plunge his blade in the man's heart when he pleaded:
'Please! No!' he said pitifully. 'Don't kill me, please! I didn't mean it! I just did it to save her! To save Saerin!' Legolas's eyes widened.
'What?' he asked. The man took off his mask.
'They made me do it, or else they would kill Saerin! I never wanted to kill anybody, I swear it!'
'But you still killed them.' snarled Legolas.
'Yes, but... please let me go! I want to se Saerin again! I must see her!' Legolas tightened his grip on his blade but didn't move. The man slowly removed his mask to reveal the face of a young man, probably no older then fifteen!
'Your... your...' Legolas was at a loss for words. He was just a boy still and at a loss for decent guidance. He was a victim of the threats of the gangs. Legolas finally brought his blade back to his side. 'Go see your Saerin.' he said. 'But if I ever see you kill someone, I won't be as merciful.' the man scrambled to his feet and ran away.
As though nothing has ever happened, Legolas continued into the town.
*
Redd was exhausted. He had been talking nonstop to the continuous stream of people that came from the town. The sun was beginning to rise against a dark red sky. Redd had spent the entire night trying to get Legolas out of town unseen and helping people down the river. Many were injured, some already doomed to their fate.
Wherever Legolas was in there he was constantly sending people out. Occasionally, one would come out of town from a different place and join the caravan that made their way down to the river.
By the time the sun had half-risen, most of the fires had burned themselves out. The stream of people thinned until finally two people ended the line.
'Have you seen the man with the glowing blade?' he asked them. They shook there heads. Redd looked at the town with worried eyes. He waited there until the sun was completely up and the fires had stopped burning.
Legolas hadn't come back.
.
How'd you like the action in that chapter? I think it was one of the best so far, with a little bit of a cliffie at the end! BTW, do you guys ever recognize the songs I use? Just wondering 'cause I tend to use recent ones instead of oldies (save for Book II;)
Redd took the boy away from town and told him to continue halfway towards the river.
'I'm going to send some people down there soon, and you need to keep them going. Can you do that?' the boy nodded, but there was fear in his eyes. He ran down towards the trees that lined the river. Redd faced the town.
The fires lit his face and cast shadows behind him. He had seen buildings burn and people die before. He had seen innocent children killed and mothers tortured. Yet, this burn in front of him seemed to mean something more... although it was no different then the rest.
*
Legolas pressed his back against the building. The one on the other side of the alley was smoldering and had collapsed. Legolas peered around the corner to see a gang member bring his hand down on a man. He drew an arrow and fired silently. The gang member was still for a moment then turned to see him. Legolas fired again and this time he fell to the ground.
Legolas went and helped the man up. He tried to ask if he was all right, but the sound of the building that was smoldering crashing down drowned out all other sounds.
'Who are you?' the man asked.
'Nobody! At the west end of town you'll see a man waiting for you. He'll get you where it's safe!'
'No! I need to find my wife and child!'
'I'll find them! I'll make sure they get to you!' Legolas pushed the man in the direction where he himself has come from. A hot wind suddenly hit Legolas and he looked around. He could see fires in the sky and heard a violent bang. Screams erupted and Legolas ducked back down the alley to reach the other street. He came to a flaming bale and leapt over it without slowing down.
In the next street everything was on fire. Ten gang members surrounded many villagers, some holding small blades and such. There were children in the crowd, clutching the clothes of their elders and weeping loudly. One of the gang members approached a young girl with brown locks and a singed dress. He grabbed her by the arm and began to pull her aside.
Legolas's arrow flew through the air and hit the man straight in the face. He fell to the ground silently. All heads turned towards him. He had his blade drawn and it glowed brighter then it ever had. The gang members cried out and stumbled backwards. Some attacked blindly while the villagers cringed in fear. Legolas swung at them with all his might. All his pain seemed to be washed away. He struck down the men in masks and spilled the blood of the evil ones.
Finally his blade began to meet with other swords but the attacks were made blindly. Soon, all the gang members had fallen. Legolas put away his blade and spotted the villagers gazing at him. The silence was broken by a violent crash. Legolas looked to see a flaming beam fall over the alleyway opening where he had just come from. Sparks flew everywhere and he shielded his eyes. The street was narrow and littered with dead bodies. One of the children screamed and fell down. Legolas immediately kneeled beside her and started to bat the hem of her dress which had caught fire. Her leg was burned slightly, showing off a red glossy surface. He looked up at the rest of them.
'I can show you all a way out! Follow me!' the people didn't ask questions and all followed him down the street. Legolas wasn't looking ahead, but to his left for an alley that wasn't burning. He was holding the little girl tightly as she wept silently on her shoulder.
About three minutes into a smoky walk he found one. He handed the girl to another man and began to push them through. They all emerged on the other side, the wider street with the fewer flaming buildings. Legolas could see the inn, part of the building collapsed and burning brightly. He shuddered as he thought of the maid who had led him to a room.
Legolas sent them to the end of town through the smoke where Redd would be waiting for him, then he turned back into the smoke and flames.
His eyes were watering and his chest in pain from the smoke. He wanted the air to clear and for him to be able to see.
He then remembered that when he pulled his blade out in the forest the fog had retreated away from him. Legolas pulled out his blade again and it lit up the village around him. The smoke fell away and he continued on, the blade held up like a torch. His lungs felt cleared and his eyes could see again.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone checked him aside against a building. Flaming pieces of thatched roof fell and Legolas rolled away. A sword appeared to swipe at him, and he rolled further away. He blocked a stab and leapt to his feet. Another swipe came at him. He blocked and grabbed the gang member's wrist. He banged his head against his. The man stumbled for a moment and fell backwards. Legolas was about to plunge his blade in the man's heart when he pleaded:
'Please! No!' he said pitifully. 'Don't kill me, please! I didn't mean it! I just did it to save her! To save Saerin!' Legolas's eyes widened.
'What?' he asked. The man took off his mask.
'They made me do it, or else they would kill Saerin! I never wanted to kill anybody, I swear it!'
'But you still killed them.' snarled Legolas.
'Yes, but... please let me go! I want to se Saerin again! I must see her!' Legolas tightened his grip on his blade but didn't move. The man slowly removed his mask to reveal the face of a young man, probably no older then fifteen!
'Your... your...' Legolas was at a loss for words. He was just a boy still and at a loss for decent guidance. He was a victim of the threats of the gangs. Legolas finally brought his blade back to his side. 'Go see your Saerin.' he said. 'But if I ever see you kill someone, I won't be as merciful.' the man scrambled to his feet and ran away.
As though nothing has ever happened, Legolas continued into the town.
*
Redd was exhausted. He had been talking nonstop to the continuous stream of people that came from the town. The sun was beginning to rise against a dark red sky. Redd had spent the entire night trying to get Legolas out of town unseen and helping people down the river. Many were injured, some already doomed to their fate.
Wherever Legolas was in there he was constantly sending people out. Occasionally, one would come out of town from a different place and join the caravan that made their way down to the river.
By the time the sun had half-risen, most of the fires had burned themselves out. The stream of people thinned until finally two people ended the line.
'Have you seen the man with the glowing blade?' he asked them. They shook there heads. Redd looked at the town with worried eyes. He waited there until the sun was completely up and the fires had stopped burning.
Legolas hadn't come back.
.
How'd you like the action in that chapter? I think it was one of the best so far, with a little bit of a cliffie at the end! BTW, do you guys ever recognize the songs I use? Just wondering 'cause I tend to use recent ones instead of oldies (save for Book II;)
