Smoke engulfed Jarvis and Arien, stinging their eyes and making their breaths short and labored. They stumbled out of the storefront and continued down the side road, the long square buildings of the Imperial Barracks lying before them. The city was engulfed in the sound of shouting and clash of steel and wood. The trebuchets had been raining down fire upon the forces of the Varden since the assault had begun, assailing the men as they desperately fought their way towards the palace in the city center. A group of pike men rushed past the two and continued up the street towards the frontline just a few hundred paces away. As more soldiers ran past to aid their comrades Jarvis called out to Arien above the din.
"We must find another way around!"
Arien nodded and sped off down a street that would take them parallel to the frontal side of the skirmish and around the soldiers quarters where the remnants of the Empire's troops fought a bitter last stand. Pockets of resistance bubbled over throughout the city, outflanked units of men bursting from houses to kill or be killed. Fires had spread and consumed many houses as the siege engines of Feinster were turned on their own buildings, to deny the enemy any refuge from arrows and spears. Citizens were rare, most having fled to the safety of the inner castle walls of the palace or into the remaining homes. Even as they ran a massive shadow fell over them for a moment and a tremendous roar split the air, causing a momentary lull as both sides either screamed in terror or yelled in triumph. Shadeslayer was among the thick of it. Occasionally his massive blue terror would take flight, spewing fire down on groups of soldiers and bowmen. The dragon disappeared as they rounded a corner, and almost smack into a group of enemy, looking lost and confused in the chaos of battle. The men immediately raised their swords and ran at the pair, who split to either side, Arien's blade flashing back and forth fighting off a group of five that pushed her steadily back towards a wall. Jarvis himself kept three swords at bay, knocking and bashing against each other. Finally one man grew impatient and drew his sword over his head for a massive blow and Jarvis impaled the man, pushing himself and his blade forward as hard as he could. His free arm rotated them towards the two others and the assassin kicked the slain man off of his blade and tumbling into the enemy, who tripped and fell over. Jarvis was upon them immediately, stabbing as fast as he could until no movement remained. The pair quickly outflanked and dispatched the five soldiers assailing Arien, their two blades swiping in unison. After a few of the men had been killed the remaining three gave in and dashed off. Jarvis was about to give chase when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"No, we have orders, let the others deal with them."
Jarvis took a deep breath and nodded. Together they kept along their direction, encountering no more resistance. Indeed, as they pounded down the streets the only sin of life that came from the shuttered houses was the occasional face of the woman or child, curious eyes melting away at their approach. Ahead lay the church that Nasuada had tasked them with. Jarvis could hear raised voices even from across the street. The building was rather small, a wooden cathedral designed to fit no more than a hundred. One large set of double doors sat in front and, Jarvis knew from the spies, only one other door was set into the building, a small clergy entrance along the side. Jarvis walked silently, heel-to-toe along the cobbles around the side of the church. Once he was directly below a large stained glass window of some ancient battle, he put his back to the wall and gave the elf a hand up. With his added height she cautiously peered through the window.
"Yes, they are all there. I can see all of the magicians, it looks like most of the rulers inner circle, but some are missing."
"Can you hear what they are saying?" Jarvis whispered up to the elf.
Arien cocked her head slightly, and after a minute, looked down to Jarvis
"Not everything, but I think they are arguing over what to do. Some want to go out and aid in battle, the others want to stay put."
Jarvis nodded.
"Come on down."
Arien stepped down and drew her blade
"I can feel their minds, they are not proficient in magic. I doubt they pose any threat to us. We can storm in and take them all pris-"
For once it was Jarvis that cut across the elf's words.
"No, they are all to die, even a weak magician is too dangerous to keep captive at the moment, we have not the housing or food to spare, especially if the battle does not go our way."
The assassin reached into his pack and withdrew the large round jar that Nasuada had given him. Arien looked at it in horror.
"That's... horrible! We can't-"
"We must. Light it."
Jarvis held out the jar, a thin wick falling away into the interior where the contents sloshed ominously. Arien hesitantly held out her hand and mumbled in the ancient language. A flame sprung to life against the cord of rope and Jarvis sprang into action. Grabbing pieces of stone nearby he pushed them against the smaller side door, until it was impossible to open it from the inside. Then he beckoned franticly to the elf and the pair dashed to the front of the church. Jarvis stood back and lobbed the bottle through the huge stained glass pane that dominated the top of the cathedral. It crashed through the window with a faint tinkle and both human and elf threw themselves against the large oaken doors into the church, sealing them. There was a shout and then a massive blast rattled the building and blew out its windows. Enchanted flame burst through the holes in the roof and embroiled the inside, turning it into a little square of inferno. The screaming started on a low note, with shouting and yells, fists pounded on the closed doors as Arien and Jarvis pushed against the desperate sorcerers, their cries becoming ever louder as the flames engulfed the whole of the church. In the midst of the chaos Jarvis found himself looking behind him, to the street. The street was full of townsfolk. Old and young, there were easily forty, mother clutching children close to them, white haired men in soiled tunics, young fathers, blacksmiths, and farmers stared at the two. Some of the women were crying. A particularly desperate blow made Jarvis's door budge a little and he pushed back harder, keeping the portals shut even as billows of hot air and foul smelling smoke poured out. Just as the screams reached their highest point a deep cracking noise resounded throughout the square. Jarvis looked across at Arien who was still holding her door closed. The elf's lower lip was trembling, tears streaming down her face. Though she held fast, every time the men inside tried to bash through she grimaced, as though she shared their pain. Even through the cacophony, Jarvis heard her.
"I can feel all of them... "
Another massive crack, larger than the last sounded and Jarvis looked up. The short bell tower swayed in the flames, and then collapsed inward, taking the roof with it. There was a moment of silence and then a massive crash as the falling timber crushed all beneath. A gout of flame burst the front doors open, throwing the elf and man back like dolls, tumbling onto the street. The church walls still stood eerily, flames leaping anew into the sky, smoke bathing the street in an unearthly red glow. Ashes floated past like snow flakes. Jarvis pulled the elf to her feet. She was trembling. The crowd backed away slowly, the only sound besides the crackling of the fire and the distant clash of swords being the occasional muffled sob. The two walked slowly from the scene, and turned into an alley, the shadows that the flames cast flickering oddly. Arien's trembling intensified and she pushed Jarvis away, laying her back into the wall and sinking to the cobble stones. The madness of battle consumed her and she cried openly. She whispered something and Jarvis knelt to hear.
"No more. I can't listen to another life snuffed like that."
Jarvis nodded gravely
"Our task is done, there won't be any more killing."
After a moment he sat down across from her and gazed off into spaces, his eyes unfocused. A weariness clouded his brain, a sudden tiredness, that had nothing to do with his body.
(A/N It's not over yet, stay tuned ya'll)