I think I've finally run out of witty comments to help this ordeal seem better than it is. Poor Madgick...
"Y-you did this?" Her blue eyes are brimming with tears. She clenches and unclenches her fists, and gazes with newfound fear at her brother.
"Yes, Madgick, I did do this. It's pretty clear by the fact that I'm standing in a huge pile of dust waving at you, don't you think?" Vincent laughs. "I thought you were smarter than this."
Madgick howls, and lunges forward to— to do what? Get revenge? Throw a punch? Or, most likely, get turned into a pile of nothing by her maniac of a brother. I can't let that happen. I grab her arm and yank her backwards. She stumbles and loses her balance, landing hard on her back.
"Oh no, I'm sorry Madge. Are you okay?" I offer a hand to help her up, but she swats it away.
"What did you do that for?" she snarls. She's breathing heavily, and I can see she got a small cut on her cheek when she fell.
"What do you mean? I was saving you fro—"
"Saving me? Saving me? Araya, do you see what Vincent's done? He's destroyed half this city! And do you see any bystanders watching? No? This place was filled with people, which means ... which means he's turned them to dust as well." Madgick suddenly loses her fervor, and is now gazing at me with weary defeat. "He killed them, Araya. My brother destroyed the city centre, and killed them all." I stare with my mouth open. How could I have overlooked such a fact? This place, bustling with humans only hours before, has nothing left. Nothing but insignifent flakes of dust.
I grab Madgick's hand and pull her to her feet. This time she doesn't resist. In fact, if it wasn't for me, I think she would have fallen right back onto the ground.
"I hate you," she says to Vincent. Her voice is raw with emotion.
"Well, I can't have that. Tell you what? As soon as I've finished desposing of this dumping ground of a world, I'll buy you a griffin egg in Alyncia. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to do a bit of dusting." And with that, he stalks out of the square and towards one of the surrounding streets. Without saying a word to each other, Madgick and I race after him.
I know Vincent has started "dusting" when I hear the screams. We turn onto the street that Vincent entered to see people stampeeding towards us, and away from Vincent, who's standing in the midle of the road. They don't stand a chance. VINCENT grins and, with a wave of his hand, everyone is dead. They all just fall apart in front of our eyes. Next Vincent aims at the buildings, which crumple without resistance. Soon the street is identical to the town centre: filled with nothing.
Madgick and I rush towards him, and Madgick raises her hand. What's she planning to do? Before I can find out, a ball of fluff launches at Vincent and latches onto his leg. It can't be! It's the dog who brought me and Madge together!
"Oh my Gosh, it's you!" Madgick exclaims. She rushes towards the creature, but then stops. Vincent is pointing his hand directby at the dog.
"Vincent, no! Please, darn it! Don't do it!!!" Tears are suddenly tumbling down Madgick's face. She leaps forward, but it's too late. The dog is gone. A little shower of powder falls to the street.
I feel my stomach twist into a knot. I didn't know this dog in the way that Madgick did, but he tried to save us. And now he's dead. And, prise the First, and think I'm about to be dead too. Vincent is pointing at ME.
"Araya!" Madgick screams. But before Vincent can do anything, he lets out a grunt of pain.
"No." Vincent spins around to see the boy who directed us earlier bearing down on him. He SLAPS Vincent!
"You little runt," Vincent snarls. He swings at the boy, who dodges before aiming a clumsy punch at him. Vincent catches his arm and twists. The boy lets out a howl of pain. I think his shoulder has been dislocated. He tries to pull free, but Vincent is too strong for him. With his other hand, he punches the boy repeatedly in the face. Crack. The boy's nose is broken. He elbows Vincent in the gut, but Vincent merely laughs. He then kicks the boys knees, and the boy collapses on the ground. Vincent turns back to me.
"Now," he says, "It's time for you to—"
"Disgratas!" The ground between the three of us and Vincent begins to crack. Slowly, a wide fisure opens between us, trapping Vincent on the other side. And Madgick has her fingers splayed.
"Madge, what just happened?" I whisper.
"Not now. Let's help that guy." She rushes to his fallen form. I follow.
"Are you okay?" Madgick asks gently.
"Sorry I couldn't help," the boy says sorrowfully. Blood streams from his nose.
"You did help. You bought us time. What's your name?"
"J-jamie," he says, before falling into unconsciousness.