Charred Destruction

Saira
The range of emotions that I felt in such a short amount of time had me spinning when I stood. First was elation when I saw the blade protruding from his chest, then was total fear as I watched my best friend cast over the edge. I felt that there was no time to move, to think or to feel anything other than shock.
I stood rooted to the floor as I watched my brother blasted over the same edge. Seconds ticked by and I still stood where I was. She’s dead, and I did nothing to save her. She died for us and all I did was stand there watching.
A scream broke through and I scanned the room for the source. Vesta was moving to the edge with her wings at the ready. Inigo was kneeling next to Kairios who had a hand stretched out to where Aurelia had fallen. He said something to Inigo but I couldn’t hear it. My ears were ringing. Miranda was coming towards me, she to was talking but no sounds reached me.
“I…” I tried to form words but all I was able to say was that simple “I”
I looked to the edge once more hoping that some how Aurelia would pop up.
“Saira!” Miranda yelled at me and still I looked over the to the edge, hoping, waiting. Until her hand connected with my face in a loud, harsh slap.
Stars popped in front of my eyes and my mouth tasted of metal. A new kind of shock blasted me like a splash of freezing water. I lifted my hand to my face and met her eyes.
“You hit me?” I said stupidly.
“Go to her! Save her!” She yelled at me in return.
My feet started to move before my mind was able to catch up. How much valuable time had I wasted while stuck in my stupor? Would I get there in time? The edge was before my feet and I peered down into the darkness. Flames flickered around a mound of flesh that had become part of the ground, and I knew it was the remains of my brother’s body.
But there was no sign of Aurelia. Where had she gone? I searched the ground feeling a sense of deep panic at the thought that she was some how under the flames. Vesta had landed in the ground and was poking a dark pile with the tip of her snout. She wasn’t all the way to go the ground like Zephyrus. The dark pile that had to be the bodies of Aurelia and Galorian.
I was suddenly running to the opening in the floor that led to a stairwell . I took the steps as fast as my legs would carry me. I stumbled at the bottom and came crashing down to my knees. Pain flared through me but I had no time to stop and heal my own wounds if there was any hope I would have to save my power for her.
I ran blindly until I found the doorway that was attached to the walkway that Vetsa had landed on. For a single moment I paused at the sight before me. Vesta lay on the ledge next to the dark mass making a whimpering sound. I took a few steps closer and she raised her head. Her eyes were locked on me as I made me way closer.
When I was near enough that I could make out the pile of flesh before us, she growled at me. Smoke started to flow through her fangs.
“I can help her. Please let me try to heal her. I promise you I mean her no harm.” I said with my hands stretched out with my palms up, showing her my submission to her power.
Her eyes narrowed and the smoke stopped. She took a step over the mass and sniffed at my open palms before looking me straight in the eye. A low grumble built up her chest and blew my hair back when she opened her jaw to show me exactly what would happen should I break her trust.
“I understand.” I simply said.
She stepped back and allowed me to come closer to the black mass. It started to take the shape of two bodies. I was right when I assumed that it was Galorian. His body lay under hers, as if his last act was to save her from breaking on the wall. The sight was disturbing to say the least. He was dead, there was no doubt in my mind of that. His lips had turned blue and his flesh a sickly white.
Aurelia was half on top of him and half off. Her legs lay off to one side, one looked straight and normal while the other was bent off in an odd way. A small bone was sticking through and a pool off blood was starting to form. I kneeled down and placed my two fingers to her knock to see if her heart was beating.
At first I could feel no pulse and panic had me big my fingers in a little more. Then, thankfully, I felt the pulse of her heart. “She’s alive.” I said to myself out loud.
I started to run my hands down her body, starting with the back of her head. From the back of her head my hand came away with fresh blood on it. I focused my healing abilities there and was pleased when I could feel the gap in her flesh start to close. Her eyes gave a small flutter and her breathing became stronger.
I moved my hands to her chest and felt my power flow from my hands to her. The heart beat that was once so faint that I thought it wasn’t there, started to grow stronger and stronger. My power started to flutter, I had used to much and hadn’t had enough time to regain my strength.
“What happened?” Asked the most beautiful voice I thought that I had ever heard.
Words were lost to me. I didn’t know what to say. I was so thankful that all I could manage was a strangled cry and to rest my head on her chest. Shaking, giant sobs escaped me. I had never felt such joy and relief in my life.
“We did it. We have won. The fight is over and my brother is dead and burning. He will never be able to return and harm our lands.” It all came rushing out of me, like I needed to say the words to myself in order to believe in them.
“It’s over?” She asked as I tried to help her sit up.
A shot of pain had t have lashed through her some how. Her eyes shut and she gritted her teeth. “My leg, it hurts so badly.”
“It was broken. The bone was protruding from the skin. I had hoped that I had healed it enough but my power died out before I could take the pain away as well.”
“It’s fine. Just caught me off guard. Its not even the worst pain I had ever felt.” She started to stand up and realized where she had been laying.
I cursed myself for not moving her off of him before she woke. Her skin went whiter than when she was on the brink of death. A shaking hand came near her mouth in an attempt to cover her shock. My heart ached for her, I had no idea what she was thinking and feeling. I was sure that it couldn’t be worse than what she was thinking.
“Come away.” I urged her. “Please?”
She laid her hand on his bloodied cheek and whispered, “you fool of a pirate.” Then kissed his blueish lips in goodbye. Silent tears poured down her cheeks, leaving little white trails in their wake.
“What of the city?” She asked.
“I don’t know, I cant hear anything. The flames have taken over much of the area in their wake.”
She nodded her head, looked on Galorian once more then stood so fast that I became dizzy from the movement.
“It all burns.” She said to Vesta.
“Wait! You cant mean that!”
“The people of this city are lost. They are responsible for all this death and loss. I will give my punishment.” Aurelia said with her back turned to me.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Please don’t do this!”
Her body was already changing. Claws took the place of nails. And her skin started to darken and harden before turning to scales.
“It’s wrong!” I screamed at her.
She spun around to look me in the eyes and said, “they will all pay for this.” She pointed to Galorian. “They do not deserve to live and have the chance to cause this to happen to our children. They all die. The city burns.”
Wings burst from her back and the rest of the change took place. No longer was the beautiful woman whom I called my best friend, my sister. Now stood a scaly beast that would ruin every thing that remained of my family and heritage.
She flew away with Vesta in tow and flames already raining down. I turned back to the door I came through and ran as fast as my weakening legs would carry me. I had to get to the library before that to was set to flames.
Some of the books there had good magic and would be the memory that needed to survive. I ran blindly for a while before I found a hallway that looked familiar. I could hear the sounds of the city being brought to dust. Vesta would screech and Aurelia would roar in answer. I wondered where all the cries of the people were, than realized that there would be none. Their bodies had been turned to demon and with the death of my brother they would die in that state.
There really was little hope for my kind. So few of us would be able to survive this. The library doors came into view and I pushed a little harder. Time was running out. I could only hope that I would have enough time to get the books that I wanted to preserve.
After bursting through the doors I ripped a drawer out of the nearest desk and started throwing the precious books, scrolls and tomes that I thought would be the safest to pass on. Soon my little drawer was full and hard to manage. The flames started to get closer and the heat of them was making it hard to breath. I realized that the room was full of smoke and that I had very little time to get to safety.