Chapter 02 - Starfall

The Sovereigns stood on the balcony of King Bartelemi and Queen Adelena’s castle, watching in awe as the “light show from the gods” intensified. The whole kingdom observed as the onset of nighttime only intensified the effects. Gasps of wonder slowly became the silence of concern as the hissing got louder, the lights became more intense, and some of the objects began to hit the ground. Mothers grabbed their children, hurrying them into houses. Men began to shutter the windows and joined their families inside. The silence of fear gripped the land.

The Sovereigns, though concerned, remained, watching as burning stones smashed into the city. Adelena reached for her husband to speak when suddenly, what looked like an entire mountain made of fire broke through the high clouds, boiling the moisture within them instantly, and a deafening rumble shook the city. The massive fireball smashed into the ground and exploded, incinerating everything around it for 40 kilometers. The castle disappeared instantly, and the mushroom of smoke and debris reached back up as if trying to return to the sky.

Seconds before the impact, Elora grabbed Izyra by the arm and screamed to the students, “TO YOUR ROOMS!”

The mushroom rose on the horizon and Izyra’s scream came out silent as she watched Ravenshire take a direct hit. Elora, in all her wisdom, watched as the rolling turbulence of the impact flattened the trees, coming closer, and closer. She snatched Izyra by the arm and pulled her in like a mother hen, casting an orb of protection over them. The concussion wave blasted over them, sending students, houses, trees, and all manner of debris sailing over their heads. Elora grit her teeth as the magic coursed through her body.

In seconds it was over. The mighty tower of Brume had been toppled, the only recognizable piece of ground was that which was under Elora and Izyra’s feet.

Elora released her spell, and the two wizards stood, slowly. Broken bodies and shattered stone lay all around them. The ominous mushroom of fire continued to rise in the distance. Izyra whispered, “no…”

Elora grabbed her by the arm, “Child, come…,”

Izyra was stunned silent, she could only be led by her Master, The Starfall had come.

Clacktock was in his shop working when a loud pounding on his door interrupted him, “Clack!! Come out here! You have to see this!!”

Clacktock looked up from the Bolt Walloper and removed his spectacles, setting them on the desk. Now that he was paying attention he could see streaks of light through his windows. He hurried to the door and flung it open, “Look at the sky!”

Stuart was pointing up, the streaks of light were amazing. Clacktock walked over, wiping his hands and stood beside Clendson and Stuart, “Stuart, do you think it will be alright? They are getting more frequent and brighter.”

Stuart put his big arm around Clendson’s shoulders and gave her a loving squeeze, “Ahh sure, the gods would never show us something like this to harm us!”

Clacktock furrowed his bushy eyebrows as he stretched his neck in a circle. The lights in the sky were certainly beautiful, but he couldn’t help but wonder. Suddenly, in the distance, an explosion echoed off the hillsides. Clendson pressed herself into Stuart and whispered, “What was that?”

Clacktock pointed just as the small ball of fire came up over the hill, “They are hitting the ground.”

He turned to look at the Wizard Tower way off in the distance, “I am sure the Wizards have a plan for something like…”

The glow in the sky intensified so rapidly he stopped talking and looked up, shielding his eyes. The massive ball of fire rumbled through the clouds and left a trail of smoke through the sky as it dropped onto the horizon line and instantly mushroomed into a massive fireball. Stuart pulled Clendson close and Clacktock whispered, “That was right on top of Ravenshire…”

He looked up at Stuart just as the rumble began to become audible, “Umm, you two, come with me…”

Stuart and Clendson didn’t hesitate, following Clacktock into his shop. He flung open a large metal door next to his workbench and motioned, “In ya go…”

They complied and Clacktock jumped in with them, hitting a switch down in the large pit. The door closed and two lanterns lit instantly thanks to a clever igniting gadget hanging on the wall. Clacktock inhaled deeply and looked at them, “It’s cramped with three of us but…”

The whole area shook violently. Clendson screamed as Stuart grabbed her and Clacktock stabilized himself by clutching the wall. It only lasted a few seconds, but they could hear buildings tumbling and glass shattering above them.

After a moment of dead silence, Clacktock looked up at the door. He pushed, it was stuck. He looked over at Stuart, “Say, could you, um…,”

Stuart nodded and pressed his shoulder against the door. Using all his leg muscles, he lifted, the door opened just enough so Clacktock could squeeze out and he looked around in horror as half his shop, and a good amount of the neighborhood around him was laying flat on the ground.

Without a word, Clacktock began pulling away debris and cleared the door enough to open it. Stuart and Clendson climbed up and Stuart looked around, “Oh no… why?”

The Butcher shop had mostly survived, only some damage on the outer front wall could be seen. People began emerging and screams could be heard from inside a lot of the rubble. Stuart turned to Clendson, “Check the ice boxes, make sure they are intact… and grab all the towels!”

She nodded and disappeared into the shop. Clendson turned to Clacktock, “Come on, they need help!”

Clacktock ran with Stuart across the street to the bakery which was nearly flattened, they started to dig through the rubble, looking for survivors.