Even long before they reached Benover, the thick smoke, regular explosions, and buildings that crumbled out of sight conveyed the disaster that awaited them.
"Isn't this a beautiful sight?" said Portendorfer as if ten birthdays had come at once, his eyes glittering. There was more life on his face than Seiren had ever seen. "Aren't your fingers just itching to throw some flash about?"
She could feel it as they neared. With each explosion and shower of flames and sparks, her fingers tingled, sensing each pulse of devastating magic. Despite the swirl of disgust in her stomach, she began to understand his passion. This was why flash mages are so keen to engage. Portendorfer took them through the gates to the city, which lay strewn open with nary a guard in sight, and onto the main streets where chaos soon greeted them.
"Seiren Nithercott!" shouted a familiar voice. Seiren craned her neck. Smoke-streaked and sweaty, Maura Woodbead dashed out, a gun in her hands. Seiren stared. She didn't realise Maura knew how to handle military weapons too. "Get away from him!"
"It's okay!" she said. "He got me back from ex--"
A pair of hands shoved her from the back. She almost fell face-first onto the ground from the rune motor. Maura fired. With a clap, Portendorfer conjured up a wall so hot the metal bullet melted on contact, splatting onto the ground with a sizzle. Hot air blew Seiren's hair back. She scrambled backwards, away from the heat.
"Stop, Maura!" Seiren yelled, leaping up and spreading her arms before Portendorfer. "He's on our side!"
"Like hell this bastard is," Maura snarled, marching over. "He was too happy to turn magic on us in Acrise!"
"Guilty," said Portendorfer with a laugh and a raise of hand.
"He has the firepower we need against these things, Maura, and you know it!" Seiren felt most uncomfortable defending him, but now was not the time to argue what he'd done. "There isn't another nullifier around for these things. If we are to get out of here alive, we need him."
"Don't forget I was his student once. I know very well the way this man's mind works," Maura said, frosty. "You can't talk compassion or morals with him. He's only in it for fun."
"I'm glad you understand me so well, my sweet." Portendorfer gave Maura a coy glance. She returned a murderous look.
"What will you do if he turns his magic on us, Nithercott?"
Seiren said, without skipping a beat, "Then I'll kill him myself."
Portendorfer guffawed, delighted. Maura surveyed him with a deadly stare, mistrust radiating from her core.
"Fine," she snapped, climbing into the back of the motor. "On your own head be it. Drive ahead, Portendorfer."
Portendorfer grinned and started the motor again.
"But--" Seiren started. The heavy scent of death was smothering. The trace of chaos magic Loren had left within her tingled. "I can help them--"
"If you want to prance around with more of your little monstrosities and let Pollin get away, be my guest," snapped Maura. Seiren gasped, her heart stopping. More of them?
Soldiers parted for them, weapons firing all around. Screams and cries came from all directions, squeezing Seiren's heart with guilt. Her creation. These were hers. This was her fault. She had to rectify it.
"Where's our next stop?" Portendorfer said as if they were on their travels.
"The palace. Kommora is meeting us there."
"Why?" Seiren said, her throat dry.
"Pollin congregated all the state mages together and tried to fry us all. We're taking him down," she said grimly. One of the creatures spotted them and leapt forward, teeth chattering. Portendorfer clapped his hands, summoning flash magic. The motor swerved when he took his hands off the steering wheel. A sizzle came from his fingertips and the creature erupted in white flames, so hot even the bones turned to ash. He laughed, a hollow, chilling sound, clutching the steering wheel again.
They tore down the streets. Seiren's eyes watered, her blonde hair gelled to her head with sweat. No sooner did they leave the first fray, a second, third, fourth cropped up. Gunfire and screams continued to ring in her ears long after they veered off the busy centre with its crumbling houses and destroyed statues towards the royal palace. It was all she could to force the gruesome images away from her mind's eye so she could have a chance to not relive them later. Each bump on the road sent her flying, head smacking against the roof of the motor. The scene swept by in a blur.
Their path opened up to the king's square, a sprawling open area that celebrated the royal family. Seiren had fleetingly been in her youth on a school trip during King's. It had been dire listening to the gushing of a non-mage teacher about the wonderful Miracles, from Olwen Miracle, who ascended the throne after poisoning the tyrannous Mycus Pussett; to Rashira Miracle, who'd invested in mages to create the magical border at Teirrin, gaining the alliance of the survivors by preventing the spread of the wastelands; to Kentin Miracle, who created the role of king's mages and conscription for state mages to do the bidding of the country; to Pollin himself, the campaigner for peace between Karma and Hanna.
The statues of Olwen and Rashira Miracle, the first two monarchs of this dynasty, lay in pieces on the cracked stone ground. Rashira's head was half-buried in charred grass at her feet beside a still-burning topiary. The roar of burst and flash magic was deafening. They tore through the air and smashed into an invisible wall, dissipating with a small ripple of violet magic. A magical barrier.
"Runes, I'll bet," said Maura with a click of her tongue. She hopped off and sprinted. Seiren made to follow when Portendorfer shot out a hand and grabbed her wrist. She flinched at his icy cold fingers.
"Don't let the gift go to waste," he said, white teeth gleaming against his dark skin. "I'll be watching you."
A shiver went down her spine. The power in her fingers tingled into her bones. He let go. Seiren swallowed and exited.
"Halt right there!"
Soldiers mixed with state mages spread before the barrier, weapons drawn.
"By the order of King Pollin, all state mages must lay down their weapons and--"
"Oh, shut the hell up," snarled Maura, who stood before two crouched mages, throwing a red rune before her and clapping her hands. The power congregated in the centre before firing from the exit point straight at the soldiers. There was a bang. Another ripple disturbed the otherwise invisible barrier magic. With a flurry of fingers, she created two more runes, throwing them in the air and clapping her hands. They glowed red-violet. The red raw power shrunk into itself before splitting and shooting at multiple targets. The group of soldiers was sent scattering, but soon recovered and readied their weapons.
The roar of blue-hot flash magic tore past, becoming a wall of hellfire that separated their side and the enemy. The heat was so intense Seiren could feel the water evaporating from the surface of her eyeballs.
"Let me have my fun, Maura, dear," called Portendorfer, cracking his neck left and right. It was terrifying and awe-inspiring how he managed to maintain such a solid wall for so long with flash magic alone.
"Do what you wish, you monster," Maura said with a scowl. Seiren hesitated. Portendorfer didn't even give her another look as he set the soldiers aflame, screaming with gleeful laughter.
"You're... just going to let me go?" Seiren said, bewildered.
Tahir Portendorfer tilted his hat to her, keeping an eye on his enemies.
"I'm a man of his word. And besides..." He cracked his knuckles, his grin so wide it almost split his face in two. "It seems like there's plentiful drama for me to get my flames on board."
She stepped away from him and followed Maura before he changed his mind. As she caught up, she spotted the ones standing beside Maura.
"Rowan!" Relief flooded through Seiren. She strode forward and threw her arms around him. He stumbled back in surprise, having just risen enough to greet her. His nose bounced off her collarbone. "You're alive!"
"Maura bust me out." He grinned at his sister, who stared ahead with resolution. "And you're not exiled," he added, craning back with an amused look on his young face. Seiren let go with a start, her cheeks colouring when she realised how awkward her reaction had been. Steam almost came out of her ears. She fiddled with her short strands of hair now that Madeleine no longer sat on her sternum, looking at anywhere but Rowan.
"It's a long story." She averted her gaze, spotting Felora and Peron, Loren's old aides. Regret knotted her stomach, but she couldn't help but smile at the familiar faces. They smiled back, appearing grazed and bruised, but otherwise well. Seiren then jerked her head ahead. "What is this thing?"
"A magical barrier," piped up Halen Ashworth, squinting at it. Ripples upon ripples of violet waves fluttered across its surface as Portendorfer's flash magic wreaked havoc on the soldiers and mages on the king's side. "Seems to repel both runes and flash magic. See how nothing anyone does to it damages the palace at all? And yet everything else is crumbling. Makes me think it must be powered by both."
"Karis Bonneville's handiwork?" Maura said, frowning.
"Not like her. It's too intricate. Bonneville likes instant gratification."
"How do we get rid of it, then?" said Seiren.
Maura was silent for a while, scrutinising the situation. Furious white flames licked the invisible surface, causing waves of violet to spread across its surface like a pebble disturbing the stillness of a lake, before settling. Every time Portendorfer's flames touched the surface, there would be a couple of ripples that followed. Similarly, every time the glow of a red or orange rune hit its surface, there would be another ripple.
Maura drew out her gun.
"Weapons don't work on it either, Maura," said Rowan. She sniffed.
"Don't think I'm as incompetent as you, little brother."
She narrowed her eyes, aimed -- and fired. Her gun glowed violet, as did the bullet that whizzed out. It hit the barrier during a furious cluster of ripples -- and soared through, striking the statue of Kentin Miracle in the nethers.
Seiren stared. The small hole Maura's bullet made in the shield knitted up, becoming pristine once more.
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