Page 49 - RKJ 2019 Online Flip Version

help the front gate and seal the Bell doors shut
Tragedy in the Realm of Rain
by Joseph Zellerkraut
This will be a day I'll remember for the rest of
my life. Everything went wrong so fast we
couldn't stop it. Our scouts reported incoming
enemies from Alexandria and we mobilized the
best we could. I was stationed in the inner
districts when the fighting started. Explosions
wreaked havoc on the city collapsing buildings
in all areas of the city. The cries of our people,
both solider and civilian, were drowned out in
the ever pouring rain as they lay there dying or
mourning others. I heard others shouting the
enemy was upon us in all areas and we ran to
engage them and save what people we could.
We thought we could hold them off and
defend our rain kissed home of Burmecia...we
were wrong. Alexandria didn't invade with
normal ground troops. They invaded with these
odd clothed figures wearing weird orange
pointed hats. What's worse is they were being
warped right into the city by the dozens! Our
perimeter defenses didn't stand a chance.
We...didn't stand a chance. These new soldiers
all used destructive magic and didn't seem to
feel pain or stop for anything. "Black Mages"
was the name we gave them since they use
magic as black as their hauntingly featureless
faces. I'll never forget those souless yellow
eyes staring back at me when I fought one off
my friend Dan. Each time we finally beat a few
of them dozens more seemed to pop up. One
by one I watched my friends and fellow
soliders fall to these Mages and have their
bodies simply trampled underfoot the choas.
Reports came in saying they were flooding in
from the front gates now. We were getting
overrun and we were losing the city. With no
one of rank to give orders and the king's
condition unknown our small squad of
survivors decided to split up. Some went to
to stop the flow of enemies. A few headed for
the palace to check on the King and aid in his
escape if need be. The rest of us continued to
fight and search the city for survivors to help
them escape the city and the ever growing
danger consuming it.
Even though the days are naturally darker
here the city was at the darkest I've ever seen
it. Pale sunlight barely escaped through the
clouds glistening off the rain and puddles in the
streets lighting up the ruined tragedy that was
now our beloved city. Gray and I went to
search some of the larger houses where their
main support beams had collapsed in. We
found a mother trying desperately to free her
trapped child from under the rubble. We
started lending her a hand when we heard a
noise from outside on the streets. Then the
wall blew in with an explosion as a "Black
Mage" came slowly walking in uttering under
it's breath "Kill....kill...kill....". Gray picked up his
weapon and started fighting the Mage shouting
for me to finish freeing the kid. I used all my
strength but couldn't free the child from the
rubble. Time seemed to slow down as I
exhaled and grasped the reality of what was
happening. I turned to see Gray dodging out of
the way as another mage entered and used
Fire magic. The flame lit up the room amplified
by the reflections from the rain and water
pouring in from the open ceiling. I turned back
to see the child's face lit with pure fear and
panic as the mother, with tears falling harder
than the rain, tried desperately to save her
child. We needed to get out of here. This battle
was over and it was time to leave. Maybe I
found renewed strength or the magic
weakened the rubble. All I know is I yelled and
lifted the rubble off the child while the mother
pulled her child out as fast as she could. Gray
had distracted the Mages and ran off with them
chasing them. I told the mother the safest path
I knew out of the city and escorted her as far
as I could. I had to go back and find Wei. I had
to make sure she was alive and ok along with
our child.
The fight wore us out faster than I ever
imagined. In mere hours our defenses and our
city lay in ruins. We few remaining soldiers
were forced into hiding in the shadows and
using guerilla tactics for survival. There were
too few of us left now. Too few to keep the
"Black Mages" at bay and too few to stop the
monsters from flooding the streets. I ran
through the side streets towards our house
hoping and praying to Gizamaluke that Wei
was ok. When I finally arrived at our house I
saw that it lay in utter ruins. I fell to my knees
in sorrow thinking I had failed the person who
mattered most to me. Then I heard her call my
name from across the street. I literally must've
jumped as high as one of our Dragon Knights
upon hearing her voice say my name "Kal!".
She had taken shelter in the market across the
street which seemed to have remained intact
and overlooked by the Mages. I embraced her
tightly and for a few seconds forgot all about
ongoing war and battle raging around us. I'm
pretty sure I didn't even feel the rain hitting me
anymore. I looked down at her pregnant
stomach and put my hand on it. I was just glad
she was alive. I was glad they both were alive.
I took her hand ran towards the Great Hall
where the entrance to the palace was. Most of
our troops were most likely grouped there and
it would be the safest place to go especially if
the King was still there.
We ran up the streets towards the Hall
laying low to avoid detection whenever a Mage
was nearby. I wasn't in condition to keep
fighting like this. Along the way I saw the
bodies of our fallen friends,family and
neighbors littering the streets and under the
debris. I tried to avert Wei's gaze but to no
avail. Disheartening does not even begin to
describe the feeling we experienced traversing
those roads. I would never wish such a feeling
or tragedy on another soul for as long as I live.
Finally we made it to the Great Hall and got out
of the rain and away from the terror on the
streets. I was able to rest a bit and catch my
breath as Wei tried to rummage the area for