06-25-2009, 06:01 AM
3)
A once prosperous village had pretty much been razed to the ground. The grass was scorched from numerous fires, and the air stank of rotting meat. The fields had been trampled and destroyed. Not even a single crop remained. In the center of the village, were the charred ruins of a stage. They had been about to celebrate the Winter Solstice, which was now nothing more than a distant dream.
Daniel dismounted, feeling a wave of sickness. These people...he had known them. No one was around. They had either been killed or had fled. But where were the bodies? He could smell death in the air, but he couldn't see anyone.
"Someone's been cleaning up." Marcus said softly. He dismounted, standing next to Daniel. "There's still survivors. The least we can do is see if they need any help. The attackers must be long gone by now."
Daniel shook his head. "I can't believe this. I used to come to Javon. My mother had a friend here that she'd grown up with."
"Don't think about it, Danny." Robin whispered. "Please, don't."
Daniel glared up at her. "Don't think about it?" He growled. "How can I not? It's our fault that this happened! Don't you understand? If we had stopped him before now, these people wouldn't have had to suffer! If there is anyone left, what are they supposed to do now?"
"Danny..." Robin said, her voice filled with pain. If this was anyone's fault, it was hers. She was the one who had allowed Balthus to escape his prison. If she hadn't allowed him to deceive her, he still would have been bound.
"This isn't our fault." Marcus snapped. "None of us! Stop feeling sorry for yourselves! We have to find the survivors. Takuro is the closest village, so we'll send them for help. I'm sure that there's more people around than it looks like. If you look closely, you can see that Javon fought back."
"But..." Daniel protested.
"Think, Daniel. You know this place well. Where would they go if they were invaded?"
Daniel frowned, trying to remember. There was something he remembered as a child. A small party of bandits had come to Javon while he'd been here with his mother, and the women and children had been sent somewhere, while the men had fought them off. But where was it?
He could see a dark place, lit only by a few torches and candles. It was cold, he thought. And damp. Somewhere...underground? "I remember!" He said in triumph. "Follow me."
He led them to where the Chapel had stood. Most of it had been destroyed, leaving only a base of brick and stone. But that didn't worry him. If he was right, the survivors would have been far enough underground that none of them would have been harmed by the destruction of the Chapel.
"If I remember correctly, there's an entrance to the caverns on the side of the hill. We just have to find it."
A once prosperous village had pretty much been razed to the ground. The grass was scorched from numerous fires, and the air stank of rotting meat. The fields had been trampled and destroyed. Not even a single crop remained. In the center of the village, were the charred ruins of a stage. They had been about to celebrate the Winter Solstice, which was now nothing more than a distant dream.
Daniel dismounted, feeling a wave of sickness. These people...he had known them. No one was around. They had either been killed or had fled. But where were the bodies? He could smell death in the air, but he couldn't see anyone.
"Someone's been cleaning up." Marcus said softly. He dismounted, standing next to Daniel. "There's still survivors. The least we can do is see if they need any help. The attackers must be long gone by now."
Daniel shook his head. "I can't believe this. I used to come to Javon. My mother had a friend here that she'd grown up with."
"Don't think about it, Danny." Robin whispered. "Please, don't."
Daniel glared up at her. "Don't think about it?" He growled. "How can I not? It's our fault that this happened! Don't you understand? If we had stopped him before now, these people wouldn't have had to suffer! If there is anyone left, what are they supposed to do now?"
"Danny..." Robin said, her voice filled with pain. If this was anyone's fault, it was hers. She was the one who had allowed Balthus to escape his prison. If she hadn't allowed him to deceive her, he still would have been bound.
"This isn't our fault." Marcus snapped. "None of us! Stop feeling sorry for yourselves! We have to find the survivors. Takuro is the closest village, so we'll send them for help. I'm sure that there's more people around than it looks like. If you look closely, you can see that Javon fought back."
"But..." Daniel protested.
"Think, Daniel. You know this place well. Where would they go if they were invaded?"
Daniel frowned, trying to remember. There was something he remembered as a child. A small party of bandits had come to Javon while he'd been here with his mother, and the women and children had been sent somewhere, while the men had fought them off. But where was it?
He could see a dark place, lit only by a few torches and candles. It was cold, he thought. And damp. Somewhere...underground? "I remember!" He said in triumph. "Follow me."
He led them to where the Chapel had stood. Most of it had been destroyed, leaving only a base of brick and stone. But that didn't worry him. If he was right, the survivors would have been far enough underground that none of them would have been harmed by the destruction of the Chapel.
"If I remember correctly, there's an entrance to the caverns on the side of the hill. We just have to find it."