A vile heart

"What's happening?"

"Heaven have mercy!"

"When will all this be over?"

Cries and shouts erupted in the crowd, huddled inside the hollowed mountain. They had seen symbols appear out of nothing, flashing brightly. They had felt the tremors when the light flared. They had heard the sound of rocks crumbling and rolling alongside the slopes. 

And they saw the light fade. The crumbling had stopped. But the sky shone brighter, even dying in a golden hue. 

Although Hestia, Althea, and the other Knights tried to calm them, they didn't miss the worried glances the ladies threw toward the hill. 

"Old man, I hope our Gorge is safe there," Aunt Jute sobbed, leaning into her husband. She felt guilty for leaving her son behind. Even if she wasn't at fault, she and her husband had been unconscious at the time of the evacuation.