A City of Fire

[Arius POV]

"EVERYONE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY, TRILLIUM CITY GUARD!!!!!!"

"What?"

As confusion spread throughout the crowd, a dozen or so guards started quickly running into the area, leading people outside.

"Please evacuate immediately. Civilians, follow the line to the shelter. Combatants may meet up outside!"

As chaos struck everyone, people quickly started running out of the building. Following the crowd with big brother holding my hand, we move towards the front door. That's when I started to smell a distinct smell in the air. The smell of smoke.

"What is going on?"

Running outside, the smell of smoke intensifies as I see orange flames lighting the sky in the distance. As the area around us got more chaotic, Big Brother and I move to where a large group of guards were.

"Sir, what is going on right now?"

"An attack, the city's been surrounded by bandits."

"What!? How did this happen?"

"I've got no clue, the higher-ups are keeping a lot of information. Thankfully, this area has a lot of guards that belong to the rich, no attacks could reach here. But I couldn't say for the other areas."

"What doesn't that mean Grampa Edward is in danger!!!?"

Seeing the raging flames all over the city and hearing what the guard said, I reminded myself of Grampa Edward who was by himself in the store.

"Big brother! Grampa's still by himself, we got to get back!!"

"Yeah, let's go!"

"STOP!"

Just as we were about to start running in the direction of the store, the guards moves in front of us, blocking our path.

"Sorry, but civilians need to stay in the area since it's safe. We don't want any unnecessary casualties."

"I need to go to Grampa store though! He's all alone."

"Sorry, but I can't do anything about that. We have forces throughout the city working on protecting the infrastructure and civilians, as well as fighting the bandits."

"But, Sir, we are-"

"Hey, we got new orders from the Captain."

Just as Big Brother Jaque tried to argue, a familiar guard comes running over with a paper in hand. Running over while panting heavily, she quickly passes the paper to the other guards.

"Backup is needed in the commercial area. *Haa haa* So...we got get moving along with, ummm, any combatants as well."

"Alright. Everyone! Let's Go!!"

As the group of guards rushed down a street, the female guard takes a few more breaths before running after them. Looking at each other, Big Brother and I run after them seeing that this was the perfect opportunity to get to the door.

Hearing that we were following her, the guard looks back and gives a deja vu expression.

"YOU AGAIN!!"

"Ummm, hi?"

"Why do I meet you every other day?!"

"I don't know. Luck?"

"Urrgg, can you two stop following me? We're about to enter a really dangerous area!"

"We got to go see Grampa to see if he's safe. Don't worry, Big Brother is really strong!"

"...*sigh*...Whatever...I guess I'll accompany you guys to your grampa's. I still gotta protect the civilians."

With that, Big Brother and I take the lead, running down a different path than the other guards with the friendly guard following us.

...

[Stella POV]

"What's going on? Why are the houses on fire!!!?"

After spending the whole day trying to find a business that would buy some items, we had finally stumbled upon an unlikely organization that needed weapons badly, the Tillium Guards.

We tried all afternoon to make them give us a chance to sell them the items and just as we started making some progress a bunch of guards come into the room, and takes all the weapons before bringing the person we were talking with out of the room as well.

"Sophia, can you put out the flames with your ice affinity?"

"Ok."

Sssss

Seeing a cool mist of ice raining down on the house, the fire soon stopped. Then looking around for what was going on, I found someone down a small alleyway that could definitely help answer all our questions.

Holding a large flaming torch, wearing old dirty clothes with an unkempt beard, I had a growing suspicion that the man in front of us may have something to do with the whole house burning situation.

"Hey, the ugly dude with the flame. Is this your doing?"

"Hmm? Two little girls? What? Did I accidentally burn down your little playhouse?"

As soon as the man saw us, he started to speak with us in a tone which immediately ticked me off.

"Sophia, is it me or is this guy really annoying?"

"...Hmm, this guy..."

"...I see...So, Old Man! Are you going to tell us what's going on or not?"

Well, it was difficult to keep my wrath with Sophia's lukewarm answers, I still mustered up the spirit to question the man.

"No can do little girl. I've been told by the Leader to do some important renovation work to these houses. So let me do my business, else I'll give you two a makeover as well!"

"Sophia, talking didn't work. I think tying him up might give us a better chance."

"Definitely."

Having overheard our not-so-discrete conversation, the man quickly brings the flaming torch in front of him and gives it a light blow. A small ball of fire slowly comes off the torch before slowly growing larger and accelerating in our direction.

"A makeover it is! I hope you like my Expanding Fire Ball!!"

"Sophia!!"

"Yes. Frost Mist."

"Mana shield!"

As the large fireball continued to expand, it soon grew to cover the entire width of the alleyway leaving no room to dodge so the only option was to face it head-on.

As the mana inside of us surged, Sophia raises her hand in the air as a dense mist of icy shards started falling from the sky, creating a barrier. I move in front of her and raise my hands as I draw the mana around us, causing a transparent blue barrier to form in front of us.

BOOOOMMM SHHHHHHHhhhhh

"AHHHH!"

Feeling the brunt of the impact, I get pushed back off my feet but thankfully, Sophia was there to catch me. As the mana shield in front of me slowly disappears, I look up to the now foggy alley caused by the icy mist and fireball impact.

"Ha ha ha HA ha, not too bad for some kids. You guys might be worth some money on the market."

As we heard the maniacal laughter from within the fog, I slowly see an orangy flame appear in the fog. At the sound of footsteps coming closer, I immediately grab Sophia's hand and quickly move down the alley toward the street.

"Sophia, we got to do something. Get to the street first. I got a plan in mind."

Since we couldn't win conventionally, we would need some tricks.

"It was fun while it lasted, I wish it would've been more challenging though. But this-... Oh, they left. *sigh* Looks like they've got a brain. Oh well, back to renovations."

While it sounded like the man forgot about us, he probably continued looking around for us as I had plenty of time to tell Sophia my plan.

As we continued to hide around both sides of the alley, the man finally decided to leave the alley. I quickly summon a small mana shield on top of my hands.

"That's enough time wasted. I'm a bit tired but I got to continue as per the orders."

Step step step FFFHHH BOOOM!

After a few steps, I suddenly see a giant fireball leave the alley before travelling and hitting a store on the other side of the street causing a giant explosion. Blocking the debris on my shield, I once again hear footsteps so I start to activate my mana pool.

"Man, looks like they're really gone. Not even a sound-"

"MANA BOLT!"

"Uggg! Flame Shield!"

Just as the man emerged from the alley, I immediately summon a sharp bolt made of mana and chuck it at the man. Seeing my sudden attack, the man raises up this flaming torch and quickly does a large singing motion causing a wall of flames to be left in its path.

Pst!

Perhaps because the flame wall was quickly made, the mana bolt pierces through the flames before implanting itself in the man's shoulder.

"AARGG! Now you've done it, Expanding Fireball-What?!"

Bringing the torch made in front of him, the man quickly tries to blow a fireball at me but quickly realizes that there was no longer any fire on the torch, all that was left was a chuck of ice.

"Mana Bolt!"

"WAIT!..SH*T!!!"

In the small time that the man was stunned, I quickly form another Mana bolt. Holding it in my hand, I step closer to the man before jamming the bolt into the man's leg causing him to drop his torch.

"Haaa haaa haaa haaa, OK!!! Sophia...Haaa... We got him!!"

As Sophia came out from behind the man, I sit down as I felt exhausted from my mana use. After a bit of struggling, the man faints from the pain.

"Alright, we can get him to talk now."

"Yes."

"I'm afraid I'll have to stop you two from doing anything else to the chief arsonist."

...

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Wilward's Fun Fact: Slavery is a very much frowned upon act after the establishment of Euqolia, however the act of phasing it out hasn't become widespread yet so there still exists a very large slave market across the continent. The largest concentration of slavery is in the Kingdom and the Coalition as there have been hundreds of years of wars there, the losers of which often become slaves.