Chapter 17: Finally Some Peace And Quiet...Kinda
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Xander opened his eyes to fire consuming rooftops. The village was gone..Flames poured through windows like liquid and ash fell like snow.
People were running.
Children with bare feet. Women dragging the injured. Men screaming names that broke in their throats. They didn’t see him didn’t really see him but they screamed all the same:
"Kaelhi! Somebody...please!"
"The Kaelhi’s supposed to protect us!"
"Where is he?! Where is the Kaelhi?!"
Xander’s chest heaved.
He tried to move but his legs wouldn’t budge. Arms frozen at his sides. He was standing in the center of it all, watching as people died, as shadows lunged from the dark between buildings...creatures that looked stitched from nightmares.One beast, jagged back, mouth unhinged too wide grabbed a screaming boy by the legs and disappeared into the smoke.
Another tore through the bakery wall like paper, someone grabbed his wrist, an old woman with blood on her hands and eyes wide with hope.
"You’ll save us... won’t you? Kaelhi, please..."
"I—I can’t..." Xander tried, voice caught like gravel in his throat. "I want to. I’m here. I—"