Chapter 332: Levin
The world filled with fire, blinding, voracious flames that burned so hot the sun itself felt dim. The ground trembled as the rampaging fire collected into meteors and began their descent, raining toward the city in an endless wave of death. The earth trembled at their coming, and the air shimmered with heat, the sky a swirling mass of black smoke and crimson light.
The flames reflected in my eyes, glistening curls of death, as I desperately searched the rubble from atop Fable’s back. Where had we left Korra? It hadn’t been too far, had it?
The first meteor landed some distance away, directly atop the square the spirit and inquisitor had been fighting. A wave of heat and crimson light flowed over us, traveling away from the epicenter. The blast ignited clothing, curtains, and wooden structures, filling the air with acrid, black smoke. The shockwave followed a moment later, breaking on the Aegis I hastily erected. Between Adaptive Resistance and my powerful soul, most magical shockwaves were negligible, but this one was a pure concussive force generated by the explosion. With my cursed body, a direct hit from one of those would have me coughing blood.
Fable’s next step had purpose, taking us over a row of stalls to a sheltered alley, close to where the two were fighting. Another explosion rocked the earth as I found Korra leaning against the wall, her eyes closed and chest barely rising with each labored breath. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of her mouth. Black blood.
"Korra!" I swept her up in my arms, groaning as I heaved her weight onto Fable’s back. The moment we were both secure, her in my lap, Fable took off again. More flashes of light and sound detonated behind us, occurring with greater frequency until the air reverberated with continuous explosions. The noise and force were unbearable, and I was forced to cast a Sound Ward to protect my delicate hearing.
As I leaned over Fable’s neck, urging him faster, flickering, crimson light crept over us. Glancing over my shoulder, I shuddered to find a wall of flames roaring toward us. It swept over the streets and structures like floodwater, consuming everything in raging heat and fire. Somewhere, within that maelstrom, was the Ice Spirit. I had no idea if it were possible for a creature of cold to survive in such conditions, but somewhere, in the back of my soul, I could feel its presence. It was nestled away, much fainter yet firm and unwavering, like Fable’s bond.
The wall of fire loomed over us, licking at our heels. I cried out as it penetrated Adaptive Resistance, smothering us in withering heat. The air itself boiled, burning like fire in my throat, and my skin turned pink and began to blister. The tips of Fable’s fur curled inward, and the tone cracked and melted beneath his paws. Just as we were about to be consumed, he put on a final burst of speed.
And then we were free, tearing out of the flames and heat. The wall of fire fell behind us, having reached the limits of the spell. Tears of relief gathered in my eyes, and I gulped down mouthfuls of cool, soothing air. After catching my breath, I turned and looked over my shoulder at the devastation behind us.
Of the once proud city, only a hellscape, a charred skeleton, remained. Homes, businesses, and shops burned, reduced to hollow, blackened husks leaning against one another like rows of dilapidated tombstones. Smoldering heaps of rubble choked the streets, glowing red-hot, and flames still flickered on whatever hadn’t been totally consumed. The air was eerily silent save the crackle of decaying embers and the distant howl of the wind.