They waited for several minutes. Nothing else happened. Everything was quiet. Tyson couldn’t even hear the wind, as if everyone were waiting, with bated breaths, hoping for a miracle.
Then they heard a loud bang and the sound of sizzling fire. There was a flash of orange and red. Screams erupted from the city. Another bang and fire set off. More terrified screams came from the citizens as flaming rods crashed down into the city.
“I gave you your chance,” Nayara shouted to the city, somehow magnifying her voice so she could be heard. “I have you surrounded and you will all pay the price for denying my forgiveness.”
“Watch out!” Koran yelled, pointing to the sky. Tyson looked up and saw a jet of fire soaring in their direction. Before he could move, Koran shoved Tyson out of harm’s way. The jet hit just above the palace doors, exploding chunks of stone and marble, causing it to crash down.
Tyson and Koran were blasted off their feet and landed a few yards away. They scrambled to their feet and looked around. The five men that were to protect them were gone, save for man crushed beneath a chunk of stone.
They ran back into the palace, headed for the stairs. Another bomb of fire hit the roof, causing the ceiling of the entrance hall to collapse. Tyson and Koran ran to the side, into one of the smaller rooms where they had been inspected upon arrival.
Koran could hear the ceiling continue to collapse. He grabbed a chair off to the side of the room and heaved it through the window, shattering the glass. He and Tyson hopped through it.
They landed on a small walkway between the palace and a row of green bushes. Koran led Tyson over the bushes and down towards the upper-class houses. When they landed, another jet of fire crashed near them, sending them off their feet once more.
Tyson rolled onto the ground while Koran collided back-first into a marble house. Tyson helped Koran to his feet. Koran was hurt but pulled himself together.
A soldier from Oasi’s army found them and beckoned them towards safety. Koran and Tyson made their way towards him when they saw a gray gust of wind shoot through the air. It hit the soldier. Tyson and Koran skidded to a stop as the soldier froze up almost instantly into ice and shattered into small, dust particles.
Tyson pushed Koran forward, and they ran in the opposite direction. Streams of fire flew through the sky. One hit a house and erupted it into flames. Like rain, several more jets of fire bombarded the city.
While they ran, Tyson and Koran ducked and dodged the missiles of fire wherever they could. Tyson wasn’t sure how long the attacks would last but kept going.
They neared the river. Tyson saw three of Nayara’s ships. He and Koran didn’t know the number of men Nayara brought to fight but knew that she outnumbered them drastically.
A man jumped in front of them and attacked. Tyson was hit in the face with a fist. He was knocked to the ground but recovered quickly. It was one of Nayara’s soldiers.
He swung another punch, but Tyson dodged it. Tyson retaliated and his fist made contact with the soldier’s head. The man’s head jerked. His eyes glared at Tyson and he made to through another swing at Tyson, but Tyson was quicker and punched the soldier in the head again before kicking him hard in the chest. Nayara’s soldier fell hard onto the stone road and didn’t get back up.
Koran grabbed Tyson, and they ran. Tyson wasn’t sure how much damage he did to the man but didn’t care; he was ready for more.
They ran into another soldier of Nayara’s. Koran didn’t give the man a chance and charged at him. Koran grabbed the fighter’s neck. The soldier yelled and attempted to get Koran’s grip off of him with his own hands, but Koran held on strong.
Tyson yelled a warning to Koran. Koran spun around, the soldier still locked in by his arm and saw gray mist rushing towards him. Koran released the man and shoved the guard away from him. The man stumbled directly into the mist and turned into small ice-shards of dust.
Koran and Tyson nodded to each other and continued to run through the city. They hadn’t seen their signals in the sky yet but knew that their best shot was getting to one of the safe boats.
Many citizens were running. Mothers were grabbing their children while the men attempted to hold off their enemies and keep their families safe.
Tyson wanted to help but knew better. He and Koran weren’t supposed to be there. Plus, he couldn’t leave Katie, not now when he knew she would need him most. And when he needed her most.
They shoved past some citizens who were trying to make their way to the palace, despite it gradually crumbling to the cannonballs. Tyson tried not to watch as innocent people were hit by fire or attacked by Nayara’s army. Each death added fuel to a rage that burned inside him. He couldn’t continue to run if there was a chance that he could help them. Koran must have picked up on his thoughts because he grabbed Tyson’s arm firmly and led him through narrow streets.
He saw a mother shield her two young sons from the gray clouds and crumble to ice dust. One of the sons screamed while the other spun around, only to be hit by another gray cloud of mist. The young boy was too small to shield his brother from the mist and the three of them were soon only particles of dust.
Tyson yelled and moved towards what had once been the family. Koran weakly tried to stop Tyson, but he too was upset and
