Deep in thought, Marcus made his way back, only to be greeted by a nervous looking Darius, in front of their home. As soon as he saw his father approaching, he called out, "What did they say?"
"I bought us some time", Marcus replied "but we must find a nother way to test her with out having her
suffer the rites. Gather the others we must start at once. We will begin with the Chronicles and work ourselves up."
With a look of both relief and determination, Darius nods, turns and hurriedly walks away.
Before Darius could make it ten steps away, Marcus calls after him.
"Son?"
Darius stops and turns
"Where is she?"
Darius tilted his head thinking of when he last saw her and where, surely it was just a few minutes ago .....
"Ahh, she was just playing in the inner sanctum with her dolls just a few min ago... I think."
Darius watched as his fathers face paled and
is normaly silver blue eye darken, he couldn't help the dread that was creeping up his spine.
Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose as he said ....
"you mean to tell me you left your little sister, the same little girl that has an afinity for trouble, the very same that has managed to break a five thousend year old statue into countless pieces, in a place where there are books and scrolls that date back to the time of Suren.... please atleast tell me someone is watching her."
By the way Darius was shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other he could tell that Darius did not assign a servant to watch over Susarine.
Just as Marcus was about to lecture him in the importance of never leaving his trouble prone baby sister without supervision,
The Air shifted.
Darius and Marcus both, froze in place.
Marcus is an air Elemental he knew that a shift this big was bad, very bad, a warning of impending disaster. Marcus was scanning the courtyard and surrounding Gardens but he did not have to search long when its eyes landed on the front steps of The Great Library that was right next to his home, a home he shared with every master of Records that came before him since the construction of the library 8000 years ago. They both ran to the steps as librarian after librarian rushes out .
"What is happening." Marcus demanded to know
but all he he got was a bunch of "I don't knows " "Master Marcus!" one after librarians addressed him "We were told to evacuate, I do not know what's happening." it seemed no one knew until tamari, his personal assistant came bursting through the great doors and shouted the words that made his blood run cold and its stomach drop
"Fire in the inner Sanctum."
oh great creator, no. Marcus thought as he scanned the crowd and he soon locked eyes with the one he was seeking
Krane, a solem and quiet male, who enjoyed solitude. You would have never guessed he was a fire Elemental the first fire Elemental, as a fact to pass, the admissions trials in 700 years. Fire Elementals, unlike air and water are usually volatile and Loud, unsuitable entirely for being a curator, in a place where you must be both quiet and patient.
"Krane"
Marcus shouts as he made his way up
he stairs. At that, Krane pales and lift his hands,
"I did not do this, I swear on the Creator."
Marcus comes to a halt in front of Tamari and says,
"Summon the guards, tell them what has happened....
darius make sure everyone is out im counting on you to keep them safe
Krane follow me.. Now."
Krane made his way through the crowd with a crest fallen look on his face as he reached Marcus
"Please master, I had notthing to do with the fire i would never...."
Marcus turns to him and says
"I believe you Krane but i need you.... Susarine is in there... help me..please!"
Krane's eyes widend and he nods and says
"Lead the way I'm with you."
as Marcus enters the great hall of the library smoke has allready filled the hallways. It was hard to see anything .
Marcus summoned the wind to clear some of the smoke, he kept the wind infront of him as he rushed down the hall to the inner sanctum he could feel the heat on his face already. But nothing could have prepared him for the site in front of him as he rounded the corner to the inner Sanctum. a cyclone of Flames consumed everything in its path the Roar was deafening. Krane beside him looked at the flames in awe and shock for a few seconds but then shook his head and spring into actions he summoned his own flames to try to tame the cyclone sweat started to bead on his forehead as the veins protruded on his temples. Marcus looks on in horror.
As he too summoned his own element to try to suffocate the flames, he thought to himself, no one could have possibly survive this. In what seemed like an eternity the guards finally arrived, and with there help. The cyclone finally lessoned and shrunk in size. Unbelievable that it is taken 12 Guardsman, Krane and himself to subdue these flames. Whoever summoned them must be extremely powerful. Marcus had no doubt in his mind that someone did summoned the flames, wild Flames as they call them would have consumed everything but yet only the courtyard was touched. The grass was no more and its place was black charred ground. The flowers and plants that once grew lusciously in the Garden where gone but yet the walls were untouched and so were the hallways, and books, even the windows were intact.
"What is that?" one of the Guardsmen shouted.
Marcus looked in the direction of where the male was pointing and he saw it too...
in the center of what remains of the fiery Cyclone, was a small figure. A figure of a child floating about two feet of the ground with hair whipping angrily in the Wind. With her eyes closed she almost looked like she was sleeping. Marcus ignored the warnings that the Guardsman were shouting at him as he moved forward. With his element Marcus created a barrier between himself and everyone else no one was going to keep him from reaching his child, she needed him. Marcus reached out and what remained of the fiery Cyclone lashed out at him he called her name. Just like that everything ceased and her little body plummeted towards the ground he got there just in time to catch her. Cradling her little naked body to himself and shield her from other eyes he looked her over and she seemed unharmed other than a few singed hairs. Tears escaped from Marcus's eyes ,the relief he felt was overwhelmingand short lived. There are no burns but she was limp in his arms.
"A blanket please... anyone?"
Marcus didn't look up when someone put a hand on his shoulder and handed him with what seemed to be a cloak he lost no time wrapping his little girl inside of it.
"Summon a healer at once."
Marcus shouted over his shoulder.
"father?" Marcus looked up at the sound of his son's voice," Well.. it seems we no longer have to worry about the blood rites.." he said as he pointed at the center of Susarine's chest and the four newly-formed marks of the elements.