Into The Fire

Ostiarium
JP with Bandorchu, Lucian, and Omni

Whether Zane’s comment comes first or she is already moving when he speaks, Alexis doesn’t know and she doesn’t really care. She just starts running.

*One day. One day we’ll catch a fucking break. Will be probably the day we die horribly, but beggars can’t be choosers.*

She pulls her sword because, well, this is them, and she just knows this will not be just organising extinguishing chains, will it?

Glad to have Alexis with him, Tarmen stayed close to her as they sought a course of action. The smoke and screams were bringing flashbacks of Gra’akast, leaving him in an odd state of deja vu. He yells to Alexis as they run through the streets.

“Where to first?”

“Port!”

Alexis shouts back curtly.

Most obvious location for the time being.
If and probably when other shit is going down, they have a good chance to encounter it on the way there, right there or in the immediate vicinity. Then they can change plans.

If not, helping to get the inferno in check will certainly not be a waste of time.

Right into the fire, he could appreciate not breaking from form. He did wonder if Voah and Ekero would be alright as they charged towards the burning pyres at the docks.

As the two mercenaries race through the disarray towards the northeast, where the Dock Ward lies in turmoil, the sun has dipped mostly below the horizon in the west, giving way to dimming twilight.

The scent of burning wood wafts inward from Sea of Storms, the air thickening as they approach the harbor, where the deep purples and oranges of sunset paint the billows of smoke with a diffused ethereal glow of pinks and oranges that bleed into a deep purple canvas of approaching night.

The beauty of the spectacle is starkly juxtaposed against the chaos unraveling on the streets of Ostiarium, which display a frenzy of motion and panic. Colonists, their faces etched with fear and confusion, rush past in a desperate bid to escape the growing inferno at the Bay of Pearls. Others, fueled by a sense of duty or the adrenaline of impending disaster, run towards the docks, carrying buckets or whatever they can muster to combat the flames.

The air is heavy with not only smoke; it carries the weight of despair and realization. Women clutching children to their chests weep openly in the streets, their tears a mixture of fear, sorrow, and resignation. Their cries meld with the chaotic symphony of the city's turmoil, underscoring the grim acknowledgment that the harbingers of war have indeed arrived. The sight of the two large ships, their sails consumed by flames, serves as a reminder of their dwindling options for escape. For many, the regret of not returning across the sea to Helias weighs visibly upon them. Hopes of safety and the refuge from the an impending siege fades with the rising smoke.

The clatter of horse hooves and the shouts of men, and women create a cacophony that reverberates against the structures of the stone city, amplifying the sense of urgency.

Guards and soldiers, recognizable by their uniforms amidst the sea of civilians, shout orders and attempt to coordinate a response. Their voices, however, are often lost in the din, their efforts to impose order on the chaos only partially successful. Here and there, makeshift barricades begin to form as some citizens take it upon themselves to direct traffic or assist in the evacuation efforts, their actions a testament to the community's resilience in the face of disaster. Somewhere amidst the confusion, you split from Sir Zane and the Purger, but they are no doubt headed toward the origin of the chaos.

As Alexis and Tarmen draw closer to the port, the sounds of the city behind them meld into a distant roar, overtaken by the crackling of fire and the crashing of waves against the docks. The air grows hotter, the smoke denser, and the light from the fire casts an eerie, flickering illumination that guides their final steps towards the heart of the inferno.

Ahead of you the dock ward, the situation is frantic. Guards and volunteers form bucket brigades in a desperate attempt to control the blaze which had spread to one of the warehouses, their silhouettes moving against the backdrop of the inferno. The sound of timber cracking under the assault of the flames punctuates the air, a grim accompaniment to the shouts and commands that fly back and forth.

Alexis
In an alleyway to the left, you spot a commotion of colonists gathered around in a tight circle, looking down at something.

Tarmen
To the right, down a second alleyway, you spot foreign figures in robes running.

Behind you both is that ever-present voice in your heads that tells you that this doesn’t have to be your problem.