The Mad Raven's Tale (The Accarian Chronicles Book 1) Andrew Walbrown (early readers TXT) 📖

“Smell what?” Amantius asked.

“It smells like…” Ulam crinkled his nose, his eyes expanding as soon as he saw a plume of black smoke spiraling towards the sky. “Fire!”

A couple of houses near the northern wall were on fire, a raging inferno of red and orange engulfing both structures entirely. Without any hesitation Ulam found the nearest staircase and ran, abandoning his post. The screams and ringing of bells giving his legs a boost of adrenaline as he sprinted through the courtyard and into the city proper.

“Ulam!” Amantius called from the top of the archway. “Ulam! Wait!”

There was no time to wait. He cast off his heavy armor, dumping the chainmail at the base of the castle’s wall, and darted through the streets. Men, women, and children ran in the opposite direction, their shrieks of terror joining the symphony of crackling wood. In the distance behind him, Ulam heard Amantius’ voice calling him, but the words were lost in the turbulence.

Ulam turned the last corner and saw the bedlam awaiting him. The first home had already imploded, the second undoubtedly following shortly. Whatever emotion that compelled him to rush to the fire now left, leaving only a sense of futility. There was nothing he could do except watch.

“Ulam!” Amantius yelled as he crashed into the Orc, panting. “The river is the other way! Come on, let’s get…”

“Help! Someone help me!” Amantius’ words were interrupted by the screams of a teenage girl standing near them, her face matted with ash. “Someone help, please!”

Ulam dashed towards her, nearly crushing the girl with his heavy arms. “I am here, child. Tell me what you need.”

“My mother and sister!” The girl continued to wail through her sobs. “My mother and sister are in there!”

She pointed at the second home, the structure still somehow standing amidst the chaos. Flames leaped high on all sides, almost as high as the castle walls. Ulam looked at the house, bit his lip, and started to run for the burning building.

“Ulam, what are you doing!?” Amantius shouted, “You will die if you go in there! We should wait for the others, they will be bringing water!”

Ulam did not hesitate, he jumped through the flames and into the house.

Chapter 13

Amantius

Amantius watched as Ulam’s hulking shape hurdled a fallen beam and disappeared into the leaping clutches of the blaze. Unlike the Orc, who charged in without a second thought, Amantius was frozen to the spot. His legs were as heavy as stone, his knees weak. A sickening feeling churned in his gut as he watched and waited, hoping Ulam would see the folly of his decision and come back before it was too late.

Why did I let him go in? Amantius thought, although he was not sure he could have stopped Ulam even if he had sincerely tried. What if he dies? What if I am left here, alone, in this city?

He stared wide-eyed at the house, its walls now blackened entirely. All that remained of the adjacent home was the thick logs used for the frame, and even those were not going to last much longer. The heat from the inferno was unbearable, so much so that Amantius had to remove his armor. The metal had heated to such an extreme that his flesh began to bake like a roast in an oven, though the smell was much less appealing.

Beside him the teenage girl was inconsolable, having collapsed on the ground in misery. She no longer looked at her home, instead keeping her eyes closed tight. She tried to scream from time to time, but her voice was so hoarse that she could no longer force words from her mouth. Amantius kneeled beside her and cradled her head against his chest, stroking what remained of her singed hair. Deep inside he was crying with her, but for some reason, no tears would leave his eyes. He was too numb, too paralyzed by fear, to feel emotion.

“He’s gone,” Amantius whispered. For the first time, he heard the brass bells ringing from the towers, as well as the shouts of the townsfolk. Much like the girl he closed his eyes, hoping to shut out the noise.

Suddenly the main beam over the entrance to the second home collapsed, shooting a squall of embers into the sky. Amantius’ heart turned to solid ice as he watched, realizing Ulam’s escape was now barred by certain death. Renewed shrieks filled the area, causing the teenage girl in his arms to begin moaning once more. Amantius hugged her tighter, hoping his embrace would bring her some comfort, though in his heart he was the one seeking comfort.

“Amantius!” A voice suddenly roared from within the house. It was deep, guttural, and filled with urgency. “Where are you!?”

Amantius sprang to his feet, his eyes locked on the entranceway. He searched every inch of the collapsing house for the voice, knowing in his heart of hearts whose voice was calling to him.

“Ulam!” He yelled, his heart feeling as though it would explode. “Ulam, where are you!?”

“Side window!” Ulam yelled back.

Amantius rushed to the other side of the house, where Ulam's face appeared in a broken out window. A thin layer of smoke poured out of the puncture Ulam’s fist had made in the glass, and together the two of them worked to remove the rest of the shards.

“I thought you were dead,” Amantius blurted out, the tears no longer holding back.

“I will be if we do not hurry,” Ulam replied, his voice grave. Amantius noticed that his foster-brother’s face was darker than usual, covered in soot. “I have both the mother and daughter, but they are not conscious, if they are even still alive. I am going to pass them through the window, I need you to grab them and take them away from this building.”

Just then a part of the roof snapped off and flaming boards fell all around