The Dawn of Malice
Chapter 3

A Barrel of Inconveniences

Caerus’s stomach rumbled as he sat on the fountain’s ledge. He was not able to eat supper and breakfast, not having enough money to buy either. He could not be seen in the city without a disguise, so he had worn his only wig that still had flecks of dried blood. His crimson eyes hid behind black-tinted glasses. He wore his only decent garments - a long-sleeved shirt and trousers that were held by suspenders.

It was the middle of the day and the people had begun clogging the streets. When suddenly, the city’s sirens blared from the west. The sound of the cranking mechanism echoed throughout the city. Caerus turned his head in wonder. Men and women gasped as they stopped to look toward the siren.

Everyone gazed at an archer who stood atop the western tower pumping the crank of the siren frantically. Just as the archer’s head turned to look over the bulwark, a ball of flaming hay blasted him. The fiery ball set the archer on top ablaze and in his panic, jumped to his doom. As the archer fell, another fiery ball of hay flew over the bulwark. A second projectile flew over Caerus’s head heading toward the western district. His eyes grew wide, and terror began to show on his face. He knew that in that direction was Marseille’s tavern.

The people in the plaza began panicking as everyone started to run away. Men from within their homes and shops gathered their weapons in their arms. With long swords, spears, and round shields, some men were able to gather their flintlock rifles and pass Caerus by as they raced toward the bulwark. Caerus stood by the fountain, unsure of what to do.

When he frantically turned to follow the lead of the escaping people. That was when he realized something terrible. Caerus abruptly stopped, and in doing so, an old man behind him crashed into his back.

“You fool!” The old man croaked “Keep running! Do you have a death wish?”

“I’m sorry, go on ahead. I need to head back.” Caerus stepped to the side of the old man as he recognized him as the old drunk from the plaza. The drunkard grabbed Caerus’s forearm tightly as he passed by.

“You may be a fool but don’t be an idiot. There’s nothing you could save that would be more important than your life.”

“There is. And I will save her.” Caerus looked the drunk in the eyes and he let go.

The drunk scowled, as he scurried off along with the other citizens. Caerus hurried off pushing violently against the tide of stampeding people. They desperately pushed against each other like sheep. It was then that Caerus caught sight of a person clutching at his arm. It was burned and looked as if it were melting. Caerus’s eyes grew large in his panic.

Caerus ran forward into the rushing torrent of people. They tried to get as far from the western wall as possible. But still, Caerus pushed onward, ignoring the harsh words and curses as he moved one step at a time. Caerus frantically searched for Elaine as the people bumped into him. He hoped that Elaine had found her way into the crowd to safety. His feet were trampled on, and his shoulders ached from colliding with the people. His shin was kicked several times and he yelped in silent agony but still, he pressed forward.

The flaming tower had fallen, and its flames began spreading into the western district of the city. He grew even more frantic and started pushing even harder. Soon he’d escaped from the stampede of people and ran as fast as he could. His body was drenched in sweat and grime from the rising cloud of dust and ashes. Caerus’s breathing grew heavier and heavier, but his feet still pummeled the pavement as he ran with all his might. The beating of his heart raced so fast he feared it would burst. As Caerus turned a corner he grabbed the light post, using it as a pivot to propel his body forward. His wig flung away from his head with a swift motion. He ignored it determined to reach Elaine.

If the raiders had breached the wall, then all was lost. His thoughts trailed off and he shook his head pushing the horrid thought away. Caerus spotted a wooden stave leaning on a wrought iron fence. He swiftly grabbed it as he passed by and swung it to feel its weight.

“Just the right weight to bang a person’s head in.” Caerus declared as he kept running, he could see the fire now. A column of smoke that grew higher and higher, higher than the remaining towers. The fear in him grew even stronger as he recognized the area. The fire had now reached Marseille’s Tavern. Caerus stopped in front of the tavern, finally catching his breath.

“Elaine!” Caerus managed to shout out.

Caerus struggled a bit, giving the door a couple of determined kicks before it finally gave way. In an instant, the fierce blaze from within the tavern surged out, its fiery tendrils reaching hungrily as if aiming to consume him. He hastily leaped back onto the street, landing somewhat ungracefully on his rear. He scrambled back up, brushing soot off his trousers with urgency. Before him raged an unrelenting inferno.

“Damn it all! Elaine?! Where are you?!”

Just as he had feared a low-pitched squeal escaped from inside the tavern. Without a second thought, Caerus jumped into the flames. He crossed his arms in front of him to protect his face from the heat. Luckily, his glasses served to protect his eyes from the floating embers.

“Who’s in here?” Caerus had shouted but to no avail.

A blazing wooden beam had fallen onto the floor. With the stave in Caerus’s hands, he swung at the fire and jumped forward. His feet landed on a burning wooden column. The protruding nails penetrated the soles of his feet. He prevented himself from screaming and looked forward. To his utter disbelief, he was faced with a barrel of liquor as its contents screamed. The barrel was about to explode, and Caerus needed to get out of there as fast as he could.