Erlem

The broom glowed, emitting a purple aura that began to wraps itself around Jasmine, cocooning her in purple sparks. Jasmines face had gone from happy to frightened very quickly, from the inside of the cocoon it looked as if she was surrounded by a wall of fire works, she relaxed more once she realized she could touch the sparks and they didnt burn her skin or clothes.

The cocoon sparks more furiously before light exploded from the top in a huge pillow sending the purple sparks to the ceiling which began to look as thought it was on fire with a sea of purple flames, bright gold bolts of energy burst through the flames leaving onlookers both terrified and amazed. The headmistress and some of the faculty stood up and flung off the jacket portion of their robes.

" Wait Headmistress!" Erlem yelled in the faculties direction " its just and enchantment! Just watch!" Erlem smiled, this enchantment was certainly a nice touch. The faculty watched closely, the sea of fire began to calm, the lightning became sparks. The pillar dissapeared and the elements above began to sparkle and fall. Standing where the pillar was, was Jasmine. The enchantment left her in a beautiful black and purple dress robe, it had gold inlays in the hood attacked to the back.

It was her birthday and Erlem didnt want to not give her a real gift, so he did some extra work for the orphanage to buy her a nice set of dress robes.

The silver specs fell like snowfall in higher mountains by the citadel, the site was truly breath taking.

Jasmine held Comet's Flame in her hands just staring at the gold nameplate on the handle, un aware yet of her impromptu wardrobe change.

"Erlem, I cant believe how wonderful this is!" Jasmine gave him a big hug, the two purple bows that had manifested pummeled tiny Erlem as Jasmine gave him a big hug. " next time we see each other itll be at the citadel, I won't forget you Erlem."

"I know you wont Jasmine, until we meet again!" Erlem walked off pleased with himself, he deserved some cake for this masterful plan.

Jasmines cake was bright pink with purple trim and large blue flowers, every so often a couple of pixies would come from one of the flowers and spell out "Happy Birthday Jasmine!"

The cake had many tiers, close to nine or ten, and each tier was a different kind of cake. Erlem found himself returning several times for more before having to find a bathroom to throw up from too much. The clock in the dining hall rang ten and He called it a night. He made his way to a bedroom archegate outside the hall and walked through it.

The archegates in the house were linked to the rooms inhabitants, you could only enter someones bedroom if you were invited or you were faculty. Even if you entered the same roomgate directly behind Erlem you would end up in your own room.

He removed his dress robes and put on his pajamas and crawled onto the top bunk and quickly drifted off to sleep. A couple hours later Erlem heard Stanley enter the room, after some russling around Erlem felt Stanley get into his bunk bed below and drifted back to sleep.

Jasmine had left with the magistrate employees so they could escort her to the transport that take her to her new home.

Erlem was dreaming peacefully, flying on a broomstick made of saphires while waving a flimsy wand that was showering sparks to the ground below. Erlem looked below to see he was hundreds of miles above the ground below, he soared above an arena and decided to fly down to be greeted by crowds of adoring fans. He waved and blew kisses at the girls in the crowd, he decided to show off and stook on the handle of his broomstick. He did some loop-di-loops and came in low to hi five the fans who were in awe. As he made his way down the crowd, hovering just low enough to touch there hands something grabbed his wrist and almost at once he was flung to the ground.

OOOF

Erlem hadnt been dreaming, he had been flung out of his bed, but not by adoring fans, rather a large earthquake. Stanley jumped out of bed and helped Erlam up, the boys grabbed their bedtime robes and headed out of there roomgate.

"What was that!" Stanley and Erlem were running down the main hallway where they met another group of children and a few of the faculty.

The ground grumbled again, screams could be heard outside as well had the sounds of boulders crashing down a mountain.

"We're under attack! Autumnveil is being attacked by the King's siege weapons!" The headmistress was telling the other faculty, " we must get the children out of here!"

The headmistress spotted Erlem and Stanley and rushed to them, you two follow me!" The last thong she needed was these two disappearing, " everyone exit through the back archega-" a large boulder slammed through the building, Erlem felts the headmistress's hand jerk from his, her blood sprayed him and Stanley as she smashed against the walls behind her.

"Run!" Erlem and Stanley didnt have time to think, the building rattled as another boulder hit the side of the orphanage again leaving small bodies in its wake. The boys took off running, " Erlem look up, don't look around us or behind us ok!" The climbed out of the hole in building left by the first projectile.

The streets were filled with arrows and rocks and ruins of the city. Bodies littered the streets as blood flowed into the sewers below. Soldiers had began to rush the city as more boulders and fiery arrows ripped holes in the structures across the face of the cliff in front of them.

The Magestrates military had started to appear but the city had taken a lot of damage, the royal family decided to make their move and had done so without alarming the Magestrate. It was too late to save the city but they could stall the royal army so the survivors could escape.

Bright lights and sparks flew across the battlefield, there werent a lot of survivors left, the cowards came in the dead of nights, no torches or beasts, just men and the siege weapons the magestrate had created for their now, blatant enemy.

Erlem and Stanley tried to make sense of the chaose, the explosions and screams made it hard to navigate, the panic brought on by the fear of dying made even Erlems sharp mind foggy.

Erlem felt someone grab him by his robe " Erlem! Quick boy come with me!" Huxley had managed to be amongst the first magestrates to enter the fray and try and help the common folk escape.

Huxley hurried the boys as the dodged behind fallen pieces of building, " Huxley pointed towards the western lands " go that way, go until you stop seeing villages, once you stop seeing villages go further until you see sand, when you hit sand light a fire and keep it going, someone will come get you." As he finished a cloud of arrows fell on the three, Huxley manage to cast part of a sheild charm before an arrow found its home in his eye socket, then another in his throat. Huxley fell to ground, blood seeped from the wound, Huxley gasped to breath for a few moments before the life left his eyes. Erlem felt sick as his mind registered what just happened, he fell to his knees and began to vomit up the cake he had enjoyed earlier in the evening. "Stanley we gotta run!" Erlem turned around to see Stanley, back against the wall, his young chest filled with arrows.