The Burning Flames: An Omen of Ill

[Marcus Kobra]

Marcus sat in his study, pouring over many notes. He eyed a log of injured soldiers and the numerous stamps that littered the pages. So many had the stamp of "DOA" or Dead On Arrival, they hadn't made it into his care before going to Avatar. Other logs of his civilian patients, people from Altmere whom had visited his home. The West Altmerians hardly survived their wounds, between the horrors out west and the long trek East they just couldn't survive. So little he could do.

He sat in contemplation, the window open letting in the last of the warm summer air before the darkness. His contemplation was halted abruptly as a small vial sailed in through the window. It caught his eye, the colour of purple. . .  His eyes widened as he dove for the protection of his hearth the vial detonating against his book cases and igniting them in flames. He rushed into his living room calling his wife's name, "ROSE!?"
"ROSE WHERE AR---?!" His sentence was cut off as the oaken double doors to his living room where blasted open sending him to the ground in a heap. Masked men swarmed in with torches, clubs, and bombs. He had no idea who they where or why they had invaded his home like a siege. Two of them approached him a question barley escaping his lips before they kicked him viciously in his stomach.

He gasped for air that would not come as it was knocked out of him. The beating wasn't finished. The two continued to kick and pound him with their clubs whilst the others looted his home and destroyed anything of value they could not carry. They set his couches alight with flames and set bombs inside the fireplace blasting the mantel from the wall. He could hear other explosions reverberate through his home. His eye filled with tears as he watched the distruction and fear ripped his heart as he thought of his wife and children, he desperately hoped they would get out. Suddenly a whistle was heard and one of the men smashed his club into Kobra's leg, breaking the bone. Kobra collapsed screaming in pain as they dumped him and left him for dead. One turned and called back to him.
"Get out of Altmere while you can oppressor!"
There locked in his eyes, the red arm band, the crimson of freedom fighters.

As the men departed lighting the yard ablaze and tossing bombs into his fountain he clawed his way towards the stairs. He had to find Rose, he had to get Ethan out. One step at a time he climbed as smoke and ash filled the air, the heat rising. His home was doomed. He crawled up into the kitchen the shelves smashed, the counters kicked over, cakes and pies smashed against walls and floor. It pained him as he crawled past flames and debris. Even the dinning room was smashed, the rug burning the lanterns all smashed. Thankfully they had also blasted the balcony door from its hinges and he was able to continue on mostly unhindered. He coughed through the smoke calling for his family but got no response. He went up the last stairwell the glow of flames burning brightly and the sound of rafters beginning to collapse filled his ears, the roar of the inferno. The third floor was nearly engulfed, he rounded the corner and screamed in agony. From the nursery where his children slept came bright orange flames, the plaster walls already crumbling, through which he saw the cribs aflame. He screamed in denial and absolute agony.

He lay there sobbing and screaming flames to his own bedroom blocking any further progress. He didn't hear the sounds of clamoring feet coming up the stairs behind him. "Great Avatar! Get him out!" Yelled a rasping voice the sounds of many people coughing as hands grabbed him and dragged him out, his neighbours had come to his aid. He wished they'd leave him to die. He no longer saw the flames or the smoke as they drug him back down the stairs and through the inferno that was his home, back through the burning garden and past the smashed stone work. All he saw was the image of his wife and child. The flames burned into the night as bucket brigades worked to try and save his home, but the damage was done.


By morning his home was little more than rubble. A blackend smear on the green and blue Altmerian coastline. The "Drunken Covian" Trolled just off shore dredging debris from the shallows, the loyal but small crew doing all they could to save something, anything. Often they had sat and enjoyed ales inside that home or bedded down on the mans couch. He'd never complained when one of them stumbled in from Vesper or when a patient claimed he couldn't pay. Now someone had done this? An anger burned in their hearts as they worked. Eventually a party went ashore to help with some locals to pick through the debris, a few items going into crates. Books, keepsakes, the large stone Ankh being dragged from the rubble mostly intact thanks to its location beneath the bath. It had been saved when the bath collapsed spilling its contents upon the flames. They rejoiced in the things they found, Bits of armour, banners caught on trees, blackened but not destroyed, jewelry and even a lockbox with cards and poems. They where nearly in good spirits when they found a site that made all of them to a man weep. Amongst the rubble inside what could only be the remnants of a crib they found a tiny charred body. Some of the crew howled in their own agony, others swore as only sailors can, many Altmerians made Ankhs. One elderly man of the "Drunken's" crew, one whom had always been a devout Avatarian took off his ankh and cast it into the rubble. Their Grief was total. They still had to tell Marcus.


Marcus lay in a healer's bed, able only to sob and scream and roar in his grief and agony after having heard the news. "They've murdered my son!! My SON!!!" He screamed and roared of his vengeance. His son dead, and his wife missing. Possibly abducted and maybe even dead. He cursed Avatar, twice now in his life everything had been taken from him, had he not suffered enough!? The healers ordered his crew out, they had many injuries to treat. His crew made certain his property was placed in safe keeping and quickly set out to sea. They wanted to go find out who had done this; they set course for the Altmere.