The Skeleton Queen

Iron Pt 1

The bard's heart skipped several beats. His white pupils shook with each exhale he took. The women went to comfort him, but he gently took himself away. He strummed his instrument with quick intensity.

"Help me be nimble and quick,
Faster than a two ended candlestick!"

The Knights' horses were startled by them seeing a glimpse of the mage pass by them. His boots barely kissed the ground....

As he neared his parents' home, he almost coughed up a lung. The black smoke almost suffocated his throat. The taste was something he never wanted to know. His face felt the heat of the roaring flames that were devouring his home.

He plucked his mandolin at an intense pace while backing away.

"May a rain cloud pour down on this home,
Don't let the fires roam!"

An overhead cloud poured like a waterfall onto the flames.

"Mother! Father!" he yelled with a strained voice. No response. His heart pounded faster than a running horse. "Mother! Father!"

Coughing

He followed the sound and desperately hoped for the best.

"Mother?"

He heard their lingering footsteps. He embraced them with all of his strength. Something wet and cold sticked to the bottom of his shirt and face. The scent of iron told him everything.

His parents almost hunched over from coughing. He stepped back and strummed the mandolin.

"Undo this pain that has them reeling,
May they be restored by proper healing!"

Black smoke exited their nostrils and mouths. The bruises on his father's face left him as well as the wound on his mother's ribs.

"Thank you, son!" his father expressed.

Will's face overflowed with tears from almost losing them. He sank to his knees as they wiped his face clean.

The knights arrived shortly after and investigated the scorched area. Not one vegetable nor animal survived the flames. The ground was heavily salted, killing off any potential growth. Everything his parents had worked hard for was gone.

The knights checked on his parents. Dorothea was being held by Will to comfort her trembling body.

"Mr. Bennett, were you here at the time? Can you explain what happened?"

James motioned with his head. The knight followed him, and they stopped.

"Bandits threatened us for our money. I gave it to them since my wife was in danger. They promised to let us go afterwards, however.... One of them stabbed my wife."

Will's eyes shot wide open.

"I tried to fight, but they overwhelmed me. They torched the place afterwards. Fortunately, I woke up and dragged us out. Our boy healed us after finding us outside."

"Which group was responsible? Did you get a good look at them?"

"They had black hooded robes with black daggers."

The knight's blood almost froze as he knew. "The Black Iron Gang. We will keep on the lookout for them. Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"This was all we had."

Will gripped his knees.

His mother laid a hand on his to calm him down. "Don't worry, dear. We will be back to normal one day. Let's count our blessings."

"Mom, your legacy is gone. Even with my magic, I can't bring back what's destroyed."

His father returned after talking with the captain. "Good news is that we have a place to stay. The captain says we can stay at a tavern for free until proper accommodations are set. Let's go."