A slab of rubble twitched, then moved as something thunked from behind it.
With every hit, it inched further until it finally came loose
The slab slid down the pile and sent other pieces tumbling before coming to a stop again.
Phoenicia panted as she pulled herself through the hole. Arm by arm she moved further, protected by an enchantment on her robes.
As soon as she pulled herself out, the enchantment shut down. The pile of rubble started to collapse again as the support from the protective bubble disappeared.
On instinct, Phoenicia rolled down the hill at full speed. Running into several chunks that stuck out in the process.
She didn't stop when she reached the bottom but kept rolling until she ran into one of the tables that were intact.
"ah? Ah. AH!"
Came the surprised voice of the person hiding underneath. He tried to leave but her hand darted out and gripped him like a vice.
"Run, and it'll be the last."
She said as calmly as she could while holding his leg in a vice. Her energy spread from her hand like proceeded to char off his pant leg.
Too frightened to stand, the man fell and started to stutter incoherently.
Suddenly an ominous rumble sounded throughout the room.
She turned and saw the giant pile of debris, the theater somewhat intact at the top. Then something snapped and whatever stability it had disappeared as it tumbled down in multiple bits.
"Well, that was fun. Let's go Grant."
She turned to look at the man and frowned.
"You're not Grant."
She pushed her mana into his body and it spread like a wildfire.
"Why are you wearing that cloak and where is he?"
She asked the man who was much calmer now despite being covered in a bright orange rash.
"The guild of cloak and shadows ma'am."
She tsked.
'Still can't get more than a sentence out of these people.'
"And Grant?"
"I don't know."
"Anything unusual happen?"
"Some performers came and did a nice show."
"What did they look like?"
"They were wearing enchanted cloaks with blue stripes."
"Part of the guild?"
"No."
"Where are they?"
The man pointed towards several figures casually climbing up ropes through the exposed hole.
She quickly pulled her hand away and the man started screaming in agony.
Phoenicia left the man to his suffering as she gave chase.
_________________________
"This has been... the worst... decision... of my life," Brian said as he panted.
"Don't worry... I'll make sure... it's worth it." Grant replied while similarly out of breath.
They were all gasping for air at the top of the hole with a few others that managed to escape from that disaster area. Not that the surface was much better.
The area was covered with chunks of earth jutting or sinking haphazardly. With several crashing into each other or shifted away forming trenches.
A cloud rose from the epicenter of the hole, painting the sky in the same shade of brown that covered the people below, it wasn't really much though.
Especially since the local guard were still trying to contain the fires Phoenicia started earlier.
ππ©π¦πͺπ³ columns of smoke were much more impressive.
Seeing the apocalyptic landscape around them, the poor survivors could only think.
'Could this get any worse?'
*BOOM
At that moment, Phoenicia came flying out of the crater, proceeded to do multiple flips in midair, and landed with a roll to defuse her momentum.
'F**k.' Said, everyone.
She stood up with a deliberate slowness. She took her time in a way that, to the ordinary person, looked like a cat toying with its prey.
Grant merely glanced at the hole in her robes with a slight annoyance.
"I'm looking..."
She said as she slowly stepped closer.
"For Grant Amberston." She stopped moving.
"Now, you can turn him over..." She lit up both hands with flames. "Or you can fry."
The people gasped or paled as they started to murmur, many of them never having been in this situation before,
'A bit weak aren't they?'
Grant thought as he looked at the flames.
Hiding his disdain, he stepped forward and dropped into an eloquent bow.
"With pleasure madame."
Grant said with an over-the-top British accent and startled everyone.
"It would be my pleasure to help a noble personage such as yourself, but if I were to make an inquiry before things escalate further?"
"Yes," Phoenicia said, instantly suspicious.
Grant turned in a certain direction and pointed with his left hand.
"Is that not the Just Tin knight of great renown?"
"NO!"
The man in a slivery cloak denied all too quickly and now everyone's eyes were on him.
He bolted as everyone COLLECTIVELY lost their flipping minds.