What a coincidence it had to be for a year to pass almost to the day before an almost identical attack to what destroyed my home to take place at another estate! I think not! Something was definitely going on with these events, but once is a tragedy, twice is a terrible coincidence, and if a third, it would be a despicable pattern.
This would be the second, but, still, a dragon made of lightning? That was a very very particular similarity. Bruhom agreed with my assessment and he saw the one that decimated my home and has seen this one too.
The brigade had already departed when me and Sehaela broke into the stables and stole two horses. We are heading full blast towards the Diagonsen estate with full intent of witnessing this attack and drawing our own conclusions.
Well that's what I had to agree to with Sehaela to convince her that we should go. Obviously, I want to try to get my revenge, but even I know that this isn't exactly the same enemy. However, I was going to at least help save some people if I can, because I wish there was more help for us.
Before we got within a kilometer of the estate, we could hear cracks of thunder, clanging of steel, and battle cries. The evening sky was being lit up by various spells flying, but mostly by the purple lightning dragon spewing fountains of blue lightning strikes down at the ground as it swooped in and out of the ruined cobblestone walls of the estate.
"Holy shit..." I said in complete shock and disbelief. It was futile for me to try to effect the battle. That thing was insane.
I sat back on my horse and watched in horror as the entire estate was being destroyed, but suddenly I saw something that grabbed my attention. At what seemed like the epicenter of the damage, I saw a large figure forming, made of white lightning striking chaotically but confined to the figure. It looked like a very lanky humanoid creature who's lightning kept grounding out, but never disappeared.
As suddenly as it formed fully, it disappeared, and I saw Lieutenant Bruhom running down the stone stairs with a boy about my age draped over his shoulder. He was bashing through every adversary like he was some kind of unstoppable force.
He had an earth affinity which he used to make himself with the hardness of diamond, which is probably what saved him from our home's assault.
"That kid seemed to have something similar as you happening to him." Sehaela managed to say through her own issues with the scene we were witnessing.
"It looked like it. That is the key. There's a connection to it." I replied, never taking my eyes off of the battle.
"You think so?" Sehaela asked, doing exactly as I was.
"Yes, if nothing else, that kid and I were targeted."
"What can we do?" Sehaela sighed.
"Make sure he survives too." I stated as I kicked my horse and shot forward full speed into the chaos, leaving behind Sehaela who was yelling some kind of profanities at me.
I saw Bruhom in the middle of of the market. He'd placed the kid down and was fighting some lightning Warmage. He benefited from his affinity as the lightning was attracted to him but couldn't hurt him as he was one with the ground. Still, he was fighting a very agile and swift opponent. His resilience was holding up for now, but that wasn't going to last.
I came in quick on the horse with my white hot war axe at the ready. Bruhom noticed me, and, with perfect timing, he bashed the lightning warmage exactly into the spot I needed. He was relieved of his head right then and there.
"Kid! Your Pa is gonna kill you!" Bruhom growled through the barrage of sounds of war
"You're welcome! Give me the kid!" I yelled in response.
"He's like you, I think!" Bruhom yelled as he slumped the kid, belly down, across the saddle in front of me. He dodged a rogue flying frost spear and looked back at me.
"Rally and retreat! This is futile! We need to save who we can!" I yelled in what was supposed to be a suggestion
"Yes Lord Mourn-shard!" Bruhom grinned big, before lunging back into the fray, "Retreat, Save as many as you can!"
"Wait I wasn't..." I started to protest the whole 'I'm your Lord do as I say' moment that just transpired, but a full retreat was under way.
As more and more people left the gates of the noble estate, I noticed something peculiar. Not one of the warmages left the grounds.
I shook that thought to the back of my mind as I quickly tried to make my escape with this kid. Several times we came across close calls, but we fortunately made it out in one piece.
As I turned to see the last surviving Diagonsen brigadier limping out of the gate, I knew that this was an intentional slaughter with one objective - kill all, destroy all - because none of the warmages left the estate to pursue anyone, nor did the dragon. Instead, they continued to decimate the entire estate until nothing was left.
This is when things got seriously wierd. Once all of the estate was in ruins and not one moving being was in site, all of the warmages were turned into individual lightning bolts that then fused with the dragon, which then took flight, paying no attention to any of us.
We stood in shock and horror as the smouldering remains of the Diagonsen estate was laid bare before us. Some were in tears, most too dumbfounded to speak.
"Lord Korgrav, you're a hero. The Diagonsen family owes the Titanborn family an unrepayable debt." Lady Diagonsen stated as she walked up to him at the very front.
"I only wish I could have made it sooner. I'm sorry for the loss of your husband." My father stated.
The two went on to have more of a conversation, probably to discuss the next steps for their people.
I was interested until the boy on my saddle began to shift. He came to, and surprisingly turned into a bolt of lightning that jumped to the bottom of the trunk of a tree about two meters away before reforming into the boy.
"Who... Who are you!?" The kid yelled in despair and confusion
"Zionai Mourn-shard, I just saved your life." I replied calmly
"I'm Josiah... I have dreamed of you." He managed to studder out.