Rufus raised his weapon and grasped Violin's reins. He then made sure Illia was ready, wearing his silver armor. Finally, he spurred the horse's flanks and set off to confront whatever danger had dared to disturb the serenity of Ard Taj.
After leaving the rampart that separated the royal fortress from the rest of the citadel, chaos completely took over the march of soldiers. The King, naturally, kept himself among the other knights, thus avoiding being the first to be caught off guard in a possible attack. But even in a disadvantaged position, he could see what was happening around him. Countless bleeding people cried out for help and assistance at the castle gates. Men, women, children, the elderly, and even animals ran about, covered in blood. The noise of crying and screaming drowned out the sound of hooves relentlessly striking the stone ground of Ard Taj.
The streets were winding paths that had been created long ago when the first people settled wherever they pleased. Rufus had plans to establish more organized and straightened roads, bringing greater order to the streets of his lands. However, the mere idea of tearing down houses and other buildings already disturbed the faces of his co-leaders, especially that of his wife. Clearly, everyone had left their homes to understand what had befallen the kingdom. The scene was chaos, made worse by the debris scattered along the way, torn from their origins by that overwhelming gust of wind. Tiles, fragments of carts, glass - everything was crushed under the hooves of the royal army's horses.
After a long time of clearing a path, the troops finally reached the street that led to the port. From afar, Rufus could see with even greater clarity the wall of smoke rising to the blue sky, emanating from where the Royal Port had once stood. Now, flames consumed the wooden decks that supported the pier, burning as they spread to the ravaged huts and bodies that lay upon that surface.
"Faster now," demanded the King. Perhaps they could still save some lives.
Despite the order, the vanguard of knights couldn't quicken their pace. More people kept appearing from all corners, bleeding and pleading for help. Many threw themselves in front of the horses, clutching the knights' boots and begging to be taken with them. There was nothing that could be done except directing these people to the healers, but the knights couldn't do that; they were there for a different reason. Rufus remembered his daughter's tears. Whoever had orchestrated that explosion needed to be discovered, and quickly.
"Forward!" the monarch roared. His men disentangled themselves from the women and children who blocked their path and galloped as fast as they could before stopping in front of another group of people.
Still meters away from the coast, the cavalry had to halt. From there, bodies and debris continued to burn alongside charred figures that had once been ablaze. Rufus dismounted his horse, his sword still sheathed, and proceeded to take the lead of the expedition. The number of dead surpassed hundreds. Blood spread everywhere, along with body parts with every passing meter. The King passed by a tree that had almost sprouted in the sands of the beach, its trunk impaled by a two-meter-wide block of concrete that pierced through the heads of a couple still embraced in death. But it was only a portion of the terror that the place had become; no one there was alive besides the knights. When Rufus realized he couldn't help anyone there, he finally decided to investigate the focal point of the explosion.