The smoke from the forge billowed through the air, choking Randy and burning his eyes. Stumbling out into the street coughing, he struggled to breathe. Something horrible had gone wrong and now the place was up in smoke. Turning he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The capital relied on their city, Gryphons Rest, to produce anything and everything related to weapons and armor. The competition between businesses was fierce. To see his uncle's smithy burning was a nightmare.
Voices shouting and running feet as townspeople raced towards the burning structure were a blur to Randy's senses. All he could think of was his desire to breathe and stop the disaster striking his family. 8 years old, there would have been little he could have done, but the sense of duty to protect his and his family's own was still strong. Smoke inhalation clouding his brain, he fell to his knees. Catching himself only with his hands. Still unable to see, he felt through the ground his Uncle staggering inside unable to find the way out. Then a support beam gave way. Instinctively Randy focused and shoved the earth up creating a new support beam, then grew dizzy and fell over.
The sound of bells rang overhead and wings beat a rush of wind cooling Randy's face. Gasping in the cleaner air, Randy opened his eyes and looked across the dirt ground. A Herald and her companion, a splendid white gryphon landed in front of him. The Herald lifted a hand and suddenly Randy's uncle appeared outside beside them. Exhausted he sank to the ground, letting the neighbors douse the smith in water.
A soft, cool hand touched Randy's face. In confused puzzlement, he barely noted the herbalist from down the street checking him over before moving on to his uncle. He couldn't think beyond the relief of breathing fresh air. His uncle muttered to the herbalist, "Diana, my boy..." he stopped in a fit of coughing. Diana looked up at the Herald as she approached.
"There was another boy working here. Is he..." Randy vaguely remembered his cousin had skipped out the back to go fishing and started shaking his head.
The Herald shook her head, white outfit still clean despite the raging fire behind her, "I didn't see anyone else inside."
"Dian...na... he not there" Randy struggled to say. The Herald walked over and gently rested her hands on either side of Randy, making soothing noises. Randy gladly let up, a headache forming from the fumes and use of his magic.
"The boy is trying to say that his cousin was not inside during the explosion." The Herald turned to the uncle, "Dirk is your name correct? Your son, Bram, went fishing and is down at the river." The complete relief that washed over Dirk's face was enough to Randy. Never had he been so grateful for the Herald's Gift of Mindspeech. He collapsed with the sound of the Companion Gryphon taking flight to locate Bram. The last thing he remembered was the herbalist, Diana, easing her arms under him and lifting him up while thanking the Herald. "Herald Sopheria, thank you. And thank your Companion when he returns too. You saved Dirk's life."
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