Fragment 4 - The Fire

The smell of cinders. That unmistakable odor of dried wood burning upon a pyre. There was no smoke, no towering flames, just that scent. It covered the town and the plains in a blanket of hot air.

It was sudden, but as soon as Doris had caught wind of it, creeping through her open windows, she rushed outside, eyes searching for the source, darting about wildly. The distant cries of 'fire' could be heard all around. As if by instinct, she rushed towards the library. That was when she seemed to enter the cloud. A rain of falling ashes, the pages of the books inside lit aflame. The sounds of shrill screams and cries filled the air, and the crackle of the fire that engulfed the large building. Her legs buckled and gave way as she sunk to the ground, unable to tear her eyes from the scene in front of her.

"Doris!" She heard a small cry behind her, steadily getting louder as the sound of quick footsteps entered her ears. "What happened!?"

Her eyes shot back, the voice finally cutting through her shock. "Page!?" She could feel a wave of relief wash over her, but it was soon replaced ultimately by worry and fear. "Quickly, we must get out of here!" She took the girl's hand and took off at a run, leading them back to her shop as fast as their legs could carry them.

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"How could this have happened!?" "Aren't we supposed to be protected from this?" "Why would they come here!?"

"Quiet! Quiet!" The mayor called loudly over the crowd. The meeting house was packed full, wall to wall people shouting, others whispering among themselves. "Quiet I say!" The crowd drew to a hush.

It had been just a day since the mysterious fire that burned down the old library, the smell of burning books and bodies still filling the streets. It was horrific. Just before the incident, the library was trespassed upon by seventeen men in white robes, each carrying a laurel in one hand, and an olive branch in the other. Not much else was known about what happened, but they locked the doors, and lit the building on fire, killing all of its occupants and destroying the building. There were but a few survivors, all were in too critical a condition to speak.

This was no secret organization. They were the law, the peace keepers. They were The Order.

"Why would they come here!?" Cried one woman. "We have done nothing wrong!"

But they were here. For one reason. Page.