Snippet #1003446

The Oracle Simin:


Simin: ------- She had burst through the temple doors, bypassing the apparently malfunctioning automatic mechanism that controlled them by weight sensitive plates. The whole thing needed to be reconstructed now, so that wasn't worth her worry at the moment. No, Simin's only concern now was the safety of any remaining children. She rushed up the curling stair case, screaming over the roaring flames for them all to stay put; the smoke made it hard to see, but she already knew where they were---thank god for foresight. After moving burning timber from her path with her staff and breaking through several doors, she wheeled down the stairs again with three children in tow.

Suddenly, Simin stopped in her tracks and grabbed them by their linen wraps, tugging them forcefully to the ground. In a mear second, the sand crashed through the light wells in the ceiling, tearing them open from the weight, and more burst through the doorways into the center room. The earth that whipped over them stung like a lashing, so she hovered on top of them protectively. Tenrai must have found a sand source, she mused to herself and quietly murmered a blessing in relief. The smoke subsided greatly with the fire, making it easier to see through the debris. She lifted one more child from beneath a broken statue that had been crushed by the falling ceiling, and carried him out as the others followed.

She emerged from the wreckage, her beautiful robes tattered and scorched, but the children were safe. She knew the brigade had already saved the princess, as was any Kethadrian's first priority but Simin's, who was strictly responsible for the Blessed and Damned.

Men and women ran up with cloaks to wrap around the little ones, whisking them away to safety, to be cleaned up and fed and checked by the physicians.

It was all a relief, but Simin knew it wasn't over.

"What a horrible night. I know I'm going to get an earful from the King; I can already hear his lecture in my ears," she mumbled as she wiped off her hands, sauntering toward Tenrai and the fire brigade.