In a rush of panic, the horse let out a sound of horror loud enough to alert the entire city.

Twisting and turning its neck, it raised both front legs into the air and started to try kicking everything that wasn't able to escape within mere seconds.

Panicking, the men that had crawled from the shadows started to raise their weapons in an attempt to force the frightened animal to keep quite.

As one of them came to close it kicked him right in the head.

Blood splattered all over the place as he fell to the ground with a broken nose and some missing teeth.

The horse kept on screaming.

You barley managed to keep yourself in the saddle while the flames of magic slipped out of your control.

Like a hungry beast, they crawled over the fabric of your arm and left deep dark marks of cinder. Your entire body started to smell like a bonfire.

Fiery orange tongues threatened to burn the horse.

In the last second, you managed to regain control over them and call back the deadly forces before the animal could take serious harm.

"Back off!", you hissed and aimed a flying flame at one of the men who dared to try and pull you out of the saddle.

It hit him right in the face.

Even though your magic wasn't well trained, it was still magic. You did meant for it to be as deadly and destructive as it was.

Yet you couldn't do anything about it as the flames hugged the man's face.

Screaming in agony, he fell to his knees and tried to put out the burning feeling by scratching his face all over.

Skin curled, turned red and bubbly.

A stench of rotten blood and burned flesh creeped into your nose and made you shiver all over.

Screaming filled the air while everything sunk into chaos.

Your horse started to panic more.

With both hands clawed into the saddle, you tried to regain control over the animal by whispering a small spell.

But it seemed to have no effect.

Quite the opposite even.

With foam dripping from its mouth, the horse jumped back and stomped down another man. As it did so, the blade of the victim shot up and managed to cut through the thick leather of your right boot.

A sharp pain chased up your leg and made it feel like your kneecap was about to shatter.

Warm, sticky liquid crawled over your skin and wetted the fabric of your socks.

Out of reflex, you pulled back and lost balance. Desperately, you tried to keep yourself on the horse, but failed as it started to make such a fuss that you feared it would fall to the ground and crush you underneath any moment.

A quick decision was needed, so you did the only thing you could think of.

You let go of the saddle.

Mud and hard pavement caught your fall. Cold rainwater soaked into your clothes and made them stick to your shivering skin.

With a loud scream, the horse turned right on the spot and rushed off.

One of the attackers still tried to catch the reins.

But the animals raw force was so strong that it just dragged him through the mud until his fingers gave in and he had to let go.

Annoyed but also groaning in aching pain, you managed to sit up and light another flame in your hand.

Two men approached.

The light of your fire got reflected in the rusty metal of their blades.

You caught a glimpse at your own face, dirty and messy while red flames danced in those (E/C) eyes of yours.

The sight alone was enough for you to realise that this plan had gone horribly wrong.

"Damn this!", you hissed and ordered a flame to go for one of the men's leg.

Struck by surprise, he stumbled back, yelling in fear, while the other one tried to jump you.

You escaped safe death by rolling through the mud and summoning a wall of small flames to give yourself time to get back on your feet.

With your eyebrows knitted together, your gaze jumped through the alley in hopes to catch a glimpse of the man you had brought to avoid situations like this from happening.

"General!", you yelled and pulled your head in to avoid it being chopped off. "I could use a hand!"

Hooves clappered on the pavement.

All at once, a rider emerged from the dark.

The silver of his blade shimmered in the dim moonlight.

There was no time for the enemies to react to his sudden appearance.

In one single strike he took down two men before his horse jumped forward to shatter the small group that had formed.

"About damn time.", you growled and summoned a flame big enough to illuminate the entire alley.

With a grim look on your face, you approached the remaining few men who had been lucky enough to avoid being caught by surprise.

Threateningly, you held the dancing flames in front of their faces to push them back until they got cut off by a wall.

Behind you, the general positioned himself to cut off the only way to escape with the giant horse of his.

Shivering, the two men squeezed their eyes shut as the heat of your flames kicked their faces.

"P-please!", one of them gasped. "We don't know anything!"

The other one couldn't reply anything but whimper.

Both of your eyebrows rose as you put on a playfully surprised face.

"Oh? Really nothing?", you asked and pushed your face towards his.

"Nothing!"

"I don't believe you. Let me ask you this, who payed you?"

Fear faded.

Instead, confusion and hesitation appeared.

For the hint of a second the two men looked at each other, then at the flame burning between your fingers.

"He'll have us killed!", they said, almost in sync.

"The emperor will have you killed if you don't speak now!", general Voorhis called out in such an icy way that it even gave you the shivers.

"Speak quickly and we will put in a word for you.", you offered.