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Page 48<br />
They could hear it inside the church. At first, they paid it little mind. Soon, though, it<br />
became undeniable, building, getting closer to them, and everyone fell silent, anxious. They<br />
slowly streamed from the building and stood outside, listening, holding one another.<br />
It was the sound of the world ending, and the warriors hit the village like a wave. Black<br />
Peter and his men were dressed and armed for war and the villagers had only ever known<br />
kindness from them. They were not ready for this attack, and they could not stop it.<br />
There was no point in running, no chance to resist. The warriors rode down every<br />
child they saw, scooping them up, striking down anyone else they encountered. In the chaos,<br />
the candles in the church were knocked askew, and before the last child had even been<br />
gathered, the entire village was in flames.<br />
The thunder rolled back out with the warriors, Black Peter at their head, every single<br />
child in their arms now. The villagers collected their wounded and their fallen, broken inside<br />
and out by this unspeakable betrayal, the flames of their church a beacon in a night that had<br />
just become colder and darker than any before.<br />
The Magician had not been idle during Black Peter’s ride, though. He had built a series<br />
of bowls and fires and bellows, a machine that took up much of Noel’s court now. Noel<br />
found himself wracked with doubt as he waited now for his brother to return with his<br />
horrible bounty.<br />
When the doors to the court flew open and Black Peter and his warriors poured in<br />
with the children from the village, the Magician let loose a laugh that sent a chill through<br />
Noel. “Immortality is yours, my Lord! It is simply a matter now of carrying out the act<br />
itself.”<br />
Dreading the answer, Noel asked, “What act is that?”<br />
Noel could have sworn the Magician’s eyes grow darker as he answered. “Spill the<br />
blood of these children into my machine. The rest will take care of itself.”<br />
Even having braced for the reply, Noel flinched. “I can’t do that. I won’t.”<br />
“I tell you to send your men to gather children… what purpose did you suppose it was<br />
for? Their lives for yours. That’s how it works.”
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