A thunderous explosion, accompanied by a sudden minor earthquake, blasted across Winterseed.
The villagers cried out in fear; a few quickly dropped to the ground while others remained standing, frozen, as they stared intently in the direction of the explosion where a magnificent mushroom of flames blazed fiercely into the sky.
It brilliantly illuminated the entire village for several seconds with its sharp, fiery glow.
Rowan and Blaze were sprinting rapidly in that direction when the explosion occurred. They immediately halted their steps at the moment it happened to observe.
Rowan observed more closely and realized that the explosion had occurred very near the location of his house.
The very first name and face that flashed through his mind was Riela.
Such an explosion was unquestionably unnatural; it was either caused by a magic spell or by some sort of explosive artifact.
