Dance of the Damned

Help Is On the Way

11: 32 P.M.

"Elizabeth!" Britton, or as he is better known as Nameless, shouted into the crowd of people. "Where are you?!"

He arrived in the kingdom, pushing through all the people running out of the gate in a fit of panic.

He may have punched a person or two to be able to get in but he was in and that is all that really matters in the end.

Roshi said that she might be somewhere there. The man thought, frowning. If he knew where she was going to be, shouldn't he have told me earlier? I would have been able to come.

He said that he was going to help me and he isn't. Why did I ever put my trust in him in the first place?

Once I find her and get out of here, I will make sure to tell everyone about what a fraud he is.

Roshi. He scoffed. He is just a kid trying to make it bigger than he really is and he's got everyone fooled. But not me, not anymore.

They all worship him like he is some kind of deity. What a joke.

He is always smiling and thinking that he is better than anyone. Watch as I destroy your dreams, Micah. I will destroy everything and put you through the same pain I was put through.

_____________________

Walking to the palace, Britton got off his horse and began to run into it, passing the servants screaming in pain from the heat.

Why are they being so dramatic? He thought, looking at the people screaming and clutching their skin in pain. It is not even that hot.

He still had his cloak on and used that to cover his face and run into the palace.

It is almost empty by the time he got there and he didn't know who to ask to get to the library so he was left searching every part of the palace.

"Help. Please." He heard someone call to him and turned to see a woman buried under a pile of wooden beams.

"What happened?" Britton asked, running to the woman.

"We were preparing for a festival and thought of renovating the castle a little bit." The woman said, blood tricking down her face. "Everyone panicked and we could not finish the ... renovation as these fell on me."

"Wait, let me get you out." He said, grabbing the wooden beam and lifting it up. "Try to crawl out."

The woman struggled and tried pulling herself out, to no avail.

Britton, unable to hold the wood up any longer accidentally dropped it, breathing heavily as the woman began to cry.

"I am going to die here." She sobbed, hand over her mouth. "This is how I am going to die. I don't want to die yet! Please, you have to help me! I have three children! They are still very young! I can't leave them yet. They are waiting for me at home!"

"Let's do this slowly, ok? One by one instead of the whole thing." Britton said, trying to reassure her as he took one piece of wood out at a time until he was left with three beams, one going straight through her leg and the other two at her sides. "Oh."

"Is it that bad?" The woman asked, trying to look behind her but he stopped her.

"Don't!" Britton shouted, holding her head down. "If you move, it could get deeper inside."

"What do I do then?" The woman asked, tears rolling down her eyes even more. "I need to get my children still also. What do I do?!?"

"Calm down." He hissed, looking at her injury before sighing. "I am going to carry you out of here first. Ok?"

"But my-"

"Worry about yourself first!" He shouted, glaring at her as he picked her up and took her out of the castle as quickly as possible.

Once outside, Britton tried to look for anyone that would take the woman from his hands but everyone was in too much of a panic to give him a second glance while running past him as quickly as they could.

The heat is not as much. He thought, looking at the fire behind him. And it is spreading very slowly as compared to how fires spread. If they took a second to observe, they would not be as panicked as they are now.

Well, not like I can expect them to think rationally in this situation. I just need someone to take this woman from me.

He stared at her mangled leg and gritted his teeth. She is not going to be able to run on her own. There has to be someone, anyone-

“Gisela!” He turned as a man ran to them, dripping in sweat.

“Dustain!” The woman shouted, trying to rush to the man but Britton held on to her before she could fall over. “Have you seen my children?! You were in the library with them, right??”

“I thought they were with you!” The man shouted, panic coming on his face. “I … I think they went back home, Gisela.”

As soon as he said that, the turned to the fires behind them. Clasping her hands over her mouth, the woman started sobbing her heart out.

“They are still alive, Gisela. I know it.” The man shouted, hands trembling. “I … I will find them. I promise. I’ll go back to your house and look for them there.”

“I will look with you!” The woman shouted with determination burning in her eyes.

“You can’t!” Britton shouted at the woman, glaring at her. “With the condition of your legs, do you think you will even be able to walk, let alone run??”

“I have to do what I can, don’t I?” She said softly. “Even if that means I die trying to find them. The oldest is hardly ten years old. I can’t leave them alone.”

Gritting his teeth even more, Britton sighed, “If you go with him, you will only cause more problems than actually be helpful.”

“Then what do I-!”

“You, where is her house?” Britton asked, pointing to the man in front of them.

“The fifth house you see after you pass the castle, that way.” The man said, and, without waiting a second, Britton handed the woman over to Dustain before taking off in that direction.

“Wait!”

If I hurry now and find them, I may be able to get to my daughter as well.” Britton thought, grabbing onto a horse standing at the side of the road as the fire continued to grow closer. Sorry, Elizabeth. I will be right there, wait for me.

__________________

00:00 A.M., 14 June (Again)

Micah stared at the woman in front of him, a bright smile on his face.

“Are you looking for something?” He asked, unmoving.

“Perhaps.” The woman said, raising an eyebrow at him. “How are you able to tell who I am or even make your way through all this? On a horse nonetheless.”

“That’s just the perks of being cursed.” Micah shrugged. “Let me guess, you are looking for a man about … this height.”

He stood in his tiptoes, holding his hands way above his head. “Am I right?”

“You aren’t wrong.” She sighed, shaking her head at him. “Not entirely anyway. Who are you anyway?”

“I am Micah! Nice to meet you.” He grinned, tilting his head to the side. “I am looking for someone too so why don’t we look together?”

“I don’t kno-“

“Come on, I even have a horse.” Micah held his hand out to the girl who sighed and climbed on the horse, ignoring his hand as he turned the horse around and took off in another direction.

“Where are we going?” The woman asked, shouting.

“You’ll see,” Micah said, growing more excited as the minutes passed, the fire roaring around them. “What time is it? Do you have a clock on you?”

The woman took out her pocket watch and looked at the time, “It is already past midnight! 12:02 to be exact! Why?”

“Then we are right on time!” Micah shouted, speeding up the horse. “Sorry! I need to make a stop first! Look around if you can find the man you are looking for!”

“How did you know that I was looking for a man?”

“It was just a while guess.” Micah stuck his tongue out at her. “But it was right, wonder of wonders, don’t you think so?”

“I don’t believe you!”

“Why not?!”

“Because it was too accurate of a guess to be a guess! You even knew his height!” She looked at him suspiciously. “And you are blind, right?”

“I can make out sounds,” Micah said, slowing the horse down. “Right now, everything is heightened for me and I am slightly overwhelmed. Have you heard of something like that before?”

“I believe I have.” She thought for a second. “But you raise too many questions at the moment that I cannot completely understand it.”

“So, who are you looking for?” Micah asked, making the horse go at a walking pace, not even a gallop. Though the heat is starting to sting his skin.

“Why are you asking that all of a su-“

“If we find the person you are looking for, we might find the one I am looking for on the way. I am sure you have more direction than I do too.” Micah shrugged. “Tell me, who are you looking for?”

“… My … fiancée.” She finally said, looking away from him. “He works in the palace library. He is the type of person to not leave until he makes sure everyone is alright. I am sure he is still there.”

“Really?” Micah asked, falling silent as a shout for help suddenly came to their ears.

“Did you hear that?” The woman asked, grabbing the boy’s arms to make the horse stop.

“It sounds like someone is calling for help,” Micah said, pointing to a spot where the fire was blazing over, what looked like, a collapsed building.

As soon as he said that, the shouts and cries of help grew even louder.

“We need to check on them!” The woman shouted, ready to grab the reins of the horse from Micah.

“Whoa.” Micah pulled the reigns from her, holding them away. “I can feel the heat of that place, you could risk dying if you go there.”

“I am not going to leave anyone behind!” The woman shouted as a smile came on Micah’s lips. “You can leave. I will go there!”

Without waiting for another second, the woman got off the horse and began to make her way into the burning place as Micah watched her go, the smile on his face not disappearing.

Putting on the blindfold on once again, he sped the horse up in the direction he came in. Five minutes. Just give me five minutes.