Dance of the Damned

Hide and Seek

“What is going on here?” Michel asked, sitting properly on the back of the horse.

“Look. Just keep quiet.” The woman sighed. “I want to win this time and I will not have you let me lose."

"What are you-?"

"Shh." She placed a hand on her lips, looking around her though the horse is still running faster than any horse Michel has ridden before.

He listened, keeping a lookout. For a split second, he thought he saw a figure at the top of a roof but there was nothing when he checked again.

The entire town seemed to quieten down almost immediately, like no one lived in this place.

This is strange because people are still around even at this time. It is not too late yet for them all to be at home, not to come out.

What is going on here? Michel thought. He needed money, badly, that is the only reason he took this job. If he knew how strange everything was going to be ... would he still have taken it?

"Found you." Suddenly a voice whispered in his ears, making him turn back and lose his footing as he fell onto the stone road.

He could feel every gravel and dirt along with the burning sensation of pain all over his left half while he slid to a stop.

His body trembled, vision blurred as the blood began to pool around him.

From his single clear vision, he saw the horse coming to a stop with two other horses beside it, the men he was with tried to escape from the horses but were stopped by the men on horses.

He watched with horror as the blood-soaked boy in all white walked to them and started by cutting the first man's neck.

After convulsing for a few seconds, his blood spilling everywhere, even on the boy and the man holding him down, he stopped moving.

Something stranger happened when the man died. Michel could see, what looked like, the man's soul, a white fog-like thing, escaping his body.

However, instead of going up, the boy breathed it in and he watched as the wounds over parts of his skin healed immediately.

What the hell?

______________

"I lost, again?" The woman jumped down, complaining. "When will I get to win?"

"No one has ever won before." The other man laughed, pulling his captive to his knees beside Carvill and his dead captive. "Not against Roshi."

"I really wanted to win this time. But, whatever I guess."

Micah sighed with satisfaction, as Carvill closed the man's eyes and made a sign of the cross, the boy praying under his breath.

"How was it?" He asked looking at the boy's contented face. "Nice?"

Micah nodded happily like he just had ice cream for breakfast.

"One more here." The other man said holding the second man who urinated himself in fear from seeing his friend on the ground, dead.

Micah turned to the sound of the man's voice, holding his bloodied hand out to him. “You sound like ... Heris?"

Quickly taking the boy's hand in his while holding the man with his other hand, he held it golden eyes lighting up with happiness. "You remembered me."

"Of course," Micah said, brightly. "You make the most delicious foods I have ever had. I would love to try sometime again."

"Just say the word, Roshi and I will make whatever you want." The man said like he is a puppy with his owner.

"Really?" The boy asked, breaking. "I will hold you to it then."

Before he could say anything else, he suddenly threw up a fountain of blood, instantly making Heris concerned and accidentally released the man he held.

"Roshi! Are you ok?" He asked, looking him up and down.

"He needs more," Carvill said as the man turned to his prisoner, running away.

"Oh no. I'll bri-"

"It's ok. I got this!" Micah said, throwing the dagger at the man quite a few distances from them. The blade embedded itself into his skull, killing him instantly.

Just like before Micah breathed in the essence of the person as Heris went to bring the body back to them.

"How can you be so careless?" The woman asked, hitting him across the head.

He got on his knees instantly in front of Micah, "I am sorry! You may use my soul as fodder next time, Roshi!"

"Why would he want your soul?" The woman scoffed as the man remained with his head on the ground.

Micah bent to his knees, searching for the man's head that Carvill helped him find and patted it.

"There there. I think you did a great job!" He declared, smiling even brighter, if that is even possible. "Today was so fun, Heris."

"R-really?" The man looked up at Micah, getting teary-eyed.

"There is one more." The woman said, pointing to the man gasping on the ground trying to stand on his feet but failing.

"Oh, poor thing," Micah said, walking to the man and stared at his face, eyes widening with horror as he made eye contact with him. "I am completely cured though. I would not be ending another one."

"Should we kill him then?" Heris asked, hand over his dagger at the ready.

"That would be a mercy killing, would it not?" Micah asked still smiling as fear filled the man's eyes.

"I think so?" Heris said, looking around him, confused.

The woman walked to the man and turned him over "He is bleeding badly, having lost half his body from the fall."

"He must be in a lot of pain," Carvill noted, looking at how the man's body trembled.

"Seems like it," Micah said, sitting on the ground and felt around for the man's head, placing it on his lap while the others watched. "Ok. So you are Michel. Are you scared of me, Michel?"

"M-monster." The man managed to say though his tongue hung limply at the side where the half of his jaw was missing. "D-D-demon."

"Oh? That's a first." He chuckled, playing with the man's hair. "You know, it makes me happy that you called me that. Because of how I look, people always say angel or something like that. So thank you, Michel."

"K-k-kill me." the man groaned out.

"Sorry, Michel. I can't do that." The boy said staring up at the sky with a disappointed sigh. "I wonder how the sky looks like. What do stars look like? You will be seeing them soon Michel. I envy you."

The man on his lap began to sob uncontrollably, choking from the blood and saliva in his mouth and nose.

"Don't cry, Michel," Micah said, pulling the man's head to his own and pressing their cheeks together. "I know you only did this for your family. I will make sure to let them know."

Suddenly Michel seemed to get a surge of strength, grabbing a small knife on his belt, he stuck it into the boy's cheek and gave him one last glare before falling dead.

Micah could hear the others shouting at him as he pulled the little knife from his cheek and felt the engravings on the blade.

A sad smile came over his face as Micah held the knife close to his chest.

"Are you ok?" Carvill asked touching the blood that ran down the boy's face while the other two looked with worry. "You just got healed too."

When Micah did not reply, he tried to take the knife from him but the boy held it tight. "This is mine now. Micah's parting gift to me, not you."

"Ok. Ok." The man said, looking at the wound. "It is not too deep but does it hurt?"

"Will it form a scar?" The boy asked, trying to hide his excitement.

"If you let it heal naturally then yes." The man said as Micah beamed, touching the wound now covered in blood. "You know, I think Michel is my favourite."

"Is that so?" Carvill asked, getting to his feet as he checked the pocket watch dangling on his trousers.

"Yes." Micah placed the man's body on the floor, feeling around to his eye and closing them. "Have fun over there for me too, Michel."

"We should get going," Carvill said, covering the boy in the cloak properly. "The people will be here soon."

"Already? Aww." He said, getting to his feet and then turning to Heris again as Cravill mounted the boy onto his horse.

"I just want to say ... I am so glad I was able to meet you today," Heris said seeing the boy look in his direction. "It was an honour that you allowed me to come along."

"You should come more often too, Heris," Micah said enthusiastically. "Maybe in the next meeting we will meet ok?"

"Ok!" The man said trying to mirror the boy's enthusiasm but failed miserably.

"Till next time Teri. And, thank you."

"It was my honour to be able to help you. I have something for you." The woman said, taking something out of her cloak pocket and placed it in the boy's hand.

"Is this-?" he asked, feeling the texture of the little silk flower in his hands.

"I am still trying to improve myself, but this was the first one I was able to get right. So I wanted you to have it." She said, looking away from him.

"Thank you so much! I love it." Micah declared, holding the little flower to his lips. "And it's silk too. Thank you, Teri."

"I am just relieved you like it." She said, relaxing almost immediately as Carvill got on the horse and nodded at the two.

"We are starting phase two. Clean up here." He said before taking off.