Dance of the Damned

Long Walk

"I apologise," Juliet said, looking at the woman. "I must have spoken out of turn."

"No, I understand," Teri said, sighing. "Even I could not understand most of what he does, not like he would ever explain it to me anyway."

"I just feel a little strange that I will have to do this to innocent, unsuspecting people." Juliet looked out the window to the people preparing for a celebration, not understanding what is going to happen.

Teri said, "Tell me where is the first point you will have to start the fire?"

"The forest?"

"Come with me." She took a cloak and wore it, with Juliet following after her.

The two walked out of the inn, passing some children with baskets of flowers that Teri bought for the girl.

"Where are we going?" Juliet asked, following after Teri as they stopped by stalls, buying some things to eat while walking.

"Sometimes the destination is not the important thing, it is the journey." She said, winking at the girl. "Come on. That looks delicious."

Teri pulled her to another stall as they kept walking and walking like they were never going to stop.

___________________

As the sun began to go over the horizon, the two stopped at the side of a path, trying to catch their breath while eating barbecued gecko on a stick.

"Was that fun?" Teri asked the girl nodding happily. "Great!"

"I do not want to do this more," Juliet said, sadly. "I just don't feel right."

"I wouldn't make that decision just yet," Teri said, a smile on her face while the two sat on the grass. "We still have quite a way to go."

Juliet looked at the road that seemed to stretch forever and sighed, "How much further? We are moving away from the town and into the villages."

"True," Teri said, eating the last piece of the gecko. "But, with the festival, most of the people from the villages are coming into the main town. Look."

Carriages and carriages of people were coming up the road with wagons around them.

"Most of the people are there." Teri walked up to one of the families in the group coming to them and asked them a question. "Excuse me, where are you from?"

"Eirit." The man said, looking her up and down. "Did you come from the capital?"

"Is this not the capital?" Teri asked, looking behind her. "I believe we are still in the capital."

"You are right." The man chuckled. "I apologise, I and my family have been on the road for a week already."

"That is fine." She said, smiling at him. "Have fun at the festival."

"Thank you." The man tipped his head at her as Juliet made eye contact with a kid in the carriage staring at the snack.

Not thinking twice, she gave him the snack, which the boy took immediately.

"Thank you," he said shyly.

"You're welcome." The girl beamed, a pang coming on her heart as she thought of the destruction to come as they began on their way again.

"Shall we get going, Juliet?" Teri asked as the girl remained rooted in her spot. "Something wrong?"

"I hate you, Teri." The girl said, looking at her with tears in her eyes. "Why ... why would you bring me out? I had a hard time resigning to the fact that I would be killing these people, but to actually meet them.

"I don't want to do it. If I knew of what I would have to do, I would have never joined. I just can't do this."

"Juliet," Teri called, smiling at her. "We are not at the end of our walk yet. Come."

Juliet stared at the woman, fear creeping up her body.

She does not care at all, does she? No one cares.

What have I gotten myself into?

__________________________

"We are here." Teri declared at Juliet laid down on the grass, gasping for air.

"That was too far for it to be considered a walk," Juliet complained, staring up at the tree in front of her. "What are we doing here anyway?"

"Look around you," Teri said, staring back the way they came with a contented smile on her face.

Staring at her expression, Juliet sat up and looked as well, eyes widening immediately.

In front of them is a vast expanse of just fields with nothing in it. Behind them are trees and trees in clumps.

There were some trees in front of them but they were so far apart and most were dried that they could not compare to the ones behind them.

Way beyond that is the town. It almost looks tiny from where they were looking.

"What is this about, exactly, Teri?" Juliet asked, looking at the woman.

"Don’t you realise what this forest is?" Teri asked, pointing to some crates in the far corner. "Or those?"

"Aren’t they ..."

"Yes," Teri said before Juliet could continue. "This is the forest you are supposed to start the fire in. Look at the distance, the fire is not going reach them without giving them time to run."

"What about the other villages?" Juliet ran into the forest, reaching the other side to see an even vaster and emptier field as Teri appeared beside her.

"The fire will die here." Teri laughed. "Incredible. He really thought it all out."

"But he said that someone would die." Juliet turned to Teri who shook her head at her.

"Damage will happen. How this is, is that he gave enough time for those who have to escape, to escape." Teri placed a hand on her shoulders. "That is also a reason why I am here."

"You?"

"Yes, did you think I only came here to have some fun?" Teri chuckled, "I am here to help the people get to safety. That is what Roshi told me that night I took him home."

"He told you that? Bu-"

"There are several exits that the people can go through and be safe. I had to memorize a map that Carvill handed to me.” Teri said with a tired look on her face.

____________________

The day after dropping Micah back home, Carvill came to her house and handed her a piece of paper that he drew up of the palace main city as the capital is the only one with a wall surrounding it. Not the rest of the kingdom.

“Memorize this. It will help you.” Carvill said, handing her the paper. “Roshi mad this for you.”

“Did he really?” She asked, looking at him with a sceptical gaze.

Sighing, Carvill handed her another paper with scribbles on three sides of a square, some lines going way off to out of the page.

“If you can understand this then I will take the other one from you.” He tried to take the one that he modified back and Teri stopped him.

“Thank you for this. I will memorize it well.” She said, getting starting with the memorization as Carvill disappeared from her room.

_______________________

“I have never memorised something so thoroughly in my life," Teri said looking in the distance with a sigh. "Well, that is all I am going to tell you, anyway."

"I can't believe he told you to do that," Juliet said, looking at the distance. "I misjudged him completely, didn't I?"

"What did you think of him as?"

"Some ruthless, bloodthirsty leader with no care for human life as long as he is able to get what he wants."

"That is oddly specific." Teri furrowed her brows at her. "Well, I hope you will be able to do your job well and I will do the same. Alright?"

"Ok." She said, looking at her with a slight smile on her face. "But ... that does not mean no one is going to die, does it?"

"Those that die in this incident know what is going to happen to them. They have enough time to brace themselves for it." Teri said, a sad look on her face. "You need to know that you will never be able to save anyone. I am sure Roshi knows that better than anyone too."

"You said that twice already." Juliet looked at Teri. "What do you mean?"

Teri shook her head at the girl. "You are still young, let's hold off on the amount of trauma dumped on you, alright?"

"I can handle it."

"I am not saying you can't." She said softly. "I am saying that you do not need to. Besides Roshi will be mad at me if I tell you."

"It appears to me that everyone here is very ... secretive," Juliet remarked, sitting back on the ground. "Well, whatever. It doesn't change the trust I see you all exhibit to each other."

"It is surprising, don't you think so?" Teri smiled at her as the sun began to fall over the horizon. "I should head back. I will see you once this is all over, Juliet, ok?"

As she began to walk away, Juliet called after her, "Please be careful!"

"You as well," Teri answered back, hitching a ride with some of the people on their way back to the capital.