Dance of the Damned

Accidental Death

"Why did you sto-" Nameless asked, looking in front of him with a gasp. "The kingdom ... it's on fire."

"Not yet," Miah said, leaning forward on the horse. "It only started. Thunder's magicians as incredible, don't you think so, Carvill?"

"I agree." He said, looking closely at the fire. Micah was right, it only started and is taking its time to spread from one tree to the other.

It is also not emitting any kind of smoke as large blue flames consumed a tree, like a little flame on a candlestick. It seemed contented on burning one tree to a crisp first.

From far away, those fires looked like they had already completely consumed the kingdom.

Though there is one downside, this fire feels hotter than other fires. Even if they could not smell it from where they stood, they could still feel a bit of the heat.

"It is hot," Nameless said, fanning himself.

"That is the thing," Micah said, sighing. "That is the main reason I needed someone quick and stealthy. The instant she set the forest ablaze, she needs to run because the heat could kill her."

"Is that why you made the game have such a short time limit?" Carvill asked, looking at Micah.

"Something like that," Micah said with a smile. "She was faster than anyone there and the only one with a chance of escaping."

"Why would you do this?" Nameless asked, almost screeching. "You are still putting lives at stake!"

"You have no right to speak." Carvill sneered at the man, venom in his voice. "It took threats of death from everyone for you to not sacrifice our entire kingdom for your one daughter."

Nameless gritted his teeth, unable to say a word.

"There they are," Micah said, turning behind them into the forest to see Heris and Clover riding their horses to them. "Right on time."

_____________________

A few minutes ago,

"I can't believe we actually found it!" Heris shouted, excitement in his voice as they rode their horses into the forest where Micah told them to meet him at.

"I know!" Clover shouted back. "But to think it would be it's complicated ... I am just glad we found it now."

"Me too! I felt so cool!" He laughed. "We sure showed those people!"

Clover smiled, remembering how Heris shot a bullet into the leg of a man without so much as having to aim at him.

The other people they talked to were trembling with fear at the two but it took a lot more threatening to get what they needed.

Though it would not escape her mind that she shot a bullet into the skull of someone.

That woman was charging at her with a knife and she knew that either one of them had to die. She also knew that she wasn't the one. She couldn't yet.

There is still too much for her to do. She understood all that, but that did not change the feeling when she heard the bullet enter the woman's skull.

The sounds of flesh ripping and brain splattering everywhere along with deep, red blood.

Still, Clover managed to keep a straight face after the woman fell dead, she could not show any weakness. Not in front of the people she was looking at.

"Are you ok?" Heris's voice pulled her out of her trance, remembering where she was immediate.

"I am fine!" She shouted back, excitement dancing in her voice as she laughed out loud. "This feels incredible!"

"Yeah! I think we are about to reach too!" Heris said after a while, looking at the thicket of trees as it began to clear away.

They rode past the trees, seeing the three waiting for them at the edge of a cliff. But it is the blue flames behind them that caught Clover's attention immediately.

"Roshi!" Heris shouted, getting off his horse and walked to Carvill with a black-haired boy in a blindfold and uniform. "Huh? Who is this?"

Clover got off her horse as well, walking to them and looking at the boy sitting in front of Carvill.

"You don't recognise me or something?" The boy laughed, tilting his head back. "I think this disguise is great then, Carvill."

"I wouldn't have recognised you either, Roshi," Carvill said as the two felt their mouth fall open.

"How did you not recognise him?" Nameless scoffed. "The only person that would be with Carvill like that would be Roshi. Idiots I tell you."

"I forgot, you could tell me apart immediately, Nameless?" Micah said, grinning at the man. "I am impressed."

"I-it’s nothing." The man said, coughing and acting like he could care less of what Micah just said.

So annoying. Clover thought. I can feel the smugness coming from that man. Why does he act like he is better than everyone?

__________________

"I suppose you do care more about Roshi than you would care to admit." Carvill teased as the man grew even more flustered.

"I do not care about this ... this ... child." The man spat. "Are we going or not?"

"Actually, the rest is up to you, Nameless," Micah said, getting off the horse with Carvill's help.

He walked to the man, the ends of his blindfold around his neck dancing in the wind as the fire grew hotter and brighter.

"W-what do you mean by that?" Nameless asked, stuttering. "Aren’t you going to help me? You said you would."

"I never did," Micah said, tilting his head to the side. "I just asked if you would like to save your daughter. Now is your chance."?

Micah pointed towards the kingdom, "She will most likely be in the kitchen of the houses closest to the fire. You better hurry. They are growing closer."

Nameless stared at Micah blankly before cursing at him. He took off his mask and threw it at the boy, causing a cut on his cheek as the mask made contact with his skin.

"Roshi!" The three ran to him, Heris pulling out a handkerchief to press against the cut as blood began to drip out of the cut down his chin.

"That was uncalled for!" Clover shouted at the man. "Don't you know what Roshi-"

Micah grabbed her hand tight and shook his head at her, smiling kindly. Carvill standing in front of Micah to protect him.

Fury burning in her eyes, Clover kept quiet, biting on her lip the entire time.

"You are just useless. Why did I ever put my trust in you?!" The man shouted at Micah. "All who trust you to help them are just wasting their time! After this, I will make sure to expose you for the fraud you are!"

“Aren’t you wasting time standing here and screaming?” Micah asked, looking at the man lazily. “You really should hurry.”

Nameless shouted all kinds of profanities before taking off on his horse to the direction of the kingdom, the others watching him with annoyances on their faces.

11: 22 P.M., 13 June

____________________

“Are you ok?” Heris asked, pulling the bloodied handkerchief from Micah’s cheeks.

“I am fine,” Micah said, laughing it off. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Of course we would be worried about you!” Garcia shouted at him, suddenly stopping herself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout like that.”

“I understand that you are concerned about me,” Micah said softly. “Don’t apologise.”

“Still, you should have kept a distance from him.” Carvill scolded, taking a look at the wound on his cheek. “The other wounds on your body are not completely healed either. Please be careful.”

“I will,” Micah said, grinning. “Now, did you two find what I told you to?”

“It is right here.” Heris handed him a piece of paper. “I hope this is the one.”

“I think you should hand that to Carvill.” Micah mused, pointing to his blindfold. “As you can see, I am not the best at reading.”

“I apologise!” Heris shouted, quickly handing the paper to Carvill, a blush creeping up his cheeks under the mask he wore. “I am so sorry.”

Bursting into a laugh, Micah hugged the boy, ruffling his hair. “You are really fun. I like you. What does it say, Carvill?”

Micah walked to Carvill as Heris trembled, stuck in his position with a dazed look on his face.

“Are you ok?” Clover laughed, waving her hands in front of his face. “Heris?”

“He said that he liked me,” Heris said, shaking Clover. “Me. He likes me.”

“Are you just trying to show off right now?” Clover scoffed at him. “I heard you loud and clear. By the way … should I tell him about … that …”

Heris looked at her fiddling with her fingers in front of her. Placing his hands in front of Clover’s hands, he gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“I think it is best you do.”

She looked at his comforting eyes and nodded, gulping before she walked to them.

"Roshi? I need to tell you something."

"Yes?" Micah asked, turning to her, the blue light dancing off his skin.

"I ... I killed someone!" She shouted quickly. "It was by mistake. I didn't mean to kill her but she attacked me and I had no other choice!"

"Who?"

"Pardon?"

Micah pulled off his blindfold and looked at the girl, eyes wide, "WHO did you kill?"