Dance of the Damned

Burn, Burn, Burn

Micah rode his horse as quickly as he could, gritting his teeth as he tried to pinpoint every movement of everything around him.

He would stop occasionally when he heard shouting and pick the very few people too old or weak to run from the fire.

He helped them onto his horse and took off.

It's fortunate that there aren't too many people in here. Micah thought. Teri and her group did a good job clearing the area.

Just as he was riding the blindfold slip slightly and a very familiar colour filled his vision, in the mix of colours is the colour of honey, Teri's colour.

"Teri!" he shouted in the wreckage and a voice replied instantly.

"Yes?!"

Following the line of colour and the voice, Micah made his way to Teri and her group, carrying people out of a broken-down building.

"Roshi!" Carvill was the first one to see him and run to his side immediately. "Are you injured? Is everything ok?"

"We are running out of time," Micah said, indicating to the people behind him on the horse. "Can you take them?"

Teri turned to her group who rushed to the walls, shouting for help as more people came.

"We can!" She shouted, already rushing to take some of the people from the horse with Carvill's help.

"Carvill!" Micah shouted at the man. "Come with me."

Nodding, Carvill pulled the last man from behind the horse and placed him beside Teri, climbing onto the horse.

"Teri!" Micah shouted. "Thunder is here now. Make sure he comes deeper inside!"

"Where are you going?!" Teri asked as Micah only gave her a smile before taking off in the direction he came in once again.

______________________

"Where are we going, Roshi?!" Carvill asked as Micah sped up the horse once again.

The heat licked his face the closer to the fire they got.

"Remember the promise that I made to Carvill when we met him?!" Micah asked, gripping the reins as though his life depended on it.

"That you would save his daughter?!"

"I never promised that!" Micah shouted. "I asked him if HE wanted to save his daughter!"

"I remember that! What does that have to do with this?!"

"If I am not wrong! He would already have saved her!"

"I am not following!"

"Britton's daughter dies saving some kids," Micah said, pulling the reins of the horse, making it come to a stop. "Remember what I said about stopping something that is supposed to happen?"

"Something has to be given in exchange for it?" Carvill frowned under the mask, getting off the horse with Micah.

"Right." Micah nodded. "That is what makes everything I do all the more complicated. Fortunately, the exchange does not necessarily have to be equivalent."

Micah began walking and stopped in front of one of the burning houses, "Here."

The front is completely blocked off by burning wood that Micah grabbed onto, flinching in pain as he threw them away.

"Why would you do that?!" Carvill asked, taking off his cloak and covered his hands with the cloth, using that he grabbed the remaining wood and threw them to the side.

"Oops?" Micah shrugged, running into the burning house with Carvill right behind him.

"Anyone!"

"Here!" They heard a despite voice call out and ran to see a woman holding Britton in her arms while a line of fire blocked them from getting to the other side. "Help! He is burnt!"

Three children peeked their heads behind them, trembling with fear.

"Carvill," Micah said, pulling something out of his pocket. "When I tell you to, grab them and run out of here."

"I will not leav-"

"I will come later!" Micah shouted, turning to him and pulling out his blindfold. "Listen to what I tell you to do!"

Carvill stared at the boy silently for a second before forcing himself to agree.

"Good!" Micah turned to them once again. "I am going to put out the fire! Once I count to five, run this way. Ok?"

"O-OK!" They shouted, getting to their feet as the woman threw Britton over her shoulders, trying to keep him up.

"Ok!" Micah walked to the fire, taking out a powder from his pocket he threw it on the ground, and the line of fire went out almost immediately. "Now!"

Micah held his hand out to them and taking their hands in his, pulled them to the other side, managing to shove them to Carvill who picked the kids up in his arms and threw the man over his shoulder, running out with them.

All of this happening in a split second.

The instant they ran out of the building, the woman turned around just as the place burst into flames again, a scream of pain coming from the boy, the fire finally touching his skin.

"Wai-" She froze on her spot as Carvill pulled her away, just before the fire could touch her as well.

"Get on the horse!" He shouted, shoving her to the animal where the three kids and the unconscious man sat. Not one of them willing to look up. "Go!"

"What about you?!" She shouted staring as the house began to collapse.

"Go! Some people will be on their way here! Go!" He shouted, running back to the house.

Gritting her teeth, the woman slapped the horse's reins and they took off.

___________________

“Roshi!” Carvill ran into the fire and pulled the boy’s body out of the fire, putting the flames out as best as he could with his coat. “Roshi!”

This doesn’t look good. Carvill thought, staring at the boy lying there, his pale skin all red and swollen now. The top layer on some spots of the skin started to peel off and Carvill could have sworn that he can see the boy’s teeth where part of his mouth was burnt off.

The first thing he did was bend down and tried to listen to his heartbeat and breathing. Fortunately, it was still there, though very faint.

“Please stay awake.” Carvill pleaded, desperation written all over his voice.

“You’re so noisy Carvill.” Micah gasped out, stiffly turning his head to him. One side of his face was completely burnt off along with his hair.

The few muscles and flesh still visible could be seen pulsing, the dried blood sticking to that raw flesh.

“Don’t move,” Carvill said quickly, trying to assess his wounds. “What did you even do? Why did you even do that? Don’t answer me.”

“Why ask me a question if you are going to say that.” Micah’s voice rasped out, a tired cough coming from his mouth. “You are too panicked, Carvill. Calm down.”

“How can I calm down when you are like this??” He asked, his entire body trembling while the heat around them grew even hotter. “Why are you always so damn reckless?!?”

“You’re so loud right now, Carvill,” Micah said, staring straight ahead. “I can't hear out of my other ear and the one working is ringing … Ugh, my throat hurts.”

“Stop talking,” Carvill begged, looking at the fire around him. I could run away with him but that could lead to him getting more injured. Besides, I am sure there is nothing even Lottie can do to help him.

Hand on the dagger on his belt, he frowned. I am disposable. But not Roshi. We still need Roshi and we are only in phase three. There is still a long way to go.

I can be replaced.

Making his final decision, Carvill pulled out the dagger and placed it in Micah’s hands.

“What are you doing?” The boy rasped out, feeling the dagger in his hands.

“You need to live, Roshi,” Carvill said, tightening the boy’s grip on his dagger. “So use me to live. Please.”

“No,” Micah said, letting his hand fall slack while Carvill still struggled to make him hold onto it, which was a bit of a struggle as he could not bring himself to put too much pressure on the boy’s hands.

Even as he tried to gently wound his hands around the dagger, he could feel the top layer of the skin peeling off. Especially since Micah was resisting against him constantly.

“Roshi please.”

“Nope,” Micah said, voice still sounding a little playful. “Do you hear that, Carvill?”

“Here wat-“

“Young master!” They heard someone shout, galloping to them on a horse whose speed seemed almost impossible.

“There he is,” Micah said, chuckling as the guard, Orit jumped from his horse, carrying a sack in his arms and threw the said sack on the ground.

“He looks worse than I thought.” He said, pulling a woman out of the sack and threw her in front of Micah who turned to her, only one eye open now.

“Thank you.” He said, to her and swung the dagger, cutting her neck open as blood spilt all over Micah and the mint colour of her soul entered his body. “Ugh.”

Instead of healing, Micah fell back, wheezing in pain.

“W-what’s wrong?” Orit asked, rushing to Micah’s side.

“It’s not enough,” Carvill said, pursing his lips while he watched Micah’s breathing grow weaker and weaker. Damn it! Isn’t there anything I can do??