Dance of the Damned

Carrage Ride

House. We are going to Roshi's house. Heris thought, looking at Clover who seemed to have the same expression as him. 

Are we going to enter in? He asked the girl from facial expressions alone.

I don't know. I don't even know where he lives! She answered back as enthusiastically as him. 

Why would he suddenly ask to ride with us though? Heris thought, turning to the boy staring out the window as he let the wind hit him on the face. 

It was so sudden too. 

______________________

Minutes ago, 

"Shall we get going?" Micah asked, holding his stick as he looked at Teri.

"Going? Where?" 

"My house." Micah declared as panic filled the room immediately. 

"Why would you go with her when you came with me?" Thunder asked, distraught. "I can take you back-"

"I want to go with Teri," Micah said, looking at him blankly. "Am I not allowed to?" 

"Y-you can, but-" Carvill tried to diffuse the situation but Micah was having none of it. 

"I will need to be back soon otherwise they will worry." He said firmly. "Besides, I have something to talk with Teri about." 

"You can talk about it with her here, couldn't you?" Madam Lottie asked. 

"Nope." He said stubbornly. "Besides, I think you should get on with the meeting, Thunder. You know how your guards are." 

"I know." he sighed, running his hands through his hair. 

He stared at Teri for a second and then walked to her, "Here. If they ask you anything, say that I sent you back." 

Thunder placed a ring in her hands, upon closer inspection, she could see that it is the Royal Seal.

"Why are you giving this to me?" She asked, holding it up like it was something disgusting. "What if I lose it?" 

"That is exactly why I gave it to you." The man said, smiling sadistically. "If you lose it, it means treason and there will be nothing I can do but carry that order out." 

"Are you ... jealous that Roshi chose me over you?" Teri mused, looking at the man slyly. "Well, I am honoured that he chose me over you." 

"Please leave before I take that ring and 'lose' it, putting the blame on you," Thunder said, pressing his temples as he turned from them. 

"Carvill," Micah called the man over, nodding at him. 

Heris noticed that it seemed like the two were conversing with each other though they did not say one word.

The man nodded back at him, a knowing look in his eyes. 

To have this kind of connection with Roshi that no words need to be exchanged. Heris thought. One day. I will be able to do that. 

__________________________

Back to the present, 

"Ouch." Micah hissed as the carriage bumped slightly.

"Are you ok?" All three almost shouted as Teri told the driver to slow down and be more careful. 

"Fine. I am fine." He said, pressing his side with a sigh. "This is nothing. Albeit a little annoying."

"Do you really get injured this often, Roshi?" Clover asked, setting back in her seat opposite to Micah and Heris. 

"I get injured just from breathing." He laughed. "So, yes. I believe I do." 

Everyone fell silent as Micah stuck his hand out the window, feeling the wind against it as his hair flew everywhere. 

"I hope you don't mind that I have the windows open," Micah said, leaning against the wood. "I tend to feel anxious when I ride carriages. Something about a moving room does not sit well with me." 

"We don't mind at all," Teri said, trying to reassure him. "You may do whatever you like, Roshi." 

"I have no intention of doing that." Micah chuckled. "But thank you nonetheless." 

"If I may be a little bold," Heris said, looking at the boy. "What is it that you wanted to talk to our Division Master about?"

"Should Clover and I even be here?"

"You both should," Micah said, tapping the wood. "In fact, you two are the reason why I wanted to meet with her in the first place." 

"These two?" Teri asked, looking from Clover to Heris. "Are they in some kind of trouble?" 

"Nothing like that," Micah said waving his hands in front of him. “I just wish to borrow then both, if you do not mind. Teri.” 

“Borrow them? May I ask what for? It is not that I don’t trust you, Roshi, but I am just concerned.” 

“I am glad that you are concerned for their well-being, to be honest,” Micah said with a sigh. “I suppose I can tell you about this as the Division Master. But I would implore you not to tell anyone about what is spoken in this carriage.” 

“Is it that serious?” She asked frowning slightly. “Alright. We promise. Right, Clover. Heris?” 

The two nodded vigorously as Micah leaned in, “Ok. Now, this is what I will need you two to do.” 

_______________________

“Are you sure, Roshi?” Heris asked, looking at him sceptically. “I don’t know if we should be doing this.” 

“And why not?” Micah asked, leaning back on the cushions with a playful look on his face. “I thought you would be more excited about this prospect.” 

“I like it,” Clover said brightly. “I do not care what you ask me to do, I will do it really well. I promise.” 

“Don’t do that,” Micah said, frowning slightly. “Have your own thoughts. Question the things I say and try to find the truth in them. Even Carvill does this many times.” 

“Carvill?” Heris asked, surprised. “But he is the one closest to you and knows things we don’t.” 

“Not entirely.” Micah laughed. “Sometimes he knows less than someone. Like for Phase Three, Thunder knows a lot more than he does.” 

“I have to ask, why do you not tell someone everything?” Teri asked, hand on her chin. “It would be a huge load off your shoulders. Unless, it is because the future is just that unpredictable.” 

“Yes and no.” He answered, fiddling with the stick in his hands. “The future is uncertain but history tends to repeat itself. As I have said, if something was destined to happen in the future, it will happen. 

“You can try to prevent it with all your might but it will happen. So, the best thing to do is to be the perpetrator of the incident OR make sure that happens earlier than the designated time.

“Those are your only options. At least, when the incident happens, you will be able to prevent something from happening or cause something to happen.” 

“If it is fixed, wouldn’t the number of deaths as well?” Heris asked, frowning. 

“Sometimes.” Micah shrugged nonchalantly. “I am still figuring this out as best as I can but it is a little more complicated than I would like to admit. I apologise.” 

“No. No. It is alright. Thank you for answering my question.” Heris said quickly, making Micah laugh. 

“Any more?” 

“What exactly is it that you can do?” Clover asked, grabbing everyone’s attention immediately. “I know that you can see the future but … is that really what it is?”

“What do you think it is then, Clover?” Micah said still pleasantly smiling at her as he leaned in closer. His white eyes glinting in the moonlight. 

“I don’t know.” She said, thinking. “Could it be that we were originally a book, or something like that, and you read about this world and appeared here after dying in your own world?” 

“So close.” Micah laughed, leaning back on the cushions. “But no, unfortunately. That sounds interesting though, where did you get that idea?” 

“I saw a book about it. But the protagonist went into the future of the book he read after he died so I thought it might be something like that. Did you come from the past then?” 

“No. I am from this time.” Micah turned to Heris. “What about you? Any guesses?” 

“I think you are blessed by the goddess,” Heris said plainly. “That you have the gift of seeing the future.” 

“Gift, huh?” Micah said softly, his smile faltering slightly. “Close, you too but that is not it. 

“Though, even if that is that it is. I would not accept it as a gift.” Micah sighed. “It is too much of a curse, considering it a gift would just be sad.” 

“I think you truly are bles-“ 

Micah held his hand up to stop Heris from speaking as his mouth became a thin line before forcing a smile on his face, “I am about to reach my house. So why don’t we discuss about the task I gave you two first?” 

“I do have a question,” Clover said, raising her hand as the two began to talk. 

Heris fell silent, regret poking at his inner core as he looked at Micah talking to Clover like nothing happened, but there is this darkness around him that wasn’t there before.