Chapter 6 : Burning Alive

Christ taking another bite of the apple, “Soo, what is our plan?”

Lisa looks around at the area, What could I do to turn the tides of battle? Scanning the two sides she spots an open window on the far side of the building next to the raiders. Watching the men throw two Moflams over toward the adventurers, bursting five voet short of the ground. Her eyes explode with creative desire, Burn, repeats in her head. The thought of burning the men alive gave her a slight flutter in her stomach. She puts her hand on Christs shoulder, “I feel bad for saying this.” Her face sports a frown and her eye occasionally dart away from his, “What do you think of dropping Moflams near them? It should be enough to scare them away or at least disorient them.”

“Why not just drop it on top of them. We might as well kill them and loot their bodies. There was a bar not to far back, and this town has so much free alcohol laying around we could burn down a whole block,” Christ looks back down the street toward the tavern. 

Lisa forcing down the smile and grips onto his shoulder, Good man, Lets watch them see them all burn, she thought. “Christ! That is cruel, I know they are slavers, but is that the right choice?”

“Not my problem, nor should it be yours.”

Inside she felt a conflict growing, I like his thinking, maybe I should keep him around, she thought, but another pulling force sent a sting of guilt down, What monster am I? Getting excited over the death of anyone. Who am I too judge someone who I know nothing about? Shaking her head sudbly, “I am not fond of killing them, but I will do what I must to protect my family.”

“Don’t worry stick with me and I’ll show you how to kill a monster,” smirking as he started walking to the bar.

Lisa’s lifts her eyebrows, eyes scanning the ground, What an odd choice of words. Following behind Christ they arrive at an abandoned tavern. The building looks untouched even with management not there and guards focus elsewhere in the city. Walking into the establishment, they see that the bar looks as though it was ready to open in a few hours. The chairs are all pushed under the tables, the battles are set appropriately on the shelves in alphabetical order. All the keys to the rooms hang in the open ready to given to their new temporary owner. 

Christ immediately steps inside, his steps while casual glide across the floor with little noise. A ghost in mortal flesh, sailing for the counter. Turning around with two bottles of clear liquid from the top shelf in his hands, “So, how should we do this?” Christ sets both bottles on the table staring at Lisa.

“I don’t know? Um, your the killer here,” taking a step back.

“So you think that just because I am a hunter that I am a killer? This was your idea missy. I am here to tag along and maybe assist. This is your time to prove to me your worth taking out of this death trap,” he says placing his palms on the counter, like he is ready to take an order.

Maybe this isn’t the right way to do things, thoughts radiating from her heart, but from the burning sensation in her stomach, they are slavers. They deserve a dead in the searing flames, after all suffering only begets suffering. With a fire burning strong in her stomach, “Would it be possible to tie the bottles together to spread the flames out?”

“I don’t see why not, all we need is a crate, some rags, and several rags.” Looking around Christ gathers up the ingredients setting each one on the counter in full view of Lisa, who has taking a seat at the bar. 

“Can I help?” Lisa starting to stand up.

“No, I can do this quicker by myself and I know exactly what I am looking for,” walking right past her. 

“I have a question for you, if you don’t mind,” she bites her lip, tapping the tip of her shoes against the ground.

Placing the last materials on the table, he lines all twelve of the bottles up in a row. “Sure,” he puts opens a small keg of alcohol, coughing when he pops the top. Whipping his eyes, “Holy mortal souls, that is a strong drink.”

Watching him empty the keg into the well made crate, she can smell the undoubtably potent drink. “Oh my that is strong,” she joins him in coughing. “How do you do it? That is . . .how do you decide to kill so easily?”

“After a while it just becomes something fun. Not to mean that I enjoy just going out slaughtering people,” Christ takes out serval rags, ties them together. “It becomes more of a game, rather than a life or death situation. I knew guys who did that serious type of lifestyle, and I watched them all either die or kill themselves.” Soaking the towels in the potent liquid in the crate, “It is easy to dehumanize someone when you don’t think about what happens to them or anyone that was connected to them after you do your job. All I need to know is that without them, I made life a little better for someone, somewhere, at some point.”

Lisa’s heart couldn’t help to pause as her lungs refused to move in this profound discovery, “Wow, honestly I thought you were just a sleeze ball, but you fight for something bigger than yourself.”

“Sure, If that is how you want to look at it,” Christ finished soaking the rags, he takes each bottle and ties them together only a few voets apart. After tying everything together, one by one he sets each of the bottles in carefully, putting a separate piece of cloth at the center of the Moflame chain.

“I am curious though, what exactly you are doing?” Lisa asks watching him load the twelve bottles into the crate.

“Well you wanted to clear them out and the most effective way to do so is to burn them alive. I  hope you are watching cause I will not show you this again. I am teaching you how to be more effective so when your final exam comes around you are prepared,” picking up the crate, he pushes it into Lisa’s arms.

Struggling to get a firm grip she barely manages to catch the edge of the crate as she stabilizes it, “Test?” Lisa says, watching Christ walk over to the door, holding it open.

“Yes, yes come on girl. Unlike us those adventurers do not have all day,” Closing the door after Lisa exits the bar. Watching behind her, “Yes a test. A moment of truth if you will. A moment that will define you and show if your worth saving from the undead. This place is full of obstacles, so I am certain you will face several of them.”

They make it almost back to where they were before when Christ branches off into the alleyway toward the slavers. Skulking through the pathway, he pulls out a rope and wrapping it around his left wrist. The sounds of battle only grew louder and louder with each step they took, until it got so loud as if being right in the middle of the conflict. They stand staring at the side of a three story inn. 

What the hell are we gonna do here? Break the window and sneak inn? I guess that could work, but wont we be trapped in that case if any of them survive? She thought to herself, opening her mouth to speak, Hmm? She stops herself from continuing when she sees Christ pull out two daggers, one in each hand. The blades are turned sideways, while gripping them backward, where the tip of the blade points behind him.

Christ crouches down before springing into the air about ten voet at his peak, where he slams the dagger in his right hand into the wall. Most of the daggers blade slide into the wall without much issue and didn’t budge as he pulls himself up, pressing his feet against the side of the building. Lisa couldn’t help but to notice that the cloak wasn’t concealing his arms anymore. She could see that for the blobish man the cloak protrayed, was nothing more than a lie as his arms were toned and bulding. Lifting himself up put enough strain on his arms to push the viens against the skin. 

He didn’t make any grunts or heaves as he repeats the process scaling up the side of the building. Once he was on top of the building, without a word he lowers the rope. He points toward me and makes an orbiting motion with his hands. Shifting the box’s weight again her small frame, she points a finger to herself. Christ shakes his head and snaps his figure again at Lisa, but lower.

Oh, he wants the box. He could have said what the plan was before he started acting like Azure Hood, scaling buildings like he is a nobles rogue, she thought securing the crate in the ropes. Christ pulls the crate up at a constant pace, not allowing it to jerk or even sway. Each arm able to pull the rope smoothly and evenly till the other one was in place to take over the workload. Unloading the crate he steps to the edge just looking down at Lisa. The two kept on looking back between the each other, Christ now blinking in burst of three blinks with a straight face.

He waves her up, Lisa twists her face with a partially open mouth, shrugging her shoulders. Christ stares back at her and draws a question mark in the air. Lisa opens her arms toward the sky as if to be picked up. Christ smacks himself in the forehead making an O with his mouth, grabbing the rope lowering it down to Lisa. She grabs the rope and ties it around her waist before giving him the signal to pull. Christ gives her a thumbs up and throws the rest of the rope down, landing all around her.

Really. . . No, Lisa this is just like him. I should have expected this, Lisa thought to herself. Looking around she notices that the first dagger is out of her reach, I won’t be able to reach the dagger from here, but if I were to get to the third floor I could tie myself to a bed or dresser and safetly make my way up. Giving another look up, she doesn’t sees Christ standing at the edge anymore. 

Walking up to a  window she presses her face up against the glass. No seeing anyone she tries to lift the window, but it won’t budge. Great, if I go around front they may see me. I don’t know how to pick a window lock. Hmmmm, Lisa thought putting her hands on her waist. Feeling the dagger, a glint shines in her eye. Pulling out the dagger she puts the bottom of her dress around the handle and smashes it against the glass. Tinks from the glass hitting the ground could barely able to register over the sounds of screaming and battle.

Reaching her arm in she, unlocks the window and climbs in. She could hear the sounds of commands being given by a single voice on the raiders side. The voice was confident and moderately deep, similar to a man in his early twenties. Couching down Lisa made her way to the stairs to the left of the bar. Making it too the stairs she slowly peeks around the corner to see nothing at the top of the stairwell. Wow, these guys are not as smart as I gave them credit for, she thought to herself. Pressing herself against the wall she slinks her way up.

Reaching the top she gets down on all fours and peeks her head over the top step. Not seeing anyone directly in the hallway, she looks toward the cracks between the doors and the floor, checking for movement. The light completely dominated the shows, showing no movement on the other side of the doors from what she could see. Standing up she pads her steps to the centerpoint of the hallway, Soo, if he climbed up the center of the building then this room should be right next to the path he took, she thought. Checking the door she found it too be locked, and her body froze as she heard one of the doors in the hallway starting to open. 

Much like an animal caught in the sudden light of a hooded lantern, she couldn’t find the will to move her body. The thought, If I don’t move, they may not look this direction, plays through her head.  A man dressed in slaver garb walks out of the room nearest stairwell. The man looks to be in his early twenties, his face unblemished and a look of shock ran across his face. The young slaver, frantically reaches for the crossbow resting at his hip, “HEY! What are you doing here?”

Lisa’s instincts run into overdrive, knowing the predator sees her. She runs to the rooms further down the hall checking the handles. She finds the second one unlocked. She hears the click of the safety being released on the crossbow, darting inside she slams the door and locks it. Right as she turns the lever downward activating the lock, a steel bolt flies through the wooden door. She stumbles backward and grabs her chest realizationing of how close she came to being shot, hits her like that bolt hit the door. Her heart stills runs laps about the track of life, struggling not to fail from being overworked.

Racing over to the window, she let out a sigh of relief as sees the knight hole in the wall and at this height she would be able to stand on the blade to reach the roof. Lisa takes out the knife and sits on the window frame, to be able to reach the insert slot. Hearing a loud Crack against the door, causes her to flinch, throwing the knife slightly into the air. She fumbles to catch the knife and barley manages to secure it, before it left her reach. Hands shaking, she uses her free hand to grab onto the window frame to keep from plummeting to the earth below. Another bang caused her shoulders to tense and a thumping in her ears. Her shaking hands are unable to aim at the hole, as bang after bang from the door thunders through the room. She can hear the screaming of the latch, being ripped off the frame, one bang at a time. 

Lisa! Focus yourself, before you get yourself killed. Just slide the knife in the whole, she calms herself a bit. Holding her breath, the world fades out as she focuses on this singular simple task, her hand steadies allowing herself to slide the dagger in the hole.  THANK THE MORTAL SOUL! She thinks stepping up on the frame. Placing one foot on the dagger, she hears the doors death throes of metal ripping from wood. Lisa’s body full of adrenaline, moves before the brain gives the order, throwing the other foot on the dagger handle and leaps. 

Grasping the edge, she feels a calloused hands grab onto her wrist. she sees Christ with a smile on his face, pulling her up with easy, “So what took you so long,” Christ says.

Lisa falls into his arms tears in her eyes and snot running down her nose, “Your suck a thetch—-” 

Christ covers her mouth, “Thank you, but we have a job to do. You can cry when we finish our task, I have everything set up.” Putting his arm around her shoulder, he leads her to the edge of the roof overseeing the ally with the slavers. The twelve bottles have been lined along the edge with a small length of cloth on both ends of the bottle chain. “This is the moment, go pick an end,” he says taking out a flint striker, lighting the cloth he attached to the center. The fire consumes the rags, Lisa quickly ran to the left side and picked up the cloth handle not consumed by the fire. 

Lisa looks at Christ as the pick up the flaming bottle chain, with a simple head motion from Christ. They swing back and forth before releasing the Moflam chain down the ally. Lisa didn’t look down into the ally, she didn’t need to. She could see the horrific incineration in Christ’s eyes. The flames light up his azure eyes, tinted in a hellfire orange. The abyss bound screams pierced through stone and wood of the military district. Their decision would be known to all in the square as there was no hiding or stealthing away from the this. 

Am I truly better then they are now? At least now  I can hopefully get those supplies, Pa and Ma can never know about this, she thought to herself, looking out into the square. She could see the adventurers coming out from behind cover, looking at their handy work then up at them. Lisa couldn’t help bite her lip, when she saw Ren walk from behind one of the cover points.