Soft pink colors splash the once-clear blue-canvased sky above us. A late afternoon breeze swirls past us with a bright fragrance of summer. The moon, almost at its fullest, is creeping up from the horizon. The atmosphere is soft, light, but heavy with thoughts of our current mission.

What is Mr. Barnes up to?

We approach a modestly built building no more than two bedrooms large. It’s isolated down the slope of a hill, away from the peering eyes of hilltop neighbors. The roof is made of thatched straw and mud and shows signs of being a converted workshop. Empty stall frames sit outside, rotting from its time of disuse.

The mayor reaches into his vest pocket and fiddles with the keys. Once procured, he fits different sets of keys into the front door keyhole with little success. It takes him a few moments of listening to the keys jingle before he manages to unlock the door.

Strange, I think, why is he stalling?

The door creaks open. Mr. Barnes signals his hand to Thomas and I to enter the threshold. The hair on the nape of my neck prick up as I step forward. I glance at Thomas. His pupils are wide and black like a cat on the hunt. They seem to say, “Careful, Commander”, as I enter the house first.

The home seems sufficiently furnished. It’s as homely as the exterior and smells absent of any activity. The cupboards are barren from food and most items of considerable value have been taken away. However, I take notice of a red Eastern rug splayed out on the hardwood floor. Everything else is obscured by darkness as Mr. Barnes takes no initiative to light the wall sconces. I turn around to speak to the mayor.

“What seems to be-”

Dizziness slams me. My limbs lose their strength and my organs feel suffocated. I waver forward and my knees crash onto the foyer of the house.

Thud!

My body slumps. Thomas reaches out for me before he crumples over my body, forehead butting against the small of my back. Numbness overcomes my senses, but I am cognizant enough to feel Mr. Barnes drag me by a leg, further into the house and in front of the fireplace. He leaves my body face down while he retrieves Thomas’ body.

Mr. Barnes means to either incapacitate us for a moment or for good.

Thomas, fighting impending unconsciousness, growls softly while he’s dragged next to me.

“Hornswagglin’ fuc-”

I hear the door shutting loudly and the lock clicking soundly.

If the mayor meant to kill us it would be a crime befitting of execution. What is the mayor hiding that is worth risking that possibility? At this point, I am sure that he involved directly with the Fiend.

I fight the wariness in my body to calculate our next action. I manage to touch the tips of Thomas' fingers and I attempt to tap out a message when my mouth is incapacitated.

Fire, I tap to him.

He taps back with his metal thimbles clacking onto wood: Fire?

I scratch a talon in a straight line to affirm: Yes.

My eyelids pull down and my breath slows to a deathly tempo as my senses fade.

---

I do not know how or when, but soon I drift back into the consciousness between dream and reality.

Shadowy figures, like oil-slicked figurines, stand before me in a field of darkness. Their forms waver like splashes of a dark watercolor painting. Their faces are blurred save for the whites of their teeth, sharp, laughing, and smiling amongst themselves. I look down at my hands and they’re my hands, but they are formed like delicate porcelain. I’m nude save for swathes of crushed red velvet across my shoulders.

As I step forward I feel my toes touch the coolness of the void below me. The crowd backs away like the waning of waves in the sea. The figures curl within themselves, folding themselves down into prostration. Like a thundering storm, they rumble through with indiscernable whispers.

Their backs form into tiny hills underneath my feet, rippling in movement, but obsidian black. My bare feet press against them, first with the balls of my feet. The sensation is warm and I could feel the many heartbeats of those below me, as if I am walking on their backs.

I look up and a thin streak of white light walks towards me. A cold hand touches my chin, forcing my eyes towards the light.

Voices rush at me. Voices of men, women, children, all. Their words are indiscernable and shackled with a rolling, piercing hum. The chants continue with the steady rhythm of a heartbeat.

---

GASP!

My eyes shoot wide open and my body instinctively convulses over with a painful dry cough. An unpleasant sensation burns cinders in my lungs. I can’t see anything. My eyes sting with sharp pain and force them shut. My sense of smell is overwhelmed with smoke and ash.

Something grabs at my wrist and I feel my body slide for a few steps before a woven rug is hastily thrown onto me, snuffing out some of the blinding smoke. But only half of my body is covered. Strong hands grasp at my sides and I’m lifted up onto a hard shoulder. My feet dangle in the air.

I hear fire crackling and flames roaring while covered in darkness. I could barely move in my weakness and manage to heave a few more coughs.

But the hands on me are sure and firm. They hold the back of my thighs while we tumble and bounce. A misstep causes a palm to slide up and grip my backside and I cluck in surprise, though an apologetic pat follows.

Then I hear a deafening snapping sound as if wooden beams were falling down. The steps below me become hurried until there’s a thudding kick to a door, blasting stagnant, smokey air out. Soon after, my body is unceremoniously dropped to the hard ground and I roll out onto my back.

Fresh crisp air enters my thankful lungs. I see twinkling stars and a nearly full moon above me. There’s a panting voice nearby.

“Thank goodness, Evey!”

My head pounds with a ringing sensation as my eyes focus open. I turn my head and see Thomas doubled over, his brow lined with sweat. He wipes off his forehead with the back of his hand.

“Are you alright?”

I cough to excise the ash from my lungs.

Edith: “I’m alright.”

He straightens his back and furrows his angular brows.

“Apologies for handling you like that, I had to get you out.”

Edith: “For what?”

Thomas’ silvery eyes flash with a bit of hesitation. He gestures to my sprawled legs.

Thomas: “For grabbing your...ahem....loins, and that other bit I won’t dare mention.”

I rub one side of my face with the leather palm of my gauntlet, blinking the dust out from my eyes.

Edith: “I wouldn’t have minded if you pulled me out by my hair. You did the right thing, Thomas.”

Thomas grins triumphantly. He extends his hand and I grab his forearm. As I’m back on my feet I pat my clothes free from dirt and straighten up. I see a tiny soft flame burning atop Thomas’ crown of reddish blond hair and I reach down to snuff it between my fingertips. Thomas’ eyes follow my movements as he speaks.

Thomas: “Good thing the townsfolk think Rayners are demon summoners. If they’d known my affinity, well, we’d probably be drowning or stabbed or something.”

A rafter collapses and crashes loudly onto its fiery debris. Flames roar in its wake. We glance over our shoulders and look at the burning house. The heat is still imminent, but we’re far enough to be safe. The embers float and dance downwind, away from us.

Edith: “You know very well that between the two of us we’d still be fine, though this method definitely wastes a perfectly good house. I’m surprised you’re not doing anything with the fire there.”

Thomas: “I wouldn’t want to rouse any suspicion or cause mass panic. As far as the mayor goes, he probably believes us good as dead.”

Edith: “That’s perfect, then. No more time to dally, let’s go get Gilbert and Alan.”

Thomas: “Right. Not worried about them, are you?”

I start to make my way and shake my head with a slight smile.

Edith: “Of course I’m worried. Who do you take me for?”

Thomas: “Ah, right, our mother hen. Right on, Commander Edith.”

We hurriedly climb up the hill and carefully walk our way back to the main collection of buildings, doing our best to avoid detection by slinking around. Some nearby homes are lit, but overall the area is absent of any activity. After a few steps I realize that barely anyone is out to mind our presence.

Much like this morning, we end up in the center of the town absent of any souls other than ourselves. The inn features the largest town tree by its entrance. And despite the darkness, I could recognize a large dark body brawling with two full-sized men by the town inn.