The six flew into the sky past the forest that surrounded the castle. It wouldn't take long for them to fly to Tarbrooke, as the flight was fast. The only thing that slowed them down was the occasional stop to let Alika have a rest. Secretary Birds can fly, but it takes a lot of energy to fly for long periods. 

When the six of them landed for breaks, they changed back into their human selves, ate snacks that Archer had packed away in his bag, and rested for about ten minutes before flying more. 

The six of them flew in the skies, the sun began to set, and a beautiful rainbow of colors was seen to the right of them as they flew. Pinks, oranges, and a deep blue blended together as they began to form in the empty expanse of night. When they reached Tarbrooke, it was much smaller than any of The Five imagined. Just a few small shacks sporadically placed around. Most were one room with thatch roofs, but one had brick walls and ceiling. It was most likely a town hall of sorts. All around the village were fields of millet, a valued food source for most birds. 

The six flew down, landing quietly on the ground, a puff of dust forming under their feet. Most of them changed entirely into their human selves, except for Alika, who kept her strong, legs out for defense against any villager who thought they could take  The Five. When people change into their separate forms, most decide to change entirely one way or wholly the other. But, depending on the situation, they can change only parts of their body, keeping their bird legs or wings while still having their human body. Alika likes to do this when fighting; secretary birds have powerful legs to kick and stomp their prey before consuming them. 

Olive took the tar jars, flint, and steel out of the pouch around her waist. Archer handed out the assortment of weapons he had balancing around him, the three bows and quivers, to Olive, Alika, and himself. The shortswords for Ace and Tala. Olive, Alika, and Archer dipped one of their arrows into the tar and flicked the flint and steel on them. A blazing red and orange fire was set on the tips of these arrows. They pulled the strings of their bows all the way back; their bodies were completely straight, their right forearms bent upward and perpendicular to their biceps, their right hands almost touching their chin. Their left arms were stretched all the way forward, their hands gripping the bow's structure. 

And then, all at the same time, they fired their flaming arrows. The arrow's trajectory was a beautifully perfect arch right onto the thatch roofs of the houses. It didn't take long for them to be set ablaze. It was a horrific sight for Ramsey to see. He was shocked at how easily these people could come and see a perfectly unorthodox, quiet village and destroy it. To destroy the families, to destroy the children, to destroy the lives of these people. These five were monsters in the eyes of Ramsey, and he had to become one too. To stay alive and keep out of the red chamber, he had to become a monster that was okay with the travesty unfolding in front of him. Three houses were set ablaze in the middle of the night. Without warning, without thought, without remorse, he had to be okay with it. He, a Cleric who made an oath to protect the people from monsters, had to become one himself. 

He stood next to Olive, watching her maniacal smile as she shot more fiery arrows at the rest of the thatch roofs and set more houses on fire. He stared on, a smile forming on the edges of lips. 

The fire was beautiful in a way.