Dance of the Damned

Past Sins

"Roshi may just not be human," Juliet said, looking at Teri intently.

"I believed everything you said until that last part," Teri said, leaning back against the couch. "I believe with all my heart that Roshi is human."

"That is what I told her as well." Madam Lottie said, chuckling. "He is just as human as every one of us. The only difference is that he was gifted in a way we were not."

"It is only a theory I have." Juliet sighed. "He really is something I can not understand. But then again, he must have known that I would be here now."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." Madam Lottie indicated to Juliet. "She was the one that sought me out. I did not wish to have anything to do with her at first.

"But then she mentioned the name 'Pober' and I just had to listen to her."

"I still am not understanding," Teri said, looking between the two.

"I was in the Temple from the day I could walk." Juliet began. "I had this 'gift' of being able to see into a person's soul and so I began training there.

"By seeing into their soul, I mean, I am able to tell what kind of person they are as well as what they harbour in that soul of theirs.

"Many times, people do not understand why they may be the way they are. Why they think the way they think, and if I look into their soul, I will be able to tell why.

"Some wonder why they have such short tempers and when I look into their soul, I can see how they actually longed for some kind of connection they never had as children.

"It depends entirely on the person and I am able to tell them this. Once they know about it, they can better know how to deal with those emotions.

"Every year, children, when they turn to the age of five, are brought to the temple.

"This is because we believe that a child has a Deity in them until that age. And we wished to make sure children that age do not have too heavy a burden to carry.

"The world is a cruel place even for young ones. Most children do not have anything too heavy in their souls by that time.

"But for Roshi. It was completely blank. I could not read his soul and believed that I had lost my ability.

"Until he took my hands in his little ones and asked, 'What does it mean to have a soul?' I could not understand his question nor his next one, 'Do I have one?' "

"Roshi has this habit of throwing people off from when he was five I see." Teri chuckled.

"He certainly does." Madam Lottie agreed with her. "I suppose that is what makes him so intriguing in the first place."

"I agree." She turned to Juliet. "Do continue."

"Before he left he told me, 'You are curious about me. In eight years, you will hear about someone. Talk to her then.'

"I asked him who this person would be and he only said, 'You will know when you see her.' I thought he was cheeky and very overconfident of himself.

"But I was still curious if he could actually see the future. So that was how my search began."

The carriage lurched against, making the women grab the seats to steady themselves.

"Carvill." Madam Lottie called out to the driver. "Could you be a little gentler with the bumps?"

"Apologies!" he shouted, the wind in his voice. "Please bear with it for a while. We are taking the path not known by most.

"Do be careful next time." Madam Lottie sighed, leaning back against the seat.

"Interesting. And you were able to know who Madam Lottie was." Teri observed, pointing to the woman.

"I believe that is only because I followed all of Roshi's instructions as best as I could." Madam Lottie shrugged. "Even where I am in the world is somewhere I never expected to be able to reach.

"I was unknown and forgotten by all who knew me. Insignificant. But now I am someone people flock to for advice. Roshi is something special, human or not."

"Well, that is something we can agree with," Teri said as Juliet nodded at her.

"I only just joined so I hope that I will have more opportunities to meet with Roshi and learn more about him too."

"I hope to learn as well," Teri said, smiling pleasantly at her.

Just then the carriage came to a stop.

"Carvill?" Madam Lottie asked as the door opened to reveal the man standing there.

"Why don’t we stretch for a while? We have been travelling for three hours without stop." He said as the three began to climb out of the carriage as carefully as possible.

They are on the top of a hill overlooking little houses scattered all around them.

In the distance, they could see the castle with all its bright lights and people shouts of joy, of excited dancing and laughing.

“It appears there is a festival about to start.” Teri remarked, “They are still wide awake.”

“Just like Roshi said.” Madam Lottie said with a chuckle before turning to Carvill. “We are going in as mercenaries, yes?”

“This is the Festival of the Summer Harvest,” Carvill explained. “They are asking their deities for the good harvest.”

“Really?” Teri looked at Carvill. “I did not know that people have festivals like this.”

“Our kingdom does not do these kinds of festivals so that is why it sounds uncommon to you.” Madam Lottie said, looking right into the distance. “We will be there in a couple of hours.”

Carvill turned back where they could still spot the tip of the castle of their kingdom in the far distance among the thicket of trees and their leaves.

“What time is it, Juliet?”

“It is two in the morning.” She said looking at her pocket watch. “A quarter past two.”

“I suppose now is a good enough time then.” Madam Lottie said, turning to Carvill. “Don’t you think so?”

“We have to send a signal.” He said, walking to the carriage and pulling a sack out, throwing it on the ground as it began to wriggle uncontrollably.

“Though I know he deserves this, it is still not sitting well with me,” Teri said, looking at the wriggling sack.

“Thunder made sure to give us the worst criminal,” Carvill said, pulling out a scroll. “I shall read out his crimes so that it will sit better on your conscience. You may kill him without looking at him as well.”

“I didn’t think that was necessary?” Juliet said slightly impressed.

“Roshi told me to make sure I have the list of his crimes read out to you.” Carvill cleared his throat and began to read out the list. Murdered fourteen twelve-year-old children, was one of the most prominent reasons for human trafficking and slave trade in the kingdom.

“He has sold more than five hundred men, women and children to other kingdoms, most of who were never found again. Those that were found were dead and-“

“Carvill, please stop,” Juliet said, a hand over her mouth as she had to lean on a tree to try and catch her breath.

“There. There.” Teri patted the girl’s back as she tried to calm her own nerves.

“I apologise,” Juliet said, taking her mask off to try and get a breath of fresh air as the wind blew. “When I was travelling the kingdom, I have seen what slave trade did to those with no power to stop them. It was horrible. I wanted to get rid of them so bad but I couldn’t do anything either.”

Teri looked at Madam Lottie and Carvill who nodded at her. Turning back at the girl, she pulled out a dagger from her belt and held it to her.

“Have you ever killed someone before?” She asked as the girl stared at the dagger.

“Oh no,” Juliet said quickly, moving away from her. “I have never killed someone, nor will I kill someone, ever.”

“You need to be honest with yourself, Juliet.” Madam Lottie said, amused. “If you are not honest with yourself, you will never get anywhere.”

“I … I may have killed someone once,” Juliet admitted, looking at the ground. “She tried to take advantage of a child. I don’t remember what I did but … she was dead on the ground before I knew it. That is also one reason why I left the Temple.”

“There, isn’t it better being honest?” Madam Lottie asked, walking to the girl and handing her the dagger from Teri. “Go on.”

“I do not wish to play god.”

“Roshi gave two options,” Carvill said, looking at them. “When they got the man from thunder, he promised him one of two things, either the man dies or he will be released. Should we release him, Juliet?”

“No!” She shouted, trembling in fear as she thought of all the things the man did. “B-but, why must I do it?”

“You need to remember something, Juliet.” Madam Lottie said, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulders. “Some difficult decisions need to be made to make the world a better place.”

“No one will judge you for whatever decision you make,” Teri said, looking at her. “But the battle will be between you and your subconscious. It is all up to you.”

Juliet gulped, looking at the dagger in front of her and the person in the sack. “Can you read the list out once more, Carvill?”

“Sure.”

“Can I ask … I want to see his face.”

Teri walked to the sack and opened it, pulling the man’s confused head out as Carvill began to list out all that he did while Juliet looked at him intently.

After five seconds, she grabbed the dagger and began stabbing him all over his body clumsily. Grunts and squelches filled the night as blood splattered everywhere. Flowers slowly blooming from where they stood and spreading everywhere else.

“Good job.”