Bloodstained Masks

Chapter 15

Kay felt the sharp pain as his legs scrapped against the jagged stone road as he was dragged through the town. He clenched his teeth as his stomach churned uneasily. The moon glowed over the dark night sky while the tiny lights of the stars twinkled.

Where had he gone wrong? He could remember his joy as he watched the gray smoke rose into the sky. And why would he have? For three days, he'd walked the mud, craggily surfaced mountain side with no food, water. So he had approached the town with ease, hoping to get help and find his family. Instead of being met with curious and worried looks, he'd come across a tattered and destroyed town.

Walking around the deserted streets, Kay called out,"Hello? Anyone?"

And yet not answer would come.

Just then, Kay had become aware of a lingering smell in the air. He halted for a moment, trying to identify the smell Scrunching his nose in disgust, Kay could smell the scent of burnt  meat.

From the distance, Kay could make out a large fire. As he walked towards the fire, Kay realized that the smell became stronger with every step he took.
Only when he was face to face with the fire did he realize what the smell was.

The scent of burning corpses.

Horrified and terrified, Kay staggered back. His eyes bulged out. What the... What the hell!"

The orange and red flames danced in the wind, as it ate at the corpses until they were nothing but a blackened husk. The fire roared with content. It denied nothing eating at everything with no prejudice. Always hungry for more.

This was the worst idea Kay had ever. His head darting from side to side. Why... Why...

Shaking his head, Kay cleared his head. He had to get out here, or he'd follow the people by example.

Suddenly, he'd been tackled to the floor and dragged across.

The two men who had taken him by the arm dragged him through the town towards an undamaged manor that laid in the center to the town. Kay struggled pulling his arm from their grasp. Struggling to rise to his feet, Kay turned in an attempt escape the clasp of his unknown captors. Desperation in his eyes, Kay clenched his teeth as he attempted to make a break for it only to trip not a moment later over some debris.

The manor held a high confidence for a building, it being decorated with marble gargoyles that seemed to follow Kay with their white eyes. The walls were made of red bricks and the roof was a shining black slate and tower was visible to the side.

Kay cursed his luck as he neared the building. He'd be lucky if he didn't die today, he tried to convince himself, though he doubted that would be the cruelest thing they were capable.

His legs began to bleed from the floor as he struggled to keep up with the men's speed of walking.

Finally, they were at the door of the large manor, no doubt home to someone of importance.

The man to the left of Kay, who gripped Kay left arm, was a tall figure. Silver hair ran down into the sea that was his black hair. The man couldn't have been must older than his father. He wore a black trench coat that held the insignia of a great house on the side of his shoulder. Taking a closer look, Kay could make out a cresent moon and the branch of a tree illuminated in the moon outlined in white.