Ashes

Chapter 7

The black, ashy snow crunched under Rishi's feet. The icy cold winds brushing against the few uncovered parts of his body. They had slept five times since they exited the library. "Try it again." Lil would tell him, looking at him from her side. "A. B. C. D. E. G. F. H-" "You switched two letters." "Oh. G and F, right? I wasn't sure about those." "Yeah, you did well otherwise. Continue." "Uh... H. I. J. K. L. M-" He'd stop, as he smelled something strange. Something wrong. It was unfamiliar to him, yet it shook him to his core, his arms trembled slightly, though he kept walking, sniffing the air a bit to try and get a sense of direction from the source. "... Rishi, are you alright?" Lil would ask, laying her hand on his shoulder, the cold of her icy fingers shooting straight through Rishi's jacket. "... Something's wrong. It smells like something is burning... I don't trust it." Lil would sniff a bit, the suspicion on her face confirming she smelled it too. He followed his nose, turning down street after street until suddenly seeing something. Light. Something was either being lit up, or on fire. He sped up his pace, and placed his back against a nearby building, the street next to him almost completely illuminated, the sickening burnt smell almost making him gag as he turned the corner, and froze.

In the middle of the street was a fire. A giant pyre, atleast as tall as a small house. Rishi collapsed onto his knees when he saw what was burning. A human hand stuck out between the flames. Not one. Ten. Twenty. More than he could count from there. It was a mass cremation. Judging by the lack of people around to pay respects, and the unceremonial way the bodies were tossed onto each other suggested this wasn't to part loved ones. It was to get rid of old enemies. Rishi bent over. "Lil. Stay there. Don't come here. Whatever you do, stay right where you are." He'd say, his voice raised as he couldn't force his eyes to gaze away from the massacre in front of him. Lil obeyed, staying behind the corner, cowering slightly, as she knew more than enough that whatever was there, was a nightmare come true. Rishi bent over, doing his best to keep the meager meal he had in, but failing, gagging a few times before spitting out a green-yellowish slimy substance onto the black snow. He'd remain frozen for a bit, before getting up, his skin having turned even paler than before, almost as white as the fur on his jacket. He turned around, and walked away, towards Lil. "What's going on?" She'd ask in a fearful voice, Rishi simply walking closer to her, and wrapping his arms around her. "You don't want to know... Trust me... You don't..."

"Rishi, wake up." He opened his eyes, Lil's figure hovering above him in the flickering light of the fire. They were back in the library. Five times did they sleep since the pyre. Atleast for Lil. Rishi didn't sleep. He hadn't for three days after seeing that horror. The image was burned in his retinas, and each time he closed his eyes, he just wanted to do nothing more but open them to escape that image again. He'd only gotten sleep once, when he collapsed in the middle of the snowy streets outside from pure exhaustion. He'd woken up with his lip still a bit stiff from the cold, despite the fire Lil had built for them while he was out. "We're close, aren't we?" He'd ask in a monotone voice, staring Lil in the eyes. "Yup! You okay? You look exhausted." She'd say, rolling back off her. "I'm fine... I just need more sleep." "You do. You really, really do. But we don't have time to just sleep." "... Lil, have I told you what I saw that day?" He'd ask, immediately regretting his comment, though closing his eyes and accepting what he had to say. "...No... All I know is that... It's bad. Really bad..." She'd sigh, and roll next to him, looking up at the ceiling. "... I think we're in danger. I... Okay..." He'd inhale. "Bodies. Human corpses lit aflame. Tens of them, at least..." He'd mutter, the image vividly shooting up behind his eyes as he said it. The smokey smell, the way it lit up the street, the blackened hand sticking out, as if grasping at him to drag him into the fire as well. Lil lay silent. "Maybe it's just how they dispose of their loved ones?" She'd ask. "I doubt it. They were tossed on roughly. No signs of respect... Not to mention there was no one mourning. It was like they tossed them in a fire and walked off..." Rishi would sigh, doing his best to get the picture out of his mind. Lil would again remain silent. "... So what do we do?" They were both silent for a moment.

"We go home, and make sure we're prepared to fight."