The Scythe: Death's Arise

Chapter 4: Flames Of A Cult

"Just toss him into the fire." Commanded Keith, one of the men who attended the murder of Thomas Marshall.

The girl, Gwen, stood beside him, and the other man, who did not have a name, stood holding Thomas Marshall's body next to a large bon fire, miles away from Covenant.

"Yes sir." He said as he lifted the corpse up and threw it into the fire.

Gwen turned the man with no name, "See how easy it is not to make a mess of everything? Try not to screw too much; you ain't gonna earn a name that way." She said jokingly.

"Gwen, look." Keith said as he gazed into the raging flames.

Thomas's body began to move and he rose up to his feet. His healing process was in effect due to him being sent back into the Mortal Realm so his burns were healing as fast as they were forming and he couldn't feel the fire. He stumbled out of the large fire and fell onto his hands and knees.

Keith immediately drew two white hot blades from their scabbards on either side of his hips, "I checked the body myself; he was dead. So tell me," Keith pointed the blade at Thomas, "Why are you moving?"

"Who the hell are you?" Thomas asked.

To this, Keith kicked Thomas in face, his heel pin pointing the weakest point of Thomas's nose, shattering the small bone.

"That was not a valid answer. I will ask one more time. Call it a courtesy because you were able to surprise me. Why are you moving? You have been dead for three hours." Keith said positioning his sword above Thomas's neck. Thomas could feel the heat of the blade; he attempted to stand but Keith stomped on his back.

"Fine, I guess you will remain a mystery."

"Ooo, Keith, wait." Gwen interrupted.

"What?" Keith was now losing his temper.

"Lookie what we got here." Gwen was holding Lamina Morte.

"Where did that come from?" Said the man with no name.

"You were not prompted to speak!" Keith exclaimed pointing his sword at the other man but keeping his gaze fixed on the large scythe before him. "Why is everything harder than it needs to be?"

"Give it back." Thomas said, wearily standing up, as his body was still not recovered and he could not feel most of it.

Keith turned around, furious now, "I did not give you permission to stand, much less speak!" He then took a deep breath and seemed to calm himself, "However, since I am curious of your nature, I will humor you." Keith took the weapon from Gwen, and held it out infront of Thomas. "Come and take it."

Getting a feel of his body back, Thomas rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before walking, combat ready, over to Keith who showed no sign of movement. Thomas, knowing from the start that the strange, crimson haired man before him would not hand over the scythe, searched for any and all signs of movement to see what Keith was about to do, though nothing became apparent.

It wasn't until his hand was mere centimeters from the handle of the scythe that Thomas felt something new; a new sense, an ability that, until now, had yet to show itself. For Thomas, time basically halted. The tree branches once swaying in the wind stopped moving, leaves stopped falling, crickets stopped chirping, and Thomas could sense everything going on  around him. It was at this frozen moment when Thomas noticed tiny flames spark up from Keith's forearm as his veins turned bright orange.

As time slowly sped back up, Thomas dropped to the ground and a spear of blazing fire burned through the air above him. Without thinking, Thomas quickly spun around holding his leg out, tripping Keith, knocking him to the ground.