Chapter Drei

The crash came so suddenly followed by screams and bellows. Botan shot up in her bed, had the dark lord found the city? Had they come to take people away? Botan had no idea, all she knew what that she had to hide or run. Her body wouldn't work, she was to enthralled in fear that she could not move.

Then she heard people calling fire and could smell the smoke in the air. Who would start a fire? The lord wanted the people for the army; he wouldn't burn everything to the ground? Would he?

A frantic knocking could be heard outside her door, and an eerie clawing sound from the neighboring doors. She walked silently to her door; she would have to get out sooner or later as she saw the red flame creep up to her window.

"What happened?" called someone running in the hall

"Some guys tossed a light bottle in here." Someone else yelled then the voices stopped with a scream both dark and bitter.

Botan shook in fear; someone on the outside of her door was killing people. She was scared and backed up to her window. The flames pushed her window in, a rain of fiery glazed glass showered down on her. "Oh no" she discovered that her one escape was blocked. The smoke then came in, taking up every inch of air.

Botan covered her mouth and muffled her cough but if she didn't get out soon she would lose air and faint. After that then, well she didn't want to think of what would happen then.

She looked at her door maybe the killer had passed? She was about to take the exit until she saw the shadow under the door assuming it was the killer. 'What now?' she thought as her air was sucked from her by more flames entering her room. 'This is how it ends' she thought and collapsed, falling to the floor, blissfully unaware that the flames were almost on top of her.

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The red head woke up I little before the shattering of the glass having had a promotion in his dream. He looked over at the other and shook his head; his friend could sleep through anything. The redhead shook his friend as the fire danced below. "Wake up."

The other flinched but did not wake, that's when the redhead saw the beer bottle on the floor. Something told him that it would work so he held the empty bottle to the other's nose and he shot right up. "What? What happened?" He sniffed the air, "is that smoke?" the other called and the redhead nodded.

"We have to get out of here."

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The dark stranger was in his room watching the whole thing unfold. A Demon of a minor class lit the bottle and through it into the inn, unfortunately the bar was drenched in alcohol. He stood up and walked to his door to leave when he heard a thumping sound come from the room across for his.

Peeping his head out he saw the faces of the carrot top, the redhead and the other. They all seemed to be looking at the door in front of the dark strangers', the one that read Innkeeper's assistant's room.

"Dude is that the fidgety girl from the bar? The one that got us our drinks?" The other asked and the redhead nodded. Then the redhead gasped as he saw the red hue from the flame under the door.

Before he could get to the room and save the bar keeper's assistant, a fiery board from the roof fell, a wall of fire cut them off from her. The carrot top was also blocked off from the fall of the roof. She had no hope left and the three boys felt bad but they had to get out.

The carrot top took the steps to the back entrance and walked to the front of the inn where he met with the redhead and the other. Where had the dark stranger gone? And who had started this fire? There was no sign of the lord, so it wasn't the army… The three stood next to each other along with a few onlookers and watched…

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He shook her gently. She was out cold; he figured the smoke got to her so the Dark stranger picked her up and walked through the flames as if they were nothing. He carried her out to the front of the building and brought her to a clearing and let her rest.

The other three watch the burning building a bit longer before turning their attention to Botan. She was not breathing. The redhead laid his head on her chest, her heart was slowly stopping so he preformed mouth to mouth and she coughed and began breathing though she did not open her eyes.

"Well that when farley well." The redhead said, "considering."

"Hey well who was the moron who started this fire?" the other asked

"Yeah, I mean, its almost like they were trying to kill someone. Who were they after?" Carrot top spoke and the other two looked at him, "what? It's a fair question."

"Yeah well, whoever did it was, killed almost everyone." The other said then looked over at the dark stranger, "so who are you?"

"Hn. No one." He said

"Ohh, the short one thinks he is so mysterious." The carrot headed fool said.

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A few hours later Botan woke to the smell of ash and smoke. She sat up slowly to take in her surroundings. The city was still standing. She sighed in relief, but that soon was taken from her as her eyes met the wood, glass, and ash that was now her inn. She shot up and ran to the pile of rubble and Cried.

"Hn. What to you have left now, Onna?" the dark stranger spoke from behind her and she turned to meet him.

"Nothing. My home, my Life…" She paused "it's gone, everything, the only thing I had left. What do I do now?" she asked no one

"You could come with us." Came the smooth voice of the redhead.