"FIRE!"
I yelled out on instinct as soon as I figured out what was going on. The crackling grew louder and louder as screaming echoed from the rest of the building and from the road below.
Kona woke up and leapt out of bed. She grabbed her clothes, which were on the floor, and her travel pack, and I grabbed mine; we then moved them towards the balcony. As I opened the door to the balcony and stepped out onto it, I could feel the radiant heat of the burning building and the bright orange glow in the sky overhead as the fire moved closer to our side of the building.
Kona tossed her clothes over the balcony and then turned to toss her travel pack as well. I also threw mine over and watched it as it landed in the alleyway below. Looking to my left, I saw a small crowd of people gathering on the main street. All illuminated by the flame. Everyone was looking at the fire; nobody was looking this way.
I looked down at the drop below. We were on the top floor of the building, so the fall from here would at least break something. While I turned my attention to the wall below us to see if there was a way to climb down, Kona wrapped her arm around my torso and picked me up under a single arm. Lifting me, she stepped up onto the balcony's stone balustrade and leapt across the gap and onto the roof of the neighbouring building.
While wearing nothing more than her underwear and holding me under her arm, Kona slid down the sloped and tiled roof, letting out pained grunts as the course material started to tear away at her skin. We came to a stop on the gutter ledge of the building, and she released her grip.
Looking over the edge, there was a small roof that covered the entryway to the building below us with a flat roof. I hung my feet over the edge and pushed off, leaping down onto the roof. The shock of the impact hurt my knees. I moved close to the wall to give Kona room to leap down as well. When she landed, she stood up effortlessly while I leaned against a closed window to try to take some weight off my leg.
"You okay? Your leg hurt?"
I looked at her. I couldn't help but look over her body. Her thigh, arm, and back were all covered in a deep graze with some spots on her body dripping thin trails of blood. Seeing how hurt she clearly was, I had no room to complain.
"If fine."
I stretched and bent my leg a few times and stood up straight. It had healed already. I suppose this fast healing applies to my whole body, not just my hands or arms.
With a nod, Kona leapt down onto the street below. A very feminine yelp rang out as she landed right next to someone standing under the door canopy. Only now did a few of the people on the street notice our presence, as a giant near-naked woman would.
She turned and looked up at me, holding her arms out to catch me. She must be concerned that my legs can't handle the fall without taking damage. I let down and she caught me, holding me up for a moment as she set me down on the ground next to her. We both looked at each other and let out a small sigh before heading into the alleyway where our things were dropped.
We grabbed our packs, and Kona scooped up her clothing and her axe, which was strapped to her travel pack but had been knocked out from the drop. We moved deeper into the winding streets to find somewhere far enough away.
After a few minutes and a few turns, we came to a dead-end road. We placed our packs down on the ground. I immediately started to rummage through our packs to look for something for Kona's wound. I didn't know what was packed in the bag, so I rummaged through it thoroughly.
As I searched, I heard Kona grunt out in pain. Looking up, she was holding a clear bottle of clear liquid and pouring it over her wounds while she gritted her teeth. Once the bottle was empty, she went to place it on the ground. I held out my hand and she gave me the empty bottle.
As she started to clothe herself, I read the bottle, which was labelled as medical alcohol. I don't know too much about healing people, but I think that was to clean out the wound, at least a little. At least until we could see a doctor to get it treated.
"I should be fine, I've recovered from worse."
She finished dressing herself and grabbed her travel pack, slinging it over her shoulder. I wanted to protest, but she was strong and from a culture of warriors. No doubt she had been hurt worse than this in the past.
"Should we try find another place to sleep or just leave town now?"
"Why would we leave right after that?"
"Cuz, that fire might 'ave been lit to kill us."
"Je crois les avoir vus partir par là. Ils ont sauté d'un toit." [I think I saw them go that way. They jumped off a roof.]
A voice echoed out from somewhere nearby. Kona looked at me, and I nodded to her. That was all she needed to know that we were being followed again and that voice was after us.
"Ferme ta gueule. C'est parce qu'il parlait trop fort que Stéphane s'est fait tuer." [Shut up. It was because he spoke too loudly that Stéphane got killed.]
The talking faded into hushed whispers that were so faint it was impossible to make out a word, even against the still midnight air. Alongside the whispers were footsteps, lots of footsteps. If we fought, we would be outnumbered, but we've won those odds in the past. This time, Kona has her axe as well. If we did fight, we should win easily.
Just as I saw a figure round the corner, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Looking down, there was a perfectly cylindrical stick protruding from my chest. I grabbed at it and went to pull it out, but touching it hurt. As I shifted it, I coughed suddenly, blood coming from my mouth.
I turned back to Kona, who looked at me with a look of shock and horror. By the time I turned my head back to the end of the alleyway, there were five men, one lifting a crossbow and aiming it at Kona.
I stepped to the side quickly as the bolt flew and pierced my throat. The impact causes me to stumble and fall back as I grip my neck, unable to breathe. I felt like I was about to die. I didn't think I could. Shouldn't Wrath take over in times like these? What was going on?
I gripped the bolt from my neck and pulled it out, causing blood to gush up like a fountain. I clasped my hand over the hole tightly, and I quickly started to feel the amount of blood slow and the hole getting smaller.
My vision got darker; hopefully, this was Wrath taking over to save me.
I awoke in the dark palace again. Hopefully, that means Wrath took over and saved Kona and me.
"Fool"
A voice boomed out from the darkness.
"You nearly killed us both."
It was Wrath, it had to be. But does that mean he's here with me? I don't understand.
"I took your body twice. I can not do so again."
"Why? Why not? If you did it again, you could kill them, save Kona and us easily!"
"The second time I took your body nearly killed me. It takes too much. It must be a last resort. Integration is the only option for co-existence."
"What does that mean? I don't understand!"
"My power will grow in you, slowly. If I give it all at once, you will break, like the other marked children. But there is something else about you, something different. If I broke you, I would die as well."
"What makes me different? Why am I special?"
"Your blood."
"I don't understand… Kona, what happened to Kona?"
"Wake up"
As if following a command, my eyes shot open. I found myself in a cell, with metal chains around my neck and wrists, secured against a wall. Iron bars in front of me and beyond them. The same four men as before.
"Putain. Tu es vivant, hein ? Je suppose que tu es une sorte de démon dégueulasse, alors." [Fuck. You're alive, eh? I suppose you're some sort of fucked up demon, then.]
"L'église viendra vous chercher dans la matinée, alors restez où vous êtes." [The church will come for you in the morning, so stay put.]
"Tu es peut-être immortel, mais ton amie, elle, ne l'est certainement pas." [You might be immortal, but that lady friend of yours sure isn't.]
As one of them said that I felt my chest burning.
"Qu'est-ce que tu as fait à Kona? Je vais te tuer, putain." [What the hell did you do to Kona? I'll fucking kill you.]
"Oh merde, il parle le viltin. Écoute bien, salope démoniaque. Tu vas rester assise ici, te taire et nous rendre riches. Mais pendant que nous attendons, ton grand ami va nous rendre très heureux." [Oh shit, he speaks Viltin. Listen carefully, you demonic bitch. You're going to sit here, shut up, and make us rich. But while we wait, your big friend is going to make us very happy.]
"Je n'ai jamais baisé une femme aussi grande auparavant. Ça devrait être sympa." [I've never fucked such a tall woman before. It should be fun.]
The four men laughed. I wanted nothing more than for Wrath to give me the strength to break out of this. I wanted to kill them, to rip them apart one by one while the rest watched helplessly, knowing they would be next. As this rage grew inside me, I felt my arms grow slightly larger, my fingers slightly longer; it was happening again.
"Euh, les gars. La grande femme s'est échappée." [Um, guys. The tall woman has escaped.]
The voice of a fifth man approached the other four.
"Quoi ? Comment a-t-elle bien pu s'échapper?" [What, how the fuck did she escape?]
Hearing that she got out gave me a moment of relief, and as such, my arms returned to normal. My arms shrank to their normal size, and the fingers were no longer pointy like a claw. If she managed to escape, then that's what mattered right now. I could try to escape from here later, I feel that even with Wrath's strength. Breaking chains and bending metal might be challenging. Once they take me out of this cage, that's when I'll strike.
"Deux d'entre vous gardent la porte au cas où elle reviendrait. Les autres le surveilleront à tour de rôle pour qu'il ne puisse rien tenter." [Two of you guard the door in case she comes back. The others will take turns watching him so that he cannot attempt anything.]
It seems I have no choice but to wait. Either when they move me to hand me to the church or when Kona inevitably breaks in to rescue me. If one of them is stupid enough to use me as a hostage and comes into this cell to hold a blade to my neck, that would be easy. Knowing Kona, her breaking in to save me is the best option.
"Hé, bande de connards. C'est vous qui avez mis le feu à l'auberge?" [Hey, assholes. Did you set fire to the inn?]
"Sans blague, espèce d'idiot." [No shit, dumbass.]
"Combien d'innocents as-tu tués juste pour essayer de m'atteindre?" [How many innocent people have you killed just to try to get to me?]
It was hard to see their faces in the dark, but the sharp grunt made it clear I caught them off guard.
"Il y avait une foule importante devant le bâtiment en feu. L'un d'entre vous a sûrement été vu en train d'allumer le feu. Que se passera-t-il lorsque l'église arrivera ? Vous ne serez pas riches, vous serez en prison comme moi." [There was a large crowd in front of the burning building. One of you must have been seen starting the fire. What will happen when the church arrives? You won't be rich, you'll be in prison like me.]
"Ferme ta gueule!" [Shut the fuck up!"]
One of them raised a crossbow and fired a bolt into my stomach. It was a sharp and sudden pain that lingered. With the little I could move my hand, I managed to grip the bolt and rip it from my stomach. Only once removed did the wound heal. I was hoping I would piss them off enough that one might enter and punch me, but no luck. When Kona does come to save me, I hope she kills the crossbow guy first.