Crimson Moon ch. 12

Chapter 12
To Control

Keldorix and Tsurugi walked up a hill past the graveyard. They walked onto an old dirt road. Neither of them wore shirts, the older man had left his blood soaked jacket on the ground, he didn’t go back for it.

“Dad, don’t you want your jacket?” The boy asked.

“No… with that much blood on it, it would only slow us down.”

“Couldn’t you just wash it off in a river or put it through the wash back home?”

“Blood stains are a bitch to get out, son.” A cloud rolled by overhead and the young man could make out what looked like a pentagram burning into his upper back, it glistened like fire.

“Dad…? What’s that on your back?” The boy sounded nervous.

“Oh, that old thing… it’s nothing to concern yourself with.”

“It looks like it hurts, like it’s actually burning you, your skin looks charred.”

“It’s nothing… I’m used to it by now.” With that the boy’s curiosity subsided and they went on at a steady pace in silence.

Little more than half an hour later Tsurugi grew impatient. “Come on dad, we need to hurry! If we don’t make it that city will be gone!” He yelled.

The older man exhaled. “Son, don’t rush it, we’ve got some time before one fourth of the town is gone.”

“How can you be so calm about this, we’re dealing with people’s lives here!?” He shouted as loud as he could.

“I’ve seen too many people die… I’ve killed too many people. I guess it just doesn’t bother me if a couple thousand people die, let alone a couple hundred.”

“Fuck you dad… You can burn in hell for all I care.” The boy broke into a full sprint and left his father in the dust.

“I’ve done that far too many times to count.” He said in an impossibly calm voice knowing full well the boy couldn’t hear him.