Ashes of Revenge

Raven was in the same chair at the same table she had been sitting at for the last couple of hours. Her fingers were pressed firmly against her temple, and she hadn’t blinked or taken her eyes off the map in what felt like ages.

Richard lay passed out on the floor, and Colt was sleeping in the bed. The thought of sleep hadn’t crossed Raven’s mind once, and she was somewhat ok with it. The question Richard had asked them had been racing through her mind on replay. Both ways had pros and cons; it was finding out which one had the more dangerous drawbacks that were the problem.

Her burned hand was delicately tracing the trails of routes in which to travel. The actions of the Monstros roaming and hunting outside were distant noises in her ears. She knew any hour, the sun would rise, and they would have to make a decision. The thought of staying here another night almost made her sick. She and her men were going to get out of this village, that was a promise; and she never broke her promises.

Raven looked away from the map and to her ring that was resting on the table. The jewels sparkled against the dark atmosphere of the room, and she found the burned side of her lip curling up. Out of all her possessions, her rings and sword were her most prized.

Picking up the more colorful ring, Raven examined the perfect artifact. Her thumb traced over each jewel: red, blue, purple, black, and green. Despite the blue gem being the most prominent, her focus was drawn to the green jewel. Her attention was always drawn to the emerald.

She flipped the ring into the air and caught it before she tossed it up again. It ascended and descended in a calming beat.

A noise caused her to lose concentration, and the ring tumbled to the floor. Raven scooted her chair back in a panic as her eyes scanned for it. When she spotted the ring, she quickly scooped it up and placed it on her non-damaged thumb.

The murmur echoed throughout the room again. Raven looked over at the source: Colt. He mumbled words as his hands latched onto the blanket around him. Blades extended from his hands as he turned more. Raven immediately became thankful she wasn’t in bed.

She grabbed her sword and slowly placed the flat part of the metal on his chest.

Colt sat up quickly, his blades countering the sword and shoving it away. Raven stepped back and allowed Colt to take in his surroundings.

He stood and stumbled to the window, pressing his forehead to the glass. For a few seconds, he kept his eyes closed as he mumbled to himself. Ok. Ok. Ok. Ok. Breathing in, he spoke, his voice quiet and tremulous, “Did I wake yeh?”

Raven leaned against the wall and sighed. “I wasn’t asleep.”

After a few more seconds, he shoved himself away from the cool window.

Raven looked at Colt’s eyes and saw one was a shiny silver quartz, while the other was a dark graphite grey. She pointed to hers.

Realization washed over Colt, and he quickly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were dark brown and blue again.

“Did yeh sleep at oll?” Now his voice was gravely as he woke up more.

Raven raised an eyebrow as her response.

Colt rolled his eyes as his blades descended into his skin again. “Yeh really should sleep.”

Raven had no response, too tired for sarcasm. She placed her sword back against the wall and collapsed into the chair.

Colt sat in the chair opposite to her and looked at the map. “Come to a decision?” He ran his fingers through his hair.

Raven shook her head, and they both sighed. “Same nightmare?” she questioned.

Colt leaned back and chewed on his lip, his fingernail scratching the edge of the table. “Yeah,” Colt finally said. “Did I. . . ?” He trailed off as he breathed in a shaking breath. “Did I almost hurt yeh? Wh-when yeh woke me up. Did I-”

“No,” Raven cut him off. “I was more careful this time,” she said the final part with a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Colt, however, didn’t find anything amusing with the statement. “I’m sorry.”

“About what, last time?” Colt nodded. “It’s fine, Colt.” Raven chuckled. “Gosh, that was so long ago.”

“I know, I just don’t like hurtin’ yeh . . . even by accident.”

Raven waved her hand in the air as if physically dismissing what they were talking about. “Any ideas on what to do today?” Colt shook his head.

More noises from outside filtered in.

“I hate this village,” Raven murmured. She tossed her ring into the air again and caught it.

“Agreed.”

A door opened downstairs.

“Yeh think it’s Ash?” she asked.

“Only one way to find out.”

They stood and cautiously walked downstairs, where a blood-splattered Ash stood. They froze on the steps.

“Sorry it took me so long, I got sidetracked.” Ash gestured to the blood. “I have some bad news.”

“How many of my men have died?” Raven asked.

“All but three.”

Raven brushed her burned skin against her nose.

“Sorry . . . . It happened around tha same time Colt an’ yeh were attacked.” Colt and Raven both looked down at the ground as what could only be described as guilt washed over them.

Ash began to walk out of the pub.

“Do yeh know anything about tha Morte Mountains?” Raven asked before she could stop herself, having to let go of their deaths for now.

Ash froze and turned around, an amused expression on his face. “Why do yeh ask?”

Raven shrugged before she brushed her hand against her nose again. “We were goin’ to travel to tha next village an’ was wonderin’ which way we should go?”

“I take it that goin’ around would take too long?”

“Possibly.”

“I wouldn’t advise goin’ in there by yerselves, especially with tha Monstros tha way they are now an’ yeh men bein’ killed. However, I could guide yeh through there. Necromancers are rarely attacked an’ I know the Mountains like tha back of my hand.”

Raven looked back up at Colt. “We’ll think about it, thanks for tha offer,” she said.

Ash nodded and walked out of the pub.

Raven turned around and faced Colt again, this time leaning her back against the wall. “That’s an interestin’ suggestion,” she said.

Colt smiled. “I agree.”

They walked back upstairs and saw Richard was still asleep on the hard ground. Without a word spoken between the two, Raven and Colt grabbed a pillow and blanket. Colt gently lifted Richard’s head off of his wing and placed a pillow under his head. Raven draped the fur over Richard, and though he remained unmoving, they faintly smiled down at him.

At least he would sleep well.

***

Colt and Raven put their gear back on as they prepared to venture out into the town. They knew they wouldn’t be able to see the village the same way after last night, but they needed to check up on the men and leave as quickly as possible.

Richard was still asleep on the floor, the pillow and blanket allowing him to somehow sleep twice as long.

They walked downstairs and out of the pub. Raven went to one of the places where the men were, and Colt walked to the other.

The black mud had since dried and become grey dust, which lifted off the ground with the lightest touch or the faintest of winds as if it knew what fate awaited it and was already changing to ash. It seemed to be the only delicate part of the Kingdom.

Raven walked into an Inn and looked around. She saw one of her men - Mark - sitting in a chair, sharpening his sword. His dark brown hair had a faint red tint to it and was cut short. He looked up at her, and she motioned with her head towards the door. The man nodded, stood, sheathed his sword, and walked away.

Raven walked out of the Inn and leaned against the outside.

***

Colt climbed the stairs of the bakery and knocked against the only door. The door was thrown open, smashing against the wall with a rattling bang. The man walked back into his room and picked up his bags.

Taking a second to compose himself, Colt asked, “Are yeh oll, Oliver?”

Oliver slung his bag over his shoulder and walked towards Colt. Blood patched his body, and his clothes were ripped, revealing gashes from teeth and claws - blood covering his Farian markings. Oliver’s light aqua eyes had a weird glaze over them that made them look lifeless.

“Yeah, I’m oll. Last night when tha bastards were roamin’ around, Mod an’ Rodrick were lured out there. I tried to save them, but instead, I watched as they were bloody pulled apart!” His teeth gritted together in anger.

Colt was taken off guard. It was weird to see Oliver like this; out of all the men, he was one of the calmer ones.

“I want out,” Oliver said as he began to walk out, interrupting Colt’s thoughts.

He quickly grabbed Oliver’s arm, but just as fast, the man shoved him back. “Don’t touch me yeh disgusting Shifter!”

Colt swallowed and had to stop himself from adding another cut into Oliver’s stomach. “How about yeh tell Raven this so we can talk about it,” he said as calmly as he could, a hint of warning in his voice.

The Farian shoved past the Shifter and out into the town, his dead eyes scanning for the Mundus.

Oliver’s pace increased when he saw Raven. Two other men were with her, and she was most likely making small, awkward talk with them.

“How was it tha second night, Bram? We ran into some trouble,” Raven said. He was a muscular man in his legs and arms, but he had a big gut. His bald head reflected the sun, and his hazel eyes became lighter. The only hair on him being a red beard that went down to the top of his chest, the color bouncing off his dark brown skin. A small axe was strapped to his hip.

“Oit was ok, we almost lost ah few oin our group, but wey managed to save ’em.” Bram’s accent was one of the more difficult for Raven to understand, but she somehow managed to. The accent, Irlandesi, was one from the Island of Irlandia, which meant he didn’t belong to a Kingdom and was an outcast amongst all the species.

The Island did have its own King, a half-breed, but he had never signed a Treaty with anyone. The land was so small that no one bothered attacking it. However, occasionally, he would send over servants to the Royals and Nobles so they would remain happy. Apart from Royals and Nobles, it housed any species that married another species or anyone that was a half-breed. Bram was a mix between a Mundus and Farian and was eventually sold off to the Farian Kingdom. By the lack of color in Bram’s markings, it was clear he didn’t have functioning wings.

Mark nodded in agreement and rolled his sore soldiers - he was a Farian of few words. He had shiny light brown eyes with yellow specks in them.

Before Raven could ask another thing, the Messenger appeared in front of her, nearly forcing her to punch him in shock. He mumbled something to her as he handed her a letter.

Raven slowly grabbed the parchment from his pale fingers and read it. Breathing in deeply, she replied, and he nodded. His wings expanded, and he took off, the limp ones wrapping around his body.

Oliver made his way up to Raven. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, already ticked off from the news she had received.

“I want out,” Oliver said.

“Out of what . . . exactly?” Raven asked, her anger being quickly replaced by confusion.

“This entire situation.”

“Yeh knew what yeh were gettin’ yerself into when yeh volunteered.”

Oliver grabbed the collar of her shirt and slammed her against the wall. Before he knew what was happening, his face slammed against the wall, and his arm was twisted back in a painful mannerism. He countered her move, and the two stumbled away from each other.

As Raven looked at him, she saw a glossiness to his eyes that made him seem like he wasn’t all there but assumed it was from his wounds.

Raven stepped back and held up her hands. She didn’t want to fight with him anymore, he was too hurt for it to be fair, and the last thing she wanted to do was injure him more. “Yeh can leave.”

Silence rose around them, and despite Raven wanting to say something else, her mouth seemed to be clamped shut. She heard a language she had never heard before entering into her head, but she could somehow understand it. It sounded like multiple people whispering while all saying different things at different times.

Fight Oliver! screamed the voices.

Before she even knew what was happening, his fist collided with her face.

Colt and the others drew their weapons, but before they could apprehend him, Raven swung her sword at him. Oliver blocked and tried to impale her. Her body naturally moved out of the way.

She tried to stop, to scream, but it felt like her body wasn’t her own. The voices gripped her head and moved her limbs. Her eyes scanned for Richard, but she quickly remembered he was still asleep.

Their swords slid off one another, metal grinding against metal. Every time someone tried to grab one of them, their bodies moved out of reach.

The voices screamed in Raven’s head, and she couldn’t stop herself from continuing.

Her movements were precise and fast, the light Shifter metal allowing her to easily do so.

Oliver swung. Raven avoided the attack again. She shifted her weight to her toes and waited for Oliver to make the next move. He quickly stepped forward and swung his sword. Raven sidestepped and avoided. She slid back as she extended her sword with one hand, forcefully shoving his away from her.

Though Oliver was a very skilled fighter, his wounds were slowing him down.

Swinging her sword, sparks bounced off the metals, and the noise pierced everyone’s ears.

Raven rotated her arm in a circle, and Oliver was forced to make his sword follow hers. She moved their swords out to the side, and she quickly kicked him right in the hurt stomach, forcing all the air out of his lungs. Before he could regain his breath, Raven’s foot connected with the side of his throat. Oliver stumbled to the ground, his wounds beginning to bleed again.

Like lightning, Raven glided across the earth, and her sword harshly connected with his. She quickly removed her sword from his and swung upwards, managing to gash his shoulder. Without thinking, his hand shot to the wound. Raven used his mistake to her advantage. Another gash at his side made him try to stand.

Raven kicked up a decent amount of black dirt into his face, forcing his eyes shut. Raven connected her foot with his chest, sending him flat on his back, and she leaped on top of him.

She reeled back her sword - the voices controlling her - but before she could do anything else, hands grabbed her arm and hoisted her off of Oliver. The person pried her sword from her fingers.

The voices silenced.

“What tha hell was that?” Richard asked between clenched teeth.

Raven looked down at an unmoving Oliver and felt as her face grew pale. “I don’t know,” she said as she looked back at Richard.

“What do yeh mean yeh don’t know? Do yeh know how many men we lost last night?! An’ yeh do this?!” He jerked Raven. His other hand grabbed Colt’s shirt and dragged the boy to him. “An’ where tha hell were yeh!”

She shoved away from him and rubbed her sore arm. “He attacked me an’ I fought back.” She ran her fingers through her hair and brushed her hand under her nose. “I didn’t even want to fight!” She grabbed her sword and slid it into the sheath.

Turning back to Richard, she watched as a rare softness washed over his face, and he slowly let go of Colt. She hated when he would get mad at her. She couldn’t pinpoint why it bugged her so much - all she knew was she detested it. This time, it was all the more discouraging because she didn’t know what she had done, opposed to other times when she deserved it.

“Ok,” Richard said as he grabbed her shoulders and steadied her. His fingers straightened out her collar, something his pa would always do to him. Glancing at Oliver, he saw that he still hadn’t moved - a pool of blood outlining him.

“He was attacked by Monstros last night,” Colt said before Richard could grow angry again or accuse Raven of anything. The wounds had simply won.

Richard looked to Mark and Bram and they nodded, confirming the story.

Sensing her distress, Richard gave her an order, “Tha Messenger will take care of it.” He was less than keen about another one of the men dying. Slowly, he straightened out Colt’s clothes, hoping with every fiber in his body that the boy wouldn’t flinch away from him.

“Tha Messenger came by,” Raven said as she pulled the letter out of her pocket, desperately needing to change the topic. “Tha Mundus King wants to meet with tha Farian King.”

Richard grabbed the paper and read it. He sighed and handed the letter to Colt.

After a few seconds, Colt sighed and looked back at the group. “I think goin’ through tha Mountains is our only chance at catchin’ up,” he said as he handed the letter to the unspeaking Bram.

“Ash offered to guide us through tha Mountains.”

Bram handed the letter to Mark.

“Thoughts?” she asked.

“I don’t see any other option, honestly,” Richard said.

“I agree,” Colt concurred.

They all collectively sighed together.

“So do we agree that we are goin’ to go through tha Mountains an’ have Ash as our guide?”

“Sure.” Colt ran his fingers through his hair.

All eyes turned to Richard. His zoned out gaze staring at Oliver. “I don’t see another way,” he finally said.

Black smoke rose around Oliver’s body, covering him completely. When it left, Ash was in its place. “Sorry,” he said, “I sensed tha death an’ guessed yeh didn’t want him out here. If yeh have any requests or anythin’ I can do.” The Necromancer scratched the back of his neck as he awkwardly explained.

“A proper burial,” Richard almost commanded.

Ash nodded and walked to the group. “Have yeh decided?” he asked Raven and Colt.

“We’ll take yeh up on it,” Raven said.

“Is there anythin’ we need to prepare for?” Richard asked.

“Tha Mountains are cold, so yeh might wanna get coats an’ more weapons. Yeh can’t bring a lot of supplies with yeh, but I know where we can get food an’ water.”

Raven’s heart lurched forward as the realization that Herbert couldn’t come with her came crashing down on her. She had known that he wouldn’t have been able to come, but now that it was a reality, she cursed it.

She faced Bram and Mark. “Can yeh please go an’ collect coats?” She knew their current coats - which were in one of the saddlebags - wouldn’t be heavy enough.

They nodded. Richard shook Bram’s hand and transplanted coins into the big half-breed’s palms.

She turned back to Ash. “I’ll meet yeh at tha border of the Mountains later today.”

Ash nodded, smiled, and disappeared, leaving the group once more.

“What do we want to do here?” Raven asked.

“It’s not a farm village or supply village,” Richard commented, “just a resting village.”

“Is there anythin’ to burn?” Colt asked.

“It’s a passin’ village, yeah?” Raven asked. They nodded. “That’s how they get their money, supplies, etcetera.” She paused and thought again.

“This place is olready a dump,” Richard said, voicing his knowledge. “Tha night Monstros are gettin’ wilder, but tha day ones still need a place to live, money, an’ food. We need to make it so they have to move inward.”

“Their Market,” Colt said.

All their eyes trailed up to the Market that housed the most disgusting food ever.

“I think that’s it,” Richard said.

“So we take out tha Market?” Raven asked.

“Yeah,” they both said.

Raven breathed in through her nose. “Ok, let’s prepare.”

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