Ashes of Revenge

Inhaling deeply, Raven slowly opened her eyes and stared at the high ceiling for a second. She pushed her head off the floor and looked ahead at her new pile of clothes; Ida had put them there awhile ago. Internally groaning, she decided she had been in the bath long enough. Standing up, she grabbed the cloth used for drying off.

As Raven dried herself off, she looked to the side and froze, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The mass majority of her body was overlaid in scar tissue. The burns pulled at her skin in weird ways and made it look fake, like the top layer could be pulled off and reveal the smooth, tan skin beneath it. There were only a few areas that lacked burns, and the only other variations were the small scar Colt had accidentally given her and the raised area on her shoulder from the cauterization.

Raven looked down at the ground and could feel a burning sensation enter her eyes. She hated the way she looked, but she refused to give in to her own stupid self-pity. Crying wouldn’t make them go away. It was her unchanging, terrible, painful reality.

Harshly throwing the cloth onto the ground, she began to put her clothes on, her back facing the mirror the entire time. She quickly redressed her hand with clean fabric. Only when Raven was done getting dressed did she turn back to her reflection.

Her leather pants were black. The white undershirt that Dara had bought her was underneath her green long sleeve leather over-shirt; gold and black leaf-like designs were the only new feature; even having the silver latches down the middle.

Raven rubbed her hand against the bottom of her nose. She hated the green design, and the thought of burning the shirt entered her mind.

Walking out of the washroom, she was met with Ida tending to the fire. When Ida heard Raven enter into the room, she stood up and turned around. “Sorry that I’m still here, Miss, but you were in there so long the fire died down, so I had to add more wood.”

“Do yeh have another over-shirt?” Raven asked.

“I like the green on you.”

Raven paused for a second. The remark was so peculiar, especially for a servant. “I don’t,” she retorted.

Ida smiled ear to ear.

Raven’s face fell in recognition.

Ida reached both hands behind her head and pushed forward. When the head was pushed down, Death’s face became visible. Grabbing her back, he proceeded to peel her off of him until her lifeless body hit on the floor.

Raven looked down at Ida’s body and felt as her skin grew pale.

“Relax!” he exclaimed with a smile. “She was already dead when I found her. . . . Poor thing got sick.” He looked down at her body and tilted his head to the side, hair floating with the movement.

She swallowed. “So Ash was-”

“Just a skin for me. I believe he was a farmer who got lured to death by Sirens. I found him and waltzed my way into that little pub you were so fond of with my Necromancer persona.” He kicked Ida’s body over, so she was lying on her back. With a simple hand motion, Ida’s eyes opened, and she stared at Raven, like all the dead before her. The charm of Death overtaking her body had disappeared, and it left behind the sickness.

“Seriously, though, I like the green on you,” he mocked as he walked by her, lightly slapping her scarred face twice. With a flick of his wrist, Ida dissolved into black smoke.

Swallowing what she thought was bile, Raven quickly walked to the fireplace, remembering what she had wanted to do before the bath.

Her hands roamed and pressed against the stone as Death watched on. Finally, finding a loose rock, she pushed on it, sinking it into the fireplace. She let go, and the stone slowly went back to its original position. Grabbing the iron poker, she leaned against the wall and inserted the iron into the chimney, careful not to get burned by the fire. The tip fell into a small hole that had been opened when the stone had been pushed in. When she removed it, she stepped back as her foot tapped against the ground.

The sidewall of the fireplace slid back and revealed a wooden ladder. Raven collected her sword and rings, placing them in the hidden opening. Glancing at her beloved possessions one last time, she pushed in the side of the wall, let go, and it slid back into place.

Raven marched out of the room and to Colt’s. Knocking against the door, it opened.

A dark ruby over-shirt comfortably hugged Colt's body, a white undershirt under it. Silver lines outlined the collar, over the tops of his shoulders and down his arms, at the wrists the silver spiked up into thin lines by a few inches. The most prominent feature was the line down the middle, thin points going out to the sides, varying in length.

She pointed at the over-shirt, more than shocked to see him wearing the color he despised.

“It’s what tha bloody person brought!” Colt protested. “An’ she refuses to bring me new clothes!” His teeth clenched together, and his jaw twitched. A second passed, and his face relaxed. “So, what’s up?”

Raven walked into his room and to the fireplace. She proceeded to show and explain each step of how to open the wall.

The surprised Colt stuck his head into the new opening and looked up, where the ladder led. He removed his head and looked at Raven, who shrugged.

“Just in case,” she said.

“Are oll tha rooms like this?”

The wall closed.

“Tha only important ones are bedrooms: fireplace; library: bookshelf with tha red book to tha right; and throne room: behind tha right banner.”

“Thanks,” he said.

Raven nodded and walked out of his room and over to Richard’s, Colt following. She knocked on the door, and it was opened a second later. Raven was, once again, taken aback by the clothes.

Richard was wearing a white undershirt, like the rest of them. But a rich sapphire leather shirt was on top with gold and silver elegant designs against the cuffs on his sleeves and covering the entirety of his chest and stomach.

Raven and Colt walked into the room before Richard could even invite them in. Raven proceeded to show Richard the steps. Richard was more or less unimpressed, at least compared to the Shifter.

“Well,” Colt said, “I think we should check up on Bram an’ Mark.”

“Agreed,” Raven concurred.

“I’ll come out in a few minutes,” Richard said.

They both began to walk out of the room.

Raven suddenly stopped and turned around. “Oh, an’ Richard.” He raised an eyebrow. “Yeh look beautiful in blue.”

Richard’s face fell, and slight anger washed over him.

“Really brings out yer eyes,” Colt added.

“At least I don’t look like an overgrown tulip.” Richard gestured to Colt, who immediately looked hurt.

“Ha!” Raven exclaimed.

“An’ yeh” - Richard pointed to Raven - “yeh look like a damn miniature garden.”

“Yeh don’t have to be rude, Richard.”

“Agreed,” Colt said. “Way over tha line. Would have never said anythin’ like that to yeh.”

They both smiled and left.

Richard inhaled deeply through his nose, trying to convince himself that he wasn’t going to kill them.

They both grabbed their cloaks and shoes from their rooms and walked down the hallway again.

Colt and Raven walked out into the training yard and over the drawbridge to the second Market. The divide between the clean, pristine Noble Market into the bustling, dirty, overly crowded peasant Market was so noticeable it reminded Raven of the line to the Morte Mountains.

Death suddenly appeared beside Raven and began to walk with them.

Her eyes looked anywhere but where he was and finally spotted the two people who had followed silently behind them since escaping the cave: Mark and Bram.

Bram smiled at Mark’s remarks before his eyes landed on a fancily dressed Colt and Raven. He broke off from the man, and before Raven could move or counter, she was receiving one of Bram’s, almost deadly, bear hugs - her feet off the ground, legs bent, and hand twitching at her sides.

When he finally released her, she panted for air.

Bram now turned his attention to Colt, whose eyes widened in realization. Before Colt could escape, Bram encased him in a deadly hug.

When Bram placed Colt back on the ground, Colt felt as if he had just been the closest to death he had ever been. Mark stopped beside Bram and bowed his head to Raven; she managed to do the same.

“What happened?” Raven asked with air back in her body. She glanced at the two men and saw scratch marks on both their arms.

“We were attacked by these Monstros an’ then we tumbled down a hill in this Kingdom,” Mark said.

“Whad happened twa yeh?” Bram asked.

“More or less tha same story.” Her hand brushed her nose. “Have yeh seen tha Messenger?” With the time frame, it was possible he had moved into this town. The group had made a fail-safe that if they didn’t make it to the next village, then the surrounding Kingdoms would be quickly searched.

“He found us in tha last village an’ has been followin’ us,” Mark said as he scratched a wound.

The brown dirt moved around them and blew into the tree line.

“I think he wants to talk,” Raven said, knowing the movement was him. Bram and Mark smiled and stepped back, allowing the two supposed teens to walk by them.

They disappeared into the greenery.

***

Victor sat on a window seat, book in hand. His eyes left the page for a second, and he saw a cloak covered Colt and Raven walk across the courtyard. He tilted his head to the side and closed the novel. Standing up from his seat, he grabbed his cloak and walked out of the room, leaving his crown on the bed.

He didn’t know what he was doing or why he was doing it.

Turning down the hallway, he saw Richard in front of him. They were far enough away from each other that Richard couldn’t hear the Prince behind him.

Richard walked out of the main doors.

When Victor finally made it to the guards, they held out their arms and stopped him in his tracks.

“Does Fernando know where you are going?” one of the guards asked.

“I told Fernando where I was going, and he said that I could go on my own accord.”

The guards looked at each other and slowly removed their hands, allowing Victor to pass. This was his first time going against Fernando, and truth be told, he didn’t like the notion.

He strode across the ground in an attempt to catch up to Richard until he was a proper pace away. Victor grabbed his hood and threw it over his head, making him feel secluded from the people he would soon rule over. The hood weighed down his head more than his crown did, and his eyes naturally became downcast. It felt like everyone - and yet no one - was looking at him, and though it wasn’t the case, he felt like he was hiding something. He wondered if that’s how the group felt as well.

Victor’s pace slowed as Richard did.

Richard stopped to talk to a huge man who was standing next to another man. The biggest one in the group gave Richard a firm half handshake half hug as he said something.

Richard nodded, shook the smaller man’s hand, and continued his walk.

Victor furrowed his eyebrows together, not knowing how Richard could know these people. He walked by the men and saw Richard turned away from the Market and headed towards the treeline.

Once in the forest, faint voices could be heard, and somehow, Victor knew they were Colt’s and Raven’s. He stopped and hid behind a tree, far enough, so he wasn’t seen but close enough to where he could barely hear.

“What we got?” Richard asked.

Colt was leaning against a tree, his angry face tilted towards the ground.

Raven was pacing.

The Messenger was standing there, note in hand. He handed the letter to Richard, and he read it.

Richard remained silent for a second. “So . . . tha Monstro an’ Mundus Kingdoms are now against tha Farians.” It wasn’t a question and not entirely a surprise, but it was still disheartening.

“Onyx wants war,” Raven said. “Tha Mundus Kingdom has sided with King Onyx, and tha Farian Kingdom has sided against him. Tha other Kingdoms are still undeclared.” Raven ran her fingers through her hair, allowing her deformed hairline to show. She swore. “This is movin’ too bloody fast!” Raven hissed out. “We got two threats of war an’ only a few destroyed villages?!”

“What are we gonna do?” Colt mumbled. He got no response as everyone thought. “We are at a disadvantage here, but we can’t logically go back.”

“We are already here,” Raven said. “I didn’t expect us to come this far; we were supposed to stay in tha Monstro Kingdom an’ finish what we started.”

“Well, we are not, an’ there is nothin’ we can do about it now,” Richard commented.

“It won’t be long until an oll out war is breakin’ out,” the Shifter reiterated. “Tha Monstros are attackin’ more Farian villages, an' I bet they’ve stopped attackin’ tha Mundus ones.”

“The Monstros are also attacking the Farian trade ships,” the Messenger added.

“Neither parties have a choice here,” Richard said. “I say that we stay an’ prepare, then we can decide on what needs to be done. The wars won’t happen immediately, oll he needs to do is stall for a few weeks. If we start here, then we can block tha Monstros on both sides. Besides, tha goal was to reach tha Monstro Castle. We ar’ oldready at a Castle.” He looked around the group. “We need to take advantage of this situation.”

“Alright, fine,” Colt said.

All eyes turned to Raven.

“My dear, you have to stay. You have to say yes,” Death said in Raven’s ear. His smile almost made Raven defy him on the spot, but she had to stay in order to finish their deal.

“Yeah . . .” Raven trailed off.

Richard and Colt looked at her. Ever since the cave, Raven had seemed different somehow. Neither could pinpoint why, but they knew. After so long together, they knew.

“By the way, someone is here,” Death informed Raven.

Raven snapped out of her daze and looked at Richard and then to Colt. They all read her expression and knew they weren’t alone.

Richard’s wings expanded, and he flew up into the trees, landing lightly on a branch.

Colt’s knives extended.

Raven pulled out a dagger and walked away from Colt - both not making a sound even against the foliage on the ground.

The Messenger flew up with Richard in the tree next to him. Richard began to give him instructions, and once he had done so, the Messenger’s limp wings wrapped around him, and he disappeared.

Because the entire group was so precise and quick, Victor had no idea that any of them had moved, only that they had stopped talking. He slowly stuck his head out from behind the tree and saw that everyone was gone. Before he could react, he felt a knife press against his throat. When he looked at the assailant, he saw it was Colt. When they made eye contact, Colt quickly stepped back.

“Oy!” Colt yelled. “It’s Victor!”

Richard descended from the trees.

Raven stepped out from her spot, tucking away the dagger. She grabbed Victor’s shoulder and turned him around before harshly pulling the hood off.

“What are yeh doin’ here?!” Raven’s teeth ground together.

“Nothing, I swear.” His voice cracked multiple times.

“How much did yeh hear?” Colt asked.

“Nothing, I was just walking.” It was the truth; the majority of the conversation had been mumbled or too obscure to understand. He only heard about the threats of war, but he already knew about those.

“So yeh were walkin’? Went into tha tree line? Saw us? An’ hid?” Richard asked.

No one believed his story, and Victor knew it.

“I followed Richard out here,” Victor quickly said.

The entire group grew silent and slowly turned to Richard. Out of anyone in the group, he was the least likely to allow anyone to track him.

“Yeh followed Richard?” Colt asked.

“Richard?” Raven clarified.

Victor nodded.

“Why?” Richard’s voice now held an inevitable dominance and sternness to it that reminded Victor of the way Fernando would sometimes speak.

“I’m tired of being cooped up in the Castle.”

“Then leave,” Raven said in a tone that made Victor feel like an idiot.

“Fernando watches me and doesn’t allow me to go out without him.”

Raven let out one pant of air that could be perceived as her laughing or growing angrier. Her hands rested on her hips, and her foot tapped against the ground.

“And, to be honest, I’m curious about you guys,” Victor added.

“What’s there to be curious about?” Colt asked.

“How you guys met? Why are you here? Who those people are-?”

“Let me stop yeh there,” Raven interrupted. “As we said, we met in jail. We don’t know how we got here. An’ what men are yeh talkin’ about?”

Victor looked around and saw that the Messenger was gone.

“There were other. . . ?”

“It’s just us,” Richard said as he brushed past Victor and out of the treeline, everyone following to the Market. When they made it, Victor saw that all the men that Richard had talked to briefly were gone.

“I don’t understand,” Victor said as he looked around in disbelief.

“Don’t understand what?” Raven asked. “That there are no men?” She paused and shook her head. “Go back home, Victor.”

Sighing, Raven and Richard walked to Colt. They all stood around one another and began to whisper amongst themselves. With each passing second, more and more stress seeped into them.

Victor knew they were hiding something, and he was determined to find out what it was.

***

Fernando walked down the Castle's halls as his hand naturally fell upon the hilt of his sword that was attached to a black belt. He was thankful that he was out of his heavy, sweaty armor. Now, he had on silver chain metal, underneath a half black half green shirt that went down to his middle thigh. The Mundus crest was on the right part of his chest in gold.

Fernando stopped in front of Victor’s door to check on him. Softly knocking against the wood, he waited for an answer, but there was none. Slowly, he opened it.

“My Prince?” Fernando asked. He froze when his eyes didn’t land on Victor. He closed the door as his mind began to race. It’s ok, he thought, he’s probably in the library. . . . His thoughts trailed off, and his eyes landed on Raven’s door. Unless.

He opened the door and didn’t see Raven. He did the same to Colt’s and Richard’s door, and each time, his heartbeat increased more. He quickly walked to the main doors, and when the guards saw him approaching, they straightened out more.

“Did you let the Prince go out?” he asked.

“He said that you had given him permission, Sir.”

Fernando shoved past the guards and walked towards the Market.

***

The small group was still talking amongst themselves as Victor looked on.

Raven looked up and saw Fernando walking towards them, and he looked more than mad. Victor seemed to shrink as he saw him approaching.

When Fernando made it to Victor, he roughly grabbed his collar and pulled him towards himself.

Raven raised an eyebrow. There was no bow, formal words, or even kind gestures.

“What are you doing?!” Fernando demanded.

“Nothing,” Victor said.

“And why are you with them?!” They all took offense to the statement. Fernando looked up at them, and when his eyes landed on Raven, his rage increased. “Why the hell did you bring him out here?!”

“I didn’t!” Raven defended as she stepped forward. “Tha little brat decided to follow us!”

Fernando glared at Victor before he moved the boy and himself in the direction of the Castle.

“Why do yeh care where he goes?” Raven asked. She didn’t think she had meant to say it, but there was no going back now.

Fernando turned around and paused for a second. “Because I care for him.”

“Do yeh?” Raven asked, stepping towards him again with anger overtaking her body.

Fernando froze for a second as he looked at Raven. That once sweet and innocent girl was now nothing but rage, and worst of all, it was directed towards him. He had loved Raven like his own, and now he barely even recognized her.

“Do yeh care for him?” Raven asked again. “Or are yeh tryin’ to make up for somethin’?” Fernando remained silent, and that gave Raven her the answer. “Do yeh think that by over protectin’ one child, yeh can make up for a lost one?!” The venom was back. “Honestly, yer genuinely pathetic!” Raven spat at his shoes and began to walk away.

“Why do you hate me?” Fernando asked. “Ever since we found you, you have been nothing but angry and insulting towards me!” Though he was mad, there was a certain sadness in his voice.

“Why?” Raven seethed. “Why?! If yeh had been there, she would still be alive!” Raven yelled as she slammed her fist into his chest. “If yeh had come, then my mum would be alive!” Her fist struck again. “Yeh knew where we were an’ yeh didn’t come!” A dagger slid into her hand, and she pressed it against his throat.

Colt quickly grabbed Raven and pulled her back, managing to disarm the dagger from her grip.

She kicked and screamed against the Shifter as he continued to move away. “For weeks, we suffered because of yer inability to do yer job! If yeh had been there, she would still be alive! If yeh had been there, I wouldn’t have been bloody burned alive!”

“The King forbid us to go to the Kingdom!”

Raven got out of Colt’s hold and shoved him back. “I’m so sick an’ tired of everyone usin’ tha King as an excuse! Tha King had to wed! Tha King forbid this! To hell with tha King!”

“Enough!” Richard said. His voice caused everyone to freeze and listen. He stepped in between Raven and Fernando, and even his body language demanded attention.

Fernando and Victor had no idea where this persona or mentality was coming from. Again, it reminded the Prince of his Captain at certain times.

Richard looked over at Raven and saw tears were in her eyes. Whether they were from anger or sadness, he didn’t know, and he knew he would most likely never find out.

Riched focused his attention on Fernando. He pressed his balled up hands to the small of his back, gripping his right wrist with his left hand. “I apologize, but I believe it would be best if yeh went back to tha Castle. I’ll deal with Raven,” he said.

Fernando lingered for a second before he began to walk away with Victor.

Turning back around to Colt and Raven, Richard was more than mad. “Are yeh bloody dense?!” Richard grabbed Raven’s collar and pulled her towards him. Her feet barely touching the ground. “Yeh decide now to insult ‘em?! They are allowin’ us to stay in tha Castle, an' we have issues that are amountin’ by tha second an’ yeh choose now!”

“I’m sorry ok?!” Raven shoved back, but Richard pulled her back again, her toes only touching the earth.

“Richard!” Colt said.

Raven and Richard met each other’s eyes. Richard saw that there was nothing but pain and exhaustion. Sighing heavily, his grip on her slowly released, realizing he had acted as his pa had to him, and he hated it. He had sworn to never behave like his pa to Colt or Raven, but sometimes he couldn’t control his temper.

Raven took a small step back and read Richard like a book, regret crawling throughout her.

They had both gotten to release their anger in a matter of seconds, and now neither knew how to cope.

“Look, I know that yeh have been through a lot, but what we are dealin’ with is too important to compromise.” His voice was soft again but still held a sense of warning. “Raven, he was only followin’ orders an’ yeh can’t hold that against him.”

Raven looked down.

“We need to sort through our priorities an’ what’s happenin’ now is tha most important.” Colt and Raven nodded. “I say that if we are still welcomed in tha Castle, we go to tha library and try to figure out a strategy. No gettin’ drunk tonight?”

They nodded again.

Without another word, Richard began to walk back to the Castle. Colt gently pressed his hand against the small of Raven’s back and pushed her forward. They both followed Richard.

Death walked beside Raven. Leaning down, he looked at her face and smiled. “Soon, my dear, you will get to unleash your anger.”

His smile widened.

“I hope it yields the results I want.”

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