The Raven & The Wolf

Chapter Three

We’re outside of Gershwin Villa when we pass through the transportation wall. The Hunter is passed out cold in the grass. His fainting spell caught me off guard and he fell off Macy. Stanya and I are currently arguing about what to do. She wants to remove his memory completely. I just want to blur it, so he’ll remember what happened. Plus memory extraction is difficult, and it can cause permanent brain damage if done with a weak spell; or done incorrectly. I was okay with it when I did it to Stylus because we’d die if he eventually remembered.

“Look, I’ll blur every part of us until we’re unrecognizable,” I tell her. “Even the surroundings. It’ll be like remembering being drunk. I’ll even make him think he was drinking. If he even accidently runs into Ari, it’ll be too disheveled to remember anything.”

She folds her arms. She’s five foot six so I have to look down to see her. “Fine. Make damn sure he won’t be able to recognize us.”

I nod and touch his head. Deftly, I dig through his memories. He’s remembering everything right now, so he’s about to wake up. That makes it so I have to erase two sets; which I do with no trouble. After I’ve triple check his mind to make sure I got everything, I touch his mind again and lure him to sleep. After the day he’s had, I make it peaceful. In his dream world, there are prancing rabbits that he’s hunting. Now to get him to safety. I envision him by his horse-whose name is Myter-and he vanishes with a gifted half-drunk bottle of whisky.

I pull back and shakily get up. Stanya is on her horse, carefully watching me. I end the illusion I have placed on both horses, turning them back to normal. After that, I heal Stanya and myself, leaving me sore, tired, and sweat soaked. My body is trembling with exhaustion; from the amount of magic I have used today.

Before we enter the city, this time Stanya makes us look like beaten down Arain Travelers. Immediately, we head to the bathhouses to clean up after today’s battles. After undressing, I head to the bath to soak in the warm water while Stanya adds mint oil to it. I prefer no scent, since it’s easier to mask, but I won’t argue with her this time. It’s already been a long day. Absentmindedly, I look at the snow leopard on my hand while Stanya goes to add rose petals.

A memory begins to play through my head: “This will guide and protect you, young Natasha.” Master Brin tells me as he seals the Sheika emblem on my hand. “You’re very lucky. Only the Masters have this symbol. You’re strong for someone your age.”

My seven year old self looks down at it. The insignia looks so real, I can make out the lines of each individual hair. It even feels soft like their coat. “How will it protect me Master?” I ask, my voice small. My world has changed so much in these last short months, I feel as if nothing can protect me.

He taps my hand as he speaks, ”It will glow when the Magicnite approach, or a dark Sheik. I want you to run to me when that happens. Can you do that for me?”

Slowly, I nod. “But what about the other mark?” I ask, thinking of something old that I had spotted the other day. I had never asked about it before, since my mother told me to never talk about it, so I was curious.

His wrinkled pug face furrows; bringing deep crevasses to his already dented skin. “What do you mean?”

Carefully, I pull my hair back and turn my back, showing him the mark on the back of my neck. He screams.

“Natasha!” Stanya yells, splashing me with water to get my attention. I bounce back from my memory and laugh as I look at her. Her hair is pulled back into its usual bun. I can see her naked body, but she can see mine so it’s a fair trade.

I splash her back, “Don’t do that.” The bath attendant clears her throat to make sure we know that this behavior isn’t acceptable, before settling back down in her seat.

“What were you thinking about?” She whispers while I sit on my hand to hide the leopard.

I frown, “Master Brin.” I whisper so only she’ll hear and lean in closer. “I have a feeling he’s up to something, and it’s going to end badly.”

She stiffens, “Is that why you’re so insistent to go see him?”

I nod. “Something just isn’t right. I can feel it.”

She folds her arms and lowers her voice, “State your evidence.”

I tick my reasons off on my fingers. “He’s having me run from town to town for pointless errands. He keeps checking my tattoo. He jumps at everything. And when he hears my voice, he screams and jumps as if a snake bit him.”

She purses her lips. “Well, we’ll take it up with him tonight. Remember, he said he’d meet us here for dinner.”

Satisfied, I nod and stand up. The attendant turns her head away automatically, even though she sees naked women all day long. I just shrug it off and rub Stanya’s head. “I’ll meet you back in our room.” I head to the rack and get myself a robe to make the attendant a little more comfortable.

In the changing room, I drop the robe to look at myself in the mirror. I pull my dark chocolate hair back to reveal a raven with its wingspread. I was born with this, but it wasn’t until the night my family was murdered, did those two red eyes reveal themselves. The legend our people tell, is of a girl who wears this mark will be pure evil. She’s destined to destroy all the Sheika and Magicnite. She’s to be the cause for the end of magic as we know it.

Once this mark was found by Master Brin, he constantly ran magic tests over me; designed to tell him if I’m destined for evil. No such path was found to be written for me. He did sense a change in my destined path though. After much soul searching on his half, he figured it out. Ari was supposed to have taken me that night. Only fate did not count on the fact that my body had more instinct than my mind. It also didn’t count on the fact that Brin had been following Ari for hours on end; sensing a plan being formed by him. In other words, it didn’t factor in fear, stupidity, and curiosity. Three major, uncontrollable, factors.

I turn fully to look back at each colored star on my cream colored skin. Green. Red. Pink. Purple. Black. Yellow. Blue. White. Orange. One for each individual clan of the Sheika. They’re like arrows along the curve of my waist. Four on each. They’re all pointing at the star in the middle of my back. My clan star. Green. Though I was raised in Brighton, the red clan star. The stars mean that I have surpassed them all and completed their Mastery Test. In other words, I’m top on the food chain.

I pull on black canvas pants, and a tight fitting green shirt. Then I put on my corset. I let my curly hair down, so it’ll hide the raven. To settle my nerves, I put kohl around my eyes and brush my teeth with soap and a cleaning cloth. I spit out the citrus flavor once I’m done and rinse my mouth out repeatedly.

After I’ve calmed my anxiety some, I pull on my boots and gloves, finally ready. I look myself over to make sure I do not stand out. A soft face with caring red lips give an appealing edge. The kohl I have put on traps you in my ocean eyes. They’re a deep blue with specks of emerald green. They trap and stun opponents; often taken off guard by the intensity my eyes hold. My tall body of five foot eleven sticks out, especially because most females are five foot six. My body holds an hourglass figure, and the corset I wear only enhances that. My legs are curvaceous due to muscle growth, and years of horseback riding. My arms are toned and show no sign of a jiggle, all due to constant training. There is no sign of fear in my body by design, and I put pride in that.

As soon as Stanya comes into the changing room, I grab our bags and head straight to the inn. After the Inn Keeper accepts my money, he takes me to my room. It’s a small little thing. Two small beds that are no bigger than a person, and just a little wider, take up most of the room. A wash station is in the corner with a small chair sitting next to it, and a small little privacy screen that conceals a chamber pot. He bids me goodbye after I tell him it is satisfactory. I look out at the open window and sigh. Nothing but trees. I long for the sight of mountains. The sight of home. A hundred miles from here is the nearest mountain. I think I might go live there if I ever have to go fully into hiding. I know Ari hates the cold winter that awaits there.

I stash our stuff in the corner, trying to make them not stand out. A breeze licks at my neck when I straighten. I inhale through my nose silently and catch the scent of pine. I smile, “Master Brin, you’re losing your touch.”

A soft wheezing chuckle sounds behind me. I turn and smile at the old man. He’s five foot four, but he used to be five foot seven; before his age made him shrink-according to him. Steel gray eyes hold a caring, fatherly appearance. His face is covered with so many wrinkles that you can’t see his cheek bones. He slightly resembles a bulldog as well. His face is black as pitch, but his teeth are as yellow as a daffodil. His reasoning for that is his teeth are falling out already, so why brush. Plus, he’s four hundred years old, so he’s given up on making good appearances.

He smiles at me, revealing his only four teeth. I nearly pass out from the fumes his mouth produces. Like rotting flesh and garlic. “You’re just getting better my dear. Sit. I have something to tell you.” My bad feeling comes back to greet me, but I follow his request and sit on the bed.

Master Brin pulls a chair across for me, since I am sitting on the bed. He takes my hands in his rough callused ones. He hesitates before gently brushing my hair back; so he can see the left wing of the raven. “Do you remember when I told you the legend of this birthmark?”

Slowly, I nod. What is he getting at? Did he find the prediction true, and I’d kill everyone?

He runs his fingers over the mark and shiver. “Feels just like a raven. The symbol for death and intelligence.”

With caution, I raise my eyebrow. “What are you getting at?” Am I doomed to be a murderer? I’ll take my life right here if that is true. I will not kill my friends.

Master Brin bites his lip with his last front tooth. “I’m afraid, my dear, that the legend has been misinterpreted. Parts were found to be missing, lost due to its age, and untrue connections were made in an attempt to make the prophecy make sense. Recently, I had received a dream of the missing pieces, and I’ve been looking for them. What I found was something truly interesting. There are four parts of the legend. One for each of the four animals. I have found that the wolf and the raven’s stories were tampered with.”

He holds up a finger for each one as he counts, “The wolf, the owl, the raven, and the deer. The raven does not kill my dear. The raven is a survivor.” He squeezes my hand, showing enough conviction that my mind has stilled. “The owl kills small game. The deer grazes. The wolf is what kills. The wolf shows no mercy. The wolf is the symbol for strength and brutality. The wolf is the reason for our future genocide, Natasha. Not the raven.”

That comes to me like a hard blow as that sinks in. All my life people would believe that I was destined to kill them. My entire life has revolved around proving them wrong. I have even become skilled in controlling my emotions when I knew it could lead to death. Now I’m completely blind on how to handle the power my mark brings. If this is true, then what the hell does my mark mean?

Master Brin rolls up his sleeve, revealing two birthmarks. An owl and a deer. “My Mistress, before she died, passed her power down to me. I inherited her birthmark. It’s believed that these marks are a sign of power. That they are, in fact, the source of enormous power. That theory has been proven correct. My Mistress originally held the deer. The symbol of independence and gentleness. Independence was evident from every aspect of her life. No one held her down, and there were few times that she’d ask for help. It was always hard to work with her, since it was against her nature to rely on someone else.

“My birthmark is the owl. The symbol for all seeing and wise. There is a reason why everyone comes to me when they need help. I can see things others can’t. I know what to avoid and what not to. I can see when others are going to die, and what their futures hold for them. Like myself.”

He squeezes my hands tighter as I stiffen. My stomach now feels as if a snake is trying to kill it in its constricting hold. “I have seen my fate, Natasha. It doesn’t end well, but I can prevent the rest of what I had seen. Remember, the wolf is nothing without the pack. Do not let the pack reunite with the head.”

I try to make sense of that. “What? What does that even mean?”

“It means this,” he leans over and kisses my forehead. Purple and red twine together in ribbons as it surrounds my body; holding me in place. A deer comes into my field of vision. Once my eyes settle on it, it charges right at me; causing me to scream. I try to move, but I’m held immobile by its dark eyes. Air pushes out of me the moment it touches me, and I feel as if I have been punched. My left shoulder lights up as burning takes over. I try desperately to claw at my shoulder, but a screeching owl nearly deafens me with its demanding shriek while it flies at me. My right shoulder lights up, matching my left, then my back follows. My middle back feels cold and pulses, searching for something. The missing piece. The wolf. A screeching raven sounds in my ear. No, not my ear. The back of my neck. The raven is shouting a challenge.