8 The Raven

As a steady wind picked up, the environment outside became slightly chilly. Sands on the Dead Beach were mercilessly thrown about from the wind and pounding waves. Some gray clouds in the sky threatened to bring rain or snow.

In the beach's ramshackle one-room house, Kita sat on the chair in its corner, rubbing her sore arms. At the moment, she was reading one of Kodin's journals.

This was how she would pass the time while stuck on the beach. The only other books she had brought were the ones Corelia gave her, and she already used them to make a fire. It seemed like an appropriate use for them, as she refused to read more Aubade lies.

Kita flipped a page. "This is all interesting. Kodin recorded almost all of his missions here. He seems to be more of a talker than a fighter, but I couldn't relate. I don't have either of those skills."

She continued to read intently.

"'Day 68, 9:47 p.m: Things are beginning to pick up. Seyber, Thundur, Scorch, and I had to deal with a small goblin tribe that wanted to take the Raven's Cavern. They didn't even have a name. I was sure they'd be easy to face, despite being larger than other goblins, but I was wrong.

There was one goblin, a leader, who was as scary as he was threatening. He was huge! He also kept several explosives, which is why one of the rooms in the cavern is now collapsed. Thundur had her match, that's for sure, but she never ceases to amaze. She took him down, without the help of her twin, but she suffered a nasty hit to the leg. I guess she's better in the spiritual realm. I've heard rumors of her taking down fifteen banshees like nothing.

Anyways, I've never been so exhausted, so I'll have to keep the rest of this entry short. Timbur fought a crazed gigaboar on his own -a massive beast I have yet to write about. I never would've suspected him to bring it down so easily. Also, lesson learned; never say that to his face. Finally, five days ago, I wrote about how Zin played with an explosive and broke a portal in the depths. That attracted a scorpio. The twins made him fight it on his own, which the rest of us found very amusing. In other words, just another day among the Zyreans. Dangerous, scary, somewhat annoying, but oddly satisfying.'"

Kita laughed to herself, "That sounds like them. This one isn't as exciting, but I guess it's good to keep reading, so I don't get lost anywhere. I just wish there was more advice on how to fit in, things I should know about the others, and especially advice for training. Maybe he had more information on these beasts I keep-"

Stud groaned from his curled-up position in the corner. "Quiet, please! I'm trying to sleep!"

"You've been sleeping all day," Kita muttered. After another glance at the book, she decided to stop her reading for now. She stood up and placed the journal on the chair behind her. Afterward, she made her way outside to stretch her legs.

As soon as she stepped outside, a steady gust made her shiver and cross her arms, trying to see through the strands of dark violet hair being blown in front of her eyes. She saw that across the way, near the portal, Jem, Scorch, and Zin were talking to Leiytning about something. Though she didn't want to appear nosy, she decided to investigate.

When close enough, Kita spoke, "Is there something wrong?"

Scorch gave a dismissive gesture. "Nah. There was just a bit of vermin in the Raven's Cavern, that's all."

Leiytning ignored the two. "Did the goblin report seeing anything else?"

Zin spoke in a jokingly ominous manner, "No, that's all. For now..."

"Idiot," Leiytning muttered, clearly unamused. "Then you three are dismissed."

The three were halfway to the fortress entrance, but then Zin said something to Jem, and Scorch chimed in. Soon enough, it escalated into an argument that caused them to scurry to the fortress, each trying to outrun or tackle the other. Even Kita couldn't help rolling her eyes, wondering how they could act so childish.

"Is that typical?" She asked.

"Sadly, yes," Leiytning replied. "Anyways, mortal, I might as well get one other thing cleared while we're both here. Seyber tells me you're in need of a better weapon, and after that unproductive lesson earlier, I agree."

"So do I," Kita muttered. "I just don't think I'm a very good knifeman. I mean, you saw how well I was fighting with that dagger. I know it's mostly because of my lack of training, but maybe I would be better with something else. I can't describe it, but the dagger just doesn't feel..." She hesitated. "It doesn't feel natural. Does that make sense?"

"A lot more than you think it does. Now, I believe we've found something that should suffice."

Leiytning held up what he had brought with him, which made Kita surprised. It was a sword that shone with a gunmetal tint. Its hilt was black, and the base of the blade had an amethyst on either side.

Kita took the blade, grasping the hilt tightly. The weapon fit naturally in her hand. She knew that the blade was strong enough to cause damage, unlike the dagger, and also light enough to allow her to move right.

"This is great!" Kita chimed. "Better than great, it's perfect! Where did you get it?"

"You're talking to ancient warriors about weapons, so it's really not that hard. This one was just something that's been lying around, and no one wanted to use it."

Kita chuckled deviously. "I'd like to see the vermin try to fight us, now."

"The weapon is only half of it," Leiytning responded. "You will have to learn to use it correctly, and much of what you've already learned with the dagger won't comply with this weapon. Zin would suffice, but Timbur also uses a smaller kind of sword. I'd recommend asking him for advice."

Kita shuddered. "Asking Timbur for combat advice? Something tells me I'll be bleeding at the end of that discussion. I'll ask Zin. We seem to be on good terms, now." She sheathed the sword to the belt of her dress. "Thank you for-"

-Caw! Caw!

Already alerted by the sound, Kita panicked when a black flash obscured her vision. The sylph yelped and stepped back, avoiding whatever was hurtling by.

Leiytning sneered sarcastically, "Heart of a lion."

As the moment of fright cleared, and Kita came to her senses, she was surprised to see that the thing was a raven. It had crash-landed onto the beach, laying like a heap of black feathers. A small note was coiled and strapped to its neck, and it let out another annoying caw.

Mindful of its sharp beak, Kita quickly snatched the note off its neck. The small rolled-up piece of paper had a name scribbled on the outside. She strained to read the hastily-written words. Though she expected it to be in another language, it was in Northern.

"It's addressed to 'Zyrean leaders or beta.' It doesn't say who it's from, though."

After receiving no response, Kita glanced at Leiytning. As it turned out, instead of showing interest in the note, he was more concerned for the raven itself. When Kita looked again, the strap that held the cartridge for the note seemed tight, and it had a wire bound to its feet. Its ratty feathers were ruffled with some bald patches, and it was quivering. It was surely an ugly creature to behold.

"Um..." Kita arched one brow. "Hello? Leiytning, did you hear me?"

"Criminal," he muttered, unsheathing one index claw.

Ignoring her, he cut away the strap on the bird's neck, then cut off the wire at its feet. It almost instantly stood up, extending its wings as it shook out its fragile feathers. Some fell to the ground, carried away by the breeze. It then stood straight, watching the demon. It didn't seem very scared, despite its twitchy form.

Kita struggled not to laugh. "Wait. The legendary demon leader, feared by nearly everyone I've met, is just a big softie?"

"Shut up," Leiytning bluntly responded.

The raven flew up a bit, perching on his shoulder. Kita was confused, but also found this humorous.

'This behavior really does not fit his reputation,' Kita thought. She held up the note. "Are you even interested in this?"

"Naturally," Leiytning replied. "Although, if you can read it, I'll assume it's in Northern."

Kita nodded. "It is."

"Read it," said Leiytning. "I don't know Northern characters, nor does anyone here."

That being said, Kita unraveled the note and scanned through its content. She began to recite what she read.

"'Leiytning, Thundur, or Timbur. I managed to get into our base, and looked around. After giving this some thought, I'm not too surprised to say that you were right. Xarin is trading magic items to the Aubades. I also uncovered an archive of letters, one of which is attached to the back of this note. These letters are to or from an Aubade representative. I am just as mad as you are, knowing full well the threat of having anything to do with Aubades. This leader is being selfish and exploiting those beneath him, just like the one from before. I truly believe that the best action is to kill Xarin and end this, and all of my fellow villagers agree. That would require another contract. After reading this, I'm sure you agree, but I will await your response before making any actions.'"

Kita finished, "It's signed by someone named 'Savux.'"

Leiytning muttered, "Damn gargoyles. They're impossible to predict."

Kita furrowed her brows. "Maybe it's just me, but I find something strange. If you can't read Northern, and I already heard gargoyles can't either, why is this is Northern?"

"Most gargoyles have the opposite issue of us," Leiytning explained. "Most demons will learn how to speak Northern, but it's extremely difficult for us to read it, so we don't. Gargoyles will almost exclusively write in Northern, but they're almost physically unable to speak anything outside of their native tongue."

"Oh, I see," Kita remarked. "That has to be frustrating."

Leiytning muttered, "I keep telling him to write in ghoul or elf tongue, as a common language, but he hasn't picked up the habit."

"So many languages," Kita murmured. "I don't know how you keep track of them."

While she continued looking at the note, in a flash of dark aura, a small leather-bound notebook manifested in Leiytning's hand. He used an attached pen and started writing on one of the pages.

"By the way, what is that thing you do?" Asked Kita. "When things just appear or disappear in your hand, out of nowhere. I've seen you and the others do it several times, but I don't know what it is."

"Zyrean spirituality allows us something called spirit altars," Leiytning explained. "Sometimes used in rituals and spells, but more commonly used as a cheap means of storage. They're part of the metaphysical representations of our minds, and unlike other parts of it, we can access it with just a spell."

Kita blinked hard. "Um..."

"To put it simply, it's a magic way of storing a few things," said Leiytning. "Essentials and tools, usually."

"Okay, then," Kita replied.

Leiytning kept writing. "It said that there was a letter attached to the note."

"Yes," said Kita, flipping the note over. Sure enough, the second piece of folded paper was behind the first. Kita unfolded it, careful not to tear the already-crinkled page. She immediately felt annoyed after seeing the name of the infamous sylph queen.

She explained, "This one's addressed to Corelia, and signed by Xarin. It looks like he wants gold in return for magic crystals, records, and other enchanting materials. In other words, it sounds like Corelia's not the only greedy leader."

Leiytning spoke under his breath, "What would gargoyles want with gold? They don't even use it as their currency."

Kita looked baffled. "What? You mean these people are just collecting gold for the hell of it?!"

"Actually, it's Xarin collecting gold 'for the hell of it,'" said Leiytning. "I can tell he's no better than the last leader they had, in which case, he's exploiting the work, profit, and gullibility of those villagers, just to keep himself and a couple of others in power. The gargoyle hierarchy is strongly divided. Unfortunately, most gargoyles don't know any better, or they're too afraid to stand up for themselves. That's why Savux, the only exception I've seen thus far, turned to us for help."

Leiytning tore off the page and folded it. The notebook and pen disappeared in a flash of dark aura, just like how they appeared.

"A leader tormenting his own people," Kita muttered. "And Corelia is empowering him, with this nonsense?! How awful!"

"Corelia couldn't tell a gargoyle from a goblin," Leiytning muttered. "She has no idea what she's dealing with."

"That can't be -!"

Leiytning interfered, "We know what to do, and irrational screaming is not on the list."

"Sorry," Kita murmured. "Just the thought of that is so infuriating, though. Anyways, what are we going to do about this?"

"'We' are not going to do anything," Leiytning responded. "Entrusting this to any of my siblings would be disastrous, I can already tell that much. I will make sure Xarin becomes less problematic from here on out."

Naturally, Kita felt a pang of guilt. Even though this gargoyle sounded like a very cruel leader, she couldn't help feeling that killing him would bring repercussions for the others. She refused to let it show, though, putting on a mask of bravery. It especially helped to remember one of the important lessons Thundur taught her, before her unfortunate injury. Death was often mandatory out here, and often the victims' own fault.

Kita looked unsure. "Well, can't we just leave it up to Savux to kill him?"

"Of course not," Leiytning responded. "Maybe if this was a lesser creature, but not Xarin."

"Then he'll be hard to kill," Kita concurred.

"Hardly," Leiytning continued. "Some better-trained gargoyles can be a pain, that's true, but this regards stealth more than strength. Causing a panic may alarm Corelia, and she could be tempted to attack us. She's been in a calm for a while, and I'm not going to break it just yet."

Kita seemed baffled. "I don't get it. Wouldn't the sight of a demon spark a panic, as well as the death of their leader?"

"Naturally, but I can't trust Savux to properly sneak by defenses, isolate Xarin, and kill him before he can alert others. He's a loyal informant, but as with most gargoyles, this is not his strong suit."

"Meaning..."

"He's not stealthy in the slightest, Xarin doesn't trust him, and he hasn't been on a battlefield in ages. While he has some status as a blacksmith, he still belongs in the lower class of their tribe, which means he's never had access to good training."

"I guess I see your point," Kita remarked. "So what's your exact plan?"

"I don't really have one," Leiytning replied. He held up the scroll. "The only certain thing is that I need to clear things over with Savux."

"Well, it's a good thing we have the messenger bird," said Kita.

When she tried to point at the bird, which was still on Leiytning's shoulder, it snapped at her. Kita flinched, stepping back.

"I'm not sending this one back," Leiytning replied. "I don't know exactly where he comes from, but creatures aren't supposed to be treated like this. Bound, beaten, and taught to fear its masters."

Kita strained to not laugh.

Leiytning's eye narrowed. "What?"

"Nothing!" Kita quickly replied. "It's just so funny that someone with your reputation would stand up for a small, ugly bird; you seem more like a softie. Even then, how are we supposed to deliver that to Savux without a messenger?"

"See how much of a 'softie' I am if you keep calling me that," Leiytning retorted. "As for the way we communicate, we use our own messenger. One that wasn't tortured or traumatized."

"Uh..." Kita looked confused again. "Who? Are you talking about that 'oculus' thing, or the basilisk?"

"Neither. You may want to stand back."

As Kita stepped back, Leiytning whistled strangely. Almost immediately, she heard a distant screech-like chirp.

From the top of the massive stone cliffs, something jumped down, falling at a fast pace. About halfway down, however, large bronze wings suddenly extended, catching the creature. Kita flinched, taking one hesitant step away. As it landed, she got a better look.

Unlike the beaten raven, this so-called 'messenger' was a brilliant sight. It was a creature that had the body shape of a lion, but the head of a phoenix. Shiny bronze, gold, and shiny crimson feathers coated its body, with huge wings sprouting from its back. A long tail swung behind it, with longer, more elaborate striped feathers at the tip.

Kita gaped at the sight. "What is that?

"This would be a phoenara," said Leiytning. "Strikingly similar to the more popular griffin. I don't name creatures, but the others call her 'Fira.'"

The raven eyed the new beast, chortling.

"Go free, if you'd like," Leiytning spoke to it.

The black bird fluttered its wings, making several ratty black feathers drift to the ground. It then took flight, disappearing into the stormy horizon. Leiytning approached Fira, holding out the note to her. Kita heard some sort of command, but didn't hear. She was thinking to herself.

Fira took the note in her beak, then leaped up. In one mighty beat of her massive wings, she shot into the sky and disappeared into the atmosphere at an alarming pace.

Kita looked slightly confused, despite her smile. "How many of these creatures do you have? It seems like I find a new one every other day."

"Seven, if you include Timbur's cats. Fira's the last one, at least for now."

"Where do you find them?" Asked Kita. "I didn't even realize there were so many of these creatures in the world."

"There are countless beasts in our world. Some are better left alone, others have been known to befriend specific tribes. Most of the ones around the fortress are creatures that were either hurt, abandoned, or found and spared, and they serve us in return. Thundur's the one to use them on missions, usually in the fortress depths."

"I wouldn't expect Thundur to be that way," said Kita.

"Trust me, she's a hypocrite when she says that she doesn't care about the lives of beasts or animals. It's just how she is; unpredictable, and always has been."

"I can imagine," Kita murmured. "I didn't get to be around her very long, but I could tell that almost immediately." She glanced at the sky, where Fira disappeared. "As for this mission, do you just wait for Savux to reply?"

"No," said Leiytning. "That just told Savux where to go. I still need to clear things up and kill Xarin."

Kita began heading back. "I'll take your word for it, then. Good luck, and thanks for the sword!"

As she walked back to the cabin, she began to see just how quickly time seemed to pass, as the sky seemed dimmer than before. She glanced at her pocket-watch to reveal the time; seven-forty-five.

Kita entered the room quietly, then went over to the place where she kept the several journals stacked. She picked up one from the chair, then collapsed on the sheet of plant fibers, holding the journal on top of her. Relaxing this way made her mind drift.

The image of the raven flashed in her mind. The whole situation made her laugh.

"Yeah, sure," Kita muttered sarcastically. "Leiytning sure is evil, and Zyreans sure are monsters."