The Ravenours

While Vin crept out, the group strode to their fish trap, and a tall, lean man worked his broad shoulders and large hands to lug it onto land. Even though the trashing fish splashed him and wet his neat attire and short dark hair, his demeanor was fair.

The person behind the temperate man was around the same age, yet very different. His head swiveled in every direction, and he wandered around disinterestedly, kicking rocks. He was much shorter and had a youthful face. Their hair and dragon scales were light purple, their uniform was lax, and they looked like they hadn't discovered what a comb was yet.

The large-handed Ravenour, whose slim fingers gave Vin the impression they played music—smooth jazz if any genre—groaned at their wandering companion. The two seemed to begin to bicker in their language, though soon, a third-party member alerted him.

Unlike the youthful Ravenour, this woman was attentive. She noticed Vin approaching first, and her expression intensified. The wide-handed man, who looked like he belonged in a jazz band, had seemingly activated, dashing before the woman and drawing his sword.

Vin raised one hand to show he meant no harm, but it didn't matter because they had already begun an offensive stride toward him. The antsy fellow had been a bit further away, biding his time kicking pebbles, but he quickly caught up and pulled his steel.

The Ravenour woman had a silent, controlled rage that brewed in her fierce ruby eyes. She had muted, brownish skin like terracotta; she was bigger weight-wise, but it distributed nicely upon her upper and lower half. It was ill-timed, but Vin couldn't help but admire the contrast between her intensity and the melancholy of the gray skies and sour forest.

Hostility glossed the Ravenour's faces as they marched toward him with primed blades. Vin scowled, irked that they'd be so needlessly confrontational. His initial impressions of their race dropped by the second, and once he escaped, which he had confidence he would, he'd never approach them again.

There was a transparent language barrier, but before they got too close, he glared and stated, "I don't want any trouble."

His words triggered an unusual reaction in two of them: first, the woman, who squinted in confusion, and then the tall man at her right, who leaned his head forward as if Vin's words would make more sense with his neck extended.

Vin slowly dropped his hand and pointed to himself, "Need help."

After this motion, the girl halted and observed Vin for a long time. Her actions seemed to dictate how the others moved, and seeing how her attire had trimmings of gold, she may have been the group leader. Clothing aside, she was distinct from the other Ravenours. The other two had reptilian scales of the same color as their hair, which climbed the sides of their pale neck like tattoos, but she didn't have scales on the visible parts of her body. One of her wings was missing, and one of her dragon horns grew longer than the other. They all had pointed ears, yet hers seemed to protrude much more.

The woman had taken in Vin's appearance. She turned to the more vigilant of her two companions before pointing to her own ears and saying something in their language. The tall man adhered to the woman while often pitching threatening glances at Vin to ensure he didn't suddenly attack.

Vin could hear them, but their words were unknown; he was only sure he heard her mention the word "Human."

The shorter dragon male seemed left out of the discussion but didn't let his guard down, even while constantly shifting his wild hair from his face. The other two would occasionally speak to him, but it was clear he clocked out of the conversation and just nodded in agreeance.

Bold glances laid upon Vin's rounded ears several times before the group lowered their weapons and the ferocity they displayed.

Vin couldn't pinpoint why the shape of his ears played a part in their hostility. But clearly, they had enemies in that world, and luckily, it didn't seem to be him.

Every resident of that planet had to have been aware of the assimilation of Earth. Even without words, he hoped they had been able to tell he was far from home and just sought a way back.

As the trio continued, Vin maintained a deadpan expression. The young woman and the two men appeared to disagree on something, but after some time, they reached a consensus, with the woman having the final say.

Jazz hands kept close to the one-winged woman, never leaving her side. He then instructed the fidgety Ravenour to collect the fishing net, and when that task was completed, they all cautiously approached Vin.

The assumed guards immediately took position at Vin's rear while the scaleless Ravenour stood at his face. Wary, Vin turned his head to see what the strangers were up to behind him, but a resolute hand grasped his jaw and forced his vision straight. He tried to resist, but that misshapen dragon woman wouldn't allow him to look anywhere else but at her.

Vin immediately grabbed the wrist of the hand that secured him. He peered at the audacious woman who was close enough that he could feel her conviction and, if need be, smash his head into hers.

The space between them seemed to shrink, iterating the tension in that shared space. At that distance, he smelled the subtly sweet fragrance of a pear and felt the heat her body emitted. He even sensed a vague yellowish glow at the center of her chest, which he could only describe as her soul. It was fiery, yet, at times, its flames dwindled, and hints of silvery sorrow smudged its essence. This was either a one-off experience, or arriving at death's door had altered him in more ways than expected.

The woman didn't act beyond grabbing his face. She just latched unyielding red eyes onto his as if she'd learn something, somehow identifying his nature. One thing she'd find was a growing grimace as he returned her personal stare and tightened his grip on her wrist.

Vin's anger wasn't entirely a product of her hold on him. It was a gesture to the world that he would no longer be victimized. He wanted them all to see. Every invisible spirit, monster, and even that enthusiastic soul. He wanted them to observe his resolve.

After thoroughly diving into his irises, the Ravenour released him, then motioned with her head as if saying, "This way."

A hand landed on both of Vin's shoulders, followed by a push in the direction they'd arrived from. He jerked his shoulders forward, dislodging their hands, and followed behind the terracotta-skinned woman.

They'd stalled night long enough, and a canvas of dark purples and blues began to bleed into the sky. The vibraces of the plant life dimmed, and the forest's atmosphere changed. With the darkness came an inexplicable chill that carried a disquieting sense of hollowness. What was once a thriving forest with frequent animal appearances and sounds of nature became vacant—extinct.

The Ravenour's in-and-out trip to the river had taken an unexpected turn. Vin's guide, who was usually steadfast, glared worriedly at their surroundings while increasing her pace. If those armed dragon people feared the dark, he could only imagine what kind of nightmare that place was becoming.

From a speedy walk to a jog, the face that led the way devolved in composure. Moonlight was redundant there; the treeline acted as a natural umbrella to shield from most of it. The forest's air became heavy as if the oxygen from the trees was being stunted to cull life.

Growing up near an active city, Vin hated true silence. He didn't know where the living creatures had fled, but it was becoming apparent why. A narrow layer of ominous gray mist rose beneath their feet like a tide. The ground beneath them phoned a low, unsettling ripple that insulted his bare feet and traveled up his legs.

Night had arrived. Whatever that meant, it was there. The single-winged woman broke into a sprint without a word, and a guard shoved Vin from behind, indicating he had to keep up. Soon after, Vin heard a bone-chilling snap and an ominous mash of fallen leaves. He snapped his head around, certain something was now close behind them, seemingly spawning out of thin air. The disheveled faces of the two escorts behind him yelled abruptly the moment they saw him turn around; he didn't need to be a linguist to know they communicated, "Don't look. Just run!"

Their dread transmitted seamlessly into his own, and Vin's heart jumped. Those locals knew better than anyone what lay in the void of that place; Vin gave up trying to cover his privates and let both his arms hit the wind in haste. His hearing had to have been failing him. What sounded like one impending existence had multiplied to tens and, in an instant, hundreds. Without turning, the woman forced words from her overdue breaths. A moment later, she shuffled through her belongings, and a pitched whistle blared.

After the whistle sounded, a heavy crash emanated from the direction in which they were escaping. After covering a bit more distance, Vin gradually started to hear numerous sounds. There was chatter and shuffling, which had to be the community the Ravenours were from. They were close but not quite there.

Traveling alone in that forest taught Vin to always stay perceptive. Because of his previous encounters, he distinguished an abnormal leveling of the ground between the trees in front of them. He grunted, fueling his aching limbs faster, and then yanked the woman's arm left of their course.

Her reaction was the same as his when the dark Phoenix suddenly yanked him from harm's way. She looked furious, but after they briskly redirected, she heard the violent upheaval of land as tendrils pulled down whatever prey had neared its burrow.

Her glossed, exhausted face did not say thanks, but she pointed ahead to where a dim light combatted the darkness. With uncertain destruction at their nape, everyone hurled coal into the furnace of their hearts and burst into a final dash toward the light.

The last cluster of trees came, and then they broke from the forest and immediately landed in front of a towering stone wall that stretched out of sight, encompassing a large town. Five individuals were in front of it, two of whom immediately caught Vin's attention.

The light that beckoned them was red-flamed torches that hung on the barrier. However, now meeting Vin's scowl were two heavily robed Ravenours who'd been on their knees in prayer behind a stone shrine.

The trio that discovered him raced past the shrine to the safety of three armed guards. Yet Vin skidded to a weighty stop in front of the two hooded individuals who'd prayed and frowned, "What are you doing praying to that thing?"

The centerpiece, dozens of paces in front of the gate, was a fridge-sized stone depiction of a mature Phoenix. There was a circle of purple flames surrounding its base. That fire emitted the same energy as his stalker, or rather, instead of energy, the term that'd been used was magic.

Whatever the case, Vin was baffled that those people hailed that thing as something worth praying to. Then, he realized why he hadn't seen the bird in a while. Odds were that it was staying hidden from its followers.

A terrifying shriek BLASTED a chilling draft that slapped against Vin's body, and he quickly snapped toward the threat. He peered into the darkness behind the torches' light and saw hundreds of crimson gleams glaring from the shelter of shadows—eyes that perceived every living being in its sight. Vin took a reflexive step back, but he soon realized the entities that stared them down remained idle, seemingly repelled them from entering their vicinity.

Vin took another glance at the shrine, then at the people who worshipped, and it connected the dots. "They're praying for that thing's protection?"

"But why? How-"

"Is that Ice fairy—were all those spirits from the Astral Plane seen as something to be worshipped? If they have so many followers, why the hell do they need teenagers for their missions!?"

He wanted immediate answers, but he knew that even if that Phoenix was there, it likely wouldn't have answered him. Then again, even if it did respond, he probably wouldn't have understood. After all, nothing in that world ever made any sense.