Ch.1 Travel to another world

    My name is Lynn. I'm 20 years old, and I have the most miserable job in my life. I will continue to live this miserable cause nothing really changes it and I don't do anything to change it. However, it did take someone to change the way I think, but it wasn't human...I'll let this story do the explaining...

“Your total is $16.00,” said Lynn.

The lady making her purchase paid Lynn and in return she received change.

“Lynn,” called her Manger, “See if we need to stock more cleaning product. They are selling fast because people are doing their spring cleaning this week.”

“I’ll do just that,” Lynn left her register while her manger took over. Lynn worked part time at a mini stop-shop. When she went to stock up cleaning products on the shelf, a bottle dropped from her hand.

 

Another hand caught it from hitting the ground, “Caught it! Here you go!.”

He was a young looking man with white hair and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a trench coat, which was odd to wear with the warm, spring weather coming. Lynn blushed and took the bottle from him, “Thank you!” she said, “Are you looking for something?”

“No, just looking,” he responded.

He suddenly went into small talk with her, “We have very nice weather outside. I wish it could stay like this everyday...but where are my manners? My name is Bram.”

“Are you trying to start something?” asked Lynn curiously.

“What? No!" he laughed, "I just thought i can make your day by...you know...small talk since you and one other person is working here. Yeah! That’s it,” Bram was trying to get his way with Lynn.

“Its kind of strange...but I’ll admit its working,” she replied.

“You are a very nice person. Would you mind joining me for a drink?”

Lynn was in shock. She laughed in between her shocked expression.

Something about her sparked him. He slowly reached over touch her face. Lynn stopped laughing and stepped back.

“My apologies... See you soon.”

The man drew his hand back and turned to leave. She started to go through a craze about what just happen and went back to work.

 

Bram left the door and a crow perched on his shoulder, “I know…I’m heading home now.”

It cawed and left his shoulder. It flew away until it was out of sight, “I have been out here for too long. I’ll try and talk to her tomorrow so I can get to know her,” he said.

Bram walked down a long empty road to nowhere and walked into the forest, where the fog was knee high and the trees were thin. He found a tree house on a large, thick tree and the ladder that was crooked and bent. Instead of using the ladder, Bram made one leap to the tree house and crept in. The tree house was empty with a mirror and what looked like a dark brown weak chest. He looked in the mirror and notices the back of his short hair turning black and a mark revealing on his cheek. He went to the chest and inside it was a box. He opened it. It contained what look like a dark black feather in transparent obsidian stone. He put his hands over the stone. Dark flash of light blasted the tree house but it wasn't wreaked or damaged. The mirror was intact. The stone was in the box and went into its chest. Yet, there was no sign of Bram.

That night, Lynn was home alone. She made herself some dinner and ate in front of the television. She was watching a horror movie that consist a group of 4 people fighting a murder of crows. In the end, they are all unsuccessful. “It’s just a movie, how can birds possible conquer the world?”

Lynn turned off her television and thought about Bram. “That Bram guy was very strange. Why was he flirting with me? There are other fish in the ocean. Why me? Who walks around with white hair?"

Lynn couldn’t believe it when Bram try to reach his hand on her face. She touched her hair. There was nothing in it until something fell from her hair. A small black piece of fluff was found between her fingers. “How did this get in my hair? It probably fell from a bird flying over my head.”

 

Next day, Lynn went to work at the stop-shop. Throughout the day, there was no sign of Bram.

“Well, he probably found someone else to talk to.” Still, somewhere inside, she really wanted to see him again.

When her shift was over and she was heading home, she was walking past a coffee shop and her eyes glimpsed the white hair. She stood by the window and the person was turning around. Lynn was ready to walk off until she notices Bram’s face. She walked in. He turned to the entrance waved at her and indicated her to come in. “Hi Bram. What are you up?”she asked.

“Not much. Just having a hot drink and looking at the beautiful scenery,” he told her.

Lynn looked around and saw people at tables, reading or drinking. “There is not a lot to see,” she said.

“That’s just because the view got better…with you around,” he told her.

Lynn began to blush again, “Stop! Oh man! Do you do the same thing with other girls?” She asked.

“No you are the first girl I was just getting to know,” said Bram.

Lynn didn’t want him to be left alone, so she sat next to Bram and they started into talking. "Are you from here or are you just visiting?"

"No! I guess you can call me a traveler, drifter..."

"Traveler, huh? For someone who is exploring, your family must miss you..."

"Its a small family really. I keep in touch with my mother and brother. My dad however, is not around anymore...died in the mines."

"I'm so sorry..."

"What about you?"

"I don't have any blood relatives...I was given up. I was left at someone's front door."

"Oh...I...that's upsetting..."

"The people who raise me were indifferent about me. The only thing they really did is teach me right from wrong and what gets you in trouble. I had to struggle learning things on my own. That's about it. "

"You went through a lot then. "

 

As their conversation was going smoothly, two crows were cawing at the window. Bram looked out the window.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“I…don’t want to worry you…,” he told her, smiling.

She looked at his hand, "Your hands looked cracked and dry,” She reached in her purse, “I think I have some cream in here.”

With that said, he checked his hand and hide it in his sleeve.

She glanced through her purse. The crows flapped their wings madly and Bram got off his chair and left.

“BRAM!” Lynn carried her purse to follow him.

He was running with the birds, "Please, Don't follow!" he shouted.

The back of his hair started to turn black. This stunned her.

"He had white hair, and now half of it is black? What's wrong with him?" Lynn couldn’t run anymore. She saw him disappear down the empty road. She stopped a cab to follow him and she jumped in.

 

Lynn, still looking for Bram, stopped the cab and got out the cab, paying the driver. The driver left. She looked at the tracks on the grass. She followed them to a pair of shoes that he left behind. The foot prints started to look narrow and she heard the caws echoing loudly in the woods. The fog reached her knees.

“This place gives me the chills. Maybe I should go back.” A blast of black light beamed through the woods. She turned back and followed the light.

 

The light faded and she found where the light was coming from. She found a tree house with a crooked ladder. She didn’t trust the ladder but she was interested in what was up there and what caused the flash. As she tried to climb the ladder but a crow landed a step ahead. A few more flew at her back, driving their claws to her jacket. They pecked and pulled on her to get down. She tried to shoo them with one hand but the ladder piece was not able to hold her up. She was afraid to look down. She made it to the top and the crows flew off. She saw a mirror and a chest.

“What’s in it… treasure?” she asked herself.

 

She opened the chest find a black feather in a transparent obsidian stone. She held it up. “What could this be?”

The stone started to glow. A dark aurora was crawling on her hand and grabbed her shoulder. She struggled to break free from it. The aurora surrounded her body and reached for her head. The flare of dark light blasted the room. The stone returned to its chest. Lynn was gone.

Her eyes were closed as she was falling in a dark blue vortex. The dark aurora left her body. As she aimlessly fell, she feared what happen next. She didn't know what she got into, but now she wished she had turned back. Lynn didn't feel like she was falling anymore. She opened her eyes to see herself in a dark room, lying in a twig nest. “How did this get here? This isn’t the tree house.”

She got out of the nest and search the wall for a door. She felt a breeze and saw a light through a long crack. It was a door and she opened it.

She peeked out and checked her surroundings to find a few tombstones, “This is a graveyard…How did I get…here?”

She looked up to see what she was in and found out she was in a crypt. She screamed, “Oh no! I’m dead! I’m dead! Is this Hell? Where am I?” She left the crypt and walked around.

 

Lynn was like a lost and frightened puppy. She looked around only to see dried, brown grass, knee-high plains, bare, dead trees with few leaves and a cobble stone road. She walked down the stone road to see where it leads her. She turned to see a shore. The water was bright blue close to the land. Farther out to the sea, it was a dark mixture of colors: red, purple, dark blue, and black. She found crows of different eye colors, perched on the trees. They just stared and didn’t attack. She found a road sign pointing ‘Other side’, which is where she came from. The next sign said ‘Retrices’. She took the path to Retrices.

Before she even started heading toward that direction, a skeleton hand popped from the dirt and so did two more. She froze in fear. The dead were rising from the ground. Lynn, unsure how to defend herself, backed into a tree. They came out of the ground, in ripped clothing and a blue vapor glowing from the skulls. One of them made a jump at her. When she screamed, the skeleton was cut down in half.

The young man had a crow head tattoo on both sides of his cheeks. The front of his hair was white and the back was black with spiked tips. He wore arm socks with holes, along with shoulder and chest armor. He had the black wings on his back. He warned the dead, “Go back to the ground where you came from!”

He pulled out a light orb to scare them away. They went back to the graves where they came from.

 

Lynn was in shock and held her ponytail. She recognizes the face, but the sweet, bold face she saw was very different.

She asked, “Are you…?” but the words couldn’t come out. She didn’t know what to say.

“In this world, I'm Crownos. You know what you have done, and you shouldn’t even be here.”

“Bram...I mean, Crownos, please don't....”

“I told you not to follow...now it's too late...”

They looked at each other, eye to eye but none of them made a move.

2: Crossing with Crows

2. Crossing with Crow

 

They watched each other, eye to eye. Then, Lynn said a few words to break the silence, “What do you mean by ‘In this world, your name is Crownos' ?”

He turned his head to see the crows giving him the stare, “I have no choice but to take you with me. You shouldn’t have followed me.”

He went closer to her. Lynn had her hands out to keep him away from her. “Wait! Where are you taking me?” she asked.

He hugged his black wings around her. Lynn froze in confusion.

“I’m sorry. You have seen too much,” he knocked the wind out of her and she fainted, holding on to her stomach.

It was all a blur but she felt that she was lifted in the air. Then she blacked out.

 

She woke up in what looked like a giant bird cage. Lynn felt her hands and feet tied up. Her coat and purse was taken from her with only the clothes on her back. She squirmed to see where she was. The cage she was in was hanging on a thick chain with other cages, dangling from above. She looked below to see a dark, bottomless pit. She had a fear of heights and rolled away from the edge. She had scary thoughts that the cage would fall if the chain couldn’t hold on.

“Look! She is awake,” said a male voice in the distance.

“It’s about time. She has to face the judge anyway!” said another deep male voice.

She looked around to see where the voices came from. Suddenly, two half-man, half-crow creatures perched on top and climbed down the cage.

“You are lucky! If you didn’t face the court, we could have just as easily killed you.”

Lynn was scared. The man grabbed her by the shirt with their bird claws and flew to the bottom. She closed her eyes, afraid to look down or if they would drop her. Apparently, there was a bottom. It was just too dark to see the floor.

 

Lynn, still bond by both her feet and hands, was taken to a hall and a court room. The crow people stood up, watching and glare at Lynn. She looked to see Crownos, standing next to a little boy that looked like his twin. His hair was a flat cut, white on the top and black all around on his spikes. She was put at the stand.

“This court is now in session. Please be seated,” Everyone seated, “The fair and honorable Judge Tengu presiding!”

“Miss. Lynn, you are here, on trail, for the crimes of trespassing territory and public endangerment. You are proven guilty until found innocent. Do you have anything to say in your defense?” he asked.

“Judge, I have done nothing wrong,” she replied. She could hear disagreeing murmurs behind.

“I didn’t endanger anyone. I didn’t mean to come to your world. I was trying to find someone. When I saw the undead, I was scared. I'm being honest when I say I didn't see any other crow people here.”

 

Out of the doorway, came a crow man. He was wearing a black gauze, wrapped across his nose, forehead, his neck, and around his torso, along with gray skinny pants. He turned in his weapons: Kunai, ninja stars, katana, and other sharp objects to a guardsman.

“Hishimaru, You mind explaining why you are here?” asked Judge Tengu.

“Of course, my people are enraged with a human crossing to this world. Who knows how they will turn out if they found us…Hurting the innocent, harming the children, taking our wings, vandalize our world,” Lynn was nervous as he continue to talk, “This girl must die before she threatens anyone else!” said Hishimaru. The crowd agreed.

 

Crownos sat by thinking, “She is in this because of me…I have to make things right before she is killed?”

“Judge Tengu, you know what must be done! Say that she is guilty. Get rid of her once and for all.”

“I didn’t even do anything,” she yelled sadly. He grabbed his kunai, threw it and it almost cut her ponytail as he flung it. She was petrified.

“I rest my case,” said Hishimaru.

Crownos had a tight grip on his armrest, “Dam it! He is going to get her killed. No, this can’t happen...I have to tell them!” Crownos thought.

“Miss. Lynn, for the sake and safety of Retrices, I sent you to death by hanging.”

She broke down crying, “Oh god!”

 

“No! Wait!” Crownos shouted and stood up. Everyone turned to him and he came to the stand with Lynn.

“Crownos, you idiot! Why are you standing up for her? You dare betray your own kind?” asked Hishimaru.

“Unlike you, I don't want her to be put to death. She didn't do anything wrong! I'm nothing like you, wanting to see people get bluntly punished,” said Crownos. He looked up at the judge and said, “Your honor, if I may speak?”

“You don’t have permission to do such a thing!” cawed Hishimaru.

“That’s enough! Crownos, you may speak,” said Judge Tengu.

 

“Thank you! If you all remember, King Crowdon put a spell on the stone to make sure no human would pass in here. Only crows who seek sanctuary may enter. If any human touched it, they would be subjected and swallowed by the shadow aurora. Never to be remembered again. Now Lynn, do you remember being swallowed by this aurora? ”

Lynn answered, “Yes, I touched it and it crawled on my hands, on my body, up to my head. That’s when I found myself in the nest crypt.”

“So think about it. Why did the aurora let her cross to this world and didn’t swallow her?”

Mumbling and chattering was echoed in the court room. Hishimaru was not convinced and decided to get Crownos in trouble. “Really now...let me ask you this. You were the first to know about the human being here, you knew who she was and brought her here unconscious. Did you know she was following you? If you did, you failed to make sure she wasn't suppose to be here in the first place!”

“What?” Crownos asked.

He opened his hands, side to side, “Two culprits stand before you! Crownos endangers the peace of our world, and this human threatens to do 'who knows what'. They must be punished.”

“Wrong!” shouted Tengu as he unfolds his wings for tranquility and attention. The mob settled, “Crownos has rights to travel back and forth. Don’t make me have to remind you, Hishimaru. We will send her to the king about this matter. From there, we will see why the stone allowed her to cross. Crownos made a good point about the seal being put in. So we will look to the king for answers,” said Judge Tengu and everyone were starting to leave the court.

Crownos went to the little boy that looked like his twin and told him, “Yorick, look for Rosette so she can watch you. Don’t start trouble.” The boy left with two bones and a large skull hat on his head.

He turned to Lynn and said, “…I just saved you. Let’s hope the king lets you go home.” She looked down as the guards grabbed her by the arms.

 

Judge Tengu, Crownos, and Lynn were heading to Primaries Cathedral. When they reached, the door open to a spacious room and stain glass windows with different shades of color.

When they reached to a huge door, it was being guarded by two guardsmen, dressed in a gold armor attire and helmet similar to a crows head. “We are here to see the king!” asked Tengu.

The guards looked at Lynn, recognizing she was human. “What about the girl?” They asked.

“She is the reason why we need to speak to him. She somehow got through the seal the king put up.”

They looked at each other with a stunned look in their eyes.

“You may pass,” they cracked open the door to let them go through. Crownos, standing behind Lynn, whispered to her, “Be sure to pay your respects and bow your head down.”

 

They entered to a dark room the door closed behind them. The torches in the room immediately lit up. Lynn couldn’t believe her eyes. There was a giant crow. It didn’t look like the regular ones you find on the street. It had a Mohawk started from between his eyes to his back. It had white tips and black along the bottom of the Mohawk. Six whip-like tattoos stretched on his face and around both his eyes. Tengu stepped forward and then the guards were on one knee with their heads down and Lynn was on her knees with her head to the ground.

 

“King Crowdon, We have come with a question for you,” said Tengu, “A human is present in our world and broke through the seal you placed to keep peace in our world.”

The giant crow turned around to see them. With every footstep, Lynn felt the ground shook. It flapped its wings. A dark vapor surrounded the creature, making him smaller; the size on a six foot human, but still in his crow form.

“Rise,” they all rose up to stand before King Crowdon, “Is this human?”

Tengu pointed to Lynn, who was still being held by the guards. He walked up to her twitching his head left and right, “Untie her.”

The guards untied Lynn, “Come closer,” he told her.

Lynn took baby steps to walk up to him. Tengu stopped Lynn from going any closer. “Forgive me sir, but we can't be too careful with this human. You don’t know what kind of a threat she is. This girl broke through the seal to our world.”

Crowdon smiled, “hmm…The seal is just fine…I just let her in.”

Everyone stood in shock, even Crownos eyebrows raised, “Sir, you mean to tell me you let the girl just come to this world?” he asked.

“Of course! Just as the crows were watching over her in the cemetery, I saw through their eyes that she was not a threat. She didn’t mean any harm to anyone, Did you?” he looked at Lynn and she shook her head side to side.

“Crownos did come to save you when you were attacked by the undead, which I should thank you for as well.”

“You're welcome Mi' lord,” he respond bowing.

“With that said, I will appoint you to be her guardian. You are okay with this, Crownos?”

“No problem sir, I will gladly watch over her,” he replied.

“Sir, what is the meaning of this? You not insisting that...” Crowdon raised his wing to silence Judge Tengu.

He looked to her saying, “Lynn, I would like you to stay here for awhile,” he said.

She stuttered a bit,“I can't just go home?” she asked.

“The orb brought in two bodies in one day, it will have to go through a cooling period before anything comes in or out. Until then, you will live here for the time being.”

“Then I will stay until the orb is read to transport me,” Lynn looked disappointed not being able to go back, “Thank you, King Crowdon.”

He nodded and continued, “You can stay in this cathedral and…you can call me Crowdon.”

 

Tengu, guards, Crownos and Lynn were dismissed. Tengu stopped Lynn, pointing his finger at her, “I don’t know what King Crowdon sees in you…but I will not deny his request. You just better watch your place. The king might see something in you but the people outside won't be to thrilled about your stay,” said Tengu.

Crownos came up, “That's your opinion. I'm not going to allow you to insult her.”

Tengu walked off up the stairs. Lynn followed him up the granite stairway. The guards were going to follow up but Crownos stopped them, “Don’t forget who is watching over her. The king left me in charge.” The guards glared at him and turn to leave Primaries Cathedral.

 

They reached a chamber that looked similar to a bedroom. She stepped in. Tengu spoke again, “If you are in need of anything, ask Crownos. Just don’t get too comfortable.”

Crownos walked in the room as Tengu left and closed the door.

“I really thought he would take me back home and get it over with…now I’m a prisoner,” said Lynn lying on the bed.

Crownos took a seat right next to Lynn, “You don’t have to worry. If anyone threatens your life, they will be punished to the full extent. Plus, you have me to protect you,” Crownos told her.

“You are probably irritated when The King told you to protect me,” said Lynn.

“Not really,” said Crownos, “You forgot quick after all that's happen,” she looked at him, and he smiled, “Honestly, I did take a liking towards you. I thought you would stand up for yourself to say you didn't do anything and that I found you. When Hishimaru came, I knew he would do whatever it takes to get you killed. When you were scared, I cut in. I wasn't going to see you go like that,” Lynn sat up.

He continued, “Now that all this has happened and the king is letting you stay, this means I can be closer to you. You are different from most of the humans. I felt it when I first met you. You are unique.”

Lynn was uneasy about Crownos and his personality, but she kept it in her head that he is just a guardian.

3: Learn something New

Learn something new

Lynn rested in the guest room that night. Even if tried to to force herself to sleep, just the thought of being in another world scared her. She started to hear arguing and aggressive cawing and she tip-toed from her room quietly to see Judge Tengu and a few guards trying to calm down the crowd.

“Please, Everyone Please! This was the Lord's decision. He wanted her to come here. With that he said, She is an honored guest and must be treated with respect. Any threats or crime against her, there will be prosecution.”

Lynn quietly went back. She felt unsafe with a mob looking to have her tossed out. She remember Crownos telling her his reason to leave that night.

“I have to go! I have school to go to when daylight comes. I don't have any means to contact you. Here's how you can reach me. You can shout to the crows in trees. They all act as messengers. Just tell them who you want to send a message to and what you want them to tell your sender.”

She went back to lie down and finally closed her eyes.

 

“Ah! You are awake. The King wanted us to give you something. This way please,” said the gold armor guards.

She followed him to his twin who was holding what look like a rod in his hand. It was a five foot staff with an eclipse moon on top, with a dark purplish orb hanging from the top tip of the eclipse. Along with that, feathers hanging around the top rim of the rod but below the eclipse. The guard said, “The King wanted us to give this to you to protect yourself if anyone were to hurt you. It's perfect for scaring away the undead.”

The other guard said, “King Crowdon said it wouldn’t be right to lock you up in this cathedral alone when you can go out and ‘try’ associating yourself with the people of Retrices.”

“I don't think anyone really want me around but let him know I said Thank you,” Lynn gently took the staff from the guard. As he released, Lynn had her grip on it. It was light to carry and she looked with amazement and it vanished in her hand, “Where did it go? I didn't mean for it to vanish!”

“It's alright. That’s how the staff works. While it hidden, you won't seem like a threat to anyone. This is how it will come out,” the guard drew his sword at her. Lynn lifted her hands and a white gleam of light beamed in front of her hand, and the staff appeared the same way she first saw it.

“It knows to appear when you are in danger,” said the guards as he put away his sword.

“You two are not like the others outside…” said Lynn curiously.

“We have known the King for a long time. We trust in his decision,” the guard stopped and looked at the other; ready to finish his sentence, “We feel we trust you…in a way.

“Thank you! Both of you,” said Lynn as she bowed.

“Better get ready for school,” said a twin guard

“What? School? When?”

“It was decided that you start learning about our ways. You will be going to T.O. Academy. Crownos is there. So you will be under watchful eyes”

“Are you kidding?” she fell to her knees thinking, “I'm 20 years and I’m being put in school against my own will.”

 

It was a long Chairot ride until she finally reached T.O. Academy. Crowdon's people had registered for her, behind her back without even asking her for her consent. She was nervous at first. It was like starting High school as a new freshman student all over again. She had her books, materials and other necessary items. It was not easy for her to fit in with the crow students staring at her. They know they couldn’t mess with her and they decided not to talk to her or so much as a glance.

She started her day in English class. As soon as she walked in, she felt like the prep kid in a group of Goths, Emos, and Cult groups. “I am scared out of my wits!” she told herself, “I had no idea that crows look like this when they are human...”

Her English teacher, however, had a different impression of her, “Oh! You are the human! It’s so nice to meet you!”

She was full of excitement and gave her a hug. Everyone was giving her ugly looks and the crows, which were perched on the pipes in the ceiling, stared as well. The teacher let her go and continued to talk, “I am Ms. Necabeak. If you would like, you can take a seat next to me if you feel uncomfortable around the students. It’s up to you.”

Lynn quickly grabbed a seat and placed it next to her desk. Some of the students cawed and squeaked quietly at her.

“So much for a good first impression,” Lynn thought.

 

Class was over, she was heading for the art room. She saw Crownos, walking with a group of guys. A bunch of girls began daydreaming as they watched at him with hearts in their eyes, “Look at Crownos! He is so adorable. I wish I can hang with him. You never see him with a girl at all. He talks to Rosette but I doubt they have any relationship. I wish he would ask me out.”

As Lynn heard all the whispering, a group of crow girls shouted at him, “Hey Crownos!”

He looked at them and turned away as he glimpsed Lynn, “Hey Lynn,” he called to her.

She stopped, the group of girls were in shock.

“If anyone bothers you, remember…,” he pointed toward himself.

“I know…” said Lynn, looking at the ground, blushing. He walked on as his group followed him.

The group of girls huddled up and had another conversation, “What is up with that human girl? How come she gets the ‘Hey’ and we don’t? Don’t forget, the king is keeping her, he not going to send her back. I heard Crownos has to be her guardian. That’s just punishment.”

The group cried, screamed and going through their drama.

 

Art class was next for Lynn, She felt good when going in an art class, especially with some of the classes. To her surprise, the art teacher was Ms. Necabeak. She was going over a landscape sketch project that they had to complete in less than a week.

Lynn decides to sit amongst the students. She sat next to a crow boy name Myron. He was one of the 'teacher's assist' student. He had a white Mohawk and black hair covering the rest of his head. He had a mark on his left cheek that looked a bird taking flight and on both sides of the neck looked like a horizontal brushes. One-fourth of his shirts was a fish-net design on the shoulders and the rest of the shirt was completely black with white only along the side. His pants look similar to army pants but it was all dark green. He had an awkward bracelet and a painters brush rested on his ear.

Being that he was a teacher assist, she thought he would be nice as Necabeak. She saw him sketch a mountainous scenery in his book. “That looks nice,” she said sweetly.

He slammed his sketch book shut, “What? Who said you can look? Are you going to tell me how to change it? Keep your hands and eyes to yourself!”

“Myron, Mind your attitude around the new student,” she said, holding her ruler. Everyone ducked. The ruler extended and reached at Myron’s neck.

“Don’t be rude to the poor girl! She is having a hard time trying to make friends and you all continue to make her your enemy. From now till the end of the year, anyone who mistreats Lynn is not just looking for detention, but a paid visit to the King.” The room went silent. The ruler retracted and Ms. Necabeak watched the student get back to work. Lynn looked away from Myron, minding her own business.

 

School came to an end. Overall, her experience was a disaster, “This was a nightmare...” she said to herself “I just want to get back to the cathedral so I’m not being chased.”

She waited next to a bird perch for her escort to arrive. Most student went home by flight, but she didn't see Crownos come out though. No sign of her escort was coming.

She saw the group of crow girls, standing by the door. She looked away and started to head to Primary cathedral by foot, which was more dangerous.

Lynn started to feel the same feeling when she first arrived. She heard the bare trees and limbs rustling. The crunching of the grass and the cawing of crows. She was afraid that the skeletons would come from the ground and attack her. Instead, out of the air, the five crow girls surrounded Lynn. “You look lost! Need any help?” one of them asked.

Lynn knew she couldn’t trust them, “No thanks. I think I can find my way back to the Cathedral.”

 

“To Primaries Cathedral?” one of them said, “Now why would you want to go back there?”

A crow spotted trouble and flew off. Another girl put her hand on Lynn’s head, “Poor dear, we were going to ask you to come with us, where no one can find you.”

“Keep your hands of me,” Lynn raised her voice and pushed her hand away, scared of what might happen to her.

“You are going to hurt us, aren’t you? You are a threat!” third girl pushed her to the ground. One of them put their crow foot around Lynn’s neck, choking her.

“I can’t hear you. I don’t think any of us can either,” They laughed, seeing Lynn suffer.

“The staff…I have to summon the staff. They will get hurt…what will be come of me then?”

She tried to reach her hand up until the foot was lifted off her neck. It looked like the girl was shoved down by a flying shadow. It flew on a tree limb and the shadow was easier to see. It was Crownos as a crow perched on his shoulder armor.

“Crownos,” they shouted.

“I don’t know what you girls were planning, but you all better back off,” Crownos got off the limb and stood in front of Lynn so she can get back up.

They drew back and flew off. The cold ground started to shake around Lynn and Crownos. She stood next to him. “What’s happening?” Lynn asked.

“The dead knows something is above them,” said Crownos.

 

Skeletal hands rapidly popped out of the ground. As they rose from the dirt, they growled like a pack of hungry wolves. They jumped and headed for Lynn. “Get Out!” Crownos shouted, unsheathed his sword. In one swing, they broke apart.

She went to make a run for it but a hand popped out and grabbed her ankle and another grabbed her arm. “CROWNOS!” she screamed.

“LYNN,” The undead grabbed a hold of Crownos’s wings and held him to the ground.

Lynn held on to the ground. She looked to the sky to see a crow hover over her. In its eye, she saw an image of King Crowdon.

She heard him, “Summon it. This is why I gave you the staff. Defend yourself. You must learn like a young bird. Learning to defend is like learning to fly. NOW USE IT!” The crow flew off.

“That’s it,” Lynn found it out, “I have to defend myself in order to survive.”

One of the skeletons roared and made a jump for Lynn, “I will defend myself! I WON’T BE WEAK.”

She quickly crossed her arms and the staff was in her hand. The orb glowed as the dead disintegrated.

The orb got brighter. The undead screeched at the dark light. Crownos was able to flap them off his wing as he watched the glow from the distances. “What’s that light? It’s scaring them away.”

Lynn got on her two feet holding her staff in hand, “I’m not going to let the undead take me. I might not be capable of fighting, but I won’t be put down to make you stronger.”

“She’s not kidding” said one of the girls. They watched them from a distance.

The first one said, “Looks like we pushed a little too much to try and break her. Let’s leave.” All five of them flew off. The undead went back to their cold, hollow ground.

 

Crownos went to check on Lynn, and the glow from the orb died away, “You all right? A crow flew to me, telling me you were in trouble.”

“It did?”

“What were you thinking walking alone? You should have come to me.”

“Come to you? Excuse me, I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of your friends.”

“Lynn, you think…I care about my popularity? It doesn’t matter. I didn’t care if you came to me in front my friends and say, ‘Can you walk me to the Cathedral?’” He calmed for a bit, “You know what? It is my fault. I was held inside for a bit. I should have let you know I was going to be late.”

“Don't say that,” Lynn wasn’t to sure what to say next. She opened up and said, “Well, Both of us are to blame…I was afraid to go back in after my first day experience there.”

He nodded, “Come on. I’ll take you back.”

 

He was ready to fly, holding Lynn’s hand until she stopped him telling, “No No...I want to stay on the ground.”

“Its safer going up. Why stay on the ground?” he asked.

“I'm...I can't stand heights. I get scared looking down.”

So he walked with her. “How did you get that staff in the first place?” asked Crownos.

“The twin guards gave it to me. They said it was a gift from King Crowdon to protect myself.”

“From the King? He really respects you. There maybe something unique about you that he knows and some of us just don’t know it.”

 

Crowdon, in his chamber, watched the sunset. The twin guards walked in, “Sir, we are here to report that Ms. Lynn has made it here safely.”

“Thank goodness! I was afraid a dark fate might become of her,” he said.

The guards got curious and asked, “Why did you have us to deliver the staff?”

“I knew she needed it to defend herself. Like today, she was attacked, not just by my people, but by the undead, along with Crownos. I told her she has to learn to defend herself if she wants to survive and become a stronger person. She must learn to spread her wings, learn to flap and finally fly from her insecurities to make herself a better person.”

 

“Well sir, you wish the best for Lynn. Still everyone asks the questions: Why did you keep her when you can just send her back to where she came from? Tengu doesn't believe that the Rift goes through a charging period.” they asked.

“In due time,” he continued, “When Lynn really misses her home, I will take her back. When that time comes, my crow people will miss her and realize how important she was in this world. She will be missed.”

“Sorry to say sir, I don’t think anyone will feel that way,” one of them answered.

“You will see. All we have to do is sit and watch the change take place.”

A sunset had faded to a dark night. The Crow King went to rest and the twins left the room.