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Kingdom of Ravens Prologue • The Witch
Water. That is all I hear and feel… The sound of the waves as they crash into each other— and into me. I never learned how to swim; I never thought it would be necessary. I should have listened to Mother when she offered. Now that she is gone and the people of my hometown were after me, there wasn’t anywhere else for me to run. I only escaped because I have foreseen my fate if I was to stay in my village any longer— His Majesty wanted me dead. I gasp for air as I desperately clutch onto nothing, seawater getting into my mouth. That island off the coast… I must get to it at all costs, live a new life, away from the King! But the more I struggled in this vast, slick trap, the weaker I grew... Is this what being on the verge of death feels like? Will this be a painful way of passing? For once, I cannot see what will happen… How I wish it didn’t end this way. As my consciousness slowly drifts away, I feel numb. I succumb to the tossing and turning of the tides; it is the end for me.
Kingdom of Ravens Chapter I • Maia
“It is hither, coming through! Delivery for the one and only barmaid of Augborough, the beautiful Matilda,” I bellow, villagers moving out of the way as I slide the heavy cart I’m pulling to a halt right in front of the beerhouse, almost running into the stout, irritable, antiquated widow. “Straight from the brewery!” She turns to me, raising a bushy eyebrow at the wobbling barrels on the cart before nodding in approval. She then glowers at me, inspecting me up and down, and shrugs at the ends of my gown, which I have tied a little higher than usual, revealing the leather boots that reached my calves. She orders her sons to load the barrels into the local pub with a yell, her shrilling voice booming across the center of the village. Ah, good ol’ Matilda. “Gramercy, lass, yer timing is impeccable, as always! Here's ye payment, and— hold on, where is that blue-eyed lad? Ain’t he supposed to be with ye? That scobberlotcher leaving all the weight-liftin’ to the woman!” “At ease, Matilda
Kingdom of Ravens Chapter II • Severin
'Tis harvest season. Father and I had just finished threshing the last bit of wheat into the second bushel basket. He starts scooping the grain with a tin measuring cup as the sun began peeking over the horizon, pouring quarts of it into a small, separate bag— this is what we’re to keep. “Ah, it is time, Severin,” my father says, removing the coif off his head to wipe the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “Are ye ready to head into the neighboring village, son?” I peek into the bag he is holding and notice that the amount of grain in it is less than what he poured last time. “That will not be enough for us,” I state, pointing a finger at the bag. “I see no harm in adding another quart or two for ourselves, Father.” “Yer mother dislikes the grain we harvest, son. That is why two pecks of this grain is what we trade for vegetables; the other bushel is for Lord Davidson.” I twitch slightly at the mention of my “mother”. “She is not my mother, and she will never be. Moreover,
Kingdom of Ravens Chapter III • Maia
“Cheese…” my childhood friend mumbles to himself whilst I rip the bread I bought in half to share for the noontime meal. “It has been a while since I last bought whey.” “Well, if you were not frequently insistent on giving me most of your daily earnings and then running off before I refuse and return it to you, you would be able to buy some proper meals for you and your father, you stubborn oaf.” Nicolaus raises his forefinger at me, to hush me perchance, before leaning against the delivery cart. He spreads some of the cheese onto the bread with a small knife, heartily biting into the pastry before sighing in satisfaction. I lean on the cart next to him, watching him savor his meal. He then turns to me, with his mouth full, to tell me the same thing he has always told me ever since we were young: “It is more important that you and your family get fed.” I give the blonde a wry look and take a bite of my bread, savoring the crusty exterior. While he continues spreading an excessive
Kingdom of Ravens Chapter IV • Severin
“Hells, Sapphire, I have told you, for the last time, to stay out of my bloody kitchen, you skelpie-limmer!” I hear the familiar, shrill voice of the woman I am supposed to call my mother shout from inside the hut. Father had left to trade in another village, and I had just returned from assisting one of our neighbors harvest their crops. I dash in to see what is happening, finding Sapphire being beaten by our stepmother with a thick piece of wood. Where in blazes did she get that?! Sapphire wails as every swing of the timber comes in contact with her body, causing large, red marks on her skin. “Stop,” I screech, reaching out to grab my sibling’s arm. “What are you doing?!” “Disciplining your beef-brained sister for constantly getting in my way! If she cannot learn how to cook for the family on her own, she is best off out of the kitchen, or dead!” Before Beatrice’s swing hits Sapphire once again, I rush in between them to wrap my arms around the poor, bruised child, and take th
Kingdom of Ravens Chapter V • Maia
Can things get any more difficult today? I think it can. “You want to confront the Eadmond Davidson?!” my childhood friend exclaims whilst doing our daily tasks. Today, we are transporting farmer George’s crops from his farm to his brother’s stall, which is on the other side of the village. “Could you be any louder, Nicolaus?” I retort with a scornful tone. “I do not think everyone heard you properly.” The blonde bows his head in embarrassment before pulling the cart faster. I keep up with his pace, whispering to him that I am being serious. After discovering the truth of who my father is three days ago, there has been nothing on my mind but meeting him in person. Not only do I have the chance of having a better life with my family, I may also be able to convince him and his father Lord Edgar to lessen the demand for crops every harvest to finally end Augborough’s famine. Every villager, young and old, may finally have filling meals every single day. Despite all the hard work we
Kingdom of Ravens Chapter VI • Severin
“Right…” I mumble, eyeing my concoction in the glass bottle. “Many failed attempts and burning myself with that last one, however…” I pull the cork out of the glass cylinder, placing my folded hood upon my nose to prevent myself from inhaling another possible failure of an experiment. “Vaporo!” I exclaim, remembering to pronounce the spell precisely this time. The liquid in the bottle warms up in my hand and begins releasing haze. I keep my arm outstretched as the air in front of me becomes heavy and unclear, the mist settling around me. As the haze thickens, the liquid decreases— and when the bottle goes empty, the fog stays in the air. “I did it?” I think out loud, inspecting the empty glass in hand. “By the gods, I did it!” “What is with all the noise…?” I hear a voice behind me. Swiveling to find a groggy Sapphire by the door frame, I rush to her and cover her nose with my hood. “Don’t breathe in the fog!” Wide-eyed and possibly wide awake now, my sister replies with a muffle
Kingdom of Ravens Chapter VII • Maia
“Are you out of your bloody mind, Maia?” my blue-eyed friend says, conveying his opinions about my schemes. “Death?! It seems to me that you will be the one on the other end of that blade!” “If Lord Edgar claims that his son, my father, slayed my mother, I believe 'tis just proper that someone does something about this injustice.” “But assassinating the nobleman?!” I fall silent, unable to look into my friend’s eyes. ‘Tis the early hours of the morn, and the full moon has only begun to set. Uncle Wyatt reprimanded me yesternight while drunk on ale for confronting the Davidsons. Eustace, who had apparently been aware of my intentions, is sleeping soundly with him inside the house, while my childhood friend and I are outside our doors, conversing about yesterday’s events: Lord Edgar himself admitted that he had ordered his son, Lord Eadmond, to murder an innocent woman he had impregnated— my mother, who resorted to prostitution to feed her family— to prevent a scandal in the past. D
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- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XLIII • Maia
“Valiant of these two, I must say… ‘tis a shame they wasted their skills in thiev’ng; they could have done much more if they worked for the lord.” I am awakened by the sounds of roistering men. When I open my eyes, everything seems as if it is spinning. I find myself on a cold, damp, stone floor, barely recognizing my surroundings due to the dimness of the space. Ugh, everything is spinning and my bloody head hurts… I jolt upright when it all comes back to me— Nicolaus leading The Order to the pit house, watching him destroy the seal of protection, and us getting apprehended by Davidson’s men. Panicked at the memory of the knights breaking into the pit house, I begin scrambling off of the floor. I wince in pain when I feel a large, painful bump on the back of my head. It hurts more when I touch it… I must’ve been knocked unconscious. As I look around, my eyes adjusting to the dimness, I come to a realization that I am in a dungeon with two helmetless armored men, drinking to th
- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XLII • Severin
After a quiet— well, mayhap not so quiet— afternoon, the brunette still wonders why her so-called ‘childhood friend’ acted the way he did, challenging me as if t’was the bloody solution to her refusing to return home with him. “I understand that he could have been perturbed by what has been happening lately in Augborough, I really do,” the brunette states whilst she ravels out the knots in her hair with her fingers. “But was it necessary for him to start a fight with you like that out of nowhere? He has never acted like this before!” I watch her grab her ivory comb from atop her bedroll, jabbering about the earlier occurrences as she vigorously combs through her brown tresses with it. I fear that she may hurt herself with how forceful she is being with her hair… “I mean, he was never— ow— one to force me to do something if it was not— ow— in his favor, but it was as if he was a completely different person! The man knows me well enough that when I decide on something, be it well-thou
- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XLI • Maia
Continuation. “S-such a surprise, my friend,” I utter, faking a grin as the blonde happily throws his arms around my shoulders and wrapping me in a rather tight embrace. He is practically crying at the sight of me. “I have found you! By the gods, you do not know how long I’ve been searching for you, Maia,” he replies, sighing in relief whilst he pats the back of my head fondly. “It has been too long; you have not returned home yet, and Wyatt and I have been so, so worried about you…” When he mentions my uncle, I gently push him away by his shoulders to keep him at arm’s length. I am finally able to get a good look at him from head to toe: his blonde hair is more unkempt than usual, there are dark circles resting beneath his tired blue eyes, his clothes are slightly ragged and torn, mayhap from all the travelling he has done, and he seems… lankier, as if he has not been eating nor sleeping properly lately. “You look like you’ve gone through one of the hells and back,” I tell him, w
- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XL • Severin
That same day… Who, in all the heavens above and the hells below, was that blonde bastard?! He not only almost ruined today’s plans— he put Maia’s life in danger, as well! Unable to suppress my anger down at the man who called out the brunette’s name out in public, I furiously undo my cloak and throw it at my bed upon our return to the dug-out. “My deepest apologies, Severin,” I hear her speaking from behind me as she closes off the entrance, cutting off the cold wind from outside when she secures its ends to the weights. “I know you’re angry—” Angry?! I am bloody incensed! I need not think about using my abilities to end that man! “—But I did not expect to see my childhood friend in the same village, either!” “That was him? We could have died by The Order’s hands back in that village, and it would have been all his fault,” I reply snappishly, turning to find her slowly doffing her shoulder cape. I calm down a wee bit when I see the brunette’s contrite expression. Taking a d
- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XXXIX • Nicolaus
Ever since I left the central village, all that has been on my mind is looking for her. I am distressed, exhausted, and beginning to feel like this long, long search for my beloved friend is becoming futile. The look on Eustace’s face as he and the other victims were set alight has been burned into my mind, haunting me even while I sleep… A few nights ago, I screamed myself awake after seeing the skin on the frail boy's face melt away like a lit tallow candle, only to realize t’was all an awful dream, and I may or may not have disturbed some of the guests in the neighboring inn chambers. Wyatt was devastated when we watched him struggle amid the rising flames; I can only imagine how Maia would have felt if she saw him roast to death… Gods, it was terrible. The Davidsons are terrible! I am really wishing that Maia could end them off faster, but with the current situation, I’m more afraid for her and her life… I do not even remember how long I’ve been travelling— going through Au
- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XXXVIII • Clemence
Never have I ever imagined that I would be this beaten and battered after the organization’s so-called “annual tradition” … I thought I was going to die in The Pit. As I drag myself to my rightful tent in another part of the resting area, which is right next to this small fissure up on the scraggy wall in one of the cavern chambers, exhaustion practically washes over me like the water from a waterfall flowing over my head. I need to get out of these damned clothes… Squeezing the remaining water out of my hair and the ends of my garments, I make it to my leather-lined tent, strip myself down of my water-drenched clothes, and wring some more liquid out of it. I take off my shoes as well and set them aside. “Cold… cold… 'tis so damn cold,” I grumble, shuddering as I peek out of the tent’s flaps before throwing my drenched, lacerated clothing off to the side of the cavern. I can feel myself shivering down to my bones. “I can practically freeze my bosoms off…” I light the remaining cand
- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XXXVII • Severin
“And that is another one,” I mutter to myself, cautiously pouring the hot concoction into yet another vial. This batch filled fewer bottles compared to the first batch I made. “That makes… eight, nine, ten… eleven, all in all. Hm, will this be enough, though?” “Severin, we are making those for emergency escapes,” Maia says, interrupting my chain of thought. “Not dazing the entire borough. That is more than enough, o’ magical man-witch.” I look up and scrunch my nose at her teasing, putting down the pot to seal the bottle in my hand with its cork. “Firstly, I have told you countless times now: I am a conjuror, not a witch! There is a difference.” “I wonder where you learned that term from.” “Secondly, you can never be too prepared for anything and everything. How is the map of the manor going, dagger-lady?” She ignores my attempt at teasing her back and instead scribbles something down, eyes flicking from one part of the hand-drawn map to another. Well, that was embarrassing… “Ma
- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XXXVI • Clemence
“Now is not the time to be indulging in horseplay, old man,” I state as I continue following an excited Daw down deeper into the caverns of the hideout. The path seems to only be accessible through the training grounds, though I must admit that I have never noticed its entrance the entire time I have been in this organization. “I could have been using this time to improve my aim instead of... whatever this is you are doing. Where are you taking me?” “Today is an important day, Clemence,” he replies, raising the oil lamp he is holding to light our way through yet another maze of tunnels. There are torches hung about on the walls, some of which are already lit. “I am about to show you an Unkindness tradition that goes back.” A tradition? “So, is that why nobody was lounging about in the common and dining area? There is this celebration going on?” “Hm, something similar to that.” “It makes sense. Well, t’was odd for me because that place is usually bustling with the young ones and th
- Kingdom of Ravens
Chapter XXXV • Severin
Ingenuity is the one thing I thought Eadmond Davidson would at least have, as the commencing Lord of Augborough… because he seemed like he had the potential to be different from his predecessors. But never would I have thought that he would be just as cruel, merciless, and insensitive as his coxcomb father Edgar. The brunette and I were able to follow my sister’s murderer and his wee army of men to one of the villages we had continually stolen from in the past— and the very one that we had not yet given a share of stolen goods from the manor since we decided to begin observing the nobles’ next moves. This was supposed to be the next place we would give the stolen food stocks to. “‘Tis a good thing I got to you in time,” Maia whispers as we hide beyond the density of the forest’s edge, observing the men in armor announce their arrival and the reason why they arrived in the first place. “We would never have known where my father's right-hand man will start this ‘hunt’. He does not see
