Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Family

Raven fell in and out of consciousness.

The pain of something scraping and tugging at his clothes and face woke him up multiple times.

He was too out of it to even notice the skeleton carrying him like a sack of potatoes through the dense forest at breakneck speed.

The only thing he kept staring at was the wooden box that was still clutched tightly in his hands.

Somehow he still managed to stuff the box inside his bag before something hard hit the side of his face before fainting.

 

A simple wagon drove down the road as the sun started to set. Passing through the wide areas of Farmland which were filled with villages, crops and farmers hard at work. It traveled many miles on a stone road before finally the Empire's capital, Constellation, loomed before them.

 

Outside of the city was a complex array formation, composed of buildings, structures and mighty artifacts. The sky above the capital was covered in a sea of stars, each representing an aristocrat. In the center was a massive star, known to every man and child as the morning star. The true ruler and emperor of this mortal world, whose light was even visible at noon.

The Morning Star was surrounded by four smaller red stars, his Kings.

Raven let out a deep sigh as he looked towards the darkening sky, hundreds of stars reflected in his black eyes.

“Thanks again Thomas, I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't come.”

 

"Don't mention it, dear nephew, we are family after all.

 

“How is that foot of yours doing? I did my best but all I could do was put on a few herbs and bandage that thing. What in the red star's name did you do? Not even speaking about you arriving half dead at our agreed meeting point but also being carried by death himself.”

 

“Thomas, I'm really sorry, but it's really best if you don't ask too many questions.”

“Yeah, I get it, since that little gang of yours you only come to me and Anna when it's business or you need someone to cover your ass. After she takes a good look at you, you can be sure she first yells at you and then does not let you out of her house for two weeks.”

 

Raven coughed a few times.

“I can already taste the chicken soup,” the smile on Ravens' face froze a bit.

 

“We are nearing the gates. Crawl back into your hiding space and try not to make any noise, one friend of mine is on shift today, so it shouldn't be a problem.”

 

After a short handshake between the driver and a guard and the exchange of a small bag of coins, everything went smoothly. The carriage was only given a cursory glance before being ushered along.

Just as Raven expected, Anna first appeared very upset only to then embrace him tightly.

He felt a bit strange, as she doted on him almost every hour. Her own children were long out of the house and she knew about the boy’s problem with his own parents.

 

Every time his uncle came back from work they would eat together near his sickbed.

His aunt insisted on not only feeding Raven but also teased her own husband by forcing him to do the same. He did not refute a single time, although he could not hide his embarrassment.

 

Seeing his uncle and his loving wife interact with each other, his heart warmed.

The peace didn't last long though, as the next day they had a visitor.

A loud slap resounded inside the room. A frail middle-aged woman with dark black hair held onto Raven’s shirt with one hand while the other was still raised.

“Such an ungrateful brat, is this how you thank your family?”

Raven flinched and looked away as she kept screaming in his face.

“Look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you, you useless piece of trash!”

 

Another slab sounded, red streaks appeared on Raven's face. He forced himself to look back into her face. Yet as he saw those crazed eyes staring at him, he could not help but start shaking.

“Do you have any idea what your father did after you got beaten up so badly again?”

The woman collapsed onto the floor, letting go of him.

“He kept yelling at me that you had been born a bastard, that he couldn't be the father of such a useless son.”

“He kept screaming and punching and cursing your name…”

 

Her voice was soon drowned out by sobbing. Raven kneeled before her trying to embrace her, yet she just pushed him away.

 

“Get away from me, you monster! I wish you had never been born, you are nothing but trouble, nothing like your older brother. Matilda always gloats about how glorious her son's achievements in battle are.

I raised a runt who only deals with beggars and whores. Always getting beaten up by some gang, or getting thrown in jail by the city guards for stealing.”

 

Raven remained silent as tears started to stream down his face, he clenched both his fists so hard blood started to drip from his fingernails.

After a few more minutes of rambling, his mother finally left.

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In the next two weeks, Raven had a lot of time to sort his thoughts, yet he couldn't get a clear head.

So he spent his time mostly trying to pick open the small wooden box,

Many times you thought it was close, but always at the last moment the lockpick broke.

After the first 7 days, he put the box away and started to plan for his future.

First tho, he needed to go back home.

 

He finally said his farewells to both his uncle Thomas and aunt Anna.

 

“My dear, the doctor said there is still a chance that your leg might fully recover.”

Anna said while tightly hugging him.

 

“Here, take this. I think you will need it for the time being”, Thomas said, while handing over a simple wooden cane to Raven.

“This is the work of a good friend of mine. Try pulling.” Thomas said with a smug grin.

 

Raven complied and pulled at the handle while holding down the other side of the cane in one hand. A thin blade the size of a long dagger was revealed. His eyes stared at the construction in wonder.

“Thanks so much Thomas, this must have cost a lot.” Raven shifted his weight to his left foot and avoided his Uncle's expecting gaze.

 

“Do not mention it, your family to us”. Anna hit her husband lightly on the shoulder.

 

“Obviously. Just don’t forget us when you make a big haul”, Thomas winked at him.

Raven embraced them again before finally departing.

A young man, of about 14 years, slowly walked down the busy main street of Constellation, the empire's capital.

Most workers and servants avoided looking at him at first, for his clothes signaled one of at least moderate standing, but after noticing he was a cripple, they couldn't hide the scorn on their faces.

 

The young boy dragged his right leg behind him while leaning heavily on his cane. His movements were unbalanced and clumsy.

 

Raven did his best to ignore the stares of all the onlookers, yet he could not get the feeling out of his mind that someone dangerous was watching him close.

 

After turning around many tight corners and disappearing in small pathways, he finally lost the feeling.

 

He now stood before a mid-sized town house. The red bricks gave a warm glow in the setting sun. The lights were turned on in only two rooms. From the outside he could see his mother frantically trying to scrub the floor clean, while he also saw his sister in her own room reading.

 

He quietly went around the back, where long vines grew along the walls.

With practiced movements, Raven pulled himself up towards the second floor,

As there were almost no foot holds anyway and he was used to this exercise, he managed to somehow make it.

After picking the window open, he fell inside with a soft thumb. Slowly catching his breath, he carefully observed every detail in the room.

His father's study was decorated sparsely, only adorned with mementos from his past business deals and gifts from his partners or customers. The room was old, yet felt comfortable.

With big bookshelves lining the walls and a large armchair, it seemed the ideal place to read in peace.

Raven walked towards the bookshelf and grabbed behind some old accounting records,

pulling out an old well-used small notebook. He softly caressed the cover while taking a seat in the chair.

After looking at the book with almost the fervor a priest had toward his holy scripture.

The Travel Log of his Grandfather.

He carefully opened it somewhere in the middle of the book and began reading.

I hope that one of my descendants can read this and not think me a complete madman.

If not for the following passages, written in the handwriting of yours truly, I would not have believed you.

Even if I were beaten to death!

After I returned from my expedition into the Misty Planes, I could not remember how I escaped from them, or even if I had entered at all. Only my own words told me otherwise.

For any of my family who may read this, please think long and hard before sharing this story with anyone, even your closest friend.

 

Day 1: We have just left Constellation, packed all our gear and the hired mercenaries joined us a few days ago. If this venture goes well, I will have found a way to make our family truly aristocrats.

The Emperor will have no choice but to grant the status of at least a Baron to our family!

A trade route of this efficiency will cut down on many days, even weeks of transportation time.

…

Day 6: On our way eastwards we asked many locals, though they think us fools and troublemakers.

So there is no real use getting Intel from them, yet one of my men heard an interesting piece of news:

Many villages report hearing dogs howling at night for no apparent reason. Some elders say this is one warning sign of the misty tide coming. A disaster that ravages the villages near to the Misty Valley every dozen years.

I will not get discouraged by some fairy tales

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