Karasufurai
Chapter 2: Kiken
The Grays that wander around his Nest are anything but silent. They groan, or mumble strange noises to themselves, or even sometimes trip and break a bone on the ground. Regardless of what noise it is, the Grays are never quiet.
Except these two.
It's their silence that makes him study them carefully. They shuffle next to each other, seemingly going nowhere, but as he watches, they seem to get progressively closer to him and his Banner.
Squinting, the crow peers closer.
He freezes.
Their skin isn't gray. The fine layer of dust coating them makes it seem so, but as they approach, he can tell that their skin is undeniably tan.
They have Human skin.
Those two are Humans.
He watches them curiously. The two Humans seem to understand that the Grays are attracted to sound not made by other Grays; they move without a breath of sound between them.
It's then he realizes it.
They are too close to his Banner.
The shorter Human takes another step, and the crow moves. Springing up on to the stone near the Banner, he fluffs up his feathers and crouches down in case he has to start flying.
The Humans freeze.
Then, the shorter one grins. Suddenly, he starts doing a strange dance complete with complex hand gestures. When he is done, he beams up at the crow as if expecting him to understand his message.
Both the crow and the taller Human stare. Then the taller Human silently facepalms.
The crow wisely decides to refer to the shorter Human as 'Idiot'.
The taller Human turns to the crow and makes frustrated shooing motions at him with a slightly constipated look on his face. Then, as if he had full permission, he begins to stroll up to the Banner and reach out for it.
What?! No. That doesn't belong to him! He has no right to take the crow's things like a self-absorbed, arrogant king.
Instantly, the crow calls out, and all the Grays in the area race towards them. The two Humans give one another a look before bolting off in the ruins of the school.
The crow watches them go with narrowed eyes. Good. Hopefully the Humans will get turned by the Grays. He doesn't really care if the Humans go extinct, or even if they rise up from wherever they've been hiding and defeat the Grays.
But no one touches his Banner. His Banner is what he lives for, his one purpose in the this strange world.
His Nest next to his Banner is the one place the weary crow feels like he belongs.