To all reader who wonder somewhere in the middle what Crow's speaking, it's Finnish. Unlike my other two prolouges this, the first chapter, has some solid action in it. And a very unexpected twist, or expected if you good at reading stories.
- Cristian
Crow and Alice sat in a hay carriage, which was still full of hay. Crow looked impatient as he grinded his teeth on the end of a piece of hay. Alice was had her coat over her head and trying to hide from the villagers, while just getting stranger looks.
"Where the hell are they?" Crow said and spat out the hay onto a small pile of chewed up hay.
"Don't be so impatient, Crow," Alice said, now trying to hide herself under some hay. "It's only been an hour. So settle down." She said as she settled into the hay, only her grey eyes and a few strands of hay visible.
"Well seriously," he looked at Alice, about to say something and stopped. "Wh-what are you doing?"
"H-hiding," Alice said.
They just stared at each other as a gust of wind blew through the village. Awkward silence.
Then finally four figures came from the direction of the setting sun. Crow looked at them and let out an aggravated sigh. "They're here finally." He said and Alice's head popped out of the hay, the yellow pieces sticking out in her black hair. When they got close enough Crow called out. "What took you so long?"
"Sorry. Got a little lost." C.J. said and tipped his brown baseball cap at him.
"No we didn't. You beat up some gang," Mors mumbled.
"We had to find them," Zato said sleepily.
Remmy laughed hysterically slapping her knee. "Yeah and then you fell asleep," she said and then stopped laughing. "And I had to carry you, again."
"Well at least we're all here." Alice said, pulling her hands through her hair to get out the hay.
The two newly arrived groups stood around the carriage. The atmosphere around them, except Zato which was sleepy, was tense. "So," Crow began, his hands folded over each other, "we all know why we're here. But let's recap." Crow held out his hand, four fingers out. "One," he touched his index, "there's a demon somewhere in this village." C.J. made a tsk sound as Crow put his index down. "Two, we are to take the demon's soul." He put down his middle finger. "Three, he is strong." He said and put down his ring. "And four," he said, "one, if not all of us, might die." Crow said and put down his pinky. He looked at everyone's faces. "Is this understood?" Crow asked.
"Yeah," C.J. said.
"Completely," Mors said.
"Yep, yep," Remmy said, still sounding cheery.
"Huh, oh, yeah," Zato said, looking drowsy.
Alice just nodded, looking determined.
Crow jumped off the carriage and nodded. "Okay then. Let's split up and find this demon. First one to find it. Well just make as much noise as possible." Crow said.
C.J. snickered and said. "No problem."
"Then let's split up," Crow said and walked away, with Alice right behind him.
"Whatever you say Fred," Zato said with a sheepish smile and walked away with Remmy.
C.J. just grunted and walked away. "Jinkies this is a bad idea," Mors said, but followed his meister.
The sun had set over an hour ago, being replaced with the insane moon. Crow and Alice had spent hours looking for leads on the demon. But they'd come up empty handed, without a single hint as to where it was. Now Crow's feet hurt, though Alice seemed quite comfortable with the lack of villagers now that the sun had set. She was humming happily and even skipping. "Isn't it nice out, Crow?" Alice said happily.
"Yeah a real joy these people are." Crow said, a little loudly and got an earful of Chinese curses.
"Oh calm down, Crow. You always get impatient when things haven't gone 'according to plan'." Alice said using air quotes on 'according to plan'.
"Yeah well," Crow said, but didn't finish the thought.
The two walked around a bit more, the moon giving them adequate light. And Alice began to squirm around and blush. It took Cow a glance to notice. "What's wrong Alice?" Crow asked, still walking but watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"D-don't we look like a couple," Alice asked.
"Wha'?" Crow said lazily and looked at her, feeling embarrassed on the inside. "That's ridiculous, Alice. I'd think you were my sis' before I thought you were my girlfriend." He said and looked ahead again. "Now keep on the look out, 'kay." Alice snapped out of her squirmy mood and nodded, looking a bit discouraged. Crow noticed and patted her on the head. "Concentrate imouto, and then we'll go out for ice cream when we get back to DC, alright." he said and smiled.
Alice looked at him and smiled, looking thrilled. "Really?" She asked.
"Yeah. Now let -" He stopped talking and suddenly looked alert. He looked around until his eyes caught something flying towards them. "Look out!" Crow wrapped his arms around Alice and jumped away from the object's path, which smashed into splinters a second later.
Crow landed on his feet and let go of Alice. "Alice. Weapon. Now." He said.
"Right," she said and turned into a corseque.
Crow angled Alice so that she was along his back, but ready to be put in front of him and thrusted. "Crow, do you think the others heard that?" Alice asked.
"Probably not. Unless they're really close." Crow said. "So don't be expecting back up anytime soon." Crow said, his blue eyes scanning his surroundings. "Where are you?" Crow said under his breath. He closed his eyes and focused on his hearing, making a bubble of sound. He could hear the breathing of the villagers, some who were still asleep and others who were cowering from the demon. Then he could hear something on the thatched roofs, tearing at the roofs with claws and hungrily breathing. That was it. He focused on the sound and pin pointed it, it was ten meters behind him. He spun on the ball of his foot, Alice in his right hand, and threw. The corseque shot through the air and stopped with a thud in the shoulder of a monster.
The creature was small and green with red eyes. It was spindly with sharp talon like fingers. With Alice in its shoulder Crow could tell how small it really was. Maybe four feet tall. The demon looked at Crow, pure hatred burning in its eyes. The monster yanked out the corseque and threw it at Crow, sending it whistling like a bullet.
Crow looked bored and shoved one of his hands into his jacket pocket and held out a hand. When it was in reach of his hand, still a speeding arrow of death, and caught the weapon. He spun Alice around him with ease and stopped its momentum and pointed the spear at the monster. Crow gave the beast a cocky smile. "Thanks for keeping me from the trouble of grabbing my weapon." Crow said and flashed Alice's blade in the moonlight. "Bring it, demon." he said.
The monster roared and began to grow, it spindly body growing large muscles. "DIE! DIE SHIBUSEN! DIE FOR THE GLORY OF THE NEW MOWANG!" The creature roared, showing off its massive teeth. The monster looked at Crow, it's red eyes glaring brighter. "EMO SHALL..." Said the demon, Emo, but then his expression became confused. "Zhu Mowang?" Emo said. "What are you doing in such a puny form?" He asked, sounding genuinely confused. But he wasn't looking directly at Crow, he was looking at his soul.
"Tsk. Don't stare at people's souls." Crow said and charged Emo. He thrust Alice at the monster, but Emo just caught the blade between his massive finger and thumb.
Emo looked more intently at Crow's soul. "No...you're not the Mowang," Emo said and smiled widely. "You're something much more. Something that'll make Asura look like a schoolyard psycho. And I'll be immensely reward for giving to Shen Mi Jingling." Emo said and punched Crow in the stomach. "First I'll have to bring the true you out." He grabbed Crows arm and threw him into a nearby building, and the brick cracked with the hit.
Crow's body exploded with pain. "Damn it," Crow murmured, a thin stream of blood coming from the corner of his mouth.
"Crow! Are you alright? You're bleeding!" Alice said.
"I'm fine, just bit my lip." Crow lied. He could feel the internal damage from that one hit. If things keep going like this that bastard might get his wish, Crow thought and touch his wounded side. "Soul Sutures, internal." He said and his bleeding stopped. He looked at the demon, who was waiting enthusiastically for a counter-attack. Crow frowned, the options playing over in his head. But only one, besides the impossible, could be done. "Damn," Crow said. "Hey, Alice, I'm goanna have to get serious with this guy, 'kay?" Crow said, sounding irritated.
"A-alright," Alice said, startled about the turn of events. Even in her weapon form she looked at Emo with hate. How dare this creature make Crow do the most unpleasant thing possible. "Bastard," Alice said under her breath.
Crow held Alice out, one hand splayed out and his stance stable and strong. "Soul Resonance, sato viikate kertaa times one," he said and Alice's blade bends until it morphed into a slender blue scythe sickle. "Check," Crow said and closed his eyes. "Prepare yourself, Emo," Crow said and opened his eyes. "Prepare to die," he said and his eyes and hair began to change. "Soul Protect, release," Crow said and his soul swelled. It was no longer a regular size. Now it was a crimson red and covered in stitches with a witch circle on it. Even his physical appearance began to change. His blonde hair became black and his dull blue eyes became pure white.
"You're a witch too," Emo said happily and clapped. "This is great! Jingling will be thrilled!" Emo said.
"The proper term is warlock." Crow frowned and stared with his new white eyes, scolding with hatred. "You make me use this and then intend to take me somewhere." Crow said and settled Alice in his hand a little better. "I'm definitely going to rip your dumb soul out of your body." He said and charged him. "Die!" He yelled and swung the blade at Emo. But Emo just blocked with his bare arm.
"Not good enough." He said.
"The blade isn't what you should be worried about." Crow said. "Crow, cr-row, row-cra, crows." Crow recited. "Suture Harvest," he said and from his shadow a swarm of black stitches came out and grabbed for Emo. But Emo was smart enough to pull back, giving Crow an opening with Alice, and he swung, cutting a gash in Emo's chest, but he got away from the stitches, which whipped at the air around Crow.
Emo landed back on his feet and growled at Crow. "Screw the reward! I'll just eat your soul." Emo yelled and his wound hissed and closed. Emo got into a jumping stance, ready to pounce, but then something caught his eye and he jumped back, just as a streak of light hit where he was standing. Emo landed on his feet and blocked the next shot with his bare arm. He looked over his arm, which was already starting to heal, to see Zato holding Remmy. But then something else was right in front of him. He looked down in time to see C.J. plow his fist into Emo's stomach, sending the demon flying back and slamming hard against a nearby wooden stall and sending a hail of splinters into the air.
"Sorry we're late," C.J. said and cracked his knuckles, his menacing hockey mask on, and Mors trench knife looking grip in the hand he'd punched Emo with.
"Yeah," Zato said and jumped from the thatched roof he was on. "I had to find these two after I felt the demon's soul. Then I kinda' froze when you came out." Zato said and gestured at Crow's current appearance.
"Yeah and then you took a nap, Zato." Remmy said and laughed.
Zato sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Been a long day, Remmy." Zato said and looked at Emo with his blank eyes. "This feels ugly. He ain't human is he, Crow. I can feel that you're serious, so he's tough to, right?"
"Yeah. Really strong. At least one on one he'd be pretty difficult for a normal meister. Don't think he'd be much of a challenge now or with me." Crow said.
Emo bursted out of the wreckage of the stall, howling with anger. Zato looked troubled and took a step back. "What's wrong, Zato?" Remmy asked.
"His...his soul just grew immensely. And..." he turned around. "There's someone feeding him power. But..." he closed his eyes. "I can't pinpoint where." He said. "Crow,"he called out, his eyes now open. "His soul is growing rapidly. I believe that someone is feeding him strength from a distance. It might be a witch. So I need to find it, 'kay." Zato said.
"Alright. So what's the problem then?" Crow asked and the writhing stitches retreated back into his shadow.
"I'm goanna need C.J. in case I find the witch." Zato said.
"Understood," Crow said and looked at C.J. "You go with him C.J. I can handle myself here." He told him.
"Wha'? Why do I have to be the babysitter?" C.J. asked.
"'Cause I can't fight properly with you guys here." Crow said and smiled. "I'm a warlock after all." He said and readjusted Alice in his hands, who was still resonated with him.
"Tsk. Whatever, dude," he said and threw Mors to the side, and he transformed back into a human. "Just don't die, 'kay," he said and followed Zato and Remmy, who'd turned back into a human.
"Couldn't even if I tried," Crow said. He looked back at Emo and smiled, his teeth etched with tiny stitch markings. "Emo the demon," he said and pointed Alice at him. "You have been convicted of taking innocent souls. Prepare to die." Crow said. He charged, Alice's sickle right behind him.
His footsteps pounded through the night. "Witch Blood, stage two. Crow, cr-row, row-cra, crows!" Crow yelled and his soul grew in girth again, the witch's circle growing larger. "Thread Seeker!" Crow yelled and three sharp and long threads appeared out of his shadow and darted towards the demon. Emo jumped away from the threads.
"Too slow, boy," Emo said. But the stitch nearest to him veered sharply of its path and wrapped itself around Emo's foot, cutting into the monsters foot like a fishhook. "Wha'?" The stitch whipped down and let go of him, sending him rocketing towards the ground. Emo hit the ground, hard, and the earth around him shattered. And then in an instant Crow was above him, weapon raised.
"Soul Resonance! Sato viikate kertaa times two!" Crow yelled and the sickle grew larger. "KADOTA!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and swung down. But Emo was able to flip backwards, even on the ground, and then jump out of the way as it cut a deep gash into the ground. "Dammit," Crow cursed and used the sickles momentum to swing forward and touch the ground. When his feet made contact with the ground he ran towards Emo, mumbling under his breath.
"Damn kid!" Emo yelled and swiped at Crow. But Crow's image disappeared in a cloud of black feathers. "Wha'?" Emo said and then saw the real Crow through the feathers.
"Pää ja armo!" Crow said and swung, cutting Emo clean in half.
"D-damn," Emo said and his body disappeared in an ugly black swirl.
Alice and Crow's resonance stopped and Alice turned back into a corseque. Crow sighed heavily and let go of Alice and she turned back into her human form. "Witch Blood, stage one. Soul Protect, on." Crow said, breathing heavily. "Soul number ninety-eight...down." Crow said and smiled at Alice, who was eating the soul.
Alice looked at him and smiled back, giving him a thumbs-up. "Just one more evil soul and a witch and we're done, Crow! Can you believe it?" Alice said, her voice sounding giddy. She began to jump around, throwing her arms in the air.
As Crow's hair, eyes and teeth began to change back to normal, no longer influenced by the magic, he wondered what would happen once Alice became a Death Scythe. Would she be any different? Would Crow be any different, or still a warlock, stuck in the past. Crow looked at the moon, it's crazy eyes staring down on him. And what about that witch? Crow thought. He looked at where Emo had been, Alice still jumping around happily. And what connection does it have with the demon?