Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Flight from Castle Paldwyn

He nods and quickly follows after Kraven, his armour clanking as he quickens his pace. He still had little idea about this contract, so it seemed likely he would forget. But since his interest is in the money alone, he's bound to forget certain names. "Understood m'lord. Um... who do we need to kill again? Was it Catherine?" He questions, still a little forgetful.

"Indeed. Apparently she was a princess or some noble. The contract said she went mad and assisted assassins to kill her father, and then fled the kingdom grounds. And apparently she's with some other people... probably some of the spies that aided the assassins or something of that sort..."

Arnold nods, taking in this information. He has little knowledge of this land and its politics, but such dealings mattered not when home remains on his mind. He flinches slightly as he steps on a dry leaf, making an audible *crack* noise. He sighs in frustration and fear, and continues on with Kraven. "Right... How far are we to them?"

"As of right now, about the length of 5 royal courtyards, but you can never be too sure..."

"If you listen closely, you would probably be able to hear the shrieking of the ravens..."

"There is no way these birds are normal, pushing aside their eyes... Their actions alone speak far louder than that... They must be connected with whatever put out the flames... Could it be possible we're running right into a trap? Shouldn't we stay put and be ready in case someone is indeed herding us??"

Catherine's eyes widened as she looked to Rose. "Have we been caught so soon?" She bites on her lip, keeping up with the others but is very unaccustomed to running for long distances, as shown in the past day. She lets out a sigh but dares not stop running.

"Th-That can't be!" Marianne squeaked. "Please tell me it isn't true!" She tried to focus on running, but the birds were really creepy... Creepy and scary...

"...They are definetly getting suspicious. I'm going to have to do something drastic to make them stop running, excuse me while I focus..." Kraven stops in his place, extending his hands outward and forming two balls of what seems to be blue and purple flame in his palms. "It's time to drive them back, don't you agree..?"

Meanwhile...

The crows and ravens keep following the group relentlessly, their chirping and squawking getting more frequent and furious... until they stop their shrieking and start flying towards the way that the party is running to. Ahead of the way, flurries and murders of crows and ravens fly in circles, one by one they are dissapearing into thin air, and black colored energy starts to form in that area, in a cluster until it starts taking the outline of something monstrous...

Arnold stops in his tracks, almost skidding the ground, leaving a small trail of messy soil. He looks at Kraven inquisitively. "Hm? Oh right, yeah..." He mutters under his breath as he inhales and exhales, exhausted from all this running.

"Then let us not make easy quarry for them!" cries Adelbard after Rose speaks, beckoning to the party to get them to abruptly change course. But it doesn't matter--no matter which way he attempts to zig or zag, the birds continue to follow. Finally the knight glances over his shoulder to see the birds forming into some sort of eldritch mass, which makes his heart leap into his throat in alarm. Sorcery! "My ladies!" he cries, interposing himself between the three noblewomen. Hopefully they would have the sense to remain in his wake for as long as he's standing. He draws his rapier and levels it at the monstrous thing. "If I tell you to run... then run!" Rather than charge towards the ensorcelled darkness, he plants his feet in a more defensive pose and waits to see what it will become.

Catherine's eyes widened further, stumbling back seeing the eldritch abomination being formed. "What... what is the meaning of this? T-This... this cannot be the work of the traitors, can it? They don't know such wicked witchcraft, do they?" The noblewoman attempted to not panic but her attempts slowly became more and more in vane seeing the thing form. "I don't think that this is a work the foes we currently know."

The cluster forms into something out of a person's nightmares. The energy has formed and taken life, into a Night Raven, a eater of children and a slayer of man. It's head and neck is only a skull with black fangs, and a spinal cord, with it's eyesockets glowing cyan. While it's body is covered in black feathers, and it's legs are made of bone, only with talons the size of daggers on the ends of each foot. It outstretches it's wings, showing it's full size. It's one and a half men tall, and it's wingspan is easily six.

After it is done outstretching it's wings, it gives a blood curdling screech, which could only come from nightmares, and one such screech, could be heard for miles on end.

Arnold shoots up from his drooped head, obviously startled by the sudden screech of the creature. He trembles and raises his greatsword, looking left and right. He looks to Kraven. "Please tell me that was you." He comments, his fear beginning to rise.

"Indeed it was..." He relaxes, the flame fading from his palms, that will surely drive them back now. Only one man trying to go up against a Night Raven with only a rapier? Now that would be pure suicide. "Any moment now, they should be running like the wind back into the forest..."

The noble grabs Catherine's arm, not looking away from the beast. Her face showed no signs of fear, but her eyes told a different story. "Panic will get us no where... Adelbard, please do not try and be a hero. If it appears that it will best you, retreat. Your death here, even if noble, will not help us in the future. We need a sword to protect us, and it appears you are all we got..." She spoke in a calm tone in an attempt to help the others find their cool. Panic leads to fear. Fear leads to hesitation. Hesitation leads to death.

(removed and Im Sorry)

Adelbard has heard no tales of the Night Raven, though he doesn't need them for to be instilled in his heart. Its shriek sets his teeth on edge and he lifts his rapier high. "I will... I will try not to needlessly endanger myself, my lady," he tells Rose, dark eyes still locked upon the aberration. It isn't closing on them just yet. He waves a gauntleted hand at the three noblewomen. "Back away slowly, my ladies... slowly... stay behind me..." Provided they do so, the knight would begin to back up as well, though remaining ever alert for the beast's slightest movement. With any luck they could escape without confrontation, for Adelbard isn't sure his rapier would bother this eldritch abomination in the slightest.

The Night Raven makes nightmarish growling and squawking, before it slowly starts advancing upon the party, one talon filled foot at a time. It's fangs seem to be leaking some sort of black venom, which dissipates when it touches the ground.

Meanwhile...

"Alright, now to just let my summon do the talking for me..."


The Night Raven begins making garbled chirps and squawks before... talking...? "I.. have slain... many men... like you... and feasted upon their children... those little... royals... will surely fill... my belly... I haven't... eaten a... royal in such... a long... time..." It speaks yet it doesn't move it's mouth, it is deep voiced and raspy... It begins to speed up it's approach, craining it's head to look at Catherine and Rose.

Arnold lets his greatsword's tip rest upon the soil beneath him, him beginning to relax slightly, despite his fear of the forest. So long as he knows that Kraven knows what he's doing, things can't go wrong... could they? "Wait wait wait! How far are we from them? Can we get there in time?"

"If anything they'll be going towards US arnold, do you know what a Night Raven is?"

"...We're not too far away actually, but still far enough to not be able to hear or see them. I'm not even controling the beast right now, it's just doing it's own thing, trying to get the girl. It's either going to bring her to us, or it'll kill her itself... Now all we need to do is wait..."