Ashes of Revenge

Raven and Colt were leaning against a tree, using it as support, and Bram was sharpening his axe in front of them. They were all at the tree line, watching the town.

“What if he’s not ok?” Colt asked, the small blade coming from his finger digging deeper into the tree.

“He’s alive, my dear,” Death said. Despite how much Raven wanted to react to that fact, she couldn’t. “But, I gave the order today to have him killed.”

Raven looked out to the town and saw servants setting up a platform; she recognized it immediately. “He’s alive.”

“How do yeh know?” Colt asked, hope coming into his voice.

“They are settin’ up an execution platform in tha town.” She pointed to what she was seeing, and their gazes followed. “Chances are since Richard is a Farian, he’s gonna be put on display.” Colt remembered the hanging Farian in the Monstro Kingdom and almost allowed his eyes to change.

“I’ll give tha signal,” Raven said.

“Oi’ll ga get yer cloaks.” Bram walked off and left them alone.

Colt closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree.

Raven turned her hand up and concentrated. Slowly, she watched as a small flame appeared in the center of her palm before it spread out and covered it entirely.

The area under her hand began to feel like it was being tugged and pulled, like when she had used it yesterday. Her fingers twitched and trembled in soreness.

Shifting her gaze up, she saw Death staring at her amusingly. Raven looked back down at her hand and made a fist, the flame extinguished itself, but the tugging continued for another few seconds. When it stopped, the scene of being burned infiltrated her mind, and she almost cried out in fear and pain. She bit her lip at this newfound trait as her thoughts tried to pinpoint the reason for it.

“Where do yeh stand?” Colt asked, snapping her vision into focus.

She swallowed and brushed her hand against her nose, already knowing what he was asking. “I won’t kill ’em.”

“You don’t want to kill the guards?” Death asked, circling the pair. “Are you sure?”

“I make no promises,” Colt said.

“They could have family,” she murmured. Victor and Dara flashed into her mind.

“I don’t bloody care,” Colt said, the dark graphite and shiny silver quartz leaking into his natural color. “They hurt him.” He had been hurt by Knights in his old Kingdom, and the very thought of them hurting Richard made him want to kill every last one of them.

Raven knew how protective Colt could be when it came to her and even Richard’s safety. In similar situations, the Shifter had turned into what his species was known for.

Sometimes he was that fearful boy everyone saw; others, he was the heartless killer everyone expected.

“They were followin’ orders,” she reminded.

“I bet they unnecessarily hurt him. Was that ‘em followin’ orders?” They stared at one another for a few seconds. “I will wait until I see him. I make no promises,” Colt murmured.

Bram walked up to them and handed them both new cloaks - the old ones had been lost with their horses. They were all a dirty green, had a hood, and went down to the ground, something Colt and Raven weren’t used to.

Nevertheless, they threw them on and slowly and painfully made their way to the town.

***

Raven stood in the center of a giant crowd. She could barely stand, and she knew Colt was in the same position as her.

What felt like hours had passed, and everything was finally set up. With the platform finished, it became clear it was designed for hanging . . . neck and wings.

Colt was on the other side of the platform, and Bram was in front of it. They all had assigned jobs, and if a single movement fell out of place, they were all doomed.

Everyone had part of the cloak covering their nose down. Raven moved the hood to cover the rest of her burns.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” a man shouted with a massive smile on his face; his green Official ring sparkling in the sun. “We have an extraordinary event set up for you!” The people began to clap and cheer in excitement. The man paused for dramatic effect as the noise died down. “We’ll be hanging a Farian!” The crowd fell into an uproar.

Raven looked across the sea of people and managed to spot the hooded Colt, who was staring at the stage with a stone-cold face. Slowly, his head turned, and they made eye contact. It was only then she noticed his silver eyes. Raven could feel the fire trying to start on her flesh, but she couldn’t let that happen . . . at least, not yet.

The crowd cheered again, and Colt and Raven’s attention snapped back to the stage. At once, their anger turned into disbelief about who they were looking at. They didn’t want to believe it was Richard.

Richard looked like he was on the verge of collapsing. His clothes were dirty, torn, and hanging off of him. His beard had grown out, and he was paler. But what stood out were his wings. His once beautiful, strong black wings were now barely attached to him; in the middle was a huge cut that descended a foot or so with a thin chain going in and out of them. The chain was tied around his neck, keeping the wings from dragging on the ground. His hands were shackled together, and the weight of the restraints seemed to weigh him down.

Two guards were on either side of him, holding his arms and dragging him to his death. When they reached the rope, the guards threw him down, earning another loud cheer from the crown.

Raven raised her right hand and looked to the stage, knowing Colt and Bram were watching her. She also knew Colt had made up his mind.

Fernando walked up the stage, and only Raven saw the look of sadness on his face. The Captain motioned his hand for them to raise Richard, to which they moved him to his knees, his head hanging low.

The Royal family was watching from a sitting platform that had been built for them. The always stern face of the King and the angry and yet sad faces of Victor and Dara were watching the scene. Raven knew they were forced to watch, so she held no anger for the Queen and Prince, but for the King, it was nothing but.

Raven’s foot tapped against the ground. She wanted so badly to give the signal, but she could sense now was not the time.

“Do you have any last words?” Fernando asked above the vulgar phrases and words that were being thrown at Richard.

Richard looked out into the crowd and spat, earning a hard punch across the face from one of the guards.

Fernando slowly motioned for them to raise Richard again, and they brought him to his feet. One of the guards reached up and brought down the rope and metal hook - designed to rip his wings out of his back as he was suffocated.

Raven’s hand descended, and the group shot into action.

Colt and Raven shoved past people as the pain in their bodies subsided. Right as they reached the stage, they released their anger.

Raven took the stairs two at a time and pulled out a dagger. Fire engulfed her hands and the blade as she swung.

Colt jumped up on the stage and lunged at one of the guards, driving two daggers into the guard’s chest. He couldn’t use his Shifter knives because he would be too easily identified.

Raven slashed a Knight's side and kicked him in the chest, making him fall off the platform.

Colt grabbed Richard and shoved him off the stage. Bram caught him as gently as he could before he began to drag him away.

Raven and Colt turned around and faced Fernando, who was swinging his sword. Colt jumped in the way and blocked the strike. Raven kicked, colliding with his shin. Fernando fell onto his knee and moved his sword, but Colt managed to trap the sword and hold it in place. Raven plunged the hot dagger into the Captain’s arm, earning a cry of pain. She hated hurting him but needed to make it look somewhat like she didn’t know him. Pulling out the dagger, they both sent him tumbling off the stage.

Raven could tell that Fernando wasn’t fighting like usual, but she didn’t know why.

Victor stood up from his seat and began to run to Fernando, but Knights quickly grabbed him and began to pull him away.

“Go!” Raven said to Colt over all the screaming.

Colt jumped off the stage and ran.

Raven watched as more and more Knights began to surround and climb the platform. Her feet became ablaze, and in a matter of seconds, what she was standing on was fire. The Knights’ eyes widened in fear, realizing that she had created the flame. Without thought, they all retreated.

Raven walked off the stage and continued to move to the empty Royal family platform. Her hands tensed, and her fingers twitched.

The hanging stage was ripped in half by the fire. Raven moved her arm as if she were throwing something, sending half of the platform flying through the air and making it collide with the Royal family’s. Victor stumbled in shock, nearly falling, but the Knights held him up as they continued to drag him away. The King grabbed Dara and shielded her from the intense heat and splintering wood.

Raven continued to walk to the King, her hands still on fire. She wanted to kill him so badly. To let his body be set ablaze and feel the pain she felt and the suffering Richard had endured.

At the thought of Richard, she stopped. She needed to get back to him, but that meant leaving the King.

Raven remained frozen for a few seconds before she cursed and ran back to the tree line.

Fernando only hoped that the people who had taken Richard were Colt and friends of his. That was why he hadn’t fought as hard as usual, because he knew Richard was being rescued. But that thought didn’t stop shock and fear from sinking into his body. Being able to control fire was unheard of. The only thing that came remotely close to it was Telik’s moving it, but this was different. This girl had brought it out of nowhere, could control it, and she wasn’t being burned.

His mind left the girl when he thought of Victor. Sheathing his sword, he ran to him.

Victor finally broke free of the guards and hugged Fernando as tightly as he could. Fernando looked at the King and saw he was watching the girl run with hate-filled fearful eyes.

Raven ran through the smoke and into the trees.

She froze when she saw Richard and Colt. Richard was on the ground with his face pressed into the dirt, squirming, and whimpering in pain. Colt was holding the chain that was in his wings. The one around his neck had already been cut.

Bram was making sure no one had followed them.

The tugging began, starting in her hands and traveling to her head. Her muscles ached, and standing exhausted her.

Raven knelt in front of Richard and grabbed his hand. Immediately, he clutched it with as much strength as he had. She moved her leg next to his head, and he placed his head on it.

Colt fainty pulled up on the chain, and Richard cried out in pain.

“I know, I know,” Colt said. He cut up, snapping the metal and earning another cry. Richard latched his free arm onto Raven’s cloak. “We’re almost done.”

“Please,” Richard whimpered out in a weak voice, making it not even sound like him.

“It’s ok,” Raven said as his grip tightened on her.

Colt began to pull the chain out of his wings. Richard cried out in pain as his feet kicked against the ground.

“He’s almost done,” Raven said.

Colt finally pulled the chain through the last hole, and the wings dropped to the ground. Richard continued to cry out in pain.

Colt moved to where he was next to Raven. Richard moved his arm and grabbed onto Colt’s shirt. They looked at his wings and knew they were useless. His once beautiful wings would never be able to be used again.

A noise began to fill the air, and it took Colt and Raven a second to realize it was Richard crying. They had never heard Richard cry before, and the mixture of screaming in pain and panting sobs broke their hearts. Flowing tears began to run down his face and dampen Raven’s cloak and shirt.

Colt and Raven looked at each other with tears forming in their eyes. They held Richard closer to them, and he cried harder.

Within the second, anger and the sick, twisted thoughts of how to enact revenge filled them.

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