Standard Disclaimer: As much as I hate to do this, I have to say that none
of the characters belong to me. More's the pity. Btw, I'm such a lazy ass
that this disclaimer applies to all chapters. I just can't be bothered
typing it out over and over again.
Prologue: A bird's eye view
In the predawn light, the forest glade was deathly quiet. Nothing disturbed the pall of death that hung over the torn turf. Burnt and twisted wrecks of bodies lay silently among the scorched furrows and explosion craters, and smoke and the smell of charred flesh hung in the air.
A single brave crow dropped from the overhanging trees to land by a still corpse seared beyond recognition. The avian scavenger waddled forward and pecked hard at the ground.
Suddenly a disturbance intruded into the silent glade, and the crow fled to the safety of the trees. Once out of harm's way, she bent her gaze on the cause of the disruption. A deformed silhouette staggered from the underbrush. The crow cawed softly to herself when the figure spoke.
'Damn you, why do you have to be so heavy?'
The silhouette separated as a body was lowered from weary shoulders. The crow cocked her head at the speaker. She watched with avid interest as the boy sagged onto his knees, pressing his palms to the torn grass beneath them. His shoulders shook with helpless sobs.
When a scream issued from the thrown back head of the boy, the crow startled nearly off her branch; only by flapping her wings wildly did she keep her balance. When she turned her attention back to the boy, he was slumped forward, his forehead pressed to the ground between his clenched fists. For a long time, neither the bird, nor the boy moved.
When finally movement returned, the boy turned his head towards the burden he had laid down. Pushing himself up, he crawled closer to the still form. The crow watched as the boy reached out a hand and, after testing that the pulse still beat strong, grasped the shoulders and shook.
'Wake up, damn you. Wake UP!'
The still form did not respond, and the boy sagged despondently back on his knees. Now he just stared at the figure. Intrigued by the interest paid the form, the crow left her branch and flapped to a better vantage. The form on the ground appeared to be a boy no older than the one beside him. Fine black hair lay across a high brow and long lashes caressed smooth pale cheeks. The aristocratic nose was straight and fine above lips that, while not full, escaped the label thin. The still form was not so much thin as slim and evenly muscled. There was no sign of any injury marring the figure, and the crow wondered why the boy would not wake.
The bird started again when the still boy's companion spoke again.
'Why now? Hell, why *today*? You couldn't make it easy for me, could you? You had to go and save my life again and make me obliged to bring you back. I've spent my *whole* life in danger from that monster, and the last six years actively fighting to keep it. And today, when I *finally* defeat the bastard, you couldn't let it end. You had to go and collapse and refuse to wake up.' The boy thumped the ground with clenched fists and ground his teeth. 'Damn you.'
The glade lapsed back into silence as the boy silently contemplated his companion. The crow shuffled up and down her branch, flexing her wings, her yellow gaze fixed firmly on the pair in the glade below.
Finally, the boy staggered to his feet and pulled his still unconscious companion over shoulder already slumped in weariness.
'Well, if you're not going to wake up, I guess I'll just have to get us both back by myself.'
The crow drifted to the ground behind the boy as he and his burden tottered towards the tree line. She cocked her head and clacked her beak as one final comment floated back over the once-again still glade.
'Doesn't anyone care that it's my birthday?'
Prologue: A bird's eye view
In the predawn light, the forest glade was deathly quiet. Nothing disturbed the pall of death that hung over the torn turf. Burnt and twisted wrecks of bodies lay silently among the scorched furrows and explosion craters, and smoke and the smell of charred flesh hung in the air.
A single brave crow dropped from the overhanging trees to land by a still corpse seared beyond recognition. The avian scavenger waddled forward and pecked hard at the ground.
Suddenly a disturbance intruded into the silent glade, and the crow fled to the safety of the trees. Once out of harm's way, she bent her gaze on the cause of the disruption. A deformed silhouette staggered from the underbrush. The crow cawed softly to herself when the figure spoke.
'Damn you, why do you have to be so heavy?'
The silhouette separated as a body was lowered from weary shoulders. The crow cocked her head at the speaker. She watched with avid interest as the boy sagged onto his knees, pressing his palms to the torn grass beneath them. His shoulders shook with helpless sobs.
When a scream issued from the thrown back head of the boy, the crow startled nearly off her branch; only by flapping her wings wildly did she keep her balance. When she turned her attention back to the boy, he was slumped forward, his forehead pressed to the ground between his clenched fists. For a long time, neither the bird, nor the boy moved.
When finally movement returned, the boy turned his head towards the burden he had laid down. Pushing himself up, he crawled closer to the still form. The crow watched as the boy reached out a hand and, after testing that the pulse still beat strong, grasped the shoulders and shook.
'Wake up, damn you. Wake UP!'
The still form did not respond, and the boy sagged despondently back on his knees. Now he just stared at the figure. Intrigued by the interest paid the form, the crow left her branch and flapped to a better vantage. The form on the ground appeared to be a boy no older than the one beside him. Fine black hair lay across a high brow and long lashes caressed smooth pale cheeks. The aristocratic nose was straight and fine above lips that, while not full, escaped the label thin. The still form was not so much thin as slim and evenly muscled. There was no sign of any injury marring the figure, and the crow wondered why the boy would not wake.
The bird started again when the still boy's companion spoke again.
'Why now? Hell, why *today*? You couldn't make it easy for me, could you? You had to go and save my life again and make me obliged to bring you back. I've spent my *whole* life in danger from that monster, and the last six years actively fighting to keep it. And today, when I *finally* defeat the bastard, you couldn't let it end. You had to go and collapse and refuse to wake up.' The boy thumped the ground with clenched fists and ground his teeth. 'Damn you.'
The glade lapsed back into silence as the boy silently contemplated his companion. The crow shuffled up and down her branch, flexing her wings, her yellow gaze fixed firmly on the pair in the glade below.
Finally, the boy staggered to his feet and pulled his still unconscious companion over shoulder already slumped in weariness.
'Well, if you're not going to wake up, I guess I'll just have to get us both back by myself.'
The crow drifted to the ground behind the boy as he and his burden tottered towards the tree line. She cocked her head and clacked her beak as one final comment floated back over the once-again still glade.
'Doesn't anyone care that it's my birthday?'