The Child of Ravens

Chapter Twenty-One: Friends and Enemies

Warning: Cursing, Violence

The song "Ground" by Good Kid explores themes of revenge, regret, and the cyclical nature of violence. The lyrics convey a story of a protagonist who has been wronged and is seeking retribution.
(Summary by Songtell)

[I got really invested in Fey and Faries after seeing some really good art of a Fey character and Farie wings, so now I'm wondering how a cross between Celtic/Slavic/Germanic/French and Chinese mythos would go? 🤔  Thoughts?]

"A Shadow Play?" Cai skeptically looked down at the poster Tang was showing them, which despite the time having passed since xier last interaction with Macaque, the wounds still seemed to feel fresh. "Um, I don't know Mr. Tang, the memories connected to things like this still aren't exactly the best and--"

"It's okay Cai, I just thought I'd offer, you don't have to come," Waving her off, the scholar exited the third floor apartment, leaving behind her, Savage and Rumble, the two little monkeys perched on either shoulder with a small chitter.

Sighing, the artist pulled out his phone and unlocked it, scrolling through the photos to show an image of them and Macaque smiling after a training session, which was one that they couldn't bring herself to delete, not matter how upset she was. Shaking xier head, the corvid swiped out of the app and opened up the music, setting up xier 'Art Playlist', before hitting play, and getting to work.

Looking up from the third art piece they'd been working on, the raven was shocked to see it'd been six hours since the others had left, and yet Pigsy hadn't come upstairs to drag Cai downstairs to eat lunch, even though it was three in the afternoon.

Getting worried, he saved the landscape and walked towards the door--Rumble and Savage getting up from their nest and running after her--down the stairs to see only MK there, looking quite sad.

"MK?" The teen looked up to see a confused hybrid, his hazel brown eyes widening in slight surprise, before he slowly got up off his seat and walking towards the confused artist, then slumping into xier arms. "MK are you alright, where are the others?"

"I don't know, I just....can I have a hug?" His voice was small and vulnerable, just like when he'd come back the day of the health inspection.

Okay, now they were on full alert, black wings curling around the teen protectively as instinctual alarms rang in the back of xier head, letting out a sharp bird cry, Albus flying through the window a few seconds later, "Take a few others and go looking for the gang, then report back."

Nodding, the crow flew off with a call, as Cai led the adolescent towards one of the booth seats, both sitting down side by side, the elder rubbing circles on the younger's back soothingly, just letting him lean on them and sitting in silence. Though eventually, MK let them get up, watching as his sibling cooked a few snacks before coming back, and handing them to him, making sure the teenager ate.

Whilst MK was doing that, she checked with the murder, who reported some grim news, the artist keeping their voice low so as not to scare xier sibling, "What do you mean you couldn't find them?"

Caw.

"They were seriously nowhere? Are you sure?"

Caw!

"Did you try the play area where they last went?"

Caw...

"A strange figure? How so?"

Albus seemed to hesitate at this one, before reporting the figure's appearance, "Caw."

"I see..." Gritting xier teeth angrily, Cai steeled his expression before looking over at MK, who was playing with Rumble and Savage, then turned back towards the crows. "Keep an eye on MK, I'm going to have a chat with that puppeteer." Walking over to the youth, she smiled down gently at him, as the simian twins climb onto xier shoulders, "Hey MK, Albus and the others are going to keep you company while I go look for the others, alright?"