Lost

One Should Never Test The Raven King

         The sounds of pounding feet across the quiet and vast forest echoed infinitely. Leaves crunched under the weight of their boots and the air smelled of rot with a hint of lavender behind it. The air was frigid despite it being the start of August. The soldiers knew that the forest created lies. They just never expected that the legends would be true.

The soldiers had spent weeks preparing for this mission. A promise of freedom and riches still fresh on lips of the Old Man. He'd promised them a new life, so long as they found what they were looking for. A life of pain and punishment had left them all desperate for this promise, desperate enough to traverse into a magic forest where time didn't exist to fetch an ancient power from within its center. It'd seemed much simpler on paper, but now that they were deep within its labyrinth they were beginning to question if any of this was worth it.

They could feel a thousand eyes watching them, mocking them. It was as if the forest was alive, its trees whispering the universe's secrets to them. The soldiers were uneasy. 

They continued walking on for what many assumed was just an hour, their feet forming blisters and lungs burning. Their bodies were begging for them to stop but one of the warnings they'd been given before entering rang within their ears. 

Never stop for it will anger the Raven King

A thick fog had settled over the men that burned their lungs when they inhaled it. The smell of rot and decay that was lingering in the air was amplified as if the fog was its battery. They all felt sick and disgusted. Many wondered how much death this forest has seen or if it'd seen any at all.

The sudden shift in the atmosphere made the soldiers hug their guns a little tighter, their steps a bit faster. Their bodies protesting the quickened speed but they pushed forward.  A distant crash sounded from behind them, causing them all to halt in their tracks. The few hours the men had been stumbling throughout this forest the only life they'd seen were the ravens who'd now gone deathly quiet. A twig on their right snapped.

"This is bullshit, who's there?" a soldier shouted into the foliage with his gun raised, ready to attack at any sign of life.

A low, guttural growl sounded from behind them followed by a slow clapping and a chuckle that sent waves of ice flowing through the group's veins.

"Quite the feisty maggot you are," a voice as smooth as honey said mockingly, "I almost feel threatened."

The soldiers whipped around, guns raised at the stranger who'd appeared before them. They were completely blown away by the man's appearance. His hair a wild mane of white, framing a boyish face, and a crooked nose he didn't quite fit in. His eyes were the most prominent, a pair of intense violet eyes that hid something of a mix between annoyance and amusement. The look a cat might give its prey as they toy with it. The stranger was clad in a  black suit straight out of the 19th century with a white fur cape to match. Next to the man sat the beast who was responsible for the growling. Its body was canine in shape but was covered in inky black feathers with eyes that matched its owner. Its mouth contained rows of sharp, feral teeth. A black ooze was dripping from its mouth. The men felt nauseous.

"Might I ask what you boys are doing in my forest?" the man asked, tilting his head to the side as if perplexed by the mear presence of the soldiers.

The group had gone completely silent, unsure of how to respond. They look at each other but they could only respond with the same look. An uncomfortable silence had overcome the man and the soldiers. Both eyed each other, one with amusement the other with fear. Suddenly one of the youngest of the group steps forward, eyes determined to prove himself to the others. He was no older than 19 yet his face looked like it belongs to someone who has lived for decades. The only way you could tell his age was the life that glowed in his eyes, a wanting to prove himself.

"We've been instructed to traverse this forest to find its center, for it has treasure we wish to collect," the boy says calmly," our boss has put a great emphasis on us finding it and returning it to him as quickly as possible."

The stranger stills for a moment. Rage consumes his every feature. It was gone as quickly as it'd appeared, replaced with a bright smile and a dangerous look in his eye. 

"I've always hated your type," the man laughs cruelly," never once thinking about the bigger picture, just a mindless ant how follows whatever order gets thrown onto his plate."

His body radiated pure anger, he snarled, revealing pointed teeth. He was like a rubber band about to snap. The group had begun backing away, fully realizing the situation they were in. They heard a roar behind them as another one of the man's beasts appeared. They were cornered with no escape. The strange man cackled, arms raised to the sky. The ravens all started to kaw as if mocking them too.

"You boys are so dense but have amused me greatly, I'll almost feel bad for what is about to happen," His smile faded, pressed now into a hard line, "Have fun, my children."

The soldiers had no time to react as the beasts lept on them, jaws unhinging to reveal an endless void filling with teeth. The screeching of the ravens overpowered the screams of the men, the scent of copper and rot encased the forest like a disease. A wave of crimson coated the surrounding area as the beasts crawled back into the shadows, leaving nothing behind. No bones, no clothing, no nothing.

The stranger walked forward, consuming the chaos that'd just played out. These were always his favorite moments when the scent of man finally began to fade away to become one with nature. The scent of metal and self-hatred would dissipate, leaving only the raw pureness behind. He dips his finger into the crimson pools, licking the finger clean as he slunk back into the brush of the forest as he'd never been there at all. The forest that'd once been silent  when he'd first emerged began to show life again, the sound of hundreds of ravens bellowing together in unison,

                                                                      "All hail the Raven King"

                                                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nyx surged from her sleep as the alarm clock sitting by her bed blasted to life. Sun was streaming through her curtains, signaling it really was time to face the world. She let out a pained groan as she sat there for a moment, trying to sort through the events that she'd seen just a few moments ago. Her body was achy but her mind was clear and hyperfocused. 

"Man, what the hell was that dream?" She muttered to herself as she dragged herself out of bed, "and who the hell is the Raven King."