A Murder Of Thieves- The Story of the Crows.

Act 1- The Heist

The Path to the Forest of the Crows

A caravan rides slowly on a winding path. Slowly, deliberately. "What is this place?" a timid voice rings out. "I've never seen a forest so dense." "Shut it you fool!" another voice says. More authoritative this time, from the Caravan's leader. This man was tall, fair-skinned, and clearly, a man who has seen many a conflict in his day. "According to that map we found in the last skirmish, this is where the forest of The Crows is located." The man I'm referring to, a man by the name of Julius, said this with a firm voice. Almost as if he knew the crows would be there.

"I thought the crows were an old myth." One of Julius' foot soldiers said, unconvinced. "If we plan on finally returning to where we belong, they'd better exist. " Julius replied in tempered optimism. He had grown so tired of the war that it was beginning to show in his mannerisms and everyday life. However, as Julius and the caravan entered the forest, a faint rustling was brought out. "What was that?" the foot soldier asked in a voice shakier than cheap concrete. Julius remained silent. Almost as if he was expecting this. The rustling grew louder, and faint voices were heard. Almost as if the forest itself was talking to them. Warning them.

"LEAVE THIS FOREST INVADERS!" another voice bellowed out. Someone in a black cloak, with almost bird-like features, fell from the top of the trees. Then, suddenly, more people came from the trees. The Talons, as they were dubbed. Began their attack, raiding the caravan for valuables and knocking the foot soldiers under Julius' command. Their screams of surprise and pain echoed through the vast forest. Calmly, Julius reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a strange medallion. The leader of the Talons, Karasu, raised a closed fist. Commanding the talons back to him. "Where did you get that medallion traveler?" He asked, in an interrogation like manner. "It was found in a skirmish near my homeland, alongside a map that led us here. We felt it was honorable to return it to its home." Julius replied calmly.

"I can see in your eyes you didn't come for just that, what else do you desire from us?" Karasu asked. "I seek an audience with your grandmaster." He replied, in an eerily cold voice. Karasu ordered his talons back into the trees. "No outsiders have ever seen our grandmaster before, but because you're in possession of Jordan's medallion. I believe you will be granted an audience. "Karasu told Julius, right before knocking him out. Showing impressive dexterity and strength, he quickly bound Julius up, in almost a mummy-like wrapping. He quickly began climbing one of the mighty Sequoias that the crows had called their home for so many generations. Questions popped into his mind like popcorn on a stove.

"Who is this man?" "How did he find Jordan's medallion?" all things he didn't know the answer to. But he carried him up to the grandmasters' nest, hoping that he along with the rest of the clan would receive the answers they were seeking.

The Grandmaster's Chambers

Julius slowly began to stir. His bindings had been taken off of him, and he was in a wooden room. An old man, dressed in a feathery black cloak stood in front of him. "This must be the grandmaster. " Julius thought to himself, wondering just what he had gotten himself and his men into. "Do not worry, your men are outside our home. None of them are seriously injured." An ancient, powerful voice said calmingly. "I am the Crow's Grandmaster, and you are in a place that no outsider has ever seen before. Answer us this, why do you have Jordan's Medallion?"

"Jordan was caught in a war I'm trying to end. He was near the kingdom of Fertíl and was captured. None of us knew who he was or where he had come from. His body was thrown outside of the city as a symbol of the royal family's power." A tear crept down the grand master's face. Jordan was one of the crows' finest thieves, and almost like a son to him. "My men found the Medallion, and one of our adepts managed to use his power to draw a map to your home. I came to return his medallion to you as a show of good faith." Julius concluded. The grandmaster stood up and placed Jordan's medallion on the bureau behind him. "I also came here to seek your clan's assistance in ending this war my people have been in for generations," Julius added. "What do you mean?" The Grandmaster asked, blinded by curiosity and bloodlust after learning of Jordan's fate. "Well, I do know that winter quickly approaches your home. Your supplies are already hurting due to local tribes in the area. We can run them away as well as provide protection for your food. We'll even drive away from the tribes raiding your stores. All you need to do is give me three of your finest thieves. "