Raven Starlin's journey to sacrifice

Untitled Part 1

The rain fell hard, stinging her skin as she curled up into a ball next to one of the many trees in Ruin forest, so much rain was falling it felt like she was drowning, her hair strewn across her face. She had to get out of this forest, the gravitational pull that gripped every atom within her was testing every strength she had. The wound she had across her stomach was pulsating with the most unbearable pain, blood seeped from her wound and mixed with the puddle of rainwater and mud beside her. The desire to stay alive was starting to diminish along with her strength, Raven then looked up to the treetops, the sound of the rain deafened while the sound of her breathing got louder, it felt like time paused for a few seconds as she thought of her little brother, she needed to save him whatever the cost! She ripped a piece of material off her clothing and wrapped it tightly around her stomach and gathered all the strength she could to get out of Ruin forest. Walking crouched over holding her wound, the forest talked to her and belittled her, the forest wanted her soul,

"You will never be good enough"

"Noone cares for you" the forest eerily whispered.

Raven dropped to her knees on the soggy ground and screamed out of desperation, out of defeat, out of fear. She closed her eyes, she thought of how her little brother screamed "save me please Raven don't let them take me" as the Dailoz dragged him away like he was nothing, she couldn't do anything to save him because the dailoz cast a freezing spell upon the whole village. The most heart wrenching emotion she had ever felt.

Lifting her battered body up she looked to the end of the forest and ran with all the anger she felt. The plants and nettles whipped her legs while she cried out in pain, but nothing would stop her, not now. At Last she passed onto the other side and out to freedom, where she slumped onto the grass, with her skin torn and heart beating so fast it hurt. Raven let her tears free, she closed her eyes, she was exhausted, her body needed to recover and she passed out from her injuries.

Forcefully trying to keep her eyes open, her vision was blurred but slowly getting clearer. The smell of charred wood filled the room around her. The sound of a crackling fire bounced between the four walls that surrounded her. She then realised her wounds no longer hurt. The sound of a door closing above her put a stop to her thoughts, Heavy footsteps followed down the stone staircase in front of her. Raven fixated her eyes on the staircase, she seen the figure of a man that couldn't stand up straight without leaning his head forward to avoid hitting his head on the uneven stone ceiling with his tall and plump frame,

Ravens tense muscles relaxed as a wave of relief came to her,

"Alroy, i'm so relieved it's you, how am i here? Raven's voice conveyed the relief she felt, as she was trying to work that question out herself.

"Raven dear, I would like to know that too? You shouldn't be out here alone, you're lucky you're not dead! If I hadn't have found you, them evil kritins would have had you and fed you back to the forest" Alroy with a stern look while brushing his long silver beard with his oversized hands, confused himself.

"All my village has been cursed with a freezing spell, they took Leroy, the Dailoz took Leroy, i had no choice" tears now streamed down her face, as she rested her face inside her hands.

Alroy was an old friend of her family, he lived alone on the other side of the woods, which is why they hadn't seen him for a very long time, the Dailoz cursed the forest that nestled between Ravens village Koren and Alroys hut, they cursed the forest to consume anyone's soul that passed through it, many people had died trying to pass. Alroy healed Raven as best as he could, and gave her some healing potions, that was his speciality. He couldn't do no more than that, he did not possess the same kind of power as Raven and her family. Watching Raven walk out the door battled with his protective instinct, but he knew that this was her fight, and the only chance her family had. Something that was eating away at his thoughts then though, was how she had got through that forest alive, when so many more powerful beings had died the second they stepped foot inside. Something didn't seem right, something was off about the situation.

Walking away from Alroys hut made Raven feel overwhelmed with vulnerability, she was scared, not scared for herself anymore, just scared that she was the only one to save her brother and family. Making her way through the rocky mountains, she felt her magic returning to her body, she felt refreshed and more able than ever. In the distance she saw Black Sorrow ruins, the village of the Dailoz, the skys that surrounded the village were dark with a deep red glow, Kritins surrounded the tall rocky tower, Kritins the legless souls that had skin they had claimed from their victims patched over them like a badly put together jigsaw, waiting for anyone that tried to enter, the waters between her and Black sorrow were called waters of the damned which were home to many dangerous evil beings. Raven had to make her way to another village that she knew would help her as her parents were old friends of the village, she needed more supplies to get across waters of the damned and a boat.

Walking up the path into the village Mortal, leaves crushing beneath her feet as she felt determined and positive.

"Get out of here evil one"! A man yelled at her as she entered, all the villagers were staring at her, Raven had a sudden sense of unease and confusion, mothers and children ran inside their huts as though they were in real danger.

Sidetracked from her confusion by a fast moving figure, a villager came at Raven with a sword, then ten villagers followed

"Burn her"

"Kill her"

"Product of evil"

Raven's mind now racing 100 mph, what the hell was happening she thought, she then drew her sword that burned a deep red colour, she felt intense anger and a predatory feeling, a feeling very much like the feeling she had felt all through her life, the feeling she kept secret and buried within, but ten fold. Villagers gasped with fear, they were terrified, she lifted her sword ready to slay, not because she had to, but because she wanted to.

"STOP NOW", a voice bellowed.

Raven stopped in her tracks, her thoughts stopped. She looked towards the voice and saw a familiar face, lord Samuel.

Raven's hands started to shake violently, she dropped the sword as she started to realise how the bad feelings had taken over.

"LEAVE THE GIRL ALONE, EVERYONE BACK IN YOUR HUTS", lord Samuel instructed, as he ushered Raven to his hut.