Raina Crow's Story

Cole Renhedge

Cole heard about the sickened girl, but before anything could be done, he was told that she was taken to Witch Queen.

When he heard it there was nothing he could do, but he still wanted to learn the cause of said disease, and he heard from some gossiping people that sickened girl came from a village, village just east of here.

Cole did not know what caused it, but he wanted to be sure that no one else would suffer, and so he prepared for a quick trip to said mysterious village, whose name he failed to learn.

Raina Crow

Raina second eyes, who happened to be crows watched from above as one student punched another, only to be apprehended by teacher. – Sight that made her laugh for a brief moment, only to stopped abruptly when she noticed that someone is leaving Capital, a young man who she saw once before, she sighed for this time she won’t help him at all.

She watched him making his way through crowds of people, exchanging greeting gestures with traders and town healers. Then she cared no more but focused her sight on rather busy Witch Queen, that she disliked so much…

OOC - So I guess, the outlawed witch is fine, or should I change it? ^^

Cole Renhedge
Cole reached village faster than he anticipated, but what he saw was far different from what he hoped for. Village wasn’t in flames, at least that was a good thing, yet all he could find in this place were empty homes…and one weird girl in the middle of a village, near old well.

She smiled at him, but the closer he got to her, the more uneasy he felt thanks to her smile.

Unsure and brushing hair with one hand, he asked…

“Hey, that’s probably stupid question but where are the people who live here?”

She kept on smiling, and with a falsely kind voice that he fell for…

“Oh, they are all inside this old building slightly further from here, just keep going straight…” She replied.

“Alright…” He moved further, but his owl immediately left its favorite place – Cole’s arm, which was very unusual, but he had no time to think about it for suddenly fog surrounded him. Now he could only move towards one place, the said mysterious building girl told him about earlier.

“Did I just failed to notice obvious thing again…” He asked rhetorically, before laughing nervously and deciding to investigate what unfolded before him.

Raina Crow

Witch Queen was once more in a place unreachable by Raina’s crows, but she had such an amazing guest, guest with whom Raina had to play around at least a little, and so Raina put a bit of this and a little of that as a surprise in King’s drink, one that will be a complete mystery until he drinks it.

He will surely enjoy this Capital type of taste. – Is what Raina thought, and cared no more, for something else caught her eye, or rather crow eye.

Her old friend that she barely knew, and who last time acted far too naively ended up acting naïve once more, when he stepped into simple trap set by an inexperienced witch.

So inexperienced, and yet she missed her.

Unsupervised witch surely has a lot of fun, but it’s weird she was so close and yet I missed her until now…

OOC - Kay, good to know, also will there be a group that intervenes with Queens plans, and tries to spread chaos or something? ^^

"Keeper"
Just as things seemed to get bad, someone came with help, and that someone was a witch queen herself. Cole watched as she dealt with the culprit, but had to interrupt with one question in mind.

“Did you kill everyone in this village.”

“Of course I did! That’ why I…”

“Ah, you didn’t , so big building houses them right now, thanks!” He interrupted her, and immediately went towards building he wanted to check earlier. Leaving two witches behind, while one was baffled.

“W-what? H-how?”


Raina Crow
Raina watched it all chuckling, though it was a good question – how did that Cole know she lied.

Sadly she had to take a look at someone else who seemed to have decided to hint rabbits near her home, Raina wondered whether to scare her a little or maybe do something else.

Queen Ea

"You will never take me with you!" The witch said and burned the vines. Then attempting to shoot fire at Ea. But no fire came. "Are you out of magic?" Ea said. The other witch then tried to escape, but Ea reacted quickly enough and froze the witch's legs in place. She approached the witch. "I guess we will have to do this the hard way." Ea said. She hit the witch in the stomach with her knee and then hit her head, knocking her unconscious. Ea lifted the witch onto her shoulder and opened a portal. Out came a witch under the queens employment. "Take her to a safe room and keep an eye on her." Ea said as she handed the witch over.

Ea stayed in the village to investigate further. She spotted a crow watching her and gave it a gaze. She knew the crows were acting very suspicious and may be controlled by someone.

OOC: I hope this is okay with you unless you had plans with the village witch.

OOC – Well, it surely cuts out a possibility of Keeper and that witch exchanging words again, but that won’t be a problem, nor it will affect Raina in any way :)

Raina Crow

As it seemed her game was coming to an end, one crow had to leave, Queen had to be left alone but she could watch Cole just for entertainment.

Raina wondered whether he would risk being exposed again, last time it happened Raina learned a fascinating thing about him and now that she thinks about it – it would be best if she was the only one who knows.

Well, its settled then…if his secret is in danger, this time I’ll help him partly with crows annoying dear little Queen…that I hate so much.

"Keeper"

Cole indeed found people inside, most of them in poor shape, but most would be able to survive with just medicine and herbs he knows, most for one would not…old man whose life seemed to be hard under some unknown circumstances.

I should wait for our Queen Ea, she would surely…no, he may die before she arrives.

He sighed, knowing that if any of the villagers realizes what he is about to do, he may be in danger, and if Queen learns about it…there’s no telling what will happen.

Queen Ea

Ea took a look around a village and spotted a larger building the man from before may have possibly went into. She made her way there as the other buildings seemed to bear no souls. However there were pesky crows flying around her and getting in her way. She proceeded to paralyze them one by one. It was very odd behavior on the side of the crows as if someone had commanded them to do this. She began to try to track whether there was a magical influence in the area.

Mayu Avalie

Mayu had gone to her room and turned on the TV. The news was on. They spoke of a law that didn't pass the week before and that the nationalist party that proposed it, wanted to petition it to the queen herself. It was about banning any language that wasn't Akasian in schools.

"Ea would never agree to that." Mayu mumbled. She knew that Ea turned down pretty most anything the nationalist party proposed, despite the nationalist party being a successor to the banned Church of Ea, which deified Ea and committed terrorist attacks against non-Akasians and "heretics". Ea not only banned them, but made it illegal to form a religion that deified her.

Mayu in a way felt bad for Ea, as she had to deal with so many problems.

OOC - Oh, come on! You just completly neglected Raina's crows trying to block you from entering for a while, to give Cole time - ah well I guess I should've been more precise ^^

"Keeper"

Cole began to tend to gravely sickened man, basic care could be easily applied, but man will surely die anyway, unless magic is used.

There was a way to solve this little dilemma of his, with a small secret.

Any witch won’t most likely make it here, Queen could, but she may be too late…

He sighed, and from under his clothes pulled out a small bottle with strange glowing substance inside.

Raina Crow

Raina enjoyed slowing down Queen Ea, interrupting her seemed to be always an entertainment for her. Sadly as much as she could interrupt her, Ea had to start searching for the source of magic at some point…which in turn forced Raina to recall her crows.

Tsk, annoying, there the fun ends, and his time as well…

She chuckled.

Queen Ea

Finally the crows disappeared and the magic in the air disappeared. Someone had noticed Ea's suspicion. Ea finally could move on to the large building. Once there, she noticed that all the villagers were there and many were in a bad shape yet would survive it. Then she spotted a man giving a deathly ill man a potion of some sort. "What are you doing?" Ea asked as she approached him.

Mayu Avalie

Mayu decided to take a stroll through the city. In town, there were some people eyeing her. There was still some anti-witch sentiment despite Ea being one herself. Or at least there was sentiment towards witch-to-bes as they tended to be trouble makers. Mayu wanted to buy an apple, but the seller gave her a mean tone. A royal witch appeared behind her and said: "If I were you, I'd avoid being hissy. She is only trying to buy something." "It doesn't matter. These young witches tend to steal my wares." The seller said. The witch replied: "She gave you money, right? That isn't stealing." "Sorry. I wasn't thinking right." The man said.

Mayu turned around to thank the witch. It was a witch wearing a sleeveless black turtleneck top, black shorts, black thigh highs, a cape and a hat. She was about ten years Mayu's senior. "Thank you." Mayu said. The witch then replied: "No problem. Witches deserve some dignity, even when they are supposed to be a little rotten before transformation."

Raina Crow

Raina now had nothing to do, except watching the kiddo, which was somewhat entertaining as he was discovered with his little potion by Ea.

"Keeper"

Sudden question coming from behind startled Cole, he turned around quickly and stared at the one who asked…Queen Ea.
“Q-queen Ea! That…it’s just something I’ve been given, healer’s potion that can ease the pain and help a bit with what he has.” He nervously looked around, wondering whether escape is a possibility if it ends being a necessity.

Raina Crow
“Now that’s an entertaining sight, I wonder how he will get out of this one…” Raina commented as she watched Cole with his pale expression.

OOC - I hope you don't mind that Mayu did not get the chance to talk with Raina or Cole...

OOC: Sorry. I was busy the past few days.

Queen Ea

"A healers potion? Interesting. By the looks of it, it must be rather potent. Would you tell me who you had it from or would you rather keep that a secret? How about I look at the person?" Ea said. She looked at the person and noticed that a curse was receding. "Interesting." She said. She would however need to keep an eye on this Cole guy. Either he got the potion from a witch or sorcerer or he could be an alchemist.

Mayu Avalie

Mayu was walking through town when she suddenly felt weird. Was the transformation already starting or do some symptoms precede the transformation? She had to talk to Ea about it.

OOC - Np, I understand, at least I got some more time for criminology ^^
Cole Renhedge

“Yes, yes a healers potion!” Cole exclaimed, following her trail of thought bit too vividly. Quickly he regained composure, the one who made this potion was him…and a colleague of his, that he happens trust.

“Well, I’d rather not tell, the one who gave it to me was very…intent on keeping identity a secret..” He sighed, remembering how his friend couldn’t help but comment that one day Cole would be the one to spill beans out.

“Oh, though I doubt it will be enough, the potion I mean – it is very strong, and should deal just fine with weak curse…but if the girl had an innate potential…well…I believe Queen Ea has no need for me telling it.”

Raina Crow

Raina decided to use this small window of opportunity to visit town she known so well from past, she walked and walked taking note of changes that had transpired since the last time she was here – for example there was a new place called Haven’s Smith, not her place but Magical Wonders that happened to be right beside it was an interesting sight as well. Sadly it was closed at the moment.

Magical Wonders, what a terrible name… - she thought, and went further through the town, through the crowds, until she felt a change…

Magic spike, bad news possibly, and I still don’t know how to prevent cocoon phase from ever occurring…

Raina searched for the source, and found it…a girl that she earlier eavesdropped upon when she talked to Queen Ea, though it was brief no one would miss such a light colored hair. Raina simply stared at her, for now not interacting – unless she would be seen.

Queen Ea

"I will accelerate the healing, then." Ea said and held her hands over the man. A white light appeared under her hands and the symptoms quickly faded. "I will have the royal witches and mages take care of the rest. I still have some business to attend to. If you need to go back to the capital, you can go through the portal with me." She opened a blue portal. Over a dozen people came out of the portal, mostly royal witches. Ea waited for the answer of Cole.

Mayu Avalie

Mayu headed back to the palace to seek out Ea. But Ea seemed to be gone on business. She decided to wait, hoping for Ea to come back soon.

OOC: Mayu didn't notice Raina. Maybe have Raina follow her to the palace and accidentally be discovered by Ea.

Cole Renhedge
Watching someone as skilled as Queen herself was an interesting sight to say the least, though Cole was bit worried about what might have happened to that girl from before he.

When asked whether he wants to go back with Queen Ea, he was bit reluctant.

“Well, that would be great, but…you’re a Queen and I’m just...just merchant.” He would go if that had not been a problem - something that only he might see as problem.

Raina Crow

Raina followed girl, wondering why she would go there – only to answer this rather obvious question quickly.

What a dummy I am sometimes, Queen is who this girl wants to see, I’d love to avoid Ea but that girl could use some help…

Conflicted Raina slowly approached girl, knowing that if phase began little can be done, but there’s always something that can be done, yet at the end she spoke nothing, simply stared at her from a smaller distance, too close – for it was closer than the usual safe space that Raina set around the palace to keep avoiding Ea.


OCC - Kay, also sorry for I forgot to divide previous post, and I kind of lack words for this next post ^^

Queen Ea

"Just come already. I don't believe that I need to be regarded in an excessive manner. I dont like putting myself on a ruler-subject kind of level. Sometimes its nice to be around normal people." Queen Ea said. Ea went through the portal and left it open for Cole to come through.

Ea spotted Mayu in the hallway and a suspicious person near Mayu. She did as if she didn't see the person and would maybe try to surprise them once Cole was through the portal and the portal was sealed.

OOC: Sorry, short post.

OOC - Np, happens :)

Cole Renhedge

Cole should’ve expected this reaction, for he heard a bit about Queen Ea. Meeting her in person was still, quite different than what one could expect. Looking at the portal he took a deep breath and stepped through.

It was a weird feeling, going through it, as if you were nothing for a moment – at least that’s how he felt it. Now he saw Queen Ea once more, and two other…people, one of the two he knew well.

What’s she doing here? Most of the time I see her is outside capital…


Raina Crow

Raina continued to watch girl that seemed to come here in dire need- need that Raina suspects to be cocoon phase. Raina was too focus on girl to notice a small change around her, as if some magic was used – for portal was opened.

I wonder what change will there be with help, I doubt it will be meaningful at all…

Queen Ea/Mayu Avalie

"Is something the matter?" Ea asked Mayu. Mayu then responded: "I am feeling weird, a bit sickly." "Then your transformation may have started earlier. If so, then you will feel tired and eventually fall into a day long slumber. You skin will harden and turn grey. You will look like stone until you hatch into a new, more mature you with potent magical powers."

Mayu was somewhat shocked. Transformation this early? Anyways it would have come sooner or later.

Without turning to her Ea called out Raina: "I know you are there Raina. No need to try hiding. I just want to know what brought you here."

Raina Crow
Raina sighed, for she was discovered. Unhappy, she slowly walked towards the two, or rather three.

Once in front of them, she said…

“Simple, this girl…” She pointed at Mayu, though her stare was focused at Cole.

Cole Renhedge

Seeing familiar face here, and someone who dislikes capital… was a weird sight for Cole. She seemed curious as always, though he didn’t expect her to be interested in this girl, while staring at him.

“Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face?” He asked, and just chuckled, constantly trying to avoid staring at the Queen as it seemed.

Queen Ea/Mayu Avalie

"Well Mayu, why don't you go to your room and lay in bed. The transformation could start soon. You wont feel anything of it. You will just fall asleep and when you wake up, you will be taller and your chest might be bigger." Ea said to Mayu. Mayu nodded and walked to her room.

"As for you Raina. I guess you still like to spy on people. And I am guessing you are the one with the crows pestering me earlier." Ea said to Raina. "It has been a long time since I have seen you. Why don't you visit me more often?"

Raina Crow

Raina laughed, for it was an incredibly funny, yet sad… that Queen had not realized how much she is despised by Raina.

“Because… I hate you.” She answered.

Then…

“Not only that, I’d rather focus on solution to a problem, that is a part of what I hate, better than wasting time visiting you…” She added.


Cole Renhedge

Cole stared at the two confused, third girl seemed to be leaving after what Queen said, while Raina spoke of hate that she has towards the Queen.

“Right, you two are bit confusing, especially Raina – you’re always confusing.” He muttered.

I'd like to leave these two, but that may end... poorly. - He thought, and stayed.

OOC: The heat wave is killing me. Has been like 105°F (40°C) here for a week now.

Queen Ea/Mayu Avalie

Reacting to Raina's words, Ea said: "Well that is harsh. I believe somewhere deep inside of you, you don't harbor such disdain for me. But anyways, I hope you are staying out of trouble, otherwise I will have to... hehe... capture you. Just because I give witches freedoms doesn't mean I don't keep an eye on them. If you want to stay, you are welcome to stay on palace grounds. I will never hate any of my children and apprentices." It may have been true that Ea may be a little too watchful for some witches comfort, but in her view it was all for good intention as a malaligned witch can be dangerous to normal people.

Mayu meanwhile was in her room and had changed into her nightgown to go to sleep and hope the transformation wouldnt be noticed. Once she laid down, she grew more and more tired and finally fell asleep with her skin slowly turning grey indicating the transformation had begun.

Ea turned to Cole. "Why don't you stay for dinner? Raina can tag along too. I would like to get to know you better. You two can walk the palace grounds or get comfortable in the lounge while I finish some business and put on something more fine." Ea said to Cole and Raina.

Ea went to her office where a representative of parliament was waiting to address her. "My queen, we would like to pass a law banning non-Akasian languages in general education." The man said. Ea responded: "Denied." "But we need..." The man interjected. Ea's voice became louder: "It didn't pass last week and even if it had passed, I would never sign such a law. It endangers national stability and is a profoundly malignant ethnic nationalist move." The man tried to argue with her: "Do not fight me. It wont end for you well and any actions against me from your party can fatally backfire. You are already on a thin line after I banned your church. You are lucky I am not an iron fist ruler otherwise I could turn you to ash in an instant!"

A cold shiver ran down the man's spine. He was very aware of what Ea was capable of and knew she has been very lenient so far. "I understand, my queen. We will not pester you with this petition any further." The man bowed and left hastily.

Ea wondered if what the outcomes would have been had she remained an absolute monarch. Sometimes representatives had no regard for the citizens, stability or social order.