AN: I should have probably edited it before posting
In the city of Bianchi, the sun hung low in the sky and the people continued to party as the night drew nearer. Music could be heard from every street, from every home, from the lake that bordered one side of the city to the hills that bordered the other. It was a day to celebrate the promotion of Anastagio Rossi, the new captain of the royal guard.
Captain Rossi sat, watching dancers, eating exotic foods and drinking equally exotic wines next to Prince Concetto Bianchi, pleased at his promotion. Captain Rossi lifted his cup and watched the civilians twirl around, carefree and happy, in time with the upbeat music. With the threat of Crow looming on them the last month, it was easy to understand why they would want to de-stress and forget for a little while.
After the death of beloved King Alonzo, the city fell into despair, and it had been far too quiet for their city. Especially after they had discovered who exactly had done it. It had come to the shock of everyone, Captain Rossi the most, that they found King Alonzo’s personal doctor, and Royal Alchemist, guilty. Unfortunately, no one had been able to capture them yet.
And everyone had been too scared to speak Crows real name, in fear that one of their birds will hear and report back to them.
And now it was up to Captain Rossi, personally, to bring in the villain for the Queen to judge and decide what to do with. If he was being honest with himself, he feared for Crow. He sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head on his fist. He should be happy. Why couldn’t he just enjoy this moment?
“Is the party not to your satisfaction, Captain?” Prince Concetto drawled out, eyes too clear, too bright, too knowing for how much wine he had drunk, and laid his head on the captains shoulders. “I would have thought you would be out there joining in on the festivities. What is on your mind, Captain?”
“I’m not entirely convinced that partying all day and all night on my behalf, considering that Crow hasn’t been caught yet.” Captain Rossi said with a frown, “Its not very safe for them to be out like this.”
Prince Concetto shrugged, “Think of it this way, if Crow does decide to kill someone tonight, at least we’ll get news of it quickly. The whole city will know, with how fast gossip travels, especially since everyone is already outside, all they would need to do is tell whoever is next to them.”
Captain Rossi’s frown deepened, “I would prefer that no one died tonight in the first place. And the best way to prevent that right now is to stay off the streets and avoid large scale activity, like this, so that someones murder wont be hidden by the celebration.”
Prince Concetto laughed loudly as he righted himself. A servant came by with a jug of more wine for the prince once it was clear his glass was empty and he wanted more. He thanked the servant and dismissed them for the rest of the night.
“I think I have an idea of what you really would rather have, but unfortunately the day is coming to a close and I have to leave the city in the morning. Enjoy the party, Anastagio.” Prince Concetto winked as he left the table.
Captain Rossi could see a gaggle of girls eying him with the intensity of a predator stalking its prey. As much as he wanted to return to his home, it was becoming very clear that he wont be leaving the celebration without a dance or several.
Taking one last sip of his own drink, he stood and mentally prepared himself for the onslaught of torture- dancing, he definitely meant dancing. He passed the one group that was making him feel like a young rabbit out in the fields staring down a dog, and nearly flinched when they started giggling. Walking faster, he avoided making eye contact with anyone and began his search for a secluded area to watch the sunset. It was far too crowded for his taste.
He took the back alleyways, heading towards the upper section of the city, closer to the castle, and less populated than the mid section. Buildings slowly began moving further away from each other, letting the air flow easier and allowing small gardens take up space. He picked up his pace, weaving past people. If he didn’t hurry, he wouldn’t make it to the specific balcony he had in mind.
Taking a right, he came to a little hidden treasure he found the first year he came to this city. It seemed as if he had made it on time. The balcony was set in the upper Middle district, and looked to be a garden tended by the gardeners staffed by the queen. It overlooked the lake, and he often came here when he needed time to himself, which, unfortunately, since the kings murder, he hasn’t gotten enough time to get away, even for a few moments.
He pulled his cape off and laying it on the ground like a picnic blanket, eager to settle down and watch the sunset over the lake. This had to be his favorite time of the day, usually when everybody was heading home for the day and the city was finally settling down.
The sky exploded into a kaleidoscope of colors once the fireworks began, it was clear that mages from all standings where having a little bit of fun showing off. Behind the bright explosions, the moon started to rise. It was full, and Captain Rossi took a moment to thank the heavens that lycanthropy wasn’t an issue in Bianchi.
A noise at the entrance of the balcony made him rethink his thought, and prayed to the heavens that lycanthropy was not a problem in Bianchi. How embarrassing would it be if he contracted it on the night of his promotion? Gripping his sword, he twisted around to see what exactly had come into the garden.
A woman. It was just a woman, in a simple, yet elegant, blue dress. There was something familiar about her, she almost reminded him of his mother. There was something about her that he could swear that he already knew her. Taking his hand off his sword, he could see the moment when she saw him. Her entire body language shifted, and she walked towards him.
“Gio.” Soft. Raspy. Barely above a whisper and it sounded as if someone had done something horrendous to her, a curse perhaps. He had heard of such curses, and had once been on the receiving end of it for a week. It had been difficult to talk with restrained vocal cords, but it had been possible, but not without pain.
“Don’t I look pretty, Gio?”
And then he saw her eyes. And in that moment, he knew that wasn’t a woman.
Crow had taken several steps back as Anastagio glared at them, his sword under their chin. Their hands were raised in a non-threatening manner, and by their stance alone, it was clear that they weren’t there for a fight.
“Gio, please, I need help.” they hissed out, eyes wide. That’s when crow let the glamour drop.
In the city of Bianchi, the sun hung low in the sky and the people continued to party as the night drew nearer, casting a golden glow on everyone and everything, making it seem so ethereal, like he wasn’t on the mortal realm, like he had joined his ancestors in the afterlife and celebrated everything that he was, everything that he did with abandon.
Music could be heard from every street, from every home, from the lake that bordered one side of the city to the hills that bordered the other. It was magical, the way each band played, and each singer sung, each a different song but no less beautiful than the next. It was the individuality, the creativity, the pride that they all carried in their music that really made the mood what it was. It echoed all across the city, and it was the dancers, twirling in time that made it truly come alive. Everyone was throwing their whole soul into celebrating, and he couldn’t blame them. It had been far too long since the citizens had let loose like this, and it was much needed.
This was a day of celebration, hope lighting each and every citizen with the promotion of Captain Anastagio Rossi. Most, if not all, knew of his reputation from the battles a group of revolutionists insisted on waging. His team had led several successful missions, storming their holds and flushing them out of their country or executing them under The Queens orders.
Anastagio, or Captain Rossi, as everyone had immediately taken to calling him, sat, watching dancers, eating exotic foods and drinking equally exotic wines next to The Prince, Concetto Bianchi, pleased at his promotion. Captain Rossi lifted his cup and watched the civilians twirl around, carefree and happy, in time with the upbeat music. With the threat of Crow looming on them the last month, it was easy to understand why they would want to de-stress and forget for a little while.
After the death of beloved King Alonzo, the city fell into what seemed to be a perpetual fog of grief, and it had been far too quiet for their city.
It had gotten worse after the news of who exactly had done it was released to the masses. Royal Mage and The Majesties personal doctor, their name now banned in fear of their familiars overhearing, Crow. It had come as a shock to everyone.
However, no one has actually been able to capture them yet, and so far, they haven’t made a move since that fateful day one month ago.
It now fell on Captain Rossi’s shoulders, as the Royal Captain, to look for and bring in Crow. It was a burden, one he wished he didn’t have, but it wasn’t his choice to make. Or, if he did choose not to look for them, he would be put on trial for disobeying the direct orders from The Queen.
He feared for Crow. No one actually truly knew what happened that night except for two people. Crow, and the servant who supposedly saw them murdering the king. Captain Rossi had doubts as to what actually happened that night.
This was supposed to be a day, and night, of celebration. Why he was thinking of such things, he didn’t know. Just enjoy the night, he scolded himself, this is for you. He sighed and closed his eyes. He wont be able to enjoy the party. He hasn’t been able to enjoy much of anything lately, the stress weighed down on his shoulders too harshly.
A different kind of weight fell onto his shoulders, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“What’s on your mind, Anastagio?” Prince Concetto cooed, fluttering his eyelashes at the Captain. “Is the party not to your satisfaction? I could think of a few ways to satisfy you if its not.”
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “Large crowds just aren’t my forte, your Highness. And with the threat of Crow, I would have thought that they would stay in doors, avoiding getting killed. With everyone out, especially like this...”
The Captain felt, more than heard, The Prince laugh. “Is that what your calling it now? Well, think of it this way, if Crow does decide to descend on some poor unsuspecting victim, we’ll know fairly quickly, someone is bound to see the body and talk will spread like a wildfire during a drought.”
He grimaced at the comparison, early childhood memories coming to mind.
“I’m not entirely convinced that partying all day and all night on my behalf, considering that Crow hasn’t been caught yet.” Captain Rossi said with a frown, “Its not very safe for them to be out like this. In all honesty, I would prefer that no one died tonight in the first place. And the best way to prevent that right now is to stay off the streets and avoid large scale activity, like this, so that someones murder wont be hidden by the celebration.”
Prince Concetto laughed loudly as he righted himself, gesturing for more wine. He thanked the servant and dismissed them for the rest of the night.
“I think I have an idea of what you would rather have, but unfortunately the day is coming to a close and I have to leave the city in the morning to visit the northern sector. Enjoy the party, Captain Rossi.” Prince Concetto winked as he left the table.
Captain Rossi could see a gaggle of girls eyeing him with the intensity of a predator stalking its prey. As much as he wanted to return to his home, it was becoming very clear that he wont be leaving the celebration without a dance or several. He shuddered at the mere thought of getting back onto the dance floor. Not again, he promised himself. Not after last time.
Taking a sip of his own drink, he stood and mentally prepared himself for the onslaught of torture- dancing, he definitely meant dancing. He passed the one group that was making him feel like a young rabbit out in the fields staring down a dog, and nearly flinched when they started giggling. Walking faster, he avoided making eye contact with anyone and began his search for a secluded area to watch the sunset. It was far too crowded, he thought as he clutched his wine closer to him. He was glad he brought his drink with him, if he can think fast he could say that he has business to attend to, people to speak with, if he can’t… it’ll be just like last time all over again.
He took the back alleyways, heading towards the upper section of the city, closer to the castle, and less populated than the mid section. Buildings slowly began moving further apart from each other, letting the air flow easier. This allowed small gardens take up space, creating small areas to escape to.
He picked up his pace, weaving past people. If he didn’t hurry, he wouldn’t make it to the specific balcony in time for the sunset. It was, in his opinion, the best place in the city, and one of the lesser known spots of paradise.
Taking a right, he came to a little hidden treasure he found the first year he came to this city. It seemed as if he had made it on time, the sun hadn’t gone down yet, but soon it would. The balcony was set in the upper Middle district, the entrance hidden by the ivy hanging down. It was probably why most missed it, it blended in with the rest of the wall.
It looked to be one of the many gardens tended by the gardeners staffed by the queen. It was positioned to overlook the lake. He came here when he needed time to himself, to escape his duties when he wasn’t needed. Unfortunately, since the kings murder, his time had shrunk until he barely had enough time to sleep. Despite his earlier thoughts, he was coming to appreciate the time off the party granted.
He pulled his cape off and laying it on the ground like a picnic blanket, eager to settle down and watch the sunset over the lake. This was his favorite time of the day, when everybody was heading home for the day and the city was finally settling down, usually. It was the transition from the bustle of the day to the quiet of the night, when so few are still out, and nature begins its lullaby. It reminded him of home.
The sky exploded into a kaleidoscope of colors as the fireworks began. It was clear that mages from all standings, the old and the young, the accomplished and the ones just starting to learn, were having a little bit of fun showing off, each firework as unique as the one who casted the spell. Behind the bright explosions, the moon started to rise. It was full, and Captain Rossi took a moment to thank the heavens that lycanthropy wasn’t an issue in Bianchi.
A noise at the entrance of the balcony made him rethink his thought, and prayed to the heavens that lycanthropy was not a problem in Bianchi. How embarrassing would it be if he contracted it on the night of his promotion?
Setting his cup down, he stood and gripped his sword. A figure stood behind the curtain of ivy, before coming through into the garden.
A woman. It was just a woman, in a simple, yet elegant, blue dress. There was something familiar about her, she almost reminded him of his mother. There was an air of familiarity about her, he began to relax, before catching himself. Taking his hand off his sword, he could see the moment when she saw him. Her entire body language shifted, and she walked towards him.
“Gio.” Soft. Raspy. Barely above a whisper and it sounded as if someone had done something horrendous to her, a curse perhaps. He had heard of such curses, and had once been on the receiving end of it for a week. It had been difficult to talk with restrained vocal cords, but it had been possible, but not without pain.
“Don’t I look pretty, Gio?” She stalked forward, coming closer to him with an odd look in her eye, as if she was amused about something, but in pain. An immense amount of pain.
And then he saw her eyes. Gold, encircled by a small band of red. And in that moment, he knew that wasn’t an ordinary woman.
Crow had taken several steps back as Anastagio glared at them, his sword under their chin quicker than they had blinked. Their hands were raised in a non-threatening manner, and by their stance alone, it was clear that they weren’t there for a fight, but none of that mattered. Not right now. Not after what they had done.
“Gio, please, I need help.” they hissed out, dropping their glamour.
Book Review – ‘Starflight’ (#1 Starflight) by Melissa Landers
‘Firefly’ meets ‘Overboard’ in this found family romp across space.
Genre: Y/A, Science Fiction, Adventure
No. of pages: 362
Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles.…
"Gio is my exception. Hes always been my exception. As a child, I hated the other children, except Gio. It makes sense that he's still the only exception I will make when I want to be alone in life."
Oh hey i just remembered that I should maybe link this here: If you wanna ask my crows curse crew anything my characters will answer you @thecorvidsnest
