//------------------------------// // The Captain: A Murder of Crows // Story: Loyalty in Brass: Captain's Ashes // by Mr BHunt //------------------------------// The Captain silently wandered the streets of Griffinstone, going through muck and through patrols of griffins and Fumigators. But eventually the Captain happened upon a large, rusted brass gate. Behind it were massive buildings, though they disappeared from view quickly from the Fog's interference. The Captain noticed a plank of wood that hung from the closed gate, there was writing on it: Do not enter! Ravenous Crows within! The Captain merely snarled and pushed through the gate, ignoring both the sign and the cawing of crows. The Fog remembers this place, it's where one of the Fog's other hosts are. The Fog dislikes this one, too mad and strange to control. The Captain walked down the street, leaving the gate to be devoured by the Fog behind him. As the Captain walked, it watched as ghostly shapes dashed past, shadowy griffins and old knights. Then a loud caw made the Captain turn and stare at a lone crow, sitting down an alleyway. The crow's eyes were a brilliant red, but the Captain knew better. The crow cawed again and erupted into a writhing mass of Corruption, which quickly morphed into the general shape of a griffin. The crow took a few steps forward, then stopped. "So, the Fog's favourite toy has come to my paradise? This is indeed a once in a lifetime event!" The oily crow laughed, sending bits of Corruption flying. "Why wander down here? You have the entirety of Griffinstone to hunt, just not here of course, or that crumbling ruin." The crow sneered as the Captain took a step forward, although in an unnatural way. This is why the Fog hates the Crow, it just makes everything worse. The Captain quickly threw a kukri at the abomination, severing its head from its body. The crow let out a horrific shriek as it writhed on the ground, a pool of Corruption spreading over the cobblestone road. The Fog suddenly grew in density and blocked the Captain's view of the quickly melting blob, but it didn't stop the Captain slamming his notched sword through the Fog and the blob. The Fog wasn't impressed and threw the Captain onto the ground, gaining a loud snarl in response. The Fog wasn't happy with the Captain, it needed to learn respect. But the Captain didn't do anything except get back up and go back to walking down the street, his eye now searching for anymore crows. Suddenly a loud yell and rapid footsteps caught the Captain off guard, as a griffin slashed wildly at the Captain with her talons. The Captain raised an arm and backhanded the red-eyed griffin across the street, with her slamming into the wall with a loud crack. Yet the griffin still charged at the Captain, unfortunately he quickly slammed his sword through her chest, the griffin let out a slight whine, then the Captain grabbed the lower notch and tore his blade up though the griffin's body. The corpse fell, but didn't bleed, the Captain nudged the body. Suddenly a fountain of black blood erupted in the Captain's face, causing it to snarl and leap back. Suddenly a pair of talons wrapped around the Captain's arm, the Captain swung his arm forward and sent another griffin flying forwards the wall. The griffin snarled, spun around and leapt at the Captain, who just swung its notched blade down and split the griffin down the middle. Yet another griffin charged at the Captain from another alleyway, but he was quickly cut down with a powerful swing. The Fog is confused, there isn't meant to be this many griffins here. But the Fog doesn't care, for the Fog is feasting. Wait, the Fog heard something. Suddenly the Captain was sent flying and smashed into a building. The Captain leapt forward and slammed his sword down upon its foe's weapon, whose owner was a large cloaked griffin. The griffin's eyes were covered by their hood, but the Captain could tell that this griffin was staring him straight in the eyes. The griffin shoved the Captain back with his spear and sent a fury of stabs at the Captain, who shoved the spear aside and thrusted his sword at the griffin. But the griffin quickly flew back, letting out a laugh. "You should know, dear Captain. I deserve the Fog more than you, why our lord chose you to be his host matters not, I am more loyal!" The griffin crackled and arched his back to laugh at the foggy sky, the Captain lunged forward and attempted to skewer the griffin. But the crazed griffin spun to the side and laughed again. "Same thing every time, Captain! You attack and I dodge!" Then the griffin looked down at the Captain, his cheerful attitude gone. "Let's change that, shall we?" The Captain lunged forward again, but this time the griffin met the Captain head on. The griffin smashed his head against the Captain's and sent it stumbling back, stunned. The griffin moved forward and shoved his spear through the Captain's throat with a grin on his beak. "Too easy, Captain." The griffin stated, then his smile vanished as he realised what he'd just said. The Captain started to lean towards the griffin, sending the spear deeper through his neck, a blank look in his eye. The Captain swung his fist and smashed the griffin to the side, then snapped the spear in half with a quick slash of his sword. Slowly, the Captain looked at the griffin, who shook his uncovered head. The griffin had been hiding a strange plate of metal on his head, with looked like a rusted brass. A line of writing was still visable, reading G-01. That name, the Fog knows it, after having a little fun inside a few surviving knights' heads, the Fog discovered that name. An experiment, a failure. But the Fog cares not, this Crow is insane, more so than the Fog. The Bloody Crow grinned with a mad glint in his eyes as the Captain raised his sword, but a pair of crow abominations blocked his view of the Crow. The Captain swung his sword and destroyed the crows, only to find the Bloody Crow gone, but laughter gave away is location. The Captain glanced up and saw the Crow peering over the top of one of the wall buildings, his hood back on. "Captain! You'll see my way of things, if only for a short while, after you find her!" The insane Crow crackled with giddiness. "I hear that our other friend is guarding her, better hurry though! Your old friends are wanting audience with her too!" With that the Bloody Crow disappeared over the edge of the building, but now the Captain had an objective. And not even the Fog could stop him.