The Chronicles of Ravensong

by Ravensong

2: City of Glitter

The Chronicles of Ravensong
City of Glitter

They flew side by side, both lost in thought. Raven kept thinking about Phyra and her lost egg. What were they going to do? How were they going to find it? Where do they even start? Graz seemed to think they'd get some answers at his home. She smiled at the thought of meeting his mother. Somewhere, deep inside, she secretly hoped she could be her mother too. But then her thoughts would turn back to Phyra. Round and round her thoughts would go as time and miles passed beneath their wings. Graz started to lose height, and Raven lowered with him. Her hooves touched down in a field on the far edge of the Everfree forest, near hills that built upon themselves to become mountains. She looked about, but saw no city, no home.

“Graz?” She started to ask.

“Almost there. Just, you know, nice to approach on foot.” He replied, landing on her neck.

Raven started walking in the direction of his pointed wing. “Oh.” She kept walking, head slightly bowed in thought. They crested the first hill before she spoke again. “Why?”

Graz chuckled. “Safety. Some things come in on wings and if the city doesn't know to expect you, they get defensive. So... we're being nice.”

“I think I understand. What things?”

“Too many to count. The greater world is full of almost more than you can imagine. Almost.”

Raven sighed. “Yeah, I would never have imagined that spider.” She paused. “Are there things worse... than that Solifugus?”

“Yeah, sometimes. But, Corvid is safe. Like Equestria.”

Thoughts of Cinder and the ridicule of her classmates flashed through Raven's mind, followed by Skull's laughter. “Nowhere is safe, Graz.”

He looked at his friend, sadness in his eyes. Then he looked about and noticed where they were. “Ooooh! Wait!” He fluttered down to the ground in front of her.

She stopped and looked around. Ahead of them at the crest of the next hill was a formation of rocks. It stood taller than a pony and crowned at the top was a giant boulder with a hole in the center of it. Her head tilted to one side as she looked at it, eyes full of curiosity. Graz called out in the language of his kind and a harsher voice answered. A large raven, its legs covered with golden rings so that it made a clicking noise with every hopping step, landed inside the boulder and stared down at them. Raven couldn't help but stare. The new raven called out again and Graz answered. Then he turned back to Raven. “Come on, we have been granted entry.”

“Oh.” She followed him toward the stone structure. “Okay.” They passed the structure and Raven could not stop staring at the rings on the new raven's legs. It was much larger than Graz and had an air about it that was aloof. She got the definite feeling that this bird was really not one to cross. Raven started to wonder what its name was.

Just as she started to open her mouth to ask, Graz spoke up. “Look, there's Corvid.”

Raven looked. Nestled in a basin made of hill and mountain was a city in the trees. It was a riot of colors and motion. Haphazard ribbons, streamers, and bits of brightly colored cloth adorned trees and houses like jewels and sequins on a dress. But those colors paled against the crystals and worked metals that sparkled and shone, so that the whole city shimmered; a multicolored prism. Ravens wheeled here and there amongst the buildings or just sat perched near statues in quiet contemplation. She could not stop staring at the beauty and wonder of the place. Graz nodded and called out to some of the other birds. He seemed so plain compared to them. Each had some adornment or decoration on their bodies. Some had jewels in their feathers, others gold or silver bands on their legs. There were headdresses and collars and more. The houses seemed grown out of the trees and the statues looked so old, covered in vines and moss. But the vines accented and the moss grew in different shades so that they were almost intentional. There were statues of ravens and a dragon, some bipedal creatures with delicate wings and expressive eyes.

“Is that?” Raven gasped and pointed with a hoof at a statue of an alicorn, flowered vines growing around her legs and into mane and tail. “Is that... Princess Celestia?”

Graz chuckled and instead pointed at the house that stood nearest to that alicorn's statue. “That... is mom's home.”

* * *

Her name was Cavatina. She wore sapphires in her feathers that sparkled delicately as she moved. Her voice was soft and kind. And she welcomed Raven in with open wings. Cavatina was Graz's mother and together the only blood family they had left.

It took Raven a bit to pick up on the sadness. First off, the home was built more for ravens the birds than for Raven the pegasus. It was a large home, and so she was able to squeeze in, hunkered down with wings pulled in tight. She found a spot, laid down there, and tried to move as little as possible as she explored the dwelling with her eyes. Carvings adorned nearly every surface, embellished with Cavatina's familiar sapphires, that were a feast for the eyes. Yet, for all the beauty, it dawned on Raven the residents of Corvid were not as happy as she thought they would have been. It reminded her of the quiet sadness her father had, before Skull took him away, when her family had been under attack.

Graz and Cavatina were talking quietly, about little nothings that had been going on in his absence. Raven listened. There were the births, or as they said hatchings, and marriages. And there were the deaths. It dawned on Raven that there seemed to be a lot of deaths. Graz sighed and finally Raven had to pipe up. “Corvid is being attacked?”

Cavatina shot her son a look and Graz chuckled. “Mom, I said she was young. Maybe I should have said that she is observant.”

“Did I say something wrong?” Raven looked worried.

Cavatina hopped over to her and hugged her head. “Don't you worry your pretty pony head about a thing.”

“Er...” Raven's eyes went wide. “T-thank you.” She stammered uncertainly.

“Mom... I love you, but that did not help.”

“Hush you. Go up top and get your collar on, honestly you look scruffy as a crow.” Cavatina turned back to Raven. “You and I have some things to discuss in private.”

Grumbling, Graz followed his mother's orders and flew up towards the top of the house. Cavatina tilted her head and looked Raven over. She sighed. “You and Graz are so alike. He lost his father to them too.” She said softly.

“Skull?” Raven asked.

“Not that one specifically, but others like him.”

Raven's eyes went wide, twin sky blue sapphires twinkling in her own dark face. “There are more like him?!”

“Oh, darling, don't be scared. We are safe here. Corvid has protections. But, yes, there are more. There is never only just one of a thing.”

Raven swallowed hard and nodded. “You're right.” She took a deep breath. “So why is everyone so... scared and sad.”

“I will not lie to you, Raven, but Corvid has ever and always been made safe through the efforts of its residents. There are... those... who would see our city not exist. We protect ourselves, but sometimes, there are losses.”

“B-but I don't understand. Why would anyone not want Corvid to exist?”

Cavatina smoothed down Raven's mane. “Sweet child, that is a heavy tale for a later day.” She looked deeply into Raven's eyes. “And you, need to rest.”

Raven blinked several times then yawned hugely. She nodded assent and lowered her head to the ground, falling asleep in moments.

* * *

There is a space in between sleep and awake where you can hold onto your dreams and still see into the waking world. Raven hovered there, fuzzily aware of other, unknown, birds coming and going from Cavatina's house. At one point she was aware of sobbing and Cavatina's soft voice comforting the crier. That voice lulled Raven back into the embrace of sleep. Later the sound of doors shutting brought Raven back from the land of dreams and she woke fully up.

She stretched and yawned again. Smacking her lips she looked about and found a bowl of fruit laid out for her. She practically pounced it and got down to the business of food. When the bowl was empty and she was licking her lips, Raven finally fully noticed that she was alone. The house was so quiet that even her own breathing was loud. She crawled around and out of the house, trying not to break the quiet stillness. Once outside she stood up and stretched her legs and wings. It was quiet out here too. She thought to herself, “Where is everyone?” It was not quite dark and not quite day, but Raven was not sure if it was morning or night. Mist hung about the trees and the statues. Her eye was drawn to the alicorn statue. Curiosity overtook her and she went closer to it. The pale marble was carved so expertly that the statue looked almost alive. Raven tapped one of it's hooves. She jumped back, wings out, as she waited to see if it would turn and look at her. Raven laughed at her own silliness.

Her laughter was loud and sounded wrong in the half light. Raven's wings snapped close to her sides and she looked around, suddenly feeling watched. Cavatina said this was a safe place, Raven thought to herself. But if it is a safe place, why doesn't it feel safe? She started to back towards Cavatina's home when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Just for a second, a pale yellow light hovered in the trees off in the distance. Raven took a step toward it, than another. If there was a light, there had to be someone there.

She got to where she thought the light had been, but there was no sign of anyone. She spun about, looking for what made the light when she saw it again, farther into the trees. She broke into a trot, chasing after the light. In between two houses and through some trees and it was gone again. Raven stamped a hoof angrily. And there it was again, out of the corner of her eye, the flickering light beckoned. Raven charged after it.

Black feathers erupted in front of her, and gold flashed. Raven skidded to a stop and reeled back as wings buffeted her head. “You fool!” A harsh voice seemed to yell at her in the quiet. She screamed. A wing covered her mouth and the voice hissed “Shut up!” Raven bucked, but there was nothing on her back. Panic was rising in the filly and the voice was getting audibly angry. “Will you shut up!”

A split second before Raven was going to bolt, another feathered figure rocketed into her neck and she fell over, all three figures becoming tangle of limbs, wings, and feathers. Graz's voice hissed out, “Both of you, shhhhh.”

At the sound of Graz's familiar voice, Raven went still and silent. Something in the distance hissed. Schhhhhhhhhh. The harsh, unknown voice softly cussed. Schhhhhhhhh. The sound was slowly growing closer.

“We don't have time, it knows we know it's here.” Graz said. “Tremolo, get Raven back to my mother's home.”

“Wh-?” Raven started.

The other Corvid raven, Tremolo, was the same as the guard she had seen earlier when they entered the city. The gold flash was the bands that were covering his legs. He shook his head. “Oh no Graz, you are not kited for battle. I am.” He faced the direction the noise was coming from. “You get the kid out of here.”

“Ki-?” Raven tried to ask, starting to get angry. She might be young but she wasn't a baby.

Graz interrupted her. “Tremolo, the city needs you. And we don't know how many are out here. You go.”

“But wh-” Raven started to ask again.

“Death before dishonor! You know that Graz. Don't you dare tell me to run away from a fight with a child.”

The hissing was getting closer, and Raven could hear laughter in the distance. Cold laughter. Not the icy chill from the Solifugus, but cruel. She was scared, frustrated, and had enough. “Not going anywhere.” She whispered.

Both ravens looked at her as she stood up and set her wings. Her front hooves were spread and her head bowed, wings slightly out. “Not running either.”

Graz and Tremolo exchanged a brief look. Lights flared around them. Pale, sickly yellow lights just far enough to not be able to see what created the light. The three pressed together. “Kid, can you fight?” Tremolo asked.

“Fight?!” Raven asked. “Er...”

Eyes appeared just at the edge of the light. Large and bilious yellow, oddly shaped, and cruel eyes glared at them. “Ohhh what a treat, a pretty pony to eat.” Laughter sounded from out of the darkness. “Get'em boys!”

More laughter, and a face came into focus behind the eyes. It had a long pointed nose along with the cruel eyes. Untidy hair and even larger ears were a stark counterpoint to the small mouth. But it had sharp teeth, like a cat's. And its skin was a sick pale green. Fear gripped Raven as she looked at the thing. Rustling leaves marked the approach of the thing's fellows.

Raven, Graz, and Tremolo tensed. They would be attacked at any moment. Laughter told them that the unseen things were enjoying their discomfort. Any moment. The game would pale, they would attack, and a new game begin.

Roaring light erupted behind them. The light of the sun tore through the woods and bathed everything in harsh illumination. Raven had to close her eyes. There were screams then silence. Behind her eyelids the white faded to dark grey and she risked opening her eyes. The creature, the lights, all of them were gone. Not a trace was left. Graz and Tremolo were looking around in shock.

All three were about to ask each other the same question, mouths open at the same time when Cavatina flew to them. “There you are! Are you all okay?”

“Yes... Cavatina what happened?” Tremolo asked.

“I woke up and these two were gone. I had gone outside when the dual princess came roaring through.” She looked at Raven. “We need to get back to the city. Now.”

“Yes mam.” Tremolo saluted and started for the city.

Raven and Graz followed with Cavatina beside them. “Um... Ca-” Raven started.

“No dear, just call me mom.”

“Er. Mom. What happened?”

“I'll explain when we are back inside. Just know dear, someone is really looking out for you.” Cavatina said as she herded her little family back to her home.

The others went inside and Raven hesitated just a moment. She went up to the alicorn statue. “I don't know if you are of Princess Celestia, but if you are... thank you.” Raven turned and started into the house, shaking with glee. “I have a family!”

The door closed. A voice on the wind, barely audible, spoke to itself and the trees. “So much to learn, so little time.” The statue smiled.

Comments

[TEK101]

That was interesting. Good for Raven to have a family. Those lights were creepy. hope for the next piece soon.