A Tale of: Ravens, Scythes and Cherry blossoms

Chapter 16: A Promise

I look down, wondering if I could make the jump, and I feel more tired every second, as Corvus watched my back. I glanced back at him, as he warned me.

"That is... not a good idea." He said.

"I know! I'm not stupid. But I think you are." I mutter under my breath. Corvus blinks it off.

"Why?" He asked, some strange attempt to console me.

"You're sitting in a tree, drinking tea, while the police are looking for me!" I snap.

"It is not tea." He stated.

"Well, then. What is it?" I turn back at him, resting my forehead on a branch, swallowing.

"It does not have a name. It restores magic potential for creatures like us." I frowned as he said that.

"Us? You're an apprentice, and I'm death's daughter!" I said, half to distance us, half to reassure myself that I wasn't about to get dragged into something.

"Yes, but we are more similar than you would have thought." He trailed off.

"HOW? JUST, TELL ME, HOW?" I shouted, hiding the tears stinging in the corners of my eyes.

"We both have magic. We are both heirs to symbols of the afterlife." Corvus looked at me, like he expected me to continue.

"And?" I said.

"... I do not know anything else about you. I do not even know your name." He admitted sadly.

"Yes! Exactly! You don't know me. You just decided to send magic notes, like a normal teen would believe that! We don't have anything in common, and you don't even know my name! You. You are the weird one here." I shout, panting, because I haven't taken a breath.

"I am sorry. I did not mean for any of this to happen." He spoke. "Here. Have some." He passed me the flask.

I sniffed at it, but he had drank from it a while ago, and it had a pleasing scent, like warm honey, and a forest in the summer, pricking like pollen high in the back of my throat. I decided to take the risk a sip.

It tasted pretty good. Sort of like sweet tea with milk, but a bitter undertone at the back, that made me suspect it could be poisoned, but I had a feeling it was supposed to taste that way. I swallowed, and took another sip, before my greediness got the better of me, and I drank the whole thing.

Good enough to satiate my sweet tooth. Which made me feel a bit better, a bit calmer, more in control. A gentle buzzing, deep in my stomach told me it was doing whatever it was supposed to.

"So, what did you mean to happen then?" I asked, throwing the flask back to him.

"I wanted your help." He said.

"Why did you need my help?"

"Because the ravens told me something was about to go wrong, and the next day, the Postmaster disappeared, without notice, or leave, they just left me alone. The ravens said death was next. So I wanted you help to bring the Postmaster back." He sniffed, tearing up a little.

First, I felt a horrible jolt. The Postmaster was gone as well! This was even worse news! Both symbols of balance in the world were gone. My spine prickled. Something was going to go horribly wrong.

Then, I started to feel bad. I was death's daughter, I should be doing something, anything, but I can't. I'm not a full death. I'm not ready to take over. I don't think Corvus is either. We have to do something. I have to do something.

"I'm Hana." I said after a while.

Corvus blinked, surprised, his dark lashes fluttering. He smiled shyly, and Ren croaked from the branch above his head, as he committed my name to memory. I smiled back, for the first time, as my power flooded in streams, back to me.

"Does this mean you are helping me look for answers?" Corvus asked.

"Yes, if you think we can find death." I said.

"We will find what happened to them. I promise." He held out his hand, and I realized what he wanted, shaking his hand.

"I hope for the world's sake that we do." I remarked.

I felt better, so I started to carefully climb down the tree, as Corvus watched nervously, as my hand slipped on the damp bark a few times. I was pretty sure I'd have splinters, but I cautiously navigated down, standing up with a prick of pride. Corvus looked so high up now. I wondered how he expected to get down.

He pulled his feather-cloak tight around his body, and sprang from the tree, closing his eyes. I watched as he twisted through the air, and suddenly he was gone, replaced by a raven with gorgeous purple-black feathers, diving neatly down, landing, and turning back into Corvus, if a little short of breath.

"I can not do that again for a bit. It costs me energy, and you drank all the flask." He panted, letting Ren land on his shoulder.

"What was that?!" I gasped.

"Part of my power is turning into a raven. I am a raven, just in human form, sealed by the Postmaster, so I can transform into one, but I have to spend the majority of my time like this." Corvus remarked.

"That's really cool." I said, not quite sure what else to say. "I'm going to tell the police. They'll let us work together, without me having to keep running." I mention, and Corvus briefly panics.

"They can not take anything away." Corvus said, more to himself. "Especially not Ren."

I wind my way nervously through the trees, hearing Officer Davis calling out as he lurks nervously near the treeline, watching for anything. I take a shaky breath, I'm going to have to sit through a scolding, but I have to do this. Someone is going to call me mature, or sensible for not putting myself first, but if I let the world die, that affects me.

I try to break the silence as Corvus walks behind me.

"Calling it the flask is going to be a hassle, why not call it the Energy Tea?" I offered. He nodded, as he stowed the flask back in his bag.

Officer Davis sees us, and rushes over.

"Hana, are you alright? Who is this?" He asks.

"I'm fine, I'm sorry for running off. I found someone who could help us though. This is Corvus, he is the Postmaster's apprentice, and the next postman. I think he can help us find death." I said, holding my breath for a response, as Officer Davis raised an eyebrow.