TW: Mild description of blood <3
You awoke up yo the sound of Corvus cawing wildly outside the closed window.
You yawned, tugging yourself from under the safe warmth of your bed.
Trudging over to the window, you sleepily undid the hatch, allowing Corvus to fly in.
He flew onto your shoulder, pecking at your ear.
"How was your night?" you whispered.
He chirped.
"Right... I don't speak raven... I had a really good night, if that's what you're asking."
He flapped about the room for a bit, before landing in the rafters.
You dressed.
Beckoning him to follow you, you cracked open the window.
"Corvus, I know I must sound crazy, but I think I can use my magic to support me mid-air. I did it that first day, when I fell off Hunter's staff." you whispered, half to yourself.
Crouching on the windowsill, you took a deep breath.
"Here goes nothin-!" you exclaimed, throwing yourself out the window.
You readied your hands.
Letting your dark nebula of magic spill from it, you felt more and more resistance as you fell.
Trying harder, the magic got more and more powerful, spilling from your hands and gathering by your feet too.
The trees were getting ever closer.
Your breathing sharp, you tried to pull up.
You couldn't.
Your heart thumped wildly in your chest.
You weren't slowing down anymore.
Your limbs flailing in panic, you crashed into the copse of trees.
You cried out in pain as the branches tore at your skin.
Breaking your fall only slightly, you continued to plummet.
Grabbing at the trees desperately, you tried to hold onto one.
Finally, you landed.
Pain seared through your body.
You lay, wheezing slightly.
"Corvus...!?" you called weakily.
You tasted the blood.
If you didn't move, you'd drown in it.
But, if you moved, you might've broken your neck, and then you'd be dead instantly.
So you lay, trying to spit out the blood.
"Help!" you yelled, your voice drowned out.
Your eyes closed, tears finally rolling down your cheeks.
"I didn't ask for these powers. I didn't ask to be unlucky. I didn't ask to be born." you whispered.
You squeezed your eyes as more shots of pain ricocheted around your body.
"Why am I so stupid? All I do is put myself and others in danger. I'm so stupid, I thought I could use my magic without consequences. Hah...! No." you cried.
You heard a gasp.
How long had you lain there?
You eased your eyes open slowly.
Small slits of light penetrated the thick canopy of trees above you.
You tried to talk, but all that came out was an incoherent groan.
"Don't move!" a voice instructed.
"I don't think I could... if I wanted to." you muttered, laughing faintly.
A silhouette crouched over your body, inspecting your state.
"Well kid, you're pretty broken. What happened to ya?" they said.
"I, um, I fell... from quite high up..." you coughed. "Who... who are you...?"
"I'm Eda,"
Your eyes widened, they had adjusted to the light.
"Oh Titan! You're Eda the Owl Lady?! No, you can't help me! S-stay away!" you gasped, trying to blast her with your magic.
It just spat out your palms.
She turned over your wrist gently in her palm.
"You're from the Emperor's Coven? But you're so... young?" she whispered, looking at the tattoo.
You had been branded with it on your second day in the palace.
"Y-yes. But if you help me, I promise I won't turn you in." you wheezed, trying to pull your arm away.
She frowned. "I can't trust you."
"And I can't trust you."
"But I can't just leave you... you're a kid... you could die..." she sighed.
She readied her staff.
"WAIT! You're not gonna use like... illegal magic on me...?"
"Would you rather die-?"
You huffed.
She whispered a cant.
You flinched as you felt the spell wash over you.
"Better?" she asked you.
You tested moving your arms. They ached horribly, and you saw they were badly bruised and cut, but intact.
Then you held your neck with one hand, carefully pushing yourself into a sitting position.
Thankfully, you found your neck unbroken, and you carefully moved it from side to side.
It was agony, but you would live.
You looked to the Owl Lady.
"T-thanks. You can go now, I guess. But like, please don't tell anyone." you said, heaving yourself to you feet.
You grimaced as pain shot through you.
She cocked her head.
"You're really sticking to your word?" she asked suspiciously.
"Yes...? You probably just saved my life, if I were to hand you in, you'd be petrified- I can't do that to my saviour- can I?" you sighed.
She raised her eyebrows.
"But, uh, you still gotta leave. Before I, like, change my mind!" you added, putting on an overdramatic authority face.
She laughed. "Ok, kid."
She walked off into the forest, and you watched as she disappeared.
Rubbing your achy shoulder, you turned back to the palace. It must have been at least an hour.
You trudged back, gradually wiping away the various patches of blood.
You went in the back entrance, the scouts clearly concerned by your battered appearance.
You waved dismissively.
Having no idea where Corvus had gone, you headed to the kitchens.
You hadn't had breakfast.
You snatched some bread, jumping onto a table.
You munched away at it.
"What happened to you?! The Golden Guard has been searching for you!" one of the kitchen staff was standing in front of you, worry on her face.
"Oh, erm, nothing."
"Well, ought to get someone from the Healing Coven!" she continued, grabbing your face and inspecting it.
"Please, no. I'm ok." you said, batting them away.
She frowned and scurried away.
He was looking for you.
You left the kitchens, wandering about in search of Hunter.
Meanwhile, Corvus landed on a branch.
"Why did you lead me to that girl, you strange bird?" Eda asked.
Corvus cawed wildly, flapping his wings at her.
"I don't speak bird." she sighed, walking past him.
He flew off, back to the castle.
"Huh." Eda whispered, watching as he flew into the distant courtyards.
"y/n!!" Hunter cried, racing over to you.
He grabbed your hands, raising them up.
He looked at your bruises and cuts.
"Hey... I'm sorry."
"Why? What happened to you?" he said.
"I... fell, fell through some trees... uh... I'm ok. Like, I'm fine." you reassured him.
He looked at you with worry. "Trees?"
"No...! I mean, yeah, but I'm fine, like I said. Please, can I just get some bandages?"
Frowning, he tried to tug you along the hallway.
You yanked your hand away, following him.
You sat on a wooden table, Hunter applying bandages and herbs to your wounds.
"You were away for so long. I had no clue what had happened... I just feared..." he trailed off.
"I'm here now. I hate it when people dwell on the past. I'm ok." you sighed.
He nodded. "Alright."
He put away the medical kit.
You jumped from the table.
"I'm sorry." you said, hugging him.
"What for?" he asked.
"I can't tell you."
You couldn't tell him you'd defied the Emperor's law, and let a criminal use illegal magic to help you. How you'd let them go, free of charge. And how they happened to be the most wanted criminal on the Boiling Isles, and the current guardian of the human.
Hope you liked this chapter <3
And I hope you are doing ok, if not, I'm here to make you smile if u want :p