Post by Head Moderator on Jun 17, 2013 18:57:42 GMT -5
Active Evil is better than Passive Good
The white raven often left her manor in Doxenia to traverse the land, both her own land and that of others. There were some that she enjoyed tormenting regularly, superstitious old fools that near had heart attacks just looking out of their window and seeing a tree full of ravens watching them. No, ravens are not evil as a whole, but just like humans the ravens have a choice. To be bastions of good though this is rarely chosen, to be the element of evil, or to simply be. Being neutral is what most ravens choose, but some like Bianca took a darker path.
The Raven Queen delights in all the actions of her winged devotees, though Bright Eye, the sun, must turn a blind eye for in the light of Bright Eye all things are made known. So it was upon this day when the white raven walked along a shadowy path in the forest far from home, that there was an immense fluttering of dark wings above her unlike the usual of the black feathered birds that followed her around. No, this was much more immense and inspired an unusual fear in the heart of Bianca. She glanced up, and then around, but continued moving deeper into the forest where there was far more shadows than light. Soon, as her eyes adjusted to the darker regions of the woods, she had a feeling that she was being watched from every direction. Having never had the opportunity to meet the Raven Queen, she was unsure of what was happening but when she walked into a dark clearing, she fell to one knee under the oppression of the shadows.
The shadows were like stone, weighing her down, causing her to fall then upon both knees and finally upon hands and knees as she struggled to keep herself from kissing the dirt. There was a massive flutter of wings again and the oppression lifted and Bianca uplifted her head to view a woman standing before her dressed in black feathers and silk, with long feathery lashes and a sword as black as midnight in one hand and a crown of black claws upon her head. Bianca quickly lowered her eyes upon seeing the Queen of Ravens, but felt the touch of a claw beneath her chin which caused her to lift her head again to stare at the eerily beautiful raven-woman. She leaned down and lifted Bianca's weapon in her free hand, and at her touch the wood of the medicine staff grew as dark as the shadows that lingered around them.
"Stand, Bianca."
Bianca stood, finding herself trembling, and pale eyes stared at the woman she'd only heard about in the myths of her kind.
"Once, we were all white like you, but a time came when our white feathers were burned black. Every once in a while, a raven is created as snowy white as our ancestors, but it is rare. You have felt the loneliness of being the outsider, but what they do not know is that you are a reminder of times past and to be treasured. You walk your own path, you make your own future, as we all should. I am not here to judge you, for each person must live with the consequences of each action they take. Instead, I am here to offer you a gift,Kohka'hee."
She handed the weapon back to her, a staff that worked as a club on one end and a spear on the other. The wood was blackened, not burned simply imbued with the aspect of shadow. As she took the staff, silver filigree began to work it's way across the blackened wood, creating runes of various animals carved into the wood.
"Two is better than one, in near all ways, Kohka'hee. When there is two, you will find a blessing. Draw upon the spirits that will aid you, and walk the path that has been chosen for you, and that you continue to make."
With that, the Raven Queen lifted her arms, her clothing turning into a thick darkness around her until a massive raven as big as a horse appeared and lifted up through the canopy of trees. The beating of her wings caused the white hair of Bianca to blow about as she stared upwards and watched the creature disappear. She looked at her weapon, she could feel it's power pulsing through her body. A smile formed upon pale pink lips, and then she gathered a few stones together and erected a small cairn of stones in remembrance of this day, so all who pass would know something special had occured in this clearing.
With great delight, Bianca - called Kohka'hee "Pale Raven" when she was bound to her spirit egg - returned home to her beloved husband, to show him what happened to the weapon, which she'd now named Shir'mrak, or "Poem of Darkness".