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35 Rude awakening
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2021-07-29 11:28:26Warren awoke to a face full of dirt, pine needles, moss, and rotting leaves. He coughed and spat the vile taste from his mouth, and the stomach had a hand on the eject button. Warren fought to control the reflex. It took a few moments to clear the cobwebs from his mind.
The sounds of the forest filled his ears with its music, and the warm rays of the sun told Warren it was morning. “Herne? Are you there?” He did the mad scramble to his feet and looked around, “What the hell happened?”
The previous evening drifted back to him and the parts he couldn't remember were filled in by Archon. The eidolon appeared before him in its majestic griffon form and ruffled the great wings. “Yeah, I'm worried too...” He trailed off and remembered the spade hood reaching for the moon. Herne was nowher
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Scald Crow 36 Daring rescue
Warren found a place where he could practice with the shaper gauntlets. He tried several times to form a rifle and fell short. He needed to stay out of range of the shriek or find a way to neutralize it. Archon flashed a pair of earplugs and then a wand. "Enchanted earplugs?" Warren let the idea sink into his brain. "Can we form those with the shaper gauntlets?" Archon took a moment to reply with a big green checkmark. "Okay, can I form something else while I have the earplugs active?" A red x and the sound of a game show buzzer. "Okay, I can protect myself against the shriek, but how do I combat the creature itself. I want to keep it off balance or send it running to the hills," Warren found a seat on a stump and ate a couple of pieces of jerky, "How fast can we switch between objects?" A picture of a clock ticked for two seconds and then stopped, "That's an eternity in combat terms." With no better
Last Updated : 2021-07-30Scald Crow 37 Educated Guesses
Warren helped Theria to the built-in cot built into the wall of the Scald Crow, "How are you doing?" He asked with a voice filled with concern. She almost seemed to slide from his arms onto the hard sleeping surface. "The spade hood drew my power from me and stored it in the stone. I could feel the sickness beneath the glassy surface. I don't think the spade hood wants to let the witch out. I think it wants to go home. However, the more energy it feeds the stone, the stronger the witch gets. I don't think it even realizes what it's doing," Theria smiled and kissed him, "I forgot to say thanks for the rescue." Her hand caressed his face, and he leaned into it. The sensation felt like home when he had one. "We'll get to the bottom of this. Get some rest, Archon, and I will do everything in our power to keep you safe," He pressed his face against hers and she tried to pull him on the cot with her. It groaned in protest. "Sorry, I d
Last Updated : 2021-07-31Scald Crow 38 Waiting
A sniper's life is filled with endless patience and precision. Herne has animal patience, he can stay still for hours in perfect silence until that perfect moment to fire arrives. Warren has yet to develop the patience to follow suit. Herne chuckled to himself and lowered the rifle and hung it from a gnarled branch above them. He peered through his range finder, "Why would the spade hood leave it behind?" Warren shrugged, "I have no idea, maybe it decided to pursue another way to achieve its goals whatever they are." He took a moment and chewed on some beef jerky, "I never expected the Seelie to believe in Aliens." "The moon people are not aliens, Whelp, they are part of the universe. We have to assume they serve some purpose in the grand scheme of things," Herne said in a sage tone.
Last Updated : 2021-08-01Scald Crow 39 Capture
The most rewarding part of patience is when it pays off. Warren discovered this while he waited for the spade hood to return to the agate-like witch stone. He and his newly found mentor, Herne, still hadn't divined why the moon Seelie needed the relic. It floated back and forth in front of stone hands clasped behind its back. Every so often it would stop and touch the amorphous shadow wandering the surface. "It has no idea the witch is trapped in there," Herne shook his head sadly. "The creature is on a one-way trip to an early grave." "Lets try to capture it. I'm sure the crew can come up with a way to protect us from the shriek," Warren suggested. Archon agreed with him in his mind, "The eidolon likes the idea too." "I don't have an issue with the idea, its how w
Last Updated : 2021-08-03Scald Crow 40 Balloons and rocks
Hours passed as Warren and Theria tore through the pages of all the spellbooks. Well, Theria tore through them. Warren didn't know anything about the Seelie alphabet, and when translated it resembled Gaelic. He only knew this because he looked up a translated word on the internet. Warren found his hands tensed and ready to rip up freshly printed pages. He put back on the desk, "I've reached my limit. I don't know anything about this, and I can't tell you what's going on. The young Seelie began to flip through the pages like a mad evangelist. Warren watched her face slip from serious to grief. After being taken by the spade hood, and weakened to the point of death, it would be enough to rattle the most hardened veteran. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes and came down in torrents. Gentle
Last Updated : 2021-08-05Scald Crow 41 Spirtual Crisis
Jack, Herne, and Warren didn't move a muscle, when faced with the spectral image of the woman. Traditional buckskin adorned the slender body. She raised her hands above her head, "Well are you going to help? You are members of the Scald Crow aren't you?" Jack and Herne took a step back from the phantom, and pushed Warren forward, "You go, whelp." "I am in awe of your bravery," The spirit mocked, "What could a child..." The spirit took a step back in the face of the eidolon, the long wings flapped, and Archon stomped the ground and shrieked victoriously before he vanished. "A guardian spirit? I need your help." "How did you know who we were?" Warren asked, as he turned to his companions, "I don't think she wants to fight guys. Can you pretend to be professional for a minute." Herne and Jack tentatively stepped forward, and stood just
Last Updated : 2021-08-06Scald Crow 42 One Down
It took some ingenuity and teamwork to get the spade hood to the witch stone. Their previous encounters did not engender trust between the crew and the moon child. Theria offered the first real idea, "We'll have to make a platform with the same protective circle. I don't think we can trust spade hood not to shriek," She hovered on the spot and glared at the red-eyed menace, "The platform will also require a levitation spell. The spade hood is a big girl?" Grace put her arm around Theria, "Feel free to get started, lass. I'll brief the men on the mission." Theria saluted and headed into the Scald Crow. She flew back out to kiss Warren, who tried to get another, but his lips tasted the cool morning air. She waved as she zipped into the armored transport. It killed him to know Theria hurt, and all he could do is wait for her to come to him. Grace sighed, "She'll be okay, Vandal, I promise. The spade hood did something
Last Updated : 2021-08-07Scald Crow 43 Bokken Riders
The sacrifice of the spade hood worried Warren. The red-eyed horror became a tree to help power the Witch stone. It spoke to the imprisoned witch's power and raised the importance of finding the remaining five chosen. "Vandal, are you there?" Grace's voice came over the radio with urgency. "Go for Vandal," Warren retorted. "We have an emergency call from Elphame. Put the witch mission on the back burner. We will be going to Vancouver. I can't tell you why. Elphame insisted we all be here for the briefing." "Roger that, we are coming back to base," He whistled, "Okay guys, we are heading back to the Scald Crow. Grace has a priority one call from Elphame." Hopes spectral eyes twinkled, "Excellent, you can continue your search for the remaining chosen..." the apparition put her hands on her hips, "Well, you aren't going to find them out in the middle of the woods." "Forgive us, Elder Hope. We will pass on the importanc
Last Updated : 2021-08-08
Latest chapter
Scald Crow 72 Overtime
By nightfall, the macabre wedding, Vasilia kept kissing Warren and then would make a face, "Why isn't it working?" She growled."What's not working?" Warren demanded. The last few hours had significantly soured his mood. Without Archon, his chances of escaping were slim to none. The idea of marrying Vasilia made his skin crawl.Vasilia giggled to herself and tapped him on the cheek, "Never mind, my love. You'll find out tonight when we become one."What did Warren know about Vasilia? He could work her vanity against her, but how? Warren racked his brain over the problem."Now, we should come with possible names for our hybrid child. Can you Imagine a Seelie child with the power of an eidolon? A new race for a new world...""Your plan is all over the place. First, you want to take over. Now, you want to make a new race? What is the deal?""I have a long list of friends who a backing my play. Some of those friends have daughters, and for t
Scald Crow The Villain Revealed
Warren Awoke to the smell of pine and earth. A gentle hand caressed his face, "Good morning, my love," Vasilia's sweet tone brought him back to the land of the living, "I hope you slept well because we have a busy day ahead of us." Her beautiful face smiled at him. "I thought you were joking about the wedding thing," Warren tried to scratch his nose, but his hands were bound, "Archon, let's light it up," He growled. Silence followed, not a single peep from the eidolon. "Archon?"Vasilia slapped him gently, "Archon?" she feigned ignorance. "Oh, you mean the eidolon? He is still there, I promise. However, I can't have the groom trying to escape on our special day."Anger bubbled over and came out in Warrens's tone, "Are you serious? You can't trust the witch to do as you say." his eyes scanned the area. He and Vasilia were the only people in the cathedral of trees, "Where is the rest of my team and Theria?""The Bokken Riders took them to get fitted fo
Scald Crow 70 Boxed In
The smartphone buzzed inside Warren's pocket as the street bike picked up speed. He pressed a button on the side of the helmet, "Vandal here."The gunfire came from the other end of the call. Grace shouted into the receiver, "How is it going?""Better than you," Warren shifted gears, the engine whined, and then roared, "We managed to find the female gigas. She's one of the chosen. Cyrus is on his way to your location.""Where are you with the Torvars?" An explosion rocked Warren's ear, "Damnit, Jack, I told you to keep the fire concentrated on the left.""I am on my way. Cyrus gave me an angle to work," He paused and turned the corner, "How is Theria doing?""We have her in the support role. She's keeping us on our feet. Theria won't say it, but she's worried about you."The bike turned down the road to Mole Hill, "I'm not the one under fire...what the hell is that," Warren cried out."Vandal, what's going on," Grace demandedT
Scald Crow 69 Nautical battle
Shattered glass littered the ground as Cyrus and Warren stepped over the threshold. Cyrus watched Warren with a strange look on his face. Warren tried to ignore it, but after the third time, he sighed in exasperation, "What is your problem?""I can't believe you came from my brother. He's still alive, you know," Cyrus stopped and put his hand on Warren's shoulder, "You are the best of us all, kid. You were right to save Eve and Duchess. I get why your team looks up to you."Warren laughed, "I think you have it all turned around. I look up to them...""Stop with the modesty, Warren. You were born for this. You are doing things I couldn't touch at your age," Cyrus rarely complimented. He spoke in facts and truth."I didn't have a choice in anything. I wanted to play hockey and chase girls, maybe play in the NHL after college. A scout from the junior team met with me the day magic came back," Warren cursed himself for clinging to a life that would never come
Scald Crow 68 Sidetracked Again
The Scald Crow roared down the highway with as much speed as the engine would allow. Herne and Cyrus had formed a friendship of sorts and conversed in the front.Thankfully Duchess remained asleep for the trip back to the city. Eve curled up next to her and sighed, "Poor child. Her struggle burdens my heart," Her large brown eyes rested on Warren, "You don't like it, do you?"Theria dozed against Warren's shoulder. A look of peace adorned her face. He took a moment to admire her before he answered Sasquatch's question, "No, I don't. She deserves a shot at a good life. Her brother is the head of a racist biker gang, and she still has kindness for others.""Do you ever wonder how people get chosen?" Eve stroked the long streaked hair. "Who knows, I'm just the delivery boy," Warren scoffed, "I know if the witch gets free, things will get worse around here. My job is to prevent it from happening.""Isn't that following blindly?" Eve sounded a litt
Scald Crow 67 Call of the Wildman
Duchess turned out to be more affectionate than anyone expected. She clung to Warren and refused to let him have a moment alone with Theria. Warren longed to tell her to give him some space, but two things complicated the matter. Duchess was like a three-year-old in an adult's body. She needed lots of love and affection. Second, her soul had been washed clean by the raven woman, and its purity was an asset to their plans."Why did I die?" Duchess stared into Warren's eyes.Theria flew up to her, "Well, I think...""It's not important," Warren told her, "What matters is you are alive," he scowled at Theria. "We have something to discuss, and there isn't time to sugarcoat it."Duchess cocked her head to the side, "Is it bad?""It will be the reason why we brought you back," Warren's stomach developed a giant pit, and nausea followed, "You have the power to help protect the world, but it requires you to make a sacrifice."Duchess stopped and gl
Scald Crow 66 The return of Duchess
Tsonoqua, commonly known as the basket ogress, cleared off her table and placed the body of Duchess on it. She opened Duchess's eyes and examined the body thoroughly, "I can bring her back, but it will be hard to say how much of her original personality she will retain. Also, there is the possibility something demonic will follow her from the nether world. Are you sure you want to take that kind of risk?"Warren and his companions looked at each other, except for Cyrus. The mercenary held his silence since his rescue at the hands of his nephew. He leaned against the door and waited for the team to finish their business.Eve tugged on his arm, "Come on, I don't want to know how this works. You look like you need someone to talk to,""Sure, why not," Cyrus followed her out.Herne stared at the motionless young woman, "I'd say no, but Duchess was a chosen when she lived. We have to bet against the odds on this one. If we are wrong, then we are wrong."
Scald Crow 65 Of witches and ogres
Herne and Theria caught up to Eve and Warren in record time. Eve shouldered the body bag with Duchess's body. "We have to hurry. The basket ogress won't sit on Cyrus forever," Eve warned."Psssh," Theria Scoffed, "Why are we worried about the stupid mercenary?"Warren stared at the girl he loved in stunned silence before the anger beneath the skin bubbled to the surface, "How about he is a person. I know he acts like a total asshole, but he is family. If we get married, he will be your family too.""His eidolon is in a phylactery. Do we want that in the hands of the basket ogress?"Archon stated.
Scald Crow 64 Good Ogre Hunting
When Nozomi came to Bright Star, she expected to deal with the usual high school drama. People heralded Bright Star Academy as one of the safest schools in Ivorhaven City. More to the point, people rated Ivorhaven as one of the safest cities in the world. The last thirty seconds drastically changed how Nozomi viewed the statistics. A fire burned in the eye sockets of the bony demon.Several people in vehicles abandoned their cars in the street. Daiki started to glow, and he refused to move. He looked at Paisley and then to Nozomi, and he pushed them back. He pulled a pair of silver gloves with large Crucifixes on them and slid the odd equipment onto his hands.Nozomi noticed most of the cars were still running, "I have an idea," She yanked Paisley by the arm toward the nearest running automobile. The car reeked of fast food and cigarettes.Paisley covered her nose, "Gross, who co
