Lumikki flew into the Worth Woodsea in silence and irritation. Tenevi would follow her through the skies, also a quiet company. It would be the ravens the flew along side her that would do most of the talking. Uttering all the things and happenings that they’ve gathered throughout the day before and today.

” Aaaaaaah yes Revna, I’ve been following them for some time now. So I know there is indeed not misunderstanding. As you know, I am a thorough bird. I observe for sometime before I make my conclusions, but per usual, my gut is always right.” Gunvald flew smugly while keeping close to her head. It was him the. Was monitoring the bandit hide out, he was the only who often kept the closest eye to them. It had been the case ever since he entered the north. He took the charge of leading a flock who would reside in the mountain range. Often feeding him any interesting happenings among the bandits.

” Aye, that’s the problem. Yer usually not wrong and me blood is boiling. Trygve checked on me village, they should be fine from what he said. Doesn’t mean I’d allow the vermin any mercy.” A cold and black trail would linger after her wings, a steady stream of her magic was escaping her. It would mix with the clouds in the sky, bubbling over to what looks like a snow storm brewing.  

The Demoness was far from tame, her form far from reserved. She was a blazing harpy whipping the winds as she soared the skies for her prey.

                                       

” We know where they keep their goods, we know where they sleep, we know how they would plan to escape. There is nothing for them left but to be slaughtered and accept it.” Gunvald was always a bloodthirsty bird. This was the kind of thing he lived for. One of the prominent reasons he aligned himself with the Demoness long ago. It was the chance and promise of reoccurring bloodshed as a Demon of all things could offer. It would make his feathers stand on end if it were for not that he was not flying in the sky. And the feast to come was stirring not just him, but all her other birds were quite to eager gorge on their fresh meals. Though hardly more eager than Lumikki to tear into their bodies and pile the corpses.

The churning clouds would proceed her. Blackened by the Demoness’ overflowing mana and fury. The snow was whipping around in the nimbus, in a horrid current simply waiting to be unleashed in a storm. And so a soft black snow would fall upon the hideout before Lumi’s wings would grace the sky above as well. It was like an omen proceeding the Demoness and her wrath. A sign of their doom to come.

***

A man who was stationed outside one of entrances to the bolthole, took out his lighter and brought it up to his cigarette. It was only the third one for the day but he took in that breath like it brought him life, with a deep sigh that would escape as he took his moment to recenter. He was only out for an hour now, from all it seemed, it was a normal and uneventful day. He both understood the importance to watch on despite it all, but it could be mind numbing at most times.

“ Hey Ro? Don’t ya think it’s odd?” Another man would approach him as he returned from a walk from below. He was returning from his rounds within the forest. The lad had to manage the routes, monitoring if there was anything weird to make of note.

And oddly enough…there was. “ The fuck ya mean Ern? You always have something to say.” Ro was leaning against the stone, his leg propped against the wall. He didn’t even look at the man who came, his eyes were now up at the sky. Ern, who came excitable, was constantly looking around. The juxtaposition between the men and their mannerisms was harshly apparent, but Ro would still pay him no mind.

“ Look man, you’ve been out here watching for a bit now. Right? Well, like haven’t you noticed all these black birds? They’re looking like they’ve planted in every corner. It’s kinda creepy….ya know?” Ern was looking around sharply as he spoke, it was as if all the ravens there were mocking him. And in a way, they were.

Ro took a deep breath followed by a bigger sigh. His voice was quite smokey as he delivered his words.“ There's always something going on in that head of yours. You can't even stay still, let alone quiet. Next, you'll be telling me the birds could talk. Look bud, just drink it down like the rest of us and get over it." He was thoroughly tired at this point and the smaller man's constant fidgeting was now putting him in a state of unrest.

But as Ro let out his complaint, the warmth of his breath would become visible. The steam of his heat would begin to pour out of him as one would suspect on a particularly cold day in the winter. It was not this that made it so odd, after all, they were in the season. But its sudden emphasis chimed in mere moments before the darkened snowflakes that would drift around them. The once gentle breeze now carrying a cold chill, put the two at a loss for words. Well now, now they needed to make sense of what was happening. And the melting of each flake would tell them that it was not ash that fell right now.

"Wha-what is this? Sno-?" Ern began to utter in his panic. He was completely unaware of this sudden omens implications. But Ro cut him off from his words and his thoughts, instead pushing in through the entrance he was guarding. " Fuck man, I need you to shut up and listen. We ain't got no time to waste. Tell Temu that black snow is falling and that he needs to get the men moving and quick!" Ro would command in a gruff voice, his patience was stretched thin as he was now stuck plotting his next move, but so far, his hand was moving to the gun planted on his waist.

" Ro!? What's wrong? What's got you so spooked and what does any of th-?" Ern was trying to peek out again to get more vision on the outside. Hoping that if he had more time to look around him, things would be made more apparent, but it only made him more confused. He was new to the North and fairly still naive. So the stories lacked it's proper time to really settle in him, or simmer in his thoughts. But Ro knew better, he knew of the work he was doing and the trouble it would lead to. Really, he was just happy that the Demon gave a warning, whether the witch meant to or not, they had a chance.

" Listen Ern, the Witch is coming....now go! I'm sure Temu could fill on those blanks of yours!" He pushed the man back within the shelter of their hideout, staring Ern down until the lad finally heeded his words. And when he made it quite a bit away, he pulled the gun back out and lined it with the birds watching among the crags in the rocks.

" I should of known the witch would come knocking. Just didn't think ya flying rats would pass her the word of it this soon. I should have known...." He pulled his finger on the trigger and a boisterous sound would rip through the sky. His bullet failed to hit his mark, but the sighting of just how many birds rising in the air made him nearly drop his pistol to the ground.

The sky turned dark on their rising, the flock was eating up the light in the sky. Their wings would obscure the black clouds swelling as they crossed the horizon for the men hidden in the mountains, and within it, the Demoness would be faint as well.