Corin stepped out of Ezekiel's pub. The stench of blood still lingered in his nose. A stabbing pain in his chest.
He saw the turn of the fight with his own eyes. His heart skipped a beat. He didn't know where it was coming from, but one thing he did know, he had to intervene. His legs moved on their own. He ran through the destroyed stands as if an invisible force had set him in motion.
Despite his anger, he saw everything so clearly. The chaos. The thorns. The attackers. And the young lady, vulnerable for the first time.
His rage burst forth like a flood.
Those bastards.
It was them. It had to be them.
Without thinking, he jumped.
He didn't know what he was doing. But his body knew.
The shadows moved with him.
A man in a silver mask raised his sword, ready to strike the final blow against her. But Corin was faster. The assassin didn't see him coming.
His kick hit the man's chest with unnatural precision. The attacker flew backward, crashing into a wooden crate. The others turned in surprise.
Corin landed lightly on his feet, his gaze cold. Anger. He hadn't even thought about it.
He just stood there.
The moment froze.
Corin felt his own heart beating. Slowly. Too slow for such a situation.
His gaze flitted across the marketplace. The men in silver masks had regrouped. There were still a few left. They moved like hunters, surrounding him. But something was wrong.
They hesitated.
Their eyes, or what lay behind the masks, focused on the air around him.
Corin didn't hear it at first. He felt it.
The beating of wings.
The ravens.
You couldn't count them. Black as the night, they sat on the roofs, on the ruined market stalls, and they watched him. Undisturbed.
No.
They were waiting.
The men sensed it too. One of them stepped back, his hand tightening around his sword.
Corin didn't know why he did it, but... he let go. Not physically, but something inside him loosened.
The birds reacted immediately.
A cry in the air.
Suddenly, the ravens set off. Their black silhouettes cut through the air. They swooped down on the assassins, not to kill, but to disrupt. Beaks and talons searched for faces, for eyes, for weak points.
Chaos.
One of the men lost his sword. Another stumbled backward, slamming into a wooden wall.
Corin seized the moment.
His body moved again as if of its own accord. One step, one blow.
His elbow crashed into the neck of an attacker. A muffled choking sound. A kick against the knee of another.
But they were strong.
Despite everything, they would fight on. And their coordination would return.
But now the young lady was on her feet again.
Her eyes shone in a beautifull pink. The thorns returned.
"Not bad, raven,"
Her hand flicked, and a wall of thorns sprang up from the ground. A barrier that separated the fighters.
The assassins recognized the situation. Their mission had failed.
They fled immediately.
Only three remained behind, lifeless.
Silence.
Corin gasped, his fingers trembling. The last raven circled above him before perching on a beam.
He felt empty.
But he couldn't take his eyes off them.
The ravens.
The men in masks.
And especially her.
The young woman who looked at him with a gaze he couldn't interpret.
She turned, briefly confused.
The lone boy was still standing in front of her.
Breathing heavily. Eyes in a color that should not exist. Two black feathers drifting around him as if in slow motion.
She looked at him still, a slight smile on her face.
"That was... unexpected."
Corin stood frozen, his gaze blank. He wanted to say something, then something flew over him.
Ravens. Eight. Nine. More.
They perched on rubble, lamps, signs.
And they looked only at him.
They circled Corin slowly.
The lady froze.
Her gaze narrowed.
A moment passed. Her eyes wandered over him. No weapons. No Blessing aura. No rank.
Just this silence.
Almost like... emptiness.
"This isn't normal."
He looked up at them.
They cawed.
As if they knew him.
"How did you do that?"
"I didn't... do anything."
"But they listen to you."
She eyed Corin, like a predatory cat inspecting an unknown prey, not out of hunger, but out of curiosity.
"You know you could have died? They weren't just Path Ambassadors, they were rank three Path Bearers."
Corin said nothing, not knowing what she ment by that. His gaze flickered briefly to the ravens, then back to her.
A grin spread across her beautiful face. She took a step closer.
"How poetic. You throw yourself between me and a blade, and you don't even know why?"
She leaned slightly toward him, close enough for him to feel her breath.
"Maybe you're just a romantic."
She paused for a moment.
"Or stupid. But handsome enough that I wont hold it against you."
Corin looked overwhelmed, his eyes flickering briefly, but he said nothing.
She just grinned.
"Quiet. Mysterious. Nice. You should be careful. You attract the wrong kind of attention in Veyna with an aura like that."
A few ravens cawed. She half-turned away, glancing over the ruined marketplace.
"But today, you were in the right place at the right time."
She glanced over her shoulder at him, her gaze twinkling.
"Fate has a strange sense of humor."
Then she took a few steps, stopping without turning around.
"Come with me."
"Why should I?"
"I want to know how you did it and whether you have any more surprises in store. You're welcome to stay and explain to the authorities what happened here."
A short pause. Then, almost casually:
"Oh, and... if you plan to save my life again, please let me know first. I'll wear something prettier."
She walked ahead.
The first raven flew after her.
Then the second.
'I don't seem to have any other choice.'
He glanced back at the pub.
Questions and answers would have to wait for now.