The sky started to change. A little bit of light showed up on the edge of the world. Kaya, the dark crow, flew through the night. She followed the river below. Big mountains stood far away. Their tops looked black against the moon's soft light.
Kaya flew down low. She came to a small open spot by the river. A campfire still glowed a little there. Below, everything was messy and dead. The travelers' camp was broken. Dead people lay on the ground. Their faces looked scared. Some tents were torn. Others fell over dead bodies.
Ancient Reapers moved around. They looked like shadows with no faces. They bent over the bodies. They took the glowing souls of the dead. Their moves were slow and strange.
Kaya's blue eyes glowed. She looked at it all. She didn't care. A man screamed. It was the cook. He held his stomach and rolled on the ground. "Please… someone, help me!" he yelled. His voice was rough.
No one helped. A Reaper floated over him. It stretched out a dark hand. Black lines grabbed the cook. His screams got quiet. Then he stopped. The Reaper took his soul's light. Only a dead body stayed.
Kaya landed in the open spot. She was quiet. She fit into the shadows. She looked at the Reapers. They were done eating souls. Her voice was sharp and creepy. "Where is he? Karma. The one who talks to you."
A man stepped out from the camp's edge. It was Karma. He was thin and wore old leather armor. His arms carried stuff he took—gold coins, jewelry, and a fancy bag. He smiled. His dark eyes shined. "Man, this stuff costs a lot," he said. He threw a necklace up and caught it.
Karma walked closer. Kaya stared at him hard. His smile went away. He dropped the stuff in a bag and stood tall. "What brings you here, Lady Kaya?"
Kaya's voice was strong. "I bring His Majesty's command."
Karma's smile was gone. He bowed his head a little. He looked serious now. "What does His Majesty want?"
Kaya moved closer. Her shape shook a bit. Her voice got low and scary. "A child was found in the empire. This child has a magic core. It's strong enough to make His Majesty's body real again. The core feels like that bad sorceress." She sounded mad when she said "sorceress." "You will take the Ancient Reapers. Find this child. Catch him alive. Bring that child to Him."
Karma nodded. His eyes showed he was curious and scared. "As you say. I'll do it."
Kaya got closer. Her blue eyes locked on his. "Don't fail Him, Karma. Failing is worse than dying."
Karma swallowed hard. He nodded again. "I understand."
Kaya didn't say more. She opened her dark wings and flew up. She went away into the morning light. Karma turned to the Reapers. They floated in the open spot. Their empty shapes moved a little. "Looks like we're going on a fun trip," Karma said. He sounded nervous. He looked at the shadows around the camp. He laughed quietly. "Time to hunt."