Bloody Raven in the Shadow

The real ones in charge

Yokai lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He had been awake for some time, but Hazelnut was sleeping peacefully on his stomach and he didn't want to wake the vixen. The sun threw its first bright rays through the window into the room. He didn't like this place. Already at a young age he had found his master. Although they only entered the village a few times, he didn't like the people. They despised his master who lived in the seclusion of the forest. Maybe it was also because the man had refused to help the village with some of the problems, but at the moment it didn't matter. Because the main reason he didn't like these people was that they refused to help when it really mattered. Of course it was naïve to think these people would help him after they had refused to do it themselves. Still, his master was dead now, just because she had left him alone. Had Snow White not shown up, he would inevitably have suffered the same fate. They were strange people, they came out of nowhere and didn't hesitate to blow up his home to help him instead of saving himself.

An amused smile formed on his lips. Who would blow up an entire library to help a simple magician? There certainly would have been another way. Someone who would have saved the books instead of him. But these people had thought he was worth it. The people of Agaria might be against the great Harvey, but the magician clearly had no ill intentions.

Hazelnut's ears twitched slightly, then the vixen's head shot up and she looked at the door. A blink of an eye later there was a knock.

"Yokai? Are you awake? Harvey says we should go now, we can eat on the way." came the voice of Snow White.

"Yes. Good morning," he replied, Hazelnut jumped off the bed and happily sat in front of the door. The little girl seemed to have taken a liking to his red vixen immediately. It was said that animals would recognize good people.

The princess's head popped up in the doorway, she smiled at him and then looked at the animal, which looked up at her with its green eyes. "Good morning hazelnut" she giggled, knelt down and stroked the fox. Then she left the room and waited in front of the door.

When the two left the inn, it was still very early. People had been partying all night yesterday and were either sleeping on the tables or were probably at home. Hazelnut jumped happily through the empty streets of the village. Snow White sleepily stretched and Yokai walked beside her without a trace of tiredness.

"Do you think we can be helped this time?" now asked Rin, the apple, which was constantly being carried everywhere in Snow White's hand.

"I didn't even know there was a wizardry scholar in this village," Mary explained thoughtfully

"They only came to the village a short time ago, we only ran into each other briefly. Although Robin is still very young, I know that there are a few books stored there that my master passed on as support," explained Yokai and knocked on a door. The house was just as nondescript as any of the others in the village.

The person who opened the door gave the visitors a sleepy look, they had brown eyes, fair skin and long brown hair that was tied in a ponytail and two pointed elf ears peeked out. Round glasses sat on their nose, which were just as dark as her dark circles. A thin, white pullover served as clothing, which was tucked into brown trousers.

"Visitor?" yawned they and let the small group into the house. "My name is Robin. What brings you here?"

"My friends have been cursed, we want to find a way to undo this," Snow White declared without hesitation. Robin looked slowly and thoughtfully at the girl and then at the apple in her hand. Then they disappeared into another room. A few seconds later, they reappeared with a book in hand. Sighing, Robin plopped down in a chair and opened the book. With a wave of his hand they indicated two other chairs nearby. "Sit down"