Evil is looming on the horizon.
Matthias can feel it. The rest of the pack senses it too. Their duty is to protect those who can't protect themselves, but how can they do that when the monsters they hunt are changing? After an increase in human dis...
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Nyx remained silent the rest of the way to Alaric's study. No longer mentioning 'pretty girl' or 'the answer'. The damn bird was always talking in riddles. I guess what she said just struck me as odd, but then again, I am talking about a raven. They were notoriously mischievous and Nyx was no exception to that. For a while she stole everyone's keys, leaving them inside their shoes once she was finished playing with them. She was probably messing with me, the same as she always did.
When I finally reached the door, I knocked slightly, awaiting Alaric's command. I had already overstepped my bounds once today. I decided that it be best I tread lightly from here on out. The last thing I wanted was to piss him off further. Despite the fact that all I wanted was to help him, I knew he wasn't happy with me.
"Come in, Matthias." He beckoned lowly from inside his study.
I did as I was told and entered through the large wooden doors, closing them behind me. I looked over toward the window where Alaric was standing. He had changed his clothes since I last saw him, not like I'd given him much choice, but I was happy to see he could stand on his own now. The cold shower must have sobered him up some. He had his back turned toward me, casting his gaze on the snowy ridgeline through the window. Dark gray clouds had begun to gather near the tops of the mountain, hiding the once brightly shining sun. I suspected it wouldn't be long before the snow began to fall.
Without wasting a single second, Nyx took off from atop my shoulder and flew over toward Alaric. Landing happily on her master. Alaric dug into the pocket of his old worn leather jacket for a moment before bringing his hand up to Nyx and offering her a few sunflower seeds. The raven greedily snatched all that he had in his palm, making small appreciative chitters as she ate.
"Where you been?" He asked her, barely louder than a whisper. The roughness of his voice coming out more harshly than he probably intended it to.
I wondered why she hadn't said anything to him yet. She was talking up a storm outside, then suddenly we're around Alaric and she's gone quiet. She seemed all too eager to speak to me. I figured it'd be the other way around. Maybe the damn bird was messing with me earlier.
But surely Alaric would be able to pick up the scent left on her the same way that I did..right? Yet he said nothing, he only continued to smooth his hand over her glossy feathers. Seemingly oblivious to the scent that lingered on her.
I cleared my throat, "Does she smell...weird to you?"
"No." He replied, not even glancing back toward me. "Only thing I smell on her is your musty ass."
I exhaled amusingly through my nose, not saying anything else about it. The unfamiliar scent must have been drowned out by my own. Either that or I imagined the entire thing. At this point, anything was possible. I hadn't exactly been sleeping the way that I should. I shrugged it off, chalking it up to coincidence. She must have come into contact with something briefly that left the scent on her. I was just looking into it too deeply.
