Chapter 16:The Hunt Begins
This was serious.All the blood had been cleaned and the bodies?Burned up.Couldn't let the police know about the murders.And if I had no slaves,they couldn't arrest me!Unless…there was a snitch.Hopefully not but right now that didn't matter.What mattered was my castle,my home. It was a tough decision but I had to destroy the castle so everything was gone.This was a game of chess with the police and those Genshi.A psychological game.
"The Hunt Begins.A search for Kraven Crow,worth five hundred million yen."
I thought to myself.That's what they were going to say in the news,weren't they?Screw society,mainly humans.Let those monsters perish and let them take the punishment they deserve.Although I have sins,a burden I carry in my soul,the humans aren't any better than me.
Oh what am I saying?I am better than them.I haven't committed any crimes.Everything I did,it was for good reasons.Everything I've done was for my kind,my parents.After all,it was the humans who killed my parents and burnt my village down in the first place.They are the reason for pain and suffering.Edo is not for them.
In fact if any human comes in contact with Edo I want them to see an imperfect land.A world of terror.They would be led into a cage of eternal suffering.Edo shall be for the ones who suffered and aren't human.The Navajo,demons and crows all suffer discrimination and hate because of how they look.Not all of them are bad.Same goes for dragons and serpents.
Humans caused sin,the origin of sin was caused by humans.
They are the reason for pain.Thousands of years ago when that mysterious force made all the planets organisms move towards Earth,the human land,it was terrible.
A sudden shift all because of three beings.
I cannot place my tongue on this being's name but whatever caused this had a reason.Those other planets barely have life on them now,I'm certain of it.
But why would this being make us move from our planets?Perhaps…something was coming.Something from another universe threatened the other planets?Why not Earth?It's just a theory of course.I picked up the glass of wine and drank it in seconds. My breath smelled sweet but now there was a small chance dents were forming in my teeth.I don't recall alcohol having acid from it but maybe it did?That was my third drink now.One of my guards approached me.
"Sir Kraven."
"Yes?"
"Do you want us to destroy the castle now?"
"Very much so. Is everyone and everything packed?"
"Yes my lord."
"Proceed to destroy it as soon as I leave."
"Yes sir."He marched out of the kitchen and opened the large wooden doors.I just realised,the glass I threw in my sink.That was the last drink I would ever have in this castle.
"It was nice."I said in a sleepy tone. On my back laid my cane of course and a black sack containing all the important items I would need.Our journey was set towards Eldritch cave,about three miles North from the castle.
The police would catch our footprints so we sprayed vinegar on our tracks so it can get rid of them.After an hour of walking,we got to it.Eldritch cave.Bigger than I expected but had lush glowing crystals on the side with preserved bridges for visitors to cross. It was basically a mineshaft but brighter.
"Alright listen up everybody!"My voice echoed across the cave as I leaped onto a tall rock.
"Unpack your things.Get out food and water if you need to eat and drink right now because we're going to be here for a few days."
"How long is a few days sir?"A guard asked.
"Three days max then we move."Murmurs whispered through the men.
"Three days?It would take way less time for the police to find us."Another man said.
"I have a plan."The men were waiting for an answer and it came to my head in an instant.
"We're going to build multiple boats for multiple men.There's a river RIGHT next to this cave so if we can build the boats in time before the police come,we might be able to escape Tokyo entirely.But it's a long process and I will need help in doing so."
"We're on it Kraven-sir!"I smiled under the mask.
"Then let's get to work."We destroyed trees,cut them down and carved them to add them to boats.
This idea came from the thought of my Dad. He was the best builder I knew.Any materials you gave him,he would always make something out of it.
And now here I am,using what my Father taught me to its full potential.Unfortunately the family castle was destroyed but it was alright. I had eight hundred and fifty men which meant that a boat could hold ten people so we would need eighty five boats.Luckily there were a lot of builders and fast learners of the skill.I gave them breaks,all of them. We spent time gathering water,hunting,picking herbs and resting.But about 90 percent of the time,we were building boats.Humans were advanced and the police would find us soon using chromo visualling although the aura only sparks when engaged in combat.
After exactly three days,it was over.Everything was ready and in place.
"So where are we going, Kraven?"One of my guards stood beside me,curious.I halted for a moment. It was obvious we were going down mainstream but…where did it lead to.I finally came to a conclusion.
"Wherever the river takes us."We got in our boats and sailed down the river.Honestly,it was quickly than I expected to make those boats.After all I had almost one thousand men assisting me and in a span of three days,everything was ready.I wonder what Emperor Aizzaku was doing all this time.Just watching as I did what I did?
I thought he was against me.The Genshi are for sure but he hasn't done anything for the past three years.Only staying a silent figure.That's what fascinated me about humans.They can be so revolting yet so interesting at the same time.Their decisions are so unique.I wonder how they think,how they handle situations.
My boat was leading everybody else.I used the wooden paddle to direct where I was going.There was a sharp turn around the corner and we managed to pull it off.This water looked so sparkly but it was rough.
I had to stay focused because one wrong move and my boat could break and sink.Deep breaths.
In and out. In and out. In and out.
Now for some reason I started to think like a human.
The crows must be developing,I must be developing because I'm starting to feel like a sentient being again.
Not an emotionless being who kills relentlessly without feeling any sadness,guilt or pain.This sensation,it felt good.I still hate humans though.But it's nice to think like one. It's nice to learn about others and how they operate.The river leads to a wide range of water,presumably the ocean.
"Halt."I shouted,making the others stop.Our boats were next to each other like a stack of dominos.
"What is it Kraven?Is there something wrong?"One of the people on my boat patted me on the shoulder.But…the wind,the mist,it covered my sight.
"What's ahead of us?"My voice became sore.
"Come closer.I can't keep raising my voice like this to get your attention."They all nodded and rowed their boats as close as possible to mine.
"Someone with a telescope.Anyone?"
"Right with you Kraven."The man next to me reached into his bag and pulled out just what I needed.
"Thank you."I turned my head and faced north,pointing the telescope in that direction.Clenching my eye,there was nothing but water from what I could see.Now the mist was cleared.A path I could see,indeed.With my vision and the telescope,I could say way further than any human intends to look.Vast and wide spread the sea.There wasn't much,that's all I'd know.
"Keep rowing,maybe we'll find a safe spot."We've left the area we were in but we were still in Japan and needed to escape fast before the police got onto us.
Sure,I could murder some of them but if they all got together I would be outnumbered.
Although I am pretty strong by myself.
Could I carry a one man army on my shoulders?It's possible. If I fully concentrate and reach my full potential I could destroy Japan.That would take a lot of effort.But I've almost fully studied the Moonstone.The Genshi,they underestimate it.Thinking it can be used to get to some land of peace?
Even if it is true, that's not my goal. My goal is to eliminate every single human on this planet.
If I can do that I'll die in peace.And I vow from this moment onwards,it shall be completed in my lifetime.
Karasu was a complete waste of time.A complete waste of fifteen years.I'm glad I killed him.I was happy,smiling under my mask.
They couldn't see it,Emma and Irai.But soon enough,they shall see my true version.They shall see my true colours,intentions even.
Some see me as a monster but I'm doing the world a favour. If humans aren't killed soon enough then the world will become worse than it already is in a few hundred years.
Without them,us creatures will live in harmony. We'll share land,food,water and other resources so we all live equally.Truth is I'm not a monster.Navajo aren't.Crows aren't.Not even dragons.the real monsters are humans.Something in the distance emerged rapidly. It was an island.Others among us began to notice it to.
"Shall we park here sir?"
"Yes.Leave your boats by the side of the island then unpack your things.
"YES SIR!"Everybody shouted.I know we were far away but what if a police officer heard that?
They might think we were Yakou Shou,cannibalistic tribes.But it was fine. We parked our boats and went up the hills of the island to reach a few empty shelters. As we walked through the door,the candles blew out.
"Damn it!"One of my guards stomped his foot and shouted. It must have been our aura that put it out the blazing fire.
"We'll start a fire, don't worry."
My men and I flew into the woods and found numerous branches to use for our fire. We placed it in the middle of the camp which had dirt coated around the perimeter.
"There's not enough room for everybody so some of you shall sleep outside."Silence sparked through the air like dynamite.
"Understood sir."Using the leftover branches,we lit them with the fire and made sure the candles were burning again. If one of my men ever betrayed me,I wouldn't bother to lay a finger on him.I'd never kill one of my species,it defeats my purpose.
"All of you,stay here.I'm going for a walk down that pathway."All the guards sat down around the fire and started talking and laughing.This pathway though…it caught my attention.
There was something beyond it.After walking for about two minutes,I came across a shed. It looked awfully familiar to my childhood.Abandoned and left to rot. It had burn marks,or at least I think so.Because they kept appearing and disappearing.The wind blew violently.
Slightly,my house was shaking. It was fragile and I don't think it would handle my aura but I had to give it a try. As I pushed the door open,my parents emerged out of thin air,almost as if they were spirits,talking to me.I wanted to believe it was real,it felt so real.
"Kraven!You're home!"Mother exclaimed delightly.She hugged me immediately and for the first time in years I felt true happiness.
"Mother!You're alive?"
"We were waiting for you Kraven,all this time.Where have you been?"My Father leaned against the door frame with a slight smirk on his face.
"I was busy…making an empire."I said anxiously.Both of my parents now had burn marks on them.
"Kraven.What were you doing in this empire?"My mind went blank. My thoughts vanished on the spot.I couldn't think with all this stress.
The only thing I could hear was a ringing tone in my ears and my heart full of dread, beating rapidly.
"Kraven my son.ANSWER YOUR MOTHER!"
My Father shouted in rage. He walked quicker and quicker,grabbing my hand and trying to get me out of the house.
"You had humans as slaves.You made them go through pain and suffering.You vowed to kill every single human to avenge us.But that's not what we taught you Kraven.
We didn't teach you to kill!And you killed those serpents too. Your Mother and I are very disappointed in you.NOW LEAVE!"
He threw me out into the freezing cold. It went from autumn to winter in a blink of an eye.What was going on?
"Father,Mother wait please!"The two looked back at me with an aura in their eyes,vaporizing like smoke. At that moment,I felt that everything was taken from me.All hope was gone.SLAM!The door shut and I was left alone as the wind whistled. My breath became heavy and my heart echoed through the air.
"DON'T LEAVE ME HERE WITH THOSE MONSTERS!PLEASE,LET ME BACK IN…"My voice became sore from shouting.I was on the verge of death begging for my life,or so I thought.
"It's just an illusion,it's just an illusion!"Shadows appeared in the mist. It was the villagers who burned my village and killed my parents.They held all sorts of weapons.I tried to shoot dark energy balls but it didn't work!Was I really going to die?Not because of them but because of a heart attack?One of them lunged forward and struck his pitchfork in my eye.Without hesitation,I lifted my cloak above me.But nothing came. It was an illusion after all.
"Phew."I sighed in relief.That must have meant the cabin was empty but I didn't try opening it. To conclude,my mouth isn't moving one inch about this event to anybody.I'm keeping my mouth shut,I can't let anybody know.I hope they didn't hear me,that would be embarrassing.Far off in the distance,I could see my men surrounded by the camp fire.They hadn't eaten one single bit of the food prepared.I was lucky to have such loyal men.
"Hello Kraven,we heard some…screaming over where you left. Is everything alright?"
"Yes,I just thought I saw something in the corner of my eye."
"Well…come join us!The feast is prepared and we've been waiting for you!"I nodded and walked over to the campfire,sitting on one of the thick hazel logs.
A crow lended me a piece of grilled meat on a washed stick.
"What animal did you slay?"I questioned,analyzing the mysterious meat with my eyes.
"Deer. We killed a few deers and grilled them over the fire."I took off my mask and shoved the grilled meat into my beak. We all dug in and craved the food.
"Amazing!"One man shouted.
"Delightful!"Another shouted.
To wash it off,we drank sparkling water from the nearby river. It was nice,not drinking wine for a change.In fact I'm such an addict to alcohol.I should change that.
It'll damage my mental awareness and my organs.Now that I mention it,why do people consume intoxicants?
They're literally paying to destroy their body. Eh,it's not my problem if people want to destroy their lives.I know that my parents would be proud of me.
They were fighters,warriors.They would never give up so what I'm doing is right.I'll even kill innocent babies of humans as much as possible so that none will live for the foreseeable future.
After finishing our feast,I sent off my men to sleep in the shelters and ordered some to sleep in tents outside.I was the only one in my tent,I needed some alone time.
Debris was everywhere.The smoke had travelled all around the area and crows from local villages noticed immediately.
They reported it to the authorities who underwent an investigation about what happened.
But someone,an anonymous citizen sent a letter to the police exchanging information for money.
They agreed and within no time,they found the castle.Destroyed,completely.All of the items were gone.Anything you could expect in a normal castle was gone,forever.
"Someone must have done this on purpose.I didn't hear about any earthquakes in the area."Chief Lenny said.
"Agreed,let's look through the rubble,in case there are any survivors."
Kibo. It was Kibo working with Chief Lenny.The suicidal man from shibuya,Irai's home place.After running off he decided to find his brother and together they would learn ability manipulation.Only problem for them was that Red was a criminal who escaped and couldn't go into public defenseless which is why he needed ability manipulation.
Kibo pushed through the rubble using his bare hands only to find nothing. It was all gone.Something had moved everything,or someone.
"There's no footprints."Lenny kept his mouth open,speechless.
"This was Kraven's castle,right?"Kibo placed his hand on his mouth,pacing himself back and forth.
"Yes indeed."
"So who would want to destroy his castle and why are there no bodies in the rubble?"Lenny halted. He took a pause.What could have truly done this?
"There's no way Kraven and his guards would die to this. It's a lot of crumbled rocks but they could have easily escaped with minor injuries."Lenny leaned closer at the rocks.Every detail was important.
"Get some paper and write down any evidence you can spot!"
"Yes sir!"Police Officers went around the area,analyzing everything.The debris,the ground,the time,the people around.
They walked over to nearby villages and questioned the crows of they had seen or heard anything about the incident.Most of them replied with a no.But an anonymous group of crows snitched and admitted they saw the duke of crows,the cursed prodigy being murdered by his very own Father while a bunch of human slaves were fleeing from the macabre.
They also stated Kraven's men destroyed the castle,taking all the items in it and leaving without a trace.Lenny and Kibo went to check on the floor again and discovered a foul smell.
"Is that…vinegar?"Lenny pinched his nose,waving the smell away with his other hand.
"Oh boy….they used vinegar."
"Huh?"
"The crows used vinegar to cover up their footprints."
"That explains the horrific smell."As we stepped onto the vinegar,our shoes became wet.Kibo's theory was right.One hundred percent right again!
"Kibo.Ever since you joined the police,you've been working out problems like they're simple math equations!"
"Thanks Chief Lenny,I'm just doing my best."Kibo grinned and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Everybody,follow the scent of vinegar,it seems to be headed North!"
"Yes sir!"The horses galloped right away,leaving numerous trails of dust behind them.The police were now one step closer to finding Kraven and his men all thanks to Kibo.
Back at the serpent kingdom,people surrounded me by my bed.I couldn't see anything because they blocked my sight.
"MOVE IT!"The doctor pushed through the serpents and was holding an ancient book in his right hand. It's crazy how that's the only second ancient book I've seen.
"No weird enchants?"
"No weird enchants."The doctor grinned and sucked a white spirit out of me. It was calmer than usual,almost…smiling at me?But why?Why would this spirit be so happy that it's out of me?This thing might have just been trying to intimidate me.The doctor shut the book with force and placed the book into a glass box and shut the lid.
"I'm Jim by the way."He took his hand out to shake mine which I obviously didn't reject.
"I'm Irai."We both chuckled,looking at the book.
"Don't worry it can't get out.That thing will need loads of rest after being outside of an ancient book for too long. If they stay too long in our world,their DNA would damage us.
Vice versa.Get some rest in the meantime Irai."
I nodded and laid down on the silk pillow given to me.Shortly after,some familiar faces entered the room.
"Irai,"Emma walked into the room and smiled at me brightly.
"You're gonna wanna see this."
"See what?"Suddenly,Maku and Hunter walked into the room.
"GUYS!IM SO GLAD YOU'RE OK!"I grinned way harder than I've ever in my entire life. My heart rate decreased and I felt happier.
"Long story short,Isura saved us from Kraven."Hunter smiled,placing his hands in his pockets.
"I think we all need rest and when everybody is ready let's start training again."
"We'll be in the room next to you Irai,have a good nap."
"Thanks guys!"Everything seemed to be going well so far.Except for the fact that we have no Moonstone and we don't have Sosu back with the book.
But we'll get it back soon.I took some paper off the desk and dipped a white feather into some ink.I had an idea,to contact my uncle.Emperor Aizakku. He knows about this empire and won't do anything about it.
"Dear Emperor."That's what I should start off with. No,dear uncle.I haven't seen him in three years so I should write this letter like I mean it.
Dear Uncle,
It's been a few years since we last met and I want to visit you.I'm sure you're aware of the cursed empire,ruled by Kraven Crow?Perhaps you have heard of that name.I have serpents on my side and two people from the draco clan.There's Genshi at your palace,correct?I'll introduce you to my new friends and I'd like to see Yanagi as well.Hope you're doing good,see you tomorrow around lunch.From your beloved Nephew,Irai.
Done with the letter,I should tell the others tomorrow.They must be resting now in their beds,like me.With sore muscles everywhere.Uncle Aizakku,I'm coming to your palace.