Chapter of Crow: Episode 2-5
Jan 26, 2023
C.E. 996 Spring
QUEEN
「Kids, time for dessert! We have your favorite!」
The queen, walking like an angel incarnate, arrives at the training ground to treat you and Lynn—your spear teacher—with ice cream.
YOU
「YES!」
You can’t help but shout in excitement.
Zoom! Hina, the most athletic kitten in Elvinia, leaps from the eaves and takes your favorite sweets away!
YOU
「Ah! You BEAST!!」
You chase Hina all around the training grounds, desperate to retrieve your favorite dessert.
QUEEN
「 This scene reminds me of when Crow first came here.」
LYNN
「Yes! It was me chasing Crow back then. Crow was like a shy kitten, reluctant to open her heart. She always ran away from me, from you, from the castle guards, sometimes from her own shadow! But delicious food always brought her back. And now Crow chases a kitten! Time
moves so quickly.」
You return to Lynn and the Queen empty-handed.
YOU
「Stop teasing me~」
You shyly kick at the dirt, looking at the ground.
YOU
「It was my first time tasting so many different foods! I didn't even know there were so many delicious foods in the world!」
Lynn and the Queen share a smirk.
YOU
「But not only food. It was—no, it IS my first time knowing so many emotions and feelings exist. Good emotions and good feelings. My first time being something…someone…more than a weapon.」
You bend your knee and kneel before the Queen.
YOU
「My Queen, thank you for saving me, taking me in, and giving me a meaning of life.」
You stand up and look into Lynn’s colorful, hopeful eyes.
YOU
「Lynn, thank you for teaching me that life isn’t just about working, filling my stomach, and sleeping. It's also about love, poetry, dresses, cheesy words, and pranks.」
Lynn answers you with a smirk. The Queen answers you with a royal smile, giving you relief. Even being free of Kenji, you still fear pangs of fear somewhere inside your heart. But here, you can be at peace.
QUEEN
「My child, no need to be so formal.」
LYNN
「Crows don’t kneel, silly!」
You blush.
YOU
「You’re right. And I know it’s very cheesy to say all that, but I learned everything good from you: Miss Butterfly!」
LYNN curtsies, speaks with a dramatic tone:
LYNN
「Haha, okay! Let’s resume training for your meaning of life, the way of the spear, to protect the ones you care about!」
You deftly pick up and pose with your training spear.
YOU
「You are way too into teasing!」
LYNN puffs out a laugh as she readies her own training spear.
Despite all this peaceful time, you know why you train, why you must learn the way of the spear.
The War.
YOU
「Your majesty, are we really going to start a war with neighboring countries for the Bloodstone?」
The question you ask brings up a piece of memory you would never want to remember.
…
-The Cabin in Forest-
The blizzard wraps a snowy blanket around Kenji’s cabin in the forest. Inside, a warm fire lights the darkness and barely keeps the cold at bay. You hold your hands out above the flame, desperate to keep warm. You faintly see the fire illuminate Kenji’s dour face.
YOU
「Do we really have to kill humans to save animal lives?」
Kenji
「Lives are all equal: human, animal, insects. All are equal. I am the keeper of this forest, thus I only care about lives inside this forest. That’s all. The world could burn into ashes, as long as my forest stays safe and sound.」
…
-The Castle Training Grounds-
Is the meaning of life you finally found the same way of life you have always hated before? Taking away lives to save some other lives?
QUEEN
「My children, I will do anything necessary for you to live on. I will do anything to put smiles on your faces. If what has to be done is evil…」
The Queen frowns and closes her eyes.
QUEEN
「Then…I will be evil.」
The Queen opens her eyes and looks at you with a serious gaze. In your heart, you feel the difference between the Queen and Kenji. What Kenji cares about is whether his actions align with his own justice. What the queen cares about is nothing about herself, but you, Lynn, and her people.
LYNN
「Alright cutie! Don’t look like you'll burst out crying; let’s continue practicing! If you can hit me once before dark, I'll give you my dessert tonight! If you can't…~Hehe, then tomorrow you will lose your black dress and I will dress up as a cute doll!」
You finally laugh, clench the spear in your hands, and sprint across the training ground toward Lynn.
If there is a goddess, you want to make a wish to her: you hope there is a way to solve the bloodstone situation without relying on a war. You don’t make this wish to stop the dreams of you crying on piles of corpses. You don’t make this wish so you aren’t forced to take away the love and smiles of enemies, true or not.
You make this wish so the Queen doesn’t bear these sins. You make this wish so the Queen doesn’t lose her light to become the dark… to become evil.
Sincerely, you wish.
-Later at Night-
-The Castle Training Grounds-
You and Lynn lie side-by-side underneath the starry night sky. The moon’s vibrant glow and the campfire’s crackling flames light up your faces.
YOU
「You’ll need to find another doll to dress up. Maybe the dolls you still have in your bedroom?」
LYNN
「I’ll make a new doll that looks like you!」
You both share another laugh, staring at the endless sea of stars in the sky.
YOU
「You know…」
LYNN
「Hmm?」
YOU
「The Queen gave me the meaning of life. I’m so so
grateful for that. But it was you, Lynn, who really saved me and made me decide to live on. You are my first friend. It’s the first time in my life I’ve felt love, goodwill, safety, dependence, and belonging. I’m willing to give everything for it.」
LYNN turns to look at you, smiling. The campfire sparks in her eyes.
YOU
「If the war is really going to happen, I…I'm afraid I will lose you…lose it all. Because all this is unbelievably beautiful to me, like a dream. I…I'm afraid I will turn back to the person I once was: an emotionless killing
machine. I don't want you to see me like that…and I don't want you to get hurt in the war in any way. I will protect you, I will do everything I can...」
You speak eagerly. Lynn reaches out and softly touches your cheek. Still smiling, she says:
LYNN
「There you go, sweet little bird. It will be alright. Listen. Listen to the campfire, the crickets, your heartbeat and mine.」
LYNN
「I don't want to worry about bloodstones and wars anymore tonight. If there is no bloodstone tomorrow, we can melt together.」
LYNN
「 Look at those blinking stars. Beautiful, aren’t they? Now let’s stop over-thinking, and sing a song together. Shall we?」
Next Episode
