The Unraveling - It Rises

Corvus hadn't explicitly said anything to his children about the strange happenings going on. These days, Corvus was just happy to still be alive. Though he still felt he was mourning the loss of Twig, he was grateful that some of his children still lived here in Avalon, and he never took a moment with them for granted. He preferred focusing on these positives, rather than the unknowns- he'd felt more than one earthquake in his time, some more devastating than others, but he'd survived all of them. He knew here his family was safe and sound, tucked into the cozy orchard and the range, safe from whatever harm was brewing outside their little safe haven.

Or so he thought.

Something stirred in the back of his mind, disturbing his already-restless sleep. The sun had just barely set, but something felt intrinsically wrong. It was the sort of paternal instinct he knew not to ignore. As he slowly rose and exited his den, he thought of his children. Some had left home awhile ago, but the absence of some others was.. unsuual. He hadn't seen Finch much these days- now that he really tried to count the days, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her. Days? Weeks? He tried not to dwell on it for long. His children were grown, and had no need to check in with him more often than they wanted to. Surely she was fine, he tried to tell himself. She had to be.

But Jay? Where was she? Her scent led away from the Orchard and to the east, and he made to follow it.

She hadn't expressed any interest in going to investigate the oddities, but it seemed on this particular night she'd made the choice to head away from home. Farther than usual, he soon found, as he began to make the trek to Boreas's eastern coast. He was half-convinced that he was likely worrying for nothing, but he didn't mind an excuse to stretch his legs regardless. The world was peaceful tonight, too. Oddly quiet, the night sky bright despite being void of stars. He wondered if the blood-red sky would ever fade, or if this would be the new normal here.

Nearing the base of the cliffs, Jay's scent grew stronger. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was loud, and his ears folded back as the sound of cascading water grew. He trekked closer to the water across the sand, taking an astonishingly long moment to register that something here wasn't quite right.

A monstrous thing towered over the water, reaching toward the cliffside. It was taller than any living thing he'd ever seen, dark and looming with beady eyes and strange twitching limbs. He'd never seen anything like it. The thing struck fear into his hard, nearly paralyzing him as he stood and gawked. A few wolves had noticed it too, and he heard some shouting from high above.

He didn't see anything except it and Jay, though, who stood far down the beach. She looked like she was studying the thing, but she was far too close for comfort.

"Jay! No!" His voice suddenly bellowed out, and Corvus broke out into a sprint. His paws kicked up a flurry of sand as he ran toward her, his heart beating hard in his chest. She'd always been so naive to the horrors of the world, so sheltered- surely she didn't know the danger this thing possessed. She hadn't been alive during the Long Night, she hadn't seen the destruction, the suffering...

He didn't want her to see this, either.

"Jay! Go home! Run!"

Everything about this beast was horrifying, even from a distance. The smell- Corvus couldn't even begin to register what it was. It was almost otherworldly, too terrifying to be a thing that existed on this plane.

It needed to die.

The knowledge was enough to rid Corvus of the fatigue that plagued his aging body these days. He ran as hard as his body would allow, his mind driven wild with panic. Jay noticed him, slowly at first, turning and slowly registering that he'd followed her here. The horror was written plainly on her face, only growing as the monstrous beast started to move toward her.

He knew what he had to do. Despite the panic that welled inside him, threatening to overtake him completely, Corvus knew he couldn't let his daughter die here.

"Go- home- now," he hissed sternly at her as he ran past, not stopping to see if she would protest. He knew she'd listen to him- she always had. He'd do anything for his children, especially to keep them safe. He heard his blood pounding loud in his ears, reminding him that he was still alive, that he could protect her. Maybe even all of them. Strangers littered the beach, voices rang out from overhead. He was a protector- it was all he'd ever been.

This was a threat that had to be dealt with, and swiftly. He tried not to imagine this monster making its way west, toward Avalon, toward those he loved most... he wouldn't let it. He had to try. He thought of his children, of his dear cousin, of all her sweet little children who hadn't even begun to really live their lives yet.

It was too soon.

With all the energy he could muster he sprinted into the water, ignoring the frigid cold and the way water sprayed up around him. He ran straight toward the beast, jaws parted as he kicked off and leapt as high as he could. His rage was unbridled and raw as he struck the thing, channeling every ounce of passion into his flurry of attacks, into his gripping claws and gnashing teeth. All the love and heartache he'd ever experienced came back to him. All the friends he'd loved and lost. All the family he'd mourned and missed. The terror he'd felt when he'd first learned Twig was pregnant, when he'd first laid eyes on his children and wondered how the hell he'd ever protect them from the world.

He loved them too much to let them suffer. It would be his dying wish to keep them safe- and he no longer feared death.