The Crows Descend

It was a lovely calm evening, with dawn beginning to set on the Maston tribe's crimson grove. Shuja was sitting among the branches with her Artio, watching the sunset on the horizon. Artio and Shuja were relaxing after a long day of exercise. After learning the Hookshot technique, Shuja has been swinging above the treetops, flying over the Maston women.

Isla saw the two laying the rook. She just came out from her bath, drying her brown hair with a towel, "Hey!" She called to them. "Go wash body. Water clean, go now!"

"For someone holding Rock and Stick hostage, they sure are accommodating," Shuja said to Artio. "Right, master?"

"I'm no longer surprise." Artio joked, "Let's go wash up." Artio got up and jumped on the platform below them. Shuja was about to jump after her when she saw a cloud of smoke rising from the distance, followed by more tiny puffs of smoke.

Isla waited on the platform, "Not come down?" She asked. Shuja was busy looking at the horizon, so Isla looked to see what caught her attention. Isla's eyes widened when she saw the smoke signals.

"What are those?" Shuja asked.

"Invaders!" Isla yelled, "Invaders coming!" She ran through the canopy, repeating that phrase. The Maston tribe dropped everything and went to the armory located on the most southern tree. Artio and Shuja grabbed their bows and quivers leaning against the tree and followed the women.

On the way, they met Natasha trying to get through the hordes of women trying to arm themselves for combat. "What's going on?" She asked the two.

"We don't know? I think their attacking?" Shuja said.

"Who?"

"Who do you think?" Artio said, "The Black Crows are here!"

"What? Does it mean they failed?"

"Who knows, but right now we need to get out of here."

"I'll go free the boys,"

"You?" Shuja and Artio asked.

"I know where they are, and they might find it suspicious that you guys are not there with them to fight. They suspect me to be with the children and elderly so they won't check where I am. And they're going to need help."

"Alright, just be careful!" Artio said

"Don't worry. I will!" Natasha ran to the elevator to get to the ground. Then she ran through the grove until she saw Rock and Stick hanging cell. She got on the elevator and yelled above her to get the guard's attention.

Elena heard Natasha's call and proceeded to lower the elevators anchor to raise the platform. Natasha quickly dashed towards the edge of the platform, "Are you guys ok?"

"Mom!" Rock yelled, "What are you doing here? Is everyone ok?"

"The Black Crows are attacking, and I'm here to get you guys out!" Natasha turned to Elena, "Could you help get,"

"What!" Elena suddenly yelled, "Invaders coming!" She ran towards the elevator to get to the forest floor, and then she ran to the armory.

"Well, there goes my assistance." Natasha searched around the platform and saw a pole hanging on a branch with the hook on its end. She grabbed it and used it to hook the brother's swaying prison and reeled them towards her. It took her a long time to bring the brothers to the platform. Rock's weight and the wind constantly swaying the cage made the task a great endeavor for Natasha. But it became impossible to pull them closer when her hands began to sweat profusely.

The pole kept slipping through her grip, and she lost an inch of progress from every pull. She needed something to dry her hands and to add friction in her grip. She looked around for a rag or some gloves, but there was nothing on the platform to help her. But then, she remembered her caretaker's gift, the brown leather gloves. She reached for her pocket and took out the pair of gloves.

The gloves fit perfectly in her hands, and with them, she pulled Rock and Stick closer to her while the brothers cheered. Her legs weak, and her arms were shaking, but she kept her grip and her grit until she finally got the cage settled on the platform.

"I can't believe you did!" Stick yelled in enthusiasm.

"That was amazing, mama!" Rock cried out.

"Thank you, now let's get you out of there." Natasha grabbed the thorny vine and began to unravel the knot. Her thick leather gloves protected her hands from the thorn, and the slippery oil the women poured on the knot did not slow her down.

Finally, the brothers were free, and the three embraced each other after a long day apart. "Now we need to get down and help them. The Black Crows are coming to attack us." Natasha said.

"What are these Black Crows?" Rock asked, "I think I heard of them before."

"There the mercenary company Artio and her mercenary band ran avoided. They are here now, and they're trying to harvest the Tungstree for Tinia knows what. Rock could you be a dear and pull this rope," Rock walked to her and began pulling on the rope, raising the elevator to them. "Sun said he would kill the captain in exchange for our freedom, but now we don't know what's going on anymore. For now, let's get down from here and get back to Artio and Shuja. They should be helping the Maston women fight."

"Alright, we'll go help them out, but first, we need to find a place where you can hide."

"I'll hide with the other children later. We need to find you guys weapons to defend yourself."

"All the weapons I need our these guns!" Rock flexed his biceps after pulling the elevator.

"Very funny, sweety, but there's no time for jokes!" Natasha dragged the two to the elevator, and they dropped down to the forest floor and ran towards the center of the forest.

Suddenly, an arrow flew past Natasha, barely grazing her neck. "What the hell?" Rock turned around and saw a group of soldiers wearing hardened leather armor. "Who shot that arrow? I'll fucking kill you!" He yelled.

"Interesting, I've never seen two red goblins working together in these parts of the forest before." One of the soldiers staggered forward. He wore chainmail over his leather armor, and he had a dagger on his left hand and a bottle of wine on the right hand. "Oh, and what's behind them?"

"Seemed like a used wench." One of the soldiers said, and everyone laughed.

"Used, yes. But she's also beautiful." The drunkard said while staring at Natasha's boobs, "I wonder what made her so gifted."

Rock had enough of the soldiers' comments and charged at them. "You got a lot of guts talking that way to my mother!" Rock leaped forward to deliver a flying knee, but the drunkard somersaulted in the air and over Rock. Instead, the poor soldier standing behind got sent flying away by Rock's knee. Stick and Natasha were shocked to see the drunk that could barely walk was able to perform such a jump.

"Officer Green, are you ok!" One of the soldiers yelled.

Green landed on his feet, arms wide open to balance himself. Then he turned around and gave a thumbs-up, "I'm alright! Now, if you can take care of that brute, I'll be going after that lady," He burped.

"Oh no, you won't!" Stick ran towards Green, "Get to safety, Miss Natasha!"

Natasha turned around and ran away. Green managed to get pass Stick with his unpredictable movements. And with the soldiers under his command fighting Rock and Stick, nothing could get in his way. At least that's what he thought.

He dropped his bottle and extended his hand to her, ready to grab her when suddenly a long sword slashed his hands cleanly off his wrist. He screamed at the top of his lungs while hiding his right arm. "I thought I felt something weird happening in this direction?" Green turned his head and saw a man with feathers just like an angel, but his skin was greenish like the orcs and goblins.

"Who the fuck are you?" Green snarled.

"The name is Sun!" He pointed the tip of his sword at Green's forehead. "And you must be Green. You got the same green eyes as that sick brother of yours."

Green slammed the sword away from his face and leaped back, "I don't know what an angel like you is doing here, but I will kill you!"

Green released the mana inside his body. "Miss Natasha, go somewhere safe, I'll take care of this guy," Sun said.

"Ok, good luck," Natasha ran to the nearest elevator.

"Alright, Green, let's see how strong you are. I heard from a little goblin you're the second officer of the Black Crows. That makes you the fourth-strongest fighter they have."

"I could be a knight if I wanted. That's how strong I am!" Green yelled. Mana covered his wound, preventing blood from gushing out, "And once I kill you, those red goblins are next." The two charged at each other with their sword and dagger clashing. Only one of them will win, and that winner will decide the fate of the Maston tribe.