Ol' Flint the Crow

The Torture Begins

"What are doing here, Flint?!" wailed Bleak. She struggled hopelessly with her bonds so adamantly that her wrist began to bleed. "Why did you come back?!"

Tabitha smirked at the bird. "Yes, my pet. You should have left your dear companion her to be tortured. That's what you did to me. Why didn't you?"

Samuel gazed at Flint, who took a step into the barn. He could see the bird's shrunken eye like a tiny black dot of misery. It darted once to the left as if something had caught its attention outside. However, Flint quickly looked at his talons, tearing into the dirt. He could not face his girl no matter how desperately he tried to force himself to do so. His tongue slid against his beak sadly.

All eyes were directed at the bird. Tabitha's nobles yanked their weapons and pointed them directly at the animal, almost daring the crow to try and escape now. Gert leaned against a table and cackled. Richter, on the other hand, with a pensive frown looked downward while his fingers rubbed around each other in little, half-hearted circles.

"I-I had..." flint groaned, "t-to face you. I'm not running away from you anymore, Tabitha. Its time I accept my mistakes and accept the consequences."

The princess's teeth chattered. "And you will! Come closer."

"Release her first..." Flint gestured at Miss Bleak.

Snapping her fingers ordering Gert the Warlock to take his position at the controls of the torture device, Tabitha arrogantly hissed, "You have no say in the matter, my pet! Get over here, now, or listen to her scream."

Flint inched over, walking into the midst of the nobles who scowled down at him and the rapier he held tightly.

"Drop your sword," demanded Tabitha.

As if about to do so, Flint extended out his wing and loosened his fingers. Suddenly, he halted. He whipped the tip of the blade to his throat and winced when the cold steel dug into his fleshy neck.

In a commanding voice that showed no sign that he was bluffing, Flint said, "You want me to pay for what I did to your family, huh? Well, I'll jab this blade clean through me if you don't let Miss Bleak go! Do you want me to escape from you by death like Todd did? Let her go, Tabitha! Right NOW!!!"

The bird's threat seemed so genuine that even Samuel was chilled to the bone. He feared the crow would truly do as he said. With a yelp, the minstrel shook his head, silently pleading for Flint to stop.

All of the princess's subjects froze in place. Their weapons, although poised at the animal, sank in their hands. They stared at their leader, awaiting her command. However, Tabitha just flinched and shuffled on her feet. She too was perturbed, fearing that Flint would kill himself; thus cheating her again out of her revenge.

She spoke to Gert, who was chuckling softly to himself at the amusing scene, saying, "Let her go..."

"What?!" The warlock's smile plummeted off his face.

However, Tabitha insisted. Surgeon Valentine quickly followed the order against his mentor's wishes. As she was being released, Bleak fought out of her bonds. She crushed her knuckles together, making a fist, in the attempt to punch Richter in the mouth. Alas, Bleak could do nothing since Princess Tabitha, who had stepped closer to the machine, yanked the barmaid by the back of the arm. Using hand-to-hand combat skills, she learned from the rangers, Tabitha twisted the heavyset barmaid around with the other woman's own momentum. Bleak collapsed on the ground at the base of the torture devise as Tabitha stuck her sword into the woman's throat.

"Well, go ahead!" Tabitha said to Flint, "Strap yourself into the machine, or-"

The barmaid whimpered as a trickle of blood oozed out of her neck. Not letting go of his sword from his own neck, Flint inched over to the machine while keeping his gaze on Bleak and Tabitha.