About last year, the children of the parliament, or doves were all out and about, under the guidance of their mentors. Who at the time were their own "mother bird" as you would call it. Sentry sat and watched as Roxane trained with Robin on his swordsmanship. Robin was the epitome of a prodigy. Though being an Ashwood, it was expected of him.
Robin was smart, caring, had the heart of a warrior at such a young age. He was very popular among all the other doves, though Sentry found the attention he got was unnecessary, mostly a distraction from doing what needed to be done.
He watched as Robin faced Roxane with their wooden swords, Roxane putting forth enough effort for his skillset, as to not overwhelm him. But the way he moved with his ashen hair flowing with each strike, it was like watching an angel fight. Or angels, what with Roxane's also ashen hair. Even Sentry had to admit, that the way he fought, though not as refined as Roxane, it was good for his size and age.
Their wooden blades clash against one another for a time, until Roxane parries his strike, sending his sword away and aiming her blade at his neck.
"Don't get too confident. If you overestimate your own abilities, your pride will only be met with a blade to your neck. Understood?" Roxane said.
Robin nodded lightly, a sigh escaping his lips as Sentry only watched. Not with envy or admiration. Sentry only observed Robin's fights to learn something, to gain some tactics and possible practice what he had seen.
Sadly, Roxane only ever had enough time to train Robin with what little time she had, so Sentry was left to his own when it came to combat for the most part.
Roxane picked Robin up into her arms, hugging him closely as she made her way over to Sentry, setting Robin down next to him.
"You boys be careful. I hate that I can't stay long, otherwise I could help you too Sentry."
"It's fine. I understand your duties, Roxane." Sentry spoke, clearly a bit disappointed that he could not partake.
Roxane's heart swells as she hugs the two boys closely to her chest.
"I am deeply sorry. I know you need to be trained up as well, but me and Jennifer sadly do not have the time. Maybe in the near future I can train you up as well Sentry."
Sentry shakes his head.
"It's fine. I can train my fighting on my own, but I can promise I'll do better in a fight against you."
Robin gave Sentry a look, not out of hate, but a friendly rivalry at his challenge. Robin lightly nudges Sentry's shoulder.
"Oh really? I'll take you up on that then Sentry."
Sentry's gaze turned to Robin, softening up a bit, not expecting nor intentionally trying to ignite a small rivalry, but he steals his resolve, turning away from Robin, only making Roxane pray to herself that these two get along in the future. Though, all that mostly relied on Sentry.
~~~~~~~
The supposed Raven towered over young Sentry. He looked up at her with a mix of fear and wonder, not expecting this to be the Raven. She continued to look down at him as the silence clung to the air like the smoke that surrounded them.
"You've come to stare? Or to ask?" She said coldly. Her raspy voice filling the room.
Sentry coughed as he struggled to utter words, both from the incense and the fear of how to go about this. Her voice radiated with a type of energy that told Sentry to be on his best behavior.
"H-Hello. Umm, Miss Raven, I... I am Sentry Ashwood. I was... in the area, and you know how doves are, around this time they look for a teacher. And well, I. I want you to train me to be a Raven."
Sentry bowed to avoid her gaze, she stared down at him as she took another puff from her pipe. There is no answer, instead she just turns to enter her room once again. Sentry looks to see the door to her room left open, looking inside to see her living conditions. The room was dark, literally. Black seemed to be her theme, it was messy, black feathers all over, books all thrown about, different objects of varying varieties that seemed to be of occult origin.
The Raven sat in her chair, lighting her pipe once again.
"Approach Ashwood."
Sentry nodded as he entered the room, standing at attention, not to come off as disrespectful.
"Let's clear the air. I know what you are. I know what you want. The birds talk of the unnatural boy with golden eyes who looks like he's from across the Mediterranean Sea. Your blood is... unnatural. So much potential, yet no one will teach you?"
Sentry nodded. A bit shocked at her intuition. The thought of how she could possibly know all of that only made him wonder.
"Answer with words boy. Just because you are an Ashwood doesn't mean you can answer as sheepishly as you desire."
He straightens his posture.
"Y-Yes! T-The others won't really give me the time of day or already have their own dove to teach."
She stares at Sentry as he speaks, his words reaching her, only barely though. Though her face was somewhat shrouded in shadow, she showed more interest in other things than what Sentry was babbling to her. But she did find it amusing that this little dove went to her of all people to learn under. It was funny, and pathetically tragic in a sad way to her.
"You really want to be taken under my black wings?"
Sentry nodded.
"You'll have to forsake everything you know about the world now. Your world will be full of knowledge of the forbidden side of the world. You'll delve a lot into the occult and the world of darkness. But you also must know, I don't train children. I train killers. Can your little mind grasp that?"
Sentry nodded, his childish mind only focused on one thing at the moment, and that was earning rank.
A smile creeps across her lips as she pulls her hood down. Her eyes like those of cracked bloodshot, mirrors to his own soul. So cold, so heartless and intimidating.
"You know there must be a test I have to make for you before I even think about teaching you anything. Lucky you, I have a test just for you. Come on little boy."
She stands up, walking over to her table. Sentry stands behind her at the doorway, staring at her as he waits on what she is doing. He notices her grabbing some herbs, crushing them up into a bowl, mixing them together. Sentry only watched from a distance, unaware of what she was making. The process went on for a bit longer as she took the bowl, turning back to Sentry.
"Walk with me." She says.
She walks past Sentry down the stone steps of the tower as Sentry follows after her. Her steps were silent, hardly able to be heard or perceived. It was like following an old ghost.
"You are a curious little creature. But I must ask, are you truly prepared to be my dove. Once you pass this test, well, if you do. You will be mine. Mine to twist and mold as I see fit. The others in this repetitious place make warriors, assassins, weapons to be beheld and revered as works of murderous art. I don't make art; I make weapons for the soul purpose of killing. No room for weaknesses, like fear."
She spoke as Sentry followed. The words she spoke only rang a grim feeling within his stomach. Her words stirred up feelings he may have to get used to feeling. He was shedding his white feathers for black ones now.
As the two walks through the halls, Sentry saw how others reacted to her. Walking past other members, Falcons, Eagles, Harriers. They all looked at her like she was a walking undead. Her slim frame covered in dark robes with light traces of black leather armor only seemed to incite fear or distain in all the other eyes.
But she did not seem to care. She only led Sentry down, deep beneath the castle. The grand halls turned dark as she took him to the lower levels. The levels only dimly lit with torches.
"Are you afraid of the dark Ashwood?"
She asked not out of concern, but more to see her possible new student's resolve.
"N-No. I don't fear the dark, I can see in it anyway."
Sentry didn't see it, but a smile crept across her lips as she takes Sentry deeper until they arrive at a door. It was unlike other doors Sentry had seen. The wood of the door was black, and it looked refined to belong in the depths of the castle.
"W-where are we?"
The Raven only took a key from her sleeve, while still holding the bowl of crushed herbs in her other hand. She unlocked the door and opened it, the air was still inside, she walked in, ushering Sentry to enter.
He took his first steps into the room where he saw something. He saw a char, a simple wooden chair, and in front of the chair was something covered in cloth. The room was circular, with stone walls all around. Nothing else in the stone room besides the clothed item and the chair.
"Sit."
Sentry heeded the Raven's command, walking to the chair and sitting down in it and awaiting further instruction. The Raven removed the cloth from the item in front of him. The clothed item revealed to be a mirror. A black mirror with a dim reflection in the black seemingly haunting glass.
Sentry could hardly make out his reflection in the dark decorative mirror. The traces of silver it had around the rim were hypnotic. It had a gothic allure to it, and with its size, Sentry definitely felt eclipsed. Like looking into a doorway.
"This will be your test. You will stare into this mirror until I return, you are not to leave this room. You will stare into this mirror and not make a sound. You will not scream, you will not whimper, you will not cry, you will simply stay put and not leave this room until I open the door."
That was all? This test seemed too easy on the surface. Just sitting in front of a mirror for an unknown amount of time? Sentry felt confident, but he had a feeling that was just the surface, and he has yet to venture beneath.
Sentry sat and stared into the mirror as his vision was soon obstructed by the Raven, who stood in front of him. She pulled her hood a tad bit back, holding the bowl just between their faces.
"Now, take deep breaths and close your eyes. Only open them when your senses are disturbed."
Sentry nodded. He closed his eyes, taking in the still air as best he could. It was calming, the feeling of air rushing in and out of his little body. The Raven watched as he took in air, and let it back out, watching his rhythm. After his last exhale, she took the bowl and blew the contents into his face.
A black cloud of black herb powder invading his nostrils and air way. He struggled initially, coughing as the Raven set the bowl down. He struggled to breath as his eyes began to water, the Raven lightly cupped his face to make sure he was looking at her.
"They say that eyes are the window to the soul. The soul deeply hides everything we as people truly are. You're about to truly know yourself, better than you ever will. I shall return to claim you or send you back to Roxane's arms. The choice is all yours whether you stay a Dove or become my Raven."
The Raven stands, heading towards the door opening it and turning back to look at Sentry before closing the door. Leaving Sentry alone to stare into the mirror.
The scent of the herbs invading Sentry's senses nearly felt overwhelming. A sweet scent mixed with one of bitterness and staleness that felt almost nauseating.
Sentry stared into the black glass, his eyes peering into the golden eyes he bared that reflected back at him. His head was lightly spinning from the herbs the longer he stared. He felt like he 2was going to lose consciousness as he only stared and stared. The silence was deafening, truly. The sound of his breathing and his own heartbeat echoing into his ears.
The reflection only staring back at him. The reflection was hard to make out, only his eyes being visible to see.
Time passed as the still air weighed heavy. The lapse of time unclear. It had only felt like minutes had gone by.
The spinning in his head began to swirl and swirl heavier, as his vision began to fade. The reflecting glass in the mirror warping and rippling like water. That was odd, seeing as how glass couldn't do that. Sentry shook his head, trying to gather himself, but instead the mirror rippled more and more, like violent waves in a hurricane the mirror distorted.
Ripples felt as his vision darkened at the sight of the mirror. Hie ears even filled with the sound of water, violent crashing black waves, with golden light reflecting into the waters like the moon over a dark sea.
From the mirror the waters began to run red, slowly filling the room, like a portal to an ocean of black waters and blood had just been opened. Sentry couldn't believe any of this to be real. How was any of this real? A question that swirled around in his head as the floors ran red with bloody waters.
The mirror reflected his eyes in an endless sea. The eyes that followed him, the eyes that were a reflection of his was the only thing he could follow, the only thing he could see so clearly because of the dark. Seeing in the dark was never an issue for him before, but the darkness in this room began to envelope him and drown out his sense of sight.
The eyes in the mirror followed his eyes with every blinking and staring action. Sentry felt so fragile in this form, he was not allowed to move, not allowed to cry, only had to wait this out.
He tried to close his eyes for a moment, to catch his breath and gather his thoughts, but the water, the sound of the crashing waves began to rumble, rumbling that sounded like that of a growl.
Sentry's breath hitched as his survival instincts made him look at the possible threat. He saw his golden eyes in the bloody black waters. The eyes he was marked with, that marked him as different. The growling continued as from the mirror, the waters rippled as something was taking form from it, making its way into the room.
Sentry's breath grew heavier as he couldn't help but look on in fear as the beast took form. Stepping out of the mirror, the only features he could make out were the monster's eyes that stabbed through the darkness, and its fangs, ever so long, and ready to rip through flesh at the drop of a coin.
It snarled as it's face was only inches from Sentry's, those inches become mere centimeters as he tried to control his breathing. His eyes looked upon the golden eyed creature with fear, it was large, huge, morphing and blending with the shadows as its eyes and teeth were the most visible thing that could be seen.
Sentry clenched the chair beneath him with his nails digging into the wood, his breathing increasing rapidly. It seemed that the beast's growls only grew louder as Sentry only felt his fear increasing, one felt like it was in response to another. Though Sentry was unable to find any distinction or even try.
He closed his eyes and lightly prayed to himself. Prayer being the one thing he remembers Roxane teaching him that relaxed him. He silently prayed to himself, repeating hymns from the bible and other teachings that Roxane had shown him. His eyes bared shut as he repeated the prayers.
There was only so much he felt he could do as the monster towered over him, he was afraid, he felt so small, but he did not fight, he only desired for this to end. His whispered prayers being only that, a whisper. Tears dropped down his face as he tried to hide behind the lids of his eyes. But he remembered what the Raven had told him.
All he had to do was sit still and look into the mirror. He opened his eyes slowly, ever so slowly to stare into the mirror. His eyes opened as all he saw was the beast. But he tried to control himself, to steal himself from this nightmare. He knew that if he failed here, he'd remain a dove forever. No one else would teach him, he'd be an outcast if he failed, then again, he'd be an outcast if he survived. Ravens are nearly looked upon as badly as vultures, only instead of disgust, it's fear.
But it would be better, if you are going to be viewed as an outcast, at least be an outcast who's successful in their field.
Sentry met the gaze of the monster, staring at it as he lightly trembled. He frowned as he felt more tears spilling from his eyes. Gut he took deep breathes. The fear in his heart weighed heavy, but the feeling of regret he'd feel if he had to reside in Robin's shadow would haunt him forever. Besides, once he was a Raven, he and Éloise would be able to work together. His only friend in the entire world.
Failing her, failing himself, failing Roxane, Jennifer, and the Raven would be a weight that could never be removed. So, he stared back at the beast. Determination entering his heart as he grits his teeth and stares into the blackness.
Time passes as he stares into the beast, the door opening to the room as he dared not look away. The Raven looking down at him with a look of slight surprise. She noticed his trembling frame; his eyes were read and lightly marked with dry tears.
She knelt beside him, lightly shaking him as he continued to stare. A smile creeping onto her lips.
"I can only wonder what beast you saw. But the test is over little Ashwood. You actually managed to stay put."
Sentry lightly blinked, sitting up as he turned over to look at her. His eyes wide as he seemed to hardly be able to process and understand her words. He opened his mouth to speak but instead he hunched over, vomiting his fears onto the floor. Raven lightly standing to avoid the mess.
She stood beside him as he continued to vomit onto the floor.
"I remember when I did this. I vomited all the same. I guess it is a part of the ritual. But you passed little Ashwood. You gazed through the windows and did not abandon your resolve."
Sentry looked down as he wiped his mouth, feeling weakened in the seat, wanting to celebrate, but his trembling body stumbled in the seat as the Raven caught him in her arms. Cold sweat ran down his forehead as he continued to shake. Raven picked up his unconscious form, looking at the chair where he was sitting, seeing where his hands were, the wood scratched up deeply, like someone had taken daggers to the chair itself. This only made her eyes widen slightly.
"Oh, what a brilliant beast you must have seen. The eyes are the window to the soul, and you saw the depths of what you are Sentry. No more room for fear, mercy, or sadness. Only what we must do as Ravens."
She opened the door, carrying Sentry out as he rested his head on her shoulder. She lightly rubbed his back with her talonlike fingers.
"Rest well boy. From here on out, you are mine."