A New Dawn - [Violence]

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This thread will be violent and possibly disturbing. Intending for this to be a solo.

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Water slushed about as her wooden bucket dangled from a taloned hand. The avian mistress approached the spot she had left her victims. Tied to poles atop a grassy hill, facing towards the horizon. Sol would be rising soon. Bringing with it daylight and a happy welcome to the guests that Grackle intended to introduce to Sol’s domain.

“Grackle very very excited about sacrifice,” the kenku was giddy with joy, “Grackle hopes that sun rewards her with tasty meal!”

Solus corrected her other half, “now now dearie, remember we work to bring these mortals solar salvation, not for our own reward.” Their beak grinned with satisfaction in unison.

“Grackle wants to hear story again, is a good story!”

“Right-o dearie, I can tell it once more,” she told herself as they neared the spot of their victim’s reckoning.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Eight hours earlier...

Centered and flanked by two associates, the round hat wearing leader spat some of his chewing tobacco on the ground. He narrowed his gaze and looked the kenku over once before questioning, “so yer the one they said could get this job done?”

Nodding with determination Solus answered rapidly, “yes yes dearie, please just point us in the right direction and we will spread the truth to them within the hour.”

Grackle was also in agreement, “Grackle is hungry, very hungry, please tell us where to feast!”

“Right...” the leader raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Well, they’re in a farm house, not but a twenty minute walk down that dirt path,” he instructed pointing westward. “May not have told you but, it’s a family of four. Behind on their payments, threatening to report our ‘activities’ to the local duchy, bad for business ya know?”

“Right-o dearie, we will make the meddlesome family go away,” Solus assured him, “then we meet back here, say, three hours from now?”

“Grackle want see again. In three hours,” she yelled whilst turning her head.

As the bird waltzed away from the trio the leader stood there for a second before gathering his words, “fucking kenku... though if they can clean this up in three hours we should round up their payment boys.” Twirling a finger the dusty hatted man and his cohort took their leave. Paying visits to local businesses in order to retrieve the gold they felt was owed to them. They’d give a sixth of what they collected to the arsonist they just hired, once the deed was done of course.

Four-toed prints dotted the dirt road as the iridescent feathered kenku marched her way through the darkness. One step after another drew her closer and closer to the farm house she intended to incinerate into ash. Insects of the night buzzed around her, occasionally drawing too near her hands, only to be consumed by the intense heat she generated.

Night was a test of faith for follower’s of his solar embrace. Often, Solus would light a blaze just to keep the pair company in such dark times. A dancing, glowing reminder of their slumbering god. They had to get used to the dark as their services were typically requested at night. Non-believers wished to be certain that Grackle’s handiwork would kill her targets and that was most reliably achieved by burning a dwelling whilst its inhabitants slept. Sometimes a few would awaken mid-inferno. They’d come running out of the plumed flames for refuge only to meet the sun’s harbinger headfirst. She would burn their legs, pluck out their eyes, and feast. Then immolate their bodies in righteous flame. Excitement grew as she anticipated a wonderful night of ritual.

Solus snarled, “I’ve told you dearie, we must force Sol’s warmth on them, they will not give in willing.”

“Grackle thinks we should try, it is very rude elsewise! To just burn and eats them without asking, Grackle wants to ask,” she protested.

The sterner half huffed in disgust, then focused an eye on a set of figures approaching them, one taller and one smaller. Solus retorted, “very well very well, try your method on these two, you will see how wrong you are.”




Josephine was trying to hurry. She didn’t like traveling at night, especially when she was with her young son, Charlie. But the boy was only eight, he struggled to keep up and so Josephine was forced to lessen her pace. They had stayed far too long at the farmhouse near the end of the street. Enjoying tea, pastries, and gossiping whilst the little ones played. She really should’ve left before sundown yet here she was walking the lonely trail with offspring in tow. Vulnerable.

Josephine then noticed the small kenku alone. Merrily walking down the earthen path with a certain swagger that convinced the young mother that the bird may be a jester or bard or some other happy profession. It was getting late though, no time to stay and chat. Luckily the kenku did not appear to be a threat.

“Hello, good moontime miss, Grackle wants have a word with you,” the blackbird conveyed.

Taken aback, Josephine hesitated before replying, “sorry hun, we must be getting back home,” she gestured towards Charlie, “it’s past someone’s bed time.” The fair skinned lady gave a smile to the lonely fowl.

Persistent, the poultry maid continued, “yep, Grackle understands, young boy must get many rest,” fluffing our feathers she began her pitch, “what if Grackle say you could be something more!” The kenku spread her arms wide and with a beaming smile elaborated, “you could join Sol in eternal warmth! Where it will never be darktime again, Grackle can help you.”

Josephine was at her wit’s end when it came to religious pitches. Just days prior folk had pestered her for money for some Thayne she had never heard of. In annoyance she replied, “no thank you, not interested.”

“Grackle can help, Grackle can show you one true way to bask in the glow,” she pestered on. Licking her beak she explained further, “see you will let Solus burn away impurities which chars the skin with fire. Yum! Grackle thinks charred flesh is most tasty. Is Grackle’s favorite.” To the audience of one shocked Josephine she proceeded with her pitch, “then Grackle will feast on your innards until you stop breathing, is slow process, you will scream many times, hurts Grackle’s ears!”

At this stage the scared mother had picked her son up and began running away, screaming out, “help! Please someone help us, I have a child with me!”

Grackle did not pursue, she merely called out, “Grackle and Solus will burn your body to ashes after, no need fear, you will spend eternity in glow!”

Solus smiled, happy to be proven right. “There there dearie, now you see, this is why we must force it on them. It’s the only way we can keep you fed,” she reassured her other half.

“Grackle not ready to accept it, will try again, explain better next time,” she insisted.

Night grew colder as Sol’s abandonment from the sky persisted. Other, lesser stars, tried to occupy his place. They would shift and shuffle, vying for a larger slice of Sol’s domain whilst he regained his strength. It was a fool’s errand however, not a one of them would ever wield the hold that Sol had on the stratosphere. Not a one of them would ever have a champion like Grackle.

“Tell me dearie, do you resent Kami for abandoning us?” the clever Solus questioned.

This was not the first time she had asked such a thing, but there was always a lesson at the end. Reluctantly the other half responded, “Grackle does not care, no need Kami after Sol smiles on Grackle.”

Solus formed her beak into a jagged curvature upwards, “yes yes dearie, we are the only kenku, that I know of, to receive the sun’s gift of fire.” A feathered arm came up to push dirt off her beak as she pressed her questioning further, “but then who do you blame for our heartache, dearie? Kami for abandoning us? Our people for failing us? Our family for turning us over?”

Defensively Grackle cut back, “not mommy’s fault.”

Proud of herself, Solus stared upwards with mouth agape and said, “there we are again dearie, there we are again... talks of mother.”

“Grackle will not bring flame to mommy. Grackle has told Solus this,” she protested, now realizing where the journey of questions was meant to end.

“Right-o dearie, I remember, but it is strange for me. We are bringing the sun’s salvation to all yet if the opportunity arose you’d deny his warmth to our mother,” Solus mused. “‘Tis a curious thing my little bird.”

“Grackle loves mommy, will not eat mommy, will not burn mommy,” the words were true, fluffed up feathers were proof of Grackle’s annoyance.

Solus seemed perturbed by that, not wanting to let the matter lie, “so if we pay our old flock a visit, we introduce them to his glow, what will you do with our family? What will you do if it is Sol’s Will to embrace mother in his warmth?”

Now she was done with this game, “Grackle will eat the mean kenku that tore Grackle from mommy. Grackle will hug mommy. Grackle won’t hurt mommy or daddy or nestlings. Grackle is finished talking.”

It was just as well. The farm house they were targeting was just up ahead. Sparse crops, surrounded by a picketed brown fence with chipped paint peeling off in crisscrossing patterns. The home itself made of thick logs pasted together by a spattering of greying clay. Interestingly the roof was a mixture of the very same clay and various layers of straw, likely chosen to help regulate temperature inside the home. Dried clumps of straw would certainly be great fuel for the coming bonfire.

Solus sighed in defeat while Grackle’s anger subsided a bit. At least they had arrived at their goal. Burning a home down together would be a good way to mend the two’s relationship.

Creaking open the picketed gate the kenku stepped into the front lawn. Grackle kept herself bent low, not wanting to draw attention in case anyone were still awake within the log cabin. Avian legs propelled her forward with each saunter drawing her closer to a window near the front of the home. Carefully, quietly, her first foot descended upon the rustic wooden incline that served as the family’s front porch. There was a white painted chair in the corner, rocking a bit in the faint breeze. Using the chair as a booster the short crow-woman stepped up and peered through the window. Her sinister eyes noted a large bed directly across from her housing a slumbering husband and wife. On the western side of the home two smaller beds were claimed by a son and daughter.

“Goodie goodie, they are all sleeping,” Solus mused.

Sol’s servant extended her back as her slump ended. It was far more pleasant work if your victims were sleeping, much easier to get a good blaze started. You didn’t need to sneak about either. Tonight was a mix of worship and business however. Those folks earning a dirty pot of gold were paying her well. She couldn’t risk any of them escaping.

Grackle paced back towards the gate she had entered through. Placing both talons near the hinges she ignited the wood around both pieces of binding metal, allowing her to easily tear the gate off. Dragging the wooden gate, while the rest of the fence was spreading fire, she moved the fence piece up to the farm home’s only door. Angling her piece of wood she barricaded the family’s main exit by threading the door knob between two wooden posts. Clapping both hands together she expelled some of the chipped paint from her black talons.

Examining her work to ensure it would hold up, Grackle whispered, “Grackle think we should start fire in back, will work best.”

Solus chimes in, “no dearie, we need to set the roof ablaze, so that it collapses upon them and smothers them in flame.”

“Grackle understand, is very lucky to have smart Solus to guide her,” she responded in joy.

The two operated as one, removing a folded up cloth from their knapsack. Balling the cloth up they began to produce an intense heat from their palms. Once the ball of cloth erupted in flame Grackle tossed it underhanded, sending the flaming orb in an arc to land a bit off centered on the roof of the home.

This action sent the straw-clay rooftop into an all out inferno. Dried up pieces of hay swallowed up the fires like a homeless man at a swanky Alerian banquet. What had once been a nice log cabin housing a small modest family now resembled a miniaturized forest fire, with leaves ablaze. A jostling at the door soon became a pounding as a family awakened by smoke inhalation was trying to flee. In this small slice of darkness Sol was present, fully manifested in this wall of flame.

“Grackle like fire, is very warm,” Grackle stated, matter-of-factly.

“Indeed dearie... indeed,” was Solus’ simple reply.

There were screams as the roasting ensued. It was a beautiful hymnal to the glory of the sun.

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A family, including the children, are murdered in this post. Fair warning.

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Cascading glass erupted from the farm home's front window. Exiting the blazing inferno was a man clutching two young children, he was badly burned. Unfortunately both of the children looked as if they had not been burned much at all. Likely guarded from the worst of the flames by the human shield of their father. Pleading, the man cried out, "p-please, help, my... my wife is still... in there and," amid a few coughs Grackle was incapable of making out the rest of his rambling. Something about loving her and not wanting to lose her or being worried about how much smoke the children had inhaled. It was all very boring. Sol would not be happy with this if his servant just sat in the grass eating crickets (even though most of the crickets were quite scrumptious).

The sadistic kenku approached the trio slowly, purposefully, and stopped just above them. She peered down with her eerie set of eyes. Judging these survivors for their attempt at escaping the salvation her sun had offered them. With a caw Solus addressed their insolence.

“Yes yes, it won’t due at all to let you dearies suffer out here, not when you are so close to witnessing his eternal glow.”

Grackle grinned and chimed, “right, Grackle is much hungry, very much hungry.”

A beak tore into the man’s charred neck ruthlessly. Savagely ripping at the tendons and flesh that guarded his windpipe. Once the squishy and vulnerable interior revealed itself the father ceased his screams as he gurgled upon blood and saliva. As he stopped squirming the devoted disciple turned her attention to the pair of children. While tears washed down the face of the orphaned son the daughter had slipped from consciousness, very likely the result of breathing in the smoking ruins of her home.

Two sharp talons met the barely burnt young ones and fire introduced itself as their new guardians. Again, a rough beak dug into both their flesh as the boy joined his sister in the embrace of comatose. With a beak filled with ligament and muscle the mighty Grackle noticed the peeling face of a mother staring in horror as her life was collapsing around her. It would be the last thing she saw before the roof of their farm home caved in, swallowing her in the blaze.

With tummy full and her god appeared the bird woman took her leave. Immolating the remains of the partially consumed family members. Bone, blood, and flesh would be turned to ash as Sol accepted them into his kingdom.

“Grackle thinks we will return to employers early,” the joyous one issued.

Delighted, Solus agreed, “right-o my little chick, we hath done his will tonight.”

They were both happy that their disagreement had resolved itself through mutual worship.