Chapter Text
This wasn’t the first time Trixten’s garden was ruined.
Whenever Trixten started to grow new plants, something would always happen. Birds would eat the seeds, a zombie would get in, a random creeper got too close. Something would ruin her garden. It seemed bad luck would always follow her around whenever she stepped foot into her garden. Or maybe it was where she had decided to build her new home. After all, she had been warned.
Trixten used to be an explorer, traveling far and wide to see new lands. Though most travelers rode on boat or horse to travel, Trixten didn’t have to worry. She had been born an Elytrian, a creature with wings that could soar high above the sky. However, though most first generation elytrians had the claws and feet of an elytrian, Trixten was third generation. Meaning, she only had the wings. And, sometimes, the strange craving of fish.
It was only recently had she decided to take a break from her adventures. She wanted to try building a home somewhere with a beautiful garden. Afterall, one of the things she often collected on her travels wasn’t just fine jewels and gold. But also plants of every kind. A couple she had seen already grown, but others she hadn't as they were traded with her. Her excitement grew at the thought of what these plants looked like.
Trixten had landed in a village close by to where she currently lives now. Upon asking the locals, they told her several open places in the area were good for her to build a home. But each and every one warned her not to build her home in the dark oak forest. Rumor had it that the land there was cursed by death itself. Anything would be killed there and the forest was filled with various hostile creatures.
Instead of heeding the warning, Trixten took it as an inviting challenge.
It didn’t take long for Trixten to build a modest cabin made of dark oak. She had no trouble with that. However, it wasn’t until the next day did she have trouble with her garden. Even when building it, everything seemed to go wrong. The fences fell apart, the soil was hard to tend to, even finding water was a challenge. Not to mention all the trouble mentioned before of planting some of the more common seeds in her garden.
But Trixten took this all in stride. After the birds ate the common seeds, for she was cautious of planting her more exotic ones first, she made a bird feeder closer to her cabin. When the zombie came into the garden, she created high fences and added lanterns all around. When the creeper showed up, Trixten crafted a bow and created arrows to kill a creeper in one blow. No matter what happened, she didn’t let it deter her. She was going to make this garden and it was going to be great.
So when Trixten woke up this morning and saw that her garden had giant spider webs all over it, she had a sinking feeling of what could’ve caused this. She sighed and adjusted her purple sunhat and clapped her hands. “Nothing a sword can’t fix,” She stated.
Trixten turned to go inside to find her sword when she noticed something. Over by the bird feeder, several birds were huddled together pecking at the ground. As she approached, she could hear the birds sounded angry and realized their reason. They weren’t pecking the ground, but attacking another bird. Trixten rushed over and started making loud noises. This startled the birds and they backed away. Trixten waved her hands and shouted, “Shoo! Shoo! Go away! Leave that bird alone!”
The birds scattered and Trixten stood angrily, glaring at the skies for any more birds. She turned back and saw that the bird on the ground was a crow. The bird was covered head to talon in black feathers. Except its feathers were matted in blood from the peckings of the other birds. Its breathing looked labored and one of its wings looked crooked. Trixten slowly approached, reaching her hands out. The crow noticed and lifted its head, squawking at her angrily. Trixten flinched and said, “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to help you.”
The crow cawed again, but less aggressively. Trixten gently knelt down and lowered her hands, showing she meant no harm. The crow watched her carefully as she reached to touch the bird. It snapped its beak at her, to which she moved her hand away. But she reached again, this time with two fingers and for the crow’s head. Gently, she petted the bird’s head. The crow stared at her, before shutting its eyes slightly and leaning into her touch. The crow laid its head on the ground, too tired to lift it. Trixten scooted closer to the bird, gently petting its head. As she did, she made calming sounds to calm the crow. Even from there, she could hear the bird’s rapid heart beating. She didn’t want to frighten it to death. When the crow calmed down, Trixten slowly moved her hand away and started to remove her tan cardigan. Gently, she moved towards the crow, showing she meant no harm. The crow lifted its head again, becoming wary.
Trixten paused and whispered, “I won’t hurt you. I only want to move you inside. It’s not safe out here when it gets dark.”
As if in response, the bird seemed to understand her by looking around. The crow laid its head down again, closing its eyes. Trixten noticed its breathing slowing down, which worried her as the crow may be close to dying. Carefully, she picked up the bird with her cardigan and hurried into the cabin. Upon closing the door, Trixten hurried to her table. She gently placed the crow on it, bundling the cardigan up more to create a make-shift next. Once she placed the crow down, she hurried to her medicine cabinet and sink. She fills a bowl of water and gets the necessary medicine. For the rest of the evening, Trixten tends to the crows' wounds, using cotton balls to gently clean the blood and apply the medicine to the wounds.
Eventually, the crow is cleaned up and its sprained wing is wrapped in bandages. Tiredly, Trixten dumps the dirty water out in the sink, placing the bowl inside. She grabs two small bowls and fills one with bird seed and the other with water. She places them before the crow before sitting back in a chair close by. She stretches her arms and her wings, fluffing the feathers on them. She then relaxes, letting out a tired sigh. The crow lifted its head, tilting it as it stared at her. Trixten noticed and smiled, “I’m okay; just tired. You gave me quite the scare, but I’m glad to see you’re okay.”
The bird cawed and Trixten giggled, “I can’t understand you. I’m not a full-fledged elytrian like my grandparents. I only have the wings. Though it seems like you understand me.”
The crow tilted its head.
Trixten let out a yawn and glanced out the window. Night had fallen a while ago and the moon was already high in the sky. “It’s too dark outside to let you out safely,” She said. “And your wing is still hurt. You can stay here as long as you need. Just make sure to not make a mess.”
The crow, in response, snuggled up against the cardigan nest. Trixten smiled, glad that she was able to help the crow. She stared at the crow before noticing something on its chest. For a brief moment, from the flickering light of the lanterns, she could see a faint outline of a red heart on the bird’s chest. Trixten blinked, concerned that she didn’t get all of the blood out of the bird’s feather. But she blinked again and the heart shape was gone. She rubbed her eyes and yawned again, blaming the illusion on her tiredness.
Trixten got up and dimmed the lights within the lanterns. She retired for the night, making sure the windows and door were locked. She soon was fast asleep and all was silent in the cabin. Later in the night, the crow woke up. It’s head perked up instantly as a soft wind blew through the woods outside. Standing up, the crow hopped over to the window by the table. Pecking at the lock, the crow managed to undo the hook hinge that kept the window closed. The windows slowly opened and the crow glided out of the cabin. It landed on the ground just at the edge of the small clearing where the cabin stood. It looked up and cawed loudly.
From the shadows, a man stepped out from it. Though normally quite big, the man made himself smaller so as to be hidden in the woods. His appearance remained the same: short, blond hair underneath a large, green and white striped hat, a long green robe that rested over a black shirt and black trousers, a black necklace with dark purple gemstones of amethyst, and no shoes as none could fit his black taloned feet. The shadows seemed to form the wings on his back, constantly shifting and moving, just like the thin halo above his head. A faint red glow could be seen on his chest as a visible red heart gently pulsed, causing the one on the crow’s chest to pulse with it. His black void eyes looked down at the crow as he offered out a black-nailed hand. The crow gladly hopped into his hand and, as the crow was lifted, the man placed his other hand on the crow’s wing. The shadows shifted and moved over the sprained wing, completely restoring the wing to what it was.
The crow cawed and the man chuckled, “Your welcome, mate. Now, how did you end up hurting yourself?”
The crow cawed merrily, tilting its head and even flapping its wings at one point. The man glanced up at the cabin, seeing a person sleeping inside. He looked down at the crow and smiled, “Well, I’m glad you're okay. And you even made a new friend. What did you say her name was?”
The crow shook its head, cawing as if sad. The man clicked his tongue, “That’s alright, mate. We’ll have to stop by again to thank her for helping you. Now then, would you like to help me tonight?”
In response, the crow cawed and took flight into the sky. The man chuckled and spread his wings. He glanced back at the cabin and noticed how the garden next to it was completely covered in spider webs. Not only this, but when he glanced up, he saw several glowing red eyes in the trees. The man grimaces in disgust before waving a hand at the trees and the garden. He then turned and took flight, following his crow friend into the night.
The next morning, Trixten awakens to several surprises. The first being that her crow friend was gone. Though worried, she knew there was nothing she could do for now. The second thing was that she found the window was open, despite her closing it the night before. She took note that she would need to make better locks for the windows. And the last thing?
She found her garden had been completely cleared of spider webs. And found close by several spiders’ eyes and tons of string.