He was in a deep sleep on the ground of a cave. Every event of his miserable life was flowing as a series of nightmares in his mind. With each drop of water from stalactites scene was changing. Suddenly he woke up with a deep breath as if he was drowning. Raven was looking around with an absent mind, he was like a lunatic escaped from the mad house and confused by the city lights. Slowly his memories came back to him. He assembled them like pieces of a puzzle and once done he saw the terrible picture. Poor man was paralyzed with the emptiness of losing everything he ever cares in life. The only feeling filling him was the abhorrence rising in him. He might lay still with an aversion for this world for all eternity if a voice did not interrupt his solitude. He tried to figure out where this voice was coming from and whom it belonged to. Voice repeated "Come to me, the poor one". It was talking with a crooked voice imitating a father's clemency. As Raven approaches the thing, his eyes dazzled with the flames of four torches attached to a stone console. It was an altar dedicated to spirits and on the surface, there was an object that reminds him of his childhood. Wendigo's head was put on the center of the altar heading to Raven. He suspected it to be a twisted game of the general to make him suffer. There was no one around. He believed he was hearing voices due to his deteriorating mental health. Once he approached the head close enough. Two red flames were burning inside the monster's skull, she spoke "Welcome my child". At that moment Raven was fully conscious and he remembered the story of his father, the chief. It was the same cave where his father slaughtered the Wendigo. He yelled "What do you want from me Demon!". As he spoke, he filled the increasing sorrow and pain inside of his heart and resulting anger taking control of him. It was Wendigo's presence what corrupts his soul. "It was you who digged me from my grave. It was you who observed me with your child eyes. It was you who crawled in my presence. So, answer what do you seek?" the Evil replied. Raven's will was getting weak with each word of Wendigo. He was kneeling like a medieval knight saluting his king. The monster within him finally broke humanity and Raven growled with the same red flames in his eyes "VENGEANCE". Demon was satisfied with her doing and warned the lost soul "I will fulfill your desire. Give you, my gift. But remember, for everything given there is something taken".
Raven was running like the wind. He was moving from one hill to another in the blink of an eye. The power of Wendigo was flowing in his blood without the knowledge of its price. He struck the Fort like a meteorite wiping an entire forest. He killed dozens without an effort and found the mansion of the governor. As he entered the building, he massacred all including the servants of the governor and an infant girl which he learned that she was the granddaughter of the general. At the top floor his nemesis was waiting for him in cold blood. Two monsters were fronting each other. Raven was in laughter like a hyena enjoying the hopelessness of its prey. General was proud with no indication of fear. His narcissism was still belittling his enemy. Raven was naming his killings in front of the general to provoke him. "...I bathed in the blood of your whores and cut the throat of your granddaughter..." when this part was spoken by the Raven. General broke his stillness and smiled upon the Raven. The warrior believed it to be symptom of madness and took pleasure out of his doing. However, this pleasure turned sour with the Jhon's reply "I see so we are both the killer of our own children.". Raven was confused with this claim and had a hard time making an understanding. While the general was walking to him, he crouched like an old man trying to avoid the death. The governor told him the entire story. Daisy was his "whore daughter" (with general's words) who "she left her dignity for a savage he ruled over". It was the general who punished and tortured her daughter. Daisy was killed by his father to erase the shame she brought upon her family. The old man was planning to kill her offspring as well but to his enjoy (and "good luck" he said) the savage did finish the work for him. Raven was shaken with the truth he was facing. It was the price of the gift Wendigo bestowed upon him. He attacked the general like an animal and tore him apart with bites.
He was miserable when he came back to his lord's presence. Wendigo spoke "Did you fulfill your desire, my beloved child?". Raven with hatred shouted "Yes!". "I know of your pain, and I know you blame me. But I warned you. The blame is yours". "You tricked me! You took me off everything." "No, my child, you lost everything. It was you’re doing what made you lose your father and mother. It was you’re doing what made you lose your people. It was what you’re doing that made you lose your wife and baby girl. Would you lose them if you did not occupy your father? Would you lose them if you did not betray your folk. Would you lose them if you did not leave your wife? It was you who was to blame for your losses. Your fault made you suffer!" The demon was messing with the lost one again but after all the disasters of life he had no power to resist him. Sorrow blinded him just like the hatred controlled him before. He begged Wendigo to give him his life back. Spirit denied his request "I am a powerful spirit but what you want is the Lord's doing, I cannot give you back what is already gone." It was the last blow which broke Raven. He begged and offered everything. It was the wish of Evil. "I can save you from your sorrow. I can make you feel no more of it. I can make you free of your pain. Is that your wish?" Without a thought he replied "Yes". "Do you offer me, your service?" "Yes, my lord." "Do you offer your body and soul?" "Yes, just make the pain go away." "Good!" Wendigo's laughter echoed in the cave. As the skull turns into dust, two horns emerged from the Raven's head. His body was transforming into hers. The vengeance was fulfilled but it was the vengeance of Wendigo. She managed to steal the son of her enemy to avenge his victory.
In that year, it was a harsh winter in which no grass grew, no flower bloom, no river flow. A famine was plaguing the Great Lakes. Men were fed with dignity rather than hunt; women were giving birth to pile of bones rather than child. The forest was home to sacred pines and great deer who we worship. And no man should enter the woods.
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