Peek: From the Raven's Beak (Patreon)

Watch what Grim does.

That was all the Raven told them. Not His briefest message to them, but something about the dream told the entire Flock there was something special about Grim. They were excited to learn what.

The journey there was not difficult, and was among the more pleasant Qualn remembers taking for the Raven. Often, the Flock is sent to ensure someone doesn't miss their appointment with the Raven. There are many ways people try to escape His grasp. Some are clever, some are craven, more than a few are pathetic.

On the trip, he and the others even heard of an apparent undead Resident where they were headed. They prayed for several nights for guidance, but the Raven never deigned to answer. So far, that always means to leave them be. The Flock might be more concerned if the Crystal Shield wasn't along in force as well. Either they would deal with the undead, or the undead doesn't need dealing with.

Which leaves them to focus on their mission: help deliver the Betrayer to the Raven's talons, and to watch what Grim does.

The first will take some time, but they can get started as soon as they arrive for the latter!

Unfortunately, it's easier ordered than accomplished. While all of the Flock can feel the strong death affinity from the scion, there's absolutely no malice there. No malice in a skeleton scion wielding a scythe!

That it actually uses the scythe as a tool instead of a weapon partially explains it, but the scion is still a rather intimidating figure. At least at first. They carefully observe the scion from beyond the dungeon's territory, and are baffled by what they all see.

He spends most of his time tending to the graveyard and the crypts, including an open mausoleum. Why should they watch this? None of the Flock would begrudge mourners, but their duties are over once the soul is within the Raven's talons. Even expanding their duties, as some do, to return lost people before poor fortune renders them into lost souls, doesn't require grave care.

Still... the duty and care with which the scion works is to be commended, and the sense of commiseration the scion clearly shares with the people in the graveyard shouldn't be overlooked. Community is important to the Raven, much as He often has trouble participating. He enjoys seeing people doing well, and His duty to deliver them to their appropriate afterlife is His own contribution to life as a whole.

And as they watch, they can feel Grim subtly making his own contributions.

The Flock can feel when someone's time is close, when the shadow of the Raven is overhead, His talons open. It is their unique blessing from Him, to help in His duties. Yet Grim... seems to work against those duties? They watch him, many times, as he makes subtle adjustments to some place in the dungeon, and the Raven's gaze shifts elsewhere.

Should they stop him? That's their first instinct, but... the Raven said to watch, not to stop. And those who are spared from death don't have that lingering feeling the Flock knows to look for in those they need to deliver to Him.

They bicker among themselves, arguing what they should actually do, but none of them actually know what to do! And the Raven apparently sees no reason to clarify Himself. Frustrated, Qualn decides to confront the scion!

Not aggressively, of course. They can all feel the deep connection Grim has with death and the Raven. Insulting him could be the last mistake they make. Instead, Qualn hopes to simply talk. He waits for just after sunrise, when Grim is most often tending to the cemetery.

The skeleton is trimming the grass with his scythe when Qualn approaches, and the scion pauses and turns his skull toward him, looking patiently curious, rather than imposing.

"What... what are you doing?" Qualn asks, unable to keep a small stammer out of his voice. Being so close, he sees why most delvers leave the scion alone to go about his business. Grim tilts his skull slightly, before dragging his scythe through the grass, bringing another swath back into control.

"I see that. But... why?"

A soft rattling comes from the skeleton, and it takes Qualn a moment to realize it's a quiet laugh! The skeleton reaches into his robes and hands him a small handful of flowers, then motions for him to follow.

Perplexed, Qualn accepts them and follows, wondering what the scion is trying to say. He's so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn't notice the older wolfkin woman until Grim stops him.

"Oh, have you made a friend, Grim?" the aged wolfkin says, her voice friendly. Qualn blinks at her, wondering just how old she is, and how long she has before the Raven collects her. "That's nice. He's not one of Thedeim's, is he?" Grim rattles again and shakes his head, motioning at Qualn and earning a laugh from the woman as well. She turns her attention to Qualn. "Where are my manners? Talking like you're not there. I do hope you're not here to take me to your employer, hmm?" she jokes with the kind of grim humor only the ancient can pull off.

"Ah... no, ma'am. I'm..." he trails off, not quite sure what he's doing. The woman glances at the flowers in his hands, then nods at the wilted ones atop a gravestone.

"Ah, are those for my departed husband?" she asks, and Qualn quickly nods, unable to think of any other reason he'd have them. "Such a good lad. Those were his favorites, you know?" As she talks about her husband, Qualn quietly takes the old flowers away and replaces them with the new, listening to the tales of the woman's wild youth and her wild husband.

It's not until nearly noon that she takes her leave, and Qualn tries to comprehend what just happened. He still has the wilted flowers in his hands as he wanders the graveyard, feeling like what just happened was important, but he doesn't understand why. His feet eventually carry him back to Grim, who nods at the pile of compost.

Qualn tosses the flowers onto it, then accepts a pitchfork to help turn it, still deep in thought. Grim pats his shoulder, breaking him from his stupor before taking back the fork, and turning to more of his duties. Qualn watches him go, still trying to understand.

He doesn't know what the Raven wants to teach them, but he feels it's important. He returns to the flock to tell them to be up early tomorrow, at least the ones that won't be delving. There is work and thinking to be done tomorrow, while helping Grim tend to the cemetery.