CrunchBite

The dust was starting to settle when Tane pulled herself out of cover, and I followed after the swish of her long glossy black feathers. The ground had been disturbed; trees marked by the press of many bodies, occasionally nicked with horns. “Why does the forest not extend outside of the city?” Tane shrugged. “Probably … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 23)

“And this,” Tane said. “This is where we run.” “There was another gunshot!” I squeaked. “Why was there another gunshot?” “Well,” Tane said, darting her head about through the thick wiregrass. “I’d say it’s because someone else out here is hunting.” She grabbed me by the shoulders, and shoved. A few startled steps back towards … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 22)

Without the sound of the bird’s abrasive voice, I was left with the wind whistling through the trees and the steady thump of my shoes against the ruined pavement. Great branching lines of trees I’d only heard of or seen in photographs. Lines of ancient debris. Miles of mottled kudzu clinging to life underneath of … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 21)

The scouts brought in fresh food that day from one of the distant green houses. It garnished the table like on old farmer’s market. From the depths of the deep storage, a single steak had been procured and placed on the plate in front of me. Heated. Cooked to rare, it was familiar among the … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 20)

Mostly numb, voices bubbling from crow beaks. Arguments. Shouting. The common area for Prime-Nest was a floor below the high rise entry; in a room that had once been a ball area. The remnants of a stage was shoved to one side, but the long tables, aged, cracked, repainted dozens of times, took up the … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 19)

As my eyes adjusted to the sudden blur, she was in front of me, an inch in front of a smoking hole left in a long dead tube. “Well,” Trellis said, flicking her eyes over to Jay. “Seems like you’ve already made your choice here, haven’t you?” The bullet had passed within an inch of … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 18)

Her voice was sharp as a knife. Twice as dangerous. Rang through the still air like a razor. Turned and looked at her; the voice was female. She stood at my height, with a shock of pale hair tossed down her shoulders. Her hands rested on the armor of the Hand, tugging at it. Chitinous … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 17)

Jay clicked his beak. “We’ll take most of this back with us to Prime-Nest. There’s a lot of good materials here.” “Utilitarian of you,” I muttered, turning around to face him. Maybe I could finally find a place to take off the cryo-suit. It felt like I’d been in it for days, tight as a … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 16)

The USEC building looked less like a proud bastion of defence against humanity and more like the last refuge of a hoarder. I’d stumbled out the back, but approaching it properly, along the roads that the Crows prefered when they used roads at all, the front was something else entirely. Lines of gravestones littered the … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 15)

Omoi’s internal alarm lit up my head, vibrating through my bones. A tiny electrical shock, gradually increasing in order to make sure I stayed up. Consciousness was still just barely there, and she chirped out that I needed to wake up, leading to another electrical shock. A few half remembered things flittered through my head. … Read moreA Court For Crows (Part 14)