I was expecting to have a normal day, just like every day, peaceful... without worries. Oum was I wrong. For as nice as the day began, it came burning down. Some time in the afternoon the village had been attacked by a group of bandits and with one of our heaviest hitters away, we didn't stand a chance. Families and children slaughtered, scorched and for the few lucky ones, shot dead on sight. Somehow I managed to survive, my instincts and gut feeling being above anything me or my parents have seen, without it, I might be nothing more but just a corpse. Since I had survived, the bandits decided to capture me along with 3 or 4 others.We were taken to the bandit camp and thrown into makeshift cells and informed about our upcoming end.

"You should have died in the fire. Now you'll have to entertain us." the bandits laughed and I felt like crying.

"Make peace with your deities." I ducked into a corner and hugged my knees to my chest. My time to live just shortened, as a man came with a sick smile on his face and spinning the keys on his finger.

"Kido, you're lucky. You are the first to get sent to the afterlife."

The bandit kept the sadistic smile as he dragged me in the middle of some arena and tossed me. The first thing I tried to do was to escape but the gate was closed by the time I got back on my feet. I ran to it and tried to open it, but my attention was diverted to something else, the sound of rattling chains. I turned my head slowly to see my executioner. A living breathing, scarred and very pissed beowolf was jerking violently within his restraints. A masked figure appeared and the crowd began to cheer before being silenced with a sine raised hand. Whomever this person was, one thing was clear, this one was the leader of the bandits.

"My people. Today is a great day, as we have found food for our beast. And it's as fresh as it gets. So fresh in fact that he 'might' even be able to fight back or at least scream it's lungs out." the crowd began to laugh and cheer even louder.

"Free the beast!"

The chains holding the grimm were shot, it immediately rushed toward me and lunged. My body got bathed in a greenish glow, remembering what mine have thought me about aura, healing the small burns on my body and feeling slightly reinvigorated. I used the boost offered from the adrenaline to roll out of the way, leaving the beowolf hit himself on the wall. The crowd went silent, but the silence was soon followed by cheers. The beowolf got back up, shook it's head and bit my left arm, before I could bring myself back onto my feet.

As soon as I got bitten, the intense pain awakened something deep inside. My body began to move on it's own, everything became blurrier, and yet I was aware of exactly what I was doing. I slipped my hand between my arm and the beowolf's lower jaw and yanked it's mouth open with enough force that it had snapped out of it's place. As soon as the grimm recoiled back in pain and moved away, I got back on my feet. Turning around I could see the outline of the lower jaw, dangling and he grimm howling in pain. I rush to the beowolf, grabbing it's spikes and toss the beast at the gate, breaking it open and impaling the grimm into some of the metal bars. This was my chance to escape. I ran pass the guards and out into the woods, bleeding heavily from my shoulder.

Even now I was following my instincts. They led me back to the burned village. My berserk like rage was fading and gradually repalaced with pain. I looked around for anything that I could use to at least close my wounds. I had luck and found some bandages. I went to the river flowing through the village and cleaned my wound. What came next added to the pain. I went to the town forge and found the oven still burning.

"Have to close the wound." I placed the bandage roll in my mouth, put on a leather glove and picked up a sword that had been bent and still glowing red. I placed the hot lump of metal on the wounds. I was crying from all the pain, surprised a bit that I only now did I begin to. The heat of the forge and the blood lost made me feel sleepy and with no choice, I drifted off leaning into the forge.

I woke up in the middle of the night, with my instincts shouting at me and the skin of my neck covered in goosebumps. There was something or someone watching me. When I got up, the sudden pain brought my attention back my wound. I bandaged my arm and shoulder as tight as the pain allowed me to, then I looked inside the forgery in hope of finding any weapon.

"Just give me something." I whispered as I found some weapons, but they were either melted together or bent.

"Nothing? Not even a kitchen knife? What did I except, this place was raided not so long ago." Then I remembered my father's dust gloves. They might look like simple attire, but the whole village was once know for our mastery in the delicate art of dust infusion. I didn't waste any time,  only to remember my childhood when in front of the crisp that was once my house.

"All burnt. Front entrance. Main hall. Kitchen. Living room. Main hall. My room. Main hall again. My parent's room."

I mumbled to myself the different parts of the house where I was walking through, remembering all sorts of events, all while moving the ruble out of the way. Till now my luck was just like a heart beat, up and down, up and down,  but now... it had flat lined. I was starring at the burnt remnants of my parents. I see one glove intact and the other one burnt a bit, both on what I assumed to be my father's body. I have no idea what was stronger at the time, the sadness or the anger, as I was shaking violently, while I tried to remove the gloves without moving the corpse to much. I brought them slowly to my chest and encased the attire in a hug.

Shortly after,a raven had landed on a still standing yet burned support pillar. My instincts yelled at me to run as I heard the bird flap its wings. I bowed my head and I placed the gloves on. My body once more moved on it's own, rolling forward, making me dodge a lethal strike.

"You are a rather interesting one, aren't you?"I turned around to see that the raven took the shape of the bandit leader, her sword embedded into the burnt floor.

"What do you want with me? Why did you come after me? How did you find me?" She jumped of the pillar, pulled her sword out and was slowly creeping closer to me, letting her sword scratch the floor. I got back up and tried to take a fighting stance.

"It's simple. You are my possession and you were very easy to find. You did bleed quite a lot and I must admit that you impressed me, back at the arena and here as well." when she got to close for my comfort, I took a step back. She stopped, sheathed her sowrd and removed her mask, making me feel rather uneasy.

"You going to pull out one of those 'this is the last face you'll see'?"

"Do I look like your everyday villain?" the only response I gave her was a left punch, which she easily dodged. I didn't receive any proper training with the gloves, so half of my forearm was now stuck in an ice wall, created by the glove.

"Looks like the family heirloom left you down." I placed the other hand and tried to melt the ice almost blowing my arm of from the excessive use of the heat.

"You lack the training to-"

"SHUT UP!!" I shouted when I got my arm out of the block. The berserk state took control once more, but it wasn't enough. She dogged every blow, till I was close to my breaking point. I tried one more time to freeze her but this time I got my whole left arm encased. I felt like my time had come and couldn't take it anymore so I broke out in a cry.

"Is it vengeance?" too afraid to die, I tried to roast her alive, so I waited for her to get closer.

"If you want, you can join my band. It's better then nothing." I got too anxious so I used all my remaining strength for one last punch and closed my eyes. Feeling her grip on my right hand and still hearing her footsteps, I was expecting a final blow or maybe something along the lines of torture. Instead she, brushed her left hand from my elbow to my left shoulder, then down to my hip and finally she rested her hand on my abdomen. All my muscles were flexed for a brief moment, but relaxed shortly after. I felt as tho I was hugged.

"Don't be an idiot and do what's best for you. After all in this world only the strong survive." she placed her right hand over mine and brought it to the ice block melting it in no time. I fell to my knees with her leaning on my back, still holding my hand. Then I was pulled on my back, my head landing on her lap. Her hands now on the side of my face holding me still for a short kiss. After the kiss, I noticed her blood red eyes. They were calming me but also sending shivers down my spine.

"I am sorry for your loss, but I'll be here to comfort you should you feel the need, OK?" With the little strength I mustered, I told her my name without any stutter

"Name....is Emery Cordum."I thought a bit about it and decided not to tell her my acutal name, giving her a fake made up one.

" Nice to meet you Emery. My name is Raven."

I accepted her offer and joined in her band. With time I was able to climb up the ranks and even became her right hand man, also her lover. This got me a few challengers and bullies, that learned to be respectful, be it either through the fear or the kindness and understanding I showed them.