Mark Of The Raven

Chapter Five: The Vision

" Todd?" I questioned. I am not exactly someone to judge but it doesn't seem like a diety with such power and knowledge or what it calls " Vision" would be named with something so basic and despite that, I had a feeling it just picked a random name strictly because I would've kept asking otherwise. " Well can you explain this mark?" I held up my arms, showing off the mark to the figureless being.

" That is the mark of vision. Watching all, seeing all, knowing all. In the times long before you existence, random were chosen to bare it. But they became consumed by the vision" Todd answered.

" Is that because they could not control it? " I asked as I lowered my arms back down. This was my chance to learn as much as I could about the mark and I would not waste this opportunity.

" No. This was because they felt endowed by it. They felt as though they were higher than the vision itself and that is why they were lead astray" he answered. This would mean that people became power hungry. Which made sense given the state of the current world.

" I'm guessing with the vision..you mean how I can see in the dark? " this was the one ability I had found the most useful even though it was mainly used to keep me and my friends alive instead of navigating myself through dark areas where I would always stub my toe on furniture that I could swear had not been in my path before.

" No. The vision is beyond that. The vision is the ability to see beyond the fabrics of common reality. To see beyond the intentions of others" he answered which gave me more questions than answers.

" So the power is based on sight..but then how am I able to shoot the shadow..feather things? How am I able to control them? That has nothing to do with seeing beyond the fabric of reality.." I asked. If he was correct and the vision was the only gift of the mark, then I wouldn't be able to do the things I've done. I wouldn't be able to take the lives that I've taken.

" You are too ignorant now to see the true meaning of my words but I assure you, that the vision provides that ability to do what you speak of and so much more whilst sticking to its purpose"

" Its purpose? " I asked. " Yes, it's purpose. Destruction and absolution"

And before I could get out my next question, I awoke to find myself back in the bed, alone in my room, and sporting a pounding headache. " What in the hell was that? " I asked myself. Was any of that actually real? Or did I just imagine it? Perhaps it was just a crazy dream due to the stress that I've been under?

I looked around the room and noticed that the Raven was gone as well which was both relieving and slightly concerning. I decided that there was not much I could do about it for the moment though and tried to go back to sleep.

I awoke several hours later with light creeping in through the broken window in room. It took a few minutes for me to finally summon the strength to get out of bed and make my way downstairs where I found Emery and Issac making a crude breakfast of candy and snack cakes, sprinkled with chips which of course, could not be healthy but this was all we had. " Remind me the next time we get food, to snatch some Jerky or something" I groaned as I made my way to the old table that had been lightly wiped clean of dust by Issac and his shirt which was now crusted with dust at the bottom.

We ate our breakfast but I had not discussed the dream with either of them because I wasn't quite sure what to say about it. If Todd was real..and he was correct..that might mean that the mark truly is nothing but a curse. And would not be able to help us in our plan.

" So we are still heading out west, right? The information was good? " Emery asked Issac who was cramming down another cake into his mouth. " Yeah..from what I heard, there is resistance out there. Where all these crazy cult people aren't able to hunt" When he said cult, he was referring to a tribe. Or more so, a collection of tribes. After the collapse of the world, several people ventured out into the wilderness to make a new life for themselves. They deemed the named tribe all their own, whilst most viewed them as a cult. Mainly because there were quite a few that seemed to dawn a form of insane religious practices. Some people thought they turned to religion because that was the only hope that was left within the world. Whilst others believed they turned to it, to excuse their horrible actions. Supposed murders and abductions had been taken place all across the country by these cult tribes. The purpose wasn't exactly known but it had been a big enough problem that people started to fight against them. At the time, it was believed to be possible as they were suspected to have a small number of followers at any given time. However, when it came down to fighting, these people greatly outnumbered the resistance and were vastly more trained in combat than any who opposed them. Keeping the two separate was the idea after the countless deaths that occurred but thats when things got even weirder. These..cults..tribes? They started being able to do things that were completely unexplainable. Things that can only be summed up as something akin to the powers that I now possess which obviously, gave an edge to the cult. Noone really knows how or why but now, now I have a feeling that Todd had something to do with all of this. And I still didn't have a clear answer as to why that was. Did he want to watch the world burn? Was he impartial? Was he simply curious and wanted to bestow powers upon people just to see what would happen? I don't really have the answers to those questions. All I know is, that I am like the cult in the sense that I have power. But I could never commit the acts that they have. I could never do the things they've done. And that is not to say that I'm a good person because I'm very much not. But..my motivations are different. I am not nor will I ever become as corrupt as the cult.

" Are you even listening Val? " Emery asked, which snapped me out of my thoughts and back to reality for a second. " I'm sorry, what was being said? " I answered, noticing the impatient look Emery was wearing. " I asked if you were ready to go? We have a long journey ahead and we should get moving soon" Emery restated and I nodded. " Yeah, let's just get the hell out of here" I sighed as we packed our things and made our way out of the house.