Crooked Crows Novels & Stories

"The rumor concerning CRUZ company...you didn't hear it?" "CRUZ company? I didn't hear about that, what was it about?" "CRUZ company was accused of producing fake designs and forging other companies' designs of paintings. It was all over the news, Clara." There was a hint of shock and surprise in Ella's voice.

It was a Russian crime organization based in Brighton Beach. The name meant nothing to Elena at first. But Marco’s face darkened the moment he heard it. After the meeting, he explained what he knew. The Kozlov Bratva had been a small presence in the city for years. Recently, they had grown much stronger. They dealt in human trafficking and weapons. They were known for extreme violence. Even by criminal standards, they were dangerous. If they were moving into family territory now, it meant they believed they could challenge the commission.

Feathers fell to the ground as the injured crow made its way through the broken window. Bones snap and a sickening growl is heard as the crow lands shifting into the former corpse of a man. Limping to the pedestal the man finally falls to his knees coughing up blood. "50 long years it's been. 50 years! You come here after 50 years to cough blood at my feet?" The deep husky voice laced with malice throws at his obviously unworthy servant.

I really love it. And then I see something. A bedraggled something flapping around on the ground by the hedge at the far side. I head over to get a closer look, and it’s a crow, a big black one with beady eyes that glint as it stares at me. My heart drops as I see he’s got his leg caught in some wire, and I hate posh guy for having such an amazing place and not taking care of the maintenance. The fence is crap down here, all broken and battered, and nature’s suffering, yet again, for humanity’s dumbfuck ignorance.

To enter such a secret auction, you need a stamp of their sigil - a crow. Crows are said to be known for their clairvoyance and foresight. But the crow being used in the Order has a deeper meaning. Because they are considered wise, they are also known to bring death to your doorstep. That is why The Order is using this magnificent bird to spread the idea that although the crow would lead you to heaven upon death, this only masks their true ideal - power.

Every page exactly where it should be. Every line written like it had been carefully planned. Too carefully. I flipped to the next page. Then the next. Faster. My eyes scanned everything, dates, medications, notes, signatures. Everything looked right. But something felt wrong. I slowed down. Went back. Read again. There. A small shift. A dosage change. No explanation. I frowned slightly. Turned the page. Another one. Different medication. Same issue. No reason given. My fingers tightened slightly around the paper. I flipped again.

The elk took up flanking positions around us and ran along side the dogs who seemed keep to chase the elk instead of continuing to the lakes. “Hike! Leave them boys. Hike!” More large black wolves started to pour down the slopes. As they did I began to see a flock of crows in the moon light wing low to the ground. The battle crows formed a mass and drove their beaks into the on coming wave of wolves, eliciting yips and yowls as the wolves turned away. As the sled began to cross the land bridge large gray and red wolves lines the edge of the bridge, closing off the path behind us, allowing none to follow us.

The king grabbed the handle and saw that it was a dagger exquisitely made. The tip of the handle was a mixture of silver and gold seemingly woven over each other. Between the handle and the blade was a dark grey gemstone shaped like a shield and its crossguard and quillon were shaped like that of a wave. Securing the dark grey gemstone, two silver and gold snakes crossed over each other with their tails ending at the edge of the crossguard.

Lucky to be alive, but then a cripple. He dragged himself back, looking to hide out with the small-time crooks he used to look down on. However, his 'shining achievements' were the talk of the town, and nobody wanted to shelter this total washout and walking disaster. He could not even find a spot in the lowest rungs of the criminal ladder.