The Nachtkrapp

Artur walked home as briskly as he could. He was cold, far colder than he should have been for this time of year. It was only Autumn, still a way off from the first snow. Yet the breeze that engulfed him was chillier than normal. He thought longingly of the warm tavern ahead and put a bit more speed in his stride.

The forest had brought no comfort tonight. Where the moonlit trees usually filled him with a sense of peace, he found the woods dark and silent this evening. A flock of birds had flown overhead, just before this unnatural chill had descended. Artur would be glad to reach town, it seemed as though the path was longer than he remembered.

He had almost reached the end of the forest, when he noticed a dark shape in the tree ahead. His first impression was of a bird, though it was far larger than any of the birds he had seen in the area. He approached it slowly, wary but curious. As he drew near the branch the bird raised its head and he looked into holes where there should have been eyes.

Artur did not move or speak for a moment, he was held transfixed at the darkness in those sockets. He felt the bird saw him clearly despite his lack of eyes. The bird was almost his height up close, and as Artur gained the ability to pull away from that stare he saw the huge wings were dotted with rotted holes. It was then that the smell arrived.

Artur was attempting to master his reaction to the carrion fragrance and was shocked to find the bird addressing him directly.

“Well then! If it were not bad enough we’ve grown so few, the man – beasts have lost respect entirely! Do you not know who I am? Do you not see me for the power I am? Ignorance!”

Artur did not know what to make of this tirade, though he knew he had offended the creature in some way. He also knew this was no ordinary bird. “Who are you? How can you be talking?” he asked.

“Truly! Man – beasts think talking is special. Just because you speak does not mean you know anything! Man – beasts have forgotten much; their speech now is filled with nonsense. One time ago, man – beasts knew Nachtkrapp was lord of the woods. One time ago, man – beasts were fearful of the Nachtkrapp. And so they should be! When I fly, my wings spread disease across the land! I claim lives with every flight! And still no respect! Arrogant man – beast!”

Artur was just as confused as before, though now he was becoming offended. “Why would I respect a creature enamored with death? What do the humans gain from this? Is the respect mutual? I have never heard of a Nachtkrapp before this evening. Why would I blindly respect you?”

“Respect you will!” replied the Nachtkrapp, “Nachtkrapps are not enamored by death. We know it is unavoidable. We are creatures of death, we are made with it. We know its feel, its smell, its taste. I will not be spoken down to by a man – beast!
What did the ‘humans’ gain? We did not eat them! We once feasted on man – beasts, you were greater in number then too. We pulled their intestines out and ripped open torsos for the tender organs. But the best flavor in the world is the eyes! How I long for the taste! You showed respect in those days. But we agreed, no feasting on the man – beasts, so long as they sent us tribute every moon, and never looked up when they walked in the woods!

Then another time ago, the man – beasts stopped sending the tribute! The strongest of us went to the villages to investigate, and do you know what we found? The villagers made friends with other forest kind! They made allies of the woodland spirits behind our backs! They knew how to keep creatures like us out of the village! They wronged us and then they barricade us out! So be it! No man – beast may be left alive now, we are at war!”

Artur grew alarmed for a moment at the words of this giant bird. But then said “How is it no one knows about this? If you truly are at war, why am I only hearing of this now?”

“Ignorant man – beast! This war started before you were born! We were mighty then! Mighty in strength and mighty in number. We flew over towns, covering entire districts in plagues. We scoured villages and hamlets, leaving rotted feathers behind to infect the livestock of the man – beasts. Our glories were many!”

The Nachtkrapp seemed almost to sigh then, “It was then that the man – beasts discovered the traps. We know not which forest folk taught the magic to them, we have many enemies. But they made traps large enough and quick enough to catch us. These traps were the capture and death of us one by one. Our numbers are small enough we stay to the forest now. The man – beasts may no longer give tribute, but they also no longer remember why they must stay out of our woods. Follow!” the Nachtkrapp screamed the last word, and began to fly down the path in the direction Artur had just come from.

Artur, with a growing wariness, followed the Nachtkrapp back into the woods. As they arrived at a glade, he saw a figure lying on the ground. His step slowed as they approached it. The Nachtkrapp noticed and settling on a nearby branch turned to speak.

“The man – beasts once knew many things, far more than the ignorant ones today! They knew the Nachtkrapp was lord of the woods! They knew to look the eyes of the Nachtkrapp was death! We are harvesters of souls! Gazing into our eyes is all the tribute we need!”

Artur approached the body, though he had a suspicion of what he would find. He looked down onto the slumped figure that was him. “I saw you earlier this evening,” he said, “I thought you a group of birds from your size. And I thought you had the darkest eyes I had ever seen.” Artur bent down to close his body’s eyes. By the time he’d stood up, the Nachtkrapp had left.

Artur wandered, not knowing what would happen, or should happen now that he knew he was dead. He walked into the forest with the half-formed idea of finding the forest folk the giant raven had spoken of. Perhaps they would know what happens to souls harvested by the Nachtkrapp.