The Ravens of Portobello

                 The Ravens of Portobello

Florentine Marxa loped slowly through the dark forest carefully not to get astray, with a flambeau in his right hand. Time has passed by very quickly since he entered the forbidden forest in the town of Portobello. Soon he felt exhausted and hungry, which made him to pluck an unknown fruit appeared first in his eyes that hanged in an unknown tree deep inside the forest and started to eat it. It’s been six days since he started to investigate the forest to catch an ancient Raven which he always dreamt to possess, which was his main motive to pay visit in this town, but till now he could not even spot an ordinary Raven which is common in these forests. He sat in the shade of a big tree that spread its thickets like a serpent with head high off the ground, and had a big bite off the nameless fruit. The taste of the fruit left him drowsy and the patting of the wind from nowhere, on his face let his eyes fall down without his permission. Florentine Marxa, on his second last day in the town of Portobello, lay fainted in the deep forest, without knowing when will he wake up or what things is awaiting him from there.

Six days before, the light of the sun gleamed at the Santa Maria, a riverboat that came ashore with small traders with provisions, handicrafts and artifacts and good many other things, including street magicians and fortune tellers. Soon, they occupied the market and within no time they were surrounded by the natives to purchase everything they need. The town of Portobello, at that time was believed to be a forbidden land with the fear of black magic and ancient lore’s. Nothing good grew there or if grown, soon it will turn to evil was the belief of natives and foreigners. So the traders found a good niche in this town and they sold their things in double rate as the demand of the people is always high for things that glitter.

With they disembarked, Florentine Marxa. The sight of crowd that gathered in the market thrilled him for it’s the first time he has been in such a place. He had heard many tales about the Portobello which is rich in miracles and many other unnatural things from the Gypsies that halt on their way at his town in the corner of the Africa. Between the women’s bargaining for the goods they need and the children’s with there bulged out eyes on witnessing the magic by the magicians and the crowd around the fortune tellers and the most melancholy whores with enchanted robes waving at every men they pass by, Florentine Marxa wandered around the market with a good smile on his face and wonder in his eyes. But his motive was another, to catch the ancient Raven which can communicate with humans and was used as carriers in olden days. As the gypsies suggested him that the Portobello is the only land in these times, which is rich with Ravens of olden times, even it is tough to find one. On his start of his land, one gypsy said to him to clinch his hope tight for it is a luck to spot one, if spotted, to catch one and to own one.

The first day neared to its end, making him learn from the natives about the Raven and the places where they can be found. Every soul that he asked pointed their finger to a deep forest without uttering a word, with a shrunken face and they muttered to one another about Florentine Marxa’s insanity. But he refused them and their looks with a kind smile and passed by. The traders, magicians and fortune tellers called it a day after raising their own tents in the bare land near the market. On each tent, kindled with candle displayed the shadows of pounding horses and the sound of splashes and thumbing’s and moaning’s. The first days scents are for the whores, they say, and the next day scents for their life’s needs and the remaining days for restocking of provisions and the final day again for the whores. But he excluded himself from the sinful pleasures and sheltered himself on the boat in which he came.

At every dawn, after a small breakfast of Black coffee and a piece of bread, he goes deep into the forest with the traps and prey to catch the raven and a flambeau to be used in need and matches to light it,. At dusk, he returned back with disappointment of not spotting even a crow in the forest. The country man laughed at him and howled at him each time when he passed them, but he ignored their sarcasms with the usual smile that showed his confidence in the thing that he is doing. The next day and the three days followed gave him the same disappointment as of the first and then the second last day came, which left him fainted in the deep forest.

The gentle breeze started to increase its strength more like a violent hurricane and thunder started to rumble in the sky and there were flashes of lightning too. The downpour was heavy which woke him from his faint, but the flambeau and the matches got fully drenched in the rain. Darkness surrounded him that he could not spot himself and felt like he has been in the void. He searched for a hold with his hand and somehow stood up, then he slowly tiptoed and leaped his steps to escape from the forest where he thought he is trapped at least until the next morning. The hoots of the owls, the howls of wolves and the flapping of the bats scared him that made him to move from the prone area. It was then his eyes caught a gleam of light burning in a house near half a kilometer from him. He decided to seek shelter there and moved towards it.

The entrance of the house was designed with a semicircular archway with the real skulls and bones hanging on it. At the entrance of the doorway, there lay two mastiffs panting and ensuring the area. He felt like, out of the frying pan into the fire, but his curiosity on the house and its owner made him to move backyard of the house skipping carefully from the eyes of the mastiffs. There he saw a window wide opened, which gave a clear view of the inside, which was even scarier than the hoots and howls he experienced. On his front lay an altar with a statue of Satan and beside it, a black bible can be seen. The air stinks of cold blood, which again brought back in him the drowsiness. But his curiosity replaced his every other emotion. He checked inside the house from outside, but seen nobody. Soon, a fully naked, bleeding, masked face appeared in front of him and got hold of his neck and screamed through the window panes. A scream was heard that followed by the barking of the Mastiffs that were alarmed by their master. He struggled to escape from the hold and fall back. It was then he heard the growling of the mastiffs near him. Soon, he stood up and ran through the way that his foot found, just to protect his life as far as he can with mastiffs following him. He ran and ran and ran till he reached at a cliff where he can see no way rather than a great fall of water that form a stream down. He turned back and saw the mastiffs nearing him. With no other options available, he jumped from the cliff to the stream and escaped from the death by mastiffs.

The refreshing beam of sunlight woke him up from the exhausted rest caused by the last night’s run. He found himself behind a big rock in the stream that flows ahead. He struggled to gain his consciousness rubbing his eyes and saw the wonderful sight that he saw ever in his lifetime. He saw a pair of nipples gleaming in the morning sun, and the water drops that roll down the soft skin and was stored in the navel. The eyes sparked and lips were pink as same as her vagina. After the morning bath, a fair lady as white as light stepped into the bank of the stream and wore her robe and spotted Florentine Marxa staring at her with jaws dropped. She gave a seductive smile and moved to the wooden hut near the stream. Her name was Angel and she looked like more like her name. He followed her to the house where she gave him food and water and asked him to take rest till he regain his cheers. Florentine thought that he was dead due to the fall and is in heaven, but the heat of the tea she gave him fall on his lap made him realized that everything is real. He took a small siesta and after he narrated to her everything that has happened yesterday night for that, her answer was

“She is a devil who befriends with Satan, It is your luck that you are still alive”

There was a common vibe between them more like a familiar company who has met somewhere before. “Love at first sight” happened to them, but they were not ready to reveal it. They talked sitting on the rocks by the stream and they sang together the praises of love. He told her about the motive of his visit which made her thrilled as they both have the same taste for the Ravens. Soon she gave an unnatural whistle and he saw a bird glided towards them and came to rest on her shoulder. He couldn’t believe his eyes, for it was the ancient Raven which he was looking for. He tried to take him gently in his hand, but the bird refused his touch and gave a small peck with its beak.

“She is such a pure bird that refuses the touch of a stranger.” She told him.

Night came with the same thunder and lightning and the downpour were heavy. They sat together on the verandah of her hut, singing together, praising the beauty of the rain and the joy of the nature with the atmosphere. He lay on her lap and pressed his face on her stomach, which giggled her as if butterflies touching her stomach and they sat there till the light shines again on their body.

At the first crow of the roosters, he heard a big horn from the town. It was the signal by the riverboat signaling the traders and other travelers to get ready for the return journey. He half mindedly bid her farewell with a promise to come back at the next time when the river boat arrives. Once in every two months, the riverboat brings the same traders and magicians back to Portobello for the same trades happening now. He told her to be ready to come with him at his next journey and he ran to catch the river boat.

After his return, the days followed were the dark days for the natives of Portobello. The witch in great rage to the man who dared to enter her forest started to hurt the citizens with her mastiffs. The mastiffs at daytime and at night, rallied to the town and bite everyone who passed by. She cursed the land with more powerful spells that bring a big shadow over the land even at noon, when the sun was bright as molten lava. Many citizens contracted rabies, which were believed as the demonic possessions at that time. The citizens in great fury poisoned the mastiffs and marched inside the forest and burned her hut. They caught the witch as captive and tied her in a tree in the market place, fully naked with men beating her with ropes that tie bulls.

It was when the Santa Maria came ashore with Florentine Marxa. The traders disembarked along with Florentine and ran towards the crowds gathered in the market place. There, Florentine Marxa saw a lady tied in the tree, fully naked in a great rage and men beating her in their full strength. The lady’s face fall down, which covered her face with her braids. Soon, a well-built man with a sharpened knife came near her and cut down her long braid and bathed her in oil. Florentine Marxa couldn’t believe his eyes. He ran towards her, but he was blocked by the traders not to interfere in the matters of the natives. It was Angel who was tied there and the tears started to roll down her cheeks.

“She is not the witch you think, you fools. The demons has manipulated you” He screamed as if everyone could hear. She looked deep into the eyes of Florentine Marxa and found the only kind eye that is filled with love and sorrow.

Soon he was pulled backward by a hand and covered his mouth.

“Shut up, you fool” whispered a lady at his ear. He turned back and saw the Angle near him. He was left puzzled by the events happening in front of her eyes. Without making him more confused she told

“We are twins. She has gone astray long before with the pleasures and power that bad things give. I hate her a lot, but she in return loves me. I will say everything on our way back with you.”

He hugged her so tight that she made him afraid even for some time. He told her that how much he loves her and gave a deep kiss on her mouth. Soon, they saw a burning in the tree where the lady was tied. To free the land from the animosities of the devil, the native men burned the witch and the tree that she was tied. Florentine and Angel stayed for the remaining days in her hut till the next horn of the Santa Maria was heard. They together boarded the boat.

She was constantly looking at the sky when he asked her what she is looking for she pointed her finger to the sky and he saw two ancient Raven gliding towards them. The lady Raven came to rest on her shoulder and the male Raven on his hand. They continued their journey to his land with happiness and with his long dream fulfilled. They stood there at the dock and sang together for his surprise he heard the Raven singing with them. In the twilight with the raven resting on their shoulders, they lay at the wooden bench of the boat staring at the stars that sparked at them. Forgetting the time and situation, they loosened their dresses and made love with the Ravens witnessing their love.