Jack was a huge man, but not the scary type. He was actually very kind and mostly curious, a little bit weird with his crow, Ebony, always upon his shoulder.
With a pronounced taste for adventure, one day, he started a journey and was heading the "Unknown Lands", a place that no one, according to the legend, had never returned. Determined to discover all the secrets of these lands, Jack reached a cave, the first step of his adventure !
Walking through a billion spiderwebs, Jack reached a room. The atmosphere was a bit strange and the room was almost empty. All that remained were ruins.
A fragment seemed to slightly glow among the heap. Jack took it. Old inscriptions were engraved on it, but it did not look like any common language he knew.
A shiver ran through Jack. The atmosphere became stranger. But Jack had set his mind, he couldn't stop his journey now. He wanted to reach the "Unknown Lands", no matter what...
After a few hours of wandering and exploration, the fragment that Jack took became shinier. As Jack moved forward, the light was intensifying. It led him to a huge room.
A hole in the ceiling left the moonlight illuminate a statue in the middle of the room. It looked like a divinity or a priestess, wearing a ceremonial mantle and holding a scepter.
Suddenly, the fragment began to shine brighter. A cold wind rushed into the room. And then, a deathly hush reigned. Just when Jack decided to move forward, the statue seemed to awake...
Jack was confused. The riddle didn't make any sense to him. So, he started to look everywhere, hoping to find a clue... Nothing.
Then, Ebony came to him, tinkling his beak on the fragment. Jack suddenly got a revelation. Unfortunately, the bird understood what Jack had on his mind a bit too late. He tried to fly away to hide, but Jack managed to snatch a feather right on time.
Now, he had all the pieces : the dark and delicate was the black feather, and the bright and heavy, the fragment.
After the chase with Ebony, Jack entered the room with caution and placed both the fragment and feather at the bottom of the statue.
Suddenly the whole room began to shake. Jack took a step back. The statue moved slowly and a staircase was revealed under its base. Even if he was very brave, he was also prudent. Jack took some times to think and finally got into it. After a few steps, the statue moved backward. Jack and Ebony were trapped.
Locked in this cavity, Jack moved forward with one goal : to find an exit. The stairs led to a huge maze with paths and doors everywhere. This place was confusing.
Fortunately, he could count on Ebony, his not so resentful companion, to help him. The bird flew away to explore the most distant parts while Jack followed the path before him. Each room, each corridor, led to another room. It seemed infinite.
After several hours, Ebony returned to Jack. He had found something...
He barely had time to read these words that Jack began to feel bad, weak. He collapsed to the ground, his lamp broke. The room was then plunged into darkness.
Ebony did not seem to be affected. He tried to wake up Jack ... without success. Desperate, he screamed for help.
Suddenly, the ground lit up and a mystical drawing appeared. The room began to shake. Several meters above them, the ceiling opened and a cloud of crows entered.
All the crows came together to lift Jack up and get him out of here. They dropped him at the edge of a huge cliff, overlooking a whole valley.
Jack woke up softly. Still a little stunned, he was trying to understand what just happened. He scanned the horizon and saw the crows in the distance, when a figure approached him.
He was a man, all dressed in black, and at least as huge as him.
He said to him a few words :
"Welcome to the black birds' kingdom, Jack. Or the Unknown Lands, as you call them.
Was your trip good ? We were expecting you and Ebony."
credits | design and story made with by cora cobbe