i gulped although i don't think there was any saliva in my mouth to swallow. hastily i wiped my hands on my trousers out of habit of them being clammy, as i stepped up to the table. the brass bowls held seven elements and i assumed the black goo was shadow. how did one choose?...if i chose fire one could assume i would be consumed by flame however if one chose air would i be suffocated instead? my palms began to sweat i could feel the cool clammy surface of them as i ran my fingertips over them gripping the hem of my tunic. "make your choice girl!"the voice thundered, my stomach churned twisting in a knot. my mind kept drifting back to the black goo in the third bowl down..shadow...i took a deep breath and decided that if i am to die today i would rather die feeling nothing then to feel it all. i stepped over to the dish with the charcoal liquid and raised my hand over the top watching as the goop formed spikes over its surface to fallow my hand. i gripped the bowl in my hands and picked it up as the black mass grew tentical's that stabbed in to my hands and burrowed in to my veins collecting in the center of my palm. i watched with curiousity as the black lines moved to design a sun in one hand and a moon in the other, the sun was surrounded by flames and the moon had all of the phases sarrounding the circle in the center. what absured shit was happening to me?
my eyes snapped open as air forced its way in to my lungs, i gasped sitting up out of jofferys arms who stared at me in disbelief "what?...why are you...why are you looking at me like that?" i didnt understand any of this what had happened what was happening to me! and why are these two staring at me like im a goddamn freak! " you know what. whatever, i dont want to know."i said getting up off the floor and dusting my pants off. my breath caught in my throat when i finally saw my hands. the designs were still upon my palms but the blackness stretched through my hands like creep vines up to my wrist slightly fading.. what...what had happened...
"wait!, arya...it isnt like that. you-you were dead."joffery said his tone puzzled "or at least i thought you were...what happened?" i blinked a moment taking in what he had said just now. i was dead?! no i couldnt have been i had clearly heard my heart beat..." i have no clue. i am alive i know that and for me that is enough" my head was throbbing like a stampede of elephants and my chest felt like it was going to collapse, what had happened? couldn't remember anything but the marks on my hands. i looked my hands over once more , clean and unmarred there was nothing? that was impossible i was sure there was marks on my hands. a warm trickle dripped from my nose alerting me, was my nose running? oh no i could not afford to be sick not now! my hand flew to my nose wiping what i thought to be snot on to my hand. i pulled my hand away only to see the deep crimson blood stained across my skin. a nose bleed? i had never had a nose bleed in my entire life what was happening to me. god i had hopped i didnt touch that manticore venom...no this wasnt the effects of that poison..
i had to get out of here, i had to see the alchemist. this wasn't normal, hopefully it wasn't bone break fever or the rickets. i scrambled to my feet and rushed to the door ignoring joffery as he tried to give chase. the cool damp air hit me giving me a refreshing breath as i ducked int o allyways, my lungs felt as if they had never took in that much oxygen at once. i ran and ran to the center of the vally towns where the nobles lived. i didn't even break a sweat, no heavy breathing and my heart stayed completely steady. what was happening to me?! my head began to spin, this was all to much...
in the center of valley village was elcryhs the eldest tree in the valley, the priests of kilgarah worshipped this tree if you ask me id say they ate one to many blisterwort mushrooms. benches surrounded the tree in its plot where i sat to collect my thoughts. things were quiet, markets empty the alchemy shop was dark save for the right side which was lit by the single torch lit at the doors of the battered maiden, it was a rather odd name for a tavern if you were a traveler passing through but for amelia the name held a meaning.
my thoughts drifted to sweet little amelia, she was a small woman but feirce as the day is long. she was a pretty maiden, well at least half her face was the other half was marred and blinded. her hair was short and black as pitch that accentuated the one glittering cerulean blue eye, many of the men of the vale thought her quite beautiful but only those who she truly valued as good friends knew she no longer had a desire for the male species. i felt my mouth tug in the corner hinting at a grin. i took a deep breath finally calmed and turned my sights to the wall. I could just leave...but where would I go, surely the news of malcoms death had not grasped at the ears of azuné yet. It had barely left the brothel. I supposed perhaps I could Escape to my cave till he returned to find the order filled.
I lifted my hands and buried my palms in to the sockets of my eyes feeling the soft burning that accompanied the pressure, small white spots began to appear in the blackness behind my eye lids. What did I do, the abuse was bad but did malcom really deserve that? He did give me a place to stay warm and out of the rain...fuck! I'm just a kid, a 13 year old child who was trying to make my dues. All of this over a few pieces of silver, a man died because I crawled through shit for three fuckin silver peices!...
"Are you always going to blame yourself for the outcome of others? Why did he have to choose such a pansie as the newest recruit."
Startled i flinched at the cool sound of a females voice. Her dark red hair was pulled back tightly flowing down her back in fiery curls, her face was mostly obscured by the black mask leaving only her peircing grey eyes exposed. "Wh-who are you?"
"A friend. That shadows called to me informing me your mission has been completed, ive been sent to collect you."
Collect? Was i now owned by this women and her masters?? "Collect me?...i didnt do anything wrong?" I pleaded trying to play innocent sure she was part of the kings elite gaurd. Before i could take a single breath i could feel the sharp edge of a blade pressing in to the flesh of my neck...how was that possiable she wasnt close enough to move that fast was she?
"Look kid im just doing my damn job. Azuné sent me to make sure you made it out of the santuary alive. I personally dont give a damn, if it were up to me id gut you here and let you bleed out. However he seems to care about you so i wont cross that line with him" i couldnt breath or move a muscle as i listened to what she had to say. When the blade was lifted from my neck i felt the wet surface as blood dripped down from a small surface scratch from the blade pressing in to my flesh.
"Im sorry...i didnt know-" i didnt get the rest of my words out before there was a peice of cloth being held against my neck "shh. You have nothing to be sorry for. Aisha, we need to get going. " the raspy voice said hushed and harsh. I was picked up and cradled as the world went black around me.
When i was finally able to see again we were perched on the cliff above the waterfall, was this one of the abilitys of the shadow sydicate...is this how they killed without being caught? I barely had time to think before he set me down turning to face aisha who shrunk before his height as his upper lip twitched in anger. He gripped her by her throat and picked her up "i gave you one rule aisha, just one..." his tone never rose above the calm took with me previously "not one scratch..." he hissed in a tone quiet as a whisper. Aisha clutched at the gloved hand at her throat as she flailed her legs to attempt to escape his grip. He tossed her to the ground causing her to roll. Aisha coughed as she tried to gather herself "it could be worse azuné i never even wanted her to join you had an apprentice! You pawned me off on zephyr because you never wanted a student but this child comes along and all of a sudden you magically want to train up a child" aisha had clear pain on her face.
Azune glared "fine. If you feel my judgement in who is worthy of my teachings is misguided than fight her for it. " he said tossing me the dagger at his hips.
My fingers hadnt even wrapped around the hilt of the dagger before she was on me tackling me and flipping me on to my back. I had no time to think...reflexivly my hands flew up gripping her wrists. I could feel my blood begin to boil and i knew it was coming, the side of myself i restrained the side i hid deep inside "please...i dont want to hurt you..." i pleaded as she kept trying to fight my grip on her wrists to plunge a dagger in to my heart
"You hurt me? Im a fully trained shade" she hissed pressing her full weight down on to the dagger in her hands, her grey eyes filled with anger jealousy and rage..without anywarning my inner demon finally broke loose from its cage.
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Azune watched from the side lines are arya and aisha began their fight waiting for the kokiri demon to emerge from within arya. Finally her eyes phased over to red and her black hair turned white the red tips sticking out in a wild array of spikes as the shift completely took over she shoved aisha off like it was nothing as her body crashed in to the wall. Standing before her was the beast he wished to tame her size now three times what ut was under its human host, her arms hung to her thighs with claws like daggers. The sweet smile she once wore dancing in the market on easter morning now stretched from ear to ear with teeth like daggers that were meant for ripping flesh of ones bones. Azune felt his heart leap a little at the secret only he knew...113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnL0a4Cp4ut
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14 years ago...
"Azune! Wait up.."
I shook my head and finally turned around to see the pale blue eyes i so despretly wanted to look dive in too..the way kiri looked at me. She never saw danger in what i was, never saw the demon within or the killer for hire...
She smiled so sweetly as strands of her hair fell over her face" i made you lunch" she said holding out a brown paper bag to me. I accepted it and nodded, she wasnt allowed to hear my voice i was a shade which meant she wasnt even supposed have ever seen me...my heart felt like it stopped as she walked away, i think i almost forgot to breath...kirishina, i hate to see you walk away. How i long to be by your side...she was just a simple market girl to the public eye. To him, she was the granddaughter of his elder, master Tynon had made it clear she was to never find out who she really was or where she came from. how badly i wanted too, but i knew that would break more than a few rules.
i watched her from a distance as she sold her wares to the townsfolk, this is your job azune..i had to remind myself. today was my day to watch kiri, if our rivals caught wind of the daughter of Nyreah the dragons child was actually alive all these years it would put a target on the girls head. kiri's mother was a bit of a legend around these parts as i one day hoped to be, she was said to rip men to shreds within moments with an ability she alone possessed. Kiris father was my first teacher and a gifted shade with the ability to harness the shadows better then death himself, orin and his lover where the dynamic duo in the synidicate you needed a job done bloody you sent them, you needed it done without anyone knowing you sent the dragon and the shadow. the last mission they had went on had gone sour before the arrival and while they had prepared they did not expect the daggers in the back before they even climbed the wall..kiris mother was already dead by the time the elders had caught wind of the ambush from the trees. orin saved his daughter with the dagger that was buried in his shoulder blade from the assault, cutting her from his own wifes belly as she took her dying breaths...kiri was the legacy she had left behind...
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present.
even now as azune gazed upon the beast before him he could only see the beauty in its form, could i really still only tell her nothing? azune felt conflicted as he stepped forward to get in between the demon and aisha. he stood silently placing his hand on the side of the demons face. "Hush now kiri...sleep." the demon tilted its head to the side as its red eyes widened in recognition. "Shh, calm. Sleep now..." the form of the demon shrunk back in to itself as the unconscious girl was left behind...azune caught her before she could hit the ground cradling her in his arms. Her black hair laying in an array of strands across her face as she lay so peacefully in his arms. "Why are you babying that beast azune! She tried to kill me!" Aisha said her tone over flowing with hate and malice and naturally fear.
"Didnt you try and kill her first?" Azune responded cooly as if what had happened had been normal.
" yeah, but you didnt tell me she had that ability! Only the dragon had that ability and it died with her daughter! Why are you always so hung up on kiri! She is gone there is no bringing her back. That girl is a threat to everyone in the synidicate if she so happens to loose her temper"
Azune sighed through his nose setting arya down gently. "Kiri is not dead." He said softly and turned on his heel to face aisha " she is that girl." His gaze met hers as he was filled with guilt for hiding it from her for so many years.
"Wh..wha...what?" Aisha took a step back and swallowed " what do you mean azune?"
Azune took a deep breath and sighed, start a fire, We will head back at dawn.
Aisha raised a brow questioning him for a moment but then decided she wanted to hear the explanation. She took a look at aryas sleeping face and shook her head.
The flame from the fire ignited all that it touched in its warmth and light as azune sat beside the girls sleeping form.
"Its a well kept secret, only the elders me and of course logan know about her. We keep an eye on her for her safety..."
"But why make her an orphan? Why leave her in the street like that?"
"We needed everyone to beleive kiri had died. The snow sanctum shades and blood oath shades coveted her and even started a war to take her away...we were lucky to catch her in time she was already dying an apprentice much like yourself decided he could put an end to the fighting by killing kiri off...tynon and i and the doctor travled with her poisoned body clinging to life to the healing isles and left her in a tree pod which healed her but we had to hide her away and left her too long.."
Aishas hand flew to her mouth as a tear streamed down her face "leaving them for more then a day will begin to age them backwards..."
Azune nodded "i know...when we finally came back we found a toddler. It was better to tell everyone that kiri died and raise her away from the family so she could stay safe...now she doesnt even remember who she is and who i am..."
Aisha instinctively rose to her feet and hugged azune "im so sorry...but wont training her be hard on you? She is...well was kiri at one time. "
Azune nodded "yes, but the time has come. The demon that dwells within her must be tamed, otherwise she will loose control and he will devour every living being in his path until he is satisfied....this was already in the plans. She is still kiri, just without all the memories and pain of her previous life."
"Are you going to tell her?"
He knew that he should, it was the right thing to do but how do you even tell a child they are really your long lost lover deaged by magical trees. He looked at the girls face and brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek bone "maybe...no...i dont know.."
"Your deaging is coming soon, maybe instead of jeeping the painful memories you should lock them in the tree like hers are age yourself younger.."
Azune shook his head" no. I want to remember her. Im skipping this time. I have to train her and then by the time its done i can disappear like i want to, which is why i wanted you to help me with this once im gone the protection of the familys greatest weapon falls to you. Zephyr has skills that would useful to you that is why i hand picked him for you.
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