"Chiirrrpp. Chirp, chirrrp."
Mouse woke up and smiled as the singing birds. He smiled at the flowers that bloomed and a branch laden with fruit make it's way through the window. Mouse sat up, took a piece of fruit and started chewing on it.
"Ahh good you're awake. I think today's the day, what do you say?"
Mouse turned and saw the old shadow stand in front of him.
"You mean to race? If so, I'm ready. Prepare to lose old man."
"Hohoho. If you beat me, you get your mask. Which has recently been finished, and also I will give you a mission… However, if you lose, then that shows you're not ready."
Mouse smiled. "I'm ready where do we race? I've been practicing a lot, also my fighting. I'm a lot stronger since you saw me last."
"Let's see your improvement. Come let's drink some tea and then start our race."
Mouse nodded and stood up following the old shadow with ease.
"Come on old man, you're slow. Can't you move a bit faster?"
"Your hand signals are becoming nature to you. You'll have to be careful if you're too fast, no one will understand what you're wanting to say."
Mouse sat in his chair and picked up a cup of tea and closed his eyes enjoying its taste as he drank it. He smiled as the old shadow sat opposite him. "I'm glad that I've been able to teach you one thing."
"What's that? You've taught me many things."
"I've taught you to enjoy tea."
Mouse smiled and took another sip from the tea."It's sweeter than the other teas I drank. What is it?"
"This tea is what I call a morning fruit tea, I add kola berries to it… They're hard to find, but they add a nice taste."
Mouse put the empty cup down. "It was delicious. Now can we race?"
"Fine. Fine. Let's go race. I want to see your improvement."
Mouse stood up and followed the old shadow out of the house and to the middle of the village. "In that direction you'll see a dead tree on its own. Easy to recognize. First person there wins."
Mouse smiled. "I'm ready. I'll see you at the finish line."
Mouse jumped and ran along the branches of the trees.
"Trees help me win."
He stood on a branch and felt a rapid push from the branch as it launched him forward. He smiled. "This is fun. Thank you for your help."
He closed his eyes, opening the mouths on his hands. He could feel the energy enter his body strengthening. He landed on another branch as it shot him forward. He opened his eyes and mouth to laugh, but nothing came out.
He looked at his hands as he raced forward. "I can go faster. Need more strength." As the mouths ate the energy around the trees, he could feel his body changing. He jumped from the branch and felt the strength in his legs increase. "Thank you pulsing object… With your help I'll win this race and get my mask."
��Sapling, this strength is still not enough. As your body grows stronger, you'll be able to take in more energy. Keep training."
Mouse nodded and stopped as he saw the sole dead tree in front of him. He ran and took a large final jump, landing on its trunk and slide down to the ground and stood waiting.
He heard a branch move and smiled as the old shadow stood in front of him. "Not bad… It seems this race has made you stronger. Interesting… The trees really adore you… Well you've earned it. Here's your mask."
Mouse caught the black mask that was thrown at him and looked at it with a smile.
"Thank you. I'll do you and the shadows proud."
"When you put your mask on, you're a different person, which means you need a name for people to call you. This is to keep your identity hidden, as well as people you know not to be hurt."
Mouse nodded and looked at the black mask. He looked up and saw the old shadow with his mask on, so he put his mask on. "From now on, outside the village you wear the mask understood?"
He nodded. "Good… Now you need a name for when you wear the mask."
Mouse looked up at the dead tree and noticed a single green leaf swaying in the breeze. He smiled.
"Leaf."
"Hohoho… Short and simple. That's a good name. Then you're called Leaf… Here this is for you too."
Leaf looked at the parchment in his hand and opened it smiling.
"Mission. About time."
He read the details in the parchment and nodded. "I can do this… I'll head there now."
"Good. I'll be waiting back at the home with some tea to celebrate. Remember, do what the mission says, and don't deviate from the request."
Leaf saluted and jumped into the branches above him he looked at the parchment again.
Calan Rufua a merchant in the capital. Must look like an accident.
Leaf crushed the parchment in his hand and started to head towards the capital as fast as he could.
As he travelled memories of his time in the capital came flooding back to him. He stopped moving and sat on a branch wiping the tears from his face. He looked at the trunk of the tree he was sitting on.
"I was not strong enough, back then. Now I'm going to be stronger so I can get my revenge."
"Sapling… You're still little and need giant trees to keep you shelter. To face against those that you desire. You need to become even stronger."
"Patience is something I'm still learning. I need to get stronger faster."
"Yes sapling, you need to become strong fast. Change is in the air… The trees are becoming nervous."
Leaf opened his eyes and jumped racing towards the capital. He finally stopped at the gate to the capital as the sun was setting behind the keep.
Leaf let out a deep breath and sat on the branch chewing on an apple and watched the gate in thought.
He looked at his hands and nodded. They opened as he stood and he felt energy fill his body and mind. He clenched his teeth in pain as it forced itself into his muscles and bones. He opened his mouth to scream, but only air came out. He started coughing, and black blood came out and landed on the ground below him.
He wiped his mouth of blood and stood panting heavily. "Thank you, trees. Now let's get this mission complete."
He stood and waited for his body to recover before jumping down and moving as fast as he could through the capital gate and jumping onto the roofs of the houses inside the city. He looked back at the gate and the soldiers around it looking oblivious to his entry and shook his head at their failure. He jumped from house to house heading towards the market district. He stopped to get his bearings and stood in thought for a moment before smiling mischievously and started running and jumping in a different direction.
"Calan… Come let's eat… We've been making a fortune at the docks since all the troublesome people have disappeared. We need to finally celebrate."
Leaf stopped moving and look at a small group of people walking towards an open tavern. He smiled broadly under the mask.
He walked towards the edge of the open tavern and sat watching the small group walk in and sit down together. He watched as a woman ran into the open tavern and quickly walk up to the group. "Mr Rufua… There is some news about the latest shipment."
"What happened?"
"They were attacked during the voyage. They sent the message as they landed in port. They took everything in the hold."
"Bang!"
Leaf watched with an amused look on his face. He touched his throat and sighed.
"Did they say who attacked it? Did anyone know what was on board in the cargo?"
"That was all sealed as requested, and no leak was discovered. It seems the attackers were lucky… Uhh sir, it was the Nebi…"
Leaf heard Calan curse and stand up pushing the chair back. "Those blasted pirates! I'm going to get them and scalp them one day! Sorry friends, I must go attend this issue."
Leaf stood up and jumped to the opposite roof and tailed Calan and his servant through the streets. He looked up and saw the docks in the early evening sky.
"Servant… did the captain call it in, or was it our plants?"
"It was both, the plants were first followed by the captain. It seems they just made it before High Noon sunk."
Leaf heard the cursing of the merchant. He looked ahead and noticed a railing near the bridge towards the docks was weak and rushed ahead. He jumped down from the roofs and hung from the side of the bridge and waited for Calan to walk past.
"Sir there is more… The one who requested us to ship that item. They're waiting at the office. They don't look happy."
"Shit… That's not good. I hope we can calm them down… You hurry ahead, and I'll be right behind you. I need to go home first to collect some coin to give them."
"Yes sir." Leaf heard the running steps of the servant running and another set of footsteps slowing down.
"Why did they have to attack High Noon? This is going to be the end… What can I do? That battery was going to change the world… Now it's in the hands of the pirates."
Leaf moved into position as Calan walked towards the broken railing and grabbed his foot pulling him into the water below him smoothly.
"Ahhh!"
Leaf moved away from under the bridge and watched as Calan's body did not return to the surface.
"AHH! Someone fell over the bridge! Look the railing broke. He must have been leaning on it for it to break."
Leaf watched from a distance as a crowd appeared on the bridge looking down into the water below.
"He's not going to make it through that water. His body is probably halfway out to the sea by now…"
He watched as guards arrived on the bridge. "What happened?��
"He was leaning on the railing, it broke, and he fell into the water below."
"No foul play here. It was an accident… Move along."
Leaf smiled and turned to leave jumping on the roofs and quickly leave the city disappearing into the forests until he arrived back in the village. He took his mask off and walked towards the house with a smile.
"You're back already? How did the mission go?"
"It was a success. It was as the mission requested. No hitches and no one knew I was there at all. I returned as soon as it was completed."
"That's good news. You're now one of the black shadows. A part of this village. Look after your mask and make it yours. Come sit down and enjoy some tea… Hmm. Your body has become stronger… It seems every time you go out you come back stronger."
Mouse smiled and sat down in the chair, picked up the cup of tea, closed his eyes and enjoyed its taste.
"Hello old man… May I borrow your student for a while? I'll bring him back in one piece."
"Hohohoho… It's usually the man who's asking the woman's family if they can take them somewhere… my, my, my. Times have changed."
Mouse looked at the woman that landed in front of them. "Come on you." Mouse shook his head and sighed following after her slowly.
He stopped walking and looked at her and saw her troubled face"I need your help… please…"