"Sapling… We must talk." Mouse looked up from the tea he was drinking and closed his eyes breathing deeply. He stood in front of the pulsing object and smiled. "Hello. I'm here. What is the issue?"
"A taint has entered the forest. It's a small group of strange things spreading death and filth. It needs to be removed. Please deal with it as soon as possible." Mouse nodded and scratched his head.
"For all the help you've given me. No problem. I'll tell the old man and deal with it."
"He already knows of the taint… Please hurry."
"Hey… Wake up, we've got a mission to complete."
Mouse opened his eyes and looked down from the branch he was sitting in and saw the girl he helped in her mission. He landed in front of her and smiled.
"What's the mission?"
"Not sure yet. Just that we've all been summoned. Hurry up sleepy head, or we'll be late."
He ran with her as they made their way to the old shadows house and stood with the other black shadows waiting for him to arrive. He looked at the door as it opened, and the old shadow walked out.
"Shadows. Scout reports have located some beasts entering our lands. These beasts are not the usual that are found, and seem to give off some green battery energy, and emit a strange poison."
Mouses' eyes open wide and stepped forward.
"That's the same battery that the thieve leaders had implanted into them. They're experiments from the attendant. I'm sure of it."
He stared at the old shadow. "Let me at them. I want to get back at that attendant who did this to me."
Mouse lowered his hands and stared at the old shadow with anger and vengeance in his eyes. He put on his mask and stood ready.
"It seems my student here knows where they are from. Let's return them to their owner. The scouts are at the location and we'll join them to attack together. Masks on and move out!"
Leaf smiled under his mask and felt his anger grow inside him. He followed the other shadows as they jumped out of the village and into the trees. "Student stay close to me… You need to calm down and control your kill intent. Everyone can feel it, even the enemy. When you strike there must be no intent coming out of your body."
Mouse nodded and emptied his mind. "I need your help. Please help me…"
"Sapling. We can help and take it away, but there'll be a cost, and I'm not sure you can handle it."
Mouse looked at the pulsing object. "If I can get my revenge against Borgis I'll pay any cost."
"So be it… We'll take your killing intent away, and when you strike no one will ever feel your presence."
Mouse looked at the pulsing object as he watched the connection between him, and it start glowing as something was taken out of him. He became instantly calm.
"Thank you…"
"It seems you've really calmed down student. Sometimes your skill at learning surprises me."
Leaf looked at the old shadow and nodded.
"I just relaxed and calmed down as you said. This way no target will know I'm there."
"Good student. Now let's hurry to where they are."
He turned and saw the old shadow stare at him strangely. "I hope you don't regret your decision…"
Leaf looked at him in confusion as he jumped through the trees. "What do you mean? I'm here to kill the enemy and return it to Borgis."
"That's not what I mean… Never mind… Forget I mentioned it, and focus on the mission."
Leaf nodded and looked ahead in silence. He jumped above the tree line and saw green light in the distance. He landed on a branch near the old shadow. "I can see green light above the tree line. We're getting closer."
"Good we're almost there… Everyone prepare in formation."
Leaf watched as the other shadows split up and formed a large triangle formation with the old shadow and Leaf at the point.
He turned to the old shadow as they increased their pace, and only stopped when the old shadow raised his hand. Leaf stopped and crouched waiting and ready. He closed his eyes and released his senses. He felt others approaching from a distance.
"Thud."
"Report." He looked at the scout shadow standing in front of them.
"Ten mutated beasts covered in scars emitting light from an unknown green battery. Anything they touch dies from some acidic poison. They seem to work together, or some sort of communication between them"
He looked into the distance towards the location of the beasts in thought. He turned and eyed the scout shadow silently.
"That means if one is attacked, all will know at… Seems we have to kill them all at the same time… Shadows we'll strike all ten at the same time set a perimeter around them and wait for to attack at the same time… Move forward."
Leaf jumped from the branch and increased his speed to arrive at the location of the beasts. He stood in the branches above the beasts and stared at them silently. He looked up as the other shadows moved into position and looked down at the beasts. "Student… Wait."
Leaf nodded while staring at the beasts. He opened his hand and two short blades revealed themselves. He cracked his neck and stood ready to move.
"Aim for the backs of their necks so they don't see us coming… One hit kill. Don't give them a chance to communicate or send any messages."
He looked up and saw the other shadows standing with their blades ready to move. Leaf took a deep breath and looked at the tree trunks around the beasts.
"Go…"
Leaf jumped and moved as fast as he could to a tree trunk before jumping towards the first beast slicing it's head cleanly off. He then used his speed to roll and jumped towards the next beast stabbing it in the back of its head. He looked up as the other beasts fell to the ground covering the ground in green blood.
"Stay away from the blood. It's poisonous."
Leaf jumped back and ripped a portion of his clothing to clean his blades. He dropped the cloth as he watched the cloth start smoking from the green blood. He sheathed his blades and stood waiting as the old shadow stared at the mutated beasts.
"Fascinating… Several different parts of beasts graphed together… We shall identify them as poisonous chimera. Now we need to send them back to their owner… Poison… Neutralize their blood so we can move them… Leaf keep your senses up for any reinforcements."
Mouse nodded as he placed a hand against one of the tree trunks and closed his eyes letting his senses flood into the forest around them.
He opened his eyes and looked at the old shadow.
"All clear… Seems no communication has been made."
"That's good news, but still keep an eye on it so no surprises."
Mouse nodded and closed his eyes keeping his senses focused on the environment around them.
"Blood neutralized but can activate again when we reach our target."
"Good… Okay vine and scout team set up for movement."
Mouse opened his eyes and watched as five shadows moved around the beasts moving them into a pile as three other shadows walked around the pile placing leaves on the ground in a circle. Mouse felt his heart race and turned to the old shadow.
"Large numbers are incoming. They're still quite far but moving fast."
"It seems that they are all linked by other means. Vine team lets move it."
"Ready to move…"
"All shadows enter the circle of the leaves. We're moving location now, before reinforcements arrive."
Leaf walked into the circle with the others and watched wide eyed as the leaves on the ground started moving around them. He felt a wind blow around them and the scenery changed to the outskirts of the capital.
Leaf mouth fell open. "Hohoho��� Still things for Leaf to learn. Let's go. Everyone take a body and move into the city. Head for the keep."
Mouse picked up one of the bodies and moved towards the wall entering the city easily through the gates and jumped onto a roof jumping across towards the keep.
He stopped as he reached the wall to enter the keep and turned as the other shadows landed around him. He looked towards the old shadow. "This wall is tricky. How do we enter?"
"The same way we traveled through the forest. Vine team move into position."
This time Mouse watched as the vine shadows dropped leaves around them in a circle. His eyes focused on each individual leaf. He nodded in thought as the leaves flew around him and when the leaves stopped, they were all standing in the garden near the waterfall.
Mouse looked around seeing no one there he frowned slightly, then moved towards the keep. "Which office is Borgis's?"
"Main attendants hall. It's the one closest to the throne room. From the inside it has a strange door that will inform Borgis if someone enters. Have to go through the window which faces the city below."
"Let's move… Leaf you lead the way with the scout party. Keep to the roofs and shadows. Don't let people know we're here."
Mouse took a step forward and moved through the gardens, jumping onto the roofs of the buildings and onto the roofs of the keep. He ran with the scouts as they made their way towards Borgis office. Mouse stopped and looked at the city before pointing to a window below them.
"Scouts check to make sure the office is empty."
He watched as the scouts slid down the walls disappearing. He stood waiting until the scouts jumped back on the roof. "Office empty and window open. We can move when ready."
"Let's move. Poison once the bodies are in there, leave a little gift for Borgis."
Mouse moved down the wall and climbed into Borgis' office. He looked around the office and placed the body onto Borgis' desk. He walked over to where the hidden wall was and pushed against it. He watched as his hand faded from view and pulled it back again. He looked at the old shadow.
"This is the entrance to the secret room that he has. I guess that's where these beasts come from."
"I know you want to cause some trouble for him, but this is just a message and warning. Borgis' life will end soon, now is not the right time."
Mouse nodded and walked back from the wall and stood at the window waiting.
"Our gift is set and ready…"
"Good… Shadows let's go back home."
Mouse jumped out of the window and climbed back onto the roof waiting for the others to join him. He looked over the city and sighed.
"Do you miss this place?"
He looked at the old shadow and shook his head. "No. I don't have any felling for this place anymore. It's not my path."
"Let's go home and drink some tea. We've been here too long, and I'm sure they'll be looking for us in the city soon." Leaf watched the old shadow turn and stare at the peak of the keep. "At least he already knows we are here... Let's move it now."
Leaf nodded and ran after the other shadows jumping towards off the keep roofs. He turned his head and looked at the setting sun. "Farewell past." He touched his chest and saluted the city as he landed in the garden.