Mouse watched as Drummen was dragged away, shaking his head. "Come apprentice we have to go and start as well..." Mouse nodded and felt his body move as the old shadow took him from that place. He opened his eyes and looked around. "Do you know this place apprentice?"
He shook his head. "You should... This is the island that you broke the door at... Its no longer a desert, but a paradise." Mouse felt his mouth open. "The energy from that thing stuck behind the door, caused that seed of yours to grow quite fast..." He looked up as he saw birds flying in the sky, landing in the trees near him. Mouse turned to the old shadow, signing at him. "How do these trees survive here with no fresh water?" Mouse nodded. "Easily... Deep underground, there is a river of fresh water, and the trees that are growing on the sea waters edge, is actually purifying the water for the other trees to use... Mouse, you made a paradise here... It's beautiful, but it needs to stay protected like this." Mouse nodded. "Apprentice... Lets have some tea, and than I shall tell you about your training... It should be very easy for you since, I saw you use it briefly."
He signed at the old shadow. "Using the shadows?"
"Correct using the shadows to strike and also to move... That was lucky and instinct in your battle with Marcule... This time we'll train until you can do it without being in a difficult situation... Also I'm glad you haven't made any further deals." He smiled and nodded his head, as he watched a tree house form in front of him. "Come... Lets drink tea, and discuss more." He nodded and walked into the tree house the old shadow had made. He looked at the chair next to the old shadow smiling. "It looks the same doesn't it?" Mouse nodded. "Well. Take a seat, and enjoy this paradise." Mouse sat down, and looked around him, admiring the trees, bird calling and sound of the water around him.
"Peaceful place... Very peaceful." He turned, watching the old shadow pour the tea into a small mug for him. "This here is a special blend... You'll find the taste quite nice." He looked at the old shadow with a frown. "No, it isn't that type of tea... This tea is to help you feel energetic and full of energy... We'll need that for whats coming ahead." Mouse nodded and drank the warm, tea enjoying as it went to his stomach. He touched his stomach as he felt its warmth spread over his body.
"See, its a nice tea isn't it?" Mouse nodded and drank another mug of it. "It may make your body feel like insects are biting you all over if you have too much, but it'll give you the energy boost and help you relax, after all the work you've done for the past few months..." He looked at the old shadow signing. "What's my training going to be?"
"Hahahaha... Eager... First off all you need to do is walk around this place and enjoy this creation... Feel it, remember it, and protect it with your life... That's all you have to do... Consider it as a holiday for you..." Mouse looked at him in confusion. "Why did you give me this tea than?" He touched his chest as he felt his heart start to race. "Part of your training... Control your presence... When you walk around, I don't want to be able to hear you or see you... With your heart racing it will be hard to hide yourself... Once you can do that, than you'll be truly able to hide in shadows and move with them as a tree shadow."
Mouse nodded and jumped down from the tree house looking at the old shadow. "Just to let you know... Near the old temple, there is a mask there on a tree that has white bark and a singular leaf... I'll be there waiting. If I catch you I'll be beating you black and blue, until you can take it without me seeing you." Mouse nodded and jumped off into the paradise he had made. He looked behind him as his heart raced. "You can't sense anything when your heart is that noisy... You need first to calm it down." Mouse nodded, and climbed a tree, closing his eyes in its branches.
He stood in front of Tofana. "How do I calm my heart down, when its racing like this?" He hugged her tightly and smelled her hair. He let her go and stared at her with a smile on his face. "I see you're happy to see me, or is it just the tea working its magic?" He felt his face turn red. "Please help... How do I control this?"
"Easy... All you do is run, run and don't stop running... Use all the energy you have until you feel exhausted." Mouse frowned as he played with Tofana's hair. "What if he catches me?"
"You need to run faster... Simple. You beat him once, now you have to beat him a second time... Just focus on calming your heart and hiding... Than go for your mask." He nodded and opened his eyes. He looked around at the sea as he noticed sails on the horizon frowning. "He also did say you need to protect this place from those who would want to destroy it..." Mouse nodded and stood on the branch watching the white sails head in his direction. "To protect I will..."
"Good Mouse... Make a legend of this place, that no one will ever step forward on this place, because there are locals who will attack on sight." Mouse nodded. "I can do that Tofana."
"Good... You need survivors, to tell the tales... No killing."
Mouse nodded and put his hand on the trunk of the tree listening to it's heartbeat. He opened his eyes and stared as the sails got closer and weighed anchor near the island he was on. He smiled as they got into a smaller boat and rowed until they were on the beach.
"Captain... This place isn't on the maps... Have we found something new?"
"Not sure sailor... Looks like we can resupply here, and also take some wood for selling... It looks old and valuable... Sailors lets start chopping these trees down... We'll turn this place into something we can use... A base for us."
"Yes... Captain... Sailors, you heard the captain... Get moving." Mouse looked at the tree and nodded. He turned back to the group as they started to walk up the beach. He jumped into the leaves, covering himself in them before landing in front of the surprised sailors. He pointed to the boat.
"Captain... What's that? It looks like there are natives on this island... Should we leave?"
"No, There's only one, lets take them, and sell him... I'm sure we can make a lot of gold from them." Mouse shook his head and pointed at their vessel again. "He's telling us to leave... No chance... Come with us, or we'll beat you."
"No beating, just tie him up with ropes... Don't damaged the merchandise too much." Mouse jumped towards a sailor using his knee to knock the sailor to the ground. "Captain, the local moves fast..."
"Be careful." Mouse ran and jumped at the others, putting them on the ground. He stood up and pointed at the unconscious sailors were being picked up by large roots, and throwing them into the small boat on the beach.
"Captain... What do we do? The trees are alive... I don't think we should be here at all."
"If the trees are alive, and moving, this island probably floats around, which is why it isn't on any map... We need to beat them... Sailors... fight back... Sailors?" Mouse landed in front of the captain and pointed to the vessel with a smile, as he sent large roots to start wrapping around the vessel."
"Fine... We'll leave... Don't harm my Intruder... Its precious to me." Mouse nodded and let the roots relax around the vessel. He pointed to the captain and the vessel. "Fine, I'm going... But not before I do this." Mouse frowned as he heard a fire battery turn on, and ran at the captain kicking it out of the captain's hands. "Hey... He stood as he watched a root pick up the captain off the ground and hang him upside down, holding the captain's feet. "Fine... We're going... I don't want to be anywhere near this blasted place." Mouse nodded and let the root throw the captain to the small row boat, with all the unconscious sailors. "All my men are unconscious... How am I going to get back to the Intruder?" Mouse waved his hand as a large root pushed the row boat off the beach and into the sea towards the vessel. He jumped on the root and stood watching as he heard the captain orders. "Sailors... weigh anchor. We're out of here... That place is a blasted place... Mark it, we won't be back."
Mouse patted the root he was in as he watched the vessel turn from him and start to sail away from them. He let the root take him back to the island and looked at its ground. "What are you thinking about Mouse?" He smiled at Tofana. "Lets make this place where its not stuck in one spot... That it swims on top of the ocean... Like a vessel does." He wrapped his hands through Tofana's hair. "You need to be stronger to do that, but if you can, than this place will truly be a paradise."
Mouse looked up from the ground and felt his heart still race. "I need to start my running... I need to calm down." He jumped onto a branch, and started to jump from one branch to another smiling, as he kept an eye on his heart rate. Each time he completed a lap, he would increase his speed around the island, checking for sails on the horizon. "Mouse... What if you let large roots grow under the beaches, so that if someone tries to get close, they've got no chance in landing?" Mouse smiled at Tofana's idea and landed on a beach with his hand on the ground.
"RRRUMMMBLE!"
He smiled as he felt the roots grow under the beach. "Don't forget to make them similar to the trees that clean the water for the other trees." Mouse rolled his eyes and nodded. "I saw that Mouse... I'm going to kick you when you come here... And also do other things to you..." He felt his face turn red and focused on the roots growing under the beach. He stood up and stretched his back once it was completed and looked around. He jumped onto a branch and took a fruit, biting into it. He touched the trunk of the tree and started running again around the island as fast as he could, until he stopped running. He smiled as he felt his heart rate, and nodded. He ran to where the tree was, and looked at where his mask was hiding. He smiled, as he saw the old shadow sitting drinking tea.
He looked at the shadow of the tree and felt himself sitting inside it. He looked around in amazement. "This is what it means to be a tree shadow... I can see through all the shadows on the island... Its amazing Tofana..."
"I can see it as well... You're right its amazing... I was never able to do this, even I trained for many years." He looked at Tofana. "We're doing it together... I'm not along... Never alone"
"Sweet mouth... You're getting better... Now go get your mask and show him you can use the tree shadows." Mouse nodded and looked at the shadows around the tree, and sat waiting listening to his calm hart beat. "What are you doing?"
"I'm waiting for the perfect time."
"Fine... Than come and play with me." Mouse nodded and wrapped his arms around Tofana.