life is one repetitive motion after another people don't realize how often they come to the same crossroads where they have a choice to make and often enough have that choice repetitively in their life to face. I was at the same decision again but before I get into that let me back up to where we were at. I was standing there deadlocked in a staring contest with none other than the kings enforcer. the enforcer had the air of a trained experienced hardened killer and fighter. he was exciting to me a battle smelt and an empeding doom had me ready for the call of battle and my blood sang to me but this man wasn't some chump sentry he was a threat a force to be recognized respected and acknowledged even in battle. he got up and walked out his silent invitation to follow and I knew to refuse would be bad even for me.I deliberated running or hiding cause he was far more experienced and probably stronger than me. I didn't need to die before reaching the king. I followed outside and he stood holding the unnamed female that had allowed me on her property and took care of me. I went to move forward and he lifted a hand and wagged his finger at me. "first I have my hand through her back and wrapped around her heart." she cut him off before he could say number two with the words "my name is Arya" "two she hasn't told you who she is so I will Arya is the kings Concubine and greatest assassin. she has killed many and drug many into slavery for the king.she also is how your mother ended up his wife." I blanched and looked at her differently. he then spoke again and said "three she is my daughter and her mother was a very great and powerful wiccan that I killed after she was born. four you can choose to come quietly to the king or she can die and you can die." here it was live or die now that we are all caught up I figured it'd be prudent to say life is full of recurring choices some we hate some we love some we just aren't to sure about but this choice I was sick of and I really didn't like being treated like dog on a leash shackled by a choice. I deliberated my choices on what I could do to save us both that was when he spoke "if your thinking whether or not you could move faster than me and prevent me from crushing and ripping her heart out I advise you don't" that's when it came to me and my choice it was a very big gamble but I hoped it worked. "I'll go with you on one condition you must kill her first" he stopped dead looking at me as if I was insane and I knew by his eyes that he wouldn't kill his daughter and he thought I was in love with her which would make for a great bargaining and control chip. she looked hurt destroyed by my words as if she was into me but all the time we had around eachother she never indicated that. I was hardened though to sell my words because they told me all I needed to know. he removed his hand from within her chest and she dropped to the ground as she slowly started to heal. he moved towards me and I planned the move just right and as he got close I shadowed to behind him and felt the air leave my throat. I looked down to his hand around my throat and straight up to his eyes as he turned to look at me. I couldn't believe this because this martial art was designed for speed as if the person was of the shadows and couldn't be combatted except by another practitioner. he rinned as he realized what I was using. "Arya Darling tell him what our last name is." she looked up and said "Merrick. we are the last family to have practiced the shadow rythm technique and survived the kings slaughter of our kind because he needed someone to transcribe the technique for him into a readable language. in return he granted us the bite as a gift." " see my name isn't merrick that's my surname. to use my people's technique against me and be at the intermediate level is stupid. now come quietly and live or die it's your choice" I was shackled and this wasn't good. I decided it was now or never I forced the shift his eyes widened as he watched. my shift wasn't like a normal lycans it was smooth flawless and like watching the hulk change almost like my structure was built this way just enhanced upon. my face elongated my teeth stretched my gums tight and my nails grew hard long and curved my feet stretched out as the muscle and bone rapidly grew and my skin thickened around my palms and where the balls of my toes used to be. the bone at my heal ripped through my skin as it grew pointed like a dog's dew claw. my skin itched as my body temperature arose and a light covering of hair sprouted across me. my ears pointed as my hearing and other senses sharpened. my eyes turned maroon like black ink with red blood swirling within. my muscles stretched my skin taught like the skin of a drum as my body's core temperature changed the color of my skin to a midnight blue. I snarled and roared as I broke away from his grip. he grinned and said "well I don't know what you are but your definitely going to be a challenge" he started shifting as I rushed him and he shadow moved on me. I looked around but couldn't find him. he was fast and this was bad for me cause I couldn't fight someone who lived breathed and practiced this martial art as a way of life. I couldn't combat him he was on a superior level than I. as he reappeared and picked me up and slammed me down I got dizzy from the sudden pain. I grabbed at his arm and tried to snap it and he flung me one armed across the street into another building. my back spasmed as pain shot like a lightning bolt throughout my body. I growled low and got up as he slammed his clawed hand through my chest and ripped my heart out slowly as he changed back. the last sight was his hand holding my heart Arya looking on in a knowing way and the world as it fell slowly level with my eyes then nothing as it all winked out like a bad computer screen shut off. I sat up right and cried out in pain my body aching especially around my chest cavity. it felt like I knew something about that pain some kind of knowledge tickling the back of my mind. yet I couldn't place what it was about my chest pain that I knew. my body was sore like a man who worked so hard is muscles are tense and tender. There stood Arya just watching and said " you lied to him. you didn't even try to kill him. you wanted him to attack you and kill you not me because you knew he would kill me if he thought you loved me and it would break you. don't worry your at the crematorium I'm supposed to ensure your disposal and I'm the one that put your heart back in your chest as your body healed like some kind of parasite. like it has a mind of its own." I sat up the world spinning like pain that's just excruciating but I felt no pain just sore as everything blurred in and out. "thanks and your right" she nodded and said "if you wanted to learn that art you should've told me. I could've taught you better than a book could." I nodded but was in no mood to speak. I was focused intent on one thing and one thing alone revenge the kings death would have to wait. "what's next?" "now you help me get better at that martial art so I can kill your father. once he's dead I resume my vendetta to kill the king." she muttered under her breath but the words weren't lost upon me "trăi mai mult mor mai repede" and so I would.