Once again, Zephyr returned to camp covered in blood, this time holding his newly stolen bow and quiver full of arrows. He went through a similar process, switching shirts, rinsing the blood from his scaled face and plopping his weapons on the side. It had been a few days since killing that man in the back alley, and he'd been returning after killing one or multiple people, testing this dark aura.
The days had been mixed between going to the forest with Maz and Tez, stealing and meeting up with Dain and Fig to continue with his training. He'd been improving exponentially, and Fig had taught him more techniques with the stolen swords.
"Nice find," Maz commented, eyes trained on the bow, snorting in approval, puffs of steam circling around his nose.
Zephyr nodded back and plopped down to eat something. He'd been growing hungrier even though he hadn't been starving and was eating better than before he possessed the Slinktail's body. He scarfed down his food, ignoring Dain's inquisitive gaze.
"What are you doing out there?" He asked quietly.
Zephyr smirked. "Putting my new skills to good use." He kept his gaze focused on his food while feeling the Draegorths' heavy stares on his back. They'd been sitting around the fire like usual while the Slinktails sat to the side on their stools.
Dain didn't push him even as Fig distracted the Draegorths, the trio following her into a tent. Garzon was the last to follow, his head turned in Zephyr and Dain's direction.
Did he unintentionally put a target on his back?
Zephyr wasn't the only Slinktail entering the forest the following morning with Maz, Tez and Garzon. Arikig was joining them this time. He trembled at the forest entrance, yet he continued following Zephyr. Maz sent him off to collect herbs while instructing Zephyr how to hold his new bow.
He did not hit any of the large targets, which were literally trees. Nonetheless, Zephyr accepted the small achievement of successfully drawing back the bowstring, maintaining his posture, and steadying his arms before releasing the shot. He repeated the action for the entirety of their visit to the forest, now utterly and foolishly at ease with the haunting place.
Throughout the day, Zephyr carried on with his typical pilfering activities, all the while harbouring suspicions about Garzon's motives when he instructed Arikig to accompany him and Maz. Arikig hadn't proved himself a capable thief, not in the time he'd spent with the Slinktail.
Unlike Zephyr and Fig, whose roles were distinct, Arikig fulfilled duties typical of a Slinktail with his 'no questions asked' attitude.
The Slinktail didn't do anything but follow Maz until Zephyr returned with the goods he'd stolen, and the pair left together. It was highly suspicious, but the Draegorths never informed him about anything important.
Shrugging, Zephyr started leaving the town square, intent on getting to his training early until he felt someone watching him.
He turned a corner and into an alley. They were tailing him. He could tell it was only one person by the tread of their boots.
Zephyr had been killing humans. Did someone see it? No, he was adamant nobody had. He was also too confident about his thieving skills to point his logic in that direction, and he concluded that someone noticed a Slinktail walking around and wanted to cause trouble or it was someone he knew.
Zephyr wasn't acquainted with many beings in this world.
As he turned down yet another street, Zephyr could hear his pursuer hurrying to match his pace. Swiftly, he slipped into the open doorway of a nearby building. The person following him rushed past, obviously inexperienced, and did not check his surroundings properly. Zephyr cautiously emerged from the building, paying no heed to the man shouting at him from behind about trespassing.
Arikig halted at the intersection of various alleys, facing the opposite direction from where Zephyr stood. Interesting. Either Arikig wanted his attention, or they really put a target on his back. It couldn't be a big one to worry the Draegorths if they sent Arikig to follow and spy on him.
If they deemed him a real threat, they would kill him immediately. This just meant they were growing suspicious of him.
Zephyr walked in the opposite direction, returning to the busier streets and blending in with others before leaving the town and the wandering Slinktail behind.
"You're late," Dain clipped in greeting once Zephyr arrived at their usual spot. "Later than usual. Thought you gave up on it."
Zephyr was over an hour late and surprised to see the pair still training and sparring.
"I was being followed." Zephyr's gaze landed on Fig. "Arikig was following me, and I have a sneaky suspicion it was under Garzon's orders."
Fig cursed under her breath, stabbing her dagger into the earth as she flopped down, sitting on a fallen tree trunk. "He was following me yesterday." The only day she didn't turn up to their training. "I just went with it… let him watch what I was doing and report back to Garzon."
"You've lost his trust…" Dain sighed, his hand covering his white, cloudy eye.
"This needs to stop for a while," Fig murmured, removing the tie from her turquoise hair in frustration and allowing the curls to bounce down her shoulders.
Zephyr scowled at her. "Why?" He demanded; her attention instantly flicked to his aggravated tone. "They already don't trust us. It's you they have an issue with here."
Fig hopped to her feet and stormed towards him in a matter of seconds, levelling her blade towards his eye, sneering, "Who's going to teach you how to wield a blade if not me? I die, then you have no chance of levelling up."
Zephyr's eyes narrowed on her. The blade was inconsequential. Whether she was here or not, he would level up. Fig was a means to an end. She wasn't the only one who could teach him what he needed to know. The Slinktail was just the easiest to get to, and right now, Fig was willing to teach him for whatever nefarious favour she wanted in return.
Dain stepped towards them, scoffing at their idiocy. "I've already told him it takes donkeys years…" He trailed off after noting some shared look between them, remaining still in tense silence.
Zephyr was already beginning to think it didn't take so long, and Fig was of a similar mindset or was withholding some vital information. She did have the Draegorths' ears and trust- well, she used to.
"Am I missing something here?" Dain demanded, looking between them for any tells of whatever that look meant.
"Nothing." Zephyr and Fig replied simultaneously. Zephyr watched her a moment more, wondering what exactly she knew. The slight pinch of the blade did nothing to distract him.
Dain tossed his sword aside and stalked off. He never returned, and Fig didn't stay either. Whatever game she was playing, whatever cards she had remained close to her chest. Zephyr didn't expect anything more from her.
They were all surviving and playing the same game. It was a matter of chance, determination and strategising that determined who would win in their personal battles to succeed.