The Sokovian Shadow

Chapter 3

TW:
- Death
- The Reaper

(A/N: The italics in this chapter are Necros' flashback, not telepathic conversations. Bold is telepathic conversations, and normal is normal conversation)

I was running, ducking, and weaving through trees. I tripped over a rock and some of my red hair fell in my face. I brushed it aside, breathing hard. I heard something calling my name.

Alita.

Where are you? I called back desperately.

You're close, but I don't know how much further.

I gritted my teeth, stood up, and kept running. I finally stumbled into a clearing and gasped. In the centre of the clearing, there was a small peregrine falcon with her back to me. I sprinted to the other side and looked down at her in horror. There was an arrow embedded in her stomach until only half of the meter-long shaft was visible, impaling her and pinning her to the ground. It was a miracle she was still alive.

Alita?

Found you. I smiled grimly as I replied.

I thought you were older.

Nope. Three years old as of today. I replied.

Oh. Then happy birthday. Or... deathday? She mused.

Thanks. Now, what do I have to do to help you? I inquired.

Make it stop.

What?

The pain. Make it stop. Kill me.

I recoiled mentally and physically at the thought of killing the falcon. I... I can't. There has to be something else we can do. I can ask one of the Wraiths-

No. I want this. Please. Kill me. My family is dead. It will be a release. Please.

My hands trembled as I drew the small pocketknife from the sheath on my belt.

What's your name? I wanted to at least be able to remember her as something other than "that falcon I met and killed in a forest when I was three".

I don't have one. My parents and siblings were shot by hunters before I had a chance to be named.

My hands trembled. So much for that. I held the knife to her throat and hesitated. I took a deep breath. I was supposed to be a Wraith. I was going to be trained as an assassin. A shadow warrior. Yet here I was hesitating to kill a falcon. What was wrong with me? Was it because she was helpless? Young? Or was it just because it was my first kill.

I took another deep breath and shoved the knife into her throat, severing her windpipe and several major arteries. She was dead in an instant, though her still warm blood dripped onto my hands from the death-wound.

I bowed my head in respect, remaining that way for a while. When I looked back up, there was a small, flickering ball of light floating over the falcon's corpse. Her spirit. I raised my hand to touch it, to apologize, but before I could blink, there was a blinding light, and I was out cold.

---

When I woke up, the falcon's body was gone, and there was a searing pain in my back. I groaned and rolled onto my side. I must have landed on it wrong. I stood up slowly and turned in a slow circle, one hand clutching my side.