A Temple of Shadows

The Bicolour Devil

The street is nearly devoid of people. The few drunkards still loitering around after leaving their taverns barely acknowledge the sleek black cat slinking through the shadows-or the dragon-like mark on it's back. Just as well, as that mark would reveal that something was up with that cat, even more so to those already familiar. Long forgotten neon signs loom overhead, indecipherable characters flickering in and out of existence as the cat wonders on, the featherlight paw steps unnoticeable as it carries on through the run down slums. The cat being me of course.
Out of all the things I could've been I didn't want to be one of the obake shinobi to be completely honest. But hey, it's better than execution by your uncle, the Siaran king right? Maybe I was kidnapped in the dead of night with no memory of how I got to be here-trading my royal title of Princess Chariya Trang for Kairen Arai, Daimyo Baku's newest assassin to be feared, in the process-but it beats living back there. At least somebody wants my powers now, even if it isn't for the best reasons.
I don't have time for morals anymore though. Right now I have only one thing on my mind-looting the second dimension.
The place is around here somewhere. I tread through a narrow alleyway, the decaying wood and the broken iron roofing of the close-knit buildings casting long shadows around me to hide my movements. The smell of human refuse and rot is strong-especially with my heightened senses (I regret taking a cat's form now)-and so is the slight sent of piss in the air. Typical for a Toyoan slum-and one with resident shifters who find it easier than looking for a toilet. (shut up, it's convenient). I decide to take this chance right now, briefly slipping in between two molding wooden buildings before carrying on down the street. I'm not going into details obviously but it's way easier than doing it as a human. No judging until you try it, cunts.
It's not very appealing, I know but it's somewhere I can call home. There's more neon signs here, their dying light briefly illuminating the seemingly desolate street in short bursts-and, at the end of the alleyway, a shadowy, bird shaped figure perched on the roof of an abandoned shanty house.
I head towards the illuminated building where the crane, who is in fact actually my heist partner, is waiting for me and change shape back to my human form. I think of my features as I let the magic surge through me-Siaranese, split hair, heterochromia, clothes (never forget the clothes I've learned, the hard way. At least it's enchanted fabric. Non magical clothes are a whole other matter), etcetra-and the slight pain of my changing form greets me, my body turning gradually from cat to my clothed and armed human self.
The crane, Airi Sasaki also starts changing-the silhouette of the tall, regal bird morphing gradually into that of a human. She then hops down towards me using a protruding piece of wood as a platform then landing gracefully in front of me. If she wasn't clad entirely in black like me, katana and knives strapped to her back and sides, a mask hiding most of her features except a few loose strands of ebony hair and her hazel eyes then she would have looked very out of place here-a beautiful crane bird in a dystopian world. A crane taken in by Baku Hara and turned into a brutal killer to fit in with the rest of us.
Airi glances at me, her eyes arching with the grin that's there under her mask.
"Out of all the animal forms you chose a cat? Again???" She says teasingly.
"What? I like cats. They are cute. Agile. There's already a lot of them on these streets so they blend in well. And you get free dumplings", I add, the taste of the leftovers from a run-down Jiaangese restaurant coming back to me. "Off the street but, dumplings are dumplings."
"But tanukis is can do that too. Plus they are cuter. Tanuki lovers like me are offended" she jokes.
"Did you just say cats are less cute than tanukis?. Now that's really offensive" I say, fake shaking my head In disapproval. "I might have to remember that for when I finally turn into a dragon. The cat is just the build up to that after all."
Airi laughs. "I better not involve dragons in this. Or then you'd really kill me."
"Exactly. No one fucking insults dragons. Or I'll be ripping them to shreds as a dragon myself. Either that if they get to listen to my fun facts about them for several hours," I say, grinning.
"I'd prefer the second option. Also contrary to other people, I quite like your infodumps," she adds with genuine admiration. After years of being judged and shunned, I always feel like I can be myself around Airi. A warm feeling of appreciation comes over me before I'm reminded of what we're actually meant to do.
"Anyways, back to our assignment. look what I got." Airi says excitedly. She reaches into her right pocket and I light up as I see something glow in her closed fist-the portal crystal.
"You got it? That fast? Hiro usually isn't that generous."
"Yes. It was quite easy actually. In fact it was boring," she adds, rolling her eyes. Us shinobi were raised for a challenge. Especially Airi. She isn't named the black crane for nothing. "I only had to kill three people. and they turned out to actually be kappas."
"Hiro confusing kappas for his victims? That's a new one." I don't know the guy well but Hiro definitely wasn't the kind of person to be afraid of shapeshifting turtle ducks from the river. The image that comes to me is ironic. (to be fair they are known for tearing your anus out as their way of predation. I don't want anyone touching that place except for a significant other either.)
Airi tries to hide it but I hear a quiet snigger.
"I didn't tell him though-I wouldn't want to tarnish his great reputation."
I can't help but laugh a little-if we could make fun of our local Crystal dealer all day (and there was a lot more I wanted to say-like how I found his secret doll collection once which there's nothing wrong with of course-but I would have never taken him as the kind of guy to collect dolls) we would. But we had more important things to do.
"You can get started on the portal-I'll look out for demons or intruders."
Without hesitating, Airi places the crystal of the ground. The strong glow of the crystal sends iridescent light beams around the alleyway in a great octagon, the impermanent colours of the reflections constantly shifting and changing. She puts an arm over her shoulder unsheathing her katana and, her aim immaculate, slices the crystal in two.
A huge beam of light, putting the previous display to shame erupts from the place where Airi just struck down. The light flickers in and out at the back of the alleyway as if someone was controlling a light switch nearby. Then, rippling and growing it becomes brighter than ever-and the world itself seems to tear.
I don't know all the chemistry behind portal crystals but when broken in a certain area or "weak point" in the dimension, releasing all its chemicals with it they can cause a reaction that will tear the dimension apart, allowing for dimensional travel. Portal crystals are hard to come by and getting them usually comes with a price, which was why Airi was sent to kill those "people" or Kappas. They are also illegal, fun fact-but what else are we supposed to do when there's a war over the official, more "safe" ones?
Why is it illegal to create your own portals? Well-
I can hear it before I see it-a horrendous growl that would cause the red ridgeback dragon to shit itself. I hear Airi scream "FUCK!" then "WATCH OUT!", her katana flying out in front of her in a failed attempt to decapitate it, as the biggest tiger I have ever seen lunges right at me and I dodge with barely an inch to spare.
Stupid demonic tiger trying to eat me. But that's what you get for making an illegal unstable portal.
Nothing worse than what I've dealt with before though. Seconds before the tiger pounces a second time, it's knife-like claws heading straight for my neck, I've shifted, my fingertips elongating into sharp, razor-edged talons. The demon is going to try and claw me to death but not if I get there first.

Out of the shadows came what I thought were street dogs. The dogs suddenly morphed and shifted, their bodies elongating into the forms of two more people. Like me and Airi, they are clad all in black with blades, daggers and swords strapped to their sides and back. They are the spitting image of each other-short, cropped black hair, deep brown eyes, light skin and with an air of scruffiness to them like they had kept some of the characteristics of the small fluffy dogs they were before. The twins from Jiaang, Dai-Lin and Xiao.

Xiao lights up at the sight of us. "Kai! Airi! You're here! You need to see this café we found, we've been getting free food there all day-"

"Plus the waitress is attractive," her brother Dai-Lin chimes in, looking smitten.

"Of course she is, Dai, Xiao says whilst rolling her eyes mischievously. "you say that about every woman"

"What? Are you saying woman aren't the most beautiful things to be on this planet?

"Well how would I know? I don't find anyone attractive" Xiao laughs. "I get a lot more done without having to worry about all that relationship stuff you know. It's really nice."

"Hmm. Fair enough. Airi is still gorgeous though."

Well-he isn't wrong. at least in my opinion. I nearly say that out loud like an idiot but I refrain.

Airi tries to hide the shade of red her face has become, flicking her voluminous inky black hair. (I love when she does that-I swear I don't have a crush on her or something) Well if I was into guys you could date me anytime" she says, laughing it off. "Too bad I'm not."

"That's alright Airi. Like I said there's that café woman and many more out there".