Power of Destiny: Poison and Dagger

Chapter Ten

"Before we go to the Sea Kingdom," Seastorm seemed worried, "Can we stop by the prey center? I'm getting kind of hungry, and I bet you and Hare are too."

I'm not, because of the jade bracelet.

Blossom knew that Seastorm was buying time, but she didn't care.

"Fine."

They raced down the hall, seeing blurs of all colors. They raced until the prey center was in view, then stopped, as to not to accidentally bowl into someone and risk giving away her and Seastorm's identity as assassins. Blossom trotted into the prey center, heading for the fruit table. Out of the corner of her eye, saw Seastorm and Hare make a beeline for the meat table.

Meat eaters. I will never understand them.

She grabbed a couple fruits, and put them into the bear-skin pouch Seastorm had given her.

"You ready?" the RainWing hybrid asked Seastorm and Hare.

"Yup!" Both declared.

Seastorm added, "And I got enough food to last the next few days!"

Blossom dipped her head, and trotted out of the prey center. Blossom noticed that Seastorm had red blood staining her claws faint red where she had dug into the meat she was holding. Blossom shook her head, and stalked towards the entrance hall of Jade Mountain.

Stalactites hung from the stone-gray roof, dragons flying and entangled around. The bustling hub of activity nearly shattered Blossom's ears yet again.

She winced for a split second, and ignored the 'are-you-okay?' look from Seastorm. Blossom trotted past dragons, and into the warm golden rays of the sun. The RainWing half of her was yearning to be with the other RainWings that were sunning their scales. Blossom growled. She was Blossom! She didn't want to mangle with other tribes! But...she did. She gained a SeaWing hybrid as her partner.

Blossom asked, "Seastorm."

The hybrid looked confused. "You called?" she smarmed.

Blossom rolled her eyes and asked again, "You didn't know how to navigate, right?"

The SeaWing hybrid nodded.

"Did you not learn how to do other things? Because I noticed that you didn't come with meat."

Seastorm looked unhappy, but she admitted, "I never learned how to navigate, hunt, and blend in with my surroundings."

Hare looked dumbfounded. "You never learned how to hunt?!" She took a breath, then snorted, "Even a young dragonet knows how to do that! Because Ice—"

"IceWings are the best tribe in all of Pyrrhia and Pantala, I know." Seastorm responded unhappily, her stride faltering for a moment.

"Look, if you want to be a true assassin, I can be your mentor." Blossom said unexpectedly.

What am I doing? I don't want to be a mentor!

Seastorm looked excited. "Really? Is it okay if...." she trailed off, looking in the distance.

"If what....?" Hare prompted.

"I have a sister. Her name is Drop, and she's my assassin partner. We both never learned how to hunt, to navigate, and to blend in with our surroundings. "

Blossom nodded. "I don't hunt, but I can teach you how. I can blend in with my surroundings, and I already taught you how to navigate with a labeled map. Do you think you can learn to navigate with an unlabeled map? Assassins have to be ready for anything."

Seastorm nodded. "Okay. Thanks....Blossom."

Blossom said, "Where's the Sea Kingdom, Seastorm?"

What am I doing?!

Seastorm grabbed the map that Venus had given them out of a pouch slung under her neck.

"Aww....it's blurred! But I can still see it. We're here, at Jade Mountain," she jabbed her claw at the small mountain symbol labeled "Jade Mountain", "The Sea Kingdom is....northeast of here. We need to go....that way!"

The SeaWing hybrid pointed her talon at a faint green field in the distance, then looked at Blossom with an 'was-that-the-correct-way-?' look.

Blossom responded, "Good."

Seastorm's chest seemed to swell with pride. She was the first to launch into the air, climbing the aquamarine sky, Blossom and Hare on her talons.

"Should we do your first camouflage lesson now?"

Seastorm nodded eagerly. "Sure!"

Blossom spoke, "First, you have to picture your surroundings. What are your surroundings, Seastorm?"

Seastorm looked confused. "Why should I tell you that? I already know what my surroundings are!"

Blossom fumed, close to losing her patience, "Just do it!"

Seastorm nodded scaredly; Blossom felt a bit of glee at her scared expression.

"Fine," Seastorm pouted, closing her eyes, but keeping pace, "My surroundings are....that I am in an aquamarine sky, with fluffy white clouds occasionally flying past."

"Good. Now imagine becoming your surroundings."

Seastorm nodded, her eyes still closed. Blossom noticed that Seastorm's tail suddenly started to fade into the now darkening amethyst sky. Seastorm's whole body started to disappear. Blossom noticed that her whole body except for the wavy scales on her chest faded.

"Did I do....it...." Seastorm trailed off. "I did it! I did it! Thanks Blossom!"

Seastorm turned to her normal scales color; the SeaWing assassin did a loop-de-loop in the air.

"Yes!"

What am I becoming?