Arrow's Fallen

Chapter 2: Nighttime Raid

Tonight I proceed on the raid with Arrow. It seems overly childish...but I really want to impress her. It couldn't go beyond any friendly competitiveness...could it? No. I dismissed the thought quickly and grabbed my claw swords, pulling them over my hands. I took stock of the room to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything, then closed the door behind me. Even so, I smoothed my hair self consciously before heading out into the main halls. I mentally shook my head at this behavior; it's unprecedented.

The structure of the headquarters for the sergeants and masters resembled a temple like design, with columns and pristine marble floors. It topped the building in a diamond shape that had pinnacled the emblem of the guild for several years. My first year here I had admired the structure quite a bit, just like every other scout did. The design team was a highly skilled group of four who made sure the zip line system stayed hidden and dorms secure.

My boots hit the gritty concrete and I adjusted my claw swords one last time nervously before falling in line casually with the other people of the raid. I cast a quick glance over at Arrow, who had been given a completely pitch black outfit, and a light cloak with pointed hood. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a tight ponytail, and her face was in a determined set, but a trademark smirk was ghosting over it. I got the feeling she was looking forward to proving herself. Good, I thought. It would be well deserved if she finally got promoted. I nodded to Verre, who was leading the mission, before transforming falcon. I took a running jump off the ledge. Silvery feathers spread over my arms and back, and sharp talons took the place of my hands. My view distance increased dramatically. I beat my wings and gained some height against the persistent wind before checking downward. Arrow was smiling slightly up at me, shock apparent on her face. Verre and Heatphase hopped up onto the zipline platforms without a second glance and Arrow followed after a moment.

P.O.V Arrow

I took my gaze off of Falcon's rather- beautiful - feathered form and hopped up beside the others. We were to take the ziplines the first half of our journey, then go by foot towards the general base area of the Horde. The height of the trees around here would help to get a good vantage point when we got close enough, and the gathering darkness would also aid in our concealment. As we sped towards our drop off, I couldn't help thinking back to when we were getting ready to leave. I didn't let him know I noticed, but Falcon was looking at me weird. It had made me a little uncomfortable and I couldn't tell why he was doing it, but maybe he was just thinking. I was painfully snapped out of my reverie by a branch catching me in the face. I let out a small cry of surprise then blinked and ducked as another one whizzed past my head. This was a new path in the forest, so the zipline track wasn't very clean yet. The soft whirring above my head gradually became louder, and I knew the dropoff was near. I braced myself and barely jumped off in time, my platform clanking against the bar louder than I would like. I brushed myself off and turned to sergeant Verre. She nodded as I arrived and glanced upward.

"Falcon sure is taking his time..." She mused in irritation. Heatphase furrowed his brow.

"That's not like him. He's usually here way before us." He commented. A small flicker of fear stirred in me, and I crossed my arms. Something was very wrong.

P.O.V Falcon

I already had a good lead ahead of the others as usual. The wind had picked up some since I had began my flight, but I easily enough used it to my advantage instead, and increasingly gained speed. My vision was excellent in falcon form, so I hardly had to glance at the trees below me to tell my course. I saw the break in the trees approaching, and glanced around to time my descent.

A piercing caw split the air above.

I recoiled in surprise and whirled, just barely dodging the sharp claws of a black rook falcon. The black shadow screeched in anger at the miss. My mind was whirling. What in the world was this bird's problem?! I slashed my dagger clad talons at her and swooped away. I looked back to see her following, a strange hatred shown on her face. Had I gotten near her prey? That had happened before, but it felt different. I suddenly felt narrow talons sink into my back painfully. I beat my wings and cried out with a screech as I started to loose altitude. I tried to rise again and shake her off, but she was incredibly forceful. I slowly started to feel faint, and I fell mostly limp, blinking in pain.

The trees started drifting closer, and I realized the falcon was dragging me downward with her dive. I cawed in angry resolve. No tiny falcon was going to take me down! My wiry wings tore at the air, in a last effort to shake this calamity. Out of nowhere I was forced groundward, like the weight of a huge rock had landed on top of me. Claws gripped my wings and I fell to the forest floor.

I was thrown aside at the last moment, and I turned back to see a black cat land lightly beside me. I shifted back into a human, and the moment of panic was short lived. The cat didn't seem phased at all and strode towards me. I had a sudden realization as the girl shifted into a human clad in black before my eyes. I was looking at a full fledged shape shifter. I lept to my feet, gaze focused on her. She cocked back her right fist and knocked my in the jaw, hard.

"Did that hurt, pretty boy?" She laughed, as I groaned and rubbed my jawline. Pretty boy, what?? I didn't exactly like that comment. Unless a certain someone...I pushed that thought aside. I scanned the foliage in the immediate vicinity. I quickly snapped out my left leg towards her knees to trip her, but she hopped out of the way. She laughed mockingly. "Missed me missed me- now ya gotta kiss me!" She leaned forward and pecked me on the lips. I blinked in utter surprise and glared, before grabbing her wrist and twisting it behind her back. Another one of those jaw-dislocating punches came out of no-where and I was thrown to the ground. While I lay winded, I noticed her flinch and mutter something unintelligible under her breath. I rapidly stood up, taking my chance. I analyzed her injuries and deemed them minor. I didn't know why I even bothered to care but she was quite young to be part of the Horde. Satisfied she would be fine, I lifted my wings and hurtled myself into the air. I gained height into the sky and didn't look back until I reached the drop off point.

***(P.O.V Arrow)

^this part soundtrack

A few minutes had passed, and Falcon still wasn't here. Where could that sharp witted man be? I thought. Something must of torn him away from the course. I fiddled uncertainly with my Arcbow. Heck, the sergeants were just as bad. Verre was pacing the area, and HeatPhase was flickering flames over his hand, eyes riveted to the sky. Without warning a silver feathered bird crashed through the undergrowth.

Falcon stumbled into the small clearing, looking battered and torn. "I...I'm okay. Just got attacked by an enemy shape shifter." He was breathing hard and shaky as he replied. Verre walked several paces while circling him, a look of concern flashing over her face.

"A shape shifter? I thought Sketch, his son, was the last one of those. What happened to her?" She demanded. Falcon shook his head.

"Shook her eventually, but left me a few scratches. We have to get moving anyway, and it can't be helped."