Masked

Aramis

       

I woke in the middle of the night; the charcoal blackness prevent me from seeing anything. Whatever had woken me was still close; I could hear footsteps. Mesi was still sleeping, but she was a deep sleeper.

Then I heard people talking outside of thin, plywood walls; I recognized one of the voices. They sounded to be about ten feet away from our position in the barn. I absorbed the shadows around me, becoming one myself. I'd learned this trick from an ancient soul during one of Mesi's and my missions. I slithered out of the slightly cracked door in my new form. Posing as my trainer's shadow I listened to the conversation between them.

"Their skill level is beyond the rest of them." He must have been Mesi's instructor.

"Do you think that they are, you know, part of the Fraters? They seem trained." My trainer asked, and Mesi's responded,

"No, vortex manipulators aren't cunning enough. As for the shadow charmer, she isn't capable of such rebellion."

"That's true, their fighting skills are strong, but their minds, weak."

They started to walk; it was harder to mimic his form now.

"Well the charmer is quite beautiful." Mine observed; Mesi's seemed to be quite upset about his comrade's comment.

"And a Praecipua. Remember that they are not people, just animals."

"Hey, I'm not saying I'm going to take her to dinner, but why not have some fun? Come on Oli, you know it gets lonely out here."

I mumbled something under my breath. It must have come out louder than I'd intended because they stopped dead in their tracks. The hunter flipped around,

"Who's there?" He yelled. I froze in my instructor's shadow, trying my best not to move.

"Come out, now!"

The guard trainer spoke next "Do you think that its-?"

Oli cut him off "They can't leave the shelter. Plus it's the first night, they're drained."

"I know, but who else would it be?"

"It was probably just a bat or a bird."

They kept walking the perimeter of the slave camp. I slithered over to the trees as quick as I could, but it wasn't quick enough.

"Hey! Someone's in the trees!"

The instructor took out a small dark orb and ripped off a metal pin from the outside of it. Throwing it towards the trees, it instantly lit up the forest for about forty feet. I had to hide the best I could in the shadow of the thin white trees.

"It has to be a Praecipua, no one else is here."

"What exactly did you see?"

"There was a shadow swimming into the forest."

"Are you serious? There are animals, insects, and all sorts of creatures out here. It could have been anything."

"It could have, but it looked like a human."

"Look, it's dark and late. You were seeing things."

"Let's just go check the shelter."

The hunter hesitated and then reluctantly agreed, "Fine, but quickly."

They started in the direction of the shack. I went back as quick as I could. I changed back into my regular form and lied down in my bed. Five minutes later they came to check our position in the dirt. Everyone else had had an orb flashed in their face. Now the hollow wooden boards echoed the tired moans and groans. Mesi's trainer strode over to the back corner where we lay.