Stick to the Shadows (HxH)

26: Were the Same

Kurapika's P.O.V

I know it's not fair to Rilluma, but I can't forget what happened to Johness. It's not that easy to accept something like that. Sure we've all made mistakes, but my mistake wasn't turning into a cannibal. Now every time I look at her small pale face all I can see in the red blood staining her teeth. Especially when she's in her cat form. We were now ready for the fourth phase, according to the exam leader. 

"Now it's time to draw lots. It will determine who you will hunt and who hunts you. The number you pick is your target." We all drew our lots, and I was happy not to choose any of our groups. The last thing I wanted was to try and fight Killua or RillumaKio for their numbers. I could win, but I would rather not try and take away Gon's or Leorio's chances of passing the exam. I was also glad not to choose Hisoka or that weird dude with the needles. 

"Yay!" Rilluma screamed. "I've been waiting for a good hunt every since the exams started." She licked her lips casually, making sure everyone around her feared getting her number. No one wanted to go up against a shape shifting prodigy. If only they knew the true extent of her power. Like what I know.

Rilluma's P.O.V

I was more then excited for the next exam to start. After all, I can finally start acting on my own free will. My punishment from before was now void and Killua and I can finally split up. So I was pretty distracted while everyone was boarding the island of Zeval. I didn't even notice that it was my turn to land and I hadn't even looked at lot yet. I hadn't even found out who exactly I was targeting. 

I picked up my number reading it. Number 199. I have to play this smart. Even though I have to focus on my prey, I also have to avoid my predator. Meaning I could stay in animal forms for the majority of the exam, yet I should stay out of my cat form. Everyone knows I can change into that beast, but only few of them know I change into other beasts. So sticking to other creatures that would be found in the forest would be smart. 

Then there's my target. Number 199. So close to being a perfect number, though still far off. The problem was, I was not certain who exactly I was tracking. That made my mission fairly difficult. After all, I never had to play this game as an assassin. You were given some information on who to kill, and that was what you were to do. There was none of this picking and choosing. Once I find out who it is I can track them. 

I shrugged and shifted into an albino squirrel. It's small, easily covered by the brush of the forest, yet it can also track it's prey by scent. When this rodent stashes food, it remembers where it was hidden based on what the area smelled like. It wasn't that much different to follow a scent trail to find a human. So I leaped from tree branch to tree branch finding the scent trail. That's when I picked up a familiar smell. 

It was of the Earth--tree sap, ocean water, dirt, etc. One that I was quite familiar with. It was Gon. When I focused hard enough, I could hear his cries of joy. I shook my head. Hearing him from all the way over here was a tell tale sign his is not cut out for assassin work. To loud. It would show his presence before he even made it near the enemies base.

Without any leads I decided to go see what exactly Gon was doing. So I arrived shifting into my human form so he would know who I was. When I found him all I saw was him casting his fishing pole into the water. What was he doing? I watched as he wrapped a fish in the line and yanked it on shore, which was odd. I thought fishing was the fish biting the lure. Apparently I was wrong.

"You shouldnt be so loud. Anyone can be watching."

"Oh." Gon says looking back. "Who's watching?" I knew that poison man was in the trees, and he knew I could see him. My eyes shot to the side giving the man a warning glance before turning back to Gon.

"No one. I'm just saying." The man in the trees let out a breath.

"So what are you doing here?"

"I dont have any idea who my target is and I dont have a scent trail to follow." Gon nodded releasing the fish from the line and tossing it back into the pond.

"What's their number?"

"199."

"Oh. You've got one of the Amori brothers then." It kind of took me by surprise that he would have my answer so quickly. He seems like an inferior naive idiot, but he is actually well aware of everything that happens around him. Gon is just so full of surprises.

"Why does it have to be them? Their stench makes my nose burn." Gon smiled.

"I've been wondering by the way. You remember everyone by smell, right?" I nodded. Before I know anyone by face I see them with scent. It's a far more reliable method.

"Yeah."

"So what do we smell like? You know. Kurapika, Leorio, Killua, and me."

"Why do you ask? Can't you smell them too?" Gon had a great sense of smell, maybe not as sensitive as mine, but still pretty powerful.

"I just wanted to know if you smelled the same thing I did." For some reason this struck me. Am I really that similar to Gon? Am I out as special as I thought? I'm sure I'm overreacting but I'm just not sure I like how that sentence was said. Then again, maybe it's a good thing. I'm not the only one in this world like me. There's someone like me.

"Were the same." I said with a smile.

---------------

Word Count: 1034