.The Shadow Knight.

-10-

I walked around the garden a butler showed me too.

I bent down and picked up a single leaf, twirling it between my fingers, watching its large and bright green shape, so different.

I glanced up at the tree with a white trunk, I think it was called birch.

Anywhere I turned too it was so different from home.

"Men have been the bane of my existence."

My fingers flexed and smooched the soft stem between them, smearing my glove with plant matter.

I am no man but have been raised as one for a long while, my name is one of man and I basically can get some one pregnant.... And then I turned out as a freak of nature by turning out to not be a boy.... I feel she'd hate me if she knew the truth and I don't wish for that.

Shadow knights aren't as closely bonded as mages, we are like the guard but worst, working together but no brotherhood, we are the secret last line of defense for when even the mages die to protect the rulers and we'd sacrifice all others for success... Training was brutal...

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A staff knocked into my stomach, feeling the shock into my ribs as it continued its movement upwards and when it spanned up it whipped my chin.

I tumbled to my side, holding my chin and hugging my stomach, dry heaving, drool dripping from my mouth along with blood.

"Next time keep your mouth shut! You don't wanna become mute by biting your tongue clean off! Your stance is still crap, we've seen this the whole week!"

"I-I am sorry." I covered my head, crying out as my arm was whacked with the staff.

"Sorry will not save you! Get up and get it right!"

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Another reason why there is always few shadow knights, the training to be able to call yourself one of them was harsh and unforgiving, I broke many bones, bled many days, cried many nights to be where I am today.

"I hope she is right and you are indeed proud mama, I hope you are." I said softly, eyes gazing ahead at the greenery but not seeing it, lost in my thoughts and not caring to escape them.

I spent a long time reflecting with nature before I headed to the inner court.

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I stopped under the arches of the covered area and leaned against the stone arch, arms crossed, watching the guards train and there, another difference, I saw not a single woman like I would in Solor, the men here really thought they were all that better then us.

"Hey woman, leave the training area." I straightened up and pushed off the pillar.

"If someone is a woman here it wouldn't be me." I set my fist on my hip. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Are you calling me a woman?! I will have you know I am Lor, the greatest swordsman of the south, I trained many prolific soldiers to grace this empire's soils."

"I never said it was you nor did I assume it, you did it yourself." I stepped forth, walking at a leisurely pace, not casting a gaze at the men clad in armor, wise enough to not stand in between me and this trainer. "And I am Akito, a shadow knight, the myth of my people and the nightmare of those that are my targets, last line between the rulers and the enemy, the best of the best, I might be native to Solor's soils but even there I've seen men and women with the same disgusting mindset as yours. Yeah, I can tell what you think of me, it isn't hard to guess but guess what.... You even have a face to fit the whole disgusting aesthetic."

"A woman shouldn't talk like this to men how dare you?!"

"And you how dare you think so lowly of women when you serve the empress?!"

"This has nothing to do with it!!"

"Oh it does! Such 'greatest swordsman' you are." I shoved him in the chest, theirs upper chest all covered in plate armor along with arms and hands but from the hips to theirs feet it wasn't armored.

"I will teach you!!"

He reeled his hand back to slap me but I put out my foreman so he slapped that, the force giving me slight spin and I let it push me, adding my strength to my spin and threw my other arm out, backhand slapping him across the face.

He spluttered in surprise grabbing his face in shock.

"A simple knight to a shadow knight is a bug to a cat, at best insignificant and at worst a nuisance like a flea, learn your place." I shouldn't indulge in his games but I will play this time, it won't last long anyway.

A young soldier threw him a sword, lets play.

He swung at me, coming for my left shoulder, why do simple soldiers learn sooo late to not fight with emotions? They almost finish their training by the time they try to teach them this.

I pulled out one of my throwing knives, one in each hand, the blue of them more prominent then the blue of my katana.

One held in a reverse grip as the sword crashed with them, the blade sliding in the small hook at the guard and I shoved his blade up.

My leg slid forth and I pushed my weight on it.

"You are too slow to even come close to beating me." I whispered, being right in his face, the point of the blade held in a reverse grip hovering over his stomach, I felt the muscle spaz from the little pressure I applied to it, the other blade having the whole cutting edge sit gently against the skin of his neck. "As I said, a bug to a cat."

I stepped back.

"I hope this is enough of a showcase to know to leave me alone next time I am peacefully watching." I said loudly to the others as I put the knives away in my pouches and turned away.

I didn't make it back to the arch before a blade slash across my back, cutting through my corset and it was sturdy and enchanted so it needed a lot of strength or a really sharp edge to be this hurt.

"OKAY!!" I barked, whipping around, the trainer stumbling back in surprise, most likely expecting me to cry or do another thing he expect woman to do. "You want to play? Lets play." I said, murder in my eyes, sorry Elise but your bug is annoying a really tired cat that doesn't take well to being stung. "Time to dance."