𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𖥸 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝘼𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙨

01 | Fangs in the Shadows

     It was cold.

Strikingly cold actually, but the woman didn't seem to mind. She kept her face hidden under the heavy hood she had owned, concealing everything but the sadistic grin plastered on her face. The grin of a murderer with a plan.

This particular plan was going exceedingly well - better than she had expected it to, and she now had a feeling that the job would be over quicker than she thought.

Her spirit animal was in passive state, taking the form of a dark spiral-shaped tattoo that extended from wrist to elbow. It preferred to stay in that state anyway, and the figure found it easier to deal with than the beast running around all the time.

The steel of the blade that was in her grasp cut deep into her hands, and despite the fact that she had thick leather gloves on, she still bled underneath them. The pain was what kept her going; it kept her focused on the job at hand, and cleared the thoughts that occupied her head most of the time. Those dark thoughts.

The unmistakable sound of wingbeats reached her ears, and her eyes caught sight of a massive silhouette brooding in the sky. It was a Steller's sea eagle with white and black feathers that almost seemed to blend in the dark sky. Piercing gold eyes locked with her own dark brown ones.

The animal belonged to her brother, and was no doubt bringing her a message of some sort. Why else would it be here after all?

The eagle thundered down onto the ground with a caw, feathers scattering everywhere as it inclined its head at her. There, in its talons, was some sort of parchment, tied with a ribbon the color of blood. Just exactly what she was looking for.

Carefully, she held her hand out to the eagle, allowing the bird to climb onto her shoulder. It was an effort to keep her balance due to its weight and she could already feel blood begin to trickle down her skin from where those talons had cut. She grit her teeth to keep a sharp intake of breath from escaping.

"What have you brought me, Mercutio?" She inquired with the tilt of her head, unraveling the parchment as soon as it found its way in her hands. Her lips pursed as her dark eyes scanned over it, taking in the words with absolute silence.

"I see," She mused, folding the paper back up and beginning to tear it up. She couldn't risk anyone else seeing it. It would have been wiser to burn it, but she lacked the materials needed to start a fire. Scattering the remains into the sea would have to suffice for now.

Mercutio spread his wings and launched off her shoulder, taking off into the dark night once again without another caw. Black and white feathers were strewn about everywhere, but she paid it no mind. She had all the information she needed.

As she watched the eagle soar away, the ghost of a smile formed on her lips as she turned her heel and stalked down the shadowy path of the alleyway. It was the fastest way to reach her destination and this was normally the path she used anyway.

The woman was nothing but a shadow as she slipped through the gates of the Stetriolan palace, easily sidestepping the guards who barely gave her a glance. They couldn't see her after all. It was a special trait she had inherited from her spirit animal. Her arms and shoulders were still sore and leaking blood from where Mercutio had cut into, but she paid the injuries no mind. She'd been through worse after all.

She made sure her footsteps were light and concealed, taking the shadows as her cover and beginning to make her way to the medbay. That was where the rat had to be after all. The scum she was in charge of getting rid of. The brat who had taken so much from them.

The woman didn't know why she was assigned such a task, but then again, why was the child a part of the Stetriolan Queen's court? It made no sense whatsoever and she was determined to find out why the hell this redhead was here. And how to take revenge for the past.

A flick of her wrist had her spirit animal flashing out of passive and as silent as the winds, the woman bent down and whispered something slowly to the creature. Whatever it was, it was hard to see from the thick covers of the shadows around them, but bright black eyes gleamed from the darkness.

Then she was creeping down the halls in the opposite direction, letting the animal do her bidding as she went to see the redhead for herself. She couldn't kill her. Not yet. But that didn't mean she couldn't antagonize her. Make her suffer. Make them hate her.

Pin the blame on her again.

As she expected, the medbay was chaotic and filled with frantic healers who no doubt had any knowledge of whatever it was they were doing. Most of them were young, ages eighteen and above with all sorts of spirit animals doing whatever they could to assist them.

She caught sight of a platypus of some sort, a variety of songbirds, and even a small rodent of some kind scampering after its summoner. Pathetic. The sight was causing a look of distaste to form on her face.

The woman crept into the first open door, immediately catching sight of red hair and a limp form laying on one of the stark white beds. The doctor was before her speaking endlessly and marking things done on the clipboard in their hands. There. Now was the perfect time to strike.

The redhead seemed out of it which was an even bigger benefit and help for what she was about to do. Though her eyes were open, they were glassy and unfocused.

Without waiting, her arms clasped around the doctor's neck and she slowly began to strangle them, turning her head and noticing that the redhead didn't even move. Didn't even seem to be aware of what was happening right in front of her. Just stared.

When the doctor's struggles ceased and they went limp in her grip, she slammed their head into the side of the bed and let them drop against the redhead. She approached the redhead and placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head up so those dull blue eyes were locked onto hers. A smirk pulled at her lips as she winked down at her target.

Then, without even waiting for someone to enter the room, the shadow took off into the night.