Surviving in the Shadows

Hei An walked silently through the dark forest, his new sort of confidence now-emerging that Xuè Yǐng settled on his shoulder. It was no longer a peaceful place but where he could train, learn, and grow stronger. Hei An promised himself he'd survive no matter what since he lost his village. He finally realized that he didn't exactly possess any special strength with a sword, but rather, it was in the very special bond that he had for the raven.

When he was young, he always felt thoroughly vexed while undergoing sword training. He was nowhere near as competent as the other kids. No matter how hard he tried, there were always those better than him. However now, with Xuè Yǐng by his side, he could see very clearly - that his true strength lay in his tie to the beast, in something called the Beastblood Bond. If he worked this ability, then he would be strong in a manner others couldn't.

Hei An and Xuè Yǐng moved through the wild forest as a team. Xuè Yǐng would fly ahead scouting out dangers, and Hei An would trust his lead towards safe paths through the bond. Through this connection Hei An could see what the raven saw, guiding him away from poisonous plants, finding hidden water sources, and locating food he could safely eat. Xuè Yǐng could even sense wild beasts, giving Hei An early warning signs of danger approaching too close. They complemented each other perfectly, solely depending on the instincts of the other. The more days went by, the more Hei An felt himself settling into the wilderness.

A few days had passed since he began his journey, one evening when Hei An heard the distant voices. His muscles tensed, and Xuè Yǐng softly, cautiously cawed. Through their bond, Hei An sensed something was amiss—the voices were not friendly, and he knew he had to hide. Quickly, he pressed himself against the shadowed underbrush and attempted to make himself as small as possible.

Hei An hesitated, holding his breath, upon hearing the feeble voices from just a few feet ahead. His curiosity and caution held him frozen in place, listening for the faint murmurs. He hid behind the thick bushes and peeked out to find the source. A group of ragged, militarily armed men huddled within a small clearing.

"Keep your eyes open", said one of the men, who was tall and brooding. "Or else we shall miss the trail and lose our man"

A curious, dark aura clung to the men like a challenge. Their energy felt heavy, like the weight of a storm. Hei An's heart sank when he caught it-the unmistakable pressure of cultivators at the late stage of Spirit Transformation. Each man had a sword slung across his back, the metal glinting perilously in the dim light, and he could feel from their movements that these were killers.

Then, without warning, Xuè Yǐng let out a low cry to Hei An, one of the mercenaries' bright-gazed eyes roaming across his hiding place. His heart thumping in his chest, he dropped lower, pulling the cloak tight as if he could disappear into shadows. He was too late; one of the men's narrowed eyes has caught the flicker of movement.

"Oh, watch out over there!" the mercenary shouted, raising his weapon and stepping forward.

"Seems to be some sort of kid holding out in the underbrush."

A low chuckle was pulled from another mercenary-a massive man with a thick scar across his cheek.

"A kid, yes? What's he doing all the way out here by himself? Think he's got something of value he's worth taking?

Fear churned in his stomach. He tried to inch back slowly, but his foot caught a twig on the ground, snapping it sharply. Thunder broke that silence as he saw a spark of greed ignite in the mercenaries' eyes.

"Not taking him out," one snickered, grinning as he and his companions began to close in on Hei An's hiding place. "Know what he might be carrying. Or who'll pay to have him returned."

Hei An wheeled and ran, his heart thumping hard as he dashed into the forest. Xuè Yǐng ran ahead, showing Hei An flash after flash of direction and hiding place to slip through. Trees rushed past him as he dodged through underbrush; branches raked at his arms and legs, but he didn't look back:. He could hear the mercenaries crashing through the forest behind him, footsteps growing louder as they quickly gained ground.

"Kid's fast, but he can't keep this up," one of them called out in a voice cruel and mocking.

Hei An grit his teeth and felt panic flare as he savored the weight of pursuit closing in. Through this tie, he could feel Xuè Yǐng's encouragement-a strange mixture of pressure and serenity that urged him to move ahead despite the burning ache in his muscles. Yet, he knew he couldn't keep up this speed for much longer. Those were professional mercenaries, strong cultivators who could outstrip him in speed and strength. He had to think of something, and fast.

In front of him the forest thinned, the trees giving way to a sharp ravine. Hei An skidded to a stop, his breath hitching as he peered down into the drop below. There was no way he could jump and survive. Desperately, he looked around, hunting for any other way to escape.

Heavy footsteps approached and Hei An could sense the mercenaries were closing in on him. He turned to face them, his back to the ravine. He hardened his heart as he readied himself. A dark figure emerged from under the canopy: a tall mercenary with a smirk already, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.

"Nowhere else to hide, little rat," as he sneered and touched his blade; those around him flocked into place, their eyes shining with triumph and malice.

As his heart thudded against his chest, Hei An could feel the power of Xuè Yǐng moving about him.

A dark raven flitted by, and Hei An felt a strange feeling; something was shifting, as if even the air around them was changing. His surroundings grew darker and the shadows drew out as he looked up at Xuè Yǐng, who let out a shrill caw.

One moment, and everything about Hei An was darkness, darkness that hid him. This becoming part of something from detracting the light, as if his presence was disappearing from the universe.

The mercenaries were frozen, just shocked expressions, when being one hundred percent sure of themselves.

"Where did he go?" one of them hissed, casting nervous glances around.

They waved their swords in the dark mist but found nothing.

"He… vanished?" another one muttered in a trembling voice.

The leader of them narrowed his eyes and suspicion and anger twisted on his face. "Keep looking! Kid can't gets away that easily!"

But no matter how desperately they sought, there was no sign of Hei An. It was like he vanished into thin air. In the forest, hidden and unseen, Hei An moved silently, where the shadow bond of Xuè Yǐng had enveloped him in a darkness that these seasoned mercenaries could not sense.

And as he disappeared into the shadows, Hei An's mind was looking back at everything he'd learned.

His connection to Xuè Yǐng was stronger than he ever would have thought it could be, and now, he had the power to remain hidden, to survive in the shadows.