Chapter I: An Unusual Friend?

It was a quiet, cool, and crisp autumn evening. There were a few stars out though the skies above we're mostly empty. It couldn't have been later then nine thirty at night. The lanterns in the streets gave it a beautiful yet somewhat sorrowful glow. However the person on the rooftop was too into their thoughts to notice. They had gotten done with their most recent job and were focused on the task at hand. Their footsteps were quiet as they slowly walked along the rooftops of this busy city street, that is until they heard someone jump down from a higher rooftop. The rooftop the mysterious person jumped from was roughly ten feet above their own. They quickly tug their cloak's hood down just a bit, to make sure their face wasn't revealed. After all, why else would one tug down a hood?

They could tell who it was just by their footsteps as the mysterious person walked closer. They chuckle as they quickly bolt, their silver cloak swaying in the wind as they run along the rooftops. 

The streets below bustle with noise as the two run along the rooftops of the usually quiet town. The bustling noise of the people below masked the sound of their footsteps quite well. They weren't sure why exactly the streets were this busy this time of night. Yes it's true the city of Marron has quite a busy night life but never this busy. Could it just be the time of year? Quite possibly. Could it be the fact that acceptance letters would be sent out soon? That is also a possibility. However the cloaked person didn't have time to ponder as the mysterious figure continues to gain ground and quickly catches up. 

He was, honestly, way to overcome with the idea of catching up to them and missed the jump to the next rooftop. It wasn't even that far of a jump. Truly all he had to do was extend a foot and not fall, however he obviously wasn't capable of such as he fell through the narrow space. Despite him deserving a good hit on the head, our dear protagonist was far too kind for their own good. 

They knew why he was chasing them and honestly found it hilarious. This mysterious person was the right hand man of a headmaster of a near by academy. This academy was a rather prestigious one, home to all of the best fighters in the land. This was an academy where multiple elite members of the royal guard's were trained. It cares not from what kingdom you hail nor your intent, all it cares about is one's skill. You see this headmaster had been searching for our dear protagonist for years, how many remains secret, but years nonetheless.

They found it funny that no matter who the headmaster sent, rather they be students, teachers, fellow headmasters, or undercover operatives, none were able to catch them let alone deliver a single letter. At first they were annoyed that he was so persistent but they soon turned it into a fun game for themself. They wanted to see how many different people he was willing to send, how many people he could spare, and how many they could dispose of for the time. Of course they hadn't and wouldn't kill anyone, they do have some form of morals. By dispose I simply mean get rid of for a short while, make go on leave simply due to the mental stress or forced onto leave because of injury. 

Now this fellow, he was intriguing to them hence why they were going to help and play their game with him for awhile longer. So they swiftly extended the bottom of their staff down and scooped him up, all while being careful not to reveal their face as that, along with their voice, seemed like the only non personal thing he didn't know about them. 

The man scoffed. "Wow. You really do have morals huh Cloak?" 

They scoff themself and roll their eyes. They give him a little two finger wave then start running off again. 

The man rolls his eyes and groans. "And here we go again!" He laughs, his tone seemed joking, like he enjoyed their little game of cat and mouse. Him being the cat in this situation of course, or rather that's what he thinks. This man wasn't absurdly tall for his age however he wasn't average either. He was around five foot eleven, maybe six foot on a good day. He seemed like an unusual person and honestly? That's an understatement. He had dark mauve hair, magenta eyes, and pale skin which just made everything else stand out more. 

However the most unusual thing about him was his tattoo right under his left eye. It was of four dark pink circles shaped in a square, it was odd yes but it made sense to him and only him. 

Another odd thing about this man was his sense of style. He never wore armor or anything of the like. No matter what, when, or where, he always wore this positively stupid pink hoodie. Now if it was a plain pink hoodie it wouldn't be so bad, however the hood had ears and a face of its own. It appeared to be a bear of some sort, it's eyes were black and had lines through the middle. The inside of its ears were lavender in color and stood out against the barrage of pink shades all over him.

However he knew many other things about this person. For instance he knew where they were headed, their strategy, and their love for games. Light danced across his dark eyes as he looks down at the busy city street. He decided against playing Cloak's game for now, knowing he could always figure out where they were again one day. Besides, he knew not playing along would only make them angry and loose their guard.

Cloak chuckles as they hear Vincentius' footsteps stop and slowly disappear into the distance. "I suppose he got tired." They think as they slow their running. They smile as they start to walk again, hundreds of thoughts running through their mind. They pouted a bit as they wondered why he'd suddenly stop chasing them. They knew he had made it his personal mission to deliver that letter and to be the first person to knowingly see their face. 

They sigh, knowing it was another fifteen minutes before they'd get home. They truly didn't want to walk. "I shouldn't have left my bike." They think and shake their head. Their usual mode of transportation, a purple motorcycle which was most definitely stolen, had been left at an abandoned building for safety as it would've been too loud to ride to their previous destination. 

They take this time to ponder why the town below was so busy. They look down and scoff, their eyes landing on a slightly younger dark raspberry haired girl with an odd appearance. This girl was famous amongst some groups for the way she could best any magician in the area, whether they be the actual magic kind or the slight of hand kind. Cloak could easily see through her lies and very poor use of magical deception. After all, Cloak was the one to create that sort of magic. The kind of magic in question is called Apateónes. It's the ability to trick or hide anyone/anything around you, including use of other magics. Which in this case was what the girl was using it for. 

Cloak rolls their eyes and clicks their tongue, annoyed that someone would use their magic for something so trivial. Sure hiding what sort of magic you possess is useful, but why would she tire herself out by using two types of magic at once when she could just use one? Alas, despite wanting to set that girl in the right direction they did not want to waste more time on something unbeneficial for themself. They avert their eyes and look ahead once more. They shake their head as they hear the crowd cheer and laugh at the girl's victory for the thousandth time. They always found people who loved the spotlight to be weird in some way. Who would want to have eyes on them constantly? Especially in today's society, the less eyes on you the better. After all, this cheer and excitement was just bound to attract more Willows, a group of which they just got done with. 

You see nowadays Willows are more of a problem than ever. Willows are a species of fae which are attracted to and feed off positive emotions. Which usually wouldn't be so bad as in the past their services were of great use to the world, however the more recent generation has gotten much more greedy. 

Some even help the gods with designing each individual's proficiency. Everyone in this world can use magic however are proficient in one specific thing designed to aid the user in their path but also designed to be a reflection of themself.

Cloak sighs softly as they continue to walk home. Their home wasn't too far now, about another five minutes away. Usually if they knew they were being followed they wouldn't go home but as they deemed things fine they decided too. Nothing seemed off as Cloak approached the ivory walls of the building, the lights were off, windows closed, doors locked, all seemed as it should.

They chuckle softly as they walk inside and hear a small thunk coming from upstairs. Cloak smiles as they look around the perfectly clean gothic style café. "All seems well." They think as they lock the door behind themself and walk behind the counter, towards the spiral staircase which leads to the apartment and flat. The staircase itself was black and made of some sort of metal which reflected the autumn colored lights of the lanterns outside. The front of the store was entirely windows so the café was illuminated quite well.

Cloak chuckles once more as they hear another thunk, assuming their shade or chameleon had knocked something over. They quietly walk down the hall and towards the door. They smile gently as they unlock it and walk inside the dimly lit apartment. The only light was coming from the window in the living room as well as a few candles that were sporadically placed. They chuckle and shake their head to see a vase, which had lilacs, was knocked over. Usually their shade, who's name is Xena, would be with them as that's typically how things go. However Cloak didn't think they needed her so they told her to stay home.

Xena caws once more as if to tell Cloak to come over. Cloak chuckles once more and shuts the door behind themself. "Xena, cut it out. I get you're mad at me but really?" They say, their voice smooth and bold with a hint of some sort of accent. They obviously hadn't been paying attention as there was a man sitting in their living room.

The man chuckles. "Well well, looks like I finally get to hear your voice." It was the man from before, Vincentius.

Cloak jumps a little in surprise. "Dammit. How did you even get in here?"

He chuckles. "I'm skilled. That's all toots."

They growl quietly and walk into the living room, Xena landing on their shoulder as they do so. "Whatever. Just don't call me that." Their voice was harsh and cold now, it had quickly lost that playful tone once they realized who was there.

Vincentius smiles, balancing a blue envelope with gold accents in his finger. "I told you I'd catch you didn't I?"

Cloak rolls their eyes as they sit across from him, waving Xena off in the process. "I suppose." They keep their head down, not wanting him to know anything else. "You win. Now are you going to hand over that stupid letter?"

He smirks and yanks it away as they try to snatch it. "Nah.. I wanna know something first. Why is the old man so interested in you anyway?"

Cloak sighs. "That's none of your business. I just have something he wants, that's all."

Vincentius' leans forward with interest. "Really? Hm, okay then. Since I know you won't be willing to tell me what it is, how about you tell me something else?"

They roll their eyes. "Fine. Let's just get this over with." They stand, their face still covered. "Stay there. Don't move a muscle. I'll be back in a moment."

Vincentius nods, knowing when to not push his luck.

Cloak walks away and into their bedroom. They carefully take off their cloak, gently placing it on a hook by their bed. They walk over to a set of drawers and grab some sort of bandage out of it. Cloak gently wraps it around their head, making sure to cover their easily identifiable eyes. They pull some sections of hair out of the bandages as they walk back towards the living room.

Vincentius was taken aback when he saw Cloak. Their face looked nothing like he had imagined. He swore up and down that they'd have sharp cheekbones and some sort of tattoo that was easily recognizable, thinking that was their reason for hiding their face. Instead however he was met with soft features, plump ish cheeks, abnormally pale skin, and full lips coated with dark purple lipstick. Almost as dark as their hair which was purple in color, almost like the center of an amethyst geode. He laughs. "Woah! You really look nothing like I imagined!"

Cloak sighs. "Yeah yeah whatever."

He smiles as he takes in their appearance for the first, and most likely last, time. "Say, where's your shade? Was it with you today?"

Shade's are a part of a person's soul. It feels whatever it's master feels, including emotions. Shade's typically cannot stray far from their masters so for Vincentius to have not seen Cloak's sooner was odd. However once a shade's master has died they shade itself doesn't. The shade are cursed creatures, once their master dies they are forced to wander the world until it's collected by the soul of it's master.

"Is that your question?" Cloak asks as they sit down in the plush armchair once more.

Vincentius jumps a little and quickly shakes his head. "N- no-!" He sputters out, not wanting to waste what he thinks is his only question. "Sorry, anyway my question. What is your proficiency?"

Cloak visibly tenses as he asks. "Why do you want to know that?"

Vincentius chuckles. "Why else would the old man be so interested in you if your proficiency isn't something awesome and useful?"

Cloak chuckles. "I wouldn't call it awesome. However it is sort of useful, not for anyone else though."

He laughs and shakes his head. "Okay. What is it then?"

Cloak raises an eyebrow. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." They smirk.

He rolls his eyes. "Really? Fine then. My proficiency is called téchnasma. Basically I can make anyone believe anything I want."

Cloak smirks. "Alright, fair is fair." They cross their legs. "Just don't go telling everyone you hear?"

Vincentius nods. "Understood."

Cloak takes a breath. "My proficiency is called kryfós desmós. It's the ability to create bonds with someone. The bonds can be used for anything, it also makes me extremely stealthy."

Vincentius' eyes widened. "No wonder the old man wants you! You could be a human lie detector!" He exclaims, shooting up from his seat.

They growl quietly. "Quiet down and sit. By the gods you're such a loud mouth."

He laughs quietly as he sits back down. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

They sigh. "It's fine. I'm going to grab a drink, do you want anything?"

Vincentius gasps. "Wow. Cloak is actually being nice. Sure, whatever's fine."

Cloak growls. "Watch it. I could always put something extra in it."

Vincentius laughs and nods. "Noted." As Cloak leaves he stands and starts wandering around. He smiles as he sees their pet chameleon clinged to his perch in the corner. "You've got some cute pets toots." He says as he gently pets it with two fingers.

Cloak growls from the kitchen. "I told you not to call me that." They peek around the corner and let a small smile slip as they see how happy the chameleon looks. "His name's Luck." They say then duck back into the kitchen.

Vincentius smiles. "Is he your shade?" He asks, still stroking the small frail creature.

Cloak chuckles. "Because having a chameleon as a shade is useful." They say as they walk back in with two tea cups full of purple liquid. "Here."

Vincentius smiles wider as he takes the cup of tea. "What's this?" He questions before drinking.

Cloak laughs. "It's butterfly tea dummy. Just drink it, I didn't do anything to it I swear." They sit down in the plush armchair once more, calmly sipping their tea. "You really seem to want to know about my shade. But what about yours?"

Vincentius shakes his head. "Not until I know yours. It's only fair after all." He sips his tea, the woody taste catching him off guard. The wood taste was a little strong but the sweetness of the tea compliments it well. "Hey! This is pretty good!"

Cloak laughs softly. "Yeah? I'm glad you like it. As for the shade business." They gently set their cup down on the wooden table in front of them. Cloak brings their fingers to their lips and whistle sharply. Xena flies around the corner, seemingly coming from the bedroom. She caws loudly as she lands on Cloak's shoulder.

"This is Xena, my shade. She may appear to be a raven however she is far from it."

Vincentius nods as he takes a closer look. He gasps as he realizes the bird has no eyes, only dark empty sockets. "What exactly is she?.." He asks, his curiosity gaining by the minute.

Cloak chuckles. "She is a unique little thing." They gently scratch the bird's head. "She is a Nachtkrapp."

Xena seems offended and turns her head away.

Vincentius laughs. "She's got quite the attitude huh?" He gently sips his tea. "You said she's unique, but there's nothing all that unique about a Nachtkrapp in these parts."

Cloak smirks. "Xena, would you mind?" They ask, handing her their cup of tea which now was about half empty.

Xena caws, still looking pretty offended. She takes the cup in her beak then flies off to the kitchen.

Vincentius cocks his head. "Huh-?" Before he could finish his sentence Cloak cuts him off.

"While we wait for her, care to show off your shade, pinky?" They chuckle, knowing that nickname would aggravate him.

Vincentius rolls his eyes. "Fine fine." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a silver bell. He rings it twice, two quiet but notable dings come from the bell. The air grows a bit hotter as a flying monkey appears on Vincentius' head. "This is my shade, Kuzo."

Kuzo flaps his light blue wings happily, they stand out quite a bit against his bright orange fur and green eyes.

Cloak chuckles softly. "Of course you'd have a monkey." They shake their head then look to Kuzo. "Hello there."

Kuzo smiles, exposing his sharp teeth causing Cloak to chuckle again.

"He's an expressive little thing isn't he?" They smile. Cloak then turns to look into the hall as they hear footsteps. "Ah, here she comes. About time."

Xena scoffs as she walks into the room. She had more of a human shape now though her arms were wings still. "Oh hush it! I'm still mad at you!" Her voice had a certain tone, one of playful pettiness. She gently hands Cloak their tea, which looked a bit bluer then before.

"Thank you, you may have a seat." Cloak says, their voice calm as they stare at Vincentius and Kuzo through the bandages. "See, I told you she was unique." Xena smiles innocently and waves as she sits on the arm of Cloak's chair.

Vincentius and Kuzo's mouths were agape, they obviously weren't expecting this. "She can shapeshift!!!" They both shout in unison.

Cloak laughs. "Yes, however only into this form."

Xena giggles. "He talks too!!!" She says as she runs up to Kuzo and scoops him up. She spins him around happily.

Cloak rolls their eyes. "Put him down. It's rude to touch other people's shades without their permission. And yes. He can talk, all shades can. Some can even speak multiple languages."

Vincentius chuckles. "She's fine. I take it she doesn't interact with others much?" He shivers a bit as he faintly feels feathers brushing against him.

As Cloak starts to answer, Xena cuts them off. "Nope!" She answers quickly. "I don't get out much either." Though she has no eyes her sockets were still expressive and gave off a slight sense of sadness.

Cloak sighs. "I prefer to keep her home and unknown for personal reasons."

Vincentius nods. "I see." He sets the blue envelope on the table, sliding it across. "There, I almost forgot."

Cloak nods. "Thank you. Now get out. I'd like to sleep."

Xena pouts. "Awe!!! Come onnnnn!" She whines. "They just got here! And it's soooo not boring now!"

Vincentius laughs softly. "It's alright Xena, we have some more work to be doing anyway."

Kuzo whines. "I hate workkkkk." He groans, snuggling into Xena's warm feathers causing Vincentius to shiver again.

Xena pouts. "Can't they stay the night? Pleaseeeee!" She begs as she turns to Cloak.

Cloak sighs. "Xena-"

Kuzo looks over as well. "Yeah! Please!!!" Both shadess gave their masters cute pouty faces, wanting to stay together longer.

Vincentius cracks immediately. "Oh fine! Only if Cloak agrees! This is their place after all!"

Cloak sighs. "Xena." Their voice was a bit firm, causing Kuzo and Vincentius to flinch. "If." They begin, Xena already starting to bounce up and down. "I allow them to stay. They'll be your responsibility. Got it?"

Xena squeals, shaking Kuzo back and forth happily. "Okay!!" She exclaims, probably way to loud for her own good. The long feathers where her ears should be begin to flap happily.

Cloak puts up a hand. "And." Xena pouts a little as they do this. "They'll have to help with the café in the morning. Deal?" They ask, extending their hand.

Xena jumps up and down happily. "Deal!!!" She screams and extends a feathered arm, shaking Cloak's hand. Gold string floats around the arms then dissipates.

Vincentius' eyes widen. "Woah!! Was that your proficiency!?" He yells, getting as excited as Xena now.

Cloak chuckles. "Yes yes. That's one of the many things it can do."

Xena chuckles. "Come on! Y'all can stay in the flat across the hall!" She then runs out of the apartment, Kuzo still in her arms.

"Help meeeeee!!!!!" He yells, his voice fading as they exit the apartment.

Vincentius laughs. "She's definitely something huh?"

Cloak chuckles. "Yeah. Sometimes I regret making her my shade, she rarely takes things seriously."

Vincentius laughs. He finishes his tea then stands. "Well, I 'spose this makes us neighbors now huh?"

Cloak shakes their head. "Don't get ahead of yourself. This is a one time thing."

Vincentius chuckles. "Whatever you say toots." He gives a two finger wave then walks out of the apartment.

Xena returns a few minutes later, still as happy as before. "Yay! We have neighbors!!"

Cloak sighs as they take off the bandage around their eyes. They look up at Xena from the chair. "Please. Don't make me regret this okay?"

Xena giggles as she nods excitedly. "Okay!! I won't!! Promise!!!"

Cloak sighs. "Alright. I'm trusting you. Remember, those two are your responsibility."

Xena nods more, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Got it!!" Cloak smiles and stands, grabbing the two now empty cups of tea.

"Go get ready for bed, I'll be there in a moment." Xena nods and runs off towards the bedroom. Cloak puts the cups in the set then walks back into the living room. They gently grab Luck from his perch and walk to their bedroom. They gently set Luck in his cage then they begin to get ready for bed. Xena is already passed out haphazardly on the bed, taking up most of the space.

Cloak chuckles as they walk into the bathroom and brush their long purple hair. Their red and blue eyes reflect the light of the candle illuminating the bathroom, the light also reflects off their porcelain colored skin causing it to shimmer slightly. They have heterochromia, the condition where their eyes are two different colors. Their right eye is a icey blue whereas their left eye is a fiery red. They were born with this trait and found it hard to live life with it. Which is why their eyes are usually hidden unless they're home or around someone they trust.