Shadowed One

Femi pulled his dark cloak closer, his gaze not leaving the house of his target, he was staying low on the roof opposite the house his target was living. He waited for the next batch of the three man patrol to moved passed the front gate before he sprinted towards the gate and with him foot finding purchase on the metal he jumped easily into the compound, the moonless night hiding his movement.

He choose this night especially because the moon isn't making appearance, though he could have done it any other night, moon or no moon but why not use nature to his advantage when he could? He flexed his hand looking at the one story mansion, not a place he expected one of the wise schooler to hide at but that was just his own thought, the man's fate was sealed the minute the Webmaster had submitted his name for Femi to kill.

He clenched his teeth at the thought of the Webmaster and he wondered what the wise schooler had done to deserve death. What did you do, Kunle Mumuda? What did you do to draw the attention of the likes of the Webmaster?

No matter. His job here was to kill him.

He knew from his close observation that the bodyguards schooler Kunle hired that were average at best and he could kill them if he so wish but he prided himself in doing only his job. Kill the schooler. An assassin he might be but even he have his ways.

The bodyguards won't make another turn of patrol for another fifteen minute yet so he took his time. From his exploration that afternoon he knew the compound was not warded and no protection was put on it , what he doesn't know was if the inside of the house was warded or not.

He calmed his mind and drew little Íla– the energy that existed in all things and that Sages manipulate to make physical or mental changes– into himself. To him the íla is like a cloud that he could breathe in and use when he wanted, he sent his mind to touch the house as gently as he could. Nothing. He could detect nothing from the house, so the house wasn't warded?

Something didn't feel right he could tell, a schooler who according to the report he'd been given was a Sage himself even if he was not a master of the art. No sage would leave their territory unguarded like this. And why hire normal human as bodyguards and not ward your house? or hire mercenary will Sage powers?

He resisted the urge to summon one of his lesser Sages, because it could alert his target. Nothing to do but to move forward anyway but he loath his lack of information about the inside of the house and what to expect, he manipulated the íla in the shadows to make the shadow denser and thicker then he warped the shadow around himself like an oversized clothe. It was clumsy, his manipulation of shadow but he could make do, he's not a shadow fighter after all.

Now, as much blended with the night as he could he moved to right just under the window of the second floor. He knew that the schooler's work room was behind that window and that for a schooler who was supposedly on the run he didn't take his security seriously. His windows were always open as if he was always in need of fresh air, even in the night he always opened his window and it's only when he went to sleep would he bother to close it.

Femi was very good at the earth and water manipulation, his air was passable at best so he didn't like using it but since the wall are too smooth to climb and the window wasn't that high then he would have to risk it. He patted his twin long curved knives and unsheathed one to his left hand leaving his right one free. With his left hand firmly warped around the blade he called air to warped around himself and with a clumsy shove he was thrown up. His instincts won and as he was level with the window his right hand hand snapped out and gripped the window frame, with the air still around him it was easy to hold on, he pushed the window open wider with air then he put his feet on the frames.

The room inside was nearly in darkness and for a moment he thought schooler Kunle had gone to sleep and forgotten to close his window but the low lantern on the table opposite and the man sitting and looking at him with a smile cleared his doubt.

Kunle raised his hand and Femi tensed, his left hand ready to throw the blade if needed, Kunle clapped instead and the room brighten as the lantern flared up. The room was cramped with books and pieces of it littered the floor, the place was rough with papers and unwashed plates and at the table look just like his books is Schooler Kunle.

He was a small man, and had that white beard that Femi supposed all wise schooler had but his head was blad that black head was reflecting the lantern light.

Femi frownd, he hated when his target does not look like someone assassins should be sent after.

Kunle pushed his thick glasses up his nose and smiled. Smiled!

Kunle frowned, resisting the urge to twitch, he hated when things aren not going as planned. He had seen schooler Kunle's picture of course but to see him like this, relaxed and smiling, smiling!

"I've been waiting for you, Grim."

Kunle nearly dropped his blade in shock, he opened his mouth and closed it gathering his thoughts. How did he know? Impossible!

"Who are you?" He demanded, "And what did you just call me?"

He stepped into the room, his body coild to attack.

"All in due time, Shadowed One. But the question you should be asking is who are you? Grim? Shadowed One? Or ...Femi."

Femi opened his mouth to answer but twisted away as a sword passed through where his head had been seconds ago.